>>> US Gapping up

Gapping up
In reaction to strong earnings/guidance
:

  • MLHR +11.8% (also increases quarterly cash dividend to $0.21 per share from $0.1975 per share), APOG +6.6%, KBH +6.4%, WBA +1.6%, GMS +0.9%

M&A news:

  • WTI +1.3% (announces acquisition of producing properties in the Gulf of Mexico)

Other news:

  • VRCA +21.3% (achieves "positive" topline results in phase 2 clinical study of VP-102 in patients with common warts; to host call tomorrow)
  • OFG +17.1% (OFG Bancorp to acquire Scotiabank's (BNS) Puerto Rico operation for $550 million in cash and Scotiabank's US Virgin Island branch for $10 million deposit premium)
  • NVAX +7.6% (to utilize accelerated approval pathway for licensure for NanoFlu)
  • MGI +7% (reports successful refinancing; entered into a new first lien credit agreement and a new second lien credit agreement)
  • QD +3.1% (upsized offering of $300 mln in aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes due 2026)
  • AMC +1.1% (reports Stubs A-List has surpassed 860K members)
  • QEP +1.1% (after surging higher in late trade on potential PE deal; follow-up to reports of advanced acquisition talks with Elliott Management)
  • TEUM +1% (after negative Viceroy report pushed shares ~20% lower on the day)
  • AZN +0.8% (positive overall survival results from Phase III CASPIAN trial with Imfinzi in 1st-line extensive-stage small cell lung cancer)
  • ARWR +0.7% (granted FDA Fast Track designation for ARO-AAT for the treatment of rare genetic liver disease associated with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency)

Analyst comments:

  • AAOI +14.9% (upgraded to Neutral from Sell at Rosenblatt)
  • KBH +6.4% (upgraded to Overweight from Sector Weight at KeyBanc Capital Markets)
  • CROX +3.7% (upgraded to Buy from Neutral at CL King)
  • ABEO +2.7% (initiated with a Buy at Mizuho)
  • CTL +2.7% (upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo)
  • GTLS +1.4% (initiated with a Overweight at Morgan Stanley)
  • NVDA +1.4% (initiated with an Outperform at Wedbush)
  • SHO +1.2% (upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo)
  • AMD +0.9% (initiated with an Outperform at Wedbush)