Stockwinners Market Radar for June 16, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:19 EDT Digital Realty breaks ground on first facility in South Korea - Digital Realty began construction on its first facility in South Korea today following a virtual ground-breaking ceremony. Digital Seoul 1, the first carrier-neutral facility in Korea, will be built on a 22,000 square foot land parcel within the Sangam Digital Media City in northwest Seoul, a newly developed urban planning zone focused on technology and media companies, designed to promote South Korea's digital economy.

19:14 EDT Tesla signs lithium-ion battery cell agreements with Panasonic - According to a regulatory filing, on June 10, 2020, Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) and Tesla Motors Netherlands B.V. and Panasonic Corporation (PCRFY) and Panasonic Corporation of North America entered into an amendment and restatement, of the General Terms and Conditions entered into between Tesla and Panasonic on October 1, 2014, as amended, which governs certain agreements for Panasonic to manufacture lithium-ion battery cells for Tesla at Gigafactory Nevada. The 2020 GTC, among other things, modifies the term to expire 10 years after Panasonic achieves certain manufacturing milestones. On June 10, 2020, Tesla and Panasonic also entered into the 2020 Pricing Agreement, effective as of April 1, 2020 until March 31, 2023, relating to the manufacture and supply by Panasonic of lithium-ion battery cells at Gigafactory Nevada. The Agreement is subject to the 2020 GTC and, among other things, sets forth the specific terms between the parties with respect to pricing, planned investments and new technology, as well as production capacity commitments by Panasonic and purchase volume commitments by Tesla over the first two years of the Agreement. Tesla and Panasonic have also entered into other previously disclosed agreements relating to the production and supply of lithium-ion battery cells, and Panasonic invested $30.0 million in a private placement of Tesla common stock in November 2010.

18:24 EDT McDonald's CEO: Well on our way to having 100% of our stores open - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Chris Kempczinski said the franchise model is a "huge advantage for us." The company is doing everything it can to support its franchisees, he said. Currently, McDonald's has about 1,000 restaurants in the U.S. where dine-in is open. Drive-through has been a "fantastic asset," Kempczinski noted. 95% of U.S. restaurants have drive through and times are 20 seconds faster right now.

18:07 EDT Zomedica names Robert Cohen as interim CEO, effective immediately - Zomedica announced that it has appointed Robert Cohen, formerly of EmboMedics, as its Interim CEO, effective immediately. Cohen brings to Zomedica more than 15 years executive leadership and operations experience from the medical device market, and biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Shameze Rampertab, who had been acting as Zomedica's Interim CEO since December 2019, will continue in his role as Zomedica's CFO and a member of the Board of Directors.

17:49 EDT Kratos Defense receives $46M directed energy award in support of U.S. Army - Kratos Defense & Security Solutions that the Kratos Defense & Rocket Support Services, KDRSS, Division has been awarded a $46M Other Transaction for Prototype Agreement (pOTA) to support the U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office. The new award has a three year period of performance. The prototype project is to establish a Directed Energy Testbed to accelerate military development capability in the focus areas of High Energy Laser and/or High Power Microwave (HPM) systems. Air and Missile Defense military utility will be demonstrated with a concentration on countering Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) using HEL and/or HPM on ground-based and airborne platforms. Additionally, this pOTA will perform research and experimentation related to DE test infrastructure and methodologies to improve the efficiency and accuracy of DE test programs. The project improves the ability to deploy HEL and HPM systems by providing test beds for evaluation of emerging, reduced Size, Weight, and Power HEL and HPM systems. Work under this pOTA is anticipated to be performed at Kratos facilities and at government locations in Huntsville, AL.

17:40 EDT Norwegian Cruise Line sinks 14% after extending suspension of cruise voyages - In after-hours trading, shares of Norwegian (NCLH) are down 14% to $17.96. Shares of Carnival (CCL) are down 9% to $18.59, and Royal Caribbean (RCL) is down 9% to $56.93.

17:35 EDT Corporacion America Airport reports May passenger traffic down 98.1% - Corporacion America Airports reported a 98.1% decline year-over-year passenger traffic in May 2020. The company notes that its "total passenger traffic in May 2020 dropped 98.1% YoY, primarily reflecting continued travel restrictions imposed by governments, aiming to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, together with lower passenger demand. International traffic declined by 98.5% YoY, while domestic traffic dropped 97.6% YoY. Air travel restrictions in Italy and Ecuador operations were lifted early June. Cargo volume decreased 59.4% on May 2020, mainly due to declines of 57.4% in Argentina, 85.0% in Brazil and 70.0% in Ecuador."

17:24 EDT Venus Concept enters into $31M stock purchase agreement wit Lincoln Park Capital - Venus Concept announced that it has entered into a common stock purchase agreement for up to $31M with Lincoln Park Capital Fund a Chicago-based institutional investor. Upon execution of the purchase agreement, Lincoln Park made an initial purchase of $1.0M of common stock. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, the Company will have the right, in its sole discretion, to sell shares of its common stock to Lincoln Park over the 24-month term of the purchase agreement.

17:07 EDT AT&T urges stockholders to reject Ponos Industries' mini-tender offer - AT&T states that it "has learned that Ponos Industries LLC has made an unsolicited "mini-tender" offer, dated June 8, 2020. Ponos has offered to purchase up to 4 million shares of AT&T common stock at $36.00 per share." The company states that "while this price is above the current market price of AT&T common stock, the offer is conditioned upon the closing price of AT&T's shares exceeding the $36.00 offer price, as noted below. The offer expires on July 10, 2020 unless extended by Ponos. This offer is similar to a previous such offer for AT&T stock by Ponos. Ponos has included a condition in the terms of its offer that states the closing price of AT&T's shares must exceed the $36.00 offer price on the New York Stock Exchange on the last day of trading before the offer expires. Unless Ponos waives this condition, AT&T stockholders who tender their shares in the offer will receive a below-market price."

16:49 EDT Volkswagen boosts stake in US solid-state battery specialist QuantumScape - The Volkswagen Group (VWAGY) is increasing its stake in QuantumScape and making an additional investment of up to US $200M in the US battery specialist. "The goal is to drive forward the joint development of solid-state battery technology. In future, solid-state batteries are expected to significantly increase range and shorten charging times further. "We are making technological progress with our partner QuantumScape. The additional investment will effectively strengthen and accelerate our joint development work", said Thomas Schmall, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Group Components, which has end-to-end responsibility for batteries. The Volkswagen Group and QuantumScape have also been collaborating in a joint venture to enable industrial-level production of solid-state batteries since 2018," said Volkswagen in a statement earlier. companies that may be related to this story include Tesla (TSLA), NIO Inc (NIO), Nikola (NKLA), General Motors (GM) and Ford (F). Reference Link

16:41 EDT NYPD says 'no criminality' in referernce to Shake Shak bleach incident - The New York City Police Department has "determined there was no criminality by Shake Shack's employees" after three officers drank milkshakes believed to be contaminated with bleach. "After a thorough investigation by the NYPD's Manhattan South investigators, it has been determined that there was no criminality by shake shack's employees," said Chief Rodney Harrison @NYPDDetectives, said in a tweet. Reference Link

16:32 EDT Amarin announces patent litigation settlement pact with Apotex - Amarin Corporation announced a settlement agreement with Apotex Inc. that resolves patent litigation that would have resulted from the previously disclosed abbreviated new drug application filed by Apotex with U.S. Food and Drug Administration and amended in May 2020 seeking approval of a generic form of VASCEPA capsules based on the MARINE study. As previously disclosed, Amarin is currently appealing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit a March 2020, patent invalidity ruling of the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada in favor of generic companies, Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Inc. Because Apotex is not a party to that litigation, it is not directly subject to related rulings. As such, patent litigation against Apotex would need to be pursued separately. As part of the settlement agreement, Apotex may not sell a generic version of VASCEPA in the United States until August 9, 2029 or earlier under certain customary circumstances. As currently relevant, such circumstances include if Amarin is not successful in its pending appeal of the March 2020 Nevada district court decision after issuance of the Federal Circuit mandate following any Federal Circuit rehearing or en banc review. The agreement also substantially resolves future litigation with Apotex that could have ensued related to the December 2019 cardiovascular risk reduction indication of VASCEPA based on the REDUCE-IT(R) study. Other terms of the agreement are confidential. The agreement is subject to review by applicable federal authorities.

16:31 EDT Norwegian Cruise Line extends suspension of global cruise voyages - Norwegian Cruise Line announced an extension of its previously announced suspension of global cruise voyages to include all voyages embarking between August 1 and September 30, 2020 for its three cruise brands. The voyage cancellations exclude September Seattle-based Alaska voyages. The company is also cancelling select voyages through October 2020, including Canada and New England sailings, due to travel and port restrictions. The company will continue to work in tandem with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal government and global public health authorities to take all necessary precautions to ensure the health, safety and security of guests, crew and the communities visited.

16:30 EDT Groupon up nearly 3% at $28.02 after Q1 earnings beat, Q2 outlook

16:27 EDT H&R Block CFO says company has adequate liquidity through 2021 tax season - "This has obviously been a challenging time for everyone, and I'm so proud of how our associates, tax pros, and franchisees responded in the face of the pandemic," said Jeff Jones, H&R Block's president and chief executive officer. "This has impacted our business and challenged us to be agile and innovative as we made broad changes to our operating model in order to continue to help our clients. We remain committed to transforming our business and will use this opportunity to reimagine our future." "Prior to the disruption to the tax industry caused by the pandemic, we were on track to deliver on our financial outlook for fiscal 2020. Our focus now is on executing during the first quarter as we navigate this difficult time," said Tony Bowen, H&R Block's CFO. "We have adequate liquidity to meet anticipated operating cash needs through the start of tax season 2021 and are taking measures to reduce expenses to continue to fund future growth."

16:26 EDT Groupon says recent trends suggest Q2 business recovering quicker than expected - In its Insignts into Q2, the company states: "The end of the first quarter was challenging, but it wasn't until April that we saw a full month's impact from COVID-19. Although our financial results continue to be significantly impacted by the crisis, we are encouraged by recent performance trends that indicate our business is recovering more quickly than we expected. In April, when the majority of our merchants in our core Local categories, Things To Do, Beauty & Wellness, and Dining, were required to close their doors, we were able to leverage our diversified inventory to continue to drive sales on our platform. We highlighted in-demand inventory such as consumer warehouse memberships, flower delivery, and eLearning that consumers could still enjoy during shelter-in-place restrictions. This engagement helped us improve unit performance from the troughs we saw in late March; while North America Local units were down 77% year over-year in the last 10 days of March, the year-over-year decline improved to down 68% in the month of April and to down 66% in the month of May, with improvement throughout the month. In International, Local unit performance remained stable from late March through the month of April, down roughly 80% year-over-year over that period, and improved to down 76% year-over-year in the month of May. Throughout May, we saw sequential improvements in Local unit performance in both North America and International, as more cities reopened and reduced restrictions, which allowed merchants to begin to reopen their businesses. For example, in North America, Beauty & Wellness units increased 40%, albeit from a low level, in the second half of May vs. the first half May. This improvement was driven by trends in Florida, Texas, and California where restrictions have eased and we're seeing customers purchase laser hair removal, botox, and hair treatment offerings. Overall, we are encouraged by trends like these that led to an 18% increase in North America Local units in May compared with April. In addition, May International Local units increased 30% versus April. June month-to-date consolidated Local units continue to improve sequentially compared with May."

16:23 EDT Groupon reports Q1 global units sold down 20% at 29.8M - Q1 North America units were down 13% in Local and down 42% in Goods. Q1 International units were down 13% in Local and down 22% in Goods.

16:20 EDT Horizon Technology provides $20M venture loan facility to Provivi - Horizon Technology Finance announced it has provided a $20M venture loan facility to Provivi of which $10M has been initially funded. Provivi is developing cost-effective natural crop protection products which utilize pheromones to disrupt the typical insect mating cycle, reducing crop infestation for better quality crops and greater yields. Provivi's patented process has reduced the cost of manufacturing environmentally friendly pheromones by up to 80%, allowing for increased use for a broad range of crops - thereby reaching farmers growing such broad area crops like corn, rice, soy and cotton. Armentum Partners served as financial advisor to Provivi in connection with this financing.

16:17 EDT Horace Mann names Paul Haley chief risk officer - Horace Mann Educators Corporation announced Vice President Paul Haley, who has led risk assessments for the company's business development efforts since 2018, has been appointed Chief Risk Officer. "Paul has been integral to our transformative business development efforts in the past several years, bringing deep actuarial expertise and critical risk assessment skills to the due diligence process for the National Teachers Associates and Benefit Consultants Group acquisitions, as well as our $2.9 billion legacy annuity reinsurance transaction," said President and CEO Marita Zuraitis. "This appointment expands his role to lead risk management efforts across the entire organization."

16:17 EDT Chegg authorizes $500M share repurchase program - Chegg announced its board of directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $500 million of Chegg's common stock and/or convertible notes, through open market purchases, block trades and/or in privately negotiated transactions or pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 plans, in compliance with applicable securities laws and other legal requirements. The timing, volume, and nature of any repurchases will be determined by Chegg's management, in consultation with the board's Finance Committee, based on its evaluation of the capital needs of the business, market conditions, applicable legal requirements, and other factors. The repurchase program may extend over a period of approximately eighteen months, ending on December 31, 2021. Chegg currently expects to fund the repurchase program from its existing cash balance and future cash flows from operations.

16:16 EDT Progenics stockholders approve proposed merger with Lantheus - Progenics (PGNX) announced that at a special meeting of its stockholders, Progenics' stockholders voted to approve its proposed merger with Lantheus (LNTH), by adopting the previously announced amended and restated agreement and plan of merger, pursuant to which merger sub will be merged with and into Progenics, with Progenics surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lantheus. Based on a preliminary tabulation of the stockholder vote, approximately 99% of the votes cast, which represents approximately 75% of Progenics' shares issued and outstanding as of the close of business on the May 12 record date, were voted in favor of the proposal to adopt the merger agreement.

16:12 EDT Advance Auto Parts CEO Greco acquires over 7,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Advance Auto Parts president and CEO Thomas Greco disclosed the purchase of 7,285 common shares of the company on June 15 at a price of $136.13 per share.

16:10 EDT Lantheus stockholders approve stock offering for merger with Progenics - Lantheus Holdings (LNTH) announced that at a special meeting held earlier today, Lantheus' stockholders voted to approve the issuance of common stock related to the company's proposed merger with Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (PGNX), an oncology company developing innovative medicines and artificial intelligence to find, fight and follow cancer. Lantheus and Progenics previously entered into an Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of February 20, 2020, by and among Progenics, Lantheus and Plato Merger Sub, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lantheus. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub will be merged with and into Progenics, with Progenics surviving the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lantheus.

16:08 EDT ClearSign Combustion provides update on operations for Q1 - ClearSign Technologies provides an update on operations for the quarter ended on March 31. "I am very encouraged that the commercial development programs for our technologies are starting to come to fruition," said Jim Deller, CEO. "We are seeing increasing market traction from industry leaders and orders coming in from our collaboration partners which is both inspiring and gratifying. In the near future we look forward to launching our sensing technologies and expanding our product diversification. In the coming months, we anticipate further expanding our collaboration partnerships and in doing so accelerating the rate at which our technologies are accepted and adopted in the industry and we also look to forward to completing our certifications in China. These are exciting times for ClearSign." Recent strategic and operational highlights during and subsequent to the Q1 include: Received Multi-Unit Process Burner Order from ExxonMobil; Received Multi-Flare Order from ASHCOR; Announced Sensing Development Contract with Global Aerospace Company; and Launched the ClearSign Eye commercial development program.

16:08 EDT StoneMor Partners special committee responds to Axar Capital proposal - StoneMor Partners announced that the special committee of its board of directors, formed to consider and evaluate an unsolicited proposal from Axar Capital, has responded to the proposal. The company said, "In the Proposal, which was disclosed by the Company on May 27, 2020, Axar offered to acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company not owned by Axar or its affiliates for $0.67 per share in cash, subject to certain conditions. In its response, the Special Committee informed Axar that, after reviewing the Proposal, it has rejected the price proposed by Axar as inadequate. The Special Committee has informed Axar that it would be open to engaging in further discussions.No assurance can be given that Axar will make another proposal or engage in further discussions with the Special Committee, that another proposal, if made by Axar, would be accepted by the Special Committee, that definitive documentation relating to any transaction would be successfully negotiated or executed, that such transaction would receive approval by the requisite Company stockholders or, if so approved, that such transaction would be consummated. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update this press release or to provide any additional disclosures to reflect subsequent events, new information or future circumstances, except as required by law."

16:07 EDT Gilead names DaVita CEO Rodriguez to board of directors - Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) announced that Javier Rodriguez has been appointed to the company's Board of Directors. Rodriguez is the Chief Executive Officer of DaVita (DVA). From 2014 to 2019, he was the CEO of DaVita Kidney Care, the company's business unit that treats patients with kidney failure and end-stage renal disease. Mr. Rodriguez has spent more than 20 years in various executive roles at DaVita, driving the company's transformation for how kidney care is delivered. In addition, he currently serves as a member of the boards of directors of DaVita and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.

16:06 EDT Illumina says U.S. court issues preliminary injunction against BGI companies - Illumina announced that the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California issued a preliminary injunction order against several BGI companies, including MGI Tech Co., Ltd., Complete Genomics Inc., BGI Americas Corp., and MGI Americas Inc. The preliminary injunction was granted in two patent infringement lawsuits that Illumina filed against BGI in June 2019 and February 2020. The preliminary injunction order prohibits BGI from launching its sequencing instruments and related reagents in the United States. The order prohibits the supply, use or sale of both the standard and "CoolMPS" chemistries. "We are pleased with the Court's decision. It validates that BGI has blatantly copied Illumina's proprietary sequencing chemistry," said Charles Dadswell, SVP and General Counsel for Illumina. "Illumina's patents reflect the hard work, dedication and investment made by Illumina and its scientists, revolutionizing the industry and dramatically driving down the cost of sequencing."

16:04 EDT Ulta Beauty to partner with Credo Beauty - Ulta Beauty, announced its partnership with clean beauty pioneer, Credo Beauty. The collaboration will offer Ulta Beauty guests an "exclusive, clean beauty collection with more choices and unrivaled transparency related to sourcing, fragrance and ingredients. The clean beauty collection will premiere with eight exciting clean beauty brands, including EleVen by Venus Williams x Credo SPF, Innersense Organic Beauty and One Love Organics, among others, across 100 Ulta Beauty stores and on Ulta.com this fall."

16:03 EDT Oracle reports Q4 Cloud Services and License Support revenues $6.8B - Up 1% YoY and 3% in constant currency. Cloud license and on-premise license revenues were $2B.

15:59 EDT Creative Realities, Samsung partner on no-contact Thermal Mirror technology - Creative Realities (CREX) has partnered with Samsung (SSNLF) on no-contact Thermal Mirror technology to perform real-time temperature inspection and to trigger alerts, the later said as it announced "a wide range of commercial display solutions to get companies back to business." The Thermal Mirror is a Cloud-based thermal screening solution with an integrated AI platform and an array of reporting capabilities. "We're very pleased to offer our clients a platform that will make a substantial difference in their return to on-site operation and promote confidence in ways that allay concerns for people coming back into the office," said Rick Mills, CEO of Creative Realities. "We're pleased that Samsung chose to integrate our Thermal Mirror technology in its own corporate facilities, and confident the solution will play an indispensable role in helping companies take care of their most valuable assets: their employees, guests and customers."Reference Link

15:47 EDT FDA approves Novartis' Ilaris for Adult-Onset Still's Disease - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Ilaris injection for the treatment of Active Still's disease, including Adult-Onset Still's Disease, or AOSD. Ilaris was previously approved for Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, or SJIA, in patients aged 2 years and older. The approval of Ilaris was granted to Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation. "Prior to today's approval, patients had no FDA-approved treatments for their disease, which can include symptoms such as painful arthritis, fevers and rash. Today's approval provides patients with a treatment option," said Nikolay Nikolov, MD, acting director of the Division of Rheumatology and Transplant Medicine in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

15:01 EDT FTC approves order settling charges against Safariland over Axon deals - Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission has approved a final order settling charges that Safariland, LLC, which manufactures and sells equipment for the law-enforcement, military, and recreational markets, entered several anticompetitive agreements with body-worn camera system seller Axon. Safariland entered into these agreements when Axon acquired Safariland's VieVu body-worn camera systems division, the complaint alleged. According to the administrative complaint, the anticompetitive agreements barred Safariland from competing with Axon on all of Axon's products, limited solicitation of customers and employees by either company, and stifled potential innovation or expansion by Safariland. First announced in April 2020, the settlement is part of a larger case challenging Axon's consummated acquisition of former competitor VieVu. Since the Commission's complaint was issued on Jan. 3, 2020, Safariland and Axon have rescinded the non-compete and non-solicitation provisions that the complaint alleged were anticompetitive. The final order, which settles all charges against Safariland, ensures that Axon and Safariland do not enter into new agreements with similar anticompetitive provisions. Litigation against Axon continues. The Commission vote to approve the final order was 4-0-1, with Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter not participating.

14:51 EDT Remark confirms FCC approval for 'turnstile gate mount' temperature scanner - A post the site of the FCC shows that Remark Holdings was granted approval for its rPAD "turnstile gate mount" temperature scanner. When contacted by The Fly, the company confirmed the receipt of the approval from the FCC for the device. Reference Link

13:30 EDT Telco equipment stocks spike after Commerce Department eases Huawei ban - Amid a positive market tone and testimony from Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, shares of companies that make the gear and equipment that provide infrastructure to telecommunications sector are outperforming a broad market rally on Tuesday afternoon. U.S. AMENDS HUAWEI BAN: On Monday, the U.S. Commerce Department signed off on amending changes to the prohibitions on U.S. companies doing business with China's Huawei to let them collaborate on standards setting for next-generation 5G networks. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced a new rule ensuring U.S. industry's ability to more fully contribute to standards-development activities in the telecommunications sector. "The Department is committed to protecting U.S. national security and foreign policy interests by encouraging U.S. industry to fully engage and advocate for U.S. technologies to become international standards...This action is meant to ensure Huawei's placement on the Entity List in May 2019 does not prevent American companies from contributing to important standards-developing activities despite Huawei's pervasive participation in standards-development organizations," said the Commerce Department in a statement. PRICE ACTION: Shares of companies in the telecommunications sector including Cisco (CSCO), Adtran (ADTN), Extreme Networks (EXTR), Juniper (JNPR) and F5 Networks (FFIV) all moved higher in afternoon trading amid a broader market rally.

13:08 EDT Schlumberger sees risk of further declines in international markets in 2H - Sees production curtailment, gradual resumption of demand to hold supply and demand in relative balance while maintaining a floor on oil price. In North America, the company says conditions are set for a temporary modest activity increase in DUC completions, while risk of further decline persists in the international markets.

12:48 EDT Choice Hotels says Cambria broke ground on three new hotels - Cambria Hotels, a brand franchised by Choice Hotels, said it has signed "several" franchise agreements since the beginning of the year in markets such as Jacksonville and Tampa, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; and Atlanta, Georgia. The brand also broke ground on three new hotels in Austin, Texas; downtown Minneapolis; and Somerville, Massachusetts, which join 26 other Cambria hotels currently under construction. Mark Shalala, senior vice president of development, upscale brands, said, "Cambria persevered during the 2008 recession in part by providing developers with balance sheet support and filling equity gaps in projects. Similarly, we entered the COVID-19 pandemic with an extremely strong balance sheet, which has allowed us to continue to invest in the brand's growth and help drive new projects forward with incentives and capital support. We believe Cambria's robust pipeline and strong investment potential help position the brand to emerge from the current crisis even stronger than before."

12:04 EDT Hilton to cut 2,100 corporate positions globally - The company said, "The novel coronavirus has created unprecedented challenges for the travel and tourism industry. Hilton Worldwide Holdings took early and decisive action to boost liquidity and reduce corporate expenditures. Hilton announced additional measures to reduce its cost structure, including the intended reduction of approximately 2,100 corporate roles globally, and the extension of previously announced furloughs, reduced hours, and corporate pay reductions for up to an additional 90 days. Corporate Team Members whose roles are affected by these actions will receive severance pay, outplacement support, access to online Hilton alumni resources, access to an expedited recruitment process when travel resumes, extended access to the Go Hilton Team Member travel program, and extended Team Member Hilton Honors status."Reference Link

12:00 EDT Leaf Group falls -8.2% - Leaf Group is down -8.2%, or -28c to $3.12.

12:00 EDT Chesapeake falls -19.1% - Chesapeake is down -19.1%, or -$3.60 to $15.27.

12:00 EDT Granite Construction rises 19.1% - Granite Construction is up 19.1%, or $3.43 to $21.39.

11:57 EDT Lennar sees Q3 gross margin 21.5%-21.75%

11:34 EDT Netlist says appeals court affirms PTAB decision in patent fight with Google - Netlist (NLST) announced earlier this morning that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has affirmed the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board's decision upholding the validity of Netlist's U.S. 7,619,912 patent. The ruling came after last week's oral hearing before a three-judge panel at the Federal Circuit and pending an appeal granted by the Supreme Court of the U.S., the decision is final and binding on future cases. "For ten years Netlist has steadfastly opposed Google's misguided campaign to invalidate the '912 patent. We are very pleased that in the end the appellate court made it clear that the claims of this seminal patent are indeed valid and in so doing, further vindicate our decade-long defense of the company's strategic intellectual property. We will now move to lift the stay in the patent infringement lawsuit against Google in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of CA., in order to recover current and past damages related to the '912 patent," said Netlist's CEO, C.K. Hong.

11:32 EDT Lennar: New orders were up 20% in first two weeks of June - Lennar doesn't see the increase in sales continuing at this level.

11:16 EDT Lennar has seen increase of 20% in self-guided tours in first two weeks of June

11:09 EDT Lennar results indicate strong recovery to date

11:04 EDT Lennar: 'Still more guesses than clear answers' - Lennar says the economy "still trying to reopen and normalize." Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

10:56 EDT Kinaxis to acquire Rubikloud for $60M - Kinaxis announced after the close on Monday, June 15 that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Toronto-based Rubikloud, a provider of AI solutions that automate supply chain prescriptive analytics and decision-making in the retail and consumer packaged goods industries. Kinaxis will acquire Rubikloud for $60M in an all-cash transaction that is expected to close within 60 days. Based on Rubikloud's current revenue and expense profile, the company's FY20 revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance remains unchanged. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

10:45 EDT BARDA awards Regeneron $85M for COVID-19 antibody cocktail study - The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority announced last night that one of its "first private sector partners in the COVID-19 response," Regeneron, has begun the first clinical trials of REGN-COV2, its therapeutic two-antibody "cocktail" for COVID-19 patients. This treatment, developed with BARDA support, has the potential to be one of the first therapeutics specifically designed to inhibit SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, the agency said in a statement. Regeneron is also planning to explore REGN-COV2's potential for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection in people who have not yet been infected by the virus. BARDA awarded Regeneron $85.09M to fund the study. Reference Link

10:26 EDT European Commission opens antitrust investigations into Apple app rules - The European Commission this morning said it has opened formal antitrust investigations to assess whether Apple's (AAPL) rules for app developers on the distribution of apps via the App Store violate EU competition rules. The investigations concern the mandatory use of Apple's own proprietary in-app purchase system and restrictions on the ability of developers to inform iPhone and iPad users of alternative cheaper purchasing possibilities outside of apps, the agency said in a statement. The investigations also concern the application of these rules to all apps, which compete with Apple's own apps and services in the European Economic Area, it added. The investigations follow-up on separate complaints by Spotify (SPOT) and by an e-book/audiobook distributor on the impact of the App Store rules on competition in music streaming and e-books/audiobooks, noted the Commission. Reference Link

10:13 EDT Railroad Ranch says 'difficult to have faith' in Nam Tai Property board - Railroad Ranch Capital Management is currently a shareholder of Nam Tai Property, owning approximately 4.5% via shares and derivatives. RRCM is releasing an open letter to NTP's shareholders regarding concerns over what appears to be the practical control of the Company that has been affected by minority shareholder Kaisa Group Holdings without compensating shareholders with a control premium. The letter read, in part, "We have been shareholders of Nam Tai since 2017 and believe the current market value of the stock significantly understates the value of its underlying real estate assets. We applaud the shareholder letter published by IsZo Capital, on May 27, 2020, and believe that the Board of Directors of the Company, as currently constituted, cannot provide confidence to shareholders that their interests will be properly looked after. We have been in communication with the Board of Directors at Nam Tai regarding their corporate governance and their strategy for communicating with shareholders over the past several months, sharing many of the same concerns that IsZo laid out...A strong, truly independent Board of Directors is always important, but even more so when it is overseeing a company where the CEO has many potential conflicts of interest with the Shareholders. The Company is fond of citing the fact that their Board of Directors is comprised of a majority of Independent Directors as defined by the New York Stock Exchange's standards. We assert that, though Nam Tai complies with the technical requirements of the guidelines, that should provide you very little comfort. Due to their service as Board members of Kaisa Health, of which Kaisa Group owns 43%, and their lack of meaningful economic interests in the Company, it is difficult to put too much faith in the technical independence of Directors Vincent Fok and Dr. Aiping Lyu...We sent our letter outlining governance and potential conflict of interest concerns to Nam Tai's Board on April 23rd. On April 30th, the Company filed it's 6-K providing the Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders. In that Notice, shareholders were informed that "Mr. Aaron Kwok", Ying Chi Kwok's son, was being nominated as a Director. Needless to say, this wasn't the kind of corporate governance change we were looking for. Aaron Kwok has no relevant business experience that would make him a qualified Director for the Company and this was an attempt at old-fashioned nepotism. Subsequently, when the results from the annual meeting were announced, Aaron Kwok was not listed as a Director, but no explanation provided for what had happened to his nomination. In conclusion, we believe that it is difficult to have faith in the current Board of Directors of Nam Tai to provide proper oversight of Mr. Kwok and his personal interests and those of his family. In order to guarantee proper governance and oversight, we, as investors, should demand a Board that diligently executes its fiduciary responsibility to look out for our interests, thus believe that there must be changes made and new Directors brought in. Given the Company's responses to our past concerns as well as their recent press release responding to the IsZo letter, the IsZo proposal to call a special meeting with thirty percent of the vote and replace the existing Board appears to be the most efficient and direct way of achieving this."

10:12 EDT Consonance Capital Management reports 11% passive stake in Kiniksa

10:01 EDT Nemaura Medical Inc trading resumes

09:51 EDT E-Trade users reporting problems using site, DownDetector says - According to DownDetector, E-Trade users are reporting problems using the website. Reference Link

09:33 EDT Inovalon announces five-year engagement with Cardinal Health - Inovalon (INOV) announced a five-year engagement with Cardinal Health (CAH) to provide a configuration of Inovalon's ScriptMed Cloud. "The platform will be used to support Cardinal Health's durable medical equipment and medical supplies business, which works to provide superior care in the home," the company said. Matt Brow, president and general manager of the pharmacy, life sciences and advisory business units at Inovalon, said, "We are very pleased to bring the capabilities of ScriptMed Cloud to bear with an industry leader such as Cardinal Health to empower better patient outcomes and economics."

09:26 EDT Playa Hotels & Resorts announces reopening dates of all-inclusive resorts - Playa Hotels & Resorts announced that they will begin welcoming back guests and associates this summer to their award-winning all-inclusive resorts after temporarily suspending operations months earlier amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Playa Hotels & Resorts Reopening Schedule: July 1, 2020: Hyatt Zilara Cancun, Hyatt Ziva Cancun, Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall, Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall, Hilton Playa del Carmen, Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa, Jewel Grande Montego Bay Resort & Spa, Jewel Paradise Cove Beach Resort & Spa. July 15, 2020: Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta, Panama Jack Resorts Cancun, Sanctuary Cap Cana. July 22, 2020: Hyatt Zilara Cap Cana, Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana. Sept 24, 2020: Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos. October 1, 2020: Hilton La Romana, Panama Jack Resorts Playa del Carmen. As part of the reopenings, Playa will be hosting travel agents and trade media at their resorts in conjunction with the resort opening schedule. In response to COVID-19, the all-inclusive resort company has developed Playa Safe Stay with the help of trusted global hospitality brands and key sectors of the travel industry to create a safe and fun vacation environment for guests.

09:21 EDT Sunrun lanches home battery virtual power plant in the U.S. - Sunrun and Southern California Edison announced they are working together to launch one of the first residential energy storage virtual power plants in operation in the United States. Beginning this month and continuing through mid-2021, Sunrun and SCE will network up to 300 of Sunrun's Brightbox home solar and rechargeable battery systems across Southern California to demonstrate how clean energy stored in Sunrun Brightbox rechargeable solar battery systems can provide peaking capacity to the electrical grid for Southern California residents. The virtual power plant will provide a resilient, clean source of energy at times when electricity is needed most, such as during a hot summer day and other times when there is high demand for energy. Families with Sunrun's Brightbox rechargeable solar battery systems will also have access to reliable backup power to keep their lights on and food fresh during outage events. The partnership between Sunrun and SCE will demonstrate how residential rooftop solar and batteries support California's ongoing transition to clean, reliable, locally-generated electricity.

09:19 EDT Plumas Bancorp to join Russell 2000 index - Plumas Bancorp announced that the Company expects to be included in the Russell 2000 Index when FTSE Russell reconstitutes, or recompiles, its U.S. and global equity indexes on June 26, 2020. Russell's preliminary announcement of its annual reconstitution of the Russell Indexes, which includes Plumas Bancorp, was posted on the Russell website on Friday, June 5, 2020, after the U.S. stock market closed.

09:16 EDT Avalon GloboCare appoints Uwe Slater to Scientific, Clinical Advisory Board - Avalon GloboCare announced that the Company has appointed Professor Uwe Sleytr to its Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board. He is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Nanobiotechnology at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, Austria. Avalon plans to engage in co-development projects with Professor Sleytr on novel applications of S-layer technology, integrating biomedical science and engineering. Based on its unique structural features, S-layers have potential in innovative vaccine and nanoparticle development, targeted drug delivery, and other diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

09:13 EDT Denny's says domestic SSS 'sequentially improved' on weekly basis during Q2 - Denny's Corporation provided a business update on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's operations. The Company remains focused on the safety and wellbeing of its guests, restaurant teams, franchisees, employees, and suppliers as dining rooms continue to open. Enhanced training materials and communications have been distributed to the entire system of restaurants, reinforcing strict food safety procedures, handwashing and personal hygiene standards, and enhanced daily deep cleaning protocols. While the COVID-19 pandemic and various related government mandates restricting dine-in restaurant service have disrupted domestic and international operations for Denny's Corporation and its franchisees, domestic system-wide same-store sales have sequentially improved on a weekly basis during the second quarter of 2020, as compared to the equivalent weeks of 2019. During this time, most restaurants have been operating with streamlined menus and reduced operating hours, which have impacted same-store sales results. As dine-in restrictions have continued to ease, the number of Denny's restaurants with open dining rooms has grown significantly. Of those restaurants operating with open dining rooms as of June 10, 2020, approximately 56% were limited to a capacity of 50% - 60% and approximately 2% were limited to a capacity of 25% - 33%. In addition, all restaurants required to adhere to social distancing guidelines were doing so; this constituted approximately 42% of our restaurants as of June 10, 2020. The easing of dine-in restrictions has contributed to the reopening of restaurants that previously had elected to temporarily close. As of June 10, 2020, 107 Denny's restaurants remained temporarily closed, including 93 domestic franchise restaurants and 14 international franchise restaurants. Average unit volumes of off-premise sales more than doubled between February 2020 and April 2020, supported by temporarily waived delivery fees, new "Dine-Thru" curbside service programs, and recently launched shareable family meal packs. As dining rooms have started reopening, Denny's restaurants have retained over 90% of the increase in off-premise sales thus far during fiscal June 2020, compared to fiscal April 2020. In addition to the previously disclosed direct financial relief to Denny's franchise partners, the Company has agreed to a one-time $3 million royalty abatement in the second fiscal quarter of 2020. The Company has secured rent relief in the form of abatements or deferrals for over 77% of the leases in which the Company is a lessee, including those instances in which the Company subleases to franchisees and will be extending the same relief to the franchisees as a pass through. Substantially all Denny's franchisees are pursuing available forms of relief under federal stimulus programs, and franchisees representing approximately 99% of total domestic franchise restaurants have received funding under the Paycheck Protection Program.

09:06 EDT Evolving Systems deploys technology for Cellcard Club loyalty program - Evolving Systems announced the deployment of its technology to deliver the new loyalty program, Cellcard Club. With 4M customers, and currently rolling-out 5G services, Cellcard Cambodia has utilized the Evolving Systems platform to achieve a program that recognizes true loyalty - tenure and value combined - while also engaging customers digitally with a personalized value proposition and superior customer experience. Evolving Systems worked with Cellcard to deliver the program, from business analysis through to implementation end-to-end and in line with market dynamics, Cellcard's approach and the agreed business objectives. In addition to telco prizes, rewards also include product offers such as headsets, iPhones and branded merchandise as well as digital subscriptions.

09:04 EDT Hill International supports Texas A&M on medical center projects - Hill International announced that it, in association with its HUB partner, Sage Project Consulting, has been selected by The Texas A&M University System to provide project management and inspection services on the construction of a new medical and housing complex near the Texas Medical Center area of Houston. The multi-phased development will be called the Texas A&M Innovation Plaza. TAMUS's approximately $546M expansion consists of two separate projects. The first project involves the $145 million purchase and renovation of an 18-story building. This building will be used to host faculty, learners, and researchers from across Texas A&M's Health Science Center. That includes the unique Engineering Medicine degree program, "EnMed," which offers students the opportunity to be taught simultaneously both medicine and engineering and receive two degrees-an M.D. as well as an M.S. in engineering. The new facility will provide the Health Science Center a physical space where complex problems in engineering and medicine can be explored. This project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2020. The second project will use $401M in private sector money and a P3 delivery method to build two new towers adjacent to the EnMed Building at the site at the southern edge of the Texas Medical Center. The first phase will include a new 19-story, 714-bed Student Housing building with priority leasing for Texas A&M medical students and Prairie View A&M nursing students. The first phase will also include the base of a second tower, including a 1.2-million SF parking garage with 2,800 spaces and 15,000 SF of retail space, as well as 8,700 SF of lush green space between the buildings. The first phase is scheduled for completion in June 2022. The second phase of the P3 project will be an integrated medical plaza, a 17-story medical office building atop the parking garage. This 515,000 SF facility will be home for a variety of outpatient-centered medical uses and research, and is scheduled for completion in January 2024.

09:03 EDT Parker-Hannifin releases 2019 sustainability report - Parker Hannifin has released its 2019 Sustainability Report. Featuring unique local initiatives that are helping to strengthen communities, conserve resources and make a positive environmental impact at the local level, the report demonstrates how team members around the world are living Parker's purpose: Enabling Engineering Breakthroughs that Lead to a Better Tomorrow. Key achievements related to Parker's sustainability initiatives detailed in the report include: Safety is a core value that all Parker team members share, and by driving an ownership culture the company has reduced its Recordable Incident Rate by 61% over the past five years, including a 24% reduction in 2019. The practice of volunteering and charitable giving is central to Parker's culture, and with matching contributions from the Parker Hannifin Foundation, this year team members donated more than $800,000 to support dozens of local United Ways across the United States.The Parker Hannifin Foundation donated nearly $6 million to hundreds of qualified charitable organizations with a focus on communities in need, education, disaster relief and energy and water conservation. Given the scope of Parker's manufacturing operations, increasing energy efficiency represents a significant opportunity to reduce environmental impact. Since 2008, Parker has reduced its energy index by 33% and greenhouse gas index by 27%. Parker recycles more than 85% of the waste generated from its manufacturing operations, and is working to further reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills.

09:01 EDT Cboe Global Markets reopens Chicago trading floor - Cboe Global Markets announced it reopened its Cboe Options Exchange trading floor in Chicago on Monday, June 15, and successfully resumed hybrid trading - which includes open-outcry and electronic trading mechanisms. Cboe has implemented extensive health and safety protocols for the trading floor, including social distancing, modified capacity limits, required face coverings, enhanced daily cleaning and sanitizing procedures, medical screenings at entry points of the building, and restricted trading floor access. All individuals on the Cboe trading floor are also required to comply with new standards of conduct related to COVID-19. While Cboe's Chicago trading floor in the 400 South LaSalle Street building has reopened, the Cboe office in Chicago, along with the company's other locations across the globe, remain closed. All Cboe staff, with the exception of a limited number of essential personnel, continue to work remotely. Cboe is closely monitoring developments around COVID-19 and guidance provided by governmental and public health agencies.

08:44 EDT Eros International announces agreement with Vayam to distribute OTT platform - Eros Now, owned by Eros International, announced its agreement with Vayam Technologies to distribute the OTT platform across districts of Uttar Pradesh through its common service centres. Eros Now will be part of Vayamtech's business to customer services that provide access to village-level entrepreneurs, hosted on their platform. Eros Now's availability at nearly 20,000 common service centres across 21 districts in Uttar Pradesh will cater to more than 2M consumers in the rural areas of Uttar Pradesh.

08:43 EDT ElectraMeccanica announces accelerated expansion of retail footpring - ElectraMeccanica Vehicles announced the accelerated expansion of the Company's retail footprint for its flagship SOLO EV with new locations planned for Arizona and Oregon. In recent weeks, individual states and counties have begun the process of re-opening storefronts and businesses at varying rates and times. In recognition of this evolving situation, ElectraMeccanica has responded with an updated retail awareness strategy focused on dynamically entering select, new markets where interest and consumer demand is greatest. The Company also currently maintains a SOLO EV storefront at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles with a second location under contract at Westfield Fashion Square, a premier shopping center in Sherman Oaks, CA.

08:41 EDT Ideanomics subsidiary secures order from Didi - Ideanomics announced that its subsidiary Mobile Energy Global, or MEG, has secured an order from Didi City CP, a licensed city operator of Didi Chuxing, or DiDi. Didi is a leading mobile transportation/ride-share platform. The order is for a total of 300 electric vehicles and valued at RMB 30M, or $4.2M. The order will be fulfilled with either Dongfeng E70 or Geely Emgrand EV 500 models and, subject to final negotiations with manufacturers, financing, government licensing, etc., delivery of EVs to Didi City CP is expected to commence later this month.

08:39 EDT MFA Financial announces $500M capital raise - MFA announced a $500M capital raise through a private senior secured loan agreement to be funded by certain funds and accounts managed by subsidiaries of Apollo Global Management, including subsidiaries of Athene Holding to which Apollo provides asset management and advisory services.

08:36 EDT Workday launches in Mexico - Workday announced that it is expanding operations into Mexico, with Guillermo Reynoso as the new country manager. Services partners are ready to assist Workday deployments in the country. The world of work is changing more quickly and significantly than ever, with global organizations - including those in Mexico - facing new realities that require them to respond and pivot in a moment's notice. To do this, they need technology systems that enable them to be agile and provide real-time finance and HR insights so they can make more informed decisions about their future. With a growing community of more than 3,200 customers, Workday provides organizations with a flexible, cloud-first system that helps them plan, execute, analyze, and extend, all in one system powered by machine learning.

08:34 EDT FOREWARN partners with Chicago Association of REALTORS - FOREWARN announced that the Chicago Association of REALTORS has contracted to make FOREWARN services available for the 15,500+ REALTOR members it serves in an effort to promote proactive real estate agent safety. Available both online and through a mobile application, FOREWARN analyzes billions of data points and provides users with the ability to mitigate risks by verifying identity, searching for criminal histories, and validating information provided by potential clients such as financial and asset information -- using just a phone number. FOREWARN allows agents to properly and safely plan for showings with a higher level of confidence. The FOREWARN services purchased by CAR will be available to CAR's entire 15,500+ membership at no additional cost to members.

08:32 EDT Cardiff Oncology announces securities purchase agreement - Cardiff Oncology announced it has entered into a securities purchase agreement, jointly led by biotech-focused fundamental institutional investors, Acorn Bioventures and CAM Capital, at the closing price as of June 15. The financing includes common stock, non-voting Series E preferred stock and warrants for aggregate gross proceeds of $13.5M. The proceeds will be used to accelerate the development of onvansertib and associated capital expenditures.

08:27 EDT Monopar Therapeutics, NorthStar partners to develop RITs targeting COVID-19 - Monopar Therapeutics and NorthStar Medical Radioisotope announced a 50/50 collaboration to develop potential Radio-Immuno-Therapeutics to treat severe COVID-19. Monopar is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company and NorthStar is a commercial producer and supplier of medical radioisotopes. This collaboration combines NorthStar's expertise in the innovative production, supply, and distribution of important medical radioisotopes with Monopar's expertise in therapeutic drug development and its pre-IND stage humanized urokinase plasminogen activator receptor targeted monoclonal antibody known as MNPR-101, along with a proprietary portfolio of related monoclonal antibodies that target uPAR or its ligand uPA. The uPA system has been demonstrated to be selectively expressed on aberrantly activated immune cells. In response to coronavirus infection, these rogue immune cells produce pro-inflammatory cytokines that can cause runaway inflammation throughout the body, commonly referred to as a cytokine storm. It is this systemic hyper-inflammatory state that is thought to be largely responsible for the severe lung injury and further multiple organ damage that contributes to poor outcomes and death in patients with severe COVID-19. In this collaboration, Monopar and NorthStar plan to couple MNPR-101 to a therapeutic radioisotope supplied by NorthStar in order to create a highly selective agent that has the potential to kill aberrantly activated cytokine-producing immune cells. By eradicating these cells with a targeted RIT, the goal is to spare healthy cells while quickly reducing the cytokine storm and its harmful systemic effects. This targeted therapeutic approach to treating severe COVID-19 is supported by a recently published study demonstrating that soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor, which is shed by aberrantly activated immune cells that make uPAR, is an early predictor of severe respiratory failure in COVID-19 and its presence increases as patients develop severe COVID-19.

08:24 EDT Cassava Sciences expects comprehensive study results from Phase 2b study in Q3 - In Q2 2020, Cassava Sciences completed a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of PTI-125 in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease . This Phase 2b study was substantially funded by a research grant award from the National Institutes of Health. Top-line results from certain cerebrospinal biomarkers were reported May 15, 2020. The Company is now conducting a more comprehensive analysis of clinical study results, including underlying data from lymphocyte, plasma and CSF samples from study participants. All bioanalyses are being conducted by an outside lab under blinded conditions. The Company is also evaluating the effects of PTI-125 on cognition in this study. Cassava Sciences expects to announce comprehensive study results from its Phase 2b study approximately Q3 2020. An on-going, open-label study of PTI-125 in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease continues to see strong interest from patients and physicians. The study is substantially funded by a research grant award from NIH.

08:22 EDT Streamline signs contract with Mid Atlantic Academic Hospital for eValuator - Streamline Health Solutions announced it signed a contract last month for Streamline Health eValuator with an academic teaching hospital in the Mid Atlantic region. As part of a growing health system, the hospital will use eValuator's cloud-based automated pre- and post-bill coding analysis technology to help improve revenue integrity for their inpatient services.

08:20 EDT Datametrex obtains rights to sell COVID-19 home test kits - Datametrex AI announced that it has secured non-exclusive rights to sell RapiGEN COVID-19 home test kitsi. These test kits are FDA registered, suitable for point of care testing, no extra equipment is needed, and are easy to use with results in 5-10 minutes. If the specimen contains IgM antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, a colored line appears in the T line area. The RapiGen home test kit is a lateral flow immunochromatographic assay for the qualitative detection of IgG antibodies to COVID19 in blood, serum or plasma specimens. The Company's primary goal is to sell to the current clients for their operations out of Canada, and the Company intends to apply for Health Canada approval with an Interim Order. The Company's ability to fulfill any purchase order for Covid-19 test kits is subject to the availability of inventory at the time of order. Due to the extraordinarily high demand for COVID-19 test, there is volatility in the supply chain and available supply may fluctuate on a daily basis. Datametrex anticipates that it will have little or no upfront costs associated with importing and selling these test kits. The Company is exploring oportunities with Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development in California looking into retail, film, healthcare oportunities. With months into the spread of the COVID-19 in Califoria, widespread diagnostic testing still isn't available. Testing voids, stemming from an overwhelmed supply chain and a disjointed public health system, have hit hardest in California's rural north. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Michigan State Police, and local health departments are looking to expand COVID-19 testing directly to the community. Michegan now is easing coronavirus restrictions with six-part reopening plan that includes testing to ensure the state lowers the chance of a second wave and to further protect Michigan families.

08:18 EDT CURE Pharmaceutical appoints Jonathan Berlent as CBO - CURE Pharmaceutical named Jonathan Berlent to the newly created position of Chief Business Officer. Mr. Berlent will be responsible for corporate strategy, sourcing and executing business development opportunities and will serve as a member of the company's Executive Management Committee. He will report to Rob Davidson, CURE Pharmaceutical's Chief Executive Officer. Berlent was managing director at Red Team Associates, a life science consultancy where he led business development, expansion and commercialization projects for leading life science companies.

08:15 EDT CPI Aerostructures receives $43.1M in firm orders from Northrop Grumman - CPI Aerostructures (CVU) announced that it has received multiple purchase orders valued in aggregate at approximately $43.1 million from Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC) for outer wing panel kits used in the manufacture of complete wings for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. In February 2019, CPI Aero received an $8.1 million order for the first year of a multi-year contract with an expected value of up to $47.5 million. With the addition of these new orders the total value of firm orders under the multi-year contract to CPI Aero is approximately $51 million as the total expected quantity of wing kits has increased.

08:13 EDT GenMark chosen as primary provider of rapid diagnostic testing for Vidant - GenMark Diagnostics has been selected by Vidant Health as its primary provider of rapid diagnostic testing. Vidant is deploying GenMark's ePlex system across all nine of its hospitals to test for SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens, as well as blood stream infections. The largest health system in eastern North Carolina, Vidant Health, is using GenMark's ePlex SARS-CoV-2 Test - one of the first rapid diagnostic tests for the virus that causes COVID-19 - and will transition to the ePlex Respiratory Pathogen 2 Panel once GenMark has submitted the application for Emergency Use Authorization to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The ePlex RP2 Panel is designed to test for SARS-CoV-2 in addition to other common and often serious respiratory pathogens, including influenza, pneumonia, rhinovirus and respiratory syncytial virus. GenMark's ePlex system provides results in less than two hours for the full suite of ePlex Panels. In addition to using the ePlex RP2 Panel, Vidant Health will also begin using all three of the ePlex Blood Culture Identification panels, which provide the broadest coverage of organisms that can lead to sepsis, along with their resistance genes.

08:10 EDT Roche partners with SpeeDx to expand access to STI tests - SpeeDx has partnered with Roche in a non-exclusive agreement to expand global access to SpeeDx infectious disease and antibiotic resistance tests and technology. SpeeDx offers diagnostics tests for the sexually transmitted infections, or STIs, gonorrhea and Mycoplasma genitalium. These STIs are now listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, as key threats due to the concerning rise of resistance and the limited available treatment options. Under the terms of the agreement, Roche will have non-exclusive access to SpeeDx existing tests and technology to enable global access and expansion of diagnostic products for the management of antibiotic resistance in STIs, and bring new products to patients.

08:08 EDT Immucell receives $500,000 loan from Maine Technology Institute - ImmuCell announced receipt of a $500,000 subordinated loan from the Maine Technology Institute, whose mission is to support Maine's innovation economy. This loan supports the Company's investments to increase the production capacity of First Defense, to complete the development of Re-Tain and to bring the formulation and aseptic filling services for Re-Tain in-house after FDA approval and market launch. The first two-plus years of the loan are interest-free with no required principal payments. Principal and interest payments at 5% per annum are due quarterly over the five-year period beginning during the fourth quarter of 2022. The loan may be prepaid without penalty at any time.

08:07 EDT SunPower says planned spin-off of Maxeon Solar to close in Q3 - SunPower announced that it anticipates closing the planned spin-off of Maxeon Solar Technologies during the third quarter. The company also reiterated its second quarter 2020 guidance due to continued improvements in its U.S. and international Distributed Generation business. "We've made significant progress over the past several months to create and define our two independent pure play, publicly-traded companies, including Tianjin Zhonghuan Semiconductor Co. receiving the necessary regulatory approvals to make its Maxeon Solar investment," said Tom Werner, SunPower CEO and chairman of the board. "Given the global pandemic, we've experienced some delays in finalizing financing for the transaction, but anticipate closing during the third quarter. We're well-positioned for the second half with new innovative products, as well as benefitting from our online and digital investments in our U.S. DG business."

08:06 EDT Sanofi says enzyme replacement therapy shows 'meaningful improvement' in LOPD - Sanofi's investigational enzyme replacement therapy, avalglucosidase alfa, showed clinically meaningful improvement in critical manifestations of late-onset Pompe disease according to results from the Phase 3 trial presented today at a Sanofi-hosted scientific session. Avalglucosidase alfa met the primary endpoint demonstrating non-inferiority in improving respiratory function compared to alglucosidase alfa (standard of care) in patients with LOPD. These data will form the basis for global regulatory submissions anticipated in the second half of this year. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track designations to avalglucosidase alfa for the treatment of patients with Pompe disease. The trial primary endpoint evaluated the change in respiratory muscle function using percent-predicted forced vital capacity in the upright position. Patients treated with avalglucosidase alfa had a 2.4-point greater improvement in percent-predicted FVC compared to patients treated with standard of care, a numerical improvement in respiratory function that surpassed the study-designed measure of non-inferiority. The primary endpoint was also measured for superiority. Superiority statistical significance was not achieved for the avalglucosidase alfa arm. As a result, per the hierarchy of the study protocol, formal statistical testing for all secondary endpoints was not conducted. A key secondary endpoint in the trial measured mobility with the 6-minute walk test. Patients treated with avalglucosidase alfa walked 30 meters farther than patients treated with standard of care. Other secondary endpoints assessed respiratory muscle strength, motor function, and quality of life. Also presented were results from a pre-specified preliminary analysis evaluating percent-predicted FVC and 6MWT in those patients who switched at 49 weeks from standard of care to avalglucosidase alfa for the open-label extension period of the trial. Due to sequential enrollment, preliminary analysis results at the time of data presentation were available at 97 weeks for 20 out of 49 switch patients for percent-predicted FVC, and 21 out of 49 switch patients for 6MWT. In these switch patients, avalglucosidase alfa demonstrated a 0.15-point improvement in FVC and a 23.32-meter improvement in 6MWT. The safety profile of avalglucosidase alfa was found to be comparable to standard of care. Over the double-blinded 49-week period, 44 patients in the avalglucosidase alfa arm and 45 patients in the standard of care arm experienced an adverse event. There were 6 patients with severe AEs in the avalglucosidase alfa arm and 7 patients in the standard of care arm. Fewer patients presented with serious adverse events in the avalglucosidase alfa arm compared to the standard of care arm. In the standard of care arm of the trial, 4 patients had AEs leading to study withdrawal and 1 patient died due to an SAE of acute myocardial infarction. In the avalglucosidase alfa arm, there were no patient discontinuations or deaths. Fewer patients in the avalglucosidase alfa arm experienced at least one protocol-defined infusion-associated reaction compared to the alglucosidase alfa arm. Immunogenicity data is being analysed and will be presented at a future medical congress or publication.

08:04 EDT AgeX enters Manufacturing, Marketing, Distribution Agreement with Pluristyx - AgeX Therapeutics and Pluristyx announced they have entered into a Manufacturing, Marketing, and Distribution Agreement through which Pluristyx will undertake these activities on behalf of AgeX with respect to AgeX's research- and clinical-grade ESI brand human embryonic stem cells, sometimes referred to as hESCs. The companies announced in a release, "The agreement builds on Pluristyx's strategy to manufacture, market, and distribute high-quality standardized Ready-to-Use and Ready-to-Differentiate pluripotent stem cells to industry and academic scientists intent on developing therapeutic products to treat human disease. AgeX's ESI hESC lines are distinguished for being the first clinical-grade hESC lines created under current Good Manufacturing Practice, or cGMP. The AgeX ESI hESC lines are listed on the National Institutes of Health Stem Cell Registry and are among the best characterized and documented stem cell lines available worldwide. The agreement is a key step in AgeX's licensing and collaboration strategy to facilitate industry and academic access to its hESC lines, its PureStem cell derivation and manufacturing platform, and its UniverCyte immunotolerance technology in order to generate near- and long-term revenues."

08:03 EDT BlackBerry, Bell announce new partnership - BlackBerry (BB) and Bell (BCE) announced a new partnership to provide enhanced secure communications to business and government customers, strengthening their longstanding relationship to deliver leading-edge mobile security solutions to Canadian consumers and business customers. BlackBerry becomes Bell's preferred Mobile Threat Defense partner, enabling Canada's largest communications company to offer its enterprise customers access to BlackBerry Protect, the MTD solution that uses the power of artificial intelligence to block malware infections, prevent URL phishing attacks and provide application integrity checking.

08:03 EDT McDonald's sees investing about $200M through incremental marketing contribution - The company expects to invest about $200M through an incremental marketing contribution across the U.S. and International Operated Markets to accelerate recovery and drive growth. The amount represents one month of advertising cooperatives contributions and is in addition to the ongoing contributions from franchised and company-owned restaurants. This marketing contribution will be recorded in the second quarter of 2020 with the vast majority recorded as Selling, General and Administrative Expenses.

08:01 EDT McDonald's: U.S. SSS 'steadily improved' throughout April, May - U.S. comparable sales results steadily improved throughout the months of April and May; however comparable sales and guest counts remained negative, particularly the breakfast daypart. Comparable sales continue to benefit from strong average check growth. International operated markets comparable sales results for both April and May were heavily impacted by temporary restaurant closures in the United Kingdom and France, and to a lesser extent Italy and Spain. For markets that have remained open, sales trends continued to improve in May. Performance reflects positive comparable sales in Australia driven by strong drive-thru performance, and negative comparable sales in Germany, Canada and Russia. International developmental licensed markets somparable sales results for both April and May were primarily impacted by temporary restaurant closures across nearly all geographies, most notably in Latin America. April and May results also reflected continued negative comparable sales in China and positive comparable sales in Japan.

07:59 EDT McDonald's reports April U.S. SSS down 19.2%, May U.S. SSS down 5.1% - Quarter-to-date U.S. SSS through May 31 are down 12%. International operated markets SSS fell 66.7% in April and 40.5% in May and are down 53.4% quarter-to-date through May 31. "Our strong foundation and the unique advantages of the McDonald's System, including a high percentage of drive-thru restaurants and investments in delivery and digital, have enabled us to adapt to the changing landscape presented by the COVID-19 outbreak. I am confident in our ability to manage through the immediate challenges and emerge from this pandemic in a position of competitive strength," said McDonald's President and CEO Chris Kempczinski. "The steps we are taking in response to the pandemic and to accelerate recovery, while continuing to serve the great and familiar taste of a meal from McDonald's, will position us well for the next phase of this crisis. I am extremely grateful to the entire McDonald's System for their continued dedication to serving customers safely and the countless other ways in which they support our communities."

07:45 EDT Francesca's sees 'substantial doubt' about ability to continue as going concern - Francesca's noted its audited financial statements included a statement that there is a "substantial doubt" about its ability to continue as a going concern and that a continuation of negative financial trends could result in its inability to continue as a going concern. The company explained, "As a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations, our management has determined that there is a substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern over the next twelve months and our independent auditors have included a 'going concern' explanatory paragraph in their report on our financial statements as of and for the year ended February 1, 2020. We have obtained a waiver of any event of default associated with our independent auditor's report indicating a substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern in connection with our year-end audit under...Additionally, if our projected operating results fail to improve we could violate additional debt covenants, our liquidity could be further adversely impacted and we may need to seek additional sources of funding...Our liquidity has been adversely impacted by our negative operating results and the COVID-19 pandemic and there is no assurance that we will have sufficient liquidity to continue operations." Francesca's shares closed Monday down 20c to $3.78.

07:34 EDT MacroGenics appoints Stephen Eck as CMO - MacroGenics (MGNX) announced the appointment of Stephen Eck, M.D., Ph.D. as SVP, Clinical Development & chief medical officer, effective beginning July 1, 2020. Eck most recently served as chief medical officer of Immatics US, a company focused on TCR-based immunotherapies, and as president and chief executive officer of Aravive Biologics (ARAV). Ezio Bonvini, M.D., SVP, Research and chief scientific officer, who was overseeing MacroGenics' clinical development and related functions on an interim basis will return to serving as the Company's CSO.

07:19 EDT South Jersey Industries completes $200M ATM Equity Offering - SJI announced the sale of shares of its common stock for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $200M before commissions and offering expenses under its previously announced "at-the-market" equity offering program. The sales were completed pursuant to the ATM Equity Offering Sales Agreement between the company and BofA Securities and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, which the company previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The sales exhausted the shares that were available for sale under the Sales Agreement. The proceeds satisfy SJI's planned equity capital raising for fiscal year 2020.

07:15 EDT FIMI raises cash special tender offer for Magal Security to $3.01 per share - FIMI Opportunity V, L.P and FIMI Israel Opportunity Five, Limited Partnership, the controlling shareholders of Magal, announced that they have increased the price to be paid in their cash special tender offer to purchase 8,669,029 ordinary shares of Magal Security Systems Ltd. to $3.01 per share in cash from $2.95. FIMI also extended the initial period of the tender offer and withdrawal rights until 10:00 a.m., New York time, on July 2. Accordingly, the additional four-calendar day period during which shareholders may tender their shares will expire at 10:00 a.m., New York time, on July 6, 2020. However, shareholders will have no withdrawal rights during such additional four-calendar day period.

07:13 EDT National Health Investors collected 99.4% of contractual rent in June to date - National Health Investors provided a business update regarding its monthly contractual rent collections and average occupancy from its three largest senior housing operators. NHI has collected 99.4% of contractual rent in June to date and collected 100% of contractual rent in May. As previously discussed in its Q2 earnings call, NHI collected 99.7% of contractual rent in April.

07:10 EDT Canada Goose names Carrie Baker as President of North American business - Canada Goose announced the appointment of Carrie Baker as President, North America and Kara MacKillop as Chief of Staff and EVP People & Culture, reporting to Dani Reiss, President & CEO. Most recently serving as EVP, Chief of Staff and Chief Communications Officer, in this newly created position, Carrie will now oversee all marketing and commercial operations in North America, responsible for the brand's growth strategy in the region, driving demand and customer engagement. Kara joined the company in 2014 as VP Human Resources.

07:08 EDT Neurocrine, Takeda announce psychiatric disorder therapies collaboration - Neurocrine Biosciences (NBIX) and Takeda Pharmaceutical (TAK) announced a strategic collaboration to develop and commercialize compounds in Takeda's early-to-mid-stage psychiatry pipeline. The companies said in a release, "Specifically, Takeda granted an exclusive license to Neurocrine Biosciences for seven pipeline programs, including three clinical stage assets for schizophrenia, treatment-resistant depression and anhedonia. Under the terms of the agreement, Neurocrine Biosciences will be responsible for developing and commercializing all pipeline compounds included in the collaboration. Takeda will receive a total of $120 million in upfront cash. Additionally, Takeda will be entitled to development milestones of up to $495 million, commercial milestones of up to $1.4 billion and up to double-digit royalties on net sales. At certain development events, Takeda may elect to opt in or out of a 50:50 profit share on all clinical programs on an asset-by-asset basis. For any asset in which Takeda is participating in a 50:50 profit share arrangement, Takeda will not be eligible to receive development or commercial milestones."

07:05 EDT Exicure doses first patient in dose expansion stage of cavrotolimod trial - Exicure announced the dosing of the first patient enrolled in the Phase 2 dose expansion stage of the cavrotolimod Phase 1b/2 clinical trial. Exicure said in a release, "The Phase 2 dose expansion stage includes two cohorts of patients with advanced or metastatic cancer: patients with Merkel cell carcinoma, or MCC, and patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, or CSCC. MCC is a rare, aggressive skin cancer considered more deadly than melanoma. Risk factors for MCC include sun exposure and a weakened immune system. Advanced or metastatic CSCC is an uncommon form of skin cancer associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The dose expansion stage is designed to assess the anti-tumor response rate of cavrotolimod plus checkpoint inhibitor treatment, the safety and tolerability of the combination, and drug pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics. Patients enrolled in the dose expansion cohorts must have recently documented tumor progression despite anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 antibody monotherapy."

07:05 EDT Axalta Coating reports April and May total net sales down 48% vs. last year - Axalta Coating Systems announced an update on Q2 trends through May 2020. Axalta had withdrawn its guidance for the FY20 in March due to the uncertainty in the outlook for customer demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and committed to offering an intra-quarter update in June. For April and May, total net sales declined in the aggregate by 48% excluding foreign exchange and divestiture impacts versus the same months in the prior year. The decline versus the prior year in May was slightly less than April, with May sales increasing approximately 15% in total compared to April on a sequential basis, given a notable pickup in net sales partly from the restart of automotive OEM production in mid-May. Performance Coatings segment net sales declined during April and May by 37% excluding foreign exchange and divestiture impacts compared to the same months in the prior year. Underlying traffic data supporting the Refinish business continued to show improvement into June, with overall U.S. traffic recovering to 75% of pre-COVID-19 seasonally adjusted levels as of early June.

07:04 EDT Main Street announces follow-on investment - Main Street is pleased to announce that it recently completed a follow-on investment in an existing portfolio company totaling $19.9M. Main Street's follow-on investment in CAI Software supported the company's acquisition of a complementary business in the supply chain and warehouse management systems industry, significantly expanding the company's customer base and service offering. The follow-on investment consists of an additional $19.5M of first lien, senior secured term debt and a $0.4M equity investment.

07:02 EDT Aurora Cannabis announces retirement of co-founder, President Steve Dobler - Aurora Cannabis announced that co-founder Steve Dobler, will retire from his roles as President and Director of the company, effective June 30. Dobler has been the President of Aurora and a member of Aurora's Board of Directors since December 2014. With the retirement of Dobler, the board currently has nine directors, seven of whom remain independent.

06:49 EDT Eli Lilly says Verzenio with standard adjuvant ET therapy met primary endpoint - Eli Lilly announced Verzenio in combination with standard adjuvant endocrine therapy, or ET, has met the primary endpoint of invasive disease-free survival, or IDFS, significantly decreasing the risk of breast cancer recurrence or death compared to standard adjuvant ET alone. These results are from a pre-planned interim analysis of the Phase 3 monarchE study, making Verzenio the only CDK4 & 6 inhibitor to demonstrate a statistically significant reduction in the risk of cancer recurrence for people with high risk hormone receptor-positive, or HR+, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative, or HER2-, early breast cancer. The safety profile was consistent with that observed in other Verzenio studies in the MONARCH clinical program. Lilly plans to present these data at a medical meeting later this year. Approximately 30% of people diagnosed with HR+, HER2- early breast cancer are at risk of their cancer returning. This risk of recurrence increases based on certain clinical and/or pathological features such as breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes, a larger tumor size and a higher tumor grade. New treatment options are needed to advance the field and help prevent early breast cancer from returning, potentially to an incurable metastatic stage. The monarchE trial will continue through the completion date, estimated for June 2027. At the time of the interim analysis, the IDFS results are considered definitive. All patients on the monarchE trial will be followed until primary analysis and beyond to assess overall survival and other endpoints.

06:47 EDT Annovis Bio completes rat cohort for chronic toxicology of ANVS401study - Annovis Bio announced it successfully completed the rat cohort of a chronic toxicology study of its lead therapeutic compound ANVS401, reporting no negative side effects. The six-month rat study was part of a series of animal toxicology studies, funded by a $1.7M grant from the National Institutes of Health, that began in the fourth quarter of 2019. The safety seen in the rats corroborates the positive results from the Company's prior one-month safety studies in mice, rats, dogs, and humans. A nine-month dog safety study remains ongoing under the NIH funded program, with results expected in the Q3.

06:06 EDT Ideaya Biosciences, GlaxoSmithKline announce Synthetic Lethality partnership - Ideaya Biosciences (IDYA) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced a strategic partnership in Synthetic Lethality. The strategic partnership includes Ideaya's Synthetic Lethality programs MAT2A, Pol Theta, and Werner Helicase programs, which are projected to reach clinical trials within the next three years. Ideaya has solved the crystal structures for each of its MAT2A, Pol Theta and Werner Helicase programs, enabling structure-based drug design, and has demonstrated in vivo proof of concept in relevant animal models for its MAT2A and Pol Theta programs. Synthetic Lethality is one of four core research focus areas for GSK in oncology. In synthetic lethality, cells tolerate the loss of single genes in isolation but not together in combination. When tumor suppressor genes are functionally lost in cancer, this mode of action can be used to exploit tumor-specific vulnerabilities through new medicines for patients with cancer. Ideaya will lead the MAT2A program through early clinical development. Ideaya is responsible for all costs of the MAT2A program prior to the GSK option exercise. Thereafter, Ideaya is responsible for 20% of global development costs. Ideaya will receive a 50% U.S. profit share and ex-U.S. royalties for the MAT2A and Werner Helicase programs and is responsible for 20% of global development costs for licensed products being developed with GSK. Ideaya will receive global royalties for the Pol Theta program, and GSK will cover all research, development, and commercialization costs. GSK will be responsible for all commercialization activities and costs globally for licensed products. The collaboration agreement is conditional upon customary conditions including regulatory review by the appropriate regulatory agencies under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act.

06:02 EDT Verizon joins The Climate Pledge co-founded by Amazon.com, Global Optimism - Verizon (VZ) announced it has joined The Climate Pledge-the commitment co-founded by Amazon (AMZN) and Global Optimism to meet the Paris Agreement 10 years early. The Climate Pledge calls on new signatories to be net zero carbon across their businesses by 2040-a decade ahead of the Paris Accord's goal of 2050. Verizon is on track to be carbon neutral across scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by 2035 and has issued a $1B green bond to invest in innovative solutions to accelerate the company's sustainability efforts. This includes powering operations with 50% renewable energy by 2025 and new virtual power purchase agreements (VPPA) for more than 380 MW of new wind and solar power capacity.

06:02 EDT Eagle Bancorp appoints Sam Pepper as COO - EagleBank announced the appointment of Sam Pepper as COO and Jeff Curry as Chief Risk Officer effective June 15. These new roles will join the bank's senior leadership team in strengthening the overall operational and strategic management of the bank, and will report directly to the CEO. As COO Sam Pepper will manage all operations of the Bank, providing leadership to ensure proper controls, administrative and reporting procedures are in place to effectively grow and maintain operating efficiencies and profitability. As a member of Executive Management, he will contribute to achieving continued financial performance and growth in market share. Prior to joining EagleBank, Pepper was President and CEO of UFS Bancorp & Unibank for Savings, and served as a board member for the Holding Company and Bank. He also served as EVP/Commercial Banking President for Equity Bank in Wichita, Kansas.

05:48 EDT FCC launches investigation into 'unacceptable' T-Mobile outage - Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, tweeted last night, "The T-Mobile network outage is unacceptable. The @FCC is launching an investigation. We're demanding answers-and so are American consumers." Shares of T-Mobile are down 67c to $104.01 in premarket trading.

05:35 EDT Nokia awarded 2 contracts with Tencent, Baidu - Nokia (NOK) announced that it has been awarded two contracts with China-based webscale companies, Tencent (TCEHY) and Baidu (BIDU), for data center interconnect, or DCI, network solutions. Nokia said in a release, "Tencent and Baidu will strengthen their already strong relationship with Nokia to build out their software-defined DCI infrastructure, providing them with the dynamic, massive-scale optical bandwidth needed to support growing cloud operations in China and the U.S. Tencent and Baidu are two of the top four China-based webscale operators. Baidu is the number one search engine and Tencent leads in social media and online gaming. They have large cloud operations in China and abroad to support their global businesses. Connecting their very large data centers around the world requires ultra-high optical bandwidth and software-defined networking that are highly responsive to the fast-shifting nature of cloud services."