Analysts Anticipate Array Biopharma Inc (ARRY) to Announce -$0.25 EPS

Equities analysts expect Array Biopharma Inc (NASDAQ:ARRY) to post earnings of ($0.25) per share for the current quarter, Zacks Investment Research reports. Five analysts have made estimates for Array Biopharma’s earnings, with estimates ranging from ($0.35) to ($0.16). Array Biopharma posted earnings of ($0.17) per share in the same quarter last year, which indicates a negative year-over-year growth rate of 47.1%. The firm is scheduled to announce its next earnings report on Wednesday, August 8th.

According to Zacks, analysts expect that Array Biopharma will report full-year earnings of ($0.76) per share for the current fiscal year, with EPS estimates ranging from ($0.85) to ($0.65). For the next year, analysts anticipate that the business will report earnings of ($0.64) per share, with EPS estimates ranging from ($1.16) to ($0.28). Zacks’ EPS calculations are a mean average based on a survey of research firms that that provide coverage for Array Biopharma.

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Array Biopharma (NASDAQ:ARRY) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 9th. The biopharmaceutical company reported ($0.11) EPS for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of ($0.22) by $0.11. Array Biopharma had a negative return on equity of 96.65% and a negative net margin of 72.33%. The business had revenue of $66.37 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.81 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned ($0.21) earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 99.4% on a year-over-year basis.

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Array Biopharma from $20.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. BidaskClub upgraded Array Biopharma from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 14th. Zacks Investment Research cut Array Biopharma from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 14th. SunTrust Banks restated a “buy” rating and set a $20.00 target price on shares of Array Biopharma in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, Leerink Swann boosted their target price on Array Biopharma from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. The company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $18.00.

In other Array Biopharma news, Director Lunsen Gil J. Van sold 21,500 shares of Array Biopharma stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.76, for a total transaction of $360,340.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 26,297 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $440,737.72. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Victor Sandor sold 156,016 shares of Array Biopharma stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.71, for a total value of $2,763,043.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 229,205 shares of company stock valued at $3,913,585. Corporate insiders own 3.18% of the company’s stock.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Array Biopharma by 107.9% in the 1st quarter. Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. now owns 8,614 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $140,000 after acquiring an additional 4,470 shares during the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its stake in shares of Array Biopharma by 70.9% in the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 9,244 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $118,000 after acquiring an additional 3,834 shares during the last quarter. QS Investors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Array Biopharma in the 4th quarter valued at about $134,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new stake in shares of Array Biopharma in the 1st quarter valued at about $208,000. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in shares of Array Biopharma by 266.7% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 12,874 shares of the biopharmaceutical company’s stock valued at $211,000 after acquiring an additional 9,363 shares during the last quarter. 92.55% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Array Biopharma stock traded up $0.25 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $15.89. 1,305,354 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,500,259. Array Biopharma has a 52-week low of $7.15 and a 52-week high of $18.78. The company has a quick ratio of 5.73, a current ratio of 5.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The stock has a market cap of $3.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -22.07 and a beta of 1.73.

Array Biopharma Company Profile

Array BioPharma Inc, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of small molecule drugs to treat patients with cancer in North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company's drugs in Phase III clinical trials include Binimetinib, Encorafenib, Selumetinib, and Ipatasertib/GDC-0068 for the treatment of cancer, as well as ASC08/Danoprevir to treat hepatitis C virus.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) Shares Bought by Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc.

Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc. grew its stake in JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) by 16.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 122,733 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 17,501 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. accounts for 1.4% of Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Pinnacle Financial Partners Inc.’s holdings in JPMorgan Chase & Co. were worth $13,125,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of JPM. Stifel Financial Corp raised its position in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 9,301.6% in the 3rd quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 4,351,736 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $415,662,000 after purchasing an additional 4,305,449 shares during the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC raised its position in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 11.7% in the 4th quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 17,180,823 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,837,317,000 after purchasing an additional 1,804,721 shares during the last quarter. Atlantic Trust Group LLC raised its position in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 62.6% in the 3rd quarter. Atlantic Trust Group LLC now owns 4,398,186 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $420,070,000 after purchasing an additional 1,692,999 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LP raised its position in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 18,506.8% in the 3rd quarter. Caxton Associates LP now owns 1,097,800 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $104,851,000 after purchasing an additional 1,091,900 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CI Investments Inc. raised its position in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 147.8% in the 4th quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 1,805,968 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $193,130,000 after purchasing an additional 1,077,106 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.18% of the company’s stock.

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Shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. opened at $110.66 on Monday, according to MarketBeat Ratings. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $379.78 billion, a PE ratio of 16.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.24. JPMorgan Chase & Co. has a 52-week low of $81.64 and a 52-week high of $119.33.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 13th. The financial services provider reported $2.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $2.28 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $27.90 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $27.73 billion. JPMorgan Chase & Co. had a net margin of 22.53% and a return on equity of 12.60%. The business’s revenue was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.65 EPS. equities research analysts forecast that JPMorgan Chase & Co. will post 9.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 6th will be issued a $0.56 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 5th. This represents a $2.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.02%. JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s dividend payout ratio is presently 32.61%.

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $138.00 to $135.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 30th. Jefferies Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $122.00 price target on shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a research report on Monday, April 16th. BMO Capital Markets reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $110.00 price target on shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a research report on Friday, April 13th. HSBC assumed coverage on shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a research report on Wednesday, April 11th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $111.00 price target for the company. Finally, Vining Sparks reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $130.00 price target on shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. in a research report on Friday, April 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $112.75.

In related news, Director Mellody L. Hobson purchased 18,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 16th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $111.05 per share, for a total transaction of $1,998,900.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 864 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $95,947.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Todd A. Combs purchased 13,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 14th. The stock was bought at an average price of $114.61 per share, with a total value of $1,489,930.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 18,277 shares in the company, valued at $2,094,726.97. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 0.73% of the company’s stock.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Profile

JPMorgan Chase & Co operates as a financial services company worldwide. It operates through four segments: Consumer & Community Banking, Corporate & Investment Bank, Commercial Banking, and Asset & Wealth Management. The Consumer & Community Banking segment offers deposit and investment products and services to consumers; lending, deposit, and cash management and payment solutions to small businesses; residential mortgages and home equity loans; and credit cards, payment processing services, auto loans and leases.

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Is 'Solo' suffering from 'Star Wars' fatigue?

Every new "Star Wars" film brings an excitement that can be felt throughout the galaxy. Yet, this weekend's "Solo: A Star Wars Story" seems to be missing some of the usual galactic hype.

Is Disney's Han Solo spinoff, which tells the origin story of the smuggler, suffering from a bit of "Star Wars" fatigue?

"It's certainly possible after four movies in two and a half years, although fatigue is a relative term in the case of 'Star Wars,'" said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. "This is a spinoff with established characters that still has a shot at a $100 million or more opening. Every movie franchise would love to have that level of fatigue."

Disney has taken an assembly line approach to its other blockbuster brand, Marvel, rolling out superhero movies several times a year. But this movie release model, even on a smaller scale, presents a real challenge with "Star Wars." The sci-fi series started as a concrete story about the Skywalker family drama -- even while it grew into an expanded universe. Yet, the films always stayed close to the main story, which gave them a special quality.

In December of 2016, Disney successfully changed that template with its first spinoff, "Rogue One," showing that there's life away from the Skywalkers. "Solo" is another attempt at that, but it made $14.1 million on Thursday night, a record for the Thursday before Memorial Day, but half of what "Rogue One" brought in on its opening Thursday. In fact, "Solo" is currently forecasted for a four day holiday weekend of $130 million to $150 million. That would be the lowest opening for a "Star Wars" film since the three day opening of 2005's "Revenge of the Sith."

We're experiencing "Star Wars" saturation. When the first movie came out in 1977, fans had to wait three years for each new film. Another 16 years went by until the prequels. It was yet another decade before the franchise was reawakened by "The Force Awakens."

It's only been five months since "The Last Jedi," but here comes "Solo."

And even when "Star Wars" isn't in theaters, it's ever-present in pop culture. There's TV shows, books, merchandising, video games, fan events, theme parks and year round announcements about upcoming projects. The galaxy isn't far, far away, it's here and it's everywhere.

Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill, has even said that Disney should "pace themselves."

"'Star Wars' felt rare and special and unparalleled when there were only three precious movies held up as the ideal," wrote Kaila Hale-Stern, a senior editor for pop culture site, The Mary Sue. "These days it seems like we're approaching a time where anything can be called 'Star Wars' if it has the right branding."

"Solo: A Star Wars Story" has had a bit of a muted buzz. Are Han and Chewbacca suffering from "Star Wars" fatigue?

Julia Alexander, a senior internet culture reporter for Polygon, points out that this feeling of fatigue could get worse as Disney ramps up its stand-alone streaming service in 2019.

"The only method the company has for competing is offering more of its biggest properties; more Marvel, more 'Star Wars,'" Alexander wrote. "Ironically, Disney's commitment to its expansive universes may just be the thing that finally turns us away from what we once loved most."

Fatigue or not, Disney has pushed forward on "Solo," despite production issues. The company had to replace the original directors with Ron Howard. The film, which has had mixed reviews, is now going to face stiffer competition in a more crowded summer blockbuster season.

But tipping the odds in "Solo's" favor is the fact that it's part of a sci-fi franchise that has brought in roughly $9 billion at the worldwide box office, and arguably has the most loyal fan base in pop culture. And the movie doesn't feature just any nerf herder, but one of its most beloved characters.

There's already been a warm reception for Alden Ehrenreich, who plays the young Solo, and Donald Glover, who plays a young Lando Calrissian. That should help the movie take off at the box office -- despite the bumpy liftoff.

"Kids, families, and casual moviegoers are a major component of the franchise's success. They aren't as concerned or even aware of the film's production drama or impassioned fan debates," Robbins added. "'Star Wars' has endured that kind of criticism many times in the past, most notably in the days of Jar Jar Binks, but when audiences have looked for popcorn escapism these movies have been as reliable as it gets."

And if "Star Wars" fatigue is real, then Disney has time to recover. The next film is more than a year away. "Star Wars: Episode IX" hits theaters on December 20, 2019.

American Water (AWK) Shares Sold by Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp

Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp lowered its position in shares of American Water (NYSE:AWK) by 28.3% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 4,419 shares of the utilities provider’s stock after selling 1,744 shares during the quarter. Peapack Gladstone Financial Corp’s holdings in American Water were worth $363,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Toronto Dominion Bank lifted its stake in American Water by 25.3% during the first quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 96,238 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $7,902,000 after purchasing an additional 19,407 shares during the last quarter. Scout Investments Inc. bought a new stake in shares of American Water in the 1st quarter valued at about $3,343,000. Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. lifted its stake in shares of American Water by 12.4% in the 1st quarter. Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. now owns 6,257 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $514,000 after acquiring an additional 691 shares during the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of American Water in the 1st quarter valued at about $61,281,000. Finally, Korea Investment CORP lifted its stake in shares of American Water by 10.1% in the 1st quarter. Korea Investment CORP now owns 506,114 shares of the utilities provider’s stock valued at $41,567,000 after acquiring an additional 46,461 shares during the last quarter. 84.20% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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In related news, SVP Loyd A. Warnock sold 2,870 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.45, for a total transaction of $233,761.50. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 14,410 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,173,694.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael A. Sgro sold 16,026 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.54, for a total value of $1,290,734.04. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.35% of the stock is owned by insiders.

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on AWK. Argus reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $105.00 target price on shares of American Water in a research note on Tuesday, May 8th. ValuEngine lowered American Water from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 16th. Janney Montgomery Scott raised American Water from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $87.00 to $92.00 in a research note on Monday, April 16th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Wells Fargo & Co raised American Water from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their target price for the company from $80.63 to $88.00 in a research note on Monday, February 26th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $82.00 target price on shares of American Water in a research note on Friday, February 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. American Water has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $89.52.

Shares of American Water opened at $82.99 on Friday, MarketBeat reports. American Water has a 1 year low of $76.04 and a 1 year high of $92.37. The stock has a market cap of $14.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.25 and a beta of 0.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17.

American Water (NYSE:AWK) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 2nd. The utilities provider reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.04. American Water had a return on equity of 10.20% and a net margin of 13.06%. The company had revenue of $761.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $726.74 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.52 EPS. American Water’s revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. analysts expect that American Water will post 3.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.455 per share. This represents a $1.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 10th. This is an increase from American Water’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.42. American Water’s payout ratio is currently 60.07%.

American Water Company Profile

American Water Works Company, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides water and wastewater services in the United States and Canada. It offers water and wastewater services to approximately 1,600 communities in 16 states. The company operates approximately 72 surface water treatment plants; 527 groundwater treatment plants; 8 combined treatment plants; 127 wastewater treatment plants; 50,382 miles of transmission, distribution, and collection mains and pipes; 1,103 groundwater wells; 1,428 water and wastewater pumping stations; 1,313 treated water storage facilities; and 80 dams.

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Top Small Cap Stocks To Invest In 2018

tags:FCEL,CNR,PQ,ACHN,

On Tuesday, our Under the Radar Movers�newsletter suggested going long on small cap bioprocessing stock Repligen Corporation (NASDAQ: RGEN):

��As for Repligen, this one's a bit more speculative than usual; we're betting the long-term shape of the chart takes hold, and benefits us in the short run.��

��You have to take a big step back to see it, but it's there - there's a converging wedge taking shape, and the bulls are winning the war so far. There's a horizontal ceiling at $33.84 that needs to be cleared, but with a string of higher lows in tow, this third effort on that resistance could be the one to punch through. There's also a cup-and-handle-ish thing going on here��.��

Our Under the Radar Movers�newsletter has a further discussion about Repligen Corporation��s technical chart and a potential long strategy:

Top Small Cap Stocks To Invest In 2018: FuelCell Energy Inc.(FCEL)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  FuelCell Energy (NASDAQ: FCEL) is one of 25 public companies in the “Miscellaneous electrical machinery, equipment, & supplies” industry, but how does it contrast to its peers? We will compare FuelCell Energy to related companies based on the strength of its risk, dividends, earnings, valuation, profitability, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

• [By Paul Ausick]

  FuelCell Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: FCEL) posted an increase of 17.8% in short interest during the period. Some 6.9 million shares were short as of May 15. The stock closed at $1.88 on Thursday, down about 1.1% for the day, in a 52-week range of $0.93 to $2.49. Shares traded up about 1.4% in the short interest period, and days to cover rose from eight to 14.

• [By Peter Graham]

  Small cap fuel cell stock�FuelCell Energy Inc (NASDAQ: FCEL) reported Q4 and fiscal year ended October 31, 2017 earnings�with�Q4 total revenues�being $47.9 million versus $24.5 million:����

Top Small Cap Stocks To Invest In 2018: China Metro-Rural Holdings Limited(CNR)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Shane Hupp]

  Wall Street analysts expect that Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) will announce $1.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the current quarter, according to Zacks Investment Research. Seven analysts have provided estimates for Canadian National Railway’s earnings, with the highest EPS estimate coming in at $1.06 and the lowest estimate coming in at $0.97. Canadian National Railway reported earnings per share of $1.00 in the same quarter last year, which would suggest a positive year over year growth rate of 2%. The company is expected to announce its next quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 24th.

• [By Max Byerly]

  Canadian National Railway (NYSE:CNI) (TSE:CNR) – Cormark raised their Q3 2018 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Canadian National Railway in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, April 10th. Cormark analyst D. Tyerman now expects that the transportation company will post earnings per share of $1.15 for the quarter, up from their previous estimate of $1.14.

Top Small Cap Stocks To Invest In 2018: Petroquest Energy Inc(PQ)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  News headlines about Petroquest Energy (NYSE:PQ) have been trending somewhat positive recently, Accern Sentiment Analysis reports. Accern identifies negative and positive news coverage by reviewing more than 20 million blog and news sources. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of -1 to 1, with scores nearest to one being the most favorable. Petroquest Energy earned a coverage optimism score of 0.05 on Accern’s scale. Accern also gave news stories about the energy company an impact score of 47.638327846877 out of 100, meaning that recent news coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an impact on the company’s share price in the near future.

Top Small Cap Stocks To Invest In 2018: Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc.(ACHN)

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Achillion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACHN) has been given an average recommendation of “Hold” by the nine brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $5.20.

• [By Stephan Byrd]

  Get a free copy of the Zacks research report on Achillion Pharmaceuticals (ACHN)

  For more information about research offerings from Zacks Investment Research, visit Zacks.com

• [By Lisa Levin] Gainers Avenue Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATXI) rose 29.4 percent to $5.50 in pre-market trading after the company disclosed that its first pivotal Phase 3 trial of IV tramadol achieved the primary and key secondary endpoints. MB Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBFI) rose 16.8 percent to $51.00 in pre-market trading. Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ: FITB) agreed to acquire MB Financial for $54.70 per share in cash and stock. LiveXLive Media, Inc. (NASDAQ: LIVX) rose 9.3 percent to $5.40 in pre-market trading after falling 28.92 percent on Friday. Celyad SA (NASDAQ: CYAD) shares rose 9 percent to $29.30 in pre-market trading after climbing 3.26 percent on Friday. Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. (NYSE: ETH) rose 6.7 percent to $26.40 in pre-market trading after gaining 1.64 percent on Friday. Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACHN) rose 5.4 percent to $3.90 in pre-market trading after gaining 3.06 percent on Friday. Acacia Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACIA) rose 5.2 percent to $34.70 in pre-market trading after gaining 1.38 percent on Friday. Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation (NYSE: WAB) rose 5.1 percent to $100 in pre-market trading. General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) agreed to merge its transportation unit with Wabtec. Sunrun Inc. (NASDAQ: RUN) shares rose 4.7 percent to $11.50 in pre-market trading. Nasdaq, Inc. (NASDAQ: NDAQ) shares rose 4.3 percent to $93.98 in the pre-market trading session. LaSalle Hotel Properties (NYSE: LHO) shares rose 4.2 percent to $33.25 in pre-market trading. Blackstone Group LP (NYSE: BX) will buy LaSalle Hotel Properties in a $4.8 billion deal, Bloomberg reported. Monro, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNRO) shares rose 4 percent to $58.35 in pre-market trading as the company posted upbeat quarterly earnings and disclosed that it has acquired Free Service Tire. HUYA Inc. (NYSE: HUYA) rose 3.7 percent to $19.75 in pre-market trading after falling 4.80 percent on Friday.

  Find out what's going

• [By Ethan Ryder]

  Achillion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACHN) – Research analysts at B. Riley reduced their FY2018 EPS estimates for shares of Achillion Pharmaceuticals in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, May 2nd. B. Riley analyst M. Kumar now anticipates that the biopharmaceutical company will earn ($0.58) per share for the year, down from their previous estimate of ($0.55). B. Riley has a “Neutral” rating and a $3.50 price objective on the stock. B. Riley also issued estimates for Achillion Pharmaceuticals’ FY2019 earnings at ($0.64) EPS, FY2020 earnings at ($0.71) EPS, FY2021 earnings at ($0.70) EPS and FY2022 earnings at ($0.84) EPS.

The three biggest risks to global investors

Investors should watch out for three big risks as they enter into the second half of the year.

On CNNMoney's "Markets Now" Wednesday, analyst Darius Dale warned about the strengthening dollar, wage growth and a peaking global economy.

"There's a lot of negative signals out there that seem to suggest that we're not going to be able to surpass this historically high level of operating margins," Dale, a senior macro analyst with investment research firm Hedgeye Risk Management, told CNNMoney anchor Maggie Lake.

Dale predicts that the pace of economic growth and inflation will slow this year, but he doesn't think a recession is coming soon.

Dale said that investors should avoid consumer staples, the industrial sector, and even some technology companies.

Investors who bet on tech companies that rely on economic strength, like semiconductors, for example, could be making "a huge mistake."

Dale also cast doubt on the Trump administration's ability to hit its 3% growth target because companies have been spending savings from their new lower tax rate on stock buybacks, rather than investing in new facilities or research.

CNNMoney's "Markets Now" streams live from the New York Stock Exchange every Wednesday at 12:45 p.m. ET. Hosted by Lake and CNNMoney editor-at-large Richard Quest, the 15-minute long program features incisive commentary from experts. Recent guests include former Chrysler and Home Depo (HD)CEO Bob Nardelli and Bitcoin bull Mike Novogratz.

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Avinger (AVGR) Receiving Somewhat Positive Press Coverage, Study Finds

News articles about Avinger (NASDAQ:AVGR) have trended somewhat positive on Sunday, according to Accern Sentiment Analysis. The research firm ranks the sentiment of media coverage by monitoring more than twenty million blog and news sources in real-time. Accern ranks coverage of publicly-traded companies on a scale of negative one to positive one, with scores closest to one being the most favorable. Avinger earned a daily sentiment score of 0.09 on Accern’s scale. Accern also assigned media headlines about the medical device company an impact score of 47.1493276779865 out of 100, indicating that recent media coverage is somewhat unlikely to have an effect on the stock’s share price in the next few days.

These are some of the news articles that may have effected Accern Sentiment Analysis’s scoring:

Get Avinger alerts: Avinger, Inc. (NasdaqCM:AVGR) Return on Assets in Focus & Quant Signal Update (derbynewsjournal.com) Avinger named DAR Good Citizen (thetandd.com) Varying Three Stocks: VIVUS, Inc. (NASDAQ:VVUS), Quorum Health Corporation (NYSE:QHC), Avinger, Inc. (NASDAQ … (thestreetpoint.com) Wobbling Three Stocks: Atlantic Power Corporation (NYSE:AT), Avinger, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGR), VolitionRx Limited … (thestreetpoint.com) Aviger’s arm lifts Holly Hill Academy, forces Saturday game for title (thetandd.com)

Separately, Ladenburg Thalmann initiated coverage on Avinger in a research report on Friday, March 9th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock.

NASDAQ AVGR remained flat at $$1.32 during trading hours on Friday. The company had a trading volume of 447,253 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,194,553. Avinger has a one year low of $0.95 and a one year high of $38.40. The stock has a market cap of $7.34 million, a PE ratio of -0.02 and a beta of 0.55.

Avinger (NASDAQ:AVGR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 14th. The medical device company reported ($5.37) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.84) by ($4.53). The company had revenue of $1.81 million during the quarter. equities analysts predict that Avinger will post -1.93 EPS for the current year.

About Avinger

Avinger, Inc, a commercial-stage medical device company, designs, manufactures, and sells image-guided and catheter-based systems used by physicians to treat patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the United States and Europe. It develops lumivascular platform that integrates optical coherence tomography visualization with interventional catheters to provide real-time intravascular imaging during the treatment portion of PAD procedures.