Stockwinners Market Radar for October 05, 2020 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:57 EDT Fiesta Restaurant says Q3 Pollo Tropical SSS fell 11.1%, Taco Cabana fell 14.2% - Fiesta CEO Richard Stockinger said, "We are very encouraged by the continued improvement in comparable restaurant sales at both brands during the third quarter. Pollo Tropical's comp sales acceleration was the most significant, improving from -31.6% in the second quarter to -11.1% in the third quarter, including sequential monthly comp momentum within the third quarter to -8.7% in September. Taco Cabana's comp sales increased 500 basis points from the second quarter to -14.2% in the third quarter. The sales acceleration at both brands was realized despite our dining rooms being closed across most units for the majority of the quarter along with continued challenges in terms of COVID and economic conditions in Florida and Texas. In addition, we expect Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana Adjusted EBITDA margins for the third quarter will be above the second quarter and year-ago period."

19:21 EDT MongoDB CFO sells 5.5K shares of common stock, CEO sells 9.8K shares - MongoDB disclosed that its CEO Dev Ittycheria sold 9.83K shares and CFO Michael Gordon sold 5.5K shares of common stock in respective transactions of $2.2M and $1.2M.

19:11 EDT LGI Homes reports 811 home closings in September - LGI Homes announced 811 home closings in September 2020, up from 654 home closings in September 2019, representing year-over-year growth of 24.0%. In addition, the company announced record-breaking quarterly home closings of 2,091 during the third quarter of 2020 compared to 2,003 home closings in the third quarter of 2019, a 4.4% increase year-over-year. The company finished the first nine months of 2020 with a total of 5,931 home closings, a 14.6% increase over 5,175 home closings during the first nine months of 2019. As of the end of September 2020, the company had 110 active selling communities.

18:31 EDT Copart announces senior leadership appointments - Copart (CPRT) is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to its senior executive leadership team: COO Steve Powers, Chief Marketing and Product Officer Scott Booker, and CFO John North. All three executives will work from Copart's global headquarters in Dallas, Texas and will report to Copart President Jeff Liaw. Steve Powers, previously Copart's Eastern Division VP of Operations, was recently promoted to become Copart's COO. Following more than 15 years with New England Recovery, Steve Powers joined Copart in 1995 when the company acquired NER. He has served as Copart's VP of Operations since 2010, and succeeds Sean Eldridge as COO, who recently retired after a 30-year career with the company. Scott Booker joined Copart as CMO and CPO. Booker has extensive prior experience as a senior marketing and product leader with established technology companies and start-ups alike. He previously served as President of Hotels.com and CEO of Healthgrades, among other senior leadership positions with Internet marketplace enterprises. John North joins Copart as CFO. North has extensive public company experience in related industries. Most recently, North served as the CFO of Avis Budget Group (CAR).

18:18 EDT Sunrun down 1.8% after 13D/A filing by Tiger Global disclosing reduced holding - Shares of Sunrun are down 1.8% at $77.20 after a 13D/A filing by Tiger Global Management disclosing reduced holding of 19.5% vs. 23.5% prior. According to the filing, shares were sold between October 1st to October 5th.

17:48 EDT Dominion board Chairman sells 50K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Dominion disclosed that its board Chairman Thomas Farrell sold 50K shares of common stock on October 5th in a total transaction size of $4.0M. The holding represents about 5% of his total owned.

17:40 EDT Microsoft rebrands its its Bing search engine to Microsoft Bing - In a blog entry on its Bing blog the company said: "Microsoft Bing: the search engine that gives back .As Bing continues to evolve, we're focused on expanding the ways in which you can use Bing. For example, did you know that Bing powers InPrivate search with Microsoft Edge, quick searches in the Windows taskbar, work search scenarios with Microsoft 365, immersive gaming in Microsoft Flight Simulator, and much more? That's why starting today, you will see a shift in product to Microsoft Bing, which reflects the continued integration of our search experiences across the Microsoft family. Beyond our commitment to expanding search scenarios, we also believe that you can and should get more value out of the searches you perform every day. That's why we're also excited to announce the expansion of Give with Bing, which helps you make a difference just by searching - no need to open your wallet! Give with Bing is an extension of Microsoft Rewards - Microsoft Rewards lets you earn points simply by searching on Microsoft Bing, and Give with Bing lets you automatically donate those points to causes you care about. Since launch, we've been working hard to expand the breadth of the program." Reference Link

17:19 EDT Vontier to replace Noble Energy in S&P 500 at open on 10/9 - Vontier (VNT) will be added to the S&P 500 effective prior to the opening of trading on Friday, October 9, replacing Noble Energy (NBL), which will be removed from the S&P 500 effective prior to the open of trading on Monday, October 12. Chevron (CVX) acquired Noble Energy in a deal that was completed on October 5. Vontier will be added to the S&P 500 following its spin-off from S&P 500 constituent Fortive (FTV). Post spin-off, Fortive will remain in the S&P 500.

17:14 EDT SAIC, General Dynamics to compete for orders on $800M Army contract - SAIC (SAIC), General Dynamics (GD) and NCI Information Systems will compete for each order of the $800M hybrid contract for engineering related activities in support U.S. Army Information Systems Engineering Command. Bids were solicited via the internet with 11 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of October 4, 2023. The U.S. Army Contracting Command is the contracting activity.

16:58 EDT Iovance Biotherapeutics down 21% following regulatory update for lifileucel - Shares of Iovance Biotherapeutics are down 21.4% or $6.87 at $25.19 after the company disclosed its progress on FDA discussion regarding its tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte, or TIL. Iovance announced that while the company has reached agreement on the duration of follow up for its pivotal Cohort 4 to support the BLA submission. As part of the Type B meeting, the company and the FDA have not been able to agree on the required potency assays to fully define its TIL therapy, which is required as part of a BLA submission.

16:47 EDT i3 Verticals acquires three companies for $19.6M in cash - i3 Verticals announced the acquisition of three companies. The first acquisition is within the company's public sector vertical. This business is based in the southeast and provides software and services for public safety and law enforcement customers. The second acquisition is within the company's healthcare vertical and offers medical billing and other software. This business is also headquartered in the southeast but serves customers across the country. The final acquisition offers proprietary technology that will augment the company's existing platform across several verticals. It is also based in the southeast and serves customers on a nationwide basis. The aggregate cash consideration paid at closing for the three deals was $19.6M. Chairman and CEO Greg Daily commented, "We are pleased about the growth of our Company and the continued success of our acquisition strategy. These three acquisitions enable us to offer new software to existing clients and to penetrate new geographies and markets. We are particularly excited about the ability to sell a proprietary software suite into the Healthcare vertical, which should accelerate our growth in that important vertical. Finally, our culture is critical to our success and we could not be more enthusiastic about the talent and the fit that each of these teams offer, and we look forward to working closely together with them."

16:37 EDT Avianca receives U.S. court approval to access $2B DIP financing - Avianca Holdings announced that it has received approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York to access its debtor-in-possession financing totaling just over $2B. Adrian Neuhauser, Chief Financial Officer of Avianca said, "The approval of the DIP financing package is a significant milestone and an important step forward for Avianca. We would like to again thank our lenders for their support and confidence in Avianca's future success. We continue to work on our go-forward operating plan in order to emerge from this process as a stronger and more efficient airline, and look forward to presenting our plan to the U.S Court as we move forward in the Chapter 11 process."

16:35 EDT Aeglea BioTherapeutics announces presentations on Arginase 1 deficiency - Aeglea BioTherapeutics announced the presentation of a poster on the misdiagnosis of Arginase 1 Deficiency as Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia at the joint 49th Child Neurology Society Annual Meeting/16th International Child Neurology Congress . Additionally, the company will give a poster presentation on the development of ACN00177, a novel engineered human enzyme therapy being investigated for the treatment of Homocystinuria, at the American Society of Human Genetics Virtual Meeting 2020.

16:33 EDT Vectrus unit wins $196M contract from U.S. Navy - Vectrus Systems Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vectrus, announced that it was awarded a potential $196M firm-fixed-price contract for the U.S. Navy to continue providing base operations support services at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The contract extends through November 2025, including all option periods.

16:32 EDT Forward Air to acquire assets of Value Logistics for $2.25M - Forward Air announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Value Logistics, a privately held intermodal drayage provider for $2.25M. Value Logistics generates approximately $6M in annual revenue. The transaction will be funded from cash on hand and will close in October. Headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, Value Logistics has been in business since 1996. Since then, the company has shown steady growth and currently operates with 20 employees and approximately 30 independent contractors. The acquisition of value logistics makes Forward a provider of intermodal drayage in the Memphis market, a key expansion in the company's strategic growth plan.

16:31 EDT Palomar sees Q3 pretax catastrophe losses of $34M-$38M - Palomar Holdings announced estimated range of pretax catastrophe losses of $34M-$38M, net of reinsurance, in the third quarter of 2020. These estimates represent anticipated losses from Hurricanes Hanna, Isaias, Laura and Sally. Palomar's loss estimates are subject to change due to the complexity of the claims and preliminary nature of the information available to prepare the estimates. In addition, Palomar's financial closing and review procedures for the fiscal quarter are not yet complete. Updated loss estimates related to recent catastrophes will be reflected in Palomar's third quarter 2020 results.

16:25 EDT Boston Scientific says business results stronger than prior expectations - Boston Scientific said in a regulatory filing that, on April 1, 2020, in light of the disruption and uncertainty created by the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and its anticipated impact on the operations of the company, its board of directors determined that, for the one-year term beginning at the 2020 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the annual cash retainer for each non-employee director serving on the Board would be temporarily reduced to one-half of the previously approved amount. On September 30, 2020, the Board determined that, due to stronger business results compared with the company's prior expectations, the annual cash retainer for the board will be restored, beginning with a payment expected to be made during the fourth quarter of 2020. As a result, the aggregate annual cash retainer for the board will be two-thirds, rather than one-half, of the previously approved amount for the 2020 term.

16:23 EDT Ford Motor reports 7.6% passive stake in Velodyne Lidar - Ford Motor (F) disclosed a 7.6% stake in Velodyne Lidar (VLDR), which represents over 13.0M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:20 EDT Puma Biotechnology announces publication of neratinib trial results - Puma Biotechnology announced that efficacy results of neratinib in HER2-positive, hormone receptor-positive, or HR+, early stage breast cancer, or eBC, from the Phase III ExteNET trial were published in Clinical Breast Cancer. The manuscript appears in the October 5 online issue. ExteNET was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, Phase III trial of 2,840 HER2-positive eBC patients who received neratinib after neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant therapy with chemotherapy and trastuzumab. Patients were stratified by hormone receptor status and randomly assigned to one year of treatment with either oral neratinib 240 mg/day or placebo. The primary endpoint of the trial was invasive disease-free survival, or iDFS, with overall survival as a key secondary endpoint. Within the European Union, neratinib is approved in patients with HR+ breast cancer who initiated treatment within one year of completing an adjuvant trastuzumab containing regimen. The manuscript presents data focusing on HR+ patients who initiated treatment within a year of completing an adjuvant trastuzumab containing treatment and subgroups of clinical interest including patients who did not achieve a pathological complete response, or no pCR, after neoadjuvant treatment and therefore were at a high risk of disease recurrence. In the HR+ /less than 1 yr patient population, the absolute five-year invasive disease-free survival benefit versus placebo was 5.1% and absolute 8-year overall survival benefit was 2.1%. The five-year cumulative incidence of CNS metastases was 0.7% in the neratinib arm and 2.1% in the placebo arm. In the HR+/ less than1 yr, no pCR subgroup of patients that were at a high risk of disease recurrence the absolute 5-year iDFS benefit in the neratinib arm versus placebo was 7.4% and the 8-year overall survival benefit was 9.1%. Most common grade 3 adverse events were diarrhea, vomiting and fatigue.

16:18 EDT RingCentral CFO sells 23.4K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, RingCentral disclosed that its CFO Mitesh Dhruv sold 23.4K shares of common stock on October 1st in a total transaction size of $6.5M. The holding represents about 14% of his total owned.

16:16 EDT Super Micro Computer to support NVIDIA BlueField-2 DPU - Super Micro Computer (SMCI) announced its intent to support the new NVIDIA (NVDA) BlueField-2 DPU. NVIDIA BlueField-2 DPU are sampling now, and Supermicro will conduct an aggressive certification program for the NVIDIA BlueField-2 DPU, encompassing a broad range of Supermicro's market-leading systems with planned availability in 2021. These will include 1U, 2U, 4U, 10U rackmount GPU systems, Ultra, BigTwin, 8U SuperBlade, and additional embedded solutions. Supermicro products support the advanced data requirements from the edge to the cloud.

16:14 EDT Miragen says cobomarsen lacks a 'compelling result' for primary endpoint - miRagen Therapeutics announced that it has conducted an internal review of preliminary topline data from its Phase 2 SOLAR clinical trial of cobomarsen in patients with Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma, CTCL. Based on investigator assessments, these preliminary data in 37 patients suggest that cobomarsen lacks a compelling result for the study's primary endpoint, objective skin response of at least four months duration, ORR4, relative to the vorinostat control arm. Progression free survival, PFS, a secondary endpoint for the study, indicates a treatment effect in favor of cobomarsen. In addition, cobomarsen was well tolerated, with no patient discontinuations due to cobomarsen-related adverse events. The SOLAR study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cobomarsen given by intravenous infusion in an active control comparison trial for patients with the mycosis fungoides subtype of CTCL. In December 2019, miRagen announced it would halt enrollment in the SOLAR trial well short of the intended 126 CTCL patients in order to reduce the time and resource expenditure to evaluate the drug's potential. The downsized SOLAR study is not statistically powered for superiority or equivalence. "We have completed this preliminary evaluation and will continue to analyze the final topline data and other secondary SOLAR data as we seek a partner for cobomarsen," stated Ms. Lee Rauch, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our research and development strategy remains focused on the advancement of our lead program MRG-229 for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, IPF."

16:10 EDT Emerald Holding authorizes $20M share repurchase program - Emerald Holdings announced that its board of directors has approved the repurchase of up to an aggregate of $20M of its Common Stock. "Based on current market prices, we believe that the repurchase program is in the best interests of our shareholders," commented Brian Field, Emerald's Interim President and Chief Executive Officer. The repurchases will be made from time to time on the open market at prevailing market prices. The repurchase program is expected to continue through the end of 2021, unless extended or shortened by the board of directors.

16:09 EDT Miragen Therapeutics to resume trading at 16:35ET

16:08 EDT Osisko Gold announces spin-out of mining assets, concurrent bought deal offering - Osisko Gold Royalties (OR) and Barolo Ventures Corp. announced that they have entered into a binding letter agreement dated October 5 outlining the terms upon which Osisko Royalties will transfer certain mining properties, including the Cariboo Gold Project, and a portfolio of marketable securities valued at approximately C$116M, to Barolo in exchange for common shares of Barolo, which will result in a "Reverse Take-Over" of Barolo under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. Osisko and Barolo have also entered into an engagement letter dated October 5 with Canaccord Genuity Corp. and National Bank Financial, on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters, pursuant to which the underwriters have agreed to sell, on a "bought deal" private placement basis, 13.35M subscription receipts of Spinco at a subscription price of C$7.50 per Subscription Receipt for gross proceeds of C$100M.

16:07 EDT Study shows Guardant Health liquid biopsy accelerates clinical trial enrollment - Guardant Health states: "Despite advances in precision oncology, progress is slowed by the limitations of tissue genotyping, which is traditionally used to enroll patients in clinical trials. A new study published in Nature Medicine,1 led by the National Cancer Center Hospital East in Japan, demonstrates that the Guardant360(R) liquid biopsy is not only concordant to tissue genotyping, but also accelerates clinical trial enrollment, detects more actionable alterations, and achieves similar treatment response rates and progression-free survival in patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer. The study, SCRUM-Japan GOZILA, compares comprehensive genomic profiling using the Guardant360 liquid biopsy, versus tissue genotyping for trial enrollment into the SCRUM-Japan study network. Patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer, including gastric and colorectal cancer, were matched to novel therapies that target the specific biomarkers identified. Compared to tissue genotyping used in GI-SCREEN, the Guardant360 liquid biopsy shortened screening duration by 67% and improved trial enrollment rate by 132%. Additionally, the Guardant360 liquid biopsy revealed more actionable alterations because of its high success rate and ability to detect heterogeneously-distributed mutations which are often missed by single-locus tissue analysis. Most importantly, similar objective response rates and progression-free survival were seen in both studies, which included patients who were matched to interventional biomarker-targeted therapies when their cancer had progressed, after receiving first-line treatment."

16:06 EDT Y-mAbs provides regulatory update on omburtamab for neuroblastoma treatment - Y-mAbs Therapeutics announced that Y-mAbs has received a Refusal to File letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, regarding the Biologics License Application BLA for omburtamab for the treatment of pediatric patients with CNS/leptomeningeal metastasis from neuroblastoma, which was submitted in August Upon preliminary review, the FDA determined that certain parts of the Chemistry, Manufacturing and Control, CMC, module and the Clinical module of the BLA require further detail. No additional non-clinical data have been requested or are required. Y-mAbs is confident that it can address all points raised by the FDA, including providing the requested additional CMC information and supplementary data from Study 101, which will include tumor response data from patients with evaluable disease among the first 24 patients included in the protocol. The Company will request a Type A meeting with the FDA as soon as possible, and plans to work in close dialog with the Agency in order to amend the BLA with the goal of resubmitting the BLA before the end of 2020.

16:06 EDT Kimball International CFO Michelle Schroeder to step away from role - Kimball International announced the following leadership changes in the company's finance and corporate business practices functions effective October 19. Michelle Schroeder informed the company of her decision to step back from her role as CFO for personal reasons but will remain a senior leader at Kimball International, with responsibilities in governance, SEC compliance and investor relations. Michelle, who has been with Kimball International for 32 years, will be joining Mark Johnson, chief legal, governance officer and corporate secretary, in building the company's recently-formed corporate business practices function. Timothy Wolfe was named to succeed Michelle as CFO. T.J. has experience in global consumer branded organizations. The company said he has more than two decades of experience, including expertise enacting large scale organizational transformation, as well as managing integration and strategic planning activities. Most recently T.J. served as VP, CFO of the Great Britain Unit of Coca-Cola European Partners.

16:04 EDT Avalara acquires Transaction Tax Resources for about $377M in cash - Avalara announced that it has acquired Transaction Tax Resources, Inc. for approximately $377M in cash. TTR, known as the tax answer company, primarily serves enterprise businesses and their internal tax teams, offering U.S. sales and use tax rates, laws, software, and customer support required for the biggest and most complex companies. Avalara and TTR bring together leading tax technology with trusted tax content, extending Avalara's current products, adding new capabilities, and reaching new segments. TTR's team, with its culture, training, and experience serving enterprise businesses, will add enterprise capabilities across Avalara's content, product, sales, and customer support. TTR brings Avalara more than 1,400 customers, including blue chip customers that represent more than 30% of the Fortune 500, the largest or second largest company in each of 40 industries, 9 of the top 10 healthcare companies, 8 of the top 10 telecommunications companies and 5 of the top 10 IT services firms. TTR will operate as a subsidiary of Avalara, continuing to serve its customers with trusted solutions while integrating key products into Avalara's automation tools. Avalara acquired TTR for approximately $377M in cash for 100% of the equity of Transaction Tax Resources, Inc. with a portion held back for a 2-year performance-based earnout and to satisfy potential future indemnity claims. Avalara estimates that on a standalone full-year basis TTR would produce approximately $20M in 2020 GAAP revenue and be break-even on GAAP operating income.

16:03 EDT Supernus appoints James Kelly as CFO - Supernus Pharmaceuticals (SUPN) announced the appointment of James Kelly as Chief Financial Officer, effective October 12. Kelly brings to Supernus over 25 years of biopharmaceutical industry experience, including most recently as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Vanda Pharmaceuticals (VNDA). Mr. Kelly will be responsible for developing and leading Supernus' financial operations and strategy to effectively support the Company's growth. Greg Patrick, who will be retiring from his role as Supernus' Chief Financial Officer, will remain an advisor to the Company to assist with the transition.

16:01 EDT Quanterix enters into license agreement with Abbott - Quanterix (QTRX) announced it has entered into a non-exclusive royalty-bearing license agreement with Abbott Laboratories (ABT), the global healthcare company. The non-exclusive license grants Abbott access to Quanterix' portfolio of bead-based technology patents for use in in vitro diagnostic applications. Under the terms of the agreement, Quanterix will receive an initial license fee, milestone fees subject to the achievement by Abbott of future development, regulatory, and launch milestones and royalties on the sale of licensed products.

15:53 EDT Cboe reports total options volume up 34% year-over-year in September - Cboe Global Markets reported September monthly trading volume, stating that each of its four options exchanges saw an increase in ADV from the previous month. Cboe Options was up 4%, Cboe C2 was up 9%, Cboe BZX was up 10% and Cboe EDGX was up 6% over August 2020, the company reported. ADV across all four options exchanges was also higher when compared to a year ago: Cboe Options up 6%, Cboe C2 up 11%, Cboe BZX up 58% and Cboe EDGX up 131% over September 2019, the company reported. ADV in S&P 500 Index options was 1,176,743 contracts, up 20% from August 2020, Cboe said. The company currently expects RPC for total options for the third quarter of 2020 to be 5 to 6% higher than the amounts noted for the two months ended August 31, 2020, primarily reflecting the higher RPC expected for multi-listed options for September compared to the two-month average. The RPC for multi-listed options for the third quarter is expected to be 8 to 10% above the two-month average, reflecting lower volume-related rebates in September. The RPC for futures in the third quarter of 2020 is expected to be in line with the two-month average, Cboe said. The revenue capture for U.S. Equities for the third quarter of 2020 is expected to be 15 to 17% below the two-month average, primarily reflecting the impact of fee changes implemented during the quarter.

15:24 EDT Empery Asset Management reports 5.5% passive stake in SPI Energy - Empery Asset Management disclosed a 5.5% passive stake in SPI Energy. The filing does not allow for activism.

14:44 EDT Engie accepts Veolia's offer to purchase its stake in Suez - Engie (ENGIY) announced that its board of directors met today to review Veolia's (VEOEY) offer to purchase Engie's 29.9% stake in Suez (SZEVY), which expires at midnight. "The Board has taken note of VEOLIA's commitments, and notably its unconditional commitment not to file a hostile takeover bid, once it has acquired ENGIE's stake in SUEZ, and discussions started between the parties these past days concerning the industrial project. The Board has therefore decided to accept VEOLIA's offer. This transaction represents disposal proceeds of EUR 3.4 billion and will generate a pre-tax capital gain of EUR 1.8 billion, to be booked in the 2020 financial results," Engie stated. Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, Chairman of the Board of Directors, added: "The disposal of ENGIE's stake in SUEZ is an important first step in the Group's implementation of its new strategic orientations announced at the end of July. It will enable ENGIE to clarify its profile and boost its capacity to invest in renewable energies and infrastructure - the two growth areas it is focusing on to support the energy transition." Reference Link

14:11 EDT Toyota, Hino to develop Class 8 fuel cell electric truck for North America - Toyota Motor North America announced that the company and Hino USA have agreed to jointly develop a Class 8 fuel cell electric truck for the North American market. "The companies will leverage the newly developed Hino XL Series chassis with Toyota's proven fuel cell technology to deliver exceptional capability without harmful emissions. This collaboration expands upon the existing effort to develop a 25-ton FCET for the Japanese market which was announced earlier this year. The first demonstration vehicle is expected to arrive in the first half of 2021," Toyota stated. Reference Link

13:59 EDT FDA grants Thermo Fisher Emergency Use Authorization for Covid test - The FDA granted Thermo Fisher's OmniPATH COVID-19 Total Antibody ELISA Test Emergency Use Authorization. The test is intended for use as an aid in identifying individuals with an adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2, indicating recent or prior infection. Emergency use of this test is limited to authorized laboratories.

13:53 EDT Exxon Mobil to slash up to 1,600 jobs in Europe - ExxonMobil said it intends to reduce staffing levels across a number of its European affiliates. Proposed changes are subject to local information and consultation processes as applicable in each country and result from insight gained through reorganizations and work-process changes made over the past several years to improve efficiency and reduce costs. The impact of COVID-19 on the demand for ExxonMobil's products has increased the urgency of the ongoing efficiency work. It is anticipated that up to 1,600 positions would be impacted by the end of 2021 across the company's affiliates in Europe. Country-specific impacts will depend on the company's local business footprint and market conditions. Europe remains an important market for ExxonMobil, as evidenced by recent major investments. However, significant actions are needed at this time to improve cost competitiveness and ensure the company manages through these unprecedented market conditions, the company said.

13:08 EDT Humana, Centura Health sign pact to expand Humana's medicare network - Centura Health and Humana Inc. have signed an in-network agreement in Colorado Springs, expanding access to care for Humana Medicare members. Humana's Medicare Advantage health maintenance organization plan members will now have in-network access to Centura Health's Penrose-St. Francis Health Services, which includes Penrose Hospital and St. Francis Medical Center. "Centura Health Penrose-St. Francis Health Services looks forward to being in the provider network for Humana Medicare Advantage programs," stated Mark Carley, Vice-President, Managed Care and Payor Relations. "Humana is a great partner and is aligned with Centura's mission to providing high-quality care to residents in El Paso County and surrounding areas." The new agreement will take effect on January 1, 2021.

12:40 EDT FDA proposes withdrawal of Amag Pharmaceuticals' Makena

12:08 EDT EA says 'Need for Speed Hot Pursuit' remaster coming November 6 - Electronic Arts (EA) announced in a blog post that "Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered," a remake of 2010's "Need for Speed Hot Pursuit" will be coming to PlayStation 4 (SNE), Xbox One (MSFT), and PC on November 6, and to Nintendo Switch (NTDOY) on November 13. "Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered" includes all main DLC - the SCPD Rebel Racer Pack, Super Sports Pack, Armed & Dangerous Pack, Lamborghini Untamed Pack, and Porsche Unleashed Pack - delivered at launch, with an extra six hours of gameplay and more than 30 challenges, the company said. "We've added brand new achievements, car colors, wraps, reduced hard stops, an updated photo mode and gallery, and multiple quality of life updates, too, to create an even more well-rounded gameplay experience this time around," EA added. Reference Link

12:01 EDT Trimble to sell construction logistics business to Command Alkon - Trimble and Command Alkon announced that Command Alkon has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Trimble's construction logistics business. The transaction is expected to close in Q4. Financial terms were not disclosed. Trimble's construction logistics business has been reported as part of the Building and Infrastructure Segment. The sale will not have a material impact on Trimble's segment or overall financial results.

11:29 EDT NuStar subsidiary issued permit to operate existing pipeline Border facilities - A post from the White House of a Presidential permit reads in part: "By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States of America, I hereby grant this Presidential permit, subject to the conditions herein set forth, to NuStar Logistics, L.P. The permittee is a limited partnership formed under the laws of the State of Delaware and is a subsidiary of NuStar Energy L.P., a publicly traded master limited partnership based in San Antonio, Texas. Permission is hereby granted to the permittee to operate and maintain existing pipeline Border facilities, as described herein, at the international border of the United States and Mexico near Laredo, Texas, for the transport between the United States and Mexico of all hydrocarbons and petroleum products of every description, refined or unrefined - inclusive of, but not limited to, crude oil, naphtha, liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas liquids, jet fuel, gasoline, kerosene, and diesel-, but not including natural gas subject to section 3 of the Natural Gas Act, as amended." Reference Link

11:01 EDT ADM, Spiber partner on production of biobased polymers - ADM and Spiber announced an agreement to expand the production of Spiber's Brewed Protein polymers for use in apparel and other consumer products. The collaboration will combine Spiber's cutting-edge structural protein fermentation technology with ADM's deep expertise in large-scale fermentation technologies, engineering, operations and extensive agricultural supply chain. The Brewed Protein polymers will be produced by ADM in the U.S. using plant-based dextrose as a feedstock, and then shipped to Spiber downstream facilities, where they will be processed into an array of materials - primarily fibers - for use in a variety of applications such as apparel, lightweight auto parts, high-performance foams, and more. Brewed Protein polymers will play a critical role in expanding the range of plant-based, sustainable alternative materials.

10:47 EDT Simplicity Esports acquires franchisee owned gaming center in Florida - Simplicity Esports and Gaming announced it signed a definitive agreement with one of its franchisees to acquire all of the assets of its esports gaming center including furniture, fixtures, equipment, inventory, and customer list. The franchisee owned gaming center in St. Petersburg, FL was first opened under the PLAYlive Nation brand on May 12, 2017. The full consideration for the acquisition is 29,504 shares of restricted Simplicity Esports common stock. Simplicity Esports' acquisition of franchisee owned esports gaming centers allows Simplicity Esports to report the full revenues generated by the gaming centers on a conslidated basis. Previously, Simplicity Esports only reported the franchise royalty fee, calculated as 6% of gross sales, paid by franchisees, the company noted. Roman Franklin, President of Simplicity Esports, commented, "This is our second acquisition in the last week and we expect to continue executing our strategy of acquiring franchisee owned locations while simultaneously signing new or amended leases with significantly improved terms. Our renegotiated lease agreement with this landlord requires us to pay rent as a percentage of gross sales along with a small fixed payment for taxes and maintenance. St. Petersburg becomes the sixth corporate owned gaming center in our growing nationwide footprint."

10:05 EDT Citron touts mental health company Compass Pathways, sets $100 target on shares - Citron Research stated in a newly published research report that Compass Pathways (CMPS) is "the most compelling IPO of the year whose significance to humanity has the potential to be a generational stock." Andrew Left's research firm, which is best known for its short ideas, is recommending being long Compass Pathways, setting a $100 price target on the shares. "Citron notes that it is important to recognize CMPS as a platform company that will expand psilocybin therapy into new indications beyond TRD, explore other compounds and therapies to address areas of unmet need, and create a new model for mental healthcare using digital technology to improve access to all. The global TAM for medicinal psilocybin therapy is so large there is no reason why CMPS is not $100 immediately, which would make it only a $3.5 bil company," Citron writes in its report. Compass shares are up 11.5% to $41.07 in morning trading following Citron's report being published on the firm's website. Reference Link

09:47 EDT Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares falls -7.0% - Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares is down -7.0%, or -$4.27 to $56.87.

09:47 EDT Universal Compression rises 9.4% - Universal Compression is up 9.4%, or $2.35 to $27.30.

09:47 EDT Lithium Americas rises 12.9% - Lithium Americas is up 12.9%, or $1.90 to $16.59.

09:39 EDT Third Point Offshore Fund reports Pinterest among September 'winners' - In a letter on its monthly performance in September, Third Point Offshore Fund lists Pinterest (PINS) among its "MTD Winners," according to a copy of the letter viewed by The Fly.

09:32 EDT Oblong announces new patents for remote work to enhance offerings - Oblong announced over the course of 2020 amidst the global pandemic it has been granted seven patents that further define its leadership in multi-share collaboration offerings. Oblong's Mezzanine technology platform enables team members to work together in-person and remotely in a unique multi-share environment. "As businesses return to the workplace and develop new modes of hybrid collaboration, we expect the need for multi-share to increase significantly," says Peter Holst, Oblong's Chief Executive Officer. "Oblong defines multi-share as a mode of collaboration where distributed users simultaneously share, view, and work with multiple streams of content. Oblong's Mezzanine(TM) is the leader in this space, with award-winning, technologically advanced offerings, and these patents further our leadership and define the pathway forward to improve upon and extend beyond the traditional conference room setting." Oblong's updated patent portfolio further solidifies its stake in technologies, methods, and designs for remote collaboration. This strategic investment is aligned with an accelerated demand for next generation multi-share collaboration solutions in the pandemic and post-pandemic workplace. These include inventive approaches to high fidelity, synchronous software communication, user interface, and interaction, allowing the Company to build, maintain, and improve its products faster and more efficiently than its competitors. The following areas are covered in the recent patents: Collaborative work environments for users-both in-room and remote-working with multiple screens and multiple content sources; Methods for high fidelity data transfer and synchronized user interaction; Contactless, gestural control of immersive, spatial environments at distance; Multi-process communication that enables key capabilities across all Oblong products.

09:20 EDT Nvidia announces partnership with GSK's AI-powered lab - NVIDIA (NVDA) announced a partnership with global healthcare company GSK (GSK) and its AI group, which is applying computation to the drug and vaccine discovery process. GSK has recently established a new London-based AI hub, one of the first of its kind, which will leverage GSK's significant genetic and genomic data to improve the process of designing and developing transformational medicines and vaccines. Located in London's rapidly growing Knowledge Quarter, GSK's hub will utilize biomedical data, AI methods and advanced computing platforms to unlock genetic and clinical data with increased precision and scale. The GSK AI hub, once fully operational, will be home to its U.K.-based AI team, including GSK AI Fellows, a new professional training program and now scientists from NVIDIA.

09:16 EDT Suez says Veolia press release 'misleading,' reports 'failure of discussions' - Following what it called the "misleading press release issued by Veolia at 2:00 pm October 4th," Suez (SZEVY) disclosed the contents of a letter sent to Veolia's Chairman and CEO. Reference Link

09:15 EDT Nvidia announces Omniverse Open Beta - Tens of millions of designers, architects and other creators will soon be able to collaborate in real time, whether on premises or remotely, with the NVIDIA Omniverse platform, which NVIDIA announced has entered open beta, with availability for download this fall. Bringing together NVIDIA breakthroughs in graphics, simulation and AI, Omniverse is the world's first NVIDIA RTX(TM)-based 3D simulation and collaboration platform that fuses the physical and virtual worlds to simulate reality in real time and with photorealistic detail. Using the platform, remote teams can collaborate simultaneously on projects - such as architects iterating on 3D building design, animators revising 3D scenes, and engineers collaborating on autonomous vehicles - as readily as they would jointly edit a document online. The open beta of Omniverse follows a yearlong early access program in which Ericsson, Foster + Partners, ILM and over 40 other companies - and as many as 400 individual creators and developers - have been evaluating the platform and providing feedback to the NVIDIA engineering team.

09:13 EDT Veolia commits not to file hostile bid following sale of Engie's Suez stake - Veolia (VEOEY) stated: "Following constructive discussions with the management of the Suez group since October 1, and as confirmed today to Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, Chairman of the Board of Engie, Veolia group announces that it unconditionally commits not to file a hostile takeover bid following the sale of the shares held by Engie in Suez. Any public takeover bid on Suez's remaining capital will therefore require a prior favorable reception from Suez's board of directors. Veolia thus provides the guarantee expressed by Engie's board of directors, in addition to the price offered and the strong social commitments made by the Group, thus making possible the sale of the 29.9% of the capital that Engie holds in Suez. Veolia has also made a commitment to Philippe Varin, Chairman of the Board of Suez, to respond favorably to the request formulated by Suez to the public authorities to extend the scope of the assets sold to the buyer of Suez Eau France to international water assets for a total turnover of around 5 billion euros, including 2.2 billion euros for the French Water." Reference Link

09:12 EDT Nvidia announces ready-made NVIDIA DGX SuperPODs - NVIDIA announced the NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD Solution for Enterprise, the world's first turnkey AI infrastructure, making it possible for organizations to install incredibly powerful AI supercomputers with extraordinary speed - in many cases in just a few weeks' time. Available in cluster sizes ranging from 20 to 140 individual NVIDIA DGX A100 systems, DGX SuperPODs are now shipping and expected to be installed in Korea, the U.K., Sweden and India before the end of the year. Sold in 20-unit modules interconnected with NVIDIA Mellanox HDR InfiniBand networking, DGX SuperPOD systems start at 100 petaflops of AI performance and can scale up to 700 petaflops to run the most complex AI workloads.

09:11 EDT Chinook Therapeutics closes merger with Aduro Biotech - Chinook Therapeutics (KDNY) announced the closing of its merger with Aduro Biotech (ADRO), Inc. and $115 million private placement financing. The combined company, now known as Chinook Therapeutics, will commence trading October 6, 2020 on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the trading symbol "KDNY." As previously announced, the $115 million private placement financing includes participation from new investors EcoR1 Capital, OrbiMed Advisors, funds managed by Rock Springs Capital, Fidelity Management and Research Company LLC, Avidity Partners, Surveyor Capital, Ally Bridge Group, Monashee Investment Management LLC, Northleaf Capital Partners, Janus Henderson Investors, Sphera Biotech and other top-tier healthcare investors. As part of the financing, Chinook's existing investors, Versant Ventures, Apple Tree Partners and Samsara BioCapital, purchased $25 million in Chinook common stock on the same terms as the new investors. Effective as of the closing of the merger, Chinook has over $275 million in operating capital to advance its kidney disease programs. Chinook will focus on advancing its product candidates for kidney disease, including: Planned Phase 3 and Phase 2 trials of atrasentan, an investigational selective endothelin receptor antagonist, in development for the treatment of IgA nephropathy and other primary glomerular diseases; An ongoing Phase 1b and future clinical trials of BION-1301, an investigational humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks APRIL binding to both the BCMA and TACI receptors, in development for the treatment of IgA nephropathy; A planned Phase 1 trial of CHK-336, an investigational small molecule, in preclinical development for the treatment of an ultra-rare orphan kidney disease; and Advancement of additional research and discovery programs focused on the treatment of rare, severe chronic kidney diseases. In connection with the closing of the merger, Aduro effected a 1:5 reverse split of its common stock. Post-merger and post-reverse split, Chinook has approximately 42 million shares of common stock outstanding. Prior Chinook stockholders collectively own approximately 39.5% of the combined company, prior Aduro stockholders collectively own approximately 39.9% of the combined company and investors in the Chinook private placement financing collectively own approximately 20.6% of the combined company. Effective as of the closing of the merger, the board of directors of Chinook will be comprised of seven directors: Eric Dobmeier, president and chief executive officer of Chinook Therapeutics; Jerel Davis, Ph.D., managing director at Versant Ventures; Srini Akkaraju, M.D., Ph.D., managing general partner at Samsara BioCapital; William M. Greenman, president and chief executive officer of Cerus Corporation; Ross Haghighat, founder, chairman and managing partner of Triton Systems, Inc.; Michelle Griffin, director and audit committee chair for Adaptive Biotechnologies, Acer Therapeutics and HTG Molecular Diagnostics, Inc.; and Dolca Thomas, M.D., chief medical officer of Principia Biopharma, Inc.

09:08 EDT Nvidia unveils Jetson Nano 2GB Developer Kit - NVIDIA expanded the NVIDIA Jetson AI at the Edge platform with an entry-level developer kit priced at just $59, opening the potential of AI and robotics to a new generation of students, educators and hobbyists. The Jetson Nano 2GB Developer Kit is designed for teaching and learning AI by creating hands-on projects in such areas as robotics and intelligent IoT. To support the effort, NVIDIA also announced the availability of free online training and AI-certification programs, which will supplement the many open-source projects, how-tos and videos contributed by thousands of developers in the vibrant Jetson community. The Jetson Nano 2GB Developer Kit will be available at the end of the month for $59 through NVIDIA's distribution channels.

09:06 EDT Tantech Holdings unit wins major, multi-vehicle order from China De Ruixiang - Tantech Holdings announced its subsidiary, Shangchi Automobile Co., won a major, multi-vehicle order from China De Ruixiang Industrial Co., marking the first availability in Singapore. Delivery of the midibuses has occurred.

09:05 EDT Genpact acquire eCommerce agency, Something Digital - Genpact announced the expansion of its experience business, Rightpoint, with the acquisition of Something Digital. The addition of Something Digital's deep commerce expertise to Rightpoint's customer experience leadership, will further enable the company's ability to drive experience-led transformation at scale for clients across industries.

09:04 EDT Natera: Court rejects ArcherDX's motion to dismiss patent infringement case - Natera reports that the U.S. District Court of Delaware has rejected all of ArcherDX's challenges in Natera's ongoing patent infringement action. The Court's decision upholds the validity of Natera's asserted patents as being directed to eligible subject matter under 35 U.S.C. Section 101. The Court also properly rejected ArcherDX's attempt to remove some of its cancer monitoring products from the case. Natera will continue to prosecute its five-patent infringement case against ArcherDX and will vigorously protect its innovative technology and broad IP claims in the fields of cancer monitoring and multiplex PCR. Natera holds more than 200 patents issued or pending, including over 60 in the field of oncology.

09:04 EDT WashREIT reports collection of 99% of multifamily cash rent in July, August - WashREIT released an update on its collection performance and portfolio operations. Multifamily: Collected approximately 99% of cash rent and 99% of contractual rent due during July and August. We expect to update collections through September when we report third quarter results later this month. Agreed to provide $0.1 million of rent relief through payment deferral programs year-to-date. Commercial: Collected 97% of cash rent and 99% of contractual rent due from office tenants during July and August; Agreed to defer $1.5 million of rent due from office tenants through payment deferral programs year-to-date; Collected 87% of cash rent and 95% of contractual rent due from retail tenants during July and August; Agreed to defer $1.1 million of rent due from retail tenants through payment deferral programs year-to-date; We expect to update collections through September when we report third quarter results later this month.

09:02 EDT Washington REIT announces private placement of $350M of Green Bonds - WashREIT announced that it has entered into an agreement to issue $350.0 million aggregate principal amount of 3.44% senior unsecured 10-year notes. The Notes are scheduled to mature on December 29, 2030. The closing and funding of the Notes is expected to occur on December 29, 2020, with the ability for such closing and funding to occur earlier upon the Company's election, in each case, subject to the satisfaction of standard closing conditions. The Company intends to allocate the net proceeds from the offering to finance or refinance recently completed and future green building and energy efficiency, sustainable water and wastewater management and renewable energy projects and, pending allocation to such Eligible Green Projects, such net proceeds may be used to repay borrowings outstanding on the Company's revolving credit facilities or term loans and may be held in cash and cash equivalents.

08:58 EDT Quidel receives Emergency Use Authorization from FDA for new Covid test - Quidel announced Friday night that it has received Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration to market its Sofia 2 Flu + SARS Antigen FIA, a rapid point-of-care test to be used with the Sofia 2 Fluorescent Immunoassay Analyzer for the rapid, simultaneous qualitative detection and differentiation of the nucleocapsid protein antigens from SARS-CoV-2, influenza A and influenza B in direct nasopharyngeal and nasal swab specimens from individuals suspected of respiratory viral infection consistent with COVID-19 by their healthcare provider within the first five days of the onset of symptoms. The new Sofia 2 Flu + SARS Antigen FIA "offers excellent performance for SARS-2 (95.2% PPA versus PCR and 100% NPA versus PCR), as well as for Influenza A (90% sensitivity versus culture and 95% specificity versus culture) and Influenza B (89% sensitivity versus culture and 96% specificity versus culture) in nasal swabs," the company said in a statement. Quidel's new Sofia test "delivers a fast, highly accurate result for all three viruses from one nasal swab (or nasopharyngeal swab) sample in just 15 minutes, providing critical answers to patients and healthcare workers alike," it added.

08:56 EDT Ecolab disinfectant gets EPA approval as effective against SARS-CoV-2 - Ecolab has received "another product approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Ecolab's Peroxide Multi Surface Cleaner and Disinfectant is the first EPA-registered disinfectant proven effective at killing the SARS-CoV-2 virus cleared for use with electrostatic spray technology," said the company. "Leveraging Ecolab's extensive hospital hygiene expertise, this versatile disinfectant can be used across multiple environments, including hospitals, hotels and retail stores. It has been proven effective at killing the SARS-CoV-2 virus in only 30 seconds, in both spray bottle and electrostatic spray applications. No other disinfectant approved for electrostatic spray use is faster at killing viruses. And no other disinfectant approved for electrostatic spray use has been proven effective against the virus that causes COVID-19. When used in an electrostatic spray application, Ecolab's Peroxide Multi Surface Cleaner and Disinfectant can disinfect large indoor spaces efficiently and effectively. This industry-leading 3-in-1 peroxide hard-surface cleaner, glass cleaner and disinfectant joins Ecolab's roster of disinfectants registered by the EPA as proven effective against SARS-CoV-2. Ecolab has among the broadest portfolio of products for use against the virus," added Ecolab.

08:52 EDT New Mexico Water Service to acquire Animas Valley Water System - New Mexico Water Service has signed a purchase agreement with Animas Valley Land and Water and court-appointed receiver C. Randel Lewis to acquire the Morning Star Water System assets of AV Water and provide regulated water utility service to its approximately 2,000 customer connections in northwest New Mexico. The purchase is subject to customary closing conditions, including approvals of the San Juan County Court and the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, as well as successful completion of AV Water's pending rate case. If approved, the transaction is expected to close in early 2021.

08:50 EDT Itron, Con Ed confirm, NYS affirmed its consent approval for Itron ERT module - Itron (ITRI) and Consolidated Edison (ED) have announced that the New York State Public Service Commission, NYS PSC, has affirmed its consent approval of Itron's 550G Gas Encoder Receiver Transmitter module for use by the state's gas utilities. Specifically configured to meet New York regulations, the 550G gas ERT module has both Advanced Meter Reading, AMR, and Advanced Metering Infrastructure, AMI, capabilities. With this approval from the NYS PSC, Con Edison will now deploy 550G ERT modules on its existing IoT network from Itron as a part of its ongoing efforts to improve delivery of natural gas to its customers. The 550G ERT is equipped with cutting-edge features such as high-flow safety alarm, on-demand reads, firmware downloads from the back office and extended data storage.

08:43 EDT Greenpro Capital intends to incubate a satellite communication venture - Greenpro Capital announced that it intends to incubate a Low Earth Orbit satellite communication venture based in Malaysia to cover the ASEAN region. This new company will provide internet connectivity via satellite for the South East Asia region. The vision is to provide internet access to areas and places where traditional internet connectivity is scarce with no fiber or 5G available. Borneo and other such remote islands would benefit tremendously with this service with our future Low Earth Orbit, "LEO" satellite connectivity, CEO CK Lee said: "we are excited by the potential to bring internet connectivity to rural areas and help provide the infrastructure to drive e-commerce transactions and development along with cloud based data-centers for the local economies.

08:41 EDT Daxor announces new data on BVA-100 blood test - Daxor announces new data demonstrating further beneficial use of Daxor's blood volume analysis technology presented during the Heart Failure Society of America's Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting 2020. New data titled, "Cost-effectiveness Analysis of Early Blood Volume-Guided Management in Hospitalized Heart Failure Patients" studied the economic benefits of the use of blood volume analysis in the population of heart failure patients, one of the largest cost-drivers of the national healthcare system. The data showed an "extremely cost-effective" incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $10,200 which was 80% less costly than other therapies that are considered "good value" by common quality metrics. The data also revealed an average life-extension of 2.32 quality-adjusted life years in addition to the cost savings.

08:39 EDT Genasys closes acquisition of Amika Mobile - Genasys announced the completion of its acquisition of Amika Mobile, a Canada-based enterprise software provider of critical communications, event situational awareness and emergency management products. Under the terms of the closing, Amika Mobile has been renamed Genasys Communications Canada.

08:37 EDT Resonant achieves milestone under agreement for XBAR filters - Resonant has achieved the second and most critical milestone under its agreement for the development of 5G mobile XBAR filters with the world's largest RF filter manufacturer. This milestone allows Resonant to move to the next phase of the Agreement, which focuses on building commercial platform & high-volume manufacturing of XBAR-based RF filters for 5G. Resonant's achievement of the second milestone, a prerequisite that enables commercialization, required Resonant's XBAR RF filters to achieve previously determined target performance, packaging and initial reliability. With the second milestone achieved, Resonant will now begin working on the balance of the mobile 5G XBAR RF filter designs under the final two phases of the initial agreement.

08:37 EDT IntercontinentalExchange September and 3Q20 energy open interest up 10% YoY - Intercontinental Exchange reported September and third quarter 2020 trading volume and related revenue statistics: Energy open interest up 10% y/y ;Other crude & refined products OI up 4% y/y; Heating oil OI up 51% y/y; 3Q20 average daily volume, ADV, up 184% y/y; Record RBOB gasoline ADV up 261% y/y in 3Q20; North American natural gas OI up 18% y/y; 3Q'20 ADV up 9%; Henry Hub OI up 36% y/y; 3Q20 ADV up 21% y/y. "For two decades now, our core focus at ICE has been giving actionable information to our customers, connecting them to highly liquid digital markets, delivering efficiencies and a reliable, resilient settlement process," said Ben Jackson, President of Intercontinental Exchange. "As our customers continue navigating a challenging year, we're working closely with them to ensure they have the tools they need to access prices, execute trading strategies and efficiently manage their risk."

08:36 EDT Manitex appoints Joseph Doolan as CFO - Manitex announced that Joseph Doolan has been named senior VP and CFO of Manitex effective October 20. Doolan comes to Manitex with approximately 25 years of experience in senior financial executive roles at public industrial and financial services companies, following nine years at KPMG in its financial services practice. As previously reported, Laura Yu, the company's current CFO since October 2018, announced her resignation effective October 2, and has agreed to remain in a consulting role at Manitex to oversee the transition to Doolan.

08:32 EDT Durect to present results from 4-week Phase 1b clinical study of DUR-928 - Durect announced it will present a poster at The AASLD Liver Meeting Digital Experience 2020, to be held virtually on November 13-16. Topline results from the 4-week Phase 1b clinical study of orally administered DUR-928 in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis patients were released previously, showing an overall improvement from baseline in liver enzymes, liver stiffness, and serum lipid profiles. At day 28, 43% of patients showed greater than or equal to 10% liver fat reduction from baseline as measured by magnetic resonance imaging - proton density fat fraction. Daily oral dosing of DUR-928 was well tolerated at all three doses evaluated, 50mg QD, 150mg QD, and 300mg BID. Additional safety and efficacy data will be presented in the poster.

08:26 EDT Radius Global Infrastructure begins trading on Nasdaq - Radius Global Infrastructure commenced trading its Class A Common Stock on the Nasdaq Global Market with the ticker symbol RADI. The Company's warrants will trade over-the-counter. The Company, formerly known as Digital Landscape Group, Inc., ceased trading on the London Stock Exchange and completed its domestication into Delaware on October 2, 2020. In conjunction with the name change, domestication and change in listing venue to the NASDAQ, the Company also launched a new corporate website that can be accessed at https://www.radiusglobal.com.

08:24 EDT Collectors Universe announces facility expansion to increase operations capacity - Collectors Universe announced that it will be expanding its existing headquarters and operations facility by an additional 62,870 square feet adjacent to that facility, thereby doubling the space occupied to 125,625 square feet to accommodate the Company's continuing growth and future expansion plans. The Company plans to use part of the extra space for the future addition of automation solutions that would enable rapid image recognition and capture to increase the efficiency and volume of authenticating and grading trading cards and coins. Collectors Universe secured the additional office space by amending its existing lease, which extends through September 30, 2028. The Company plans to begin occupying and using the new space in early fiscal second quarter.

08:22 EDT Allena Pharmaceuticals appoints Ann Miller to board of directors - Allena Pharmaceuticals (ALNA) announced the appointment of Ann Miller, M.D., to its board of directors. Most recently, she spent six years at Sanofi (SNY), ultimately serving as Vice President, Marketing, where she was selected to lead a corporate-wide initiative on Marketing Excellence. In conjunction with Dr. Miller's appointment, Allena announced that founding board member Bob Tepper, M.D., a partner at Third Rock Ventures and founding member of the company's board of directors since 2011, has resigned from the Allena Board.

08:20 EDT Barrick Gold completes Eskay Creek transaction - In line with its strategy of focusing on Tier One assets, Barrick Gold (GOLD) has completed the recently announced transaction pursuant to which Skeena Resources (SKREF) exercised its option to acquire the Eskay Creek project and Barrick waived its back-in right on the Eskay Creek project. As previously announced, consideration for the transaction consists of: the issuance by Skeena of 22,500,000 units, with each Unit comprising one common share of Skeena and one half of a warrant, with each whole warrant entitling Barrick to purchase one additional common share of Skeena at an exercise price of C$2.70 each until the second anniversary of the closing date; the grant of a 1% NSR royalty on the entire Eskay Creek land package; and a contingent payment of C$15 million payable during a 24-month period after closing. Barrick holds 24,075,000 Skeena common shares, representing approximately 12.4% of Skeena's issued and outstanding common shares, and assuming the exercise in full of all of the warrants issued pursuant to the transaction, Barrick will hold 35,325,000 common shares, representing approximately 17.2% of Skeena's issued and outstanding common shares.

08:17 EDT Enphase Energy, 603 Solar to offset 100% of energy for NH town hall building - Enphase Energy announced that 603 Solar deployed a 16.8 kW DC solar array on the town hall building for the community of Shelburne, New Hampshire. After other recent energy efficiency upgrades to the town hall building, the solar system from 603 Solar is expected to offset 100% of the building's energy needs. The team at 603 Solar specified 42 Enphase IQ 7A microinverters for the Shelburne town hall, and the system was locally installed by Roger Adams, owner at Adams Energy LLC. The Shelburne Energy Committee, started by residents Ray Danforth and Michael Prange, produced the analysis used by the Town of Shelburne to set up a financing structure aimed at having the solar project generate positive savings starting in the first year of solar power generation. The town hall's solar system is projected to produce up to 18,174 kWh in its first year of operation and targeted at offsetting 100% of the Town Hall's energy needs. The system is anticipated to offset approximately 12.8 metric tons of CO2 per year.

08:16 EDT Silicom achieves three new uCPE device wins - Silicom announced that it has achieved three new uCPE device wins with top-tier telcos, representing a combined revenue potential of approximately $10M per year once steady-state delivery levels are reached. These wins are the result of ongoing fruitful cooperation between Silicom and a leading SD-WAN software vendor, which began two years ago when both companies identified the huge potential in combining the capabilities of Silicom's latest generation hardware CPEs with the partner's software-based disaggregated routers. At that time, the two companies joined forces to win a major US healthcare chain's tender for a nationwide deployment.

08:13 EDT Neuronetics CCO Dan Guthrie to depart - Neuronetics announced that Sara Grubbs has been appointed as the company's Vice President, Sales effective immediately. Grubbs brings 15 years of medical device experience to Neuronetics, previously serving in sales leadership and management roles with Revance Aesthetics, Allergan, Ulthera, and Solta Medical as well as other medical device and pharmaceutical companies. On October 5, 2020, the Company also announced that Dan Guthrie, Chief Commercial Officer, would leave Neuronetics at the end of the year to pursue to other professional opportunities. In connection with her hiring on October 5, 2020, the Compensation Committee of the Company's Board of Directors authorized the grant to Ms. Grubbs of restricted stock units representing 75,000 shares of the Company's common stock in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4), which will vest in three equal annual installments on the anniversary of the grant date, subject to Ms. Grubbs continued employment with the company and subject to Capitalization Adjustments.

08:10 EDT Canadian National reports movement of 7.76 MMT of grain in Q3 - As the North American economy continues its recovery, CN is pleased to announce that its people moved 7.76 million metric tonne of grain in the third quarter of 2020 and that September marked the seventh straight month in a row of record grain movements, supporting Canadian grain farmers and the grain supply chain. In August, CN moved over 2.43 MMT of Canadian grain compared to the previous record of 2.31 MMT set in 2014 and over 2.81 MMT in September compared to the previous record of 2.6 MMT set in 2016. This performance follows five record months in March, April, May, June, and July.

08:09 EDT Arcturus completes 1st of three dose escalation cohorts in Phase 1 of ARCT-810 - Arcturus Therapeutics announced the completion of the first three dose escalation cohorts in its ongoing Phase 1 study with ARCT-810, the Company's messenger RNA, mRNA,-based therapeutic candidate for Ornithine Transcarbamylase, OTC, deficiency. The ARCT-810 Phase 1 study is a double blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation trial in healthy adult volunteers. The study has completed three cohorts in total and the fourth cohort is expected to complete this quarter. All cohorts are randomized 2:1 active to placebo and the study is designed to evaluate safety and tolerability, and pharmacokinetics, as primary and secondary endpoints. All subjects in cohorts up to 0.3 mg/kg have completed dosing and all study visits. Based on the available preliminary study data, ARCT-810 has been well tolerated at these doses, which are all within the anticipated therapeutic range. All adverse events observed have been mild or moderate in nature and there have been no serious adverse events. ARCT-810 has demonstrated a favorable pharmacokinetic profile, and no ARCT-810 lipid was detectable in plasma beyond 48 hours following drug administration. The company plans to report final data following study completion, which is anticipated this quarter. "We are pleased to have made rapid progress advancing our Phase 1 study for ARCT-810, a highly promising mRNA-based therapeutic candidate for OTC deficiency. Preliminary safety and pharmacokinetic data are favorable and supportive of continued development," said Steve Hughes, M.D., Chief Development Officer of Arcturus. "Administration at the highest dose cohort is ongoing and we anticipate study completion later this quarter. Our second ARCT-810 clinical study in patients with OTC deficiency is now recruiting and we expect to begin dosing patients at a U.S. clinical site this quarter."

08:07 EDT Histogen completes final dosing in 1b/2a trial for androgenic alopecia - Histogen announced completion of patient dosing in its Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of HST-001, designed to assess the safety, tolerability and indicators of efficacy of HST-001 for the treatment of androgenic alopecia in men. "We are pleased to have completed dosing for week 12, the last of three dosing timepoints, in our HST-001 trial and we remain on track to announce top line data results in the fourth quarter of this year," said Richard Pascoe, Histogen's President and CEO. "We believe HST-001 has the potential to stimulate new long-lasting hair growth in contrast to the two FDA approved therapies that focus on reducing hair loss."

08:06 EDT RigNet awarded multi-year contract with premier offshore drilling company - RigNet announced that it has been awarded a multi-year contract with another premier offshore drilling company to provide fully managed communications services and global satellite access to its entire global drilling fleet. The new contract expands the already existing services which include RigNet's Machine Learning platform, Intelie, and other over the top applications, intelligence and network security solutions to support the digital transformation of assets in some of the harshest environments imaginable.

08:04 EDT MarketAxess reports September monthly trading volume $461B - MarketAxess Holdings announced monthly trading volume for September 2020 of $461B consisting of $206.2B in credit volume and $254.8B in rates volume. The Company also reported preliminary variable transaction fees per million for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 of $199 for U.S. high-grade, $208 for other credit, $204 for total credit and $4.10 for rates. The FPM for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 are preliminary and may be revised in subsequent updates and public filings. T

08:03 EDT Papa John's appoints Ann Gugino as CFO - Papa John's (PZZA) announced the appointment of Ann Gugino as CFO, effective immediately. Steve Coke, who has been serving as interim principal financial and accounting officer, will continue in his role as VP, investor relations and strategy. Gugino joins the company from Target (TGT) and brings over 20 years of financial management, planning and strategic expertise. As a member of Papa John's executive leadership team, she will help build and implement the company's long-term plans for profitable growth and shareholder value creation.

08:02 EDT Talend names Jamie Kiser as COO, chief customer officer - Talend (TLND) announced it has named Jamie Kiser to the expanded role of COO and chief customer officer. Prior to joining Talend, Jamie served over six years with SAP (SAP) in various product, services, and operations leadership positions.

07:53 EDT Sandstorm Gold Sold 12,100 gold equivalent ounces in Q3 - Sandstorm Gold is pleased to announce the 2020 third quarter sales figures and provide an asset update of recent developments from the Company's royalty portfolio. Sandstorm Sold 12,100 Gold Equivalent Ounces in Q3 2020.The Company has sold approximately 12,100 attributable gold equivalent ounces1 and realized preliminary revenue of $23.3 million during the three months ended September 30, 2020. Preliminary cost of sales, excluding depletion for the three month period, was $3.1M resulting in record cash operating margins1 of approximately $1,670 per attributable gold equivalent ounce.

07:51 EDT Accenture names Bhaskar Ghosh Chief Strategy Officer - Accenture announced changes to its Global Management Committee, with the appointment of a new chief strategy officer and leadership moves in its U.K. and Ireland business. Bhaskar Ghosh has been named chief strategy officer, effective immediately, with responsibility for the company's strategy and investments, including ventures and acquisitions. He will continue to lead the growth strategy for Accenture's Industry X business, which includes digital manufacturing and intelligent products and platforms. Ghosh most recently served as advisor to Julie Sweet, Accenture's chief executive officer, on critical areas including growth and investment strategy, business performance, organizational effectiveness and restructuring. Previously, Ghosh was group chief executive of Accenture Technology Services, directing strategy and investments, and leading platforms, products and global technology delivery.

07:48 EDT Gold Resource announces intent to spin-off Nevada Mining unit - Gold Resource Corporation announced its intent to spin-off its Nevada Mining Unit to shareholders as a separate, publicly-traded company. The transaction is expected to be structured as a pro-rata distribution of 100% of the Spinco shares to Gold Resource shareholders. Approximately 20 million shares of Spinco are expected to be distributed to the Company's shareholders. Shareholder approval is not required for the spin-off, which is expected to be tax-free to Gold Resource shareholders for U.S. tax purposes. The Spinco transaction is subject to certain customary conditions, including the approval of a Spinco registration statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and final approval by the Company's Board of Directors. The transaction is targeted to be completed by year-end 2020 or the first quarter of 2021. Expected Benefits of the Transaction: Permit each company to focus on its own unique strategic business plan; Allow each company flexibility to allocate resources and deploy capital in a manner consistent with its own business strategy; Unlock a value premium for the Nevada Mining Unit due to its location in one of the world's premier mining jurisdiction; Allow each company to focus on streamlining each distinct operation - underground, hard rock operations in Mexico, and open-pit heap leach operations in Nevada, USA; Two separate companies have the potential to provide investors with greater value than a single combined company The Oaxaca Mining Unit celebrated a milestone earlier this year, completing ten years of commercial production with over $1 billion in revenue and $114 million in dividend distributions. Going forward, the Company's business strategy for Mexico targets allocating more of its cash flow and capital back into operations to better facilitate growth. A stand-alone Oaxaca-focused company would be able to aggressively pursue expanding and discovering new vein systems. The Company is currently developing two dedicated exploration drifts at its Arista Mine to access and target extensions of known vein systems and discoveries of new veins in areas of the mine previously unexplored. Exploration goals following the separation would include increased exploration budgets for the Arista Mine expansion, and to identify and define additional resource potential in the highly-prospective but under-explored 55-kilometer fault corridor. To date, the Company has drilled approximately 2% of its 560 square kilometer land package in Oaxaca. The strategy going forward is to allocate more capital to exploration for growth potential, accelerating increased shareholder value. The Company has recently completed a power grid project and a paste fill plant and is currently constructing a dry-stack tailings facility. A stand-alone Oaxaca Mining Unit would be in a strong position to further optimize the Arista underground mine's infrastructure, including an underground ore pass and surface processing facilities including regrind circuits for increased gold recoveries. The Oaxaca Mining Unit could also target to utilize its free cash flow for new accretive regional acquisitions. Focusing on organic growth, Spinco would expect increased margins from its Isabella Pearl project and to use the expected cash flow to potentially return dividends to shareholders. Spinco would seek to replicate GORO's legacy success in its early years as a yield-play with a tight capital structure. Strong, expected near-term cash flow from Isabella Pearl operations could not only facilitate dividends but also target exploration and development of the mining unit's highly prospective property portfolio in the Walker Lane Mineral Belt. The Company currently controls over 25,000 acres in five high-grade gold properties in Nevada in various stages of production, delineation, and exploration. In addition to the organic growth and targeted dividend strategy, the separation would also seek to unlock a value premium for the Nevada Mining Unit due to its location in one of the world's premier mining jurisdictions. Gold Resource's management team will develop detailed separation plans for consideration by the Board of Directors. Completion of the spin-off is subject to certain conditions, including the filing and approval of a registration statement with the SEC and receipt of final Board approval. The Company expects that the registration statement will be filed in the near future. There is no assurance regarding the ultimate timing of the transaction or that it will in fact be completed. Following the separation, it is expected that Gold Resource will continue to operate and focus on its Oaxaca Mining Unit and its shares will continue to trade on the NYSE American under the symbol "GORO". Current operations include the Arista underground mine, as well as a large prospective land position of a consolidated 55-kilometer mineralized fault corridor. Nevada Spinco would focus on Nevada Mining Unit operations and growth. Current operations include the Isabella Pearl open-pit mine, as well as four additional high-grade gold exploration properties. To provide operating capital, the Company expects to make a capital contribution of $10 million to Spinco at the time of the transaction. Given its expected capitalization and other financial metrics, the Company expects Spinco to initially trade in the over-the-counter public markets. Spinco would consider up-listing to an exchange such as the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq at a future date, based on consistently meeting listing standards, market conditions, and strategic timing. Upon completion of the transaction, it is expected that Jason Reid, current CEO, President and director of Gold Resource Corporation, would step down from all executive and director positions with the Company and be appointed CEO, President and director of Spinco. The Company has already undertaken efforts to identify a new chief executive officer for Gold Resource. While a formal announcement of a new Company CEO and Board appointments will be made at a later date, the following Board modifications are anticipated: Bill Conrad, current Chairman of Gold Resource Corporation, is expected to remain on the Board of Directors of the Company but will step down as Chairman. Mr. Conrad is expected to be appointed as a director of Spinco and named Chairman of the Board. Mr. Alex Morrison, current member of the Company's Board of Directors and Audit Committee chair, is expected to be named Chairman of Gold Resource's Board.

07:43 EDT Nam Tai Property raises $170M through private placement - Nam Tai Property announced that it has completed a private placement of its common shares with investors Kaisa Group Holdings and a large-scale integrated financial group based in Hong Kong. Nam Tai will receive gross proceeds of approximately $170M, which it expects to use to pay down debt that is at risk for cancellation or early repayment demands and increase its financial flexibility.

07:39 EDT iBio regains compliance with NYSE American continued listing standards - iBio announced that on October 1, 2020, the Company received written notice from the NYSE American stating that the Company had regained compliance with all of the Exchange's continued listing standards set forth in Part 10 of the NYSEA Company Guide. By meeting the requirements of the $50M market capitalization exemption in Section 1003(a) of the Company Guide, iBio has resolved its continued listing deficiency with respect to NYSEA's letters dated October 16, 2019 and December 9, 2019.

07:37 EDT Intellia Therapeutics appoints John Crowley to board of directors - Intellia Therapeutics (NTLA) has appointed John Crowley to its Board of Directors. Since 2005, Mr. Crowley has been chairman and CEO of Amicus Therapeutics (FOLD), a global biotechnology company focusing on developing treatments for rare genetic diseases.Additionally, Perry Karsen, has decided to step down from his board position, effective December 31, 2020, due to other commitments. Mr. Karsen served as chairman of Intellia's Board of Directors from April 2016 through February 2020, including the company's 2016 initial public offering.

07:36 EDT Radius Global Infrastructure commences trading on Nasdaq - Radius Global Infrastructure commenced trading its Class A common stock on the Nasdaq. The company's warrants will trade over-the-counter. The company, formerly known as Digital Landscape Group, ceased trading on the London Stock Exchange and completed its domestication into Delaware on October 2.

07:35 EDT Postal Realty Trust acquires North Carolina postal property for $4.6M - Postal Realty Trust announced the acquisition of a 49,500 square foot postal property located in Greensboro, North Carolina for approximately $4.6M. The 49,500 interior square foot office property is 100% occupied by the Postal Service and is part of a larger 22-building office park where USPS leases an additional 45,000 square feet. The acquired property is leased as a full-service office building and will continue to be managed by CBRE Triad. As of October 5, the company's portfolio is 100% occupied comprised of 692 postal properties across 47 states with approximately 2.1M net leaseable interior square feet and a weighted average rental rate of $9.50 per leasable square foot. During Q3, the company received 100% of its rents and acquired 123 USPS properties for $26.8M, excluding closing costs. These acquisitions comprised approximately 325,000 net leasable interior square feet and had a weighted average rental rate of $8.27 per leasable square foot.

07:33 EDT Senseonics submits PMA application for 180-Day Eversense System to the FDA - Senseonics announced the Premarket Approval, PMA, supplement application to extend the wearable life of the Eversense CGM System to 180 days was submitted to the United States Food and Drug Administration on September 30. Summary accuracy results from the PROMISE Clinical Study for the 180-day product were also announced. The PMA application is supported by clinical data generated from the PROMISE Clinical Study. The 181 study participants had the Eversense sensor inserted subcutaneously at eight sites across the United States where the safety and efficacy of the system was evaluated over a 180-day period. Study results demonstrate performance matching that of the current Eversense 90-day product available in the United States, with a mean absolute relative difference (MARD) of 8.5%-9.6%. This result was achieved with reduced calibration, down to one per day, while also doubling the sensor life to 180 days. Research results from the PROMISE Clinical Study will be presented at future diabetes meetings, as well as through scientific publications.

07:32 EDT Commercial Vehicle Group names Christopher Bohnert as CFO - Commercial Vehicle Group (CVGI) announced the appointment of Christopher Bohnert as CFO and Chief Accounting Officer as of Monday, October 19. Bohnert comes to CVG from Calumet Specialty Products (CLMT) where he served as CFO for Finished Lubricants & Chemicals.

07:30 EDT Eidos Therapeutics trading resumes

07:26 EDT Corvus Pharmaceuticals announces updated data from Phase 1 study of CPI-006 - Corvus Pharmaceuticals announced updated data from its ongoing Phase 1 study investigating the potential for CPI-006 to provide a novel immunotherapy approach for patients with COVID-19. The updated data includes 56-day follow-up results from the first two cohorts and initial results from the third cohort of the study. The 56-day follow-up results showed a dose-response, with higher and more prolonged titers of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the 1.0 mg/kg cohort compared to the 0.3 mg/kg cohort. In addition, the results showed increased levels of memory B cells and memory T cells, and there have been no reports of any drug-related safety issues in any of the 15 patients treated as of September 17, 2020. These results build on the initial data from the first two cohorts of the study that was published online at medRxiv.org in September 2020. In addition to detailing the initial results, the medRxiv manuscript provides additional details on the unique properties of CPI-006 and on the study rationale and design, along with context on the broad potential for CPI-006 for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19. To-date, the first three cohorts of the study have been enrolled and the final cohort is currently enrolling patients. A new study site, El Centro Regional Medical Center in El Centro, CA, which is affiliated with the U.C. San Diego Health Care Network and serves Imperial and Riverside counties in southern California, has also begun enrolling patients. The Company continues to anticipate that it will complete the study and report results during the fourth quarter of 2020, including a presentation of data at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer annual meeting in November. Based on these interim data, and assuming the remainder of the data in the study supports it, the Company plans to initiate a pivotal, randomized, double blind study in hospitalized COVID-19 patients before year-end. The open-label, Phase 1 study is expected to enroll up to 30 hospitalized COVID-19 patients with mild to moderate symptoms. Patients will receive a single dose of CPI-006, with levels of 0.3, 1.0, 3.0 and 5.0 mg/kg, escalating in four cohorts as the study progresses. Patients will receive medications, therapies, and interventions per standard treatment protocols for COVID-19 for the duration of the study. The primary efficacy endpoint is the change in serum immunoglobulin anti-SARS-CoV-2 levels compared to baseline at day 28. The study also will examine safety and other clinical endpoints, including time to resolution of symptoms and duration of hospitalization. In the first three cohorts of the study, the median age of the patients was 63 years and 12 of 15 patients are minorities at higher risk for COVID-19 disease complications. All of the patients had comorbidities that increased their COVID-19 risk including diabetes, hypertension, obesity, chronic lung disease and/or cancer. The median duration of symptoms prior to treatment with CPI-006 was 5 days. The key highlights from these 15 patients, beyond the data already reported from the first 10 patients in the medRxiv manuscript, include: 14 of 14 patients with pre-treatment serum samples available had low pre-treatment levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies independent of the duration of their prior COVID-19 symptoms. IgG and IgM antibody titers against the SARS-CoV-2 trimeric spike and/or receptor binding domain increased in all evaluable patients within 7 days of a single infusion of CPI-006. As previously reported, one patient did not have a pre-treatment serum sample available but had a sample collected one day after receiving CPI-006 and this sample exhibited a high titer, which continued to increase as of September 28, 2020. In 11 of 11 patients with serum samples available to be tested, the combined IgG and IgM antibody responses continued to increase out to 28 days post treatment with CPI-006 as of September 28, 2020, in-line with the prior study data. In three of three patients tested, memory B cells, and memory CD4 and CD8 T effector memory cells, increased at 28 days post-treatment, and for one of such patients, memory B cells increased from 1.8% to 7.9% of B cells at 56 days post-treatment. As of September 28, 2020, 14 of 15 patients were discharged from the hospital with clinical improvement after a median of 4.5 days. One patient remains in the hospital with improvement of symptoms. There have been no drug-related toxicity or safety issues reported. The 28-day and 56-day anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody data for patients receiving 0.3 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg doses showed a dose-response with higher and more prolonged titers observed in the 1.0 mg/kg cohort compared to the 0.3 mg/kg cohort. IgG and IgM titers to trimeric spike and receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 were measured and compared to convalescent serum obtained from recovered COVID-19 patients. Geometric mean titers were evaluated and revealed robust response at 28 days for both cohorts with higher and more sustained levels at day 56 seen in the 1.0 mg cohort. For example, day 56 IgG to spike protein titer was 49,519 as compared to 204,800 in patients receiving 0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg, respectively. Day 56 titers to RBD were 37,286 as compared to 144,815 in patients receiving 0.3 and 1.0 mg/kg, respectively. Sustained and high IgM titers were also observed and exhibited a similar dose-response.

07:21 EDT Trevena announces three OLINVYK presentations at ASA annual meeting - Trevena announced three presentations at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2020, the national conference for the American Society of Anesthesiologists. The conference was held virtually from October 2nd to 7th, 2020. The presentations included three posters, all of which discussed new analyses of data from the OLINVYK Phase 3 program. 1. "Evaluating Predictive Value Of Postoperative O2 Saturation Levels To Rate Of Respiratory Safety Events In Oliceridine Trials," with lead author Sabry Ayad, M.D., Department of Anesthesiology at Cleveland Clinic. OLINVYK demonstrated an overall lower incidence of respiratory safety events compared with IV morphine in Phase 3 randomized controlled trials in orthopedic and plastic surgeries. In these OLINVYK Phase 3 RCTs, respiratory safety was assessed using a predefined RSE measure. An analysis was conducted to determine the correlation between RSEs and oxygen saturation less than 90%, a known independent risk factor of early postoperative respiratory complications and resource utilization. The analysis showed that SpO2 less than 90% was predictive of an RSE and may serve as a valuable objective measure within a health economic model for OLINVYK. 2. "Improved Tolerability With Oliceridine Compared To Morphine At Equianalgesic Doses," with lead author Gregory Hammer, M.D., Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, and of Pediatrics at Stanford University. A secondary analysis was conducted on the data from the OLINVYK Phase 3 pivotal RCTs in order to evaluate the safety of OLINVYK, compared to IV morphine, when adjusted for equal levels of analgesia. A composite safety endpoint was defined using the adverse events that occurred in greater than or equal to 10% of patients who received either OLINVYK or IV morphine. The incidence of the individual AEs was also assessed. Following orthopedic surgery, OLINVYK demonstrated a significantly lower odds ratio for rates of nausea, vomiting, and pruritus, compared to IV morphine. Following plastic surgery, OLINVYK demonstrated a significantly lower odds ratio for rates of nausea, vomiting, and sedation compared to IV morphine. At equianalgesic levels, OLINVYK's odds ratio for the composite safety endpoint was approximately half of that associated with IV morphine. The findings were consistent across both studies. 3. "Reduced Incidence Of Postoperative Vomiting With Oliceridine Than Morphine At Equianalgesic Doses," with lead author Tim Beard, M.D., Chair of the Department of Surgery at Summit Medical Group. A retrospective analysis was conducted on the gastrointestinal tolerability data from the OLINVYK Phase 3 RCTs, using a 'complete GI response' endpoint. A 'complete GI response' is defined as the proportion of patients who complete the study without vomiting and without using any anti-emetics. In both studies, OLINVYK 0.1 mg and 0.35 mg were associated with a significantly higher rate of 'complete GI response' compared with IV morphine. Under equianalgesic conditions, where analgesia as measured by Sum of Pain Intensity Difference scores was held constant, the odds ratio for 'complete GI response' was higher with OLINVYK than IV morphine.

07:17 EDT Mateon Therapeutics to initiate commercialization of ArtiShield - Mateon Therapeutics announced that ArtiShield is now approved for manufacture and marketing by the Ministry of AYUSH, license number UK.AY-401/2018, for the treatment of various symptoms like fever and inflammation. ArtiShield is in co-development with Windlas Biotech Pvt. Ltd., Mateon's commercial partner for India. ArtiShield is being evaluated against COVID-19 in ARTI-19- a phase IV study in India. ArtiShield is designed to be a readily available and cost-effective agent to combat COVID-19, with Windlas providing the capability to manufacture the doses necessary to support this endeavor.

07:16 EDT Avrobio to collaborate with University of Manchester for MPS II therapy - Avrobio announced an exclusive, worldwide license agreement and a collaborative research funding agreement with The University of Manchester for an investigational lentiviral gene therapy for mucopolysaccharidosis type II, or MPS II, or Hunter syndrome, a rare and deadly lysosomal disorder that primarily affects young boys. Hunter syndrome, which affects an estimated one in 100,000 to one in 170,000 males worldwide, causes devastating complications throughout the body and brain, including severe cardiac and respiratory dysfunction, skeletal malformations and hearing impairment. Children with severe cases of Hunter syndrome typically show early symptoms in their toddler years and begin to regress developmentally around age six, losing basic motor skills and cognitive function. The current standard of care is weekly enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), which can delay some complications but does not halt overall progression of the disease and has not been demonstrated to address cognitive issues. Even with ERT, people with Hunter syndrome face life-limiting symptoms and a significantly reduced life span.

07:13 EDT Forterra announces rating upgrade by S&P - Forterra announced that on October 2, 2020, S&P Global Ratings upgraded the Company's issuer credit rating to B from B-, and issuer-level ratings on the Company's term loan and senior secured notes to B from B-. The outlook remains stable.

07:12 EDT Fulcrum Therapeutics to initiate Phase 1 trial of FTX-6058 - Fulcrum Therapeutics announced that the Investigational New Drug application is now in effect for its Phase 1 trial in healthy adult volunteers with FTX-6058 for sickle cell disease. FTX-6058 is a small molecule designed to increase expression of fetal hemoglobin with the potential to treat hemoglobinopathies such as sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. This Phase 1 trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of FTX-6058 and will be comprised of four parts. Part A will be a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single ascending dose study in up to six cohorts. Part B will be a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple ascending dose study in up to four cohorts dosed once daily for 14 days. Part C will be an open label pilot food effect study in subjects randomized to take FTX-6058 with and without a high-fat meal, and Part D will be an open label study to evaluate the potential of FTX-6058 to induce CYP3A.

07:09 EDT Apellis initiates registrational programs of pegcetacoplan - Apellis Pharmaceuticals announced that it has initiated registrational programs of pegcetacoplan, a targeted C3 therapy, for people living with C3 glomerulopathy or immune complex membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, rare diseases that can lead to kidney failure within five to 10 years, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a devastating neurodegenerative disease that leads to progressive muscle weakness and paralysis. Uncontrolled activation of the complement cascade, a part of the body's immune system, is believed to play a role in the progression of these serious diseases. C3G / IC-MPGN are rare kidney diseases that impact ~18,000 patients in the United States and Europe1 and currently have no approved therapies. C3 deposition in the kidneys is present in both C3G and IC-MPGN; however, substantial immunoglobulin deposition is also seen in IC-MPGN. Apellis is advancing a registrational program in C3G / IC-MPGN beginning with the Phase 2 NOBLE study, a randomized, controlled trial in 12 patients with post-transplant disease recurrence that will focus on the histopathology of the kidneys. The first patient is expected to be dosed in this study by the end of 2020. Apellis also plans to begin a Phase 3 study in the first half of 2021 with reduction in proteinuria as its primary endpoint. With these trials, Apellis will be the only company actively studying a potential treatment for patients with IC-MPGN, a disease where both the alternative and classical pathways have been implicated, which supports targeting the complement cascade centrally at C3 as a potential therapeutic option. The company is advancing pegcetacoplan in C3G / IC-MPGN based on data in C3G from the Phase 2 DISCOVERY trial. Data at week 12 were positive; results at 48 weeks will be presented at a scientific congress later this year. Apellis is expanding the development of pegcetacoplan into neurology with a potentially registrational Phase 2 study in ALS, a disease that impacts approximately 225,000 patients worldwide. In individuals with ALS, high levels of activated C3 are present at the neuromuscular junction5 where the neurons communicate directly to muscle cells. Multiple studies suggest that the elevated levels of C3 present in ALS may be responsible for the chronic neuroinflammation that leads to motor neuron death. Apellis has initiated the MERIDIAN study, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of pegcetacoplan in approximately 200 adults with sporadic ALS, and expects to dose the first patient by the end of 2020. The primary endpoint of the study is the Combined Assessment of Function and Survival rank scores at week 52.

07:04 EDT Gan Limited, Wynn Resorts enter 10-year software platform agreement in Michigan - Gan Limited (GAN) announced that Wynn Resorts (WYNN) has engaged GAN in a 10-year agreement to be the enterprise software platform for its internet sports betting and internet casino gaming business in the State of Michigan. The company expects to launch Wynn online in Michigan alongside the first regulated online gambling operators in November, subject to all regulatory approvals. The Michigan launch between GAN and Wynn will be a part of the market access agreement between GAN and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, who operate five casinos under the Kewadin Casinos brand in Michigan, announced on March 27. The company said, "By leveraging GAN's U.S.-optimized enterprise software, proven get-to-market capability and on-property reward program integration capability, Wynn will be well-positioned as an early mover in the state of Michigan following its commencement of online gaming activities. Furthermore, as a major national casino brand operating casinos in both Las Vegas and Boston Massachusetts, Wynn has a substantial database of patrons' resident within the Michigan region to cross-market to Internet gambling." Together with a range of Internet casino games developed by GAN and/or aggregated from third parties, GAN will publish third-party sports betting content procured from a third-party sports betting content provider augmented by Wynn's strategic partner Betbull.

07:02 EDT ProQR Therapeutics appoints Naveed Shams as CSO - ProQR Therapeutics (PRQR) announced the appointment of Naveed Shams, MD, PhD, as CSO reporting to Daniel de Boer, CEO. Dr. Shams will assume responsibility for research programs and the translational medicine platform from David Rodman, MD, who is departing ProQR. Shams brings to ProQR deep ophthalmology, scientific and research management experience, most recently serving as Senior Corporate Officer, Head of Global Research and Development and CSO at Santen (SNPHY). As CSO, Dr. Shams will provide strategic direction, oversight, and execution for ProQR's research and early development efforts. This entails driving research strategy as ProQR continues to optimize its platform, preclinical, and clinical pipeline focused on ophthalmology.

07:01 EDT Eidos Therapeutics trading halted, news dissemination

06:58 EDT TC Energy offers to buy outstanding common units of TC PipeLines - TC Energy (TRP) announced it has made a non-binding offer to acquire all the outstanding common units of the master limited partnership TC PipeLines (TCP) not beneficially owned by TC Energy or its affiliates in exchange for TC Energy common shares. Under the proposal, TCP common unitholders would receive 0.650 common shares of TC Energy for each issued and outstanding publicly-held TCP common unit, representing an implied value of $27.31 per common unit based on the closing price of TC Energy common shares on the New York Stock Exchange on October 2. This reflects a 7.5% premium to the exchange ratio implied by the 20-day volume weighted average prices of TCP's common units and TC Energy's common shares on the NYSE as of October 2, 2020. The offer has been made to the Board of Directors of the general partner of TCP. As the general partner of TCP is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of TC Energy, a Conflicts Committee composed of independent directors of the TCP Board will be formed to consider the offer pursuant to its processes.

06:53 EDT TC PipeLines confirms TC Energy's offer to buy company's common units - TC PipeLines (TCP) announced that it has received a non-binding offer from TC Energy (TRP) to acquire all of the outstanding common units of TCP not beneficially owned by TC Energy or its affiliates in exchange for common shares of TC Energy. Under the proposal, TCP common unitholders would receive 0.650 common shares of TC Energy for each issued and outstanding publicly-held TCP common unit, representing an implied value of $27.31 per common unit based on the closing price of TC Energy common shares on the New York Stock Exchange on October 2. This reflects a 7.5% premium to the exchange ratio implied by the 20-day volume weighted average prices of TCP's common units and TC Energy's common shares on the NYSE as of October 2. The offer has been made to the Board of Directors of the general partner of TCP. As the general partner of TCP is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of TC Energy, a Conflicts Committee composed of independent directors of the TCP Board will be formed to consider the offer pursuant to its processes.

06:48 EDT International Game achieves responsible gaming re-accreditation by G4 - International Game announced that it has achieved responsible gaming re-accreditation by the Global Gambling Guidance Group, or G4, for its IGT Gaming and PlayDigital operations.

06:39 EDT Quarterhill subsidiary awarded $1.2M WIM systems contract from FHWA - International Road Dynamics, or IRD, a Quarterhill company, announced that it has been awarded a contract for "Weigh-In-Motion Systems Installation, Maintenance, and Data Services" with the United States Federal Highway Administration, or FHWA, Office of Infrastructure Research and Development, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The contract is a task-order based, indefinite-delivery-indefinite-quantity, agreement covering a 66-month period and is valued at $1.2M. Under this contract, IRD will be issued task orders to provide installation, maintenance, repairs and verification that data collected from the WIM systems at long-term pavement performance, or LTPP, test sites across the United States and Canada meet performance specifications for Type I WIM systems established by American Society for Testing and Materials, or ASTM, Standard E1318-09. The FHWA funds and manages the LTPP program with the goal of investigating specific pavement-related details that are critical to pavement performance. LTPP program studies are performed at more than 2,500 test sections on highways across North America.

06:35 EDT RMG Acquisition, Romeo Systems announce pact for business combination - Romeo Systems, an energy technology company, and RMG Acquisition Corp, a special purpose acquisition company, announced a definitive agreement for a business combination that would result in Romeo Power becoming a publicly listed company. Upon closing of the transaction, the combined company will be named Romeo Power, Inc. and is expected to remain listed on the NYSE and trade under the new ticker symbol "RMO". The business combination values Romeo Power at an approximately $1.33B pro forma equity value. The boards of directors of both RMG and Romeo Power have approved the proposed transaction, which is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter, subject to, among other things, the approval by Romeo Power's stockholders and satisfaction or waiver of the other conditions stated in the definitive documentation.

06:32 EDT Bristol-Myers to acquire MyoKardia for $13.1B, or $225.00 per share in cash - Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY) and MyoKardia (MYOK) announced a definitive merger agreement under which Bristol Myers Squibb will acquire MyoKardia for $13.1B, or $225.00 per share in cash. The transaction was unanimously approved by both the Bristol Myers Squibb and MyoKardia Boards of Directors and is anticipated to close during the fourth quarter. Bristol Myers Squibb expects to finance the acquisition with a combination of cash and debt.

06:11 EDT Gilead presents long-term results from study of Biktarvy - Gilead Sciences announced long-term study results, which showed that people living with HIV who switched to the once-daily, single tablet regimen, Biktarvy from a boosted protease inhibitor-based regimen consisting of atazanavir or darunavir plus either emtricitabine/tenofovir disoproxil fumarate or abacavir/lamivudine maintained virologic suppression with no emergent resistance, through a maximum of 156 weeks. In the study, Biktarvy was generally well-tolerated with minimal changes to estimated glomerular filtration rate, lipids and weight through 96 weeks. The most common drug-related adverse event was headache. The primary endpoint was at week 48; results of the open-label extension period through week 156 were presented at HIV Glasgow 2020.

06:10 EDT Macerich announces all 47 retail properties to be fully open for business - Macerich announced that all 47 of the company's major retail properties nationwide will soon be fully open for business, now that LA County has approved indoor mall reopenings on October 7. The easing of COVID-19-related restrictions in Los Angeles means every Macerich property across the country is now welcoming shoppers ahead of this year's holiday season, which retailers and industry observers expect to start early, in October.

06:08 EDT Diginex reconstitutes board following Nasdaq listing - Diginex announced that it has reconstituted its board, following its listing and commencement of trading on Nasdaq. The new board meets the required standards of corporate governance for a Nasdaq-listed company. The board will be comprised of three executive directors and four non-executive directors, each of whom meets applicable independence standards under SEC and Nasdaq rules. As the first Nasdaq-listed company with a cryptocurrency exchange, Diginex's new board will establish a benchmark for transparency and governance for digital asset companies, offering a high degree of assurance for shareholders, customers and regulatory authorities. Executive directors of the board will comprise of Chi-Won Yoon, who will lead the board as chairman, Richard Byworth, the company's CEO and Paul Ewing, the company's CFO.

06:06 EDT Targa Resources announces $500M share repurchase plan - The share repurchase program is effective immediately

06:04 EDT Patterson-UTI reports an average of 60 drilling rigs operating in September - Patterson-UTI reported that for the month of September, the company had an average of 60 drilling rigs operating. For the three months ended September 30, the company had an average of 60 drilling rigs operating.

05:58 EDT Medipharm Labs signs exclusive medical cannabis supply agreement with Stada - Stada has signed an exclusive supply agreement with MediPharm Labs. Under the terms of the exclusive partnership, MediPharm will supply GMP certified medical cannabis products to Stada, as well as manufacturing, logistics, and regulatory support. Stada will be responsible for commercializing the cannabis products, initially in Germany as well as marketing and medical education utilizing a pharmaceutically experienced field force. The partners will initially focus on Germany, before potentially expanding to other European countries and territories. The partnership also signals MediPharm's entry into the global pharmaceutical industry within a major European market. With over 83M inhabitants benefitting from broad access to healthcare services, Germany currently represents an estimated three-quarters of the current EU medical cannabis market. Details of the products that Stada will bring to market through this partnership with MediPharm Labs will be unveiled in the coming months in the respective relevant communication channels.

05:50 EDT Mind Medicine to found, launch psychedelic assisted therapies training program - MindMed, on the heels of filing a Nasdaq uplisting application, announced a funding commitment to found and launch a clinical training program focused on psychedelic assisted therapies and psychedelic inspired medicines at NYU Langone Health. The NYU Langone Health Psychedelic Medicine Research Training Program is the first step in a larger initiative to establish a Center for Psychedelic Medicine at NYU Langone Health. NYU Langone Health and NYU Grossman School of Medicine have been early pioneers of clinical research with psychedelic assisted therapies and psychedelic inspired medicines for substance use disorders and other mental illnesses. Through this funding initiative, MindMed aims to catalyze efforts to recruit and train more psychiatrists and clinical investigators to undertake necessary research to develop training tools capable of scaling and optimizing the delivery of psychedelic assisted therapies and psychedelic inspired medicines to millions of patients across the United States. MindMed plans to soon enter a Phase 2 trial with 18-MC for opioid use disorder patients. As the entire psychedelic medicine industry progresses multiple psychedelic substances through clinical trials at the FDA, MindMed recognizes that the training of clinical investigators, psychiatrists and mental health professionals is of importance to enable the company to deploy therapies and medicines to patients in a regulated, accessible and financially efficient manner. The NYU Langone Health Psychedelic Medicine Research Training Program will have an initial focus on substance use disorders including opioid addiction and alcoholism. MindMed is committing $5M over a five-year period to the NYU Langone Health Psychedelic Medicine Research Training Program and the future corresponding Center for Psychedelic Medicine at NYU Langone Health. NYU Langone Health will have full and free discretion in using these funds for the development and conduct of the training program and operations of the Center for Psychedelic Medicine. The launch of the Center for Psychedelic Medicine at NYU Langone Health is still subject to additional funding from other undisclosed partners and parties.

05:44 EDT Medivir AB appoints Tom Morris as interim CMO - Medivir AB (MVRBF) announced it has appointed Tom Morris as interim CMO effective October immediately. Morris will report to CEO Yilmaz Mahshid and join the Medivir executive team. Tom Morris has more than 20 years of experience within drug development, mostly in oncology. Previously employed at Medeval and more recently at AstraZeneca (AZN). He has overseen the clinical development of several global drug programs, interacting with regulatory agencies, external clinical experts and academic groups worldwide.

05:40 EDT Cineworld Group to suspend U.S. theatre operations, 40,000 employees impacted - In response to an increasingly challenging theatrical landscape and sustained key market closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cineworld, parent company of Regal, announced that it will be temporarily suspending operations at all of its 536 Regal theatres in the U.S., as of October 8. As major U.S. markets, mainly New York, remained closed and without guidance on reopening timing, studios have been reluctant to release its pipeline of new films. In turn, without these new releases, Cineworld cannot provide customers in both the U.S. and U.K. with the breadth of commercial films necessary for them to consider coming back to theaters against the backdrop of COVID-19. These closures will impact approximately 40,000 employees across the U.S. Regal will continue to monitor the situation closely and will communicate any future plans to resume operations at the appropriate time, when key markets have more concrete guidance on their reopening status and, in turn, studios are able to bring their pipeline of major releases back to the big screen.

05:33 EDT IQE increases stake in IQE Taiwan to 100% from 90.18% - IQE announced the acquisition of third-party shareholdings in IQE Taiwan, taking IQE's ownership from 90.18% to 100%. The acquisition was effected using a statutory share swap arrangement under Taiwan's Business Mergers and Acquisitions Law. Selling shareholders who accepted the Share Swap will be issued with shares in IQE on the basis of the average closing price of IQE's ordinary shares of 1p on AIM in the 30-day period prior to the acquisition effective date. Selling shareholders who rejected the share swap will have their shares in IQE Taiwan purchased for cash. Selling shareholders representing 5.04% of the shares in IQE Taiwan, and 51% of the third-party shareholdings, accepted the share swap and the aggregate consideration payable to those shareholders is GBP1.44M which will be settled through the issue of 2,606,689 ordinary shares at an issue price of 55.15p per ordinary share. Selling shareholders representing 4.78% of the shares in IQE Taiwan, and 49% of the third-party shareholdings, rejected the share swap and will have their shares in IQE Taiwan purchased for cash. IQE has agreed a cash price with a number of those shareholders but is waiting for the Taiwan Court to determine the price payable to the others, as part of the normal process to be followed under Taiwan's Business Mergers and Acquisitions Law. IQE will therefore update the market once the total consideration has been determined.

05:21 EDT IBM announces Bank of Thailand launch of government savings bonds on blockchain - IBM announced that Bank of Thailand, or BOT, the central bank, has launched the world's first blockchain-based platform for government savings bonds issuing a total of $1.6B within two weeks. Leveraging blockchain technology on the IBM Cloud, the platform allows investors to benefit from sppedy bond issuance, reducing a process that previously took 15 days to two days. The company said the efficiency also reduces operational complexity and the overall cost of issuing bonds. The effort to develop a secure and efficient government bond infrastructure involved collaboration among eight institutions including BOT, Public Debt Management Office, Thailand Securities Depository, Thai Bond Market Association and selling-agent banks, including Bangkok Bank, Krungthai Bank, Kasikorn Bank, and Siam Commercial Bank, with IBM Blockchain as technology and cloud platform partner. Bank of Thailand now plans to extend blockchain to all other government bonds targeting both retail and wholesale investors.

05:12 EDT United Airlines to resume nonstop service between San Fancisco, Shanghai - United Airlines announced it will start nonstop service to China four-times weekly between San Francisco and Shanghai's Pudong International Airport. Beginning October 21, United will operate four weekly nonstop flights with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from San Francisco to Shanghai on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Customers traveling from Shanghai will return to San Francisco on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. United will continue operating four weekly flights between San Francisco and Shanghai and beginning October 21, will no longer be required to stop in Seoul. The company said United offered more service to China than any other U.S. carrier prior to suspending service in February due to COVID-19. In 2019, United operated five daily flights between Shanghai and its hubs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York/Newark.