Piper Jaffray conducted its fiscal Q4 Storage Reseller Survey by collecting feedback from 28 resellers and distributors. While only five of 14 vendors had net positive results versus six of the 14 last quarter, the firm saw "strong results" for Pure Storage (PSTG), Rubrik, Nutanix (NTNX), Veeam and NetApp (NTAP), analyst Andrew Nowinski told investors earlier in a research note. Pure Storage also had the strongest pipeline heading into the April quarter, added the analyst. The company's results sharply improved in the survey, with 67% of resellers citing "Above Plan" results, the highest level seen in three years, says Nowinski. The stock in early trading is up 19c to $18.47. Of those surveyed by Piper, 36% of resellers said they saw a negative impact from the U.S. government shutdown, with Dell (DELL), HP/3PAR (HPQ) and IBM (IMB) the most impacted.

Pre-earnings options volume in IBM is 1.3x normal with calls leading puts 9:4. Implied volatility suggests the market is anticipating a move near 5.0%, or $9.21, after results are released. Median move over the past eight quarters is 4.8%.

IBM (IBM) is nearing a deal to acquire HashiCorp (HCP) for about $35 per share, Ryan Gould and Brody Ford of Bloomberg report, citing people with knowledge of the matter. IBM and HashiCorp could announce the deal as soon as Wednesday, sources told Bloomberg. Shares of HashiCorp are up 9% to $31.81 following the report.

In the firm's Q1 letter to investors, David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital disclosed new long positions taken during the quarter, including taking stakes in HP Inc. (HPQ), Penn Entertainment (PENN) and Roivant Sciences (ROIV). In the letter, the firm stated that it established a new "medium-sized position" in Penn at an average price of $22.69 per share, arguing that "were the market to credit PENN with merely 15% of DraftKings' value, [Penn's ESPN BET] segment alone would be worth $20 per share." On HP Inc., Greenlight stated that it had established an initial position at an average price of $30.76 per share, adding that it believes "that we are, at a minimum, on the cusp of a normal PC refresh cycle, which should drive earnings above estimates." On Roivant, Greenlight said it had established a "small long position," adding that "in addition to an exciting pipeline, ROIV has a strong track record of positive trial results and successful monetization of pharmaceutical assets." Einhorn's Greenlight Capital also noted that it reduced its Teck Resources (TECK) long position into strength during Q1 and that the firm bought a "small position" in Liberty Global (LBTYA) during Q1.

IBM (IBM) is scheduled to report results of its fiscal first quarter after the market close on April 24, with a conference call scheduled for 5:00 pm ET. What to watch... To see the rest of the story go to thefly.com. See Story Here

Ferrari (RACE) announces that Ferrari S.p.A. has signed a multiyear partnership agreement with HP Inc. (HPQ), through which its brand will appear on racing properties of Scuderia Ferrari.

BTIG downgraded HashiCorp (HCP) to Neutral from Buy without a price target. The analyst sees a balanced risk/reward after the stock's recent run following takeover speculation. The firm believes the potential takeover by IBM (IBM) has a "lot of merits." HashiCorp is a good strategic asset with strong product capabilities, and deal synergies with a large acquirer such as IBM would be substantial, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Given there is still some uncertainty on a deal being consummated and a typical closing process in the 6-9 month range, BTIG sees limited incremental upside to shares in the near term.

Get caught up quickly on the top news and calls moving stocks with these five Top Five lists.  1... To see the rest of the story go to thefly.com. See Story Here

IBM (IBM) is nearing an acquisition of HashiCorp (HCP) and deal could come together in the coming days, Lauren Thomas and Laura Cooper of Wall Street Journal report, citing people familiar with the matter. A deal for HashiCorp would likely command a premium above where the stock is currently trading, the Journal says. Shares of HashiCorp jumped 7% to $26.37 following the report before halting for volatility. IBM is down 66c to $181.28 in afternoon trade. Reference Link

Jefferies analyst Brent Thill lowered the firm's price target on IBM to $210 from $215 and keeps a Hold rating on the shares. IBM remains a "show me story" as the company looks to reposition itself around a software-led strategy, the analyst tells investors in a research note. The firm likes the company's initiatives to bolster its software growth and profitability profile, but thinks better execution on the new go-to-market strategy and further investments in the organic engine are necessary to drive long-term software growth higher. Until signs of a re-energized software business are seen, IBM's risk/reward "seems balanced," Jefferies contends.