Stockwinners Market Radar for February 25, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:27 EST Extra Space Storage chairman sells 200K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Extra Space Storage disclosed that its chairman Kenneth Woolley sold 200K shares of common stock on February 24th-25th. The total transaction size was $21.5M.

19:06 EST Fly Intel: After Hours Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Aclaris (ACRS) up 8.0%... WW International (WW) up 6.8%... Matador Resources (MTDR) up 6.0%... B&G Foods (BGS) up 5.7%... Alarm.com (ALRM) up 5.3%... Nevro (NVRO) up 3.4%... Infinera (INFN) up 3.4%... Evolent Health (EVH) up 3.1%... Paratek Pharma (PRTK) up 2.8%... Adamas Pharma (ADMS) up 1.9%... Akcea Therapeutics (AKCA) up 1.9%. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: SmileDirectClub (SDC) down 20.5%... Revolve Group (RVLV) down 18.1%... Supernus Pharma (SUPN) down 15.0%... Insulet (PODD) down 12.1%... Southern Copper (SCCO) down 9.3%... Toll Brothers (TOL) down 9.0%... Vicor Corp (VICR) down 8.7%... Penumbra (PEN) down 6.9%... Unisys (UIS) down 6.1%... Planet Fitness (PLNT) down 5.9%... Virgin Galactic (SPCE) down 5.7%... RealReal (REAL) down 5.1%... Ormat Technologies (ORA) down 3.8%... Iovance Biotherapeutics (IOVA) down 3.1%... Exelixis (EXEL) down 3.1%... Evertec (EVTC) down 3.0%... Salesforce (CRM) down 2.1%... Jazz Pharma (JAZZ) down 1.8%... Caesars (CZR) down 1.6%... Amarin Corp (AMRN) down 1.4%... Red Robin (RRGB) down 1.3%. ALSO LOWER: Vanda Pharma (VNDA) down 7.6% after Phase 3 study of tradipitant did not meet primary endpoint... Disney (DIS) down 1.7% after naming new CEO. Movers as of 18:30ET.

18:44 EST Salesforce CEO: I couldn't be more thrilled with our results - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said, "We had a great quarter and I couldn't be more thrilled." When asked about the recent leadership change, Benioff said, "Keith Block is ready to move on to the next chapter in his life. He will be staying on as an advisor to me." He finished by stating, "For some of our customers the coronavirus is a serious situation, but for most it has not had an impact yet."

18:24 EST MasterCard CEO: It's a good time for me to step aside - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, MasterCard CEO Ajay Banga said, "We have a great bench. I've been here ten years and it's a good time for me to step aside." Banga noted the company's license application has been accepted in China, but entry is about a year and a half away.

18:10 EST Uber Eats head Droege to leave company - According to a regulatory filing, on February 25, 2020, Uber Technologies announced that Jason Droege, head of the company's Uber Eats business, will be leaving the company. In connection with this leadership change and effective immediately, Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, currently Vice President, International Rides, will replace Droege as Vice President, Uber Eats, where he will oversee teams that manage the global Eats business. Droege will be available until June to help with the transition. In making these announcements, Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO, said, "Jason's vision, leadership, analytical mind and entrepreneurial spirit have been the driving force behind Eats' incredible success, and great assets both to Uber and to me personally. As Eats moves into its next phase of more profitable growth, I am happy to have Pierre at the helm, and look forward to him applying his nearly eight years of experience with our Rides business to capture the many opportunities that lie ahead for Eats."

17:50 EST ShotSpotter CEO Ralph Clark sells almos $1.6M in company shares - ShotSpotter CEO Ralph Clark disclosed in a filing that he had sold 42,764 shares of company stock at an average price of $36.60 per share between February 21 and February 25. The total transaction value of the sale was $1,565,004.

17:42 EST Wyndham Hotels & Resorts raises quarterly dividend to 32c from 29c per share - Payable March 31 to shareholders of record as of March 13.

17:35 EST Datadog announces integration with Nessus - Datadog announced an integration with Nessus from Tenable, Inc. The integration ensures advanced vulnerability assessment capabilities from Nessus are available as part of a secure, end-to-end DevOps process. This enables DevOps teams that rely on Datadog for their critical cloud monitoring to have constant visibility into the health and status of their Nessus deployments. The Datadog integration with Nessus can detect when and where an assessment begins and ends, which is then correlated with metrics and logs on Datadog's cloud monitoring platform. By bringing this data together, Datadog and Tenable create a more complete picture of the security posture and infrastructure performance of a user's cloud environment. This integration will serve the needs of cross-functional teams that operate in the cloud and monitor Nessus by ensuring full visibility into the status of their Nessus deployments. "Tenable is at the heart of vulnerability management for many of our customers, and real-time visibility into vulnerability assessments is increasingly relevant to Dev and Ops teams as well," said Marc Tremsal, Director of Product Management, Datadog. "Our integration will help break down the silos between these functions by ensuring that teams receive the same visibility into security as they do other key observability data."

17:30 EST Thermo Fisher increases quarterly dividend 16% - Thermo Fisher Scientific announced that its board has authorized a quarterly cash dividend of 22c per common share, payable on April 16 to shareholders of record as of March 16. This reflects a 16% increase over the previous dividend payment of 19c.

17:29 EST Take-Two director sells 10K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Take-Two disclosed that its director Michael Sheresky sold 10K shares of common stock on February 24th. The total transaction size was $1.13M.

17:21 EST Caesars says Las Vegas results were strong in Q4 - Caesars (CZR) says received regulatory approvals for a number of jurisdictions for Eldorado Resorts (ERI) merger. Says expects close in first half of 2020. Says licensees approved to launch mobile sports betting in Pennsylvania, Indiana and Iowa. Says expects to execute over the course of Q1 and Q2 subject to regulatory approval. Reiterates sports betting as key driver for business growth. Says looks forward to activating partnership with NFL as they bring the draft and Raiders to Las Vegas. Says pleasantly surprised to see no business impact from coronavirus. Says working on contingency plans should coronavirus have impact. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

17:09 EST Orrstown Financial utilizes previously announced stock buyback - Orrstown Financial announced it has entered orders for its stock pursuant to the previously authorized company's 2015 share repurchase program. This program authorized the repurchase of 5% of shares or approximately 416,000 shares. The company has remaining authority to repurchase up to 333,275 shares. At this time, Orrstown is unable to say with certainty whether it will be able to completely execute the intended repurchases with the limitations in place, but management ascertained that market conditions warranted an order that can be filled as shares become available. This order may be cancelled at management's discretion.

17:01 EST Southwest Gas raises quarterly dividend to 57c per share from 54.5c - The Board of Directors for Southwest Gas Holdings has increased the quarterly common stock dividend from 54.5c per share to 57c per share.

16:54 EST Supernus says P302 trial did not meet primary endpoint - Phase III P302 trial in patients six to 11 years old did not meet its primary endpoint. The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, multicenter, parallel group clinical trial in patients diagnosed with ADHD. Patients receiving SPN-810 36 mg showed a median percent reduction of 51.3% in the average weekly frequency of impulsive aggression episodes from baseline that was not statistically significant compared to placebo. Consistent with the P301 trial, the drug was safe and well tolerated. The company will halt all development activities on SPN-810 in IA.

16:46 EST Iger says role shift at Disney to let him focus on creative side

16:44 EST CNA Financial appoints Al Miralles as CFO - CNA announced the appointment of Al Miralles as Executive Vice President & CFO, effective February 25. Miralles succeeds James Anderson, who announced his resignation from the Company to pursue other opportunities. Miralles joined CNA in 2011 as Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Head of Investments. In this role, he was instrumental in developing the successful asset allocation and portfolio risk management approach CNA still employs today. In 2014, he became President of the Long Term Care business. Miralles brought an active management approach, executing on a multi-year transformation and significantly reducing the risk of this business to CNA. In early 2018, he was appointed to the role of Executive Vice President & Chief Risk Officer of CNA where he institutionalized the Enterprise Risk Management function across the business units. Prior to joining CNA, Miralles was the CFO for the Investments Division of Nationwide Insurance where he led the Finance, Operations, and Strategy functions, and had financial oversight for $65 billion of assets under management.

16:41 EST Upcoming Disney CEO says main priority is continue to grow 'great' brand - Upcoming Disney CEO Bob Chapek said that his main priority as CEO is to continue the growth and stewardship of a "great" brand.

16:40 EST Amarin shares rise 25c to $17.75 following Q4 results, affirmed guidance

16:40 EST Amarin still sees 2020 operating expense increase of $200M-$250M - The company said, "Operating expenses are expected to increase approximately $200 to $250 million over 2019 levels. Included in this estimate are increased costs associated with the previously described sales force expansion as well as increased costs for other VASCEPA promotional activities such as direct-to-consumer advertising." It also expects to purchase approximately $250M of inventory for 2020, which is approximately twice the amount spent for inventory purchases in 2019.

16:38 EST Toll Brothers sees Q2 deliveries of between 1,850 and 2,050 units - Toll Brothers sees Q2 deliveries of between 1,850 and 2,050 units with an average price of between $800,000 and $820,000.

16:37 EST Disney CEO Iger says has 'absolute confidence' in next CEO Chapek - Current Disney CEO Bob Iger said that he is "thrilled" for Bob Chapek and has "absolute confidence" in his abilities to lead the company. Iger added that Chapek is "highly respected" within the entertainment industry and is willing to take "smart" and "thoughtful" risks. Comments taken from investor conference call on Chapek being named the next CEO of Disney.

16:35 EST Amarin says normalized prescriptions for Vascepa increased 84%-85% in Q4 - Amarin said normalized prescriptions for Vascepa increased by 78% and 77% in 2019 compared to 2018 based on data from Symphony Health and IQVIA, respectively, and increased by 84% and 85% in Q4 compared to the same period in 2018, respectively. Estimated normalized Vascepa prescriptions, based on data from Symphony Health and IQVIA, totaled approximately 992,000 and 909,000 in Q4 respectively, the company added in its earnings release.

16:34 EST Caesars CEO says delivered 'solid operational performance' in Q4 - "Caesars Entertainment delivered another quarter of solid operational performance," said Tony Rodio, President and CEO of Caesars Entertainment. "Caesars' results were largely driven by the strong demand at our Las Vegas properties, excellent cost controls, and the addition of sports betting in several states which drove increased visitation. In addition, our focus on costs and operating efficiencies across the company contributed to the excellent performance." he added.

16:32 EST Caesars reports Q4 adjusted EBITDA increased 2.8% to $583M - Q4 non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA, excluding Rio, increased 3.4%, or $19M, to $572M.

16:32 EST Novavax announces NanoFlu data from mice study published - Novavax announced a publication in Vaccines describing the immunogenic potential of NanoFlu, Novavax's recombinant seasonal influenza vaccine candidate adjuvanted with Matrix-M. The publication provides an in-depth comparison of vaccine antibody responses in mice compared to similar antibody responses in human subjects from historic clinical trials, highlighting the potential for NanoFlu to offer broadly protective immunity and improved vaccine efficacy.

16:31 EST Vistra Energy increases dividend 8% to 13.5c - Vistra Energy announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend of 13.5c per share of Vistra's common stock, representing an 8% increase in the company's quarterly common stock dividend and bringing the annualized dividend to 54c per share. The dividend is payable on March 31 to shareholders of record as of March 17. The ex-dividend date will be March 16.

16:28 EST Disney down 2.5% or over $3 at $125 per share after naming Bob Chapek new CEO

16:27 EST One Liberty acquires two industrial properties, sells one retail property - One Liberty Properties announced that it acquired two industrial properties for an aggregate purchase price of $28.3M and sold a retail property for net proceeds of $3.4M and a net gain, before a mortgage prepayment charge, of $4.3M.

16:25 EST Virgin Galactic preparing to release next tranche of seats for sale - Virgin Galactic announced that in preparation for the re-opening of spaceflight sales, it is introducing the "One Small Step" initiative. The company formally closed its doors to new ticket sales after its "history-making" first space flight in December 2018. In addition to more than 600 firm reservations it has already taken from Future Astronaut customers from 60 countries, Virgin Galactic has received a consistently high level of interest from aspiring astronauts. This has resulted in 7,957 online reservation registrations in the fourteen months since the first spaceflight and more than double the number the company last reported in September 2019. "In light of continuing, strong progress towards commercial service, Virgin Galactic is now preparing to release its next tranche of seats for sale to the general public. In the first phase of that process, the company will be launching its new One Small Step qualification process on Wednesday, February 26th, allowing those who are serious about flying to space, to register now and be front of line for firm seat reservations, once they become available," Virgin Galctic said. To take "One Small Step," future flyers will pay a fully refundable deposit of $1,000 in an online registration process, the company stated. Virgin Galactic has not yet announced detailed timing or cost information in respect of the next set of seats to be released. "When new seats are released by Virgin Galactic, they will be offered first to Small Step registrants, allowing them to make the One Giant Leap to a confirmed spaceflight reservation and gain full membership of the thriving Virgin Galactic Future Astronaut Community," the company noted. Reference Link

16:23 EST Salesforce to acquire Vlocity for $1.33B in cash - On February 25, the company entered into an agreement to acquire Vlocity, a leading provider of industry-specific cloud and mobile software built natively on the Salesforce platform. Under the terms of the agreement, the company will acquire Vlocity for approximately $1.33B, net of the value of shares currently owned by the company, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. The purchase price will be paid in cash and the assumption of outstanding unvested equity awards held by Vlocity employees. The acquisition is expected to close during the second quarter fiscal 2021, subject to customary closing conditions, including the expiration of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. The anticipated financial impact of the Vlocity acquisition is reflected in the company's revenue, non-GAAP earnings per share, and operating cash flow guidance for the full fiscal year 2021.

16:21 EST Abraxas Petroleum receives updated Nasdaq non-compliance notice - On August 28, 2019, Abraxas Petroleum Corporation announced that it received notice from The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC that the company did not then meet the NASDAQ continued listing standard which requires a minimum average closing price of $1.00 per share over a period of 30 consecutive trading days. NASDAQ had provided a period of 180 days following receipt of the notice to meet the standard and regain compliance for continued listing on the exchange. The listed security has not regained compliance with the minimum average closing price of $1.00 per share requirement, however, NASDAQ staff has determined that the Company is eligible for an additional 180 day calendar period, or until August 24, 2020, to regain compliance. This determination is based on the Company meeting the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other applicable requirements for initial listing on the Capital Market with the exception of the per share price requirement, and the Company's written notice of its intention to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary. If at any time during this additional time period the average closing price of the Company's security is at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days, NASDAQ will provide written confirmation of compliance and this matter will be closed.

16:20 EST Iovance says manufacturing facility on track for production in 2022 - The company said, "Iovance began construction of a state-of-the-art, 136,000 square foot commercial-scale production facility in Philadelphia for its TIL therapies in June 2019. The new facility is expected to be completed by year-end 2021 to support commercial supply in 2022, with capacity to meet demand for thousands of patients in multiple cancers. Iovance expects to invest approximately $85 million over three years for equipment and construction of the facility."

16:18 EST Lumentum withdraws from OFC 2020, cites spread of coronavirus - Lumentum announced that it will not be attending the upcoming OFC 2020 conference and tradeshow scheduled for March 8-12 in San Diego due to the continuing spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus globally. This withdrawal includes all investor and industry events scheduled during OFC. "Every year, we look forward to attending OFC to showcase our latest innovations and advancements in technology," said Alan Lowe, Lumentum President and CEO. "However, our highest priority is the health and safety of our employees, customers, and partners. This year, due to the rapidly evolving coronavirus outbreak, we believe we can better serve all of our stakeholders by exercising an abundance of caution and not attending OFC." Lumentum's decision to withdraw from OFC is consistent with precautions Lumentum has already taken to help protect the health and safety of Lumentum employees, customers, and partners in response to the spread of COVID-19 globally.

16:16 EST Valmont raises quarterly dividend by 20% to 45c per share - The dividend will be payable on April 15, 2020 to shareholders of record on March 27, 2020. The company previously increased the dividend in May 2014.

16:14 EST Potbelly reports Q4 company-operated comparable store sales decline of (0.1%) - Reports Q4 company-operated comparable store sales decline of (0.1%), a 290-basis point improvement over the sequential quarter.

16:14 EST Exelixis announces first 100 patients enrolled in COSMIC-311 pivotal trial - Exelixis announced enrollment of the first 100 patients in COSMIC-311, a phase 3 pivotal trial evaluating cabozantinib versus placebo in patients with radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer who have progressed after up to two vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-targeted therapies. "Given the encouraging clinical activity observed for cabozantinib in phase 1 and 2 trials in differentiated thyroid cancer, and the poor prognosis for patients who have progressed after prior VEGF receptor-targeting therapy, it is exciting to reach this milestone for COSMIC-311," said Gisela Schwab, M.D., President, Product Development and Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer, Exelixis. "This brings us one step closer to a first analysis that will help us better understand cabozantinib's potential in treating patients with this intractable form of thyroid cancer. We look forward to sharing those initial results later this year."

16:11 EST SmileDirectClub down 17.9% after reporting Q4 results, giving FY20 guidance

16:06 EST Salesforce co-CEO Keith Block steps down, Marc Benioff is Chair and CEO - Salesforce announced that Keith Block has stepped down as co-CEO of Salesforce and Marc Benioff is Chair and CEO of the company. Block is remaining as Advisor to the CEO. Salesforce also announced that it has named Gavin Patterson, former BT Group plc Chief Executive, its President and CEO of Salesforce International.

16:04 EST Salesforce co-CEO Keith Block steps down, Marc Benioff is Chair and CEO

16:02 EST Stratasys names Dov Ofer board chairman - Stratasys announced the appointment of Dov Ofer as the company's new Chairman of the Board, effective May 17, 2020. Current Chairman Elchanan (Elan) Jaglom will continue in his role until the transition date. "Along with the rest of the board, I look forward to supporting our new CEO, Yoav Zeif, in my upcoming role as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors for Stratasys," said Dov Ofer. "With the growth of the additive manufacturing industry and the new innovations Stratasys is bringing to market, this is a pivotal time for the company. I'm committed to ensuring clear direction, strong governance and a continued solid financial foundation so that the company can grow its leadership position."

16:01 EST Vanda trading halted, news pending

15:41 EST Cleveland-Cliffs, AK Steel report recommendations from ISS, Glass Lewis for deal - Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) and AK Steel (AKS) announced that they have received recommendations from both Glass, Lewis & Co. and Institutional Shareholder Services to vote in favor of their proposed merger transaction. Under the pending transaction, Cliffs would acquire all of AK Steel's outstanding shares pursuant to the agreement and plan of merger. The merger is currently scheduled to close on March 13 and remains subject to adoption by AK Steel's stockholders of the merger agreement and approval by Cliffs' shareholders of the merger agreement.

14:29 EST Jumia Technologies drops after Q4 results - Shares of Jumia Technologies (JMIA) were sliding in afternoon trading after the company reported quarterly results. Following the report, an analyst from Raymond James downgraded the stock. WHAT'S NEW: Before the market open, Jumia reported fourth quarter operating loss of (EUR61.113M), down from (EUR52.949M) in the same period last year, and fourth quarter revenue of EUR49.276M, up from EUR43.28M last year. Meanwhile, annual active consumers increased 54% year-over-year to 6.1M in Q4, while orders rose 49% to 8.3M and GMV fell 3% to EUR301M. WHAT'S NOTABLE: In the same report, the company noted that its sales practices review, which it launched in Q2 of 2019, has now been completed. "In late 2019, we identified a small number of improper orders, mostly placed in the second quarter of 2019, in addition to the improper orders disclosed in our report on second quarter results," the company said. "In aggregate, the improper orders identified generated less than 3% of our GMV in 2018, concentrated in the fourth quarter of 2018, and less than 2% of our GMV in 2019. Remedial measures have been taken. We have also implemented measures designed to prevent similar conduct in the future and, more broadly, to strengthen our internal controls and corporate governance. As part of our normal business, we continually take steps to strengthen our control environment and enhance our transaction monitoring procedures." STREET RESEARCH: Following the "mixed" results, Raymond James analyst Aaron Kessler downgraded the stock to Market Perform from Outperform. Kessler said he thinks Jumia is taking the right steps in rebalancing its business mix towards higher frequency consumer purchase items, but also sees it taking time for this strategy to drive stronger GMV growth. While the analyst also believes EBITDA should improve going forward, it will take time to meaningfully improve EBITDA loss rates. Kessler added that, given his expectations for lowered growth and continued high near-term losses, he believes the shares lack a near-term catalyst. PRICE ACTION: In afternoon trading, Jumia is down 25.2% to $4.12.

14:03 EST LivaNova reports FDA clearance for 3T Heater-Cooler device modification - LivaNova announced it received U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance for a device modification to its 3T Heater-Cooler devices. "The modification includes the installation of a 3T Aerosol Collection Set, as well as testing that demonstrates the effectiveness of its operating instructions. This modification has been implemented at no cost to customers on devices that have already been distributed and is being implemented on new units being prepared for distribution. Collectively, these modifications further reduce the potential risk of possible dispersion of aerosols in hospital operating rooms when used in accordance with Operating Instructions. Devices manufactured in accordance with this newly cleared 510(k) will not be subject to the current FDA import alert," the company said. Bryan Olin, LivaNova Senior Vice President for Clinical, Quality and Regulatory Affairs, added: "FDA clearance allows us to implement a permanent design solution for 3T Heater-Cooler devices used in the U.S. that further mitigates the potential risk of aerosolization. Heater-coolers are critical pieces of equipment for open-heart surgery, and LivaNova wants to ensure continued access to these important devices for the ongoing treatment of patients around the world."

13:24 EST Iovance trading resumes, shares up 19% $29.41 after Bloomberg report

13:21 EST Iovance Biotherapeutics jumps 11% after Bloomberg says exploring sale - Shares of Iovance Biotherapeutics jumped, then halted for volatility, after Ed Hammond and Nabila Ahmed of Bloomberg reported that the company is exploring a sale and has held preliminary talks with potential buyers. Iovance is working with a financial adviser after receiving takeover interest, a source told Bloomberg. Iovance shares jumped 11%, or $2.63, to $27.32 following the report, triggering a halt for volatility.

12:57 EST Simply Good Foods director James Kilts buys almost $2M in company shares - Simply Good Foods director James Kilts disclosed in a filing that he had purchased 88,500 shares of company stock at an average price of $22.54 per share on February 24. The total transaction value of the purchase was $1,994,640.

12:49 EST 39 attorneys general investigating marketing and sales practices of Juul - Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced that a bipartisan group of 39 attorneys general is investigating Juul Labs, company 35% owned by Altria Altria Group (MO). The nationwide investigation is exploring Juul's marketing and sales practices, including the targeting of youth, claims regarding nicotine content, and statements regarding risks, safety and effectiveness as a smoking cessation device, Moody said in a statement. She added, "We have an epidemic of underaged vaping, not just in Florida, but nationwide. As Florida's Attorney General and a mother, I cannot sit on the sidelines while this public health epidemic grows, and our next generation becomes addicted to nicotine. That is why we are acting with a sense of urgency in Florida and leading this multistate investigation into Juul's role in the underaged vaping epidemic." Reference Link

12:19 EST CNH Industrial's Iveco Bus and Turkey's Otokar sign production agreement - IVECO BUS, a global manufacturer of buses and coaches and a brand of CNH Industrial N.V., signed an agreement on February 25 with Turkey's bus manufacturer Otokar Otomotiv ve Savunma Sanayi A.S to locally manufacture products under the IVECO BUS brand at its facilities in Sakarya, Turkey. This contractual partnership covers existing models in the IVECO BUS portfolio for international distribution, as well as the production of a model specifically catered for markets in Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The models will be powered by engines from sister brand FPT Industrial, the first of which are expected to be produced within 2021. "We are very excited to embark on this new partnership, which paves the way for many opportunities in our businesses," said Sylvain Blaise, Head of the Global Bus Division at CNH Industrial. "Thanks to this cooperation we will be able to increase our manufacturing capabilities in order to respond to current and future market demand to support our continued growth, as well as giving us the opportunity to work jointly on future portfolio expansion."

11:25 EST FTC grants early termination for Sarepta transaction with Vifor Pharma - A notice posted to the website of the Federal Trade Commission noted that on February 24, the FTC granted early termination of its review for a transaction between "acquiring party" Vifor Pharma (GNHAF) and Sarepta Therapeutics (SRPT), although the FTC notice does not give details on the nature of the transaction. Analysts at RBC have said that Sarepta may have sold it priority review voucher to Vifor, according to Bloomberg. Reference Link

10:49 EST Disney adds Beyond Meat competitor Impossible Foods to parks, cruise menus - Impossible Foods earlier today announced a new strategic alliance with Disney (DIS). As part of the alliance, the Impossible Burger will be designated as the "Preferred Plant-Based Burger" of Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and Disney Cruise Line, Impossible Foods said in a statement. On February 28, Disney will debut Impossible Foods menu items at the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival. The alliance follows Disney's September 2019 announcement of plans to add plant-based options at all major quick and table service dining locations in its U.S. theme parks. More than 400 plant-based dishes are now available at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, and more will be available at Disneyland Resort in California in spring 2020, Impossible noted. Impossible Foods competes with Beyond Meat (BYND) in the plant-based meat space. Shares of Beyond Meat are down 51c to $113.45 in morning trading.

10:33 EST Eaton completes acquisition of Power Distribution - Eaton announced it has completed the acquisition of Power Distribution, or PDI. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, PDI is a supplier of mission critical power distribution, static switching, and power monitoring equipment and services for data centers and industrial and commercial customers. "PDI's highly complementary portfolio will allow us to better serve our data center customers," said Brian Brickhouse, president, Electrical Sector, Americas region, Eaton.

10:16 EST Dominion Energy's first battery storage projects approved - Dominion Energy Virginia received approval from the State Corporation Commission to move forward with four battery storage pilot projects to pave the way for additional energy storage technology needed to support the company's commitment to achieve net zero carbon and methane emissions by 2050, increase in renewables and to improve grid reliability. The four utility-scale battery storage pilot projects totaling 16 megawatts are the largest projects of their kind in Virginia. The company will utilize lithium-ion batteries, like those found in electric vehicles, to better understand how this emerging technology can be integrated into various applications to benefit our customers. "Dominion Energy will pilot these 16 megawatts of battery storage to better understand how best to deploy batteries across our system to integrate renewables and provide grid reliability by filling gaps due to the inherent intermittency of solar and wind power," said Mark D. Mitchell, Dominion Energy's vice president of generation construction. "These pilot projects will also help us learn how to incorporate this emerging technology into our overall strategy to achieve net zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions." The four Central Virginia-based projects will cost approximately $33M to construct and will provide key information on distinct use cases for batteries on the energy grid. The pilots will be evaluated over a five-year period once operational, currently expected to be in first quarter of 2021.

10:13 EST NIH to sponsor U.S. trial of Gilead coronavirus treatment remdesivir - The National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is sponsoring a clinical trial of Gilead Sciences' remdesivir to evaluate the safety and efficacy in hospitalized adult patients diagnosed with coronavirus. The study is a multicenter trial that will be conducted in up to 50 sites globally, according to a posting on ClinicalTrials.gov. The study will be a series of 2-arm comparisons between different investigational therapeutic agents and a placebo. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the clinical efficacy of different investigational therapeutics relative to the control arm in patients hospitalized with coronavirus. It is estimated to have 394 participants and start on March 12. Reference Link

10:00 EST BlueLinx falls -14.2% - BlueLinx is down -14.2%, or -$2.22 to $13.36.

10:00 EST Tupperware Brands falls -36.5% - Tupperware Brands is down -36.5%, or -$2.09 to $3.63.

10:00 EST Jumei rises 24.4% - Jumei is up 24.4%, or $3.77 to $19.24.

09:59 EST Home Depot says housing 'healthy and stable' - Says housing will continue to provide support for the business. Says remains "committed" to increasing dividend on annual basis as earnings increase. Says building "complete ecosystem" around Pro customer. Says "excited" about e-commerce business and continues to see it as "an engine for growth." Sees 2020 as "peak year" for store investment. Says spending is having higher impact on margins.

09:52 EST Eaton increases quarterly dividend by 3% to 73c per share - The Board of Directors of power management company Eaton has declared a quarterly dividend of 73c per ordinary share, an increase of 3% over its last quarterly dividend. The dividend is payable March 27, 2020, to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 13, 2020.

09:47 EST Shake Shack falls -13.7% - Shake Shack is down -13.7%, or -$10.07 to $63.50.

09:47 EST Jumei rises 24.8% - Jumei is up 24.8%, or $3.83 to $19.30.

09:47 EST Mallinckrodt rises 36.2% - Mallinckrodt is up 36.2%, or $1.51 to $5.68.

09:29 EST Home Depot says sees FY20 CapEx approximately $2.8B - Sees FY20: Share repurchases at least $5B; Effective tax rate approximately 24%; OpEx 1.2 times rate of sales; Operating margin approximately 14%; Cash flow from operations approximately $13.5B.

09:26 EST JPMorgan sees Q1 trading revenue up mid-teens y/y

09:20 EST TOP Ships completes sale of M/T Stenaweco Elegance - TOP Ships announced that its previously announced sale of the M/T Stenaweco Elegance was concluded. The vessel was delivered to its new owner, an unaffiliated third party, and the respective loans for which the vessel was a collateral for were fully prepaid.

09:17 EST Home Depot says big ticket transactions up 'double digits' in Q4 - Says "consumer demand is strong." Says sales for Pro customers "healthy."

09:13 EST Zynex receives FDA clearance for blood volume monitor - Zynex announced the U.S. FDA granted 510(k) clearance for sale in the U.S. for the CM-1500 Blood Volume Monitor.

09:10 EST Home Depot raises quarterly dividend 10% to $1.50 per share - The dividend is payable on March 26 to shareholders of record on the close of business on March 12. This is the 132nd consecutive quarter the company has paid a cash dividend.

09:06 EST First Northwest Bancorp appoints Geri Bullard as SVP, treasurer - First Northwest Bancorp recently hired a number of key personnel as part of its business plan to expand its leadership team. Geri Bullard joins First Federal as SVP, Treasurer; Crystal Radwanski joins as VP, Digital Solutions and Innovations Manager; Christine Walsh Rogers joins the team as VP, Product Strategy Leader, and Allison Mahaney will join as VP, Corporate Secretary/Assistant General Counsel. Prior to joining First Federal, Bullard served as Controller at Salal Credit Union in Seattle, and Chief Financial Officer of First Sound Bank. Formerly with Peoples Bank in Bellingham, Crystal Radwanski served as Product & Digital Solutions Manager, where she was responsible for strategic planning and implementation of retail products and services, as well as all digital banking platforms Christine Walsh Rogers most recently was the Director of Consumer Lending at HomeStreet Bank, where she was responsible for the development and management of the Consumer Lending Department. A practicing attorney, Mahaney is currently Owner and Managing Attorney of Waypoint Law Office in Port Angeles.

09:02 EST DHI Group names Chris Henderson as COO - DHI Group announced Chris Henderson has been promoted to the role of COO having served as Chief Strategy Officer since April 2019. Henderson joined DHI in April 2019, with responsibility for the development and implementation of strategic priorities for the company. Prior to joining DHI, Henderson served as CEO of the Universal Service Administrative Company, Senior Advisor to United States Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and COO of the City of Denver under Mayor John Hickenlooper.

09:02 EST Fly Intel: Pre-market Movers - UP AFTER EARNINGS: Home Depot (HD), up 3%... Lumber Liquidators (LL), up 23%... Mallinckrodt (MNK), up 43%... U.S. Silica (SLCA), up 12%... Keysight Technologies (KEYS), up 10%. ALSO HIGHER: Moderna (MRNA), up 17% after the company announced that it has released the first batch of mRNA-1273, the company's vaccine against the novel coronavirus, for human use... Perrigo (PRGO), up 8% after the company and its partner, Catalent Pharma Solutions (CTLT), announced that the FDA has approved Perrigo's abbreviated new drug application for generic albuterol sulfate inhalation aerosol, the first AB-rated generic version of ProAir HFA. DOWN AFTER EARNINGS: Tupperware Brands (TUP), down 21%... Palo Alto Networks (PANW), down 15%... Hertz (HTZ), down 6%... Shake Shack (SHAK), down 15%. ALSO LOWER: Cornerstone OnDemand (CSOD), down 6% after reporting earnings and announcing it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Saba, a player in talent experience solutions and a portfolio company of Vector Capital. The cash and stock transaction is valued at approximately $1.395B and has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies.

08:52 EST Delta 9 Cannabis announces supply agreement with Auxly Cannabis - DELTA 9 CANNABIS (VRNDF) announced that it has entered into a supply agreement with Auxly Cannabis Group (CBWTF) who will supply Delta 9's retail stores with a suite of cannabis 2.0 products including cannabis oils, chocolates, chewables and vape products, where permitted. Auxly and Delta 9 entered a strategic partnership in September, 2018, including a supply agreement which granted Auxly the right to purchase up to 5,000 kilograms of cannabis and 500 kilograms of cannabis trim per year until July 1, 2030. In exchange, Auxly invested $16.25 million in the Company by purchasing 5,909,090 common shares of the Company, becoming one of Delta 9's early strategic investors. For more information, see Delta 9's September 6, 2018 news release.

08:50 EST Seaspan acquires four containerships for approximately $367M in cash - Seaspan announced that it has agreed to purchase a fleet of four containerships for approximately $367M in cash. The purchase of the Acquired Vessels is expected to be financed from additional borrowings as well as cash on hand. Seaspan expects to take delivery of the Acquired Vessels during March and April, subject to customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to Seaspan's earnings per diluted share. The Acquired Vessels are comprised of four 12,000 TEU vessels, with three built in 2018 and one built in 2017, which will operate under long-term time charters with a leading global liner. Pro-forma for this acquisition, Seaspan's global fleet exceeds one million TEU at 123 vessels and 1,023,000 TEU, bringing the total contracted revenue to $4.6B with a weighted average remaining lease period of approximately 4.2 years. Seaspan continues to be the market leading independent owner and operator of containerships, with pro forma market share of approximately 7.9% of the global fleet.

08:47 EST Teladoc appoints Catherine Jacobson to board of directors - Teladoc Health announced the appointment of Catherine Jacobson to its board of directors. President and CEO of Froedtert Health, a Milwaukee-based integrated delivery system, Jacobson has deep insight into the strategic priorities of health systems, as well as proven leadership and financial acumen across a range of for-profit and not-for-profit healthcare organizations.

08:46 EST Vir, WuXi Biologics collaborate to develop antibodies to treat COVID-19 - Vir Biotechnology and WuXi Biologics announced a development and manufacturing collaboration to advance and produce human monoclonal antibodies for the potential treatment of COVID-19, a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will work together on the clinical development, manufacturing, and commercialization of Vir's proprietary antibodies. WuXi Biologics will conduct cell-line development, process and formulation development, and initial manufacturing for clinical development. If the antibodies receive regulatory approvals, WuXi Biologics has the rights to commercialize therapies in Greater China, and Vir has the rights to commercialize therapies in all other markets worldwide. Vir has identified a number of monoclonal antibodies that bind to SARS-CoV-2. These antibodies were isolated from individuals who had survived a SARS infection. The company is conducting research to determine if its antibodies, or additional antibodies that it may be able to identify, can be effective as treatment and/or prophylaxis against SARS-CoV-2.

08:42 EST Overstock.com appoints Joel Weight as CTO - Overstock.com announced the appointment of Joel Weight as CTO for its leading retail shopping site. Weight is a nine-year veteran of Overstock's family of companies, most recently serving as COO at Medici Ventures, Overstock's wholly owned subsidiary and blockchain accelerator.

08:40 EST Auris Medical announces publication of study results of betahistine - Auris Medical Holding highlighted the publication of an article describing the anti-epileptic and anti-convulsive activity of betahistine in a mouse model. The peer-reviewed article titled "Betahistine prevents kindling, ameliorates the behavioral comorbidities and neurodegeneration induced by pentylenetetrazole" was recently published in Epilepsy & Behavior, a fast growing international journal covering behavioral aspects of seizures and epilepsy. The article was written by an independent Iranian research group and presents the outcomes of a study on the effects of betahistine on seizure scores, memory deficits, depression, and neuronal loss in a murine model of epilepsy. Seizure was induced by treatment with pentylenetetrazole, a common protocol in epilepsy studies. The researchers found that pretreatment and repetitive treatment with intraperitoneal betahistine entirely prevented generalized tonic-clonic seizures induction and significantly diminished seizure intensity. Further, it decreased cell death in the hippocampus and cortex, suggesting a neuroprotective effect of betahistine, and ameliorated the memory deficit and depression induced by PTZ in the kindled animals.

08:38 EST JPMorgan CFO says expenses needed to run the bank to fall $700M

08:37 EST Ford issues safety compliance recall, two safety recalls in North America - Ford is issuing a safety compliance recall and two safety recalls in North America. Ford is issuing a safety compliance recall for select 2018-20 Ford F-150 vehicles with LED headlamps. When the daytime running lamps on affected vehicles are illuminated and the master lighting switch is manually rotated from the autolamp position to the headlamp-on position, the daytime running lamps remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamp intensity as required by federal motor vehicle safety standards. This may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash. Ford is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this condition. This action affects 166,196 vehicles in the U.S. and federal territories and 50,989 in Canada. Ford is issuing a safety recall for select 2015-16 Ford F-150 vehicles equipped with engine heater elements and 3.5-liter GTDI engines. Depending on the heater element location, some vehicles may have cables with insufficient heat protection and incorrect length. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can cause a resistive short, inoperative engine block heater, and/or tripping of household breakers or GFCI-equipped outlets while the vehicle is parked and the block heater is plugged in. The risk to safety exists only while the vehicle is parked and the block heater cable is plugged into an electrical outlet. A resistive short in the engine-block heater splice connector can increase the risk of overheated or melted wiring and fire. Customers are advised to not use the engine block heater cable until their vehicle is inspected. Ford is not aware of any reports of fire, accident or injury related to this condition. This action affects 13,854 vehicles in the U.S. and federal territories and 19,679 in Canada. Ford Motor Company is issuing a safety recall for select 2020 Ford F-Series Super Duty and 2021 Ford E-Series vehicles. In some affected vehicles, there may be an inadequate amount of axle lubricant. This can result in bearing seizure, leading to component fracture and driveshaft separation from the rear axle. In the event of a rear-axle pinion stem fracture, customers would experience loss of vehicle motive power and loss of the park function. If the parking brake is not applied, this could result in unintended vehicle movement, increasing the risk of injury or crash. Ford is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this condition. This action affects 319 vehicles in the U.S. and seven in Canada. Reference Link

08:36 EST Amyris expands distribution of Purecane packets on Amazon.com - Purecane, "a pioneering clean sweetener brand" from Amyris (AMRS), is now available on Amazon.com (AMZN) in addition to its own direct-to-consumer ecommerce site, purecane.com.

08:34 EST JPMorgan CFO sees 2020 net interest income lower than 2019 - Says expects net interest income for 2020 to be lower than 2019 due to low interest rates.

08:30 EST Stryker nominates Lisa Skeete Tatum as director - Stryker announced that Lisa Skeete Tatum has been nominated for election to the company's Board of Directors at Stryker's 2020 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which will be held on May 5, 2020. Skeete Tatum is the Founder and CEO of Landit.

08:28 EST Macy's says coronavirus could have 'small impact' on Q1 sales - Management is "carefully monitoring" coronavirus and notes it could have a small impact on Q1 sales. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

08:20 EST Ria Money Transfer opens first store in Singapore - Ria Money Transfer, a subsidiary of Euronet Worldwide, announced the opening of its first store in Singapore. Located in Kerbau Road 8 in the Little India area, customers can now send money with competitive foreign exchange rates through Ria's network of more than 397,000 locations across 160 countries. For many years, Ria has offered inbound cash pick-up and bank deposit services in Singapore through its 30 agent locations. The Kerbau Road store is the company's first retail venture in the country.

08:19 EST Tetra Bio says first indication for CAUMZ will be cancer cachexia treatment - Tetra Bio-Pharma provided additional information on the drug development program for CAUMZ following the previously announced Type B meeting with the US Food and Drug Administration. The first indication for CAUMZ will be the treatment of cancer cachexia patients. To ensure minimal time to market, the first target patient population will be cancer cachexia patients that have an incurable and malignant cancer that is refractory to treatment. CAUMZ is designed to prolong survival and improve quality of life and the patient's day-to-day functioning. Providing these types of benefits to a cancer patient with cachexia would provide an important contribution to the care of these patients and their wellbeing. A key aspect to Tetra's technology is the selective delivery of cannabinoids to the central nervous system using the CAUMZ-kit technology. Avoiding the first pass metabolism that occurs with the oral or sublingual route of administration is important to minimize the formation of metabolites associated with some of the side effects. The highly purified cannabinoid molecules are also an important element in the future success of CAUMZ. CAUMZ-kit results in the inhalation of cannabinoid molecules and not any compounds such as excipients, preservatives or oils. The manufacturing technology licensed from Vitiprints allows Tetra to manufacture cannabinoid drugs for inhalation and does not involve the use of other ingredients. Tetra expects to obtain the Fast Track designation from the FDA for expedited review of its CAUMZ drug product which treats a serious condition and fills an unmet medical need. As stated in a previous news release, the FDA agreed that the target patient population has a serious condition with significant morbidity. If the disease of the target patient population is not treated with CAUMZ, the patient's health and wellbeing will continue to deteriorate to a more serious condition. In fact, if the cachectic state is not reversed the patient does not have a good probability of survival since the disease is incurable. As CAUMZ shares similarities to QIXLEEF, the FDA confirmed in the Type B meeting that CAUMZ would be eligible for waivers of some of the standard nonclinical toxicology studies. "Confirmation of the waivers represents a short-term savings of over $5M dollars for the first marketing application of CAUMZ as well as further potential savings" stated Dr. Guy Chamberland, CEO and Chief Regulatory Officer of Tetra. The decision by FDA that the CAUMZ -kit would be approvable under the 505(b)(2) New Drug Application approval pathway is very favorable to Tetra as this will provide additional significant cost savings to the Company. The Company's NDA application would rely upon literature to support the nonclinical requirements of the NDA, Tetra expects additional short-term savings of over $2M. The additional financial benefit to Tetra is that the FDA, under the 505(b)(2) pathway recognizes the safety of each of the two drugs, THC and CBD, used alone. Tetra therefore only needs to address the safety of the combination and aspects unique to the inhalation route of administration. The latter being addresses by the clinical trials of CAUMZ. This reduced clinical burden will also translate into a third short-term savings by over $2M. The FDA reviewed Tetra's proposed approach to ensuring the quality of the CAUMZ kit, device component and drug product specifications. In the case of CAUMZ, there are no scientific challenges for demonstrating lot-to-lot because of the high purity and quality of the drug product. Tetra must still demonstrate to the FDA that the CAUMZ drug batches used in clinical trials will be comparable to those of the commercial lots as well as those that were used at every stage of the drug development program. However, this task will be the same as for any other prescription drug because CAUMZ only contains cannabinoids in the drug product.

08:17 EST Twist Bioscience, Miroculus announce collaboration agreement - Twist Bioscience announced a collaboration to bring its target enrichment and sample library preparation kits to a novel automation platform developed by Miroculus.

08:14 EST JPMorgan sees medium-term ROE of 16% for corporate and investment bank - Sees medium-term ROE for consumer and community banking of 25%, 18% for commercial banking, 25% for asset and wealth management.

08:14 EST JPMorgan sets $200B green financing target over multiple years

08:13 EST Neoleukin Therapeutics appoints Robert Ho as CFO - Neoleukin Therapeutics (NLTX) announced the appointment of Robert Ho as CFO, effective March 16, 2020. Kamran Alam, interim CFO of Neoleukin Therapeutics, will continue as a senior strategic advisor to assist in transition activities. He is a former Vice President in the Investment Banking Division of Morgan Stanley & Co. (MS), where he managed over $9 billion in financing deals and participated in the completion of more than $5 billion in M&A transactions.

08:12 EST CDK Global leads $5M investment in Ripcord - Ripcord announced an additional $45 million in Series B2 funding, increasing the company's total funding to over $120 million as the business focuses on scaling globally. The funding was led by CDK Global (CDK), who will partner with Ripcord to drive digital transformation across the automotive industry and modernize the car buying process. Existing Ripcord investors Kleiner Perkins, GV, Steve Wozniak, Silicon Valley Bank, Lux Capital, Tyche Partners, Icon Ventures and Baidu participated with strong support in the Series B2 funding. Car dealerships face increasing challenges with consumer privacy concerns and legacy business processes that rely heavily on inefficient manual, time intensive forms. To further complicate problems, the information from both paper and digital forms typically funnels into multiple disparate and totally disconnected systems, compounding data compliance and processing issues. CDK Global is investing in Ripcord to streamline the car buying experience. CDK Global and Ripcord together enable solutions that will improve both the consumer and dealer experience by saving time, reducing errors, and driving down costs throughout the car buying process. For dealerships, Ripcord provides added intelligence that helps them buy, sell, service and finance cars more competitively and with reduced processing costs - ultimately leading to better prices for the consumer and higher profit margins for dealers.

08:11 EST Ekso Bionics, Kindred Healthcare announce collaboration to pilot EksoNR - Ekso Bionics Holdings announced a collaboration with Kindred Healthcare to pilot EksoNR- the most clinically used robotic exoskeleton, in their long-term acute care hospitals. Kindred already offers exoskeleton-assisted rehabilitation with the device in over 20 of its freestanding inpatient Kindred rehabilitation hospitals. Kindred is the first network to explore the benefits of EksoNR in the long-term acute care setting. The pilot began last year and is now being conducted in four of Kindred's long-term acute care hospitals in the Houston-metro area.

08:08 EST Principal Financial announces up to $900M share repurchase program - Principal Financial announced its board of directors approved a new authorization for the repurchase of up to $900M of the company's outstanding common stock. As of December 31, 2019, approximately $168M remained under the company's prior authorization.

08:07 EST Mondelez to acquire in-store bakery company Give & Go - Mondelez International announced an agreement to acquire a significant majority interest in Give & Go, a North American leader in fully-finished sweet baked goods and owners of the famous "two-bite" brand and the "Create-A-Treat" brand known for cookie and gingerbread house decorating kits. Give & Go is being sold by funds affiliated with Thomas H. Lee Partners. Founded in 1989, Give & Go's delicious and on-trend products are a complementary addition to Mondelez International's portfolio of global and local brands such as Oreo, Cadbury, Milka and belVita, as well as Tate's Bake Shop and Perfect Snacks. The company has delivered attractive growth over the past several years with net revenues of approximately $500M in 2019. As with other recent acquisitions such as Perfect Snacks, Mondelez International will operate Give & Go separately in order to nurture its innovative and entrepreneurial spirit while providing access to consumer and channel insights, procurement and marketing resources to accelerate growth. After the deal closes, Give & Go's senior leadership team will retain a minority interest in the company and continue to run the business from their existing headquarters. All Give & Go products will continue to be made at their current manufacturing locations. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and expected to close in the second quarter of 2020.

08:06 EST Cracker Barrel sees FY20 comparable store retail sales growth approximately flat - Prior view was comparable store retail sales growth of approximately 1.0%.

08:03 EST Vericel plans mid-2020 submission of NexoBrid BLA to FDA

07:59 EST Auxly Cannabis enters supply agreement with Delta 9 Cannabis - Auxly Cannabis Group (CBWTF) announce that it has entered into a supply agreement with its strategic partner, Delta 9 Cannabis Inc. (VRNDF) in which the Company will supply cannabis products to Delta 9's multiple retail locations, where permitted. Delta 9 is a vertically integrated cannabis company based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Delta 9 currently operates four cannabis retail stores in Manitoba, with plans to build out a chain of retail stores under the Delta 9 Cannabis Store brand. Delta 9's stores have become one of the top performing retail platforms in Canada since October 2017, recording over $14 million in retail revenue and over 250,000 customer transactions in the first twelve months of legal cannabis sales.

07:56 EST Marinus Pharmaceuticals completes enrollment in Phase 3 study of ganaxolone - Marinus Pharmaceuticals announced it has reached the 100 patient enrollment target for the Marigold Study. The Marigold Study is a pivotal Phase 3 study evaluating oral ganaxolone in children and young adults with CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder, a rare refractory form of pediatric epilepsy with no currently approved treatments. The Company will continue enrollment through the end of the month to capture the remaining few patients in the screening phase. Marinus is on-track to report top-line results in the third quarter of 2020. The Marigold Study is a global, double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 3 clinical trial designed to enroll approximately 100 patients between the ages of 2 and 21 with a confirmed disease-related CDKL5 gene variant. Patients undergo a baseline period before being randomized to receive either ganaxolone or placebo for 17 weeks in addition to their existing anti-seizure treatment. Following the treatment period, all patients that meet certain eligibility requirements will have the opportunity to receive ganaxolone in the open label phase of the study. The study's primary efficacy endpoint is percent reduction in seizures. Secondary outcome measures include non-seizure-related endpoints to capture certain changes in behavioral and sleep disturbances that were seen as improvements in previous clinical studies with ganaxolone.

07:48 EST Corvus Gold receives results from Main Zone infill, step-out Phase-4 program - Corvus Gold announces it has received additional positive results from its ongoing Main Zone infill and step-out Phase-4 drill program. These latest results are from targets designed to infill unestimated parts of the 2018 mineral resource model, to potentially extend the deposit deeper and probe the eastern side of the property. Results appear to be encouraging for expanding the Mother Lode mineral resource as the grade and thickness of the intervals are higher and broader than previously known. In addition, the latest holes have expanded the new oxide Central Intrusive Zone below the Main Zone, although drilling conditions remain difficult upon entering the zone and both holes were terminated prematurely, in the upper part of the CIZ. Hole ML20-130 was drilled to infill an area of the model between prior holes ML17-013 & ML17-037. The new drilling has shown the mineralization in this area is higher grade and has broader width and continuity to the east than previously modeled. The infill holes drilled to date have consistently been adding new mineralized areas to the model as well as upgrading and expanding higher-grade zones, which could have a positive impact on the future mineral resource model update planned for fall of this year. Similar to the previous hole, ML20-131 was drilled to infill an area with limited drill data between holes ML17-012 and ML17-019. The new results indicate the mineralized zone is broader and higher grade and could be accretive for the new mineral resource model. To thoroughly explore and quantify the new CIZ oxide target, Corvus will be utilizing more core tail type drilling which should increase our ability to get completely through the larger and higher-grade areas of this new zone. Hole ML20-129 was designed to test the eastern boundary of the Mother Lode property where it appears the system is limited in this area, although just east of the property boundary the adjacent owner (Coeur Mining) is pursuing the northern extension of the SNA deposit which lies to the southeast of the Mother Lode property.

07:44 EST Strongbridge expects to report top-line results from LOGICS study in Q2 or Q3 - Enrollment in the Phase 3 LOGICS study of RECORLEV in endogenous Cushing's syndrome is approximately 85 percent complete; the Company projects that all of the remaining patients required to complete enrollment are currently in the titration and maintenance phase. Based upon current observations, the Company believes that it will report top-line results from the LOGICS study at the end of the second quarter or during the third quarter of 2020. The Company plans to submit a New Drug Application for RECORLEV to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approximately six months after reporting top-line LOGICS results.

07:43 EST Strongbridge Biopharma sees FY20 KEVEYIS revenue $26M-$27M - The Company continues to anticipate a positive and growing KEVEYIS contribution margin in 2020.

07:38 EST WaterBridge to acquire water infrastructure of Centennial Resource for $225M - WaterBridge announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Southern Delaware Basin produced water infrastructure of Centennial Resource Production, a subsidiary of Centennial Resource Development. Contemporaneous with closing, WaterBridge and Centennial will enter into a 15-year produced water management agreement at market rates for Centennial's operated acreage within an extensive area of mutual interest. The transaction is valued at $225M, consisting of $150M in upfront cash and an additional $75M payable to Centennial over a three-year period based on Centennial achieving certain incentive thresholds. The transaction is subject to certain regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, and is expected to close in March.

07:36 EST Jumei enters into agreement for going-private transaction - Jumei International announced that it has entered into a definitive Agreement and Plan of Merger with Super ROI Global Holding Limited, a business company organized and existing under the laws of the British Virgin Islands, and Jumei Investment Holding Limited, an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent, pursuant to which Parent and Purchaser will acquire all the outstanding class A ordinary shares of the Company, par value $0.00025 per share and American depositary share each representing ten Class A Ordinary Share, other than Class A Ordinary Shares and ADSs owned by Purchaser. Parent is ultimately wholly-owned by Mr. Leo Ou Chen, the founder, chairman of board of directors, chief executive officer and acting chief financial officer of the Company. Mr. Chen, Parent and Purchaser currently beneficially holds 50,892,198 class B ordinary shares of the Company, representing approximately 44.6% of the outstanding Shares and 88.9% of the total voting power represented by all outstanding Shares of the Company. Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, Purchaser will promptly commence a tender offer to acquire all the outstanding Class A Ordinary Shares of the Company not owned by Purchaser at a price of $2.0 per Share or $20.0 per ADS in cash, without interest and less $0.05 per ADS cancellation fees, $0.02 per ADS depositary service fees and other related fees and withholding taxes. The closing of the tender offer will be subject to several conditions, including the tender by a number of Class A Ordinary Shares that, together with any other Shares owned by Purchaser, constitutes at least 90% of the total voting power represented by the outstanding Shares, Purchaser and Parent shall have sufficient funds, after taking into consideration the aggregate proceeds of a debt financing, cash on hand of Purchaser, Parent, the Company and its subsidiaries, available lines of credit and other sources of immediately available funds available to Purchaser and Parent, to pay the aggregate Offer Price and all fees and expenses expected to be incurred in connection with the Offer and other customary conditions. After completion of the tender offer, Parent will acquire all remaining Shares not held by Purchaser through a "short-form" merger of Purchaser and the Company in which the Company will be the surviving company and will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Parent. Pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, at the effective time of the Merger each Class A Ordinary Share issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time, other than the Excluded Shares, will be cancelled and cease to exist, in exchange for the right to receive $2.0 in cash without interest, and each outstanding ADS, other than the ADSs representing the Excluded Shares, will be cancelled in exchange for the right to receive $20.0 in cash without interest and less $0.05 per ADS cancellation fees, $0.02 per ADS depositary service fees and other related fees and withholding taxes. At the Effective Time, each outstanding and vested option to purchase Class A Ordinary Shares under the Company's share incentive plans will be cancelled, and each holder of a Vested Option will have the right to receive an amount in cash determined by multiplying the excess, if any, of $2.0 over the applicable exercise price of such Vested Option by the number of Class A Ordinary Shares underlying such Vested Option; each outstanding but unvested option to purchase Class A Ordinary Shares under the Company's share incentive plans will be cancelled for no consideration; (iii) each outstanding and vested restricted share unit under the Company's share incentive plans will be cancelled, and each holder of a Vested RSU will have the right to receive an amount in cash determined by multiplying $2.0 by the number of Class A Ordinary Shares underlying such Vested RSU; and each outstanding but unvested restricted share unit under the Company's share incentive plans will be cancelled for no consideration. The Merger is currently expected to close in the second quarter of 2020. If completed, the Merger will result in the Company becoming a privately-owned company wholly owned directly by Parent, its ADSs will no longer be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and the ADS program will be terminated.

07:33 EST Golar LNG Partners says Q1 to be negatively impacted by Golar Igloo downtime - The 4Q award of the two-year Kuwait FSRU contract for Golar Igloo and the two-year contract for Golar Maria, together with the more recent agreement to extend the Golar Grand charter by one year, collectively removes significant re-contracting risk for the Partnership. First quarter results will be negatively impacted by the customary two month Golar Igloo winter downtime and will not benefit from a contribution to earnings by Golar Mazo. The focus of the Partnership during the quarter will be on the evaluation of its structure and strategy in order to maximize long-term shareholder value whilst also ensuring that it is appropriately debt financed. This evaluation includes potential structured transactions to grow the Partnership, bond and bank debt refinancing and the ongoing pursuit of opportunities to redeploy the FSRU Golar Spirit and carrier Golar Mazo. As previously indicated, future distribution levels will be determined by the relative success of the above as well as the level and terms of new financing and growth capital requirements.

07:26 EST Intercept sees 2020 non-GAAP operating expenses $560M-$600M - The company said, "The FDA has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act target action date of June 26, 2020 for the completion of its review of our NDA seeking approval of OCA for liver fibrosis due to NASH. As a result of the uncertainties relating to the launch of OCA in liver fibrosis due to NASH and their potential impact on our 2020 financial performance, we are not providing 2020 net sales guidance. We expect non-GAAP Operating expenses for 2020 to be in the range of $560 million to $600 million, reflecting our investments to support the launch of OCA for liver fibrosis due to NASH, our commercial efforts in primary biliary cholangitis, our clinical development and pipeline programs and our other operating activities. Our non-GAAP Operating expenses guidance assumes the approval of our NDA for liver fibrosis due to NASH by the FDA on or about the PDUFA target action date."

07:19 EST Montage Resources reports Q4 net production averaged 623.4 MMcfe per day - Net production for the full year 2019 averaged 547.8 MMcfe per day, within the company's most recent guidance range of 545-552 MMcfe per day and 6% above the midpoint of the company's initial guidance range for the year of 500 - 525 MMcfe per day. Year-End 2019 proved developed reserves increased by 33% to 1,494 Bcfe, based upon SEC pricing, and by 34% to 1,506 Bcfe, based upon December 31, 2019 strip pricing, over year-end 2018. John Reinhart, President and CEO, commented, "The past year represented a significant inflection point for the Company's operations with the progression to a business model that prioritized capital efficiency, cost reductions, balance sheet protection and a focus on cash flows. At a time when investor attention has shifted from resource capture to capital discipline and operational execution, Montage has delivered on its targets to provide disciplined production growth within the context of a significantly lower capital spend while achieving or exceeding the respective 2019 guidance metrics. Given the well productivity results, operational efficiencies and lower capital and expense cost structure, the company was also able to maintain its net debt position over the second half of 2019 with no incremental net debt incurred from the end of the second quarter of 2019 to year-end 2019. The company also took the opportunity with the natural gas price pullback in the fourth quarter to systematically shut-in some production in order to complete a number of production enhancement workover projects, in addition to realizing unscheduled non-recurring third-party system downtime and associated maintenance items, which impacted fourth quarter production volume. We remain steadfast in our objective of long-term shareholder value creation by employing prudent 2020 development plans and maintaining continued flexibility on the pace of 2020 development activity to drive cash flows from de-risked, repeatable investments in our high-quality asset base."

07:18 EST Chimerix to initiate Phase 3 trial of DSTAT w/ chemotherapy mid-year - Chimerix recently conducted an end of Phase 2 meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration related to the Company's development of DSTAT in AML. Following that meeting, Chimerix incorporated FDA's feedback on key elements of the Phase 3 clinical trial and has since submitted a full protocol for final FDA review. Chimerix plans to initiate a Phase 3 trial mid-year of DSTAT in combination with standard chemotherapy in newly diagnosed AML patients. The proposed Phase 3 trial will be a randomized, double-blind trial of approximately 570 newly diagnosed AML patients. The trial will include patients 60 years of age or older who have an intermediate or adverse genetic risk profile. It will also include patients between 18 and 60 years of age who have an adverse genetic risk profile. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to receive DSTAT in combination with standard of care cytarabine plus anthracycline induction and cytarabine consolidation chemotherapy or to receive standard of care induction and consolidation chemotherapy alone. Patients with FLT-3 mutations will be allowed in the study and will be eligible to receive midostaurin. The primary endpoint of the proposed trial will be overall survival. In addition, FDA has indicated that event-free survival, using complete response with hematologic recovery to define induction success, is acceptable as an endpoint for regulatory approval. Other endpoints to be evaluated in the proposed trial include minimal residual disease, relapse-free survival, time to hematologic recovery, and induction response. In order to supplement the previously reported data from the pilot and Phase 2 trials and provide additional evidence of DSTAT's mechanism of action, the proposed Phase 3 trial includes an early assessment of comparative CR and MRD rates among the first 80 evaluable patients. This data is expected to be unblinded, reported publicly, and available for ongoing analysis of later endpoints. Prior to potential unblinding, this data will be reviewed by an independent Data Monitoring Committee. The DMC will have the discretion to maintain blinding of the data from this early assessment in the event the DSTAT arm shows exceptional advantages to the control arm on CR and/or MRD, at certain pre-specified thresholds, which would allow inclusion of these patients in the final analysis. The Company expects to incur approximately $15M in clinical trial expenses up to and including this early assessment.

07:14 EST Proteostasis announces publication of of nonclinical data on PTI-428 - Proteostasis Therapeutics announced the publication of nonclinical data on the mechanism of action of nesolicaftor (PTI-428). The article, entitled "Amplifiers co-translationally enhance CFTR biosynthesis via PCBP1-mediated regulation of CFTR mRNA," was published online in the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis on February 14, 2020. The Dukovski et al., paper demonstrates that amplifiers bind directly to poly-binding protein 1. PCBP1 belongs to a large family of RNA-binding proteins that regulate the production of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator just before the protein prepares to fold and assemble itself for delivery to its final destination in the cell membrane where it works by regulating ion flow. The authors show that the binding of amplifiers for PCBP1 is specific to CFTR because the binding affinity is enhanced through a portion of mRNA that is only present in CFTR. This leads to improved stability of CFTR mRNA and results in greater CFTR protein production.

07:13 EST JPMorgan sees medium-term ROTCE target 17% - Sees medium-term overhead ratio of less than 55%. Sees medium-term CET1 ratio of 11.5%-12%.

07:10 EST EU commercial vehicle registrations down 11.5% in January - In January, commercial vehicle registrations fell by 11.5% across the European Union, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. With the exception of buses, demand fell in all segments. The slowdown in van sales - making up more than 80% of EU commercial vehicle demand - had a major impact on the overall performance. All four major EU markets posted declines in January, with Spain recording the strongest decline, followed by France, Germany and Italy, the group said. Publicly traded truck makers and suppliers include Daimler AG (DDAIF), Paccar (PCAR), CNH Industrial (CNHI), Navistar (NAV), Cummins (CMI) and Allison Transmission (ALSN).

07:09 EST LGI Homes expects to close 8,400-9,400 homes in 2020 - Sees 120-130 active selling communities at end of year.

07:05 EST MasterCard elects Chief Product Officer Michael Miebach to CEO - Mastercard announced that Ajay Banga, President and CEO, will transition to the role of Executive Chairman of the board of Mastercard Incorporated on January 1, 2021. Mastercard's Board unanimously elected Michael Miebach, Chief Product Officer, to become CEO and a member of the board on January 1, 2021 and, as part of the transition, he will become President of the company, effective March 1. As President of the company, Miebach will oversee the sales, marketing, products, services and technology organizations.

07:03 EST MasterCard elects Chief Product Officer Michael Miebach to CEO

07:00 EST AstraZeneca divests global rights to Movantik - AstraZeneca has agreed to sublicense its global rights to Movantik, excluding Europe, Canada and Israel, to RedHill Biopharma. Movantik is a peripherally acting mu-opioid receptor antagonist indicated for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation. Ruud Dobber, Executive Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals Business Unit, said: "This divestment supports our strategy to realise value from medicines in our portfolio that are mature or outside our current scope to enable reinvestment in our main therapy areas. Movantik is an important established medicine and the divestment to RedHill will ensure its continued availability for patients." As part of the agreement, AstraZeneca will continue to manufacture and supply Movantik to RedHill during a transition period. In 2015, AstraZeneca entered into a co-commercialisation agreement with Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. for Movantik in the US, which will be transferred to RedHill. RedHill will make an upfront payment of $52.5M to AstraZeneca on closing and a further non-contingent payment of $15M in 2021. Income arising from the upfront payment, offset by a charge for derecognition of the associated intangible asset, and the future payment will be reported in AstraZeneca's financial statements within Other Operating Income & Expense. In 2019, Movantik generated sales of $96M in the US. The divestment is expected to complete in the first quarter of 2020, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances. Upon completion, the agreement will not impact the company's financial guidance for 2020, AstraZeneca said.

06:58 EST Macy's CEO says pleased with significant trend improvement in Q4 - CEO Jeff Gennette says: "Taken as a whole, 2019 did not play out as we intended for Macy's, Inc. However, we executed well during the Holiday 2019 season. We were pleased with the significant trend improvement in the fourth quarter, including a meaningful sales uptick in the 10 shopping days before Christmas. Together with disciplined expense management, our solid sales results in the fourth quarter allowed us to deliver stronger-than-expected earnings results. Importantly, we exited the year with a clean inventory position."

06:50 EST DPW Holdings enters settlement agreement in derivative action - DPW Holdings announced that on February 19, 2020, DPW entered into a definitive settlement agreement between Plaintiffs Ethan Young and Greg Young, derivatively on behalf of Nominal Defendant DPW against the company's then directors and DPW itself, Case No. 2:18-cv-06578, filed in the United States District Court in the Central District of California on July 31, 2018. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the company's Board of Directors will implement certain changes to the company's bylaws, committee charters, corporate governance policies, and the composition of the Board, including the resignation of a current director and the appointment of two new independent directors. In addition, the parties have agreed upon a payment of attorneys' fees in the amount of $600,000 payable by the company's Director & Officer liability insurance. The settlement agreement contains no admission of wrongdoing. The company has always maintained and continues to believe that it did not engage in any wrongdoing or otherwise commit any violation of federal or state securities laws or other laws.

06:43 EST New Gold announces $300M partnership with Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan - New Gold is pleased to announce that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. Under the terms of the strategic partnership, Ontario Teachers' has agreed to acquire a 46.0% free cash flow interest in the New Afton mine with an option to convert the interest into a 46.0% joint venture interest in four years, or have their interest remain as a free cash flow interest at a reduced rate of 42.5%, for upfront cash proceeds of $300M payable upon closing of the transaction. The proceeds from the Transaction will be used to improve New Gold's financial flexibility and to reduce net indebtedness. The Transaction is subject to approval under New Gold's credit facility and is expected to close on or about March 31.

06:36 EST Univar sees Q1 adjusted EBITDA $150M-$160M - Sees FY20 adjusted EBITDA $700M-$740M.

06:35 EST Thomson Reuters says Mike Eastwood will succeed Stephane Bello as CFO - The CEO and CFO appointments as well as the organizational changes will be effective March 15.

06:33 EST Thomson Reuters appoints Steve Hasker as CEO - Thomson Reuters announced that Steve Hasker has been appointed president and CEO, succeeding Jim Smith, the current president and CEO. As part of his new role, Hasker has also been appointed to the Thomson Reuters board, with Smith stepping down as a director. Smith will become chairman of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, which focuses on media freedom, inclusive economies and access to justice around the world. He will also provide transitional support to the new CEO into 2021.

06:18 EST FINMA says Credit Suisse, UBS emergency plans are effective - The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA provided a detailed assessment of the recovery and resolution plans of the systemically important Swiss institutions. FINMA views the Swiss emergency plans of Credit Suisse (CS) and UBS (UBS) as effective. The emergency plans of PostFinance, Raiffeisen and Zurcher Kantonalbank, however, do not meet the statutory requirements yet. The two large Swiss banks were required to submit effective emergency plans for their systemically important functions in Switzerland by the end of 2019. In the case of Credit Suisse FINMA regards the emergency plan as effective. UBS is also judged by FINMA to have met the requirements for an effective emergency plan, with the qualification that certain joint and several liabilities remain excessive. Reference Link

06:13 EST U.S. Silica sees FY20 CapEx $30M-$40M

06:10 EST KLP selects Moody's analytics solution for IFRS 17 implementation - Moody's Analytics announced that its software has been selected by Kommunal Landspensjonskasse Mutual Insurance Company, one of Norway's largest life insurance companies. KLP will use the Moody's Analytics RiskIntegrity for IFRS 17 solution to address the new IFRS 17 accounting framework for insurance contracts.

05:25 EST Arch Capital to obtain minority stake in Coface - Arch Capital has entered into a share purchase agreement with Natixis regarding the acquisition of a 29.5% stake in Coface, a France-based leader in the global trade credit insurance market. The transaction will be completed at a price of EUR 10.70 per share, corresponding to a transaction value of approximately EUR 480M based on the current number of shares.

05:20 EST Halozyme announces FDA acceptance of BLA for FDC of Perjeta, Herceptin - Halozyme Therapeutics (HALO) announced that the FDA has accepted a Biologics License Application, or BLA, from Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (RHHBY), for the fixed-dose combination of Perjeta and Herceptin for subcutaneous administration using Halozyme's ENHANZE drug delivery technology in combination with intravenous chemotherapy for the treatment of eligible patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. The BLA submission is based on positive results from the global Phase III FeDeriCa study conducted by Genentech, which demonstrated non-inferior levels of Perjeta in the blood and comparable efficacy and safety to standard IV infusions of Perjeta plus Herceptin and chemotherapy.

05:16 EST ABB enters partnership with Covariant - ABB and Covariant announced a partnership to bring AI-enabled robotics solutions to market, starting with a fully autonomous warehouse order fulfilment solution. The partnership brings together the two companies with a shared vision for robotics enabled by AI, where intelligent robots work alongside humans in dynamic environments, collectively learning and improving with every task completed. The first installation of the ABB and Covariant AI-enabled solution is already being deployed at Active Ants, a provider of e-commerce fulfilment services for web businesses in Utrecht in the Netherlands.