Stockwinners Market Radar for July 27, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:35 EDT Mattel CEO: We demonstrated our execution capabilities in Q2 - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Ynon Kreiz said Mattel improved its gross margin 410 basis points in Q2. The company saw strong performance for e-commerce in all regions, Kreiz noted. He expects improvement in international markets in the second half of 2020. Barbie performed "phenomenally well" in Q2, Kreiz said. He is "very bullish" about Mattel's movie strategy. Consumer demand for games "increased significantly" in Q2 and Kreiz is "very encouraged" about the momentum in the games category.

17:39 EDT Crane jumps almost 3% after quarterly report and guidance - Shares of Crane are up $1.55 or 2.52% to $63 per share in late trading on Monday.

17:35 EDT Amkor Technology up over 9% at $14.90 per share after Q2 results and Q3 guidance

17:19 EDT BioNTech up over 6%, Pfizer up over 3% after BNT162 entered ph.2/3 trial

17:17 EDT Pfizer, BioNTech commence ph. 2/3 study of mRNA vaccine candidate for COVID-19 - Pfizer (PFE) and BioNTech (BNTX) announced the start of a global, except for China, Phase 2/3 safety and efficacy clinical study to evaluate a single nucleoside-modified messenger RNA candidate from their BNT162 mRNA-based vaccine program against SARS-CoV-2. The companies stated: "After extensive review of preclinical and clinical data from Phase 1/2 clinical trials, and in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research and other global regulators, Pfizer and BioNTech have chosen to advance their BNT162b2 vaccine candidate into the Phase 2/3 study, at a 30 microgram dose level in a 2 dose regimen. BNT162b2, which recently received FDA Fast Track designation, encodes an optimized SARS-CoV-2 full length spike glycoprotein (S), which is the target of virus neutralizing antibodies."

17:09 EDT Intel chief engineering officer Renduchintala to leave company August 3 - Intel CEO Bob Swan announced changes to the company's technology organization and executive team to accelerate product leadership and improve focus and accountability in process technology execution. Effective immediately, the Technology, Systems Architecture and Client Group will be separated into the following teams, whose leaders will report directly to the CEO: Technology Development, led by Dr. Ann Kelleher. An accomplished Intel leader, Kelleher has been head of Intel manufacturing, where she ensured continuous operations through the COVID-19 pandemic while increasing supply capacity to meet customer needs and accelerating the ramp of Intel's 10nm process. She will now lead Intel technology development focusing on 7nm and 5nm processes. Dr. Mike Mayberry, who has been leading Technology Development, will consult and assist in the transition until his planned retirement at the end of the year. Mayberry has a 36-year track record of innovation at Intel, during which he has made key contributions in technology development and as the leader of Intel Labs. Manufacturing and Operations, led by Keyvan Esfarjani. Esfarjani most recently led manufacturing for Intel's Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group (NSG), in which role he set the vision and strategy for Intel's memory manufacturing and led a rapid expansion of capacity. He will now lead global manufacturing operations and continue Kelleher's work driving product ramp and the build-out of new fab capacity. Design Engineering, led in the interim by Josh Walden while Intel conducts an accelerated global search to identify a permanent world-class leader. Walden is a proven leader in technology manufacturing and platform engineering. Most recently, he has been leading the Intel Product Assurance and Security Group (IPAS), which will continue to report to him. Architecture, Software and Graphics will continue to be led by Raja Koduri. Koduri has responsibility for driving the development of Intel's architecture and software strategy, and dedicated graphics product portfolio. Under his leadership, we will continue to invest in our software capability as a strategic asset and further build-out software engineering with cloud, platform, solutions and services expertise. Supply Chain will continue to be led by Dr. Randhir Thakur. Thakur will report directly to the CEO as chief supply chain officer, recognizing the ever-growing importance of this role and our relationships with key players in the ecosystem. Thakur and his team are charged with ensuring supply chain is a competitive advantage for Intel. As a result of these changes, Murthy Renduchintala will leave Intel on Aug. 3, 2020. "I look forward to working directly with these talented and experienced technology leaders, each of whom is committed to driving Intel forward during this period of critical execution," said Swan. "I also want to thank Murthy for his leadership in helping Intel transform our technology platform. We have the most diverse portfolio of leadership products in our history and, as a result of our six pillars of innovation and disaggregation strategy, much more flexibility in how we build, package and deliver those products for our customers."

16:52 EDT Qualcomm debuts Quick Charge 5, with 50% battery charge in '5 minutes' - Qualcomm Technologies announced Qualcomm Quick Charge 5, "the fastest commercial charging technology for Android devices, which delivers unprecedented mobile phone charging speed and efficiency improvements compared to previous versions while enabling new battery technology, accessories, and safety features. The world's first commercially viable fast charging platform to support more than 100W charging power in a smartphone, Quick Charge 5 is engineered to allow users to charge devices from 0 to 50 percent battery power in just five minutes - representing the fastest mobile phone charging capabilities available. Quick Charge 5 also uses Qualcomm(R) Battery Saver and the new Qualcomm Smart Identification of Adapter Capabilities technology to support unparalleled efficiency and help extend the battery life cycle on a users' device," said the chip-maker in an earlier statement. "Quick Charge 5, our fastest and most versatile charging solution, will enable consumers to enjoy their devices for longer periods of time, without worrying about the time required to recharge. We are proud to expand our technology portfolio and make accessible 100W+ charging a commercial reality," said Ev Roach, VP Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "We work closely with manufacturers to create industry-leading devices that meet consumers' demand for more immersive and accessible mobile experiences." Reference Link

16:45 EDT Meridian Bank initiates 12.5c per share quarterly dividend - The dividend is payable August 24, 2020, to shareholders of record as of August 10, 2020.

16:33 EDT HealthStream is not providing further guidance - The Company continues to believe that the extent, timing, and duration of COVID-19's negative impact on its operating results and financial condition will be driven by many factors, including the length and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the pandemic on economic activity, particularly with respect to healthcare organizations. As a result of the unpredictable and evolving environment related to the COVID-19 pandemic, at this time the Company cannot reasonably quantify the impact that the pandemic will have on its operating and financial results for the remainder of 2020. Due to this continued uncertainty, the Company is not providing 2020 guidance in this earnings release. "At mid-year 2020, it appears that the coronavirus pandemic is on a dramatic upswing in the U.S., pressing healthcare providers with continued excessive demand to address the needs of COVID-19 patients," said Robert A. Frist, CEO of HealthStream. "Our commitment to support them remains strong as everyone faces great uncertainty, which I believe is understandably resulting in some delayed purchasing decisions."

16:26 EDT Universal Health says impact of COVID-19 'beyond our capability to control' - The company said, "The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which began during the second half of March, 2020, has had a material unfavorable effect on our operations and financial results since that time. Patient volumes at both our acute care and behavioral health care facilities were most significantly reduced in April. Our acute care and behavioral health facilities began experiencing gradual and continued improvement in patient volumes in May and June as various states eased stay-at-home restrictions and acute care hospitals were permitted to resume elective surgeries and procedures. However, many of our acute care and behavioral health facilities are located in states that began experiencing significant increases in COVID-19 infections in June and continuing into July. We believe that the adverse impact that COVID-19 will have on our future operations and financial results will depend upon many factors, most of which are beyond our capability to control or predict. "

16:24 EDT TriNet acquires Little Bird HR, terms not disclosed - TriNet acquired Little Bird HR, a privately held PEO specializing in benefits and human resource solutions for the educational institution industry in the Greater New York area & East Coast regions.

16:19 EDT Kayne Anderson Midstream/Energy Fund board approves name change proposal - Kayne Anderson Midstream/Energy Fund announced that its board has approved a proposal to change the fund's name to Kayne Anderson NextGen Energy & Infrastructure. The Fund's board also approved an amendment to the fund's non-fundamental investment policies, as described below. The Fund's management and its board believe these changes provide KMF additional flexibility to capitalize on key trends and developments within the energy and infrastructure sectors. Under its revised investment policies, KMF plans to invest at least 80% of the fund's total assets in securities of energy companies and infrastructure companies. Further, KMF plans to invest a majority of its assets in securities of next generation companies facilitating the energy transition. We expect these next generation companies to be a mix of renewable infrastructure companies, utilities and natural gas focused midstream companies. The name change and changes to KMF's investment policies will become effective upon 60 days' written notice to stockholders, which is expected to be on or about September 28. Written notice of these changes is being provided in the Fund's semi-annual report, which is being mailed to stockholders this week.

16:16 EDT Lumos Pharma to sell Ervebo PRV to Merck for $60M - Lumos Pharma (LUMO) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its priority review voucher, or PRV, to Merck (MRK). The PRV was granted in conjunction with the approval by the FDA of Ervebo, a vaccine developed by the company's licensee, Merck, for the prevention of the Zaire Ebola virus disease. Under the terms of the original license agreement Lumos Pharma is entitled to retain 60% of the value of the PRV. Based upon an agreed valuation of $100M, Merck will pay Lumos $60M. The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including anti-trust review.

16:11 EDT Chiasma announces 48-week data on Chiasma Optimal trial of Mycapssa - Chiasma announced 48-week, open-label efficacy and safety data from the Phase 3 CHIASMA OPTIMAL open-label extension study of MYCAPSSA capsules. "We are excited to see in the OLE data that MYCAPSSA, the only FDA-approved oral somatostatin analog, maintained insulin-like growth factor 1 levels within normal limits for an additional 48-weeks following the completion of the 36-week CHIASMA OPTIMAL Phase 3 clinical trial," said William Ludlam, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president of clinical development and medical affairs at Chiasma. "All MYCAPSSA responders that entered into the OLE study continued to take MYCAPSSA after an additional 48 weeks, providing further evidence of patient satisfaction and preference for this recently approved oral treatment option." The OLE study, which is still ongoing, is examining the longer-term safety and efficacy of MYCAPSSA in patients who participated in our Phase 3 CHIASMA OPTIMAL clinical trial. Key findings from the OLE at 48-weeks include:The mean of the IGF-1 levels for the population of all MYCAPSSA treated patients that completed the 36-week, double-blind placebo controlled (DPC) CHIASMA OPTIMAL trial and continued into the OLE was maintained within normal limits at the end of the 48-week OLE period. 90% of patients enrolled into the OLE that were treated with MYCAPSSA during the DPC phase of the studycompleted the 48-week OLE period.

16:08 EDT Cardiovascular Systems presents REACH PVI study at NCVH - Cardiovascular System announced that the results from its REACH PVI study were presented at the New Cardiovascular Horizons, or NCVH, Conference. This study prospectively evaluated acute clinical outcomes of orbital atherectomy via transradial access for the treatment of peripheral artery disease in lower extremity lesions. The results of the REACH PVI study demonstrated that the use of orbital atherectomy in radial peripheral vascular interventions has a high rate of procedural and treatment success and is effective in reducing residual stenosis across all lesions. Ninety-eight percent of patients achieved procedural and treatment success. There were no reports of serious transradial access related events. Additionally, the study demonstrated short recovery time and length of stay, key factors in patient satisfaction.

16:07 EDT Editas Medicine names Gad Berdugo as Chief Business Officer - Editas Medicine announced that it has named Gad Berdugo as the Company's Chief Business Officer. Mr. Berdugo will oversee the Company's business and corporate development, alliance management, and strategy initiatives."We are delighted to have Gad join our team to help drive our strategic growth. As we advance our pipeline and execute on our vision to develop transformative medicines for people living with serious diseases, Gad's global business development expertise and strong leadership skills are significant assets for the Company," said Cynthia Collins, President and Chief Executive Officer, Editas Medicine."I am happy to join Editas Medicine, a leader in the development of innovative, transformative gene editing

16:01 EDT Spectrum meets pre-specified primary endpoint in ZENITH20 Phase 2 trial - Spectrum Pharmaceuticals announced that it met the pre-specified primary endpoint in the ZENITH20 Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating poziotinib in previously treated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with HER2 exon 20 insertion mutations (Cohort 2). "The positive results of Cohort 2 are a significant milestone and we are looking forward to meeting with the FDA," said Joe Turgeon, President and CEO of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals. "We believe that poziotinib is a significant advancement for patients with this deadly disease in an area of high unmet medical need." Cohort 2 of the ZENITH20 clinical trial enrolled a total of 90 patients who received an oral, once daily dose of 16 mg of poziotinib. All the patients had failed at least one line of prior systemic therapy with 60 patients (67%) having failed two or more prior therapies, including chemotherapy and immunotherapy. All responses were read independently and confirmed by a central imaging laboratory using RECIST criteria. The intent-to-treat analysis demonstrated a confirmed objective response rate (ORR) of 27.8% (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 18.9%-38.2%). Based on the pre-specified statistical hypothesis for the primary endpoint, the observed lower bound of 18.9% exceeded the pre-specified lower bound of 17% in this heavily pre-treated population. The median duration of response was 5.1 months (range 1 to greater than12.3), with a median follow up of 8.3 months. The disease control rate (DCR) was 70% and the median progression free survival was 5.5 months. The safety profile was in-line with the type of adverse events (AEs) seen with other second-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors and similar to Cohort 1. Grade 3 treatment related rash was 30% and diarrhea was 26%. In Cohort 2, no pneumonitis was reported (0/90). "We are pleased with the results of Cohort 2," said Francois Lebel, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals. "There are currently no approved therapies for HER2 patients with exon 20 insertion mutations in NSCLC and we are looking forward to reviewing this data with the FDA to determine the path forward."

15:31 EDT Forward Air names Scott Schara chief commercial officer - Forward Air Corporation announced that Scott Schara has accepted the role of Chief Commercial Officer and will be joining the Company on August 31, 2020. Schara will be responsible for organic growth across all Forward businesses. Tom Schmitt, Chairman, President and CEO said, "Scott is a world-class leader with a surgical approach to driving profitable revenue growth. His broad understanding of the surface transportation landscape coupled with his ability to create high-performance sales teams and develop high-value strategies makes him a perfect fit for Forward as we enter a new stage of growth. We are thrilled to have him on board." Schara joins Forward from Coyote Logistics, where he served as Chief Commercial Officer, leading the global sales organization.

14:29 EDT FTC says Volkswagen repaid $9.5B to car buyers deceived by Clean Diesel campaign - In a final summary filed in federal court on Monday, the Federal Trade Commission reported that Volkswagen and Porsche repaid a total of more than $9.5B since 2016 to car buyers under the FTC's orders stemming from the companies' deceptive "clean diesel" advertising of VWs and Audis fitted with illegal emission defeat devices. Given a choice between returning their vehicle to VW or Porsche in exchange for compensation, or having the car modified to comply with clean-air rules, more than 86% of those who concluded the claims process chose to return their car through a buyback or early lease termination, the FTC noted in a Final Status Report filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. "Most important, the FTC orders and related private class settlements provided redress sufficient to compensate consumers fully," the FTC said in the report. The FTC's final report to the court marks the end of the largest consumer redress program in U.S. history, set up in 2016 and 2017 to compensate purchasers and lessees of more than 550,000 deceptively marketed "clean diesel" VW and Audi cars. In a complaint filed in federal court in March 2016, the FTC alleged that Volkswagen's seven-year ad campaign was based on false claims that the cars were low-emission, environmentally friendly, met emissions standards, and would maintain a high resale value. In reality, however, the cars were fitted with illegal emission defeat devices designed to mask high emissions during government tests. The FTC orders settling the case, approved in conjunction with class action plaintiffs, required payments to consumers that included compensation for their vehicles' full retail value, plus all other losses they suffered because of the deception, such as time spent shopping for new vehicles, sales taxes and registration fees, and the additional amount consumers paid for a low-emissions vehicle feature. In addition to the FTC order on consumer redress, the Department of Justice and the Environmental Protection Agency obtained court orders providing billions more for environmental relief. In the final report, the FTC reported to the court that despite the large volume of claims, Volkswagen had "successfully managed the settlement administration process effectively," working together with a court-appointed independent claims supervisor tasked with monitoring compliance. Reference Link

13:48 EDT American Electric says no alleged wrongful conduct in HB6 complaint involves AEP - Nicholas Akins, American Electric Power Chairman, President and CEO, issued the following statement regarding the investigation surrounding Ohio House Bill 6: "I want to be clear that as the investigation of the activities surrounding House Bill 6 continues, none of the alleged wrongful conduct in the criminal complaint involves AEP or its subsidiaries. We engaged and participated in the legislative process surrounding H.B. 6 legally and ethically. To date, we have not been contacted by the authorities conducting the investigation, but if at any point we are, we will cooperate fully and transparently. Neither AEP nor any of its subsidiaries made any contributions to Generation Now. AEP has made contributions to Empowering Ohio's Economy to support its mission of promoting economic and business development and educational programs in Ohio. These contributions were done appropriately, and we have every reason to believe that the organizations we support have acted in a lawful and ethical manner." The company added: "AEP, its affiliated political action committees and AEP executives actively participate in the political process in accordance with local, state and federal laws in the states we serve. Political contributions made by AEP are disclosed in the company's Corporate Accountability Report. AEP has contributed to a variety of 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations to promote economic development and educational programs across our service territories."

13:20 EDT Grifols' AMBAR findings demonstrate slowdown in progression of AD symptoms - Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, the peer-reviewed scientific journal, has published the results of Grifols' AMBAR study. This clinical trial was designed to assess the effects of plasma protein replacement therapy in patients experiencing either mild or moderate stages of Alzheimer's disease. The findings of the AMBAR clinical trial demonstrate a delay in the cognitive and functional decline in AD patients when their plasma is replaced with albumin and immunoglobulin following the process of plasma extraction, using the plasmapheresis technique. The results reveal a positive impact in reducing the progression of Alzheimer's symptoms in patients treated over a 14-month period compared to untreated patients. According to Dr. Antonio Paez, Grifols' medical director of the AMBAR clinical program and one of the main authors of the article, "These findings are very encouraging. Their publication in one of the most influential journals in the field underscores the relevance of Grifols' research over the last 15 years and its innovative new approach in the fight against Alzheimer's." The results of the clinical trial's primary endpoints were supported by those obtained in the most relevant secondary endpoints, in which similar effects were observed. In addition, the clinical trial has shown that plasma exchange is a perfectly feasible protocol in the patient population studied.

13:08 EDT Warner to release 'Tenet' internationally on Aug. 26, Labor Day in U.S. - AT&T's (T) Warner Bros. will release Christopher Nolan's spy-thriller "Tenet" on August 26 internationally and select cities in the U.S. over the Labor Day weekend. The movie's release had delayed indefinitely in July due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Publicly traded companies in the movie theatre space include AMC Entertainment (AMC), Acquired by AMC (CKEC), Cinemark (CNK), IMAX (IMAX) and Regal Entertainment (RGC).

12:32 EDT Garmin confirms cyber attack, says no induction customer data stolen - Garmin announced it was the victim of a cyber attack that encrypted some of its systems on July 23. The company said in a statement, "As a result, many of our online services were interrupted including website functions, customer support, customer facing applications, and company communications. We immediately began to assess the nature of the attack and started remediation. We have no indication that any customer data, including payment information from Garmin Pay was accessed, lost or stolen. Additionally, the functionality of Garmin products was not affected, other than the ability to access online services. Affected systems are being restored and we expect to return to normal operation over the next few days. We do not expect any material impact to our operations or financial results because of this outage. As our affected systems are restored, we expect some delays as the backlog of information is being processed."

12:03 EDT Prudential general counsel Tim Harris to retire in 2020, Ann Kappler to succeed - Prudential Financial announced that Tim Harris, EVP and general counsel, has decided to retire. Ann Kappler, SVP, deputy general counsel and head of external affairs, will assume the role of EVP and general counsel, effective Sept. 1, 2020. Kappler will report to Lowrey and will join Prudential's Executive Leadership Team. Harris will remain at Prudential through the first quarter of 2021 as part of the transition.

12:00 EDT Koppers Holdings rises 19.1% - Koppers Holdings is up 19.1%, or $3.91 to $24.42.

12:00 EDT Sogou rises 47.7% - Sogou is up 47.7%, or $2.74 to $8.49.

11:53 EDT Ohio Tax Credit Authority approves 15-year data center tax exemption for Kroger - The Kroger Family of Companies announced the Ohio Tax Credit Authority has approved a 75%, 15-year data center sales tax exemption for all technology equipment purchased for Kroger's two data centers and a supporting technology facility respectively located in Blue Ash and Hamilton, Ohio. To qualify for a 75%,15-year data center tax exemption, companies must invest at least $100M in capital investments at the project site over three consecutive calendar years and pay annual compensation of $1.5M. The tax exemption covers equipment purchased for qualifying data center projects from Ohio sales tax.

11:50 EDT LVMH says closing of Tiffany deal depends on regulatory approvals - LVMH said in its earnings release, "Our strategy of focusing on the highest quality across all our activities, combined with the dynamism and unparalleled creativity of our teams, will enable us to reinforce LVMH's global leadership position in luxury goods once again in 2020. The closing date of the planned acquisition of Tiffany & Co depends on the receipt of the final regulatory approvals. The decision to pay an interim dividend will be discussed by the Board of Directors in October and announced, as appropriate, at that time."

11:12 EDT Johnson Controls announces launch of contactless temperature scanning solution - Johnson Controls announced the launch of its smart elevated skin temperature scanning solution, the Tyco Illustra Pro Thermal EST. "A healthy and safe environment starts with a holistic approach that encompasses not only a building's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning infrastructure, but adds temperature screening among protocols including contact tracing, frictionless entry and exits, and the practice of social distancing. This contactless and highly accurate solution will be another tool in the first line of defense for building owners and operators as part of their pandemic safety measures," the company said. The Tyco Illustra Pro Thermal EST is now available for sale in the United States and will be released globally in phases, Johnson Controls noted.

11:02 EDT Norfolk Southern names Cindy Sanborn COO, succeeding Michael Wheeler - Norfolk Southern Corporation (NSC) announced its board of directors has appointed Cindy Sanborn executive vice president and COO effective Sept. 1, 2020. Sanborn will succeed Michael Wheeler, who will retire from the company effective Oct. 1, 2020. "When we began the search for our next chief operating officer, we looked for an experienced executive who could lead our operations and build on our successful implementation of precision-scheduled railroading. We are proud to welcome Cindy Sanborn, one of the freight rail industry's leading operations experts, to the Norfolk Southern team as we work together to lower our operating ratio and deliver shareholder value," said Norfolk Southern Chairman, President and CEO James A. Squires. Sanborn joins Norfolk Southern from Union Pacific Corporation (UNP), where she most recently served as vice president, network planning and formerly oversaw all activities in the northern region.

10:57 EDT Department of Defense, HHS award $7.6M contract to Hologic - As part of an ongoing collaboration between the Department of Defense and the Department of Health & Human Services, an undefinitized contract action with a ceiling of $7.6M has been awarded to Hologic to expand domestic production of custom sample collection and processing consumables for COVID-19 testing. This investment will enable Hologic to expand domestic production of collection and processing consumables to support increased production and availability of COVID-19 tests for the United States. These Tube, Cap, and Multi-tube Unit consumables are critical for performing molecular diagnostic tests on the Panther and Panther Fusion systems. Hologic is currently producing these consumables in Wisconsin and distributing to customers out of their California and Tennessee distribution centers. Under the agreed upon project schedule, Hologic expects to deliver the increased volume of consumables to market by January 2021. Reference Link

10:48 EDT Dick's Sporting Goods to close on Thanksgiving - DICK'S Sporting Goods announced it will close all store locations and distribution centers on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2020. This closure includes specialty stores Golf Galaxy and Field & Stream.

10:13 EDT Omnicom's Credera buys majority stake in DMW Group - Credera, a consulting firm that is part of Omnicom Precision Marketing Group within Omnicom Group, announced it has acquired a majority stake in London-based DMW Group to expand its consulting and digital transformation capabilities into Europe. "DMW's capabilities in managing and executing integral projects for C-suite leaders extend the depth and breadth of our data, digital transformation, and technology capabilities into Europe," said Justin Bell, President and Chief Executive Officer, Credera.

10:00 EDT Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bear 3X ETF falls -11.4% - Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bear 3X ETF is down -11.4%, or -$2.12 to $16.49.

10:00 EDT UMC rises 17.9% - UMC is up 17.9%, or 60c to $3.94.

10:00 EDT Sogou rises 46.1% - Sogou is up 46.1%, or $2.65 to $8.40.

09:47 EDT Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bear 3X ETF falls -7.8% - Direxion Daily Gold Miners Bear 3X ETF is down -7.8%, or -$1.45 to $17.16.

09:47 EDT Endeavour Silver rises 13.3% - Endeavour Silver is up 13.3%, or 56c to $4.76.

09:47 EDT Sogou rises 44.3% - Sogou is up 44.3%, or $2.55 to $8.30.

09:26 EDT Genius Brands launches Kartoon Channel! on Apple iOS - Following the June 15 launch of its new free digital Kartoon Channel! across multiple AVOD and OTT platforms, Genius Brands International announced its first iOS launch with the debut of an all-new dedicated Kartoon Channel! app, available free on Apple iOS. The Kartoon Channel! and the new complementary iOS app offer access to a wide variety of family-friendly content, with more added daily, featuring Genius Brands originals and acquired content, including Babar, Angry Birds, Stan Lee's Mighty7, Thomas Edison's Secret Lab, Baby Einstein, Baby Genius, Llama Llama shorts, Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaires Club and more. Additionally, Genius Brands is adding more family-friendly gaming content, including Minecraft's Journey to the End and Fairy Horse Quest, Octodad, PixArk, and Big B Roblox Challenge, from Tankee. Genius Brands will also premiere on Kartoon Channel! the upcoming comedy-adventure series, Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten, currently in pre-production and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, on Kartoon Channel! in Q1 2021. Additionally, the Kartoon Channel! app features a camera mode with filter capabilities for hours of safe entertainment for young ones. In addition to the iOS mobile app, Kartoon Channel! can be accessed via Apple TV Devices, Android, Android TV, Amazon Fire Stick, Roku Devices, Xumo, Comcast, Cox, Dish, and Sling. The iOS app will be the model for the other platforms and will be rolled out across them.

09:23 EDT Generex says FDA accepts Pre-IND briefing package for Ii-Key-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine - Generex Biotechnology announced that the FDA has accepted their pre-IND briefing package for the Ii-Key-SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus prophylactic vaccine, and will provide a written response by August 24, 2020. Due to the significant number of submissions relating to COVID-19, the FDA is only providing written responses rather than conducting face-to-face or teleconferences for Pre-IND meetings. The Ii-Key-SARS-CoV-2 is designed as a "Complete Vaccine" that has the potential to induce the T-Cell and antibody immune responses that can provide protective immunity with long-lasting immunologic memory against SARS-CoV-2 in a highly specific manner to ensure safety. With their response, the FDA will comment on the Phase I/II clinical trial plan and will provide guidance on the overall development program for the Ii-Key-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

09:20 EDT WidePoint awarded $1.5M in commercial TM2 contracts during Q2 - WidePoint Corporation reported that the company recorded $1.5M in commercial contracts for Telecom Expense Management and Mobility Managed Services in the second quarter of 2020. Contracts were secured from leading health care, technology, fast food and real estate corporations.

09:18 EDT CN to invest $50M in Mississippi - CN plans to invest approximately $50M across Mississippi in 2020. The investments will focus on continued investment in Positive Train Control, the replacement of rail and ties, as well as maintenance of bridges, level crossings, culverts, signal systems and other track infrastructure.

09:18 EDT CN to invest $60M in Louisiana - CN plans to invest approximately $60M across Louisiana in 2020. The investments includes a multi-year project to rebuild the McComb Spillway Bridge, replacement of rail and ties, as well as maintenance of bridges, level crossings, culverts, signal systems and other track infrastructure.

09:16 EDT DMC Global appoints Michael Kelly to board of directors - DMC Global announced its board of directors has elected Michael A. Kelly as an independent director. Kelly joins the DMC board with an extensive background in finance, operations and information systems management. He is president of Sentry Hill Partners, LLC, a global life sciences transformation and management consulting business founded by Mr. Kelly in 2018.

09:14 EDT Rainmaker announces multi-million joint solar venture in the Bahamas - Rainmaker Worldwide is working aggressively to position itself to be a leader in the multi-trillion-dollar global Water-as-a-Service industry. The partnership will produce and distribute bottled water using Rainmaker's Solar Air-to-Water machines and is estimated to produce up to an annual $27M in revenue when all required 50 machines are deployed. Since August 2019, The Bahamas has endured the devastating aftermath of Dorian - the Category 5 Hurricane that swept across the Atlantic. Dorian hit Grand Bahama, The Bahamas largest island, with 297 kilometer-per-hour winds and a 9-meter storm surge that caused overwhelming destruction. Saltwater overflowed Grand Bahama's drinking wells that nearly 55,000 residents depend upon. A March 9th article issued by Miami's WLRN explains that three of the four water treatment plants on Grand Bahama went underwater, one of which supplied fresh water to 60 percent of the island. Six months after the hurricane, their tap water was still salty, far worse than saltwater concentration experienced after hurricanes Matthew and Irma. The partnership expects to require fifty Rainmaker Air-to-Water machines, which harvest fresh water from airborne humidity using zero chemicals, phased in over the next 3 years. The fifty solar capable Air-to-Water units will produce a combined volume of up to 250,000 liters of water per day, which Bahamians can access for a low rate of 12c-30c per liter. The varied price per unit is based on the packaging and delivery required. On July 15th, Rainmaker announced a merger agreement with Sphere 3D (ANY) expected to close in Fall 2020. Rainmaker shareholders will receive 1/3 of a share of Sphere 3D for each whole share of Rainmaker exchanged and one-third of a warrant or option for each whole warrant or option then held by such Rainmaker shareholder. Sphere 3D's name will change to Rainmaker Worldwide Inc. and intends to trade under the symbol 'RAIN'.

09:12 EDT Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Stefano Pessina to step down as CEO

09:11 EDT Wyndham Destinations announces creation of Panorama new business line - Wyndham Destinations announced the creation of Panorama, a new business line to manage the company's exchange, membership, and travel technology brands. The new Panorama portfolio will have three areas of focus, including timeshare exchange companies RCI, 7Across and The Registry Collection; travel and leisure businesses Love Home Swap, TripBeat, and Extra Holidays; and leading travel technology platforms @Work International and Alliance Reservations Network. Hospitality industry veteran Olivier Chavy, who joined Wyndham Destinations in 2019 to lead the company's Vacation Exchange businesses, was named president of Panorama.

09:09 EDT Purple Innovation to open new plant in Henry County, Georgia - Purple Innovation announced the expansion of its U.S. manufacturing to the East Coast. Before the end of 2020, Purple will create hundreds of new jobs by opening a new plant in Henry County, Georgia.

09:09 EDT Lowe's, HomeAdvisor launch partnership to secure Pros leads - To further their commitment to keeping Pros working, Lowe's and HomeAdvisor announced they will help Pros get leads by offering Lowe's for Pros Loyalty Program members a free, year-long HomeAdvisor subscription. Qualifying Lowe's Pro loyalty members will get the annual subscription and also receive a credit for an average of 10 free leads connecting them to HomeAdvisor's extensive network of millions of homeowners looking for Pros to complete home projects.

09:06 EDT Fiduciary/Claymore MLP announces completion of reverse share split - Fiduciary/Claymore Energy Infrastructure Fund's announced that the previously disclosed 1-for-5 reverse share split was executed today prior to the open of trading on the New York Stock Exchange under which every five outstanding common shares of FMO were automatically converted into one common share. The Fund's common shares will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis on the NYSE under the current ticker symbol, but with the new CUSIP number. The reverse share split reduced the total number of the Fund's outstanding shares and may help improve the Fund's positioning in the marketplace and liquidity for new and existing shareholders. The reverse share split did not alter the rights or total value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund, nor is it a taxable event for Fund investors.

09:04 EDT Otelco to be acquired by Oak Hill Capital for $11.75 per share in cash - Otelco announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by affiliates formed by Oak Hill Capital for $11.75 per share in cash, which represents an equity purchase price of $40.6M and an enterprise value of $105.6M. As part of the definitive agreement, Oak Hill will assume or refinance Otelco's outstanding debt. The consideration represents a 43.3% premium to the unaffected share price of Otelco as of June 23, 2020, a 53.2% premium to the 20-Day Volume Weighted Average Price as of the same date, and a 58.1% premium to Otelco's average daily closing stock price during the second quarter of 2020. Otelco's Board of Directors approved and declared advisable the merger agreement, and Otelco's Board of Directors recommended the approval and adoption of the merger agreement by the holders of shares of Otelco common stock. A special meeting of Otelco's shareholders will be held as soon as practicable after the filing of a definitive proxy statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and subsequent mailing to shareholders. The mailing of the proxy statement is expected to take place following the expiration of a 30-day 'go-shop' period, during which Otelco is permitted to encourage and solicit alternative proposals from third parties. The transaction is not subject to financing contingencies and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2020. The agreement is subject to Otelco shareholder approval, as well as other regulatory and customary closing conditions. Otelco's largest shareholders are a group of related entities, which collectively own 49.6% of the Company's outstanding shares and have agreed to vote in favor of the transaction.

09:02 EDT Black Knight to acquire Optimal Blue for enterprise value of $1.8B - Black Knight announced it has entered into a definitive equity purchase agreement with affiliates of private equity firm GTCR, LLC, to purchase Optimal Blue, "a leading provider of secondary market solutions and actionable data services," for an enterprise value of $1.8B, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. In connection with the acquisition, Black Knight will combine its Compass Analytics business with Optimal Blue in a newly formed entity with minority co-investors Cannae Holdings and Thomas H. Lee Partners, L.P. Black Knight will own approximately 60% of the new entity. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. Closing of the transaction is currently expected to occur in the third quarter.

08:54 EDT Fort George Brewery utilizes grant to install Blink Charging station - Blink Charging announced the installation of a new, dual 80 Amp IQ 200 charging station at the Fort George Brewery in Astoria, OR. The dual-station is conveniently located directly across the street from the historic downtown brewery and pub. Fort George obtained the Blink IQ 200 with help from a grant from the local utility company, Pacific Power. The IQ 200 charging stations are connected to the Blink Network. They can deliver up to 19.2 kW reducing charge times for newer model EVs. Fort George's charging station joins the nearly 400 other Blink chargers already operating in Oregon and is part of the rapidly expanding network of chargers across the United States. Blink charging stations can be found on the Blink Mobile app or Blink Map on the Blink Charging website. The Pacific Power grant offers non-residential customers quarterly grants for up to 100% of eligible purchase and installation costs of EV charging equipment. Oregon's rebate programs have issued almost 6,500 rebates for a total of over $15M between 2019 and 2020. If you'd like more information regarding Blink Charging stations or the Pacific Power grant opportunities, please contact info@blinkcharging.com or visit Pacific Power's website.

08:51 EDT Puma Biotechnology announces publication of results from Phase II SUMMIT trial - Puma Biotechnology announced that data from the cervical cancer cohort of SUMMIT, an ongoing Phase II basket trial examining the safety and efficacy of neratinib in HER2-mutated cancers, were published in the journal Gynecologic Oncology. Puma Biotechnology said in a release, "The paper, "Neratinib in patients with HER2-mutant, metastatic cervical cancer. The Phase II SUMMIT 'basket' trial is an open-label, international multi-histology study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of neratinib, administered daily to patients, across a broad spectrum of cancer types in patients whose tumors harbor activating HER2 somatic mutations. The primary endpoint was confirmed objective response rate. Secondary endpoints included response duration, clinical benefit rate, progression-free survival, overall survival, and safety. Sixteen patients with HER2-mutant, persistent, metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer with disease progression after platinum-based treatment for advanced or recurrent disease were enrolled in the cohort and received oral neratinib daily with mandatory loperamide prophylaxis during the first cycle. Three of 12 RECIST-measurable patients had confirmed partial responses; three had stable disease more than 16 weeks. Response duration for responders were 5.6, 5.9, and 12.3 months. Median progression-free survival was 7.0 months and the median overall survival was 16.8 months. The safety profile observed in neratinib-treated cervical cancer patients in SUMMIT was consistent with that reported for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Diarrhea, nausea, and decreased appetite were the most common of all grade adverse events. One patient reported grade 3 diarrhea. The rate of grade 3 diarrhea was considerably lower than reported for metastatic breast cancer patients. While this is a limited dataset, more remains to be revealed as more patients are enrolled. There were no grade 4 events, and no diarrhea-related treatment discontinuations."

08:49 EDT Delek Logistics raises quarterly cash distribution 1.1% to 90c - Delek Logistics Partners declared its quarterly cash distribution for the second quarter 2020 of 90c per common limited partner unit, or $3.60 per common limited partner unit on an annualized basis. This distribution represents a 1.1% increase from the distribution for the first quarter 2020 of 89c per common limited partner unit and an 5.9% increase over Delek Logistics' distribution for the second quarter 2019 of 85c per common limited partner unit. The second quarter 2020 cash distribution is payable on August 12, 2020 to unitholders of record on August 7, 2020.

08:45 EDT Celsion initiates Phase II OVATION 2 study of GEN-1 - Celsion Corporation announced the randomization of the first two patients in the Phase II portion of the Phase I/II OVATION 2 Study with GEN-1 in advanced ovarian cancer. The Company anticipates completing enrollment of up to 118 patients in the third quarter of 2021. Because this is an open-label study, the Company intends to provide clinical updates throughout the course of treatment including response rates and surgical resection scores. GEN-1 was designed using TheraPlas, Celsion's proprietary, synthetic, non-viral nanoparticle delivery system platform. It is an interleukin-12 DNA plasmid vector associated with a non-viral nanoparticle delivery system, which enables cell transfection followed by persistent, local secretion of the IL-12 protein. The OVATION 2 Study combines GEN-1 with standard-of-care neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients newly diagnosed with Stage III/IV ovarian cancer. NACT is designed to shrink the cancer as much as possible for optimal surgical removal after three cycles of chemotherapy. Following NACT, patients undergo interval debulking surgery, followed by three adjuvant cycles of chemotherapy and up to nine additional weekly GEN-1 treatments, the goal of which is to delay progression and improve overall survival. The OVATION 2 Study is an open-label, 1-to-1 randomized trial, 80% powered to show the equivalent of a 33% improvement in progression-free survival, the primary endpoint, when comparing the treatment arm with the control arm. In March 2020 the Company announced the European Medicines Agency Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products recommended that GEN-1 be designated as an orphan medicinal product for the treatment of ovarian cancer. GEN-1 previously received orphan designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

08:41 EDT Pacific Ethanol expands alcohol production capacity - Pacific Ethanol announced that it is expanding its production capacity of USP grade high quality alcohol at its Pekin, Illinois facility by 30 million gallons per year. The new capacity will be online in the fourth quarter of 2020, supplying the growing demand for the company's USP grade high quality alcohol with existing and new customers.

08:39 EDT CACI awarded multiple-award USAF contract to develop battle management system - CACI International announced that it has been awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract by the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/Chief Architect Integration Office for the maturation, demonstration and proliferation of capability across platforms and domains, leveraging open systems design, modern software and algorithm development in order to enable Joint All Domain Command and Control, or JADC2. CACI said in a release, "This contract is part of a multiple award multi-level security effort to provide development and operation of systems as a unified force across all domains (air, land, sea, space, cyber, and electromagnetic spectrum) in an open architecture family of systems that enables capabilities via multiple integrated platforms."

08:37 EDT Pluralsight announces collaboration with Amazon Web Services - Pluralsight, (PS) announced a collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AMZN) that will help technologists enhance their machine learning skills with AWS DeepRacer, a fully autonomous 1/18th scale race car driven by reinforcement learning. The collaboration features an AWS DeepRacer hub on the Pluralsight platform that includes a customized channel, curated by Pluralsight and AWS experts, for AWS DeepRacer content. Users will have access to a variety of offerings, including a series of workshops, webinars, and racing events.

08:34 EDT OSI Systems awarded $5M Rapiscan RTT110 supply contract from DAWE - OSI Systems announced that its security division was awarded a contract from the Commonwealth Government of Australia represented through the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, or DAWE, for approximately $5M for the supply of Rapiscan RTT110 hold baggage screening systems and the development and delivery of software algorithms for the automated detection of biosecurity risk items. The Rapiscan RTT110 systems are expected to be installed at Melbourne International Airport as well as at certain international mail gateway facilities in Melbourne and Sydney. The systems are planned to be used to scan both inbound mail and baggage for biosecurity risk items such as animals, animal products, seeds and fruits and vegetables. Additionally, the company is developing proprietary package tracking technology to facilitate identification and control of suspected items.

08:32 EDT Amyris and IDRI sign binding term sheet for COVID-19 RNA vaccine program - Amyris and IDRI, the Infectious Disease Research Institute, announce the signing of a binding term sheet for a planned COVID-19 RNA vaccine technology program. The program combines IDRI's expertise in combating infectious diseases with Amyris' fermentation platform technology, with the goal to create semi-synthetic squalene-based adjuvants at scale. IDRI's RNA vaccine platform is expected to offer significant differentiated advantages over other RNA vaccines currently in development and will be further enhanced by a scalable Amyris adjuvant. Adjuvants are added to vaccines as an excipient to enhance their effectiveness and are typically sourced from shark-based squalene, a non-sustainable and non-scalable resource. Amyris and IDRI anticipate executing a comprehensive agreement after which additional details of the proposed program will be disclosed. In the interim, work on advancing the vaccine is continuing to ensure accelerated time to market.

08:30 EDT Capstone Turbine enters five-year C1000S rental contract with Colorado facility - Capstone Turbine announced that it continues to diversify its long-term microturbine rental business with a C1000 Signature Series, or C1000S, microturbine rental contract for a remote manufacturing facility in Colorado. The five-year rental is scheduled to begin in September and was secured by Horizon Power Systems, Capstone's distribution partner in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, Wyoming and Western Canada.

08:26 EDT Rezolute resumes, expands Phase 2b study in congenital hyperinsulinism - Rezolute provided an update on the status of the Company's clinical programs in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic, including its Phase 2b study for RZ358 in congenital hyperinsulinism patients as well as a Phase 1 study for RZ402 in healthy volunteers. In the Company's quarterly report filed on Form 10-Q with the US Securities and Exchange Commission in May 2020, the Company reported that, as a result of the Pandemic, it paused the RIZE study after enrollment of the first patient. The study is being conducted globally at multiple study centers and as the Pandemic abates in different regions, the Company is resuming clinical activities including trial site initiations. The Company believes that patient enrollment will recommence by the end of September 2020. Further, as reported in the 10-Q, the Company believes that it will be able to complete the RIZE study in the second half of 2021. In addition, in the first half of 2020, the Company had positive interactions with the US Food and Drug Administration. In June 2020, the Company announced that FDA granted Rezolute a Rare Pediatric Disease designation for RZ358, which qualifies the Company to receive a priority review voucher upon marketing approval for the drug. Further, the Company filed a protocol for the RIZE study with FDA and is now expanding the study to include US sites. Start-up activities are now underway at select US centers of excellence in CHI and the Company believes that patient enrollment may commence in the US in the first quarter of 2021, or sooner. With respect to its program in Diabetic Macular Edema, the Company is prepared to file an Investigational New Drug application with FDA. However, as a result of the present uncertainties associated with the Pandemic, the Company is deferring filing the IND until such time that the Company believes that its planned Phase 1 first in human study may be successfully and seamlessly executed. The Company anticipates initiating the clinical trial for RZ402 prior to the end of the first quarter of 2021, or sooner. The Company's current plans and expectations regarding the timing for its clinical programs are subject to change depending upon the continued evolution of the Pandemic in the US and globally.

08:22 EDT Schultz Special Purpose Acquisition to combine with Clever Leaves - Schultze Special Purpose Acquisition, or SAMA, announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement, pursuant to which a newly formed holding company, Clever Leaves, will acquire SAMA and Clever Leaves and is anticipated to become a Nasdaq-listed public company trading under the ticker symbol (CLVR) with an anticipated initial enterprise value of approximately $255M. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of both SAMA and Clever Leaves and is expected to close in Q4, subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals, as well as other customary closing conditions. Upon closing, the company will be known as Clever Leaves Holdings. Clever Leaves' executive management team, led by Kyle Detwiler, CEO, and Andres Fajardo, president, will continue to lead the combined company. Clever Leaves has one of the largest cultivation and extraction operations in Latin America and is among the largest in the world, including Canada's licensed producers and top extractors. As a result of its primary operations in Colombia, Clever Leaves' operating costs, as measured by a cost per gram of dry cannabis flower, are a fraction of its Canadian peers. With approximately $125M raised to date, which includes institutional investors and approximately 500 employees, Clever Leaves has established infrastructure. Clever Leaves' branded nutraceutical manufacturer, Herbal Brands, will provide additional distribution capabilities for non-cannabis related products and is positioned in the event of legalization in the United States, if and when such event occurs. Clever Leaves is expected to be one of a few cannabis companies listed on Nasdaq thereby making this investment opportunity available to a substantially broader base of investors. The transaction will be effected pursuant to the business combination agreement entered into by SAMA and Clever Leaves. The agreement provides that a new holding company, Clever Leaves Holdings Inc. ("Holdco"), will acquire Clever Leaves by means of a plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act and SAMA pursuant to the merger of a newly formed subsidiary of Holdco, with and into SAMA, with SAMA surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Holdco. As a result of the business combination, SAMA and Clever Leaves will become wholly-owned subsidiaries of Holdco, with Holdco expected to be listed on the Nasdaq. Under the terms of the business combination agreement, the transaction is valued at a fully diluted enterprise value of approximately $255M, which includes an estimated $74M of net cash on the balance sheet at closing. Clever Leaves intends to use the proceeds from the business combination to help fund the combined company's business operations near-term and potential M&A opportunities. Clever Leaves' shareholders will be rolling over 96% of their equity ownership into Holdco, reflecting a continuing majority ownership of the combined company in excess of 55%. Clever Leaves will have an earn out of up to 1.8M shares reflecting an alignment of interests and limited dilution. The earn-out is tied to the trading price of Holdco shares after the closing of the business combination, vesting in two equal tranches at share price targets of $12.50 within a two-year period post-closing and $15.00 within a four-year period post-closing. These price-based performance triggers provide an incentive for material post-closing value creation. The stockholders of SAMA will receive one common share of Holdco for each share of SAMA and the SAMA warrants will become exercisable for Holdco common shares on the same terms as the existing warrants. The transaction is subject to a minimum cash condition of $60M, after any redemptions, compared with approximately $132M of cash held in SAMA's trust. In connection with the business combination, SAMA intends to seek an amendment to its charter to extend the life of SAMA through December 31, in order to have adequate time to close the transaction.

08:21 EDT U.S. Auto Parts changes name to CarParts.com - U.S. Auto Parts announced it has formally changed its name to CarParts.com, Inc. The company said in a release, "Following its sales growth and its inclusion in the Russell 2000(R) Index, the company decided it needed a name that reflected the tech-forward company it has become. The company, which has been a leader in online aftermarket auto parts for over 20 years, has built a strong brand identity and loyal, engaged consumer base under its flagship brand - CarParts.com - and decided its official corporate name should reflect this progression. The U.S. Auto Parts NASDAQ ticker (PRTS) will be retained."

08:20 EDT NGM Biopharmaceuticals initiates Phase 2 CATALINA study of NGM621 - NGM Biopharmaceuticals announced it has initiated the Phase 2 CATALINA study, a multicenter, randomized, double-masked, sham-controlled clinical trial, to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intravitreal injections of NGM621 in patients with geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration. GA, an advanced form of AMD, is a progressive retinal degenerative disease associated with irreversible loss of vision, diminished quality of life and eventual blindness. Dysregulated activation of the complement system, a key component of the immune system, has been implicated in the onset and progression of GA. NGM621 is a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody engineered to potently inhibit activity of complement C3 with the treatment goal of reducing disease progression in patients with GA, and with the potential for every eight week dosing. NGM621 was discovered by NGM under its strategic collaboration with Merck. NGM successfully completed a first-in-human open-label Phase 1 study in which treatment with single- and multiple-dose IVT injections of NGM621 in patients with GA was well tolerated, supporting continued development. NGM plans to present the data from the Phase 1 study at an upcoming medical conference. NGM recently presented NGM621 preclinical findings at The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, held virtually in June 2020. The presentations are available on NGM's website here.

08:19 EDT Onconova submits application for rigosertib to be in human COVID-19 studies - Onconova Therapeutics announced that it has submitted an application with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, with the goal of obtaining funding from the National Institutes of Health to conduct human studies with rigosertib in COVID-19 disease patients.

08:17 EDT Leaf Group investor group owning over 40% of shares call to terminate CEO - Investors owning over 40% of the issued and outstanding shares of Leaf Group issued a letter to the company's board detailing the case for terminating CEO Sean Moriarty and launching a new, robust strategic review process. The list of signatories to the letter includes Osmium Partners LLC, PEAK6 Investments LLC, Boyle Capital Opportunity Fund, LP, Oak Management Corp., Generation Capital Partners II LP, Generation Partners II LLC, Spectrum Equity Investors V, L.P. and Spectrum V Investment Managers' Fund, L.P. and is comprised of several of the Company's largest and longest-standing shareholders. Reference Link

08:16 EDT Merus appoints Andrew Joe as CMO - Merus (MRUS) announced the appointment of Andrew Joe, M.D., as CMO. Joe will oversee all clinical and regulatory strategy and activities at Merus. Dr. Joe most recently led the immuno-oncology program at Sanofi (SNY).

08:13 EDT scPharmaceuticals announces FDA acceptance of FUROSCIX NDA resubmission - scPharmaceuticals announced that the FDA has accepted for review the company's New Drug Application, or NDA, resubmission for FUROSCIX. The company said in a release, "scPharmaceuticals is developing FUROSCIX, a proprietary, subcutaneously delivered furosemide solution, as an outpatient alternative for the treatment of worsening heart failure due to congestion. The FDA indicated that this was a complete class 2 response and assigned a Prescription Drug User-Fee Act target action date of December 30."

08:12 EDT EchoStar's Hughes to join UK, Bharti to acquire OneWeb out of bankruptcy - Hughes Network Systems announced its participation in the winning consortium, led by the U.K. Government and Bharti Enterprises , that will acquire OneWeb out of bankruptcy. Hughes has agreed in principle to invest $50M in the consortium. Additionally, Hughes will continue as a trusted technology and distribution partner to OneWeb, the Low Earth Orbit satellite operator which had launched 74 satellites before filing for Chapter 11 protection in March.

08:10 EDT Papa John's hires 20,000 team members, looks to hire 10,000 more - Papa John's announced the company recently hired 20,000 team members, including many who were displaced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is again stepping up efforts to hire another 10,000 additional team members over the next few months. Papa John's is also expanding its college tuition benefit program, "Dough & Degrees," including the addition of two new partners, Southern New Hampshire University, or SNHU, and University of Maryland Global Campus. Those schools join Purdue University Global in offering Papa John's corporate and franchise team members, as well as their immediate family members, reduced college tuition options.

08:10 EDT Harmonic, SES partner for transition of C-band spectrum to enable 5G - Harmonic announced that it will partner with SES for technology upgrades associated with the SES transition plan filed with the Federal Communications Commission on June 19. SES and Harmonic will work together to fast-track this deployment, freeing up spectrum for 5G while simultaneously enabling SES's C-band customers to maintain the quality and resilience of their critical video services. This network transformation is based on Harmonic's powerful software solutions for satellite video delivery.

08:08 EDT Avidity Biosciences names Jae Kim, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer - Avidity Biosciences announced the appointment of Jae Kim, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer. In his new role, Dr. Kim will be responsible for leading and expanding Avidity's AOC pipeline and will serve as a key member of its executive management team. Dr. Kim joins Avidity from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), where he served as Clinical Research Head, Chair of the Clinical Trial Review Board, and Vice President of Clinical Development.

08:07 EDT Analog Devices acquires HDMI business of Invecas, terms undisclosed - Analog Devices announced that it has acquired the HDMI business of Invecas, a Santa Clara based company specializing in embedded software and system level solutions. This addition will provide ADI with complete audio and video solutions to meet the needs of enterprise and consumer markets. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Through this acquisition, ADI will also increase the company's role in the standards body representing HDMI. In addition, ADI will incorporate certification and compliance capabilities, ensuring support for customers throughout their HDMI development cycles, from concept to pre-compliance and release. As the industry continues to grow and HMDI 2.1 is rolled out, applications such as 8K and 10K video, enhanced audio return, variable refresh rate and more will become commonplace. Additionally, this will allow for greater adoption of these technologies, with ADI expanding offerings to a wider audience with broader feature sets and lower power consumption.

08:05 EDT TransEnterix sees Q2 adjusted EPS $1.27, consensus 73c - Reported preliminary Q2 revenue view $437M, consensus $415. President and CEO Leroy Ball said, "I couldn't be happier with our performance during the Q2. We successfully navigated through uncharted waters in an extremely volatile environment. Our Performance Chemicals business had a record quarter, as stay-at-home orders shifted consumer spending toward home improvement and related projects. Likewise, our RUPS business benefited from increased volumes in both crossties and utility poles during the quarter as needed maintenance of critical infrastructure for the rail and utility industries continued during the pandemic. Only our CMC segment results lagged, as temporary closures of auto manufacturers resulted in lower production in steel and aluminum markets, combined with lower oil prices driving down end-market pricing. Once again, the balance of our closely connected businesses, serving a variety of essential markets, demonstrated durability and value through what I hope has been the worst of this crisis."

08:03 EDT iHeartMedia Los Angeles announces partnership with FanVestor - iHeartMedia Los Angeles announces a partnership with FanVestor, a fan-investing and fan-commerce app, to raise money for local charities providing access to healthy meals for children and others affected by COVID-19 school closures and financial hardship. FanVestor is hosting a series of virtual in-app sweepstakes launching immediately. Fans are invited to download the free FanVestor app or go to FanVestor.com and create an account. Each fan who downloads the FanVestor app and creates an account will automatically be entered to win a daily $1,000 cash prize and can also enter to win one virtual fan experience sweepstakes of their choice for free.

07:51 EDT Radient Technologies, Fluum enter multi-year white label daeal - Radient Technologies announced a five year white-label agreement with Fluum to launch a line of cannabis vape products designed to deliver enhanced experiences at a competitive price. Radient will provide a full suite of services; using its proprietary extraction technology to provide cannabis extracts, along with filling, packaging, and sales distribution. Led by cannabis industry veterans, Fluum will be responsible for design, marketing and driving consumer awareness. Under the terms of the five-year agreement, Radient will manufacture a minimum of 210,000 units in the first year, growing to a minimum of 240,000 units in each subsequent year, subject to orders from provincial distributors. Through its relationships with established cannabis retailers, Fluum has already secured letters of intent from a multi-province retail group and a Saskatchewan distributor, together representing nearly 50 retail locations in 4 provinces to purchase products once they become available. Radient holds all necessary licensing and is currently expanding its vape filling line. First sales of Fluum branded products are anticipated in Q4 of 2020.

07:48 EDT Lithium Americas suspends construction at Cauchari-Olaroz amid COVID-19 cases - Lithium Americas announced on July 6, 2020 that workers at the Cauchari-Olaroz lithium project in Jujuy, Argentina tested positive for COVID-19. In response, construction was immediately suspended and all workers were quarantined and have undergone further testing. The local operating company, Minera Exar, a 50/50 joint venture with the Company and Ganfeng Lithium Co., has completed testing of the entire workforce and safely demobilized the site. While additional workers tested positive for COVID-19, the Company has been advised that the majority of positive cases are asymptomatic. Approximately 20% of positive cases are recovered and have been released with three workers hospitalized and in stable condition. The Company has recently become aware of press reports indicating that the Province of Jujuy has commenced proceedings related to Minera Exar's implementation of provincial COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Minera Exar and the Shareholders take these claims seriously and are actively addressing these matters with the Province of Jujuy.

07:44 EDT Ventas enters revised master lease agreement with Brookdale Senior Living - Ventas (VTR) announced that it has entered into a revised master lease agreement and other agreements with Brookdale Senior Living (BKD) in response to the challenges to the senior living industry caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreements provide substantial financial benefits and certainty for both companies by modifying their current arrangements as follows: Ventas received up-front consideration approximating $235M, which replaces over two and a half years of the cash rent reduction effectuated under the Brookdale lease, consisting of: $162M in cash including $47M from the release of deposits that Ventas held under the Brookdale Lease. Also, $45M cash pay note from Brookdale. The Note has an initial interest rate of 9%, increasing 50 basis points per annum, and matures on December 31, 2025. Warrants exercisable for 16.3M shares of Brookdale common stock, representing 8% of Brookdale's fully diluted shares on a post-exercised basis. The warrants, which are exercisable at any time prior to December 31, 2025, have an exercise price of $3.00 per share. Base cash rent, under the Brookdale Lease, which covers 121 senior living communities, is now set at $100M per annum starting in July, with 3% annual escalators commencing on January 1, 2022, compared to $182M annualized cash rent paid in Q1. The Brookdale Lease is guaranteed by, and the note is a direct obligation of, Brookdale. The base term of the Brookdale lease remains unchanged through December 31, 2025. Brookdale continues to have two 10-year extension options at the greater of escalated rent and fair market rent. In order to provide Brookdale with stability due to COVID-19, Ventas removed the financial covenants in the Brookdale Lease. It also modified certain of the change of control provisions previously contained in the Brookdale Lease. Ventas has the right to convert some or all of the assets in the Ventas-Brookdale portfolio to a management contract, change operators and/or dispose of assets. In addition, Brookdale is transferring full ownership of five senior living properties to Ventas, in full satisfaction and repayment of a $78M loan to Brookdale from Ventas that were secured by the five communities. Brookdale will now manage those communities for Ventas under a terminable management agreement. The communities contain 471 units and generated Q1 annualized EBITDAR exceeding $5M. Annual interest income on the $78M loan, which was scheduled to mature on September 30, 2021, was $7M. The Ventas board considered the potential for revised arrangements with Brookdale in setting its Q2 dividend. Brookdale paid all contractual rent at the previous rate through June and at the revised rate in July. Annualized property-level EBITDAR in Q1 for the Ventas-Brookdale portfolio under the Brookdale lease was $136M. Adjusted for the agreements, trailing twelve-month EBITDAR and EBITDARM cash rent coverage under the Brookdale Lease through March 31 improves to over 1.3x and 1.6x respectively. Ventas expects to recognize the full value of the up-front consideration received from Brookdale ratably over the remaining base term of the Brookdale Lease.

07:39 EDT Amag Pharmaceuticals, Palatin mutually terminate 2017 license agreement - AMAG Pharmaceuticals announced AMAG and Palatin Technologies have mutually terminated the January 2017 license agreement pursuant to which AMAG was granted exclusive rights to develop and commercialize Vyleesi, a melanocortin receptor agonist indicated for the treatment of acquired, generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women, in North America. Under the terms of the termination agreement, all of AMAG's rights and obligations to develop and commercialize Vyleesi under the license agreement will terminate, and full ownership of Vyleesi will transfer back to Palatin. AMAG will pay Palatin $12M at closing and $4.3M on March 31, 2021. In exchange for such payments, Palatin will assume all Vyleesi manufacturing agreements and associated minimum commitments and AMAG will transfer to Palatin all data and assets related exclusively to Vyleesi. Under the agreement, Palatin has agreed to compensate AMAG to provide certain transitional services to Palatin for a period of time to ensure continued patient access to Vyleesi during the transition back to Palatin.

07:38 EDT Checkpoint Therapeutics to present cosibelimab interim results - Checkpoint Therapeutics announced that an abstract highlighting updated interim safety and efficacy data from the ongoing registration-enabling clinical trial of cosibelimab in patients with metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma has been accepted for e-poster presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology Virtual Congress 2020, to be held September 19-21, 2020. Cosibelimab is a potential best-in-class, high affinity, fully-human IgG1 monoclonal antibody that directly binds to programmed death ligand-1 and blocks the PD-L1 interaction with the programmed death receptor-1 and B7.1 receptors to reactivate an antitumor immune response. Cosibelimab is currently being studied in a global, open-label, registration-enabling Phase 1 clinical trial intended to support U.S., EU and other foreign marketing approval applications worldwide. Enrollment in the mCSCC trial has surpassed 50% of the enrollment target, with completion of enrollment expected around year-end and full top-line results anticipated next year. Checkpoint is also enrolling patients with locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma to support a potential second indication for cosibelimab. Previously released interim results for cosibelimab were presented in a poster presentation at the ESMO Congress 2019. Results included a 50% objective response rate by investigator assessment in the first 14 mCSCC patients, including one complete response. All responses were confirmed and ongoing at the time of analysis. A copy of the ESMO Congress 2019 poster presentation is available on the Publications page of the Pipeline section of Checkpoint's website, www.checkpointtx.com. In January 2020, Checkpoint announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had confirmed the registration submission pathway for cosibelimab in mCSCC based on the ongoing clinical trial, which has a target enrollment of approximately 75 patients and a primary efficacy endpoint of confirmed objective response rate assessed by independent central review.

07:34 EDT Eton Pharmaceuticals submits NDA to FDA for dehydrated alcohol injection - Eton Pharmaceuticals announced it has submitted a new drug application for dehydrated alcohol injection, previously known as the company's DS-100 product candidate, to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for the treatment of methanol poisoning. Eton's product has been granted orphan drug designation for the treatment of methanol poisoning, and as a result, the product is expected to receive seven years of market exclusivity upon its approval. The incidence of methanol poisoning has increased significantly in 2020 due to COVID-19, as unprecedented demand for hand sanitizers has led some manufacturers to improperly use methanol in their products. Earlier this month, the FDA recommended manufacturers recall more than 75 different hand sanitizers that were found to contain methanol despite being labeled as ethanol. Methanol, or wood alcohol, is a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested. The FDA has reported cases of adults and children suffering from adverse events including blindness, hospitalization and death, due to methanol poisoning caused by methanol-based sanitizers. The DS-100 NDA represents Eton's second orphan drug candidate and fifth total drug candidate under review with the FDA. Alkindi Sprinkle, the company's other orphan drug product, is currently under FDA review as a replacement therapy for pediatric adrenal insufficiency and has been assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act date of September 29, 2020. Eton's EM-100 product candidate has an August 10, 2020 target action date.

07:32 EDT Lincoln Electric expects to generate $55M-$65M in realized cost savings in 2020

07:30 EDT Clearside Biomedical announces multiple presentations at ASRS Annual Meeting - Clearside Biomedical announced that multiple posters and oral presentations on Clearside's pipeline and its proprietary SCS Microinjector targeting the suprachoroidal space were delivered at the American Society of Retina Specialists 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting. CLS-AX: Title: Suprachoroidal CLS-AX, as a Potential Long-Acting Therapy for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Conclusions: CLS-AX was observed to be well tolerated in all animal species evaluated, with no overt signs of toxicity. There was sustained, high exposure observed in ocular tissues with the highest concentration found in the tissues of the sclera, choroid, and retinal pigment epithelium, followed by the retina. CLS-AX demonstrated intrinsic high potency, pan-VEGF inhibition through receptor blockade, prolonged duration observed in pharmacokinetic studies, and a pharmacodynamic effect in multiple animal models. CLS-AX may be a targeted therapy for affected tissue layers via suprachoroidal injection and has the potential to be a bi-annual therapy for nAMD. Suprachoroidal Delivery: Title: Suprachoroidal Delivery of Suspensions of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, Complement Inhibitor, and Corticosteroid: Preclinical and Clinical Correlates: Conclusions: Suprachoroidal injection of suspensions of tyrosine kinase inhibitor, complement inhibitor, and triamcinolone acetonide demonstrated prolonged therapeutic levels with the potential for a sustained release and high bioavailability. Suprachoroidal injection showed compartmentalization with the potential to minimize adverse effects. Preclinical attributes correlated to clinical trial outcomes for steroids. Further study of TKI and complement factors suspensions are warranted. Title: Post hoc Analysis of Clinical Suprachoroidal Injection Experience Across Retinal Disease Indications: Conclusions: To date, this is the largest aggregate dataset of clinical suprachoroidal injections with mounting evidence pointing to the reliability and consistency of the procedure. The two needle length options successfully accommodate for anatomical variations across patients and retinal disease states. Correlations were found between needle length, gender and injection quadrant. Title: Post Hoc Analysis of Clinical Suprachoroidal Injection Experience for Non-infectious Uveitis: Conclusions: Overall, the two needles provided in the kit accommodated patient ocular anatomic and demographic variation. Suprachoroidal injections showed consistency across demographics and ocular characteristics. Small correlations existed between needle length used and age, injection quadrant, and disease duration. Supratemporal injection quadrant correlations were particularly consistent with previously reported anatomic variation by quadrant. Macular Edema associated with Uveitis: Title: Variations in Intraocular Pressure Following Administration of Suprachoroidal Triamcinolone Acetonide Suspension: Results from the Phase 3 PEACHTREE Clinical Trial for Uveitic Macular Edema: Conclusions: In the trial, the primary endpoint was met, with ~47% of patients gaining greater than or equal to15 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters. Suprachoroidally injected CLS-TA significantly improved vision and macular edema in noninfectious uveitis at all anatomical locations. There were no serious adverse events attributable to CLS-TA. Low rates of elevated intraocular pressure and cataracts were observed, and the cataract rate was similar to the control arm. Title: Results from the Phase 3 PEACHTREE Clinical Trial: Systemic Therapy and the Efficacy of CLS-TA, a Post-Hoc Analysis: Conclusions: These results corroborate the prespecified study analyses in PEACHTREE. The benefit of CLS-TA over the control in treating macular edema associated with non-infectious uveitis was noted regardless of administration of systemic therapy at baseline. Macular Edema: Title: "Real World" Outcomes of Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Therapy for Macular Edema Due to Retinal Vein Occlusion: Conclusions: Real-world retinal vein occlusion patients with macular edema experience worse visual outcomes compared with patients in randomized controlled trials. Mean change in visual acuity correlates with treatment intensity at one year. Patients with better visual acuity at presentation tend to be particularly vulnerable to vision loss. Title: Correlation of Best Corrected Visual Acuity and Central Subfield Thickness in Macular Edema Due to Retinal Vein Occlusion, Diabetic Retinopathy and Noninfectious Uveitis: Conclusions: There were moderate correlations between best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central subfield thickness in all diseases at baseline and for change at week 24. These correlations provide context around the use of CST in clinical decision making and visual recovery.

07:23 EDT RedHill increases patient access to Talicia with EnvisionRx Formularies - RedHill Biopharma (RDHL) announced that EnvisionRx, a Pharmacy Benefit Manager and division of EnvisionRxOptions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rite Aid (RAD), added Talicia to its Formularies, as the unrestricted branded agent for H. pylori treatment, effective July 1, 2020.

07:18 EDT KLX Energy to effect 1-for-5 stock split, adjust exchange ratio for merger - KLX Energy Services Holdings (KLX) announced that it will effect a 1-for-5 reverse stock split of its common stock that will be effective as of 7:30 a.m. Eastern Time tomorrow, July 28, 2020. KLXE's common stock will begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on a split-adjusted basis when the market opens on Tuesday, July 28, 2020. KLX Energy Services anticipates that the reverse stock split will be effected immediately prior to closing of the Company's pending merger with Quintana Energy Services Inc. (QES). The new CUSIP number for KLXE's common stock following the reverse stock split is 48253L 205. Pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Mergeramong KLXE, QES, Krypton Intermediate LLC and Krypton Merger Sub Inc., the final Exchange Ratio under the Merger Agreement will be 0.0969, after giving effect to the reverse stock split. On July 24, 2020, the holders of a majority of KLXE's outstanding shares of common stock approved the reverse stock split and gave KLXE's board of directors' discretionary authority to select a ratio for the split ranging from 1-for-5 to 1-for-10. The board of directors approved the reverse stock split at a ratio of 1-for-5 on July 26, 2020. The reverse stock split affects all issued and outstanding shares of KLXE's common stock, as well as the number of shares of common stock available for issuance under KLXE's Long Term Incentive Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The reverse stock split does not affect the number of authorized shares of KLXE's common stock. The reverse stock split will reduce the number of shares of KLXE's outstanding common stock from approximately 24.9M to approximately 5M, prior to closing of the merger. The reverse stock split will not change the par value of the common stock or the authorized number of shares of preferred stock of KLXE.

07:13 EDT EyePoint presents data supporting YUTIQ at ASRS Annual Meeting - EyePoint Pharmaceuticals announced the presentation of data supporting YUTIQ 0.18 mg three-year micro-insert for chronic, non-infectious uveitis affecting the posterior segment of the eye. The data were presented in two oral sessions at the American Society of Retina Specialists. Data included in the two presentations at ASRS are from the first double-masked, randomized Phase 3 trial of YUTIQ, which enrolled 129 patients in 16 centers in the U.S. and 17 centers outside the U.S. 87 eyes were treated with YUTIQ and 42 eyes received sham injections. Summaries of the ASRS presentations are as follows: Title: Evaluating the True Rate of Recurrence of Non-Infectious Posterior Segment Uveitis Following Treatment with an Injectable Fluocinolone Acetonide Insert: A post-hoc analysis of the Phase 3 results examined imputed recurrences driven by the use of confounding systemic medications to determine the true recurrence rate for YUTIQ and sham eyes through 36 months. There were 10 patients in the YUTIQ arm that received systemic treatment due to fellow eye or for non-ocular conditions. 48% of YUTIQ eyes had a reported imputed recurrence of which 40% were due to adjunctive medicine use, 31% from systemic treatments and 9% from local injections. 71% of sham eyes had a reported imputed recurrence, of which 64% were due to adjunctive medicine use, 21% from systemic treatments and 43% from local injections. Over half of the recurrences were imputed as a result of a confounding systemic medication use, which suggests the recurrence rate of YUTIQ is likely lower than 56% as reported in the primary analysis. Title: Course of Macular Edema Through 36 Months With Fluocinolone Acetonide Intravitreal Insert for Non-infectious Uveitis Affecting the Posterior Segment: At 36-months, rates of macular edema, as determined by investigator clinical interpretation, were reduced by 48% from baseline for YUTIQ eyes compared to 41% for sham eyes despite a greater proportion of sham patients receiving local or systemic medications. In patients with macular edema at baseline, the proportion of eyes gaining 3 or more lines of vision was higher for YUTIQ eyes compared to sham eyes. The proportion of eyes losing 3 or more lines of vision was higher for sham eyes compared to YUTIQ eyes. These results demonstrated YUTIQ increased the resolution of macular edema and improved visual acuity, key components of treating chronic, non-infectious uveitis affecting the posterior segment of the eye.

07:11 EDT Can-Fite BioPharma submits IND application for Phase 2 Piclidenoson study to FDA - Can-Fite BioPharma announced that it has submitted an investigational new drug, or IND, application to the FDA for a Phase II study of its lead drug candidate Piclidenoson in the treatment of COVID-19. The IND application is based on feedback and guidance from the FDA from prior pre-IND advice. Piclidenoson has been dosed in over 1,000 patients in prior trials as well as two ongoing Phase III studies for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis.

07:06 EDT Range Resources sees 2020 production 'at or slightly above 2.3 Bcfe/day

07:06 EDT Range Resources reports Q2 production average 2,349 Mmcfe/day - Range's second quarter production averaged 2,349 Mmcfe per day. Range expects full-year 2020 production to be at or slightly above 2.3 Bcfe per day, including an expected exit rate at or above 2.3 Bcfe per day, excluding the impact of potential asset sales. Second quarter 2020 natural gas, NGLs and oil price realizations averaged $2.19 per mcfe. The average natural gas price, including the impact of basis hedging, was $1.41 per mcf, or a ($0.31) differential to NYMEX. In the second quarter, Range sold additional natural gas volume in Appalachia following a pipeline outage in May that affected a portion of Range's transportation to the Gulf Coast. This minor impact to differentials was offset by lower gas transportation expense in the quarter. Range reiterates its full year 2020 natural gas differential guidance of $0.20 to $0.26 per mcf below NYMEX. Pre-hedge NGL realizations were $12.80 per barrel, or a $0.37 per barrel premium to the Mont Belvieu weighted barrel and approximately 47% of WTI. Lower NGL prices in the second quarter were partially offset by lower processing costs. Range reiterates its full year 2020 NGL differential guidance of $0.50 to $1.50 per barrel above the Mont Belvieu equivalent barrel. Crude oil and condensate price realizations, before realized hedges, averaged $14.81 per barrel, or $12.28 below WTI. Condensate pricing in the second quarter was impacted by weakness in regional demand. However, regional condensate demand has increased following the second quarter, and Range expects differentials and fundamentals to improve in second half 2020. As a result, Range deferred some liquids-rich activity into second half 2020 and its Appalachia condensate production is, therefore, expected to increase versus second quarter. Due to the pricing weakness experienced recently, Range is revising its full year 2020 condensate differential guide to $8 to $9 per barrel below WTI, an impact of approximately $3 million in cash flow for the year versus prior guidance.

07:04 EDT Canopy Growth announces launch of new U.S. e-commerce website - Canopy Growth announced the launch of its new U.S. e-commerce website: ShopCanopy.com. ShopCanopy serves as the online home for Canopy Growth's growing portfolio of U.S. hemp-derived CBD product lines, and a one-stop shop for over 25 product SKUs from brands such as First & Free, This Works, and BioSteel. The site will continue to feature new brands from Canopy Growth, including the highly anticipated launch of Martha Stewart CBD.

07:03 EDT Canadian Solar to extend access to China's capital markets - Canadian Solar announced that a special committee of independent directors of the company, with the assistance of outside financial and legal advisors, has completed a review of strategic alternatives available to the company. After an assessment of the results of the strategic review, the board of directors of the company decided to pursue a listing of the company's Modules and System Solutions business on either the Shanghai Stock Exchange's Science and Technology Innovation Board or the Shenzhen Stock Exchange's ChiNext Market, both of which are intended to support innovative and fast-growing companies. The listing of the MSS business includes the shares of Canadian Solar's principal China subsidiary and overseas sales subsidiaries. Based on precedents in the China IPO market, the listing process is estimated to take 18-24 months. To qualify, according to Chinese securities regulations, the Subsidiary is required to be converted into a Sino-foreign joint stock company prior to listing which shall be completed through a round of equity raising from China-domiciled investors. The company, which also holds a world-leading global energy business focused on the development and selective partial ownership of solar and storage projects, remains committed to its NASDAQ listing. For this purpose, the company will continue to seek capital partnerships with long-term investors looking for opportunities to deploy capital in clean, profitable and countercyclical solar energy infrastructure investments, either through public or private investment vehicles

07:02 EDT Palatin and AMAG terminate license agreement for Vyleesi - Palatin Technologies announced that it has mutually terminated the January 2017 license agreement which granted AMAG Pharmaceuticals exclusive North American rights to market Vyleesi, the first and only on demand treatment for pre-menopausal women suffering from acquired, generalized, hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), a condition affecting one in ten premenopausal women. Under the terms of the termination agreement, Palatin will regain all North American development and commercialization rights for Vyleesi. AMAG will make a $12M payment to Palatin at closing and a $4.3M million payment to Palatin on March 31, 2021. Palatin will assume all Vyleesi manufacturing agreements, and AMAG will transfer all information, data, and assets related exclusively to Vyleesi, including, but not limited to, existing inventory. AMAG will provide certain transitional services to Palatin for a period of time to ensure continued patient access to Vyleesi during the transition back to Palatin. Palatin will reimburse AMAG for the costs of the transition services.

06:59 EDT TransEnterix's Senhance Surgical System selected by MUMC+ - TransEnterix announced that Maastricht University Medical Center+, or MUMC+, has entered into an agreement to lease and utilize a Senhance Surgical System, which would be the first hospital to acquire a Senhance to be utilized in pediatric minimally invasive surgery. The Senhance System is the first and only digital laparoscopic surgical platform designed to maintain laparoscopic MIS standards while providing digital benefits such as haptic feedback, robotic precision, comfortable ergonomics, advanced instrumentation.

06:56 EDT El Paso Electric, IIF: FERC issues final order approving parties' transaction - El Paso Electric Company and the Infrastructure Investments Fund announced that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued its final order approving the parties' transaction. The FERC order marks the final regulatory approval needed to complete the transaction. The transaction is expected to close on July 29, subject to the satisfaction of conditions to closing. Upon the closing of the transaction, shares of EPE common stock will cease to be listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

06:54 EDT Moderna: Phase 3 study of mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 begins dosing - Moderna announced that the Phase 3 study of its mRNA vaccine candidate (mRNA-1273) against COVID-19 has begun dosing participants. The Phase 3 study, called the COVE study, is being conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

06:51 EDT RPM sees Q1 net sales up in low single digits - The company said, "After an interruption in our sales and earnings growth momentum due to lockdowns at the end of last fiscal year, for the Q1 we expect to resume the growth typical of recent quarters. Our FY21 Q1 outlook is for net sales growth in low single digits and adjusted EBIT growth of 20% or more. After bottoming out in April and May, business has been trending better in the first quarter as many markets have re-opened," stated Sullivan.

06:48 EDT CNX Resources to acquire remaining stake in CNX Midstream Partners - CNX Resources (CNX) and CNX Midstream Partners LP (CNXM) announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which CNX will acquire all of the outstanding common units of CNX Midstream that it does not already own in exchange for CNX common stock valued at approximately $357M, based on the most recent closing price of CNX common stock. The companies said in a release, "Under the merger agreement, each outstanding common unit of CNX Midstream that CNX does not already own will be converted into 0.88 shares of CNX common stock, representing a 15% premium to the average exchange ratio during the 30 trading days ended July 24, 2020. Pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, CNX will acquire all of the approximately 42.1 million outstanding common units of CNX Midstream that it does not already own at a fixed exchange ratio of 0.88 shares of CNX common stock for each publicly held common unit of CNX Midstream. CNX Midstream common units will no longer be publicly traded after the transaction. In aggregate, CNX will issue approximately 37 million shares in connection with the proposed transaction, representing approximately 17 percent of the total shares outstanding of the pro forma combined entity. Following completion of the transaction, all senior notes of CNX Midstream will remain outstanding and no additional payments will be made to CNX in connection with the elimination of the incentive distribution rights transaction from January of this year. The transaction terms were negotiated, reviewed and approved by the Conflicts Committee of the CNXM Board and approved by the CNXM Board. The CNX Midstream Conflicts Committee is composed of the independent members of the CNXM Board. The Board of Directors of CNX also approved the merger agreement. Subject to customary approvals and conditions, the transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2020. The transaction is subject to majority approval by CNX Midstream common unitholders and the effectiveness of a registration statement related to the issuance of the new CNX shares to CNX Midstream's unitholders. Pursuant to a support agreement entered into in connection with the transaction, CNX has agreed to vote the CNXM common units that it owns in favor of the transaction. CNX currently owns approximately 53.1% of the outstanding common units."

06:47 EDT CNX Resources to acquire remaining stake in CNX Midstream Partners

06:46 EDT AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo announce ntibody drug conjugate collaboration - AstraZeneca (AZN) announced it has entered into a new global development and commercialization agreement with Daiichi Sankyo (DSNKY) for DS-1062, Daiichi Sankyo's proprietary trophoblast cell-surface antigen 2-directed antibody drug conjugate (ADC) and potential new medicine for the treatment of multiple tumor types. DS-1062 is currently in development for the treatment of multiple tumors that commonly express the cell-surface glycoprotein TROP2. Among them, TROP2 is overexpressed in the majority of non-small cell lung cancers and breast cancers, tumor types that have long been a strategic focus for AstraZeneca. "This collaboration reflects AstraZeneca's strategy to invest in antibody drug conjugates as a class, the innovative nature of the technology and the successful existing collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo," the company said. AstraZeneca will pay Daiichi Sankyo an upfront payment of $1B in staged payments: $350M is due upon completion, with $325M after 12 months and $325m after 24 months from the effective date of the agreement. AstraZeneca will pay additional conditional amounts of up to $1B for the successful achievement of regulatory approvals and up to $4B for sales-related milestones. The transaction will be accounted for as an intangible asset acquisition, recognized initially at the present value of non-contingent consideration, with any potential future milestone payments capitalized into the intangible asset as they are recognized. The companies will jointly develop and commercialize DS-1062 worldwide, except in Japan where Daiichi Sankyo will maintain exclusive rights. AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo will share equally development and commercialization expenses as well as profits relating to DS-1062 worldwide, except for Japan where Daiichi Sankyo will be responsible for such costs and will pay AstraZeneca mid single-digit royalties. Daiichi Sankyo will record sales in the US, certain countries in Europe and certain other countries where Daiichi Sankyo has affiliates. Profits shared with AstraZeneca from those countries will be recorded as Collaboration Revenue by AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca will record Product Sales in other countries worldwide, for which profits shared with Daiichi Sankyo will be recorded within Cost of Sales. Daiichi Sankyo will manufacture and supply DS-1062. There are no closing conditions to the transaction. The collaboration agreement became effective on 27 July 2020. The transaction does not impact the company's financial guidance for 2020, AstraZeneca said.

06:40 EDT Ameris Bancorp: CRE concentrations are moderate, forecast to decline - Ameris says it has no direct credit exposure to the energy sector -- only indirect exposure via loans to C-store operators. All of its branch drive thru facilities are open, while branch lobbies are available by appointment only. Its ATMs remain available. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call presentation slides.

06:38 EDT EQT Corporation says all curtailed production returned to sales - EQT Corporation said in its Q2 earnings release, "In early July, the Company began a moderated approached to bring back on-line production which was curtailed in May as a result of the Strategic Production Curtailments. To-date, the Company has seen no degradation to well performance and all curtailed production has been returned to sales. During the second quarter 2020, the Company continued to realize a step-change in operational performance, driven by strong schedule design, consistent application of a proven well design, and efficient drilling and completion operations. These efficiencies required less resources necessary to deliver planned activity levels and led to improved capital deployment during the second quarter 2020, as the Company developed its Pennsylvania Marcellus wells for $680 per foot, $50 per foot below its well cost target of $730 per foot. Since the change in management in July 2019, the Company has realized steady and consistent operational improvements. Production uptime on producing wells was over 98% during the second quarter 2020, horizontal drilling speeds have improved by 63% year-over-year and 12% quarter-over-quarter, and the utilization of next generation frac technology has driven a 20% improvement in pumping time and stages per day, since July 2019. In June, EQT reached an industry first by drilling 10,566 feet, or more than 2-miles, in a 24-hour period, exemplifying the Company's enhanced operational performance. EQT continues to push the operational and technological boundaries to drive value creation."

06:37 EDT Immunic enrolls first patients in IMU-838 trial for treatment of COVID-19 - Immunic announced enrollment of the first patients in an investigator-sponsored phase 2 clinical trial of the company's selective oral DHODH inhibitor, IMU-838, for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. The IONIC trial is a prospective, randomized, parallel-group, open-label phase 2b study, designed to evaluate efficacy and safety of IMU-838 in combination with the neuraminidase inhibitor, Oseltamivir, in approximately 120 adult patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19. The IONIC trial has been set up with the support of the in-house Trial Management Unit, or TMU, of the sponsor and lead site, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. The IONIC trial has commenced recruitment at the lead site and the TMU is actively engaging with other NHS trusts interested in participating in the trial to facilitate recruitment.

06:36 EDT MediciNova announces agreement with BioComo and Mie University - MediciNova announced an agreement with BioComo and Mie University for joint development of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine using BC-PIV, a human parainfluenza virus type 2 vector developed by BioComo and Tetsuya Nosaka, professor of the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine. MediciNova has been granted exclusive worldwide development rights to use BC-PIV for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development from BioComo and Mie University.BC-PIV, an innovative non-transmissible viral vector co-developed by BioComo and Mie University, is derived from the recombinant human parainfluenza virus type 2.

06:34 EDT EQT Corporation reports Q2 total sales volume of 346 Bcfe or 3.8 Bcfe per day

06:34 EDT Hasbro CFO says 'positioned to support our plans for a good holiday season' - "Hasbro remains in a strong financial position, with over $1 billion in cash on our balance sheet and a $1.5 billion revolving credit facility available to us, should we need it," said Deborah Thomas, Hasbro's CFO. "Our team is executing well and we are reducing expenses, including in our commercial business where we are simplifying our go to market approach, and our TV and Film businesses where certain operations have not resumed. In some markets and channels, our customers remained closed throughout the second quarter and with certain customers cash collections have been extended. We continue to see improvement as stores reopen, and we are working closely with our customers to successfully navigate this period. Working capital needs increase in the second half of the year, with early fourth quarter the peak period and we are positioned to support our plans for a good holiday season."

06:33 EDT Hasbro CEO expects 'environment to improve in the third quarter' - "The global Hasbro team is executing our playbook amidst a dynamic and challenging environment. They are doing so with creativity and agility, identifying new and efficient ways to operate, capitalizing on our investments in creating a digital-first orientation while keeping our innovation engines moving and leveraging the expertise of a management team that has led through challenges in the past," said Brian Goldner, Hasbro's chairman and CEO. "The second quarter was much as we expected: strong point of sale for Hasbro brands countered by a very challenging revenue period due to global closures in our supply chain, across retailers as well as in entertainment production. We believe the outlook improves from here. Consumers - children, families, fans and audiences - are relying on Hasbro brands and stories to connect and entertain themselves throughout this period. While the full-year COVID-19 impact geographically remains unpredictable, as stores reopen and we begin to return to production for entertainment we expect the environment to improve in the third quarter and set us up to execute a good holiday season." "Over the next few years, we are positioned to benefit from the investments we have made in ecomm, entertainment and digital gaming," continued Goldner. "We have a strong entertainment lineup for 2021, through internally developed as well as third-party entertainment. We will also begin to see a greater benefit of synergies from the acquisition of eOne as we remain on track to deliver against our plan of $130 million in synergies by year-end 2022."

06:28 EDT dMY Technology Group, Rush Street Interactive to merge - Rush Street Interactive and dMY Technology Group announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which RSI and dMY will combine. As a result of the transaction, RSI will become a publicly listed company on the New York Stock Exchange, and the combined company is anticipated to have an initial enterprise value of approximately $1.78B. Upon closing, dMY intends to change its name to Rush Street Interactive, Inc. and its NYSE trading symbol to "RSI." Following the closing of the transaction, Neil Bluhm will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors, Greg Carlin will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer, and Richard Schwartz will continue to serve as President of the combined company, supported by a deep and talented management team with substantial expertise in the online gaming industry. The Boards of Directors of both dMY and RSI have each unanimously approved the transaction. The transaction will require the approval of dMY's stockholders, and is subject to other customary closing conditions, including the receipt of certain regulatory approvals. The transaction is expected to close in 2020. Upon closing, dMY intends to change its name to Rush Street Interactive and its NYSE trading symbol to "RSI."

06:11 EDT Renren independent board member Tianruo Pu resigns, Lin Cong succeeds - Renren (RENN), which operates through its subsidiary Kaixin Auto (KXIN) as well as several U.S.-based SaaS businesses, announced the appointment of a new independent director to its board of directors, Lin Cong, effective immediately. Tianruo Pu has concurrently resigned from his positions as a director of the company and as a member of each of the three committees of the board, effective immediately. The company said Pu resigned for personal reasons and not due to any disagreement with the company on any matter relating to the company's operations, policies or practices. Lin Cong has served as a vice president of 58.com (WUBA) since March 2017. Cong currently also serves as a director of Kaixin, Uxin and Chaboshi, a used car inspection company in China.

06:02 EDT Axonics completes clinical results from its ARTISAN-SNM pivotal study - Axonics Modulation Technologies announced completion of 2-year follow-ups and topline clinical results from its ARTISAN-SNM pivotal study that was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the Axonics r-SNM System. The 2-year study results demonstrate that patients implanted with the Axonics r-SNM System continue to receive clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvements in urinary urgency incontinence symptoms and quality of life. At 2 years, 88% of all implanted patients were therapy responders, consistent with the 89% therapy responder rate reported at 1-year. 80% of patients achieved greater than75% improvement, with 37% being completely dry. There were no serious adverse or unanticipated device related events. Detailed study results will be presented to interested parties by study investigators via an Axonics-hosted webinar to be announced in the coming weeks.

05:21 EDT SAP reports Q2 non-IFRS current cloud backlog EUR 6.65B vs. EUR 5.53B last year