Stockwinners Market Radar for January 26, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:30 EST BioXcel Therapeutics granted FDA Orphan Drug Designation for Talabostat - BioXcel Therapeutics announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Orphan Drug Designation for Talabostat for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma. Reference Link

19:19 EST Rush Street Interactive to launch BetRivers.com online sportsbook in Virginia - Rush Street Interactive announced the launch of its flagship brand and industry leading online sportsbook, BetRivers.com, in Virginia. Beginning tomorrow, sports enthusiasts across the Commonwealth of Virginia will be able to register, deposit funds and place bets at BetRivers.com on their favorite teams and events safely from their mobile devices and computers.

19:06 EST Target, Levi Strauss expand partnership with limited-edition collection - Target Corporation (TGT) announced a limited-edition collection with Levi Strauss & Co. (LEVI), featuring an assortment of home and lifestyle items and marking Levi's first Home partnership. Reinventing what a retailer's relationship with a national brand can represent, the Levi's for Target limited-edition Home collection builds on the decade-long partnership between the two iconic companies, which began with the introduction of the DENIZEN from Levi's value denim brand, and expanded in 2019 with the introduction of Levi's Red Tab brand at Target. As part of the Red Tab expansion, Target is rolling out curated in-store displays to be set in 500 stores by Fall 2021. The new Levi's for Target limited-edition collection launches Feb. 28, 2021. Available at Target.com and in most Target stores, the collection features thoughtfully-designed, durable pieces meant to inspire a more sustainable home and life.

18:23 EST Microsoft CEO says Office 365 to see increased usage depth - Says there will be more flexibility for workers in terms of time and location - unlikely to see return to January 2020. Says the key is maintain flexibility. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

18:11 EST Microsoft CEO says will see structurally changed tech environment post-Covid - Says company is benefiting from digital technology growth. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

18:06 EST Microsoft sees Q3 Productivity and Business Processes revenue $13.35B-$13.6B - Sees Q3 Intelligent Cloud revenue $14.7B-14.95B. Sees Q3 More Personal Computing revenue $12.3-12.7B. Sees Q3 gaming segment growth up about 40%. Sees COGS $13.1B-$13.9B. Sees Q3 tax rate about 15%. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

17:52 EST Ryman Hospitality: Forward book positioned for accelerated rebound with vaccine - The company said that at year-end 2020, group occupancy on the books for the 2nd half of 2021, T+1, "is not very far below" year ago levels; For 2022, T+2, group occupancy on-the-books of 41% is on par with T+2 position at year-end 2019, and at 1.6% higher ADR; Group occupancy for T+3 and T+4 is only slightly below pre-COVID-19 levels from year-end 2019, but also at higher ADRs. The company provided the information in an investor slides presentation.

17:46 EST Silgan Holdings jumps 3% to $37.45 after Q4 earnings beat

17:38 EST Synchrony announces approval of $1.6B share repurchase program - Synchrony Financial announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program of up to $1.6B, commencing this quarter through December 31, 2021. The board also declared a quarterly cash dividend of 22c per share of common stock, payable on February 16 to holders of record at the close of business on February 5.

17:37 EST Starbucks 'delighted' with pace of business recovery in Q1 - Says U.S. business on track to fully recover in current quarter. Says remains confident in strength of brand.

17:30 EST Starbucks COO Roz Brewer to step down - In a regulatory 8-K filing Starbucks announced that "Rosalind Brewer has informed the company that she is resigning from her position as COO and group president, effective February 26, 2021, to become the CEO of another publicly traded company. Beginning February 8, 2021, Ms. Brewer's responsibilities will transition to other members of the Starbucks leadership team. Rossann Williams, executive vice president, president U.S. company-operated business and Canada and a 16 year Starbucks partner, will assume responsibility for the U.S. licensed stores, Latin America, Global Supply Chain and Global Store Concepts/Area Transformation businesses. Brady Brewer, executive vice president, chief marketing officer and a 19 year Starbucks partner, will lead technology, analytics & insights, and innovation culture and methodologies."

17:27 EST Point72 Asset Management reports 9.1% passive stake in CytomX Therapeutics - Point72 Asset Management disclosed a 9.1% stake in CytomX Therapeutics, which represents over 5.52M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

17:19 EST Starbucks entered 15 new cities in China in Q1 - Says China leadership delivered another "great" quarter. Says opened almost 160 stores in China in the quarter. Says entered 15 new cities in China in the quarter. Says continues to "dramatically" expand customer relationships in China through customer rewards program. Says mobile orders have doubled in China over the last 12 months. Says consumption of ready-to-drink products in U.S. grew 18% in Q1.

17:14 EST Starbucks says mobile orders now make up 25% of all transactions - Says cold beverages continue to resonate with customers. Says all three major cold beverages saw year-over-year sales increases. Says saw accelerating growth in customer engagement. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

16:41 EST Capital One jumps 5% to $104.95 after Q4 results beat estimates - The company also announced a $7.5B share repurchase plan.

16:39 EST Las Vegas Sands names Robert Goldstein as Chairman and CEO - Las Vegas Sands has named long-time company executive Robert Goldstein chairman and CEO, after having assumed the role as acting chairman and CEO on January 7. Patrick Dumont has been named president and COO, and Randy Hyzak will now serve as CFO. Dumont previously served as executive vice president and CFO, and Hyzak was chief accounting officer. The changes come as the company continues to mourn the loss of its visionary founder, Sheldon Adelson, who was the company's chairman and CEO since its inception. Adelson passed away on January 11 at the age of 87 from complications related to treatment for non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Goldstein joined the company in 1995 and became a member of the Board of Directors in January 2015. Prior to his appointment as chairman and chief executive officer, Goldstein had served as president and COO since January 2015. His previous roles with the company include president of global gaming operations and executive vice president and president and COO of The Venetian and The Palazzo Las Vegas. Dumont joined Sands in 2010 and has been a director of the company since April 2017. In addition to his role as executive vice president and CFO, Dumont also held positions as senior vice president, finance and strategy, and vice president, corporate strategy. Prior to his roles at Sands, Dumont worked in corporate finance. Hyzak now assumes the role of CFO, after serving as senior vice president and chief accounting officer since joining the company in March 2016. Prior to Sands, Hyzak served as vice president and chief accounting officer at Freescale Semiconductor, and previously held other finance and accounting leadership positions at Freescale Semiconductor, including corporate controller.

16:36 EST International Game platform powers FanDuel Sportsbook mobile app - International Game Technology announced that its PlaySports platform is powering the recently launched FanDuel Sportsbook mobile app in Michigan, the latest U.S. state to introduce regulated online sports betting and iGaming. In addition, proven IGT PlayDigital PlayCasino games such as Fortune Coin, Cleopatra, Game King and IGT Blackjack can now be enjoyed by online players throughout Michigan via FanDuel Casino. These deployments complement the state-of-the-art FanDuel Sportsbook at MotorCity Casino in Detroit that opened in March 2020.

16:34 EST Rollins declares quarterly dividend of 8c per share - Payable March 10 to stockholders of record at the close of business on February 10.

16:33 EST Stride CEO Nate Davis to retire - The company announced that Nathaniel Davis is retiring from his role as CEO. He will remain active in the business as the Executive Chairman of Stride's Board of Directors supporting the company's strategy, public policy, and external relations initiatives. The Board of Directors has selected James J. Rhyu to replace Mr. Davis as Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Rhyu assumes the role of CEO from his current position as President of Corporate Strategy, Marketing, and Technology.

16:28 EST Encompass Health: 'No decision has been made' on home health and hospice unit - On December 9, 2020, the company announced it is exploring strategic alternatives for its home health and hospice business. The review is ongoing, and no decision has been made. Accordingly, the company's 2021 guidance and longer term growth targets assume the continuation of the current structure of the business. The guidance and growth targets may change depending on the ultimate outcome of the review. Base year 2020 adjusted free cash flow benefited from a temporary payroll tax holiday. Exclusive of this item, the adjusted free cash flow CAGR target would be 8%-10%.

16:24 EST Starbucks drops 1% to $103.30 after Q2 earnings view misses consensus

16:21 EST Genworth COO Kevin Schneider to resign, effective January 26 - On January 26, Genworth Financial announced that Kevin Schneider will resign as Executive Vice President and COO, effective January 26, but will remain employed with the company in an advisory role through May 31. His resignation as an executive officer and termination of employment will trigger payments to him, vesting acceleration of certain equity awards and retirement benefits pursuant to the previously disclosed terms of the company's Key Employee Severance Plan.

16:20 EST Premier Financial increases share buyback authorization to up to 2M shares - At December 31, 2020, 570,000 common shares remained available for repurchase under the Company's existing repurchase program. On January 26, 2020, the Company's Board of Directors approved an increase in the Company's repurchase authorization to up to 2,000,000 shares of common stock, or approximately 5% of current outstanding shares.

16:19 EST Microsoft CEO sees 'dawn of a second wave of digital transformation' - "What we have witnessed over the past year is the dawn of a second wave of digital transformation sweeping every company and every industry," said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft. "Building their own digital capability is the new currency driving every organization's resilience and growth. Microsoft is powering this shift with the world's largest and most comprehensive cloud platform."

16:19 EST Microsoft reports Q2 More Personal Computing revenue up 14% to $15.1B - Revenue in More Personal Computing was $15.1B and increased 14%, up 13% in constant currency. Windows OEM revenue increased 1% and Windows Commercial products and cloud services revenue increased 10%, up 8% in constant currency. Xbox content and services revenue increased 40%, up 38% in constant currency. Surface revenue increased 3%, up 1% in constant currency. Search advertising revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs increased 2%, up 1% in constant currency.

16:16 EST Nelnet division acquires Catholic Faith Technologies - Nelnet Business Services, a division of Nelnet, is expanding its church technology offerings with the recent acquisition of Catholic Faith Technologies, or CFT, an online learning and formation platform company located in Overland Park, KS. CFT currently offers their learning management technology and services to faith-based organizations as Catholic Faith Technologies and to businesses under the CD2 Learning brand. Their award-winning Software as a Service technology delivers micro-learning opportunities and customizable training platforms to churches, non-profit organizations, and companies across the country.

16:14 EST Starbucks CEO says Q1 started with 'meaningful, sequential improvement' - CEO Kevin Johnson says: "I am very pleased with our start to fiscal 2021, with meaningful, sequential improvements in quarterly financial results despite ongoing business disruption from the pandemic. Investments in our partners, beverage innovation and digital customer relationships continued to fuel our recovery and position Starbucks for long-term, sustainable growth. Our results demonstrate the continued strength and relevance of our brand, the effectiveness of the actions we've taken to adapt to changes in consumer behavior and the steadfast commitment of our green apron partners to serve our customers and communities. We remain optimistic about our robust operating outlook for fiscal 2021 as well as our ability to unlock the full potential of Starbucks to create value for our stakeholders."

16:11 EST Capital One reports common equity Tier 1 capital ratio 13.7% at December 31

16:10 EST Texas Instruments sees 2021 annual operating tax rate ~14%

16:10 EST Aeterna Zentaris given Nasdaq notice of additional 180 days to regain compliance - Aeterna Zentaris announced that it has received a notification letter from The Nasdaq Stock Market notifying the Company that it has been granted an additional 180 calendar day period to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rules for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. This current notification from Nasdaq has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the Company's shares, which will continue to trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol "AEZS". The Company has an additional 180 calendar days from the date of notification, which occurred on January 26, 2021, or until July 26, 2021, to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement. If at any time before July 26, 2021, the bid price of the Company's common shares closes at or above US$1.00 per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days, Nasdaq will provide written notification to the Company that it has achieved compliance with the minimum bid price requirement.

16:09 EST Nu Skin acquires 3i Solutions, terms not disclosed - Nu Skin Enterprises announced the acquisition of 3i Solutions, an innovative company that develops and manufactures ingredients for consumer markets through proprietary encapsulation technologies. "We believe these technologies will enable Nu Skin to create new product forms and increase the performance of its formulations in beauty and wellness by leveraging 3i's proprietary research and processes."

16:09 EST Agios Pharmaceuticals announces ACTIVATE-T trial meets primary endpoint - Agios Pharmaceuticals announced that the global, open-label Phase 3 ACTIVATE-T trial of mitapivat in regularly transfused adults with PK deficiency demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in transfusion burden. All 27 patients enrolled in the study were treated with mitapivat. In the 24-week fixed dose period, 37% achieved a 33% reduction in transfusion burden compared to individual historical transfusion burden standardized to 24 weeks. In addition, 22% were transfusion-free during the 24-week fixed dose period. Mitapivat is a first-in-class, investigational, oral, small molecule allosteric activator of wild-type and a variety of mutated PKR enzymes. Agios recently reported that its global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 ACTIVATE trial of mitapivat in adults with PK deficiency who do not receive regular transfusions met its primary endpoint, with 40% of patients randomized to mitapivat achieving a hemoglobin response, defined as a 1.5 g/dL sustained increase in hemoglobin concentration from baseline, compared to 0 patients randomized to placebo. Agios anticipates filing for regulatory approval based on data from ACTIVATE and ACTIVATE-T in the U.S. in Q2 and in the EU in mid-2021, with a potential 2022 commercial launch in both geographies. Results from the ACTIVATE-T trial were as follows: 37% of patients dosed with mitapivat achieved a 33% reduction in transfusion burden in the 24-week fixed dose period compared with individual historical transfusion burden standardized to 24 weeks. Overall, 22% of patients dosed with mitapivat were transfusion-free during the 24-week fixed dose period. Treatment with mitapivat showed a reduction in the annualized total number of red blood cell units transfused during the study compared with the historical transfusion burden. The safety profile observed in the study was consistent with previously reported data. Agios is conducting a full analysis of the ACTIVATE-T results and expects to submit the complete results of the trial for presentation at the European Hematology Association, or EHA, virtual congress, which is being held June 9-17. ACTIVATE-T is one of two studies intended to support a marketing application for mitapivat in patients with PK deficiency. In addition to the ACTIVATE-T trial, Agios recently reported topline results from the global Phase 3 ACTIVATE trial of mitapivat in adults with PK deficiency who do not receive regular transfusions. A full analysis of the data - including patient-reported outcomes - is expected to be submitted for presentation at the EHA Virtual Congress. Agios is also conducting an extension study for adults with PK deficiency previously enrolled in ACTIVATE or ACTIVATE-T, which is designed to evaluate the long-term safety, tolerability and efficacy of treatment with mitapivat. Agios is also conducting a Phase 2 study evaluating the efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of treatment with mitapivat in adults with non-transfusion-dependent a- or ss-thalassemia. The trial is fully enrolled, and the primary endpoint is hemoglobin response, defined as a 1.0 g/dL increase in Hb concentration from baseline at one or more assessments between Week 4 and Week 12. Results from the study are expected to be submitted for presentation at the EHA Virtual Congress. Agios expects to initiate two Phase 3 studies of mitapivat, ENERGIZE and ENERGIZE-T, in not regularly transfused and regularly transfused adults with thalassemia in the second half of 2021. In addition, mitapivat is being evaluated as a potential treatment for sickle cell disease under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Mitapivat has been shown to decrease 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and increase adenosine triphosphate, and through this mechanism, it may reduce hemoglobin S polymerization and red blood cell sickling. Preliminary clinical data establishing proof-of-concept for mitapivat in sickle cell disease were disclosed in June 2020, and updated data were presented at the American Society of Hematology annual meeting in December 2020. Agios expects to disclose its pivotal program in sickle cell disease in the first half of 2021 and initiate the study by year-end 2021.

16:08 EST M.D.C. Holdings announces special 8% stock dividend - M.D.C. Holdings announced that on January 25, its board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of 40c per share as well as a special 8% stock dividend on the company's common stock. The cash dividend will be paid on Wednesday, February 24 to shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 10. The stock dividend will be distributed on March 17 to shareholders of record on March 3, with a brokers' cut-off date of March 10, and will be in the form of one additional share of MDC common stock for each 12.5 shares owned by shareholders on the record date. Cash will be paid in lieu of fractional shares based on the closing price of MDC's common stock on the record date.

16:06 EST Agilysys sees Q4 revenue remaining sequentially flat - "Agilysys continues to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry with our primary focus being the safety of our employees and customers as we manage through these unprecedented times," the company said. "We are expecting Q4 fiscal 2021 revenue to remain sequentially flat over Q3 fiscal 2021 results with an Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $7.0 million for the same period. We expect to see slightly decreased Adjusted EBITDA levels on flat revenue due to continued hiring in R&D, which will bring some additional costs into the business during the fourth quarter."

16:05 EST Microsoft up 5% to $243.50 after Q2 earnings report

16:02 EST Omnicell selected by WVU Medicine for inventory management - Omnicell announced that WVU Medicine has expanded their partnership with Omnicell through a 10-year, sole source agreement renewal, with plans to leverage the company's industry-leading medication inventory management platform to improve pharmacy supply chain management across the West Virginia-based health network.

15:04 EST Lumen Technologies trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:46 EST Verizon says fiber cut in Brooklyn leading to outages - Verizon said via Twitter, "There is a fiber cut in Brooklyn. We have no ETR, as of yet."

12:38 EST YouTube says it removed over half a million COVID-19 misinformation videos - YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki wrote an open letter addressing the Alphabet unit's priorities for 2021, with the CEO noting that the company has removed over half a million videos under its policies to take down "egregious" medical misinformation about the coronavirus. "We've updated our policies to remove egregious medical misinformation about COVID-19 to prohibit things like saying the virus is a hoax or promoting medically unsubstantiated cures in place of seeking treatment," Wojcicki said. "We've continued to make updates to our COVID-19 policies to stay current with the science, and we've removed more than more than half a million videos under these policies since February." Reference Link

12:26 EST Drive Shack announces collaboration with professional golfer Rory McIlroy - Drive Shack announced that it is partnering with global golf superstar Rory McIlroy on its entertainment golf brand. Puttery is the Company's new indoor, small format entertainment experience that will feature high-tech mini golf and premium food and beverage offerings. Drive Shack expects to open its first Puttery location in The Colony/Dallas, Texas in the summer of 2021, followed soon thereafter by a second location in Charlotte, North Carolina. Drive Shack has previously announced it plans to open an additional five Puttery locations by the end of 2021 and 10 additional locations by the end of 2022. The terms of Drive Shack's partnership with Rory McIlroy are set forth in a non-binding memorandum of understanding and remain subject to the execution of definitive documentation.

12:00 EST RLX Technology falls -12.6% - RLX Technology is down -12.6%, or -$3.62 to $25.01.

12:00 EST Stanley Black & Decker rises -0.1% - Stanley Black & Decker is up -0.1%, or -11c to $174.88.

12:00 EST KeyCorp rises -0.9% - KeyCorp is up -0.9%, or -15c to $17.62.

11:51 EST Lockheed Martin sees reducing office space by 2M square feet

11:43 EST User reports indicate Verizon experiencing issues, says DownDetector - Reference Link

11:39 EST User reports indicate AWS experiencing issues, says DownDetector - Reference Link

11:35 EST Land & Buildings calls Monmouth strategic alternatives process 'flawed' - Land & Buildings Investment Management issued a letter to shareholders of Monmouth Real Estate Investment regarding the company's "flawed strategic alternatives process" and Land & Buildings' nomination of four director candidates. The letter states in part: "We invested in Monmouth because we believe the Company's shares are deeply undervalued relative to its robust portfolio of industrial warehouse properties and the extremely favorable market environment within which it operates. Our belief was, and remains, that improved oversight - in the form of new independent directors - would help unlock significant value for shareholders...In the midst of preparing these nominations we learned of the offer by Blackwells Capital LLC to acquire the Company for $18 per share in cash, up from $16.75 previously. In the interest of avoiding a proxy contest and helping all shareholders realize the true value of their investment in Monmouth, we submitted our nominations privately and urged the Board to immediately establish a Special Committee which would include our nominees to conduct a thorough strategic review process to evaluate the Blackwells offer and the best path forward for the Company. Such a process would be unencumbered by either the personal and professional conflicts of interest that exist on the incumbent Board or the taint of a competing desire to take the Company private. Now more than ever shareholders need an objective Board to determine which course of action will maximize value. Unfortunately, the Board rebuffed our efforts at constructive dialogue and has elected to run what we believe will likely be a flawed strategic alternative process overseen by the same entrenched, insider-laden leadership that bears responsibility for the persistent underperformance of the Company relative to its peers...Given the relatively straightforward nature of the Company's assets, with 55% of Monmouth's revenue derived from assets leased to FedEx Corporation, we believe a full and fair sales process should generate significant interest in the Company's industrial warehouse assets and take no more than 30 to 60 days to arrive at an outcome."

11:30 EST Lockheed Martin sees Biden administration bringing continuity to U.S. defense

11:19 EST Lockheed Martin sees 2023 cash from operations of approximately $9B

11:17 EST CynergisTek enters $700,000 professional services agreement with health system - CynergisTek announced a nearly $700,000 professional services agreement with a new health system. CynergisTek will provide its client, who has multiple locations, with virtual CISO and cybersecurity analyst resources to supplement its existing staff.

11:03 EST Lockheed Martin continuing to take actions to mitigate impact of Covid - Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

11:01 EST Synchrony to acquire Allergro Credit; financial terms not disclosed - Synchrony announced it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Allegro Credit, a provider of point-of-sale consumer financing for audiology products, dental services and musical instruments. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021. Financial terms were not disclosed; the deal is not expected to have a material impact on Synchrony's financial results.

10:48 EST RegeneRx: ARISE-3 patient database 'continuing to be cleaned' - RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals is addressing rumors in the market regarding its ARISE-3 phase 3 dry eye trial. "Based on current communication with GtreeBNT, our partner in the 700-patient ARISE-3 clinical trial, the patient database is continuing to be cleaned prior to its being locked. This is talking a little longer than expected but should be completed very soon. The patient database will then be locked, and the trial data analyzed shortly thereafter followed by the release of top line results," stated J.J. Finkelstein, RegeneRx president and CEO.

10:39 EST Twitter acquires newsletter company Revue - In a company blog post, Kayvon Beykpour, product lead and Mike Park, VP of publisher products, said, "Twitter is where people go to see and talk about what's happening in the world. It's where writers, experts and curators - from individual creators to journalists to publishers themselves - go to share their written work, spark meaningful conversations and build a loyal following. These writers and long-form content curators are a valuable part of the conversation and it's critical we offer new ways for them to create and share their content, and importantly, help them grow and better connect with their audience. To jumpstart our efforts, Twitter has acquired Revue, a service that makes it free and easy for anyone to start and publish editorial newsletters. Revue will accelerate our work to help people stay informed about their interests while giving all types of writers a way to monetize their audience - whether it's through the one they built at a publication, their website, on Twitter, or elsewhere." Reference Link

10:34 EST Freeport McMoRan: Copper sales on track to grow 20% in 2021 vs. 2020

10:32 EST Amarin expands Vascepa patent infringement suit to include Health Net - Amarin (AMRN) last night announced an expansion of the scope of its Vascepa cardiovascular risk reduction patent infringement lawsuit against Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HKMPF) to include a health care insurance provider in the United States, Health Net. The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court in Delawarexe. "Multiple healthcare insurance providers and managed care enterprises have respected Amarin's patent rights. As detailed in the complaint, Health Net is not among them. Through insurance coverage and economic incentives Amarin alleges that Health Net has actively induced pharmacies to dispense, and patients to use, Hikma generic icosapent ethyl capsules in infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 9,700,537, 8,642,077, and 10,568,861," Amarin said in a statement. The company alleges that Health Net, like Hikma, "understands that the vast majority of VASCEPA prescriptions are for use in CV risk reduction, that Hikma does not have an FDA approved indication for that use and that inducement for such use would infringe the subject patents." In the complaint, Amarin is seeking remedies including a permanent injunction. "Amarin is continually considering its legal options against parties similarly situated to Health Net and Hikma and acting in concert with either by making or selling any drug product or component thereof covered by the subject patents, or inducing others to do the same," it added.

10:26 EST Archer Daniels increases quarterly cash dividend 2.78% to 37c per share - ADM's Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of 37c per share on the company's common stock, an approximately 2.78% increase from last quarter's dividend of 36c per share. The dividend is payable on March 2, 2021, to shareholders of record on Feb. 9, 2021.

10:25 EST Freeport McMoRan: Not required to do deals

10:22 EST Freeport McMoRan to resume cash returns to shareholders during 2021

10:02 EST ServisFirst Bank appoints Rodney Rushing as EVP, COO - The Board of Directors of ServisFirst Bank and ServisFirst Bancshares recently announced that Rodney Rushing is assuming the role of Executive Vice President and COO for ServisFirst Bank. As a member of the Bank's executive team, he will collaborate with the President/CEO and CFO in the overall administration of the Bank and in executing its broader objectives and goals. Rushing transitions to the role of COO from his position as Executive Vice President, Correspondent Banking.

10:00 EST Express falls -26.7% - Express is down -26.7%, or -$1.11 to $3.04.

10:00 EST Stanley Black & Decker rises 1.2% - Stanley Black & Decker is up 1.2%, or $2.08 to $177.07.

10:00 EST KeyCorp rises 0.2% - KeyCorp is up 0.2%, or 04c to $17.82.

09:50 EST Crown Electrokinetics Corporation trading resumes

09:47 EST TPG Pace Beneficial Finance falls 10.5% - TPG Pace Beneficial Finance is down 10.5%, or $2.54 to $26.72.

09:47 EST TFI International rises 11.9% - TFI International is up 11.9%, or $8.03 to $75.51.

09:47 EST GameStop rises 22.7% - GameStop is up 22.7%, or $17.45 to $94.24.

09:45 EST GameStop trading resumes

09:37 EST CarParts.com up 15% after announcing launch of EV-focused shopping hub - Shares of CarParts.com are up 15% in early trading after the company announced earlier that it had launched a new dedicated shopping hub for the hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicle community this week. "The ecommerce retailer is transforming the way drivers shop for auto parts, so naturally, building an online store for EVs and hybrids is the next big investment in the company's growth and commitment to getting drivers back on the road. In recent months, CarParts.com's product offering for EVs and hybrids has grown to include over 700,000 applications for the repair, maintenance, and enhancement of hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EVs. Aftermarket parts are available for over 25 popular vehicle makes, including Tesla, Toyota, Honda, GMC, BMW, Ford, Lexus, Chevrolet, and more," the company stated in its press release regarding the launch.

09:23 EST Humana unit partners in Primary Care announces growth plans - Partners in Primary Care announced the details of its 2021 expansion. Having opened 15 new centers in 2020, plans for 2021 include up to 20 more centers, including entering the Atlanta market, additional centers in the Houston area and five more in Louisiana, including Lafayette and the North Shore outside of New Orleans as well as two new centers in Nevada. The planned center openings will bring the total number of centers Partners in Primary Care operates, including its Orlando, Florida-based Family Physicians Group facilities, to nearly 80 centers. By 2023, Partners in Primary Care expects to operate approximately 100 centers. Partners in Primary Care, a payer-agnostic subsidiary of Humana is part of a family of senior-focused, primary care centers that deliver comprehensive, personalized care to approximately 57,000 patients from many different Medicare Advantage health plans and Original Medicare. The centers are often located in underserved areas that previously offered minimal access to primary care for seniors. "Partners in Primary Care is expanding rapidly because of the demand from seniors for the type of senior-focused care we provide," said Renee' Buckingham, President of Humana's Care Delivery Organization, which includes Partners in Primary Care as well as the Family Physicians Group facilities referenced above. "The significant growth of our organization demonstrates the success of our senior-focused, value-based approach in serving patients and communities, and our investment in providing much-needed care in underserved areas. We are grateful to our clinicians and care teams who work tirelessly to provide personalized care to help seniors stay healthy and lead happier lives, which requires addressing their physical, social and mental health needs holistically. We look forward to offering our comprehensive primary care to many more seniors in the coming year and beyond," Buckingham added.

09:19 EST Draganfly's Vital Intelligence Technology selected by The 517 Group - Draganfly announced that its Vital Intelligence technology, originally developed for drones and now made available on devices like laptops, tablets and smartphones, has been selected by The 517 Group to design and deliver its Vital Intelligence technology to its hospitality and entertainment focused enterprises.

09:18 EST FedEx Ground CEO Maier to retire July 31, John Smith to succeed - FedEx announced that Henry J. Maier, president and CEO, FedEx Ground, will retire effective July 31. John A. Smith, president and CEO, FedEx Freight, will succeed Maier as president and CEO, FedEx Ground. Lance D. Moll has been named the next president and CEO, FedEx Freight. Maier joined FedEx in 1986. With more than 40 years in the transportation industry, including more than 35 years at FedEx, he held a series of leadership positions in logistics, sales, and marketing before becoming president and CEO, FedEx Ground, in June 2013. Most recently, Maier spearheaded the significant transformation of FedEx Ground, ensuring its strong position in reliably and efficiently serving the growing e-commerce market. "Henry has helped steer tremendous growth across our commercial and e-commerce portfolio," said Raj Subramaniam, president and COO, FedEx Corp. "Under his leadership, FedEx Ground revenue has more than doubled, with a focus on automation and speed as distinct competitive advantages. I am incredibly appreciative of Henry's service to FedEx and wish him well as he begins this next chapter."

09:16 EST Johnson & Johnson sees FY21 adjusted pre-tax operating margin up ~200 bps

09:15 EST EnWave announces Merck publication citing EnWave's freezeREV process - EnWave Corporation (NWVCF) announces that Merck & Co. (MRK) published a research paper citing EnWave's freezeREV process as a viable manufacturing alternative to vial-based lyophilization for vaccines and biologics. The research article entitled "Evaluation of Microwave Vacuum Drying as an Alternative to Freeze-Drying of Biologics and Vaccines: The Power of Simple Modeling to Identify a Mechanism for Faster Drying Times Achieved with Microwave" was published in the January 19, 2021 edition of PharmSciTech, the official journal of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. Merck's nine-month evaluation used a lab-scale freezeREV unit manufactured by EnWave specifically for the dehydration of pharmaceutical products. The goal of the study was to determine the uniformity and repeatability of Microwave Vacuum Drying when used to dry liquid vaccines in vials. This evaluation is the first of its kind to scientifically document the efficacy of microwave-vacuum drying, more specifically freezeREV, for the drying of vaccines. The authors of the research article note that both the global pandemic and the rapid spread of COVID-19 have emphasised the need for accelerated vaccine development and on-demand, flexible manufacturing options. The published evaluation results stated that "Microwave vacuum drying serves as a faster alternative to freeze drying of biologically active materials such as vaccines, proteins, and microorganism cultures". Data from the study shows that EnWave's freezeREV process reduces drying cycle times by 80% to90% while maintaining product activity and stability when compared to lyophilization. Lyophilization drying times are seen as a significant bottleneck for vaccine manufacturing. The research article also confirmed that EnWave's freezeREV process demonstrates "comparability between EnWave's freezeREV and freeze-dried samples" for drying uniformity and repeatability. The significant decrease in drying times was also accompanied by increased manufacturing flexibility.

09:11 EST Aurora Cannabis closes bought deal financing - Aurora Cannabis closed its previously announced bought deal public offering of units of the company for total gross proceeds of $137.94M. The company sold 13,200,000 Units at a price of $10.45 per unit, including 1,200,000 Units sold pursuant to the exercise in full of the underwriters' over-allotment option. Each unit is comprised of one common share of the company and one half of one common share purchase warrant of the company. Each warrant is exercisable to acquire one common share of the company for a period of 36 months following the closing date of the offering at an exercise price of $12.60 per warrant share, subject to adjustment in certain events. The company plans to use the net proceeds of the offering for general corporate purposes

09:10 EST CyrusOne purchases renewable energy to power Texas data centers - CyrusOne announced that the company will purchase 67 MW of renewable energy delivered to the electricity grid and equivalent renewable energy credits generated by Enel Green Power's 284 MW Azure Sky solar + storage project located in Haskell County, Texas. The agreement reflects CyrusOne's commitment to accelerate the transition to renewable energy resources in local communities and is part of the Company's effort under its pledge to operate carbon-free by 2040. Through the agreement, CyrusOne will significantly reduce its CO2 emissions over the term of the contract. The purchase is equivalent to meeting 100% of the power requirements for CyrusOne's data center facility in Allen, Texas, and approximately 70% of the power requirements for its data center in Carrollton, Texas. Additionally, CyrusOne will retire project-specific renewable attributes from Azure Sky solar + storage equal to 100% of the power usage at its Dallas headquarters. CyrusOne has previously procured solar power for its Chandler facility in Arizona, and its data centers in London and Amsterdam also run on 100% renewable energy.

09:08 EST Adamis enters non-binding LOI for sale of US Compounding assets - Adamis announced that it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent with a potential buyer for sale of substantially all of the assets of its US Compounding subsidiary. Under the terms described in the letter of intent, the buyer would agree to acquire substantially all of the assets of US Compounding in exchange for a total gross consideration that could range from approximately $10-20 million, before transaction fees and expenses and other potential post-closing adjustments. If a transaction is negotiated, reflected in definitive agreements entered into by the parties, and completed, the proposed purchase price consideration includes a combination of a cash payment at the closing of the transaction, a promissory note representing portion of the purchase price payable at a future date, and potential future performance-based milestone payments over a period of years. The amount and structure of consideration could change as a result of subsequent negotiations, due diligence or other factors. Any definitive agreement would be subject to approval by the respective parties, including approval by the board of directors of Adamis, and would likely include a number of customary provisions, including without limitation representations and warranties of Adamis and USC, restrictive covenants and indemnification provisions. The closing of a transaction would be contingent on the satisfaction of closing conditions which might include, among other things: the receipt of required governmental, regulatory, and third-party consents and approvals, buyer obtaining required licenses, permits, registrations, or other approvals from the necessary state boards of pharmacy and other state and federal governmental authorities, and other customary closing conditions. The letter of intent is non-binding other than with respect to certain customary confidentiality and exclusivity provisions. There can be no assurances that the parties will negotiate and enter into definitive transaction agreements, the final terms that might be included in any definitive agreements, whether a transaction will be completed, or concerning the timing of closing of any such transaction.

09:07 EST Molson Coors announces Superbird distribution partnership with CKBG - Molson Coors announced a partnership with CKBG to distribute Superbird, a 100% blue agave tequila-based cocktail. The agreement marks Molson Coors' first entry into the premium ready-to-drink, or RTD, spirits category and its latest move beyond the beer aisle. Through the Molson Coors distribution network, Superbird will seek to expand distribution nationally, beginning with 10 new markets in spring 2021. Superbird is a canned, carbonated, 5.9% alcohol-by-volume take on a Paloma made with 100% blue agave tequila grown and processed in Tequila, Mexico; natural grapefruit juice; agave nectar; and sparkling water. The hand-crafted premium RTD cocktail has no sugars or artificial ingredients.

09:06 EST eXp World Holdings expands real estate operations into Puerto Rico - eXp World Holdings has expanded into Puerto Rico, under the eXp Puerto Rico banner. eXp Realty also operates in eight other countries, including Australia, Canada, France, India, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa and the U.K. eXp Puerto Rico's operations will be led by Ivelisse Lopez, with over 27 years of real estate leadership experience in Puerto Rico. Brazil, Italy, and Hong Kong are also set to launch in Q1 2021.

09:05 EST Pittsburgh International Airport announced a partnership with Honeywell - Pittsburgh International Airport announced a partnership with Honeywell to test air quality improvement technology at the airport's newly opened innovation center, xBridge. Pittsburgh International Airport is the first U.S. airport to deploy Honeywell's Healthy Buildings dashboard and air quality sensing technology, and will use Honeywell Forge enterprise performance management software, to increase public health efforts and improve staff and passenger confidence in travel. Additionally, the airport plans to use Honeywell Forge to conduct condition-based maintenance focused on MERV 13 filters in its air-handling units.

09:04 EST STMicroelectronics joins ZETA Alliance - STMicroelectronics has joined the ZETA Alliance, the industry body promoting ZETA Low-Power Wide Area Network technology for low-cost long-range IoT connectivity. ZETA technology is quickly becoming established throughout China, Japan, and beyond, bringing together innovative wireless technologies that enable low-power, low-cost devices to rely on robust connections over extended distances. In addition, native support for mesh networking, which allows peer-to-peer communication among the network nodes, boosts network coverage and resilience. Joining the Alliance as a Promoter member, ST expects ZETA technology to further accelerate the spread of IoT in all territories worldwide. The standard lets developers create high-value IoT-based solutions to challenges that face extreme cost constraints.

09:03 EST Sallie Mae names Kerri Palmer Chief Risk and Compliance Officer - Sallie Mae has named Kerri Palmer Chief Risk and Compliance Officer. Palmer will oversee Sallie Mae's integrated risk and compliance organization. She succeeds Jeff Dale who served as Sallie Mae's Chief Risk Officer since 2014, and the interim Chief Risk and Compliance Officer since the fall of 2020. An industry veteran, Palmer joins Sallie Mae from Capital One, where she served as senior vice president of risk management. She brings more than 20 years of experience in risk assessment and management, regulatory compliance, process improvement, program management, business analysis, operations leadership, and change management. She has built and transformed programs in enterprise risk, operational risk, cyber and technology risk, internal and external fraud risk, third-party risk, and business continuity risk.

09:02 EST Beyond Meat jumps 35% to $215.42 after forming JV with PepsiCo

09:00 EST Verizon sees FY21 adjusted effective tax rate 23%-25% - Says had good performance in public sector. Says now has 64 ultra-wideband cities. Says offline to online shopping behaviors continued through holiday season. Says delivered on 2020 strategic priorities. Sees FY21 adjusted effective tax rate 23%-25%. Says 2021 priorities include accelerating service revenue, differentiating value proposition for customers and business investment to capture new market opportunities. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

08:50 EST Vaxart announces additional preclinical COVID-19 oral vaccine data - Vaxart announced additional results from its SARS-CoV-2 Hamster Challenge Study, as well as a peer-reviewed publication in Nature Medicine resulting from a collaboration with prominent Stanford University scientists on COVID-19 vaccine candidates. New histology data from Vaxart's SARS-CoV-2 Hamster Challenge Study showed that hamsters that received two doses of the oral tablet vaccine had a substantial reduction in lung inflammation as compared to unvaccinated hamsters. Vaxart announced earlier results of its Hamster Challenge Study. These findings included: A 4- to 5-fold log reduction in lung viral load in hamsters that received two oral vaccine doses, as compared to non-vaccinated animals. Potent induction of antibody response, with serum IgG antibody titers above 10,000 in hamsters that received two oral vaccine doses. Oral vaccination protected as well as intranasal vaccination against intranasal challenge with respect to key indicators: protection from weight loss, protection from increase in lung weight, viral load reduction, and induction of serum IgG antibodies, demonstrating that mucosal protection by both routes of administration was comparable. The company expects to submit the Hamster Challenge Study results to a peer-reviewed journal this quarter. In early 2020, Vaxart established a collaboration with researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine to assess its COVID-19 vaccine candidates in human lymphoid organoid culture. A portion of the results were published in Nature Medicine on Monday, January 11, 2021.

08:48 EST Omeros hires Nadia Dac as Chief Commercial Officer - Omeros announced that Nadia Dac has joined Omeros as its Chief Commercial Officer. In this role, Ms. Dac will be responsible for all commercial operations at Omeros, including overseeing preparations for the commercial launch of narsoplimab, the company's mannan-binding lectin-associated serine protease-2, MASP-2, inhibitor. A Biologics License Application for narsoplimab in the treatment of hematopoietic stem cell transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy is under Priority Review by U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Ms. Dac will also be responsible for driving continued sales growth of Omeros' commercial product OMIDRIA(, the only drug of its kind approved for use during cataract and lens replacement surgery. "We're pleased that Nadia has joined our senior leadership team," said Gregory A. Demopulos, M.D., chairman and chief executive officer of Omeros. "Nadia has already hit the ground running, and her high-caliber expertise is a welcome and timely addition at this important juncture in our company's development. The breadth and depth of her U.S. and global commercial experience as a strategic leader will be a valuable asset to Omeros as we look ahead to bringing our second product to market and advancing our diverse pipeline."

08:41 EST Global Partners boosts quarterly cash distribution to 55c per unit - Global Partners announced today that the Board of Directors of its general partner, Global, has increased its quarterly cash distribution by 5c per unit to 55c per unit, $2.20 per unit on an annualized basis, on all of its outstanding common units for the period from October 1 to December 31. The distribution will be paid February 12 to unitholders of record as of the close of business on February 8.

08:41 EST Surrey Bank & Trust to sell insurance subsidary - The Board of Directors of Surrey Bank & Trust has entered into an agreement to sell its wholly owned subsidiary, SB&T Insurance, to Mountcastle Insurance, a full-service independent agency headquartered in Lexington, North Carolina. The transaction will close on or before February 1, 2021. Tina Johnson, Senior Vice-President of SB&T Insurance, stated the transaction would provide customers of SB&T Insurance access to a larger number of insurance carriers for existing lines of business, new insurance markets, and greater depth in back-office servicing and support.

08:38 EST Franklin Wireless ships first 5G broadband router - Franklin Wireless announced that it sent its first shipment of new 5G broadband router, the 5G CPE/Home Gateway, to a tier one carrier in South Korea, after completing certifications and testing. This initial shipment is part of the Korean Government's mobile networking project.

08:37 EST MeiraGTx granted fast track designation for AAV-CNGA3 - MeiraGTx Holdings announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Fast Track designation to its AAV-CNGA3 gene therapy product candidate for the treatment of achromatopsia caused by mutations in the CNGA3 gene.

08:36 EST CACI awarded $96M task order by U.S. Army - CACI International announced that it has been awarded a three-year task order, with a ceiling value of $96 M, to provide engineering and logistics expertise for the U.S. Army's Medical Communications for Combat Casualty Care, MC4,Program. Under the task order, awarded under the GSA Alliant 2 contract vehicle, CACI will provide enterprise expertise to assist the Army with integrating, testing, training, deploying, and sustaining electronic medical record software for the service's MC4 program. MC4 is the Army's single, tactical medical information management and information technology (IT) system that delivers improved operational healthcare and patient documentation. CACI will help the Army automate and streamline installation and updates of the MC4 software to accelerate the release of new capabilities, improve functionality for users, enhance interoperability of the systems, and continuity of care for military personnel.

08:36 EST Taoping, Ivy International form joint venture to develop learning programs - Taoping announced that the Company has entered into a strategic partnership agreement with Ivy International Education Technology Co. to develop and market new learning programs for quality education. Ivy International Education is a professional organization engaged in study abroad consulting, Project-Based Learning program consulting, online education, and charitable education programs. Ivy International Education is the only authorized representative of interactive K-12 Online Learning program provider MommyDaddyMe in the Chinese mainland market. As part of the agreement, TAOP and Ivy International Education intend to form a joint venture company in China around February 2021. TAOP and Ivy International Education will own 51 percent and 49 percent equity interests in the joint venture, respectively. The joint venture plans to take the following actions in 2021: Attract high-income group with study abroad intent by taking advantage of Taoping's new media ecosystem and established exclusive marketing spaces in residential buildings, office buildings, shopping malls, hotels, and cinemas in over 200 cities in China; Develop and promote online and offline Project-Based Learning programs developed by Ivy International Education for quality education; Build a new online education platform by combining Taoping smart cloud platform technology and Ivy International Education's experienced teacher team; Work together on charitable education programs.

08:34 EST Vertex announces FDA accepts sNDA for Trikafta expansion - Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted its supplemental New Drug Application, sNDA, to expand the use of TRIKAFTA, elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor and ivacaftor, to include children ages 6 through 11 years old who have at least one F508del mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene or a mutation in the CFTR gene that is responsive based on in vitro data. The FDA has granted Priority Review of the sNDA and assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of June 8. The submission was supported by data from a global Phase 3 study of TRIKAFTA in children ages 6 through 11 years old with cystic fibrosis who have either two copies of the F508del mutation or one copy of the F508del mutation and one minimal function mutation. "If approved for this expanded use, we will have the opportunity to treat the underlying cause of the disease earlier in life with TRIKAFTA and potentially benefit approximately 1,500 additional children with CF," said Carmen Bozic, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Vertex. "Since our initial approval of TRIKAFTA in 2019, we have continued to work tirelessly to bring this medicine to those waiting as quickly as possible. We look forward to working with the Agency as they review the application over the course of the coming months." Vertex plans to submit a Marketing Authorization Application, MAA, variation for the triple combination in the European Union in the first half of 2021 for children ages 6 through 11. Global regulatory filings in additional markets, including Canada and Australia, are planned in the coming months for this age group.

08:34 EST Fluidigm partners with Helix Specialty Diagnostics for COVID-19 testing - Fluidigm announced that Helix Specialty Diagnostics is partnering with Genomic to provide COVID-19 testing using the Advanta Dx SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Assay on the Fluidigm Biomark HD system. Both Missouri based companies operate major Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments certified labs. Helix Specialty Diagnostics leads sample collection for the collaboration, with Genomic processing and analyzing the saliva samples via the Advanta Dx Assay on the Biomark HD. Fluidigm has received Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA for the Advanta Dx SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Assay, an extraction-free saliva-based test to detect nucleic acid from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The assay does not require collection via invasive nasopharyngeal swab, and the company's submission to the FDA demonstrated 100% agreement between saliva results from the Advanta Dx Assay and results from paired nasopharyngeal samples tested with authorized assays. To date, none of the published viral mutations meaningfully impact the regions of the viral genome targeted by the assay's primers and probes.

08:32 EST PepsiCo, Beyond Meat establish The PLANeT Partnership - PepsiCo (PEP) and Beyond Meat (BYND) announced they will form The PLANeT Partnership, LLC, a joint venture to develop, produce and market innovative snack and beverage products made from plant-based protein. The joint venture will leverage Beyond Meat's leading technology in plant-based protein development and PepsiCo's world-class marketing and commercial capabilities to create and scale new snack and beverage options. Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed. Joint venture operations will be managed through the newly created entity The PLANeT Partnership, LLC.

08:28 EST Opko Health's BioReference Labs to provide COVID-19 testing for NBA, NHL - BioReference Laboratories, an OPKO Health company, announced COVID-19 testing agreements for players and officials, as well as team and league staff for the 2020-2021 seasons for the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League. For the 2020-21 NBA season, BioReference has been providing testing services, utilizing PCR and rapid diagnostics, at the 30 NBA team facilities in 28 cities across the U.S. BioReference previously supported the NBA's 2019-20 season restart. Under an agreement with the NHL, BioReference will provide COVID-19 testing to players, coaches, staff and officials, which includes COVID-19 PCR laboratory-based diagnostics, and rapid diagnostics to the 24 U.S.-based teams. In addition, BioReference is currently supporting the Winter X Games in Aspen, U.S. Soccer's Women's and Men's National Teams and the NBA G League in Orlando.

08:26 EST Applied DNA Sciences, TruTrace unveil cannabis product validation system - Applied DNA Sciences announced the signing of a definitive agreement with TruTrace Technologies, developer of a fully-integrated blockchain platform for the legal cannabis, food and pharmaceutical industries, to approach the cannabis industry with an integrated solution comprised of Applied DNA's Certain platform and TruTrace's StrainSecure platform to deliver a complete cannabis product validation and authentication platform differentiated in the marketplace by linking together the power of proprietary SaaS platforms, blockchain and molecular tagging technology to create a secure ecosystem which provides end-to-end traceability and full transparency. The companies have entered into a Strategic Alliance, Referral and Technology Integration Agreement that allows each company to introduce the other into existing accounts, prospects, as well as cultivate new joint opportunities. The Agreement also calls out the integration of the companies' respective platforms through APIs to exchange data elements as part of the complete chain of custody solution from source materials to product on the shelf. There is a mutual payment structure in place as engagements are brought online. TruTrace's blockchain-based SaaS software is designed to guarantee product quality and strain genetics throughout global supply chains. Protecting consumers and brands from contaminants and counterfeiting is a key benefit of the platform under development.

08:21 EST ABM initiates fifth phase ESPC for Madison County Schools - ABM has initiated a fifth phase Energy Savings Performance Contract for Madison County Schools, a public K-12 school district in Georgia. The combined results after all five phases are projected to save MCS an estimated $40 million in energy and operational costs over a 17-year period. ABM's customized solution will provide energy efficient upgrades and aim to improve the school district's indoor environment by reducing the viral transmission of disease-causing pathogens from surfaces and the air. The newest phase provides cost-effective solutions specific to the school district's needs and includes ABM's EnhancedClean program, a certified program that will provide daily touchpoint disinfection and deeper, broader nightly disinfection.

08:18 EST Sabina Gold & Silver appoints Anna Tudela to board of directors - Sabina Gold & Silver is pleased to announce it has appointed Anna Tudela to its Board of Directors. Most recently, she was the Vice President of Diversity, Regulatory Affairs and Corporate Secretary of Goldcorp.

08:17 EST Micron announces volume shipment of 1-alpha node DRAM products - Micron Technology announced volume shipment of 1alpha node DRAM products built using the world's most advanced DRAM process technology and offering major improvements in bit density, power and performance. This milestone reinforces Micron's competitive strength and complements its recent breakthroughs with the world's fastest graphics memory and the first-to-ship 176-layer NAND. Micron plans to integrate the 1alpha node across its DRAM product portfolio this year to support all environments that use DRAM today. The applications for this new DRAM technology are extensive and far reaching - enhancing performance in everything from mobile devices to smart vehicles.

08:17 EST Apollo Medical and CAIPA MSO announce strategic alliance - Apollo Medical Holdings and CAIPA MSO, a management services organization based out of New York, announced a strategic alliance and investment by ApolloMed in CAIPA MSO. CAIPA MSO provides management, consulting, administrative, and other support services to professional healthcare service providers, including to Chinese American IPA d/b/a Coalition of Asian-American IPA, a leading independent practice association serving the greater New York City area. Under the terms of the agreement, ApolloMed will purchase units of membership interest of CAIPA MSO, resulting in ApolloMed owning 30% of the post-closing total interests in CAIPA MSO on a fully diluted basis.

08:16 EST Freeport McMoRan sees Q1 gold sales volume 275,000 oz. - Sees Q1 copper sales volume 825M lbs. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call presentation slides.

08:14 EST BioHiTech Global receives $2M in purchase orders for Carnival ships - BioHiTech Global (BHTG) announced it has received approximately $2M in new Revolution Series food digesters purchase orders for 12 Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) ships and 2 Princess Cruises ships. BioHiTech expects to fulfil the orders through the second quarter.

08:14 EST Elanco sees recording charges of $58M-$77M in restructuring - Elanco Animal Health Incorporated announced the next step in its ongoing efforts to improve operational efficiency. The proposed actions are focused on streamlining processes and delivering increased efficiency in functional areas while, importantly, improving the productivity of Elanco's investments in innovation..."With a number of milestones achieved since IPO, including the Bayer acquisition, today's actions are the next step in our commitment to drive operational efficiencies and deliver attractive returns," said Jeff Simmons, Elanco president and CEO. "As we start 2021, our team is clear on their priorities and brings momentum as we continue to execute and deliver against our expanded and strengthened IPP strategy." The company expects to record charges of between $58M to $77M in connection with this restructuring, with $55 million to $70 million in severance and other cash charges and the balance in asset impairments and other non-cash charges. Elanco expects to recognize between $58M to $70M of the total restructuring costs in the first quarter of 2021 with the remaining amount recognized over the balance of 2021. The compensations and benefit savings in 2021 are anticipated to be approximately $20 million to $24M, annualizing to $45M to $50 M in 2022 and beyond.

08:12 EST Cardiff Oncology receives 'Study May Proceed' letter from FDA - Cardiff Oncology announced that it has received a Study May Proceed letter from the U.S. FDA to begin a Phase 2 clinical trial of onvansertib in metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. This Phase 2 clinical trial is designed to assess the safety and preliminary efficacy of onvansertib in combination with nanoliposomal irinotecan, 5-FU and leucovorin as a second-line treatment in patients with metastatic PDAC who have failed first-line gemcitabine-based therapy. The trial is expected to enroll approximately 40 patients across six sites in the U.S. including the three Mayo Clinic Cancer Centers, Emory University, Kansas University Medical Center and Inova Schar Cancer Institute.

08:11 EST Vir Biotechnology announces data from ongoing Phase 1 trial of VIR-3434 - Vir Biotechnology announced initial topline data from its ongoing trial of VIR-3434 in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Data from the first blinded cohort of eight patients, two of whom received placebo and six of whom received a single dose of 6 mg of VIR-3434, showed that six of eight patients achieved a mean reduction of 1.3 log10 IU/mL in serum hepatitis B virus surface antigen by day eight, the day when nadir was achieved in most patients. VIR-3434 is an HBV-neutralizing monoclonal antibody designed to block entry of all 10 genotypes of HBV into hepatocytes and reduce the level of virions and subviral particles in the blood. It has also been Fc engineered to include the XX2 "vaccinal mutation," allowing it to potentially function as a T cell vaccine, in this case, against HBV. The XX2 vaccinal mutation, which has the potential to transform standard antibodies into T cell vaccines, has also been incorporated into one of Vir's investigational COVID-19 monoclonal antibodies, VIR-7832, which is currently planned to enter a Phase 1b/2a trial this quarter. Vir has licensed exclusive rights to the XX2 mutation for use in infectious diseases. The Phase 1 clinical trial of VIR-3434 is a randomized, placebo-controlled trial designed to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, antiviral and immunomodulatory activity of VIR-3434 in healthy volunteers and patients with chronic HBV infection with HBsAg levels less than 1,000 IU/ml. The trial is designed to progress from healthy volunteers to chronic HBV patients in a staggered, parallel fashion with the goal of rapidly generating early proof-of-concept data in patients. Additional data will be submitted for presentation at an upcoming medical conference. A Phase 2 trial combining VIR-3434 with Vir's HBV-targeting siRNA, VIR-2218, is expected to commence in the second half of this year.

08:09 EST Enphase Energy acquires Sofdesk, terms not disclosed - Enphase Energy announced the closing of its acquisition of Sofdesk Inc., headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Sofdesk's Solargraf integrated software platform offers the industry's leading digital tools and services designed to simplify and accelerate the end-to-end sales process across the residential solar industry. The Solargraf platform provides solar installers with critical pre-sales engagement design, quoting and work-flow management from any PC, tablet or mobile device. In addition, Sofdesk also offers Roofgraf, a software product that enables roofing contractors to generate homeowner proposals using advanced machine learning technology. The acquisition is expected to provide the following benefits: Secures a software platform that helps create a reliable and predictable buying experience across the residential solar market, leading to better customer experiences; Adds significant resources to accelerate the software product roadmap and provide best-in-class customer service to Sofdesk's 700+ solar installer base; Offers digital sales enablement tools and services to the Enphase Installer Network for homeowner proposal generation, permitting, third-party financing, and post-sales support; Develops a new customer segment of roofing contractors that subscribe to Roofgraf, Sofdesk's roofing software; Augments Enphase's existing software engineering capabilities with a talented team of software engineers with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning expertise.

08:08 EST Triumph Bancorp's TriumphPay appoints Ed Schreyer as COO - Triumph Bancorp's TriumphPay division appointed Ed Schreyer as COO of the division. Schreyer will officially join TriumphPay in early March. In his most recent role, Schreyer served as COO for the Americas Advisory business, consisting of more than $5.7B of revenue.

08:07 EST Entasis Therapeutics announces sulbactam-durlobactam EAP for U.S. patients - Entasis Therapeutics Holdings announced the availability of an expanded access program for sulbactam-durlobactam or SUL-DUR, an investigational drug, for U.S. patients with Acinetobacter baumannii infections, including carbapenem and multidrug resistant strains.

08:07 EST GrowGeneration acquires Indoor Garden & Lighting, terms not disclosed - GrowGeneration announced the acquisition of Indoor Garden & Lighting, a two-store chain of hydroponic equipment and indoor gardening supply stores serving the Seattle and Tacoma, Washington area. The Company will be consolidating its current Seattle operation into the acquired stores. This acquisition brings the total number of GrowGen hydroponic garden centers nationwide to 40 stores.

08:06 EST Paccar in pact with Aurora for autonomous Peterbilt 579 and Kenworth T680 trucks - PACCAR signed a global strategic agreement with Aurora, a leader in autonomous driving technologies, to develop autonomous Peterbilt 579 and Kenworth T680 trucks. "This partnership will integrate PACCAR's autonomous vehicle platform with the Aurora self-driving technologies. PACCAR's customers will benefit from the autonomous vehicles' enhanced safety and operational efficiency," said Kyle Quinn, PACCAR chief technology officer. "Kenworth T680 and Peterbilt 579 trucks utilizing the Aurora Driver are expected to be delivered in the next several years."

08:05 EST BOK Financial adds four members to Diversity & Inclusion Council - BOK Financial has added four new members to its Diversity & Inclusion Council. The members will support the company's efforts to excel and grow by valuing and leveraging the power of diversity and inclusion. The new members are: TC Alexander, senior vice president; manager, brand business banking sales; Tulsa. Grant Bridgewater, senior vice president; senior director, IT infrastructure and operations; Tulsa. Derek Martin, executive vice president; consumer banking services executive; Tulsa. Marisol Salazar, senior vice president; energy banking; Houston. The Council works to ensure that BOK Financial fosters and supports an environment that reflects the entirety of the company's values. Council members serve three-year terms, and membership comprises leadership and influencers from throughout the company's operation.

08:05 EST Celanese announces 15-year contract extension with Calpine Energy - Celanese announced a 15-year contract extension with Calpine Energy to incorporate a solar power component into the electricity supply mix for the company's world-class acetyl intermediates chemical manufacturing facility located in Clear Lake, Texas. Calpine Energy Solutions is expected to supply the Celanese Clear Lake facility with 45 megawatts of peak solar contracted capacity. On an annualized basis, this represents approximately 142,000 megawatt hours of renewable energy and will equate to taking approximately 14,500 cars off the road. This contract equates to about 33% of Celanese's annual electricity consumption at the site and approximately 65% of the site's daytime electricity usage during the summer months.

08:04 EST Pacira announces equity investment in GeneQuine Biotherapeutics - Pacira BioSciences announced that the company will lead an equity investment in GeneQuine Biotherapeutics GmbH. Under the terms of the agreement, Pacira will make an initial investment of EUR2M with an additional EUR4M investment predicated upon GeneQuine achieving certain prespecified near-term milestones related to its lead gene therapy product candidate, GQ-303. Up to EUR2.5M of the total Pacira investment will be in the form of a convertible note. In addition, Pacira is entitled to appoint one member to GeneQuine's board of directors. GeneQuine Biotherapeutics is a privately held biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Hamburg, Germany that is advancing a gene therapy platform for the treatment of osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal disorders. GeneQuine's product candidates are next-generation gene transfer vehicles. These gene therapy vectors are highly efficient in entering joint cells to confer multi-year gene expression. Safety of this platform has been demonstrated in several species and is currently being evaluated in an ongoing Phase 1 study.

08:02 EST FactSet launches Vermillion portfolio reporting solution in Japan - FactSet has launched Vermilion, its flagship portfolio reporting solution, in Japan. Asset Management One is the first Japanese client to select FactSet's Vermilion for domestic use. Vermilion allows users to produce client-facing reports and communications using automation technology. FactSet will work with AM-One to implement Vermilion across the company.

07:59 EST PSEG raises dividend 2.7% to 43c - Penske Automotive Group announced that its Board of Directors has increased the Company's dividend to 43c per share. The dividend is payable on March 1 to shareholders of record on February 10. Commenting on the dividend, President Robert K. Kurnick said, "I am pleased to announce an increase in the quarterly dividend. With this increase, the annualized dividend is $1.72 per share and represents a yield of 2.7%, the highest in our peer group. Our business and cash flow remain strong despite the Covid-19 pandemic, as the actions we took to mitigate its impact continue to provide operational benefits."

07:58 EST Overstock.com converting Medici Ventures to limited partnership - Overstock.com last night announced it will be converting Medici Ventures, its wholly owned blockchain-focused subsidiary, to a limited partnership. An entity within Pelion Venture Partners, a third-party venture capital firm, will act as the general partner of the fund. Under the arrangement, which will close after obtaining necessary legal and regulatory approvals, Medici Ventures will be converted into a limited partnership. Overstock will be a limited partner in the fund. After closing, the Pelion entity will have sole authority and responsibility regarding investing decisions, appointing board members of the portfolio companies, and exercising all shareholder rights for assets Medici Ventures currently holds. The fund will have an eight-year life and a total capital commitment of $45M. The fund will return invested capital to Overstock first and then split profits on successful exits as set forth in the fund's limited partnership agreement. The fund will hold a "significant minority" ownership stake in tZERO Group and Overstock will retain a direct minority equity interest in tZERO. Medici Ventures will discontinue providing software development and design services to its portfolio companies. "As an on-going advocate of blockchain technology, Overstock will continue to accept Bitcoin as a form of payment for products purchased on its website," the company added.

07:47 EST Jacobs Engineering awarded contract by U.S. NAVFAC - Jacobs was selected by U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, or NAVFAC, Southeast for base operating support services at the Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia and outlying areas. The contract, known as Kings Bay Base Operations Support I, or KB BOSI, goes into effect June 1 and has a maximum potential award to Jacobs of $421M over a one-year base period and seven one-year options. Jacobs expands its partnership with the U.S. Navy with this win, delivering intelligent asset management solutions on three contracts providing base operations services at Naval Station Mayport in Florida, Naval Base Kitsap's West Sound in Washington and now Kings Bay. Work under the KB BOSI contract includes providing intelligent asset management solutions to enhance infrastructure reliability and availability in the areas of force protection, facility management, facility investment, utilities management, electrical, steam, wastewater, water, compressed air, SCADA, telecommunications, chiller plant, transportation, and equipment, environmental and other related services.

07:46 EST DTE Energy launches CleanVision Natural Gas Balance program - As part of DTE Energy's 2050 net zero commitment, DTE Gas announced that it will offer customers a new way to reduce their carbon footprint. The program, called CleanVision Natural Gas Balance is the first in the nation to include both carbon offsets and renewable natural gas. The carbon offset program is focused on protecting Michigan forests that naturally absorb greenhouse gases. Renewable natural gas will be sourced by transforming landfill emissions and wastewater treatment plant by-products into usable gas. Natural Gas Balance offers customers a way to affordably offset 25% to 100% of greenhouse gas emissions from an average home's natural gas use. Grand Rapids-based Madcap Coffee has joined the program as the first Natural Gas Balance customer. Madcap's mission as a specialty roaster is to use the business of coffee to promote positive change, whether that's making premium coffee more widely accessible or using it to solve big challenges like sustainability. DTE and Madcap Coffee are offering a $10 Madcap Coffee gift card for the first 200 customers who sign up for the Natural Gas Balance program.

07:40 EST CloudMD to acquire Rxi group of companies for $9.5M - CloudMD Software & Services announced that it has signed a binding term sheet to acquire Rx Infinity Inc., Rxi Pharmacy Inc., and Rxi Health Solutions. Rxi's pharmaceutical logistic services include drug distribution, patient navigation assistance, a preferred pharmacy network of over 500 pharmacies and real time universal disease management software. Historically, patient support programs have been geared towards improving product access and outcomes rather than holistic disease management and linkage to care and clinical interventions that ensure proper medication adherence and better overall health outcomes. As a proven solution to the currently siloed healthcare system, Rxi's combined offerings provide a one-stop solution and centralized platform that breaks down treatment barriers by offering a team-based, real time, longitudinal approach to patient care and disease management. Rxi oversees several national and provincial patient support programs, specializing in Oncology, Infectious Diseases and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. The company also provides administrative and drug benefit management services to a large third-party benefits provider, servicing more than 300,000 patients across Canada. Rxi is also licensed as a National Wholesaler, approved by Health Canada. The acquisition of Rxi will be synergistic across CloudMD's platform of healthcare technology solutions and will be integrated with its electronic medical records software, educational resources, healthcare navigation and enterprise health services. The addition of Rxi will expand CloudMD's pharmacy offering and distribution and fulfillment channel across Canada. CloudMD will have access to Rxi's network of 500 independent pharmacies to provide better, more localized, access to care. Rxi's annualized revenue for calendar year 2020 is approximately $16.6M with earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of approximately $600,000. Rxi generates revenue through wholesale and dispensary services, licensing for its proprietary technology and pharmacy partnerships. Upon closing, the acquisition of Rxi will be immediately accretive to CloudMD with synergies the company believes will drive further revenue and increased EBITDA margins through cross-selling and integration across its portfolio of healthcare technology solutions. In consideration for the purchase of 100% of the outstanding securities of Rxi, CloudMD has agreed to pay shareholders of Rxi aggregate consideration of $9.5M payable as follows: $2.5M in cash, subject to a working capital adjustment; $4M in common shares of the Company; and a performance-based earnout of $3M, which is payable in common shares of the Company in equal annual issuances over a period of two years. All common shares issued pursuant to the acquisition will be issued at a deemed price of $2.39 per common share and are priced by calculating the 10-day volume-weighted average trading price of the Company's common shares for the 10 trading days prior to the execution of the binding term sheet. The common shares will be subject to certain contractual restrictions on trading for a period of 20 months from the date of issuance. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including the execution of a definitive acquisition agreement and receipt of TSX Venture Exchange approval.

07:37 EST Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announces seven hotels for namesake brand - Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced plans for further growth with seven new hotel franchise agreements for its namesake, upscale, Wyndham brand in the U.S. The hotels are owned by national hotel development company, The Thrash Group, and managed by Charlestowne Hotels. The properties include The Thrash Group's Origin Hotel Collection, consisting of five lifestyle hotels as well as one historic hotel and a brand new construction hotel all of which will operate under the Wyndham umbrella.

07:36 EST Alliance Data signs multi-year renewal agreement with Arhaus - Alliance Data Systems announced its Card Services business, a provider of market-leading payment products and digital solutions, including Bread and Comenity-branded financial services, has signed a multi-year renewal agreement to continue providing private label credit card services for Arhaus, a Cleveland-headquartered, family-owned and operated home furnishings retailer with more than 70 locations nationwide.

07:35 EST Lockheed Martin reports Q4 cash from operations $1.8B

07:34 EST Infosys partners with FourKites for supply chain visibility solutions - Infosys entered a new alliance with FourKites, a real-time supply chain visibility platform, to accelerate the delivery of best-in-class supply chain process innovations and technology solutions. Infosys selected FourKites as a real-time visibility partner based on FourKites' technology, the world's largest network of shippers, and ability to deliver innovations. The relationship certifies Infosys to market FourKites' suite of solutions.

07:33 EST Lockheed Martin sees FY21 cash from operations greater than, equal to $8.3B

07:25 EST Bicycle announces publication of article on tumor-targeted immune cell agonists - Bicycle Therapeutics announced that an article highlighting preclinical studies of Bicycle's novel, fully synthetic Bicycle systemic immune cell agonists and tumor-targeted immune cell agonists was published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer. The article, titled "Anticancer immunity induced by a synthetic tumor-targeted CD137 agonist" is available online via this link. "The data published in JITC describe the application of Bicycle's unique technology to produce a new class of potential immuno-oncology therapies: tumor-targeted immune cell agonists, or TICAs," said Nicholas Keen, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Bicycle Therapeutics. "In contrast to immune checkpoint inhibitors, the use of antibodies as agonists of immune costimulatory receptors as cancer therapeutics has largely failed. Here we demonstrate the discovery of small, chemically synthetic Bicycles that bind to key co-stimulatory receptors and that can be coupled in a modular manner to tumor antigen binding Bicycles to produce tumor localized receptor agonism. We look forward to initiating a clinical trial for our lead TICA program, BT7480, this year."

07:22 EST First Quantum Minerals sees 2021 capex $950M - Capital expenditure of $950m is expected in 2021 and 2022, which includes $40m in each year on the smelter expansion at Kansanshi. 2021 and 2022 also includes a total of approximately $100m in capital expenditures deferred from 2020. In 2023, capital expenditure is expected to be $1,050m and includes $270m for the proposed S3 expansion at Kansanshi. This project is subject to board approval and the timing could be accelerated or delayed depending on capital availability, commodity prices and the Zambian fiscal regime. Project capital expenditure across the three years also provides for the expansion to 100mtpa at Cobre Panama. The majority of this capital is for pre-strip and mine fleet for Colina pit and process plant upgrades including the secondary crushing screening plant and the sixth ball mill. Sustaining capital expenditure is on average approximately $250m per year, but is expected to be up to $40m higher in 2021 with planned maintenance of the Kansanshi smelter.

07:21 EST Marinus Pharmaceuticals enrolls first patent in IV ganaxolone trial - Marinus Pharmaceuticals announced the enrollment of the first patient in a Phase 3 clinical trial of IV ganaxolone for the treatment of refractory status epilepticus, or RSE, a life-threatening occurrence of continued or intermittent seizures lasting more than five minutes in duration without recovery of consciousness. RSE is considered a medical emergency that can cause permanent brain damage or death if not quickly controlled.

07:21 EST First Quantum Minerals sees 2022 copper production 805,000-860,000 tonnes - Sees gold production 280,000-300,000 ounces. Sees nickel production 25,000-30,000 tonnes.

07:20 EST Taysha Gene Therapies appoints Timothy Douros as CLO, Tracy Porter as CPO - Taysha Gene Therapies (TSHA) announced new additions to its leadership team with the appointments of Timothy Douros as chief legal officer, or CLO and corporate secretary and Tracy Porter as chief people officer, or CPO. Douros will lead all aspects of the company's legal organization. Porter will oversee all aspects of human resources, including operations, talent acquisition and employee development. Douros brings over 25 years of legal experience in biotech specializing in intellectual property, strategic licensing and contracting, litigation and dispute resolution, as well as international and healthcare compliance while building and managing teams. Prior to joining Taysha, he served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel at Bluebird Bio (BLUE), where he led a global team of attorneys and staff and was a strategic partner to all internal clients, including business development, research and development, clinical operations and regulatory affairs. Porter joins Taysha with nearly 30 years as a human resources executive focused in entrepreneurial global business environments and specializing in pharmaceuticals and biotech. She has guided organizations from start-up and early-stage biotech to initial product launches and has provided human resources support through manufacturing expansion, acquisitions, divestitures, strategic business reorganizations and integrations. She most recently served as Vice President, Head of Human Resources at Audentes Therapeutics, where she developed, implemented and sustained its human capital strategy to rapidly scale and support the company's growth.

07:18 EST First Quantum Minerals reports preliminary 2020 copper production of 779kt - The Company achieved its highest ever annual copper production of 779kt, an 11% increase from 2019, attributable to record-breaking production at Sentinel and the resilience of other operations, particularly Cobre Panama, in dealing with the significant challenges brought about by COVID-19 during the year. Copper production in Q4 2020 was 203kt, in line with Q4 2019. Sentinel achieved record copper production of 251kt for the full year, 31kt more than 2019, reflecting a significant increase in throughput to 57 million tonnes for the year. Copper production in Q4 2020 of 63kt was an increase of 24% from Q4 2019 resulting from the continued higher throughput and favourable grades. Cobre Panama copper production in Q4 2020 of 66kt was an increase of 6kt from Q4 2019, as the mine continued to operate under strict protocols in line with guidelines from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Panama, and the planned 7-day shutdown of the SAG mills in October. Kansanshi copper production in Q4 2020 was 53kt, a decline of 8kt from Q4 2019 resulting from the lower grades and oxide recoveries.

07:13 EST GasLog Partners director Robert Allardice resigns - GasLog Partners announced that Robert Allardice III has resigned from the Partnership's board of directors effective as of January 24, 2021 for personal reasons. In connection with Mr. Allardice's resignation from the Board and from his position as Chairman of the Audit Committee, Mr. Curt Anastasio, Chairman of the Board of GasLog Partners, was appointed interim Chairman of the Audit Committee. Following the resignation of Mr. Allardice, the Board will be temporarily reduced to four members from five. The Board is currently considering candidates for the fifth board seat.

07:10 EST American Express reports Q4 Global Commercial Services net income $538M - The company said, "Global Commercial Services reported fourth-quarter net income of $538 million, compared with $550 million a year ago. Total revenues net of interest expense were $2.7 billion, down 20 percent from $3.4 billion a year ago, primarily reflecting a decline in Card Member spending. Provisions for credit losses drove a $164 million benefit, primarily reflecting a portion of the previously mentioned reserve release and lower net write-offs. Total expenses were $2.2 billion, down 13 percent from $2.6 billion a year ago. The decrease primarily reflected lower client incentives and other customer engagement costs due to a decline in Card Member spending, partially offset by investments to rebuild growth momentum."

07:09 EST Cowen Group appoints Jay Coleman as head of equity capital markets execution - Cowen announced that Jay Coleman has joined the Company's Investment Banking division as a Managing Director, Head of Equity Capital Markets Execution, leading efforts to coordinate and ensure flawless execution of complex transactions across the Company's capital markets platform. Mr. Coleman will be based in New York and report to Grant Miller, Head of Cowen's Capital Markets Group. Prior to joining Cowen, he spent two years at CommonBond, where he most recently served as the firm's Chief Business Officer.

07:08 EST Verizon reports Business retail postpaid net additions 346K - Reports Q4 Total Wireless retail postpaid net additions of 703K and Total retail postpaid churn of 1.01%.

07:06 EST XPO Logistics, Corteva expand transportation partnership - XPO Logistics (XPO) has secured a new, multi-year contract with Corteva Agriscience (CTVA). XPO provides Corteva with truck brokerage and less-than-truckload services, among others. The contract extends XPO's existing support of Corteva's seed distribution network and expands the scope of services for crop protection products.

07:06 EST CME Group to launch Global Emissions Offset contract on March 1 - CME Group announced it will launch a Global Emissions Offset futures contract on March 1, pending all relevant regulatory reviews. The new contract, which will provide customers with a market-based solution to manage global emissions risk, was jointly developed with Xpansiv market CBL, a leader in spot energy and environmental markets.

07:05 EST Eloxx Pharmaceuticals announces publication of manuscript on ELX-02 - Eloxx Pharmaceuticals announced that a scientific manuscript titled: "A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multiple Dose Escalation Study to Evaluate the Safety and Pharmacokinetics of ELX-02 in Healthy Subjects" was published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in Drug Development. "We are very pleased that our scientific manuscript on the results of our Phase 1B multiple-ascending dose trial evaluating the safety and pharmacokinetics of ELX-02 in healthy volunteers has been published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in Drug Development," said Dr. Matthew Goddeeris, PhD, Vice President of Research, Eloxx Pharmaceuticals. "There were no severe or serious adverse events reported in the trial, which is consistent with the favorable tolerability profile demonstrated across our preclinical and clinical datasets. These data support our current Phase 2 clinical trial for ELX-02 in cystic fibrosis patients with nonsense alleles, for whom there are few, if any, treatment options available. We look forward to reporting top line data in the first half of 2021."

07:04 EST Skylight Health submits application for Nasdaq Capital Market uplisting - Skylight Health Group has submitted its formal application to list the Company's common stock in the US on the NASDAQ Capital Market. Acceptance for listing Company shares is subject to approval, in part, based on the Company's ability to meet minimum listing requirements for the NASDAQ Capital Market. While the Company intends to satisfy all the applicable listing criteria, no assurance can be given that its application will be approved. A trading date will be made public once all regulatory requirements are satisfied. The Company's common stock will continue to trade in Canada on the TSX Venture Exchange under its current symbol SHG; and until NASDAQ listing, in the U.S. and on the OTCQX under its current symbol, SHGFF.

07:03 EST AzurRx BioPharma adds two sites in Europe for Phase 2b study of MS1819 - AzurRx BioPharma announced the activation of two additional clinical trial sites in Poland for the extension arm of the Phase 2b OPTION 2 study investigating immediate-release capsules of MS1819 for the treatment of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in patients with cystic fibrosis. Additional sites were added in Europe to minimize any potential patient enrollment delays during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The two sites in Poland, as well as the active clinical trial sites in the U.S., are actively enrolling patients, and the company anticipates reporting topline data during Q1. OPTION 2 is a Phase 2b, open-label, multi-center, crossover clinical trial designed to investigate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of MS1819 in a head-to-head comparison against the current standard of care, porcine pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy pills. The primary efficacy endpoint is the coefficient of fat absorption. The first participants in the expansion arm were recently dosed and will be treated for a two-week period.

07:02 EST Marriott Vacations to acquire Welk Resorts for $430M - Marriott Vacations Worldwide, or MVW, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Welk Resorts, one of the largest independent timeshare companies in North America, for approximately $430M, including approximately 1.4M MVW common shares. The acquisition is expected to close early in the Q2. Welk opened its first vacation ownership resort in 1984 and today operates a portfolio of eight upper upscale vacation ownership resorts located primarily in highly sought-after West Coast U.S. vacation markets

06:55 EST Comscore announces partnership agreement with Strong Automotive Merchandising - Comscore announced that full-service automotive advertising agency Strong Automotive Merchandising will be using its census-representative TV measurement at the local level. The new agreement includes Comscore's automotive advanced audiences.

06:51 EST Rockwell Automation names Scott Genereux as chief revenue officer - Rockwell Automation announced two key additions to its executive leadership team, naming Scott Genereux senior vice president and chief revenue officer and Brian Shepherd senior vice president, Software and Control, effective Feb. 1. Genereux and Shepherd will report to Chairman and CEO Blake Moret. Genereux joins Rockwell with more than two decades of sales and management leadership experience. Most recently, he served as executive vice president for Worldwide Field Operations and chief revenue officer for Veritas Technologies.

06:48 EST Merck: EC approves KEYTRUDA for treatment of MSI-H, dMMR colorectal cancer - Merck announced that the European Commission has approved KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, as a monotherapy for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic microsatellite instability-high or mismatch repair deficient colorectal cancer. This approval is based on results from the pivotal Phase 3 KEYNOTE-177 trial, in which KEYTRUDA monotherapy significantly reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 40% compared with chemotherapy. In the trial, treatment with KEYTRUDA also more than doubled median progression-free survival compared with chemotherapy. There was a lower incidence of Grade greater than or equal to3 treatment-related adverse events with KEYTRUDA compared with chemotherapy, and no new toxicities were observed. This approval marks the first gastrointestinal indication for KEYTRUDA in Europe and makes KEYTRUDA the first anti-PD-1/L1 therapy approved in Europe for these patients.

06:42 EST Synovus says Kevin Blair will become CEO in April - In December, a CEO transition plan was announced, and Kevin Blair was named to the Board. In April 2021, Chairman and CEO Kessel Stelling will move into the role of Executive Chairman and Kevin Blair will become CEO.

06:40 EST UBS to resume repurchasing shares shortly after Q4 results

06:39 EST Walker & Dunlop structures $43M in financing for Miami development - Walker & Dunlop announced that it structured $43M in acquisition and construction financing for JDS Development Group's 1 Southside Park, a full city-block development in Miami, Florida. The project, which features protected views to the South, will rise 64 stories and deliver 1,175 residential rental units. Once complete, the assemblage will also include 190,000 square feet of office space, a 200-key boutique hotel, 10,000 square feet of retail space, and 1,400 parking spaces. Located near the Miami-Dade Metrorail's Brickell station, 1 Southside Park is central to The Underline, which was completed in the fall of 2020.

06:39 EST UBS intends to repurchase up to $1.1B of shares in Q1

06:36 EST Miniso partners with Bilibili on two co-branded collections in China - Miniso has teamed up with Chinese video-sharing website Bilibili to launch two special product collections on January based on two of the platform's IP, the Bili Girls and Bilibili TV. These two collections follow the two parties' previous collaboration on the Chinese animation "Heaven Official's Blessing". Miniso has integrated the Bili Girls and Bilibili TV to the products and packaging of the collection, which includes digital appliances, seasonal products, beauty tools, premium bags, and more. The Bili Girls have been incorporated into a variety of daily items such as earphone cases, masks, eye masks, hats, and shopping bags, while Bilibili TV has been applied to a series of practical products.

06:35 EST Seritage Growth Properties collected 91% of rental revenue in Q4 - Q4 2020 business update: Collected 91% of rental revenue and agreed to defer an additional 5%; Generated $144.9M of gross proceeds through monetization activity; and, As of December 31, 2020, the company had cash on hand of $161.2M, including $6.5M of restricted cash and after taking into account one transaction which closed on December 31, 2020 but funded on January 4, 2021.

06:34 EST D.R. Horton sees FY21 homes closed 80,000-82,000 homes - Sees income tax rate of 23.0% to 23.5% for each of the remaining quarters of fiscal 2021.

06:24 EST General Electric sees FY21 Industrial revenues up organically in LSDs - Sees Adjusted GE Industrial profit margin to expand organically by 250-plus basis points. GE's 2021 outlook reflects a reduction in cash and profit from businesses that were disposed in 2020 as well as continued reduction of Baker Hughes shareholder dividends in line with the orderly sale of GE's remaining stake.

06:23 EST GE: Significantly improved profitability, cash performance as 2020 progressed - GE Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. said, "As 2020 progressed, we significantly improved GE's profitability and cash performance despite a still-difficult macro environment. The fourth quarter marked a strong free cash flow finish to a challenging year, reflecting the results of better operations as well as strong and improving orders in Power and Renewable Energy."

06:13 EST Elon Musk says Tesla 'has better AI hardware and software than Waymo' - Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk hit back at claims from Waymo (GOOGL) CEO John Krafcik that Tesla is not a viable competitor in the autonomous-vehicle market, saying via Twitter that "To my surprise, Tesla has better AI hardware & software than Waymo [money]." Reference Link

06:07 EST Pacific Premier raises dividend 7% to 30c - On January 21, the Company's Board of Directors declared a 30c per share dividend, payable on February 12, to shareholders of record on February 5. This represents a 2c per share, or 7% increase, compared to the prior quarter's quarterly dividend rate.

06:03 EST Bright Scholar reports 2021 admission results - Bright Scholar announced its latest result of top university admission for 2021 graduating class. As of January 25, approximately 62.66% of students in the 2021 graduating class of its international schools have received over 400 offers from global top 50 institutions with 6 conditional offers from University of Oxford, 6 from University of Cambridge, 2 unconditional offers from University of Chicago, 2 from Cornell University, 4 from New York University, and 1 from Northwestern University.

05:50 EST Baozun, iClick Interactive announce equity investment and business cooperation - Baozun (BZUN) and iClick Interactive Asia (ICLK) jointly announced that Baozun has entered into certain agreements with iClick. Pursuant to the share subscription agreement entered into between Baozun and iClick, Baozun has subscribed for 649,349 newly issued Class B ordinary shares of iClick at an aggregate subscription price of approximately $17.2M, or $26.524 per Class B ordinary share. Holders of Class B ordinary shares of iClick are entitled to 20 votes per share. Concurrently with the issuance of the Issued Class B Shares by iClick,Wing Hong Sammy Hsieh and Jian Tang, the current beneficial owners of certain Class B ordinary shares of iClick, has converted 435,530 Class B ordinary shares into Class A ordinary shares. Upon closing of the transactions on January 26, 2021, the total issued and outstanding number of Class B ordinary shares of iClick was 5,034,427. In addition, Baozun entered into a share purchase agreement with an existing shareholder of iClick, pursuant to which Baozun purchased from such existing iClick shareholder 2,471,468 American depositary shares, or ADSs, at an aggregate purchase price of approximately $32.8M, or $13.26 per ADS, subject to customary settlement of the ADSs. Two ADSs represent one Class A ordinary share of iClick. Holders of Class A ordinary shares of iClick are entitled to one vote per share. Based on 41,103,073 Class A ordinary shares and 4,820,608 Class B ordinary shares of iClick outstanding as of January 25, 2021 and taking into account the Class B ordinary shares subscribed by Baozun, after the closing of the above transactions, Baozun beneficially owns approximately 4% of iClick's total outstanding shares, representing approximately 10% total voting equity of iClick. Baozun is subject to a 180-day lock-up period on the above shares subscribed from iClick or purchased from the existing shareholder. As part of the transactions, Baozun and iClick have entered into a strategic cooperation framework agreement, pursuant to which both parties will collaborate in developing a full-cycle, closed-loop e-commerce service model, covering areas such as system development, IT services, digital marketing, store operation, customer services and warehousing and fulfillment services to better serve potential brand partners. Under this strategic cooperation framework agreement, Baozun will provide online operation and infrastructure services to brand partners, including but not limited to performance-based advertising, online-store operation, customer services, warehousing and fulfillment and relevant back-end systems, while iClick will provide SaaS-based IT and system solutions for clients' e-commerce infrastructure establishment in the Tencent ecosystem, including but not limited to storefront setup, social CRM system, data management platform, marketing automation tool and any additional SaaS products as required. Both parties are expected to jointly develop a private domain traffic platform within Tencent's e-commerce ecosystem.

05:42 EST LyondellBasell, Sinopec Shanghai sign agreement to form JV to produce PO and SM - LyondellBasell (LYB) and Sinopec (SHI) announced the signing of an agreement to form a 50:50 joint venture, or JV, which will produce propylene oxide, or PO, and styrene monomer, or SM, in China's domestic market. First announced on December 23, 2019, the JV will operate under the name Ningbo ZRCC LyondellBasell New Material. The JV will construct a new PO and SM unit in Zhenhai Ningbo, China. This new unit will have 275 kilotons per annum, or KTA, capacity of PO and 600 KTA capacity of SM. The unit will use LyondellBasell's PO / SM technology. Products produced by the JV will be marketed equally by both partners, expanding their respective participation in the Chinese market for PO and SM. Startup is expected at the end of 2021. The formation of the JV is subject to approvals by relevant government authorities, including antitrust review by the State Administration for Market Regulation. LyondellBasell expects to make its equity contribution to the JV during Q1 of 2021.

05:36 EST FinVolution Group subsidiary receives CMS license from MAS - FinVolution Group announced that its subsidiary has received the Capital Markets Services, or CMS, license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, or MAS, to conduct regulated activities in dealing in capital markets products in Singapore. FinVolution said itss mission to leverage technology to improve and make financial services more accessible to its users perfectly complements Singapore's vision to be a leading innovative fintech hub. Tiezheng Li, president and deputy chairman of FinVolution commented, "Our continued progress in the region cements our belief that ASEAN will be another fast-growing market for the company."

05:29 EST Veoneer, Qualcomm to collaborate on scalable ADAS/AD solutions - Veoneer (VNE) and Qualcomm (QCOM) have signed an agreement under which the companies will collaborate on the delivery of scalable advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS, collaborative and autonomous driving, or AD, solutions. The parties' intended collaboration was first communicated on August 27, 2020. The platform will address the needs of the automotive ecosystem for scalable and upgradable solutions, which requires advanced and power-efficient compute, connectivity and cloud service capabilities across all vehicle tiers. The system integrates Veoneer's perception and driving policy software stack and Qualcomm Snapdragon Ride ADAS/AD scalable portfolio of System on a Chip, or SoC, and accelerators. Veoneer and Qualcomm have worked together for several months to create a roadmap of a scalable, open ADAS and autonomous driving system that will be able to address the entire automotive OEM market with an integrated software and SoC platform. Arriver is Veoneer's dedicated software unit for the development of the complete perception and drive policy software stack. Arriver is 100% owned by Veoneer but will operate under specific information handling protocols and reporting structures as part of its collaboration with Qualcomm. Arriver software is already functional on the Snapdragon Ride Platform, which will be available for automotive customers in coming months.

05:20 EST Nokia says C-Band portfolio to be available from Q1 to support 5G deployments - Nokia announced that its enhanced C-Band portfolio will be available from Q1 to support mobile operators' 5G network deployments, following the conclusion of the recent spectrum auction in the U.S. Nokia's C-Band portfolio, which covers both indoor and outdoor deployment needs, includes MIMO antenna solutions, hybrid antennas that combine both passive and active radio platforms into a single, modular unit, macro remote radio heads and small cell solutions to cover all connectivity and deployment requirements. C-Band spectrum, between 3.4 GHz and 4.2 GHz, is a resource for operators to offer the best mix of 5G network capacity and coverage to subscribers. In the U.S. 280 MHz of spectrum, between 3.7 GHz and 3.98 GHz, has been allocated of use by 5G services. Nokia's C-Band solution builds on its previous capabilities in readiness for rollouts across the U.S. by introducing a wide variety of network solutions that support both 5G non-standalone and standalone networks, classic to full cloud implementations, including support for Open RAN solutions. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission recently completed its C-Band spectrum auction, which received interest from mobile operators. The C-Band offers capacity scaling and connectivity supporting the increased demand for mobile network capacity. The auctioned spectrum will be cleared for use for 5G services during 2021 and 2022. It is anticipated that the rollout of C-Band networks will start in the coming months in the initial 100 MHz, with the remaining 180 MHz expected to be cleared and released the year after. Last year, Nokia was the first vendor to complete a 5G trial in C-Band spectrum in the U.S. using its commercial 5G AirScale portfolio.

05:12 EST Ball Corp.to begin construction on production facility in West of Czech Republic - Ball Corp. intends to begin construction of a new production facility at Pilsen Digital Park in the spring of 2021. The development, in the West of Czech Republic, would expand Ball's output in the region to meet the growing demand from consumers who want sustainable and recyclable beverage packaging. The EUR 170M facility plans to employ up to 200 people and launch operations in October 2022. The new factory, with two production lines, is planned to occupy a site of more than 100,000 square meters in the Pilsen Digital Park, enabling further expansion when required. Its construction is to be divided into two phases. The first would create around 150 new jobs and the second, raise the total to some 200 professional jobs in engineering and support roles.