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May 24, 2018 / 6:48 AM / Updated 13 minutes ago Australia shares edge up, aided by Aristocrat Leisure; NZ gains 0.4 pct Reuters Staff * Aussie shares snap five-day losing streak * Financials extend losses to sixth session * NZ index climbs on a2 Milk advance (Updates to close) May 24 (Reuters) - Australian shares snapped a five-day losing streak on Thursday, aided by gains for gambling equipment marker Aristocrat Leisure that helped outweigh a continued fall for financial stocks. The S&P/ASX 200 index was up 0.1 percent, or 4.60 points, to 6,037.1 at the close of trade. The benchmark declined 0.2 percent on Wednesday. Shares of Aristocrat Leisure Ltd climbed 8 percent to a record after it reported half-year net profit rose 2.8 percent, with digital revenue more than tripling for the period. Real estate stocks also gained, with Scentre Group Ltd climbing 1.4 percent, while Lend Lease Group rose 2.5 percent. Battered by the latest round of an embarrassing inquiry into misconduct in the industry, banks extended losses into a sixth straight session on Thursday. The financial index fell 0.5 percent to a four week low. National Australia Bank Ltd declined 1.3 percent, while Commonwealth Bank of Australia dropped 0.2 percent to its lowest since Sept. 2016. Materials also fell, underpinned by lower iron ore and copper prices. Rio Tinto Ltd was down 1 percent, while Fortescue Metals Group Ltd slid 0.7 percent. In New Zealand, the benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.4 percent or 37.54 points to finish the session at 8,590.77. Dairy firm a2 Milk Company Ltd rose 4.1 percent, accounting for most of the benchmark’s gains. (Reporting by Aditya Soni in Bengaluru; Editing by Richard Borsuk)

Australia shares edge up, aided by Aristocrat Leisure; NZ gains 0.4 pct

RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Access National Bank (“Access”) has promoted Tom Ciolkosz to Senior Vice President, Relationship Manager, to continue fostering the growth of the Bank’s nonprofit and trade association segment. “Access differentiates itself in the market by working as a ‘trusted business advisor’ for prospects, clients and business referral partners,” Ciolkosz said. “I invest time acquainting myself with my clients’ unique needs, offer referral sources and ultimately partner with them in helping to grow their business. It’s rewarding to work for a bank who values cultivating meaningful relationships within our communities.” Ciolkosz joined Access in 2011 as Vice President, Client Services Manager. During his tenure, he expanded his relationship management skills to the nonprofit and trade association segment, eventually becoming the segment team leader. He routinely works in conjunction with other segments such as accounting firms, government contractors, and companies with $200 million+ in revenue. Additionally, he is further honing his banking industry knowledge by serving in his second year at the Virginia Bankers School of Bank Management. In addition to his robust bank duties, Ciolkosz serves numerous local organizations in either a membership or directorial capacity. Some of his participation includes the Board of Directors for Greater Washington Society of CPAs (GWSCPA), Loudoun Hunger Relief, and Brain Injury Services; Town of Lovettsville Planning Commission Chairperson; and membership with the American Society of Association Executives and the FAR Network. “Tom’s promotion reflects the significant contributions he has made to the Bank’s strategic focus on better serving our nonprofit and trade association clients,” Michael Clarke, CEO of Access, said. “His industry knowledge has proven to be an invaluble asset to both the Bank and the clients who benefit from his expertise.” “Tom earned this title with his diligent work over the past seven years,” Cindy Caldwell, SVP, Client Services at Access said. “He works with all business lines to grow deposits, loans, and investments. I am looking forward to watching his contributions and leadership evolve as our Bank continues this next chapter of 2018 and beyond.” Access National Bank was founded in 1999 by professional bankers and business people. It is an independent, nationally-chartered bank based in Reston, Virginia that serves the Greater Washington DC Metropolitan area. In April 2017, the merger with Middleburg Bank (founded in 1924) was completed, creating Virginia’s premier bank with enhanced scale, improved efficiency and a well-diversified business model. Access National Bank is a subsidiary of Access National Corporation and trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “ANCX.” Additional information is available at AccessNationalBank.com . Member FDIC. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180530006260/en/ Access National Bank Michael W. Clarke, 703-871-2100 CEO Source: Access National Bank

Access National Bank Promotes Tom Ciolkosz to Senior Vice President, Relationship Manager and Nonprofit, Trade Association Segment Leader

Phase 1 Dose Escalation Trials Progressing for Lead Programs XMT-1522 and XMT-1536 Presented Data of Dolaflexin ® Platform Unique DolaLock Technology and XMT-1522 Synergy with a Checkpoint Inhibitor at AACR 2018 CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 14, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mersana Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRSN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing a pipeline of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) based on its Dolaflexin ® and other proprietary platforms, today reported financial results and a business update for the first quarter “During the quarter, we continued to execute our clinical development plans for our innovative ADC therapeutics,” said Anna Protopapas, President and CEO of Mersana Therapeutics. “Both of our lead product candidates are currently progressing through dose escalation, and we are excited to be presenting our first interim data for XMT-1522 at the upcoming ASCO 2018 medical meeting.” Recent Highlights and Updates Clinical Programs Continuing dose escalation in the ongoing Phase 1 study of XMT-1522. XMT-1522 is a Dolaflexin ADC targeting all types of HER2-expressing breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and gastric cancer. Once MTD is established, enrollment will begin in the next portion of the trial, which will establish efficacy in distinct expansion cohorts. Mersana will present XMT-1522 early dose escalation data in June at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. Continuing dose escalation in the ongoing Phase 1 study of XMT-1536. XMT-1536 is a first-in-class Dolaflexin ADC targeting NaPi2b, which is broadly expressed in epithelial ovarian cancer and non-squamous NSCLC, as well as several other rare tumor types. XMT-1536 is progressing quickly through the dose escalation phase of the trial, and Mersana intends to present an update at a future medical meeting. Presented data on XMT-1522 synergy with a checkpoint inhibitor at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2018. Mersana co-authored a study with its partner Takeda characterizing the ability of both XMT-1522 and the free AF-HPA payload to induce immunogenic cell death. In a novel syngeneic mouse model expressing HER2, XMT-1522 and Kadcyla were compared in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor. The XMT-1522 combination showed significantly better anti-tumor efficacy than the Kadcyla combination, resulting in multiple complete responses. Discovery & Platform Progress Presented a more in-depth characterization of the Dolaflexin platform DolaLock technology at the AACR Annual Meeting 2018. Mersana scientists demonstrated the intra-tumor cell conversion of the initial drug release product, AF-HPA, to AF. AF-HPA is a cell-permeable auristatin drug payload and has bystander-killing capabilities. This allows for the diffusion of the payload to adjacent tumor cells and enhances efficacy. AF-HPA converts to AF, which is non-cell permeable, highly potent and is not a substrate for drug efflux pumps. This unique design of the payload can result in improved efficacy and tolerability of Mersana’s ADC candidates by “locking” the payload into the tumor. Mersana continues to expand its patent portfolio. U.S. Patent No. 9849191, entitled “Protein-Polymer-Drug Conjugates” was recently awarded. This patent provides Mersana broad coverage for its Fleximer polymer-based Dolaflexin platform comprising its proprietary auristatin payload. Mersana currently has 14 issued US patents and 27 issued foreign patents across its platforms and programs. Upcoming Events The Company will present its first interim clinical data for XMT-1522 at the upcoming American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2018 medical meeting on June 4 in Chicago. The Company will give a corporate presentation at The Jefferies 2018 Global Healthcare Conference, which will take place from June 5-8 in New York City. Financial Results Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of March 31, 2018 were $108.0 million, compared to $88.5 million as of March 31, 2017. The Company expects that its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will enable it to fund its operating plan into the second half of 2019. Collaboration revenue for the first quarter 2018 was approximately $3.1 million, compared to $4.3 million for the same period in 2017, primarily due to reduction in efforts required to support collaboration activities. Research and development expenses for the first quarter 2018 were approximately $12.3 million, compared to $10.1 million for the same period in 2017, driven by increases in expenses supporting the Company's two lead programs, including headcount, research expenses related to platform expansion, offset by a $1.5m milestone payment in 2017. General and administrative expenses for the first quarter 2018 were approximately $3.6 million, compared to $2.3 million for the same period in 2017, driven by headcount, and external costs incurred as Mersana scales as a public development stage company. Net loss for the first quarter 2018 was $12.4 million, or $0.54 per share, compared to a net loss of $8.1 million, or $6.02 per share, for the same period in 2017. Weighted average common shares outstanding for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 were 22,816,521 and 1,388,475 for the quarter ended March 31, 2017. Additionally, resulting as part the adoption of the new revenue recognition guidance, an increase of $2.0 million in deferred revenue and accumulated deficit was recorded as of January 1, 2018. Conference Call Mersana Therapeutics will host a conference call and webcast today at 5:00 p.m. ET to report financial results for the first quarter 2018 and provide certain business updates. To access the call, please dial 877-303-9226 (domestic) or 409-981-0870 (international) and provide the Conference ID 7589367. A live webcast of the presentation will be available on the Investors & Media section of the Mersana website at www.mersana.com . About Dolaflexin The Dolaflexin platform is designed to increase the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of ADCs by overcoming key limitations of existing technologies based on direct conjugation of a payload molecule to an antibody. Dolaflexin consists of Fleximer, a biodegradable, highly biocompatible, water soluble polymer, to which are attached multiple molecules of Mersana's proprietary auristatin drug payload using a linker specifically optimized for use with Mersana's polymer. The high water-solubility of the Fleximer polymer compensates for the low solubility of the payload, surrounding the payload and protecting it from aggregation and maintaining stability in circulation. Multiple molecules of this Dolaflexin polymer-drug conjugate can then be attached to an antibody of choice, which significantly increases the payload capacity of the resulting ADC. This approach differs from most other ADC technologies that conjugate the payload directly to the antibody. Using its Dolaflexin platform, Mersana has been able to generate ADCs with a very high Drug-to-Antibody Ratio (DAR), between 12 to 15, while maintaining desirable pharmacokinetics and drug-like properties in animal models. This represents a three to four-fold increase in DAR relative to traditional ADC approaches. The Dolaflexin platform also incorporates DolaLock technology, an engineered controlled bystander effect. AF-HPA, the initial auristatin drug release product, is freely cell permeable and has bystander-killing capabilities. Intra-tumor metabolism then facilitates the conversion of AF-HPA to AF, which is non-cell permeable, highly potent, and “locked” into the tumor. This enhancement improves both the efficacy and tolerability of Mersana’s ADC candidates. About Mersana Therapeutics Mersana Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company using its differentiated and proprietary ADC platforms to develop highly targeted drugs with increased tolerability and expanded opportunities to deliver meaningful clinical benefit to patients. Mersana’s first product candidate XMT-1522 is in Phase 1 clinical trials in patients with advanced tumors expressing HER2, including breast cancer, non-small-cell-lung-cancer (NSCLC) and gastric cancer. Mersana’s second product candidate, XMT-1536, is in Phase 1 clinical trials in patients with tumors expressing NaPi2b, including ovarian cancer, NSCLC and other rare cancers. In addition, multiple partners are using Mersana’s platform to advance their ADC pipelines. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. These are not statements of historical facts and are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available. They are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results and the implementation of the Company’s plans to vary materially. These risks are discussed in the Company’s SEC filings including, without limitation, the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 28, 2018. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, even if new information becomes available in the future. Mersana Therapeutics, Inc. Selected Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet Data (in thousands) (unaudited) March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities $ 107,959 $ 125,216 Working capital (1) 82,021 85,662 Total Assets 115,755 130,715 Total stockholders' equity 56,547 69,994 (1) The Company defines working capital as current assets less current liabilities. See the Company's condensed consolidated financial statements for further detail regarding its current assets and current liabilities. Mersana Therapeutics, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations (in thousands, except share and per share data) (unaudited) Three months ended March 31, March 31, 2018 2017 Collaboration revenue $ 3,064 $ 4,290 Operating expenses: Research and development 12,256 10,106 General and administrative 3,571 2,296 Total operating expenses 15,827 12,402 Other income 360 51 Net income (loss) $ (12,403 ) $ (8,061 ) Net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders — basic and diluted $ (0.54 ) $ (6.02 ) Weighted-average number of common shares used in net loss per share attributable to common stockholders — basic and diluted 22,816,521 1,338,475 Media Contact Paul Kidwell [email protected] 617-680-1088 Investor Contact Stern Investor Relations, Inc. Christina Tartaglia [email protected] 212-362-1200 Source:Mersana Therapeutics, Inc.

Mersana Therapeutics Announces First Quarter 2018 Financial Results and Provides Business Updates

HARARE, May 21 (Reuters) - Cypriot investor Karo Resources wants to use some of the output from its planned $4.2 billion platinum project in Zimbabwe to make catalytic converters for capping emissions in diesel cars, the mines minister said on Monday. Cyprus-born Loucas Pouroulis, who heads Karo, signed the deal in March to build a platinum mine and refinery in the Mhondoro-Ngezi platinum belt. Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said the investment showed the country was “open for business”, although it is unclear where all the funding would come from. Zimbabwe Mines Minister Winston Chitando told a committee of parliament on Monday that Karo and an unnamed partner planned to channel some of the platinum towards manufacturing diesel catalytic converters locally. The price of platinum is pinned below $1,000 an ounce, less than half the lofty peaks it scaled a decade ago and little upside is seen given falling sales of diesel cars, which emit pollutants blamed for health problems. “One of the players within Karo is in the production of catalytic converters,” Chitando said. “They have requested to have a partnership where some of the platinum which will be coming from the precious metal refinery will actually be feeding into a catalytic converter plant, which will be installed on that site,” said Chitando. Chitando would not comment when pressed for more details by Reuters. Zimbabwe is keen to revive its mining sector after years of reticence by foreign investors during Robert Mugabe’s rule. Little is known about Karo, which targets starting production at the plant in 2020. Analysts have said the project start date of July this year looked ambitious but Chitando said Karo’s contractors would start work on the mining site in Chegutu, west of Harare, on June 23. “The speed with which they are moving in terms of coming to establish sight (and) in terms of the mobilisation of equipment, I would like to believe that the timelines which are in the agreement will be met,” said Chitando. (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Susan Fenton)

Cypriot investor interested in making catalytic converters in Zimbabwe -mines minister

(Adds background, updates market action) NEW YORK, April 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. bond market’s barometers of investors’ inflation outlook were little changed on Monday as a measure of price growth that is the Federal Reserve’s preferred gauge rose in March in line with analyst forecasts. Domestic consumer prices as measured by the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index jumped 2.0 percent year-on-year in March. That was the biggest gain since February 2017 and followed a 1.7 percent rise in February, the Commerce Department said on Monday. The PCE index, excluding volatile food and energy components, increased by 1.9 percent on a 12-month basis through March, marking the biggest gain since February 2017. This compared with a 1.6 percent increase in February. Fed policymakers have said they expect year-over-year PCE increases to reach 2 percent. They are scheduled to meet for two days starting on Tuesday and are expected to leave interest rates unchanged in the current range of 1.50-1.75 percent. Currently, interest rates futures imply traders have priced in a 45 percent chance the U.S. central bank will raise short-term borrowing costs three more times in 2018 with the next hike at its June 12-13 meeting, CME Group’s FedWatch program showed. At 8:56 a.m. (1256 GMT), the 10-year inflation breakeven rate, or the yield gap between 10-year Treasury Inflation Protected Securities and regular 10-year Treasury notes, was 2.17 percent, down 0.05 basis point from late on Friday, Tradeweb data showed. (Reporting by Richard Leong Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Steve Orlofsky)

UPDATE 1-U.S. TIPS breakeven rates flat after in-line March PCE data

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cumberland Consulting Group , a leading healthcare consulting and services firm, has acquired Madison, Wis.-based LinkEHR , an EHR-focused managed services firm specializing in Tier 1, 2 and 3 application support for health systems. LinkEHR provides remote application support, including Epic Help Desk services, application break-fix and maintenance support for the full suite of Epic applications. In addition, the firm offers physician concierge support, as well as optimization services and outsourced build services. The transaction expands Cumberland’s managed services capabilities for providers and strengthens its core EHR application support offering with the addition of a dedicated support call center with deep Epic knowledge and expertise. The firm is currently offering support for Cerner applications and has plans to further extend its core EHR application support services to include a number of other leading applications. “Managed services is a natural extension of our core advisory consulting and professional services for providers, and the partnership with LinkEHR supports our efforts to continue to grow our capabilities in that area,” said Brian Cahill , Cumberland CEO. “We are now able to deliver solutions to our provider clients across the full service continuum, including system selection, planning, implementation and optimization, as well as application support and legacy system support.” LinkEHR’s Madison office will be maintained and will serve as the base for Cumberland’s newly formed Provider Managed Services Practice. Jill Nemoir, CEO of LinkEHR, will join Cumberland as Managing Director of Managed Services, where she will oversee the firm’s EHR application support and transitional legacy support services for provider organizations. Approximately 50 LinkEHR professionals will be joining the Cumberland team as a result of the transaction, bringing Cumberland’s total employee count to more than 500. “We are excited to join a fast-growing organization like Cumberland with a proven track record for providing high-quality solutions for healthcare clients,” Nemoir said. “Not only do our organizations’ services complement one another, but we also share a set of core values that drive the way we approach our work, our clients and our employees.” This is the fourth acquisition for Cumberland in just under five years. Two years ago, the firm announced the acquisition of Oleen Pinnacle Consulting Group, which expanded the firm’s presence in the payer market. In 2014, the firm announced the purchase of Cipe Consulting Group, a Seattle-based healthcare technology consulting firm specializing in electronic health records and revenue cycle system implementation and support. In 2013, Cumberland acquired Mindlance Life Sciences, a consulting group focused on providing advisory and technology implementation services to pharmaceutical companies. Cumberland is a portfolio company of Tailwind Capital, a private equity firm focused on investing in growth-oriented middle market healthcare and business services companies. About Cumberland Consulting Group Cumberland is a leading healthcare consulting and services firm providing strategic advisory, professional and managed services to clients in the payer, provider and life sciences markets. Founded in 2004, Cumberland is committed to delivering solutions that help healthcare organizations thrive. For more information on Cumberland, visit www.cumberlandcg.com or follow Cumberland on Twitter at @CumberlandCG . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180514005147/en/ Cumberland Consulting Group Jennifer Montlary, 615-373-4470 [email protected] Source: Cumberland Consulting Group

Cumberland Consulting Group Expands Managed Services Practice with LinkEHR Acquisition

The Toronto Maple Leafs have mutually parted ways with assistant general manager Mark Hunter, the team announced. Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Mark Hunter announces Mitchell Marner (not pictured) as the number four overall pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs as commissioner Gary Bettman looks on in the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports Team president Brendan Shanahan said at the time of Kyle Dubas’ hiring as GM that his decision came down to Dubas and Hunter, but that he hoped to keep the rest of the team’s management staff in place. Less than two weeks later, Hunter is leaving the organization. “Following extensive discussions with Mark, he and the Toronto Maple Leafs have mutually agreed to part ways,” Shanahan said in a statement. “I’d like to sincerely thank Mark for everything he’s done for this organization over the last four years and I wish him nothing but the best in the future.” — The New York Islanders officially named Hall of Fame executive Lou Lamoriello as president of hockey operations Tuesday. Lamoriello will have “full authority over all hockey matters with the organization.” The 75-year-old spent the past three seasons as the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and previously guided the New Jersey Devils to three Stanley Cup titles. Lamoriello stayed on as an adviser with the Maple Leafs after team president Brendan Shanahan announced last month that the team would transition to a new general manager. Kyle Dubas was named the Leafs’ GM earlier this month, and Lamoriello’s name soon surfaced as a candidate to take over the Islanders’ operations. The Islanders have missed the playoffs each of the past two seasons and currently employ Lamoriello’s son, Chris, as assistant GM. Garth Snow, the team’s current GM, said after the season that he felt his job was secure, but his future is now uncertain with Lamoriello calling the shots. —The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed goaltender Antti Niemi to a one-year, $950,000 contract, the team announced. Niemi was scheduled to become a free agent July 1. The 34-year-old had a 7-5-4 record with a 2.46 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage in 19 games for the Canadiens last season. However, the one-way contract does not guarantee Niemi a roster spot for next season. He will battle with Charlie Lindgren for the backup job to Carey Price. Lindgren is also on a one-way contract. —Field Level Media

NHL Notebook: Toronto Maple Leafs, assistant general manager part company

May 1 (Reuters) - DowDuPont Inc: * DOWDUPONT INC - CO’S STOCKHOLDERS ELECTED 16 NOMINEES TO SERVE ON BOARD OF CO UNTIL NEXT ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS * DOWDUPONT INC - CO’S STOCKHOLDERS APPROVED A STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL REGARDING ELIMINATION OF SUPERMAJORITY VOTING THRESHOLDS * DOWDUPONT INC - COMPANY’S STOCKHOLDERS DID NOT APPROVE A STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL REGARDING A REQUEST FOR A REPORT REGARDING EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION * DOWDUPONT - CO’S STOCKHOLDERS DID NOT APPROVE STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL REGARDING REQUEST FOR REPORT ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY METRICS IN PERFORMANCE-BASED PAY * DOWDUPONT INC - CO’S STOCKHOLDERS DID NOT APPROVE A STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL REGARDING A REQUEST FOR A REPORT REGARDING COMPANY’S INVESTMENTS IN INDIA * DOWDUPONT - CO'S STOCKHOLDERS DID NOT APPROVE STOCKHOLDER PROPOSAL REGARDING MODIFICATION OF REQUIRED THRESHOLD FOR CALLING SPECIAL STOCKHOLDER MEETINGS Source : bit.ly/2JGP99w Further company coverage: ([email protected])

BRIEF-DowDuPont Says Stockholders Elected 16 Nominees To Serve On Board Until Next Annual Meeting Of Stockholders

A U.S. trade delegation arrived in China on Thursday for talks on tariffs, with state media saying China will stand up to U.S. bullying if need be, but it was better to work things out at the negotiating table. A breakthrough deal to fundamentally change China's economic policies is viewed as highly unlikely during the two-day visit, though a package of short-term Chinese measures could delay a U.S. decision to impose tariffs on about $50 billion worth of Chinese exports. The discussions, led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, are expected to cover a wide range of U.S. complaints about China's trade practices, from accusations of forced technology transfers to state subsidies for technology development. "Thrilled to be here. Thank you," Mnuchin told Reuters upon arriving at his hotel, when asked if he expected progress. He made no other comments. As Mnuchin arrived, U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted: "Our great financial team is in China trying to negotiate a level playing field on trade! I look forward to being with President Xi in the not too distant future. We will always have a good (great) relationship!" Donald Trump tweet Throughout his 2016 election campaign, Trump routinely threatened to impose a 45 percent across-the-board tariff on Chinese goods as a way to level the playing field for American workers. At the time, he was also accusing China of manipulating its currency to gain an export advantage, a claim that his administration has since dropped. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing said the delegation planned to meet Chinese officials on both days, in addition to U.S. Ambassador Terry Branstad, before leaving on Friday evening. Asked about the talks, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswomen Hua Chunying said they had just begun and she had no information. She reiterated that China welcomed the talks but that they had to be founded on equality and mutual respect. The outcome should be mutually beneficial and win-win, Hua said, speaking at a regular briefing. In an editorial, the official China Daily said Beijing wanted the talks to produce "feasible solutions to put an end to the ongoing feud" and that they could go well if the U.S. delegation genuinely wanted to listen as well as talk. China "will stand up to the U.S.' bullying as necessary. And as a champion of globalization, free trade, and multilateralism, it will have strong support from the international community", the English-language newspaper added. "The U.S. wants greater access to China's market, but it should not use trade actions as a battering ram to force China to open its doors. It is already in the process of opening them wider," it said. In doing so, China expected Washington to reciprocate and open its market to Chinese investment and competition, it said. 'Negotiations are best' Widely read Chinese tabloid the Global Times, published by the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily, said it hoped the talks were a beginning of a resolution of the dispute. "Washington and Beijing should be clear: neither side can scare the other down. Negotiations are the best way to resolve the problem." The first round of threatened tariffs under the U.S. government's "Section 301" intellectual property probe focused heavily on technology products benefiting from a "Made in China 2025" program to upgrade China's domestic manufacturing base with more advanced products. The U.S. tariffs could go into effect in June following the completion of a 60-day consultation period. China, which denies it coerces technology transfers, has threatened retaliation in equal measure, including tariffs on U.S. soybeans and aircraft. U.S.-based trade experts said they expected Beijing to offer Trump's team a package of policy changes that may include some previously announced moves, such as a phase-out of joint venture requirements for some sectors, autos tariff reductions and increased purchases of U.S. goods. Trump has demanded a $100 billion annual reduction in the $375 billion U.S. goods trade deficit with China. But the diverse U.S. trade delegation is likely to have differing views among its members on the merits of such an offer. The group includes Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross along with noted China hawks Robert Lighthizer, the U.S. trade representative, and White House trade and manufacturing adviser Peter Navarro. WATCH: Steve Jobs defends his commitment to Apple on CNBC in 1997 show chapters Steve Jobs defends his commitment to Apple on CNBC in 1997 8:02 AM ET Fri, 27 April 2018 | 02:40

US trade team arrives in Beijing for talks, and China media are cautious

Johnson & Johnson Chairman and CEO Alex Gorsky told CNBC on Wednesday he expects the company's pharmaceutical business will be able to successfully navigate any changes in health care as a result of President Donald Trump 's new plan aimed a reducing drug prices. At the same time, Gorsky warned the Trump administration to be careful not to impose "unintended consequences" on the U.S. health-care system, which is incredibly complex. He did not elaborate. "We know there are going to be changes in the pricing system. That's why we have to continually innovate," Gorsky said in a " Squawk Box " interview with CNBC's Meg Tirrell. He added that J&J, whose pharma unit accounted for 47 percent of 2017 net sales, is still analyzing Trump's plan, which was unveiled on Friday . Trump's plan, among other changes, will consider an alternative system for buying Medicare Part B drugs, including many cancer treatments and infused biotech drugs. J&J's top-selling arthritis drug Remicade, which is covered under Part B, could be affected by Trump's plan. Gorsky said the company has looked at its entire portfolio and it's reinventing it. He said two other drugs — Simponi and Stelara, designed to treat autoimmune diseases — have actually exceeded sales of Remicade. Earlier Wednesday, J&J announced it would relaunch its baby-care products , which saw a 20 percent sales decline since 2011 to $1.9 billion. Speaking just hours before the company's every-other-year consumer products and medical devices analyst meeting, Gorsky said J&J is trying to be more like a "start-up" with its baby brand, focusing on the changing needs of "millennial moms," who favor baby products with more natural ingredients. "We realize that over the past few years that we probably got a little bit behind the curve," he said. "But what you're going to hear about today is that we totally reformulated the brand where we're changing and making sure we're using more natural ingredients."

J&J CEO warns of 'unintended consequences' of Trump's drug-price plan

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Laurel Strategies, Inc., the global business advisory and strategic communications firm for CEOs and leaders, announced today that Adam Chassin, the former Head of Business for Uber in Europe and former Head of Strategic Business Development at Amazon is joining the company as a Senior Advisor. Chassin will bring his broad expertise in technology, disruption, and deal making to Laurel Strategies and the firm’s clients. “Adam is one of the most insightful and innovative people I know,” said Alan H. Fleischmann, CEO of Laurel Strategies. “At Laurel Strategies, we value thinkers and doers, and Adam brings both to the table. He’ll be an enormous asset to our firm and to our clients, both within and outside of the technology sector.” “Laurel Strategies’ unique focus on counseling great leaders to run world-class companies and organizations is incredibly exciting,” said Chassin. “I have been watching the explosive growth of Laurel Strategies for some time and it is exciting to be a part of its next stage of development. In this era that the firm calls the ‘Age of the CEO Statesman,’ it’s never been more important to look around corners and devise strategies that help executives prepare and prosper from the unexpected.” Based in Amsterdam, Adam has spent more than 15 years in senior executive roles at leading technology companies in both the US and Europe. As the Head of Business for Uber in Europe, Adam was responsible for all partnerships and investments that supported Uber's growth in Europe's major markets. Prior to Uber, Adam was the Head of Strategic Business Development at Amazon where he worked across the entire portfolio of Amazon’s businesses to develop new market entry strategies, structure strategic partnerships to accelerate the growth of various Amazon businesses, as well as incubate new businesses. Adam has also held senior business positions at Yahoo in Silicon Valley and prior to that was a transactional attorney at AOL. Adam began his career as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch and then as an M&A lawyer on Wall Street with the firm Skadden, Arps. He graduated magna cum laude with highest honors from Harvard University and has a J.D. from the University of Virginia. About Laurel Strategies, Inc. Laurel Strategies is a global business advisory and strategic communications firm for leaders, CEOs, and their C-suite. Laurel improves strategy development and execution, leverages media relationships, designs and delivers strategic communications plans, advises on geopolitical dynamics, mitigates risk, manages crises, protects reputations, serves as executive CEO coaches, supports investment deals, and increases the impact of philanthropy. For more information on Laurel Strategies, please visit: laurelstrategies.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180514005725/en/ Laurel Strategies Inc. Dafna Tapiero, +1-202-776-7776 [email protected] Source: Laurel Strategies, Inc.

Senior Technology Executive Adam Chassin Joins Laurel Strategies as a Senior Advisor

May 24, 2018 / 10:19 AM / Updated 5 minutes ago Canada's biggest banks shrug off mortgage concerns with profit beats Matt Scuffham 3 Min Read TORONTO (Reuters) - Royal Bank of Canada ( RY.TO ) and Toronto-Dominion Bank ( TD.TO ), Canada’s two biggest lenders, reported second-quarter earnings that beat market expectations on Thursday, shrugging off concerns over slowing mortgage growth. FILE PHOTO: A Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) sign is seen outside of a branch in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, May 26, 2016. REUTERS/Chris Wattie/File Photo Shares in TD, which had the strongest beat of the two banks, hit an all-time high at C$76.81, up 1.7 percent, in early trading before dropping back to trade up 0.6 percent at 11:15 a.m. EDT. Shares in RBC were down 1.9 percent. Barclays analyst John Aiken said RBC’s earnings did not look as good as the headline beat suggested and TD’s performance would be better received by the market. Canadian authorities have introduced policies, including taxes on foreign buyers, intended to cool housing markets in Toronto and Vancouver and bring about a “soft landing,” where prices stabilize gradually. Canada’s banking regulator introduced new regulations in January, requiring borrowers taking out uninsured mortgages to be stress-tested to determine their ability to make repayments at a rate 200 basis points above their contracted mortgage. TD’s Chief Financial Officer Riaz Ahmed said the bank had seen some reductions in mortgage applications in the second quarter, reflecting the slower overall market, but he remained comfortable with its previous expectation of mid-single-digit growth for the year. “I think we’re happy with how this ‘soft landing’ appears to be emerging at the minute. Sales activity is down and prices are down. The market cooling seems to be working,” he said. RBC’s Canadian head Neil McLaughlin said his bank was also continuing to target mid-single digit mortgage growth this year. He said the bank had seen a slight improvement in new mortgage sales so far this year but expected that trend to slow down in the second half. Canadian banks have also benefited from improved margins as the central bank has raised its key interest rate three times since July 2017, helping them offset slower mortgage growth. In an interview, RBC’s Chief Financial Officer Rod Bulger said that each time the Bank of Canada increases rates by 25 basis points, RBC expects a benefit of about C$110 million in the following year, which exceeds the expected impact if the bank’s mortgage growth rate was cut in half. RBC said net income increased by 9 percent compared with the previous year to C$3.1 billion ($2.4 billion), including 7 percent growth at its Canadian retail business, due to improved sales and margins. Earnings per share rose to C$2.10, compared with the average analyst forecast of C$2.05, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S data. TD said earnings per share totaled C$1.62 in the quarter to March 31, compared with C$1.34 a year ago and ahead of the average analyst forecast of C$1.50. Reporting by Matt Scuffham; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Tom Brown

RBC posts 11 percent rise in second-quarter earnings

May 3, 2018 / 12:40 PM / Updated 13 minutes ago BRIEF-Hemostemix Announces Departure Of David Berman As CFO Reuters Staff May 3 (Reuters) - Hemostemix Inc: * HEMOSTEMIX ANNOUNCES FIRST PATIENT TREATED IN PHASE II CLINICAL TRIAL * HEMOSTEMIX INC - ANNOUNCES DEPARTURE OF DAVID BERMAN FROM POSITION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER * HEMOSTEMIX INC - KRISTIN GULKA JOINS HEMOSTEMIX IN CAPACITY OF CFO Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

BRIEF-Hemostemix Announces Departure Of David Berman As CFO

TEMPE, Ariz., May 14, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VirTra, Inc. (Nasdaq:VTSI) (the “Company”), a global provider of simulators for the law enforcement, military, educational and commercial markets, today announced its financial results for the first quarter The financial statements are available on VirTra’s website and here . First Quarter 2018 Financial Highlights: Q1 2018 Q1 2017 % Δ Revenues $3.2M $4.2M (22.9)% Gross Profit $2.2M $2.4M (8.7)% Gross Margin 68.4 % 57.7 % +1,063 bps Net Income (Loss) $(0.1)M $0.4M (121.3)% Diluted EPS $(0.01) $0.05 (120.0)% Business and Financial Highlights: Generated a record $8.6 million in bookings in the first quarter of 2018. Received a new $1.25 million contract early in the second quarter for training simulators from the United States Department of State. Gross profit margin of 68.4% for the first quarter of 2018 compared to 57.7% in the year ago period. VirTra’s backlog as of March 31, 2018, was approximately $8.3 million. “VirTra generated a record level of bookings in the first quarter, demonstrating strong execution by our expanded and improved sales organization and the growing demand from law enforcement professionals around the world for our products,” commented Bob Ferris, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of VirTra. “However, a large portion of these orders were booked too late in the quarter to convert to revenue, and instead have created a meaningful backlog to be filled during 2018. The $8.3 million backlog, combined with the $3.2 million in recognized revenue and a $1.25 million order secured early in the second quarter, represents a strong start to 2018 and provides confidence that this will be another year of growth. In the aggregate, this represents more than $12.5 million in revenue and potential revenue, approaching the $16.5 million in recognized revenue for all of 2017.” “I am encouraged by our sales pipeline and the strong performance in closing bookings during the first quarter,” continued Mr. Ferris. “Our margin for the quarter was boosted based on deliveries of higher margin products to customers and some improvements in production methods. However, our operating expenses for the first quarter absorbed many one-time costs, totaling $132,000, which were directly related to our qualification and completion of our Regulation A+ offering, completion of SEC registration, and Nasdaq listing.” “The market for simulators to help train the police, military personnel and civilians is robust. With growing demand, accelerating adoption of simulation training as a way to improve skills and reduce costs, we are positioned for an outstanding 2018,” concluded Mr. Ferris. “The Board of Directors, management and the entire VirTra team are committed to serving our worldwide customers and creating sustainable value for our shareholders, and I am increasingly optimistic about the future of VirTra.” Financial Results for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 Total revenues were $3.2 million for the first quarter of 2018 compared to $4.2 million for the first quarter of 2017, a decrease of 22.9%. The year-over-year decrease was due to the receipt of contracts late in the quarter, resulting in lower deliveries of simulators and accessories and consequentially not being able to recognize revenue in the current period, partially offset by increased sales of scenarios and warranties. As of March 31, 2018, the Company’s backlog was approximately $8.3 million. The Company’s backlog consists of orders (all products and services, including extended warranties) for which a signed purchase order is in place but delivery is scheduled for a future date or has not yet been scheduled. Management expects the majority of the backlog received in the first quarter to be converted to revenue during 2018 with the exception of the extended warranties which will convert to revenue on a straight-line basis over the term of the warranty period ranging between 1-5 years. Gross profit was $2.2 million, or 68.4% gross profit margin, for the first quarter of 2018 compared to gross profit of $2.4 million, or 57.7% gross profit margin, for the first quarter of 2017, a gross profit decrease of 8.7% but a gross margin improvement of 1,063 basis points. The year-over-year increase in gross profit margin was primarily due to a reduction in the cost of the Company’s machine shop manufacturing system and product components and increases in the sales mix of higher margin products, combined with a reduction in material costs due to favorable pricing of raw materials and systems components in 2018 compared to the same period in 2017. Operating expense was $2.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018 compared to $2.0 million for the same period in 2017, an increase of $419,559. SG&A increases resulted from expanding staffing levels and increases in payroll and benefit costs, professional services increases in annual audit, accounting and legal fees, public company expense and other fees, licenses, subscriptions and professional services. The year-over-year increase in professional services included approximately $132,000 of non-recurring legal and public company expense directly related to the Company’s qualification and conclusion of its Regulation A+ offering, completion of SEC registration, and Nasdaq listing. Inclusive of the $132,000 in non-recurring legal and public company costs, VirTra’s loss from operations for the first quarter of 2018 was $158,000 compared to income from operations of $474,000 in the first quarter of 2017. Income tax benefit was $29,194 compared to income tax expense of $78,000 for the same period in 2017, an increase of 137%. In accordance with accounting guidance, the Company made updates to provisional estimates for the deferred taxes of the Company based on new information obtained during the three months ended March 31, 2018 and re-measured the updated provision estimates using the new effective tax rate under the Tax Act. Inclusive of the $132,000 in non-recurring legal and public company costs, Net loss for the first quarter of 2018 was $85,787, or $(0.01) per basic and diluted share, compared to net income of $402,000, or $0.05 per basic and diluted share, for the prior year’s first quarter. Balance Sheet Summary Stockholders’ equity decreased to $10.3 million at March 31, 2018 compared to $10.4 million at December 31, 2017. Cash and cash equivalents were $4.5 million at March 31, 2018 compared to $5.1 million at December 31, 2017. The Company had essentially no outstanding bank debt at March 31, 2018. Conference Call and Webcast The Company will host a first quarter 2018 results and business update investor conference call and webcast on Monday, May 14, 2018. Individuals interested in listening to the webcast live via the Internet may do so by visiting the Company’s website at www.VirTra.com . A webcast replay will be available for 60 days. Date: Monday, May 14, 2018 Time: 4:30 p.m. ET / 1:30 p.m. local Dial-in Number: 877-407-8031 International Dial-in Number: 201-689-8031 Webcast: http://www.investorcalendar.com/event/29320 Participants are recommended to dial-in approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the event. A replay of the call will be available approximately two hours after completion through May 28, 2018. To listen to the replay, dial (877) 481-4010 (domestic) or (919) 882-2331 (international) and use replay ID 29320. The webcast replay will be available through August 14, 2018. About VirTra VirTra is a global provider of simulators for the law enforcement, military, educational and commercial markets. The Company’s patented technologies, software and scenarios provide intense training for de-escalation, judgmental use-of-force, marksmanship and related training that mimics real world situations. VirTra’s mission is to save and improve lives worldwide through realistic and highly-effective virtual reality and simulator technology. Learn more about VirTra at www.VirTra.com . Forward-looking Statements This news release includes certain information that may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by terminology such as “could,” “may,” "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," “proposed,” “planned,” “potential” and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including statements about VirTra's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Although VirTra believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. VirTra cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Accordingly, due to the risks, uncertainties and assumptions inherent in forward-looking information, readers and prospective investors in the Company's securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. All forward-looking information contained in this press release is given as of the date hereof, and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof and is subject to change. The Company assumes no obligation to revise or update forward-looking information to reflect new circumstances, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Media contact: Investor Relations contact: Susan Lehman Brett Maas [email protected] [email protected] (510) 599-6555 (646) 536-7331 - - - -FINANCIALS FOLLOWING- - - - VIRTRA, INC. CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 4,517,620 $ 5,080,445 Accounts receivable, net 1,271,732 1,478,135 Note receivable, current 209,331 - Inventory, net 2,082,354 1,720,438 Unbilled revenue 478,081 1,222,047 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 729,780 586,439 Total current assets 9,288,898 10,087,504 Property and equipment, net 776,145 677,273 Note receivable, long-term 191,574 - Deferred tax assets, net 2,740,000 2,710,182 Investment in MREC 1,374,933 1,374,933 TOTAL AS SETS $ 14,371,550 $ 14,849,892 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY CURRENT LIABILITIES Accounts payable $ 785,509 $ 535,795 Accounts payable - related party Accrued compensation and related costs 787,121 593,491 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 261,293 243,573 Note payable, current 11,250 11,250 Deferred revenue 2,151,709 2,992,912 Total current liabilities 3,996,882 4,377,021 Long-term liabilities: Deferred rent liability 63,028 75,444 Note payable, long-term 11,250 11,250 Total long-term liabilities 74,278 86,694 Total liabilities 4,071,160 4,463,715 Commitments and contingencies STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Preferred stock $0.0001 par value; 5,000,000 authorized; no shares issued or outstanding - - Common stock $0.0001 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 7,927,774 shares issued and 7,904,307 shares outstanding as of March 31, 2018 and 793 793 December 31, 2017. Class A common stock $0.0001 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding - - Class B common stock $0.0001 par value; 15,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding - - Treasury stock at cost; 23,467 shares outstanding as of March 31, 2018 (112,109 ) (112,109 ) and December 31, 2017. Additional paid-in capital 14,954,563 14,954,563 Accumulated deficit (4,542,857 ) (4,457,070 ) Total stockholders' equity 10,300,390 10,386,177 TOTAL LI ABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 14,371,550 $ 14,849,892 See accompanying notes to unaudited condensed financial statements. VIRTRA, INC. CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 March 31, 2017 REVENUES Net sales $ 3,198,222 $ 4,165,476 Royalties/licensing fees 45,968 43,812 Total revenue 3,244,190 4,209,288 Cost of sales 1,026,156 1,778,945 Gross profit 2,218,034 2,430,343 OPERATING EXPENSES General and administrative 2,008,703 1,614,498 Research and development 367,544 342,190 Net operating expense 2,376,247 1,956,688 Income/(loss) from operations (158,213 ) 473,655 OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE) Other income 43,298 6,233 Other expense (66 ) - Net other income 43,232 6,233 Income/(loss) before income taxes (114,981 ) 479,888 Income tax expense/(benefit) (29,194 ) 78,000 NET INCOME/(LOSS) $ (85,787 ) $ 401,888 Earnings per common share Basic $ (0.01 ) $ 0.05 Diluted $ (0.01 ) $ 0.05 Weighted average shares outstanding Basic 7,904,307 7,927,774 Diluted 7,904,307 8,282,308 Source:VirTra, Inc.

VirTra Reports First Quarter 2018 Financial Results

LISLE, Ill., May 17, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of CTS Corporation (NYSE:CTS) declared a cash dividend of $0.04 per share, payable July 27, 2018, to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 22, 2018. About CTS CTS (NYSE:CTS) is a leading designer and manufacturer of products that Sense, Connect, and Move. The company manufactures sensors, actuators, and electronic components in North America, Europe, and Asia, and provides engineered products to customers in the aerospace/defense, industrial, medical, telecommunications/IT, and transportation markets. For more information, visit www.ctscorp.com . Contact Ashish Agrawal Vice President and Chief Financial Officer CTS Corporation 4925 Indiana Avenue Lisle, IL 60532 USA Telephone: +1 (630) 577-8800 Email: [email protected] Source:CTS Corporation

CTS Corporation Declares A Dividend

BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States’ measures against China’s investments are against World Trade Organization rules, and China reserves the right to take countermeasures, the commerce ministry said on Thursday. FILE PHOTO: U.S. Dollar and China Yuan notes are seen in this picture illustration June 2, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas White/Illustration/File Photo China is not willing to see an escalation in Sino-U.S. trade frictions, and believes the two countries have a huge potential for cooperation, Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng told reporters at a regular news briefing. After trade tensions between the two countries appeared to cool following talks in Washington earlier in the month, the U.S. on Tuesday said it still holds a threat of imposing tariffs and will press ahead with restrictions on investment by Chinese companies in the United States. Reporting by Yawen Chen and Seyoung Lee; Editing by Kim Coghill Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. 0 : 0 narrow-browser-and-phone medium-browser-and-portrait-tablet landscape-tablet medium-wide-browser wide-browser-and-larger medium-browser-and-landscape-tablet medium-wide-browser-and-larger above-phone portrait-tablet-and-above above-portrait-tablet landscape-tablet-and-above landscape-tablet-and-medium-wide-browser portrait-tablet-and-below landscape-tablet-and-below Apps Newsletters Advertise with Us Advertising Guidelines Cookies Terms of Use Privacy All Quote: s delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. © 2018 Reuters. All Rights Reserved.

China says reserves right to retaliate to U.S. actions against its investments

Milwaukee Bucks guard tased by police: video 12:46pm EDT - 01:01 Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales has apologized for the actions of the officers who tased and arrested NBA Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown in January. Video of the incident was released on Wednesday. Rough cut (no reporter narration). Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales has apologized for the actions of the officers who tased and arrested NBA Milwaukee Bucks guard Sterling Brown in January. Video of the incident was released on Wednesday. Rough cut (no reporter narration). //reut.rs/2GMWDFV

Milwaukee Bucks guard tased by police: video

May 14 (Reuters) - Perrigo Company PLC: * PERRIGO CONFIRMS FIRST TO FILE PATENT CHALLENGE FOR GENERIC VERSION OF ULTRAVATE LOTION, 0.05% * PERRIGO COMPANY PLC - SUN PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES & MICAL PHARMACEUTICALS INITIATED PATENT LITIGATIONS ON MAY 9 & 10, 2018 * PERRIGO COMPANY PLC - LITIGATIONS REGARDING PARAGRAPH IV ABBREVIATED NDA FOR HALOBETASOL PROPIONATE LOTION, 0.05% Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. 0 : 0 narrow-browser-and-phone medium-browser-and-portrait-tablet landscape-tablet medium-wide-browser wide-browser-and-larger medium-browser-and-landscape-tablet medium-wide-browser-and-larger above-phone portrait-tablet-and-above above-portrait-tablet landscape-tablet-and-above landscape-tablet-and-medium-wide-browser portrait-tablet-and-below landscape-tablet-and-below Apps Newsletters Reuters Plus Advertising Guidelines Cookies Terms of Use Privacy All Quote: s delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. © 2018 Reuters. All Rights Reserved.

BRIEF-Perrigo Confirms First To File Patent Challenge For Generic Ultravate Lotion

PARIS (Reuters) - With his daughter Tara born a day after Serena Williams gave birth to her first child Alexis Olympia last September, Novak Djokovic has been trading parenting tips with the American. Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - May 30, 2018 Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts during her and Venus Williams' first round doubles match against Japan's Shuko Aoyama and Miyu Kato REUTERS/Charles Platiau However, when he was asked if it’s easier to be a tennis-playing father than a continent-hopping mother on the professional tour, the Serb’s jaw appeared to hit the floor. With an incredulous look that seemed to suggest “you cannot be serious!”, Djokovic remained mum for several seconds. But with an expectant audience still waiting for an answer, father-of-two Djokovic finally broke the pregnant pause. “Well, I think it’s obvious. I mean, what a woman has to go through, with the pregnancy and birth and then everything after that? I’m sorry to all the guys, but it’s much more difficult for a woman,” Djokovic told reporters at the French Open on Wednesday. “So that’s why it makes it even more impressive when they make a comeback, and especially Serena after all she has done,” added the Serb, one of a dozen fathers to have claimed Grand Slam titles since 1980. Over the same period of time, only Kim Clijsters has managed to win majors after returning from a maternity break. But while Clijsters had won only one of her four majors before giving birth to daughter Jada in 2008, Williams had claimed 23 Grand Slam titles. Many believe she could have easily called it quits after becoming a mother as she has already cemented her place among the all-time sporting greats. But rather than walking away from tennis, Williams, who won the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant, is making her Grand Slam comeback at Roland Garros this week. “It’s not like she never won a slam and then now she wants to come back because she has something to achieve from that perspective,” added the 31-year-old Djokovic, who was photographed cradling a beaming Alexis Olympia on the eight-month-old’s Twitter feed. “After all she has achieved in sport to see her back and putting hours on the court and work and again and again, it’s impressive. It’s inspiring. It really is. “She’s the greatest female athlete of all time, probably, and she keeps on coming back and inspiring everyone. She uses tennis as a platform to do good things and that’s why she’s back. You can see how much she loves it. “I love Serena. All the superlatives and beautiful words that you can think of she deserves it.” Reporting by Pritha Sarkar, editing by Ed Osmond Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. 0 : 0 narrow-browser-and-phone medium-browser-and-portrait-tablet landscape-tablet medium-wide-browser wide-browser-and-larger medium-browser-and-landscape-tablet medium-wide-browser-and-larger above-phone portrait-tablet-and-above above-portrait-tablet landscape-tablet-and-above landscape-tablet-and-medium-wide-browser portrait-tablet-and-below landscape-tablet-and-below Apps Newsletters Advertise with Us Advertising Guidelines Cookies Terms of Use Privacy All Quote: s delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. © 2018 Reuters. All Rights Reserved.

Papa Djokovic hails super-mom Serena

May 17, 2018 / 4:19 AM / Updated an hour ago Pakistan kills senior Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant in Baluchistan raid Gul Yousafzai 3 Min Read QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan’s military has killed a senior member of Islamist militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi(LeJ) along two suicide bombers in a raid in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, the army’s media wing said on Thursday. A military intelligence officer was killed and four other soldiers wounded during the operation targeting Salman Badeni, the Baluchistan region chief of LeJ, on the outskirts of provincial capital Quetta. Badeni had been “involved in killings of over 100 innocent personnel of Hazara Community and police”, the army The military also released pictures of a blood-spattered militant laying dead on the ground, along with photos of ammunition and what appears to be bomb-making material. LeJ, a group which subscribes to the hardline Takfiri Deobandi school of Islam, considers Shi’ites apostates and has carried out scores of bloody bomb and gun attacks in Baluchistan over the past two decades, most of them aimed at the Shi’ite Hazara community. Earlier this month members of the Hazara community went on a hunger strike in Quetta to protest a recent spate of killings targeting them and to demand greater protection in the resource-rich province that has been plagued by violence and insurgency. Over the past couple of years Islamic State militants have also targeted the Hazara community in Baluchistan. The Hazaras called off the protest after meeting with Pakistan’s powerful army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, who vowed greater protection and promised those targeting Hazaras “shall suffer twice as much”. Violence in Baluchistan is also a worry for China, which has voiced concerns about security in the province that hosts a key route in the $57-billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a transport and energy link planned to run from western China to Pakistan’s southern deep-water port of Gwadar. Islamist militants have killed thousands of people in Pakistan since early 2000s, in their bid to impose a hardline version of Islam. Writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Michael Perry

Pakistan kills senior Lashkar-e-Jhangvi militant in Baluchistan raid

(Adds approved mergers) BRUSSELS, May 3 (Reuters) - The following are mergers under review by the European Commission and a brief guide to the EU merger process: APPROVALS AND WITHDRAWALS None NEW LISTINGS — Deutsche Telekom to acquire Swedish peer Tele2’s Dutch unit and merge it with its Dutch business T-Mobile Nederland (notified May 2/deadline June 12) — Investment firm HPS Investment Partners and Madison Dearborn Partners to acquire joint control of UK insurance broker Capita Specialist Insurance Soluions Ld (notified April 30/deadline June 11/simplified) EXTENSIONS AND OTHER CHANGES None FIRST-STAGE REVIEWS BY DEADLINE MAY 3 — U.S. auto parts retailer LKQ Corp to acquire German peer Stahlgruber (notified March 9/deadline extended to May 3 from April 18 after the German national competition authority requested to take over the case) MAY 4 — U.S. aerospace and industrial company United Technologies Corp to acquire avionics maker Rockwell Collins (notified March 12/deadline extended to May 4 from April 19 after UTC offered concessions) MAY 8 — Italian cable company Prysmian to acquire U.S. peer General Cable (notified March 28/deadline May 8) MAY 15 — U.S. cable company Liberty Global to acquire Dutch peer Ziggo (notified April 4/deadline May 15) MAY 23 — Apollo Capital Management to acquire Cyprus Cooperative Bank (notified April 11/deadline May 23/simplified) — British paper company Mondi to acquire Finnish corrugated case materials maker Powerflute (notified April 11/deadline May 23) — Luxembourg-based steelmaker ArcelorMittal to acquire Italian steel plant (notified Sept. 21/deadline extended to May 23 after ArcelorMittal offered concessions) MAY 25 — Global asset manager The Carlyle Group to acquire Accolade Wines Holdings Australia and Accolade Wines Holdings Europe (notified April 13/deadline May 25/simplified) MAY 28 — U.S coatings maker Axalta Coating Systems to acquire wire enamel manufacturer IVA’s European and Chinese operations (notified April 16/deadline May 28) — U.S. agricultural merchant Archer Daniels Midland and agricultural trading house Cargill to set up a joint venture in Egypt (notified April 16/deadline May 28/simplified) MAY 29 — Asset management firms Avenue Capital, Pemberton and private equity firm Permira to jointly acquire luggage bags maker Delsey (notified April 17/deadline May 29/simplified) MAY 30 — Global asset management company Carlyle and U.S. investment company TA Associates to jointly acquire sales marketing company Discoverorg which is now solely controlled by TA Associates (notified April 18/deadline May 30/simplified) MAY 31 — Swedish bank Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (SEB) to acquire lamp maker Aura Light International AB (notified April 19/deadline May 31/simplified) — Private equity firm Advent International to acquire British electronics and technnology company Laird (notified April 19/deadline May 31/simplified) JUNE 1 — Swiss engineering company ABB to acquire General Electric’s industrial solutions business (notified April 20/deadline June 1) JUNE 4 — Japanese chemicals company Kuraray, Thai petrochemicals group PTT Global Chemical Public Company and Japan’s Sumitomo Corp to set up a joint venture (notified April 23/deadline June 4/simplified) JUNE 5 — Canadian pension fund OTPP and asset management company Carlyle Group to jointly acquire French campsite operator European Camping Group, which is now solely controlled by Carlyle Group (notified April 24/deadline June 5/simplified) — French prepaid meal voucher and card provider Edenred to increase its stake in fuel cards issuer UTA (notified April 24/deadline June 5/simplified) JUNE 6 — UK private equity group 3i Group Plc to acquire a 35 percent stake in ferry operator Scandlines after selling the company to infrastructure funds First State Investments and Hermes Investment Management (notified April 25/deadline June 6/simplified) — Japanese electronics company Alps Electric Co to acquire Japanese car infotainment systems maker Alpine Electronics (notified April 25/deadline June 6/simplified) JUNE 7 — German power grid makers Stadtwerke Olching and Bayernwerk Net to set up two joint ventures (notified April 26/deadline June 7/simplified) JUNE 8 — Private equity firm One Equity Partners to acquire packaging company Walki Holding (notified April 27/deadline June 8/simplified) JUNE 11 — U.S. insurer American International Group to acquire Bermuda-based reinsurer Validus Holdings Ltd (notified April 30/deadline June 11/simplified) JUNE 21 — South African chemicals company Tronox to acquire the titanium dioxide business of Cristal, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Tasnee (notified Nov. 15/deadline extended to June 21 from June 7) AUG 9 — German industrial gases group Linde to merge with U.S. peer Praxair (notified Jan. 12/ deadline extended to Aug. 9) SEPT 4 — iPhone maker Apple to acquire UK music streaming service Shazam (notified March 14/deadline extended to Sept. 4 from April 23 after the European Commission opened an in-depth investigation) DEADLINES: The European Commission has 25 working days after a deal is filed for a first-stage review. It may extend that by 10 working days to 35 working days, to consider either a company’s proposed remedies or an EU member state’s request to handle the case. Most mergers win approval but occasionally the Commission opens a detailed second-stage investigation for up to 90 additional working days, which it may extend to 105 working days. SIMPLIFIED: Under the simplified procedure, the Commission announces the clearance of uncontroversial first-stage mergers without giving any reason for its decision. Cases may be reclassified as non-simplified - that is, ordinary first-stage reviews - until they are approved. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee) Our

EU mergers and takeovers (May 3)

May 9 (Reuters) - Golden Minerals Co: * GOLDEN MINERALS ANNOUNCES COMMON STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENTS WITH LINCOLN PARK CAPITAL FUND, LLC * GOLDEN MINERALS CO - LINCOLN PARK CAPITAL FUND, LLC HAS AGREED TO PURCHASE $1.3 MILLION OF COMPANY’S COMMON STOCK AT $0.41 PER SHARE Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

BRIEF-Golden Minerals Announces Common Stock Purchase Agreements With Lincoln Park Capital Fund

Pictures | Tue May 29, 2018 | 8:05am EDT Editors Choice Pictures Volcanic gases rise from the Kilauea lava flow that crossed Pohoiki Road near Highway 132, near Pahoa, Hawai. REUTERS/Marco Garcia Reuters / Tuesday, May 29, 2018 Volcanic gases rise from the Kilauea lava flow that crossed Pohoiki Road near Highway 132, near Pahoa, Hawai. REUTERS/Marco Garcia Close 1 / 24 A soldier is seen after U.S. President Donald Trump attends a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery as part of Memorial Day observance, Arlington, Virginia. REUTERS/Eric Thayer Reuters / Monday, May 28, 2018 A soldier is seen after U.S. President Donald Trump attends a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery as part of Memorial Day observance, Arlington, Virginia. REUTERS/Eric Thayer Close 2 / 24 A demonstrator fires a homemade mortar towards riot police during a protest against Nicaragua's Monday, May 28, 2018 A demonstrator fires a homemade mortar towards riot police during a protest against Nicaragua's 3 / 24 Golden State Warriors center Jordan Bell reacts after a score against the Houston Rockets during the second half of game seven of the Western conference finals. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports Reuters / Tuesday, May 29, 2018 Golden State Warriors center Jordan Bell reacts after a score against the Houston Rockets during the second half of game seven of the Western conference finals. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports Close 4 / 24 A police officer is seen on the scene of a shooting in Liege, Belgium. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir Reuters / Tuesday, May 29, 2018 A police officer is seen on the scene of a shooting in Liege, Belgium. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir Close Lightning illuminates the sky above the Swiss Federal Palace (Bundeshaus) in Bern, Switzerland. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth Reuters / Monday, May 28, 2018 Lightning illuminates the sky above the Swiss Federal Palace (Bundeshaus) in Bern, Switzerland. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth Close Lava shoots out of a fissure Monday, May 28, 2018 Lava shoots out of a fissure Detained Reuters journalist Kyaw Soe Oo leaves in a police vehicle after a court hearing in Yangon, Myanmar. REUTERS/Ann Wang Reuters / Monday, May 28, 2018 Detained Reuters journalist Kyaw Soe Oo leaves in a police vehicle after a court hearing in Yangon, Myanmar. REUTERS/Ann Wang Close 8 / 24 German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets with Mevluede Genc in Dusseldorf, Germany, to mark the 25th anniversary of an arson attack killing two Turkish women and three girls by right-wing extremists in Solingen. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen Reuters / Tuesday, May 29, 2018 German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets with Mevluede Genc in Dusseldorf, Germany, to mark the 25th anniversary of an arson attack killing two Turkish women and three girls by right-wing extremists in Solingen. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen Close 9 / 24 Guests from places within Denmark and Northern Europe sit together at the engagement party of a resident in Mjolnerparken, a housing estate that features on the Danish government's "Ghetto List", in Copenhagen, Denmark. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly Reuters / Tuesday, May 29, 2018 Guests from places within Denmark and Northern Europe sit together at the engagement party of a resident in Mjolnerparken, a housing estate that features on the Danish government's "Ghetto List", in Copenhagen, Denmark. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly Close 10 / 24 Swan and its cygnet are seen in the nest made partly of rubbish from the lake near Queen Louise's Bridge in Copenhagen, Denmark. Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS Reuters / Monday, May 28, 2018 Swan and its cygnet are seen in the nest made partly of rubbish from the lake near Queen Louise's Bridge in Copenhagen, Denmark. Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS Close 11 / 24 Afghan girls read the Koran in a madrasa, or religious school, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Kabul, Afghanistan. REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail Reuters / Monday, May 28, 2018 Afghan girls read the Koran in a madrasa, or religious school, during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Kabul, Afghanistan. REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail Close 12 / 24 French President Emmanuel Macron meets with Mamoudou Gassama, 22, from Mali, at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Mamoudou Gassama living illegally in France is being honored by Macron for scaling an apartment building over the weekend to save a 4-year-old... more Reuters / Monday, May 28, 2018 French President Emmanuel Macron meets with Mamoudou Gassama, 22, from Mali, at the Elysee Palace in Paris. Mamoudou Gassama living illegally in France is being honored by Macron for scaling an apartment building over the weekend to save a 4-year-old child dangling from a fifth-floor balcony. Thibault Camus/Pool via Reuters Close 13 / 24 A devotee prays ahead of Vesak Day at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery in Singapore. REUTERS/Edgar Su Reuters / Monday, May 28, 2018 A devotee prays ahead of Vesak Day at Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery in Singapore. REUTERS/Edgar Su Close Flooding is seen in Ellicott City, Maryland. Todd Marks/via REUTERS Flooding is seen in Ellicott City, Maryland. Todd Marks/via REUTERS Close 15 / 24 Buddhist monks walk around Mendut temple during the practice of Pradakshina ahead of Vesak Day in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. Antara Foto/Hendra Nurdiyansyah/ via REUTERS Buddhist monks walk around Mendut temple during the practice of Pradakshina ahead of Vesak Day in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. Antara Foto/Hendra Nurdiyansyah/ via REUTERS Close Lava approaches Puna Geothermal Venture Monday, May 28, 2018 Lava approaches Puna Geothermal Venture in the Leilani Estates near Pahoa, Hawaii. REUTERS/Marco Garcia Close 17 / 24 Gilberto Gomez and Lidia Gonzalez hold pictures of their daughter Claudia Gomez, a 19-year old Guatemalan immigrant who was shot by an U.S. Border Patrol officer, at their home in San Juan Ostuncalco, Guatemala. REUTERS/Luis Echeverria Gilberto Gomez and Lidia Gonzalez hold pictures of their daughter Claudia Gomez, a 19-year old Guatemalan immigrant who was shot by an U.S. Border Patrol officer, at their home in San Juan Ostuncalco, Guatemala. REUTERS/Luis Echeverria Close 18 / 24 An employee walks past fixing mechanisms for the painting "Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan on November 16, 1581", which was recently damaged after a man attacked it with a metal pole, at the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, Russia. REUTERS/Maxim... more Reuters / Monday, May 28, 2018 An employee walks past fixing mechanisms for the painting "Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan on November 16, 1581", which was recently damaged after a man attacked it with a metal pole, at the State Tretyakov Gallery People play cricket in front of Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland, Britain. REUTERS/Lee Smith Reuters / Monday, May 28, 2018 People play cricket in front of Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland, Britain. REUTERS/Lee Smith Close 20 / 24 Workers construct an art installation entitled The Mastaba, made of plastic barrels, by artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, on the Serpentine Lake, in London. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls Reuters / Monday, May 28, 2018 Workers construct an art installation entitled The Mastaba, made of plastic barrels, by artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, on the Serpentine Lake, in London. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls Close Lava pours into the ocean after crossing Highway 137 near Kapoho, Hawaii. REUTERS/Marco Garcia Reuters / Monday, May 28, 2018 Lava pours into the ocean after crossing Highway 137 near Kapoho, Hawaii. REUTERS/Marco Garcia Close 22 / 24 An attendee reads a newspaper during the 2018 National Memorial Day Parade held by the American Veterans Center, in Washington. REUTERS/Toya Sarno Jordan Reuters / Monday, May 28, 2018 An attendee reads a newspaper during the 2018 National Memorial Day Parade held by the American Veterans Center, in Washington. REUTERS/Toya Sarno Jordan Close People walk on Bamburgh beach in Northumberland, Britain. REUTERS/Lee Smith Reuters / Monday, May 28, 2018 People walk on Bamburgh beach in Northumberland, Britain. REUTERS/Lee Smith Close

Editors Choice Pictures

BERLIN, May 2 (Reuters) - Germany expects the European Union to secure a permanent exemption from U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium after President Donald Trump granted a temporary reprieve, a German government spokesman said on Wednesday. “It is important and it was right that the EU and U.S. have had close talks ... in the last few weeks,” spokesman Steffen Seibert said, adding it was important that this continues. “Our expectation ... is that there will be a permanent exemption for the European Union.” Reporting by Madeline Chambers and Michelle Martin

Germany sees permanent exemption from U.S. tariffs for EU

April 30 (Reuters) - China Development Financial Holding Corp * Says its unit CDIB Capital Group disposes 149.5 million shares of Qisda Corp, at the average price of T$22.954 per share, for T$3.43 billion in total * Gain from the disposition is about T$432.9 million Source text in Chinese: goo.gl/oK9gHf Further company coverage: (Beijing Headline News)

BRIEF-China Development Financial Holding unit disposes stake in Qisda for T$3.43 bln

TOKYO, May 8 (Reuters) - Japanese trading house Mitsubishi Corp on Tuesday reported a 27-percent increase in profit to a record for the last financial year due to stronger coking coal prices, and forecast a 7-percent rise for this year. The company’s net income for the year through March 31 came to 560.17 billion yen ($5.1 billion), compared with its own estimate of 540 billion yen and a mean estimate of 546.54 billion yen among nine analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. The result surpassed its previous highest profit of 471.3 billion yen reached in the year to March, 2008. For the year that started in April, Mitsubishi is forecasting profit of 600 billion yen, above a mean estimate of 568.18 billion yen from nine analysts. ($1 = 109.0600 yen) (Reporting by Yuka Obayashi and Aaron Sheldrick)

Japan's Mitsubishi Corp says annual profit hits record on higher coal prices

COLOMBO, May 18 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan fuel retailer Lanka IOC will be forced to implement its own pricing mechanism to minimise losses if the government fails to implement its proposed fuel price formula, the company said on Friday. The move by Lanka IOC, a subsidiary of India’s IOC, comes after the government failed to increase fuel prices charged by state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corp (CPC) in line with rising global oil prices. On March 24 Lanka IOC raised its prices because of losses incurred after the government’s failure to implement a pricing formula for CPC. Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera last week said that the cabinet has approved a price formula with revisions every two months. The government raised fuel prices last week after Lanka IOC raised its prices. “Cabinet approval is there, but the pricing of petroleum is a very touchy issue across the globe and the same is the case in Sri Lanka,” Lanka IOC’s Managing Director Shyam Bohra told Reuters. “If the proper pricing mechanism is in place, we will follow it. If it is not, then we will have to sell our products at the cost plus what ever actuals are there.” Lanka IOC posted a loss of 755.6 million rupees ($4.79 million) in the year to March 31, against a 3.07 billion rupee profit in the previous year, mainly because of high global oil prices in conjunction with low retail prices for fuel. “Most likely it will be that we will have to have our own prices ... We can’t keep on losing money,” Bohra added. President Maitripala Sirisena’s coalition government, which has pressed ahead with unpopular fiscal reforms since coming to power in 2015, has been hesitant to implement the fuel price formula before local elections. The coalition partners suffered a humiliating loss in local government polls in February. Bohra said the government has yet to inform the company about the new pricing formula and said it should also be transparent for the public. The government had agreed in principle with an International Monetary Fund (IMF) requirement to implement the pricing formula in return for a $1.5 billion three-year loan approved in 2016. The IMF on Thursday said that if the pricing formula is implemented properly, it “would eliminate fuel subsidies that benefit the rich rather than the poor”. “We think that an automatic fuel pricing mechanism marks a major step toward completing the energy pricing reforms that are under way in Sri Lanka, and minimises the fiscal risks,” said Gerry Rice of the IMF’s Communications Department. ($1 = 157.6500 Sri Lankan rupees) (Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez Editing by David Goodman)

Lanka IOC prepared to set own fuel prices to minimise losses

May 16, 2018 / 3:49 PM / Updated 14 minutes ago Lachlan Murdoch to replace brother James as Fox CEO after Disney deal Munsif Vengattil 2 Min Read (Reuters) - Twenty First Century Fox’s ( FOXA.O ) Chief Executive Officer James Murdoch will leave the company and be succeeded by brother Lachlan once the company sells off its TV and film assets to Walt Disney Co ( DIS.N ). FILE PHOTO: 21st Century Fox Executive Co-Chairmen Rupert Murdoch (L) and his son Lachlan attend the first day of the annual Allen and Co. media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho July 8, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Blake James, younger son of the media tycoon Rupert Murdoch, decided months ago that he will pursue an opportunity of his own after quitting Fox, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. Lachlan and Rupert Murdoch will serve as co-chairmen of the new Fox, while current Chief Financial Officer John Nallen will also take the role of chief operating officer. Fox agreed last year to sell the bulk of its film and TV assets to Walt Disney in a $52.4 billion (£38.8 billion) deal. It expects to ask shareholders for approval of the transaction this summer. The company has declined to comment on reports that Comcast Corp ( CMCSA.O ) is preparing a rival all-cash offer for the same Fox assets. The new Fox will house assets including Fox News, Fox Business Network and sports cable networks, the company said. James Murdoch currently serves as chairman of Sky PLC ( SKYB.L ), where he was earlier forced out for four years after a phone-hacking scandal. Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Saumyadeb Chakrabarty

Lachlan Murdoch to be CEO of new Fox after Disney deal

May 8 (Reuters) - Exchange Income Corp: * ORATION CONTINUES STRONG FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2018 * QTRLY CONSOLIDATED REVENUE WAS $266.0 MILLION, UP 20% * Q1 EARNINGS PER SHARE VIEW C$0.35, REVENUE VIEW C$259.2 MILLION — THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

BRIEF-Exchange Income Corp Reports Q1 Basic Earnings Per Share C$0.27

April 30 (Reuters) - Leeds Group PLC: * UPDATE MARKET ON ITS EXPECTATIONS FOR FINANCIAL YEAR ENDING 31 MAY 2018 * TRADING PERFORMANCE OF OPERATING SUBSIDIARIES IN SECOND HALF OF YEAR HAS BEEN BELOW BOARD’S EXPECTATIONS * GROUP PROFIT BEFORE TAX FOR FULL YEAR IS THEREFORE EXPECTED TO BE BELOW BOARD’S EXPECTATIONS FOR CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: ([email protected])

BRIEF-Leeds Group Sees FY Group Profit Before Tax To Be Below Board's Expectations

Gary Sanchez highlighted a four-hit showing by hitting two solo homers as the New York Yankees beat the host Kansas City Royals 8-3 Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium. Sanchez recorded his 10th career two-homer game by connecting in the seventh inning off Burch Smith and in the ninth off Blaine Boyer. He also added an RBI double and singled for his second career four-hit game. Gleyber Torres hit a tiebreaking three-run home run off Danny Duffy (1-6), Giancarlo Stanton hit a mammoth solo homer and Aaron Hicks hit an inside-the-park homer as the Yankees won for the 20th time in 24 games and hit five homers for the first time since June 10 against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. It was the first time since Aug. 14, 2010, that the Yankees homered five times in Kansas City. Hicks became the first Yankee to hit multiple inside-the-park homers in a season since Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle did it in 1958 off Pedro Ramos, Dick Donavan and Early Wynn. He also became the first player to hit multiple inside-the-park homers before the end of May since former Royal Brian McRae in 1991. Hicks is the sixth Yankee to hit at least two inside-the-park homers in a season. His other inside-the-park homer occurred April 13 at Detroit. Luis Severino (7-1) won his fifth straight decision despite laboring at times. He allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings. Ryan Goins hit an RBI double while Jorge Soler and Mike Moustakas hit run-scoring singles as Kansas City lost for the sixth time in seven games. Kansas City’s Danny Duffy (1-6) allowed five runs and seven hits in four innings. The Yankees took a 1-0 lead when Hicks opened the game with a single, advanced on Stanton’s flyout and scored on Sanchez’s double. Hicks made it 2-0 when his fly ball bounced off the top of the right field wall and Soler fell chasing the ball as it caromed towards center field. After rounding third, Hicks scored standing up. Kansas City made it 2-1 when Alcides Escobar led off the third with a single and easily scored on Goins’ double down the left field line. The Royals tied the game on Soler’s bloop single up the middle. New York regained the lead when Torres sent Duffy’s 1-2 slider 407 feet into a seating area above the bullpen well beyond the left field fence with nobody out in the fourth. Moustakas made it 5-3 with a single in the fifth. One pitch later, Salvador Perez doubled off the left field wall, but Moustakas was tagged out by Sanchez on the headfirst slide and replay upheld the call. After finishing the defensive play, Sanchez made it 6-3 by lifting Smith’s 0-2 curveball over the left field fence. Stanton made it 7-3 by reaching the fountains when he hammered Boyer’s 1-0 curveball over the left-center field fence. Three pitches later, Sanchez homered into the left-center field seats by depositing a 2-1 fastball over the wall. —Field Level Media

Sanchez slugs 2 of Yanks' 5 HRs in rout of Royals

May 7, 2018 / 1:39 AM / in 3 hours Venezuela slams 'supremacist policies' of Pompeo, Trump 'regime' Reuters Staff 2 Min Read CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela on Sunday slammed comments by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the government of President Nicolas Maduro, denouncing “supremacist policies” and aggression by the “regime of Donald Trump.” Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela May 6, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins In a speech on Friday, Pompeo said that “a dictator today in Venezuela cripples his economy and starves his people,” and urged the State Department help to those who flee the crisis-stricken country. “Mr. Pompeo shows false concern for the reality of Venezuela, while hiding the perverse effects of the unilateral coercive measures of his government,” Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement, referring to financial sanctions levied against Venezuela by the Trump government. It said Trump’s government “has launched erratic manoeuvres, typical of the arrogance and despair of imperialist politics, after having failed once and again in the face of the will of a free and independent people.” Close to 1 million people left Venezuela between 2015 and 2017, according to U.N. figures, to escape the rising incidence of malnutrition and preventable diseases as a result of the collapse of the country’s socialist economic system. Maduro blames the situation on U.S. sanctions and an “economic war” waged by the opposition. He is up for re-election on May 20 in a vote that is being boycotted by the opposition’s main coalition, which calls it a sham. Opposition politician Henri Falcon is breaking the boycott and will stand against Maduro. Reporting by Deisy Buitrago; Writing by Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Sandra Maler

Venezuela slams 'supremacist policies' of Pompeo, Trump 'regime'

May 15, 2018 / 11:15 PM / Updated 21 hours ago Trump scraps cyber czar post after first appointee leaves: White House Reuters Staff 2 Min Read WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House has eliminated the position of cyber security coordinator after President Donald Trump’s first appointee for the job departed last week, a spokesman for the National Security Council confirmed on Tuesday. U.S. President Donald Trump walks to Marine One to depart for Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to visit first lady Melania Trump after she had kidney surgery from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., May 14, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis “Today’s actions continue an effort to empower National Security Council Senior Directors. Streamlining management will improve efficiency, reduce bureaucracy and increase accountability,” NSC spokesman Robert Palladino said in a statement replying to a question about the role’s elimination. The NSC’s two senior cyber policy directors sit near one another so will be able to coordinate matters in real time, Palladino said. Politico first reported earlier on Tuesday that the position had been scrapped, citing an email from an aide to national security adviser John Bolton that was sent to NSC employees, and provided to the newspaper by a former U.S. official. Rob Joyce, Trump’s first coordinator, left the White House on Friday and planned to return to the National Security Agency where he had worked previously. His expected departure was announced in April. The position was established during the administration of President Barack Obama and was aimed at harmonizing government policy on cybersecurity and digital warfare. Cyber policy experts, legislators and former officials had urged Trump to replace Joyce and not abolish the position. “I don’t see how getting rid of the top cyber official in the White House does anything to make our country safer from cyber threats,” Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence committee, said in a Twitter post on Tuesday. Politico reported last week that Bolton was trying to eliminate the top cyber policy role. Joyce’s departure follows that of his boss, Tom Bossert, who oversaw his work on cyber security and was pushed out of the administration last month. The White House has seen a raft of departures since Bolton began his new role in April. Reporting by Eric Walsh; Editing by Cynthia Osterman

Trump scraps cyber czar post after first appointee leaves: White House

May 21, 2018 / 3:40 PM / Updated 2 hours ago Golf - New world tour with massive prize money proposed Andrew Both 5 Min Read (Reuters) - A new global golf circuit is being planned, multiple sources have confirmed to Reuters, in what would be the biggest upheaval in the professional game in decades. FILE PHOTO: Tiger Woods of the U.S. stands on the 12th green during a practice round ahead of the British Open Championship at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, northern England July 15, 2014. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth/File Photo To be named the World Golf Series, the circuit proposed by the British-based World Golf Group has been in the planning stages for more than a year. The group hopes to stage 15-to-20 yearly tournaments around the world, each offering a purse of close to $20 million (15 million pounds), according to sources familiar with the plans. Such a figure would dwarf the prize money currently on offer on the game’s richest circuit, the U.S. PGA Tour, whose biggest purse this season is $11 million. Several blue-chip sponsors are believed to be on board for the World Golf Series if top players can be signed. Organisers, however, are understandably reluctant to release details while they are still in the sensitive negotiation phase with agents, players, sponsors and television companies. “It would not be appropriate to make a comment at this time,” the World Golf Group, whose Chief Commercial Officer is Richard Marsh, said in an email to Reuters. A leading player says he and other top professionals are aware of the proposal. “Why would you not be interested — 18 tournaments for $20 million?” the player, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters. But the new tour faces major hurdles, not least that it is likely to meet staunch opposition from the PGA Tour, which will hardly be pleased by the prospect of a rival circuit siphoning off its best and most marketable talent. The new tour is also unlikely to be sanctioned for world ranking points, which could on its own make it a non-starter. Ranking points are used to determine eligibility for the four major championships, which are not run by the PGA Tour. Player contracts are also dependent on their world ranking. “Every player’s deal is centred around world ranking points,” leading British agent Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler, who is aware of the proposed World Golf Series, told Reuters. “This series will never get world ranking points, so it will cost people money in the end. I think there are a lot of obstacles to get over. “The cards are stacked against them if they don’t get six of the world’s top 10 players to sign up.” The series sounds eerily similar to the world tour proposed by then-number one Greg Norman more than two decades ago — a plan that went nowhere after the PGA Tour played hardball. It divided and conquered by issuing an “us or them” ultimatum, threatening to scrap the membership of any player who signed up for the doomed venture. HARDBALL AGAIN The PGA Tour will likely play hardball again to try to see off a threat to its near monopoly on the world’s best talent. “I’m sure the (PGA) tour would be concerned,” the player who spoke to Reuters said, adding that just because Norman’s proposed tour never got off the ground did not mean this one would suffer the same fate. “I’m not sure what they did with (Norman’s tour), but these are different times.” But another comment by the same player suggested the World Golf Series is having trouble getting its plans to come together. “At first I heard it was going to get off the ground in 2019, then it was 2020, and now it’s 2021,” he said. Chandler raised the intriguing question of whether the European Tour might be more interested in playing ball with the World Golf Group than its American counterpart. The European Tour plays for much smaller prize money than the American one, struggling to attract top players to many of its events. Thus, it has more incentive to consider new ventures and business partners. While Chandler was happy to talk about the World Golf Series, another agent was more tight-lipped. “I’d prefer not to comment on it,” Jay Danzi, agent of three-times major champion Jordan Spieth, told Reuters, in perhaps an indication of the sensitivity of the topic. If the participation of players such as Spieth is crucial, one name looms as even more important. “The critical figure could be Tiger Woods,” Chandler said of the 42-year-old American former world number one, who remains the game’s most marketable figure. But Woods, a decade after winning his 14th and last major title, has off-course income of about $50 million, so the prize money from the World Golf Series is unlikely to be enough on its own to entice him. As the end of his playing days looms, Woods can also look forward to receiving millions from his PGA Tour retirement plan, another reason not to rock the boat. Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina, editing by Ed Osmond

Golf - New world tour with massive prize money proposed

CONCORD, Mass., May 07, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Technical Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:TCCO) today announced its results for the three and six month periods ended March 31, 2018. For the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Company reported a net loss of $(313,000), or $(0.17) per share, on revenue of $930,000, compared to net income of $128,000, or $0.07 per share, on revenue of $1,385,000 for the quarter ended April 1, 2017. For the six months ended March 31, 2018, the Company reported a net loss of $(365,000), or $(0.20) per share, on revenue of $2,046,000, compared to a net loss of $(567,000), or $(0.31) per share, on revenue of $2,017,000 for the six months ended April 1, 2017. Commenting on corporate performance, Carl H. Guild, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of TCC, said, “During the Company’s second quarter ended March 31, 2018, we did not achieve our desired financial performance for fiscal 2018. Several international opportunities have made significant progress but have not yet closed due to delays in the evaluation and procurement process. TCC’s products go through rigorous field and laboratory testing, which ensures that all customer requirements are met prior to procurement. We expect that some customer evaluations will be completed during the next quarter, thereby allowing associated procurements to proceed.” “TCC is committed to returning to profitability over the remainder of fiscal 2018. We continue to closely monitor and reduce operating expenses as appropriate, while strategically investing in business development efforts, developing productive relationships and expanding our sales channel network.” About Technical Communications Corporation For over 50 years, TCC has specialized in superior-grade secure communications systems and customized solutions, supporting our CipherONE ® best-in-class criteria, to protect highly sensitive voice, data and video transmitted over a wide range of networks. Government entities, military agencies and corporate enterprises in 115 countries have selected TCC's proven security to protect their communications. Learn more: www.tccsecure.com . Statements made in this press release or as may otherwise be incorporated by reference herein constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements regarding anticipated operating results, future earnings, and the ability to achieve growth and profitability. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including but not limited to the effect of foreign political unrest; domestic and foreign government policies and economic conditions; future changes in export laws or regulations; changes in technology; the ability to hire, retain and motivate technical, management and sales personnel; the risks associated with the technical feasibility and market acceptance of new products; changes in telecommunications protocols; the effects of changing costs, exchange rates and interest rates; and the Company's ability to secure adequate capital resources. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For a more detailed discussion of the risks facing the Company, see the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Quarterly Report on Form 10Q for the quarter ended December 30, 2017 and its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017 and the “Risk Factors” section included therein. Technical Communications Corporation Condensed consolidated statements of operations Quarter Ended (Unaudited) 03/31/2018 04/01/2017 Net sales $ 930,000 $ 1,385,000 Gross profit 351,000 1,147,000 S, G & A expense 531,000 545,000 Product development costs 135,000 477,000 Operating (loss) income (315,000 ) 125,000 Net (loss) income (313,000 ) 128,000 Net (loss) income per share: Basic $ (0.17 ) $ 0.07 Diluted $ (0.17 ) $ 0.07 Six Months Ended (Unaudited) 03/31/2018 04/01/2017 Net sales $ 2,046,000 $ 2,017,000 Gross profit 923,000 1,590,000 S, G & A expense 991,000 1,191,000 Product development costs 301,000 971,000 Operating loss (369,000 ) (572,000 ) Net loss (365,000 ) (567,000 ) Net loss per share: Basic $ (0.20 ) $ (0.31 ) Diluted $ (0.20 ) $ (0.31 ) Condensed consolidated balance sheets 03/31/2018 09/30/2017 (Unaudited) (derived from audited financial statements) Cash and marketable securities $ 1,543,000 $ 1,657,000 Accounts receivable - trade 316,000 730,000 Inventory, net 1,475,000 1,358,000 Other current assets 140,000 136,000 Total current assets 3,474,000 3,881,000 Property and equipment, net 63,000 54,000 Total assets $ 3,537,000 $ 3,935,000 Accounts payable $ 80,000 $ 109,000 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 345,000 326,000 Total current liabilities 425,000 435,000 Total stockholders’ equity 3,112,000 3,500,000 Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 3,537,000 $ 3,935,000 Technical Communications Corporation 100 Domino Drive Concord, MA 01742 – 2892 Michael P. Malone Chief Financial Officer (978) 287-5100 www.tccsecure.com Source:Technical Communications Corporation

Technical Communications Corporation Reports Results for the Three and Six Months Ended March 31, 2018

May 4 (Reuters) - FINANSINSPEKTIONEN: * SAYS JF ASSET MANAGEMENT AB SELLS SHARES IN SPORTAMORE AB (PUBL) REDUCING SHAREHOLDING TO 0.3 PERCENT OF SHARES IN SPORTAMORE Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: (Gdynia Newsroom)

BRIEF-Jf Asset Management Cuts Shareholding In Sportamore To 0.3 Pct Of Shares

May 29, 2018 / 10:45 AM / Updated 8 minutes ago Brazil's Oi reports strong first quarter as financial receipts soar Reuters Staff 1 Min Read SAO PAULO, May 29 (Reuters) - Brazilian telephone carrier Oi SA reported on Tuesday a consolidated net profit of 30.54 billion reais ($8.2 billion) for the first quarter, reversing a 3.69 billion real loss in the same period a year ago. The loss stemmed from the accounting impact of financial receipts under the company’s debt reorganization agreement. The company, in a securities filing, also reported 27.58 billion reais in other financial receipts in the first quarter, after the renovation of credit lines under the agreement, which was approved by creditors last year and is in the process of being implemented. $1 = 3.7356 reais Reporting by Ana Mano; Editing by Susan Fenton

Brazil's Oi reports strong first quarter as financial receipts soar

KABUL (Reuters) - Insurgents have killed at least 86 people lining up to enroll to vote during a registration drive in Afghanistan, the United Nations said on Thursday, describing the violence as a reminder of the need to press on with efforts to bring peace. Afghanistan’s government launched a nationwide drive last month to issue identification cards to more than 14 million adults, to pave the way for long-delayed parliamentary and provincial council elections in October. Violence during the first phase of the voter registration process has highlighted the government’s struggle to protect voters. The UN report said insurgents had abducted 26 people during election-related attacks. One hundred eighty-five people were wounded. “Elections-related violence should remind everyone that efforts toward peace in Afghanistan cannot be set aside,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN Secretary-General’s special representative for Afghanistan. The deadliest attack on the election took place last month, when a suicide bomber blew himself up near a crowd lined up outside a voter registration center in Kabul, killing 60 people. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on a project of key importance to the credibility of President Ashraf Ghani’s government, which has been under international pressure to ensure the parliamentary polls take place this year. The Taliban, who have also launched their annual spring offensive, have already made it clear that they will target the election. The UN report said fighters had threatened to kill election staff or cut off their fingers if they continue their work on the vote. Teachers have been warned that their schools will be targeted if they are used for voter registration. Some Afghans have expressed concern that biometric stickers fixed into identity cards when people register could be used by the Taliban in remote areas to target those intending to vote. The election commission is under pressure to register and issue millions of new identity cards by the autumn to ensure credible participation levels in the polls. Afghan security forces have launched operations to drive the Taliban back and promise people will be able to vote in safety. Editing by Peter Graff

U.N. says scores killed during Afghanistan voter registration drive

May 10, 2018 / 5:24 PM / Updated 16 minutes ago UAE's Dana Gas close to sukuk restructuring agreement with creditors - sources Reuters Staff 2 Min Read DUBAI, May 10 (Reuters) - United Arab Emirates energy producer Dana Gas is close to reaching agreement on restructuring $700 million in Islamic bonds, potentially ending a complex and protracted legal battle with its creditors, sources familiar with the matter said. Dana Gas last year halted payments on its sukuk, saying the bonds had become unlawful because of changes in Islamic finance. Holders of the sukuk contest its position and are demanding to be paid back. While legal proceedings are continuing in British and United Arab Emirates courts, talks to find an out-of-court settlement have so far failed to find a resolution. But the company and a committee of creditors are now very close to an agreement, the sources said. Both a Dana Gas spokesperson and a spokesperson for the creditors’ committee declined to comment. The proposed restructuring terms would see Dana pay 20 percent of the bonds and roll the rest of the security amount into three-year bonds with a 4 percent profit rate. The new bonds would have no convertible option, which was a feature of part of the contested $700 million sukuk. The new terms are still being discussed and no agreement has been signed, said one of the sources close to the matter, adding the parties could still walk away from the potential deal. In a previous proposal, Dana offered to redeem 10 percent of the sukuk in cash and to roll over the remaining 90 percent over four years at an annual profit rate of 4 percent. It also offered to buy back up to half of the bonds at a 15 percent discount, sources told Reuters in February. That proposal was rejected by the creditors’ committee, advised by investment bank Moelis. (Reporting by Davide Barbuscia; Editing by Mark Potter)

UAE's Dana Gas close to sukuk restructuring agreement with creditors - sources

CHANTILLY, Va., May 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Engility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EGL) today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 30, 2018. CEO Commentary "We had a successful first quarter as we exceeded revenue and bookings expectations and recorded profit that was consistent with our full-year guidance," said Lynn Dugle, Chairman, President and CEO of Engility. "We are effectively executing our strategy to protect our base, grow existing contracts and deliver tool-enabled solutions to expand into new markets. We are excited about the future given the quality of our pipeline, an improving federal budget environment and the internal investments we are making to achieve organic growth in 2019." First Quarter 2018 Results Total revenue for the first quarter of 2018 was $477 million. GAAP operating income was $27 million and GAAP operating margin was 5.8%. GAAP net income attributable to Engility was $6 million, or $0.17 per diluted share. GAAP net income attributable to Engility includes $10 million, or $0.28 per diluted share, of debt repricing, income taxes and non-core operating costs. Cash taxes paid in the first quarter of 2018 were $0.3 million. These costs are outlined in the non-GAAP financial information provided in the tables included herein. EBITDA was $39 million and EBITDA margin was 8.1%. Adjusted operating income was $35 million and adjusted operating margin was 7.4%. Adjusted EBITDA was $40 million and adjusted EBITDA margin was 8.4%. The company also closed on the repricing of its aggregate $703 million B1 and B2 term loans during the first quarter of 2018. As a result of this transaction, the company lowered the interest rates on both term loans by 50 basis points and increased the capacity on its revolving loan facility by $25 million. Information about the Company's use of non-GAAP financial information is provided below under "Non-GAAP Measures." Key Performance Indicators Book-to-bill ratio for the first quarter of 2018 was 0.9x on net bookings of $440 million. Trailing twelve-month book-to-bill ratio was 0.9x on net bookings of $1.8 billion. Total estimated contract value at the end of the first quarter of 2018 was $3.4 billion, consistent with the value at the end of 2017. Days sales outstanding, net of advanced payments, was 61 days at the end of the first quarter of 2018, compared to 60 days at the end of the first quarter of 2017. Cash flows generated from operating activities for the first quarter of 2018 was $6 million, compared to cash used of $12 million for first quarter of 2017. During the first quarter of 2018, the company made total debt payments of $20 million. Key First Quarter 2018 Contract Awards Awarded an $85 million Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Code AIR-4.1—Systems Engineering Department recompete contract. Under this contract, the company will provide systems engineering assessment of cost, schedule, emerging technology and maturity of design for all NAVAIR acquisition programs in support of the NAVAIR Systems Engineering Department. Awarded three significant sole-source contacts with the U.S. intelligence community totaling $76 million. The company will perform classified intelligence analysis, cybersecurity and systems engineering efforts. Obtained a position for new work on the recently awarded Mission Systems Operations Contract. This further expands the company's work at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and enables us to establish new relationships and enhance existing ones. Recent Developments In April 2018, awarded a $90 million SeaPort-e® task order to support the U.S. Navy's tactical afloat and submarine local area networks. Engility's cybersecurity, software and systems engineering expertise will continue to help the Navy field their next generation tactical afloat networks. In April 2018, launched MetaSift™, a highly-versatile data analytics integration platform developed specifically to help the intelligence and defense communities better find actionable information in huge amounts of data. Built on an open architecture, the platform uses source-agnostic tools to ingest, manage and quickly retrieve data. Fiscal Year 2018 Guidance The company is reiterating the fiscal year 2018 guidance it first issued on March 1, 2018, based on Engility's financial results for the first quarter of 2018 and its current outlook for the remainder of 2018. The table below summarizes the company's fiscal year 2018 guidance. Fiscal Year 2018 Guidance Revenue $1.83 billion - $1.91 billion GAAP Diluted EPS (1) $0.81 - $0.91 EBITDA $160 million - $170 million Operating Cash Flow $100 million - $110 million (1) 2018 GAAP diluted EPS guidance includes approximately $25 million of amortization expense related to intangible assets acquired by the company. It also assumes diluted weighted-average outstanding shares of approximately 38 million and a full-year effective tax rate of approximately 25 percent. Non-GAAP Measures The tables under "Engility Holdings, Inc. Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures" present Adjusted Operating Income, Adjusted Operating Margin, Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization ("EBITDA"), Adjusted EBITDA, EBITDA Margin, and Adjusted EBITDA Margin, reconciled to their most directly comparable GAAP measure. These financial measures are calculated and presented on the basis of methodologies other than in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("Non-GAAP Measures"). Engility has provided these Non-GAAP Measures to adjust for, among other things, the impact of amortization expenses related to our acquisitions of TASC, Inc. and Dynamics Research Corporation, costs associated with a loss or gain on the disposal or sale of property, plant and equipment, acquisition, restructuring and related expenses, legal and settlement costs, refinancing-related expenses, and the impact of certain tax related items. These items have been adjusted because they are not considered core to the company's business or otherwise not considered operational or because these charges are non-cash or non-recurring. The company presents these Non-GAAP Measures because management believes that they are meaningful to understanding Engility's performance during the periods presented and the company's ongoing business. Non-GAAP Measures are not prepared in accordance with GAAP and therefore are not necessarily comparable to similarly titled metrics or the financial results of other companies. These Non-GAAP Measures should be considered a supplement to, not a substitute for, or superior to, the corresponding financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. With respect to our "Fiscal Year 2018 Guidance" above, reconciliation of EBITDA guidance to the closest corresponding GAAP measure on a forward-looking basis is not available without unreasonable efforts. We are unable to reconcile EBITDA to net income due to our inability to predict certain non-cash items included in net income, including taxes and timing of potential restructuring charges. The disclosure of such reconciliations may imply to our investors a degree of precision in our calculations that is not possible. For the same reasons, the company is unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information. Conference Call Information Engility at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on May 2, 2018 (today), to discuss the financial results for its first quarter 2018. Listeners may access a webcast of the live conference call from the Investor Relations section of the company's website at http://www.engility.com . Listeners also may access a slide presentation on the website, which summarizes the company's first quarter 2018 results. Listeners should go to the website at least 15 minutes before the live event to download and install any necessary audio software. Listeners also may participate in the conference call by dialing (888) 655-5029 (domestic) or (503) 343-6026 (international) and entering pass code 2791259. A replay will be available on the company's website approximately two hours after the conference call and continuing for one year. A telephonic replay also will be available through May 9, 2018 at (855) 859-2056 (domestic) or (404) 537-3406 (international) and entering pass code 2791259. About Engility Engility (NYSE: EGL), a $2 billion technology leader, has thousands of employees around the world working to make a difference. Our history of delivering results for the defense, federal civilian, intelligence and space industries spans more than 60 years. We provide leading-edge solutions and services on Earth, in space and across cyber by leveraging expertise in systems engineering & integration, high performance computing, cybersecurity, readiness & training, enterprise modernization and mission operations support. To learn more about us, please visit www.engility.com and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding Engility's future prospects, projected financial results, estimated integration costs and acquisition related amortization expenses and business plans. Words such as "may," "will," "should," "likely," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates" and similar expressions are also used to identify these . These statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of Engility's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the . Factors that could cause Engility's actual results to those described in the can be found under the heading "Risk Factors" included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and more recent documents that have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and are available on the investor relations section of Engility's website ( http://www.engility.com ) and on the SEC's website ( www.sec.gov ). Forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise the , whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. In addition, historical information should not be considered as an indicator of future performance. Media: Scott Fazekas Engility Holdings, Inc. (703) 984-5068 [email protected] Investor Relations: Dave Spille Engility Holdings, Inc. (703) 984-6120 [email protected] ENGILITY HOLDINGS, INC. UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (in thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended March 30, 2018 March 31, 2017 Revenue $ 476,560 $ 485,215 Costs and expenses Cost of revenue 412,022 415,023 Selling, general and administrative expenses 37,075 36,506 Total costs and expenses 449,097 451,529 Operating income 27,463 33,686 Interest expense, net 19,378 20,921 Other expenses (income), net (142) 7 Income before provision for income taxes 8,227 12,758 Provision for income taxes 1,639 5,010 Net income 6,588 7,748 Less: Net income attributable to non-controlling interest 99 815 Net income attributable to Engility $ 6,489 $ 6,933 Earnings per share attributable to Engility Basic $ 0.18 $ 0.19 Diluted $ 0.17 $ 0.18 Weighted average number of shares outstanding Basic 36,853 36,781 Diluted 37,457 37,766 ENGILITY HOLDINGS, INC. UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands) March 30, December 31, 2018 2017 Assets: Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 22,172 $ 41,890 Accounts receivables, net 101,183 108,100 Unbilled receivables 249,300 222,994 Other current assets 19,646 19,681 Total current assets 392,301 392,665 Property, plant and equipment, net 42,153 44,006 Goodwill 1,071,371 1,071,371 Identifiable intangible assets, net 353,288 361,410 Deferred tax assets 147,124 150,535 Other assets 5,151 6,021 Total assets $ 2,011,388 $ 2,026,008 Liabilities and Equity: Current liabilities: Current portion of long-term debt $ 25,260 $ 26,947 Accounts payable, trade 52,392 52,954 Accrued employment costs 92,975 77,545 Accrued expenses 70,378 74,856 Advance payments and billings in excess of costs incurred 27,833 30,380 Income tax liabilities 261 548 Other current liabilities 15,755 26,688 Total current liabilities 284,854 289,918 Long-term debt 922,465 938,687 Income tax liabilities 61,133 62,219 Other liabilities 58,877 59,079 Total liabilities 1,327,329 1,349,903 Equity: Preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share, 25,000 shares authorized, none issued or outstanding as of March 30, 2018 or December 31, 2017 — — Common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 175,000 shares authorized, 36,955 and 36,822 shares issued and outstanding as of March 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively 370 368 Additional paid-in capital 1,245,262 1,244,940 Accumulated deficit (568,360) (576,019) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (2,855) (3,805) Total equity attributable to Engility 674,417 665,484 Non-controlling interest 9,642 10,621 Total equity 684,059 676,105 Total liabilities and equity $ 2,011,388 $ 2,026,008 ENGILITY HOLDINGS, INC. UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (in thousands) Three Months Ended March 30, 2018 March 31, 2017 Operating activities: Net income $ 6,588 $ 7,748 Share-based compensation 2,183 1,637 Depreciation and amortization 11,137 10,861 Loss (gain) on sale of property, plant and equipment 3 (570) Loss on extinguishment of debt 253 — Amortization of bank debt fees 1,920 2,133 Deferred income taxes 2,519 6,319 Excess tax deduction on share-based compensation 146 (416) Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Receivables (13,906) (21,122) Other assets (4,126) 130 Accounts payable, trade (539) 7,811 Accrued employment costs 15,429 (8,122) Accrued expenses (5,057) (3,144) Advance payments and billings in excess of costs incurred (2,547) 816 Other liabilities (8,191) (16,474) Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 5,812 (12,393) Investing activities: Proceeds from sale of business, net of amount placed in escrow (1,900) 23,005 Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment — 2,902 Capital expenditures (608) (1,505) Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (2,508) 24,402 Financing activities: Repayment of long-term debt (20,038) (32,336) Gross borrowings from revolving credit facility 60,000 129,000 Gross repayments of revolving credit facility (60,000) (129,000) Debt issuance costs (45) — Payment of employee withholding taxes on share-based compensation (1,861) (41) Dividends paid — (407) Distributions to non-controlling interest member (1,078) (2,586) Net cash used in financing activities (23,022) (35,370) Net change in cash and cash equivalents (19,718) (23,361) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 41,890 48,236 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 22,172 $ 24,875 ENGILITY HOLDINGS, INC. RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP MEASURES The following tables set forth a reconciliation of each of these Non-GAAP Measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measure for the periods presented. Adjusted Operating Income and Adjusted Operating Margin (dollars in thousands) Three Months Ended March 30, 2018 March 31, 2017 Net income $ 6,588 $ 7,748 Provision for income taxes (1) 1,639 5,010 Other expenses (income), net (142) 7 Interest expense, net (2) 19,378 20,921 Operating income 27,463 33,686 Adjustments Acquisition, restructuring and related expenses, excluding amortization 1,432 1,403 Acquisition-related intangible amortization 6,334 6,335 Loss on sale of business and property, plant and equipment, net 3 (570) Total adjustments 7,769 7,168 Adjusted operating income $ 35,232 $ 40,854 Operating margin 5.8 % 6.9 % Adjusted operating margin 7.4 % 8.4 % (1) Cash paid for income taxes for the three months ended March 30, 2018 and March 31, 2017 was $251 and $203, respectively. (2) Interest expense, net, included refinancing-related expenses of $1,918 and $1,692 for the three months ended March 30, 2018 and March 31, 2017, respectively. Supplemental: For the three months ended March 30, 2018 and March 31, 2017, the impacts to GAAP net income attributable to Engility from the provision for income taxes and the adjustments noted in the above table were $9 million and $12 million, respectively. These results have not been adjusted for cash taxes paid or refinancing-related expenses as noted in footnote 1 and footnote 2, respectively. ENGILITY HOLDINGS, INC. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) and Adjusted EBITDA (dollars in thousands) Three Months Ended March 30, 2018 March 31, 2017 Net income $ 6,588 $ 7,748 Interest, taxes, and depreciation and amortization Interest expense 19,378 20,921 Provision for income taxes 1,639 5,010 Depreciation and amortization 11,137 10,861 EBITDA 38,742 44,540 Adjustments to EBITDA Acquisition, restructuring and related expenses, excluding amortization 1,432 1,403 Loss on sale of business and property, plant and equipment, net 3 (570) Adjusted EBITDA $ 40,177 $ 45,373 EBITDA Margin 8.1 % 9.2 % Adjusted EBITDA Margin 8.4 % 9.4 % View original content with multimedia: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/engility-reports-first-quarter-2018-results-300640548.html SOURCE Engility

Engility Reports First Quarter 2018 Results

LONDON (Reuters) - Uber [UBER.UL] said it will provide more information in the coming weeks on how it plans to stop diesel using cars in London and of a proposed scrappage scheme, as the court date nears for the taxi app to defend its right to operate in London nears. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Uber is seen on an iPad, during a news conference to announce Uber resumes ride-hailing service, in Taipei, Taiwan April 13, 2017. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo The Silicon Valley firm said in September it will stop using diesel cars in London by the end of 2019 and that the vast majority of rides will be in electric or hybrid vehicles by then. “In the coming weeks we’ll set out more details of our plan to get thousands of diesel cars off the road as we aim to go fully electric in London by 2025,” said Uber’s UK general manager Tom Elvidge. Shortly after September’s diesel announcement, Uber was deemed unfit to run a taxi service by London’s regulator Transport for London (TfL) and was stripped of its licence. Elvidge said the firm had made mistakes. “TfL’s decision soon became the latest wake-up call for a company that had grown incredibly quickly but still needed to grow up,” he added in a statement. Its appeal will be heard at the end of June. Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Stephen Addison

Uber will soon detail plan to stop using diesel cars in London

President Trump: 'I would love to' talk to special counsel Robert Mueller, but the Russia probe is an unfair 'witch hunt' Published 4 Hours Ago The Associated Press Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images President Donald Trump speaks to the press before making his way to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on May 4, 2018 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump says he would "love to" speak to special counsel Robert Mueller in the Russia probe but tells reporters he wants to ensure he'd be "treated fairly." Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn on Friday, Trump again expressed interest in consenting to an interview. The president says, "I would love to go. Nothing I want to do more." But he says he needs to "find that we're going to be treated fairly because everybody sees it now and it's a pure witch hunt." Trump's comments come as he is now being advised by former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani . Giuliani has warned Trump against sitting down for an interview with Mueller and has suggested the president needs to place limits on his level of co-operation.

Trump says he'd 'love to' talk to Mueller, wants fairness

May 23 (Reuters) - Williams-Sonoma Inc: * WILLIAMS-SONOMA INC REPORTS STRONG FIRST QUARTER 2018 RESULTS * Q1 NON-GAAP EARNINGS PER SHARE $0.67 * Q1 GAAP EARNINGS PER SHARE $0.54 * Q1 REVENUE $1.203 BILLION VERSUS I/B/E/S VIEW $1.16 BILLION * QTRLY COMPARABLE BRAND REVENUE GROWTH OF 5.5 PCT * Q1 EARNINGS PER SHARE VIEW $0.58 — THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S * RAISES 2018 FULL-YEAR GUIDANCE * SEES FY 2018 REVENUE $5,495 MILLION TO $5,655 MILLION * SEES FY 2018 NON-GAAP EARNINGS PER SHARE $4.15 TO $4.25 * FY2019 EARNINGS PER SHARE VIEW $4.18, REVENUE VIEW $5.57 BILLION — THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S * MERCHANDISE INVENTORIES AT END OF Q1 2018 INCREASED 1.5 PCT TO $1.053 BILLION FROM $1.037 BILLION AT END OF Q1 2017 * SEES Q2 TOTAL NET REVENUES $1,250 MILLION - $1,275 MILLION * SEES Q2 COMPARABLE BRAND REVENUE GROWTH 3 PCT - 5 PCT * SEES Q2 NON-GAAP DILUTED EPS $0.65 - $0.70 * Q2 EARNINGS PER SHARE VIEW $0.67, REVENUE VIEW $1.24 BILLION — THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S * SEES FY 2018 COMPARABLE BRAND REVENUE GROWTH 2 PCT - 5 PCT * SEES FY 2018 CAPITAL SPENDING $200 MILLION - $220 MILLION Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

BRIEF-Williams-Sonoma Posts Qtrly Earnings Per Share $0.54

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) (Euronext Paris: IFF), a leading innovator of sensory experiences that move the world, announced that it will release its first quarter 2018 earnings results following the market close on Monday, May 7, 2018. The management team will host a live webcast on Tuesday, May 8, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. ET to discuss results and outlook with the investor community. Investors may access the live webcast and accompanying slide presentation on the Company's website at ir.iff.com . For those unable to listen to the live webcast, a recorded version will be made available for replay. Meet IFF International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) (Euronext Paris: IFF) is a leading innovator of sensorial experiences that move the world. At the heart of our company, we are fueled by a sense of discovery, constantly asking “what if?”. That passion for exploration drives us to co-create unique products that consumers taste, smell, or feel in beloved foods and beverages, iconic fine fragrances and household goods, as well as indispensable personal and skincare products. Our 7,300 team members globally take advantage of leading consumer insights, research and development, creative expertise, and customer intimacy to develop differentiated offerings for consumer products. Learn more at www.iff.com , Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn . # # # International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. 521 West 57 th Street New York, NY 10019 T +212.765.5500 F +212.708.7132 iff.com View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180430006427/en/ International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. Michael DeVeau, 212-708-7164 VP, Corporate Strategy, Investor Relations & Communications [email protected] Source: International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.

IFF to Release First Quarter 2018 Results May 7

(Updates news, yields, analyst Quote: s) By Kate Duguid NEW YORK, May 8 (Reuters) - U.S. government bond yields across maturities fell on Tuesday as demand for the safe-haven investment increased following President Donald Trump's announcement that the country would withdraw from its nuclear deal with Iran. But the moves were relatively muted, with the 10-year Treasury yield reaching a weekly high of 2.987 percent, before falling to 2.974 percent, just 2 basis points above Monday's close. That suggested markets had already priced in the possibility of U.S. withdrawal. "The market has been preparing, in a sense, for this announcement. The combination of the changeover in the president’s team from Tillerson to Pompeo and the appointment of John Bolton was a signal to the market of the direction that the administration was going," said Brian Daingerfield, macro strategist at NatWest Markets in Stamford, Connecticut. In a televised speech, Trump said the United States would pull out of a 2015 international agreement designed to deny Tehran the ability to build nuclear weapons, and also reinstate sanctions on Iran. The decision is likely to raise the risk of conflict in the Middle East, upset America's European allies and disrupt global oil supplies. The response in currency markets was similarly muffled, with the dollar, which is also a safe-haven investment, up to 93.105 against a basket of six currencies, having hit a session high of 93.280 earlier in the day. The lassitude across asset classes may also suggest investors believe there is more to be revealed about the deal. "I think right now there's still quite a bit of uncertainty about the future of the deal even now that the U.S. has made its intentions clear," said Daingerfield. The European Union has said it will continue to uphold the accord regardless of U.S. participation. And Iran's response is also not yet clear. What's more "you could argue that President Trump being open to the negotiation of a better deal while also hanging the risk of sanctions over Iran… that if an agreement could still be reached, a risky scenario could be avoided," said Daingerfield. The Treasury Department on Tuesday auctioned $31 billion in three-year notes to modestly improved participation, part of its auction of $73 billion in U.S. debt this week. The issuance of three-year notes at auction increased by $1 billion from April, and by $7 billion from February. The two-year note's yield was last at 2.514 percent, up from 2.497 at the end of Monday's session. May 8 Tuesday 3:30PM New York / 1930 GMT Price US T BONDS JUN8 143-8/32 -0-10/32 10YR TNotes JUN8 119-116/256 -0-60/25 6 Price Current Net Yield % Change (bps) Three-month bills 1.84 1.8744 0.039 Six-month bills 1.995 2.0434 0.011 Two-year note 99-188/256 2.5135 0.016 Three-year note 99-58/256 2.6504 0.019 Five-year note 99-182/256 2.8126 0.029 Seven-year note 99-168/256 2.9298 0.030 10-year note 98-28/256 2.9741 0.024 30-year bond 97-132/256 3.1287 0.009 DOLLAR SWAP SPREADS Last (bps) Net Change (bps) U.S. 2-year dollar swap 26.00 -0.75 spread U.S. 3-year dollar swap 21.75 -0.75 spread U.S. 5-year dollar swap 12.25 -0.75 spread U.S. 10-year dollar swap 3.50 -0.25 spread U.S. 30-year dollar swap -10.25 0.75 spread (Reporting by Kate Duguid; Editing by Will Dunham and Chizu Nomiyama)

TREASURIES-Flight to safety as U.S. quits Iran deal drives yields down

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Entasis Therapeutics Holdings Inc. , a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel antibacterial products, today announced the appointment of David C. Hastings to the company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Hastings brings to Entasis more than 18 years of finance, accounting and operations experience in the bio-pharmaceutical industry, including serving as Chief Financial Officer of three publicly traded companies. “We are excited to welcome David to the Board of Directors,” said Manos Perros, CEO of Entasis. “His deep and extensive financial and pharmaceutical company experience will be invaluable to Entasis as we continue to develop our product candidates toward regulatory approval and commercialization, and pursue our goal of becoming a leading anti-infective products company.” Mr. Hastings previously served as the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Incyte Corporation from 2003 until 2014. During this time, Mr. Hastings oversaw all financial aspects as Incyte transitioned from research and development to commercialization following the launch of Jakafi ® (ruxolitinib). Mr. Hastings also previously served as Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of ArQule Inc. During his tenure at ArQule, he played an important role in ArQule's transition into a drug discovery and development organization, and in two strategic acquisitions, including the purchase of Cyclis Pharmaceuticals Inc. Prior to that, Mr. Hastings was with Genzyme Corporation as its Vice President and Corporate Controller, and with Sepracor, Inc. where he was Director of Finance. Mr. Hastings is currently an independent director of both Scynexis, Inc. and Vascular Biogenics Ltd., operating as VBL Therapeutics. Most recently, Mr. Hastings served as the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Unilife Corporation from 2015 to 2017 and as its Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer from 2016 to 2017. “Antimicrobial resistance is a growing threat around the world, and the unique pathogen-targeted approach Entasis is developing is an important advancement in the anti-infectives arena,” said Mr. Hastings. “I look forward to working with the other Board members at Entasis and lending my expertise to help move the company forward with their short- and long-term goals.” About Entasis Therapeutics Inc. Entasis is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel antibacterial products to treat serious infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Entasis’ targeted-design platform has produced a pipeline of product candidates, including ETX2514SUL (targeting A. baumannii infections), ETX0282CPDP (targeting Enterobacteriaceae infections), and zoliflodacin (targeting Neisseria gonorrhoeae). Entasis is also using its platform to develop a novel class of antibiotics, non-β-lactam inhibitors of the penicillin-binding proteins (NBPs) (targeting Gram-negative infections). For more information, visit www.entasistx.com . View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180501005307/en/ Company Contact Entasis Therapeutics Kyle Dow, 781-810-0114 [email protected] or Media Contact MacDougall Biomedical Communications Kari Watson or Stefanie Tuck, 781-235-3060 [email protected] [email protected] Source: Entasis Therapeutics Holdings Inc.

Entasis Therapeutics Appoints David C. Hastings to Board of Directors

May 31, 2018 / 3:35 PM / Updated 17 minutes ago Equatorial Guinea LNG project stumbles as Schlumberger quits Sabina Zawadzki 4 Min Read LONDON (Reuters) - A pioneering liquefied natural gas project in Equatorial Guinea, bogged down by delayed financing, ran into further trouble after U.S. oil services company Schlumberger pulled out of the venture, two other operators said on Thursday. FILE PHOTO: A general view of the world's first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) pipe rack suspension bridge in Punta Europa, Equatorial Guinea, February 5, 2014. REUTERS/Pascal Fletcher/File Photo Ophir Energy, the London-based company heading the Fortuna development, and Golar LNG, which operates floating LNG facilities, said Schlumberger had decided to withdraw due to problems with the project’s financing. Schlumberger was not immediately available for comment. The Fortuna development would be west Africa’s first deepwater LNG project and includes a floating terminal that liquefies gas offshore, not onshore as usual. Reuters reported earlier this month the growing frustration of Equatorial Guinea’s government at the delays and its ultimatum to take the project off Ophir or scrap it altogether. Golar LNG participated in Fortuna as part of the OneLNG joint venture it had established with Schlumberger. On Thursday it said Schlumberger withdrew from OneLNG due to the financing problems and its own priorities for spending its resources. Golar Chief Executive Iain Ross said funds would take time to find and may come from new equity partners that would replace Schlumberger. “I don’t believe it’s dead at all,” Ross said of the project. “We’d like to keep the project going and we’re also in discussion with other potential partners to replace Schlumberger on the project ... We believe in the project,” he told investors on a conference call. Ophir, which confirmed Schlumberger’s departure from Fortuna, also hinted at finding new equity partners. “Ophir has already held informal discussions with other, well-capitalised, potential partners for our Fortuna project. Following (Golar’s) announcement ... we have now formalised discussions and are actively moving forward with them,” it said. “HANGING BY A THREAD” Fortuna is a so-called FLNG project, a pioneering design that shrinks complex infrastructure typically spread over hundreds of acres onto a single vessel. Golar operates an FLNG in Cameroon which became the world’s first converted FLNG project and boosted hopes for the Fortuna development. Like FSRUs, vessels which regasify LNG offshore, FLNGs are expected to inject flexibility and liquidity into the global LNG market because once they become accepted technologies they will reduce the time and costs of developing and exporting gas. But Ophir, an independent oil and gas company with little experience in complex LNG projects and a small balance sheet, has had problems concluding the $1.2 billion in financing and was told by the government it may lose the project. Overlooked by Western banks due to Fortuna’s design, Ophir wooed Asian lenders instead but were left scrambling after talks with Chinese players collapsed last year. “While it is ‘in talks’ with others including Temasek, the loss of the CEO and the threat by Equatorial Guinea to give others its production licences if it doesn’t close financing this year all seems to add up to problems for that project,” Trevor Sikorski, analyst at consultancy Energy Aspects, said. “It does seem as if that project now is hanging by a thread.” Ophir replaced its chief executive, Nicholas Cooper, this month in a bid to get its strategy back on track. Its shares were down almost 10 percent at 56.9 pounds each at 1345 GMT while Golar’s shares fell 18 percent to $28.35. Additional reporting by Shadia Nasralla; Editing by Edmund Blair and Adrian Croft

Equatorial Guinea LNG project stumbles as Schlumberger quits

Published 2 Hours Ago Updated 2 Hours Ago China is laying the groundwork for China Depository Receipts, allowing major firms to issue a type of secondary listing in the mainland. Some are worried that could negatively affect the Hong Kong IPO market, but experts said it's unlikely to have a major impact in the short term. Vincent Isore | IP3 | Getty Images A slate of hot Chinese technology companies are expected to debut in Hong Kong this year, potentially making the city the top market for IPOs in the world. Advisory firm PwC has estimated total fundraising could reach as much as 250 billion Hong Kong dollars ($31.2 billion) in 2018. But some of the excitement over the potential blockbuster year has been overshadowed by ascendant competition: markets in mainland China . Potentially undercutting Hong Kong The government in Beijing wants more Chinese tech companies to list domestically, rather than choosing to make their market debut in New York . In March, China introduced draft rules for China Depository Receipts , which are designed to let its biggest tech firms make a form of secondary listing that can be held by Chinese investors. It's been suggested that that move from the mainland could undercut Hong Kong's own ability to compete with the New York IPO market: Chinese tech companies listed stateside may in the future issue mainland CDRs on the mainland instead of choosing Hong Kong for a secondary listing. Shares of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing initially came under pressure following the announcement of the CDR plan, although concern later diminished when more details about of the initiative were released, said Kenny Wen, a Hong Kong-based strategist at Everbright Sun Hung Kai. Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images People walk along an elevated walkway as an electronic ticker displays the figures of the Shanghai Composite Index, top, and the SZSE Component Index in the Lujiazui Financial District in Shanghai, China, on Monday, Feb. 26, 2018. That's partially because meeting the requirements to be a CDR issuer doesn't look easy. According to draft rules issues by the China Securities Regulatory Commission, Chinese companies listed abroad will need a market capitalization of at least 200 billion yuan ($31.3 billion) to join. Just five listed companies — Tencent , Alibaba , Baidu , JD.com and Netease — currently qualify, according to a note from DBS Group Research last month. A number of currently unlisted companies, including Ant Financial and Lufax, "should be able to meet" the requirements if they decided to participate, analysts from the bank said. Hong Kong, meanwhile, has tried to grow its own pool of potential listings. The city's exchange introduced new rules allowing listings that would never have been permitted before: companies with dual-class shareholding and biotechnology firms without revenues. Distinct markets Despite potential competition from the mainland, some are less worried about Hong Kong's prospects due to the different characteristics of markets there and on the mainland. Hong Kong is recognized as a place to raise money from international sources, whereas domestic retail investors feature more heavily in mainland markets. Given that stark difference, it's unlikely that Hong Kong will lose out on business to the mainland markets, said Eddie Wong, capital markets services partner at PwC Hong Kong. Instead, he said, the new rules are expected to make capital markets in Hong Kong and on the mainland more complementary. Wong said "many, many more" companies were expected to apply under Hong Kong's new listing rules in the months ahead. He added that the second half of the year has typically seen more activity when it came to companies listing in the territory. Specifically, there are now at least five large companies in the process of preparing IPOs in Hong Kong, Wong told CNBC. At least two of those companies were estimated to raise funds of around 100 billion Hong Kong dollars ($12.7 billion) between them, he said. S3studio | Getty Images Pedestrians walk past the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong on May 24, 2018 in Hong Kong. But the advantage of international exposure that Hong Kong currently enjoys could diminish down the road, said Kevin Leung, executive director of investment strategy at Haitong International Securities. That's especially the case given how MSCI's inclusion of China A shares , which begins in phases starting on June 1, is set to increase inflows into Chinese securities. Still, analysts are predicting it would take some time before Hong Kong feels any negative impact from the CDR program. Everbright's Wen, for one, said it could be five to 10 years before the situation changes. "Chinese tech giants will surely support the CDR, at least on the surface. But to them, listing in Hong Kong (or the U.S.) will be their key interest," DBS Group Research analysts Ivan Li and Chris Gao said in a note, citing the depth of those markets and fundraising freedom as differentiation. "This advantage may not last forever for sure," the analysts said.

New Chinese plans are raising questions about Hong Kong's IPO prominence

May 14 (Reuters) - Live Ventures Inc: * LIVE VENTURES ANNOUNCES RECORD FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR SECOND FISCAL QUARTER 2018 * Q2 EARNINGS PER SHARE $0.98 * Q2 REVENUE ROSE 35.3 PERCENT TO $52.2 MILLION Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. 0 : 0 narrow-browser-and-phone medium-browser-and-portrait-tablet landscape-tablet medium-wide-browser wide-browser-and-larger medium-browser-and-landscape-tablet medium-wide-browser-and-larger above-phone portrait-tablet-and-above above-portrait-tablet landscape-tablet-and-above landscape-tablet-and-medium-wide-browser portrait-tablet-and-below landscape-tablet-and-below Apps Newsletters Reuters Plus Advertising Guidelines Cookies Terms of Use Privacy All Quote: s delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. © 2018 Reuters. All Rights Reserved.

BRIEF-Live Ventures Q2 Earnings Per Share $0.98

LONDON (Reuters) - Yulia Skripal, who was found unconscious on a bench in the southern English city of Salisbury on March 4 along with her father Sergei, spoke to Reuters on Wednesday. Yulia Skripal, who was poisoned in Salisbury along with her father, Russian spy Sergei Skripal, speaks to Reuters in London, Britain, May 23, 2018. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez Skripal spoke in Russian at a location in London and refused to answer questions. She supplied her own, handwritten translation into English of her statement. The following are the key Quote: s. “I came to the UK on the 3rd of March to visit my father, something I have done regularly in the past. After 20 days in a coma, I woke to the news that we had both been poisoned. “I still find it difficult to come to terms with the fact that both of us were attacked. We are so lucky to have both survived this attempted assassination. Our recovery has been slow and extremely painful. “The fact that a nerve agent was used to do this is shocking. I don’t want to describe the details but the clinical treatment was invasive, painful and depressing. “I am grateful to all of the wonderful, kind staff at Salisbury hospital, a place I have become all too familiar with. I also think fondly of those who helped us on the street on the day of the attack. “I was discharged from hospital on the 9th of April and continue to progress with treatment but my life has been turned upside down as I try to come to terms with the devastating changes thrust upon me both physically and emotionally. I take one day at a time and want to help care for my Dad till his full recovery. In the longer term I hope to return home to my country. “I wish to address a couple of issues directly and have chosen to interrupt my rehabilitation to make this short statement. I ask that everyone respects the privacy of me and my father. We need time to recover and come to terms with everything that has happened. I’m grateful for the offers of assistance from the Russian Embassy but at the moment I do not wish to avail myself of their services. “Also, I want to reiterate what I said in my earlier statement that no one speaks for me, or for my father, but ourselves.” Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Alistair Smout and Giles Elgood

Yulia Skripal, daughter of poisoned Russian spy, in her own words

May 3, 2018 / 6:55 PM / Updated 2 hours ago Europeans push last bid to salvage Iran deal, but work on plan B John Irish , Robin Emmott 6 Min Read PARIS/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European powers still want to hand Donald Trump next week a plan to save the Iran nuclear deal, but they have also started work on protecting EU-Iranian business ties if the U.S. president makes good on a threat to withdraw, six sources told Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May is flanked by French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel before their trilateral meeting at the European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, March 22, 2018. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/File Photo Trump, who says the 2015 accord is a “disaster”, has all but decided to withdraw by May 12, U.S. officials say, and looks set to reject four months of European efforts to address his concerns. But France, Britain and Germany aim to present to the White House a separate political agreement that commits to taking a tougher stance on Iran if they can agree it in time with the U.S. State Department, their American interlocutors. Several of the sources said they were sceptical the effort would succeed, and all said the Europeans were also working on damage limitation scenarios if it fails. “We have a week to continue talking to the Americans to see if we can find an agreement on the deal,” said a senior European diplomat. “But I don’t think there is any reason to be overly optimistic.” The political agreement, which is a culmination of transatlantic diplomacy, does not include Iran or Russia and China, the other parties to the accord. It seeks to spell out to Trump that Europe will seek to contain Tehran’s ballistic missile programme, its influence in Syria and Yemen, the terms by which inspectors visit suspect Iranian sites, and “sunset” clauses under which some of its terms expire. While the Europeans and the Americans have narrowed their differences, they are struggling to agree on how to handle a U.S. desire to extend some of the limits on Iran’s nuclear programme, without reopening the July 2015 accord. “We’re trying to find the right formulas that respond to the expectations of the Americans, but at the same time do not go against the deal,” said a second senior European diplomat. “There is a chance of getting an agreement, but even if we have we one, I’m not convinced that it will be enough to stop the U.S. withdrawing,” the diplomat said. In their package for Trump, the Europeans are also grappling with a U.S. desire to make explicit that Iran must give international inspectors access to military sites. The Europeans say this is already implicit in the original deal. “There’s a U.S. view that the inspection provisions aren’t strong enough, which is not a view that is shared by the Europeans,” said a third diplomat involved in the discussions. BUYING TIME, CONTINGENCY MEASURES France’s President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are continuing to lobby Trump, but with the prospect of him changing his mind remote, the focus has shifted to managing the fallout and avoiding a dangerous vacuum. Macron in Washington last week proposed that, irrespective of Trump’s decision, there should be a wider discussion between Iran and the powers behind the original deal, which took 12 years to negotiate, working towards a grand bargain. That would incorporate the existing nuclear deal and the issues currently discussed between Europeans and Americans. But it is hard to see how Iran could be brought back to the table. Tehran says it is abiding by the terms of the 2015 deal and has no intention to renegotiate it. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday rejected any form of renegotiation. France, Britain and Germany all say they will stay in the deal even if the United States withdraws, and try to protect and foster trade with Iran that has soared since the European Union lifted most of its economic sanctions on Iran. Iran’s exports of mainly fuel and other energy products to the EU in 2016 jumped 344 percent to 5.5 billion euros (£4.8 billion) compared to the previous year, while investment in Iran jumped to more than 20 billion euros. If Trump can’t be persuaded not to withdraw, “the second-best solution is to encourage the Americans to ... keep conditions that enable our companies in non-oil related sectors to continue to trade,” said a French official. The German Economy Ministry said it was waiting for a formal U.S. decision on the Iran deal before deciding whether to stop offering German firms export guarantees for business deals with Tehran. Such guarantees provide state protection for companies doing business abroad when foreign debtors fail to pay. The prospect of trade with Europe would provide the Europeans with a chance to assuage the Iranians, and dissuade them from rash decisions such as leaving the deal or reviving the nuclear activities they agreed to give up. Countermeasures could include a special EU blocking statute developed in the 1990s but never fully used, to shield European firms doing business with Iran from U.S. legal action if Washington reimposes sanctions. But EU plans to keep money flowing to Iran would require the United States to approve non-dollar-denominated export credit facilities and other funding support to help firms enter Iran without fear of American legal ramifications. Two European officials said reviving the blocking statutes would still be mostly a symbolic step to show the Iranians that Europe was committed to the deal. In practice, companies would fear that investing in Iran would harm their commercial interests with the United States. A senior Iranian official agreed. “These are good ideas to show the Europeans are committed to the agreement, but we think that if they have to choose between Iran and the United States, they will choose the America,” said the senior Iranian official. Reporting by John Irish and Robin Emmott; Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed in Washington and Andrea Shalal in Berlin; Editing by Peter Graff

Europeans push last bid to salvage Iran deal, but work on plan B

PALM BEACH, Fla., May 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Golder, a leading global engineering and consulting company, announced today it has acquired Pastor, Behling & Wheeler, LLC (PBW), a Texas-based environmental engineering and consulting firm. Headquartered in Round Rock TX, with five offices throughout the state, PBW provides a broad range of specialized environmental engineering and consulting services for clients in Texas and throughout the United States. "This acquisition is aligned with our strategy to expand our geographic footprint and resources in key markets in the US and is highly complementary to our existing resources in Texas," said Dr. Hisham Mahmoud, Golder's Global President & CEO. "We have enjoyed a successful teaming and collaborative relationship working with PBW's leadership and people over the years, making PBW a natural fit." "We at PBW are very excited to join Golder," said Eric Pastor, President of PBW. "We have had the privilege of working with Golder on projects over the years and, through those projects, our teams have built a strong relationship based on mutual respect, a commitment to excellence, and alignment of cultures." PBW's core services include site investigation, remediation, and closure; environmental compliance and permitting support; and environmental engineering design. About Golder Renowned for technical excellence, Golder is a leading global specialized engineering and consulting firm with over a half century of successful service to its clients. Employee-owned, with 165 offices in 40 countries, Golder's professionals are driven by a passion to deliver results, offering unique specialized skills to address the ever-evolving challenges that earth, environment, and energy present to clients across the infrastructure, mining, oil & gas, manufacturing and power sectors. Golder is not just a place to work, it is a promise of a living, dynamic environment where people collaborate, innovate, excel, grow professionally, and build enduring relationships in a strong culture of ownership. About Pastor, Behling & Wheeler PBW is a Texas-based environmental consulting firm founded with the goal of providing technical expertise, strategic perspective, and a commitment to client satisfaction. It is an employee-focused company where staff members of all experience levels work as a team with PBW clients to identify and implement creative and practical approaches for resolving environmental issues. PBW has five office locations across the state – Austin (Round Rock), Fort Worth, Houston, Texarkana, and Victoria. EFCG served as financial advisor for PBW on this transaction. For media inquiries: Wendy Stoveland Global Director of Communications [email protected] 1 (561) 277-0189 (office direct) 1 (914) 584-1603 (mobile) Or Tina Marano Global Director of Marketing [email protected] 1 (905) 567-6100 x2556 View original content with multimedia: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/golder-acquires-texas-based-pastor-behling--wheeler-300655189.html SOURCE Golder Associates

Golder Acquires Texas-Based Pastor, Behling & Wheeler

LOS ANGELES, May 10, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Air Lease Corporation (ALC) (NYSE:AL) announces financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2018. Revenues: $381 million for the three months an increase of 5.8% Diluted earnings per share: $1.00 for the three months an increase of 28.2% Adjusted diluted earnings per share before income taxes: $1.38 for the three months an increase of 3.8% Margin: Pre-tax margin of 37.1% for the three months ended March 31, 2018 Adjusted pre-tax margin of 40.1% for the three months ended March 31, 2018 Return on equity: Pre-tax return on equity of 16.1% for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2018 Adjusted pre-tax return on equity of 17.3% for the trailing twelve months ended March 31, 2018 Highlights Took delivery of four aircraft from our order book and five incremental aircraft from the secondary market, representing $441 million in capital expenditures, ending the quarter with $13.6 billion in aircraft with a weighted average age of 3.9 years and a weighted average lease term remaining of 6.7 years. Our aircraft on order are 100% placed through 2019 and 81% placed through 2020 on long term leases. Signed a firm order with Boeing for an additional eight Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft with deliveries beginning in 2020 through 2022. Ended the quarter with $23.5 billion in committed minimum future rental payments consisting of $10.2 billion in contracted minimum rental payments on the aircraft in our existing fleet and $13.3 billion in minimum future rental payments related to aircraft delivering in the future. Issued $1.25 billion of unsecured senior notes including $550 million of 2.50% unsecured senior notes due 2021 and $700 million of 3.25% unsecured senior notes due 2025. In May 2018, completed an amendment to our Syndicated Unsecured Revolving Credit Facility, increasing the capacity to $4.5 billion and extending the final maturity to May 2022 with an interest rate of LIBOR plus 1.05%. Declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.10 per share on our outstanding common stock for the first quarter of 2018. The dividend will be paid on July 10, 2018 to holders of record of our common stock as of June 5, 2018. “We had another strong quarter of growth in revenues and earnings per share. We were also able to add nine aircraft to our industry leading fleet and eight planes for future delivery. Global passenger growth remains strong, as do our financial metrics and forward lease placements,” said John L. Plueger, Chief Executive Officer and President. “The airline industry continues to perform well, with IATA forecasting another year of global industry profits in excess of $30 billion. Supply chain delays and engine technical issues continue to have a short term impact on new aircraft deliveries. As such, we continue to source aircraft opportunistically,” said Steven F. Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of the Board. The following table summarizes the results for the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 (in thousands, except per share amounts and percentages): Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 2017 $ change % change Revenues $ 381,209 $ 360,187 $ 21,022 5.8 % Income before taxes $ 141,319 $ 133,878 $ 7,441 5.6 % Net income $ 110,651 $ 84,937 $ 25,714 30.3 % Adjusted net income before income taxes (1) $ 152,773 $ 146,643 $ 6,130 4.2 % Diluted EPS $ 1.00 $ 0.78 $ 0.22 28.2 % Adjusted diluted EPS before income taxes (1) $ 1.38 $ 1.33 $ 0.05 3.8 % (1) Adjusted net income before income taxes and adjusted diluted earnings per share before income taxes have been adjusted to exclude the effects of certain non-cash items, one-time or non-recurring items, that are not expected to continue in the future and certain other items. See note 1 under the Consolidated Statements of Income included in this earnings release for a discussion of the non-GAAP measures adjusted net income before income taxes and adjusted diluted EPS before income taxes and a reconciliation to their most comparable GAAP financial measures. Flight Equipment Portfolio Our fleet grew by 2.3% based on net book value of $13.6 billion as of March 31, 2018 compared to $13.3 billion as of December 31, 2017. As of March 31, 2018, our fleet was comprised of 253 owned aircraft, with a weighted-average age and remaining lease term of 3.9 years and 6.7 years, respectively, and 49 managed aircraft. We have a globally diversified customer base of 93 airlines in 56 countries. During the quarter we took delivery of four aircraft from our order book and five incremental aircraft from the secondary market ending the quarter with 253 aircraft in our operating lease portfolio. Below are the key portfolio metrics of our fleet: March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 Aggregate fleet net book value $ 13.6 billion $ 13.3 billion Weighted-average fleet age (1) 3.9 years 3.8 years Weighted-average remaining lease term (1) 6.7 years 6.8 years Fleet size 253 244 Managed fleet 49 50 Order book 372 368 Total 674 662 Current fleet contracted rentals $ 10.2 billion $ 10.1 billion Committed fleet rentals $ 13.3 billion $ 13.3 billion Total committed rentals $ 23.5 billion $ 23.4 billion (1) Weighted-average fleet age and remaining lease term calculated based on net book value. The following table details the region concentration of our fleet: March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 Region % of Net Book Value % of Net Book Value Europe 31.3 % 31.7 % Asia (excluding China) 23.4 % 22.4 % China 19.8 % 20.5 % The Middle East and Africa 11.7 % 11.2 % Central America, South America and Mexico 6.7 % 7.0 % U.S. and Canada 4.4 % 4.5 % Pacific, Australia and New Zealand 2.7 % 2.7 % Total 100.0 % 100.0 % The following table details the composition of our fleet by aircraft type: March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 Aircraft type Number of Aircraft % of Total Number of Aircraft % of Total Airbus A319-100 1 0.4 % 1 0.4 % Airbus A320-200 42 16.6 % 40 16.4 % Airbus A320-200neo 5 2.0 % 5 2.1 % Airbus A321-200 29 11.4 % 29 11.9 % Airbus A321-200neo 6 2.4 % 5 2.1 % Airbus A330-200 15 5.9 % 15 6.2 % Airbus A330-300 5 2.0 % 5 2.0 % Airbus A350-900 3 1.2 % 2 0.9 % Boeing 737-700 5 2.0 % 3 1.2 % Boeing 737-800 103 40.7 % 102 41.8 % Boeing 737-8 MAX 4 1.6 % 2 0.8 % Boeing 767-300ER 1 0.4 % 1 0.4 % Boeing 777-200ER 1 0.4 % 1 0.4 % Boeing 777-300ER 24 9.5 % 24 9.8 % Boeing 787-9 8 3.1 % 8 3.3 % Embraer E190 1 0.4 % 1 0.3 % Total 253 100.0 % 244 100.0 % Debt Financing Activities We ended the first quarter of 2018 with total debt financing, net of discounts and issuance costs, of $9.9 billion, resulting in a debt to equity ratio of 2.34:1. Our debt financing was comprised of unsecured debt of $9.5 billion representing 95.0% of our debt portfolio as of March 31, 2018 as compared to 94.6% as of December 31, 2017. Our fixed rate debt represented 91.1% of our debt portfolio as of March 31, 2018 as compared to 85.4% as of December 31, 2017. Our composite cost of funds increased to 3.28% as of March 31, 2018 as compared to 3.20% as of December 31, 2017. Our debt financing was comprised of the following at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 (dollars in thousands): March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 Unsecured Senior notes $ 8,768,445 $ 8,019,871 Revolving credit facility 337,000 847,000 Convertible senior notes 199,975 199,983 Term financings 195,016 203,704 Total unsecured debt financing 9,500,436 9,270,558 Secured Term financings 458,371 484,036 Export credit financing 43,256 44,920 Total secured debt financing 501,627 528,956 Total debt financing 10,002,063 9,799,514 Less: Debt discounts and issuance costs (114,564 ) (100,729 ) Debt financing, net of discounts and issuance costs $ 9,887,499 $ 9,698,785 Selected interest rates and ratios: Composite interest rate (1) 3.28 % 3.20 % Composite interest rate on fixed-rate debt (1) 3.29 % 3.27 % Percentage of total debt at fixed-rate 91.07 % 85.42 % (1) This rate does not include the effect of upfront fees, undrawn fees or amortization of debt discounts and issuance costs. Conference Call In connection with this earnings release, Air Lease Corporation will host a conference call on May 10, 2018 at 4:30 PM Eastern Time to discuss the Company's financial results for the first quarter of 2018. Investors can participate in the conference call by dialing (855) 308-8321 domestic or (330) 863-3465 international. The passcode for the call is 6995138. The conference call will also be broadcast live through a link on the Investor Relations page of the Air Lease Corporation website at www.airleasecorp.com . Please visit the website at least 15 minutes prior to the call to register, download and install any necessary audio software. A replay of the broadcast will be available on the Investor Relations page of the Air Lease Corporation website. For your convenience, the conference call can be replayed in its entirety beginning at 7:30 PM ET on May 10, 2018 until 7:30 PM ET on May 17, 2018. If you wish to listen to the replay of this conference call, please dial (855) 859-2056 domestic or (404) 537-3406 international and enter passcode 6995138. About Air Lease Corporation (NYSE:AL) Air Lease Corporation is a leading aircraft leasing company based in Los Angeles, California that has airline customers throughout the world. ALC and its team of dedicated and experienced professionals are principally engaged in purchasing commercial aircraft and leasing them to its airline customers worldwide through customized aircraft leasing and financing solutions. For more information, visit ALC's website at www.airleasecorp.com . Contact Investors: Mary Liz DePalma Assistant Vice President, Investor Relations Email: [email protected] Media: Laura Woeste Manager, Media and Investor Relations Email: [email protected] Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are hereby identified as “forward-looking statements,” including any statements about our expectations, beliefs, plans, predictions, forecasts, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “anticipate,” “believes,” “can,” “could,” “may,” “predicts,” “potential,” “should,” “will,” “estimate,” “plans,” “projects,” “continuing,” “ongoing,” “expects,” “intends” and similar words or phrases. These statements are only predictions and involve estimates, known and unknown risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual results to those expressed in such statements, including as a result of the following factors, among others: our inability to make acquisitions of, or lease, aircraft on favorable terms; our inability to sell aircraft on favorable terms; our inability to obtain additional financing on favorable terms, if required, to complete the acquisition of sufficient aircraft as currently contemplated or to fund the operations and growth of our business; our inability to effectively oversee our managed fleet; our inability to obtain refinancing prior to the time our debt matures; impaired financial condition and liquidity of our lessees; deterioration of economic conditions in the commercial aviation industry generally; increased maintenance, operating or other expenses or changes in the timing thereof; changes in the regulatory environment; unanticipated impacts of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Tax Reform Act”), including as a result of changes in assumptions we make in our interpretation of the Tax Reform Act, guidance related to application of the Tax Reform Act that may be issued in the future, and actions that we may take as a result of our expected impact of the Tax Reform Act; potential natural disasters and terrorist attacks and the amount of our insurance coverage, if any, relating thereto; and the factors discussed under “Part I – Item 1A. Risk Factors,” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and other SEC filings, including future SEC filings. All forward-looking statements are necessarily only estimates of future results, and there can be no assurance that actual results will not expectations. You are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Air Lease Corporation and Subsidiaries CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands, except share and par value amounts) March 31, 2018 December 31, 2017 (unaudited) Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 252,491 $ 292,204 Restricted cash 19,133 16,078 Flight equipment subject to operating leases 15,544,868 15,100,040 Less accumulated depreciation (1,955,924 ) (1,819,790 ) 13,588,944 13,280,250 Deposits on flight equipment purchases 1,567,690 1,562,776 Other assets 516,588 462,856 Total assets $ 15,944,846 $ 15,614,164 Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity Accrued interest and other payables $ 281,122 $ 309,182 Debt financing, net of discounts and issuance costs 9,887,499 9,698,785 Security deposits and maintenance reserves on flight equipment leases 894,323 856,140 Rentals received in advance 106,844 104,820 Deferred tax liability 548,435 517,795 Total liabilities $ 11,718,223 $ 11,486,722 Shareholders’ Equity Preferred stock, $0.01 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding — — Class A common stock, $0.01 par value; authorized 500,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding 103,979,834 and 103,621,629 shares at March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively 1,040 1,036 Class B non-voting common stock, $0.01 par value; authorized 10,000,000 shares; no shares issued or outstanding — — Paid-in capital 2,258,987 2,260,064 Retained earnings 1,966,596 1,866,342 Total shareholders’ equity $ 4,226,623 $ 4,127,442 Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 15,944,846 $ 15,614,164 Air Lease Corporation and Subsidiaries CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (In thousands, except share, per share amounts and percentages) Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 2017 (unaudited) Revenues Rental of flight equipment $ 377,862 $ 354,653 Aircraft sales, trading and other 3,347 5,534 Total revenues 381,209 360,187 Expenses Interest 68,943 67,063 Amortization of debt discounts and issuance costs 8,022 8,992 Interest expense 76,965 76,055 Depreciation of flight equipment 136,134 123,909 Selling, general and administrative 23,359 22,572 Stock-based compensation 3,432 3,773 Total expenses 239,890 226,309 Income before taxes 141,319 133,878 Income tax expense (30,668 ) (48,941 ) Net income $ 110,651 $ 84,937 Net income per share of Class A and B common stock Basic $ 1.07 $ 0.83 Diluted $ 1.00 $ 0.78 Weighted-average shares outstanding Basic 103,747,920 102,947,611 Diluted 112,230,410 111,429,926 Other financial data Pre-tax profit margin 37.1 % 37.2 % Adjusted net income before income taxes (1) $ 152,773 $ 146,643 Adjusted margin before income taxes (1) 40.1 % 40.7 % Adjusted diluted earnings per share before income taxes (1) $ 1.38 $ 1.33 Pre-tax return on equity (TTM) 16.1 % 17.4 % Adjusted pre-tax return on equity (TTM) (1) 17.3 % 18.8 % (1) Adjusted net income before income taxes (defined as net income excluding the effects of certain non-cash items, one-time or non-recurring items, that are not expected to continue in the future and certain other items), adjusted margin before income taxes (defined as adjusted net income before income taxes divided by total revenues), adjusted pre-tax return on equity (defined as adjusted net income before income taxes divided by average shareholders' equity) and adjusted diluted earnings per share before income taxes (defined as adjusted net income before income taxes divided by the weighted average diluted common shares outstanding) are measures of operating performance that are not defined by GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net income, pre-tax profit margin, earnings per share, pre-tax return on equity, and diluted earnings per share, or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted net income before income taxes, adjusted margin before income taxes, adjusted pre-tax return on equity and adjusted diluted earnings per share before income taxes, are presented as supplemental disclosure because management believes they provide useful information on our earnings from ongoing operations. Management and our board of directors use adjusted net income before income taxes, adjusted margin before income taxes, adjusted pre-tax return on equity and adjusted diluted earnings per share before income taxes to assess our consolidated financial and operating performance. Management believes these measures are helpful in evaluating the operating performance of our ongoing operations and identifying trends in our performance, because they remove the effects of certain non-cash items, one-time or non-recurring items that are not expected to continue in the future and certain other items from our operating results. Adjusted net income before income taxes, adjusted margin before income taxes, adjusted pre-tax return on equity and adjusted diluted earnings per share before income taxes, however, should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our operating results or cash flows as reported under GAAP. Adjusted net income before income taxes, adjusted margin before income taxes, adjusted pre-tax return on equity and adjusted diluted earnings per share before income taxes do not reflect our cash expenditures or changes in our cash requirements for our working capital needs. In addition, our calculation of adjusted net income before income taxes, adjusted margin before income taxes, adjusted pre-tax return on equity and adjusted diluted earnings per share before income taxes may differ from the adjusted net income before income taxes, adjusted margin before income taxes, adjusted pre-tax return on equity and adjusted diluted earnings per share before income taxes or analogous calculations of other companies in our industry, limiting their usefulness as a comparative measure. The following tables show the reconciliation of net income to adjusted net income before income taxes and adjusted margin before income taxes (in thousands, except percentages): Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 2017 (unaudited) Reconciliation of net income to adjusted net income before income taxes: Net income $ 110,651 $ 84,937 Amortization of debt discounts and issuance costs 8,022 8,992 Stock-based compensation 3,432 3,773 Provision for income taxes 30,668 48,941 Adjusted net income before income taxes $ 152,773 $ 146,643 Adjusted margin before income taxes (1) 40.1 % 40.7 % (1) Adjusted margin before income taxes is adjusted net income before income taxes divided by total revenues The following table shows the reconciliation of net income to adjusted diluted earnings per share before income taxes (in thousands, except share and per share amounts): Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 2017 (unaudited) Reconciliation of net income to adjusted diluted earnings per share before income taxes: Net income $ 110,651 $ 84,937 Amortization of debt discounts and issuance costs 8,022 8,992 Stock-based compensation 3,432 3,773 Provision for income taxes 30,668 48,941 Adjusted net income before income taxes $ 152,773 $ 146,643 Assumed conversion of convertible senior notes 1,739 1,424 Adjusted net income before income taxes plus assumed conversions $ 154,512 $ 148,067 Weighted-average diluted shares outstanding 112,230,410 111,429,926 Adjusted diluted earnings per share before income taxes $ 1.38 $ 1.33 The following table shows the reconciliation of net income to adjusted pre-tax return on equity (in thousands, except percentages): Trailing Twelve Months March 31, 2018 2017 (unaudited) Reconciliation of net income to adjusted pre-tax return on equity: Net income $ 781,866 $ 367,004 Amortization of debt discounts and issuance costs 28,484 32,773 Stock-based compensation 19,463 17,475 Insurance recovery on settlement (950 ) (2,000 ) Provision for income taxes (164,895 ) 203,121 Adjusted net income before income taxes $ 663,968 $ 618,373 Shareholders' equity as of March 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively $ 3,459,232 $ 3,104,403 Shareholders' equity as of March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively $ 4,226,623 $ 3,459,232 Average shareholders' equity $ 3,842,928 $ 3,281,818 Adjusted pre-tax return on equity (TTM) 17.3 % 18.8 % Air Lease Corporation and Subsidiaries CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In thousands) Three Months Ended March 31, 2018 2017 (unaudited) Operating Activities Net income $ 110,651 $ 84,937 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation of flight equipment 136,134 123,909 Stock-based compensation 3,432 3,773 Deferred taxes 30,668 48,941 Amortization of debt discounts and issuance costs 8,022 8,992 Amortization of prepaid lease costs 7,020 4,037 Gain on aircraft sales, trading and other activity (765 ) (7,264 ) Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Other assets (25,605 ) (20,359 ) Accrued interest and other payables (24,913 ) (30,549 ) Rentals received in advance 2,023 3,247 Net cash provided by operating activities 246,667 219,664 Investing Activities Acquisition of flight equipment under operating lease (362,519 ) (597,254 ) Payments for deposits on flight equipment purchases (63,751 ) (200,549 ) Proceeds from aircraft sales, trading and other activity — 96,840 Acquisition of aircraft furnishings, equipment and other assets (54,970 ) (51,464 ) Net cash used in investing activities (481,240 ) (752,427 ) Financing Activities Issuance of common stock upon exercise of options and warrants 2,628 864 Cash dividends paid (10,359 ) (7,714 ) Tax withholdings on stock-based compensation (7,141 ) (5,252 ) Net change in unsecured revolving facility (510,000 ) (60,000 ) Proceeds from debt financings 1,230,765 487,955 Payments in reduction of debt financings (537,444 ) (46,598 ) Debt issuance costs (2,623 ) (1,531 ) Security deposits and maintenance reserve receipts 48,754 56,165 Security deposits and maintenance reserve disbursements (16,665 ) (7,840 ) Net cash provided by financing activities 197,915 416,049 Net decrease in cash (36,658 ) (116,714 ) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 308,282 290,802 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 271,624 $ 174,088 Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information Cash paid during the period for interest, including capitalized interest of $12,816 and $11,402 at March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively $ 95,466 $ 90,059 Supplemental Disclosure of Noncash Activities Buyer furnished equipment, capitalized interest, deposits on flight equipment purchases and seller financing applied to acquisition of flight equipment and other assets applied to payments for deposits on flight equipment purchases $ 79,677 $ 220,610 Cash dividends declared, not yet paid $ 10,397 $ 7,736 Source:Air Lease Corporation

Air Lease Corporation Announces 2018

KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 (Reuters) - Malaysian police said on Friday that cash worth 114 million ringgit ($28.6 million) was found stuffed in 35 bags during a search of several apartments as part of an anti-corruption investigation into state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Malaysian police head of commercial crime, Amar Singh said 37 other bags were also found containing jewelry and watches. The value of these goods have not been calculated yet. Three apartments were raided in Pavilion Residences in Kuala Lumpur. Amar Singh said the ousted premier Najib Razak’s son and daughter were living in the apartments, while a third apartment was unoccupied. ($1 = 3.9820 ringgit) (Reporting by Rozanna Latiff; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)

Malaysian police says $28.6 mln cash found in apartment raid

US stocks seek to end May on winning note 3 Hours Ago U.S. stock futures were higher Thursday morning after the Dow jumped more than 300 points in the previous session, CNBC's Leslie Picker reports.

US stocks seek to end May on winning note

LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) - Italy’s borrowing costs held at their highest level since early March with yields posting their biggest daily rise in more than a year on reports that Italy’s 5-Star and League planned to ask the European Central Bank to forgive 250 billion euros of Italian debt. Benchmark 10-year government bond yields briefly spiked more than 17 basis points on the day — the biggest daily jump since March 2017 — to hit is highest levels since early March at 2.126 percent The yield later pulled back slightly to trade at 2.0960 percent. (Reporting by Saikat Chatterjee Editing by Tommy Wilkes)

Italian bond yields rise to 10-week highs

SEOUL, May 31 (Reuters) - South Korean prosecutors raided Korean Air Lines’ headquarters over suspected embezzlement and breach of trust by members of its owning family, Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday. A Korean Air spokesman said an investigative team was at the headquarters. A prosecution spokesman could not be immediately reached for comment. Reporting by Haejin Choi; Editing by Stephen Coates Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. 0 : 0 narrow-browser-and-phone medium-browser-and-portrait-tablet landscape-tablet medium-wide-browser wide-browser-and-larger medium-browser-and-landscape-tablet medium-wide-browser-and-larger above-phone portrait-tablet-and-above above-portrait-tablet landscape-tablet-and-above landscape-tablet-and-medium-wide-browser portrait-tablet-and-below landscape-tablet-and-below Apps Newsletters Advertise with Us Advertising Guidelines Cookies Terms of Use Privacy All Quote: s delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. © 2018 Reuters. All Rights Reserved.

S.Korean prosecutors raid Korean Air headquarters - Yonhap

May 14 (Reuters) - Lydian International Ltd: * LYDIAN ANNOUNCES FIRST QUARTER 2018 RESULTS Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. 0 : 0 narrow-browser-and-phone medium-browser-and-portrait-tablet landscape-tablet medium-wide-browser wide-browser-and-larger medium-browser-and-landscape-tablet medium-wide-browser-and-larger above-phone portrait-tablet-and-above above-portrait-tablet landscape-tablet-and-above landscape-tablet-and-medium-wide-browser portrait-tablet-and-below landscape-tablet-and-below Apps Newsletters Reuters Plus Advertising Guidelines Cookies Terms of Use Privacy All Quote: s delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. © 2018 Reuters. All Rights Reserved.

BRIEF-Lydian Announces First Quarter 2018 Results

May 22 (Reuters) - Kinder Morgan Inc: * ALBERTA PREMIER SAYS “GETTING CLOSER” TO DEAL WITH KINDER MORGAN CANADA TO ENSURE TRANS MOUNTAIN CRUDE PIPELINE EXPANSION GETS BUILT * ALBERTA PREMIER SAYS BRITISH COLUMBIA HAS UNDERTAKEN STRATEGY OF “INJECTING UNCERTAINTY” INTO TRANS MOUNTAIN EXPANSION PROJECT Further company coverage: (Reporting by Julie Gordon)

BRIEF-Alberta Premier says getting closer to deal on pipeline expansion

EditorsNote: Notes Davis’ 18th save is tied-1st in majors, not 1st alone Nolan Arenado homered, Noel Cuevas had a go-ahead pinch-hit triple and the Colorado Rockies overcame an early deficit to beat the visiting Cincinnati Reds 5-4 on Friday night. Jon Gray (5-6) survived a shaky start to get his first win in three outings and Wade Davis pitched the ninth for his 18th save, tied with Seattle’s Edwin Diaz for tops in the majors. Eugenio Suarez homered among his two hits for the Reds, who had won two of their last three. The Rockies rallied from three runs down early to take the lead in the sixth. Tony Wolters led off with a walk and Cuevas hit a one-out triple into the right field corner to give Colorado the lead. Wandy Peralta relieved starter Sal Romano (2-6) and got Charlie Blackmon to pop out and David Dahl to fly out to keep it a one-run game. Romano allowed five runs on eight hits and struck out five in 5 1/3 innings. Gray got the win after an efficient top of the sixth inning. He needed 91 pitches to get through the first five innings but retired the side in order in the sixth on only nine pitches. He finished with eight strikeouts and walked three. Cincinnati couldn’t mount any rallies against the Colorado bullpen. Tucker Barnhart had a leadoff single in the seventh off Mike Dunn but was wiped out on a double play the next batter. Suarez was stranded at second after a leadoff single in the eighth off righty Adam Ottavino. The Reds jumped ahead on Gray with two runs in the first. Scooter Gennett had an RBI single, and Scott Schebler’s ground out drove in another. Arenado cut the lead in half with a solo homer in the bottom of the first, his ninth. Suarez made it 4-1 in the third with his ninth homer, a two-run shot to right-center field, but Colorado rallied in the bottom of the frame to tie it. Gerardo Parra had a two-run single and Wolters drew a bases-loaded walk off Romano to make it 4-4. —Field Level Media

Cuevas' pinch-hit triple leads Rockies past Reds

Retail Report Autonomous car ride-sharing service to launch in Texas Drive.ai, a computer software company, will launch an autonomous car ride-sharing service this summer in Texas despite increased scrutiny over driverless cars. "We think we're solving a real transportation problem here," says CEO Sameep Tandon. The pilot program will roll out in Frisco, Texas, outside of Dallas, in July, but Tandon says the service will expand over time. 22 Hours Ago | 03:20 Drive.ai, a California -based computer software company, will launch an autonomous car ride-hailing service in Texas. The pilot program begins in July, amid increased scrutiny over the safety of driverless cars. But Sameep Tandon, the company's co-founder and CEO, said the fleet of cars has been tested and they are safe. He said the vehicles' bright orange color will help them avoid accidents. "By making our cars orange, we're really able to set the expectation [that] this is a self-driving car," Tandon told CNBC's Phil LeBeau on " Power Lunch " Monday. "When you see a school bus, you have a slightly different behavior when you drive around it," he said. Tandon, who holds a doctorate in computer science from Stanford University and was a research assistant there for deep learning on autonomous driving, said other safety precautions include multiple sensors, cameras, radar and lidar on all vehicles. The automobiles have also been tested by way of simulator systems and in geo-fenced locations, or places that use software with GPS to test the service. The pilot program will roll out in Frisco, Texas , a city outside of Dallas , with Nissan NV cargo vans, but Tandon said the service will expand over time. The service will change the way people "micro-transit," that is, those five- to seven-minute trips, Tandon said. "It's a little bit too hot and you don't want to take a car ride," he said. "Or, you're a little bit feeling guilty that you don't want to take your car there." "We think we're solving a real transportation problem here," Tandon said. Still, public concerns over autonomous vehicles have heightened since an Uber vehicle in self-driving mode struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona in March. On Monday, Uber released a statement saying the accident was likely caused by "false positives," or computer software that programs autonomous vehicles to ignore random objects on the road, such as floating plastic bags. The software, the company said, is an issue for all autonomous vehicles, not just Uber. show chapters 2:05 PM ET Mon, 7 May 2018 | 01:22 Mass adoption of driverless cars may not come anytime soon, Tandon said. But his company, he said, is moving one step closer. "The cool part about this entire AI approach is that as this system gets more data and experience, it's going to continue and learn and get better," Tandon said. Kellie Ell News Associate for CNBC Related Securities

Autonomous car ride-sharing service to launch in Texas

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - In an unprecedented move, 34 Chilean bishops said on Friday they had offered to resign en masse after attending a crisis meeting this week with Pope Francis about the cover-up of sexual abuse in their country. Pope Francis poses with Chilean bishops after a meeting at the Vatican, May 17, 2018. Vatican Media/Handout via REUTERS It was not immediately clear if the pope would accept all or any of the resignations from the prelates, who hold all the top jobs in Chile’s Roman Catholic Church. “We have put our positions in the hands of the Holy Father and will leave it to him to decide freely for each of us,” the bishops said in a joint statement read out by a spokesman for the churchmen, Bishop Fernando Ramos. He said the bishops would stay in their roles until the pope had made his decision. The scandal has devastated the credibility of the Church in the once staunchly Catholic country. It has also hurt the pope’s own image because this year he strongly defended a bishop accused in the alleged cover-up before reversing his position. The Vatican declined to comment on the timing of any decision or on the resignations themselves. A Church official said it was the first time the bishops of an entire country had offered to leave their posts in such a manner. In their statement, the bishops thanked the pope for his “brotherly correction”. “Above all, we want to ask forgiveness for the pain caused to the victims, to the pope, to the people of God and our country for the serious errors and omissions committed by us,” the contrite statement said. Chilean bishop Luis Fernando Ramos Perez reads a statement during a news conference after a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican, May 18, 2018. REUTERS/Max Rossi EVIDENCE This week’s meeting followed a Vatican investigation into Bishop Juan Barros, who was appointed by the pope in 2015 despite allegations that he had covered up sexual abuse of minors by his mentor, Father Fernando Karadima. [nL8N1PH4F8] Now 87 and living in a nursing home in Chile, Karadima has always denied the allegations. Barros has said he was unaware of any wrongdoing. However, a Vatican source confirmed on Friday a report by Chile’s T13 television that the pope had handed the bishops a document accusing them of destroying evidence of sex crimes and of failing to protect children from predator priests. The document said the church hierarchy was collectively to blame for serious lapses in handling the abuse cases. Friday’s sombre statement came just four months after the pope had visited Chile in a trip that raised questions over his response to abuse scandals that have repeatedly rocked the Church over the past 17 years. During the visit, Pope Francis had staunchly defended Barros, denouncing accusations against him as “slander” until proven otherwise. But days after returning to Rome, the pope, citing new information, sent sexual abuse investigator Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta to Chile to speak to victims, witnesses and other Church members. Slideshow (2 Images) In a statement released on Thursday, the Vatican Quote: d the pope as saying the four days of meetings this week had been “frank” and had covered “painful events regarding abuses - of minors, of power and of conscience”. The Vatican said the bishops had agreed to short, medium and long-term changes in order to restore justice and Church unity, but did not elaborate. The meeting ended with “the firm intention to repair the damage done”, the pope said. Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Alison Williams

Chilean bishops offer mass resignation to pope over abuse scandal

Iran, Israel exchange fire in direct escalation 12:07pm EDT - 01:57 The shadow war fought between Iran and Israel has now moved into open conflict, and it appears that the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal played a direct role in the escalation. The shadow war fought between Iran and Israel has now moved into open conflict, and it appears that the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal played a direct role in the escalation. //reut.rs/2G6YgOI

Iran, Israel exchange fire in direct escalation

BUENOS AIRES—Argentine President Mauricio Macri’s decision to turn to the International Monetary Fund has likely bought the country some time to stabilize a growing financial crisis. But the move also comes with a large political cost for Mr. Macri by tying the economy to an institution that is widely disliked here. Argentine stock prices rose 4% on Wednesday, a welcome relief rally for investors who have watched the country’s stocks, currency and bonds dive since the end of April, though the dollar was up 1.4% against the... To Read the Full Story Subscribe Sign In

Seeking IMF Aid Brings Argentina Relief—And Political Challenges

May 7, 2018 / 6:40 PM / Updated 35 minutes ago Libyan commander declares 'zero hour' for campaign to take city Ayman al-Warfalli 3 Min Read BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar announced the start of military operations to “liberate” Derna on Monday after his forces clashed with rivals on the outskirts of the eastern city. Libya's eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar attends General Security conference, in Benghazi, Libya, October 14, 2017. REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-Fetori “Zero hour for the liberation of Derna has struck. Our army forces are now targeting their hideouts,” Haftar said in a speech at a military parade in Benghazi. “We have given instructions to avoid civilians,” he said. “The peace efforts in Derna have reached a dead end.” Derna is the last major bastion of opposition to Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) in the east of the country. The LNA has encircled the city, on the coastal highway between Benghazi and Egypt, and has long threatened to begin ground operations there. However, its campaign has so far been limited to encirclement along with occasional air strikes and bombardments. Derna is controlled by a coalition of Islamist militants and rebel veterans known as the Derna Mujahideen Shura Council. Egypt, which backs the LNA, has also carried out air strikes in Derna on what it said were training camps sending militants into Egypt. In recent weeks the LNA has deployed new units in the Derna area and at the end of last month Haftar made a rare visit to forces stationed outside the city, following his return from medical treatment in France. After Libya split between rival camps in the east and west of the country in 2014, Haftar gradually emerged as the dominant figure in the east. He is aligned with a parliament and government based in the east and opposes the internationally recognised government in the capital, Tripoli. On Monday he was attending a military parade in Benghazi to mark the fourth anniversary of the start of his “Dignity Operation”, the campaign in which the LNA battled Islamists and other rivals to take control of Benghazi last year. The United Nations is leading efforts to stabilise Libya and prepare it for elections before the end of the year, but armed violence is still common across the country. Writing by Aidan Lewis; editing by Andrew Roche

Libyan commander declares 'zero hour' for campaign to take city

May 18 (Reuters) - Aetna Inc: * AETNA BOARD OF DIRECTORS DECLARES QUARTERLY CASH DIVIDEND * SETS QUARTERLY CASH DIVIDEND OF $0.50PER SHARE Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

BRIEF-Aetna Sets Quarterly Cash Dividend Of $0.50 Per Share

This article first appeared in Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the top tech news. To get it delivered daily to your in-box, sign up here . “ Are there imaginable digital computers which would do well in the imitation game? ” Good morning. Aaron in for Adam, contemplating computer scientist and mathematician Alan Turing’s famous conjecture to test whether a machine could think. The wow factor was quite high, maybe off the charts, this week when Google (googl) debuted recordings of its Duplex AI app making phone calls and conversing with regular people at restaurants and a nail salon. Duplex sounded amazingly human, smoothly navigating the minor inconveniences of booking appointments and even uttering the occasional “um” and “mmhm” to make sure the person on the other end knew it was still there. It sure seemed like Duplex had aced the “imitation game.” But somewhere between the “um” and the “mhmm,” the creepiness factor started to rise and people began to imagine how this creation could be used for ill. Would robocallers, scam artists, and hackers start employing Duplex the better to dupe unwitting consumers ? Would interactions with workers in the service industry be further dehumanized ? Was the service just the latest “invasive” and “infantilizing” development from the clueless coders of Silicon Valley? Most of the concerns revolved around how Duplex works and how it will be used. Most could also apply to virtually any AI app intended to interact with humans. Perhaps a deeper question, then, is how should society regulate the coming wave of artificial intelligence, if at all. Will we rely on self regulation by industry, as we have in so many other areas? Perhaps just a further evolution of Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics is required? Or should laws be passed setting out acceptable and unacceptable AI practices? Whatever choices are made, they should be made intentionally and with serious consideration. We are almost 20 years out from Harvard Professor Larry Lessig’s groundbreaking essay “Code Is Law,” and it still feels like one of the most important texts guiding us into the future. Our choice is not between “regulation” and “no regulation.” The code regulates. It implements values, or not. It enables freedoms, or disables them. It protects privacy, or promotes monitoring. People choose how the code does these things. People write the code. Thus the choice is not whether people will decide how cyberspace regulates. People—coders—will. The only choice is whether we collectively will have a role in their choice—and thus in determining how these values regulate—or whether collectively we will allow the coders to select our values for us. Let us know what you think of the debate.

Deciding Whether To Fear or Celebrate Google’s Mind-Blowing AI Demo

May 11, 2018 / 1:45 PM / Updated 36 minutes ago Take Five: World markets themes for the week ahead Reuters Staff 7 Min Read LONDON, May 11 (Reuters) - Following are five big themes likely to dominate thinking of investors and traders in the coming week and the Reuters stories related to them. 1/HEY, BIG SPENDERS? The recent U.S. tax changes are estimated to have reduced annual personal taxes by $115.5 billion. That means more money in the pockets of consumers, who drive two-thirds of the economy. Now that the personal income tax season has come and gone, and the bulk of taxpayer refunds has found their way into people’s pockets, did consumers spend more? In fact, economists polled by Reuters see April retail sales, due on May 15, growing just 0.4 percent, moderating from March’s 0.6 percent rise. But excluding the automobile sector, sales are expected to increase 0.5 percent, after 0.2 percent in March. Economists reckon the data will help shape the debate over how many times the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates this year. Bond markets currently are betting on at least two more increases. The combination of extra spending and tax cuts frontloaded the positives, and now we wait to see if it translates into robust economic performance. Traders see Fed on track to raise interest rates in June U.S. consumer prices rebound modestly in April 2/NOISE FROM THE BLACK STUFF Oil prices are at the highest since 2014 and the surge shows no sign of waning. In fact, $80 a barrel is within sight for Brent crude. The U.S. decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions has pushed Brent 3 percent higher this week, its biggest of five consecutive weekly rises. It is now up 60 percent over the past year. Iranian oil exports should start falling as the new sanctions take hold. Even if other OPEC countries manage to fill that gap, the global oil market is still pretty finely balanced. Brent could reach $90 per barrel in the second quarter next year, Bank of America Merrill Lynch predicts, adding that $100 cannot be ruled out. The question is now how this will impact inflation and central bank policy. Inflationary pressures in the developed world remain muted, but economic textbooks suggest not for long. - Oil near multi-year highs as Iran sanctions tighten supply outlook - COLUMN-Oil price rise poses challenge for sanctions policy: Kemp - ANALYST VIEW-Oil markets weigh fallout as U.S. quits Iran deal 3/ EUROPE’S M&A FIZZ M&A action has been hotting up in Europe, with April recording the highest value of monthly deals in 10 years, according to Thomson Reuters data. This week, we’ve had a private equity firm agreeing to buy Zoopla-owner ZPG, sending its shares to a record high and lifting other online consumer-focused firms such as Auto Trader and RightMove. Japan’s Takeda is buying Shire for $62 billion and U.S. cable giant Comcast is seeking approval for its bid to buy British pay-TV group Sky. The UK, in particular, is drawing attention from foreign buyers due to the still-depressed levels of the pound and the fact that stocks trade at a discount to their long-run average on a 12-month forward PE basis. Credit Suisse Wealth Management added UK equities to their most preferred markets, while Bank of America Merrill Lynch say they are rotating from Europe to the UK. The Euro Stoxx index is close to fully regaining all the ground lost during the February volatility shock, while the UK’s FTSE 100 is flat on the year, after being down as much as 10 percent some weeks back. Deal-making activity could provide the lift into positive territory for both benchmarks. - Britain’s Zoopla, PrimeLocation bought by Silver Lake for $3 bln - Takeda agrees $62 billion takeover of Shire - Comcast races to secure regulatory, political approval for Sky deal 4/MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE? After weeks of wrangling, Italy may soon get a new government made up of the far-right League and the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement. But for markets, which have so far taken Italian political risks in their stride, a League/5-Star tie-up is the worst-case scenario; both groups are hostile to EU budget restrictions and have made electoral pledges that would cost billions of euros to implement. No wonder the cost of insuring Italian debt against default have crept up, bond yields have hit 7-week highs and shares are set for their biggest weekly fall in seven weeks . The Italian/German bond yield gap, a key indicator of relative risks, has also widened. But it remains below levels seen before the March 4 election; clearly some investors are still willing to look beyond the politics. After all, a week is a long time in politics and the two parties are yet to agree on who will be prime minister. And a 5-Star member has even hinted the premier may be an independent figure not affiliated to either group. - Italy’s League and 5-Star make “significant steps” towards government deal - Italian bond yields set for biggest weekly rise since Feb - FACTBOX- Likely policy priorities for a League/5-Star govt 5/BACK TO THE 90s Malaysian markets re-open next week after investors had two days to chew on a shock election result that saw incumbent prime minister Najib Razak lose to 92-year old Mahathir Mohamad, the end of an uninterrupted six-decade run for the ruling coalition. Offshore markets are uneasy: the ringgit lost 4 percent on the non-deliverable forwards market and an overseas Malaysian equity fund showed a 6 percent drop. The cost of insuring against default on Malaysian debt rose to more than 90 basis points from 78 before the election. The fear is that Mahathir, who was in power for 22 years until 2003, including during the late-1990s financial crisis, will fulfil pledges to remove the goods and services tax, scrap toll fees, reinstate fuel subsidies and renegotiate Chinese investment deals. That would hit budget revenues. Mahathir has also vowed anti-corruption reform, but whether better governance can be achieved remains to be seen. For now, uncertainty takes centre stage. - Veteran Malaysian leader Mahathir scores shock election win - Malaysian markets leery over Najib’s defeat, Mahathir’s return - Mahathir’s shock Malaysian election win raises populist economics spectre - Malaysia c.bank holds key rate as election shock spurs economy concerns. Reporting by Daniel Bases in New York; Marius Zaharia in Hong Kong; Jamie McGeever, Dhara Ranasinghe and Kit Rees in London; compiled by Sujata Rao; Editing by Kevin Liffey

Take Five: World markets themes for the week ahead

MOSCOW, May 25 (Reuters) - The Kremlin on Friday rejected allegations of any Russian involvement in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014, an incident in which 298 people were killed. The Netherlands said on Friday it held the Russian state responsible and a Dutch cabinet statement said a “possible” next step would be presenting the case to an international court, adding Australia shared its assessment of Russia’s role. Dutch prosecutors on Thursday identified a Russian military unit as the source of the missile that shot down the plane. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call on Friday that Russia had not been a fully-fledged participant in the Dutch investigation into the incident and could not therefore trust its findings. When asked if the Kremlin denied allegations of Russian involvement, he said: “Absolutely.” Peskov referred a question about possible compensation for families of the victims to the Russian Foreign Ministry. (Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova Writing by Tom Balmforth Editing by Andrew Osborn)

Kremlin rejects blame for MH17 downing, says distrusts Dutch findings

CALGARY, Alberta, May 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New West Energy Services Inc. (TSX VENTURE:NWE), an oil and gas and environmental services company focused on Western Canada, today announced its financial results for the eight months ended December 31, 2017. CHANGE IN FINANCIAL YEAR-END NWE has changed its financial year-end from April 30 to December 31 to better conform with other similar energy services companies in the industry and to line up the company’s quarterly filings with more traditional quarters. Consequently, NWE is reporting audited financial results for an eight-month transition period from May 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017 with a twelve-month comparative period from May 1, 2016 to April 30, 2017, as well as quarterly results for a two-month transition period from November 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017 with a three-month comparative period from February 1, 2017 to April 30, 2017. Readers should be cautioned that the transition and comparative periods not only relate to a difference in the number of months but, in the case of the eight-month transition period, does not include the winter months of January to March, which is typically is one of the company’s most active periods. Going forward, NWE will use a customary quarterly reporting calendar based on a December 31 financial year-end, with fiscal quarters ending on the last day in March, June, September and December each year. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Gerry E. Kerkhoff, President and Chief Executive Officer of NWE stated, “New West is coming off a very active winter season with continued top line growth. Our drilling services equipment was at near full utilization, we secured larger projects in completions and production with some of the most active producers in the Duvernay and Montney plays and are increasingly recognized as one of the most reliable fluid transportation companies in the region.” Mr. Kerkhoff continued, “Our rapid revenue growth in 2017, however, came with some expected growing pains. Particularly, our gross margin was depressed due to certain non-recurring expenses, higher than normal repair and maintenance expenses associated with the fluid hauling equipment acquired in March 2017 and a greater reliance on low margin third party contractors needed to complete larger projects.” Mr. Kerkhoff concluded, “In 2018, we expect to complete major equipment repairs that will increase our revenue generating units by approximately 45% and anticipate continued revenue growth and improvements in gross margin as equipment costs normalize, service rates increase due to stronger demand and we bring more revenue generating units into service, reducing our reliance on third party contractors.” Revenue was $13,383,615 in the eight months ended December 31, 2017 compared to $11,927,912 in the twelve months ended April 30, 2017, and $3,671,672 in the two months ended December 31, 2017 compared to $4,876,588 in the three months ended April 30, 2017. This significant improvement reflects increased activity and equipment utilization across all drilling, completions and production sectors. Gross margin was 17% in the eight months ended December 31, 2017 compared to 23% in the twelve months ended April 30, 2017, and NWE operated at a near break-even gross margin in the two months ended December 31, 2017 compared to a gross margin of 23% in the three months ended April 30, 2017. This decrease in gross margin is due in part to roughly $490,000 of non-recurring expenses incurred by the vacuum truck and fluid transportation services division in November and December 2017, including approximately: $150,000 in major repair expenses associated with the fluid hauling equipment acquired in March 2017; $150,000 in auction related expenses incurred in respect of the sale of approximately $1.1 million of equipment; and, $190,000 in respect of provincial sales taxes levied by the Province of British Columbia resulting from an audit. Gross margin was also negatively impacted by higher fuel and labour costs and a greater reliance on low margin third party contractors. General and administrative expenses were $2,478,715 in the eight months ended December 31, 2017 compared to $2,949,944 in the twelve months ended April 30, 2017, and $721,841 in the two months ended December 31, 2017 compared to $752,642 in the three months ended April 30, 2017. This increase was mainly due to expenses associated with the hiring of personnel to meet increased demand, and the establishment of operations in Grande Prairie, servicing the completions and production sectors. For the two months ended December 31, For the three months ended April 30, 2017 2017 Vacuum Truck & Fluid Transportation Services Environmental Services Corporate Total Vacuum Truck & Fluid Transportation Services Environmental Services Corporate Total $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ Revenue 2,841,146 830,526 - 3,671,672 3,837,133 1,039,455 - 4,876,588 Direct costs 2,993,173 626,358 - 3,619,531 3,034,928 727,687 - 3,762,615 Gross margin (152,027 ) 204,168 - 52,141 802,205 311,768 - 1,113,973 G & A expenses 417,734 251,317 52,790 721,841 283,796 361,276 107,570 752,642 Share base pmts - - 92,538 92,538 - - 276,740 276,740 Finance charges 112,897 9,256 20,271 142,424 199,146 13,861 39,348 252,355 Depreciation 266,362 - - 266,362 407,641 - - 407,641 Disposal of assets 1,167,918 - - 1,167,918 - - - - Net loss before tax (2,116,938 ) (56,405 ) (165,599 ) (2,338,942 ) (88,378 ) (63,369 ) (423,658 ) (575,405 ) Total assets 12,713,646 1,164,457 42,179 13,920,282 14,569,579 1,094,911 149,016 15,813,506 EBITDAC* (229,761 ) (47,149 ) (52,790 ) (329,700 ) 518,409 (49,508 ) (107,570 ) 361,331 For the eight months ended December 31, For the twelve months ended April 30, 2017 2017 Vacuum Truck & Fluid Transportation Services Environmental Services Corporate Total Vacuum Truck & Fluid Transportation Services Environmental Services Corporate Total $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ Revenue 10,025,549 3,358,066 - 13,383,615 8,328,756 3,599,156 - 11,927,912 Direct costs 8,876,817 2,285,518 - 11,162,335 6,784,347 2,451,885 - 9,236,232 Gross margin 1,148,732 1,072,548 - 2,221,280 1,544,409 1,147,271 - 2,691,680 G & A expenses 1,344,646 917,926 216,143 2,478,715 1,139,606 1,378,828 431,510 2,949,944 Share base pmts - - 356,067 356,067 - - 276,740 276,740 Finance charges 443,991 34,354 102,618 580,963 342,809 17,091 76,173 436,073 Deprecation 1,170,421 - - 1,170,421 1,364,747 - - 1,364,747 Disposal of assets 1,247,131 - - 1,247,131 - - - - Net loss before tax (3,057,457 ) 120,268 (674,828 ) (3,612,017 ) (1,302,753 ) (248,648 ) (784,423 ) (2,335,824 ) Total assets 12,713,646 1,164,457 42,179 13,920,282 14,569,579 1,094,911 149,016 15,813,506 EBITDAC 144,086 154,622 (216,143 ) 82,565 404,803 (231,557 ) (431,510 ) (258,264 ) * Normalized EBITDAC is earnings from continuing operations before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and share-based payments and is a measure of NWE’s operating profitability. The calculation is further adjusted to normalize EBITDAC by removing any non-reoccurring transactions that are not in the normal course of operations. ** Copies of NWE’s financial statements, MD&A and other public filings are available under the company’s profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . Contact: Gerry E. Kerkhoff New West Energy Services Inc. President & Chief Executive Officer Phone - 403.984.9798 or 1.888.977.2327 (BEAR) Fax - 403.984.9799 Email - [email protected] Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in this news release may constitute “forward-looking information” applicable securities laws that involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements or industry results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements or industry results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information and financial outlook. Forward-looking information is identified by the use of terms and phrases such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “may”, “plan”, “predict”, “project”, “will”, “would”, and similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions. Such information may involve, but is not limited to, comments with respect to strategies, expectations, planned operations or future actions. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, without limitation, statements with respect to: the use of proceeds of its loans; the use of the acquired equipment; planned changes in NWE’s business and revenues; the competitive environment in which NWE operates; and the assessment of future plans and operations. Actual events or results may differ materially. The forward-looking information in this news release is based on assumptions which includes, but is not limited to: NWE realizing the expected benefits of its loans and acquired equipment; the general state of the economy and the oil and gas industry not worsening; NWE not losing any key personnel; NWE sustaining or increasing their level of revenues and EBITDAC NWE growing its businesses long term and managing its growth; NWE complying with existing regulations and not becoming subject to more stringent regulations; and, NWE’s insurance being sufficient to cover losses that may occur as a result of its operations. The forward-looking information in this news release is subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or results anticipated by the forward-looking information. The factors which could cause results to differ from current expectations include, but are not limited to: failure to realize the expected benefits of its loans and acquired equipment; potential undisclosed liens associated with the acquired equipment; NWE’s results being dependent upon the general state of the economy and the oil and gas industry; NWE being dependent on key personnel, the loss of which could harm its business; NWE may not be able to sustain or increase their revenues or EBITDAC; NWE may be unable to grow its business long term or to manage any growth; NWE may be unable to integrate the acquired equipment into its business; competition in NWE’s markets may lead to reduced revenues and EBITDAC; NWE may fail to comply with existing regulations or become subject to more stringent regulations; NWE’s insurance may be insufficient to cover losses that may occur as a result of NWE’s operations; the market price of NWE’s common shares will fluctuate; and, there is a possibility of dilution of existing holders of NWE’s common shares due to future financings or acquisitions. Although NWE has attempted to identify factors that would cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those disclosed in the in this news release, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Also, many of the factors are beyond the control of NWE. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information in this news release. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release, and NWE does not assume any obligation to publicly update or revise such forward-looking information to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. The forward-looking information contained herein is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. Source: New West Energy Services Inc.

New West Energy Services Inc. Announces Financial Results for Eight Month Period Ending December 31, 2017

JOHANNESBURG, May 4 (Reuters) - South African drugstore chain Dis-Chem Pharmacies reported on Friday a 13.7 percent increase in full-year adjusted earnings and 13.3 percent jump in turnover, supported by a growing store base and tight cost controls. The firm said adjusted headline earnings per share (HEPS) for the year ended Feb. 28 increased to 78.7 cents per share from 69.2 cents per share in the prior year. HEPS strips out certain one-off items and is the main profit measure in South Africa. Group turnover increased to 19.6 billion rand ($1.56 billion) from 17.3 billion rand in the prior year. The group declared a gross final dividend of 12.73 cents per share, compared with 7.3 cents in the prior year. ($1 = 12.5860 rand) (Reporting by Nomvelo Chalumbira; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

Growing store base lifts South African pharmacy group Dis-Chem's FY profit

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April 30 (Reuters) - Regency Centers Corp: * Q1 OPERATING FFO PER SHARE $0.89 * QTRLY NAREIT FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS OF $0.96 PER DILUTED SHARE * QTRLY SAME PROPERTY NOI AS ADJUSTED, EXCLUDING TERMINATION FEES, INCREASED 4.0% * UPDATED GUIDANCE FOR NAREIT FFO INCLUDES A ONE-TIME CHARGE OF $10.5 MILLION, OR $0.06 PER DILUTED SHARE * SEES 2018 NAREIT FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS PER DILUTED SHARE $3.74 - $3.79 * SEES 2018 OPERATING FUNDS FROM OPERATIONS PER DILUTED SHARE $3.49 - $3.54 * SEES 2018 SAME PROPERTY NET OPERATING INCOME GROWTH EXCLUDING TERMINATION FEES (PRO-RATA) 2.40% - 3.25% * FY2018 FFO PER SHARE VIEW $3.80 — THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S * Q1 FFO PER SHARE VIEW $0.94 — THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage: ([email protected])

BRIEF-Regency Centers Reports Qtrly EPS Of $0.31

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., May 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (NASDAQ: BMRN) announced today an update to its previously reported results of an open-label Phase 1/2 study of valoctocogene roxaparvovec (formerly BMN 270), an investigational gene therapy treatment for severe hemophilia A. The updated results were presented during an oral presentation at the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) 2018 World Congress in Glasgow, Scotland by John Pasi, M.B., Ch.B., Ph.D., from Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry and primary investigator for this Phase 1/2 study. Previously, the Company provided updated data on the 4e13 vg/kg dose cohort and 6e13 vg/kg dose cohort on Dec. 9, 2017 at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting. The data presented at WFH is the most current data (Apr. 16, 2018 cut off) and includes 104 weeks of data for the 6e13 vg/kg cohort and 52 weeks of data for the 4e13 vg/kg cohort. In the 6e13 vg/kg cohort, the data showed continued and substantial reductions in bleeding requiring Factor VIII infusions with a 97% reduction in mean Annualized Bleed Rate (ABR), with no spontaneous bleeds and elimination of all bleeds in target joints in the second year. 71% and 86% of participants had zero bleeds requiring Factor VIII infusions in years 1 and 2 respectively compared to 14%, who had zero bleeds requiring Factor VIII infusions for a year at baseline. There was a 96% reduction in mean FVIII usage through week 104. Quality of life as measured by the six-domain Haemo-QoL-A instrument rapidly improved across all domains by up to 17.3 points in mean over baseline through the second year. This is well above the 5.2 point increase considered to be the minimal clinically important difference. The 4e13 vg/kg cohort also showed a substantial reduction in bleeding requiring Factor VIII infusions with a 92% reduction in ABR. 83% of participants had zero bleeds requiring Factor VIII infusions following treatment for a year compared to 17%, who had zero bleeds requiring Factor VIII infusions for a year at baseline. Mean Factor VIII usage decreased by 98%. Consistent with the reduction in ABR and FVIII usage, quality of life showed mean improvement by 3.8 to 6.3 points. For the 6e13 vg/kg cohort, mean Factor VIII activity levels from week 20 through 104 have been consistently within the normal or near normal range and no participant was above the upper limit of normal at week 104, expressed as a percentage of normal factor activity in blood. At 104 weeks post-infusion, mean Factor VIII activity level of the 6e13 vg/kg cohort is within the normal range at 59%, and the median is near normal at 46%. For the 4e13 vg/kg cohort, mean Factor VIII activity levels from week 20 through 52 have been consistently within the mild range, expressed as a percentage of normal factor activity in blood. At 52 weeks post-infusion, mean and median Factor VIII activity levels of the 4e13 vg/kg cohort are 32%. The Company will be updating the protocol for the GENEr8-1 study evaluating the 6e13 vg/kg dose and will power the study to evaluate superiority to the current standard of care, Factor VIII prophylaxis. The study will now include 130 participants (an increase of 90 from the original 40). "In order to make this option available with the urgency and data support that people with severe hemophilia A deserve, we plan to raise the sample size of our registrational study, Gener8-1 with the 6e13 dose to demonstrate benefits well beyond prophylactic factor use," said Hank Fuchs, M.D., President, Worldwide Research and Development at BioMarin. Valoctocogene Roxaparvovec Safety Overall, valoctogogene roxaparvovec has been well-tolerated by participants across all doses, including the two participants who received the lowest doses of 6e12 and 2e13 vg/kg, respectively. No participants developed inhibitors to Factor VIII, and no participants withdrew from the study. The most common adverse events (AEs) across all dose cohorts were alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation (11 participants, 73%); arthralgia (9 participants, 60%); aspartate aminotransferase elevation (8 participants, 53%); headache (7 patients, 47%); back pain and upper respiratory tract infection (6 participants, 40%), and fatigue, insomnia and pain in extremity (5 subjects, 33%). Two participants reported serious adverse events (SAEs) during the study. One participant was hospitalized for observation after developing Grade 2 pyrexia with myalgia and headache within 24 hours of receiving valoctocogene roxaparvovec. The event resolved within 48 hours following treatment with paracetamol, an over-the-counter treatment for pain and fever. The event was assessed as related to valoctocogene roxaparvovec. The other SAE was assessed as not related to valoctocogene roxaparvovec, attributed to a planned knee surgery to treat hemophilic arthropathy, and Grade 1 in severity. No complications were reported. Registrational Studies Underway; GENEr8-1 Amended to Evaluate Superiority The global Phase 3 program includes two studies with valoctocogene roxaparvovec, one with the 6e13 vg/kg dose (GENEr8-1) and one with the 4e13 vg/kg dose (GENEr8-2). With the new goal of evaluating superiority of valoctocogene roxaparvovec to the current standard of care, prophylactic therapy, the sample size of the GENEr8-1 study will be increased to approximately 130 total participants from 40 participants. The amended study is now powered to evaluate superiority to the current standard of care. Enrollment completion in the newly amended GENEr8-1 study is expected in the first quarter of 2019. GENEr8-2, the ongoing Phase 3 study with the 4e13 vg/kg dose, remains unchanged with an N=40. The GENEr8-2 study is expected to complete enrollment one to two quarters after GENEr8-1 in 2019. BioMarin now has six clinical studies underway in its comprehensive gene therapy program for the treatment of severe hemophilia A. In addition to the two global Phase 3 studies GENEr8-1 and GENEr8-2, the Company recently began a Phase 1/2 Study with the 6E13kg/vg dose of valoctocogene roxaparvovec in approximately 10 participants with pre-existing AAV5 antibodies. Two additional and separate studies, one to study seroprevalence in people with severe hemophilia A and one non-interventional study to determine baseline characteristics in people with hemophilia A, are ongoing around the world. Participants in the Phase 1/2 dose escalation study updated today at the WFH 2018 meeting will continue to be monitored as part of the global program underway. Valoctocogene roxaparvovec investigational product from BioMarin's commercial scale manufacturing facility will be used in all BioMarin interventional studies going forward. Product to support the additional participants in the GENEr8-1 has been produced and is immediately available. Regulatory Status The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted valoctocogene roxaparvovec Breakthrough Therapy Designation. The FDA's Breakthrough Therapy Designation program is intended to facilitate and expedite development and review of new drugs to address unmet medical need in the treatment of a serious condition. To qualify for Breakthrough Therapy Designation, preliminary clinical evidence must show that that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has granted access to its Priority Medicines (PRIME) regulatory initiative for valoctocogene roxaparvovec. To be accepted for PRIME, an investigational therapy has to show its potential to benefit patients with unmet medical needs based on early clinical data. PRIME focuses on medicines that may offer a major therapeutic advantage over existing treatments, or benefit patients with no treatment options. These medicines are considered priority medicines within the European Union (EU). BioMarin's valoctocogene roxaparvovec has also received orphan drug designation from the FDA and EMA for the treatment of severe hemophilia A. The Orphan Drug Designation program is intended to advance the evaluation and development of products that demonstrate promise for the diagnosis and/or treatment of rare diseases or conditions. Gene Therapy Manufacturing BioMarin has constructed one of the first gene therapy manufacturing facilities of its kind in the world, which is located in Novato, California. Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) production of valoctocogene roxaparvovec has commenced, and this manufacturing facility will support pivotal clinical development activities and anticipated commercial demand, if valoctocogene roxaparvovec is approved. This facility is capable of supporting approximately 2,000 to 3,000 patients per year, and the production process was developed in accordance with International Conference on Harmonisation guidance for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use facilitating worldwide registration with health authorities. Recently, the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) selected the Company's gene therapy manufacturing facility as the 2018 Facility of the Year Category Winner for Project Execution. Conference Call and Webcast to be Held May 22 at 8:30 AM Eastern Time Interested parties may access a live video webcast that will include audio and slides of the presentations via the investor section of the BioMarin website. A replay of the meeting will be archived on the site for one week. For those who choose not to listen and view the event via webcast, dial-in information for the audio portion of the webcast can be accessed using: U.S. / Canada Dial-in Number: (866) 502-9859 International Dial-in Number: (574) 990-1362 Conference ID: 4273016 Replay Dial-in Number: (855) 859-2056 Replay International Dial-in Number: (404) 537-3406 Conference ID: 4273016 About Hemophilia A Hemophilia A, also called factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency or classic hemophilia, is a genetic disorder caused by missing or defective factor VIII, a clotting protein. Although it is passed down from parents to children, about 1/3 of cases are caused by a spontaneous mutation, a new mutation that was not inherited. Approximately 1 in 10,000 people is born with Hemophilia A. People living with the disease are not able to form blood clots efficiently and are at risk for excessive bleeding from modest injuries, potentially endangering their life. People with severe hemophilia often bleed spontaneously into their muscles or joints. The standard of care for the 43 percent of individuals with hemophilia A who are severely affected is a prophylactic regimen of Factor VIII infusions two to three times per week. Even with prophylactic regimens, many people still experience spontaneous bleeding events that result in progressive and debilitating joint damage. About BioMarin BioMarin is a global biotechnology company that develops and commercializes innovative therapies for serious and life-threatening rare and ultra-rare genetic diseases. The Company's portfolio consists of six commercialized products and multiple clinical and pre-clinical product candidates. For additional information, please visit www.biomarin.com . Information on BioMarin's website is not incorporated by reference into this press release. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements about the business prospects of BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.(BioMarin), including without limitation, statements about the development of BioMarin's valoctocogene roxaparvovec program generally; the timing of BioMarin's clinical studies and trials and announcements from BioMarin's Phase 3 program and Phase1/2 study with valoctocogene roxaparvovec; the impact of valoctocogene roxaparvovec gene therapy for treating people with severe hemophilia A; the potential for valoctocogene roxaparvovec to bring Factor VIII levels to normal, near normal or mild, and to reduce or eliminate bleeds, reduce the number of Factor VIII infusions, and improve the quality of life for people with severe hemophilia A; statements about BioMarin's amendment to the protocol for the GENE r8-1 study evaluating the 6e13 vg/kg dose with the goal of evaluating superiority of valoctocogene roxaparvovec to the current standard of care and the planned increase of participants in the clinical trial; the adequacy of production of valoctocogene roxaparvovec in the Company's commercial gene therapy manufacturing facility; the ongoing Phase 1/2 study, Phase 1/2 study in people with AAV5+, or other possible future clinical studies of valoctocogene roxaparvovec. These forward-looking statements are predictions and involve risks and uncertainties such that actual results may differ materially from these statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: results and timing of current and planned preclinical studies and clinical trials of valoctocogene roxaparvovec, including final analysis of the above interim data; any potential adverse events observed in the continuing monitoring of the participants in the clinical trials; the content and timing of decisions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the European Commission and other regulatory authorities; the content and timing of decisions by local and central ethics committees regarding the clinical trials; our ability to successfully manufacture valoctocogene roxaparvovec for the clinical trials and commercially, if approved; and those other risks detailed from time to time under the caption "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in BioMarin's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including BioMarin's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, and future filings and reports by BioMarin. BioMarin undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or changes in its expectations. BioMarin® is a registered trademark of BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. Contacts: Investors Media Traci McCarty Debra Charlesworth BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. (415) 455-7558 (415) 455-7451 View original content with multimedia: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/biomarin-provides-2-years-of-clinical-data-in-6e13-vgkg-dose-from-ongoing-phase-12-study-in-valoctocogene-roxaparvovec-gene-therapy-for-severe-hemophilia-a-at-world-federation-of-hemophilia-2018-world-congress-300652448.html SOURCE BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.

BioMarin Provides 2 Years of Clinical Data in 6e13 vg/kg Dose from Ongoing Phase 1/2 Study in Valoctocogene Roxaparvovec Gene Therapy for Severe Hemophilia A at World Federation of Hemophilia 2018 World Congress

* SSEC -0.2 pct, CSI300 -0.4 pct, HSI flat * HK->Shanghai Connect daily quota used 1.7 pct * Sino-U.S trade talks to begin in Washington on Thursday SHANGHAI, May 17 (Reuters) - China and Hong Kong stocks edged lower on Thursday as investors took a cautious stance ahead of the Sino-U.S. trade talks to be held later in the day. ** The CSI300 index dropped 0.4 percent to 3,878.45 points at the end of the morning session, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.2 percent to 3,162.23 points. ** The Hang Seng index was unchanged at 31,097.96 points, while the Hong Kong China Enterprises Index lost 0.8 percent to 12,338.98. ** The United States and China will launch trade talks on Thursday in a bid to avert a damaging tariff war, with the White House’s harshest China critic relegated to a supporting role, senior Trump administration officials said on Wednesday. ** China’s CSI300 financial sector sub-index was lower by 0.05 percent, the consumer staples sector down 0.85 percent, the real estate index up 0.07 percent and healthcare sub-index down 1.22 percent. ** Chinese H-shares listed in Hong Kong fell 0.81 percent to 12,338.98, while the Hang Seng Index dipped 0.04 percent to 31,097.96. ** The smaller Shenzhen index was down 0.29 percent and the start-up board ChiNext Composite index was weaker by 0.58 percent. ** Around the region, MSCI’s Asia ex-Japan stock index was firmer by 0.12 percent while Japan’s Nikkei index was up 0.66 percent. ** The yuan was Quote: d at 6.3605 per U.S. dollar, 0.16 percent firmer than the previous close of 6.3705. ** The largest percentage gainers in the main Shanghai Composite index were China Petroleum Engineering Corp up 10.11 percent, followed by Suzhou Douson Drilling&Production Equipment Co Ltd gaining 10.04 percent and Shanghai La Chapelle Fashion Co Ltd up by 10.01 percent. ** The largest percentage losses in the Shanghai index were Shanghai Diesel Engine Co Ltd down 9.99 percent, followed by JDM JingDa Machine Ningbo Co Ltd losing 6.34 percent and Inly Media Co Ltd down by 6.32 percent. ** The top gainers among H-shares were Tencent Holdings Ltd up 5.15 percent, followed by CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd gaining 1.97 percent and PetroChina Co Ltd up by 0.98 percent. ** The three biggest H-shares percentage decliners were Air China Ltd which has fallen 2.11 percent, China Pacific Insurance Group Co Ltd which has lost 1.9 percent and New China Life Insurance Co Ltd down by 1.9 percent. ** About 6.17 billion shares have traded so far on the Shanghai exchange, roughly 43.0 percent of the market’s 30-day moving average of 14.34 billion shares a day. The volume traded was 13.05 billion as of the last full trading day. ** As of 0407 GMT, China’s A-shares were trading at a premium of 20.69 percent over the Hong Kong-listed H-shares. ** The Shanghai stock index is below its 50-day moving average and below its 200-day moving average. ** The price-to-earnings ratio of the Shanghai index was 13.62 as of the last full trading day, while the dividend yield was 2.2 percent. Reporting by Luoyan Liu and John Ruwitch, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips

China, HK stocks edge lower ahead of Sino-U.S. trade talks

More than half of the top American tech companies were founded by immigrants or the children of immigrants, Mary Meeker revealed in her annual report on the future of the internet. Industry giants Apple , Amazon , Google , and Facebook — accounting for a combined market valuation of roughly $3 trillion — were all founded by first or second generation immigrants. Apple founder Steve Jobs is the son of a Syrian immigrant, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is a second generation Cuban immigrant, Google founder Sergey Brin was born in Russia , and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin is a Brazilian native. Enterprise software firm Oracle counts two children of immigrants as founders, and all four founders of what would eventually become digital payments leader PayPal immigrated to the U.S. Silicon Valley has stood in relatively vocal support of immigration in recent months, as the Trump administration eyes stricter regulations and shorter visas. Executives around the tech industry have called for an easing on restrictions and support for foreign students, in part to help close the country's tech talent gap. Meeker, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and technology investing luminary, presented her annual report on internet trends Wednesday at Recode's Code Conference. Her manifesto on the tech industry has become an annual event. This year's report focused on the "privacy paradox" of collecting data for profit and the scrutiny that comes with rapid digital growth. Here's her full 2018 presentation:

More than half of the top US tech companies were founded by immigrants or the children of immigrants

Manchester City show off Premier League trophy in victory parade 10:15am BST - 01:30 Thousands of fans line the streets of Manchester in celebration of Manchester City's Premier League title win. Thousands of fans line the streets of Manchester in celebration of Manchester City's Premier League title win. //reut.rs/2KWRfUd

Manchester City show off Premier League trophy in victory parade

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett estimates that Berkshire Hathaway 's cash position dipped to "a little over" $100 billion because of lots of stock buying in the first three months of the year. "We bought more stocks by a considerable margin than we sold in the first quarter," Buffett told CNBC's Becky Quick in an interview that aired on Friday. Buffett pointed out that he's usually a net-buyer of stocks in the first quarter, but he stressed the "considerable" part this year. He said Berkshire's newly revealed purchase of 75 million Apple shares during the first quarter, which added to the conglomerate's already massive stake in the tech giant, "brought down our cash position moderately." The stock market since January has been on a wild ride. The Dow Jones industrial average and the S&P 500 extended their strong 2017 rallies to start off the new year, hitting record highs on Jan. 26. But then stocks hit a brick wall, dipping in and out of correction territory since then. Year to date, as of Thursday's close on Wall Street, the Dow was down 3.2 percent. The S&P 500 was down 1.6 percent so far in 2018. Buffett spoke to CNBC on Thursday evening from Omaha, Nebraska, where tens of thousands of Berkshire shareholders were gathering for Saturday's annual meeting. TWEET 1 Sign Up for Our Newsletter Morning Squawk CNBC's before the bell news roundup SIGN UP NOW Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about about our products and service. Privacy Policy .

Warren Buffett says he was buying lots of stock in the first quarter

PARAGOMINAS, Brazil—When Mauro Lúcio Costa began rearing cattle in the 1980s in the Amazon, he took to the forest like everyone else: with a chain saw and a match. Ranchers like him eventually cleared an area as large as California from the world’s largest rain forest. Mr. Costa broke ranks in 2002 and started employing more sustainable techniques,...

One Small Rancher’s Big Role in Saving Brazil’s Amazon

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq:UBNT) will release its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 before U.S. markets open on Thursday, May 10, 2018. Ubiquiti will also provide management's prepared remarks on the Investor Relations section of the website at http://ir.ubnt.com/ . Ubiquiti will host a Q&A-only conference call at 11:00 AM ET on the same day. Investors may listen to a live webcast of the Q&A conference call by visiting the Investor Relations section of the Ubiquiti Networks website at http://ir.ubnt.com . To listen to the Q&A call via telephone, dial 1-800-239-9838 (U.S. toll-free) or 1-323-794-2551 to be connected to the call by an operator. Participants should dial in at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. A recording of the Q&A call will be available for replay at http://ir.ubnt.com . About Ubiquiti Networks Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. currently focuses on 3 main technologies: high-capacity distributed Internet access, unified information technology, and next-gen consumer electronics for home and personal use. The majority of the company’s resources consist of entrepreneurial and de-centralized R&D teams. Ubiquiti does not employ a traditional direct salesforce, but instead drives brand awareness largely through the company’s user community where customers can interface directly with R&D, marketing, and support. With over 70 million devices shipped in over 200 countries and territories in the world, Ubiquiti aims to connect everyone to everything, everywhere. Ubiquiti was founded by former Apple Engineer Robert Pera in 2005. More insight about the company management can be found at www.rjpblog.com . Ubiquiti, Ubiquiti Networks, the U logo, UBNT, airMAX, airFiber, mFi, EdgeMAX, UniFi, AmpliFi and UFiber are registered trademarks or trademarks of Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. in the United States and other countries. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180430006344/en/ Ubiquiti Networks Laura Kiernan, 1-914-598-7733 SVP Investor Relations [email protected] Source: Ubiquiti Networks, Inc.

Ubiquiti Networks to Report Third Fiscal 2018 Earnings Results on May 10th, 2018

Iran slams U.S. sanctions push 9:35am EDT - 01:34 Iran on Wednesday kept up a drumbeat of opposition to U.S. demands for sweeping change in its foreign policy and nuclear program, and Tehran's ally Damascus dismissed out of hand a U.S. call for a withdrawal of Iranian forces from Syria. ▲ Hide Transcript ▶ View Transcript Iran on Wednesday kept up a drumbeat of opposition to U.S. demands for sweeping change in its foreign policy and nuclear program, and Tehran's ally Damascus dismissed out of hand a U.S. call for a withdrawal of Iranian forces from Syria. Press CTRL+C (Windows), CMD+C (Mac), or long-press the URL below on your mobile device to copy the code https://reut.rs/2IEaQLs

Iran slams U.S. sanctions push

Tencent, the world’s largest videogame company, has lost almost $90 billion of its market value since March, due to concerns about slowing growth and shrinking margins. Its latest report card should put those worries to bed. China’s most valuable firm reported a 48% increase in revenue and a 61% jump in net profit for its first quarter—both handily beating analysts’ estimates. That came after Tencent’s rare miss in revenue growth the quarter before, which had prompted worries about a slowdown in games sales, its largest profit... To Read the Full Story Subscribe Sign In

Tencent Is Ready Again for Its Battle Royale

May 10 (Reuters) - Canadian auto parts maker Magna International Inc posted a 14.3 percent rise in first-quarter profit on Thursday, helped by higher demand for mirrors and electronic components. Net income attributable to the company rose to $660 million, or $1.83 per share, for the three months ended March 31 from $577 million, or $1.51 per share, a year earlier. nGNX8C81gz] The Aurora, Ontario-based company’s sales rose to $10.79 billion from $8.90 billion. (Reporting By Allison Lampert in Montreal and Ahmed Farhatha in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D’Silva)

Canada's Magna International profit jumps 14.3 pct

(Recasts first paragraph, adds pre-tax loss detail, Musk comments) SAN FRANCISCO, May 2 (Reuters) - Ducking analysts' questions has a price: $2 billion. Tesla Inc investors gave a rare rebuke to iconoclastic Chief Executive Elon Musk on Wednesday after he cut off analysts asking about future profit potential, sending shares down 5 percent despite promises that production of the troubled Model 3 electric car was on track. Tesla's future depends on the Model 3 and the company said that it had largely overcome production bottlenecks, with Musk vowing a dramatic turnaround that would reverse losses and generate positive cash flow in just a few months. Musk plans to shut down its Fremont, California factory for 10 days in the second quarter but said Tesla will meet the production target of 5,000 Model 3s per day by the end of June, as planned, and will turn a profit in the second half of the year. To achieve profitability, Musk will have to reverse what today amounts to a $22,584 pre-tax loss per vehicle built by the Silicon Valley company. Tesla posted its biggest-ever quarterly loss when it announced first-quarter results on Wednesday. Tesla stock was little changed after the earnings announcement but fell during a conference call with analysts, when Musk began cutting analysts' questions short, costing Tesla over $2 billion in market capitalization. "These questions are so dry. They're killing me," Musk said after an analyst asked what percentage of Tesla 3 reservation holders have started to configure options for their cars, an indicator of how much profit Tesla will be able to wring from the vehicles. Another analyst asked about a capital requirement before being cut off. He then took several questions in a row about plans for a self-driving car network and other long-term projects from the host of a YouTube channel focused on investing, praising the questions as not boring. 5,000 MODEL 3s PER WEEK Musk's ability to run Tesla is crucial as the company strives to efficiently and profitably build its first vehicle intended to be produced at high volume, the Model 3. Musk acknowledged error recently in over-automating the Model 3 assembly-line, which has resulted in production delays, but it is still unclear how long and costly it will be to unwind this mistake. Delayed Model 3 production also comes as a slew of competitors bring new electric vehicle models to market. The company stood by a previously announced target of building 5,000 Model 3s per week by the end of June. Tesla's capital expenditures declined in the quarter and the company cut its spending forecasts for 2018, saying it would spend less than $3 billion. Tesla spent $3.4 billion in 2017. ( https://bit.ly/2jn15SB ) Investing.com analyst Clement Thibault said the reduction was noteworthy, "but in the long run given challenges that lay ahead of Tesla, I don't think it is going to make or break the company." Tesla "is definitely not in a minimizing cost stage," Thibault said. Free cash flow, a key metric of financial health, widened to negative $1 billion in the first quarter from negative $277 million in the fourth quarter, excluding costs of systems for its solar business. Analysts had not expected so much spending, predicting hundreds of millions of dollars less in so-called cash burn, according to Thomson Reuters data. Tesla did not break out a cash flow calculation that it had included in previous quarters. The niche carmaker, which two years ago vowed to build 500,000 vehicles annually in 2018, has attracted legions of fans for its advanced technology and design. But the company rushed its Model 3 to market, making mistakes in manufacturing whose effects are now being felt, and investor skepticism has risen. Questions over Tesla's finances are top of mind, and many analysts anticipate a capital raise in 2018 despite Musk's statements that it will not be necessary due to profitability and positive cash flow in the third or fourth quarters. Tesla said gross margins on the Model 3, which today are slightly negative, would be close to flat in the second quarter and grow to "highly positive" in the second half of the year. Tesla said it produced 2,270 Model 3s per week in the last week of April. It said net reservations for the Model 3, including configured orders not yet delivered, exceeded 450,000 at the end of the first quarter. Automotive revenue rose only 1 percent from the prior quarter to $2.74 billion. RECORD LOSS Tesla reported a record loss of $709.6 million, or $4.19 per share, for the first quarter ended March 31, compared with a loss of $330.3 million, or $2.04 per share, a year earlier. Excluding items, Tesla had a loss of $3.35 per share. Analysts had expected a loss of $3.58 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. The company said it ended the quarter with $3.2 billion in cash after spending $655.7 million in quarterly capital expenses. The lack of Model 3 revenue has exacerbated Tesla's cash burn as the company continues to spend on its assembly line and prepares for new investments on multiple projects in the pipeline, such as the Model Y crossover and its Gigafactory. (Reporting by Alexandria Sage in San Francisco and Sonam Rai in Bengaluru Editing by Peter Henderson, Matthew Lewis and Lisa Shumaker)

UPDATE 4-The price of cutting off analysts? For Tesla, it's $2 billion

A dramatic upswing in oil prices over recent months could soon create a "particularly hostile environment" for global investors, Citi economists warned Monday. The price of crude has risen over the past two years, from $26 in 2016 to $77 on Monday, as the balance between supply and demand has been steadily tightening. This has helped boost company's profits too — with several oil and gas producers and refiners among the biggest gainers on Wall Street over the past month. However, President Donald Trump 's decision to pull the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal "constitutes a major geopolitical shift" which could trigger a move in the direction of "stagflation," a global strategy team at Citi, led by Mark Schofield, said in a research note published Monday. show chapters Economists rethink oil prices and the economy 6 Hours Ago | 03:55 The combination of subdued economic growth and rampant inflation — also known as stagflation —would likely create a "particularly hostile environment for risk assets," the U.S. bank added. Alongside a broader escalation in regional conflict, Citi economists argued that a sustained increase in oil prices and weaker-than-anticipated global economic growth data could combine to heighten the risk for financial market participants. 'All that is certain is volatility' Last week, Trump vowed to quit the landmark 2015 accord and promised to re-impose sanctions on Iran . The contentious decision, which was largely at odds with the international community, has stoked anxiety in the Middle East. Iran pumps approximately 4 percent of the world's oil, with the looming prospect of American sanctions set to cut off some of that supply. When sanctions were imposed by the Barack Obama administration on Tehran in 2012, Iran's oil exports dropped to approximately 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd). Since the export restrictions were lifted in 2015, as part of the multilateral deal that offered economic relief in exchange for curbs to Iran's nuclear program — formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — that figure increased by more than 1 million. Carlos Barria | Reuters President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up while holding an umbrella in the rain as he arrives at Dallas Love Field aboard Air Force One to address the National Rifle Association Convention in Dallas, Texas U.S., May 4, 2018. Most analysts predict the impact on Iranian crude supply later this year will be more limited , especially in comparison to Obama's 2012 sanctions — they say Trump could reduce Iran's oil shipments by 300,000 to 500,000 bpd, far short of the 1 million to 1.5 million bpd that were cut from the market six years ago. OPEC , Russia and several other allied producers have spearheaded an ongoing effort to try to clear a global supply overhang and prop up prices. The agreement, which came into effect in January 2017, has already been extended through until the end of this year — with producers scheduled to meet in June to review policy. "Is OPEC, possibly together with its non-OPEC peers, going to fill the void potentially left in global supply by Iran? Time will tell and until then, all that is certain is volatility," Tamas Varga, analyst at PVM Oil Associates, said in a research note published Monday. — CNBC's Natasha Turak contributed to this report.

Citi warns surging oil prices could create hostile environment for stocks

May 23 (Reuters) - ConocoPhillips: * CONOCOPHILLIPS ANNOUNCES CASH TENDER OFFER FOR UP TO $1.75 BILLION OF DEBT SECURITIES * CONOCOPHILLIPS - TENDER OFFER WILL EXPIRE ONE MINUTE AFTER 11:59 P.M., NEW YORK CITY TIME, ON JUNE 20, 2018 Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

BRIEF-Conocophillips Announces Cash Tender Offer For Up To $1.75 Bln Of Debt Securities

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Maryland man has pleaded guilty to charges that he failed to register as a foreign agent in connection with lobbying work he did for the Pakistani government in an effort to shape U.S. foreign policy, the Justice Department said on Monday. The newly unsealed case against Nisar Ahmed Chaudhry, a Pakistani national and U.S. permanent resident, marks a rare instance in which the Justice Department has pursued a prosecution under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires people who lobby on behalf of foreign governments or political parties to register with the United States. A critical 2016 report by the Justice Department’s inspector general found that the department lacked a comprehensive enforcement strategy to penalize people who failed to file FARA statements. That report found that between 1966 and 2015, the department only brought seven prosecutions for FARA violations. Violations of FARA have gained greater attention since 2016, when U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia interfered in the presidential election. Russian has denied those findings. The often unenforced FARA law was thrust into the spotlight by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who last October charged President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, with failing to register as a foreign agent for Ukraine’s pro-Russia government. Manafort has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Less than a month later, the Justice Department also pressured the Kremlin-backed television station RT America to register as a foreign agent. The television station obliged, saying it would rather register with the U.S. government and disclose certain financial information than face possible criminal prosecution. In Chaudhry’s case, filed April 19 and unsealed on Monday, the government said he worked to influence U.S. officials on foreign policies toward Pakistan from 2012 through 2018 without disclosing it. The Justice Department said he represented that his activities were merely educational and not affiliated with Pakistan’s government when he met with think tank scholars and current and former U.S. government officials, including U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents who interviewed Chaudhry when he returned to the United States from travels to Pakistan. The Justice Department said he cultivated relationships to gather insights on the government’s policies toward Pakistan, and then sought to “neutralize unfavorable views of Pakistan” during roundtable discussions and other interactions by trying to manipulate the discussion. Federal public defenders representing Chaudhry could not be immediately reached for comment. Sentencing is scheduled for July 30. He faces a maximum five years in prison, a $10,000 fine and three years of supervised release upon completion of the prison term. Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Dan Grebler Our

Pakistani pleads guilty; failed to register as U.S. foreign agent

NEW YORK, May 15, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Immudyne, Inc. (OTCQB:IMMD) (“Immudyne” or the “Company”), a leader in the development and online direct-response marketing of healthcare and technology products, today announces net revenue of $1.61 million for the first quarter of 2018, a 50% increase compared to net revenue of $1.07 million for the fourth quarter of 2017. The Company reported a net loss of approximately $286,000, or $0.01 per share. However, the Company generated approximately $66,000 of cash from operating activities. “Our revenue growth in the first quarter reflects the continued growth and execution of our online direct response marketing business,” said Justin Schreiber, President & Chief Executive Officer of Immudyne. “It’s a combination of great products like Shapiro MD and an exceptional team of people that continue to execute on our business plan day in and day out.” Shapiro MD, our hair-care line designed to help men and women achieve thicker, fuller and healthier hair, was primarily responsible for Immudyne’s revenue growth in the first quarter. Highlights for the first quarter include: 35,000+ customers globally have purchased Shapiro MD products High customer satisfaction; less than 3% of Shapiro MD customers requested a refund or return Launched new Shapiro MD branded topical product containing FDA approved 5% Minoxidil Preparing for launch of new subscription management platform to improve customer lifetime value and retention “The continued success of Shapiro MD is extremely validating for Immudyne’s business model,” stated Stefan Galluppi, Chief Technology Officer of Immudyne. “I believe this will pave the way for other value creating opportunities.” About lmmudyne lmmudyne, Inc. (the "Company") is an online direct response marketing company that builds innovative and proprietary health and wellness brands that seeks to transform and enrich the lives of consumers around the world. Immudyne’s scalable and global advertising technology infrastructure leverages the world’s largest social media, search and e-commerce platforms (Facebook, Google & Amazon) to rapidly grow our continually expanding product portfolio. To learn more about our corporate strategy, brands or for investor relations please visit www.immudyne.com or email us at [email protected] . Forward-Looking Statements Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such include, among other thing, statements regarding the offering, the expected gross proceeds, the expected use of proceeds and the expected closing of the offering. Any contained herein are based on current expectations, but are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. The factors that could cause actual future results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's ability to develop, market and sell its products; the expected benefits and efficacy of the Company's products; the availability of substantial additional funding for the Company to continue its operations and to conduct research and development, clinical studies and future product commercialization; and, the Company's business, research, product development, regulatory approval, marketing and distribution plans and strategies. These and other factors are identified and described in more detail in our filings with the SEC, including, but not limited to, our current reports on Form 8-K. Source:ImmuDyne, Inc.

Immudyne Announces Strong Quarterly Revenue Growth and Provides Update on Shapiro MD

(Reuters) - Russia’s biggest airline Aeroflot reported a first-quarter net loss of 11.54 billion rubles ($184.49 million) on Wednesday as fuel and staff costs outweighed revenue growth. In its first ever publication of quarterly results, Aeroflot said the net loss more than doubled from the 5.34 billion rubles reported a year ago. Aeroflot’s fuel costs surged 24.1 percent due to rising crude oil prices. Staff costs climbed 15.1 percent, contributing to a 14.3 percent increase in operating costs to 123.54 billion rubles. “An increase in leasing expenses due to significant fleet expansion, as well as our initiatives to improve working conditions and increase salaries for cabin crew, led to a decrease in the overall financial result compared to the same period last year,” Aeroflot’s Deputy CEO for Commerce and Finance Shamil Kurmashov said. Aeroflot (AFLT) has been buying its fuel at spot prices, after poor hedging in 2015 when it reported a hedging loss of 23.75 billion rubles. “The unhedged oil (AFLT admits that is too late to hedge this at current levels) is a clear drag and here AFLT fares worse than its peers who customarily hedge 50 percent or more of their oil exposure,” Renaissance Capital analysts said in a note last week. Aeroflot’s shares, though, were up 5 percent to 138.40 roubles as of 0906 GMT, after the company recommended on Tuesday a larger than expected dividend for 2017. They are still well below a high of 225 rubles in mid-2017, having lost 41 percent since. “Aeroflot’s results were expectedly weak and priced in by the market before the publication and now the primary focus is on the news flow, dividend recommendation, new strategy and the share buyback”, VTB Capital analyst Olga Boltrukevich said. The 95-year-old carrier said on Tuesday it would set “more ambitious strategic goals”, having achieved its long-term 2025 targets to become a top-20 airline globally and top-5 European airline ahead of schedule. Aeroflot sees transit passengers between Europe and Asia, as well as its low-cost subsidiary Pobeda, as key growth drivers. Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka; Editing by Mark Potter

Russia's Aeroflot first quarter loss more than doubles as costs surge

RICHMOND, Va., May 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV) will webcast its conference call on May 23, 2018, following the release of its results for fiscal year 2018 after market close on that date. The conference call will begin at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time and will be hosted by Candace C. Formacek, Vice President and Treasurer. A live webcast of the conference call will be available online on a listen-only basis at www.universalcorp.com . A replay of the webcast conference call will be available at that site through August 6, 2018. A taped replay of the call will also be available from 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time on May 23rd through June 6, 2018, at (855) 859-2056. The telephone replay identification number is 1754119. All remarks made during the conference call will be current at the time of the call, and the language of the call will not be updated to reflect subsequent material developments. While news media representatives will not be able to ask questions during the webcast, they are welcome to monitor the remarks on a listen-only basis. The use of any comments made by Universal employees or other participants during the call will be restricted for background use only and not for attribution. The contents of the presentation are the property of Universal Corporation, protected by copyright law, and may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of Universal Corporation. Rebroadcast of the copyrighted call or any portion thereof is prohibited. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Universal Corporation is the leading global leaf tobacco supplier and conducts business in more than 30 countries. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017, were $2.1 billion. For more information on Universal Corporation, visit its web site at www.universalcorp.com . View original content with multimedia: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/universal-corporation-announces-conference-call-300651276.html SOURCE Universal Corporation

Universal Corporation Announces Conference Call

Iran's judiciary court has blocked the use of messaging app Telegram, according to state media. The ban, effective as of Monday, relates to concerns of the popular service being used to coordinate illegal activity, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency , Iran's government-funded and controlled news agency. Telegram was used by anti-government protestors during widespread unrest earlier this year. The country banned the use of the service during those protests, but only temporarily. Telegram is considered to be the most popular messaging app in Iran. It is estimated that more than 40 million Iranians are signed up to the app. Iran has a population of more than 80 million. Iran has been promoting a homegrown messaging app called Soroush instead. The app reportedly contains emojis that feature veiled women calling for "Death to America." The Islamic country's clampdown comes hot on the heels of a move by Russia's communications regulator to bar domestic access to Telegram. The FSB, Russia's intelligence agency, had tried to gain access to Telegram's encryption keys but the company refused. Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov, Telegram's founder and CEO, has called for "digital resistance" to Russia's Telegram ban, in the belief that it will compromise Russians' human rights. Internet censors in both countries are able to filter what websites and apps people can gain access to. To get around this, some use virtual private networks (VPNs) to access websites as if they are connecting to it from a different country. Russians protested the Kremlin's move to block Telegram at a march in Moscow on Monday, in support of internet freedom and privacy.

Iran follows Russia in banning popular messaging app Telegram

May 21 (Reuters) - Partners Group Holding AG: * PARTNERS GROUP AND KEDAARA CAPITAL TO ACQUIRE VISHAL MEGA MART, AN INDIAN HYPERMARKET BRAND * CO AND KEDAARA CAPITAL FUND II TO ACQUIRE VISHAL MEGA MART PRIVATE LIMITED FROM PRIVATE EQUITY FIRM TPG Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

BRIEF-Partners Group and Kedaara Capital to acquire Vishal Mega Mart

May 17, 2018 / 5:19 AM / in 22 minutes Dutch insurer NN Group Q1 profit falls 23 pct after Europe storm damage Reuters Staff 1 Min Read AMSTERDAM, May 17 (Reuters) - Dutch insurer NN Group on Thursday reported a steeper than expected 23 percent drop in first-quarter core profit to 313 million euros ($370.1 million), as storm damage was more than earlier estimated. Operating profit was seen at 347 million euros in a Reuters poll of analysts. NN said the total impact of a severe storm that hit Europe on Jan. 18 amounted to 89 million euros, which was 14 million euros more than the insurer had earlier estimated. $1 = 0.8457 euros Reporting by Bart Meijer

Dutch insurer NN Group Q1 profit falls 23 pct after Europe storm damage

May 10 (Reuters) - Americold Realty Trust: * QTRLY CORE FFO OF $0.27 * Q1 FFO PER SHARE VIEW $0.21 — THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

BRIEF-Americold Realty Trust Reports Q1 Adj FFO Per Share $0.31

SACRAMENTO, City in California, May 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- RiceBran Technologies (NASDAQ: RIBT) (NASDAQ: RIBTW) ("RBT"), a global leader in the production and marketing of value added products derived from rice bran, today announced that it will relocate its corporate headquarters to 1330 Lake Robbins Drive, Suite 250, The Woodlands, TX 77380 as of May 30, 2018. This corporate relocation to The Woodlands, located approximately 27 miles north of downtown Houston, positions the Company's main offices in closer proximity to Arkansas and Louisiana where the majority of rice bran supply in the U.S. is produced. The Woodlands is home to more than 1,900 companies, including some of the country's largest corporations, and ranks as one of the nation's fastest growing large cities. With a growing population and extensive corporate campuses that employ over 58,000 professionals, The Woodlands provides RBT with access to a highly skilled labor pool to support future growth. Dr. Robert Smith, CEO of RiceBran Technologies, commented, "We look forward to calling The Woodlands the new home of our corporate headquarters. The Woodlands will position RBT much closer to the Delta, the major rice growing region of the U.S., the main source of our rice bran supply, and the biggest regional opportunity for our future growth. This will provide greater access and efficiencies to our senior management team as well as key people in operations and logistics, accounting and finance, and customer service. The Woodlands area of greater Houston has an exceptional labor pool that is attracted to our business and industry, and we have already made many hires here to staff our new office. We look forward to building a growing presence in this region as RBT expands its operations, revenues, and pushes towards profitability in order to maximize value for the benefit of our shareholders." About RiceBran Technologies RiceBran Technologies is a specialty ingredient company servicing the food, animal nutrition, and specialty ingredient products markets. We utilize our proprietary and patented intellectual property to convert rice bran, one of the world's most underutilized food sources, into a number of highly nutritious and clean label ingredient products. The global target markets for our products include food and animal nutrition manufacturers and retailers, as well as specialty food, functional food and nutritional supplement manufacturers and retailers. More information can be found in the Company's filings with the SEC and by visiting our website at http://www.ricebrantech.com . Forward-Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements about RiceBran Technologies' expectations regarding growing its business and maximizing shareholder value. RiceBran Technologies does not undertake to update forward-looking statements in this news release to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting such forward-looking information. Assumptions and other information that could cause results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking information can be found in RiceBran Technologies' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent periodic reports. Investor Contact: Ascendant Partners, LLC Richard Galterio +1-732-410-9810 [email protected] SOURCE RiceBran Technologies

RiceBran Technologies to Relocate its Corporate Headquarters to the Woodlands in Texas as of May 30, 2018

April 30 (Reuters) - Education Realty Trust Inc: * Q1 EARNINGS PER SHARE $0.53 * Q1 EARNINGS PER SHARE VIEW $0.24 — THOMSON REUTERS I/B/E/S * QUARTERLY CORE FFO SHARE $0.57 * SAYS REITERATING GUIDANCE FOR 2018 CORE FFO PER SHARE/UNIT OF $1.81 TO $1.91 Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

BRIEF-EdR Announces Q1 Earnings Per Share $0.53

GAZA (Reuters) - On the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, many Gazans on Wednesday were worried about how they will put food on the table. With dozens of Palestinian protesters killed in recent weeks during a border face-off between demonstrators and Israeli troops, and with 80 percent of Gaza’s 2 million population dependent on aid, the mood is bleak. “It is sad and depressing. In every home there is an injured person, in every home there is a martyr. All the mothers are sad, there is no nice Ramadan atmosphere at all,” said Sabreen al-Turk. Nohaa Shomar, a mother living in the Beach refugee camp, said she cannot afford meat and feeds her family of nine with only rice and grains. It is usually a time of celebration, but many business owners are barely staying afloat and say that no-one is buying their goods. “The situation is really difficult, whether Ramadan is here or not, there are economic difficulties,” said merchant Fayez al-Bitar. “How are we supposed to afford food?” Editing by Stephen Farrell

Gaza Palestinians fear a bleak Ramadan lies ahead, amid poverty and killings

May 9 (Reuters) - Sparton Corp: * SPARTON CORPORATION REPORTS FISCAL 2018 THIRD QUARTER RESULTS * QTRLY ADJUSTED EARNINGS PER SHARE OF $0.22 * MDS SEGMENT BACKLOG OF $149 MILLION AT QUARTER END Source text for Eikon: Further company coverage:

BRIEF-Sparton Corporation Qtrly Earnings Per Share OF $0.06

Q1 2018 total net revenue of $67.5 million, up 4% from prior year, and pro forma EPS of $0.26, up 13% from prior year and both in line with guidance Board of Directors declares $0.17 semi-annual dividend and approves a $5.0 million increase in the Company’s share repurchase program MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Hackett Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: HCKT), a global intellectual property-based strategic consultancy and leading enterprise benchmarking and best practices digital transformation firm, today announced its financial results for the first quarter, which ended on March 30, 2018. Q1 2018 net revenue was $67.5 million, up 4% from prior year. Q1 2018 gross revenue was $72.7 million, up 2% from prior year. The actual Q1 2018 reimbursable expense ratio on net revenue was 7.8% versus 9.8% from the prior year. Reimbursable expenses are project travel-related expenses passed through to a client with no associated margin. Q1 2018 pro forma diluted earnings per share were $0.26, up 13%, when compared to $0.23 for the same period in the prior year. Pro forma information is provided to enhance the understanding of the Company’s financial performance and is reconciled to the Company’s GAAP information in the accompanying tables. GAAP diluted earnings per share were $0.23 for the first quarter of 2018, as compared to $0.24 for the same period in the prior year. Income tax expense in Q1 2018 had a $0.02 unfavorable impact in GAAP diluted earnings per share. In its recent meeting, the Company’s semi-annual dividend of $0.17 per share for its shareholders of record on June 29, 2018, to be paid on July 11, 2018. At the end of the first quarter of 2018, the Company’s cash balances were $23.7 million. During the first quarter the Company utilized cash to repurchase 228 thousand shares of the Company’s common stock at an average price per share of $17.42 for a total of $4.0 million. At the end of the first quarter of 2018, the Company’s remaining stock purchase program authorization was $2.2 million. Subsequent to the end of the first quarter, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a $5.0 million increase in the Company’s share repurchase program. “We reported solid quarterly results as we started to see the initial benefits of our cloud and digital transformation focus,” stated Ted A. Fernandez, Chairman & CEO of the Hackett Group. “Additionally, we are seeing favorable reaction to our recently introduced Quantum Leap, Digital Transformation Platform and RPA offerings which digitize and leverage our unique Hackett Intellectual Property and highly differentiate our capabilities.” Based on the current economic outlook, the Company estimates total net revenue for the second quarter of 2018 to be in the range of $69.0 million and $71.0 million or gross revenue (inclusive of reimbursable expenses) to be in the range of $74.0 million and $76.0 million. The Company estimates pro forma diluted earnings per share for the second quarter of 2018 to be in the range of $0.26 and $0.28. At the high end of guidance, pro forma diluted earnings per share for the second quarter of 2018 would increase 12%, when compared to the same period in the prior year. Other Highlights Best Practices Conference – More than 300 attendees joined The Hackett Group for its 2018 North American Best Practices Conference, “Unlocking Digital Value,” in Atlanta, from April 30 to May 2. Highlights of the conference included presentations by senior leadership from more than a dozen of the largest and most successful U.S. companies, each spotlighting their digital transformation efforts in finance, procurement, HR, IT, and other business services areas. Presenters included executives from: Becton, Dickinson and Company; Cargill; General Motors; Halyard Health; IBM; Mary Kay; MGM Resorts International; NCR; Pfizer; Rogers Communications Canada; Thermo Fisher Scientific; Verizon Communications; and WestRock. More than 20 executives from The Hackett Group also presented on the company’s latest research, analysis, and insights. IT Key Issues Research – New research from The Hackett Group found that support for enterprise analytics and development of IT talent are two top priority areas for CIOs in 2018, as companies seek to unlock the value of digital business. However, companies’ efforts to deploy and derive value from digital tools are likely to be handicapped by low capability maturity in these two key areas and a lack of initiative to improve over the coming year. The research also found that IT budgets are expected to rise by 1.8% in 2018. The research is available for complimentary download here: http://go.poweredbyhackett.com/keyit1801sm . HR Key Issues Research – New research from The Hackett Group found that despite another year of flat to decreasing budgets and headcounts, HR organizations are focused on helping their companies unlock the value of digital transformation this year. But while most HR executives recognize the future potential of digital technology to transform the enterprise as well as HR roles and operating models, less than half feel their organizations have the resources and capabilities in place to execute and support their company’s digital transformation strategy. The research also found that urgent shortfalls exist in HR’s ability to support critical goals, including developing executives who can lead in volatile environments and enabling business strategy execution. In addition, there are significant internal gaps, with limited ability to address some of the most critical development areas. On the upside, HR organizations are now targeting many of these same areas for improvement initiatives in 2018. The research is available for complimentary download here: http://go.poweredbyhackett.com/keyhr1801sm . Finance Key Issues Research – New research from The Hackett Group found that faster adoption of digital tools is critical if finance is to deliver on its key mandates in 2018 -- to help companies drive growth while holding down cost. Finance also faces significant budget constraints of its own in 2018, which can also be addressed in part through digital transformation, the research found. Unlocking the value of digital transformation is emerging as a strategic imperative for the enterprise in 2018, and The Hackett Group’s research identified four “must dos” for finance: balance investments to improve performance; improve analytics to better support the enterprise; leverage digital strategy to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and agility; and reshape the service delivery model to improve customer service and reduce cost. The research is available for complimentary download here: http://go.poweredbyhackett.com/keyfin1801sm . On Tuesday, May 8, 2018 senior management will discuss first quarter results in a conference call at 5:00 P.M. ET. The number for the conference call is (800) 369-2134, [Passcode: First Quarter]. For International callers, please dial (212) 547-0413. Please dial in at least 5-10 minutes prior to start time. If you are unable to participate on the conference call, a rebroadcast will be available beginning at 8:00 P.M. ET on Tuesday, May 8, 2018 and will run through 5:00 P.M. ET on Tuesday, May 22, 2018. To access the rebroadcast, please dial (866) 453-1997. For International callers, please dial (203) 369-1223. In addition, The Hackett Group will also be webcasting this conference call live through the StreetEvents.com service. To participate, simply visit http://www.thehackettgroup.com approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the call and click on the conference call link provided. An online replay of the call will be available after 8:00 P.M. ET on Tuesday, May 8, 2018 and will run through 5:00 P.M. ET on Tuesday, May 22, 2018. To access the replay, visit www.thehackettgroup.com or http://www.streetevents.com . About The Hackett Group The Hackett Group (NASDAQ: HCKT) is an intellectual property-based strategic consultancy and leading enterprise benchmarking and best practices digital transformation firm to global companies, offering digital transformation including robotic process automation and enterprise cloud application implementation. Services include business transformation, enterprise analytics, working capital management and global business services . The Hackett Group also provides dedicated expertise in business strategy, operations, finance, human capital management, strategic sourcing, procurement and information technology, including its award-winning Oracle and SAP practices. The Hackett Group has completed more than 15,200 benchmarking and performance studies with major corporations and government agencies, including 97% of the Dow Jones Industrials, 89% of the Fortune 100, 87% of the DAX 30 and 59% of the FTSE 100. These studies drive its Best Practice Intelligence Center ™ which includes the firm's benchmarking metrics, best practices repository and best practice configuration guides and process flows, which enable The Hackett Group’s clients and partners to achieve world-class performance. More information on The Hackett Group is available at: www.thehackettgroup.com , [email protected] , or by calling (770) 225-3600. This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause The Hackett Group's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that impact such forward-looking statements include, among others, the ability of our products, services, or offerings mentioned in this release to deliver the desired effect, our ability to effectively integrate acquisitions into our operations, our ability to retain existing business, our ability to attract additional business, our ability to effectively market and sell our product offerings and other services, including these referenced above, the timing of projects and the potential for contract cancellations by our customers, changes in expectations regarding the business consulting and information technology industries, our ability to attract and retain skilled employees, possible changes in collections of accounts receivable due to the bankruptcy or financial difficulties of our customers, risks of competition, price and margin trends, foreign currency fluctuations, changes in general economic conditions and interest rates, our ability to obtain debt financing through additional borrowings under an amendment to our existing credit facility as well as other risks detailed in our Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent fiscal year filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. The Hackett Group, Inc. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited) Quarter Ended March 30, March 31, 2018 2017 Revenue: Revenue before reimbursements ("net revenue") $ 67,475 $ 65,069 Reimbursements 5,258 6,360 Total revenue 72,733 71,429 Costs and expenses: Cost of service: Personnel costs before reimbursable expenses 41,621 40,152 Acquisition-related compensation expense (585 ) — Non-cash stock compensation expense 1,043 1,132 Acquisition-related non-cash stock compensation expense 800 310 Reimbursable expenses 5,258 6,360 Total cost of service 48,137 47,954 Selling, general and administrative costs 14,822 14,360 Non-cash stock compensation expense 841 659 Acquisition-related costs — 106 Amortization of intangible assets 613 386 Total selling, general, and administrative expenses 16,276 15,511 Total costs and operating expenses 64,413 63,465 Income from operations 8,320 7,964 Other expense: Interest expense (179 ) (90 ) Income from operations before income taxes 8,141 7,874 Income tax expense 774 — Net income $ 7,367 $ 7,874 Basic net income per common share: Income per common share from operations $ 0.25 $ 0.27 Weighted average common shares outstanding 29,089 28,868 Diluted net income per common share: Income per common share from operations $ 0.23 $ 0.24 Weighted average common and common equivalent shares outstanding 31,815 32,292 Pro forma data (1): Income from operations before income taxes $ 8,141 $ 7,874 Acquisition-related compensation expense (585 ) — Non-cash stock compensation expense 1,884 1,791 Acquisition-related non-cash stock compensation expense 800 310 Acquisition-related costs — 106 Amortization of intangible assets 613 386 Pro forma income before income taxes 10,853 10,467 Pro forma income tax expense 2,713 3,140 Pro forma net income $ 8,140 $ 7,327 Pro forma basic net income per common share $ 0.28 $ 0.25 Weighted average common shares outstanding 29,089 28,868 Pro forma diluted net income per common share $ 0.26 $ 0.23 Weighted average common and common equivalent shares outstanding 31,815 32,292 (1) The Company provides pro forma earnings results (which exclude the amortization of intangible assets, stock compensation expense, acquisition-related cash and stock compensation expenses and transaction expenses, restructuring expenses and include a normalized tax rate, which is our long term projected cash tax rate) as a complement to results provided in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). These non-GAAP results are provided to enhance the overall users' understanding of the Company's current financial performance and its prospects for the future. The Company believes the non-GAAP results provide useful information to both management and investors and by excluding certain expenses that it believes are not indicative of its core operating results. The non-GAAP measures are included to provide investors and management with an alternative method for assessing operating results in a manner that is focused on the performance of ongoing operations and to provide a more consistent basis for comparison between quarters. Further, these non-GAAP results are one of the primary indicators management uses for planning and forecasting in future periods. In addition, since the Company has historically reported non-GAAP results to the investment community, it believes the continued inclusion of non-GAAP results provides consistency in its financial reporting. The presentation of this additional information should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for results prepared in accordance with GAAP. The Hackett Group, Inc. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands) (unaudited) March 30, December 29, 2018 2017 ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 23,666 $ 17,512 Accounts receivable and unbilled revenue, net 51,943 55,262 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 3,456 2,511 Total current assets 79,065 75,285 Property and equipment, net 20,652 18,851 Other assets 5,641 6,021 Goodwill, net 85,691 85,074 Total assets $ 191,049 $ 185,231 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 8,621 $ 8,434 Accrued expenses and other liabilities 39,802 43,014 Total current liabilities 48,423 51,448 Non-current accrued expenses and other liabilities 613 1,268 Long-term deferred tax liability, net 7,629 6,240 Long-term debt 19,000 19,000 Total liabilities 75,665 77,956 Shareholders' equity 115,384 107,275 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 191,049 $ 185,231 The Hackett Group, Inc. SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL DATA (unaudited) Quarter Ended March 30, March 31, December 29, 2018 2017 2017 Revenue Breakdown by Group: (in thousands) The Hackett Group (2) $ 58,898 $ 54,991 $ 54,639 SAP Solutions (3) 8,577 10,078 9,871 Net revenue (4) $ 67,475 $ 65,069 $ 64,510 Revenue Concentration: (% of total revenue) Top customer 3 % 4 % 4 % Top 5 customers 12 % 18 % 13 % Top 10 customers 19 % 30 % 20 % Key Metrics and Other Financial Data: Total Company: Consultant headcount 1,016 922 1,011 Total headcount 1,257 1,142 1,243 Days sales outstanding (DSO) 65 64 72 Cash provided by operating activities (in thousands) $ 17,203 $ 4,876 $ 7,559 Pro forma return on equity (5) 31 % 32 % 33 % Depreciation (in thousands) $ 580 $ 639 $ 601 Amortization (in thousands) $ 613 $ 386 $ 615 Remaining Plan authorization: Shares purchased (in thousands) 53 59 — Cost of shares repurchased (in thousands) $ 963 $ 1,186 $ — Average price per share of shares purchased $ 18.33 $ 20.13 $ — Remaining Plan authorization (in thousands) $ 2,174 $ 3,247 $ 3,138 Shares Purchased to Satisfy Employee Net Vesting Obligations: Shares purchased (in thousands) 175 174 6 Cost of shares purchased (in thousands) $ 3,004 $ 2,906 $ 89 Average price per share of shares purchased $ 17.15 $ 16.72 $ 15.37 (2) The Hackett Group encompasses the Benchmarking, Business Transformation and Executive Advisory groups, and EPM Groups and excludes AMS. (3) SAP Solutions encompasses Best Practice Implementation of ERP Software, the SAP group, approximately 40% of which are offshore resources. (4) Net revenue excludes reimbursable expenses which are project travel-related expenses passed through to a client with no associated margin. (5) Twelve months of pro forma net income divided by average shareholder's equity. (6) Certain reclassifications have been made to conform with current reporting requirements. View source version on businesswire.com : https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180508006708/en/ The Hackett Group, Inc. Robert A. Ramirez, CFO, 305-375-8005 [email protected] Source: The Hackett Group, Inc.

The Hackett Group Announces First Quarter 2018 Results

SAN FRANCISCO, May 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bugcrowd , the leader in crowdsourced security, announced today the appointment of Mark Milani as the global head of engineering. A technology executive with more than 25 years of experience leading global software engineering and product management teams, Milani will lead the engineering organization in growing and innovating Bugcrowd’s industry-leading Crowdcontrol™ platform. “We are thrilled to have Mark onboard the Bugcrowd team,” said Ashish Gupta, CEO, Bugcrowd. “He is an experienced engineering, analytics and business leader in technology spanning across a number of areas in both small and large company environments. His knowledge and skills will be invaluable as we continue to grow our engineering team and innovate on our platform, ensuring the success of security teams and researchers around the globe.” Based in San Francisco, Milani brings decades of experience across a number of technology areas, from developing solutions deep in the technology stack, to applications and cloud solutions for end users and service organizations. In addition to this diverse set of functional skills, Milani has shown unprecedented commitment to building and developing his teams throughout his career. Prior to Bugcrowd, Milani was senior vice president of product engineering at Actian Corporation, and held multiple leadership positions at Oracle Corporation, including leading engineering for Oracle’s Cloud Services and Platform Technologies teams. “While I was running cloud services, traditional security methods were not adequately addressing the expanding security risks I was managing,” said Mark Milani, Global Head of Engineering, Bugcrowd. “Bugcrowd’s security platform introduces an important change to existing thinking by bringing the creativity and knowledge of the Crowd directly to organizations to manage their cybersecurity challenges. I’m excited to lead development of a platform that is truly changing the way organizations approach security and to be a part of the Bugcrowd team.” The crowdsourced model is the future of security -- the industry has seen unprecedented growth this year, across industries, at companies of all sizes. Bugcrowd utilizes a multi-faceted approach starting with a robust platform, coupled with human innovation, leveraging both a large, diverse, and skilled crowd of researchers and our dedicated team of experts. To ensure this model has the most impact, we must marry the art and science of it. With his deep skills and expertise, Milani will help lead our company to the next level in platform capabilities and innovation to deliver compelling results for our customers. Today, Bugcrowd also announced the company had achieved Soc 2 Type 1 compliance. To read more, visit: www.bugcrowd.com/press Additional Resources: Learn more about Bugcrowd and our Customer Stories Read the latest report: 7 Bug Bounty Myths, BUSTED Follow us on Twitter Follow us on LinkedIn About Bugcrowd Bugcrowd is trusted by more of the Fortune 500 than any other crowdsourced security platform. Why? Because people need the increased security of a bug bounty without all the extra work and chaos. Bugcrowd cracked the code on crowdsourced security through rock-solid program management, top trusted researchers and a versatile platform. That’s how our vulnerability disclosure and bug bounty programs find seven times as many critical vulnerabilities as traditional testing. Based in San Francisco, Bugcrowd is backed by Blackbird Ventures, Costanoa Ventures, Industry Ventures, Paladin Capital Group, Rally Ventures, Salesforce Ventures and Triangle Peak Partners. Bugcrowd. Outhack Them All™. Learn more at www.bugcrowd.com . Michelle Dailey Bugcrowd, Inc. [email protected] Source: Bugcrowd

Bugcrowd Names Mark Milani as Global Head of Engineering