Stockwinners Market Radar for July 14, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:56 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings rise to 1,206.89MT from 1,203.97MT - This is the second consecutive increase and the highest level of holdings since April of 2013.

19:16 EDT September-month U.S. equity index futures higher on COVID-19 vaccine news - In early electronic trade, September-month U.S. equity futures are higher on positive COVID-19 vaccine developments after Moderna's (MRNA) formal press release disclosing The New England Journal of Medicine-published data, with all patients tested in the company's mRNA-1273 vaccine for COVID-19 producing antibodies. Nasdaq futures are up 0.7%, S&P500 e-mini's are up 0.9% and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures are up over 1%. Sectors driven down by travel restrictions such as Cruise Line operators, are seeing especially pronounced advances, with Carnival (CCL) up 7.1%, Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCLH) up 6.0%, and Royal Caribbean (RCL) up 7.8%. Airline stocks are also moving higher after-hours - Delta Air Lines (DAL) is up 4.9%, JetBlue Airways (JBLU) up 5.8%, United Airlines (UAL) is up 6.8%, and American Air Lines (AAL) is up 7.2%. In-store dining oriented restaurant names are also moving higher on the news with Dave & Busters (PLAY) up 12.3% and Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) up 7.8%. Theme parks-oriented stocks are higher as well, with Disney (DIS) up 2.3% and Six Flags (SIX) up 5.0% in the after-hours session.

18:43 EDT Paychex CEO: We ended the year pretty strong - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Marty Mucci said clients are sticking with the company due to its great service. Paychex continues to generate great operating cash flow and is well positioned to continue paying a dividend, he said. Florida and the South are leading with job creation, Mucci noted. New business starts are now up year to date from last year. Half the companies that suspended processing are back, he said.

18:22 EDT Livongo Health Founder: We work hand in hand with Teladoc - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Glen Tullman said he expects many more companies to move to Livongo in the near future. Employers are doubling down on Livongo to keep employees productive and healthy, according to Tullman. Telehealth is one-on-one, but Livongo takes it to the next level, he noted.

17:21 EDT Moderna up over 15% after disclosing ph.1 COVID-19 vaccine data in NEJM

17:19 EDT FSOC to begin activities-based review of the secondary mortgage market - "Today, during the Financial Stability Oversight Council's, FSOC,Principals Meeting it was announced that FSOC will begin an activities-based review of the secondary mortgage market. In December, FSOC implemented an activities-based approach for identifying and addressing potential risks to financial stability. "I applaud Secretary Mnuchin and the Financial Stability Oversight Council for initiating an activities-based review of the secondary mortgage market," said Director Mark Calabria. "As demonstrated by the 2008 financial crisis and again by COVID-19, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must be well capitalized in order to support the mortgage market during a stressed environment." The review will assess both the risk that activities in the secondary mortgage market pose to the stability of the financial system, and the efficacy of various risk mitigants." The Fly notes that the following publicly traded companies may be impacted: Bank of America (BAC), Flagstar Bancorp (FBC), PennyMac (PFSI), PNC Financial (PNC), Fannie Mae (FNMA), Freddie Mac (FMCC), AGNC Investment (AGNC). Reference Link

17:04 EDT Carrier Global introduces Carrier Alliance to optimize supply chain - Carrier Global introduced Carrier Alliance, a new program designed to optimize the company's supply chain through strategic relationships with suppliers. The alliance is expected to provide certainty, security and growth opportunities for Carrier and its suppliers. The Carrier Alliance program directly supports Carrier's previously announced Carrier 600 program, which targets $600M in cost savings over three years to fund strategic initiatives. Carrier, working with its business advisor, Deloitte, will assess and implement supply chain improvement opportunities including material cost productivity, supply base optimization, alternative sources and new supplier partnerships.

17:01 EDT Dine Brands appoints Michael Hyter as member of Board of Directors - The Board of Directors of Dine Brands Global announced the appointment of Michael Hyter as a new independent member of its Board of Directors. Hyter served as Managing Partner of the Korn Ferry International (KFY), Washington D.C. office since 2012 and played an instrumental role in growing the breadth of their D.C. operation. He was recently appointed Chief Diversity Officer for Korn Ferry International.

16:59 EDT Heritage Insurance sees Q2 net catastrophe losses approximately $17.6M - Heritage Insurance announced that it expects to incur approximately $26.8M of net current accident quarter weather losses in second quarter 2020, including about $17.6M of net catastrophe losses. Weather and catastrophe losses primarily stemmed from an unusually high thirteen PCS events, which mostly impacted Florida and the Southeast.

16:46 EDT ProQR Therapeutics spikes 14% higher after $30M financing pact with Pontifax - shares of ProQR Therapeutics are currently up 13% or 63c to $5.56 per share in after-hours trading after the company announced that it has entered into a $30M convertible debt financing agreement with Pontifax Medison Debt Financing, the healthcare-dedicated venture and debt fund of the Pontifax life science funds."The access to capital provided by this facility is designed to increase our financial flexibility as we continue to advance our pipeline and build toward commercialization," said Smital Shah, ProQR's Chief Business and Financial Officer. "If fully drawn down, this capital would extend ProQR's cash runway into 2023, which is beyond a number of anticipated catalysts and value inflection points for our clinical stage programs. Additionally, this funding will accelerate the advancement of our translational platform and discovery programs." Under the agreement with Pontifax, ProQR will have access to up to $30M in convertible debt financing in three tranches of $10M each that will mature over a 54 month period and have an interest only period of 24 months. Pontifax may elect to convert the outstanding loan into ProQR ordinary shares at any time prior to repayment at a conversion price of $7.88 per share, which is a 50% premium to the Company's average closing share price during the 7 days prior to closing. ProQR also has the ability to convert the loan into its ordinary shares, at the same conversion price, if the Company's stock price reaches a pre-determined threshold.In connection with the loan agreement, ProQR has agreed to issue to Pontifax warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 190,424 shares of its common stock at an exercise price of $7.88 per share, which is a 50% premium to the average closing price during the 7 days prior to closing.

16:39 EDT MorphoSys licensee Janssen announces FDA approval of Tremfya - MorphoSys (MOR) announced that its licensee Janssen Research & Development, LLC (JNJ) announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of Tremfya as a treatment for adult patients living with active psoriatic arthritis. Active PsA is a chronic progressive disease characterized by painful joints and skin inflammation. As Janssen announced, the approval of Tremfya was based on results from the Phase 3 studies DISCOVER-1 and DISCOVER-2, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of Tremfya in adults with active PsA compared to placebo. The results showed that a significant percentage of patients reached the studies' primary endpoint of ACR20 at 24 weeks of treatment, with 52 to 64% of patients achieving an ACR20 response across the two trials.

16:34 EDT VirnetX says it will consider all options on PTAB 'unpatentable' decisions - Virnet X Holding announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board issued decisions regarding the patentability of certain claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 6,502,135 and 7,490,151 in inter partes review proceedings IPR2015-01046 and IPR2015-01047. In IPR2015-01046, the PTAB found claims 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, and 12 of the '135 patent to be unpatentable. In IPR2015-01047, the PTAB found claims 1, 2, 6-8, and 12-14 of the '151 patent to be unpatentable. Both decisions are subject to, inter alia, appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. "We strongly disagree with the PTAB's findings in the decisions issued today," said Kendall Larsen, VirnetX CEO and President. "We intend to consider all available options to rectify the PTAB's decisions."

16:21 EDT Hanover Insurance sees Q2 catastrophe losses ~$117M, after taxes - The Hanover Insurance Group announced it expects its second quarter catastrophe losses to be approximately $148M, before taxes, or $117M after taxes, driven primarily by hail and wind storms in the Midwest in April and, to a lesser extent, property losses from civil unrest across the United States. The estimate also includes approximately $7M of favorable prior-year development on several events from recent accident years. The estimate does not include COVID-19-related exposures or favorable overall loss frequency, which will continue to be reported in the ex-cat current accident year loss and loss adjustment expense line. The company's updated view of COVID-19-related losses, which has been expanded to include workers' compensation, is not expected to be material to its second quarter results. The company also expects to report lower than expected current accident year losses, excluding catastrophes, due to lower frequency, while still reflecting prudent reserves. This favorability will offset to a large degree the higher than expected catastrophe losses in the quarter.

16:19 EDT Sirius XM appoints Jonelle Procope to Board of Directors - Sirius XM announced the appointment of Jonelle Procope as a new independent member of its Board of Directors. Procope brings to the SiriusXM Board significant entertainment industry, legal and business experience. She serves as the President and CEO of the Apollo Theater Foundation, a non-profit organization that operates the Apollo Theater in New York. She is also an active member of many civic and community organizations in New York City.

16:18 EDT Neuronetics names Keith Sullivan as CEO, effective immediately - Neuronetics announced that Keith Sullivan has been appointed as the company's President and CEO and has joined the Board of Directors effective immediately. Sullivan brings over three decades of medical device industry experience to the company. He most recently served as Chief Commercial Officer and President, North America, of ZELTIQ Aesthetics.

16:16 EDT Sirius XM announces additional $2B share repurchase program - SiriusXM announced that its Board of Directors has approved an additional $2B of common stock repurchases, taking the company's total authorization to $16B since the inception of the program in early 2013.

16:10 EDT Diamondback Energy sees FY20 production 290-305 MBOE/d - After taking a nearly three-month break from completion activity versus the company's original expectations of just over one month, and accounting for higher than expected curtailed volumes in Q2, Diamondback is revising FY20 production guidance lower than expectations announced earlier in 2020. The company reports FY20 production guidance of 290-305 MBOE/d, FY20 oil production guidance of 178-182 MBO/d, Q4 production guidance of 170-175 MBO/d and FY20 cash capital expenditures guidance of $1.8B-$1.9B.

16:07 EDT ICF International awarded $9M task order by CDC - ICF was recently awarded a new task order by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide emerging technology and design acceleration support services. The task order was awarded under the Alliant 2 Governmentwide Acquisition Contract and has a value of $9M over five years, including one 12-month base and four 12-month option periods.

16:06 EDT Arch Capital sees Q2 catastrophe losses at $205M-$225M - Arch Capital has established a range of pre-tax catastrophe losses of $205M to $225M for Q2 across its property casualty insurance and reinsurance segments, net of reinsurance recoveries and reinstatement premiums. Included in these estimates is a range of estimates for exposure to COVID-19 global pandemic claims of $170M to $180M, and a range of estimates of $35M to $45M for losses related to civil unrest claims across the U.S. and other 2020 second quarter catastrophic events.

16:05 EDT Viper Energy reports Q2 average production of 14,453 bo/d - Viper provided an operational update for the second quarter ended June 30. Q2 2020 average production of 14,453 bo/d or 24,508 boe/d. Q2 2020 hedged realized prices of $22.39 per barrel of oil, $7.69 per barrel of natural gas liquids and ($1.01) per Mcf of natural gas, resulting in a total equivalent price of $13.60 per boe. Viper realized total hedging losses of ($2.1)M and Q2 2020 unhedged realized prices of $21.00 per barrel of oil, $7.69 per barrel of natural gas liquids and $0.46 per Mcf of natural gas, resulting in a total equivalent price of $14.55 per boe "Viper had limited completion activity on our acreage in the second quarter as operators reacted quickly to oil price volatility by cutting capital expenditures, ceasing completions and, in some cases, curtailing existing production. However, as commodity prices have improved in recent months, nearly all our curtailed production has come back online. Most importantly for Viper, Diamondback has recently brought three completion crews back to work after taking an almost three-month break from all completion activity in the second quarter of 2020. Looking toward the second half of 2020, Diamondback expects to focus its completion activity on areas where Viper has significant mineral ownership, which will allow Viper's oil production to grow in the back half of the year from the second quarter lows. This activity should lead to strong fourth quarter 2020 exit rate production that we believe will continue throughout 2021 as Diamondback's plans contemplate completing wells where Viper owns a significant royalty interest," stated Travis Stice, Chief Executive Officer of Viper's general partner.

15:12 EDT VirnetX trading resumes

14:57 EDT VirnetX drops 16.5% after report of unfavorable rulings in Apple patent fight - At the time of writing, VirnetX (VHC) shares are down $1.04, or 16.5%, to $5.25 after Bloomberg reported on a ruling that was unfavorable to the company in its patent fight with Apple (AAPL).

14:47 EDT Canada resolves concerns related to Elanco's takeover of Bayer Animal Health - Canada's Competition Bureau announced that it has entered into a consent agreement with Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (ELAN) to address concerns related to the company's proposed acquisition of Bayer Animal Health (BAYRY). Elanco has also committed to forego acquiring Bayer AG's Canadian distribution rights to several poultry insecticides. Following an extensive review, the Bureau concluded that Elanco and BAH are each other's closest competitors in several Canadian markets, that there are few remaining effective competitors in these markets and that the proposed transaction would have resulted in a substantial lessening of competition. The relevant markets include those for low dose canine otitis treatments, feline dewormers with tapeworm coverage and poultry insecticides with darkling beetle coverage. To remedy the Bureau's concerns, the consent agreement requires Elanco to divest its canine otitis product, Osurnia, as well as BAH's feline dewormer, Profender. The consent agreement also notes Elanco's commitment to forego acquiring the Canadian distribution rights to Bayer's Tempo, Credo, QuickBayt and Annihilator Polyzone poultry insecticides. Rather, Bayer's CropScience division will retain these distribution rights. The consent agreement also prevents Elanco, without the Bureau's approval, from acquiring Bayer's retained poultry insecticides with darkling beetle coverage for a period of 10 years and from acquiring a significant interest in any poultry insecticides with darkling beetle coverage for a period of 2 years without providing advance notice to the Bureau and waiting a prescribed period of time to complete the acquisition. The Bureau is satisfied that this agreement, including Elanco's commitments related to poultry insecticides, will address its competition concerns in Canada.

14:12 EDT Google to offer yearly subscription option for Play Pass - Google said in a blog post that it is offering a yearly subscription option for Play Pass, available at $29.99 per year in the U.S., coming this week. In addition, Play Pass is coming to Android devices in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and the United Kingdom this week. Reference Link

13:35 EDT Spotify launches in Russia, 12 additional European markets - Spotify has launched its service in 13 new markets across Europe including Russia. With this expansion, Spotify now reaches a current total of 92 markets worldwide. Spotify's 13 new markets include: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine. "Today's launch opens the door for nearly 250 million fans to start discovering new music from around the world on Spotify, and for artists in the region to reach the increasingly connected global audience of fans," said Gustav Gyllenhammar, Spotify VP, Markets and Subscriber Growth. "Launching in these 13 markets is an important moment in Spotify's journey, especially as we welcome fans and artists in growing music markets like Russia, where streaming is being widely adopted and where we see a significant opportunity for Spotify."

12:34 EDT Perceptron spikes after announcing tier-1 EV auto supplier order - Shares of Perceptron, which provides in-line measurement solutions "to guarantee build quality to their OEM customers," are up over 113% on Tuesday to $6.71 per share, after the company announced announced that a global, Tier-1 automotive supplier has selected Perceptron's in-line measurement technology to measure the battery frame, compartment, and lid for an upcoming new electric vehicle launch. John Kearney, Vice President and EMEA Managing Director at Perceptron, commented, "This order is significant for our business, as it represents the first major order with this particular Tier-1 supplier, a company with more than 100 facilities worldwide. During the fiscal fourth quarter, we have begun to experience a surge of interest from other key suppliers, as automotive OEMs seek to reduce costs and improve operating efficiency on their production lines." "In recent years, Perceptron has successfully installed battery applications on every major continent using our automated metrology and robot guidance solutions," continued Kearney. "Our battery expertise, factory floor-proven AccuSite and Helix technology, common user interface, together with our local customer support, all contributed to this important new customer win." This project is currently in the design phase. Perceptron expects the in-line measurement units to be installed at the customer's plant during August 2020.

12:01 EDT Wells Fargo sees charge-offs moving higher through end of year

12:00 EDT Mesabi Trust falls -10.6% - Mesabi Trust is down -10.6%, or -$1.84 to $15.57.

12:00 EDT Puxin Limited rises 12.0% - Puxin Limited is up 12.0%, or 97c to $8.99.

12:00 EDT Lumber Liquidators rises 16.0% - Lumber Liquidators is up 16.0%, or $2.19 to $15.89.

11:31 EDT Wells Fargo sees deposit costs continuing to decline in 2H

11:22 EDT Moderna Phase 3 COVID vaccine trial to start on July 27 - ClinicalTrials.gov this morning posted Moderna's Phase 3 clinical trial for its mRNA-1273 vaccine being developed to prevent COVID-19. The study is designed to primarily evaluate the efficacy, safety, and immunogenicity of mRNA-1273 to prevent COVID-19 for up to two years after the second dose of mRNA-1273, according to the post. The study will include 30,000 participants and is expected to start on July 27, 2020. The estimated primary completion date is October 27, 2022. Shares of Moderna are up 68c to $72.46 in morning trading. Reference Link

11:19 EDT NBCUniversal's Peacock to launch Wednesday with free, premium tiers - Peacock, NBCUniversal's new streaming service, will officially launch Wednesday offering consumers across the country a collection of live and on demand programming from NBCUniversal and beyond. Peacock will offer more than 20,000 hours of premium content from networks and studios including NBC, Bravo, USA Network, SYFY, Oxygen, E!, CNBC, MSNBC, NBCSN, Golf Channel, Universal Kids, A&E, ABC, CBS, The CW, FOX, HISTORY, Nickelodeon, Showtime, Universal Pictures, DreamWorks, Focus Features, Illumination, ViacomCBS, Paramount, Lionsgate, Warner Bros. and Blumhouse. In addition, the service will feature Peacock Original movies and shows; more than 30 curated channels; current season series and specials from NBC and Telemundo; live news and sports; as well as daily trending highlights from TODAY, NBC Nightly News, Meet the Press, Noticias Telemundo, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC Sports, E! News and Access Hollywood. "This is a historic moment for our company as we proudly introduce Peacock to consumers nationwide-a groundbreaking vision that was brought to life by an incredible team of people from across Comcast, NBCUniversal and Sky," said Matt Strauss, Chairman of Peacock. "From current, classic and original movies and shows, to live news, sports, curated channels and trending content from around the world, Peacock is the only free, premium ad-supported streaming service that brings together everything consumers love about television and streaming-all in one place." Peacock Premium will feature access to all 20,000 hours of programming on the platform, including everything in the free tier plus the full catalog of Peacock Originals. The premium tier will also provide earlier access to programming, such as next-day access to new episodes of current season NBC shows includingAmerica's Got Talent, Blindspot, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist,A Little Late with Lilly Singh, Saturday Night Live, Superstore, Law & Order: SVU, Chicago P.D., Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, New Amsterdam, Manifest, The Titan Games, Hollywood Game Night, World of Dance, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Access Hollywood, Days of Our Lives, Dateline, NBC Nightly News andMeet the Press, and Telemundo series.

11:15 EDT Wells Fargo sees continued lower levels of earnings, NII due to virus

11:06 EDT Wells Fargo CEO: Asset cap limits ability to offset low rates - Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

11:04 EDT Boeing reports Q2 commercial, defense deliveries - The Boeing Company announced major program deliveries across its commercial and defense operations for Q2. Major program deliveries during Q2 were as follows. Commercial Airplanes Programs: 737, 4; 747, 1; 767, 4; 777, 4; 787, 7; for a total of 20 commercial airline deliveries. Defense, Space & Security Programs: AH-64 Apache (New), 9; AH-64 Apache (Remanufactured), 18; CH-47 Chinook (New), 6; CH-47 Chinook (Renewed), 0; F/A-18 Models, 3; KC-46 Tanker, 1; P-8 Models, 3. "Our commercial airplane deliveries in the second quarter reflect the significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our customers and our operations that included a shutdown of our commercial airplane production for several weeks. We have and will continue to work with our customers on specific timing and adjustment to deliveries," said Boeing CFO Greg Smith. "We continue to closely monitor the commercial marketplace by staying very engaged with our customers around the globe to fully understand short term and long term requirements. All of this is informing current and future production rates and any further adjustments as needed to balance supply and demand going forward. The diversity of our portfolio including our government services, defense and space programs will continue to provide some stability as we navigate through the pandemic and rebuild stronger on the other side."

10:58 EDT Citi CEO: Consumers were in 'pretty good shape' before pandemic

10:53 EDT Citi CEO: World economy won't reach normalization without vaccine

10:32 EDT Citi exploring 'all opportunities' to offset virus headwinds

10:30 EDT Citi expects expenses flattish to down slightly for FY20

10:29 EDT Citi sees continued pressure in consumer in Q3

10:27 EDT Delta Air Lines management 'have not decided to take a government loan'

10:13 EDT Delta Air Lines sees Q3 seats available for sale 20%-25% of last year's level - Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said he sees Q3 seats available for sale 20%-25% of last year's level, up from 10% in Q3. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

10:03 EDT K12 jumps 6% to $37.15 after Citron puts $100 target on shares

10:00 EDT Dairy Farmers of South Africa renew contract with MiX Telematics - MiX Telematics has announced that the national milk buyer, Dairy Farmers of South Africa, will be renewing their contract with MiX Telematics Africa for another 30 months. DFSA has been a MiX client for the past 16 years. The company relies upon MiX Telematics to provide vital fleet management solutions for their 85 trucks which collect milk from farmers in virtually every province of South Africa and deliver trusted products, including those of the iconic Clover brand, to stores countrywide.

09:47 EDT Mohawk falls -9.0% - Mohawk is down -9.0%, or -$6.87 to $69.73.

09:47 EDT Phoenix Tree falls -11.3% - Phoenix Tree is down -11.3%, or -$1.17 to $9.15.

09:47 EDT Xylem rises 5.9% - Xylem is up 5.9%, or $3.94 to $71.28.

09:44 EDT JPMorgan CEO: Future trading revenues unlikely to match Q2

09:32 EDT XBiotech reports publication on brain injury, neurological deficit after stroke - XBiotech announced findings published in the prestigious American Heart Association's journal, Circulation. The publication titled, Post-Ischemic Administration of IL-1a Neutralizing Antibody Reduces Brain Damage and Neurological Deficit in Experimental Stroke, points to a use for XBiotech's drug candidate antibody that blocks interleukin-1 alpha for use as a therapeutic to reduce brain damage and neurological deficit after stroke. The research was headed by a world-leading cardiovascular researcher, Dr. Giovanni Camici, Director for the Center for Molecular Cardiology at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. Dr. Camici's research team tested an anti-IL-1 antibody provided by XBiotech to evaluate its ability to reduce brain injury in animals subjected to an experimental stroke and reperfusion injury. About 15 million people worldwide suffer from a stroke each year. Approximately 795,000 of these people are in the United States. Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Camici's research team focused on a particular difficult aspect of ischemic stroke, so called reperfusion injury. When patients suffer from a stroke, or a blockage in an artery that provides crucial blood and oxygen to the brain, a portion of the brain typically suffers irreparable damage. However, there is also typically a portion of the brain that has been deprived of oxygen but is functional and may be rescued if the blood clot is removed and normal circulation can be restored. Unfortunately, when the blood clot is removed and blood supply resumes into areas of the brain where oxygen had been deprived, a massive inflammatory response occurs. This ensuing inflammation is believed to be responsible for the so called "reperfusion injury" that is observed with the returning blood supply. The result is widening destruction of brain tissue upon opening of the clogged artery and associated irreparable neurologic deficits. Therefore, decreasing this inflammatory response by inhibiting IL-1 holds promise as an effective treatment for reperfusion injury. There is currently no therapy to treat reperfusion injury. Camici's group blocked an artery in the brain in animals to simulate a human stroke. Then after time, researchers reopened the artery to mimic the reperfusion treatment a stroke patient may receive in a hospital. The brains and function of the animals treated with anti-IL-1 antibody were compared to control animals to observe the extent of reperfusion injury. The findings were significant: animals treated with anti-IL-1 antibody had a 36% reduction in brain damage and these antibody treated animals retained significantly better neurological function, as measured by activity tests, compared to controls. XBiotech is developing True Human antibody therapies targeting IL-1a and plans to enter into human clinical studies with a new product candidate for stroke in 2021. Despite the enormous unmet medical need for therapies, there remains today no approved therapy to reduce brain damage caused by reperfusion injury. The findings demonstrate a crucial role for IL-1 related inflammation in brain injury, which occurs after a blocked artery in the brain is opened and blood returns to the affected area. In patients that suffer a stroke, the opening of a blocked artery in the brain is performed as soon possible using catheter devices and clot inhibiting drug therapy. However, artery reopening and resumption of blood supply is associated with expanded injury and loss of brain function, such as cognitive or physical impairment. In this research, treatment with an antibody that blocks IL-1 was given after artery blockage and just prior to resumption of blood supply to simulate a stroke. The antibody treatment was found to inhibit inflammation in blood vessels and brain cells that had suffered a lack of oxygen supply as a result of the blocked artery. Decreased inflammation caused by IL-1 blockade is believed to be the contributing factor for the reduction in brain damage and improvement in neurological function observed in the animals that received the IL-1a blocking antibody treatment.

09:23 EDT Piper's new $2,322 target on Tesla gets 'wow' from Elon Musk - In a response to a tweet showing Piper Sandler's research note where it raised Tesla's price target to $2,322 from $939, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said "Wow." Shares of Tesla are up 3%, or $46.82, to $1,543.88 in premarket trading. Reference Link

09:17 EDT Alkaline Water's A88CBD to launch on Direct CBD Online - The Alkaline Water Company announced that A88CBD's complete product offerings will be available to purchase at Direct CBD Online-a high-quality CBD starting this week.

09:12 EDT Aegion awarded $11.9M wastewater rehabilitation contract - Aegion Corporation announced that its subsidiary, Insituform Technologies USA, LLC, has been awarded a wastewater rehabilitation contract valued at $11.9 million from the City of Springfield, Missouri. Insituform will rehabilitate approximately 550,000 linear feet-the equivalent of more than 104 miles-of sanitary sewer main utilizing trenchless technology, including 8-inch to 36-inch cured-in-place pipe, designed to minimize costs and potential disruptions to the community. Crews will also perform closed-circuit TV inspections and cleaning. Insituform has been awarded more than $30M in contracts from the City of Springfield since 2011. Work on the latest project is expected to begin by early fall 2020 and conclude by the end of 2022.

09:10 EDT Y-mAbs Therapeutics announces update on SADA technology - Y-mAbs Therapeutics announced that Brian Santich, PhD, from Memorial Sloan Kettering will present an update on the Company's SADA technology platform at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Virtual Annual Meeting on July 14, 2020. The SADA technology was licensed by the Company from MSK and Massachusetts Institute of Technology earlier this year. Dr. Santich will present how the SADA technology's 2-step payload delivery can be achieved in an in-vitro setting, where tumors were shown to shrink or completely disappear, while other tissues were spared. No clearing agent was needed, and no significant toxicity to bone marrow, kidneys or liver tissues was observed. We believe that the SADA technology may allow for rapid clearance of the compound, while maintaining high target uptake, and thereby causing less immunogenicity. In addition, the SADA technology appears to be modular, whereby any DOTA-modified radioactive payload combined with any therapeutic antibody seems possible.

09:08 EDT WidePoint secures over $43M in TM2 contracts during Q2 - WidePoint Corporation reported that the company recorded more than $42M in federal contract awards and extensions during the second quarter of 2020. During the quarter, WidePoint recorded 34 contractual actions, including new contracts, contract renewals, exercised option periods and contract extensions with federal government clients. Highlights include: Task orders, contract renewals and extensions with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Headquarters and numerous DHS Components;Option contracts for Managed Mobility Services exercised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Science Foundation, U.S. Courts, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, among others.

09:07 EDT Comtech receives order of ~$1M for COMET in support of U.S. Army SOC - Comtech announced, that during its fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, its Orlando, Florida-based subsidiary, Comtech Systems, Inc., which is part of Comtech's Government Solutions segment, has received an order for approximately $1 million from ADS, Inc. for COMET terminals to be used by a U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Comtech said in a release, "COMET, which stands for Compact Over-the-horizon Mobile Expeditionary Terminal, is a rapidly deployable, low power, airline checkable, medium range, OTH microwave troposcatter terminal. COMET is ideally suited for situations where high bandwidth backhaul communications are required, extending critical services into areas where there is no communications infrastructure, or the infrastructure has been destroyed."

09:05 EDT Sintx Technologies regains compliance with NASDAQ minimum bid price rule - SINTX Technologies announced that it has received a letter from the NASDAQ Listing Qualifications Staff notifying the Company that it has regained compliance with NASDAQ's minimum bid price requirements for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. The letter noted that as a result of the closing bid price of the Company's common stock having been at $1.00 per share or greater for at least ten consecutive business days, from June 22, 2020 to July 8, 2020, the Company has regained compliance with Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) and the matter is now closed.

09:05 EDT CME Group announces August 31 launch of Micro E-mini options - CME Group announced options on its Micro E-mini S&P 500 and Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures contracts will be available for trading August 31, pending regulatory review.

09:04 EDT General Motors receives N95 certification for filtering facepiece respirators - General Motors has received N95 certification for the filtering facepiece respirators made at the company's Warren, Michigan facility. The approval was completed through the new public-health emergency process implemented by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In response to the urgent need to increase the inventory of NIOSH-approved respirators during the COVID-19 pandemic, the staff at NIOSH's National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory has worked tirelessly to quickly evaluate new domestic respirator applications for approval. These efforts are helping to increase the supply of available certified filtering facepiece respirators while ensuring that new respirators meet the protective standards workers need and expect from NIOSH-approved respirators. As defined by NIOSH, the term N95 refers to the filter class, not the respirator. However, many filtering facepiece respirators have an N95 class filter and many people refer to them as N95 respirators. A filtering facepiece respirator that filters out at least 95 percent of airborne particles during "worst case" testing using a "most-penetrating" sized particle is given a 95 rating.

09:02 EDT American Woodmark names Scott Culbreth as CEO, succeeding Cary Dunston - American Woodmark announced M. Scott Culbreth as President and CEO of the company. Culbreth, who had been American Woodmark's Senior Vice President and CFO, succeeds S. Cary Dunston, who has retired and resigned from the board. Paul Joachimczyk, Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis, replaces Culbreth as Vice President and CFO. Vance Tang, former Lead Independent Director, has been elected non-executive Chairman of the Board of Directors. The moves come after an internal investigation found that R. Perry Campbell, Senior Vice President, Sales and Commercial Operations, had exhibited behavior that violated the company's policies and values. Campbell has been separated from his position. His separation was not related to American Woodmark's operational or financial performance. Prior to joining American Woodmark, Culbreth served as CFO for Piedmont Hardware Brands.

09:01 EDT Envision Solar's EV ARC deployed for Envoy on Demand EVs - Envision Solar International announced the deployment of its EV ARC electric vehicle charging infrastructure product for Envoy On Demand Electric Vehicles in Los Angeles County.

08:57 EDT AAR Corp. elects Robert Leduc to board of directors - AAR announced that Robert Leduc, retired President of Pratt & Whitney, has been elected to the Company's Board of Directors, effective immediately. The addition of Mr. Leduc increases the size of the Board from 12 to 13 directors. Mr. Leduc, 64, recently retired as president of Pratt & Whitney, a role he held since January 2016

08:54 EDT Bricks 4 Kidz eLearning announces partnership with Fuel Education - Creative Learning Corporation, through its subsidiary Bricks 4 Kidz eLearning, has announced a partnership with the game-based academic provider, Fuel Education. The Bricks 4 Kidz eLearning platform, an online STEAM educational resource for children in grades 1-4, is a web-based subscription focused on helping children reach benchmark academic milestones through the use of hands-on learning with building bricks as well as customized educational content. Stride is an adaptive learning solution for children that quickly accelerates learning with engaging curriculum engineered to match the depth and rigor of higher learning. Stride's Adaptive Technology goes to the core root of the issue for a student and automatically fine-tunes custom skills practice. Targeted video lessons and technology-enhanced skills practice help bring struggling students to grade level.

08:52 EDT Eaton Vance reports consolidated AUM $486.4B on June 30 - This compares to $465.3B on April 30, the close of the company's second fiscal quarter.

08:50 EDT Pentwater says ISS recommends Turquoise Hill shareholders support proposal - Pentwater Capital Management welcomes that in a report issued, ISS has recommended that shareholders of Turquoise Hill vote in favor of Pentwater's proposal to elect Matthew Halbower to the Board of Directors, agreeing with Pentwater that minority shareholders deserve direct representation on the Board. ISS also believes that: Pentwater has "highlighted legitimate concerns around governance, delays, cost overruns, and the company's disclosure regarding the gravity of funding shortfalls...The board's history of communication with minority shareholders is of particular concern'...The Company "has not gone far enough" in improving its governance structure "especially in terms of transparency and mitigation of conflicts of interest....The Company's relative underperformance over a prolonged period warrants the addition of a board member selected by minority shareholders"...Matthew Halbower has "demonstrated a deep understanding of the operations and geopolitical considerations surrounding the company's asset" and his addition to the Board "would provide minority shareholders with direct representation" and would increase "the overall independence of the board." ISS recommends that shareholders withhold their vote from Russel Robertson, thus removing from the Board one of the longest tenured directors, under whom the stock price has plummeted, governance has not improved, and the Company "failed to provide investors with sufficiently detailed financial disclosure during his tenure as chair of the audit committee." In his place, ISS recommends that shareholders vote for Matthew Halbower.

08:48 EDT JPMorgan CEO: Bank can 'easily' weather tough times without cutting dividend

08:47 EDT Perspecta Labs awarded contract on DARPA's FastNICs program - Perspecta announced that its innovative applied research arm, Perspecta Labs, received a prime contract award on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, Fast Network Interface Cards, or FastNICs, program. The award, which represents new work for the company, has a total potential ceiling value of $37M and a four-year period of performance if all options are exercised. The objective of the FastNICs program is to speed up complex computing applications.

08:45 EDT Predictive Oncology appoints three directors to board - Predictive Oncology announced the appointment of three new members to the company's board of directors, effective immediately. Joining the board are: Dr. Nancy Chung-Welch, Ph.D.; Mr. Charles L. Nuzum, CPA; Mr. Greg St. Clair. Predictive Oncology's board is comprised of seven members. Each of the new board members will serve as independent directors as defined by Nasdaq Corporate Governance rules. Dr. Chung-Welch currently serves as an independent consultant advising life science companies and institutional investors with an emphasis on the research product/tools market. Mr. Nuzum currently provides project-based financial consulting services to companies such as McKesson, BioMarin, AutoDesk and Squire Patton Boggs and mentors start-up companies. Mr. St. Clair is Founder and a Managing Member of SunStone Consulting.

08:42 EDT JPMorgan board intends to maintain 90c quarterly dividend, CFO says

08:41 EDT WeedMD cultivars included in UHN-led chronic pain study - WeedMD announced it is one of the first licensed producers to have its products and strains included in the University Health Networks' Medical Cannabis Real-World Evidence Study. UHN is launching nation-wide clinical trials studying cannabis use on chronic pain, issues with sleep, anxiety or depression. Participating patients can select medical cannabis products via the Medical Cannabis by Shoppers portal, and registered under the TruTrace Technologies' medical cannabis verification program.

08:40 EDT JPMorgan CFO: June set record for auto loan originations - Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

08:38 EDT IntercontinentalExchange ETF Hub reports record volume of $148B in Q2 - IntercontinentalExchange announced that ICE ETF Hub had record notional volume of $148B in Q2, compared to $137B in Q1, an increase of 9%.

08:36 EDT CVD Equipment announces collaboration to accelerate the development of c-VACNT - CVD Equipment announced that its subsidiary, CVD Materials, or CVDM, will together with Dymax and Keyence collaborate in an effort to accelerate the development of CVDM's novel c-VACNT extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, platform. ECMO devices are used to add oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from a blood stream during periods when the patient's lungs are not performing at appropriate levels. Typically, they are used during heart or lung surgery, but have recently been used as a last resort for recovery from COVID-19 illness. CVDM will incorporate Dymax's UV curing materials and Keyence's 2D scanning technology for manufacturing ECMO prototype test devices based on CVDM's patent pending c-VACNT materials platform. This multi company collaboration is intended to facilitate manufacturing for a range of novel ECMO devices for in-vitro and in-vivo tests to document their efficiency and safety.

08:36 EDT QuinStreet acquires Modernize for $67.5M in cash, notes payable over five years - QuinStreet announces the acquisition of Modernize, "a leader in home improvement performance marketing services." "Modernize Home Services" will serve as QuinStreet's flagship brand in home services going forward, advancing its mission to set the standard for transparency and trust in the home improvement and home services selection process, enabling millions of homeowners to make good and confident decisions. The consideration paid for the acquisition totaled $67.5M in cash and notes payable over five years, subject to certain closing adjustments. Modernize is expected to add $50M-60M to QuinStreet FY2021 revenue, and contribution margins immediately accretive to company EBITDA.

08:35 EDT CVD Equipment announces collaboration to accelerate the development of c-VANT - CVD Equipment announced that its subsidiary, CVD Materials, or CVDM, will together with Dymax and Keyence collaborate in an effort to accelerate the development of CVDM's novel c-VACNT extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, platform. ECMO devices are used to add oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from a blood stream during periods when the patient's lungs are not performing at appropriate levels. Typically, they are used during heart or lung surgery, but have recently been used as a last resort for recovery from COVID-19 illness. CVDM will incorporate Dymax's UV curing materials and Keyence's 2D scanning technology for manufacturing ECMO prototype test devices based on CVDM's patent pending c-VACNT materials platform. This multi company collaboration is intended to facilitate manufacturing for a range of novel ECMO devices for in-vitro and in-vivo tests to document their efficiency and safety.

08:34 EDT MJardin Group 'on track' to achieve measured strategic objectives in 2020

08:32 EDT AutoNation approves new contract with Mike Jackson as CEO through April, 2022 - AutoNation announced that the company and its Board of Directors have entered into a contract with Mike Jackson as Chairman and CEO, through April 12, 2022. It is the intent of the company to name a successor in early 2022. Jackson will retire from AutoNation upon the appointment of the new CEO. Cheryl Miller has decided not to return from her leave of absence, and has resigned as of July 14, 2020. She has also resigned from the Board of Directors.

08:30 EDT Viveve announces clearance of Viveve 2.0 system in Thailand - Viveve Medica said in a release, "Viveve announced it has received regulatory clearance from the Thai Food and Drug Administration for the company's next-generation Viveve 2.0 Cryogen-cooled Monopolar Radiofrequency system and consumable treatment tips."

08:28 EDT CHF Solutions continues webinar series on fluid overload in pediatric patients - CHF Solutions announced key takeaways from a recent webinar where David Askenazi, M.D. MSPH shared his experience and perspectives on the treatment of fluid overload in pediatric patients weighing more than 20 kg. Dr. Askenazi is the Director of the Pediatric and Infant Center for Acute Nephrology at Children's of Alabama. Clinically important observations made by Dr. Askenazi during the webinar include: In pediatric patients, fluid overload is a common problem impacting morbidity and mortality, and fluid overload is associated with multiple conditions, such as heart surgery, nephrotic syndrome, congenital heart disease, kidney disease, solid organ and bone marrow transplants, sepsis and severe burns. Addressing fluid overload and initiating treatment early optimizes outcomes in pediatric patients; therefore, fluid volume should be reported and monitored as a critical vital sign, similar to other vital signs. To assess fluid overload, fluid volume status should be considered in light of the phases of therapy: rescue, optimization, stabilization and de-escalation. Treatment options for fluid overload include medical management, fluid restriction and diuretics and ultrafiltration. While a majority of ICU patients receive diuretics to treat fluid overload, multiple studies have shown limited direct improvement in clinical outcomes. Ultrafiltration provides an early alternative therapy to be considered when medical management fails to achieve fluid balance. Repeating traditional therapies may harm the patient. Alternative fluid removal therapies include peritoneal dialysis, continuous renal replacement therapy, intermittent hemodialysis and ultrafiltration. Each therapy has advantages depending on the condition and treatment goals for the patient. Ultrafiltration with the Aquadex system is simple, easy to set up and provides flexibility to address the needs of the patient. In a retrospective, multi-center study, 32 critically ill pediatric patients weighing over 20 kgs and predominantly suffering from hypervolemia were treated with the Aquadex FlexFlow System and 97% survived to the end of therapy with minimal complications associated with the system.

08:24 EDT OncoCyte says testing volume for DetermaRx doubled in Q2 from Q1 - Oncocyte Corporation provided an update on the global growth and adoption of its DetermaRx diagnostic test. DetermaRx is a treatment stratification test for use in lung cancer patients whose tumors have been surgically removed. The test identifies which patients are at high risk for lung cancer recurrence, and therefore may benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. It is the only predictive treatment test for early stage lung cancer. DetermaRx received a final coverage decision in June 2020, securing reimbursement for Stage I and IIA non-small cell lung cancer Medicare patients. Physician adoption of DetermaRx has grown throughout the first half of 2020. Oncocyte has onboarded 40 hospitals for test ordering across the country, and testing volume doubled from the first quarter to the second quarter of 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of ordering physicians grew significantly in the second quarter as compared with the first quarter, and the physician reorder rate has been high, at 60%. The company believes this growth has been aided by virtual physician education programs, which have been attended by over 1800 medical oncologists and thoracic surgeons through the end of the second quarter. Additionally, Oncocyte has recently resumed face-to-face meetings with healthcare practitioners where permitted and has begun to receive payment for claims submitted to commercial payers.

08:22 EDT Assure Holdings sees FY20 total procedures to exceed 10,500 - The Company reiterates its guidance for full-year 2020 total procedures to exceed 10,500, a record number representing a nearly 65% increase in cases compared with 2019. This guidance reflects the impact to-date of COVID, but not a substantial future disruption relating to the pandemic. Second quarter procedure results will be impacted by a decline in cases performed during the month of April. Assure anticipates that the lingering impact of poor performance from the legacy 3rd party billing company terminated in the autumn of 2019 will put downward pressure on accounts receivable and revenue per procedure in calendar year 2020. The Company has renewed and expanded collection efforts on 2018 receivables and Assure is confident that a share of these claims that are reserved will ultimately be recovered.

08:20 EDT IQVIA, AstraZeneca enter collaboration to support COVID-19 vaccine development - IQVIA (IQV) has announced its collaboration with AstraZeneca (AZN) to accelerate development of a potential new vaccine for COVID-19. IQVIA said in a release, "This joint initiative is part of the U.S. government's recently announced Operation Warp Speed project. Operation Warp Speed is part of a broader strategy to accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. The specific IQVIA and AstraZeneca collaboration will drive faster delivery of clinical studies in the U.S. aimed at demonstrating efficacy of AstraZeneca's potential COVID-19 vaccine, AZD1222. This initiative includes an expansive subject study, which is expected to begin enrolling participants this summer and will leverage IQVIA's Virtual Trial solutions including Study Hub."

08:18 EDT Dynavax announces first patients dosed in Phase 1 trial of Medicago's vaccine - Dynavax Technologies announced that the first participants have been dosed in the Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating Medicago's plant-derived vaccine candidate adjuvanted with CpG 1018 to prevent COVID-19. The previously announced collaboration is evaluating the combination of Medicago's Coronavirus Virus-Like Particle with Dynavax's CpG 1018, the adjuvant contained in Dynavax's U.S. FDA-approved adult hepatitis B vaccine. Adding CpG 1018 is intended to enhance the immune response of Medicago's COVID-19 vaccine which may reduce the amount of antigen required per dose, providing more doses to help protect a greater number of people. The study is a Phase 1 randomized, partially-blinded, prime-boost, staggered dose-escalation study intended to assess the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of the Coronavirus-Like Particle COVID-19 Vaccine at three dose levels unadjuvanted or adjuvanted with either CpG 1018, or another company's adjuvant, in approximately 180 healthy subjects 18 to 55 years of age, who have been tested for the absence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Preliminary safety and immunogenicity results are expected in October 2020. Medicago is also planning a Phase 2/3 trial to be initiated this October. Medicago's innovative plant-based production platform will be used to manufacture the COVID-19 vaccine antigen. This platform uses plants as mini-factories which create proteins that self-assemble into the virus-like particles that are used in the CoVLP vaccine candidate. Combining Medicago's technology with Dynavax's CpG 1018 adjuvant, the companies expect to be able to deliver up to 100 million doses by the end of 2021. By the end of 2023, Medicago expects to complete the construction of a large-scale manufacturing facility in Quebec City, Canada that Medicago anticipates will have the capacity to produce up to 1 billion vaccine doses annually.

08:15 EDT Verizon announces new responsible business plan Citizen Verizon - Verizon announced the company's new responsible business plan, Citizen Verizon, that will empower the technology leader to deliver on its mission to move the world forward by addressing pressing societal issues through action. Taking on the role of a citizen of the world with a responsibility to drive impact, Citizen Verizon lays out how the company will leverage its resources, technology and employees to drive economic, environmental and social progress. Citizen Verizon focuses on three key areas where Verizon has a deep legacy: Digital Inclusion: Verizon will provide 10 million youths with the digital skills training necessary to thrive in a modern economy and provide 1 million small businesses with resources to help them thrive in the digital economy by 2030. Using next-gen technology, Verizon is creating an education platform geared towards grades K-12 that will address the new hybrid learning models emerging from COVID-19. The platform will support district leaders, teachers, parents and students; enhance teacher resources with a focus on remote learning and expert tech guidance for districts; provide parents with digital literacy training; and offer engaging content for under-resourced youth. The online resource is an expansion of the company's commitment to provide connectivity and technology to improve the lives of those who need it most by bringing the transformative power of the digital world to under-resourced schools, low-income communities and rural populations. Since 2012, the Verizon Innovative Learning program has provided over $535M in market value towards STEM education, helping under-resourced communities bridge the digital divide. Verizon is also supporting small businesses to be digitally ready today and into the future. By 2030, Verizon will provide 1 million small businesses with resources to help them thrive in the digital economy. Climate Protection: Verizon has pledged to become carbon neutral in its operations by 2035 by reducing emissions, investing in renewable energy and purchasing carbon offsets. Additionally, Verizon's solutions enabled the avoidance of 8.8 million metric tons of emissions in 2019, equivalent to taking 1.9 million cars off the road for one year. Verizon was also the first U.S. telecom company to issue a green bond with nearly $1 billion in net proceeds for renewable energy, energy efficiency, green buildings, sustainable water management and biodiversity and conservation. From deploying 24MW of additional on-site renewable energy by 2025 to planting 10 million trees by 2030, Verizon is committed to protecting our planet for future generations. Human Prosperity: Verizon will prepare 500,000 individuals for the jobs for the future by uplifting individuals through skills training and job advancement tools. The advancement of technology requires new sets of skills to succeed in a digital workforce. To help prepare the most vulnerable and under-resourced communities for the jobs of the future, Verizon is leveraging technology to create a platform that provides digital tools and services to assist individuals in their path to employment; job advancement programs that equip vulnerable populations with the skills and mentorship they need to enter the future economy; and collaborative partnerships to advance the conversation around skills based hiring. This commitment builds upon Verizon's upskilling and tech training programs for employees.

08:13 EDT H2O Innovation says Utility Partners renews two contracts - H2O Innovation announced that Utility Partners recently renewed two O&M contracts. These contracts, with a total value of $4.3M, bring the O&M backlog to $87.4 M. The first contract, from a municipality in Vermont, was renewed for an additional period of 1 year. The UP team has been responsible for the operation, maintenance and management of the city's water and wastewater treatment facilities since 2010. The second contract renewal is in New Hampshire. It was renewed and extended to April 2025 and consists of the operation of a wastewater treatment system. This municipality has been a client of Utility Partners since 2012.

08:12 EDT Simon Property, Fillogic partner to launch micro distribution hubs - Fillogic announced that it is growing its network of Fillogic Hubs by teaming up with Simon Property Group to launch multiple, tech-enabled micro distribution hubs at select retail properties. Opportunities for retailers to leverage their stores and inventory as a competitive advantage for order fulfillment continue to grow, and Fillogic is focused on helping them improve service levels, reduce costs, and optimize asset utilization through strategically located, mall-based, tech-enabled distribution hubs. Fillogic is also focused on unlocking efficiencies for logistics providers by aggregating and streamlining the flow of inbound and outbound freight with Fillogic's on-site staff, logistics infrastructure, and proprietary technology. The company will be opening Fillogic Hubs at the Livingston Mall and Gloucester Premium Outlets, the latter of which will be their first location at an open air or outlet center. One of these new locations is also Fillogic's largest hub by square feet.

08:11 EDT Maxim Integrated awarded FDA clearance for HD Steth - HD Medical announces that its flagship product, HD Steth, has received FDA clearance for all three product classification codes of DQD, DQC and DPS for Electronic Stethoscope, Phonocardiograph and Electrocardiograph combined into one device. HD Medical said in a release, "HD Steth utilizes cutting-edge AI technology to enable clinicians to perform advanced cardiac evaluation at the point-of-care to save time and lives. HD Steth is an intelligent stethoscope that assists clinicians with capturing, recording, replaying and simultaneously visualizing heart sounds and ECG waveforms on a smart device to help detect multiple cardiac abnormalities."

08:11 EDT AMD, Google Cloud announce beta availability of Confidential VMs - AMD (AMD) and Google Cloud (GOOG, GOOGL) announced the beta availability of Confidential Virtual Machines for Google Compute Engine powered by 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors, taking advantage of the processors' advanced security features. The first product in the Google Cloud Confidential Computing portfolio, Confidential VMs, enables customers for the first time to encrypt data in-use while it is being processed and not just when at rest and in-transit. Based on the N2D family of VMs for Google Compute Engine, Confidential VMs provide customers high performance processing for the most demanding computational tasks and enable encryption for even the most sensitive data in the cloud while it is being processed.

08:10 EDT Spirax-Sarco introduces Clean Steam Generator - Spirax Sarco has expanded its product line to include the new Clean Steam Generator for Healthcare. This new product solution is used to produce sterile steam and reduce the risk of wet packs.

08:07 EDT Intelligent Systems nominates Elizabeth Camp to board of directors - Intelligent Systems Corporation announced that its Board of Directors has nominated Elizabeth Camp to serve as an independent Director of the Company. Ms. Camp is President and CEO of DF Management, Inc., a private investment and commercial real estate management company, a position she has held since 2000.

08:06 EDT Aesthetic Medical to acquire controlling interest in Hanfei - Aesthetic Medical International Holdings announced the Company, through its affiliates, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Guangdong Hanfei Investment Management, marking the 4th acquisitions in 2020. Pursuant to the Agreements, the Company plans to acquire 51% equity interest in Hanfei, which owns and operates four aesthetic medical treatment centers in China. Founded in 2017 with headquarters in Guangzhou, China, Hanfei is a comprehensive aesthetic medical group providing surgical aesthetic service, non-surgical aesthetic service and other associated services. The acquisition of Hanfei is in line with the Company's growth strategy in identifying, acquiring, and integrating treatment centers and will further enable the Company to respond to growing demand for aesthetic medical services nationwide. Hanfei will deploy the Company's proven scalable business model with highly standardized operating procedures across a centralized network.

08:05 EDT GEANT awards Infinera contract to deploy 600G transmission technology - Infinera announced that GEANT selected Infinera's industry-leading 600G transmission technology for its next-generation pan-European network. Using Infinera's Groove Series Compact Modular Platform, FlexILS Open Optical Line System, and professional services, GEANT is undertaking the most significant refresh of its network in a decade as part of a major EU-funded project designed to support the needs of Europe's research and education community for the next 15 years.

08:04 EDT Titan Medical sends update letter to shareholders - Titan Medical (TMDI) issued an update letter to its shareholders. The letter was authored by David McNally, president and CEO, chairman. The letter said, "As we commence the second half of 2020, I provide you with a brief review of the first half and outline our focus for the remainder of the year... On June 3, 2020, we entered into several agreements with an affiliate of Medtronic plc (MDT), including a development and license agreement to further the development of robotic assisted surgical technologies, as well as a separate license agreement in respect of certain intellectual property of Titan. The development and license agreement provides for the development of robotic assisted surgical technologies for use by both Titan and Medtronic in their respective robotic assisted surgery businesses. As technology milestones are completed and verified, we will be entitled to receive a series of license payments totaling up to $31 million for Medtronic's rights to such technologies. Our engineering team and product development partners are working toward the achievement of the first milestone in October 2020. If successful, Titan will receive a payment of $10 million before proceeding to the second of the three development milestones, to be completed in 2021. Under the terms of the separate license agreement, Medtronic has licensed certain robotic assisted surgical technologies from Titan for an upfront license payment of $10 million, which we received in June 2020. Titan retains the rights to continue to develop and commercialize those technologies for its own business. These agreements with Medtronic allow Titan to continue to develop its single-port robotic surgical technologies while sharing our expertise and technologies with Medtronic. Through the $10 million license payment and $1.5 million loan from Medtronic, and the over $20 million raised in public equity, we have been able to resume product development of our single-port robotic surgical system. Robotic systems designed for surgery are highly technical and complex pieces of equipment, involving medical-grade software and numerous electro-mechanical systems, precise surgical instruments and sterile interface components, all designed for instinctive use and successful surgical outcomes. To facilitate the unique design and development of our system, Titan has engaged individuals and third parties with specialized competencies for assistance with certain aspects of our system such as our innovative dual-view camera system, multi-articulating instruments and simulation training software. We have also established a U.S. subsidiary to initially focus on product development activities, which is based at our new dedicated, purpose-built space in North Carolina's Research Triangle, a leading high-tech and medical technology hub, which is also in close proximity to our development partners. The recruitment of highly skilled and experienced technical personnel to manage, execute and provide in-house expertise in product development is well underway. The opportunity for single-port robotic surgery appears promising, with initial and on-going clinical success being reported by surgeons using Intuitive Surgical's da Vinci SP(R), the only commercially available single-port offering, but currently with surgical indications outside our initial target area. We believe that our robotic assisted surgical system, having been designed with a focus on single-port surgery, may provide competitive advantages for physicians and their clinical teams, hospitals and patients. Should we be able to complete product development and achieve regulatory clearance in a timely manner, upon commercialization we expect our single-port system to expand the market for robotic assisted surgery with attractive pricing, a reduced operating room footprint and greater portability within the hospital. With these target product attributes, we intend to focus early commercialization efforts on U.S. ambulatory surgery centers wishing to perform benign procedures in a lower-cost setting compared to hospitals."

08:03 EDT Arcadia University selects BIO-key's PortalGuard solution - BIO-key International announced the first new customer contract for its PortalGuard IAM solution following its recent purchase of PortalGuard developer PistolStar. The customer is Arcadia University, a private university in Pennsylvania with approximately 4,000 undergraduate, master's, and doctorate students. Arcadia wanted to deploy a multifactor authentication, single sign-on, and self-service password reset solution across key software applications including, Canvas, Everfi, ExamSoft, KnowBe4 Security Training, LinkedIn Learning, and WCOnline among others. The school's priority was to identify an IAM solution that could raise the bar on strong authentication while still providing a frictionless experience for the end-user.

08:03 EDT Mitcham Industries enters pact with major European defense contractor - Mitcham Industries announced that it and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Klein Marine Systems, have entered into an agreement with a major European defense contractor to jointly upgrade existing technology to create the next generation of synthetic aperture sonar systems for commercial and military markets. The new systems will be based on technology developed by each of parties over the past several years. Financial terms of the arrangement were not disclosed.

08:02 EDT Citi CEO: Overall business performance was 'strong' during Q2 - Michael Corbat, Citi CEO, said, "While credit costs weighed down our net income, our overall business performance was strong during the quarter, and we have been able to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic reasonably well. The Institutional Clients Group had an exceptional quarter, marked by an increase in Fixed Income of 68%. Global Consumer Banking revenues were down as spending slowed significantly due to the pandemic.

07:58 EDT Afterpay introduces Apple Pay for in-store payments - Afterpay announced that its customers can now use Apple Pay to make purchases through Afterpay in physical retail stores and online. Beginning in July, select retail stores in the U.S. will begin offering Afterpay. Customers can initiate a purchase by simply tapping the "card" icon in the Afterpay app, which activates the Afterpay card in the Apple Wallet. Similar to using Afterpay online, customers in the U.S. will be able to pay securely and simply for their in-store purchases in four installment payments, without the need to take out a traditional loan or pay upfront fees or interest. The service is completely free for consumers who pay on time.

07:54 EDT Wells Fargo: Capital, liquidity continue to be 'extremely strong'

07:54 EDT Alcon announces Pataday approved by FDA for sale over-the-counter - Alcon announced Pataday once daily relief extra strength, formerly prescribed as Pazeo, has been approved by the FDA for sale over-the-counter, or OTC, in the United States. Pataday once daily relief extra strength is the first and only once daily eye allergy itch drop offering a full 24 hours of relief without a prescription.

07:53 EDT Wells Fargo board to reduce Q3 dividend to 10c per share from 51c - The company announced that it expects to reduce its third quarter 2020 common stock dividend to 10c per share from 51c per share, subject to approval by the company's Board of Directors at the customary time at the end of July.

07:38 EDT Plus Products launches HI-CUBES brand in California - Plus Products announced the launch of its new HI-CUBES brand into the California adult-use market. HI-CUBES is the third edibles brand launched by PLUS, well known for its core brand of high-quality and precisely dosed gummies and mints. With 10mg of THC packed into each 5 calorie serving, HI-CUBES are the most concentrated gummy products available within the California market. Manufactured with 100% whole-plant, full-spectrum oil, the product delivers an array of cannabinoids, flavonoids and aromatic terpenes to create a powerful effect for consumers looking for an intense cannabis experience. This new line offers consumers the same great-tasting and guilt-free product experience as PLUS gummies, with less than 1g of sugar per cube. The new brand, HI-CUBES, initially includes two flavors - Indica Plum and Sativa Strawberry - each with 10mg of THC per gummy, and 100mg of THC per package. These products are currently available in over 40 licensed retailers across the state of California.

07:33 EDT Cytokinetics announces licensing collaboration with RTW Investments for CK-274 - Cytokinetics, Incorporated announced that it has agreed to a series of transactions with certain companies wholly owned by investment funds managed by RTW Investments, LP, and Ji Xing Pharmaceuticals Limited, related to CK-3773274, a next-generation cardiac myosin inhibitor that Cytokinetics is developing for the potential treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathies and other clinical indications that may be associated with excessive cardiac muscle contractility. Pursuant to these transactions, Cytokinetics will receive a combination of committed capital, funding and sale proceeds of up to $250M from RTW and is eligible to receive up to $200M in milestone payments plus royalties on future sales of CK-274 in certain Asian countries. Amongst these deals is a license from Cytokinetics to Ji Xing, a biopharmaceutical company backed by RTW and focused on the development and commercialization of innovative medicines in the People's Republic of China and Taiwan. Cytokinetics has granted to Ji Xing an exclusive license to develop and commercialize CK-274 in China and Taiwan, in accordance with Cytokinetics' planned global registration programs. Cytokinetics will receive an upfront payment and is eligible to receive up to $200 million in development and commercial milestone payments and royalties on future sales of CK-274 in certain Asian countries. Under a separate funding agreement, Cytokinetics receives options for additional funding from RTW for the further development of CK-274 in HCMs. Upon initiation of a global registration program for CK-274 in each of obstructive HCM and non-obstructive HCM, Cytokinetics is eligible for funding, at its option, in the amount of $45M from RTW in exchange for a royalty payable by Cytokinetics of 2% on sales of CK-274 in the United States and certain European countries. If Cytokinetics utilizes the full $90M in development from RTW, it would be responsible to pay RTW a 4% royalty on sales of CK-274 in the United States and certain European countries. The royalties payable by Cytokinetics are subject to royalty reductions if CK-274 is developed for potential other indications. In addition, RTW has agreed to purchase from Cytokinetics its royalty rights on future sales of mavacamten, for a cash purchase price of $85M, subject to certain closing conditions. In parallel with these agreements, RTW has purchased $50M of Cytokinetics' common stock at $25 per share.

07:29 EDT Walmart invests additional $1.2B in India's Flipkart to increase stake - Flipkart Group has closed an additional $1.2B equity round to support continued development of its eCommerce marketplace as India emerges from the Covid-19 crisis. The investment is led by Walmart, Flipkart Group's majority owner, along with a group of existing shareholders and values the company at $24.9B post-money. It will be funded in two tranches over the remainder of the fiscal year. "We're grateful for the strong backing of our shareholders as we continue to build our platform and serve the growing needs of Indian consumers during these challenging times," Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy said. "Since Walmart's initial investment in Flipkart, we have greatly expanded our offer through technology, partnerships and new services. Today, we lead in electronics and fashion, and are rapidly accelerating share in other general merchandise categories and grocery, all while providing increasingly seamless payment and delivery options for our customers. We will continue innovating to bring the next 200 million Indian shoppers online." Flipkart recently surpassed 1.5 billion visits per month and reported 45-percent growth in monthly active customers and 30% growth in transactions per customer for FY20.

07:28 EDT Medipharm Labs appoints Chris Taves to board of directors - MediPharm Labs (MEDIF) announced the appointment of Chris Taves, COO of BMO Capital Markets (BMO), to its Board of Directors effective July 13, 2020. This key appointment follows an extensive planning and search process. With Mr. Taves' appointment, MediPharm Labs' Board of Directors will consist of eight members, five of whom are independent. In connection with his appointment, the Company granted 300,000 options to Mr. Taves at an exercise price set at the close of business on July 13 , 2020. Each grant has a five-year term expiring July 13, 2025.

07:26 EDT Arch Biopartners engages CRO to conduct LSALT peptide Phase II trial - Arch Biopartners announced it has engaged a leading, global contract research organization to initiate and conduct a Phase II trial in the U.S. for its lead drug Metablok to treat complications in patients with COVID-19 including the prevention of acute lung and/or kidney injury. The Phase II trial will be a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, proof of concept study of LSALT peptide as prevention of acute respiratory distress syndrome and acute kidney injury in sixty patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. Following guidance and discussion with the FDA during the review of the Phase II protocol, the primary endpoint of the trial was expanded to a composite that includes prevention of ARDS and AKI. The composite reflects severe effects often experienced by hospitalized COVID-19 patients and deemed appropriate for LSALT peptide's novel mechanism of action in blocking consequential inflammation in these organs.

07:24 EDT Fastenal says 'difficult to project' Q3 trends - Fastenal said, "There was significant variation in our sales patterns through the second quarter of 2020. Sales of surge-type PPE were steady at high levels in April and May, before beginning to taper slightly in June. As we enter the third quarter of 2020, and as the chaos surrounding the pandemic and our pipeline of orders lessens, we expect surge-type orders to decline. This may be partly mitigated by businesses reopening, more supply becoming available, companies increasing just-in-case quantities on hand and/or additional pandemic-related developments; however, the magnitude and duration of this activity is difficult to project at this time. As described above, our traditional sales were down throughout the second quarter of 2020. Looking at trends within the second quarter of 2020, however, business activity appears to have bottomed in April before improving in May and again in June. This is best illustrated by our daily sales rate trend for fasteners, which is our most cyclical product category and which was unaffected by surge activity. In April 2020, fastener daily sales were down 22.5%. In May, the rate of decline moderated to down 15.3% and in June it moderated again to down 11.4%. However, the activity levels experienced in June remain below those that existed in the first quarter of 2020. Whether our traditional business continues to improve in the third quarter from June levels of activity, and at what pace, remains difficult to project."

07:22 EDT Grassy Mountain tailings dam receives approval from OWRD - Paramount Gold Nevada announced that the Oregon Water Resource Department has reviewed and approved the plans and specifications for the tailings dam proposed for the Grassy Mountain mine and stated that from a safety perspective, the plans are construction-ready. The OWRD reviewed the data within the Consolidated Permit Application which Paramount submitted in November 2019 and which included all tailings design drawings, safety analysis, field data collected and laboratory testing. The OWRD and its engineering team are required to review and evaluate the data and design, classify the hazard level and evaluate readiness for construction from a dam safety perspective. Considering the project's remote geographic location, low population density, arid nature with no rivers or permanent streams in close proximity, seismic analysis and all other data compiled, OWRD has rated the dam as low hazard, its lowest risk level. The approval for construction is valid for 5 years with extensions possible on request. Paramount continues to work with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries and all of the coordinating and permitting State agencies to advance the Consolidated Permit Application process for the proposed Grassy Mountain Gold Mine.

07:17 EDT Correction: Delta Air Lines reports Q2 TRASM, adjusted down 36% y/y - Reports Q2 CASM-Ex 41.96 vs. 10.47 a year ago.

07:15 EDT Calithera Biosciences appoints Scott Garland to board of directors - Calithera Biosciences (CALA) announced the appointment of Scott Garland to its board of directors. In his most recent role as president and CEO of Portola Pharmaceuticals, Garland led the company through the commercial launch of Andexxa and a successful acquisition by biopharmaceutical company Alexion (ALXN).

07:13 EDT Nemaura Medical evaluates new applications for CLM using BEAT platform - Nemaura Medical issued a presentation outlining potential new applications for monitoring disease progression in Covid-19 patients using Continuous Lactate Monitoring, or CLM. Nemaura Medical said in a release, "The Company has previously discussed the market for athletic performance monitoring using its non-invasive CLM, and based on recently published independent clinical evaluations, the measurement of blood lactic acid has been established as an indicator for disease progression in Covid-19 patients. Both the CGM and CLM products are based on Nemaura's BEAT platform, which is designed to non-invasively extract a number of analytes through the skin. By adapting the sensor chemistry, algorithm and mobile app interface initially developed for sugarBEAT, the BEAT platform has the potential to be utilized for several markets beyond glucose monitoring and diabetes. Nemaura is evaluating the timelines for bringing the CLM to market as a Class 2 approved Medical Device."

07:11 EDT Cubic awarded contract over $16M to continue support of British Army training - Cubic announced Cubic Defence U.K., which operates within its Cubic Global Defense, or CGD, business division was awarded a contract worth more than $16 million to continue the support of British Army training. Cubic said in a release, "The four-year contract called SCOPIC 2, is for a fully managed service where Cubic will provide its Synthetic Wrap capability to enhance collective training at Salisbury Plain Training Area in the United Kingdom; British Army Training Unit Suffield in Alberta, Canada; and British Army Training Unit Kenya."

07:10 EDT Helius Medical announces dismissal of shareholder class action lawsuit - Helius Medical Technologies announced the dismissal of a putative shareholder class action in the Southern District of New York. The plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed the 2019 lawsuit with prejudice, ending the case against Helius in In re Helius Medical Technologies Litigation, 19-CV-6365. U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska signed the final order dismissing the litigation on July 1, 2020.

07:08 EDT Sanofi and MD Anderson announce collaboration - Sanofi and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center announced a five-year strategic collaboration to accelerate the development of investigational treatments, including targeted and immune-therapies, for patients with cancer. The alliance will combine MD Anderson's clinical trials infrastructure and Sanofi's pipeline of investigational treatments to lead biomarker-driven clinical studies to better understand how novel cancer drugs work. The new alliance also will support investigations into additional indications and combinations for studies already in the clinic.

07:06 EDT Flexion sees Q2 ZILRETTA net sales $15.4M - Flexion Therapeutics announced preliminary ZILRETTA net sales of $15.4M for the quarter ended June 30. Demand for ZILRETTA increased month-over-month throughout the Q2 with purchases by healthcare providers reaching 4,863 units, 13,547 units and 18,287 units in April, May and June, respectively. The total ZILRETTA purchases by healthcare providers in the Q2 was in line with the Q1. In addition, the Company also announced plans to recommence ZILRETTA manufacturing in the fourth quarter to help ensure adequate and uninterrupted supply to meet future demand. "Considering the unprecedented impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are very pleased with our sales performance in the second quarter," said the company. "While the future impacts of the pandemic remain impossible to predict, our confidence in both the near and long-term prospects for ZILRETTA remains undiminished."

07:04 EDT Delta Air Lines says daily cash burn averaged $43M for Q2 - Delta ended the June quarter with $15.7 billion in liquidity. Cash used in operations during the quarter was $290 million. Daily cash burn averaged $43 million for the quarter with an average of $27 million for the month of June, a 70 percent decline from levels in late March. At the end of the June quarter, the company had total debt and finance lease obligations of $24.6 billion with adjusted net debt of $13.9 billion. During the quarter, the company raised $11 billion in new liquidity at a blended average rate of 6.5 percent. New financing completed during the quarter included $5.0 billion in slots, gates and routes secured financing, $2.8 billion in sale-leaseback transactions, $1.4 billion of the PSP loan, $1.3 billion in unsecured notes, $243 million in B tranches of Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificates and an additional $250 million on its 364-day secured term loan. At the end of the June quarter, the company's Air Traffic Liability totaled $5.0 billion including a current liability of $4.7 billion and a non-current liability of $0.3 billion. The noncurrent Air Traffic Liability represents our current estimate of tickets to be flown, as well as credits to be used, beyond one year. Travel credits represent approximately 60 percent of the total Air Traffic Liability. "Our average daily cash burn has improved sequentially each month since March and we remain committed to achieving breakeven cash burn by the end of the year," Jacobson continued. "We successfully bolstered our liquidity to $15.7 billion at the end of June through new financings and CARES Act funding during the quarter, with adjusted net debt of $13.9 billion increasing by $3.4 billion since the beginning of the year. By raising cash early and aggressively managing costs, we are prepared to navigate what will be a volatile revenue period while making decisions that position Delta well for the eventual recovery."

07:03 EDT Verrica Pharmaceuticals expects cash to support operations at least through 4Q21 - The company said, "The Company believes its existing cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, which totaled approximately $80M as of June 30, 2020, will be sufficient to support planned operations at least through the fourth quarter of 2021. The foregoing amount of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities is preliminary, is subject to change based on the completion of the Company's quarter-end review process, and includes calculations or figures that have been prepared internally by management and have not been reviewed or audited by the Company's auditors."

07:03 EDT Delta Air Lines reports Q2 TRASM, adjusted down 6.25% y/y - Reports Q2 CASM-Ex 41.96 vs. 10.47 a year ago.

07:01 EDT Pennsylvania REIT provides business update - Pennsylvania REIT reported that its entire portfolio is operational and provided an update on other company initiatives. PREIT's portfolio reopening effort culminated on Friday July 3 as it opened its final property and marquee redevelopment, Fashion District Philadelphia. This followed closely on the heels of seven other suburban Philadelphia properties that opened their doors within the prior week. Occupancy continues to gain traction toward stabilization with the portfolio re-occupied at over 80%. In-line occupancy is now over 90% at several of the company's properties: Capital City Mall, Magnolia Mall, Dartmouth Mall and Woodland Mall. Retailers continue to report sales performance in excess of last year's sales as shoppers are visiting properties with an intent to purchase. The seeming best performers are athletic shoes and apparel, personal care products and home decor. Notably, traffic has returned to 80% or more of average at Valley Mall, Viewmont Mall, Willow Grove Park and Patrick Henry Mall. With properties at the center of their communities, PREIT continues to promote protocols that support a safe shopping environment and promote contactless pickup options. The company continues to prioritize improving its liquidity position. During June, the Company completed its single tenant outparcel sale effort, closing on the remaining $14.4M in sales, bringing the total outparcel sale effort made public in February to $27.8M. The company has also improved its monthly collection levels since the shutdown started and continues to make progress in executing on rent deferral arrangements with top tenants in addition to collecting prior months' rent. In addition to previous one-time savings in G&A and operating expenses totaling $4.7M, the company has also made permanent overhead reductions that are expected to save the company approximately $4M annually in general and administrative expenses. The company has also reduced planned capital spending for 2020 by $26M, a savings of over $30M in 2020. As part of its effort to revitalize its portfolio of real estate offerings, the company continues to make strides toward closing on the previously-announced multifamily land sales to unlock value in underutilized land. Throughout the portfolio, new tenants are back on track with recent openings including Talbot's Outlet and Plymouth Performing Arts, both at Plymouth Meeting Mall. At the same time, construction is back on track with a number of exciting new tenants underway for 2020 openings.

06:59 EDT JPMorgan entering Q3 with $34B of reserves, $191B of CET1 - Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call presentation slides.

06:57 EDT EyeGate to proceed with PE pivotal study - EyeGate Pharmaceuticals announced that based on feedback from a meeting with the FDA, EyeGate can move forward with the filing of an IDE for a punctate epitheliopathies, or PE, pivotal study. EyeGate said in a release, "This pivotal study follows the successful completion of EyeGate's pilot study in early 2020. The pivotal study will evaluate the effectiveness and safety of EyeGate's Ocular Bandage Gel eye drop in reducing PEs in a dry eye patient population to be further defined in the IDE. Prior to filing the IDE application for the pivotal study, the Company must perform additional testing for the new packaging, a multi-dose preservative-free bottle, as previously discussed with the FDA. The Company anticipates completing this testing by the end of 2020."

06:54 EDT JPMorgan reports Q2 average loans up 4%, average deposits up 25%

06:52 EDT Wex enters partnership with Onyx CenterSource - Onyx CenterSource announced a new partnership with WEX to streamline payments to travel agency partners. Onyx CenterSource said in a release, "The partnership will focus on virtual payments methods for different transaction types across the hospitality industry. As companies continue to focus on digitizing payments, virtual methods will be integral to industry partners and will allow a more secure payments process, in this case benefiting both hotels and travel companies."

06:50 EDT JPMorgan CEO: We are prepared for all eventualities - Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO, commented: "I want to thank our employees around the world for their exceptional work under the most difficult of circumstances over the past several months. As one of the world's largest financial institutions, our actions are critical to keep the global economy going - from processing $6 trillion in payments each day worldwide to keeping three-quarters of our nearly 5,000 branches open - and safe - to meet individuals' financial needs. During these unprecedented times, JPMorgan Chase remains resilient and steadfast in using all of our resources to support our colleagues, clients and communities across the globe." Dimon added: "Despite some recent positive macroeconomic data and significant, decisive government action, we still face much uncertainty regarding the future path of the economy. However, we are prepared for all eventualities as our fortress balance sheet allows us to remain a port in the storm. We ended the quarter with massive loss-absorbing capacity - over $34 billion of credit reserves and total liquidity resources of $1.5 trillion, on top of $191 billion of CET1 capital, with significant earnings power that would allow us to absorb even more credit reserves if needed. This is why we can continue to serve all of our stakeholders and to pay our dividend - unless the economic situation deteriorates materially and significantly." Dimon commented on the results: "We earned $4.7 billion of net income in the second quarter despite building $8.9 billion of credit reserves because we generated our highest quarterly revenue ever, which demonstrates the benefit of our diversified global business model. Record Markets revenue (up 79%) and Investment Banking fees (up 54%) in the Corporate & Investment Bank more than offset interest rate headwinds and reduced consumer activity. In Consumer & Community Banking, deposits and client investment assets continued to grow (up 20% and 9%, respectively) as we addressed our customers' needs remotely as well as in our branches. Card sales volumes are down but have been consistently trending upward since April. We remained active in Home Lending on the strength of our digital platform, and Auto originations picked up in the second half of the quarter driven by pent up demand in states that are re-opening. We maintained our #1 rank in Global IB fees and grew our year-to-date share to 9.8% with strength across the franchise, including in Commercial Banking. The CB also grew loans 13% to $234 billion and deposits were up 41% as we helped clients manage their liquidity needs. In Asset & Wealth Management, AUM grew 15% driven by $124 billion of net inflows into liquidity and long-term products as we helped clients navigate market volatility." Dimon concluded: "We are fully committed to doing our part both in promoting the safety of our employees and customers and helping the economies of the world recover from the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, including helping to drive policies and programs for the benefit of all of society and create opportunity for those who have been left out of the economy for far too long."

06:33 EDT BlueJeans by Verizon enhances interactive video live streaming platform - BlueJeans by Verizon announced new partner integrations and feature enhancements to its BlueJeans Events interactive video live streaming platform to improve attendee recruitment, engage diverse audiences, and seamlessly follow-up post-event. By matching audience expectations for modern, virtual experiences and enabling event managers to more closely simulate on-site customer connections-including the ability to host up to 150 speakers and 50,000 attendees-BlueJeans Events empowers organizations and individuals to deliver multi-purpose digital events at scale. COVID-19 has reinforced the important role of virtual events beyond being primarily a means for marketers to promote products or extend live events to those unable to attend in person. Over the past three months, BlueJeans saw an 8x increase in Events usage as organizations have outgrown the limitations of traditional webinars and look for safe ways to bring together large groups of people and host customer, partner, and community events. In response to this record-breaking utilization, the latest enhancements to BlueJeans Events make it easier than ever to market and monetize virtual events, reach an ever-growing audience wherever they are, and ensure that attendees with hearing disabilities are able to join and participate.

06:08 EDT Burger King to offer 'Reduced Methane Emissions Beef Whopper' starting July 14 - According to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, livestock is responsible for approximately 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Cows release methane, a greenhouse gas that traps the sun's heat and warms the planet, as a by-product of their digestion. To help tackle this environmental issue, the Burger King brand partnered with top scientists to develop and test a new diet for cows, which according to initial study results, reduces up to 33% per day, on average, of cows' daily methane emissions during the last three to four months of their lives. The formula for this new diet is open source and fairly simple to implement. Preliminary tests suggest that adding 100 grams of lemongrass leaves to the cows' daily veterinary prescribed diet during their last four months, helps them release less methane as they digest their food. Starting on July 14, select Burger King restaurants in Miami, New York, Austin, Portland, and Los Angeles will offer the "Reduced Methane Emissions Beef Whopper" sandwich, made with beef sourced from cows that emit reduced methane, while supplies last.

06:07 EDT Burger King to offer 'Reduced Methane Emissions Beef Whopper' staring July 14 - According to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, livestock is responsible for approximately 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Cows release methane, a greenhouse gas that traps the sun's heat and warms the planet, as a by-product of their digestion. To help tackle this environmental issue, the Burger King brand partnered with top scientists to develop and test a new diet for cows, which according to initial study results, reduces up to 33% per day, on average, of cows' daily methane emissions during the last three to four months of their lives. The formula for this new diet is open source and fairly simple to implement. Preliminary tests suggest that adding 100 grams of lemongrass leaves to the cows' daily veterinary prescribed diet during their last four months, helps them release less methane as they digest their food. Starting on July 14, select Burger King restaurants in Miami, New York, Austin, Portland, and Los Angeles will offer the "Reduced Methane Emissions Beef Whopper" sandwich, made with beef sourced from cows that emit reduced methane, while supplies last.

06:03 EDT Oatly fuels expansion with $200M equity investment led by Blackstone Growth - Oatly, the Swedish sustainable food company, announced that it has further bolstered its plant-based movement through an agreement to invest $200M in equity led by Blackstone Growth (BX). Additional investors in the funding round include Oprah Winfrey, Roc Nation, Natalie Portman, former Starbucks (SBUX) Chairman and CEO Howard Schultz, Orkila Capital, and Rabo Corporate Investments, the investment arm of Rabobank. As minority shareholders, the new investors will join the company's existing partners, including Verlinvest-CR JV and the company's founders, on Oatly's dynamic journey. As part of this transaction, Oatly's founders will also be reinvesting in the company's growth by providing additional capital.

05:27 EDT Histogen completes patient enrollment for HST 001 Phase 1b/2a trial - Histogen announced completion of patient enrollment ahead of schedule in its Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of HST 001, designed to assess the safety, tolerability and indicators of efficacy of HST 001 for the treatment of androgenic alopecia in men.

05:24 EDT Siemens, SAP announce new partnership - Siemens (SIEGY) and SAP SE (SAP) announced a new partnership "that will leverage their industry expertise and bring together their complementary software solutions for product lifecycle, supply chain and asset management so their customers can deliver new innovation and collaborative business models that will accelerate industry transformation globally." The companies said in a release, "Through this agreement, both SAP and Siemens will be able to complement and integrate their respective offerings in order to offer customers the first truly integrated and enhanced solutions for product lifecycle management, or PLM, supply chain, service and asset management. This will enable customers to form a true digital thread integrating all virtual models and simulations of a product or asset with real-time business information, feedback and performance data over the entire lifecycle. Going forward, both SAP and Siemens will be able to offer new solutions that combine their technologies in order to help companies shorten time to market by leveraging Industry 4.0-enabled data using intelligent assets and products. This will also give organizations the benefit of incorporating customer insights into product development through a comprehensive solution, from product design to service and asset management. As a first step in the partnership, SAP will offer Siemens' Teamcenter software as the core foundation for product lifecycle collaboration and data management and Siemens will offer SAP Intelligent Asset Management and SAP Project and Portfolio Management solutions to maximize the business value for manufacturers and operators across networks. Both companies will collaborate to develop applications from an end-to-end lifecycle perspective to help customers achieve a seamless digital thread that improves overall business performance."

05:16 EDT Celyad announces FDA clearance of IND application for CYAD-211 - Celyad Oncology announced that the company's Investigational New Drug, or IND, application for CYAD-211, the company's first-in-class short hairpin RNA, or shRNA,-based allogeneic CAR T candidate and second non-gene edited off-the-shelf program, is in effect with the FDA. Celyad said in a release, "The company's lead allogeneic candidate from its next-generation CYAD-200 series, CYAD-211 targets B-cell maturation antigen, or BCMA, for the treatment of relapsed / refractory multiple myeloma, or r/r MM. CYAD-211 is engineered to co-express a BCMA-targeting chimeric antigen receptor and a single shRNA, which interferes with the expression of the CD3zeta component of the T-cell receptor, or TCR, complex." Celyad Oncology CEO Filippo Petti said, "The FDA's permission to begin the Phase 1 clinical trial of our lead shRNA-based allogeneic candidate CYAD-211 is a watershed moment for our organization. Today's announcement demonstrates our ability to advance in parallel multiple off-the-shelf product candidates based on differentiated non-gene edited allogeneic technologies into the clinic. In addition, our team has delivered on incredible timelines for the CYAD-211 program, moving the project from concept to an effective IND in under two years. We are excited to have the CYAD-211 IND in effect to initiate the Phase 1 trial by year-end 2020 for this first-in-class CAR T candidate for patients with multiple myeloma and look forward to accelerating the development of additional shRNA-based allogeneic candidates from our CYAD-200 series towards clinical trials."