Stockwinners Market Radar for February 17, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:01 EST Clearwater Paper suspends Arkansas operations due to severe weather - Clearwater Paper announced that it temporarily suspended its pulp and paperboard operation in Cypress Bend, Arkansas. The cold weather has resulted in the curtailment of natural gas deliveries to the mill as natural gas providers prioritize residential needs. The company will provide an update on the anticipated impacts of the outage during its fourth quarter and full year 2020 earnings announcement, scheduled for Thursday, February 25.

18:38 EST American Airlines sees Q1 system capacity down 45%, may retire more aircraft - In its 10-K regulatory filing, the company states: "We currently expect our first quarter 2021 system capacity to decrease by 45% as compared to the first quarter of 2019. The demand environment continues to be uncertain as COVID-19 cases have continued to fluctuate in jurisdictions to which we fly and travel restrictions have generally remained in place. Due to this uncertainty, we will continue to adjust our future capacity to match observed booking trends for future travel and make further adjustments to our capacity as needed. To better align our network with lower passenger demand, we accelerated the retirement of Airbus A330-200, Boeing 757, Boeing 767, Airbus A330-300 and Embraer 190 fleets as well as certain regional aircraft, including certain Embraer 140 and Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft. These retirements remove complexity from our operation and bring forward cost savings and efficiencies associated with operating fewer aircraft types. Due to the inherent uncertainties of the current operating environment, we will continue to evaluate our current fleet and may decide to permanently retire additional aircraft. In addition, we have placed a number of Boeing 737-800 and certain regional aircraft into temporary storage."

18:13 EST Nutrien up 4% to $58.00 after Q4 earnings beat, raised dividend, buyback launch

18:07 EST Carriage Services extends employment agreement with CEO Mel Payne 7 years - Carriage Services has agreed with the company's Chairman and CEO, Mel Payne, to extend the term of his employment agreement another seven years through February 17, 2028.

17:58 EST Nutrien increases dividend to 46c per share, launches share repurchase program - Nutrien declared an increase to its quarterly dividend to 46c per share payable on April 15 to shareholders of record on March 31. The voard also approved the purchase of up to 5% of Nutrien's outstanding common shares over a one-year period through a normal course issuer bid. Any purchases will commence following the expiration of the current NCIB on February 26 and will be subject to acceptance by the TSX. Registered shareholders resident outside of Canada as reflected in Nutrien's shareholders register, including the U.S: will receive their dividend in US dollars.

17:36 EST PayPal's Sarnoff sells 5,290 common shares - In a regulatory filing, PayPal's Ann Sarnoff disclosed the sale of 5,290 common shares of the company on February 16 at a price of $303.49 per share.

17:26 EST Sleep Number says performance was driven by 360 Smart Bed - Says demand for 360 Smart Bed has accelerated. Says demand for beds has grown 12% since 2018. Says introducing P and C series Smart Beds in the next months. Says surpassed long-term target of $3M per store in annual revenue in 2020. Says efficiencies were reached in 2020 years ahead of expectations. Says ended year with 602 highly productive stores. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

17:16 EST Brown & Brown names Gray Nester as Chief Information Officer - Brown & Brown has announced the appointment of Gray Nester as Chief Information Officer for Brown & Brown, effective immediately. Gray has over 20 years of experience in Insurance Technology leadership. Since December 2019, Gray has served as the CIO for Brown & Brown's Retail Division, where he led a team to improve business alignment in technology.

17:13 EST BeiGene, Boston Immune enter into pact to develop novel TNFR2 antagonists - Boston Immune Technologies and Therapeutics, a privately held developer of novel antagonist antibodies for cancer and other diseases, and BeiGene announced that they have entered into an option and license agreement aimed at developing and commercializing BITT's innovative tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 antagonist antibodies. BeiGene has secured an option to an exclusive license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize BITT's proprietary TNFR2 antagonist antibodies in Asia (excluding Japan), Australia, and New Zealand. The companies plan to conduct Phase 1 clinical trials of BITR2101, BITT's lead TNFR2 antagonist antibody, including planned combination studies with tislelizumab, BeiGene's anti-PD-1 antibody. "BeiGene is a global company with an especially strong track record supporting biotechnology innovation and the ideal partner to help develop BITR2101, our investigational TNFR2 lead antibody," said Russell LaMontagne, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of BITT. "The collaboration with BeiGene is strong validation of BITT's antibody platform and an opportunity to prove the potential of BITR2101 as a single agent and in combination with checkpoint inhibitors such as tislelizumab."

17:06 EST Crescent Point raises FY21 average production view to 132K-136K - Previous view 108K-112K. Crescent Point's revised annual guidance for 2021, which incorporates the impact of the announced Acquisition for the remainder of the year, assuming the anticipated closing in April 2021, includes annual average production of 132,000 to 136,000 boe/d and development capital expenditures of $575 million to $625 million. The Company's revised budget includes approximately $100 million of development capital expenditures expected to be directed to the newly acquired Kaybob Duvernay assets, with the balance of its program remaining unchanged from prior guidance.

17:05 EST Corvus Pharmaceuticals Chairman Miller buys 100K shares of company stock - Corvus Pharmaceuticals Chairman Richard Miller disclosed that he had purchased 100,000 shares of stock at $3.50 per share on February 17 for a transaction amount of $350,000.

17:02 EST FreightCar America appoints Terence Rogers as CFO - FreightCar America has appointed Terence Rogers as VP, CFO & Treasurer. Rogers has been serving as Interim CFO since January 2021. Prior to joining FreightCar America, Rogers was Executive VP and CFO at Roadrunner Transportation Systems from 2017 to 2019. Prior to joining Roadrunner, Rogers served as Executive VP and CFO of the Heico Companies from 2012 to 2017.

17:01 EST Cheesecake Factory maintains long-term unit growth target of 3% - In post-COVID environment, the company backs its long-term units growth forecast of 3% for Cheesecake Factory and 20% at North Italia. Cheesecake Factory sees its long-term FRC unit growth of 15%-20% vs. 15% prior. Reference Link

16:49 EST Baidu CEO says ended 2020 'on a solid note' - "Baidu ended 2020 on a solid note with our business benefiting from improving macroeconomic environment and the digitalization of industrial Internet. Our focus on innovation through technology is paying off with Baidu Core non-marketing revenue growing 52% year over year in the fourth quarter," said Robin Li, Co-founder and CEO of Baidu. "As we enter 2021, Baidu is well positioned as a leading AI company with strong Internet foundation to seize the huge market opportunities in cloud services, autonomous driving, smart transportation, and other AI opportunities. We also hope to capitalize on our huge Internet reach with more non-marketing services." "Baidu revenue reached US$16.4 billion with adjusted EBITDA reaching US$4.2 billion in 2020. Despite an unprecedented year, our business returned to growth and our profits were solid in the fourth quarter," said Herman Yu, CFO of Baidu. "Through years of investment in research, AI chip design, developer community, patents and talent development, we are turning AI into innovative use cases. For example, Baidu AI cloud differentiating with AI solutions grew 67% year over year in Q4, reaching an annualized run rate of US$2.0 billion. We will continue to invest heavily in technology to optimize Baidu's long-term growth and pursue our mission to make the world simpler through technology."

16:46 EST TechnipFMC awarded EPCI contract in offshore Egypt - TechnipFMC has been awarded a significant - between $75M and $250M - integrated Engineering Procurement Construction and Installation contract by NIpetco and PetroAmriya, two Joint Ventures between Energean and Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company and Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation for a subsea tieback located offshore Egypt on the North El Amriya and North Idku concession. TechnipFMC will design, manufacture, deliver and install subsea equipment including the subsea production system, subsea trees, production manifolds, umbilicals, flexible pipelines, jumpers and associated subsea and topside controls. TechnipFMC is currently partnering with Energean to develop the Karish gas field development in the Mediterranean Sea offshore Israel.

16:46 EST KAR Auction to combine TradeRev, BacklotCars platforms into single marketplace - KAR Auction is combining the company's TradeRev and BacklotCars platforms into a single digital marketplace. U.S.-based dealers will migrate to BacklotCars, while Canadian dealers will continue operating exclusively on TradeRev. The company is combining the two fast-growing dealer-to-dealer marketplaces in the U.S. to provide sellers access to the largest buyer base possible and give buyers access to greater, more diversified dealer inventory. The company selected BacklotCars based on its accelerated growth and high performance in terms of conversion, price retention and customer satisfaction. Over the next several months, the company will continue to enhance BacklotCars by integrating select features and functionality from TradeRev and leveraging the broad digital marketplace expertise from across KAR. This will include options for utilizing the company's network of 59 ADESA physical locations for reconditioning, storage, logistics and auction sales.

16:38 EST Boeing confirms directors Art Collins, Susan Schwab to retire from board - The Boeing Company board of directors today announced that directors Arthur Collins Jr. and Susan Schwab will retire from the board when their terms expire and will not stand for reelection at the company's Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The board also named chairs to its six board committees, to take effect following the yearly voting for the election of directors at Boeing's annual shareholder meeting, which is scheduled to occur on April 20.

16:37 EST RE/MAX Holdings raises quarterly dividend to 23c from 22c per share - The dividend is payable on March 17 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 3.

16:36 EST SM Energy sees 2021 production 47-50 MMBoe - Sees 2021 average production 129-137 MBoe/d at 52-53% oil; assumes ethane rejection for the full year. This projects approximately 5% production growth, including approximately 11% oil production growth. This projects lower year-over-year production volumes from South Texas; however, higher oil volumes from South Texas, as activity will concentrate on the higher liquids content Austin Chalk formation. Sees 2021 CapEx $650M-$675M.

16:33 EST EnPro raises quarterly dividend 4% to 27c per share - EnPro Industries declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share, which is a 4% increase from the previous quarterly dividend of $0.26 per share paid. The dividend is payable on March 17, 2021 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 3, 2021. "This increase in the dividend reflects our strategy of thoughtfully returning capital to shareholders to the extent it exceeds our anticipated needs for internal capital and growth investment," said Marvin Riley, President and Chief Executive Officer.

16:33 EST Coeur Mining CEO says plan to increase exploration investment in 2021 - CEO Mitchell J. Krebs says: "We generated $49.4 million of free cash flow during 2020 due to a combination of higher gold and silver prices and strong operational performances at our Palmarejo, Wharf and Kensington mines. We also kicked off a major expansion of our Rochester mine in Nevada, which we expect to be largely completed by late next year and reposition the operation as a strong, consistent, and long-term source of cash flow. In addition to strong financial and operational performance, we also successfully delivered on the largest exploration program in our history, which helped drive 22% and 42% increases in our gold and silver reserves, respectively. Notably, 2020 represents the largest level of total reserves in Coeur's history. We plan to increase our exploration investment again this year with the goals of further extending our mine lives, generating more new discoveries and driving higher returns on invested capital in coming years. "We believe our strategy of safely and responsibly discovering, developing, and operating a balanced portfolio of North American-based precious metals assets will create long-term value for our stockholders. We look forward to delivering on our key objectives this year that can maximize cash flow, returns and net asset value, while also continuing to enhance our culture and peer-leading environmental, social and governance profile."

16:32 EST Hyatt reports Q4 comparable systemwide RevPAR down 68.9%

16:29 EST Foot Locker approves FY21 CapEx of $275M - Foot Locker announced that its Board of Directors authorized two capital allocation initiatives which provide for both elevated investment in the organic growth of its business and an increase in its dividend. First, the Board of Directors approved a $275M capital expenditures program for 2021, compared to the approximately $155M spent in 2020. The plan for the coming year signals a return to a pre-COVID level of investment necessary to achieve its long-term strategic imperatives. A meaningful portion of funds will be invested into its digital capabilities and infrastructure, enhancement of the digital customer experience, as well as initiatives to further streamline global supply chain. The capital plan will also include investments to accelerate the company's community-based off-mall store rollout in markets across the world, as well as to elevate the customer experience in core stores.

16:28 EST Argo Group reports Q4 combined ratio 110.0% vs. 126.7% last year - Reports Q4 gross written premiums $717.6M vs. $712.8M last year.

16:27 EST Universal Insurance sees Q4 pre-tax impact of $76M from weather events - The company expects a fourth quarter total net impact of approximately $76.0 million, pre-tax (approximately $57.7 million, after-tax) for estimated weather events in excess of plan for named hurricanes and PCS events, in addition to prior year development of approximately $23.4 million pre-tax (approximately $17.8 million, after tax). "We ended the year with an unprecedented number of named storms and PCS events. We continue to execute on our strategic priorities, including tailwinds from rate increases we have recently received approvals on and our continued focus on underwriting, which should position us well in the future," said Stephen J. Donaghy, Chief Executive Officer.

16:26 EST Boston Beer reports Q4 shipments up 54% - Depletions increased 26% and 37% from the 13- and 52-week comparable periods in the prior year. Shipments increased 54.0% and 38.8% from the 13- and 52-week comparable periods in the prior year. Gross margin was 46.9% for the fourth quarter, a decrease from 47.4% in the comparable 13-week period in 2019, and 46.9% for the 52-week period ending December 26, 2020, a decrease from 49.1% in the comparable 52-week period in 2019. Advertising, promotional and selling expenses increased by $48.1M, or 51.6%, in the fourth quarter over the comparable period in 2019 and increased $92M, or 25.9%, over the comparable 52-week period in 2019. Full-year 2021 depletions and shipment growth continues to be estimated at between 35%-45%.

16:25 EST Equitable Holdings announces $1B share repurchase - Equitable Holdings announced that its board has authorized a $1B share repurchase program.

16:23 EST Bright Horizons cannot provide guidance for FY21 - The company states: "At this time, the duration and scope of the ongoing business disruption, including the pace of re-ramping enrollment at re-opened centers and the re-opening of the remaining temporarily closed centers, cannot be predicted, and is dependent on many interdependent variables and decisions by government authorities and our client partners, as well as demand, economic trends, the adoption and effectiveness of a vaccine, and developments in the persistence and treatment of COVID-19. As previously disclosed, the negative financial impact to our results and future financial or operational performance, including our annual performance for 2021, cannot be reasonably estimated. Therefore, we are not at this time and do not currently expect to provide full earnings guidance for fiscal 2021."

16:21 EST Twilio chief legal officer Smith to leave company - Twilio announced that Karyn Smith, who has served as Twilio's Chief Legal Officer since September 2014, has informed the Company of her decision to leave. To ensure an orderly transition and continuity of operations, Smith will continue to serve as Chief Legal Officer until her successor is found and has moved into the role.

16:19 EST Ingevity names Jean Blackwell as Chair of the board - Ingevity announced that Jean Blackwell has been elected by the company's board of directors as chair of the board. Jean's appointment comes in the wake of the death of former Chairman Richard B. Kelson on February 13, 2021. Blackwell has been a member of Ingevity's board of directors since the company's spin-off from WestRock in 2016. She has served as the chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Leadership Development and Compensation Committee.

16:18 EST Stewart raises quarterly dividend by 10% to 33c per share - The dividend is payable to common shareholders beginning with the first quarterly payment of 2021.

16:13 EST Herbalife Nutrition approves new three-year $1.5B share repurchase plan - Herbalife announces board approval of a new three-year $1.5B share repurchase program.

16:13 EST Pegasystems reports Q4 non-GAAP EPS 18c, consensus 22c - Reports Q4 revenue $298.6M, consensus $313.03M. "We have never been better positioned to support this need with our scalable low code solutions. Pega Cloud ACV grew more than 50% year over year, increasing to $267M," said Ken Stillwell, CFO. "And, at the same time, Pega Cloud gross margins expanded from 51% to 63%. We expect Pega Cloud revenue growth acceleration and gross margin expansion will be key contributors to drive future Pega profitability and growth."

16:10 EST Waste Connections sees FY21 5.0% solid waste price plus volume growth - Expects 5.0% solid waste price plus volume growth, 50bps margin expansion, and double-digit percentage growth in adjusted free cash flow

16:04 EST County Bancorp extends share repurchase program - County Bancorp announced that its Board of Directors extended the authorization for the repurchase program, and as a result, 609,000 additional shares are now available to be repurchased through February 2024. A total of 1,282,000 shares of common stock have now been authorized to be repurchased under the repurchase program that was originally announced in January 2020. Under the previous authorization, the Company instituted a 673,000 share repurchase program that was designed to run through January 2023. As of December 31, 2020, Country Bancorp had repurchased 570,842 shares, or 85%, of the available shares allotted under the previous authorization. Shares of common stock may be purchased under the program periodically in privately negotiated transactions or in open market transactions at prevailing market prices, and pursuant to a trading plan in accordance with applicable securities laws. "We are pleased to announce the extension of our share repurchase program and our dividend for the first quarter of 2021, both of which highlight our disciplined and balanced capital allocation approach.," said Tim Schneider, President of County Bancorp, Inc. "The strategic transformation of the right side of our balance sheet enabled us to navigate pandemic-related headwinds in 2020, while preserving our ability to return capital to shareholders. As we look to the future, we plan to leverage that success to generate long-term shareholder value will continuing to drive free cash flow across multiple levers." The Company's Board of Directors may modify, amend or terminate the program at any time. There is no assurance that the Company will purchase any shares under the program. The Company also announced that on February 16, 2021, its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.10 per share. The dividend will be payable on March 19, 2021 to shareholders of record as of March 5, 2021.

16:02 EST Cutera not providing formal guidance at this time - Given the continued uncertainty surrounding the magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the wide range of outcomes for its impact on capital sales, and its potential to delay procedure volumes over the course of the year, the Company will not be providing formal guidance at this time.

15:09 EST New Jersey reports January gaming revenue up 15.2% to $346.4M - The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement reported that total gaming revenue for January was $346.4M compared to $300.7M in January 2020, reflecting a 15.2% increase. Internet gaming win was $103.8M in January compared to $55.1M in the prior period, reflecting an increase of 88.4%. Sports wagering gross revenue was $82.6M for the month. Casino win for January was $160M, decreasing 16.7% from the same month last year. During January, the casinos operated with certain restrictions due to COVID-19, the NJ DGE noted. Publicly traded companies in the gambling space include Boyd Gaming (BYD), Caesars (CZR), Churchill Downs (CHDN), DraftKings (DKNG), Flutter Entertainment (PDYPY), Gan Limited (GAN), Las Vegas Sands (LVS), MGM Resorts (MGM), Penn National (PENN), William Hill (WIMHY) and Wynn Resorts (WYNN).

14:42 EST Taiga Motors to merge with SPAC Canaccord Genuity Growth II Corp. - Canaccord Genuity Growth II Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, and Taiga Motors have announced the proposed merger transaction between the Corporation and Taiga. The merger will constitute the Corporation's qualifying acquisition. The Corporation also announces a $100M private placement to fund Taiga's growth strategy, working capital and general corporate purposes along with remaining funds from CGGZ's $102M of escrowed funds. In connection with the Closing, it is the Corporation's intention to rename itself Taiga Corporation. Following the closing of the Merger, Taiga Corporation will be led by Samuel Bruneau, Taiga's current Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, and Taiga's current management team. The Fly notes that Polaris is a publicly traded powersports vehicle maker.

14:26 EST Pathway Health announces research collaboration with Tilray - Pathway Health announced a research collaboration with Tilray Canada Ltd, a subsidiary of Tilray. The Medical Cannabis in Older Patients Study, or MCOPS, is a 6-month observational study sponsored by Tilray that will examine the impact of medical cannabis on chronic pain, sleep, quality of life, and prescription medication use in patients older than 50 years of age. Philippe Lucas, VP of Global Patient Research and Access at Tilray, said that, "older individuals are amongst the fastest growing group of medical cannabis patients in Canada and around the world. Prospective, multi-site studies like MCOPS can improve the understanding of how older patients currently use medical cannabis, and its potential harms and benefits in this unique population."

13:49 EST Akers Biosciences says it has not scheduled any conference calls - Akers Biosciences confirmed that a press release issued earlier with respect to an earnings call by Aker ASA was issued by a company wholly unrelated to the Company. The press release was errantly issued by the newswire services under the Company's name. The Company has not scheduled any earnings calls. The Company is investigating how this error occurred and reserves all rights to pursue all appropriate remedies upon learning more about the cause of this error.

13:27 EST Carnival's Michael Thamm sells over $472K in company shares - Carnival's Michael Thamm disclosed in a regulatory filing that he had sold 27,376 shares of company stock at $17.27 per share on February 12 for a total amount of $472,682.

13:03 EST ISS recommends Pluralsight shareholders vote against Vista transaction - Eminence Capital, the beneficial owner of approximately 6M shares of Class A Common Stock of Pluralsight, representing approximately 4.85% of the Company's outstanding shares, announced that Institutional Shareholder Services has recommended that Pluralsight shareholders VOTE AGAINST the proposed transaction with Vista Equity Partners at the Company's Special Meeting scheduled for March 2. In making its recommendation AGAINST the proposed transaction ISS noted: "The sale process is rife with examples of different treatment for Vista Equity Partners vis a vis the other potential acquirors...The sale process was degraded by a reconstituted transaction committee with insufficient M&A experience, a decision-making approach that incorporated conflicted input, and an unequal playing field that did not promote increased shareholder value...Because the current market values of comparable publicly traded companies indicate that PS shares are worth as much as, or more than, the proffered $20.26 per share, the current terms of the proposed offer are not sufficiently attractive vs. a standalone scenario...All things considered, even with the uncertainty regarding standalone value in the midst of a pandemic, shareholders should be much more comfortable with remaining standalone than with accepting the transaction proposal that resulted from this sale process...In light of concerns regarding the sale process, an uncompelling valuation, and limited apparent downside risk of rejection, shareholders are advised to vote against the proposed transaction." Eminence encourages all Pluralsight shareholders to vote proxies for the Special Meeting scheduled for March 2 "AGAINST" the Vista transaction.

12:47 EST Xcel Energy board increases 2021 common dividend by 6.4% - The Board of Directors of Xcel Energy raised the quarterly dividend on the company's common stock from 43c per share to 45.75c per share, which is equivalent to an annual rate of $1.83 per share. The dividends are payable April 20, 2021, to shareholders of record on March 15, 2021. "We are increasing our dividend 6.4%, which is consistent with our objective of growing the dividend 5%-7% annually. The dividend increase is evidence of our confidence in our long-term business plan and our commitment to provide shareholders an attractive total return," said Ben Fowke, chairman and CEO of Xcel Energy.

12:39 EST Sherwin-Williams board approves additinal 15M share repurchase authorization - The Board authorized the company to purchase 15 million shares of the company's common stock for treasury, which is in addition to the shares remaining under the existing share repurchase authorization announced in October 2015. The total amount authorized will be adjusted proportionately to reflect the three-for-one stock split announced on February 3, 2021 so that there will be three times as many shares authorized for repurchase immediately after the stock split. The repurchase authorization has no expiration date.

12:17 EST GBS collaborates with Wyss Institute for COVID-19 diagnostic - The Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University and GBS Inc., a subsidiary of The iQ Group Global, announced that they will collaborate to "validate and de-risk a specific and sensitive COVID-19 diagnostic that would integrate the Institute's eRapid technology with the company's proprietary transistor sensor technology to enable simultaneous electrochemical sensing of multiple biomarkers related to SARS-CoV-2 infection in point-of-care COVID-19 diagnostic applications." The research collaboration follows a licensing agreement coordinated by Harvard's Office of Technology Development in November 2020 that granted The iQ Group Global non-exclusive, term-limited access to the eRapid technology in accordance with the University's commitment to the COVID-19 Technology Access Framework. "The Wyss team has recently dramatically improved the cost-effectiveness of eRapid by developing a graphene-based surface chemistry that further enhances biomarker detection relative to earlier versions of the coating, and dramatically decreases fabrication costs," the statement reads. The collaboration aims to further validate the use of the Wyss Institute's eRapid technology for SARS-CoV-2 detection and to test it in combination with The iQ Group Global's biosensor platform that has been developed and is commercialized by GBS.

12:07 EST GreenSky trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:02 EST Armstrong Flooring falls -19.4% - Armstrong Flooring is down -19.4%, or -93c to $3.83.

12:02 EST Atlas Crest Investment Corp. rises 9.0% - Atlas Crest Investment Corp. is up 9.0%, or $1.27 to $15.41.

12:00 EST QuantumScape rises 11.3% - QuantumScape is up 11.3%, or $5.73 to $56.37.

11:27 EST Study funded by NIH to evaluate Gilead's remdesivir for COVID-19 in pregnancy - A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health will evaluate the effects of remdesivir in pregnant women who have been prescribed the drug to treat COVID-19, the NIH announced. Called IMPAACT 2032, the study will be conducted by the NIH-funded International Maternal Pediatric Adolescent AIDS Clinical Trials, or IMPAACT, Network. The study, which will be conducted at 17 sites in the continental United States and Puerto Rico, aims to determine how pregnant women metabolize the drug and whether there are any potential side effects. Gilead's remdesivir has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of COVID-19 in adults and children over age 12 years. "Although it has not been approved specifically for use in pregnancy, remdesivir can be prescribed to pregnant women if their physicians believe the drug may benefit them. However, physicians currently lack scientific evidence for the safety and efficacy of remdesivir for treating pregnant women with COVID-19. Because pregnancy may influence a drug's effects, IMPAACT 2032 will compare remdesivir use in pregnant and non-pregnant women of reproductive age who are hospitalized with COVID-19," the NIH stated. Reference Link

11:12 EST SOS Limited trading resumes

11:07 EST SOS Limited trading halted, volatility trading pause

11:05 EST Wells Fargo up 5% after Bloomberg report points to progress with Fed - Wells Fargo "has taken a significant step forward" on the path toward getting a Federal Reserve order that caps the bank's growth removed, according to Bloomberg's Hannah Levitt. Officials at the central bank have privately signaled to the bank that they accept Wells' revised proposal for overhauling risk management and governance, according to Levitt, citing people with knowledge of the matter. The Fed nod "marks the firm's most meaningful progress yet" toward getting the sanction lifted, but is still only the second of four steps needed to have the order resolved, the report added. In morning trading following the report, Wells Fargo shares are up $1.63, or 5%, to $36.42. Reference Link

11:02 EST Halliburton appoints Bob Patel to board of directors - Halliburton Company (HAL) announced that Mr. Bhavesh Patel has been named to the Company's board of directors. The appointment is effective February 17, 2021, and he will stand for election by stockholders at the Company's annual meeting on May 19,2021. Patel serves as CEO of LyondellBasell (LYB).

10:20 EST Hilton saw meaningful step-up in new group demand in January

10:10 EST Hilton: Overall trends in Q1 so far 'similar' to Q4 - Hilton notes modest increases in demand in the U.S. are offsetting stalled recoveries in Europe and Asia Pacific.

10:08 EST Hilton sees improving fundamentals heading into spring

10:04 EST Hilton CEO 'deeply saddened' by loss of Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson - Says Sorenson was an "exceptional leader." Comments taken from Hilton's Q4 earnings conference call.

10:00 EST Genworth falls -16.5% - Genworth is down -16.5%, or -62c to $3.15.

10:00 EST KAR Auction falls -21.5% - KAR Auction is down -21.5%, or -$3.96 to $14.49.

10:00 EST 500.com rises 13.4% - 500.com is up 13.4%, or $3.61 to $30.63.

09:58 EST Harley-Davidson names Edel O'Sullivan as Chief Commercial Officer - Harley-Davidson announces the appointment of Edel O'Sullivan as Chief Commercial Officer. O'Sullivan will replace existing CCO Larry Hund, who retires from the company following 18 years of service, on April 2. Effective March 1, O'Sullivan will join Harley-Davidson with extensive experience in omnichannel retail and durable goods, focusing on commercial excellence and organizational change. She served as a partner at Bain & Company for the past five years of her 14-year tenure, where she led the development of major corporate transformations including the strategic delivery of profitable growth initiatives across multiple industries, with an emphasis on retail, advanced manufacturing and OEMs.

09:47 EST Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc (ADS) trading resumes

09:47 EST Armstrong Flooring falls -18.9% - Armstrong Flooring is down -18.9%, or -90c to $3.86.

09:47 EST QuantumScape rises 10.8% - QuantumScape is up 10.8%, or $5.48 to $56.12.

09:47 EST SOS Limited rises 19.8% - SOS Limited is up 19.8%, or $2.35 to $14.19.

09:37 EST Mercurity Fintech Holding Inc (ADS) trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:33 EST OLB Group's SecurePay to manage cryptocurrency transactions, conversions - The OLB Group announced its SecurePay payment gateway is now supporting transactions conducted through major wallets that incorporate cryptocurrency as a funding source. Cryptocurrency wallets can be used directly at any point of sale utilizing OLB's OmniSoft cloud-based business services platform solutions. In addition, general-purpose wallet services-including Apple Pay and Google Pay-can be used to effortlessly and securely make purchases at any PoS serviced by OLB's SecurePay gateway. SecurePay integrations with Apple Pay and Google Pay streamline transaction processing at the gateway for any funding source. When a consumer selects a cryptocurrency source in the payment app, the transaction is processed without additional steps or action by the consumer or merchant. SecurePay supports multiple cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC and DAI, across all merchant platforms. Through this capability, the gateway provides merchants with the opportunity to accept alternative payment sources, alongside traditional card-based payments, without any equipment changes or investment.

09:26 EST JAKKS Pacific in toy/costume pact with SEGA of America for Sonic movie - JAKKS Pacific announced global toy rights with SEGA of America for Paramount Pictures' feature film, Sonic the Hedgehog 2. JAKKS will design, manufacture, market, and sell Sonic the Hedgehog 2 branded toy product lines based on the upcoming feature film, set for release in 2022. The agreement between JAKKS and SEGA will include rights to produce action figures, playsets, vehicles, plush toys and other collectibles. Disguise, the costume division of JAKKS Pacific, will also be designing and manufacturing costumes and accessories for inspired by characters from Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The new line of merchandise is an extension of the multi-year, global toy licensing deal SEGA of America forged with JAKKS Pacific, Inc. in 2019, which featured top-selling collectibles based on the original Sonic the Hedgehog film. Items based on the first film included the Talking Sonic Plush, Sonic Baby Plush and Spin Dash Sonic playset, all of which saw a strong worldwide sales performance at retailers both in-store and online.

09:21 EST BAE Systems gets contract to develop advanced military GPS receivers and chips - BAE Systems received a $247M contract from the U.S. Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center to design and manufacture an advanced military GPS receiver and next-generation semiconductor. The technology will provide positioning, navigation, and timing,PNT, capabilities to warfighters so they can execute missions in challenging electromagnetic environments. The Military GPS User Equipment Increment 2 Miniature Serial Interface program will provide improved capabilities for size-constrained and power-constrained military GPS applications, including precision-guided munitions and battery-powered handheld devices. The program will focus on the certification of an advanced application-specific integrated circuit, ASIC, and the development of an ultra-small, low-power GPS module. Both products will work with the next-generation military M-Code signal technology, which provides reliable GPS data with anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities to protect against electronic warfare threats. "This program enables us to further develop our core M-Code technology to deliver high-performance, next-generation GPS capabilities," said Greg Wild, director of Navigation and Sensor Systems at BAE Systems. "Our M-Code receiver and next-gen ASIC will enable secure and reliable military GPS capabilities in a broader range of platforms."

09:20 EST Blink Charging announces U.S. distribution agreement with Ingram Micro - Blink Charging announced it has entered into a U.S. reseller agreement with Ingram Micro Inc., a leading global distributor of information technology, cloud and mobility products headquatered in Irvine, CA. The agreement will enable Blink Charging to market and sell its HQ 100 Residential EV charging station to Ingram Micro's expansive and growing U.S. retailer ecosystem.

09:17 EST James River Group sees 2020 adjusted net operating income $18M-$22M - James River Group Holdings announced preliminary financial results in advance of its full quarterly and full year earnings to be released on February 25, 2021. The Company expects to report full year 2020 Net Income of between $4 million and $5 million, and full year 2020 Adjusted Net Operating Income of between $18 million and $22 million. The Combined Ratio for the full year is expected to be between 105-107%. Growth in Core Excess and Surplus Lines Gross Premium Written is 29% as compared to the prior year. Tangible Book Value per Share increased 9% from December 31, 2019, before the deduction of dividends. The above results are inclusive of unfavorable development of prior year loss reserves of between $85 million and $90 million during the fourth quarter. The unfavorable development is concentrated in the Company's Commercial Auto division within its E&S segment and its Casualty Re segment, with an offset of positive development in its Core E&S and Specialty Admitted Insurance segment. "We experienced a significant increase in reported losses in two areas of our Company - one large Commercial Auto account in runoff, and in our Casualty Reinsurance segment - and have meaningfully strengthened reserves in response", said James River CEO Frank D'Orazio. "With this strengthening of prior year reserves, I believe our franchise is extremely well positioned to continue to take advantage of compelling market conditions across our business. Our Core E&S business, where we have earned attractive returns for many years, and our fronting business within our Specialty Admitted Insurance segment, present us with very attractive opportunities to put capital to work, driven by a continued attractive rate environment."

09:11 EST Lightbridge 'applauds' ANS release of The U.S. Nuclear R&D Imperative - Lightbridge Corporation congratulates the American Nuclear Society on release of The U.S. Nuclear R&D Imperative, a report from the ANS Task Force on Public Investment in Nuclear Research and Development. Lightbridge President and CEO Seth Grae serves on this task force and was a contributor to this report. "Today's ANS task force report comes at a propitious time for advanced nuclear technology to gain federal government leadership and support," said Seth Grae, President and CEO of Lightbridge. "The facts regarding nuclear power are clear; it is an essential form of clean energy, creating high-paying, long-lasting jobs. We have only scratched the surface of the potential opportunities for advanced nuclear technology to meaningfully contribute to solving climate change. As part of this esteemed task force, I had the privilege of sharing my thoughts on matters related to advanced nuclear fuel, high-assay-low-enriched uranium, and small modular reactors."

09:11 EST Natera, Personalis partner for personalized oncology monitoring - Natera (NTRA) and Personalis (PSNL) have entered into a partnership in the field of personalized oncology. The partnership will pair Personalis' NeXT tumor profiling and diagnostic products with Natera's personalized ctDNA platform Signatera for treatment monitoring and molecular residual disease assessment. Under this non-exclusive agreement, Natera will validate the design of Signatera personalized ctDNA assays using matched tumor and normal exome sequence data from Personalis, and Natera will be responsible for commercialization. The agreement covers MRD testing for both clinical use and research use.

09:10 EST VivoPower appoints Hugh Durrant-Whyte to advisory council - VivoPower International is pleased to announce the appointment of Hugh Durrant-Whyte as the sixth and final member of the VivoPower Advisory Council. Hugh Durrant-Whyte is Chief Scientist & Engineer for the state of New South Wales in Australia, and a world-leading authority on robotics, automation, machine learning, and the application of all three.

09:09 EST Trimble to sell real estate solution division Manhattan to MRI Software - Trimble has entered into an agreement to sell Manhattan, its real estate and workplace solutions division, to MRI Software, a provider of real estate software. The transaction is subject to a number of closing conditions and is expected to close in the first half of 2021. Manhattan has employees in the United States, United Kingdom, India and Australia.

09:08 EST T-Mobile, Curiosity Lab and GIT collaborate on 5G incubator program - T-Mobile and Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners, in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology, or GIT, announced the creation of the 5G Connected Future incubator program designed to support the growth and development of entrepreneurs and startups as they work to build "the next big thing" in 5G. The new 5G incubator is located in the city of Peachtree Corners' 500-acre smart city technology park, a lab powered by T-Mobile 5G where more than 8,000 people live or work. The facility features a 25,000-square-foot innovation center and three-mile autonomous vehicle test track. T-Mobile has deployed its extended range 5G and ultra capacity 5G network across the park, enabling developers to build solutions in a real-world environment. Here developers will build and test new 5G use cases such as autonomous vehicles, robotics, industrial drone applications, mixed reality training and entertainment, remote medical care, personal health and fitness wearables, and more.

09:07 EST Revive Therapeutics acquires psilocybin assets from Newscope for C$10M - Revive Therapeutics announced that, further to its press release dated December 21, 2020, it has entered into an asset purchase agreement with Newscope Capital Corporation to acquire the full rights to PharmaTher Inc.'s intellectual property pertaining to psilocybin. PharmaTher, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Newscope, is a specialty life sciences company focused on the research and development of psychedelic pharmaceuticals. Pursuant to the Agreement, Revive will pay aggregate consideration of up to CAD $10 million: The Purchase Price will be satisfied as follows: $3 million in cash will be paid on the closing date; $4 million will be satisfied through the issuance of securities in the capital of Revive and up to $3 million, in either cash or securities in the capital of Revive, in the event that Revive achieves certain milestones, which include Revive obtaining FDA orphan drug designation for psilocybin in the treatment of stroke, traumatic brain injury, or cancer, the commencement of a Phase 2 clinical trial and the regulatory filing for market authorization, such as U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. In addition to the Purchase Price, Revive will also pay Newscope a low single digit royalty on all future net sales of products derived from the Acquired Assets. The Acquired Assets will include all of the following: All intellectual and work property derived from pre-clinical research activities from the National Health Research Institutes in traumatic brain injury and stroke, as it relates to psilocybin with the aim to obtain FDA Orphan Drug Designation. Key provisional patent applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which include: Psilocybin in the Treatment of Neurological Brain Injury - United States Provisional Application Serial No. 63/011,493 - Relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising psilocybin and their use for the treatment of neurological brain injuries and migraines. Use of Psilocybin in the Treatment of Cancer, United States Provisional Application Serial No. 63/113,913 - Psilocybin's use of significant unmet medical needs for Liver Carcinoma, Melanoma, Breast Neoplasms, Kidney Neoplasms and Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Psilocybin Pharmaceutical Combination Therapies, United States Provisional Application Serial No. 63/125,106 - Novel combinations of certain FDA approved drugs with psilocybin as a potential therapeutic option to reduce the side effects and improve the effectiveness of psilocybin to treat neurological disorders.

09:04 EST Adamis receives notice of allowance for patent application for ZIMHI candidate - Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation announced that it recently received a notice that one of its patent applications relating to its ZIMHI high dose naloxone injection product candidate, intended for the treatment of opioid overdose, was allowed by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The allowed claims describe a naloxone composition at a dose greater than or equal to five milligrams configured for administration as an injection. The company believes this patent should protect and strengthen the existing intellectual property associated with the product candidate.

09:02 EST Sumo Logic expands work with fintech, banking businesses - Sumo Logic announced it is expanding its work with leading businesses in the fintech and banking sectors including Coincheck, Currencycloud, Moneytree, MoonPay, Paidy, Snoop and more. These companies use Sumo Logic's Continuous Intelligence Platform to transform data from complex systems into real-time insights with a single pane of visibility across security and operations to help fintechs diagnose and troubleshoot issues faster and reduce service interruptions.

08:53 EST Conduent, Flowbird selected by Comutitres for onboard ticketing platforms - Conduent Transportation and Flowbird announced that they have been selected by Comutitres, on behalf of its members and the transport authority Ile-de-France Mobilites, to replace all Ile-de-France bus and tram onboard ticketing platforms with next-generation technology. The Ile-de-France region has a population of approximately 12 million who take about 9 million trips every day on public transport.

08:50 EST First Capital increases quarterly dividend to 26c per share - The Board of Directors of First Capital has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 26c per share of common stock. The dividend will be paid on March 30, 2021 to shareholders of record as of March 16, 2021.

08:48 EST Conduent, Flowbird selected to provide ticketing platform for Paris district - Conduent's Conduent Transportation unit and Flowbird, a French company specializing in urban mobility payment methods, have been selected by Comutitres, on behalf of its members and the transport authority Ile-de-France Mobilites, to replace all Ile-de-France bus and tram onboard ticketing platforms with next-generation technology. The Ile-de-France region has a population of approximately 12 million who take about 9 million trips every day on public transport. In this newly awarded 10-year contract, Conduent and Flowbird will design, install and maintain the driver consoles, ticket validators, central units and communication devices on board the region's public-transit vehicles.

08:45 EST ElectraMeccanica expands to seven additional locations on the West Coast - ElectraMeccanica Vehicles announced the expansion of its retail footprint into seven additional locations along the West Coast of the United States. These direct-to-consumer retail centers include the Company's first locations in Colorado and Washington as well as additional locations in California, Arizona and Oregon. Following the opening of these new locations, the Company now maintains a total of 20 locations in ten major metropolitan areas within five states in the western U.S. The new locations are set to open in May and June in traditional, high-end malls and town centers including Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento, CA; Clackamas Town Center in Portland, OR; Alderwood Mall in Seattle, WA; Chandler Fashion Center in Chandler, AZ; Park Meadows in Lone Tree, CO; Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, CA; and The Shops at Mission Viejo in Mission Viejo, CA.

08:42 EST BioCardia appoints Sujith Shetty as CMO - BioCardia announced clinical leadership changes. Dr. Sujith Shetty who has been with the Company for almost two years in the capacity of Vice President of Clinical and Regulatory will assume the role of CMO, replacing Dr. Eric Duckers, who resigned as CMO of the Company to pursue other opportunities, effective as of February 15th, 2021. Simultaneous with his resignation, Dr. Duckers entered into a consulting agreement to continue to provide support for the ongoing CardiAMP Heart Failure Trial and its leadership team. Ms. Debby Holmes-Higgin who has been with the Company for more than three years will continue to serve as Vice President of Clinical with expanded responsibilities. Both Dr. Shetty and Ms. Holmes-Higgin will be supported by Dr. Hans-Peter Stoll, who recently assumed the role of consulting Medical Monitor for the CardiAMP clinical study.

08:40 EST Genasys awarded software services contract from Spain MOI - Genasys announced a four-year contract to provide software services for the Spain Ministry of the Interior, a department of the government responsible for public safety, national security, law enforcement, immigration and civil defense. The EECC Article 110 initiative currently directs all EU countries to implement a public warning system that delivers geo-located emergency communications to all mobile phones through every mobile carrier network in each member state by June 2022.

08:38 EST Artelo Biosciences announces pre-clinical data on CBD Cocrystal - Artelo Biosciences announced that Saoirse O'Sullivan, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology and Scientific Advisor to Artelo, along with Ryan Maguire and Dr. Timothy England of the University of Nottingham, have generated data showing potential pharmacodynamic interactions of co-administration of cannabidiol and tetramethylpyrazine in cell-based models of cancer. The research focused on the components of Artelo's proprietary CBD:TMP cocrystal program, also known as ART12.11. Professor O'Sullivan noted, "CBD and TMP are both molecules of therapeutic interest, but whose utility is limited by their poor bioavailability. Through this research, we sought to determine whether a CBD-TMP co-administration could confer additive or synergistic biological actions through pharmacodynamic interactions. Since both molecules are potential anti-cancer agents, we investigated whether there would be an interaction at a cellular level between these molecules in human cancer cell lines. We found that there were synergistic and additive interactions between CBD and TMP in their abilities to prevent cancer cell growth and to kill cancer cells. However, there was also a small reduction in the anti-migratory effect of CBD when TMP was present. We believe these positive initial studies warrant further in vivo preclinical research in animal tumor models, where we also expect to see a pharmacokinetic interaction leading to improved drug exposure with the CBD:TMP cocrystal compared to either molecular alone."

08:36 EST Wingstop reaffirms 3- to 5-year domestic SSS growth in mid-single digits

08:35 EST Processa Pharmaceuticals announces $10.2M strategic financing - Processa Pharmaceuticals announced that it has executed a securities purchase agreement to raise gross proceeds of $10.2 million resulting from the sale of 1,321,132 shares through a private investment in public equity financing at a price of $7.75 per share. The financing attracted both institutional and accredited investors. The closing of the private placement is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, expected to occur on or about February 23, 2021. Tribal Capital Markets, LLC acted as sole placement agent for the offering. Allele Capital Partners, LLC through Tribal Capital Markets, LLC was responsible for sourcing and executing the offering.

08:34 EST SmileDirectClub announces Walgreens as retail partner - SmileDirectClub (SDC) announced that Walgreens (WBA) is "the latest retail partner to carry its innovative, category-disrupting oral care line." The partnership will make SmileDirectClub's suite of products available at nearly 1,700 Walgreens locations across the U.S. and Walgreens.com, the company stated. "This month, Walgreens customers may find SmileDirectClub's products, including the Company's best-selling bright on(TM) whitening products, whitening toothpaste, state-of-the-art electric toothbrush and replacement heads, and award-winning water flosser in the retail chain's oral care aisle. Walgreens' customers shopping in-store may also save up to $5 off SmileDirectClub oral care products by using a unique QR code coupon offer," SmileDirectClub added.

08:32 EST ClearSign Combustion announces agreement with California Boiler - ClearSign Technologies announced that the company has entered into an agreement with California Boiler for the sale and installation of "ClearSign Core" enabled ultra-low NOx combustion equipment into the U.S. market. In terms of the agreement, both companies will be responsible for sales, California Boiler will be responsible for installation and provision of controls and ClearSign will provide the technology and design of products.

08:29 EST NXP Semiconductors idles manufacturing at two Austin facilities - NXP Semiconductors provided an update regarding the impact of the unusually severe winter weather conditions on its operations in Austin, Texas. Austin-area utility providers are prioritizing service to residential areas and for critical health, safety and human services. As a result, electricity and natural gas providers have temporarily suspended service to Austin semiconductor manufacturers, including NXP, requiring the company to idle manufacturing at its two Austin facilities. Affected customers are being notified directly by NXP of the potential for supply disruptions. NXP also noted that all of its other manufacturing facilities outside Texas remain in full operation.

08:27 EST Vislink appoints Joe Carson as VP, global operations and service - Vislink announced the addition of Joe Carson as Vice President of Global Operations and Service. Joe will report directly to Vislink CEO Mickey Miller and work with the Company's executive team to optimize its supply chain and procurement operations in addition to growing its services business portfolio. Joe's career has included roles as Chief Procurement Officer of Micron Technology, Chief Procurement Officer of Lucent Technologies, and Worldwide Operations Chief of Staff for Juniper Networks, a multinational corporation that develops and markets networking products.

08:25 EST Genuine Parts sees FY21 net cash from operating activities $1B-$1.2B - Sees FY21 CapEx $275M-$325M; Effective tax rate 24.5%-25.5%.

08:23 EST Genuine Parts reports Q4 SSS down 2.8%

08:22 EST General Electric focusing on growing through existing business lines, CEO says

08:22 EST General Electric CEO says unlikely to do large M&A deals soon - Comments taken from the Citi Industrial Conference.

08:22 EST Cidara Therapeutics presents rezafungin data at ICHS Symposium - Cidara Therapeutics announced data from three posters at the 21st International Immunocompromised Host Society Symposium on Infections in the Immunocompromised Host, which takes place virtually Feb. 17-19, 2021. The presentations highlight new clinical and preclinical data on rezafungin, Cidara's novel, once-weekly echinocandin in Phase 3 development for the treatment and prevention of serious fungal infections. Three poster presentations report new findings on rezafungin for the treatment and prevention of severe fungal infections. Taylor Sandison, M.D., M.P.H., chief medical officer of Cidara, will also be delivering an oral overview of long-acting rezafungin. Highlights from the published abstracts are as follows: Analysis of outcomes from the completed Phase 2 STRIVE trial of rezafungin for the treatment of candidemia and/or invasive candidiasis based on immunocompromised status demonstrated rezafungin was safe and efficacious in a high-risk, immunocompromised patient population; the overall response rate, investigator-assessed clinical cure and mycological response at Day 14 was 75% in high-risk immunocompromised patients treated with rezafungin compared to 66.7% in those treated with standard of care. Additional evaluation of patient outcomes from the STRIVE trial based on renal function demonstrated that the safety and efficacy of rezafungin were not adversely affected by renal impairment, a common comorbidity in critically ill patients with invasive fungal infections. Administration of long-term rezafungin initiated six weeks post-infection with P. murina resulted in robust eradication of Pneumocystis in the lungs in immunosuppressed mice.

08:17 EST Slack Technologies, Salesforce receive second information request from DOJ - In a regulatory filing, as previously disclosed, on December 1, 2020, Slack Technologies (WORK) entered into an agreement and plan of merger with Salesforce (CRM), pursuant to which, and upon the terms and subject to the conditions therein, Salesforce has agreed to acquire the company. The transaction is conditioned on the expiration or termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended. On December 14, 2020, the company and Salesforce each filed a notification and report form with respect to the transaction, and on January 13, the company and Salesforce each voluntarily withdrew its HSR filing, and re-filed such forms on January 15. Pursuant to the HSR Act, on February 16, the company and Salesforce each received a request for additional information and documentary material, often referred to as a "Second Request," from the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, or DOJ. Issuance of the second request extends the waiting period under the HSR Act until 30 days after the company and Salesforce have each substantially complied with the second request, unless the period for review is extended voluntarily by the parties and the DOJ or is terminated earlier by the DOJ. The company and Salesforce have and will continue to cooperate fully with the DOJ in its review. The company continues to anticipate completing the transaction during its fiscal quarter ending July 31, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the closing conditions specified in the merger agreement.

08:15 EST Donnelley Financial Solutions' eBrevia rolls out new integration with Box - eBrevia, a Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN) company, has rolled out a new integration with Box (BOX). The integration allows eBrevia clients to seamlessly access and analyze business-critical content that is securely stored and centrally managed in Box.

08:15 EST Interpace Biosciences announces impending delisting from Nasdaq - Interpace Biosciences announced that on February 16, 2020 it had received notification from the Listing Qualifications Staff of The Nasdaq Stock Market that the Staff has determined to delist the Company's securities from Nasdaq. This determination was due to the Company's extended period of non-compliance with the minimum $2,500,000 stockholders' equity requirement for continued listing set forth in listing Rule 5550(b) and the Company's failure to timely execute on its plan to comply. Unless the Company requests an appeal of this determination, trading of the Company's common stock will be suspended at the opening of business on February 25, 2021. The Company has applied to have its common stock qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. The Staff reached its decision to delist the Company's common stock based upon the Company's continued non-compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rules. The Company is determining whether to appeal the determination. In the absence of such appeal trading of the Company's common stock on NASDAQ will be suspended at the opening of business on February 25, 2021, and a Form 25-NSE will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which will remove the Company's securities from listing and registration on Nasdaq.

08:12 EST Kintara Therapeutics enrolls final patient in Phase 2 clinical trial of VAL-083 - Kintara Therapeutics announced it has enrolled the final patient in the recurrent arm of its ongoing Phase 2 clinical study of VAL-083 being conducted at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. The recurrent arm of the study addresses patients suffering from glioblastoma multiforme who have been pre-treated with temozolomide prior to disease recurrence. The trial was designed to enroll up to 83 patients to determine whether treatment with VAL-083 improves overall survival.

08:12 EST Inhibikase Therapeutics announces first patients dosed in IkT-148009 - Inhibikase Therapeutics announced dosing of the first patients in its Phase 1 clinical trial of IkT-148009, an Abelson Tyrosine Kinase, or c-Abl, inhibitor for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. This randomized Phase 1 study is investigating the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics, PK,of IkT-148009 in healthy volunteers aged 45 to 70 years old with the objective of identifying the maximum tolerated dose and the PK profile of IkT-148009 in single and multiple ascending dose settings. In preclinical animal models of progressive disease, the Company demonstrated that once a day oral therapy with IkT-148009 can both halt and reverse functional loss in the brain and gastrointestinal tract. "The initiation of our Phase 1 study of IkT-148009 for the treatment of Parkinson's disease represents a significant milestone for Inhibikase. Based on preclinical data, we believe that c-Abl plays a critical role in the Parkinson's disease process and inhibition of c-Abl represents a promising new approach to disease modification," stated Milton Werner, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Inhibikase Therapeutics. "We are excited to advance into the clinic, and believe that IKT-148009 could be a transformative therapy for millions of patients worldwide."

08:10 EST Cue Biopharma appoints Matteo Levisetti as SVP, clinical development - Cue Biopharma announced it has appointed Dr. Matteo Levisetti as senior vice president of clinical development, effective February 22, 2021. Prior to joining Cue Biopharma, Matteo served as CMO at DNAtrix directing and managing clinical operations and regulatory strategy for several clinical trials.

08:09 EST TravelCenters signs new franchise agreement for TA Express in California - TravelCenters of America announced the signing of a new franchise agreement to bring a TA Express site to California. The new TA Express site will be located in Baker, on Interstate 15, exit 221, and is expected to open later this year. In addition to the Baker location, TA expects five other franchised TA Express sites will open in California over the next year in the cities of Bakersfield, Grenada, Newberry Springs, Olancha and Rosemond. "TA continues to meet the needs of our professional drivers and families by expanding our network where travelers are traveling, including in locations like Baker, California. In that area, and many others, sufficient land to provide for a more expansive traditional TA does not exist," said Jon Pertchik, CEO of TA. "Fortunately, our TA Express model allows us to provide full services and abundant parking that allow guests to refresh, refuel and repair."

08:09 EST Genius Sports enters deal to supply Microgame with in-play sportsbook content - Genius Sports announced a deal to supply one of Italy's largest online betting and gaming platform providers, Microgame with official in-play sportsbook content. The new partnership provides over 25 licensed Italian sportsbook brands operating on the Microgame platform solution, "Intrabos", with Genius' renowned and customizable LiveData and LiveTrading services. Through the partnership, Microgame's current and future customers will have access to Genius' official live sports data and pricing, driving in-play betting products for major sports. This includes the English Premier League, Euroleague basketball, LigaMX, NASCAR and a full range of FIBA and FIVB competitions.

08:08 EST Imcyse raises additional EUR21.3M in Series B financing round - Imcyse announced that it has concluded a Series B extension financing round, raising EUR21.3M. Participants of the new round included existing investors, Biogenosis, Epimede, LSP, Noshaq, Societe Regionale d'Investissement de Wallonie, Societe Federale de Participations et d'Investissement and KU Leuven. Pfizer also participated as Imcyse's newest investor taking an equity stake in the Company as part of the license agreement for Imcyse's Rheumatoid Arthritis program based on the Company's Imotope technology announced on February 3, 2021. Proceeds from the latest financing round will be used to accelerate the advancement of several first-in-class targeted disease modifying immunotherapeutics, developing a robust and diverse clinical pipeline. In accordance with Imcyse's corporate strategy, the Company remains open to new partnerships and investors to further support its development and expansion into the U.S.

08:07 EST Analog Devices increases quarterly cash dividend 11% to 69c per share - The ADI board has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 69c per outstanding share of common stock. The dividend will be paid on March 9 to all shareholders of record at the close of business on February 26.

08:06 EST Nektar enters trial collaboration, supply agreement with Merck - Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR) announced that it has entered into a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Merck (MRK) for a Phase 2/3 study of bempegaldesleukin, Nektar's investigational IL-2 pathway agent, in combination with Merck's KEYTRUDA for first-line treatment of patients with metastatic or unresectable recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck whose tumors express PD-L1. The study is planned to start in the second half of 2021.

08:04 EST Lyra Therapeutics names Robert Kern, MD Chief Medical Officer - Lyra Therapeutics announced that Robert Kern, MD has been named Chief Medical Officer. He will also remain in his current position as the George A. Sisson Professor and Chair, Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Kern is the immediate past president of the American Rhinologic Society and current President of the International Society of Inflammation and Allergy of the Nose. He is a highly regarded clinician and researcher with a long history of leadership in the field of sinonasal disorders. "We are excited to welcome Dr. Kern, who is a renowned physician in the ENT field and a world-leading expert in chronic rhinosinusitis, to the Lyra team as our Chief Medical Officer, to oversee the development of our clinical pipeline," said Maria Palasis, PhD, CEO of Lyra Therapeutics. "Dr. Kern has a proven track record of global leadership in otolaryngology, in both academic research and clinical rhinology, that we believe will prove invaluable to Lyra's successful development of LYR-210 and LYR-220."

08:04 EST scPharmaceuticals appoints William Abraham to board of directors - scPharmaceuticals announced the appointment of William Abraham, M.D., to the company's Board of Directors. Dr. Abraham currently serves as Professor of Internal Medicine, Physiology and Cell Biology and College of Medicine Distinguished Professor at The Ohio State University as well as CMO at V-Wave Ltd., a privately held developer of percutaneous implantable therapeutic devices for chronic heart failure patients. Abraham also serves as Deputy Director of the Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute.

08:03 EST Avadel Pharmaceuticals appoints Richard Kim as CCO - Avadel Pharmaceuticals (AVDL) announced the appointment of Richard Kim to the newly formed role of chief commercial officer. In this role his responsibilities will include leading all aspects of the U.S. commercial launch of the company's lead program, once-nightly FT218, pending regulatory approval. Prior to joining Avadel, he was at Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ICPT), where he most recently served as the President of U.S. Commercial & Strategic Marketing.

07:58 EST Charles River does not intend to repurchase shares in 2021

07:56 EST Charles River sees 200-250bps benefit from FX to reported rev. growth in 2021

07:55 EST Charles River operating in 'robust' business environment

07:50 EST Burford Capital sees 2020 total income $345M-$355M - The company said, "Burford is in the process of preparing its 2020 financial statements, which also are subject to audit; thus, the figures below are preliminary and subject to adjustment. As a reminder, Burford prepares its financial statements on a consolidated basis, which includes the results of certain funds and other entities we are required to consolidate. These consolidated results are different than both our Group-wide results and Burford-only results, which exclude the consolidated funds. Burford's overall portfolio performance was very strong on a cash basis; indeed, Group-wide total income exceeded $500 million for the first time. However, the structure of some of our investment funds means that the Burford balance sheet does not receive or recognize performance fees related to the fund portion of those successes until some future date given the funds' "European" performance fee structure. Moreover, 2020 was the first year in five years where Burford's total income did not include any unrealized gain from the YPF-related assets. Thus, we expect to report the following results for 2020: Total income: $345-355 million on a consolidated basis, $340-350 million Burford-only. Excluding income from YPF-related assets, which accounted for over half of 2019's total, 2020 total income rose by $170-$180 million, or by 95-101%, on a consolidated basis and by $175-$185 million, or by 104-109%, on a Burford-only basis. Operating profit: $240-250 million. Operating profit was affected by modestly higher general operating expenses consistent with Burford's ongoing growth strategy, current expenses related to managing assets in funds where the related performance fees will occur in the future and expenses related to Burford's New York Stock Exchange listing and other equity-related matters. Profit after tax: $160-170 million. Profit after tax was impacted by a large book tax charge, as discussed in our interim report that does not reflect the much lower level of cash taxes actually paid."

07:47 EST Bombardier announces repayment of senior secured credit facility - Bombardier announced that it has initiated the repayment of the total outstanding balance of $750M drawn on its $1B senior secured term loan facility established on August 19, 2020. Payout of the Facility, including all accrued interest and associated fees, will be completed on February 19, 2021.

07:45 EST Burford Capital reinstates full annual dividend of 12.5c per share - Burford Capital released a business update on its 2020 activities. The company said, " Burford had the best year in its history for portfolio performance, generating record levels of realized gain and more cash from successes than ever before. Burford ended the year with its highest-ever levels of cash liquidity, and its portfolio of ongoing matters is larger than it has ever been. Burford's concluded case ROIC rose to its highest year-end level in our history. New business, which suffered from the effects of the pandemic in 1H 2020, snapped back in 2H 2020. Notably, Burford's YPF-related assets did not contribute to earnings in 2020, for the first time in five years. Burford's Group-wide total income crossed the half-billion-dollar mark in 2020 for the first time in our history, driven by significant asset realizations during the year. As our managed funds participated in a sizeable share of these realizations, Burford's consolidated and balance sheet-only total income was largely flat in 2020 compared to 2019. Profit after tax was down given modestly higher operating expenses and higher than normal book tax charges. Burford suspended its dividend in early 2020 due to uncertainty around the pandemic, but given the year's performance and Burford's strong liquidity position, the Board will recommend that shareholders approve at the Annual General Meeting a full resumption of the dividend at its previous annual level of 12.5 US cents per share, with a record date in June 2021. Although Burford did not pay an interim dividend in December 2020, we will nonetheless recommend payment of the entire full year dividend of 12.5 US cents per share in June 2021."

07:41 EST Pyxis Tankers regains compliance with Nasdaq minimum closing bid price rule - Pyxis Tankers announced that it has regained compliance with the NASDAQ's continued listing requirements regarding the minimum closing bid price. On July 2, 2020, NASDAQ had notified the Company of its noncompliance with the minimum bid price of $1.00 over the previous 30 consecutive business days as required by the Listing Rules of the NASDAQ Stock Market. On December 29, 2020, the Company received written notification granting the Company a 180-day extension, or until June 28, 2021 to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement. Subsequently, from January 28, 2021 to February 16, 2021, the Company's closing bid price for its common shares has been $1.00 per share or greater and NASDAQ has informed that Company that it has regained compliance with the exchange's minimum closing bid price rule and the matter is closed.

07:37 EST Salarius completes dose-escalation stage of Phase 1/2 trial of seclidemstat - Salarius Pharmaceuticals announced that it has completed the dose-escalation stage and established the recommended Phase 2 dose for its ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial in relapsed/refractory Ewing sarcoma. The Phase 1/2 clinical trial of seclidemstat in patients with Ewing sarcoma was designed as an open-label, multi-center, dose-finding study. The primary objectives of the study were to determine the safety and tolerability of seclidemstat. Secondary objectives were to assess the maximum-tolerated dose, the RP2D, preliminary anti-tumor activity, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. Data from patients treated in the dose-escalation portion of the trial demonstrated seclidemstat had a manageable safety profile. The RP2D for the expansion stage has been established and, importantly, PK data from the dose-escalation portion of the trial indicated that treatment at the RP2D achieved plasma concentrations above levels where seclidemstat demonstrated activity in preclinical studies. Salarius is preparing to submit the full findings from the dose-escalation trial, including details on safety, dosing, and initial efficacy signals, for presentation at an upcoming medical conference. Conference embargo rules prevent additional disclosures at this time. Salarius is evaluating its lead drug candidate, seclidemstat, in patients with R/R Ewing sarcoma, a rare and deadly pediatric bone and soft tissue cancer and in a Phase 1/2 trial enrolling patients with Advanced Solid Tumors. Seclidemstat is a novel, oral reversible inhibitor of the lysine-specific histone demethylase 1 enzyme, an enzyme that has been shown to play a key role in the development and progression of certain cancers. As previously reported, a refractory Ewing sarcoma patient treated with single-agent seclidemstat for six cycles, demonstrated a reduction in prospectively defined target lesions starting at end of cycle 2 with further target lesion tumor shrinkage through end of cycle 4 and cycle 6. The appearance of new non-target lesion at the end of cycle 2 resulted in classification of progressive disease as defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1. Salarius believes this data demonstrates preliminary drug activity in a patient with refractory Ewing sarcoma. Additional data from the dose-escalation portion of the Ewing sarcoma trial has demonstrated further evidence of drug activity, which Salarius hopes to expand upon during the upcoming dose-expansion portion of the trial by treating R/R Ewing sarcoma patients with seclidemstat. In addition to treating R/R Ewing sarcoma patients, the expansion portion of the Phase 1/2 trial will enroll patients with additional select sarcomas that share a similar biology to Ewing sarcoma. Fusions of similar oncogenes to those that are translocated in Ewing sarcoma occur in tumors, such as myxoid liposarcoma, desmoplastic small round cell tumors, and others known as Ewing-related sarcomas or FET-translocated sarcomas. The decision to include Ewing-related sarcoma patients was supported by preclinical data and encouraging clinical data in Salarius' AST trial. Of the small subset of Ewing-related sarcoma patients with progressive disease that enrolled in the AST trial, all patients demonstrated preliminary evidence of seclidemstat drug activity at levels below the RP2D. Encouragingly, in this subset of seclidemstat treated patients, the median time to progression was above the benchmarks established for single-agent activity in the advanced, relapsed soft tissue sarcoma setting. Ewing-related sarcoma patients will continue to be treated with single-agent seclidemstat to generate more safety and early efficacy activity in this patient population. Safety and efficacy results from the AST trial are planned for presentation at an upcoming medical conference. Conference embargo rules prevent further disclosure at this time. This study will continue to evaluate safety and antitumor activity with data readouts expected towards the end of this year and early next year.

07:33 EST Verrica announces acceptance of resubmitted NDA filing for VP-102 - Verrica Pharmaceuticals announced that its resubmitted New Drug Application for VP-102, a proprietary topical therapy for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum has been accepted for filing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act goal date assigned by the FDA for this NDA is June 23, 2021. Verrica previously submitted an NDA for VP-102 for the treatment of molluscum in September 2019. As previously announced, the FDA issued a Complete Response Letter requesting additional Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls information as well as Human Factors validation in July 2020. Verrica resubmitted the NDA for VP-102 for the treatment of molluscum on December 23, 2020. The NDA is based on positive results from two identical Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, multicenter clinical trials that evaluated the safety and efficacy of VP-102 compared to placebo in patients two years of age and older diagnosed with molluscum. In both trials, a clinically and statistically significant number of patients treated with VP-102 met the primary endpoint of complete clearance of all treatable molluscum lesions. VP-102 was well-tolerated in both trials, with no serious adverse events reported in VP-102-treated subjects.

07:29 EST Emerson Electric names Ram Krishnan COO - Emerson announced strategic leadership changes that will further the company's focus on creating value and driving innovative solutions for the world's most essential industries. Ram Krishnan, who leads final control for Emerson, has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer. Mark Bulanda, who currently serves as senior vice president of planning and development, will become the new executive president of Automation Solutions. Steve Pelch, who has served as executive vice president and COO since 2018, will leave the organization to pursue other opportunities.

07:28 EST EU passenger car registrations down 24.0% in January - In January, the EU passenger car market posted an accelerated decline, as COVID-related restrictions continued to weigh heavily on sales across the European Union, reported the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. New car registrations tumbled by 24.0% from 956,447 units in January 2020 to 726,491 units this year, marking the lowest January total on record to date, said the ACEA. "Nearly all 27 EU markets suffered double-digit losses last month, including three of the four major ones: Spain was the hardest-hit, down 51.5%, followed by Germany down 31.1% and Italy down 14.0%," said the ACEA. Publicly traded automakers include Daimler AG (DDAIF), Fiat Chrysler (FCAU), Ford (F), General Motors (GM), Honda (HMC), Nissan (NSANY), Tesla (TSLA), Toyota (TM) and Volkswagen (VWAGY).

07:26 EST Medtronic announces recall of unused Valiant Navion thoracic stent graft system - Medtronic has voluntarily issued a global recall of unused Medtronic Valiant Navion thoracic stent graft system and informed physicians to immediately cease use of the device until further notice. Medtronic initiated this action in response to information recently obtained from the Valiant Evo Global Clinical Trial indicating that three patients in the Valiant Evo Global Clinical Trial were observed to have stent fractures, two of which have confirmed type IIIb endoleaks. One patient death was reported. Following these observations, an independent imaging laboratory reviewed all available images from patients enrolled in the Valiant Evo Global Clinical Trial. Upon further analysis of the images, seven out of 87 patients were observed to have stent ring enlargement beyond the design specification. Those observations require further assessment to determine potential clinical importance. Medtronic is currently conducting a comprehensive technical root cause investigation, including further review of follow-up clinical trial imaging and commercial complaints and imaging.

07:23 EST Skylight Health appoints Jerry Oliphant as COO, Georges Feghali as CMO - Skylight Health Group announced the appointment of Jerry Oliphant as COO and Dr. Georges Feghali as CMO. Most recently, Oliphant served as EVP and COO of Carolinas Healthcare System. Feghali will lead & expand Skylight Health's strategic initiative in practice management & clinic operations, driving new operational revenues. Dr. Feghali will be responsible for quality, safety and service; total quality management, lean principles, change leadership, physician compensation models, and medical management. He spent 17 years in senior leadership positions, including as CMO at TriHealth. In addition, under its existing stock option plan, the company has granted certain employees and consultants 260,000 stock options at an exercise price of $1.80.

07:20 EST Stryve Foods completes integration of Kalahari Snacks - Stryve Foods has integrated the #2 biltong brand in the U.S., Kalahari Snacks, which it purchased in mid-December 2020. Inclusive of the Kalahari Snacks acquisition and following a year of significant growth for Stryve, the Company is now the largest supplier of air-dried meat in the United States with 85% market share according to SPINS for the 52-week period ending January 24, 2021. This news follows the late January announcement that Stryve and Andina Acquisition Corp. III, a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, reached a definitive agreement for a business combination that would result in Stryve becoming a public company. Upon closing of the transaction, which is expected in the second quarter of 2021, the combined company will be renamed Stryve Foods, Inc. and would remain listed on the NASDAQ under the ticker SNAX.

07:19 EST Sundial Growers regains compliance with Nasdaq minimum bid price rule - Sundial Growers has regained compliance with Nasdaq's minimum bid price requirements for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Sundial's common shares have been at $1.00 per share or greater for at least ten consecutive business days and the matter is now closed.

07:18 EST Ford Europe 'goes all-in on EVs,' announces $1B Cologne site transformation plan - Ford announced that it is "taking a significant step forward in its European transformation with a commitment to go all-in on its electric passenger vehicles and to substantially grow and electrify its leading commercial vehicle business." Ford committed today that by mid-2026, 100 percent of Ford's passenger vehicle range in Europe will be zero-emissions capable, all-electric or plug-in hybrid, and will be completely all-electric by 2030. Similarly, Ford's entire commercial vehicle range will be zero-emissions capable, all-electric or plug-in hybrid, by 2024, with two-thirds of Ford's commercial vehicle sales expected to be all-electric or plug-in hybrid by 2030. "We successfully restructured Ford of Europe and returned to profitability in the fourth quarter of 2020. Now we are charging into an all-electric future in Europe with expressive new vehicles and a world-class connected customer experience. We expect to continue our strong momentum this year in Europe and remain on track to deliver our goal of a six percent EBIT margin as part of Ford's plan to turnaround our global automotive operations," said Stuart Rowley, president, Ford of Europe. "Spearheading Ford's advance into an all-electric future is a new $1 billion investment to modernize its vehicle assembly facility in Cologne, Germany, one of its largest manufacturing centers in Europe and the home of Ford of Europe. The investment will transform the existing vehicle assembly operations into the Ford Cologne Electrification Center for the manufacture of electric vehicles, Ford's first such facility in Europe," the company said. Ford also confirmed that its first European-built, volume all-electric passenger vehicle for European customers will be produced at the facility from 2023, with the potential for a second all-electric vehicle built there under consideration.

07:17 EST TD Holdings signs LOI to acquire digital cloud warehouse software copyrights - TD Holdings' subsidiary Tongdow Hainan has entered into a letter of intent with Yunfeihu and Tongdow E-commerce Group to acquire eight software copyrights for commodities storage in digital cloud warehouse. The parties have agreed that the consideration for the transfer of the software copyrights will be based on a valuation report from an independent third-party agreed upon by all parties. Tongdow E-commerce and Yunfeihu have agreed to be bound by an exclusivity period of 6 months with Tongdow Hainan for the transfer of the eight software copyrights pursuant to the LOI. The company aims to empower its existing digital cloud warehouse system with these blockchain technologies to provide support for more diversified settlement channels of commodity trades such as payments by bitcoin or other encrypted currencies. Meanwhile, blockchain and internet of things technologies will be applied to improve the efficiency of the company's warehouse order tracking system. Completion of the transaction is subject to due diligence investigations by the relevant parties, the negotiation and execution of a definitive agreement and satisfaction of the conditions negotiated therein and of other customary closing conditions.

07:17 EST KKR to acquire flow control group from Bertram Capital - KKR, a leading global investment firm, announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Flow Control Group, a leading distributor of mission-critical flow control and industrial automation products, from Bertram Capital. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Flow Control Group serves as a trusted, value-added distributor and advisor to more than 10,000 customers and 2,000 suppliers in North America for technical flow control and industrial automation products and related services. .."We are excited to work together with David Patterson and the entire team at Flow Control Group to further expand the company's reach, while remaining an excellent partner to their OEM suppliers and continuing to be a value-added team member for their customers." Pete Stavros, KKR Partner and Co-Head of Americas Private Equity at KKR, said, "For over a decade, we have been developing a new model of employee engagement centered around an all employee ownership strategy, and we look forward to implementing this model at Flow Control Group alongside David Patterson and his team." "We are thrilled to have the support of KKR as we continue to grow our reach across the flow control and industrial automation sectors while investing to better serve our customers and supplier partners," said David Patterson, CEO of Flow Control Group.

07:15 EST Charles River to acquire Cognate BioServices for $875M in cash - Charles River announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Cognate BioServices for approximately $875M in cash, subject to customary closing adjustments. The transaction is expected to close by the end of Q1, subject to regulatory requirements and customary closing conditions. Cognate is a cell and gene therapy CDMO offering manufacturing solutions for cell therapies, as well as for production of plasmid DNA and other inputs in the CDMO value chain. The planned acquisition will establish Charles River as a scientific partner for cell and gene therapy development, testing, and manufacturing, providing clients with an integrated solution from basic research and discovery through CGMP production. Cognate has experience producing various cell types and technologies used in cellular immunotherapy and immuno-oncology, regenerative medicine, and advanced cell therapy. Headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, Cognate has operations in North America and Europe with over 500 employees. Based on the anticipated completion of the acquisition by the end of Q1, Cognate is expected to add approximately $110M to Charles River's 2021 consolidated revenue for the partial year. The transaction is expected to be neutral to non-GAAP earnings per share in 2021, and accretive thereafter. Items excluded from non-GAAP earnings per share are expected to include all acquisition-related costs, which primarily include amortization of intangible assets, advisory fees, certain costs associated with efficiency initiatives, and certain third-party integration costs. The acquisition and associated fees are expected to be financed through Charles River's existing credit facility and cash. The company is evaluating further optimizing its debt structure which could be used to finance the acquisition and for general corporate purposes. Cognate is expected to be reported as part of Charles River's manufacturing support segment.

07:14 EST Novartis announces SCD grant agreement with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - Novartis announced that it has entered into a grant agreement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. As part of the agreement, the foundation will provide funding support for the discovery and development of a single-administration, in vivo gene therapy to cure sickle cell disease, or SCD. "The project brings together Novartis drug discovery and gene therapy expertise with the Gates Foundation's charitable objectives to expand access to healthcare in low-resource settings in an effort to address this potentially life-threatening genetic disease," the company stated.

07:14 EST Royalty Pharma sees 7-10% CAGR for adjusted cash receipts for 2020-2025 - Previous view 6%-9% CAGR.

07:13 EST Royalty Pharma expects 2021 adjusted cash receipts $1.9B-$1.96B - Royalty Pharma expects Payments for operating and professional costs to be approximately 9% to 10% of Adjusted Cash Receipts in 2021. Royalty Pharma expects interest paid to be approximately $130 million for the full year of 2021. Based on the semi-annual interest payment schedule of Royalty Pharma's existing bonds, interest paid is anticipated to be $64 million in each of the first and third quarters with a de minimis amount recorded in the second and fourth quarters. This projection assumes no additional debt financing in 2021.

07:08 EST Shopify provides FY21 outlook - The company said, "For the full year 2021, we expect: Subscriptions solutions revenue growth to be driven by more merchants around the world joining the platform in a number lower than the record in 2020, but higher than any year prior to 2020; The growth rates of subscription solutions and merchant solutions revenues to likely be more similar to each other than in the recent past, as we do not expect the surge in GMV that drove merchant solutions in 2020 to repeat; Merchant solutions revenue growth to be driven by continued GMV growth from existing merchants, new merchants joining the platform, and expanded adoption of Shopify's growing menu of merchant solutions, including established offerings such as Shopify Payments, Shopify Shipping, and Shopify Capital, both geographically and as merchants grow into them, while newer solutions such as Shopify Fulfillment Network and 6 River Systems contribute nascent but incremental revenue in their early stages. As a result, we expect that we will continue to grow revenue rapidly in 2021, albeit at a lower rate than in 2020. While we expect that the first quarter will likely still contribute the smallest share of full-year revenue and the fourth quarter the largest, the revenue spread may be more evenly distributed across the four quarters than it has been historically if the rollout of a vaccine shifts more spending to services and offline shopping towards the back half of the year. 2020 catapulted commerce into a period of incredibly rapid change, presenting Shopify with unprecedented opportunities in 2021 to accelerate innovation. We expect rapid growth in gross profit dollars in 2021, and plan to deploy substantially all of these dollars effectively, investing back into our business as aggressively as we can. In research and development, we are launching an ambitious hiring campaign for engineers that we expect will gain strength over the course of 2021. In sales and marketing, we expect to increase online marketing spend into increased global demand, expand sales and marketing efforts to capture more Plus and POS merchants both in North America and internationally, and enhance product marketing to help merchants take advantage of the full range of capabilities on the platform. For 2021, we anticipate stock-based compensation expenses and related payroll taxes of $465 million and amortization of acquired intangibles of $21 million."

07:05 EST Tower Semiconductor to invest additional $150M to purchase machinery, assets - Driven by very high confidence in customers' demand which exceeds current 200mm and 300mm capacity, the Company is announcing it will invest an additional $150M in the coming 12 months to purchase machinery and other fixed assets, in order to increase its manufacturing capacity, mostly in Fab2 in Israel, Fab9 in Texas, Fab5 in Tonami and Fab7 in Uozu. This equipment will begin to have incremental revenue impact during the second half of 2021, targeted to be fully qualified during the first quarter of 2022. During the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company has extended its Japanese buildings and facilities' lease contract to continue its lease at least through 2032.

06:59 EST Sunnova Energy to acquire Lennar's Sunstreet - Sunnova Energy (NOVA) and Len X, a technology focused subsidiary of Lennar (LEN, announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Sunnova will acquire Lennar's residential solar platform. In addition to Sunnova's acquisition of SunStreet, Sunnova will become Lennar's exclusive residential solar and storage service provider for new home communities with solar across the country. In connection with acquiring Lennar's residential solar platform, Lennar and Sunnova have agreed to a multi-year strategic partnership, with the potential to align the strategic and economic interests of both companies, with a focus on enhancing Sunnova and SunStreet's full growth potential. Under the terms of the agreement and earnout agreement, LENX will receive total consideration of up to 7.22 million shares of Sunnova common stock, which is comprised of 3.33 million shares in initial consideration payable at closing and 3.89 million shares in consideration associated with two earnouts. The first earnout of up to 2.78 million shares is associated with achieving certain annual customer commitments over four years. The second earnout of up to 1.11 million shares is associated with the development microgrid communities over the next five years. The transaction also provides for certain registration rights for LENX with respect to the shares of Sunnova common stock it will receive as consideration. The transaction has been structured in a manner intended to cause the receipt of Sunnova common stock as a result of the agreement not to be a taxable event for Lennar. Lennar has agreed to guarantee the performance of LENX under the merger agreement and certain ancillary agreements. Both Sunnova and LENX have received the necessary approvals for the definitive agreement. The acquisition of SunStreet is expected to be completed during the second quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

06:53 EST Aqua Metals invests $2M in LiNiCo - Aqua Metals is expanding into lithium-ion battery recycling by investing in LINICO Corporation. Previously, the company and LiNiCo reached a lease-to-buy agreement for the Aqua Metals' AquaRefining facility. Aqua Metals has committed a $2M investment, paid in Aqua Metals shares, for a 10% ownership in LiNiCo, as part of its strategy to strengthen growth by potentially applying AquaRefining intellectual property to lithium-ion battery recycling while meeting its lead recycling commercial guidance.

06:50 EST Medtronic announces recall of unused Valiant Navion thoracic stent graft system

06:47 EST Immunic announces IMU-838 study shows clinical activity in COVID-19 patients - Immunic announced that its lead asset, IMU-838, the company's selective oral DHODH inhibitor, has shown evidence of clinical activity in hospitalized patients with moderate coronavirus disease 2019. This planned main analysis of the company's phase 2 CALVID-1 trial is based on data from 204 randomized patients and includes top-line clinical efficacy, safety, disease marker, and virology data. Although no formal statistical analysis was pre-specified for this main analysis, endpoints have been analyzed descriptively. A final analysis of the complete randomized patient population of 223, which will comprise data on all endpoints, including subgroup and sensitivity analyses, is expected to be available in Q2. The primary endpoint of the randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial was defined as the proportion of patients without any need for invasive ventilation through day 28. In contrast to the relatively high rates of ventilation reported in the first COVID-19 wave in early 2020, the CALVID-1 trial found an actual rate of less than 1% of invasive ventilation for hospitalized patients with moderate COVID-19. This very low event rate, consistent with the findings of many recent third-party trials in COVID-19, prevented the primary endpoint from being evaluable. Regarding the key secondary endpoints, the trial was designed to investigate IMU-838's ability to reduce the probability of major complications for COVID-19 patients, such as 28-day mortality, survival without respiratory failure, and probability of use of intensive care unit, or ICU, treatment. Similar to the low ventilation rates discussed above, the trial found a rate of less than 2% for 28-day mortality, balanced between the two arms, and less than 4.5% of patients required an ICU stay. Based on the very low complication rates in this trial and due to the known variability of the disease course, Immunic believes that the evaluation of these key secondary endpoints is also not feasible. Despite the low mortality and invasive ventilation rates observed in this trial, clinical activity of IMU-838 was confirmed based on the assessment of multiple secondary clinical endpoints. The proportion of patients reaching clinical recovery at day 7 was 18.5% in IMU-838 treated patients, compared with only 12.8% in the placebo arm. At day 28, 71.3% of the IMU-838 treated patients had recovered compared with only 66.7% in the placebo arm. Time to clinical improvement was found to be shorter in the IMU-838 treatment arm, as compared to placebo, and the incremental benefit increased over time. The proportion of patients reaching clinical improvement at day 14 was 42.7% in IMU-838 treated patients compared with only 38.5% in the placebo arm. At day 28, the numbers were 90.9% and 87.4%, respectively. The relative proportion of patients not improving was 6.8% greater in the placebo arm than the IMU-838 treatment arm at 14 days, and 27.7% greater at 28 days. Following day 14, patients treated with IMU-838 experienced a numerically higher probability of clinical improvement compared with those on placebo. For instance, the 75% probability to reach clinical improvement was accelerated by 2.9 days in IMU-838 treated patients, as compared to placebo. The third patient quartile for duration of hospitalization was shortened by 3.4 days in IMU-838 treated patients, as compared to placebo. Meanwhile, Immunic believes that trial design issues and regulatory requirements may obscure any potential differences in the median itself. Clinical improvement was observed to be better when IMU-838 was used early in the COVID-19 disease course (within the first 8 days after onset of symptoms. Initial data from a post hoc analysis of what is called "Long COVID" symptoms, the frequently remaining symptoms of COVID-19 after elimination of the virus, indicated that IMU-838 may have the potential to contribute to the prevention of long-term fatigue. High-risk patients and patients aged over 65 years experienced a more substantial treatment benefit from IMU-838 than in the general patient population: An anti-viral effect of IMU-838 on SARS-CoV-2 was observed by viral titers at the end of the treatment period and at the end of the study. An anti-inflammatory effect of IMU-838 was observed based on a more effective reduction of C-reactive protein, or CRP, a well-known marker for inflammation in the blood, in IMU-838 treated patients, as compared to placebo. A more effective reduction of D-dimer, a well-known prognostic disease marker for COVID-19, was observed in IMU-838 treated patients, as compared to placebo. IMU-838 was found to be safe and well-tolerated in hospitalized patients with moderate COVID-19. No general safety signals regarding new or more severe adverse events were observed for IMU-838 in this patient population, as compared to placebo. In addition, IMU-838's rate of serious adverse events and adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation was not increased, as compared to placebo. The trial also found fewer COVID-19 related adverse events with increased intensity in IMU-838 treated patients, as compared to placebo and IMU-838 did not intensify any hematological effects of COVID-19. In addition, IMU-838 did not increase the rate of infections and infestations as well as the rate of liver events in patients with COVID-19, as compared to placebo.

06:44 EST Teleflex completes enrollment in CTO-PCI IDE study - Teleflex announced the completion of patient enrollment in a clinical study evaluating the performance of Teleflex specialty catheters and coronary guidewires in Chronic Total Occlusion percutaneous coronary intervention procedures-currently an investigational indication for these products. The study enrolled 150 patients across 13 investigational sites in the US and completed enrollment three months ahead of schedule. The CTO-PCI study is a prospective, single-arm IDE study employing the primary angiographic endpoint of successful guidewire placement beyond the CTO.

06:39 EST EQT Corporation sees Q1 total sales volume 405-425 Bcfe - Sees FY21 total sales volume 1,620-1,700 Bcfe.

06:31 EST Energy Transfer LP to acquire Enable Midstream in $7B all-equity transaction

06:17 EST Amdocs' wireless policy and charging for 5G selected by C Spire - Amdocs' Openet microservices-based Policy and Charging Controls has been selected by C Spire, a privately held U.S. telecommunications and technology company, to support its 5G plans. The Amdocs Openet policy and charging solution will enable C Spire to roll out new 4G and 5G network services to its residential and commercial customers.

06:13 EST Mammoth Energy's engineering services company awarded $40M utility contract - Mammoth Energy's wholly owned subsidiary, Aquawolf, has been awarded a contract by a major utility to provide engineering and design services. The three-year contract is expected to generate up to approximately $40M in revenue over the contract term. Since operations began in September 2019, Aquawolf now has offices in Denver, Colorado, San Diego, California and Vancouver, Washington. Aquawolf provides engineering services.

06:09 EST Henry Schein CEO says 'our end markets have rebounded' - "Against the backdrop of a most challenging year in our history due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with an unprecedented human toll and economic impact worldwide, Henry Schein's unwavering focus on our customers, along with our resilience and agility, enabled us to deliver fourth quarter total net sales growth of 18.6%. In addition, we delivered record total net sales growth for the second half of 2020 as our end markets have rebounded, and we recognize the commitment and sacrifice of our Team Schein Members globally," said Stanley Bergman, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Henry Schein. "We were successful in supporting practices that were initially open for emergency services and also assisting customers preparing to restore practices to increased operating capacity as restrictions eased. Over time, we expect that patient traffic will improve to pre-COVID-19 levels. I remain confident that Henry Schein is well-positioned for future continued success given the breadth of our products, services and support across the global dental and medical markets."

06:07 EST Pretium Resources lifts COVID-19 travel restrictions at Brucejack Mine - Pretium Resources has lifted travel restrictions at the Brucejack Mine that were implemented after a COVID-19 outbreak was declared. At the Brucejack Mine Camp 453 tests were conducted, and based on those results it was determined that the large majority of positive cases were restricted to a limited cluster. Travel has now resumed with enhanced protocols and procedures that were developed in collaboration with local indigenous partners and BC Northern Health. The company is currently assessing the potential impact on operations and will continue to closely monitor the situation and provide updates. Currently, the Company is managing 21 cases of COVID-19 among employees and contractors at the Brucejack Mine. All are in isolation, remain in good health and have exhibited limited symptoms. Close contacts have been notified and moved into isolation.

06:04 EST NY AG sues Amazon, saying it inadequately protected employees from Covid - New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Amazon on Tuesday night, alleging it inadequately protected workers from COVID-19 in Staten Island and Queens, and retaliated against employees who raised concerns, according to the complaint, which was filed in New York Supreme Court. "Amazon's extreme profits and exponential growth rate came at the expense of the lives, health and safety of its frontline workers," James argued. Reference Link

05:48 EST Interpace Biosciences CEO issues letter to shareholders on path forward - Interpace Biosciences issued the following communication to shareholders: "... The Company has now put in place a restructuring and reprioritization plan, following a comprehensive evaluation of the Company's product portfolio, business model, capital allocation strategy, customer base and future opportunities. It is rooted in seeking to achieve high growth while leveraging operational efficiencies and maintaining financial discipline to achieve our vision - to be an irreplaceable segment in the continuum of quality patient care, and our mission - to assist healthcare providers in the diagnosis, triage, and treatment of patients through advanced diagnostics and novel therapeutics. To align with the Company's new strategic vision Interpace will immediately embark on several initiatives to further strengthen its profile and enhance shareholder value. These initiatives include further cost reduction events and corporate reprioritization efforts, while investing in core capabilities to ensure the Company maintains operational efficiencies and a growth profile. This is intended to reduce the cash burn. Interpace will seek to leverage opportunities to outsource functions that are not core competencies of the Company while accessing opportunities to align corporate resources with the Company's laboratories and field support teams. In total, the Company will seek to achieve annualized savings of approximately $7.2 million from its cost structure. We anticipate this will help the Company realize $4.5-$4.9 million in cost savings by the end of 2021, net of investments. Cost-savings initiatives will include reducing infrastructure costs, streamlining management, consolidating duplicative functions across both business units, and adapting to a remote work environment for non-laboratory personnel, which reduces the need for traditional office structures. Additionally, as part of its growth plans, the Company will prioritize the exploration of partnering opportunities to acquire new technologies that fit the Interpace vision with a commitment to excellence and delivering higher value at a lower cost. Further the Company will seek to grow its revenue by improving its reimbursement, entering new managed care contracts, and capitalizing on the recent opportunities related to the pricing of diagnostic testing. The Company's operational initiatives to invest in core capabilities include (1) Progressing towards new automation technology to support testing capabilities across our clinical services business in order to ensure first-in-class testing capabilities; (2) Renovating and modernizing the Pittsburgh clinical services laboratory to solidify the Company's ability to compete with top performing labs globally; (3) Improvements in overall efficiency as new technologies are transferred from development in the New Haven laboratory to commercialization in the Pittsburgh laboratory; and (4) In pharma services, exploring new clinical development capabilities with the Company's new state-of-the-art lab in Morrisville, North Carolina to maximize our ability to meet customers' needs. In addition to our cost reduction, corporate reprioritization, and growth plans, we face significant challenges with respect to our Nasdaq listing. Nasdaq requires a minimum of $2.5 million of stockholders' equity to remain listed on the exchange. The $47M preferred stock investments by our private equity investors did not qualify to be accounted for as stockholders' equity. Due primarily to this, the adverse impact of COVID-19 and the impairment charges recently announced, our current stockholders' equity deficit to remain compliant through 2021 is expected to be nearly $43 million. In anticipation of being delisted from Nasdaq, the Company has applied to be listed on the OTCQX, the highest tier over-the-counter market. The Company was notified by Nasdaq of non-compliance with the minimum stockholders' equity requirement in October 2020 and anticipated being able to cure the non-compliance in February 2021. Due to the delayed Q3 Form 10-Q filing, the $18M impairment announced in December 2020, and the re-statement of financials dating back to 2016, it was recently determined that the Company has been out of compliance with the minimum stockholders' equity requirement since the end of 2019. The Company sought to seek an extension which was denied. The Company considered various alternatives to remediate the stockholders' equity shortfall and determined that none of them were in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders primarily due to their dilutive impact to our common stockholders. On February 16, 2021, the Company received the notice of delisting from Nasdaq. The Company will remain listed on Nasdaq pending its right to appeal. We understand and share the disappointment our shareholders may have when receiving this news; however, if the process results in the Company moving to the OTCQX, there will be no minimum stockholders' equity requirement, enabling Interpace to direct 100% of its energy and focus on growth. While we recognize this is a necessary step, it will allow the Company to shape and build upon the foundation in place with a driven emphasis on visibility, lower cash spend and the prioritization of the usage of capital in a strategic manner..."

05:33 EST Biophytis to begin patient recruitment in France, Belgium for COVA Study - Biophytis announced that patient recruitment will begin in France and Belgium for Part 2 of its COVA Study assessing Sarconeos as a potential treatment for acute respiratory failure associated with COVID-19. Following the Data Monitoring Committee, or DMC, recommendation to begin the recruitment for Part 2, authorization was obtained from regulatory authorities in Brazil and the U.S. for most clinical centers in the two countries for the start of Part 2. Similar authorizations are now obtained in France and in Belgium, from the respective regulatory authorities. That brings to four the number of countries in which the COVA Study is now recruiting for Part 2: France, Belgium, Brazil and the United States, following the completion of patient enrollment for Part 1, which is now achieved with 50 participants.

05:22 EST Cedar Fair establishes 2021 opening dates for its seasonal parks - Working closely with state and local officials, the company has established 2021 opening dates for its seasonal parks ranging from May 8 to May 29. Knott's Berry Farm, the company's only year-round park, has announced the return of its "Taste of" walkabout culinary festivals, with the opening of the Taste of Boysenberry Festival on March 5. These limited-duration culinary festivals will be offered again until such time when the State of California and Orange County lift restrictions and allow Knott's to resume full park operations. Planned opening dates for other parks in Cedar Fair's portfolio include Kings Island on May 8, both Cedar Point and Canada's Wonderland on May 14, and Carowinds on May 29. The company believes the combination of broader vaccine distribution over the next few months, the public's pent-up demand for outdoor, closer-to-home entertainment, and the sizable and active 2021 season pass base at its parks will be drivers of a recovery in attendance, particularly in the second half of the year.

05:10 EST Carnival to restart Italian cruises through Costa Cruises in March - The cruise ships of Costa Cruises, the Italian company of Carnival, are ready to set sail again and offer guests holidays, along with enhanced health and safety protocols. The restart begins with the departure of the Costa Smeralda, scheduled for March 27 with an unchanged itinerary, sailing guests to beautiful Italian locations, with three- and four-day mini-cruises or alternatively a seven-day cruise, calling at Savona, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Naples, Messina and Cagliari. From May 1, Costa Smeralda will return to sailing one-week cruises in the western Mediterranean, with visits to Italy, France and Spain. A second ship, Costa Luminosa, will also be back in service, departing from Trieste from May 2, and the following day from Bari, confirming its program of one-week cruises in Greece and Croatia. Costa is working with national and local authorities of the countries included in the itineraries of its ships outside Italy to define the details of the restart of cruise operations, with enhanced health and safety measures through the implementation of the Costa Safety Protocol. All other cruises scheduled until the end of May, and not included in the program updated today, will be cancelled. Costa is in the process of informing travel agents and customers affected by changes.