Stockwinners Market Radar for August 28, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:32 EDT Mylan issues voluntary recall of Amiodarone HCl, Tranexamic Acid Injection - Mylan announced that its U.S.-based Mylan Institutional business is conducting a voluntary nationwide recall to the hospital/clinic level of four lots of Amiodarone HCl Injection, USP 450 mg/9 mL, packaged in cartons of 10 single-dose 9 mL vials and Tranexamic Acid Injection, USP 1000 mg/10 mL, packaged in cartons of 10 single-dose 10 mL vials. These batches are being recalled due to the potential for cartons labeled as Tranexamic Acid Injection, USP to contain vials of Amiodarone HCl Injection, USP and cartons labeled as Amiodarone HCl Injection, USP to contain vials of Tranexamic Acid Injection, USP. The individual vials contained within the cartons are accurately labeled as Amiodarone HCl Injection, USP or Tranexamic Acid Injection, USP. Both of these medications are administered in a hospital setting only by trained healthcare professionals. To date, Mylan has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall.

18:06 EDT PayPal's Moffett sells over 5,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, PayPal director David M. Moffett disclosed the sale of 5,028 common shares of the company on August 27 at a price of $206.81 per share.

17:32 EDT Abbott awarded $760M Defense Logistics Agency contract order for BinaxNOW tests - Abbott has been awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the production and delivery of BinaxNOW rapid point-of-care antigen tests for COVID-19. The initial order is valued at $760M for 150M tests and distribution costs. This was a sole-source acquisition to meet an urgent and compelling national need. An Emergency Use Authorization has been approved and signed by the FDA for this contract award. This is a four-month contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Florida and Maine, with a Dec. 31, ordering period end date. Using customer is the Department of Health and Human Services. The maximum dollar value on the contract is $1.5B. Type of appropriation is FY20 CARES Act funding. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency.

17:27 EDT Lockheed Martin awarded $911.77M Missile Defense Agency contract modification - Lockheed Martin was awarded a $911.77M modification for existing sole source, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense element development and support services. This modification brings the total maximum ceiling value of this contract from $2.34B to $3.25B. This modification provides for the extension of the period of performance for additional incremental development, support to flight and ground test programs and responsive support to warfighter requirements to sustain the Ballistic Missile Defense System throughout the acquisition life cycle. Expected completion dates will be established under subsequent task order awards. The work will be performed at Sunnyvale, California and Huntsville, Alabama. No funding is being obligated at the time of award. The Missile Defense Agency is the contracting activity.

17:23 EDT Dish up over 6% at $36.96 following WSJ speculation on DirecTV sale - Shares of DISH Network (DISH) are up 6.2% at $36.96 per share following The Wall Street Journal report of AT&T (T) considering the sale of its DirecTV business. The report states that AT&T management has previously explored parting with DirecTV assets, including a potential spinoff or combining assets with DISH, but obstacles such as antitrust concerns impeded the move.

17:19 EDT Huntsman to sell remaining interest in Venator Materials Venator for about $100M - Huntsman (HUN) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with funds advised by SK Capital Partners, LP to sell approximately 42.5M of the shares it holds in Venator Materials (VNTR) for a cash purchase price of approximately $100M, including a 30-month option for the sale of the remaining approximate 9.5M shares it holds at $2.15 per share. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close near year-end. Together with estimated cash tax savings of approximately $150M anticipated by offsetting the capital loss on the sale of Venator shares against the capital gain realized on the sale of our chemical intermediates and surfactants businesses that closed this year in January, we expect to secure an aggregate total benefit of approximately $250M in cash near year end.

17:01 EDT Arco Platform to acquire Escola da Inteligencia - Arco Platform announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Escola de Inteligencia Cursos Educacionais, the solution in social-emotional learning in Brazil. The payment terms are: 60% of EI's shares valued at R$288 million, with R$200M to be paid at closing and the remaining R$88M in Q2 of 21, and 40% of EI's shares at 6.0-times 2023 ACV, to be paid in 2Q23. The transaction is not subject to any shareholder votes, but is subject to customary closing conditions, including antitrust and other regulatory approvals.

17:00 EDT Iowa American Water submits rate review request to IUB - Iowa American Water filed a request with the Iowa Utilities Board to adjust its rates in the communities it serves across the state following an extensive examination of investments to provide safe, clean and reliable water service. The rate review includes almost $87 million in water system improvements in Clinton, Blue Grass and the Iowa Quad Cities from October 2016 to June 2022. It is important to note that the IUB's review of the company's request is expected to take 10 months. Any new rates set by the IUB at the end of the process would not become effective until mid-2021, four years since the last increase. "By continually improving our water systems, we help reduce the frequency of service interruptions, prevent property damage from water main breaks and enhance fire protection. We carefully plan and invest in our water systems to provide safe, clean, and reliable service to about 216,000 residents in eight eastern Iowa communities," said Randy Moore, president of Iowa American Water. "These investments are key to our commitment to provide outstanding service and reliability, both now and for future generations." The need to upgrade water systems is a national issue. The EPA's 2015 Drinking Water Needs Assessment reported to Congress that Iowa drinking water systems have an estimated capital need of more than $7.8 billion over the next 20 years with the majority needed for the small and medium sized systems that dominate the state.

16:46 EDT Gilead says FDA expands EUA on Veklury - Gilead Sciences announced the U.S. FDA expanded the Emergency Use Authorization enabling use of the investigational antiviral Veklury to treat all hospitalized patients with COVID-19, in addition to the previous authorization for patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19. The expanded EUA is based on results from the Phase 3 SIMPLE trial evaluating Veklury in hospitalized patients with moderate COVID-19 pneumonia, as well as results from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases ACTT-1 trial in hospitalized patients with a range of disease severity.

16:19 EDT Silgan Holdings' Horrigan sells 800,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Silgan Holdings director D. Greg Horrigan disclosed the sale of 800,000 common shares of the company on August 26 at a price of $36.40 per share.

16:18 EDT BlackLine CEO sells 4.9M shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, BlackLine disclosed that its CEO Therese Tucker sold 4.9M shares of common stock on August 27th in a total transaction size of $13.4M.

16:08 EDT WWE's Levesque sells 45,388 class A common shares - In a regulatory filing, WWE EVP of global talent strategy Paul Levesque disclosed the sale of 45,388 class A common shares of the company on August 26 at a price of $45.61 per share.

16:02 EDT Martin Midstream Partners reports minimum damage following Hurricane Laura - Martin Midstream Partners LP announced the status of its coastal Texas and Louisiana terminals following Hurricane Laura. Upon initial inspection of the properties there appears to be minimal damage to the Partnership's terminals and marine equipment. The process of restarting the sites has begun and the company expects to be fully operational on Monday, August 31. Prior to Hurricane Laura making landfall the Partnership enacted its standard hurricane preparedness protocol to minimize operational delays and damages to terminalling and marine assets located around the Gulf Coast. Beginning on Monday, August 24, terminals located in the projected path of the hurricane were secured and personnel given the opportunity to evacuate their families to safety. In addition, marine equipment was moved to safe haven areas and communications scheduled to monitor the event status as Hurricane Laura made landfall along the Gulf Coast. "As Hurricane Laura approached the Gulf Coast our focus was on the safety and health of our personnel, their families and those impacted by the storm," said Ruben S. Martin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Martin Midstream GP LLC, the general partner of MMLP. "We are extremely thankful for the dedicated work of our employees tasked with securing our assets to limit damage across our system. While we did sustain minimal damage at some of our terminals, at this time we do not expect a material financial impact from this event. Our thoughts are with the Gulf Coast region and we will continue to support our personnel and their communities as they recover from damages resulting from the storm."

16:01 EDT Orocobre signs MOU for supply of battery grade lithium hydroxide - Orocobre (OROCF) advises that a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by Orocobre, Sales de Jujuy, Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Toyotsu Lithium Corporation and Prime Planet and Energy Solutions for the supply of battery grade lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate for use in PPES battery production supply chain. PPES is a 51%/49% joint venture between Toyota Motor (TM) and Panasonic (PCRFY).

15:09 EDT Dick's Sporting CFO sells over 18,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Dick's Sporting Goods CFO Lee J. Belitsky disclosed the sale of 18,095 common shares of the company on August 27 at a price of $54.9925 per share.

14:47 EDT JanOne chooses bottling and labeling partner to support upcoming trials - JanOne announced it has chosen its bottling and labeling partner to support upcoming clinical trials. JanOne is preparing its investigational new drug application for FDA submission for JAN101 as a potential treatment for vascular complications caused by Covid-19. JAN101 is already planned for use in Phase 2b trials as a treatment for Peripheral Artery Disease expected to start in the first quarter of 2021. JanOne's bottling and labeling partner is "a world leader in pharmaceutical testing and will work with the company's clinical and manufacturing teams to ensure the integrity of an initial batch of approximately 3,800 active and placebo bottles of JAN101," the company stated. JanOne "expects to submit the IND for the treatment of Covid-19 vascular complications in the coming weeks. The company continues to advance plans to scale-up production of JAN101 with GMP manufacturing expected to begin by the middle of September. Combining expert formulation and manufacturing with reliable bottling and labeling capabilities, the company believes it can ensure immediate availability of clinical product for its Phase 2b PAD study and for clinical studies as a treatment for Covid-19 vascular complications, pending submission of the IND application and FDA approval," the company added.

13:59 EDT Transport Canada won't lift Boeing 737 MAX restrictions until 'fully satisfied' - Transport Canada issued the following statement on the agency's validation tests of updated Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft: "The Government of Canada remains committed to keeping Canadians, the travelling public, and the transportation system safe and secure. Transport Canada continues to work extensively with the United States Federal Aviation Administration and civil aviation authorities in Europe and Brazil throughout the validation process of the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft. Transport Canada will not lift the flight restrictions on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 until the department is fully satisfied that all safety concerns have been addressed by the manufacturer and the FAA, and that enhanced flight crew procedures and training are in place." Reference Link

13:40 EDT Ackman says Fannie, Freddie 'firmly' on path towards conservatorship - Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Holdings said in the company's semiannual report, Fannie and Freddie, along with their regulator and conservator FHFA, have continued to make substantial progress toward ending their conservatorships. While FNMA and FMCC common shares have declined 29% and 27%, respectively, year-to-date, possibly due to uncertainty created by the upcoming presidential election, we believe that both companies are now firmly on a path towards exiting conservatorship and raising substantial first-loss private capital...We believe the recently proposed capital rule fails to balance the objectives of safety and soundness of the GSEs with the need to deliver affordable mortgage rates to consumers, and market returns to investors. In order to emerge from conservatorship, Fannie and Freddie must earn sufficiently high returns on capital to attract investors who can provide the tens of billions of equity capital for the companies to recapitalize. Earlier this month, we submitted a public comment letter on the re-proposed capital rule which addresses these issues...The Covid-19 crisis has further highlighted the critical role Fannie and Freddie play in the housing finance system. When the crisis hit, competitors withdrew from the market, leaving Fannie and Freddie among the only sources of mortgage capital for homeowners."

13:28 EDT Pershing Square says FTSE 100 inclusion would be 'material positive catalyst' - Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Holdings said in its semiannual report, "We believe that PSH's inclusion in the FTSE 100 index would be a material positive catalyst in increasing demand for PSH shares by index funds who will be required to purchase the stock, by other investment managers who invest in companies included in the index, and by active managers that will be made aware of PSH and its bargain valuation compared to the other FTSE 100 index component."

13:04 EDT Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count unchanged at 254 rigs - Baker Hughes reports that the U.S. rig count is unchanged from last week at 254 with oil rigs down 3 to 180, gas rigs up 3 to 72, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 2. The U.S. Rig Count is down 650 rigs from last year's count of 904, with oil rigs down 562, gas rigs down 90, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 2. The U.S. Offshore Rig Count is unchanged at 13 and down 13 year-over-year. The Canada Rig Count is down 2 rigs from last week to 54, with oil rigs down 1 to 19, gas rigs down 1 to 35, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 0. The Canada Rig Count is down 96 rigs from last year's count of 150, with oil rigs down 86, gas rigs down 10 and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 0.

12:01 EDT Allstate names Rhonda Ferguson as EVP, general counsel, effective Sept. 28 - The Allstate Corporation (ALL) announced that Rhonda Ferguson will join the company as Executive Vice President and General Counsel, effective September 28. Ferguson will take over from Susie Lees, who after 32 years of service to Allstate has announced her intention to retire in 2021. Lees remains Chief Legal Officer and Secretary of the corporation. Ferguson joins Allstate from Union Pacific Railroad (UNP), where she has served as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary and was responsible for all legal, regulatory and corporate governance initiatives.

12:00 EDT Big Lots falls -9.5% - Big Lots is down -9.5%, or -$5.29 to $50.41.

12:00 EDT Brinker rises 9.3% - Brinker is up 9.3%, or $3.75 to $44.05.

12:00 EDT Harmony Gold rises 11.1% - Harmony Gold is up 11.1%, or 64c to $6.39.

11:24 EDT Herbalife Nutrition settles Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations for $122M - Herbalife Nutrition has agreed to pay total penalties of more than $122M to resolve the government's investigation into violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Justice Department said in a statement. The resolution arises out of Herbalife's "scheme to falsify books and records and provide corrupt payments and benefits to Chinese government officials for the purpose of obtaining, retaining, and increasing Herbalife's business in China," the agency said. The amount includes a criminal penalty of over $55M and approximately $67M to be paid to the Securities and Exchange Commission in a related matter. Herbalife entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Criminal Division's Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York in connection with a criminal information filed today in the Southern District of New York charging Herbalife with one count of conspiracy to violate the books and records provision of the FCPA. According to its admissions, between 2007 and 2016, Herbalife knowingly and willfully conspired with others in a scheme to falsify its books and records and provide corrupt payments and benefits to Chinese government officials. Shares of Herbalife, after falling over 12% on headlines from Bloomberg about the prosecutions, are now down just 1% to $49.05. Reference Link

10:33 EDT Adaptimmune presents data from Phase 1 trial with ADP-A2AFP - Adaptimmune Therapeutics presented data from its Phase 1 trial with SPEAR T-cells targeting AFP at the virtual International Liver Congress. One patient out of four dosed with 5 billion or more cells had a complete response, which was reported previously. The data also demonstrate an acceptable safety profile in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Dr. Bruno Sangro of Clinica Universidad de Navarra presented data from Cohort 3 and the expansion phase of the ADP-A2AFP Phase 1 trial during an oral presentation at ILC. Topline data from ILC 1: One patient had a complete response and also demonstrated a sustained reduction in serum AFP. This patient experienced disease progression, having developed new lesions at Week 32. Overall, nine patients have been treated as of the data cutoff, of those four patients have been treated with ~5 billion or more transduced cells: 1 patient with the complete response, 1 with stable disease, and 2 had progressive disease and five patients were previously treated in the first two dose cohorts with doses of 100 million and 1 billion transduced cells, respectively, and all patients had best responses of SD. ADP-A2AFP SPEAR T-cells were associated with an acceptable safety profile with no evidence of significant T-cell related hepatotoxicity and no protocol-defined dose limiting toxicities. Evidence of dose-dependent persistence of ADP-A2AFP SPEAR T-cells post-infusion. Further translational evaluation is ongoing to understand indicators of response.

10:20 EDT Herbalife drops sharply, halted for volatility after report of criminal charges

10:03 EDT O2Micro announces grant of patent for switch control circuits for batteries - O2Micro announced the grant of a patent for a system and method for charge/discharge switch control circuits for batteries. O2Micro was issued 17 claims under U.S. patent US 10,574,068 B2 on Feb 25, 2020 for the invention of charge/discharge switch control circuits for batteries, the company announced in a press release this morning.

10:00 EDT Yirendai falls -10.2% - Yirendai is down -10.2%, or -36c to $3.17.

10:00 EDT Xpeng rises 10.3% - Xpeng is up 10.3%, or $2.18 to $23.40.

10:00 EDT Veoneer rises 11.2% - Veoneer is up 11.2%, or $1.44 to $14.28.

09:47 EDT Big Lots falls -6.9% - Big Lots is down -6.9%, or -$3.83 to $51.87.

09:47 EDT Plantronics falls -10.5% - Plantronics is down -10.5%, or -$1.54 to $13.14.

09:47 EDT Veoneer rises 11.4% - Veoneer is up 11.4%, or $1.46 to $14.30.

09:31 EDT Dow Inc. reports no major damage from Hurricane Laura - The company said, "Dow issued a statement that its sites along the U.S. Gulf Coast reported no major damage from Hurricane Laura. The safety of Dow employees is our first priority and the vast majority of employees have been accounted for and are safe. We are offering recovery assistance for employees and impacted communities. Dow has robust weather preparedness plans and began implementing them as Hurricane Laura approached. Due to the projected intensity and path of the storm, our manufacturing site in Freeport, Texas, continued operating, as did our facilities across Louisiana. Dow's sites in Sabine, Beaumont, Deer Park, La Porte, Bayport and Texas City safely shut down operations prior to Laura making landfall. Once it was safe to do so, inspection crews at the sites began assessing the impact of the storm. At this time, we have not identified any significant structural damage or flooding at any of the facilities. We are beginning the process of restarting our sites and expect that Deer Park, La Porte, Bayport and Texas City will be fully operational on Tuesday. While our sites in Sabine and Beaumont experienced very minor damage, startup of these assets will progress as external infrastructure allows. While Dow experienced very limited logistics impacts due to the storm, we continue to assess impacts to infrastructure in the region. Dow's thoughts are with the Gulf Coast region. We are working closely with our Dow families and local partners to help support our colleagues and communities recover from any damages as a result of the storm."

09:01 EDT U.S. Open Tennis Championships, Zoom announce virtual experience partnership - The United States Tennis Association and Zoom Video Communications announced a new partnership to deliver virtual experiences during the US Open Tennis Championships, scheduled for August 31 to September 13, 2020. VIP Experiences will include two private VIP virtual hospitality events and a celebrity fundraising event for the USTA Foundation. The virtual hospitality events will be open to VIP guests invited by Zoom, and feature Q&As with tennis legends, celebrity interactions, and tutorials for the iconic Honey Deuce cocktail and other classic US Open culinary offerings. These two events will serve as innovative ways to provide engaging and unique experiences for premium guests to interact with - and provide lasting memories for - top prospects.

08:36 EDT Weyland Tech assumes brand, mission of subsidiary Logiq - Weyland Tech has assumed the brand and mission of its eCommerce-focused subsidiary, Logiq, Inc. The rebranding has also been applied across all of Logiq's products and services, reflecting the company-wide evolution from primarily an eCommerce products and services company to an innovator of data-driven consumer intelligence and marketing technology. The formerly-named Logiq subsidiary will now offer services as DataLogiq. Its proprietary data engine, LogiqX, will continue to use proprietary methodologies and AI systems to deliver valuable consumer insights that can dramatically enhance the effectiveness, reach, and ROI of online marketing spend. The company's CreateApp platform-as-a-service has become AppLogiq. AppLogiq enables small-and-medium sized businesses worldwide to easily create and deploy a native mobile app for their business without technical knowledge or background. With the recent addition of powerful new features, like augmented reality, now more than ever AppLogiq is able to empower businesses to reach more customers, increase sales, manage logistics, and promote their products and services in an easy, affordable, and highly efficient way. Logiq's AtozPay mobile e-wallet and AtozGo food delivery service have become PayLogiq and GoLogiq, respectively. These services have become magnets of interest by potential partners due to the deep consumer data both have been acquiring since their inception. GoLogiq recently joined forces with ShopeePay, one of Indonesia's largest integrated e-money services, to launch a new co-marketing campaign in Jakarta, Indonesia, the world's second-most populous city after Tokyo. The partnership includes the mutual integration of consumer data and service offerings from both platforms. The company is awaiting the selection of a new stock symbol by FINRA, the regulatory authority for the over-the-counter stock market. Once issued, the company will announce when its common stock will begin trading under its new name and symbol. The company has also begun the process of rebranding its U.S. and international websites, which it plans to announce once complete.

08:32 EDT Fortress Biotech announces topline clinical efficacy results for CUTX-101 - Fortress Biotech announced that its partner company, Cyprium Therapeutics, reported topline clinical efficacy results for CUTX-101, a potential treatment for Menkes disease. The study demonstrated statistically significant improvement in overall survival for Menkes disease subjects who received early treatment with CUTX-101, compared to an untreated historical control cohort, with a nearly 80% reduction in the risk of death. Median survival for the ET cohort was 14.8 years compared to 1.3 years for the untreated HC cohort. As described in the Statistical Analysis Plan agreed upon with the FDA, overall survival measured from birth is the primary efficacy endpoint for an Integrated Summary of Effectiveness. The primary efficacy analysis compared overall survival in Menkes disease patients who received daily treatment with CUTX-101 beginning within four weeks of age to a historical control cohort of Menkes disease patients who did not receive copper therapy. Updated survival data and long-term follow-up data were collected under Cyprium-sponsored protocols CYP-001 and CYP-002 for both cohorts. Based on the criteria outlined in the SAP to ensure the two cohorts were comparable, 31 Menkes disease patients who received ET with CUTX-101 and 18 HC Menkes disease patients were included in the primary efficacy analysis. The primary endpoint of overall survival was met. Stephen G. Kaler, M.D., M.P.H., a physician-scientist in the Center for Gene Therapy in the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, led the protocols 90-CH-0149 and 09-CH-0059. Dr. Kaler is also the Principal Investigator of Cyprium-sponsored protocols CYP-001 and CYP-002, and a Professor of Pediatrics and Genetics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.The topline primary efficacy data and other relevant briefing materials will be presented to the FDA at a pre-NDA meeting scheduled for later in the current quarter. Other pre-specified secondary and sensitivity analyses will be included in the NDA submission. Additional data and analyses will be disclosed in peer-reviewed publications and at future medical or scientific conferences. The FDA previously granted Orphan Drug, Fast Track and Rare Pediatric Disease Designations for CUTX-101 for the treatment of Menkes disease. The European Medicines Agency's Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products issued a positive opinion on Cyprium's application for Orphan Drug Designation of CUTX-101 in July 2020.

08:14 EDT Torchlight announces drilling completion on new Hazel Project horizontal well - Torchlight Energy Resources said in a release, "Torchlight Energy Resources reported that the recently announced well drilled by the option holders on the Hazel acreage has been drilled and cased. The rig will be released and preparations made for the frac to be delivered in early October. The horizontal portion of the well was successfully steered in the Wolfcamp A zone from start to finish and reached an approximate horizontal length of 7500 feet."

08:05 EDT Bionano Genomics CEO urges support for proposal to increase authorized shares - Bionano Genomics announced that on August 26, 2020, it commenced mailing an open letter to stockholders in support of its proposal to increase authorized shares, a copy of which is included at the end of this press release. Erik Holmlin, PhD, CEO of Bionano commented, "We are fast approaching our stockholder meeting to be held on August 31, 2020. I want to thank the many stockholders whose input helped craft the strategy we are pursuing to increase our authorized shares without an accompanying reverse stock split. This increase in authorized shares is imperative and has been carefully considered after receiving abundant stockholder feedback. As of August 26, 2020, we had approximately 13.3 million available authorized shares, which we continue to believe is insufficient to meet our needs for future financings and strategic transactions as well as incentivize our key personnel. For this reason, and as further detailed in the enclosed letter to stockholders and the proxy statement for the special meeting, we ask that you vote 'For' the proposal. If you have voted against this proposal, we ask that you consider the Company's urgent need and vote 'For' the proposal."

08:03 EDT Patrick Industries: Acquisition of Synergy RV Transport 'immediately accretive' - Patrick Industries announced that it has completed the acquisition of Goshen, Indiana-based Synergy RV Transport, a transportation and logistics service provider primarily for original equipment manufacturers and dealers in the recreational vehicle market. Synergy's 2019 revenue was approximately $46M, and the company expects the acquisition to be immediately accretive to net income per share.

07:47 EDT HelpSystems completes tender offer to acquire GlobalSCAPE - HelpSystems announced the completion of its cash tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of common stock of managed file transfer solutions provider GlobalSCAPE at a purchase price of $9.50 per share in cash. HelpSystems' tender offer expired at one minute after 11:59 p.m. New York City time, on August 27, 2020. This acquisition augments HelpSystems' data security business that includes data loss prevention and data classification software. GlobalSCAPE joins HelpSystems' managed file transfer solution, GoAnywhere MFT, Clearswift data loss prevention, and data classification solutions from Titus and Boldon James. Together these solutions deliver unparalleled cybersecurity defense options to organizations worldwide. The depositary for the tender offer has advised HelpSystems that, as of the expiration of the tender offer, a total of approximately 14,899,635 shares of common stock of GlobalSCAPE were validly tendered and not withdrawn from the tender offer, representing approximately 78.81 percent of the outstanding shares of common stock of GlobalSCAPE on a fully diluted basis. All validly tendered shares have been accepted for payment in accordance with the terms of the tender offer, and HelpSystems expects to promptly pay for such shares. HelpSystems expects to complete the acquisition of GlobalSCAPE through a short-form merger of HelpSystems' wholly-owned subsidiary with and into GlobalSCAPE in which all shares not tendered into the offer will be canceled and converted into the right to receive cash equal to a purchase price of $9.50 per share, subject to any required withholding of taxes, net to the seller in cash without interest. Upon completion of the merger, GlobalSCAPE will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of HelpSystems and the common stock of GlobalSCAPE will cease to be traded on NYSE American. Post-closing, GlobalSCAPE will focus on providing the most comprehensive collection of trusted security and automation solutions to customers worldwide.

07:39 EDT Trevali Mining appoints Brendan Creaney as interim CFO - Trevali Mining announced that Matthew Quinlan is departing as Trevali's interim CFO effective August 31, 2020. Quinlan has served as interim CFO since March 3, 2020 after having supported Trevali in a consulting capacity since October 2019. Brendan Creaney, currently the VP of Investor Relations, has been appointed interim CFO. Trevali has engaged a search firm and the process to retain a permanent CFO is progressing.

07:36 EDT Just Energy reaffirms 2021 Base EBITDA view $130M-$160M - The company said, "Just Energy looks forward to the implementation of the Recapitalization, which is expected to occur in September 2020, pending all approvals, including court and regulatory approvals. Just Energy continues to demonstrate its commitment to controlling costs and significantly improving the quality of the customer book, building off the success achieved on these efforts in fiscal 2020 as it moves back to basics. In fiscal 2021, the Company is on pace to realize the full benefit of the cost saving actions taken in fiscal 2020 and sustain a spending rate of approximately $100M less than fiscal 2019. The Company continues to evaluate spend and identify opportunities to further streamline the business without sacrificing opportunities for profitable growth. Just Energy is focused on its core North American retail energy operations. Just Energy continues to actively evaluate the optimal strategy for its remaining non-core operations, particularly value-added products, considering the Company's renewed focus on its commodity business. Given the uncertainty associated with COVID-19, and the impact it has had on sales, the Company is maintaining the previously provided guidance range of between $130M and $160M of Base EBITDA for fiscal 2021. The Company also expects to achieve between $70M and $100M of unlevered free cash flow in fiscal 2021, subject to management's decision to reduce extended supplier payables."

07:23 EDT Canopy Growth to open 10 brick-and-mortar retail cannabis locations in Alberta - Canopy Growth is pleased to announce the company will be opening 10 brick-and-mortar retail cannabis locations across Alberta under its award-winning Tweed and Tokyo Smoke banners. This announcement marks the company's latest commitment to national retail expansion and added consumer engagement opportunities across the country. Canopy's retail expansion into Alberta will bring the number of Tokyo Smoke and Tweed retail cannabis stores in Western Canada to a total of 29, adding to existing locations in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. It will also increase Canopy's retail banners across Canada to a total of 50, with more planned throughout the 2020 calendar year.

07:18 EDT Liquidia receives notice of allowance for patent application on LIQ861 - Liquidia Technologies announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for patent application No. 16/099,135 related to LIQ861, the Company's proprietary dry powder treprostinil currently under review with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. The patent is expected to cover methods of treating patients with pulmonary hypertension through the inhalation of dry powder treprostinil. The patent, which is expected to be issued in the fourth quarter of 2020, should have a term that expires no earlier than 2037. After issuance, Liquidia plans to list the U.S. patent in the FDA's Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations, commonly referred to as the "Orange Book", for LIQ861, if approved.

07:07 EDT Pipestone Energy suspends 2020 production, cash flow guidance

07:04 EDT IPL Plastics recommends shareholders vote for arrangement - IPL Plastics announced that it has mailed the management information circular and related materials for the special meeting of IPLP shareholders to approve the previously announced plan of arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act, pursuant to which Intelligent Packaging Limited Purchaser, an entity controlled by funds managed by Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC, a Chicago-based private equity firm, has agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company at C$10 per share, all as more particularly described in the Circular and the Company's news release dated July 29, 2020. In accordance with the terms of the arrangement agreement entered into on July 28, 2020 with the Purchaser regarding the Arrangement, the 30-day "go-shop" period during which the Company was permitted to solicit and engage in discussions and negotiations with respect to potential superior acquisition proposals expired on August 27, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. Following the announcement of the Arrangement, the Company's financial advisor, BMO Nesbitt Burns, contacted 57 prospective purchasers. 14 of the prospective purchasers entered into a confidentiality and standstill agreement with the Company and were provided access to non-public information about IPLP. All 14 prospective purchasers subsequently informed BMO that they were no longer interested in pursuing a transaction with the Company and no superior proposal was received during the go-shop period. The Meeting is scheduled to be held as a virtual-only meeting conducted by live audio webcast at https://web.lumiagm.com/280366798 on September 28, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. The virtual Meeting will be accessible online starting at 9:00 a.m. on September 28, 2020. Shareholders regardless of geographic location will have an equal opportunity to participate in the Meeting online. Shareholders will not be able to attend the Meeting in person. IPLP shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 17, 2020 are entitled to receive notice and vote at the Meeting. Registered shareholders and duly appointed and registered proxyholders will be able to virtually attend, participate and vote at the Meeting. Registered shareholders and duly appointed and registered proxyholders who participate in the Meeting online will be able to listen to the Meeting, ask questions and vote, all in real time, provided they are connected to the Internet and comply with all of the requirements set out in the Circular under "Information Concerning the Meeting - Voting Instructions - Registered Shareholders - Voting at the Virtual Meeting". Beneficial shareholders or in the name of a clearing agency who have not duly appointed themselves as proxyholders may still virtually attend the Meeting as guests. Should a beneficial shareholder wish to virtually attend and vote at the Meeting, the beneficial shareholder should follow the instructions for voting at the Meeting that are provided on the form of proxy or voting instruction form and refer to the instructions set out in the Circular under "Information Concerning the Meeting - Appointment of Proxies". Guests will be able to listen to the Meeting but will not be able to vote at the Meeting. The board of directors of the Company, acting on the unanimous recommendation of a special committee of the Board of Directors and after receiving legal and financial advice, unanimously determined that the Arrangement is in the best interests of the Company and fair to the Shareholders, and recommends that the Shareholders vote FOR the Arrangement.

07:01 EDT Coca-Cola to conduct portfolio rationalization process - Innovation, marketing efficiency and effectiveness are top priorities for the company. The Coca-Cola Company is conducting a portfolio rationalization process that will lead to a tailored collection of global, regional and local brands with the potential for greater growth. To drive these initiatives and support the operating units, the company is reinforcing and deepening its leadership in five global categories with the strongest consumer opportunities: Coca-Cola, Sparkling Flavors, Hydration, Sports, Coffee and Tea Nutrition, Juice, Milk and Plant, Emerging Categories. The leaders of these categories will work across the networked organization to build the company's brand portfolio and win in the marketplace. Global category leads will report to Chief Marketing Officer Manolo Arroyo. The company today announced the creation of Platform Services, an organization that will work in service of operating units, categories and functions to create efficiencies and deliver capabilities at scale across the globe. This will include data management, consumer analytics, digital commerce and social/digital hubs. Platform Services is designed to improve and scale functional expertise and provide consistent service, including for governance and transactional work. This will eliminate duplication of efforts across the company and is built to work in partnership with bottlers. Platform Services will be led by Senior Vice President and Chief Information and Integrated Services Officer Barry Simpson.

06:58 EDT Coca-Cola offers voluntary separation program to employees - The company's structural changes will result in the reallocation of some people and resources, which will include voluntary and involuntary reductions in employees. The company is working on this next stage of design and will share more information in the future. In order to minimize the impact from these structural changes, the company today announced a voluntary separation program that will give employees the option of taking a separation package, if eligible. The program will provide enhanced benefits and will first be offered to approximately 4,000 employees in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico who have a most-recent hire date on or before Sept. 1, 2017. A similar program will be offered in many countries internationally. The voluntary program is expected to reduce the number of involuntary separations. The company's overall global severance programs are expected to incur expenses ranging from approximately $350M-$550M.

06:35 EDT Hibbett Sports CEO: 'Our business continued to generate significant momentum' - Mike Longo, President and CEO, stated, "Our business continued to generate significant momentum in a challenging business environment. Our resilient business model and dedicated team members delivered on our commitment of superior customer service with a compelling merchandise assortment. Our nearly 80% comparable sales results were driven by multiple factors, including pent-up consumer demand, temporary and permanent competitor store closures and government stimulus money. We believe that these circumstances yielded increased traffic to our stores and website and provided new customers the opportunity to experience our trademark service. As a result, we were able to deliver these exceptional results." Longo continued, "We believe our partnerships with our vendors have never been stronger. Our strategic focus on providing services to the underserved consumer is now more valued than ever by our partners." Longo added, "I am extremely proud of the Hibbett team and the strong results they were able to deliver. With the strength of our team and the changes to the competitive landscape, we are optimistic about our ability to continue to capitalize on existing and prospective opportunities in the second half of this fiscal year. We continue to take necessary steps to safeguard our customers and team members while providing a positive return for our shareholders. The Hibbett and City Gear brands are well positioned with our customers, and we are hopeful the momentum we have built is sustainable."

06:33 EDT Hibbett Sports reports Q2 brick and mortar SSS up 65.2% - Reports Q2 e-commerce sales up 212.2%.

06:17 EDT Enanta to present data from hepatitis B virus, NASH programs at EASL - Enanta Pharmaceuticals announced that data from Enanta's wholly-owned development programs for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and hepatitis B virus will be presented at the European Association for the Study of the Liver Digital International Liver Congress 2020. Data presented include results from the Phase 1a clinical trial of EDP-514, Enanta's core inhibitor for HBV. Additionally, Enanta's NASH program will be discussed in an oral presentation detailing the Phase 2a ARGON-1 study of EDP-305, Enanta's lead Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist, and two posters highlighting preclinical data on EDP-297, Enanta's follow-on FXR agonist. "We are pleased to share scientific data across multiple candidates in our pipeline, supporting our chemistry-driven approach to developing innovative treatments for viral infections and liver diseases," stated Jay R. Luly, Ph.D., President and CEO of Enanta Pharmaceuticals. "The positive results from our first-in-human Phase 1a study of EDP-514, demonstrating a strong safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic profile, gave us the confidence to advance our HBV program into two ongoing Phase 1b clinical studies in HBV patients. Additionally, the data presented for our NASH candidates further demonstrate the potential of both FXR agonists. EDP-305 shows statistically significant improvements in liver biochemistry and hepatic steatosis, and our follow-on NASH candidate EDP-297 demonstrates a potent anti-fibrotic effect."

06:05 EDT Walmart confirms it's working with Microsoft to acquire TikTok's U.S. business - Walmart (WMT) on Thursday issued a public statement regarding discussions with Microsoft (MSFT) involving ByteDance Ltd.'s TikTok service in the United States: "The way TikTok has integrated e-commerce and advertising capabilities in other markets is a clear benefit to creators and users in those markets. We believe a potential relationship with TikTok U.S. in partnership with Microsoft could add this key functionality and provide Walmart with an important way for us to reach and serve omnichannel customers as well as grow our third-party marketplace and advertising businesses. We are confident that a Walmart and Microsoft partnership would meet both the expectations of U.S. TikTok users while satisfying the concerns of U.S. government regulators." Reference Link

06:02 EDT Assembly Biosciences: Data from HBV core inhibitors presented at EASL - Assembly Biosciences announced that clinical data for its lead HBV core inhibitor vebicorvir, its second-generation core inhibitor ABI-H2158, as well as its highly sensitive HBV assays were highlighted during The Digital International Liver Congress, the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver. "The long-term clinical data in a broad patient population continue to demonstrate vebicorvir's favorable safety profile and ability to achieve deeper reductions in HBV DNA and pgRNA than the current standard of care alone," said Scott Fung, MD, FRCPC, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto. "A combination therapy resulting in improved viral suppression also has the potential to result in higher off-treatment response rates, which would be an important advancement for the field of HBV and the millions of patients living with this chronic disease."