Stockwinners Market Radar for August 13, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:54 EDT SolarWinds CEO sells 358.6K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, SolarWinds disclosed that its CEO Kevin Thompson sold 358.6K shares of common stock on August 11th in a total transaction size of $7.0M.

18:35 EDT Wells Fargo appoints six new Corporate Risk leaders - Wells Fargo announced the appointment of six new Corporate Risk leaders as part of its enhanced Risk model to further strengthen the independent oversight of all risk-taking activities and a more comprehensive view of risk across the company. In addition, the company announced that Mike Roemer, the current Chief Compliance Officer, has decided to leave Wells Fargo following a transition period. The model consists of five line-of-business CROs, along with other teams aligned by risk type, each reporting to Chief Risk Officer Mandy Norton. The new leaders, who will all report to Norton, are: Paula Dominick, who will join Wells Fargo as Chief Compliance Officer in October. Dominick was most recently Chief Compliance Officer of Credit Suisse USA and previously held leadership roles at Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley. In this role, Dominick will be responsible for oversight of all regulatory compliance risks for Wells Fargo. Brian King, who will join Wells Fargo as CRO for Consumer & Small Business Banking in October. King was most recently CRO and Head of Finance for the Consumer Business at Goldman Sachs and previously held risk leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase. Ellen Koebler, who will join Wells Fargo as CRO for Commercial Banking in September. Koebler was previously Deputy CRO at Truist, CRO for SunTrust Banks, and held leadership roles at E*Trade, JPMorgan Chase, First Union, and Shell Oil & Shell Chemical Companies. Prasanna Someshwar, who will join Wells Fargo as CRO for Wealth & Investment Management in October. Someshwar previously held various risk leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase, including CRO and Chief Credit Officer for Wealth Management/Private Bank. Jeff Colson, who has been named CRO for Finance, joining the risk team in September following a transition period from his current role. Colson was most recently Head of Capital Management at Wells Fargo, and his successor will be named shortly. Colson joined Wells Fargo in 2015, and he previously held executive financial and risk management positions at Bank of America. Patrick Dillon, who has been named Enterprise Testing & Validation leader, effective immediately. Dillon joined Wells Fargo's risk organization in 2018 and was previously in compliance leadership roles at PNC Financial Services and Bank of America Merchant Services. In this role, Dillon will lead the team responsible for the development and design of methodologies and standards for review activities across the company and provide strategic leadership of significant enterprise-wide testing programs.

18:02 EDT Huttig Building Products confirms acquisition proposal from Mill Road Capital - Huttig Building Products confirmed it has received an unsolicited, non-binding, expression of interest from Mill Road Capital Management and its affiliated funds, a private investment firm, to acquire all of the outstanding common stock of the company for $2.75 per share. Consistent with its fiduciary duties, the Board of Directors, in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, will review the letter and determine the course of action it believes is in the best interests of its stockholders. The company will communicate future developments in accordance with its ongoing disclosure requirements. The company has retained Lincoln International as its financial advisor.

17:46 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings rise to 1,252.09MT from 1,250.63MT - This is the first increase in holdings since August 4th.

17:33 EDT Calavo Growers promotes Mark Lodge to chief operations officer - Calavo Growers announced promotions for two senior executives. Robert Wedin has been promoted to executive VP of Fresh Sales. Wedin joined Calavo in 1973 at the company's packinghouse in Santa Barbara and has served as VP, sales and fresh marketing since 1993. Mark Lodge has been promoted to chief operations officer responsible for overseeing all of Calavo's production facilities in the U.S. and Mexico. Lodge joined Calavo in 2019 as executive VP of RFG Business Operations, following 25 years leading large scale manufacturing and logistics businesses.

17:09 EDT Eastern Capital lowers stake in iBio to 0.6% - On August 12, Eastern Capital sold an aggregate 7,629,693 of the shares of iBio's Common Stock in open market transactions. On August 12. Eastern Capital ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the shares of common Stock of tiBio. As of the date hereof, Eastern Capital Limited beneficially owns 1,000,000 shares of iBio''s Common Stock, representing 0.6% of iBio's outstanding Common Stock. Eastern Capital Limited has shared voting and dispositive power of the shares it beneficially owns with its parent, Portfolio Services Ltd., and Kenneth B. Dart. Eastern Capital lowered its Active stake in iBio to 0.6%

17:01 EDT AutoZone to add 20K new jobs - AutoZone announced plans to hire more than 20,000 new AutoZoners nationwide to "meet the growing demands of its Retail and Commercial customers at its more than 5,800 stores throughout the U.S." New job opportunities include Delivery Drivers, Parts Sales Managers and Full and Part-Time Sales Associates.

16:57 EDT Imara announces first patient dosed in Ardent trial - Imara announced dosing of the first patient in the company's Ardent Phase 2b clinical trial of IMR-687 for adult patients with sickle cell disease, or SCD.

16:51 EDT Birks Group receives noncompliance notification from NYSE - Birks Group announced that it has received notice from the NYSE that the company was not in compliance with the continued listing standards set forth in Section 1003 of the NYSE company guide. That section applies if a listed company has stockholders' equity of less than $4M and has reported losses from continuing operations and/or net losses in three of its four most recent fiscal years. The company reported stockholders' equity of $2.5M as of its fiscal year ended March 28, and has reported losses from continuing operations in each of its last four most recent fiscal years including the fiscal year ended March 28, despite reporting net income in two of its last four fiscal years. As a result, the company has become subject to the procedures and requirements of Section 1009 of the company guide and must submit a plan to NYSE American by September 6 addressing how the company intends to regain compliance with Section 1003 by February 6, 2022. The company intends to timely deliver a plan of compliance to NYSE American. If the company does not submit a plan, or if the plan the company submits is not accepted by NYSE, the company will be subject to delisting proceedings as specified in the company guide. In addition, if the plan is accepted by NYSE American, but the company is not in compliance with the continued listing standards by February 6, 2022, or if the company does not make progress consistent with the plan, the company will be subject to delisting proceedings. If the plan is accepted, the company will also be subject to periodic NYSE American reviews, including quarterly monitoring for compliance with the plan.

16:41 EDT Baidu falls 5% to $118.40 after mixed Q2 results

16:36 EDT Baidu reports Q2 adjusted EBITDA $993M, adjusted EBITDA margin 27%

16:34 EDT JD.com to acquire controlling interest in Kuayue-Express for RMB3B - JD.com announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement under which Jingdong Express, a subsidiary of the company, will acquire a controlling interest in Kuayue-Express, a modern integrated express transportation enterprise specializing in "limited-time express service" in China, for a total consideration of RMB3B through a combination of acquiring existing shares and subscribing for newly issued shares of Kuayue Express, subject to customary closing conditions. The company expects to close this transaction in Q3.

16:33 EDT Baidu CEO says 'business is steadily rebounding' - "With COVID-19 becoming more manageable in China, Baidu's business is steadily rebounding. We are pleased that in-app revenue grew in the second quarter, despite a challenging macro environment, further validating our strategy to make Baidu App a super app through AI-powered building blocks and marketing cloud platform." said Robin Li, Co-founder and CEO of Baidu. "Baidu's new AI businesses, including cloud, smart devices and smart transportation, saw double-digit growth in the second quarter and stand to become an important revenue driver in the years to come." "In addition to investing in new AI businesses, Baidu is also diversifying our revenue streams through membership, online games and others to increase the ARPU of our existing traffic." said Herman Yu, CFO of Baidu. "The healthy growth of Baidu App and new AI businesses have enabled Baidu Core's adjusted EBITDA margin to reach 41% in the second quarter. We plan to continue heavy investments in technology to maximize Baidu's future growth potential."

16:32 EDT Baidu reports Q2 DAUs reached 204M in June, adding 16M users in last 12 months

16:21 EDT TriNet to appoint Kelly Tuminelli as CFO - TriNet announced that Kelly Tuminelli, formerly Kelly Groh, is joining the company as executive vice president of finance, effective September 8. Tuminelli will be appointed as CFO immediately following the filing of the company's Form 10-Q for the third quarter of 2020. In addition to her more than 15 years at Genworth in roles of increasing responsibility, Tuminelli previously held leadership roles at GE Capital and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

16:19 EDT Good Times Restaurants reports SSS up 11.9% - The company states its Q2 same store sales for company-owned Good Times restaurants increased 11.9% and for Bad Daddy's restaurants decreased 36.7%.

16:16 EDT Graham awarded $11M in orders for three projects in Asia - Graham Corporation announced that it secured $11M in orders for three oil refining projects in Asia. Two projects are in Southeast Asia while the largest project is the first large order received in India by the Company and is with a new customer. The project in India is a greenfield, integrated refining and petrochemical complex for which Graham will provide an ejector-liquid ring pump vacuum system. Graham will also be providing an ejector-liquid ring pump vacuum system for the upgrade and expansion of a clean fuels refinery project, as well as replacing a 25-year-old Graham-built steam surface condenser for a refinery revitalization and capacity expansion project. Both of these projects are in Southeast Asia. The projects will be recognized in backlog for the second quarter of fiscal 2021 while revenue associated with the three projects is expected be realized in fiscal 2022, which ends March 31, 2022.

16:15 EDT Myriad Genetics appoints Paul Diaz as CEO - Myriad Genetics announced the appointment of Paul Diaz as president and CEO, effective August immediately. He will also serve on the company's board. Diaz brings to Myriad Genetics more than three decades of executive leadership and business transformation experience in healthcare across a variety of healthcare segments. Diaz served as the president and CEO and executive director and director of Kindred Healthcare for over ten years, where he led the growth, revitalization and diversification of the business. Most recently, Diaz was a Partner at Cressey & Company, a private equity firm focusing on healthcare services and HCIT companies.

16:08 EDT AWS announces general availability of Amazon Braket for quantum computing - Amazon Web Services, , or AWS, an Amazon.com company, announced the general availability of Amazon Braket, a "fully managed AWS service that provides a development environment to help customers explore and design quantum algorithms." AWS said: "Customers can use Amazon Braket to test and troubleshoot quantum algorithms on simulated quantum computers running on computing resources in AWS to help them verify their implementation. When ready, customers can use Amazon Braket to run their quantum algorithms on their choice of quantum processors based on different technologies, including systems from D-Wave, IonQ, and Rigetti. Both simulated and quantum hardware jobs are managed through a unified development experience, and customers pay only for the compute resources used." Reference Link

16:05 EDT Referendum on Avangrid's NECEC ruled unconstitutional by Maine Supreme Court - Avangrid said that the Maine Supreme Court issued a ruling that found the proposed citizen's initiative on the New England Clean Energy Connect unconstitutional. The NECEC is a renewable energy project being built by AVANGRID to bring hydropower from Quebec to Maine and other parts of New England. Opponents had proposed a referendum to block the project. "This ruling by the Maine Supreme Court is a victory for Maine and all of New England, putting us on a path toward a cleaner energy future that benefits the state and the region both environmentally and economically," said AVANGRID Deputy CEO, Robert Kump. "The NECEC is a significant renewable energy project that will help address the climate crisis, removing millions of metric tons of carbon from our air annually. The project will also provide hundreds of jobs and increased property tax revenues for Maine and result in lower energy prices across New England. We now look forward to completing the permitting process and getting to work to deliver the benefits of this project." The Maine Supreme Court remanded the case to the Superior Court to enter a declaratory judgment. The court is not requiring an injunction based on its understanding that the Secretary of State will not put the unconstitutional initiative on the ballot based on statements made by Maine's Assistant Attorney General during oral argument. The project requires a permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers prior to commencing construction and a Presidential Permit from the US Department of Energy is required to enable cross-border transmission from Canada.

16:03 EDT Paysign cannot estimate impact to results from COVID-19 pandemic - The COVID-19 outbreak has had and will continue to have an adverse effect on the company's results of operations. Given the uncertainty around the extent and timing of the potential future spread or mitigation of COVID-19 and around the imposition or relaxation of protective measures, management cannot reasonably estimate the impact to the company's future results of operations, cash flows, or financial condition.

16:01 EDT TFF Pharmaceuticals enters into worldwide licensing agreement with UNION - TFF Pharmaceuticals announced that it has entered into a worldwide exclusive licensing agreement with UNION therapeutics A/S for its TFF technology used in combination with niclosamide. Under the terms of the agreement, UNION will acquire an option to obtain a worldwide exclusive license of TFF Pharmaceuticals to its TFF technology to be used in the field of niclosamide, including oral and inhalation versions of niclosamide, potentially for COVID-19, as well as other niclosamide-based therapies. Subject to UNION's exercise of its option, UNION has agreed to pay TFF Pharmaceuticals potential development, regulatory and sales-related milestone payments of up to $210M. UNION will also pay TFF tiered single-digit royalties on product sales. TFF Pharmaceuticals and UNION have agreed to collaborate on securing government support with the aim of funding the development of niclosamide-based products for the treatment of COVID-19. "We are very excited to be entering into this agreement with UNION therapeutics, a company that has had an extensive history working with niclosamide and the compound class in a number of therapeutic areas," said Glenn Mattes, President and CEO of TFF Pharmaceuticals. "We believe this agreement will help speed up efforts to investigate the promising use of niclosamide for potential COVID-19 therapies using our breakthrough TFF technology to provide a viable therapeutic option with a new delivery method."

15:12 EDT Toyota, Mazda JV announce additional $830M investment in U.S. manufacturing - Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, the new joint-venture between Mazda Motor (MZDAY) and Toyota Motor (TM), announced an additional $830M investment to "incorporate more cutting-edge manufacturing technologies to its production lines and provide enhanced training to its workforce of up to 4,000 employees," the companies stated. "Total funding contributed to the development of the state-of-the-art facility is now $2.311B, up from the $1.6B originally announced in 2018," according to a press release from Toyota regarding the investment plans. Reference Link

14:23 EDT Cabot Oil & Gas VP Todd Roemer sells 33,000 shares of company stock - Cabot Oil & Gas VP Todd Roemer disclosed in a filing that he had sold 33,000 shares of company stock at $19.66 per share on August 12. The total transaction value of the sale was $648,780.

13:17 EDT Harley-Davidson Chairman and acting President Zeitz buys nearly $2M in shares - Harley-Davidson Chairman and acting President Jochen Zeitz purchased 71,450 shares of company stock on August 12 at an average price of $27.86 for a total purchase value of $1,990,833, according to a regulatory filing.

12:55 EDT Epic Games unveils new direct payment in Fortnite on iOS and Android - "The Fortnite Mega Drop is here! Get up to 20% savings on V-Bucks and real-money offers for every purchase on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mac, and on mobile when using select payment methods. This isn't a sale... these are new discount prices available anytime! We're excited to pass along these savings to you and will continue to look for additional ways to bring value to all Fortnite players. Here's how to snag your savings...Starting today, any V-Bucks or real-money offers you purchase on PlayStation 4 (SNE), Xbox One (MSFT), Nintendo Switch (NTDOY), PC, and Mac are now discounted by up to 20%. You don't need to do anything! Epic direct payment on Mobile Today, we're also introducing a new way to pay on iOS and Android: Epic direct payment. When you choose to use Epic direct payments, you save up to 20% as Epic passes along payment processing savings to you," said the Fortnite Team in an earlier blog posting. Publicly traded companies in the space include Activision Blizzard (ATVI), Electronic Arts (EA), GameStop (GME), Nintendo (NTDOY), Take-Two (TTWO) and Ubisoft (UBSFY). Reference Link

12:40 EDT Micron down nearly 5% as company presents at KeyBanc conference - Micron CFO David Zinsner is participating in a fireside chat at Keybanc's Virtual Future of Technology Series Conference. As his presentation at the event continues, shares of Micron are down $2.24, or 4.6%, to $46.24 in afternoon trading.

12:14 EDT Accenture acquires CreativeDrive; terms not disclosed - Accenture has acquired CreativeDrive, a global, tech-driven content production company that "simplifies, automates and scales the creative asset production process." Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition of CreativeDrive will complement Accenture's existing content, digital marketing, media and commerce service offerings, Accenture said in a statement.

12:00 EDT Community Health falls -10.4% - Community Health is down -10.4%, or -54c to $4.66.

12:00 EDT Tortoise Acquisition rises 14.8% - Tortoise Acquisition is up 14.8%, or $2.94 to $22.84.

12:00 EDT China Unicom rises 18.5% - China Unicom is up 18.5%, or $1.15 to $7.36.

11:19 EDT Biomerica COVID-19 test on FDA list as 'should not be distributed' - The FDA issued an update, dated August 12, of commercial manufacturers who provided notification to the FDA that they validated and intended to distribute a serology test as set forth in Section IV.D of the Policy for Coronavirus Disease-2019 Tests, but that have since been removed from the list and should no longer be offering the test indicated. Biomerica's COVID-19 IgG/IgM Rapid Test is listed in the FDA update as "Removed - Should Not Be Distributed." Reference Link

11:14 EDT Fulcrum Therapeutics to start Phase III Losmapimod study in COVID-19 this month - Fulcrum Therapeutics's phase III study to evaluate Losmapimod in COVID-19 will start this month, with the trial set to be completed in November. The efficacy of Losmapimod will be assessed by the development of progression to critical disease as evidence of mortality or development of respiratory failure by Day 28, Fulcrum says. The study Sponsor hypothesize's that the early initiation of p38alpha/beta inhibitor therapy in patients hospitalized with moderate COVID-19 who are at increased risk of a poor prognosis based on older age and elevated systemic inflammation will reduce clinical deterioration including progression to respiratory failure and death. To address this hypothesis, Fulcrum Therapeutics is conducting a Phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that will evaluate the safety and efficacy of losmapimod versus placebo in subjects 50 and older who are hospitalized with moderate COVID-19 disease. Reference Link

10:40 EDT Atropos Therapeutics announces collaboration agreement with Estee Lauder - Atropos Therapeutics announced a joint development agreement with The Estee Lauder Companies. Andrew Koff, Founder of Atropos Therapeutics, said, "Partnering with The Estee Lauder Companies, a leader in global prestige beauty that uses natural products nicely complements our pipeline efforts to identify senomodulating chemicals by high content screening and using AI based drug design to interfere with activities necessary for geroconversion and senescence. With the three pipelines open, Atropos can move to the next stage of its development with isolated molecules in hand."

10:04 EDT Cellcom Israel announces Israeli MOC's approval for Golan Telecom purchase - Cellcom Israel announced that following its previous announcement regarding a binding memorandum of understanding for the purchase of Golan Telecom and approval of the transaction by the Israeli Competition Authority, the Israeli Ministry of Communications, approved the transaction subject to certain conditions. The company is evaluating the conditions.

10:01 EDT Amazon announces new fulfillment center, delivery station in Fornery, TX - Amazon.com announced plans to open its first fulfillment center in Forney, Texas. The new fulfillment center, which is anticipated to launch in 2021, will create over 500 new full-time jobs with industry-leading pay and comprehensive benefits starting on day one. "We're excited to be expanding our network of operations in Forney," said Alicia Boler Davis, Amazon's vice president of global customer fulfillment. "We are grateful for the strong support we've received from local and state leaders as we broaden our footprint around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. We look forward to creating over 500 jobs for the local Forney community, with industry-leading pay and comprehensive benefits starting on day one." In the new one million square-foot fulfillment center Amazon associates will work to pick, pack, and ship bulky or larger-sized customer items such as patio furniture, outdoor equipment, or rugs. Amazon is also planning a new 200,000 square-foot delivery station in Forney, which is anticipated to launch later in 2020.

10:00 EDT Drug companies 'not happy' that drug prices 'are going down,' Trump tweets - President Donald Trump tweeted: "Drug companies, which are being forced by me to substantially reduce Drug Prices, are taking $millions in ads saying I want to increase Medicare Primiums. Wrong, just the opposite! These ads show DRUG PRICES ARE GOING DOWN, and they are not happy! False advertising!" Large cap drugmakers include AstraZeneca (AZN), Bristol-Myers (BMY), Eli Lilly (LLY), GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Merck (MRK), Novartis (NVS), Pfizer (PFE), Roche (RHHBY) and Sanofi (SNY). Reference Link

10:00 EDT Aegon falls -12.5% - Aegon is down -12.5%, or -43c to $3.02.

10:00 EDT Revolve Group rises 14.2% - Revolve Group is up 14.2%, or $2.77 to $22.27.

09:52 EDT Tapestry interim CEO: 'we are well positioned for shift to digital' - Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

09:47 EDT Revolve Group rises 17.5% - Revolve Group is up 17.5%, or $3.42 to $22.92.

09:41 EDT Kandi America announces partnership with Wrench for repair service - Kandi America, the U.S. subsidiary of Kandi Technologies Group, announced its partnership with Wrench, a mobile vehicle maintenance and repair solution that "brings dealer-quality service to consumers and fleet customers across the U.S." "As we bring America's most affordable electric vehicles to the market later this year, we are committed to ensuring consumers receive the highest level of customer service - from the moment they pick up their Kandi EV through the entire life cycle of the vehicle. This partnership with Wrench allows us to deliver on that promise by providing a mobile vehicle maintenance and repair service at the convenience of Kandi EV drivers," said Johnny Tai, CEO of Kandi America.

09:24 EDT Genius Brands hires SpongeBob writer Steven Banks for SUPERHERO KINDERGARTEN - Genius Brands International released a letter to shareholders from Chairman & CEO Andy Heyward. The letter read in part, " SpongeBob SquarePants, in my opinion, is the most clever and well-written children's series of the last 20 years. I share this because at Genius Brands, we hired that same head writer of SpongeBob, Steven Banks, to be head writer of STAN LEE'S SUPERHERO KINDERGARTEN. After reading the "Pilot Episode" of the series, I'm more excited than ever about Superhero Kindergarten becoming a mega-hit and pillar of enduring value for Genius Brands. In fact, we are so excited, I'm sharing the 'Pilot Script' and the 'Series Bible' for everyone to read and enjoy. Studios generally don't share their scripts or their work products before they come out. In fact, it's extremely unusual. They don't want to be ripped off, or tip their hands to the competition. However, at Genius Brands, we think that Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten is so superior, that it would be very, very, hard for anyone to catch this fast-moving bullet train. The team crafting this show, in my opinion, is the very best out there. Kartoon Channel!'s Chief Content Officer, David Neuman, is personally giving script notes and supervising a punch up of the scripts. From our multi-Emmy Award-winning animation director, Mike Maliani, to celebrated film director John Landis-who will be directing Arnold Schwarzenegger's voice, and the best kids' voices anywhere-Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten is one of 5 tentpoles of value being built at Genius Brands, and we are sure that when you read the Pilot Script and the Series Bible, you will agree...Each of the below, we believe, will be powerful revenue and earnings drivers going forward. Here is a quick update for you to know why our team is so confident...Kartoon Channel!-We first announced Kartoon Channel! as a viewing destination which would be a 'Netflix for Kids, but Free.' Since we went live on June 25, we have had tens of thousands of viewers sign up for the programming service which is available in over 90% of U.S. TV households in over 100 million homes and on over 200 million mobile devices. We continue to grow every day. Within the first 24 hours, the iOS app has had thousands of downloads and the reviews in the APP STORE have been 5 Stars...Stan Lee Universe-We are working hard to make this the next Marvel. Having acquired the rights to the name, the likeness, the signature, and IP of Stan Lee, the visionary man behind all of Marvel, and the creator of 5 of the top 12 biggest grossing movies of all time, including the #1 biggest movie of all time, the Avengers Endgame, we know we are sitting on a treasure chest of huge creative wealth and we are carefully putting the pieces in place to unlock it. Believe me, the industry has taken note, and we have had multiple inquiries from the most important companies in media and retail seeking to participate. Chairman of the Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger, recently said, "Stan Lee was as extraordinary as the characters he created. A superhero in his own right to Marvel fans around the world."...RAINBOW RANGERS-Rainbow Rangers is a series we began developing five years ago when we were first told by retailers that there would be a vacuum in pre-school girls' products at this time. We brought on three of the most successful creators in Hollywood- Rob Minkoff, Director of Disney's Lion King, Shane Morris, Co-Writer of Disney's Frozen, and Elise Allen, Head writer of Disney Channel's Lion Guard. Together, they created a masterpiece for us as we pivoted away from girls shows about princesses and instead went to empowered aspirational girls who care about our planet and fixing it...CATALOG-The 4th tentpole of revenue for Genius is our catalog. We have shows like Llama Llama on Netflix starring Jennifer Garner, based on the NYT Best Selling children's books. We run the merchandise program for that as well, which we share with the author and Penguin Books. There are over 30 million Llama Llama books in print, and we are confident that they will drive continuous global catalog sales as well as consumer products from which the company enjoys a robust royalty. Llama Llama is joined by other shows like Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaires Club and Thomas Edison's Secret Lab, shows where kids learn lessons in financial literacy and in science respectively. There are several hundred shows in our catalog and taken together, they present a powerful asset which will be continuously licensed to broadcasters around the world...Genius Brands is in an extraordinary financial position today. Our balance sheet is pristine. We have ZERO debt, and over $50 million in cash. We run an efficient and lean organization, and we have low overhead. Particularly so vis a vis our competitors. We have substantial receivables and substantial assets which are poised to begin throwing off cash from global program sales of shows already produced and painstakingly paid for over the last few years, as well as a large number of consumer products licensees who pay us royalties for our characters appearing on their products. We expect to start seeing the fruits of all of this in Q1 2021, as well as ad sales from the growing Kartoon Channel! starting to now come online."

09:20 EDT Rogers for Business collaborates with Roambee for asset monitoring - Rogers for Business and Roambee announced a strategic collaboration to provide Canadian businesses with real-time monitoring for shipments and assets indoors, outdoors, and on the go. With COVID-19 continuing to have an impact on the shipment of goods across borders, Roambee's solution allows businesses to have more visibility of their goods and assets and control over their supply chain. This collaboration enables businesses to take advantage of Internet of Things technologies, resulting in a smarter, more agile supply chain and connected operations.

09:19 EDT Tapestry sees continued sequential improvement in Q1, stores to remain pressured - Management does not expect to see positive results until the second-half of next year. Management expects store traffic to remain pressured. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

09:18 EDT Calix expands compliance testing support for CAF II recipients - Calix announced new updates in Calix Support Cloud related to regulatory compliance of broadband performance testing for CAF II recipients. Bolstering a longstanding commitment to providing support to communications service providers, or CSP, Calix has developed a dynamic broadband performance testing solution to ensure CSPs can stay on top of funding-related deadlines and avoid potential penalties.

09:16 EDT Digital Ally announces partnership with DANA Safety Supply - Digital Ally announced a new partnership with DANA Safety Supply to be a certified domestic outfitter of the Company's law enforcement video solution products. This partnership will help to supply law enforcement agencies nationwide with much-needed video evidence recording technology.

09:12 EDT Hoth Therapeutics submits request for BioLexa trial to Australia Ethics Board - Hoth Therapeutics has submitted for ethics approval in Australia for its planned Clinical study of its therapeutic BioLexa for Atopic Dermatitis. The ethics submission was made to the Bellberry Human Research Ethics Committee in Australia. Hoth's proposed study will be to determine the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of twice daily application of topical BioLexa in healthy subjects and patients with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis. BioLexa is a proprietary antimicrobial therapy designed for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.

09:11 EDT GeoVax Labs announces collaboration for development of vaccines - GeoVax Labs announced a multi-party collaboration for the development of Sudan ebolavirus and Marburg virus vaccine candidates. SUDV and MARV cause viral hemorrhagic fevers. The collaboration between GeoVax, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch, and Battelle Memorial Institute, and will utilize the suite of preclinical services from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. Under the collaboration, GeoVax's SUDV and MARV vaccine candidates will be tested for immunogenicity and efficacy in the benchmark nonhuman primate model. The studies will include two vaccine regimens -- single-dose and prime/boost immunization -- for each vaccine tested. Animals will receive a lethal dose of either SUDV or MARV following corresponding vaccine inoculations and monitored for morbidity and mortality. Additionally, the humoral and cellular immune responses to vaccination will be evaluated in detail. The studies will be funded under NIAID contract no. HHSN272201800131.

09:06 EDT Zealand Pharma accelerateq U.S. commercial operations - Zealand Pharma announces acceleration of U.S. commercial operations through the completion of the Valeritas acquisition; FDA acceptance of New Drug Application submission for the dasiglucagon HypoPal rescue pen; pipeline progress including completion of patient enrollment in first Phase 3 trial of dasiglucagon in CHI; and completion of a direct issue and private placement for DKK 657.7 million.

09:04 EDT Stein Mart to close 279 locations through going out of business sales - On August 12, Stein Mart filed for Chapter 11 reorganization and authorized going out of business sales by a joint venture comprising Gordon Brothers, Hilco Merchant Resources, Tiger Capital Group, B. Riley Financial's Great American Group and SB360 Capital Partners. The sale process is underway at all 279 Stein Mart locations across the U.S.

09:02 EDT CVS Health to hire for approximately 300 new jobs across Arizona - In anticipation of the increased demand for influenza vaccinations and the likely ongoing presence of COVID-19 this fall, CVS Health announced the hiring of approximately 300 new jobs throughout Arizona over the coming months. The new roles are seasonal and for part-time and full-time licensed pharmacy technicians at CVS Pharmacy locations. The positions will be filled as soon as possible. Some seasonal employees will have the opportunity to apply for or be promoted into permanent roles with the company.

08:59 EDT Tapestry interim CEO: 'we believe in benefits of our multi-brand model' - During the Q&A portion of the Q4 earnings conference call, an analyst asked Tapestry management if the company wouldn't be better off with the individual brands separated from the parent company. Interim CEO Joanne Crevoiserat said, "we believe in the benefits of our multi-brand model." Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

08:47 EDT CV Sciences announces publication of papers in Journal of Dietary Supplements - CV Sciences announced the publication of two papers in the Journal of Dietary Supplements' first Special Issue on Cannabinoids. In this issue, CV Sciences' team of physicians and scientists took the opportunity to contribute to the growing body of scientific evidence on hemp-derived CBD as a non-prescription product. Dr. Douglas Mackay, N.D., Senior Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs for CV Sciences teamed up with Cannabis expert and academic Dr. Igor Koturbash, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences as co-editors of the Special Issue on Cannabinoids and provided the editorial, "Cannabidiol and Other Cannabinoids: From Toxicology and Pharmacology to the Development of a Regulatory Pathway." The editorial outlines the intent of the Special Issue on Cannabinoids, which is to address key scientific questions related to benefits, safety, and composition of popular hemp-derived CBD products. Dr. Osvaldo Marinotti, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, CV Sciences, and Miles Sarill, M.Sc., National Educator for CV Sciences, co-authored, "Differentiating Full-Spectrum Hemp Extracts from CBD Isolates: Implications for Policy, Safety and Science." Both papers intended to add peer-reviewed scientific evidence that supports FDA's request for "data that may help to address uncertainties and data gaps related to CBD, including real world evidence to address safety questions". The same Special Issue on Cannabinoids in the Journal of Dietary supplements also published the two previously announced research studies demonstrating the safety and health benefits of PlusCBD products: Published on May 25, 2020, "Post Marketing Safety of Plus CBD(TM) Products, a Full Spectrum Hemp Extract: A 2-Year Experience," this study adds to the growing body of literature that supports the safe use of hemp-derived CBD as a dietary supplement. The data confirm a low rate of adverse effects in millions of consumers taking PlusCBD products over a two-year period. A noteworthy finding was the absence of any reports of liver toxicity, which has been described in studies using high doses of CBD as a prescription drug. Lead author Stephen Schmitz, MD, MPH and co-founder of Supplement Safety Solutions, stated, "This is the first longitudinal study of a CBD dietary supplement being used in real-world conditions. This study represents two years of data and daily product use from millions of consumers and demonstrates that CV Sciences' products are safe and well tolerated. Published on May 27, 2020, "Effects of Hemp Extract on Markers of Wellness, Stress Resilience, Recovery and Clinical Biomarkers of Safety in Overweight, But Otherwise Healthy Subjects," this study used PlusCBD products to determine their benefits on stress resilience, perceived recovery, mood, affect, body composition, and clinical safety markers in healthy human subjects. The peer reviewed manuscripts created an opportunity for scientific and policy debate from a variety of expert viewpoints, including the article by P.S. Cogan, Ph.D., "Reality and Legality: Disentangling What is Actual from What is Tolerated in Comparison of Hemp Extracts with Pure CBD," which suggested that hemp products with CBD are more appropriately regulated in alignment with current tobacco regulations. CV Sciences advocates that hemp-derived CBD products are dietary supplements, and we recognize that transparent public debate regarding these important issues are a critical component for sensible hemp-derived product regulations to be enacted.

08:46 EDT Qiagen up 1.5% after Thermo Fisher fails to reach tender acceptance threshold

08:44 EDT QIAGEN announces growth strategy - QIAGEN said in a release, "QIAGEN's growth strategy is anchored on these commercial initiatives: Support global response to the coronavirus pandemic: QIAGEN employees around the world are fully mobilized to address the urgent demand for testing solutions needed in the global response to the coronavirus pandemic. Sales growth of 14% in constant currency terms for the first half of 2020 reflected the significant demand for these products, supporting the outlook for growth trends in the second half of 2020 continuing into 2021. QIAGEN's initiatives focus on building the most comprehensive portfolio of solutions for COVID-19 testing. These include ramping up production of viral RNA extraction for use on QIAGEN's QIAcube, QIAsymphony and EZ1 platforms as well as third-party instruments; building up a range of PCR tests on the QIAstat-Dx and NeuMoDx systems that enable COVID-19 detection while analyzing samples at the same time for other respiratory infections; and delivering universal next-generation sequencing solutions for use with any sequencer, in particular gene panels integrated with bioinformatics for analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. QIAGEN is also scaling up production capacity for reagents sold to other companies for use in their own COVID-19 tests. New QIAGEN products in accelerated development include a serology test (assessing the body's immune response to the coronavirus via antibodies) and a rapid antigen test (detection of an active coronavirus infection), planned for launch in the second half of 2020; Strengthen excellence in sample technologies: QIAGEN plans to build on its market and technology leadership in sample technologies, a wide range of solutions to extract nucleic acids from biological samples. QIAGEN continues to roll out innovative sample technologies for liquid biopsies, sample and library preparation for next-generation sequencing and metagenomics applications. Development initiatives include new products in response to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as innovations for customers in areas such as research, clinical healthcare and forensics that include new applications based on 96-well plates; Extend leadership in tuberculosis detection: Amid predictions that tuberculosis will make a resurgence due to the global disruption to testing initiatives, QIAGEN is implementing a strategy to accelerate the adoption of QuantiFERON-TB in the fight against this pandemic disease. TB is estimated to kill more than 1.5 million people annually. Sales in the first half of 2020 were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, but experienced accelerating trends in regions where quarantines and lockdown measures have been eased. QIAGEN's highly flexible laboratory automation solutions for QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus - anchored by partnerships with DiaSorin, Hamilton and Tecan - are supporting the conversion from tuberculin skin tests to modern blood-based technology. Additionally, QIAGEN is advancing plans for the launch of QuantiFERON-TB Access (QFT Access), a new version of the gold-standard TB detection test dedicated and tailored to the needs of low-resource settings with a high disease burden of TB. Accelerate commercialization of NeuMoDx and QIAstat-Dx systems: QIAGEN intends to move forward with the acquisition of the remaining 80.1% stake in NeuMoDx Molecular, Inc. that it currently does not own. This transaction, which requires customary regulatory approvals and clearances, is expected to be completed for a purchase price of approximately $234 million. QIAGEN expects NeuMoDx to provide significant sales contributions in the future based on its differentiation as a rapid, integrated PCR-based platform that offers a dedicated COVID-19 test as well as an expanding menu of tests for other infectious diseases, such as a new multiplex test combining analysis for influenza, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and the SARS-CoV-2 virus, expected to be launched in the second half of 2020. QIAGEN currently does not consolidate in its financial statements the results of operations of NeuMoDx Molecular, Inc. Additional details on this proposed acquisition are planned to be disclosed when QIAGEN reports results for the third quarter and first nine months of 2020. Additionally, QIAGEN plans to accelerate initiatives to support the expansion of the QIAstat-Dx syndromic testing platform, in particular initiatives to make significant investments to increase production capacity for system cartridges at sites in Hilden, Germany, and Barcelona, Spain, as well as expand the menu of tests on this platform for use in detecting various diseases; Enter digital PCR market with QIAcuity launch: Among the leading new product launches in development is QIAGEN's differentiated entry into digital PCR, a fast-growing market in genomic research. QIAcuity is a series of differentiated new platforms designed to make this technology more accessible and attractive to Life Sciences laboratories worldwide. QIAGEN has a growing pipeline of over 1,500 customer leads, and has increased production capacity in light of higher-than-expected demand."

08:40 EDT Open Lending signs A+ Federal Credit Union to Lenders Protection Program - Open Lending announced that A+ Federal Credit Union, a $1.9B institution based in Austin, TX, has signed with Open Lending to implement their Lenders Protection program.

08:37 EDT ReTo Eco-Solutions receives Nasdaq filing extension notice until October 31 - ReTo Eco-Solutions has received an extension notice from Nasdaq stating that the company has until October 31 to file its annual report for 2019 to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rules. The company's common shares will continue to trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol "RETO." The company noted its Form 20-F filing was delayed due to auditing challenges surrounding COVID-19 in China. The company's audit is in process and expected to be completed in a timely manner in order to allow the filing of its Form 20-F on or before October 31.

08:36 EDT Novocure announces Wilco Groenhuysen as COO, other leadership promotions - Novocure (NVCR) announced an expansion of its executive leadership team, effective September 1. After eight years of service as CFO, Wilco Groenhuysen has been appointed to an expanded COO role responsible for the general and administrative management of the company. He will also assume responsibility for the strategic and operational leadership of Novocure's supply chain, warehousing and distribution, quality assurance and information technology operations. Groenhuysen is tasked to ensure organizational readiness in anticipation of the completion of four Phase 3 clinical trials over the next few years. Ashley Cordova has been promoted to CFO and will assume responsibility for the oversight of Novocure's global financial operations, including financial reporting, financial planning and analysis, treasury, tax, and investor relations. In her new role, Cordova will report directly to Asaf Danziger, Novocure's CEO. Cordova has played a role in leading multiple financial functions for Novocure with increasing responsibilities since she joined as director of global treasury in 2014. Prior to joining Novocure, Ms. Cordova served in various financial roles at Pfizer (PFE). Frank Leonard has been promoted to chief development officer, a newly created executive role with responsibility for engineering, product development, business development and the overall strategic and operational leadership of Novocure's innovation platforms. In his new role, Leonard will report directly to Danziger. Leonard joined Novocure in 2010 to help prepare the company for the commercial launch of Optune. In this role, he established Novocure's health policy and business development groups, and additionally led various finance functions. Prior to joining Novocure, Leonard was a venture capital investor focused on high-impact medical technologies.

08:34 EDT ThermoGenesis enters into supply agreement for COVID-19 test - ThermoGenesis entered into a supply agreement with BioHit Healthcare to market, under the ThermoGenesis brand, its SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG Antibody Test Kit, which has already received Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA. The company simultaneously withdrew its own EUA submission for the previously announced SARS-CoV-2 - COVID-19 - Antibody Fast Detection Kit. The new ThermoGenesis branded SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgG Antibody Test Kit is expected to initiate marketing on August 17. The company has recently filed patent applications for a companion reader which quantifies and improves the speed and accuracy of serological assays, and also allows for disease incidence tracking within a population. The company intends to realign its internal product line to file an updated EUA application, at a later date, for the cartridge reader and companion serological assays.

08:33 EDT Acasti Pharma sees cash sufficient into 1Q21 - Cash and cash equivalents totaled $12.1 million as of June 30, 2020, compared to $16.0 million at June 30, 2019. As stated above, Acasti believes that current cash will fully fund the Company's operations through the first calendar quarter of 2021.

08:32 EDT BioMarin says EMA validates MAA for vosoritide - BioMarin announced that the European Medicines Agency validated the company's Marketing Authorization Application for vosoritide, an investigational, once daily injection analog of C-type Natriuretic Peptide for children with achondroplasia, the most common form of disproportionate short stature in humans. The MAA review will commence on August 13. The company remains on track to submit a New Drug Application to the U.S. FDA in the third quarter. Vosoritide has Orphan Drug designation from the FDA and the EMA.

08:19 EDT Alcoa to extend consultation period regarding San Ciprian plant in Spain - Alcoa announced an agreement with the workers' representatives for the San Ciprian aluminum plant in Spain to extend the deadline of the formal consultation period for collective dismissal to September 28. The agreement is endorsed by the national and regional governments and includes a process to evaluate a potential sale of the aluminum plant to GFG Alliance, an organization that publicly expressed interest in acquiring the facility. A potential sale would include the 228,000 metric tons per year smelter and the casthouse. The aluminum facility will continue to operate during the sales evaluation process, consistent with the company's prior offer during the consultation period. If a sales agreement is not reached by September 27, the company and the workers' representatives would then meet for one day on September 28, on the single topic of a social plan that would include government-supported unemployment benefits, or ETRE, or, barring no agreement on an ERTE, the implementation of a permanent collective dismissal. The formal consultation period began on June 25 and included discussions of a restructuring plan for the aluminum facility that aimed at ending persistent and recurring financial losses. On August 5, Alcoa announced that the last meeting of the formal consultation period ended without an agreement with the workers' representatives. With the agreement announced, the formal consultation period will be extended through September 28. The San Ciprian site has both an aluminum plant and an alumina refinery. The alumina refinery is not included in the consultation or the sales process.

08:18 EDT MoneyGram Online reports 207% y-o-y growth in July cross-border transactions - MoneyGram reported record 207% July year-over-year cross-border digital transaction growth for MoneyGram Online, its direct-to-consumer digital business. This channel was the key driver of overall digital transaction growth of 124% that enabled 17% total money transfer transaction growth in July, an acceleration from 10% year-over-year money transfer transaction growth in June. MoneyGram Online, the company's direct-to-consumer channel, delivered 126% year-over-year transaction growth in July, led by cross-border transaction growth of 207% as strong adoption of the MoneyGram app continues to grow in markets around the world. Digital partnerships delivered 101% year-over-year transaction growth in July, an acceleration from 97% year-over-year transaction growth in Q2. Account deposit and mobile wallet transactions increased 165% in July, which is an acceleration from Q2 where the company reported 148% year-over-year transaction growth. Growth has been driven by markets such as India where sends to bank accounts increased more than 320% compared to the prior year.

08:18 EDT Assure Holdings closes $6.5M loan facility - Assure Holdings announced it has signed a new $4M term loan and a $2.5M operating line of credit, for a total of $6.5M with Colorado based, Central Bank & Trust, a part of Farmers & Stockmens Bank. The Loan Facility will be used to replace the Company's current $3M facility with Bank of Oklahoma. Under the conditions of the agreement governing the Loan Facility, the Term Loan bears interest at the Wall Street Journal prime rate plus 2.0% and matures on August 12, 2024. Commencing on September 1, 2020, interest on the Term Loan is payable on the first calendar day of each month until May 1, 2021. Commencing on August 1, 2021, principal payments in the amount of $307,695, together with interest, shall be made quarterly until maturity. In addition, the Operating Line bears interest at a rate of WSJ plus 2.0% and matures on August 12, 2022. Commencing on September 1, 2020, the Operating Line is repayable, together with interest, on the first calendar day of each month until maturity. The use of proceeds from both facilities will be utilized to repay certain outstanding indebtedness, for working capital and general corporate purposes and funding the Company's expansion plans. Assure did not issue any shares, warrants, or options in connection with this transaction.

08:15 EDT Mirati Therapeutics partners with Strata Oncology for patient enrollment - Mirati Therapeutics has signed an agreement with Strata Oncology, a precision oncology company advancing molecular indications for cancer therapies, to broaden patient identification and enrollment for Mirati's Phase 1/2 study of MRTX849 in patients with cancer having a KRAS G12C mutation. The multiple expansion cohort study will evaluate the safety, tolerability, drug levels, molecular effects, and clinical activity of MRTX849 in patients with advanced solid tumors who have a KRAS G12C mutation. Strata Oncology will identify patients with advanced solid tumors who have a KRAS G12C mutation and meet other eligibility criteria, to be considered for enrollment into Mirati's Phase 1/2 study.

08:13 EDT AMC Entertainment to reopen two thirds of theaters by September 3 - AMC Entertainment (AMC) currently expects to open approximately two thirds of its more than 600 U.S. theater locations in time for the September 3 release of Warner Bros.' Tenet, following Disney's (DIS) August 28 release of The New Mutants. The remainder of AMC's U.S. theaters will open only after authorized to do so by state and local officials.

08:13 EDT Capstone Turbine secures consecutive 200-kw orders in Poland - Capstone Turbine said in a release, "Capstone Turbine announced that it received two consecutive orders that include a C200S for a wastewater treatment facility and a C200R for a recreational waterpark in Poland. ASPAMET, Capstone's exclusive distributor in Poland, secured the orders, which are expected to be commissioned in early 2021."

08:10 EDT Neptune Wellness receives U.S. EPA Company Number for disinfectant wipes - Neptune Wellness is pleased to announce that its subsidiary, Neptune Health & Wellness Innovation, has received a Company Number from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for surface disinfectant wipes. With receipt of the EPA Company Number, Neptune now has the ability to develop new surface disinfectant products for EPA regulatory approval and to distribute existing surface disinfectant products in the U.S. leveraging its white label turnkey product development capabilities.

08:09 EDT Verizon launches Hyper Precise Location using Real Time Kinematics - Verizon ushers in a new era of GPS solutions with the launch of Hyper Precise Location using Real Time Kinematics, hyper-precise location technology that provides location accuracy within one to two centimeters, on the Verizon network. Verizon has built and deployed RTK reference stations nationwide to provide pinpoint level accuracy to RTK compatible IoT devices. RTK will also support emerging technologies that depend on high level location accuracy - things like delivery drones and customer-approved location data for first responders during emergencies.

08:08 EDT Biocept enters pact with healthcare group to provide COVID-19 testing - Biocept announces it has entered into an agreement with a healthcare group to provide COVID-19 testing to skilled nursing facilities. The group operates and supports more than 50 facilities in multiple states, with most located in California, the state with one of the most stringent COVID-19 testing regulations in the U.S. Several of the skilled nursing facilities have implemented Biocept's cutting-edge, new online ordering system for ease-of-use to customers. Biocept's new systems makes COVID-19 test ordering efficient for clients and streamlines the front-end onboarding process within Biocept's CLIA laboratory, allowing increased testing capacity and decreased costs. Biocept believes its test performance, quality and customer service are ideal for supporting healthcare facilities to care for their residents and patients as they stay compliant with state mandates.

08:07 EDT Blue Ridge Bankshares, Bay Banks merger to deliver 'significant accretion' - The transaction is projected to deliver significant earnings accretion to both companies in 2021, assuming 75% cost savings are phased in, and will result in excess of 7% tangible book value accretion to the surviving currency for BRBS. The companies have identified $8.2M dollars in expected net cost savings with 75% phased in by 2021 and 100% thereafter, representing approximately 10.5% of the projected 2021 combined non-interest expenses. The combined company is expected to achieve strong core profitability metrics of 1.20% ROAA and 15% ROATCE in 2021, incorporating 75% of the fully phased-in cost savings.

08:06 EDT J.Jill further extends forbearance period to complete negotiations - J.Jill announced that the company and its lenders have further amended the company's existing forbearance agreements, dated as of June 15 to extend the forbearance period, providing additional time for J.Jill and its lenders to complete negotiations. The forbearance period has been extended by two weeks, through August 27. As previously announced, the company entered into the two existing forbearance agreements, as amended on July 29 with the lenders under its ABL and term loan credit facilities. The existing forbearance agreements are described in a current report on Form 8-K filed by the company with the SEC on June 15. Under the amendments to the existing forbearance agreements, the respective lenders have agreed not to exercise any rights and remedies until August 27, so long as, among other things, the company otherwise remains in compliance with its credit facilities and complies with the terms of the forbearance agreements.

08:05 EDT Blue Ridge Bankshares, Bay Banks to combine in an all-stock merger - Blue Ridge Bankshares and Bay Banks of Virginia, jointly announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which the companies will combine in an all-stock merger to create a leading Virginia-based community bank with a pro forma total market capitalization approaching $200M. Under the terms of the merger agreement, which was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, Bay Banks shareholders will receive 0.50 shares of Blue Ridge common stock for each share of Bay Banks common stock they own. Upon completion of the merger, Bay Banks shareholders will own approximately 54% and Blue Ridge shareholders will own approximately 46% of the combined company. The combined company and bank will operate under the Blue Ridge name and will trade under the ticker symbol "BRBS" on the NYSE American stock exchange. The holding company will be headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the subsidiary bank will be headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. As of June 30, the pro forma company would have approximately $2.4B in assets, $1.9B in loans and $2.2B in deposits, ranking it 4th in community bank deposit market share for institutions under $10B in assets in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The transaction, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021, is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, and approval from the shareholders of Blue Ridge and Bay Banks.

08:02 EDT Avis Budget CFO John North to step down, Brian Choi to succeed - Avis Budget Group announced that John North III will transition from CFO to pursue other interests. Brian Choi will assume the role of CFO on August 24, 2020. As part of the transition, Mr. Choi will resign from the Avis Budget Group Board of Directors and will also no longer have any affiliation with SRS Investment Management. Mr. North will remain with Avis Budget Group as an advisor through the end of the year to help facilitate a smooth transition. With Mr. Choi's resignation, the Avis Budget Board will be reduced from seven to six members and the cooperation agreement with SRS Management has been amended accordingly.

07:54 EDT Fat Brands jumps 175% to $9.71 after agreeing to acquire Johnny Rockets for $25M

07:50 EDT BioCardia announces anticipated upcoming milestones - Q3 2020: First patient treated in CardiAMP Chronic Myocardial Ischemia Trial; Q3 2020: FDA acceptance of Investigational New Drug application for CardiALLO Neurokinin-1 Receptor Positive Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy, the Company's allogenic therapeutic platform, for the treatment of ischemic heart failure; Q4 2020: Pre-specified Data Safety Monitoring Board Review of all patients enrolled in the CardiAMP Heart Failure Trial, including futility analysis, based on sixty patients that will have reached the primary one-year follow-up endpoint at the time of analysis; Q4 2020: Pre-specified Data Safety Monitoring Board Review of safety data from roll-in cohort in CardiAMP CMI Trial; Q4 2020: FDA acceptance of Investigational New Drug application for Neurokinin-1 Receptor Positive Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for the treatment of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome as a result of COVID-19; Q4 2020: Targeted commercial availability of Avance Transseptal Sheath.

07:45 EDT Intertape Polymer sees 2020 capex $30-$40M - "The shelter-in-place practices implemented across North America, together with the de-stocking practices at distributors, impacted our end market demand across the portfolio by up to 20% at times during the second quarter. As these practices have subsided, across different regions at different times, we have seen a notable improvement in our order book. Given the rapid change in demand and the pace of the demand recovery we experienced in just the second quarter alone, it remains very challenging to be definitive with an outlook. As a result we will not be providing specific outlook metrics at this time. However, the strength in e-commerce demand, which some reports estimate has pulled forward two or more years of growth into the e-commerce channel, and the sustainability of this increased demand should be key drivers for organic growth in our carton sealing and protective packaging applications. The pandemic may result in a permanent shift in the composition of our end markets in the event e-commerce growth is sustained at current levels. The investments we have made in water-activated tape capacity, protective packaging and packaging automation solutions, including sustainable alternatives within each category, put us in a strong position to compete as a leader in packaging and protective solutions," continued Mr. Yull. The Company's expectations for fiscal year 2020 capital expenditures remains the same as previously disclosed, at between $30 and $40 million, which management proactively reduced as a precautionary measure given market uncertainty caused by COVID-19. The Company has lowered the expected effective tax rate for 2020 to 20% to 25% from the prior expectation of 25% to 30% as a result of a favourable mix of earnings between jurisdictions. This range excludes the potential impact of further changes in the mix of earnings between jurisdictions. Cash taxes paid in 2020 are still expected to approximate income tax expense which reflects the decreased availability of tax attributes in the form of tax credits and loss carryforwards.

07:39 EDT Golar LNG says board approves range of options to reorganize company - The company said, "We intend to convert the announced Memorandum of Understanding with Norsk Hydro into an agreement for LNG and regasification capacity in Barcarena and take a Final Investment Decision on the terminal within 4 - 6 months. Six months later we expect to take FID on the associated 605MW power station. Following the Norsk Hydro announcement, Golar Power has been approached by a number of other mining companies seeking a similar solution. These opportunities will be pursued. Based on the deal announced with Galileo we will also seek to expand the use of Bio-LNG to meet small scale customer requirements. Arrangements for locating a Floating Storage Unit at Suape remain on track to be finalized later this year. Before the end of 2020 we also expect to formalize our partnership agreement with BR Distribuidora S.A. and progress our LNG distribution facilities into BR Distribuidora's Brazilian fuel stations to optimize the roll-out of infrastructure and allow consumers to convert from diesel, heavy fuel oil and coal to cleaner, cheaper LNG. Replicating the success of the Brazil gas to power business internationally remains a focus for the remainder of 2020 and into 2021. FLNG: Although most parts of the FLNG Gimi supply chain have quickly recovered from delays as a result of lockdowns, progress in the yard was impacted during Q2 by the "Circuit Breaker" in Singapore. While the situation is now stabilizing as construction manning ramps up, recovering the lost yard time within the original schedule is no longer possible. The contemplated delay to Golar's ability to deliver the vessel is anticipated to be less than that currently claimed by BP, and constructive discussions with BP to agree these two schedules are continuing. We continue to engage positively with charterers Perenco and SNH on increasing utilization of Hilli Episeyo. Golar will also continue to develop and market its Mark III new build FLNG. The Company is increasingly comfortable that this solution can be delivered at a cost per ton of LNG that is comparable with Hilli Episeyo and significantly cheaper than most greenfield land-based LNG facilities. LNG Shipping: We expect the Q3 2020 TCE1 to be around $35,000 per day, with utilization of around 78% based on fixtures to date, a later than anticipated completion of the Golar Tundra dry-dock, and the prevailing spot market conditions. This compares favorably to utilization of 65% achieved for Q3 2019. As we move into the winter market we will continue to seek to place those vessels coming off contract into new long-term charters, adopting a portfolio of structures that focus on utilization. Based on the current gas price contango, the potential upside for rates is substantially higher than current headline levels. No further dry-docks are planned this year. Corporate: The strategic review has concluded and the Board has approved a range of specific options to re-organize the company into separate, attractive and investible businesses to enhance financial flexibility and transparency by ensuring each business line is financed on a standalone basis. We intend to implement a selection of these options in the near future subject to further Board approval."

07:33 EDT Kirkland Lake Gold announces sale of Osisko, Novo shares - Kirkland Lake Gold announced that it has filed two early warning reports in connection with the disposition of 32,627,632 common shares of Osisko Mining and 748,700 common shares of Novo Resources Corp. The Company also announced that it has purchased an additional 863,500 common shares of Kirkland Lake Gold for cancellation under its normal course issuer bid. To date in 2020, the Company has purchased a total of 11.9 million common shares for US$388.4 million. On August 10, 2020, the Company disposed of 32,627,632 common shares of Osisko through the facilities of the Toronto Stock Exchange at a price of $4.45 per OSK Share for total consideration of $145,192,962. Following the disposition of the OSK Shares, Kirkland Lake Gold no longer holds any shares of Osisko. Immediately prior to the disposition, Kirkland Lake Gold held 32,627,632 OSK Shares, representing approximately 9.57% of the issued and outstanding OSK Shares on a non-diluted basis. Between August 7, 2020 and August 12, 2020, the Company disposed of 538,700 common shares of Novo through the facilities of the Toronto Stock Exchange at an average price of $3.52 per NVO Share for a total consideration of $1,894,786. In June 2020, the Company disposed of 210,000 NVO Shares at an average price of $3.28 for a total consideration of $689,024. Prior to the dispositions, the Company held 29,830,268 NVO Shares and 14,000,000 warrants of Novo representing approximately 15.81% of the issued and outstanding NVO Shares on a non-diluted basis and 21.62% on a partially diluted basis, assuming the exercise of the Novo Warrants. The completion of these dispositions has resulted in a 0.4% decrease in the Company's holdings in Novo. Immediately following this disposition, the Company now holds 29,081,568 NVO Shares representing 15.41% of the issued and outstanding NVO Shares on a non-diluted basis and 21.25% on a partially diluted basis, assuming the exercise of the Novo Warrants. Both the OSK Shares and the NVO Shares were sold for investment purposes. Kirkland Lake Gold may, depending on market conditions, increase acquire or dispose of additional common shares or other securities of either Osisko or Novo in the future whether in transactions over the open market or through privately negotiated arrangements or otherwise, subject to a number of factors, including general market conditions and other available investment and business opportunities.

07:33 EDT AstraZeneca announces first shipment of Flumist Quadrivalent doses in the U.S. - AstraZeneca announced the first shipment of Flumist Quadrivalent, or Influenza Vaccine Live, doses in the U.S. for the 2020-2021 influenza season. Flumist Quadrivalent, the only nasal-spray flu vaccine, is indicated for those ages two through 49. It may not prevent influenza in everyone who gets vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, has recently issued statements encouraging the importance of flu vaccination rates for the 2020-21 season as a part of efforts to help reduce burden on the healthcare system and ensure resources are available should there be a resurgence or continuation at present levels of COVID-19 during that time. In response, AstraZeneca has increased production of Flumist Quadrivalent doses in the U.S. by over 25% more than previously planned, a majority of which are expected to be available by the end of September.

07:33 EDT Thermo Fisher says offer to acquire Qiagen has lapsed - Thermo Fisher (TMO) announced that its offer to acquire all of the ordinary shares of QIAGEN N.V. (QGEN) has lapsed. Based on information provided by the settlement agents for the offer, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft and American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, 107,546,187 QIAGEN shares, representing 47.02% of the issued and outstanding ordinary shares of QIAGEN, were validly tendered into the offer by the end of the acceptance period at 24:00 hours (Frankfurt am Main local time) / 18:00 hours (New York local time) on August 10, 2020. Accordingly, the minimum acceptance threshold condition to the offer has not been satisfied, and the offer has lapsed in accordance with its terms. Thermo Fisher has terminated the acquisition agreement with QIAGEN, and QIAGEN will pay to Thermo Fisher an expense reimbursement payment of $95M in cash in accordance with the terms of the acquisition agreement. Marc Casper, chairman, president and CEO of Thermo Fisher Scientific, said, "Thermo Fisher is a disciplined acquirer with a strong track record of executing value-creating transactions. We remain extremely well-positioned to deliver on our proven growth strategy and continue to generate significant returns for our shareholders."

07:27 EDT Obalon Therapeutics announces consulting agreement with Blue Ox - Obalon Therapeutics announced that it has executed a consulting agreement with Blue Ox Healthcare Partners, LLC, a private equity firm focused on commercial-ready companies bringing technology enabled innovation to healthcare, especially those involved in precision health, healthcare delivery, and affordability. The agreement calls for Blue Ox to provide consulting services to Obalon, including helping Obalon to develop and implement an effective coverage and reimbursement-based go-to-market strategy. Activities will include an evaluation of the current clinical evidence of the Obalon Balloon System, consideration of health economic studies to define cost of care reductions for patients with diabetes and hypertension resulting from its use, and assessments and readying of strategies for successful commercialization with managed care companies and risk-based providers. Obalon continued to reiterate that obtaining reimbursement is never certain and can take many years to achieve, and if achieved, may not be determinative of the Company's success. If initial efforts with payers begin to bear success, Obalon would expect to need to raise additional capital to support those efforts.

07:24 EDT SCWorx announces new agreements with healthcare organizations - SCWorx Corp. (Nasdaq: WORX) announced the signing of new agreements during the second quarter with two prominent not-for-profit Integrated Delivery Networks. The first organization is a specialty hospital providing services specifically to children. The second organization is a large fully integrated multi-hospital facility with revenues exceeding $5B annually. Both agreements are for 5 years with a one-time setup, annual license and monthly maintenance fees, totaling approximately $2.5M over 5 years. One of the agreements can be terminated by the customer after two years, in which case the minimum total value of both contracts would be approximately $2.2M. Both healthcare providers are members of larger associations of similar acute care hospitals. The SCWorx team will endeavor to demonstrate the benefits of the company's services to the other association members. SCWorx products and services provides healthcare providers granular and highly accurate information that links actual spend data to utilization and ultimately to billing allowing these hospitals to optimize their business and maximize their revenue at a time where it is critical that hospitals operate in the most efficient manner possible.

07:23 EDT XPO Logistics renews partnership with Asda - XPO Logistics has renewed its partnership with Asda Stores Ltd. to provide reverse logistics and other asset management services. The three-year contract extends XPO's relationship with the British supermarket chain to more than two decades. XPO will continue to manage the logistics for Asda's product trays through a network of nine sites. The returned assets are washed, inspected and reused for product distribution, or may be sold or recycled. XPO is an integral partner in Asda's zero-waste strategy, ensuring eco-friendly recycling of cardboard, plastic and food waste.

07:20 EDT Cerecor announces publication highlighting the role of LIGHT in COVID-19 ARDS - Cerecor announced the publication of a peer-reviewed paper demonstrating significantly elevated free LIGHT levels in the serum of hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 infection. The publication, entitled Levels of the TNF related cytokine, LIGHT, increased in hospitalized COVID-19 patients with Cytokine Release Syndrome and ARDS in the Journal mSphere by David S. Perlin et al, highlights the potential role of the inflammatory cytokine, LIGHT in the development of COVID-19 ARDS. Cerecor believes that the publication supports its clinical program evaluating CERC-002, the only clinical stage anti-LIGHT monoclonal antibody, as a potential treatment for patients with severe COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome. Dr. Perlin, chief scientific officer, senior vice president of the Center for Discovery and Innovation, and Professor of Medical Sciences at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, said, "Identifying the role of LIGHT in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 is a seminal finding pointing to understanding the potential mechanism by which COVID-19 infection leads to ARDS and suggests a promising new strategy to treat these patients." "We believe these compelling results strongly support our hypothesis that LIGHT plays an important role in COVID-19 ARDS and indicated that a clinical trial of CERC-002 in COVID-19 ARDS was a logical next step," said Dr. Garry Neil, chief scientific officer at Cerecor. "This study is now well underway, and we expect topline results in the fourth quarter of 2020. We are further exploring the potential role of LIGHT as a driver of and biomarker for ARDS in additional studies of both COVID-19 infected patients as well as in a broader patient population of non-COVID-19 associated ARDS patients. From these studies we hope to learn more about the role of LIGHT in ARDS in general, while potentially opening a path for treatment of a broader population of ARDS patients who have high mortality and, in many cases, lack effective treatment options."

07:16 EDT Heat Biologics reports preclinical data for gp96-based COVID-19 vaccine - Heat Biologics reported preclinical data for Heat's gp96-based COVID-19 vaccine. The data, generated at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, shows robust T cell mediated immune response directed against the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. Heat Biologics' COVID-19 vaccine induced the expansion of both killer CD8+ T cells that destroy virus infected cells, as well as helper CD4+ T cells that assist in producing highly specific antibodies. Both T cell subsets were shown to release cytokines that amplify the anti-viral immune response and, upon vaccination, memory CD8+ T cells migrated to the lungs and airways-the tissue-specific site of interest for SARS-CoV-2 infection. These lung and airway tissue resident memory CD8+ T cells are "crucial" in mounting an effective response to respiratory viruses. Jeff Wolf, CEO of Heat Biologics, commented, "We are encouraged by the progress being made by other companies developing vaccines against COVID-19. However, unlike most of these approaches that drive primarily an antibody response, our COVID-19 vaccine is designed to drive predominantly T cell immunity along with antibody responses and innate immunity. As a result, we believe our vaccine has the potential to be used as either a standalone vaccine, or in combination with these other approaches to enhance efficacy. I appreciate the tremendous support of Dr. Strbo and her team at the University of Miami, as well as the team at Heat who have worked around the clock given the urgency of the pandemic. We look forward to providing further updates as soon as possible."

07:12 EDT Tapestry CEO sees 'a return to sustained topline growth' in 2H21 - Joanne Crevoiserat, interim CEO said, "We have a clear vision, strong teams and three powerful brands supported by Tapestry's unique, enabling platform. I am confident that our strategy is the right one for our future. We are committed to strengthening our brands and organization by focusing first and foremost on the consumer, leveraging digital and data more fully, and creating a culture of empowerment and entrepreneurship to enhance responsiveness. As we enter the new fiscal year, we are taking deliberate actions to lower promotional activity and increase AURs across brands, resulting in gross margin expansion, while creating a scalable agile framework, notably through targeted reductions in SG&A. These initiatives are designed to create a strong foundation for profitable expansion over our planning horizon. Therefore, assuming continued steady recovery as we emerge from the pandemic, we would expect a return to sustained topline growth in the second half of fiscal 2021, with bottom line growth in each of fiscal 2021, 2022 and 2023."

07:09 EDT China Xiangtai Food launching hot pot franchise business - China Xiangtai Food plans to launch a hot pot franchise business and plans to open its first location in Chongqing by August 31. The company plans to expand the hot pot chain by applying a franchise model and increase the number of restaurants to 200 by the end of 2021. All restaurants will be operated under the company's own brand "Xiangtai Fresh Beef Hot Pot".

07:06 EDT scPharmaceuticals reports Q2 EPS (39c), consensus (42c) - "The highlight since our last quarterly update has been the FDA's acceptance of our FUROSCIX NDA resubmission, and the assignment of our PDUFA date, which is scheduled for December 30," said John Tucker, president and CEO. "In parallel, the financing that we completed in May, together with cash on-hand, provides us with the resources necessary to build a world-class commercial organization to execute a successful launch of FUROSCIX, if approved. We are pleased with our progress to date, and believe we are on the cusp of introducing a new treatment option for worsening heart failure."

07:06 EDT Passage Bio announces anticipated upcoming milestones - Initiate a Phase 1/2 trial for the lead program, PBGM01, for the treatment of patients with infantile GM1 late in the fourth quarter of 2020 or early in the first quarter of 2021. Report initial 30-day safety and biomarker data late in the first half of 2021. Continue to advance lead programs PBFT02 for the treatment of frontotemporal dementia and PBKR03 for the treatment of Krabbe disease toward clinical trial initiations in the first half of 2021. Continue to advance PBML04, PBLA05 and PBCM06 toward IND-enabling studies.

07:04 EDT Keros Therapeutics expects cash, cash equivalents to fund operations into 2H22 - Keros' cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2020 was $144.7 million compared to $54.5 million as of March 31, 2020. Keros expects that the cash and cash equivalents it had on hand at June 30, 2020 will fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the second half of 2022.

06:59 EDT TransEnterix names Shameze Rampertab as CFO, effective August 24 - TransEnterix (TRXC) announced that Shameze Rampertab has been appointed as the company's Executive Vice President and CFO, effective August 24. Most recently, Rampertab served as interim CEO (December 2019 to June 2020), CFO (March 2016 to August 2020), and Corporate Secretary and a director (April 2016 to August 2020) at Zomedica Pharmaceuticals (ZOM).

06:57 EDT Roper Technologies to acquire Vertafore in deal valued at about $5.35B -

06:54 EDT Tapestry sees ~$100M-$115M in additional charges under its Acceleration Program - The company is undergoing a review of its business under its multi-year growth agenda. This multi-faceted, multi-year strategic growth plan reflects: (i) actions to streamline the Company's organization; (ii) select store closures as the Company optimizes its fleet (including store closure costs incurred as brands exit certain regions in which they currently operate); and, (iii) professional fees and compensation costs incurred as a result of the development and execution of the Company's comprehensive strategic initiatives aimed at increasing profitability. Under the Acceleration Program, the Company expects to incur total charges of approximately $185 to $200 million. This includes charges of $87 million recorded in the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2020. These charges were primarily due to organization-related changes, driven by severance, and store closure costs, which include lease termination penalties, removal or modification of lease assets and liabilities established in connection with the adoption of the new lease accounting standard, as well as inventory reserves and accelerated depreciation under the Plan. Therefore, the Company expects to incur approximately $100 to $115 million in additional charges under its Acceleration Program, of which the majority is estimated to be cash and expected to be recorded in fiscal 2021.

06:53 EDT Tapestry reports inventory of $737M at end of Q4 - Versus ending inventory of $778M in the year ago period.

06:52 EDT Wex launches new ClearView Snap voice skill for Amazon Alexa - Wex (WEX) launched its new ClearView Snap voice skill for Amazon (AMZN) Alexa. ClearView Snap is a data analytics platform that offers fleet managers and administrators insights into fleet expenses through graphs and charts. This new integration will now allow customers to access their information through an interactive conversation. With the new skill, ClearView Snap customers can ask Alexa about fuel card metrics, purchasing trends, and transaction activity.

06:47 EDT Tapestry interim CEO says Q4 results 'exceeded internal expectations' - Joanne Crevoiserat, Interim CEO of Tapestry, said, "Our fourth quarter results reflected our effective and values-led approach to navigating the Covid-19 pandemic. This performance exceeded internal expectations, demonstrating the power of our unique brands and the decisive actions taken to adapt our business to the rapidly evolving environment and enhance financial flexibility. I am incredibly proud of our global teams for the resilience, passion and commitment they have shown during these unprecedented times. Looking forward, Tapestry's next chapter of growth is ours to write. While the backdrop remains volatile, it has not changed our long-term objectives. Rather, it has been a catalyst to accelerate our strategic agenda. Through our Acceleration Program, we are transforming into a world-class consumer centric organization that is more agile and data-driven with a digital-first mindset. We believe these initiatives will create stronger connections with our customers, fueling accelerated growth and profitability for Tapestry and each of our brands."

06:36 EDT Veru receives 'positive' FDA input regarding Phase 3 trial design for VERU-111 - In July, the company announced that it had received input from the U.S. FDA on its pivotal Phase 3 trial design for VERU-111, an oral, first-in-class, novel alpha and beta tubulin targeting drug candidate being evaluated for the treatment of metastatic castration and novel androgen receptor targeting agent resistant prostate cancer. "We received positive FDA input, agreement, and regulatory guidance regarding the design of the pivotal Phase 3 registration clinical trial for VERU-111," said Dr. Steiner. "We received clarity on a number of items including: the proposed indication of metastatic castration and novel androgen receptor targeting agent resistant prostate cancer, which is prior to IV chemotherapy population, being acceptable; an open label, randomized, active control study using an alternative novel androgen receptor targeting agent as the active control is reasonable; and a primary endpoint for the trial of radiographic progression-free survival. This last item is especially important because by allowing radiographic progression-free survival as an endpoint the sample size for the Phase 3 study could be potentially between 200 and 300 men. We plan to submit the final Phase 3 protocol to FDA in the fourth quarter of the current calendar year." Dr. Steiner added: "Patient enrollment of the Phase 2 trial is nearing completion and we are already observing some significant PSA declines. We anticipate commencing the global Phase 3 pivotal clinical study in the first quarter of calendar year 2021. As this study will be conducted in the U.S. and globally, we plan to get input from the European Medicines Agency as well."

06:31 EDT 3M reports July sales of $2.8B, up 6% y/y - Total sales for July increased 6 percent year-on-year to $2.8B. Organic local-currency sales increased 3 percent while acquisitions, net of divestitures, added an additional 3 percent. Foreign currency translation was neutral to sales year-on-year. Total sales increased 29 percent in Health Care, 9 percent in Consumer, and 6 percent in Safety and Industrial, while Transportation and Electronics declined 7 percent. Organic local-currency sales increased 11 percent in Health Care, 9 percent in Consumer, and 8 percent in Safety and Industrial, while Transportation and Electronics declined 6 percent. On a geographic basis, total sales increased 10 percent in the Americas, 3 percent in EMEA and were flat in Asia Pacific. Organic local-currency sales increased 6 percent in the Americas (including the U.S. up 8 percent), were flat in EMEA, and declined 1 percent in Asia Pacific (including China up 13 percent and Japan down 12 percent).

06:05 EDT AirNet Technology adopts shareholder rights plan - AirNet Technology said in a release, "AirNet Technology, formerly known as AirMedia Group, announced that its board has adopted a shareholder rights plan. Pursuant to the plan, the Company will issue one right with respect to each outstanding ordinary share of the Company of a par value of $0.001 each, held of record at the close of business on August 24. The shareholder rights plan, which has a term of one year, is designed to guard against coercive or otherwise unfair takeover tactics to gain control or undue influence of the Company without offering a fair and adequate price and terms to shareholders of the Company. The plan does not prevent the Board from considering or accepting an offer to acquire the Company if the board believes that such action is fair, advisable and in the best interest of shareholders of the Company as a whole. Each Right will initially entitle the registered holder to purchase one Ordinary Share at an exercise price of US$0.9 per Right, subject to adjustment. However, the Rights are not immediately exercisable and will become exercisable only upon the occurrence of certain events. More specifically, if a person or group acquires 15% or more of the outstanding Ordinary Shares while the shareholder rights plan remains in place, then the Rights will become exercisable by all Rights holders (except the acquiring person or group) for that number of Ordinary Shares having a then-current market value of twice the exercise price of a Right. However, by way of illustration, if a shareholder's beneficial ownership of Ordinary Shares as of the time of this announcement of the shareholder rights plan is at or above the 15% threshold, that shareholder's existing ownership percentage would be grandfathered, but the rights would become exercisable if at any time after this announcement the shareholder increases its ownership percentage by 1% or more without the prior approval of the Board. In addition, if after a person or group acquires 15% or more of the outstanding Ordinary Shares, the Company consolidates or merges or participates in a scheme of arrangement or statutory share exchange with any other entity or the Company sells or transfers more than 50% of its assets, operating income or cash flow, then each Right will entitle its holder to purchase, for the exercise price, that number of shares of the person engaging in the transaction having a then-current market value of twice the exercise price of a Right. The acquiring person will not be entitled to exercise these rights. The Board may redeem the Rights for $0.001 per Right at any time before an event that causes the Rights to become exercisable."

06:01 EDT NTN Buzztime enters merger agreement with Brooklyn ImmunoTherapeutics

05:18 EDT Genentech: FDA accepts sBLA for self-administration option for Xolair - Genentech, a member of the Roche Group said in a release, "the FDA accepted the company's supplemental Biologics License Application, or sBLA, for a new self-administration option for Xolair across all approved U.S. indications. If approved, Xolair prefilled syringe would become available for either self-administration by select patients or administration by their caregivers. A decision on approval is anticipated by Q1 2021. In the U.S., Xolair is currently approved for administration by a healthcare provider in a healthcare setting, and is the only approved biologic designed to target and block immunoglobulin E, or IgE for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe persistent allergic asthma and chronic idiopathic urticaria, or CIU."