TheChek News Flow

In reaction to disappointing earnings/guidance: OMN -4.3% (light volume), APOL -3.3% (also discloses University of Phoenix received a subpoena on March 21, 2014), AGU -1.4%.

A few oil/gas related names showing modest weakness: E -0.8% (light volume), STO -0.7%, NBR -0.7% .

Other news: RENN -5.5% (still checking for anything specific), AGEN -4.8% (Agenus provides update on GSK MAGE-A3 Cancer Immunotherapeutic Phase 3 study in non-small cell lung cancer), INSY -4.5% (discloses departure of Chief Medical Officer Larry Dillaha), ICPT -4.2% (files for mixed securities shelf offering; announces proposed public offering of 1 mln shares of common stock: 600k sold by Intercept, 400k being sold by institutional selling stockholders), NYMT -3.8% (plans to make a public offering of 13,000,000 shares of its common stock), ARMH -2.2% (still checking), ESS -1.4% (Essex Property Trust. and BRE Properties complete $16.2 billion merger; ESS replaced CLF in the S&P 500; downgraded to Neutral from Buy at Goldman), CF -1.3% (following AGU guidance), BXMT -1.1% (commenced an underwritten public offering of 8,000,000 shares of its class A common stock).

Analyst comments: MT -2% (downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Credit Suisse), HSTM -1.5% (downgraded to Market Perform at Northland Capital; ICD-10 delay creates near-term uncertainty), AA -1.1% (pulling back on Nomura comments -- sees significant downside risk)

In reaction to strong earnings/guidance: AFOP +5.6%, ABTL +3.9% (light volume), URBN +0.5% (discloses sales update in 10-K; Thus far during Q1, comparable Retail segment net sales are low single-digit negative), MON +1.4%.

M&A news: DLLR halted (DFC Global to be acquired by Lone Star Funds for $9.50 per Share in Cash; Announces Selected Preliminary Fiscal Third Quarter 2014 Results ).

Metals/mining stocks trading higher: GFI +3.5%, EGO +2.8%, AU +2.4%, HMY +2%, SLV +1.8%, GOLD +1.5%, GDX +1.5%, CDE +1.5%, BHP +1.2% (may increase dividends and share buybacks, according to reports), BBL +1%, GLD +0.8%, AG +0.5%.

Alternative energy related names seeing continued strength: SYMX +7.3%, KIOR +7.1%, BIOF +4.6%,

Battery names trading higher boosted by potential for addition EV incentives in China: KNDI +3.2%, FCEL +2.7%, HPJ +2%, BLDP +1.1%, TSLA +1.4% (saw late pop higher into the close; Quartz discussing Musk's SpaceX investor interest; also will pay Telefonica for in car wireless system, according to reports)

Other news: MNKD +96.5% (FDA Advisory Committe votes in favor of safety and efficacy of AFREZZA for the treatment of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes), ENVI +21.2% ( announces that it is powering premium live HD sports channels on Apple TV (AAPL) for a European Tier 1 service provider), MYGN +13.8% ( discloses updated pricing for the sequencing of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes: Total reimbursement amount for integrated BRACAnalysis of $2,767), DRRX +7.1% (announces POSIDUR (SABER-Bupivacaine) data presentations at American Society of Regional Anesthetic and Pain Medicine Meeting), STV +6.2% (declares special cash dividend of $0.50 per share on the co's ordinary shares), BRE +4.4% (Essex Property Trust. and BRE Properties complete $16.2 billion merger; ESS replaced CLF in the S&P 500), LNG +4.2% (Cheniere Energy and Endesa Sign 20-Year LNG Sale and Purchase Agreement; Endesa contracts for ~ 1.5 million tonnes per annum of LNG), WTSL +3.9% (yesterday an SVP disclosed purchase of 20K shares at $1.34 on Mar 31), SNSS +3.4% (ticking higher, announces MD Anderson sponsored trial of Vosaroxin in AML and high-risk MDS Poster to be presented at AACR 2014), SSYS +3% (to acquire Solid Concepts and Harvest Technologies ), MZOR +2.5% (to launch and demo new Renaissance Brain Module at American Association of Neurological Surgeons annual meeting in San Francisco), PRAN +2.2% (modestly rebounding), VPRT +1.8% (to acquire Pixartprinting Srl for a base purchase price of ~ EUR127 mln; co expects transaction to be accretive to its fiscal 2014 rev and operating cash flow, but dilutive to GAAP EPS due to transaction costs and expected amortization expense for acquisition-related intangible assets ), KUTV +1.7% (continued strength), GILD +1.6% (attributed to positive Citigroup comments and MadMoney mention), NOK +1.5% (still checking), SOL +1.5% (ReneSola Completes Sale of Three Utility-Scale Projects in Western China), NFLX +1.2% (still checking), SDRL +1.1% (secures contracts for multiple jack-up units), CELG +1% (positive comments on Mad Money), DDD +0.9% (acquired Medical Modeling; expects this acquisition to be immediately accretive to its net income), LQDT +0.9% (is apparent high bidder for non-rolling stock surplus contract with the U.S. Department of Defense), ATML +0.9% (positive comments on Mad Money), GM +0.8% (part to fix ignition problem would have cost $0.57, according to reports; initiated with a Reduce at Nomura), RVBD +0.6% (following late pullback on reports of patent trial loss against Silver Peak; RVBD responds to verdict in litigation with Silver Peak: No impact to business or customers), WBAI +0.6% (files to withdraw Registration Statement on Form F-1), AMZN +0.6% (customers can now return items using lockers; also expected to introduce media streaming device at NY event tomorrow, according to reports ), OPTT +0.5% (following late move higher), TM +0.4% ( Chinese auto sales rose 19% in March, according to reports), MDR +0.4% (prices 10 mln of 6.25% tangible equity units with stated value of $25.00), BP +0.2% (announced it intends to halt refining operations at its Bulwer Island refinery in Brisbane, Queensland by mid-2015), .

Analyst comments: FTNT +4.8% (upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo), EJ +4.3% ( initiated with a Buy at Brean Capital), ISRG +3.7% (target raised to $525 at WallachBeth;upgraded to Mkt Outperform from Mkt Underperform at JMP Securities), GTAT +3.6% (positive Goldman comments - sees core equipment as underappreciated), SFUN +3.2% ( initiated with a Buy at Brean Capital), ALU +2.5% (upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Natixis Bleichroeder ), CTSH +2.2% (upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS ), CRI +0.9% (upgraded to Overweight from Neutral at Piper Jaffray), AMP +0.6% (upgraded to Overweight from Equal-Weight at Morgan Stanley), SLB +0.6% ( target raised to $115 at RBC Capital Mkts; SLB is undervalued)

Reports Q2 (Feb) earnings of $3.15 per share, $0.08 better than the Capital IQ Consensus Estimate of $3.07; revenues rose 6.6% year/year to $5.83 bln vs the $5.83 bln consensus.

• Co confirms downside guidancefor FY14, sees EPS of $5.00-5.20 vs. $5.25 Capital IQ Consensus Estimate.
• Monsanto expects a strong second half of the fiscal year, punctuated by a strong conclusion in Q4 as the co expects a significantly smaller loss than in recent years driven by a number of core factors.
• The co also reaffirmed free cash flow in the range of $600 mln to $800 mln for fiscal year 2014
• Sales in the Seeds and Genomics segment for Q2 were $4.6 bln, an increase of $302 mln over the same period last year.

Growth in Seeds and Genomics gross profit represented almost 80% of the co's overall gross profit increase in the quarter. For the first six months, sales for the segment are up $223 mln over the same period last year.

Monsanto's global corn and soy businesses have led the Seeds and Genomics segment performance. 4. That record quarter drove overall margin expansion in the soybean segment, with margins in the quarter improving by more than seven points.

"Nearly 80 percent of our growth in the quarter came from our core seeds and traits business, providing an important proof point that our business is on track and positioned well to deliver the growth we anticipated for 2014 even against a backdrop of greater variability in the agricultural sector this year," said Hugh Grant, chairman and chief executive officer for Monsanto."