Stockwinners Market Radar for September 11, 2018 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:02 EDT U.S. Gold withdraws shareholder meeting proposal for a reverse stock split - U.S. Gold announced that it resolved to withdraw a part of the agenda "PROPOSAL NO.2 - Approve an amendment to the company's Articles of Incorporation, as amended, to implement a reverse stock split of the company's issued and outstanding common stock at a ratio of not less than 1 for 2 and not more than 1 for 10, within the discretion of the board at any time prior to September 13, 2019" and PROPOSAL NO.3 - "Approve the issuance of securities in one or more non-public offerings where the maximum discount at which securities will be offered will be equivalent to a discount of 30% below market price of our common stock in accordance with Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 5635(d)" to partially revise the agenda to be submitted to the 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held September 13, 2018.

18:59 EDT ATN International sells its U.S. Solar portfolio for $122M - ATN announced that its subsidiary Ahana Renewables, LLC, has entered into an agreement to sell its distributed generation solar power systems in Massachusetts, California, and New Jersey to CleanCapital Holdco 4, LLC, a financial technology investor in clean energy. Ahana owns and operates 28 commercial solar projects at 60 sites with an aggregate 46.9MW of electricity generating capacity. The estimated total transaction value is $122M, inclusive of debt assumption and subject to certain estimated post-closing adjustments. ATN purchased these assets on December 24, 2014 at a transaction value of $103M. As of June 30, 2018, these assets are estimated to have generated unlevered free cash flow of $53M.

18:36 EDT Allegiant Travel reports August total system traffic up 14.9% - Reports total system passengers up 15.7%. Reports available seat miles, or ASM, up 15.9%. Reports total system load factor down 0.7 points to 82.6%. Reports total system departures up 14.5%.

18:04 EDT S&P announces changes to S&P 400, 500, 600 indices - S&P MidCap 400 constituent WellCare Health Plans (WCG) will replace XL Group (XL) in the S&P 500, S&P SmallCap 600 constituent HealthEquity (HQY) will replace WellCare Health Plans in the S&P MidCap 400 and Laredo Petroleum (LPI) will replace HealthEquity in the S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the open of trading on Monday, September 17. AXA SA (AXAHY) is acquiring XL Group in a deal expected to close on September 12.

17:53 EDT Magnolia Oil & Gas Chairman Stephen Chazen buys almost 53K shares - Magnolia Oil & Gas Chairman Stephen Chazen disclosed in a filing that he had purchased 52,883 shares of Magnolia Oil & Gas stock at an average price of $13.50 per share between September 7 and September 11. The transaction value of the purchase was $714,116.

17:30 EDT Foamix trading resumes

17:21 EDT Energy Transfer Equity Director Brannon buys 100K shares of common stock - Energy Transfer Equity director Richard Brannon disclosed in a filing that he had bought 100,000 shares of company stock on September 10-11th. The total transaction value was $1.7M.

17:19 EDT HealthEquity to replace WellCare in S&P 400 at open on 9/17

17:18 EDT WellCare to replace XL Group in S&P 500 at open on 9/17 - AXA SA is acquiring XL Group in a deal expected to close on September 12.

17:01 EDT BankUnited names CEO Rajinder Singh chairman of the board - BankUnited announced that John A. Kanas will be retiring from the board of directors for BankUnited, Inc. and BankUnited, N.A. effective December 31, 2018. Kanas, has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors since May 2009 when he, along with a group of investors, acquired the assets and assumed the liabilities of the failed BankUnited, FSB from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Kanas also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of BankUnited until his retirement from those roles on December 31, 2016. President and Chief Executive Officer Rajinder P. Singh, who was also one of the founders of the company and is a member of the board of directors, will succeed Kanas as Chairman effective January 1, 2019.

16:50 EDT Fifth Third sees $60M-$75M in revenue synergies by year 3 from MB Financial - Says CCAR resubmission pending; expects to continue repurchases post Q3 earnings. Information taken from Fifth Third slides presentation.

16:45 EDT Glenn Krevlin reports 8.35% stake in Destination XL - On September 11, Krevlin sent a letter to the board of Destination XL. In the letter, Krevlin indicated his interest in joining the board of the company and his concern with respect to the search for a new CEO of the company. The letter said in part: "I have previously expressed an interest in joining the Board of Directors of the Company in June of this year, and subsequently had conversations with Will Mesdag, who was open to the idea along with two other members of the board - John Kyees and Mitchell Presser. I am writing today to affirm my interest in joining the Board of Directors and would like to establish a timetable to discuss my qualifications with the Board of Directors."

16:37 EDT Tintri Chief Technology Officer Kieran Harty resigns from position - Effective as of September 5 and following the sale of substantially all of the assets of Tintri to TI Acquisition, a wholly owned subsidiary of DataDirect Networks under Section 363 of the United States Bankruptcy Code, Kieran Harty resigned from his position as Chief Technology Officer of the company. Mr. Harty continues to serve as a member of the company's Board of Directors.

16:32 EDT Franklin Resources reports preliminary AUM $722.4B as of August 31 - Compared to $733.7B at July 31, 2018. The decrease in assets under management was attributable to net market declines and net outflows. Preliminary average assets under management for the quarter, through August 31, 2018, were $726.7B.

16:32 EDT Pioneer Natural, U. S. Silica enter into sand supply agreement - Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) and U.S. Silica Holdings (SLCA) announced that the companies have entered into a long-term sand supply agreement by which Pioneer will purchase an interest in U.S. Silica's sand reserves at its Lamesa, Texas, mine in West Texas. This agreement secures a long-term supply of sand from the mine, with U.S. Silica processing and supplying sand to Pioneer for 15 years. The sand reserves and sand supply will be from U.S. Silica's previously announced mine that is located about 60 miles north of Midland, near Lamesa, Texas. The mine is expected to produce approximately six million tons annually of predominately fine grade 100 mesh and 40/70 mesh sand, with initial production expected in the fourth quarter of 2018. Pioneer expects to receive its initial sand volumes during the first quarter of 2019, with its supply increasing from approximately 1.4 million tons in 2019 to 2 million tons per year in 2020 and future years.

16:31 EDT Nordson announces additional $500M share repurchase program - Nordson announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to an additional $500M of the company's common shares, adding capacity to the $119M remaining from its 2015 Board authorization.

16:20 EDT Delavaco Holdings reports 9.18% passive stake in Cool Holdings

16:18 EDT Mercury Systems receives $6.7M BuiltSECURE memory order - Mercury Systems announced it received a $6.7M follow-on order from a leading defense prime contractor for BuiltSECURE high-density secure memory devices to be integrated into the command, control and intelligence system of an advanced airborne platform. The order was booked in the Company's fiscal 2019 first quarter and is expected to be shipped over the next several quarters.

16:16 EDT Bausch Health pays down debt by additional $107M - Bausch Health announced it has paid down an additional $57M of its senior secured term loans and $50M of its revolver borrowings, using cash on hand. As a result, the company has eliminated all mandatory amortization for the remainder of 2018. In addition, Bausch Health paid down $132M of debt earlier in the third quarter of 2018, which was disclosed when the company reported its second-quarter 2018 financial results last month. Together, these transactions bring the company's total debt repayment in the quarter to nearly $240M.

16:14 EDT Sprint drops 2% to $5.97 after FCC pauses review clock on T-Mobile merger

16:09 EDT Ring Energy increases planned FY18 capex budget by $47M to $197M - Ring Energ announced an approximate $47M increase in its capital expenditure budget for 2018, making an estimated total of $197M. On February 20, 2018, the company announced a preliminary CAPEX for 2018 of $150M. Included in that initial budget were the drilling of approximately 60 new horizontal wells on its Central Basin Platform, continued improvements and upgrading of the existing infrastructure, the drilling of additional salt water disposal wells, the upgrading and extension of the company's electrical system in Andrews County and the completion of a gas pipeline. All those items directly supported the ongoing drilling and development program on the company's CBP asset. In addition, the initial 2018 budget included the drilling of the first horizontal well on its North Gaines property and the first horizontal "Brushy Canyon" well on its Delaware Basin property. In the first six months of 2018, the Company drilled 24 new horizontal San Andres wells on its CBP asset. In addition, the company drilled one new horizontal well on its North Gaines Property, one new horizontal Brushy Canyon well on its Delaware Basin Property and three saltwater disposal wells. In the first six months of 2018, the Company tested and filed IPs on 30 new horizontal wells. In addition, the Company performed workovers on nine existing San Andres horizontal wells and made extensive infrastructure improvements and upgrades on all three assets. The company has increased its second half 2018 budget by $10M to approximately $85M. The budget includes the drilling of 26 new horizontal San Andres wells on its CBP, two new North Gaines horizontal wells and two new Brushy Canyon horizontal wells on its Delaware Basin property. Additionally, the budget includes multiple workovers on existing San Andres horizontal wells and extensive infrastructure upgrades and improvements as the company continues to maximize the potential of all three properties.

16:08 EDT Gilead, Galapagos say Filgotinib met primary, secondary endpoints in study - Gilead Sciences (GILD) and Galapagos NV (GLPG) announced that FINCH 2, a global, randomized, placebo-controlled, Phase 3 study of filgotinib, an investigational, selective JAK1 inhibitor, in adults with moderately-to-severely active rheumatoid arthritis and prior inadequate response/intolerance to biologic agents, achieved its primary endpoint in the proportion of patients achieving an American College of Rheumatology 20 percent response at Week 12. Also at Weeks 12 and 24, the proportion of patients achieving ACR50 and ACR70, low disease activity, and clinical remission were significantly higher for patients receiving once-daily filgotinib 100 mg or 200 mg compared to patients receiving placebo. Filgotinib was generally well-tolerated in the FINCH 2 trial, with no new safety signals compared to those reported in previous trials of filgotinib. Treatment-emergent adverse events and serious adverse events were mostly mild or moderate in severity. Serious adverse events occurred in 3.4, 5.2 and 4.1 percent of the patients in the placebo, 100mg and 200mg groups, respectively. The proportion of patients who discontinued study drug due to treatment-emergent adverse events was also similar across groups. Two cases of uncomplicated herpes zoster were reported in each filgotinib group. Two major adverse cardiovascular events were identified, one subarachnoid hemorrhage in the placebo group and one myocardial ischemia in the filgotinib 100 mg group. There was one case of non-serious retinal vein occlusion in the filgotinib 200 mg group and no reports of deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism. There were no deaths, malignancies, gastrointestinal perforations, or opportunistic infections, including active tuberculosis.

16:05 EDT Travelers names Mojgan Lefebvre CIO - The Travelers Companies announced that Mojgan Lefebvre has joined the company as Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer. She succeeds Madelyn Lankton, who will retire this month after 36 years with Travelers. Lefebvre joins Travelers as a seasoned Chief Information Officer with nearly two decades of experience managing both employee- and customer-facing technologies. For the past eight years, she has been with Liberty Mutual, serving most recently as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for its Global Risk Solutions business.

15:57 EDT Deere reports rolling 3 month retail sales trends to August - Deere reported that U.S./Canada industrywide sales of 2WD tractors less than 40 PTO hp were up 14% in the rolling three month period to August, while Deere sales in the category were up less than the industry. Industry sales of 2WD tractors between 40 and 100 PTO hp were up 6%, and Deere sales in the category were up more than the industry. Industry sales of 2WD tractors above 100 PTO hp were up 21%, and Deere sales in the category were up more than the industry. Industry sales of 4WD tractors were up 33%, while Deere sales in the category were in line with the industry. Industry sales of combines were up 14%, while Deere sales in the category were up more than the industry. Information from presentation slides posted to Deere's investor website. Reference Link

15:37 EDT Denny's cancels conference participation due to hurricane - Denny's announced that the company has canceled its participation at CL King's 16th Annual Best Ideas Conference on Thursday, September 13, 2018. The cancellation is due to the anticipated impact from Hurricane Florence, the company said.

13:58 EDT Microsoft announces new Canadian headquarters in downtown Toronto - Microsoft announced a massive new investment in Canada, with plans for a state-of-the-art new headquarters located in the heart of downtown Toronto. With a move-in date set in Sept 2020, the facility, located at 81 Bay Street, is just one of a series of significant investments Microsoft is making. These investments will enable an expansion of Microsoft's Canadian operations, including increasing staff, modernizing its real estate, and growing its research lab in Montreal that is focused on artificial intelligence. Comprising 132,000 square feet over four floors of the 81 Bay Street building now under construction, the new Microsoft Canada headquarters is a significant investment in Toronto's tech cluster. Currently, Microsoft employs more than 2,300 employees across Canada, and supports an extended ecosystem of more than 14,000 trusted partners who sell, service or deploy Microsoft products. The company expects that given the pace of technology and the investments it is making that the Microsoft ecosystem could account for more than 60,000 new jobs by the time its new headquarters opens in two years. In addition to today's announcement, Microsoft Canada intends to: grow staff by more than 500 full-time employees, with an additional 500 co-ops/internships by 2022, invest $21M in Azure credits to the Canada's Supercluster initiative, invest $10M over 5 years into Cascadia innovation corridor which is formed between Washington and British Columbia to create new economic opportunities and invest more than $570M in next 3 years in fixed assets in the country, including relocation and expansion of its research and development lab in Montreal, relocation of its Vancouver sales office, renovation and redesign of its Ottawa, Calgary and Montreal sales offices, and the relocation of its Canadian Headquarters. Construction of the new Microsoft Canada headquarters at 81 Bay Street is underway with occupancy expected for September 2020.

13:09 EDT Norfolk Southern cancels conference appearance to prepare for hurricane - Norfolk Southern announced that in order to focus the company's efforts on protecting employees, rail traffic, and infrastructure from the anticipated impacts of Hurricane Florence, the company has cancelled its appearance at Morgan Stanley's 6th Annual Laguna Conference previously scheduled for Friday, Sept. 14, 2018, at 11:45 am ET.

12:29 EDT ITC to investigate Mahindra & Mahindra following Fiat Chrysler complaint - The U.S. International Trade Commission has voted to institute an investigation of certain motorized vehicles and components thereof. The products at issue in the investigation are described in the Commission's notice of investigation. The investigation is based on a complaint filed by FCA US LLC of Auburn Hills, MI, on August 1, 2018. The complaint alleges violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the United States and sale of certain motorized vehicles and components thereof that infringe trade dress and trademarks asserted by the complainant. The complainant requests that the USITC issue a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders. The USITC has identified the following as respondents in this investigation: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. of Mumbai, India; and Mahindra Automotive North America, Inc., of Auburn Hills, MI. By instituting this investigation, the USITC has not yet made any decision on the merits of the case. Reference Link

12:18 EDT Game On: Stifel sees video game market ending 2018 up low double-digits - Welcome to "Game On," The Fly's weekly recap of the stories powering up or beating down video game stocks. NEW RELEASES: Among this week's major releases is Take-Two's basketball sim (TTWO) "NBA 2K19," which launches today on PC, Nintendo Switch (NTDOY), PlayStation 4 (SNE), and Xbox One (MSFT). Also out this week is Electronic Arts' (EA) hockey sim "NHL 19," which rolls out Friday, September 14, for PS4 and Xbox One. In addition, Square Enix's action-adventure title "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" launches this Friday on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. GAMESTOP EARNINGS: Last Thursday, GameStop (GME) reported second quarter results, with earnings per share falling short of consensus estimates. The company also reiterated its earnings and revenue guidance for fiscal 2018, noting that it sees same-store sales for the year to be down 5% to flat. Additionally, the video game retailer confirmed that it is still engaged with third parties regarding a possible transaction as part of a strategic review. The company noted that there can be no assurance that the board's review will result in a transaction. The comments came after Dealreporter said last Wednesday that GameStop was working with Perella Weinberg on a formal auction to explore a sale, with the sale process being at an advanced stage. STIFEL SELECT LIST: As part of his annual holiday preview for the video games industry, Stifel analyst Drew Crum added Activision Blizzard (ATVI) to the Stifel Select List, based on expectations for a "solid" holiday, building anticipation ahead of BlizzCon, and further newsflow for Overwatch League. Meanwhile, the analyst removed Electronic Arts from the Select List and cut his price target on the stock to $140 from $159, as he said pre-sales for upcoming war shooter "Battlefield V" appear "underwhelming." Additionally, Crum upped his price target for Take-Two shares to $144 from $137, citing his growing optimism for "Red Dead Redemption 2" based on his pre-sales analysis. The analyst maintained Buy ratings on all the "big three" publishers. Overall, Crum said he sees the global market ending 2018 up low double-digits in terms of growth, calling the upcoming holiday software line-up the best that he has seen during the current console cycle. EA CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION: Eurogamer reported today that the Belgian government has opened a criminal probe into EA after the company refused to modify "FIFA Ultimate Team" packs in line with the country's gambling laws. Belgium's Gaming Commission determined that lootboxes found in "FIFA 18," Activision's "Overwatch," and Valve's "Counter-Strike: Global Offensive" were forms of gambling and subject to the country's laws, according to Eurogamer. TENCENT SHUTS DOWN ANOTHER GAME: Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported that Tencent (TCEHY) has started to phase out its "Everyday Texas Hold'Em" gambling game and will shut down the game server on September 25 as the government ramps up controls on the video game industry in China. Tencent said it was closing the game due to "an adjustment in its business" and will either issue refunds to players or convert their digital currency in the poker game to be used in other games, according to the Journal.

11:52 EDT Correction: Ellington Financial estimates diluted book value per share of $19.25

11:23 EDT Cinedigm enters multi-year home entertainment deal with Nelvana - Corus Entertainment's Nelvana has inked a significant multi-year home entertainment deal with Cinedigm for multiple titles from its world-famous children's content library including classic series like Babar, Babar and the Adventures of Badou and Bakugan Battle Brawlers. Cinedigm has also renewed streaming rights for six Nelvana series, including Babar and Maggie and the Ferocious Beast, for its Dove and ConTV streaming networks.

11:03 EDT Air Products to build liquid hydrogen plant at La Porte, Texas facility - Air Products announced plans to build a new liquid hydrogen plant at its La Porte, Texas industrial gas facility to meet increasing product demand from several customer markets. The liquid hydrogen plant will produce approximately 30 tons per day, will draw its hydrogen to be liquefied from Air Products' existing Gulf Coast hydrogen pipeline system network, and is to be onstream in 2021. The new facility at La Porte will join Air Products' existing hydrogen and syngas production operations, as well as an air separation unit. The liquid hydrogen plant will be connected to, and draw hydrogen from, Air Products' Gulf Coast Pipeline, the world's largest hydrogen plant and pipeline network system. The 600-mile pipeline span stretches from the Houston Ship Channel in Texas to New Orleans, Louisiana, and supplies customers with over 1.4 billion feet of hydrogen per day from 23 hydrogen production facilities.

10:33 EDT Syntel announces CFIUS clearance for proposed acquisition by Atos - Syntel announced that the review of the proposed acquisition of Syntel by Atos by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has been completed and there are no unresolved national security concerns with respect to the transaction. CFIUS clearance was the final outstanding regulatory approval required prior to the consummation of the transaction. Favorable regulatory approvals have already been obtained from the applicable regulatory agencies in Austria, Serbia and India and early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act in the United States has been received. The transaction remains subject to approval by Syntel's shareholders at the special meeting scheduled for October 1, 2018. The transaction is then expected to close in early Q4.

10:10 EDT Aurora Cannabis converts CTT Pharmaceuticals debt into 9% equity position - CTT Pharmaceutical announced that it received a notice of conversion to convert the $1M, 5% debenture held by Aurora Cannabis into equity shares of CTT. Aurora will have an approximate 9.14% equity ownership stake in CTT upon conversion of the debenture and holds a warrant which enables Aurora to increase its equity ownership to 42.5%. Terry Booth, CEO of Aurora, said, "CTT's innovative technology has the potential to produce great utility when applied to the cannabis industry, and we are encouraged with our joint progress towards establishing a long-term commercial arrangement with CTT to market this exciting technology. Converting our debenture is the logical consequence of our confidence in CTT and our joint project, and we look forward to updating the market as we progress towards introducing oral film strips to both the medical and adult consumer use markets upon receipt of Health Canada approval."

10:01 EDT Wuhan General negotiating redesign of DoD facility into crypto mining farm - Wuhan General Group announced that it's currently negotiating a redesign of a US Defense Department data center to transform it into a Cryptocurrency mining facility. The facility will meet security and power requirements when mining cryptocurrency. It will also provide the company with an opportunity to set new standards in cryptocurrency mining safety, stability, and security measures. The company estimates this operation to bring monthly revenue in excess of $3.5M based on current cryptocurrency market prices for the initial 1300 mining machines in operation. More information will be shared regarding the progress of the project when available.

10:00 EDT SandRidge Energy falls -11.5% - SandRidge Energy is down -11.5%, or -$1.65 to $12.65.

10:00 EDT Investors Real Estate rises 4.6% - Investors Real Estate is up 4.6%, or 25c to $5.72.

10:00 EDT Symbol changed to PYX rises 9.3% - Symbol changed to PYX is up 9.3%, or $1.63 to $19.18.

09:47 EDT Barclays ETN+ FI Enhanced Global High Yield ETN Series B falls -7.8% - Barclays ETN+ FI Enhanced Global High Yield ETN Series B is down -7.8%, or -$7.83 to $93.05.

09:47 EDT Yum China falls -15.2% - Yum China is down -15.2%, or -$5.61 to $31.25.

09:47 EDT Liberty Oilfield Services rises 4.7% - Liberty Oilfield Services is up 4.7%, or 80c to $17.97.

09:45 EDT TORM PLC (Class A Stock) trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:32 EDT USA Technologies sinks 34% to $10.15 after announcing probe into controls

09:15 EDT Twilio acquires Ytica - Twilio announced it has acquired Ytica. Ytica provides customizable contact center reporting, speech analytics and workforce optimization, or WFO, software to enhance agent performance in the contact center and provides businesses a unified view of the way they engage with their customers. Ytica's technology will now be available as a part of Twilio Flex, Twilio's fully programmable application platform for the contact center, and is also expected to be offered as a standalone product to other contact center SaaS vendors. With Ytica, Twilio Flex will offer easy to use, pre-integrated WFO as a core capability, giving supervisors the tools required to provide real-time feedback to their contact center agents. Workforce optimization can be a differentiator for companies. By providing key insights into a business' customer interactions, WFO has the potential to inform strategy for every function of the organization. Twilio is also announcing the addition of a new office in Prague, the home of the Ytica team. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Twilio is not updating its guidance for the full year. The proposed acquisition is not expected to have a material impact on Twilio's results of operations or financial condition for the full year.

09:09 EDT Ericsson, T-Mobile sign $3.5B 5G agreement - Ericsson (ERIC) and T-Mobile (TMUS) announced a multi-year, $3.5B contract to support T-Mobile's nationwide 5G network deployment. Under the deal, Ericsson will provide T-Mobile with the latest 5G New Radio hardware and software compliant with 3GPP standards. Bridging from a nationwide LTE Advanced network to 5G, T-Mobile will leverage Ericsson's market-leading 5G portfolio to expand existing LTE capacity needs while future-proofing the network. The contract also encompasses Ericsson's digital services solutions, including dynamic orchestration, business support systems and Ericsson Cloud Core, enabling T-Mobile to rapidly launch innovative and groundbreaking 5G experiences to customers. 5G promises to deliver very high data speeds, extreme low latency, ultra-high reliability, energy efficiency and extreme device densities, which will be realized by the development of LTE in combination with new radio-access technologies. Under the terms of the new deal, Ericsson will supply hardware and software from its market-ready 5G Platform, which includes its strengthened Ericsson Radio System portfolio, across all spectrum bands available to T-Mobile. Additionally, T-Mobile's already installed base of Ericsson Radio System radios will be able to run 5G NR technology with simple remote software installation.

09:06 EDT Skechers claims shareholder lawsuit and allegations without merit - Skechers denies the allegations in the recent alleged shareholder class actions filed by Laborers Local 235 Benefit Fund as frivolous and without merit, and plans on defending them vigorously. David Weinberg, Skechers chief operating officer, commented: "This shareholder lawsuit is without merit. Between October 2017 and July 2018, the company announced four consecutive quarters of record net sales, including our highest quarterly net sales in the first quarter of 2018, and record annual sales for the full-year 2017. During that time, the company was-and still is-focused on efficiently and strategically growing our business on a global scale. This includes investing in our infrastructure, diligently managing our balance sheet and bringing expenses in line with growth. The lawsuit at best shows a complete misunderstanding of the challenges facing both the international footwear industry and our growth-oriented global business. We will vigorously defend the company and our officers against this frivolous lawsuit in court."

09:05 EDT B. Riley Financial appoints Dawn Farrell as CAO - B. Riley Financial announced that Dawn Farrell has been appointed as chief administrative officer, or CAO. In this role, Farrell is responsible for driving operational efficiency through assisting in the day-to-day management of the division and coordinating efforts within the organization. A 15-year capital markets veteran, Farrell specializes in syndication, distribution and marketing of new issue offerings with a focus on private placements for institutional clients. Her expertise includes IPOs, follow-on equity offerings, convertible offerings, PIPEs, block trades, bought deals and cross-border transactions. She has facilitated over 200 transactions with an aggregate value over $36B for issuers across multiple sectors.

09:02 EDT Sunrun expands access to affordable housing communities - Sunrun is launching an expansion of its low and moderate income solar offering. The company plans to develop a minimum of 100 megawatts of solar on affordable multi-family housing, where 80% of tenants fall below 60% of the area median income, over the next decade in California. Sunrun's commitment, when fully deployed, will directly benefit at least 50,000 moderate and low-income households.

08:48 EDT International Paper announces retirement of senior VP of Corporate Development - International Paper announced the retirement of C. Cato Ealy, senior vice president, Corporate Development after 26 years with the company. His retirement will be effective December 31, 2018.

08:43 EDT Tilray announces export of 2:100 CBD Oil to UK for compassionate use - Tilray announced that Tilray 2:100, a product produced at Tilray's federally licensed facility in Canada, was successfully imported into the United Kingdom, to supply a pediatric patient in need. With government-approved compassionate access, the UK-based patient suffering from a rare form of epilepsy, now has reliable access to Tilray 2:100, the product used as the primary medicine in a clinical trial testing the efficacy and tolerability of cannabis-derived medicine as treatment for pediatric epilepsy, the company stated. In pre-market trading in New York, Tilray shares are about 6% higher at $89.17 per share.

08:38 EDT FOREWARN enters partnership with NSBAR - FOREWARN, a Red Violet company, announced that the North Shore Barrington Association of Realtors, or NSBAR, has purchased FOREWARN for 1,100 of its members, with further commitment to secure FOREWARN for all additional members who request the service, in an effort to promote proactive real estate agent safety. Available both online and through a mobile application, FOREWARN analyzes billions of data points and provides users with the ability to mitigate risks by verifying identity using just a phone number, searching for criminal histories, and validating information provided by potential clients such as financial and asset information. FOREWARN allows agents to properly and safely plan for showings with a higher level of confidence. The FOREWARN services contracted for by NSBAR will be available to NSBAR's entire 3,600+ members at no additional cost to individual agents.

08:36 EDT GAIN Capital reports August operating metrics - In the retail segment in August, OTC Trading Volume was down 4.2% sequentially and down 26.5% y/y. OTC Average Daily Volume was down 8.4% sequentially and down 26.2% y/y. 12 Month Trailing Active OTC Accounts were down 1.6% sequentially and were down 3.7% y/y. 3 Month Trailing Active OTC Accounts were down 5.5% sequentially and down 12.4% y/y.

08:32 EDT Merck KGaA, Pfizer announce 'positive' results from Phase III JAVELIN Renal 101 - Merck KGaA (MKGAY) and Pfizer (PFE) announced positive top-line results from the pivotal Phase III JAVELIN Renal 101 study evaluating BAVENCIO in combination with INLYTA, compared with SUTENT as initial therapy for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. As part of a planned interim analysis, an independent Data Monitoring Committee confirmed that the trial showed a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival by central review for patients treated with the combination whose tumors had programmed death ligand-1-positive expression greater than 1%, as well as in the entire study population regardless of PD-L1 tumor expression. According to the statistical analysis plan, if PFS was statistically significant in the PD-L1+ subgroup, then PFS in the entire study population was to be analyzed for statistical significance. JAVELIN Renal 101 will continue as planned to the final analysis for the other primary endpoint of overall survival. No new safety signals were observed, and adverse events for BAVENCIO, INLYTA and SUTENT in this trial were consistent with the known safety profiles for all three medicines. The alliance intends to pursue a regulatory submission in the US based on these interim results, and these results will be discussed with global health authorities. A detailed analysis will also be submitted for presentation at an upcoming medical congress.

08:30 EDT Invuity trading resumes

08:20 EDT Boise Cascade agrees to sell two Oregon lumber mills, particleboard operations - Boise Cascade Company has entered into an agreement with Woodgrain Millwork to sell its northeast Oregon lumber mills in Pilot Rock and La Grande and the particleboard operations in Island City. The planned transaction does not include Boise Cascade's plywood mill or the powerhouse and log utilization center, based in Elgin, OR. Woodgrain is a manufacturer and supplier with a diverse product offering including moulding, door shop products, and window parts, headquartered in Idaho. The details of the agreement were not disclosed and the transaction is contingent upon the results of the due diligence process, which is expected to take approximately 60 days.

08:19 EDT Boise Cascade to sell two lumber mills, particleboard operations in Oregon - Boise Cascade Company has entered into an agreement with Woodgrain Millwork to sell its northeast Oregon lumber mills in Pilot Rock and La Grande and the particleboard operations in Island City. The planned transaction does not include Boise Cascade's plywood mill or the powerhouse and log utilization center, based in Elgin, OR. The details of the agreement were not disclosed and the transaction is contingent upon the results of the due diligence process, which is expected to take approximately 60 days.

08:16 EDT Plantronics sees long-term revenue growth of 5%-8% - Plantronics provided additional information regarding its long-term financial outlook and recently completed Polycom acquisition, including increased synergy targets and enhanced strategic benefits. The addition of Polycom expands Plantronics total addressable market from $1.4 billion in 2017 to $7.0 billion in 2022 and accelerates its vision to be the preferred communications and collaboration touch point. As a result, Plantronics is providing the following updated long-term financial targets, reflecting post-acquisition opportunities to improve operating margins: Revenue growth of 5 - 8%, on a year-over-year basis; Non-GAAP gross margins of 52 - 54%2, an increase of 200 bps over the prior Plantronics stand-alone long-term target of 50 - 52%; Non-GAAP operating margins of 21 - 24%2, an increase of 100 bps over the prior Plantronics stand-alone long-term target of 20 - 23%. Updated synergy targets are: $85 million in run-rate annualized cost synergies within year one, exceeding previously stated target of $75 million; $105 million in steady-state run-rate annualized cost synergies within two years.

08:09 EDT Digital Ally announces two new patents - Digital Ally announced a new development from the United States Patent Office in its continued prosecution of critical patents for the law enforcement community. The patent office has granted Digital Ally two new patents. These patents will assist Law Enforcement Officers capture and collect evidence. The '394 Patent is a continuation of the original VuLink auto-activation patents that currently are being asserted against Axon Enterprise and Enforcement Video. The '394 Patent broadens Digital's auto-activation patent portfolio by providing more functionality relating to auto-activation, including triggering camera operation when a law enforcement officer exits the vehicle. The '681 Patent is the first patent to issue in a new family of inventions from Digital. The '681 Patent is directed to forward and rearward cameras that are mounted in a manner so the law enforcement officer can rotate and point them where necessary. For example, a point-of-view camera including both a forward and rearward camera view mounted to the officer's head also allows the officer to adjust the recording angle of the cameras as the situation dictates.

08:05 EDT Stryker to acquire Invuity for $190M - Stryker (SYK) announced a definitive agreement to acquire all the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Invuity (IVTY) for $7.40 per share, or a total equity value of approximately $190M. Invuity specializes in advanced photonics and single-use, lighted instruments that deliver enhanced visualization for a wide variety of clinical applications including orthopaedic and spine surgery, general surgery, and women's health procedures, and is a recent entrant into the enhanced energy market. Founded in 2004, and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Invuity's portfolio of products is complementary to the surgical portfolio of Stryker's instruments business. The boards of directors of both Stryker and Invuity have approved the transaction. The closing of this transaction is subject to the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 and is expected to have an immaterial impact to net earnings in 2018.

08:04 EDT Unisys and OutSystems partner in Australia and New Zealand - Unisys announced that it has become an OutSystems strategic reseller and implementation partner in Australia and New Zealand. Unisys will use the market-leading low-code development platform from OutSystems to create applications that enable faster agile delivery of digital transformation for Australasian government and commercial organizations.

08:03 EDT Atara Biotherapeutics names Merck CMO Roy Baynes to board - Atara Biotherapeutics (ATRA) announced that Roy Baynes, M.D., Ph.D., was appointed to the company's Board of Directors effective immediately. Baynes currently serves as Chief Medical Officer at Merck & Co. (MRK), and SVP and Head of Global Clinical Development at Merck Research Laboratories.

08:02 EDT Spotify expands relationship with Nielsen - Spotify (SPOT) and Nielsen (NLSN) announced an expansion of their relationship to include the adoption of Nielsen Brand Effect across Spotify in the U.S., Germany, Canada, Mexico, U.K., Spain, France, Netherlands, Japan and Australia. This will allow marketers to measure and optimize their national advertising on Spotify and gain a deeper understanding of how their ads resonate and affect brand lift with their target audience.

07:57 EDT JPMorgan to merge JPMorgan International Bank with JPMorgan Bank Luxembourg - J.P. Morgan announces corporate restructuring plans that will establish a significant Wealth Management business operation in Luxembourg and enhance capabilities in divisions of its Corporate & Investment Bank - Treasury Services and Custody & Fund Services. As part of the long-planned restructuring, the firm proposes to merge two legal banking entities into one allowing for seamless client support for these specific businesses across the European Economic Area. Subject to regulatory and other approvals, J.P. Morgan International Bank Limited, a London-based bank authorized and regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority, will be merged with J.P. Morgan Bank Luxembourg, another member of the JPMorgan Chase &Co. group located in the European Economic Area. JPMBL is a bank regulated and supervised by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier, and also supervised by the European Central Bank. On completion of the merger, all JPMIB's assets and liabilities - including client accounts, associated assets and legal agreements - will be transferred to JPMBL, and JPMIB will be dissolved. The firm anticipates the completion of the merger to occur in early 2019.

07:48 EDT KemPharm announces results from HAP trial of serdexmethylphenidate - KemPharm announced topline results from its oral human abuse potential, or HAP, clinical trial of serdexmethylphenidate, or SDX, the major active pharmaceutical ingredient in KP415, its investigational ADHD product candidate that also contains d-methylphenidate. Results from the oral HAP trial indicate that the prodrug component of KP415 may have lower abuse potential compared to Focalin XR, a schedule II controlled substance, even when SDX is administered at oral doses up to 1.5 times higher than Focalin XR on a molar basis.

07:34 EDT Incyte, Foundation Medicine to develop companion diagnostic for pemigatinib - Incyte Corporation and Foundation Medicine announced that the companies have entered into an agreement for the development, regulatory support and commercialization of companion diagnostics, with an initial focus on CDx development for pemigatinib, Incyte's selective FGFR1/2/3 inhibitor, in patients with cholangiocarcinoma. The initial CDx, which will include detection of activating FGFR2 translocations, is expected to be incorporated into FoundationOne CDx, Foundation Medicine's FDA-approved comprehensive genomic profiling assay and broad CDx platform.

07:33 EDT Neovasc granted extension to regain compliance until October 15 - Neovasc announced that it has received the decision of the Nasdaq Hearings Panel to grant it a extension until October 15 to regain compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement and the Company's plans to execute the reverse stock split, approved at its Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders on June 4. The Nasdaq Stock Market held an oral hearing on August 30 at which the Panel considered Neovasc's appeal of the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Staff decision to delist the Company's common shares from the Nasdaq Capital Market for non-compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement. In its decision dated September 10 the Panel agreed to provide Neovasc with an extension until October 15 to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement. To regain compliance, the closing bid price of the Common Shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market must be at least $1.00 for at least 10 consecutive business days. The Company intends to execute a reverse stock split on the basis of 1 post-consolidation Common Share for 100 pre-consolidation Common Shares in order to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement before October 15, 2018 and avoid delisting. The Panel's decision will stay any delisting or suspension action on the basis of the minimum bid price deficiency until October 15.

07:22 EDT Neovasc aware of lawsuit filed by Endovalve and Micro Interventional Devices - Neovasc has been made aware of a lawsuit filed by Endovalve and Micro Interventional Devices in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey including certain allegations relating to Neovasc's transcatheter mitral valve technology, including the Tiara device. The complaint has not yet been served on the Company. If the Plaintiffs do serve the complaint, Neovasc intends to vigorously defend itself.

07:18 EDT Plug Power, RPI and NREL partner to develop robotic fueling technology - Plug Power, in partnership with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, or RPI, Center for Automation Technologies & Systems, or CATS, and the U.S. Department of Energy's, or DOE's, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, or NREL, is innovating in the space of robotics and automation, specifically with a robotic hydrogen fueling technology for motive power applications. The immediate goal of the robotic fueling station is to increase the ease and efficiency of fueling hydrogen-powered vehicles in warehouse settings, where every second amounts to more than $1,000 in annual cost impact for medium to large sites. The Plug Power and RPI CATS teams completed a pilot feasibility study for the robotic fueling station, which demonstrated the ability of the system to independently interconnect the fuel cell to the fueling station without human intervention. Alongside Plug Power's engineering team, RPI CATS students developed the technology for the robotic fueling station pilot study, including the computer vision, sensors, robotic manipulation of the fueling nozzle, and remote controlling mechanisms. The research and development team will use a $2M grant recently awarded by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to develop a commercially viable autonomous hydrogen fueling station, with additional technology development including data exchange, interconnection interfaces, and robotic equipment that meets the safety standards of commercial deployment in unstructured environments. NREL will leverage research experience in hydrogen station performance evaluation and component and system reliability to conduct preliminary testing for on-road fueling. The learnings from this work will then be used to develop a demonstration on-road dispenser.

07:12 EDT iRadimed receives regulatory approval for vital signs monitoring system in Japan - iRadimed announced receipt of regulatory clearance from the Japanese Ministry of Health Labor & Welfare for the iRadimed 3880 MRI compatible patient vital signs monitoring system. iRadimed designed the 3880 MRI compatible patient vital signs monitoring system using non-magnetic components and other special features enabling the safe and accurate monitoring of a patient's vital signs during various MRI procedures. The iRadimed 3880 MRI compatible patient vital signs monitoring system allows for the effective communication of patient vital signs information to clinicians.

07:08 EDT Idera Pharmaceuticals announces CFO Louis Arcudi's departure - Idera Pharmaceuticals announced several organization updates. The company has appointed Bryant Lim as senior VP, general counsel and secretary of the board. The company also announced the planned departure of CFO, Louis Arcudi as a result of the company's recently announced consolidation to Exton, PA headquarters. Arcudi joined Idera in 2007 and during his tenure, played a role in continuing to move Idera forward including several business development deals as well as capital financings and Idera's initial listing on the NASDAQ market. The company expects that Arcudi will continue to serve as CFO through October 31 and that Arcudi will serve as an advisor to the company through a consulting agreement after that time.

07:04 EDT WildHorse Resource to construct in-field oil and produced water gathering system - WildHorse Resource Development Corporation announced plans to construct a wholly-owned in-field oil and produced water gathering system. The project will be constructed and operated by WRD with completion expected in mid-2019. The initial phase of construction consists of approximately 50 miles of oil gathering pipeline and approximately 55 miles of water gathering pipeline. The oil and produced water gathering lines will utilize the same right-of-way where practical to reduce costs. WRD estimates construction of the in-field oil and produced water gathering system to cost approximately $50M consisting of approximately $35M for the oil gathering system, which includes the central terminal, and approximately $15M for the produced water system with an in service date by mid-2019. The proposed water gathering line is expected to reduce produced water transportation and disposal costs by approximately 50%, which equates to an expected 25c per boe improvement to LOE. WRD expects that the gathering system, upon completion of additional takeaway, will deliver approximately $1.00 per barrel improvement in realized oil pricing. WRD is also currently evaluating proposals for the construction of a third-party long-haul pipeline, the second phase of the midstream infrastructure project. Upon completion, WRD expects to have the ability to transport 100% of its oil volumes on pipeline to premium Gulf Coast markets, including the rapidly growing market for crude exports. WRD expects to announce this proposal within the next few months. The third-party long-haul pipeline is expected to provide further transport cost reductions in addition to the previously mentioned $1.00 per barrel. In addition to the midstream projects, WRD is ahead of schedule on the construction of its in-field sand mine, which was originally expected to come online by the first quarter of 2019. First sand loadings are now expected as early as November 1, 2018 and operational capacity for WRD's full sand requirements is expected by November 30, 2018. WRD anticipates completing the sand mine project within the original guidance range of $65M to $75M. WRD expects to save $400K to $600K per well and improve Eagle Ford IRR's by up to approximately 16%.

07:03 EDT Franklin Financial Network receives Fannie Mae's seller/service approval - Franklin Financial Network, the parent company of Franklin Synergy Bank, announced that the Bank has received Fannie Mae seller/servicer approval. This distinction allows the Bank to retain mortgage servicing rights, realize pricing advantages and expand product offerings, as well as to sell and pool loans into mortgage-backed securities. Fannie Mae's technology solutions for seller/servicers also make the loan process more efficient by making it faster and less complicated.

07:01 EDT ITG reports August U.S. trading volume 2.6B shares - ITG announced that August U.S. trading volume was 2.6B shares and average daily volume, or ADV, was 114M shares, compared to 2.7B shares and ADV of 127M shares in July and 2.7B shares and ADV of 117M shares in August 2017. There were 23 trading days in both August and August 2017 and 21 trading days in July.

06:58 EDT Pentair announces resignation of Matthew Peltz from board of directors - In a regulatory filing, Pentair announced that on September 10, Matthew H. Peltz provided notice that he was resigning from the Board of Directors of Pentair effective as of that date. Since April 2018, Peltz has been a director of Pentair, where he served on its Governance and Compensation Committees. From September 2015 through April 2018, Peltz attended meetings of the Board of Directors of Pentair in an observer capacity. Trian Fund Management, L.P. has informed Pentair that Trian believes Pentair is currently well positioned to succeed as a pure play water company following the spin-off of nVent Electric plc, and accordingly Trian believes it is the appropriate time for Peltz to step off the Pentair Board to devote more time to current and future board positions and his commitments to Trian.

06:56 EDT MasTec announces additional $150M share repurchase plan - MasTec announced that it has completed its previously authorized $100 million common stock repurchase plan and its Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to an additional $150 million of MasTec common stock. Thus far, in 2018, MasTec has repurchased approximately 4.3 million shares, or approximately 5% of its outstanding shares as of the beginning of the year, under previously authorized share repurchase plans. Jose Mas, MasTec's CEO, commented, "MasTec's significant year to date share repurchase activity, coupled with the new and expanded $150 million share repurchase authorization, reflect our continued commitment to generate long-term value for our shareholders. MasTec has historically repurchased shares during periods in which the Company believes its share price represents a significant value opportunity and our current repurchase activity reflects both our strong confidence in significant demand for our services, and our continued expectation of achieving a record level of 2018 cash flow from operations."

06:47 EDT Merck: Phase 3 clinical study of ZERBAXA met pre-specified primary endpoints - Merck & Co. announced that the pivotal Phase 3 clinical study evaluating the company's antibiotic ZERBAXA at an investigational dose for the treatment of adult patients with either ventilated hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia or ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia met the pre-specified primary endpoints, demonstrating non-inferiority to meropenem, the active comparator, in Day 28 all-cause mortality and in clinical cure rate at the test-of-cure visit. In the U.S., ZERBAXA is currently indicated in adult patients for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections, including pyelonephritis, caused by certain Gram-negative microorganisms, and is indicated, in combination with metronidazole, in adult patients for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections caused by certain Gram-negative and Gram-positive microorganisms. Based on these results, Merck plans to submit supplemental new drug applications to the U.S. FDA and European Medicines Agency seeking regulatory approval of ZERBAXA for this potential new indication. The company plans to submit results from the study for presentation at a future scientific conference.

06:34 EDT ReneSola, Nautilus Solar Energy announce acquisition of 13.3 MW solar portfolio - In a joint statement, ReneSola and Nautilus Solar Energy announced Nautilus's acquisition of a second 13.3 MW community solar portfolio developed by ReneSola. Similar to the initial acquisition announced last year between the parties, this community solar portfolio also qualified under Xcel Energy's rapidly expanding community solar program in Minnesota. The portfolio is expected to be built through the remainder of 2018, coming online during Q1 2019. Nautilus, through its full-service platform, provided early-stage development capital and will be responsible for long-term asset management services and maintenance for the projects. The projects will be owned by an affiliate of Virgo Investment Group, which is also a minority shareholder of Nautilus Solar Energy. The energy provided by the portfolio directly benefits local community off-takers located offsite by providing energy cost savings while also advancing subscriber's sustainability goals.

06:19 EDT Google Cloud AI: Andrew Moore joining Google Cloud; Fei-Fei Li becomes adivsor - Google Cloud chief Diane Greene announced in a blog post that Dr. Fei-Fei Li will return to her professorship at Stanford and Google Cloud AI's new leader will be Dr. Andrew Moore, of Carnegie Mellon University. Greene said in the blog post that Li will become an AI and machine learning advisor to Google. Reference Link

06:17 EDT Donaldson to acquire BOFA International LTD for approximately GBP79M - Donaldson Company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire BOFA International LTD. BOFA designs, develops and manufactures fume extraction systems across a wide range of industrial air filtration applications. Headquartered in Poole, United Kingdom, BOFA was founded in 1987 and employs approximately 250 people. BOFA expects to generate sales of approximately $40M in its current fiscal year. BOFA sells fume extraction systems to OEM customers, distributors and end users, and has recurring sales of replacement filters. Its fume extraction systems are used in laser, electronics, printing, 3D printing and dental applications. Donaldson has entered into a binding agreement to acquire 88% of BOFA for approximately GBP79M. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. Donaldson expects to close the transaction during the first quarter of fiscal 2019. Once the transaction is complete, Donaldson will report revenue from the acquisition of BOFA within its Industrial Filtration Solutions business in the Industrial Products segment.

06:07 EDT Cigna reaffirms FY18 adjusted income from operations view $3.34B-$3.42B - Cigna said in a regulatory filing that officials expect to participate in meetings with investors and analysts this week. During these meetings, Cigna officials expect to reaffirm projected full year 2018 consolidated adjusted income from operations, which remains in the range of $3.34B-$3.42B.

06:02 EDT First Cash Financial acquires 154 pawn stores in Mexico - FirstCash announced two third quarter asset acquisitions for a total of 154 full-service pawn stores in Mexico. With these acquisitions and continued openings of new stores, the Company's consolidated store count now stands at 2,444 locations. The acquisitions were completed in two separate transactions with unrelated ownership groups. The first acquisition of 97 stores located in the southern gulf region of Mexico closed on August 15, 2018, while the second acquisition of 57 stores in east-central Mexico, closed on September 6. The Company now expects to add approximately 425 total locations in 2018, which includes at least 65 new store openings and the 360 stores acquired year-to-date. The aggregate purchase price for the 360 stores acquired thus far in 2018 is approximately $105M.

06:02 EDT AT&T names Samsung, Erisson, Nokia as 5G equipment suppliers - AT&T (T) yesterday said it plans to introduce mobile 5G in parts of five additional cities -- Houston, Jacksonville, Louisville, New Orleans, and San Antonio -- this year. These new cities are in addition to seven cities where it already announced plans to launch mobile 5G this year -- Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, Raleigh, and Waco. AT&T said: "To help us build our mobile, nationwide 5G network, we've selected Ericsson (ERIC), Nokia (NOK), and Samsung (SSNLF) as our technology suppliers. Working with these three suppliers, we've already started deploying 3GPP Release 15 compliant equipment in a handful of our early 5G cities."

05:30 EDT Ferrari signs advance agreement on Patent Box - Ferrari informs that its fully owned subsidiary Ferrari S.p.A. has signed the advance agreement with the Italian Revenue Agency to access the Patent Box tax relief. The Italian Patent Box regime provides for a tax relief for a five-year period from 2015 to 2019. The estimated tax benefit for the three-year period 2015-2017, is approximately equal to Euro 139 million and it will be fully reflected in the Group's Q3 2018 results as previous years income tax adjustment. The tax benefits for 2018 and 2019 will be quantified and disclosed in the Group financial statements of such respective years. The Patent Box represents a tax relief regime for the benefit of companies generating income through the direct and indirect use of copyrights, patents, trademarks, designs and know-how; the benefit is determined by excluding from the taxable income of each fiscal year a certain percentage of the income attributable to the use of intangible assets: such percentage amounts to 30% with reference to fiscal year 2015, to 40% with respect to year 2016 and to 50% for the three-year period 2017-2019.

05:27 EDT Flexsteel Industries announces retirement of CEO Karel Czanderna - Flexsteel Industries announced that Karel Czanderna has retired from her positions as President, CEO and Director, effective September 9, 2018. This decision was not the result of any dispute or disagreement with the company or any matter related to the company's operations, policies, practices, management or board. Jeff Bertsch, a current Board member and Flexsteel's former Senior Vice President of Corporate Services has been appointed Interim President. Bertsch will report to an Executive Committee of the Board, which will also help support the management of the company during this interim period until a new President and CEO is appointed. This Executive Committee is chaired by Tom Levine and includes fellow board members: Mary Bottie, Michael Edwards, and Nancy Uridil. The board has commenced a search for a permanent President and CEO with the assistance of a national executive search firm.

05:24 EDT Renesas acquires Integrated Device Technology for $49 per share or $6.7B - Renesas Electronics (RNECY) and Integrated Device Technology (IDTI) announced they have signed a definitive agreement under which Renesas will acquire IDT for $49.00 per share in an all-cash transaction representing an equity value of approximately $6.7B. The stock closed yesterday down 58c to $42.08. Closing of the transaction is expected to occur in the first half of 2019, following approvals by IDT shareholders and the relevant regulatory authorities. Renesas anticipates near- and long-term revenue growth from "expanded opportunities and access to fast-growing industries, and cost savings from a greater scale business platform to bring innovation and improvements" with an expected financial impact of approximately over $250M. The transaction is expected to be accretive to Renesas' non-GAAP gross margin and non-GAAP earnings per share by approximately 1.6%pts and 18%, respectively, immediately after closing. Renesas plans to finance the transaction with cash reserves and approximately 679B yen of bank loans. Renesas does not intend to raise equity financing for this transaction. The companies said, "The acquisition combines two recognized leaders in embedded processors and analog mixed-signal semiconductors, each with unique strengths in delivering products to improve performance and efficiency in high-computing electronic systems. The boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction."

05:22 EDT Renesas acquires Integrated Device Technology for $49 per share of $6.7B - Renesas Electronics (RNECY) and Integrated Device Technology (IDTI) announced they have signed a definitive agreement under which Renesas will acquire IDT for $49.00 per share in an all-cash transaction representing an equity value of approximately $6.7B. The stock closed yesterday down 58c to $42.08. Closing of the transaction is expected to occur in the first half of 2019, following approvals by IDT shareholders and the relevant regulatory authorities. Renesas anticipates near- and long-term revenue growth from "expanded opportunities and access to fast-growing industries, and cost savings from a greater scale business platform to bring innovation and improvements" with an expected financial impact of approximately over $250M. The transaction is expected to be accretive to Renesas' non-GAAP gross margin and non-GAAP earnings per share by approximately 1.6%pts and 18%, respectively, immediately after closing. Renesas plans to finance the transaction with cash reserves and approximately 679B yen of bank loans. Renesas does not intend to raise equity financing for this transaction. The companies said, "The acquisition combines two recognized leaders in embedded processors and analog mixed-signal semiconductors, each with unique strengths in delivering products to improve performance and efficiency in high-computing electronic systems. The boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction."