Stock Alert: Glaukos Rises 13%; To Be Added To S&P SmallCap 600

Shares of ophthalmic medical technology company Glaukos Corporation (GKOS) are climbing more than 13% Tuesday morning and is currently trading at $40.49. The stock has traded in the range of $35.69- $84.65 in the past one year.

The company is going to be added to the S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the open of trading on Friday, March 13. It will replace AK Steel Holding which agreed to be acquired by Cleveland-Cliffs.

The company will be added to the S&P SmallCap 600 GICS (Global Industry Classification Standard) Health Care Equipment Sub-Industry index.

For inclusion in the index, a stock must have a market capitalization in the range of $600 million to $2.4 billion. Glaukos has a market cap of about $1.749 billion.

Stock Alert: TAL Education Group Edges Down

TAL Education Group (TAL) shares are sliding in morning trading on Tuesday despite no company-specific news.

The US stock market staged a comeback today early morning as the investors were encouraged by Trump’s proposals of payroll tax cut and discussions with the airline industry, and cruise ship industry

The shares gapped down at $53.00 from its previous close of $54.67. TAL is currently trading at $54.39, down 0.34 percent.

The stock of the Chinese after-school tutoring services provider has been volatile since January. However it was trading above 200-day moving average. In the past 52 weeks, the stock has traded in a range of $30.78 – $59.76.

Nicki Minaj’s husband registers as sex offender in California

Nicki Minaj‘s husband Kenneth Petty has officially registered as a sex offender in California.

Billboard has confirmed that the Yikes rapper’s husband is now listed in the California database of sexual offenders and likely registered within.

Takeda Pharma Announces Results From TOURMALINE-MM2 Study

(Correction: The original headline incorrectly stated that the study met its primary endpoint.)

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (TAK, TKPYY.PK) announced Tuesday the results from the TOURMALINE-MM2 study designed to evaluate the addition of NINLARO (ixazomib) to lenalidomide and dexamethasone in newly diagnosed transplant ineligible multiple myeloma patients.

The addition of ixazomib to lenalidomide and dexamethasone resulted in an improvement in median progression-free survival (PFS) of 13.5 months. However, it did not meet the threshold for statistical significance.

The safety profile associated with NINLARO from the TOURMALINE-MM2 trial was generally consistent with the existing prescribing information.

TOURMALINE-MM2 is an international, randomized, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled Phase 3 clinical trial, designed to evaluate NINLARO (ixazomib) plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone compared to placebo plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone, in 705 adult patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are not candidates for transplant.

The primary endpoint is progression-free survival (PFS), while key secondary endpoints include rate of complete response (CR), pain response and overall survival (OS).

The company said there is a need for treatment options in transplant ineligible patients and it remains committed to advancing the field of multiple myeloma and continue to drive innovation through ongoing research and development.

Biden Pushes Back on Michigan Voter in Dispute Over Guns

Joe Biden told a Michigan voter that he was “full of sh-t” after being challenged on gun rights at a Fiat Chrysler plant in Detroit on Tuesday.

An unnamed man confronted the former vice president and Democratic presidential candidate at the event, on the day of Michigan’s primary, saying Biden was “actively trying to end our Second Amendment right and take away our guns.”

Biden looked him in the eye and said, “You’re full of sh-t. I did not. No. No.”

“I support the Second Amendment,” Biden said. “I have a shotgun, I have a 20-gauge, a 12-gauge. My sons hunt, guess what? I’m not taking your gun away at all. You need 100 rounds?”

The man cited a “viral video” in which he said Biden called for taking guns, which Biden dismissed.

“It’s a viral video like the other ones they’re putting out that are simply a lie,” he said.

The two men argued briefly before Biden said, “don’t be such a horse’s ass.”

Biden was due to fly from Detroit to Columbus, Ohio to talk about gun policy with leaders of gun safety groups and a survivor of gun violence.

(Disclaimer: Michael Bloomberg, the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, also sought the Democratic presidential nomination. He endorsed Joe Biden on March 4.)

Mexico issues 4-year, $485 mln catastrophe bond

MEXICO CITY, March 10 (Reuters) – Mexico’s government issued a four-year catastrophe bond worth about $485 million through the World Bank, part of a strategy to safeguard the country’s finances against damages caused by natural disasters, the finance ministry said on Tuesday.

Mexico is frequently hit by hurricanes and was rocked by two large earthquakes in 2017, which led to hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in damages. (Reporting by Anthony Esposito; Editing by Stefanie Eschenbacher)

Three-Year Note Auction Attracts Well Below Average Demand

The Treasury Department kicked off this week’s announcements of the results of its long-term securities auctions on Tuesday by revealing that its auction of $38 billion worth of three-year notes attracted well below average demand.

The three-year note auction drew a high yield of 0.563 percent and a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.20.

Last month, the Treasury also sold $38 billion worth of three-year notes last month, drawing a high yield of 1.394 percent and a bid-to-cover ratio of 2.56.

The bid-to-cover ratio is a measure of demand that indicates the amount of bids for each dollar worth of securities being sold.

The ten previous three-year note auctions had an average bid-to-cover ratio of 2.49.

Looking ahead, the Treasury is due to announce the results of its auction of $24 billion worth of ten-year notes on Wednesday and the results of its auction of $16 billion worth of thirty-year bonds on Thursday.