Stockwinners Market Radar for March 20, 2019 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:45 EDT CVB Financial raises quarterly dividend to 18c from 14c per share - The dividend will be payable on or about April 17, 2019 to shareholders of record as of April 6, 2019.

19:02 EDT Ottawa Bancorp declares special dividend of 35c per share - The special dividend will be paid on or about April 12, 2019, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on April 1, 2019.

18:47 EDT OneSpaWorld says will start trading on Nasdaq March 21 - OneSpaWorld Holdings Limited, which, on March 19, 2019, acquired Haymaker Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, and OneSpaWorld, the pre-eminent global provider of health and wellness products and services onboard cruise ships and in destination resorts around the world, commented on the expected commencement of trading of its common shares and warrants. OSW common shares are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol "OSW" on March 21, 2019. The company intends to apply for the quotation of its warrants with OTC Markets Group on the Pink Open Market.

18:39 EDT Sage Therapeutics CEO: Postpartum depression is a medical issue - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Sage Therapeutics CEO Jeff Jonas said: There has never been an approved therapy for postpartum depression until Zulresso... Postpartum depression is the most common complication of childbirth... I view postpartum depression as a medical issue.

18:16 EDT Clorox files false advertising lawsuit against Reckitt Benckiser - The Clorox Company (CLX) announced it has filed a lawsuit against Reckitt Benckiser (RBGLY) in response to a "wide-ranging false and deceptive advertising campaign" for RB's Lysol brand. According to the lawsuit, RB's campaign is designed to mislead consumers to purchase RB's products instead of Clorox products based on misinformation. "Consumers deserve truthful information," said Eric Reynolds, executive vice president - Cleaning and Burt's Bees, "and advertising that can help them make the product choices that are best for their households. We're not opposed to competitive advertising, but we are opposed to advertising designed to mislead. Not only do RB's ads falsely claim that Lysol products are superior, they disparage the well-established effectiveness and value of Clorox products." According to the lawsuit, RB's television, internet and social media advertising features numerous deceptive comparisons to Clorox products, and represents Lysol products as having performance advantages they do not have. The ads confuse consumers and seek to erode Clorox's hard-earned reputation as a manufacturer of effective, user-friendly products, Clorox said. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in the Northern District of California, seeks a court order halting the deceptive ads and requiring RB to surrender the profits it has earned as a result of them. The lawsuit also requests corrective advertising, unspecified damages and attorneys' fees. "The egregious and misleading nature of their campaign compelled us to file this lawsuit," Reynolds went on to say. "We owe it to our consumers, employees, customers and shareholders to hold RB accountable for attempting to gain unfair competitive advantage through these deceptive practices."

17:58 EDT Levi Strauss says IPO priced to the public at $17 per share - Levi Strauss & Co. announced the pricing of the initial public offering of 36,666,667 shares of its Class A common stock at a price to the public of $17.00 per share. The shares are expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on March 21, 2019 under the symbol "LEVI." The company is offering 9,460,557 shares of Class A common stock and selling stockholders are offering 27,206,110 shares of Class A common stock. In addition, the underwriters have a 30-day option to buy up to an additional 5,500,000 shares of Class A common stock from the company at the IPO price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The closing of the offering is expected to occur on March 25, 2019, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC are serving as joint lead book-running managers for the offering. BofA Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Evercore Group L.L.C. are serving as book-running managers. BNP Paribas Securities Corp., Citigroup, Guggenheim Securities, LLC, HSBC Securities Inc., Drexel Hamilton, LLC, Telsey Advisory Group, and The Williams Capital Group, L.P. are serving as co-managers.

17:28 EDT Boeing awarded $4.04B Navy contract modification for delivery of 78 F/A-18s - Boeing has been awarded a ceiling priced $4.04B modification to convert a previously awarded advanced acquisition contract to a fixed-price-incentive-firm-target multi-year contract. The target price for this multi-year contract is $4B. This modification provides for the full-rate production and delivery of 78 F/A-18 aircraft, specifically 61 F/A-18E and 17 F/A-18F aircraft for fiscal years 2018 through 2021. Work is expected to be completed in April 2024. FY18 and FY19 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $1.56B will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.

17:24 EDT Micron says it is idling DRAM capacity - Says wants to bring supply within demand expectations. Says benefits of output reduction include inventory and cash flow management. Says comfortable with 150 days of inventory. Says cost position will be good in 2020. Says feels good about cost competitiveness. Says continues to outperform in terms of year-over-year cost in DRAM. Says expects healthy cost declines in both DRAM and NAND this year.

17:15 EDT Point72 Asset Management reports 6.2% passive stake in Eventbrite - In a regulatory filing, Point72 Asset Management disclosed a 6.2% stake in Eventbrite, which represents about 714,000 shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

17:09 EDT Raymond James reports February financial AUM $136.7B, up 4% from last year - Reports February assets under administration $785.3B, up 7% from last year.

17:04 EDT WWE moving to new global headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut in 2021 - WWE will move its global headquarters to a new office complex at 677 Washington Boulevard in Stamford, Connecticut. This move will allow the company to bring together its operations, including its production studios and corporate offices at its new site. The company anticipates that it will move to the new headquarters in early 2021. WWE will lease the space for an initial term of approximately 16.5 years commencing no earlier than July 1, 2019, with five five-year renewal options thereafter. The accounting for the lease agreement is not expected to have a material impact on Adjusted OIBDA. The company's capital expenditure guidance of approximately $70M-$90M for 2019 reflects this initiative, with continued spending in 2020 above the historic range of approximately 4% to 7% of revenue. Additionally, the company expects to sell its owned and operated corporate facility at 1241 East Main Street, exit its leased spaces at 1266 East Main Street, and will evaluate options for its production studio facilities at 88 and 120 Hamilton Avenue based on strategic, operating and financial considerations.

17:01 EDT AutoZone board authorizes additional $1B stock buyback - AutoZone announced its board authorized the repurchase of an additional $1B of the company's common stock in connection with its ongoing share repurchase program.

16:41 EDT CBTX raises quarterly dividend to 10c per share from 5c - CBTX announced that its board of directors approved the declaration of a 10c per share cash dividend increasing the dividend by 5c from the previous cash dividend of 5c paid on January 15, 2019. The increased dividend will be payable on April 15, 2019 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on April 1, 2019.

16:33 EDT Worthington CEO says despite headwinds, performing well - "Despite recent headwinds, the company is performing well, and we remain focused on driving improvements throughout our businesses,"management said. "Overall, our markets remain steady. We expect to see continued margin expansion in Pressure Cylinders, but also anticipate continued inventory holding losses in Steel Processing in the upcoming quarter."

16:31 EDT Arotech awarded $2.9M in orders - Arotech Corporation's Training and Simulation Division announced that it has received $2.9M in orders from its U.S. Department of State Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract vehicle. Orders year-to-date include twelve FAAC police driving simulators slated for delivery to Mexico and four MILO Theater systems for delivery to Pakistan and Honduras.

16:27 EDT KLX Energy completes RedBone, Tecton acquisitions for approximately $82M - KLX Energy Services Holdings announced that it has completed the acquisitions of Red Bone Services primarily in the Mid-Con, providing, non-frac high pressure pumping, thru-tubing, fishing and certain other services, and Tecton Energy Services, a leading provider of flowback, drill-out and production testing services, operating primarily in the greater Rocky Mountains.The aggregate acquisition price of the Red Bone and Tecton acquisitions was approximately $82M, comprised of approximately 2.1 million shares of the Company's common stock and $14.5M in cash to the sellers, plus approximately $14.5 million for the retirement of debt, representing a multiple of approximately 4.8 times the companies' combined full year 2018 EBITDA. The company expects to realize annualized EBITDA synergies of approximately $12Mn representing a proforma synergized EBITDA multiple of approximately 3 times EBITDA. The shares are subject to restrictions on public re-sale from a minimum of 6 months to a maximum of 24 months, subject to acceleration upon the occurrence of certain events. Both companies have very low capital intensity. The company is today raising its fiscal year 2019 revenue and Adjusted EBITDA guidance to approximately $800 million in revenues and $200M in Adjusted EBITDA to reflect a portion of the contribution of the acquisitions over the balance of the year.

16:26 EDT Guess falls over 8% or $1.82 after Q4 earnings miss to $20.25

16:25 EDT Williams-Sonoma increases stock repurchase program by $500M - Williams-Sonoma's board increased the amount available for repurchases under its existing stock repurchase program by $500M.

16:25 EDT Williams-Sonoma incresases stock repurchase program by $500M - Williams-Sonoma's board increased the amount available for repurchases under its existing stock repurchase program by $500M.

16:24 EDT Guess sees FY20 Americas Retail SSS up low-single digits - Sees FY20 Europe SSS up low to mid single digits. Sees FY20 Asia SSS up low single digits.

16:21 EDT Affiliated Managers names Thomas Wojcik next CFO - Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. (AMG) announced the appointment of Thomas M. Wojcik as its next Chief Financial Officer. Jay C. Horgen, President and Chief Financial Officer, will serve as CFO until no later than the announcement of AMG's earnings for the second quarter of 2019, and will continue in his role as President of the company thereafter. Wojcik will join AMG on April 22, 2019, as Executive Vice President, Finance, and upon his transition to Chief Financial Officer, he will oversee AMG's finance, accounting, and capital management functions, including investor relations, reporting to Horgen. Wojcik joins AMG from BlackRock (BLK), where he most recently served as Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Head of EMEA Strategy, and Global Head of Investor Relations.

16:19 EDT California Water Service subsidiary Hawaii Water to acquire Kalaeloa Water - Hawaii Water Service, a subsidiary of California Water Service, announced that it will acquire Kalaeloa Water, a water and wastewater utility located in the growing Kapolei area of Honolulu County on Oahu, Hawaii, pending approval by the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, or HPUC. As part of the purchase from an affiliate of Hunt Companies, Hawaii Water will own and operate the water and wastewater systems, which currently serve residential, commercial and industrial customers in Kalaeloa, a 3,700-acre area located on the former Barbers Point Naval Air Station. In addition to the new Kalaeloa customers, Hawaii Water currently provides water and/or wastewater utility services to 4,500 customers, including a number of large resorts and condominium complexes, in the communities of Ka'anapali, Pukalani, Waikoloa, North Kona Coast and Kohala Coast on Maui and the Big Island.

16:17 EDT Uniti received limited waiver from lenders under credit agreement - Uniti Group (UNIT) announced in tonight's earnings release, "On March 18, 2019, we received a limited waiver from our lenders under our credit agreement, waiving an event of default related solely to the receipt of a going concern opinion from our auditors for our 2018 audited financial statements. The limited waiver was issued in connection with the fourth amendment (the "Amendment") to our credit agreement. During the pendency of Windstream's bankruptcy, or at such earlier time when certain other conditions are specified, the Amendment generally limits our ability under the credit agreement to (i) prepay unsecured indebtedness and (ii) pay cash dividends in excess of 90% of our REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding any net capital gains. The Amendment also increases the interest rate on our term loan facility, which will now bear a rate of LIBOR, subject to a 1.0% floor, plus an applicable margin equal to 5.0%, a 200 basis point increase over our previous rate. This increase will be in effect through the remaining term of the facility, which matures on October 24, 2022.

16:16 EDT Global Ship Lease announces one-for-eight reverse stock split - Global Ship Lease, Inc. announced that its board of directors has determined to effect a one-for-eight reverse stock split of the company's Class A common shares, par value $0.01 per share. The company's shareholders approved a reverse stock split at the company's special meeting of shareholders held on March 20, 2019. The reverse stock split will take effect, and the company's Class A common shares will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis on the New York Stock Exchange, as of the opening of trading on or about March 25, 2019. The CUSIP number of Y27183 600 will be assigned to the company's Class A common shares when the reverse stock split becomes effective. When the reverse stock split becomes effective, every eight of the company's issued Class A common shares will be combined into one issued Class A common share, without any change to the par value per share. This will reduce the number of outstanding Class A common shares from approximately 79.5 million shares to approximately 9.9 million shares.

16:14 EDT Meta Financial preliminarily reports $1.49B in refund advance loans - Meta Financial announced preliminary tax season results at its bank subsidiary, MetaBank. For the tax season, MetaBank originated $1.49B in refund advance loans, all of which were retained. This represents growth of 18%, compared to the 2018 tax season, largely due to increased average loan sizes. Additionally, the company expects to process approximately 2.4M in refund transfers through its tax services division for the tax season, at higher margins, compared to the over 2.6M in refund transfers processed during the prior year's tax season.

16:10 EDT Micron CEO says executing well in 'challenging market environment' - Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said in tonight's earnings release, "Micron continues to execute well across a range of product, operational and financial initiatives against the backdrop of a challenging market environment. These initiatives and our focus on high-value solutions, cost competitiveness and innovation will enable us to emerge even stronger as the market environment improves." Shares of Micron are up 12c to $40.25 following the company's fiscal Q2 report.

16:08 EDT Manning & Napier appoints Chris Briley as Chief Technology Officer - Manning & Napier (MN) has appointed Chris Briley as Chief Technology Officer effective immediately. Most recently, Briley was Managing Director and Head of Corporate Application Solutions at Legg Mason (LM), where he was responsible for global distribution and shared services technology platforms.

16:07 EDT American National, HomeTown Bankshares shareholders approve proposed merger - American National Bankshares (AMNB) and HomeTown Bankshares Corporation (HMTA) announced that the shareholders of both companies have approved the previously announced merger of HomeTown with and into American at their respective special shareholder meetings held March 19. The deal, announced last October, will create a 28-branch bank with approximately $2.5B in total assets and expand the presence of American in the Roanoke and New River Valley markets. The shareholder approvals follow all necessary regulatory approvals and the merger is set to close effective April 1.

15:11 EDT Amazon.com announces launch of MLB.TV on Prime Video Channels - Amazon announced the launch of MLB.TV on Prime Video Channels, allowing Prime members to subscribe to MLB.TV and stream regular season out-of-market baseball games live and on-demand, all from the Prime Video service. Prime members streaming MLB.TV on Fire TV devices will have access to Prime Video's exclusive X-Ray feature, which allows fans to access live in-game stats, team and player details and play-by-play information while they watch. To access the X-Ray feature, simply click up on the Fire TV remote control while the game is playing. Prime members in the U.S. can subscribe to MLB.TV for $24.99/month, or a one-time payment of $118.99 for a Season Pass, after a 7-day free trial.

14:42 EDT Spirit AeroSystems receives EU approval for Asco acquisition - Spirit AeroSystems announced it is "pleased" that the European Commission has cleared the company's planned acquisition of Asco Industries following the Commission's Phase One review. Spirit looks forward to completing the work required for a successful closing in the weeks to come, it said.

13:15 EDT Starbucks CEO says company focused on building foundation for next 50 years - Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson is discussing the company's long-term planning and focus on building an "enduring company" at the start of the company's annual meeting of shareholders.

12:04 EDT Fresh Del Monte announces resignation of CFO - In a regulatory filing, Fresh Del Monte Produce reported that on March 20 Richard Contreras, Senior Vice President and CFO, notified the company of his intention to resign from the company. Contreras will continue to serve in his present capacity until March 25, at which time he will focus on successor transition matters until April 12, the effective date of his resignation. On March 20, the company appointed Eduardo Guarita Bezerra to serve as the company's Senior Vice President and CFO, effective March 25. Bezerra also will serve as the company's principal financial officer and principal accounting officer, effective March 25.

12:00 EDT Cellcom Israel falls -7.3% - Cellcom Israel is down -7.3%, or -30c to $3.80.

12:00 EDT Steelcase falls -10.4% - Steelcase is down -10.4%, or -$1.82 to $15.66.

12:00 EDT Revlon rises 7.9% - Revlon is up 7.9%, or $1.43 to $19.45.

11:31 EDT Cemex reaches agreement to divest white cement business for approx. $180M - CEMEX announced that it has reached a binding agreement with Cimsa Cimento Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S. to divest CEMEX's white cement business, including its Bunol cement plant in Spain, for approximately $180M. CEMEX currently expects it could sign the final agreement during April 2019 and close this divestment during the second half of 2019. The proposed divestment does not include CEMEX's white cement business in Mexico as well as the investment in Lehigh Cement in the USA. This transaction is part of the ongoing rebalancing of CEMEX's portfolio that was announced as part of the "A Stronger CEMEX" plan in 2018. Once closed, it would allow CEMEX to concentrate on the assets best suited to grow in the context of the CEMEX's current business plan, the company said. The proceeds expected to be obtained from this divestment would be mainly used for debt reduction and general corporate purposes.

11:03 EDT Ford to invest over $850M to expand EV production capacity at Michigan plant - Ford announced it is expanding its production capacity for the company's next-generation battery electric vehicles at a second North American plant. Ford is expanding its BEV manufacturing footprint to its Flat Rock Assembly plant in southeast Michigan. The plant will become the production home to vehicles from the company's next-generation battery electric flexible architecture. These vehicles will follow the all-electric performance SUV coming in 2020 from Ford's Cuautitlan, Mexico, plant. Through this new plan, Ford is targeting to invest more than $850M in the Flat Rock Assembly Plant through 2023, adding a second shift. The plant investment also includes funding to build the next-generation Mustang and is part of a $900M investment in Ford's operations in southeastern Michigan. The company also announced it will complete Ford's first autonomous vehicles at a new AV manufacturing center in southeast Michigan, upfitting purpose-built, commercial-grade hybrid vehicles with self-driving technology and unique interiors. Production of Ford's first autonomous vehicles will begin in 2021 for deployment in commercial services to move people and goods. Ford also announced today it is building its next-generation North American Transit Connect small commercial and passenger van in Mexico, starting in 2021. "We've taken a fresh look at the growth rates of electrified vehicles and know we need to protect additional production capacity given our accelerated plans for fully electric vehicles. This is good news for the future of southeast Michigan, delivering more good-paying manufacturing jobs," said Joe Hinrichs, Ford's president, Global Operations.

11:01 EDT Ford to invest more than $850M to expand production capacity at Michigan plant

10:39 EDT Uber Freight launching in Europe - After launching in the U.S. two years ago, Uber Freight is expanding operations into Europe. According to Uber, "Our launch starts in the Netherlands wherein the coming weeks, local carriers and drivers will be able to book and move their first loads with Uber Freight. From there, we plan to expand Freight access other parts of Europe in the near future. Uber is a global company with a global mindset for its Freight business. Our expansion into Europe is an important first step toward bringing our vision of a more efficient, transparent freight marketplace to the international stage. As we grow, we will endeavor to be a reliable partner to European carriers, shippers, and everyone who's working to build a bright future for Europe's logistics industry." Reference Link

10:03 EDT Novo Nordisk reports submission of two NDAs to FDA for oral semaglutide - Novo Nordisk announced the submission of two New Drug Applications to the FDA for oral semaglutide, a once-daily glucagon-like peptide-1 analogue in a tablet, as well as a supplemental NDA for once-weekly Ozempic. An NDA was submitted for oral semaglutide seeking approval for an indication for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes. A priority review voucher has been applied to the NDA, leading to an anticipated review time of six months from the submission date, according to standard FDA review timelines. The submission for oral semaglutide for the treatment of glycaemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes is based on the results from 10 PIONEER clinical trials, which included 9,543 adults with type 2 diabetes. In the PIONEER program, people treated with oral semaglutide achieved greater blood glucose reductions compared to sitagliptin, empagliflozin, liraglutide and placebo. In addition, oral semaglutide demonstrated greater reductions in mean body weight vs most comparators. Across the PIONEER trials, oral semaglutide had a safe and well-tolerated profile, with the most common adverse event being nausea. A second NDA was submitted for oral semaglutide seeking approval for a cardiovascular risk reduction indication in adults with type 2 diabetes. The NDA for an oral semaglutide cardiovascular risk reduction indication has an anticipated 10-month review time from the submission date, according to standard FDA review timelines. Finally, an sNDA was submitted for Ozempic for a cardiovascular risk reduction indication in adults with type 2 diabetes. The sNDA for an Ozempic cardiovascular risk reduction indication has an anticipated 10-month review time from the submission date, according to standard FDA review timelines.

10:00 EDT Tencent Music falls -7.6% - Tencent Music is down -7.6%, or -$1.42 to $17.15.

10:00 EDT General Mills rises 4.0% - General Mills is up 4.0%, or $1.88 to $49.12.

10:00 EDT Nevro rises 36.1% - Nevro is up 36.1%, or $16.16 to $60.92.

09:47 EDT AAR Corp. falls -8.5% - AAR Corp. is down -8.5%, or -$2.99 to $32.11.

09:47 EDT Veoneer rises 5.0% - Veoneer is up 5.0%, or $1.22 to $25.75.

09:47 EDT Nevro rises 31.8% - Nevro is up 31.8%, or $14.25 to $59.02.

09:34 EDT B.O.S. Better Online announces agreement to acquire assets of Imdecol - B.O.S. Better Online Solutions announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to purchase the assets of Imdecol, an ntegrator and manufacturer of automatic and robotic systems that enhance the productivity of production lines. The transaction is expected to close by June 1. The purchase price consists of a combination of cash and ordinary shares of BOS, payable as follows: approximately $280,000 was paid to Imdecol upon signing the definitive agreement; An additional $1.25M shall be paid to Imdecol at closing, which is expected to occur on or about June 1, 2019; approximately $417,000 shall be paid to Imdecol no later than August 2020, by way of issuance of BOS' ordinary shares. The value of the ordinary shares will be determined according to their market price prior to issuance and the shares will be subject to a lock-up period until June 2022. An additional amount in cash may be paid by August 2020, based on the performance through June 2020.

09:21 EDT Starbucks to roll out strawless lids to all U.S., Canada stores in the next year - Starbucks leadership will unveil progress and plans on sustainability at the company's annual meeting of shareholders, noting that sustainable coffee, served sustainably is an area of particular passion for Starbucks and its more than 380,000 partners around the world. Over the next year in several markets worldwide, the company will trial new, greener cups. Starbucks will roll out new lightweight, recyclable strawless lids to all stores in the United States and Canada in the next year. This is a key milestone as the company works to phase out plastic straws from its more than 30,000 stores worldwide by 2020, eliminating more than 1 billion straws a year - a goal that was announced last July. Newly redesigned, lightweight recyclable strawless lids will roll out this summer to Starbucks locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Indianapolis and Toronto, while the rest of the U.S. and Canada will receive them by early 2020. The new lids have 9% less plastic than the current lid and straw. Starbucks will preview a feature for the Starbucks mobile app that shows its coffee beans' journey from bean to cup.

09:15 EDT Shineco partners with Hemp Research Institute in China - Shineco has entered into three separate agreements with the Hemp Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The three agreements include an industrial cannabis technology transfer agreement, an industrial cannabis apocynum planting technical service agreement and a hemp industry technical service and product R&D cooperation framework agreement. HRI agrees to transfer use rights and intellectual property rights of its newly bred high CBD industrial cannabis strains, the M11 line, to the company.

09:13 EDT Aptevo Therapeutics commences dosing in Phase 1 APVO210 trial - Aptevo Therapeutics announced that it has commenced dosing in a Phase 1 clinical trial of APVO210, a novel bispecific antibody candidate built on Aptevo's Adaptir therapeutic protein platform which is being developed to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The Phase 1 clinical trial, which is being conducted in Australia, is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single and multiple ascending dose study of APVO210, designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of APVO210 in healthy subjects. The study will be conducted in 2 stages; the first stage will assess single ascending doses, or SAD, of APVO210, followed by an evaluation of multiple ascending doses, or MAD, of APVO210 administered by intravenous infusion either weekly or biweekly over 4 weeks. The study is expected to enroll a maximum of 64 subjects in the initial SAD dose cohort and up to 40 subjects in the MAD dose cohort. Following a determination of a recommended clinical dose, Aptevo anticipates conducting an expansion phase of the clinical trial, which will enroll up to 40 patients with psoriasis or ulcerative colitis. In this segment of the trial, the recommended clinical dose will be given for 12 weeks by IV infusion with the objective of gathering longer-term safety data for APVO210 and preliminary data on the clinical activity of APVO210 in this patient population. Aptevo anticipates reporting data from the initial SAD dose cohort in Q3 and reporting preliminary Phase 1 safety data in Q4.

09:10 EDT Apple Hospitality REIT acquires Home2 Suites for $20.7M - Apple Hospitality REIT announced the opening and acquisition of the new 128-room Home2 Suites by Hilton Orlando Airport for a purchase price of $20.7M, or approximately $162,000 per key.

09:10 EDT Scotts Miracle-Gro sells 30% stake in TruGreen for $234M - Scotts Miracle-Gro announced it has sold its approximate 30% stake in TruGreen to the majority owner in a transaction in which ScottsMiracle-Gro received approximately $234M. In 2016, the company contributed its wholly owned subsidiary, Scotts LawnService, into a joint venture with TruGreen, creating a lawn service company. Seventy percent of the joint venture was owned by the private equity firm Clayton Dublier & Rice, its co-investors and TruGreen management, with the balance owned by ScottsMiracle-Gro. In addition to the sale, ScottsMiracle-Gro also received cash proceeds of another $18.4M in connection with the assignment to a third party of debt of the joint venture held by the company. The combined proceeds, approximately $120M-$140M on an after-tax basis, will immediately be applied to reduce the company's indebtedness.

09:07 EDT General Mills says FiberOne challenges 'structural' - Says feels "generally good" about underlying health of Nature Valley.

09:06 EDT Westchester County selects Prudential to manage deferred compensation plan - Westchester County selected Prudential Retirement as record keeper for its deferred compensation retirement plan. Prudential Retirement is a business unit of Prudential Financial/ Prudential will oversee $607M in retirement assets covering approximately 4,900 participants. The plan transitioned on Dec. 17, 2018.

09:03 EDT QTS Realty Trust to deploy Ciena's Waveserver Ai platform - QTS Realty Trust (QTS) will deploy Ciena's (CIEN) Waveserver Ai platform to support growing bandwidth demand and meet wire-speed encryption requirements for highly secure in-flight data protection.

09:02 EDT Amazon.com launches skincare line Belei - Amazon announced the launch of Belei, a line of skincare products that offer solutions for various skin types and feature ingredients with proven effectiveness. The collection has 12 different items, including everything from retinol moisturizer to vitamin C serums, to help customers address common skincare concerns like acne, the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, dark spots, dehydration, dullness and more. All Belei products are free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates and fragrance and are not tested on animals. Belei product bottles are made of post-consumer recycled resin and carton packaging is 100% recyclable. The full collection is available at www.amazon.com/belei.

08:51 EDT Eli Lilly and NCCN to partner in six gastric cancer projects - Eli Lilly and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, or NCCN, Oncology Research Program announced six projects that aim to improve the delivery of gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer care in the U.S. The quality improvement studies will focus on methods of intervention that can be implemented across a variety of different oncology practice settings. These projects are eligible to receiving funding from Lilly Oncology after completing contract negotiations. The NCCN ORP was responsible for the Request-for-Proposals process, application review and evaluation. A committee led by NCCN and including a medical representative from Lilly determined which proposals would be eligible to receive funding. Project funding will be provided directly by Lilly upon mutual agreement of project terms and conditions. The studies will be conducted over a period of two years. The projects are led by professionals from the Duke University Health System and Duke Cancer Network Affiliates; Fox Chase Cancer Center; City of Hope National Medical Center; University of Washington/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

08:37 EDT Fox Corporation announces payment of dividend to Twenty-First Century Fox - Fox Corporation (FOXA, FOX) announced that yesterday, pursuant to the combination merger agreement among Twenty-First Century Fox (TFCFA, TFCF), The Walt Disney Company (DIS) and certain of their subsidiaries, the company paid to 21CF a dividend in the amount of $8.5B. The final determination of the taxes in respect of the separation and distribution for which the company is responsible pursuant to the combination merger agreement and a prepayment of the estimated taxes in respect of divestitures - referred to collectively as the transaction tax - was $6.5B. The company received a cash payment in the amount of $2B from Disney, which has the net effect of reducing the $8.5B cash dividend the company paid to 21CF. The transaction tax included a prepayment of the company's share of the estimated tax liabilities resulting from the anticipated divestitures by Disney of certain assets, principally the FOX Sports Regional Sports Networks. This prepayment was in the amount of approximately $700M and is subject to adjustment in the future, when the actual amounts of the tax liabilities are reported on the federal income tax returns of 21CF or Disney. As a result of the separation and the distribution, the company obtained a tax basis in its assets equal to their respective fair market values. This will result in estimated annual tax deductions of approximately $1.5B, principally over the next 15 years related to the amortization of the additional tax basis. This amortization is estimated to reduce the company's annual cash tax liability by $360M per year at the current combined federal and state applicable tax rate of 24%. Such estimates are subject to revisions, which could be material, based upon, among other things, final appraisals.

08:33 EDT General Mills sees FY19 net sales growth at lower end of previous guidance - Sees organic net sales growth also at lower end, with adjusted operating profit growth at higher end of previous guidance. Comments taken from the Q3 earnings conference call.

08:32 EDT DarioHealth granted license for Dario Smart glucose meters in Canada - DarioHealth received a license from Health Canada to sell its Dario Blood Glucose Monitoring System for Lightning power connector-enabled iPhone smart mobile devices. DarioHealth has marketed the product in Canada exclusively for Apple iOS 6.1 platform and higher, and for Android devices since receiving a license from Health Canada in May 2015.

08:32 EDT Apple announces new second generation AirPods - Apple announced new AirPods, the second generation of the wireless headphones. The new Apple-designed H1 chip, developed specifically for headphones, delivers performance efficiencies, faster connect times, more talk time and the convenience of hands-free "Hey Siri." AirPods come with either a standard charging case or a new Wireless Charging Case for convenient charging at home and on the go. The new AirPods and AirPods with Wireless Charging Case are available to order on apple.com and the Apple Store app starting today, and in Apple Stores beginning next week. AirPods with standard charging case will be available for $159 and are available to order on apple.com and the Apple Store app starting today, and in Apple Stores starting next week. AirPods with Wireless Charging Case will be available for $199 and are available to order on apple.com and the Apple Store app starting today, and in Apple Stores starting next week. Customers can order the standalone Wireless Charging Case for $79 on apple.com and the Apple Store app starting today, and in Apple Stores starting next week. New for AirPods, customers can add a personal engraving to the AirPods with standard charging case and AirPods with Wireless Charging Case for free during checkout on apple.com and the Apple Store app.

08:26 EDT Ormat Technologies signs PPA for SCPPA to buy 16MW of power from CD4 - Ormat Technologies announced the signing of a power purchase agreement, or PPA, between a subsidiary of the company and Southern California Public Power Authority, or SCPPA. Under the PPA, SCPPA will purchase 16MW of power generated by the expected 30MW Casa Diablo-IV, or CD4, geothermal project located in Mammoth Lakes, California. SCPPA will resell the output to the City of Colton. The CD4 power plant will be the first geothermal power plant built within the California Independent System Operator balancing authority in the last 30 years. The 16MW of energy deliveries under the PPA will begin no later than the end of 2021 with an extension option. The PPA is for a term of 25 years and has a fixed price of $68 per MWh. Ormat intends to sell the balance of 14MW to other offtakers or at the spot market.

08:13 EDT Boeing announces three key leadership appointments - Boeing (BA) announced three leadership moves aimed at further strengthening the company's global presence and partnerships: Marc Allen named senior vice president of Boeing and president of Embraer (ERJ) Partnership and Group Operations; Sir Michael Arthur named president of Boeing International; and, John Slattery announced as president and CEO of the commercial aviation and services joint venture between Boeing and Embraer.

08:11 EDT Enterprise to offer crude oil for export - Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) announced that it will again team up with CME Group (CME) to conduct an electronic auction offering U.S. crude oil for export from the Enterprise Hydrocarbon Terminal on the Houston Ship Channel. During the auction, which will take place April 4, 2019, bids will be accepted for WTI light sweet crude oil using CME Group's proprietary spot auction platform. The auction will be the second to take place since the launch of a physically delivered NYMEX WTI Houston Crude Oil futures contract in November of 2018. In addition to EHT, the NYMEX Houston WTI futures contract also offers delivery of crude oil at Enterprise's ECHO and Genoa Junction terminals.

08:08 EDT Toro Company elects General Mills CEO to board of directors - On March 19, 2019, The Toro Company (TTC) held its annual meeting of shareholders at which two long-standing directors, Robert Buhrmaster and Christopher Twomey, retired from Toro's Board of Directors and two new directors, Jeffrey Harmening and Joyce Mullen, were elected to the Board of Directors by Toro's shareholders. As a result of these transitions, Toro's Board of Directors remains at 11 members. Harmening currently serves as the chairman and CEO of General Mills (GIS). Mullen currently serves as president, global channel, OEM and IoT of Dell Technologies (DVMT).

08:06 EDT Bombardier awarded $171M contract to renovate nine 'PAX' shuttles - Eurotunnel signed a contract with Bombardier to renovate nine "PAX" shuttles. Composed in total of 254 wagons, each 800-meter long shuttle is made up for passengers' vehicles with passengers remaining in their vehicles during for the 35-minute Channel crossing. In the 25-year period since the opening of the Channel Tunnel, these shuttles have each traveled an average of 300 round trips per month and have enabled over 236M passengers to travel between France and Great-Britain. The contract is valued at $171M over a period of seven years. Deliveries of the newly refurbished shuttles will start in mid-2022 and continue until mid-2026. Teams from Bombardier France and Belgium originally designed and built these unique vehicles in the 90's and launched Bombardier's activities in France. Bombardier will be responsible for the renovation of 26 wagons on each of the nine Shuttles, including 12 single-deck carriages for coaches, minibuses, caravans and vehicles over 1.85 meters high, 12 double-deck carriages for cars and motorcycles, and 2 double-deck loader wagons, in addition to two spare loader wagons. As project technical advisor, Bombardier will lead the integration and renovation operations except for the single-deck loaders and will lead on engineering design and procurement for onboard equipment. Eurotunnel will undertake design and procurement of key equipment such as brakes, doors, fire doors, fire detection, HVAC and the double-deck loaders. Eurotunnel will manage the homologation process of the renovated shuttles with the appropriate authorities. Bombardier will provide the technical support to prepare the required documentation.

08:04 EDT DARPA awards BAE Systems $3.1M contract to further develop autonomous software - The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded BAE Systems a Phase 3 contract worth $3.1M to continue developing autonomy software to improve the resiliency of air mission planning for the military. The program, called Resilient Synchronized Planning and Assessment for the Contested Environment, seeks to develop human-centered software decision aids that can assist air operators to better control daily operations in a complex battlespace.

08:03 EDT Worldpay adopts Amazon Pay in U.S. - Worldpay (WP) has teamed up with Amazon (AMZN), making Worldpay the first acquirer enabling Amazon Pay for its merchants. Through this relationship, Worldpay merchants that accept payments in the U.S. can utilize Amazon Pay.

07:47 EDT Jacobs Engineering awarded U.S. Army contract worth up to $785M - Jacobs has been awarded a contract to support the U.S Army Intelligence Center of Excellence at Fort Huachuca by providing training development and support for the Army and other Department of Defense agencies. Jacobs will provide education and support for the delivery of intelligence-related military occupational specialties and professional development with modules to include classroom, performance-oriented hands-on/practical exercise and simulation/virtual and/or field exercise training. The Army estimates the contract value at $785M across seven and half years, if all options are exercised.

07:37 EDT SCWorx wins signs renewal agreement with state university for $427,000 - SCWorx announced the signing of a renewal agreement with an existing Midwestern State University. Initially, the contract was a 1-year fixed-term agreement with the option to renew. This is the second contract renewal totaling $427,000 with this highly respected healthcare provider. The university is utilizing SCWorx's data normalization and analytics suite of application solutions.

07:35 EDT Rosewood Hotel & Resorts selects Agilysys' InfoGenesis POS for resort - Agilysys announced that Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco resort in Montalcino, Italy has selected the company's InfoGenesis POS as their point-of-sale solution.

07:33 EDT SAIC announces elimination of COO role - Science Applications International Corp. announced that in conjunction with the previously reported CEO transition, the role of the COO will be eliminated effective April 1, 2019. SAIC's customer-facing business groups and the Solutions and Technology Group, which previously reported to the COO, will now report to CEO-elect Nazzic Keene. The company's corporate functions will also report to Keene as part of a broader initiative to operate within a flatter structure. During the CEO transition process, CEO Tony Moraco will continue on as CEO/executive transition advisor until July 31, 2019. However, during this transition, Keene will be primarily responsible for the day-to-day operation of the business. Concurrently, Michael LaRouche has joined SAIC to take over the general manager role for the National Security Group and will report to Keene effective immediately. LaRouche joins the company from Raytheon (RTN) where he was vice president of a $900M business unit developing cyber solutions and supporting commercial, intelligence, and defense customers. As part of SAIC's new structure, Mark Escobar, former general manager of the National Security Group, will now serve as chief of business operations. The newly formed Business Operations organization encompasses business development operations, corporate communications, corporate IT, contracts, procurement, government affairs, program operations, security, and facilities.

07:30 EDT Zealand Pharma AS (ADS) trading resumes

07:13 EDT Caleres elects Emerson CCO Lisa Flavin to board of directors - Caleres (CAL) announced the election of Lisa Flavin to its board of directors. Flavin is chief compliance officer and vice president of audit at Emerson (EMR).

07:11 EDT General Mills up 6.4% to $50.25 after Q3 results beat estimates

07:10 EDT General Mills sees FY19 adjusted operating profit at high end of 6%-9% growth - Constant-currency adjusted operating profit is expected to finish toward the upper end of the initial guidance range of 6%-9% growth from the base of $2.6B reported in fiscal 2018.

07:08 EDT Pareteum's iPass SmartConnect solution selected for Citrix - Pareteum (TEUM) announced a new sales transaction with Citrix Systems (CTXS). The agreement will see Citrix migrate employees to a cloud-based deployment of Pareteum's iPass SmartConnect solution, which has been integrated with Citrix's existing single sign-on solution. A phased rollout is currently underway.

07:08 EDT General Mills CEO confident in meeting, exceeding all FY19 targets - "We had a strong third quarter, with positive organic sales growth and significant operating margin expansion," said General Mills Chairman and CEO Jeff Harmening. "Our year-to-date performance and fourth-quarter plans give us confidence that we will meet or exceed all of our key fiscal 2019 targets. For the full year, we now expect adjusted diluted EPS and free cash flow conversion will exceed our initial targets, net sales will finish toward the lower end of our guidance range, and adjusted operating profit will finish toward the higher end of the range. Our improved execution and strengthened performance this year reinforce our view that a balanced approach to top and bottom-line growth, centered on our Consumer First strategy, will drive long-term value for our shareholders."

07:06 EDT Nexstar expects Tribune deal to result in 46% growth to average annual FCF - Nexstar (NXST) CEO Perry Sook said "As with our prior acquisitions, we announced the Tribune (TRCO) transaction after developing a comprehensive regulatory compliance plan for required station divestitures and a detailed integration plan that will result in significant synergy realization. The proposed divestitures announced today mark an important step in fulfilling Nexstar's commitment to regulatory bodies to divest certain television stations in order to comply with the FCC local and national television ownership rules and to obtain FCC and Department of Justice approval of the proposed Nexstar / Tribune Media transaction. The proposed sale of eleven stations to Tegna (TGNA) and eight stations to Scripps (SSP) represent opportunities to transact with two established broadcast groups that share Nexstar's commitment to upholding the FCC mandate and public interest principles of diversity and localism. From an economic standpoint, together the transactions represent a multiple of approximately 11.0 times the aggregate two year average broadcast cash flow of the stations to be divested. In addition, the net after tax proceeds from the divestitures announced today exceed the estimates we shared at the time of the Tribune acquisition announcement, while the cash flow to be divested, inclusive of the elimination of certain synergies, is less than those in our prior projections. Taken together, these factors reinforce our confidence that the Tribune transaction will result in approximately 46% growth in Nexstar's average annual free cash flow in the 2018/2019 cycle to approximately $900M, or approximately $19.50 per share, per year based on approximately 46.2 million Nexstar shares outstanding. Nexstar has committed financing for the transaction and has made all required FCC and other regulatory applications, and subject to securing requisite approvals we continue to expect to complete the transaction late in the third quarter of 2019."

07:05 EDT General Mills sees FY19 free cash flow conversion of at least 105% - The company now expects free cash flow conversion of at least 105% of adjusted after-tax earnings, which is ahead of the previous guidance of at least 95%. Currency translation is expected to reduce reported net sales by 1 to 2 percentage points in fiscal 2019 and is not expected to have a material impact on full-year adjusted operating profit or adjusted diluted EPS.

07:03 EDT Nexstar enters agreements to divest nineteen stations for $1.32B - Nexstar Media Group (NXST) and Tribune Media Company (TRCO) announced that Nexstar has entered into definitive agreements to sell a total of nineteen stations in fifteen markets for an aggregate $1.32B in cash following the acquisition of Tribune Media by Nexstar. Under the terms of the agreements, TEGNA Inc. (TGNA) will acquire eleven stations in eight markets for $740M and The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) will acquire eight stations in seven markets for $580M. Separately, Nexstar remains engaged in active negotiations to divest two stations in Indianapolis, Indiana. On December 3, 2018, Nexstar and Tribune Media entered into a definitive merger agreement whereby Nexstar will acquire all outstanding shares of Tribune Media. The planned divestiture of nineteen stations reflects Nexstar's stated intention to divest certain television stations in order to comply with the FCC local and national television ownership rules and to obtain FCC and Department of Justice approval of the proposed Nexstar / Tribune Media transaction. Nexstar intends to use the net proceeds from the divestitures to fund the Tribune acquisition and to reduce debt. Given that the net proceeds from the divestitures exceed those initially estimated at the time the transaction was announced, Nexstar now estimates that net leverage at the closing of the transaction will be reduced to approximately 5.1x. The planned divestiture of the nineteen stations is subject to FCC approval, other regulatory approvals, the closing of the Nexstar / Tribune Media transaction and other customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed on, or about the time of, the closing of the Nexstar / Tribune Media transaction, which is expected later this year.

07:02 EDT Peak Rock affiliate signs agreement to buy Turkey Hill from Kroger - An affiliate of Peak Rock Capital announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Turkey Hill Dairy business, a manufacturer and distributor of ice cream, refrigerated drinks, and dairy products, from The Kroger Co. The parties expect the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, to close in Kroger's fiscal Q1 2019. Financial terms have not been disclosed.

06:51 EDT Iron Mountain, MakeSpace announce partnership for storage services - MakeSpace, an on-demand storage company, and Iron Mountain announced a new partnership to bring consumer storage services to 24 markets. As a part of this transaction, Iron Mountain will join a $30M financing round for MakeSpace, and MakeSpace will acquire Stashable, Iron Mountain's full-service, valet consumer storage business. This partnership combines MakeSpace's technology platform for consumer storage with Iron Mountain's storage, transportation and logistics operations. Additionally, MakeSpace will become a storage customer of Iron Mountain and deliver an initial 2.1M cubic feet of consumer storage. By providing financial and operational resources, this strategic partnership with Iron Mountain will help MakeSpace immediately scale to 20 new markets, bringing the company's total footprint to 24 markets. Iron Mountain's network of facilities and operational resources give MakeSpace the opportunity to bring its technology to new markets without the time and capital investment required. Iron Mountain's capabilities will accelerate operational efficiencies for MakeSpace's existing storage service locations in New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, as well as position MakeSpace to scale into new markets in the future.

06:47 EDT Pfizer secures exclusive option to acquire Vivet Therapeutics - Vivet Therapeutics and Pfizer announced that Pfizer has acquired a 15% equity interest in Vivet and secured an exclusive option to acquire all outstanding shares. Pfizer and Vivet will collaborate on the development of VTX-801, Vivet's proprietary treatment for Wilson disease. Under the terms of the transaction, Pfizer paid approximately $51M upon signing and may pay up to $635.8M inclusive of the option exercise payment and subject to certain clinical, regulatory, and commercial milestones. Pfizer can exercise its option to acquire 100% of Vivet following the company's delivery of certain data from the Phase I/II clinical trial for VTX-801. As part of the transaction, Pfizer senior executive Monika Vnuk, M.D., Vice President, Worldwide Business Development, will join Vivet's Board of Directors. Other terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

06:35 EDT Radian Group announces board changes, expands share repurchase program to $250M - Radian Group announced the addition of two new members to its board and the future retirement of one director upon completion of his current term. The company also announced the board's authorization to expand its existing share repurchase program from $100M to $250M. Debra Hess, former CFO of NorthStar Asset Management and NorthStar Realty Finance, and David Stevens, former president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association, have joined Radian's board of directors. In addition, Radian announced that Stephen Hopkins, a director of Radian since 1999, intends to retire from the board following completion of his current term. The board also approved a $150M increase in authorization for the company's existing share repurchase plan, for which the full purchase authority of up to $100M remains available. Based on these actions, the share repurchase plan provides Radian the flexibility to repurchase shares from time to time and spend up to $250M, based on market and business conditions, stock price and other factors. The expanded authorization is effective immediately and expires on July 31, 2020. Radian plans to utilize a Rule 10b5-1 plan, which would permit the company to purchase shares, at pre-determined price targets, when it may otherwise be precluded from doing so.

06:24 EDT Facebook says no users reported video of New Zealand mosque shootings while live - In a blog post published Monday, Facebook said the live video of the mosque shooting that left 50 people dead in Christchurch, New Zealand was viewed fewer than 200 times. After the livestream ended, the video was viewed a further 3,800 times before being taken down, Facebook said. Additionally, the company said "No users reported the video during the live broadcast. Including the views during the live broadcast, the video was viewed about 4000 times in total before being removed from Facebook. The first user report on the original video came in 29 minutes after the video started, and 12 minutes after the live broadcast ended. We designated both shootings as terror attacks, meaning that any praise, support and representation of the events violates our Community Standards and is not permitted on Facebook. We removed the personal accounts of the named suspect from Facebook and Instagram, and are actively identifying and removing any imposter accounts that surface. We removed the original Facebook Live video and hashed it so that other shares that are visually similar to that video are then detected and automatically removed from Facebook and Instagram." Reference Link

06:06 EDT Kaspersky Lab files antitrust complaint against Apple - Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab announced in a blog post that it has filed an antitrust complaint against Apple (AAPL) with the Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service. This comes less than a week after Spotify (SPOT) filed a complaint with the European Commission and called Apple a "monopolist." Kaspersky said: "Our claim pertains to Apple's policy on apps distributed through the App Store. Despite a long history of working successfully with Apple, we believe that this is a necessary step. Last year, we received a notice from Apple saying that our Kaspersky Safe Kids for iOS app does not meet the requirements of paragraph 2.5.1 of the guidelines for apps hosted in the App Store. Apple had never before had any issues with Kaspersky Safe Kids; the app had been hosted in the App Store, meeting all of the guidelines, for nearly three years. It turned out that, according to Apple, the use of configuration profiles was against App Store policy, and Apple demanded that these be removed, so that the app could pass the review and be published in the store. For us, that would mean removing two key features from Kaspersky Safe Kids: app control and Safari browser blocking... From our point of view, Apple appears to be using its position as platform owner and supervisor of the sole channel for delivering apps to users of the platform to dictate terms and prevent other developers from operating on equal terms with it. As a result of the new rules, developers of parental control apps may lose some of their users and experience financial impact. Most important, however, it is the users who will suffer as they miss out on some critical security features. The market for parental control apps will head toward a monopoly and, consequently, stagnation." Reference Link

05:52 EDT Partner reports investigation by Israeli Tax Authority over cellphone sales - Partner Communications reported that the Israeli Tax Authority is conducting an investigation that involves document collection and the questioning of among others, several company employees, both past and current. The investigation is seeking to determine whether there have been violations of the Eilat Free Trade Zone - a 1985 Law regarding the sale of cellular phones in the city of Eilat, Partner said in a statement. It added, "The Company is fully cooperating with the ITA. At this stage, the Company is unable to estimate the impact of the investigation on the Company, its results and its condition, if any."

05:49 EDT Motif Bio granted meeting with FDA regarding iclaprim - Motif Bio announced that the U.S. FDA has granted the company's request for a Type A meeting to discuss the points raised in the Complete Response Letter received from the FDA related to the New Drug Application for iclaprim for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections. The meeting is scheduled to take place on May 3.