Stockwinners Market Radar for January 14, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:40 EST Atlantic Power to be acquired by I Squared Capital at $3.03 per share or $961M - Atlantic Power announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with I Squared Capital, a leading global infrastructure investor, under which the company's outstanding common shares and convertible debentures, and the outstanding preferred shares and medium term notes of certain of its subsidiaries, will be acquired. The total enterprise value of the deal is approximately $961M and the transaction was unanimously approved by Atlantic Power's board of directors. Common shareholders of Atlantic Power will receive $3.03 per common share in cash, representing a 48% premium to the 30-day volume weighted average price per common share on the New York Stock Exchange for the period ending January 14, 2021.

20:01 EST Steel Partners director buys 77.3K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Steel Partners disclosed that its SVP Gordon Walker bought 77.3K shares of common stock on January 12th in a transaction with total size of $922K, boosting his stake by 110%.

19:04 EST Delek US says board committee to evaluate any CVR nominees - Delek US Holdings (DK) issued the following statement in response to the letter received from and disclosed by CVR Energy, Inc. (CVR), a majority owned subsidiary of Icahn Enterprises L.P. (IEP): "Delek US welcomes dialogue with its shareholders and constructive input related to enhancing shareholder value. The Company's Board of Directors and management team are committed to acting in the best interest of all shareholders, and regularly evaluate all available options to create and deliver value. Under the leadership of an engaged and experienced Board and management team, Delek US has built a broad portfolio of integrated assets in strategically important geographies, providing substantial value for its customers and partners. We have run at refinery utilization rates above industry average throughout 2020, driven by our positioning in attractive niche markets. Contributions from recent midstream investments are expected to gain momentum into 2021 and 2022." The statement continued: "The Delek US Board comprises seven highly qualified directors, six of whom are independent and all of whom are established industry leaders with deep expertise and experience that align with the Company's long-term strategy. The Delek US Board has been regularly refreshed with independent and diverse directors, two of whom joined the Board in the last two years. Notwithstanding this recent and ongoing refreshment, Delek US remains committed to maintaining a diverse Board with additive perspectives to provide independent oversight and enhance value for all shareholders. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of our Board will evaluate any nominees from CVR if and when they are received and make a recommendation in due course. Delek US shareholders are not required to take action at this time. Delek US encourages input and engagement from all investors, and looks forward to an ongoing dialogue with all shareholders, including CVR, as the Company continues to execute value creation strategies."

18:45 EST Cisco CEO: Price paid for Acacia Communications was 'reasonable' - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Chuck Robbins said Acacia Communications' (ACIA) technology is "super important" for Cisco's (CSCO) future. "The deal is strategic for our future," he added.

18:05 EST SPDR Gold Shares holdings fall from 1,171.21MT to 1,161.00MT - This is the second consecutive decrease and the lowest level of holdings since June 19th, 2020.

18:01 EST Birks Group reports FY21 holiday period sales down 0.2%, SSS down 1.8% - The company states: "For the FY2021 Holiday Period, net sales were 0.2% lower than last year, primarily due to a 1.8% decrease in comparable store sales, driven by temporary store closures due to COVID-19 restrictions in certain regions in Canada. As a result of various provincial health restrictions, seven of the company's 29 retail locations, including its flagship Bloor Street store in Toronto, were temporarily closed for in-person shopping for the majority of the holiday season. When excluding the seven stores that were temporarily closed for in-person shopping during the FY2021 Holiday Period, comparable stores sales increased by 6.8%. Furthermore, e-commerce sales increased by 176.0% during the FY2021 Holiday Period."

17:53 EST Micron director sells 50K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Micron disclosed that its director Manish Bhatia sold 50K shares of common stock on January 13th in a total transaction size of $3.95M, reducing his stake by about 18%.

17:47 EST Eldorado Gold guides FY21 gold production of 430K-460K oz - The company states: "Eldorado Gold's 2021 gold production is forecast to be between 430,000 and 460,000 ounces at all-in sustaining costs of $920 to $1,150 per ounce. Average 2021 cash operating costs are forecast in the range of $590 to $640 per ounce of gold sold. Quarter-to-quarter gold production in 2021 is expected to be relatively consistent with higher anticipated gold grade at Kisladag in the first half of the year expected to be offset by lower head grade at Lamaque. In the second half of 2021, gold production at Lamaque is expected to increase on higher grade while production at Kisladag will be temporarily affected by the expected third-quarter commissioning of the HPGR circuit."

17:31 EST DexCom CEO sells 47K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, DexCom disclosed that its CEO Kevin Sayer sold 47K shares of common stock on January 14th in a total transaction size of $16.97M, reducing his stake by about 25%.

17:23 EST L3Harris Technologies awarded $121.63M Missile Defense Agency contract - L3Harris Technologies was awarded a firm-fixed-price prototype award with a total value of $121.63M through the Missile Defense Agency's authority under 10 U.S. Code Section 2371b. This prototype award was competitively solicited among awardees of the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor Phase IIa effort, which was competitively awarded as a Prototype Other Transaction pursuant to 10 U.S. Code Section 2371b. Four proposals were received. Under this award, the performer will provide the Missile Defense Agency's Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor program with an on-orbit prototype demonstration, culminating with launch and early orbit testing. The work will be performed in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with an estimated completion date of July 14, 2023. FY20 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $25M will be obligated at the time of award. These funds will expire at the end of the 2021 fiscal year. Missile Defense Agency, Schriever Air Force Base is the contracting activity.

17:01 EST Copa Holdings reports December traffic down 65.7% y/y - Copa Holdings released preliminary passenger traffic statistics for December 2020. Consolidated capacity came in 60.8% lower year over year in December, while passenger traffic decreased 65.7% year over year, which resulted in a 74.8% load factor, 10.6 percentage points lower than December 2019.

16:52 EST Accolade confirms to acquire 2nd.MD for $460M - Accolade announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Innovation Specialists, LLC (d/b/a 2nd.MD), a Expert Medical Opinion and medical decision support company based in Houston, TX. Accolade will continue to offer 2nd.MD's service on a stand-alone basis as well. The transaction is expected to close by the end of February 2021, subject to customary closing conditions. Under the terms of the agreement, the purchase price of up to $460M will consist of $230M in cash, $130M in Accolade common stock, and up to $100M of Accolade common stock payable upon the achievement of defined revenue milestones following the closing.

16:49 EST Worthington sells it remaining 7.05M shares of Nikola - On January 13, WI Ventures, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Worthington Industries (WOR) sold its remaining 7,048,020 shares of Nikola (NKLA) stock for net pre-tax cash proceeds of $146,590,000, generating a pre-tax gain of $2,740,000. After this transaction, WI Ventures no longer owns any shares of Nikola Corporation common stock, said the company in a regulatory filing.

16:44 EST Perma-Pipe International announces $6.7M contract awarded in India - Perma-Pipe International Holdings announced its subsidiary Perma-Pipe India Pvt. Ltd. has been awarded a $6.7M contract by JSIW Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. for application of a thermal insulation system on pipe to be used for the construction of the 12" diameter, 74 km long Mangla crude oil pipeline.

16:37 EST Monmouth Real Estate raises quarterly dividend 5.9% to 18c per share - This dividend is payable on March 15 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 16.

16:33 EST Minerals Technologies raises prices for specialty minerals products in U.S. - Specialty Minerals, a subsidiary of Minerals Technologies, has communicated to customers that it has increased prices across its mineral product portfolio, effective January 1, 2021. Price increases range from 3 to 10%, subject to individual customer contracts and terms. All ground calcium carbonate products from Adams, MA and Lucerne Valley, CA, and all ground dolomitic limestone products from Canaan, CT will increase by 3-5% depending on the product line. All precipitated calcium carbonate products from Adams, MA will increase by 3%. Quicklime produced at Adams, MA will increase by 3%. Talc products produced at Barretts, MT and Bay City, TX will increase by 5-10% depending on the product line.

16:31 EST Kaiser Aluminum raises quarterly dividend by 7.5% to 72c per share - The dividend will be payable on February 12, 2021 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on January 25, 2021. CEO Keith Harvey says: "The increase in the quarterly dividend reflects our continued confidence in the long-term outlook for our business, the end markets we serve and opportunities to create value for our shareholders. In addition, our planned acquisition of the Warrick Rolling Mill from Alcoa (AA), provides excellent potential for further value creation with strong secular demand growth and due to the non-cyclic nature of the packaging business, more predictable earnings and cash flow."

16:26 EST Point72 Asset Management reports 5.13% passive stake in Kadmon - Point72 Asset Management disclosed a 5.3% stake in Kadmon, which represents over 9.08M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:23 EST CVR Energy seeks to replace three Delek US board nominees - In a regulatory filing, CVR Energy (CVI) reported that it delivered a letter to the Chairman of the Board of Delek US (DK), in which the company stated in part: "I am writing on behalf of CVR Energy, Inc., the owner of approximately 15% of the outstanding common stock of Delek US Holdings, Inc. As you are no doubt aware, there have been persistent market rumors regarding our supposed interest in acquiring Delek. To set the record straight, we have no interest in doing so. When we first started acquiring our position in Delek, we believed the stock was undervalued and thought the company could present a good synergistic acquisition opportunity for CVR. However, due to the dramatic changes in the industry since that time, we believe we would achieve significantly greater results for our shareholders by devoting capital to internal higher return projects, such as the recently announced repurposing of our Wynnewood refinery for renewable diesel production, or by pursuing diversification opportunities with potential PADD 4 refinery acquisitions. But we continue to believe Delek's stock is undervalued and that the company would benefit greatly from a board refreshment and a renewed focus on value enhancing ideas, such as prioritizing free cash flow over growth, monetizing retail and focusing on core refineries while exiting from others, as further outlined in this letter. As the largest stockholder of Delek, we believe Delek desperately needs new strategic direction, and we would like to work collaboratively with you to replace three of your nominees at Delek's upcoming 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders with three highly qualified and independent nominees proposed by CVR."

16:18 EST Integer's Alden, N.Y., facility to expand for Xcellion Lithium battery growth - Integer Holdings announced that its Alden, N.Y., facility recently broke ground on an expansion to accommodate new equipment that will substantially increase the plant's production capacity of rechargeable Xcellion Lithium Ion batteries. With more than 50 years experience, Integer is a worldwide leader in the design, development and manufacture of custom implantable batteries. "Integer continues to make strategic investments to advance our state-of-the-art battery technology and increase capacity to support our customers' needs," said Joel Becker, president of Integer's Cardiac Rhythm Management and Neuromodulation business. "This expansion will increase battery cell production capacity related to neuromodulation and cochlear applications." The project kicked off in mid-December 2020 and will add both production equipment and a build-out of Integer's existing facility. The building expansion is projected to be completed in 2021 and will be followed by the installation and qualification of new, state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment.

16:12 EST Porch announces four strategic acquisitions - Porch announced four strategic acquisitions. Porch and Homeowners of America, or HOA, have executed a definitive merger agreement for Porch to acquire HOA and all related subsidiaries. The transaction, which is pending only regulatory approval, is expected to close in Q2. HOA is a managing general agent, or MGA, and insurance carrier hybrid. HOA operates in six states, including Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia. The company was founded in 2006 in Texas, a $10B homeowners insurance market, and was the twelfth largest home insurer in Texas in 2019. HOA is licensed to operate in 31 states, positioning it for nationwide expansion as part of Porch. Through its vertical software platform used by more than 10,500 home service companies, Porch acquires homebuyers who need insurance for. Given Porch's unique access to property data (such as roof quality and age of major home systems), it expects to have long-term pricing advantages. V12 is a fully scaled Software-as-a-Service marketing and data platform with tools to help brands connect with and engage consumers at key purchasing decision points, such as moving. The platform leverages billions of buyer intent signals and has 330M U.S. consumer records that small-to-medium-sized businesses and enterprise brand customers use in data-driven marketing. V12's expanding customer base generates approximately 90% recurring or reoccurring revenue. Porch also announced two smaller acquisitions in PalmTech and iRoofing. PalmTech is a software company for home inspectors, historically targeted to smaller home inspectors, which complements Porch's adoption across medium and large inspection companies. Porch expects to execute its playbook by providing PalmTech the ability to help its consumers with move-related transactions such as insurance. iRoofing provides an all-in-one SaaS application for roofing contractors bundled in a monthly or annual subscription. Its software provides remote measurement and quoting, contract management and materials ordering. iRoofing currently processes more than 485,000 jobs on its platform annually. Porch expects to accelerate iRoofing's growth by providing its contractors the ability to help consumers save money on home insurance after completing their new roof installation project. Porch is acquiring HOA and V12 for a combined $122M. This includes $97M in cash and $25M in cash or equity based on Porch's share price at the time of the HOA acquisition close. This equates to a purchase price multiple of two times combined estimated 2021 HOA and V12 revenue. With these acquisitions,

16:10 EST Greenwoods to acquire three branch locations of Town Bank - Wintrust Financial and Greenwoods Financial Group, the parent company of The Greenwood's State Bank announced a signed branch purchase and assumption agreement for three southwestern Wisconsin branch locations of Wintrust's wholly-owned subsidiary Town Bank. The three branches subject to the transaction are located in Albany, Darlington and Monroe, Wisconsin. Through this transaction, subject to final adjustments, Greenwoods will assume approximately $80M of deposits and acquire the bank facilities, and various other assets. "This acquisition represents an opportunity for us to expand our presence in southern Wisconsin," said Bill McDonald, CEO of Greenwoods. "We look forward to building upon the franchise that Town Bank established at these locations and continuing to provide its customers with a full array of community banking products and services." Jay C. Mack, President and CEO of Town Bank, said, "This transaction will allow us to focus our efforts on our primary markets. We feel that Greenwoods is a good buyer for these branch locations and will work hard, as we will, to ensure a smooth transition for our customers, colleagues and the local communities." The terms of the transaction are not being disclosed at this time. The transaction is subject to approval by banking regulators and certain closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021 and is not expected to have a material effect on Wintrust's 2021 earnings per share.

16:04 EST Monster Beverage announces Hilton Schlosberg as co-CEO, Thomas Kelly as CFO - Monster Beverage announced that Hilton Schlosberg was elected by the board of the company as co-CEO of the company. Schlosberg will serve as co-CEO together with Rodney Sacks, who has served as the CEO of the company since 1990. Simultaneously with the foregoing, Schlosberg resigned his positions as president, CFO, COO and secretary of the company. Sacks will continue as chairman of the board and Schlosberg will continue as vice chairman of the board. In addition, the company also announced that Thomas Kelly was elected by the board as CFO of the company, succeeding Schlosberg.

16:02 EST Oceaneering unit wins contracts in excess of $225M during Q4 - Oceaneering announces that its Subsea Robotics segment won multiple contracts during the fourth quarter of 2020, with anticipated aggregate revenue in excess of $225M. These contracts are with international oil and gas operators and marine construction companies, and range in duration from several months to five years. The work scopes are primarily for remotely operated vehicle services delivered from floating drilling rigs and multi-service, subsea intervention, and construction vessels. Also included among the contracted scopes are ROV tooling, survey, positioning, and autonomous underwater vehicle services.

16:01 EST Trade Desk names Michelle Hulst COO - The Trade Desk announced the appointment of Michelle Hulst as Chief Operating Officer. Hulst will be responsible for global operations, data, commercial enablement, and client services around the world as the company continues to execute on its growth strategy. Hulst previously served as Executive Vice President, Global Data and Strategy at The Trade Desk. In this position, she has been instrumental in building out partnerships and capabilities across a range of The Trade Desk's initiatives, including the industry-wide Unified ID 2.0 project, which is an upgrade and alternative to third-party cookies. As COO, Hulst retains oversight of the Global Data Team at The Trade Desk and reports directly to CEO Jeff Green. "Marketers are becoming more data-driven and deliberate in everything they do, which is driving tremendous momentum and long-term opportunity for The Trade Desk. I'm thrilled that Michelle will apply her expertise and experience to all aspects of our global operations, squarely focused on helping us scale globally," said Jeff Green, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The Trade Desk. "Michelle's appointment as our new COO will enable The Trade Desk to build on its leadership position and bring the full power of data-driven advertising to the world's leading brands."

15:50 EST Fitbit trading resumes

15:07 EST Ubisoft delays 'Riders Republic' to later this year - Ubisoft said in a statement posted to Twitter that the release of its upcoming game "Riders Republic" has been delayed to later this year. "Today, we want to let you know that we have made the decision to move our release to later this year," the company said. "This additional time will allow our passionate team to deliver the best fun fueled experience to our players." Reference Link

14:52 EST FAST Acquisition Corp (Class A Stock) trading halted, volatility trading pause

14:40 EST Cboe Global Markets PAC temporarily pausing all donations - Cboe Global Markets issued the following statement: "The Cboe Global Markets Political Action Committee, or PAC, is temporarily pausing all donations following the assault on the U.S. Capitol last week. Cboe believes respecting the outcome of free and fair elections is the hallmark of modern democracy and we deeply believe in the democratic principles inherent in our electoral process. We are reviewing our PAC contribution strategy to ensure it aligns with our values, which include honoring the democratic process and supporting progress on important issues in a bipartisan and collaborative manner."

13:58 EST North American rail traffic rose 3% in the week ended January 9 - The Association of American Railroads, AAR reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending January 9. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 525,253 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.7% from the comparable week of 2020, which was Week 2 - ended January 11, 2020. Total carloads for the week ending January 9 were 235,404 carloads, down 1.6% compared with the comparable week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 289,849 containers and trailers, up 10.4% compared to 2020.North American rail volume for the week ending January 9, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 330,520 carloads, down 2.5% compared with the comparable week last year, and 378,856 intermodal units, up 8.3%compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 709,376 carloads and intermodal units, up 3%. Publicly traded companies in the space include CSX (CSX), Canadian National (CNI), Canadian Pacific (CP), Genesee & Wyoming (GWR), Kansas City Southern (KSU), Norfolk Southern (NSC) and Union Pacific (UNP). Reference Link

12:38 EST First Transit in to agreement with Lyft for operations of Biketown - First Transit said it entered an agreement with Lyft to provide operations for Biketown, Portland's all-electric bike share system. The partnership allows First Transit to perform field operations for Biketown's 1,500 bike share system with roughly 140 stations covering 30 square miles. Operations include battery monitoring, deployment, retrieval and general rebalancing of bike inventory. "We are thrilled to be expanding our mobility options in the Portland area and to provide affordable and convenient transportation for all," said Zach Greenberger, head of global supply management and strategic business development for Lyft. Reference Link

12:00 EST Tufin falls -6.9% - Tufin is down -6.9%, or -$1.10 to $14.92.

12:00 EST Kuke Music falls -11.8% - Kuke Music is down -11.8%, or -$1.20 to $8.95.

12:00 EST 3D Systems rises 19.6% - 3D Systems is up 19.6%, or $4.61 to $28.11.

11:33 EST Chevron invests in carbon capture and utilization startup Blue Planet - Chevron announced a Series C investment in Blue Planet Systems Corporation, a startup that manufactures and develops carbonate aggregates and carbon capture technology intended to reduce the carbon intensity of industrial operations. "Carbon capture, utilization, and storage, or CCUS, is viewed to be essential to advancing progress toward the global net zero ambition of the Paris Agreement. This investment is made through our Future Energy Fund which focuses on startups with lower-carbon technologies that can scale commercially, and we welcome Blue Planet to this portfolio," said Barbara Burger, VP of innovation and president of Technology Ventures at Chevron.

11:14 EST Delta Air Lines doesn't see Covid-19 testing on domestic flights

10:34 EST Delta Air Lines 'generating a meaningful premium' with blocked middle seats

10:19 EST Delta Air Lines sees sustained travel recovery starting in 2H21

10:10 EST Delta Air Lines: Near-term demand path 'murky'

10:08 EST Delta Air Lines sees inflection point this spring

10:00 EST Kingsway Financial falls -4.9% - Kingsway Financial is down -4.9%, or -24c to $4.65.

10:00 EST Studio City falls -9.8% - Studio City is down -9.8%, or -$1.36 to $12.55.

10:00 EST Virgin Galactic rises 15.2% - Virgin Galactic is up 15.2%, or $4.18 to $31.74.

09:47 EST Nordstrom falls -3.6% - Nordstrom is down -3.6%, or -$1.37 to $36.21.

09:47 EST Lemonade falls -4.9% - Lemonade is down -4.9%, or -$8.70 to $167.94.

09:47 EST Maxar Technologies rises 16.0% - Maxar Technologies is up 16.0%, or $6.23 to $45.15.

09:46 EST Taco Bell exploring new plant-based protein with Beyond Meat - Yum!'s (YUM) Taco Bell is kicking the year off with the return of potatoes and exploring a new plant-based protein with Beyond Meat (BYND). Taco Bell said in a statement: "After a brief hiatus from menus due to Taco Bell's menu simplification efforts last year, Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes and the Spicy Potato Soft Taco will be back starting March 11. Taco Bell is also teaming up with Beyond Meat to create an innovative new plant-based protein that will be tested in the next year. Taco Bell chose to team up with Beyond Meat as a category leader with a proven track record of attracting younger customers with its irresistibly delicious plant-based offerings. Although Taco Bell has long been a destination for vegetarians, this will be the brand's first foray into plant-based meat in the U.S." Reference Link

09:30 EST Cisco to acquire Acacia Communications for $115.00 per share in cash - Cisco (CSCO) and Acacia Communications (ACIA) announced an amendment to the definitive merger agreement under which Cisco previously agreed to acquire Acacia. Under the terms of the amended agreement, Cisco would acquire Acacia for $115 per share in cash, or for approximately $4.5B on a fully diluted basis, net of cash and marketable securities. Cisco and Acacia expect to complete the acquisition by the end of the first calendar quarter of 2021, subject to closing conditions, including Acacia stockholder approval. Upon completion of the acquisition, CEO Raj Shanmugaraj and Acacia employees will join Cisco's Optics business.

09:22 EST Carter Bank & Trust enters agreement with Pendleton Community Bank - Carter Bankshares and Pendleton Community Bank announced that they have entered into an agreement regarding the sale of three Carter Bank & Trust branches in Staunton, Harrisonburg, and Bridgewater to Pendleton Community Ban. The three branches will extend Pendleton Community Bank's footprint to a total of five branches in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, along with eight branches serving West Virginia.

09:19 EST Acacia jumps 31% to $113.30 after CNBC says Cisco buying for $115 per share

09:18 EST Surna signs $3.2M sales contract - Surna announced that it recently signed a sales contract valued at $3.2M. The project in Arizona is for an approximately 53,000 square feet facility. Surna is under contract to provide custom air handlers, heat recovery chillers, and its StrataAir vertical racking air flow system, for the cultivation, processing, drying and office spaces. Surna will also provide its SentryIQ environmental controls, and system start-up.

09:13 EST Abbott launches NeuroSphere myPath digital health app - Abbott (ABT) announced the upcoming launch of NeuroSphere myPath, a digital health app designed to track and report on patient perceived pain relief and general well-being associated with spinal cord stimulation or dorsal root ganglion therapy. During the device trial period required before the permanent implant, the app allows patients to record their outcomes on pain and well-being while trialing their neurostimulation therapy. Abbott's NeuroSphere myPath is a digital innovation that will provide relief to the millions of Americans currently living with chronic pain that are eligible for SCS or DRG therapy. This new digital health app will allow patients to use their Apple (AAPL) mobile device to connect with Abbott support, access educational resources and track the progress of their trial pain relief journey. The NeuroSphere myPath will be available on the Apple App Store in the coming weeks and is expected to be available on Android devices in Q2.

09:12 EST ViacomCBS delivers 1st time broadcast inventory enabled via MVPD set-top box - ViacomCBS (VIAC), and DISH Media (DISH) announced a significant industry breakthrough by delivering the first-ever addressable impressions within a live national broadcast via MVPD set-top box. Addressable ad replacement was successfully executed on a select number of live campaigns across DISH's 9MM household footprint in certain CBS-owned-and-operated markets, marking a major technical advancement in broadcast television. Adcuratio powered the activation with its groundbreaking signaling solution, developed in partnership with ViacomCBS and DISH, which enables broadcast addressability across MVPD households that seamlessly integrates with programmer and distributor infrastructure and signaling processes. Marks the First Time Broadcast Inventory is Enabled via MVPD Set-Top Box

09:09 EST Silicon Ranch selects Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives for solar project - Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives announced that the Company has been awarded a 100-megawatt solar contract to construct the Lumpkin Solar Farm in Stewart County, Georgia. Silicon Ranch Corporation, based in Nashville, Tennessee and one of the nation's largest independent solar power producers, awarded the engineering, procurement and construction contract to IEA Constructors, a subsidiary of IEA that manages utility-scale energy and heavy civil infrastructure projects. To construct the facility, IEA will hire approximately 300 craft workers, the majority of whom will be recruited from the local labor pool in Georgia.

09:07 EST Nokia selected for U.S. Federal 5G Cybersecurity Project - Nokia announced it has been selected as a technology provider and collaborator by the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence 5G Cybersecurity Project. Nokia will work with NCCoE and other key vendors, including members from government and industry to ensure the transition from 4G to 5G networks is secure. Nokia was selected by NCCoE to participate in the project due to its global success in 5G networks - including hardware and software, and mobile network security and 5G RAN expertise - to help refine a reference design and build use cases on standards-based solutions. The 5G Cybersecurity Project will identify a number of 5G use cases and demonstrate how the components of the 5G architecture can provide security capabilities to mitigate identified risks and meet industry sectors' compliance requirements. The scope of this project is to leverage the 5G standardized security features which are defined in 3GPP standards to provide enhanced cybersecurity capabilities built into network equipment and end user devices.

09:05 EST TrueCar forecasts 16M new vehicle sales for 2021 - TrueCar projects 16M new light vehicle sales for 2021, an increase of 10% from the previous year. Retail sales are expected to reach 13.9M, an increase of 9.6% from 2020. Q4 2020 saw record-breaking average transaction prices for new vehicles, as incentives eased and consumers opted for more expensive SUVs and trucks. The trend towards more expensive vehicles continues in 2021. Average transaction prices are projected to increase 3.1% year over year to $37,925. In previous years, the average transaction increased roughly 4% year over year.

09:04 EST Workday launches COVID-19 vaccine management solution - Workday announced a vaccine management solution that provides leaders with the insights needed to help ensure the health and safety of remote and on-site workers. As the core HR system for some of the world's largest organizations, Workday offers a unique ability to combine real-time HR data with immunization information, providing customers with the knowledge needed to successfully navigate through the challenges of COVID-19. With a customer community representing more than 45 million workers, Workday is supporting global organizations as they manage their people and finances throughout the pandemic. The vaccine management solution expands on the Workday Return to Workplace offering and helps enable organizations to securely access worker immunization insight, plan return to workplace scenarios, support worker well-being, and establish new operating models to adapt as vaccines become available. In addition, Workday offers customers configurability to control and securely manage the data and protect their employees' privacy.

09:02 EST FluroTech appoints PandiaDx as regulatory consultant - FluroTech announced it has retained PandiaDx for regulatory guidance and services in preparation of its regulatory submissions to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

08:58 EST Monaker Group files proxy statement to seek HotPlay transactions approval - Monaker Group reported that on January 13, 2021, the company filed its initial preliminary proxy statement on Schedule 14A, with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The proxy statement includes a proposal seeking, among other things, shareholder approval for the company's previously announced acquisition of HotPlay Enterprise Limited. The initial filing is an important step in the process towards completing the acquisition of HotPlay, and the company anticipates that it may take several amendments to the proxy statement in order for the company to clear SEC comments on such proxy statement in order to finalize the form of proxy statement, mail such proxy statement, and ultimately seek shareholder approval.

08:57 EST Sellas Life Sciences announces 2020 highlights, 2021 milestones for NPS - Nelipepimut-S: In December 2020, the Company announced positive final data with up to 6 months follow-up from the randomized Phase 2 trial of NPS in combination with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in women with ductal carcinoma in-situ of the breast who are HLA-A2+ or A3+ positive, express HER2 at IHC 1+, 2+, or 3+ levels, and are pre- or post-menopausal. This IST randomized patients to receive, prior to surgery, either GM-CSF followed by NPS two weeks later or GM-CSF alone. Preliminary data previously reported showed that treatment with even a single dose of NPS was capable of newly inducing NPS-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes in peripheral blood in DCIS patients. The updated data, based on a 6-month follow-up, demonstrate that CD8+ T-cell responses persist long-term post-NPS treatment, with treated patients retaining and modestly enhancing their antigen-specific immune response. When compared to baseline, i.e., prior to investigational agent administration, the relative frequency of NPS-specific CD8 CTLs as a percentage in peripheral blood at the 1-month and 6-month post-operative time-points increased in the NPS+GM-CSF group by 11- and 14-fold: 0.01+0.02% vs. 0.11+0.12% and 0.14+0.12%, respectively, while in the GM-CSF alone group the NPS-CLT% in peripheral blood increased by only 2.25- and 3.75-fold: 0.04+0.07% vs. 0.09+0.15% and 0.15+0.03%, respectively. For the NPS+GM-CSF group, the differences in absolute NPS-CTL% mean values between baseline and 1- or 6-months post-vaccination were statistically significant, with p-values of 0.039 and 0.0125, respectively. The relative change in NPS-CTL% mean values at 6 months post-vaccination was +1,300+450% for the NPS+GM-CSF group vs. 250+150% in the GM-CSF alone group, which was highly statistically significant in favor of the NPS+GM-CSF group: p=0.000094. These data were presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 11, 2020.

08:56 EST Sellas Life Sciences announces 2020 highlights, 2021 milestones for GPS - Galinpepimut-S: In December 2020, the Company announced initial clinical data for GPS in combination with checkpoint inhibitors in two solid tumor indications in patients with advanced solid cancers who had exhausted their standard therapy options. In the Company's Phase 1/2 open-label study of GPS in combination with Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy pembrolizumab in patients with selected advanced Wilms Tumor 1 positive cancers, the first set of evaluable patients diagnosed with 2nd or 3rd line WT1 relapsed or refractory metastatic ovarian cancer demonstrated a disease control rate of 87.5% with a median follow-up of 9.4 weeks and, at the first assessment time-point of 6 weeks post-therapy initiation, 100% of the patients were free of disease progression. In the Company's Phase 1 investigator-sponsored clinical trial of GPS in combination with the checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab in patients with macroscopic measurable deposits of malignant pleural mesothelioma who were either refractory to or relapsed after frontline tri-modality standard therapy, the first set of evaluable patients had a median progression free survival of at least 10 weeks since therapy initiation. Updated data on both studies are expected in first half of 2021. In December 2020, the Company announced that it had entered into an exclusive license agreement with 3D Medicines Inc., a China-based biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation immuno-oncology drugs, for the development and commercialization of GPS, as well as the Company's next generation heptavalent immunotherapeutic GPS+, which is at preclinical stage, across all therapeutic and diagnostic uses in the Greater China territory. SELLAS retains sole rights to GPS and GPS+ outside of the Greater China area. Potential payments to SELLAS under the agreement in licensing fees and milestone payments, not including potential future royalties, could total $202 million, including an upfront license fee of $7.5 million paid in December 2020. In September 2020, SELLAS announced that it received approval of its Investigational Medicinal Product Dossier from the French regulatory authority, Agence Nationale de Securite du Medicament et des Produits de Sante, to advance in France its pivotal Phase 3 REGAL study of GPS in AML CR2 patients. The Company has subsequently received IMPD approval from the German health authorities and expects approvals from additional European health authorities in early 2021 which will allow SELLAS to expand AML patient enrollment for the pivotal Phase 3 REGAL study of GPS in Europe. In the spring of 2020, the Company established an Independent Data Monitoring Committee of leading clinical and biostatistics experts to review and evaluate patient safety and efficacy data for the Phase 3 REGAL trial and also appointed a Steering Committee of leading AML experts for the study. The DMC is responsible for reviewing and evaluating patient safety and efficacy data and will review study data at regular intervals in order to ensure the safety of all patients enrolled in the study. The Steering Committee will provide scientific oversight and guidance of the practical aspects of the study and will make recommendations regarding the monitoring of the study in consultation with the DMC. In February 2020, the Company announced positive final follow-up data from its Phase 2 clinical trial of GPS in AML CR2 patients. The final data showed a median overall survival of 21.0 months, at a median follow-up of 30.8 months, in patients receiving GPS therapy compared to 5.4 months in the AML CR2 patients treated with best standard care, a statistically significant difference. Final analysis showed that GPS therapy continued to be well-tolerated throughout the study. The Company previously reported initial data from this Phase 1/2 study at a median follow-up of 19.3 months, showing median OS in GPS-treated patients of 16.3 months vs. 5.4 months in a patient cohort contemporaneously treated with best standard therapy.

08:54 EST Sellas Life Sciences reports $35.3M in cash, cash equivalents as of Dec. 31 - "2020 was a transformative year for SELLAS as we commenced the pivotal Phase 3 REGAL study of GPS in patients with AML who have achieved complete remission after second-line anti-leukemic therapy in the United States and Europe and also announced important clinical data in the same patient cohort from our completed Phase 2 study showing a median overall survival of 21 months vs. 5.4 months in favor of patients who received GPS, with a p-value of 0.02. We are also intrigued by the recently announced initial data from two studies of GPS in combination with checkpoint inhibitors in ovarian and malignant pleural mesothelioma indications, and we look forward to providing further data from these studies in the first half of 2021. We were also pleased to present last month at the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium positive final data with up to 6 months follow-up from the randomized Phase 2 trial of nelipepimut-S in combination with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in women with ductal carcinoma in-situ of the breast showing immune stimulation augmented by +1,300% at 6-months post-NPS treatment and a statistically significant difference of duration of immune response of NPS vs. control with a p-value of 0.000094," stated Angelos Stergiou, MD, ScD h.c, President and CEO of SELLAS. "Additionally, we began preparations for the commercialization of GPS, assuming we achieve positive data from the REGAL study, with a collaboration with 3D Medicines Inc. for the development and commercialization of GPS in Greater China which we announced at the end of 2020. This licensing transaction with 3D Medicines for GPS has been ranked by PharmaCube, a leading Chinese database, as one of the top ten life sciences licensing transactions in China in 2020 in terms of the total financial consideration. Importantly, we strengthened our balance sheet in 2020 with gross proceeds of approximately $47.9 million from the sale of securities, exercise of warrants, and the upfront payment from 3D Medicines and we ended the year with approximately $35.3 million in cash and cash equivalents. The proceeds from these transactions will significantly support the GPS clinical programs."

08:51 EST Jabil expands CPG customer offerings with acquisition of Ecologic Brands - Jabil announced the acquisition of Ecologic Brands, a lprovider of sustainable packaging specializing in paper bottle and paper-based packaging solutions. Ecologic's Manteca, California-based operation will join the Jabil Packaging Solutions division, significantly enhancing Jabil's sustainable packaging platform and offerings for consumer packaged goods,CPG, customers.

08:50 EST Predictive Oncology's TumorGensis sells media to research medical centers - Predictive Oncology announced that its wholly owned subsidiary TumorGenesis, Inc. in the last quarter has sold media to two top research medical centers, one in New York City and the other in Boston, Massachusetts. Both the New York City and the Boston orders are repeat orders and are focused on culturing ovarian cancer cells with specific research goals. One additional order came from a private company doing research on ovarian cancer.

08:48 EST Impact Biomedical receives notice of allowance for 3F Biofragrance patent - Document Security Systems announced its wholly owned subsidiary Impact BioMedical received notice of allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a patent for its proprietary 3F Biofragrance. 3F Biofragrance is a unique formulation of specialized ingredients from botanical sources with demonstrated effect as an insect repellent and an antimicrobial. The latest patent allowance provides intellectual property protection for the method of use of 3F Biofragrance as an insect repellent. 3F Biofragrance repellent contains botanical ingredients that mosquitoes avoid. These ingredients are scientifically proven to affect the mosquito's receptors, essentially making the insect blind to a human's presence. This can be utilized as a stand-alone repellent or as an additive in detergents, lotions, shampoo, and other substances to provide mosquito protection.

08:45 EST Lottery.com expands services to Colorado - Lottery.com announced that Colorado is the latest state for its web and mobile users to play their favorite lottery games online. Lottery.com continues to expand its services across the U.S., allowing users to play from the comfort of their own homes as lotto fever kicks in. The Mega Millions jackpot is at an estimated $625M, which is the 8th largest in jackpot history, and Powerball is at estimated $550M. This is an opportune time for the Company to expand into Colorado, as this is the third time in the history of both games to have simultaneous jackpots over $400M. On November 19, 2020, Lottery.com announced a binding letter of intent to combine with Trident Acquisitions Corp., which would make Lottery.com a publicly traded company on The Nasdaq Stock Market.

08:41 EST WPP appoints Rob Reilly as global chief creative officer - WPP announced the appointment of Rob Reilly as global chief creative officer. Reilly, who is currently global creative chairman of McCann Worldgroup, will join WPP in May, reporting to CEO Mark Read. In partnership with Read, and the CEOs and chief creative officers of WPP's agencies, Reilly will champion creativity within and beyond the company. He is also tasked with attracting and nurturing the best creative talent, driving inclusion and diversity in creative work and teams, and working with technology partners to fuel the creativity needed for their platforms.

08:39 EST Tinley partners with MARS Distribution to enhance supply chain solutions - The Tinley Beverage Company announced that it has entered into an agreement with MARS Distro, a subsidiary of Headquarters, to create comprehensive supply chain solutions for its co-packing clients in California. The combination of Tinley's state of the art cannabis beverage manufacturing facility with Mars HQ's robust sales and logistics services enables a best-in-class solution for formulation, manufacturing, sales, warehousing, last-mile logistics and other operational challenges commonly faced by cannabis beverage companies in the state. Further, Mars HQ has taken delivery of 25 pallets of Tinley's products, including the Company's next-generation, ready-to-drink "Tinley's Tonics" carbonated products.

08:37 EST LendingTree names Scott Totman as Chief Technology Officer - LendingTree has announced the appointment of two seasoned executives to further bolster its leadership team. Scott Totman has been named the company's Chief Technology Officer and Lisa Young joins the company as General Counsel. Both executives have extensive experience in the financial services and fintech industries. Scott Totman joins LendingTree from OnDeck, a small business lender on the LendingTree Network, where he served as Chief Product and Technology Officer. Lisa Young, LendingTree's new General Counsel, previously served as EVP, General Counsel at Axiom.

08:36 EST Constellium, Renault partner for sustainable automotive aluminium solutions - Constellium (CSTM) announced that it is leading a new R&D initiative in France, Project ISA3. In partnership with Groupe Renault (RNSDF), ESI Group, Institut de Soudure, and the University of Lorraine, this approx. EUR7M project will develop lightweight, recyclable and cost-efficient aluminium solutions for the automotive market. Project ISA3 aims to further lightweight vehicles by accelerating automakers' transition from steel to aluminium. The project will focus on alloys and solutions that enable closed loop recycling. Project ISA3 will focus on the design and development of aluminium automotive doors that would be 15% lighter than current average aluminium solutions, more efficient to produce, and recyclable at all stages of its life cycle. The project is scheduled to run through 2023 and is partially funded by Bpifrance.

08:33 EST Cerence, Xevo collaborate for to deliver Cerence Pay payment capabilities - Cerence Inc. (CRNC) and Xevo (LEA) announced that they have formed a strategic collaboration to deliver Cerence Pay conversational AI-powered contactless payment capabilities into vehicles via the Xevo Market commerce and services platform. Xevo Market, already live in millions of connected vehicles on the road today, enables ordering, completing transactions, and taking advantage of services with popular brands via the in-vehicle touchscreen - and now via voice with Cerence Pay - while on the go.

08:32 EST Vonage names Jay Bellissimo as COO - Vonage announced it has appointed Jay Bellissimo as COO, effective January 19. Bellissimo will report to Rory Read, Vonage CEO. With more than 30 years of experience in the technology industry, Bellissimo joins Vonage from IBM (IBM), where he most recently served as General Manager of IBM U.S. Public and Federal Market.

08:30 EST Crescent Acquisition Corporation (Class A Stock) trading resumes

08:28 EST UnitedHealth announces expanded access to virtual care, new primary care service - UnitedHealthcare announced earlier that it has expanded the availability of virtual care with local physicians for members enrolled in employer-sponsored plans, and also introduced a new Virtual Primary Care service "designed to enable access to medical services in a simpler and more convenient way." Through both efforts, "eligible members may be able to visit virtually with health care providers for various types of care, including wellness, routine and chronic condition management," the company stated. The new Virtual Primary Care service, which is designed to make it easier for people to establish and maintain a relationship with a primary care physician, is currently available for members enrolled in certain employer-sponsored fully insured or self-funded health plans in 11 states. The service, offered in collaboration with a national telehealth provider group, is expected to be expanded to more states in 2021 and is part of a broader UnitedHealthcare effort to help enable members to use technology to access care. These updates were unveiled this week during a virtual panel featuring an executive from UnitedHealth Group who talked about Virtual Primary Care at the Consumer Electronics Show 2021, the company noted.

08:25 EST aTyr Pharma says Kyorin completes subject visits for Phase 1 ATYR1923 trial - aTyr Pharma announced that its partner Kyorin Pharmaceutical has completed the last subject visit in its Phase 1 clinical trial of aTyr's lead therapeutic candidate ATYR1923. This achievement has triggered a milestone payment to aTyr. The Phase 1 trial, which is being conducted by Kyorin, is a placebo-controlled study to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity of ATYR1923 in 32 healthy Japanese male volunteers. Results from this study are intended to enable Kyorin to initiate patient trials in interstitial lung disease in Japan. Kyorin is aTyr's partner for the development and commercialization of ATYR1923 for ILDs in Japan.

08:23 EST Eton Pharmaceuticals acquires Canadian rights for ALKINDI SPRINKLE - Eton Pharmaceuticals announced that it has acquired Canadian rights to ALKINDI SPRINKLE from Diurnal Group. Eton Pharmaceuticals currently commercializes ALKINDI SPRINKLE in the United States as a replacement therapy for Adrenocortical Insufficiency in children under 17 years of age.

08:21 EST Ziopharm appoints James Huang as chairman of the board - Ziopharm Oncology announced the election of James Huang as Chairman of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Huang has served on the Board since July 2020 and is currently a Managing Partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers China.

08:21 EST Enphase Energy, Solar Optimum expand partnership into battery storage - Enphase Energy announced that Solar Optimum will start offering Enphase Storage systems, with a team dedicated to growing Enphase storage adoption and promoting Enphase's all-in-one solar plus storage products as the premier home energy management solution. Solar Optimum has been an award-winning storage solutions provider since 2016 and has served solar customers in California since 2008. Solar Optimum will begin its deployment of Enphase Storage with homeowners across Southern California. The expansion of the partnership between the two companies will include closer collaboration on engineering, training, marketing, and customer support. The Enphase Storage systems deployed by Solar Optimum will support partial and whole-home backup and feature the capability for integration with generators.

08:20 EST Oncternal Therapeutics confirms agreement with Lentigen Technology - Oncternal Therapeutics announced an agreement with Lentigen Technology, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Miltenyi Biotec B.V. & Co. KG, to manufacture lentiviral vectors for Oncternal's investigational ROR1-targeting CAR-T cell therapy program. As part of the agreement, Lentigen will reserve capacity in 2021 to manufacture, test and release GMP lentivirus to support and accelerate the development of Oncternal's CAR-T cell therapy program.

08:18 EST GAN announces first sportsbook engine customer - GAN Limited announced that it has signed its first Letter of Intent with an existing client to provide its new 'Coolbet' sportsbook engine, which is currently being technically integrated for U.S. deployment by GAN, for operational rollout in the Commonwealth of Virginia as an internet-only mobile-first sports betting experience, subject to regulatory approvals and operator client licensure. The LOI is non-binding and contingent on the client being awarded an Internet sports betting license in the Commonwealth of Virginia, as well as other factors. Jeff Berman, Chief Commercial Officer of GAN, commented: "Since we announced our acquisition of Coolbet in November, we have seen significant interest from both current and prospective clients in our newly acquired sportsbook engine and associated managed trading services. Principle integration of this new offering into our industry-leading B2B technology platform is now underway and expected to be operationally deployed here in the U.S. with the expected launch of online sports wagering in the Commonwealth of Virginia. We are excited to further expand our relationship with this current partner, which has applied for an Internet sports betting license in the Commonwealth of Virginia, citing GAN as their nominated platform provider. This agreement further validates our strategic decision to expand our platform capabilities through the acquisition of Coolbet. We look forward to the exciting opportunities we expect to see in 2021 as we bring our augmented platform solution into the U.S. market that now includes one of the best sports betting technologies and end user customer experience operating in the world today."

08:17 EST EDAP TMS announces 24 month interim results of AFU sponsored study - EDAP TMS announced 24 month interim results from the "HIFI" study comparing outcomes from high intensity focused ultrasound versus radical prostatectomy in a population of prostate cancer patients. This study is sponsored by the French Association of Urology and supported by the French Ministry of Health. The results were presented at the AFU Congress in November 2020. The study is a multicenter, prospective, non-randomized, comparative and non-inferiority study of HIFU vs. RP in men with primary prostate cancer. Between 2015 and 2019, the study enrolled 3,364 patients in 42 public and private hospitals in France: 1,988 treated with HIFU and 1,376 with RP, the current standard-of-care surgical approach. In terms of cancer characteristics, the two groups are comparable, with a majority of ISUP Grade Group 2 and equivalent median PSAs at baseline. The results of the interim analysis show a significantly better 24-month recurrence-free survival for the patients treated with HIFU compared to the patients undergoing surgery. Additionally, urinary continence was significantly better and erectile function was significantly less impacted for the patients undergoing HIFU compared to those in the RP arm, despite the fact that the patients in the HIFU arm are more than 10 years older on average, and therefore naturally more likely to suffer from these issues.

08:16 EST Capital Senior Living appoints Jay Reed as VP, information technology - Capital Senior Living Corporation announced the appointment of Jay Reed as Vice President of Information Technology. At Capital Senior Living, Reed will drive the overall IT strategy and lead all IT departments, including network development, security, systems and desktop support. In his most recent position as a Partner at CIO Suite, a management consulting firm in Dallas, Jay provided professional consultation as an IT Advisor and Fractional CIO to clients.

08:14 EST Xenon Pharmaceuticals announces anticipated milestones for partnered programs - Xenon has an ongoing collaboration with Neurocrine Biosciences to develop treatments for epilepsy. Neurocrine Biosciences has an exclusive license to XEN901, now known as NBI-921352, a clinical stage selective Nav1.6 sodium channel inhibitor with potential in SCN8A developmental and epileptic encephalopathy and other forms of epilepsy. The FDA has provided feedback on an Investigational New Drug application submitted by Neurocrine Biosciences in support of a Phase 2 clinical trial in SCN8A-DEE patients. Based on this feedback, Neurocrine Biosciences anticipates initiating a Phase 2 clinical trial in adolescent patients (aged 12 years and older) with SCN8A-DEE in the third quarter of 2021, and the trial protocol will be amended to include younger pediatric patients with SCN8A-DEE as soon as the FDA has reviewed and approved additional non-clinical information. In parallel, Neurocrine Biosciences is advancing clinical plans to develop NBI-921352 for the treatment of adult focal epilepsy and expects to initiate a Phase 2 clinical trial in 2021. Upon IND or equivalent regulatory acceptance for NBI-921352 in adult focal epilepsy, Xenon is eligible to receive a $10.0 million milestone payment; upon FDA acceptance of a protocol amendment for NBI-921352 in pediatric patients with SCN8A-DEE, Xenon is eligible to receive a $25.0 million milestone payment, or a $15.0 million milestone payment if the IND acceptance for adult focal epilepsy occurs first. Both milestone payments are in the form of 45% cash and a 55% equity investment in Xenon at a 15% premium to Xenon's 30-day trailing volume weighted average price at that time. Flexion Therapeutics, Inc. acquired the global rights to develop and commercialize XEN402, a Nav1.7 inhibitor also known as funapide. Flexion's pre-clinical FX301 consists of XEN402 formulated for extended release from a thermosensitive hydrogel. The initial development of FX301 is intended to support administration as a peripheral nerve block for control of post-operative pain. Flexion anticipates filing an IND application in the first half of 2021 to support a proof-of-concept clinical trial of popliteal fossa block with FX301 in patients undergoing bunionectomy. Results from that trial could potentially be available in late 2021. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, Xenon is eligible to receive up to an additional $8.0 million in milestone payments through initiation of a Phase 2 clinical trial.

08:13 EST Aphria jumps 6.5% to $10.65 after posting strong Q2 results

08:12 EST Genesis Healthcare selects Prudential to oversee $1.1B in retirement assets - Genesis Healthcare has selected Prudential Retirement as record keeper for its defined contribution retirement plans. Prudential Retirement is a business unit of Prudential Financial As of Nov. 18, Prudential oversees Genesis' $1.1B in retirement assets covering more than 22,000 employees across two plans. The contract adds to Prudential's robust portfolio in the healthcare industry, where it currently oversees $20.1 billion in assets across 563 plans, helping more than 401,800 healthcare workers achieve financial wellness. Jim Edwards, AIF, principal and financial advisor at CAPTRUST, is the advisor to the plan.

08:12 EST Genesis Healthcare selects Prudential to oversee $1.1B in retirement assets - Genesis Healthcare has selected Prudential Retirement as record keeper for its defined contribution retirement plans. Prudential Retirement is a business unit of Prudential Financial As of Nov. 18, Prudential oversees Genesis' $1.1B in retirement assets covering more than 22,000 employees across two plans. The contract adds to Prudential's robust portfolio in the healthcare industry, where it currently oversees $20.1 billion in assets across 563 plans, helping more than 401,800 healthcare workers achieve financial wellness. Jim Edwards, AIF, principal and financial advisor at CAPTRUST, is the advisor to the plan.

08:08 EST Twist Bioscience begins shipping new synthetic RNA reference controls - Twist Bioscience announced that it has started shipping its new synthetic RNA reference controls, which includes the new variant strain of SARS-CoV-2 identified in the United Kingdom. With this new strain, which contains multiple mutations in the spike protein and other areas of the viral genome, some of the RT-PCR probes used widely in COVID-19 testing no longer detect the S gene that codes for the spike protein. This can lead to false negative test results.

08:07 EST Team announces strategic reorganization - Team announced a strategic reorganization to better position the company for the recovery, continue sector diversification, and enhance client value. TEAM's new streamlined structure supports the company's global operations with greater management focus on further improving operational and financial performance through these new operating groups: The Inspection & Heat Treating group, which includes the IHT segment, is dedicated to growing its stable nested footprint as regulatory compliance requirements increase, expanding turnaround activity, and diversifying its end markets globally, such as through increased investment in the Aerospace business line. The Mechanical & Onstream Services group, which includes the Mechanical Services segment, continues to target turnarounds and capital projects, and improve performance, efficiency, and longevity of aging critical assets. MOS is primed to grow with the industry recovery led by the high demand of maintenance and call-out work. The Asset Integrity & Digital group, which includes the Quest Integrity segment and its technology-enabled advanced inspection and engineering assessment solutions. AID will focus on expanding mechanical and pipeline integrity, risk-based inspection, remote visual inspection, and digital platform. AID will also optimize the company's research and development activities, including product and technology development. TEAM believes it is well positioned to provide innovative solutions to the company's clients supporting the energy transition. These groups and a new leadership structure will serve as the foundation for TEAM's operating organizational structure. The company's three reportable segments will continue as Inspection and Heat Treating, Mechanical Services, and Quest Integrity.

08:04 EST Cornerstone OnDemand appoints Chirag Shah as CFO - Cornerstone OnDemand announced the appointment of Chirag Shah as Chief Financial Officer effective Feb. 1, 2021. Interim CFO Trish Coughlin will continue in her role as Chief Accounting Officer and will support a seamless transfer of responsibilities to Shah. Shah is a seasoned finance expert with over 10 years of experience at Cornerstone during which he has served in a number of capacities, including overseeing the company's corporate strategic planning and budgeting, investor relations, global pricing and corporate development functions. Since joining Cornerstone in 2009, he has helped lead the company through its IPO in 2011, and supported four corporate acquisitions. Shah currently serves as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Growth Markets, where he has led the company's expansion within the Asia-Pacific & Japan (APJ) region, the growth of the company's Content business and Cornerstone's small and medium-sized business team. Prior to Cornerstone, Shah was an investment banker focused on mergers and acquisitions. He holds an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and a B.S. in Finance from Georgetown University.

08:04 EST Lexicon sees potential sotagliflozin NDA filing in 2021 following FDA feedback - Lexicon Pharmaceuticals announced that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulatory feedback that the results of its SOLOIST and SCORED Phase 3 clinical studies can support a new drug application submission for an indication to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, hospitalization for heart failure, and urgent visits for heart failure in adult patients with type 2 diabetes with either worsening heart failure or additional risk factors for heart failure. The feedback was provided in response to a request made by Lexicon following the completion of the SOLOIST and SCORED studies relating to the potential submission of an NDA based on the results of such studies, taking into account their early close-out and other considerations. This regulatory feedback clears a key hurdle for partnership discussions around sotagliflozin in heart failure and enables a potential NDA filing in 2021.

07:56 EST GreenPower Motor reports 17 total vehicles delivered in Q3 - In its announcement yesterday, President Brendan Riley stated: "During the most recent quarter we continued to ramp production considerably and that trend is expected to continue as we align with an anticipated increase in deliveries in the late spring and summer of 2021. In the fall of 2020, we announced a production run rate of five GreenPower all-electric school buses per month which we are now increasing to 10 on the back of the strong response we are seeing in the sales channel. With regard to our EV Star, we are on track with our previous production guidance with higher volume deliveries expected in the current quarter and accelerating thereafter as the logistical constraints of the pandemic further abate. In sum, we continue to ramp aggressively and expect substantial increases in both production and deliveries across the school bus, transit, cargo and delivery and cab and chassis markets throughout 2021."

07:46 EST Jacobs Engineering awarded contract with NAVFAC EXWC - Jacobs was awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract with the Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center for waterfront facilities inspection and assessment services outside the contiguous United States.

07:40 EST Rekor Systems releases update to Rekor Scout software - Rekor Systems announced that it released a major update to its automatic license plate and vehicle recognition software, Rekor Scout, formerly known as Rekor Watchman. Known for its ability to turn nearly any IP, traffic, or security camera into an AI-powered vehicle recognition system, the new version of Scout adds extensive new privacy, security and sharing controls for its commercial and government users.

07:37 EST Innovation Pharmaceuticals receives Fast Track designation for brilacidin - Innovation Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has designated as a Fast Track development program the investigation of Brilacidin as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Brilacidin is a first-in-class Host Defense Protein mimetic with antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. To date, Brilacidin has received Fast Track designation for three different clinical indications: COVID-19, Oral Mucositis, and Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infection.

07:36 EST FirstService Residential acquires Midboro Management, terms not disclosed - FirstService Corporation announced that FirstService Residential has recently acquired Midboro Management. Michael Wolfe, President of Midboro, has retained a minority equity interest and will continue to run day-to-day operations. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1963, Midboro is a residential property management firm in New York City, with 15,000 units under management across more than 150 condominium and cooperative properties. With the addition of Midboro, FirstService Residential's New York operations will oversee more than 600 properties encompassing almost 100,000 units under management.

07:35 EST KemPharm announces presentations on KP415, serdexmethylphenidate - KemPharm announced that research involving KP415 and serdexmethylphenidate will be featured in an oral symposium and three poster presentations during the 2021 American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders Virtual Conference. The 2021 APSARD Virtual Conference is being be held January 15-17, 2021. KP415 is KemPharm's investigational product candidate for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Serdexmethylphenidate is KemPharm's prodrug of d-methylphenidate. KP415 consists of SDX co-formulated with immediate-release d-MPH. A New Drug Application for KP415 is currently under review with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with an anticipated PDUFA date of March 2, 2021. The oral symposium, "Novel Pharmacology and Technology Approaches to the Non-Medical Use of Stimulants," is scheduled for Friday, January 15, 2021, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., ET, and will feature multiple speakers who will address issues related to the non-medical use of stimulants, as well as products in development that are designed to reduce the risk of abuse. During the symposium, Megan Shram, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor, University of Toronto, will highlight the oral, intranasal, and intravenous abuse potential of SDX, including research demonstrating SDX has a lower intrinsic abuse potential than d-MPH when administered via the most common routes of abuse for other MPH products currently available. The three poster presentations involving KP415 and SDX will also be featured on January 15th. The first presentation, "Efficacy and Safety of KP415 Capsules in Children with ADHD: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Laboratory Classroom Study," details the multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, laboratory classroom study of KP415 to investigate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of once-daily KP415 capsules vs. placebo in children age 6 to 12 years with ADHD. To be presented by Scott H. Kollins, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Director, Duke ADHD Program, Duke University School of Medicine, the clinical study concluded that KP415 was efficacious and generally well tolerated for treating ADHD in children 6 to 12 years of age. The second poster presentation, "Safety and Tolerability of KP415 Capsules in Children with ADHD: A 12-month, Open-Label Safety Study," provides an analysis of the multicenter, dose-optimized, open-label safety study of KP415 to investigate the safety and tolerability of once-daily KP415 capsules in children with ADHD treated for up to 12 months. To be presented by Ann Childress, M.D., President of the Center for Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, the research determined that KP415 was generally well tolerated and demonstrated sustained efficacy in children with ADHD treated for up to one year. The third poster presentation titled, "In Vitro Tampering Assessment of Serdexmethylphenidate, a Novel Prodrug of d-Methylphenidate," highlights in vitro studies designed to assess the extent to which SDX can be physically or chemically manipulated to yield immediately available d-MPH for potential abuse. Submitted by Sven Guenther, Ph.D., KemPharm's Executive Vice President, Research and Development, the research concluded that SDX is stable under a broad range of experimental conditions and cannot readily be converted to d-MPH in vitro.

07:33 EST Newmont announces up to $1B share repurchase program - Newmont announced its board has approved a share repurchase program for up to $1B of common equity, to be completed over the next 18 months.The program will be executed at the company's discretion, utilizing open market repurchases to occur from time to time throughout the authorization period, and is in addition to Newmont's industry-leading dividend framework.

07:32 EST Kaleido Biosciences announces interim results of controlled study of KB109 - Kaleido Biosciences announced interim results from the K031 non-IND controlled clinical study evaluating outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19 disease. Patients in this non-IND clinical study were randomized within 48 hours of testing positive for COVID-19 to either receive Supportive Self Care or SSC plus Microbiome Metabolic Therapy candidate KB109 for two weeks and then followed for an additional three weeks. The planned interim analysis comprised approximately half of the total study population and showed that KB109 was well tolerated, with a safety profile consistent with previous studies of MMT candidates and no unexpected treatment-related adverse events. For subjects reporting one or more comorbidities, the median time to resolution of the thirteen overall COVID-19 related symptoms was 18 days with KB109 plus SSC and 27 days with SSC alone. KB109 demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile with no unexpected treatment-related adverse events or discontinuations related to treatment. Approximately 40 percent of the patients reported at least one comorbidity at baseline. The presence of comorbidity lengthened the time to resolution of symptoms, even in mild to moderate COVID-19 disease. In the SSC alone arm, median time to resolution of the thirteen overall COVID-19 related symptoms in patients with no comobitities was 14 days as compared with 27 days in patients with at least one comorbidity. No difference in median time to resolution of symptoms was observed with KB109 plus SSC for the overall population, although small differences between the arms were observed during the follow-up period. Median time to resolution of the thirteen overall COVID-19 related symptoms for patients with one or more comorbidity at baseline was 18 days for the KB109 plus SSC group as compared with 27 days with SSC alone. Kaleido also evaluated eight cardinal COVID-19 related symptoms as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which showed median time to resolution of symptoms among patients with one or more comorbidity at baseline was 15 days for the KB109 plus SSC group as compared with 27 days with SSC alone. The K031 study of 350 subjects is fully enrolled with results expected in the first quarter of 2021. Topline data from a smaller 50 subject study of KB109 is also expected in the first quarter of 2021.

07:29 EST Delta Air Lines reports Q4 daily cash burn $12M - "We reduced our average daily cash burn to $12 million in the December quarter, a reduction of nearly 90 percent since the early days of the pandemic in March, as we progress to achieving cash breakeven in the spring," said Gary Chase, Delta's interim co-CFO. "Remaining agile and disciplined with our cost structure will be key to our success, and when combined with an improving demand environment, will allow us to return to the free cash flow generation needed for debt reduction."

07:27 EST Delta Air Lines sees Q1 average daily cash burn $10M-$15M

07:20 EST Crescent Acquisition Corporation (Class A Stock) trading halted, news pending

07:18 EST Revive Therapeutics announces research collaboration with NC State - Revive Therapeutics announced it has entered into a sponsored research agreement and an exclusive option to license agreement with North Carolina State University to develop a novel biosynthetic version of psilocybin based on a natural biosynthesis enzymatic platform developed by Dr. Gavin Williams, Professor and Researcher at NC State. The biosynthetic platform developed by Dr. Gavin Williams provides a potential simple and efficient method for rapidly producing natural products, such as psilocybin, using an engineered enzymatic pathway in E. coli. Revive seeks to develop and commercialize its own pharmaceutical-grade psilocybin with this biosynthesis technology at scale to support the Company's current psilocybin-based product pipeline that includes an oral thin film product currently being developed in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the intellectual property and research with psilocybin being developed by PharmaTher.

07:15 EST Skylight Health appoints Grace Mellis to board of directors - Skylight Health Group announced the appointment of Grace Mellis to the Company's Board of Directors. Mellis spent almost a decade at JP Morgan Chase serving as Managing Director, Head of International Strategy, and Investor Services CFO for EMEA within the Corporate and Investment Bank. She is the founder and director of IGA Capital which provides consulting and advisory services to primarily early-stage companies. Skylight Health is also pleased to announce that it has retained PI Financial Corp. to provide market making services in accordance with TSX Venture Exchange policies. PI will trade the securities of Skylight Health on the TSX-V for the purposes of maintaining an orderly market. In consideration of the services provided by PI, the Company will pay PI a monthly cash fee of $5,000 on a month-to-month term. Skylight Health and PI are unrelated and unaffiliated entities. PI will not receive shares or options as compensation. The capital used for market making will be provided by PI.

07:13 EST XPO Logistics surpasses 300,000 app downloads for Drive XPO app - XPO Logistics announced a significant acceleration in the adoption of its XPO Connect digital freight marketplace worldwide. Demand for the company's Drive XPO mobile app has propelled a 50% increase in downloads in the last three months of 2020, taking the cumulative total from 200,000 to 300,000. Carriers and truck drivers use the app to access XPO Connect. For the full year 2020, compared with 2019, cumulative downloads of the app tripled, and the number of carriers registered on the platform increased by 47%.

07:12 EST PureTech Health announces Vor Biopharma receives FDA clearance for VOR33 IND - PureTech Health noted that its founded entity, Vor Biopharma, announced that the FDA has cleared the company's investigational new drug, or IND, application for VOR33, an eHSC therapy candidate being developed for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. Vor plans to initiate a Phase 1/2a clinical trial for VOR33 in the first half of this year.

07:10 EST Barrick Gold reports preliminary Q4 gold production 1.21M ounces - The preliminary Q4 results show sales for the quarter of 1.19 million ounces of gold and 108 million pounds of copper, as well as preliminary Q4 production of 1.21 million ounces of gold and 119 million pounds of copper. The average market price for gold in Q4 was $1,874 per ounce, while the average market price for copper was $3.25 per pound. Preliminary Q4 gold production was higher than Q3 2020, mainly due to a strong performance from Pueblo Viejo, the ramp-up of mining operations at Bulyanhulu and ongoing improvement at Turquoise Ridge. Preliminary Q4 gold sales were lower than Q3 2020 as third quarter sales included the export of the remaining stockpiled concentrate in Tanzania. Q4 gold cost of sales per ounce and total cash costs per ounce are expected to be in line with the prior quarter and gold all-in sustaining costs per ounce are expected to be 3-5% lower than in Q3 2020. Preliminary Q4 copper production was higher than Q3 2020 following completion of plant maintenance at Lumwana in the third quarter. Preliminary Q4 copper sales were lower than the previous quarter, primarily due to the timing of shipments at Lumwana. Q4 copper cost of sales per pound is expected to be 4-6% higher, Q4 copper C1 cash costs per pound are expected to be 10-12% higher and copper all-in sustaining costs per pound are expected to be 4-6% higher than Q3 2020. Driving these changes are higher operating costs at Lumwana and Zaldivar, partially offset by lower depreciation and lower sustaining capital at Lumwana.

07:07 EST Organogenesis enrolls first patient in Phase 3 trial of ReNu - Organogenesis Holdings announced that the first patient has been enrolled in its pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of ReNu, a cryopreserved amniotic suspension allograft, for the management of symptoms associated with knee osteoarthritis. The Phase 3 study is a prospective, double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled, parallel group, randomized control trial of ReNu in 474 subjects with moderate to severe symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. Patients will be randomized to either a single intra-articular injection of saline or a single injection of ReNu. The primary efficacy endpoint is the difference in pain from baseline to 6 months as assessed by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index.

07:06 EST Roku, Philco announce new partnership to bring TV models to Brazil - Roku and Philco announced a new partnership that will bring the Philco Roku TV models to consumers in Brazil. The new Philco Roku TV models bring streaming through four screen sizes including 32-inch, 42-inch, 50-inch and 58-inch Philco Roku TV models. The 50-inch 4K Ultra HD is already available for purchase online. The new Philco Roku TV models run the latest Roku operating system, offering an intuitive home screen and access to 100,000+ movies and TV episodes via thousands of free or paid channels.

07:04 EST 1847 Goedeker upgrades fulfillment center to meet capacity needs - 1847 Goedeker announced the upgrade of its fulfillment center to provide increased capacity to meet the Company's 2021 growth forecasts and to support Appliances Connection's regional shipments. "Our new fulfillment center includes an on-trend retail space in a high-growth corridor and will showcase premium brand offerings," stated Jacob Guilhas, Vice President of Logistics for 1847 Goedeker. "The new showroom and nearly 200 percent increase in warehouse capacity will help us meet our 2021 projections and serve as an expanded warehouse to support Appliances Connection's customers in the western-half of the US. The expanded capacity will also allow us to inventory the best-selling products, reducing time from order to shipment and driving a 3x improvement to shipping capacity compared to our current facility." The Company expects to start using the warehouse space immediately and open its new showroom by April 2021. As the new facility's latest tenant, Goedeker's build out of the space will maximize efficiencies, including expanded cross-docking capabilities for improved order to shipment times.

07:02 EST Chembio announces CE Mark for DPP SARS-CoV-2 Antigen, IgM/IgG test systems - Chembio Diagnostics announced the CE mark for the DPP SARS-CoV-2 Antigen and IgM/IgG test systems, providing regulatory approval to register and market both test systems in the European Union and other geographies that accept the CE mark. The Company also announced that it has entered into a distribution agreement with Luas Diagnostics, which will commence system sales immediately while serving as the exclusive commercial partner for all of Chembio's products in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

06:52 EST Signet Jewelers announces preliminary holiday season sales of $1.8B - Signet Jewelers announced its preliminary sales for the nine weeks ended January 2, or the holiday season. Signet's preliminary total sales for the holiday season were $1.8B, flat to last year. Preliminary same store sales, or SSS, improved 5.6% year over year. e-commerce sales were up 60.8% year over year, while Signet's 2,866 stores reflect brick and mortar SSS declined of 4.1%. As of January 2, the company has closed 355 of its planned 380 store closures this fiscal year. "Despite considerable macro hurdles, the Signet team delivered strong holiday performance - an achievement that demonstrates the power of our multi-year Path to Brilliance transformation strategy and the agility, innovation, and determination of our people," said Virginia Drosos, CEO. "Our results were driven by new digital and fulfillment capabilities, increasingly personalized and insight-based marketing, banner portfolio differentiation, and a strong merchandising strategy that included competitive newness and a strengthened core assortment -- all of which increased conversion, attracted new customers, and increased market share. Our sales momentum coupled with strong profit generation are reflective of our team's excellent execution and new ways to help our customers Celebrate Life and Express Love whenever and however they desire to shop."

06:51 EST TSMC sees FY21 CapEx $25B-$28B

06:40 EST New Gold CEO says 'we begin the new year as a much stronger company' - "During the year, we repositioned the Company for long-term success as we transition to free cash flow generation in 2021. We improved our operational and cost performance, executed on our strategic capital plans, restructured our balance sheet and improved our liquidity position and we have shifted our focus to driving further operational and cost optimizations at both our assets. We begin the new year as a much stronger company with a growing, higher-margin production profile, and following the expiration of our gold hedges at the end of 2020, we are now fully exposed to the higher gold price as well as the stronger copper price." stated Renaud Adams, CEO. "The Rainy River Mine is now entering a phase of strong production growth and free cash flow generation and has the potential to extend the life of the underground mine. At the New Afton Mine, we continue to advance all key B3/C-Zone projects on a self-funded basis that will position this asset for a robust free cash flow stream as the C-Zone begins production in the latter part of 2023. We have launched exploration drilling programs at both assets that could increase our resource inventory and potentially extend mine life."

06:37 EST Christopher & Banks voluntarily files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy - Christopher & Banks announced that it has filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. The company has filed customary motions with the Bankruptcy Court that will authorize, upon Bankruptcy Court approval, the company's ability to maintain operations in the ordinary course of business, including, among other things, the payment of employee wages and benefits without interruption, payment of suppliers and vendors in the normal course of business, and the use of cash collateral. These motions are typical in the Chapter 11 process and the company anticipates that they will be approved shortly after the commencement of its Chapter 11 case. Details on the company's Chapter 11 process and go-forward strategy are as follows: The company expects to close a significant portion, if not all, of its brick-and-mortar stores and, in connection therewith, the company has launched a store closing and liquidation process. The company, however, will continue to operate its business in the ordinary course in the near term; and the company is in active discussion with potential buyers for the sale of its eCommerce platform and related assets and expects to file the appropriate motion shortly. As previously announced, on December 10, 2020, the company engaged strategic advisors including B. Riley Securities to assist with management's evaluation and pursuit of available strategic alternatives. Keri Jones, President and CEO, commented, "Since the start of the COVID pandemic, we have taken aggressive steps to protect our business while continuing to serve our customers in a healthy and safe environment. Despite the tremendous advancements we have made in executing our strategic plan, due to the financial distress resulting from the pandemic and its ongoing impact, we elected to initiate this process and pursue a potential sale of the business in whole or in part to position the company for the future. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to our dedicated associates, loyal customers and supportive partners for their commitment to Christopher & Banks throughout these challenging times."

06:21 EST BlackRock CEO says 'we begin 2021 well-positioned' - Laurence Fink, Chairman and CEO said, "The world faced unprecedented challenges in 2020 - many of which continue today. Through it all, BlackRock remained steadfast in meeting the needs of all our stakeholders. We stayed true to our purpose and used our voice and values to advocate on behalf of the institutions and individuals we help to meet their investment and savings goals, and to be a positive force in the communities where we operate. For decades, we've built our platform, strategy and culture around staying in front of clients' needs, and this approach was proven out during 2020. BlackRock generated $391 billion of total net inflows and we ended the year with strong momentum, evidenced by a record 13% annualized organic base fee growth in the fourth quarter. In addition, our ability to deliver global insights, strategic advice and comprehensive solutions to clients, no matter the market environment, drove positive flows across every asset class, investment style and region. Our strategic areas of investment flourished in 2020 as we saw record client demand for active equity, sustainable, cash and alternative investment strategies, generated $185 billion of net inflows into iShares ETFs and surpassed $1 billion in technology services revenue. BlackRock's continued investment in building a multi-faceted investment platform with integrated technology, data and risk management, scale, global reach and interconnectivity enables us to deliver strong and consistent investment performance and more stable outcomes for our clients. We begin 2021 well-positioned and intend to keep investing in our business to drive long-term growth and to lead the evolution of the asset management industry. In doing so, we remain committed to help millions of people build savings throughout their lives, make investing easier and more affordable, advance sustainable investing, and contribute to a more resilient economy that benefits more people."

06:17 EST BlackRock reports Q4 AUM $8.68T, up 17% y/y

05:34 EST NexPoint Credit Strategies Fund extends offer to buy up to all shares of UDFI - NexPoint Strategic Opportunities Fund announced the extension of the offering period for its previously announced offer to purchase any and all shares of beneficial interest of United Development Funding IV, or UDFI, at a price of $1.10 per share upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the offer to purchase and in the related assignment form for the offer. The offer is now scheduled to expire at midnight, Eastern Standard Time, at the end of the day on February 12, unless the offer is extended or earlier terminated. As previously announced on December 14, 2020, the offer is conditioned upon, among other things, the satisfaction or waiver of a number of conditions.

05:26 EST iQIYI announces 'Deer Squad' to premiere in the U.S. this month - iQIYI (IQ) announced that its original CG-animated series in collaboration with Nickelodeon and VIS Kids, a division of ViacomCBS (VIAC) International Studios, "Deer Squad", will premiere on Nickelodeon in the U.S. on January 25. The company said the airing of "Deer Squad" in the U.S. market is a testament to the high quality of this iQIYI original animation and marks the successful entry of Chinese animation into an international market.

05:18 EST Assa Abloy sells Italian residential door business to Bertolotto - Assa Abloy has sold its Italian residential door business within Gardesa to Italy-based Bertolotto and is in the final stages to sell its remaining shutter business. Gardesa is an Italian manufacturer of residential security doors and roller shutters, headquartered in Cortemaggiore, Italy with around 70 employees. The company's total sales in 2020 was approximately EUR 10M.The company said the transaction will have a positive effect on its operating margin. The divestiture resulted in a capital loss and exit costs amounting to EUR 18M booked during Q4. The divestiture of the shutter business is expected to be completed during Q1 of 2021.

05:08 EST Philips. Merck partner on personalized fertility treatment solutions - Philips (PHG) announced a multi-year partnership with Merck (MRK) to develop clinical-grade digital solutions for personalized fertility treatment. Leveraging digital health technologies, advanced informatics and mobile, AI-enabled ultrasound diagnostics, these solutions will aim to better inform patients and clinicians about the choice and timing of fertility treatment to maximize the chances of conception.