Stockwinners Market Radar for March 15, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:52 EDT Corporacion America Airport reports February passenger traffic down 69.1% - Corporacion America Airports S.A. reported today a 69.1% year-over-year decline in passenger traffic in February 2021, "reflecting the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air travel across all countries of operations. Certain travel restrictions and requirements are in place and in most countries, while overall demand remains weak. International traffic declined by 84.5% y/y, while domestic traffic dropped 64.2% y/y".

19:37 EDT California Water Service to acquire Skylonda Mutual Water Company - California Water Service, the largest subsidiary of California Water Service Group, has entered into an agreement to acquire the water system assets of Skylonda Mutual Water Company, which serves 176 customer connections adjacent to Cal Water's Bear Gulch District. The purchase is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of the California Public Utilities Commission, and the transaction is expected to close in 2022.

18:26 EDT AMD CEO: We have enormous demand and continue to ramp supply to meet it - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Dr. Lisa Su said AMD (AMD) has been working on its high performance data center roadmap for five years. The company is making bets now for the next five years, she added. Su said she is "extremely excited" about the Xilinx (XLNX) acquisition and has "more conviction" than ever. Things are "progressing as expected" with Xilinx, she noted.

17:55 EDT Velodyne Lidar names Jim Barnhart as COO - Velodyne Lidar announced that it has appointed James Barnhart as COO, effective immediately. Barnhart brings to Velodyne Lidar more than 30 years of experience and has a proven track record of manufacturing operations leadership, most recently serving as Senior Vice President, Operations at Nanometrics.

17:34 EDT Red River Bank names Bridges Hall credit policy officer - Red River Bank announced several organizational changes affecting the Northwest Louisiana market, which includes the Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan statistical area. Bridges Hall has been named senior vice president and credit policy officer for Red River Bank. He will remain based in Shreveport, Louisiana. An employee of the bank since 2006, Bridges previously served as northwest market president and stepped in as interim credit policy officer following the untimely passing of the bank's previous officer. Jennifer Elliott has joined Red River Bank as northwest market president in Shreveport-Bossier City. Jennifer has more than two decades of banking experience and most recently served as north Louisiana market president for another national banking organization. "I am proud to join Red River Bank as we work together to serve the unique needs of customers in the Northwest Louisiana market," stated Jennifer. "Red River Bank offers a blend of easy access to knowledgeable bankers, combined with the sophisticated array of technology that businesses and individuals look for in a bank."

17:01 EDT Facebook, News Corp reach multi-year agreement in Australia - News Corp (NWSA) announced that it has reached a multi-year agreement to provide access to trusted news and information to millions of Facebook (FB) users in Australia through its Facebook News product. The agreement involves News Corp Australia and includes The Australian national newspaper, the news.com.au news site, major metropolitan mastheads like The Daily Telegraph in New South Wales, Herald Sun in Victoria and The Courier-Mail in Queensland and regional and community publications. In parallel Sky News Australia has also reached a new agreement with Facebook which extends and significantly builds on an existing arrangement. The three-year deal follows an agreement reached in October, 2019 in which News Corp publications in the United States receive payments in exchange for access to additional stories for Facebook News.

16:48 EDT Microsoft looking into issue for access to certain M365 services - Microsoft said it is investigating an issue for access to multiple Microsoft 365 services. "We've identified an issue with a recent change to an authentication system," the company said. "We're rolling back the update to mitigate impact, which we expect will take approximately 15 minutes. Additional information can be found at http://status.office.com or under MO244568 if available. The process to roll back the change is taking longer than expected. We'll provide an ETA as soon as one becomes available. Additional information can be found at http://status.office.com or under MO244568 if available." Reference Link

16:42 EDT Workiva director Crow sells $500K in company shares - Workiva director Michael Crow disclosed in a filing that he had sold 5,000 shares of company stock for $100 per share on March 11, for a transaction amount of $500,000.

16:35 EDT Monro names Michael Broderick president, CEO - Monro (MNRO) announced the appointment of Michael Broderick as President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Broderick will assume his role effective April 5, 2021, at which time he will also join the Board of Directors. Mr. Broderick brings over 25 years of experience executing profitable growth and business transformation strategies in the aftermarket parts and tire service industry. He most recently served as Executive Vice President of Merchandising and Store Operations Support at Advance Auto Parts (AAP) where he played a critical role in driving same-store sales growth and operational improvements. Robert Mellor, who has served as Interim Chief Executive Officer since August 2020, will continue in his role as Monro's Chairman of the Board. Mellor stated, "Mike is uniquely qualified to lead Monro through the next phase of our transformation as we continue to build a strong, scalable platform for sustainable growth. He has a proven track record of delivering superior performance at large, complex organizations, driving profitable growth through technology-driven strategies, and fostering an inclusive work environment. We are pleased to welcome Mike to Monro and look forward to his leadership, honed by his decades of executive and operational experience in the automotive aftermarket industry."

16:33 EDT News Corp jumps 3.5% to $25.58 after disclosing Rupert Murdoch insider buy

16:29 EDT Meta Financial names Kia Tang as Chief People and Inclusion Officer - MetaBank announced that Kia Tang has joined the company as Chief People and Inclusion Officer. Kia will oversee People & Culture and lead enterprise-level Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She will report to Brad Hanson, Co-President and CEO of MetaBank. As Chief People and Inclusion Officer, Kia will take charge of MetaBank's initiatives to further integrate DEI into the company's culture, programs, and solutions. Additionally, Kia will drive alignment of MetaBank's workplace strategy across both physical and remote locations, and lead and oversee facilities and administration. Commenting on this key addition, Hanson said: "Kia brings a passion and fundamental understanding of the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion to an organization's long-term success. She is a resourceful and creative strategist skilled in human resources, operations and finance. The combination of Kia's skillset and the expanded role of Chief People and Inclusion Officer marks an important point in MetaBank's history and mission to support financial inclusion for all."

16:24 EDT Solid Biosciences reports interim functioning, biomarker data from IGNITE DMD - Solid Biosciences reported interim functional and biomarker data, and patient reported outcome measures, or PROMs, from six patients after treatment in the ongoing IGNITE DMD Phase I/II clinical trial of its lead gene therapy candidate, SGT-001. The company also announced that patient 7in IGNITE DMD was safely dosed, with transient and manageable adverse events, none of which were serious. Patient 7 was the first patient dosed in IGNITE DMD under a previously reported clinical protocol amendment and using SGT-001 manufactured with its second-generation process. Additionally, the six patients previously dosed showed no new drug-related safety findings, 17-37 months post dosing. The totality of data collected, and the re-initiation of dosing, support the continued enrollment of patients into the IGNITE DMD study. The data reported were collected from the first six patients dosed in IGNITE DMD 12 to 24 months after treatment and include data from three patients dosed at the low dose (5E13 vg/kg) and three patients dosed at the high dose. Data from the delayed treatment cohort, analyzed as an untreated control cohort, were evaluated alongside representative natural history data. The six patients ranged in age from five to 14-years-old at baseline. These data have been previously shared with FDA, as well with members of the IGNITE DMD Data Safety Monitoring Board and clinical consultants. Among patients in the low and high dose cohorts, North Star Ambulatory Assessment (NSAA) scores at one year suggest benefit after treatment as compared to trajectories typically observed in natural history data. Natural history analyses suggest that patients similarly aged to those enrolled in IGNITE DMD would normally be expected to exhibit year-over-year disease progression ranging from a plateau in gains to a 3 to 3.7-point decline. Patients in the untreated control cohort exhibited a mean decline of 4 points from baseline to 1 year, while patients in the low-dose cohort exhibited a mean improvement of 1 point over the same period of time. Patients in the high-dose cohort exhibited a mean improvement of 0.3 points as compared to their baseline values. Mean increase in the 6-Minute Walk Test, or 6MWT, distance was above the generally accepted minimally clinically important difference of 30 meters in both the low- and high-dose cohorts after treatment. While patients in the untreated control cohort exhibited a decline of 8.5 meters from baseline to one year, patients in the low-dose cohort exhibited a mean improvement of 37 meters and patients in the high-dose cohort exhibited an improvement of 49.7 meters over the same period. With respect to pulmonary function tests, or PFTs, the majority of patients in both dose groups exhibited improved forced vital capacity at one year when declines in pulmonary function would otherwise be typically observed in patients with Duchenne. From baseline to one year, patients in the untreated control cohort exhibited a mean decline of 10.7% on an absolute basis, while patients in the low-dose and high-dose cohorts exhibited a mean improvement of 3.9% and 16.7%, respectively, over the same period. Creatine kinase, or CK, assessments of the six patients provide potential physiological evidence of a positive or stabilizing effect after one year of treatment with a single high-dose infusion of SGT-001. An average sustained CK decline of approximately 50% in patients in the high-dose cohort was observed. In the low-dose cohort, an average CK increase of approximately 166% was observed, and in the control group an average CK increase of approximately 17% was observed. Patient reported outcome measures taken after one year of treatment revealed a trend towards dose-ordered improvements in motor function subscales and fatigability assessments, providing real-world evidence to support the clinical and biomarker findings of varying degrees of benefit to patients in the low- and high- dose cohorts. Meaningful improvements were demonstrated in the Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument, or PODCI, a validated PROM that contains questions to assess how caregivers and children evaluate the child's ability to walk, stand, and perform activities of daily living, as well as recreational activities. Motor function scores reflect the gains seen in 6MWT and benefit of NSAA observed in all dosed patients. Semi-structured, qualitative interviews conducted by Modus Outcomes with patients and caregivers about the impact of Duchenne on functioning demonstrated overall improvement in functional activity and school-related impacts in low- and high-dose cohorts, with subjective decreased fatigability in all patients of both treatment cohorts. Additionally, with resumption of dosing in IGNITE DMD, patient 7 was dosed safely with mild to moderate adverse events, all of which have fully resolved. The resumption of dosing was under an amended clinical protocol and using SGT-001 manufactured with an improved process, both of which are designed to enhance patient safety.

16:20 EDT Intrepid Potash announces increases to Trio price - Effective March 15, Intrepid increased its Trio price by $20 per ton on all product grades. Trio(R) price is now posted at $80 per ton above the 2020 summer-fill price. "The strong fertilizer season continues as solidly profitable farm economics support robust application across virtually all markets." said Bob Jornayvaz, Intrepid's Executive Chairman, President, and CEO. "We are seeing strong commodity markets around the world as evidenced by rising prices across a suite of farm commodities such as soybeans, corn, cotton, sugar, cocoa, palm oil, forage crops, fruits, and vegetables and also rising prices in industrial commodities such as copper and oil, traditional harbingers of improving global economics and growth. We have a strong book of sales through the second quarter and expect customers will continue to replenish warehouses as the season continues. We expect to achieve this higher pricing on spot tons in the second quarter."

16:17 EDT Ibex opens second site in Bohol, Philippines - Ibex announced the opening of its second site in Bohol, Philippines, in the Plaza Marcela complex. "We're thrilled to announce the launch of Plaza Marcela - our second site opening in Bohol, bringing us to over 1300 agents in the province, and clearly the leader in this amazing market," said Bob Dechant, CEO of ibex. "Bohol offers a highly educated talent pool, and it's quickly becoming the digital customer support engine for some of the world's leading brands. As ibex drives end-to-end digital transformation efforts for our clients, Bohol has become a key pillar in our BPO 2.0 strategy." ibex's new site is located in Tagbilaran City, Bohol and is the company's eighth contact center in the Philippines. The Plaza Marcela office features 560 production seats, two production spaces, training rooms, meeting rooms, conference rooms, data rooms, a full recruitment area, and sleeping quarters.

16:16 EDT Dick's Sporting's Colombo sells over 15,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Dick's Sporting Goods director William J. Colombo disclosed the sale of 15,080 common shares of the company on March 12 at a price of $75.001 per share.

16:14 EDT Motus GI Holdings announces enrollment of first patient in Pure-Vu System study - Motus GI Holdings announced the enrollment of the first patient in a pilot study of the Pure-Vu System. The study is evaluating the clinical and economic outcomes using the Pure-Vu System in patients with emergent lower gastrointestinal bleeding that are evaluated and treated in the intensive care unit, or ICU, or the rapid inpatient endoscopy suite. The study, which is being conducted at a a non-profit, academic medical center in the U.S., is expected to enroll up to 20 patients with acute lower GI bleeding, who are undergoing urgent colonoscopy under monitored anesthesia care or conscious sedation. The colonoscopies will be performed using the Pure-Vu System after the patient has received minimal to no purgative preparation and two enemas. Cleansing success will be attained if a Boston Bowel Preparation Scale of two is achieved in all three colonic segments. The primary outcome of the study will be the proportion of patients who achieve an adequate bowel preparation to identify bleeding lesions in all three colonic segments.

16:12 EDT Service Corp. partners with TAPS - Service Corporation and its brand, Dignity Memorial, have partnered with Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors to support individuals grieving the loss of a military loved one. SCI will become an official partner of TAPS with a $250,000 contribution, which will provide valuable support programs and materials to help survivors cope with grief and loss.

16:08 EDT ICF International awarded $30M contract from EPA - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded ICF a new five-year, single-award indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract valued up to $30M to provide technical, analytical and quality assurance support to inform the agency's decisionmaking process. The scope of work includes continued services to Regions 3 and 9 and was expanded by $5M from the previous contract to include services to Region 5.

16:06 EDT Forward Air names five independent directors to board - Forward Air Corporation announced that it has appointed five independent and "highly qualified" directors to its Board of Directors in connection with an agreement with Ancora Holdings, a significant shareholder which currently owns approximately 6.4% of the Company's outstanding shares. George Mayes, Chitra Nayak, Scott Niswonger, Javier Polit and Richard Roberts will join the Board, effective immediately, and will stand for election at the Company's 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The Company has established March 24, 2021 as the record date for shareholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting, which will be held on May 19, 2021. These individuals bring substantial experience across operations, finance and technology to a meaningfully refreshed Board. In connection with the appointments of Ancora's designees, Mr. Niswonger and Mr. Roberts, Ancora also endorsed the new directors identified by Forward Air. In addition, Forward Air has entered into a consulting agreement with Andrew C. Clarke, former Chief Financial Officer of Forward Air. The Company also announced that John Langley Jr. and Gil West will not stand for re-election at the Annual Meeting. Following the Annual Meeting, the Board will comprise 13 directors, 12 of whom are independent and nine of whom will have joined the Board in the last four years.

16:03 EDT AcelRx sees FY21 CapEx $4M-$5M - AcelRx said, "The company's 2021 year-end goals include obtaining 615 cumulative formulary approvals as we expect COVID restrictions on elective surgeries to be loosened in the second half of 2021. Quarterly combined R&D and SG&A expense is expected to be approximately $9-$10 million (and $8.0-$8.5 million excluding stock compensation and depreciation). Annual debt service is expected to approximate $10 million as we continue to pay down amounts outstanding under our senior debt facility. Annual capital expenditures are expected to range from $4-$5 million attributed mainly to the final installation of our new high-volume, automated packaging line at our contract manufacturer. We expect initial packaging batches to be produced at the end of this year, with commercial batches beginning after regulatory approvals are received in Q3 2022. With a path now clear to final installation of the automated packaging line, we also plan to close on an agreement to out-license DZUVEO for Europe later this year."

15:21 EDT KemPharm extends gains, up 33% to $12.50 in afternoon trading

15:05 EDT Tyson Foods expands free, onsite COVID-19 vaccinations in Arkansas - Tyson Foods is expanding its free, onsite COVID-19 vaccinations to all team members in the state of Arkansas, where 20% of the company's U.S. workforce is based. March 15 through April 2, the company will hold 19 vaccination events to ensure the company's 24,000 Arkansas employees have convenient access to the vaccine. The vaccines are being provided in conjunction with Matrix Medical, local health departments and other healthcare providers where food processing workers are among the priority groups now eligible for vaccination.

14:51 EDT AzurRx CEO says 'fully capitalized,' expects 2021 to be 'super year' - AzurRx (AZRX) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical focused on the development of recombinant proteins for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. In an exclusive interview with The Fly, the company's President and CEO James Sapirstein talked about AzurRx's financial situation and what to expect ahead: "We're getting closer to data and we were able to do a capital raise that paid for the deal with First Wave Bio. Things have been going great. We're fully capitalized, with enough money to get us through the end of MS1819 trials and launch the other two trials. We're progressing nicely. I believe 2021 will be a super year for us." "Meet the Company" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive short interviews with Executive Officers to offer a deeper look inside the company.

14:36 EDT KemPharm halts for volatility after jumping 17% to $11.02

14:14 EDT Citi reports February charge-offs 2.76% vs. 2.01% last month - Reports February 30-plus day delinquency 1.31% vs. 1.37% last month.

13:50 EDT Skillz says short report 'contains numerous inaccuracies, misleading claims' - Contacted by The Fly following a short report by Restrinct, a spokesperson for Skillz said that "The report from Restrinct contains numerous inaccuracies and misleading claims. The only new claim in this report is an erroneous calculation of our unit economics, which relies on defective math and demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of our business. The company released its 2020 Year-End and Q4 earnings results last week, which speak to the strength of Skillz's business. We look forward to fielding questions from Restrinct when we report our Q1 results." Restrinct claimed in a recently published report that Skillz was "simply another skill-based gambling startup," and that "these exact, literally identical, business models have existed in the past and have largely gone defunct or failed to scale over time." Skillz management "has a history of announcing partnership and projects that have failed to materialize," the short seller added, arguing that Skillz "is essentially paying a dollar in advertising to show eighty cents in growth."

13:20 EDT AzurRx CEO expects COVID-related GI infection trial to start 'very soon' - AzurRx (AZRX) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical focused on the development of recombinant proteins for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. In an exclusive interview with The Fly, the company's President and CEO James Sapirstein talked about AzurRx's pact with PPD (PPD) for a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating a proprietary formulation of micronized niclosamide as a treatment for COVID-19-associated gastrointestinal infections: "Niclosamide is a very old product for parasites and antiparasitic that was approved in the U.S. in 1982. When COVID broke out and people started looking at products that could be repurposed to work against COVID, niclosamide showed incredible activity against COVID. We now contracted with PPD to conduct our Phase 2 trial. We should be announcing very soon that we're launching the trial. The letter of intent has been signed, we've looking at different sites and coordinating which facilities to use. We hope this trial will be concluded by the first quarter of 2022. If we recruit patients faster, we will finish faster. We also believe that because COVID is not going way despite the vaccine given a lot of mutations and variations, we will need therapeutics like this to treat people. We're going right into Phase 2. First Wave Bio had its IND approved by the FDA back in September, so they're allowing us to go right to a proof-of-concept trial with PPD, most likely by the end of this month or early next month. We should get emergency authorization use if it works." "Meet the Company" is The Fly's recurring series of exclusive short interviews with Executive Officers to offer a deeper look inside the company. The remainder of this interview to follow.

13:00 EDT Data from MS1819 Phase 2b trials expected in first half of 2021, AzurRx CEO says

13:00 EDT AzurRx BioPharma CEO Sapirstein sees 2021 being 'a super year'

12:23 EDT VW aims to establish 8,000 fast-charging points in Europe with BP - Volkswagen (VWAGY) said that its battery offensive is being accompanied by a large-scale expansion of the fast-charging network. Along with its partners, the company intends to operate about 18,000 public fast-charging points in Europe by 2025. This represents a five-fold expansion of the fast-charging network compared to today and corresponds to about one third of the total demand predicted on the continent for 2025. This will be done through a series of strategic partnerships in addition to the joint venture IONITY. Volkswagen wants to establish about 8,000 fast-charging points throughout Europe together with BP (BP). The fast-chargers with a charging capacity of 150 kW will be installed at a total of 4,000 BP and ARAL service stations, with the majority of these in Germany and Great Britain. In cooperation with Iberdrola, Volkswagen will cover main traffic routes in Spain. In Italy, Volkswagen wants to collaborate with Enel to establish the fast-charging network both along motorways and in urban areas. Volkswagen will invest about EUR 400 million in the European programme as a whole by 2025, with further investments being borne by external partners. Volkswagen is expanding the public fast-charging network in the US and China too. Electrify America is planning around 3,500 fast-charging points in North America by the end of the year. In China, a total of 17,000 fast-charging points are being targeted by Volkswagen by 2025 through the CAMS joint venture.

12:22 EDT Volkswagen sees six cell factories running in Europe by 2030 - Volkswagen said that is pushing ahead at full speed with the development of production capacities in Europe in order to meet the increasing demand for battery cells. "Together with partners, we want to have a total of six cell factories up and running in Europe by 2030 thus guaranteeing security of supply", explains Thomas Schmall. The new factories are expected to produce cells with a total energy value of 240 GWh per year by the time they are finally completed. Volkswagen is therefore actively contributing to meet the targets of the European Union's Green Deal. The first two factories will operate in the Swedish city of Skellefteundefined and in Salzgitter. In response to increased demand, Volkswagen has decided to refocus the previous plan in relation to cell production and concentrate production of its premium cells in the Swedish gigafactory "Northvolt Ett" in Skellefteundefined in collaboration with Northvolt. The production of these cells is set to commence in 2023 and will be expanded gradually to an annual capacity of up to 40 GWh. The gigafactory currently operated by Volkswagen in Salzgitter will produce the unified cell for the high-volume segment from 2025 and develop innovations in process, design and chemistry. Production capacity of up to 40 GWh per year is also planned for Salzgitter. This refocusing will deliver enhanced economies of scale and reduce the complexity of production. Both gigafactories will be powered with electricity from renewable energy sources. Potential sites and partners are currently being considered for the other factories.

12:16 EDT GM-backed Cruise to acquire Voyage - Voyage's Oliver Cameron, co-Founder and CEO, stated in a post to the company's blog: "I am delighted to share that Voyage is being acquired by Cruise! Together, we will deliver on the promise of self-driving cars - a revolutionary technology that will enable millions to move freely, affordably, and sustainably within their communities. At Voyage, we've been laser-focused on delivering a product that benefits the lives of real people. Voyage's approach has always been to leverage our limited resources to deliver a product that restores mobility to those who need it most: senior citizens. We've made tremendous progress towards this goal, moving countless senior citizens (some as old as 92!) around their communities. Now at Cruise, we are thrilled to have the substantial resources to eventually serve not just senior citizens, but every possible demographic who stands to benefit from self-driving services." Cruise is majority owned by General Motors (GM). Reference Link

12:01 EDT Alpha Metallurgical Resources falls -10.3% - Alpha Metallurgical Resources is down -10.3%, or -$1.60 to $13.90.

12:00 EDT RYB Education falls -11.2% - RYB Education is down -11.2%, or -66c to $5.25.

12:00 EDT J.Jill rises 35.7% - J.Jill is up 35.7%, or $1.81 to $6.88.

11:41 EDT Phoenix Tree Holdings Limited (Class A ADS) trading halted, news pending

11:28 EDT RF Capital says Canaccord proposal not in best interest of holders - RF Capital Group (GMPXF) commented on an announcement by Canaccord Genuity Group (CCORF) that it had privately made an unsolicited proposal for the purchase of some or all of the outstanding shares of the Company. "RF Capital advises shareholders that its Board declined to engage with Canaccord, having unanimously concluded that the proposal was not in the best interest of the Company's shareholders, advisors, clients and other stakeholders in light of the considerable opportunities for Richardson Wealth in the fast-growing wealth management industry."

11:24 EDT GameStop trading resumes

11:19 EDT GameStop trading halted, volatility trading pause

11:00 EDT Guangdong Yuecai to invest RMB 500M in XPeng China subsidiary - XPeng announced that its subsidiary in China has reached a strategic cooperation agreement with Guangdong Yuecai Investment Holdings, the investment arm of the Guangdong provincial government. Pursuant to the agreement, Yuecai will invest a total of RMB 500M, through the Guangdong Industrial Development Fund, in XPeng's subsidiary in China to further accelerate the company's business expansion, Xpeng said in a statement. "The investment recognizes XPeng's leadership position in the Smart EV industry in China and its strategy of developing proprietary R&D tailored for local customer needs. The investment also acknowledges XPeng's significant contributions to local economic development, in particular to the transition of the automobile sector, developing advanced EV technologies, and building the connected and intelligent mobility ecosystem and supply chain, as well as to the local talent base expansion in Guangdon," the company added.

10:25 EDT Gamida Cell presents efficacy results from Phase 3 omidubicel study - Gamida Cell Ltd. announced the results of a Phase 3 clinical study of omidubicel presented in an oral session at the Presidential Symposium of the 47th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. In addition to the Presidential Symposium, the session will be featured in a live panel discussion, "EBMT Talks: Live with the Best Abstracts." This clinical data set, which was also recently presented at the Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings of the American Society of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy and Center for International Blood & Marrow Transplant Research, or the TCT Meetings, was from the international, multi-center, randomized Phase 3 study of omidubicel designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of omidubicel in patients with high-risk hematologic malignancies undergoing a bone marrow transplant compared to patients who received a standard umbilical cord blood transplant. Gamida Cell previously reported in May 2020 that the study achieved its primary endpoint, showing that omidubicel demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in time to neutrophil engraftment, a measure of how quickly the stem cells a patient receives in a transplant are established and begin to make healthy new cells, and a key milestone in a patient's recovery from a bone marrow transplant. The median time to neutrophil engraftment was 12 days for patients randomized to omidubicel compared to 22 days for the comparator group. All three secondary endpoints demonstrated a statistically significant improvement among patients who were randomized to omidubicel in relation to patients randomized to the comparator group. Platelet engraftment was significantly accelerated with omidubicel, with 55 percent of patients randomized to omidubicel achieving platelet engraftment at day 42, compared to 35 percent for the comparator. The rate of infection was significantly reduced for patients randomized to omidubicel, with the cumulative incidence of first grade 2 or grade 3 bacterial or invasive fungal infection for patients randomized to omidubicel of 37 percent, compared to 57 percent for the comparator. Hospitalization in the first 100 days after transplant was also reduced in patients randomized to omidubicel, with a median number of days alive and out of hospital for patients randomized to omidubicel of 60.5 days, compared to 48.0 days for the comparator. The details of these data were first reported in December 2020.

10:05 EDT Bank of America reports February net charge-offs 2.56% vs. 2.52% last year - Reports 30-plus day delinquency rate 1.5% vs. 1.55% last month and 1.61% last year.

10:01 EDT Rubius Therapeutics trading resumes

10:00 EDT FinVolution Group falls -11.0% - FinVolution Group is down -11.0%, or -95c to $7.65.

10:00 EDT Alpha Metallurgical Resources falls -14.7% - Alpha Metallurgical Resources is down -14.7%, or -$2.27 to $13.23.

10:00 EDT Renren rises 21.7% - Renren is up 21.7%, or $1.92 to $10.75.

09:58 EDT Rubius Therapeutics soars 65% to $27.05 after solid tumor trial data

09:47 EDT FinVolution Group falls -7.2% - FinVolution Group is down -7.2%, or -62c to $7.98.

09:47 EDT Exterran falls -14.5% - Exterran is down -14.5%, or -64c to $3.76.

09:47 EDT Northern Genesis Acquisition rises 19.7% - Northern Genesis Acquisition is up 19.7%, or $3.48 to $21.18.

09:36 EDT NAV CANADA awards Raytheon UK radar system contract - Raytheon UK, a unit of Raytheon Technologies, will deliver 12 Condor Mk3 next-generation Monopulse Secondary Surveillance Radar systems to NAV CANADA with an option to purchase additional radar systems as part of a 15-year contract. The first radar system will be shipped in March and installed by NAV CANADA in April.

09:33 EDT Engine No. 1 releases full slate of nominees for Exxon Mobil board - Engine No. 1, which has nominated four independent director candidates to the Exxon Mobil board of directors, released a statement that said in part: "We began this campaign last year by noting that each Board member is 'highly accomplished and respected, including by us,' and that remains true today. However, we believe it is also still true, as we said then, that the Board lacks directors who bring 'a diverse set of experiences in successful, global energy operations and decades of leading value-creating transformations in the industry.' We therefore continue to believe that reenergizing ExxonMobil requires the election of our nominees, each of whom brings substantial yet unique track records of success in energy... Each of our nominees has generated strong returns in energy and has unique experience directly applicable to the array of challenges facing ExxonMobil. Gregory J. Goff is one of the most respected operators in the oil and gas industry and generated a 1,224% return for shareholders as the CEO of Andeavor. Kaisa Hietala helped transform the refining company Neste into the world's largest and most profitable producer of renewable fuel, a business which ExxonMobil has pursued for years without success. Alexander Karsner has decades of conventional and renewable energy experience including with some of the most successful clean tech startups of the last decade, and helps oversee major investments in cutting edge energy projects for Alphabet's X. Anders Runevad generated a 480% return for shareholders as the CEO of Vestas, which has more worldwide installed wind power than any other manufacturer, and is credited with turning the once heavily-indebted Vestas around."

09:29 EDT Honeywell sees FY21 segment margin 20.7%-21.1%

09:26 EDT ATN International: Alaska Communications shareholders approve acquisition - ATN International, Inc. (ATNI) announced that, based on preliminary voting results of a special meeting of stockholders of Alaska Communications Systems Group, Inc. (ALSK) held on Friday, March 12, 2021, Alaska Communication's stockholders have approved the pending acquisition by ATN of all of Alaska Communications shares. ATN and financial partner Freedom 3 Capital, LLC previously announced the proposed transaction in January 2021 to acquire all the outstanding shares of Alaska Communications common stock for $3.40 per share in cash. The transaction will result in Alaska Communications becoming a privately held company, with ATN to own a majority ownership stake. "Alaska Communications is an excellent fit for ATN. We look forward to entering this market with a provider that has a great reputation and working together with the Alaska Communications team to drive further growth," noted Michael Prior, CEO. The transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals from the Federal Communications Commission and Regulatory Commission of Alaska and other customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021.

09:22 EDT CrossFirst Bancshares announces CFO David O'Toole retiring - CrossFirst Bankshares announced that David L. O'Toole, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Investment Officer and a founding shareholder/board member, has announced his plan to retire from CrossFirst after nearly 15 years of service. Mr. O'Toole has served in his current roles for his entire time with the Company.

09:16 EDT CBAK Energy Technology partners with European hydrogen energy group - CBAK Energy Technology announced that it has signed a memorandum of cooperation with a leading European hydrogen energy group with 100 years of operation history to promote the development of hydrogen fuel cells. As part of the Cooperation, both parties will be able to capitalize on each other's competitive advantages in technological innovation and industrial resources as well as exchange ideas on industry development. At the same time, both parties will be able to actively explore more opportunities to collaborate on high-quality projects going forward, including but not limited to such areas as hydrogen fuel cell production, hydrogen fuel cell stack, hydrogen transportation, hydrogen storage, hydrogen refueling stations, and more. The signing of the Cooperation reflects the mutual belief between both parties that it is a win-win arrangement which will help to advance the broader technological and industrial development of society over the long run.

09:13 EDT Tesla transitions Jerome Guillen to President, Heavy Trucking - Effective March 11, Jerome Guillen, President, Automotive, of Tesl transitioned to the role of President, Tesla Heavy Trucking, the company disclosed in a regulatory filing. Since September 2018, Guillen has overseen Tesla's vehicle programs, supply chain and service infrastructure and "contributed to the development of leaders, organizations and processes capable of continuing to direct and operate those functions for our passenger vehicle programs," the company said. It added, "As Tesla prepares to enter the critical heavy trucks market for the first time, Mr. Guillen will now leverage his extensive background in this industry to focus on and lead all aspects of the Tesla Semi program, including the related charging and servicing networks."

09:11 EDT Elon Musk now 'Technoking' of Tesla, CFO now 'Master of Coin' - Tesla announced in a regulatory filing that effective as of March 15, the titles of Elon Musk and Zach Kirkhorn have changed to "Technoking of Tesla and Master of Coin, respectively." Musk and Kirkhorn will also maintain their respective positions as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the company added.

09:07 EDT JetBlue sees flown capacity for Q1 down approx. 41% y/y - JetBlue Airways Corporation announced in a regulatory filing an operational and financial update of the business. The company's flown capacity for the first quarter of 2021 is expected to decrease approximately 41% versus the first quarter of 2019, compared to the company's previous planning assumption of a decrease of at least 40%. The company plans to continue to manage and align capacity with demand on a rolling basis. Although booking trends remain choppy, in recent weeks JetBlue has experienced an improvement in bookings by leisure and visiting friends and relatives customers. The Company now expects revenue to decline between 61% and 64% during the first quarter of 2021, year over two. This range compares to the Company's prior planning assumption of a revenue decline between 65% to 70%, year over two. JetBlue continues to believe demand and revenue recovery will be non-linear and cannot reliably predict changes to revenue due to additional COVID-19 related disruptions or other factors. Despite modestly higher fuel prices, the company continues to expect total operating expenses for the first quarter of 2021 to decrease 25% versus the first quarter of 2019. The company now expects EBITDA for the first quarter of 2021 to range between ($490M) - ($540M), better than the prior planning assumption range of ($525M) - ($625M).

09:05 EDT Poshmark names William Ingham as Chief People Officer - Poshmark (POSH) announced the appointment of William Ingham as its first Chief People Officer. In this role, Ingham will be responsible for leading all aspects of the global human resources function, including talent acquisition and retention, rewards and recognition, performance management, organizational development, compensation and benefits, employee training and culture. Ingham brings more than 25 years of experience to the role. Most recently, Ingham was Chief HR Officer at Visa (V) Europe in London where he was responsible for setting the people and talent strategy for employees in 37 countries across Europe.

09:04 EDT Plumas Bancorp relocates corporate headquarters to Reno, Nevada - Plumas Bancorp announced the relocation of its corporate office to Reno, Nevada. The move by Plumas Bancorp demonstrates its ongoing commitment to increase services for businesses based in the Northern Nevada region. Plumas Bank first opened a loan production office in Reno in 2006 followed by branches in Reno and Carson City in 2015 and 2018, respectively.

09:03 EDT Shift names Oded Shein as CFO, replacing Cindy Hanford - Shift announced the appointment of Oded Shein as the company's CFO, responsible for all Finance, Accounting and Business Operations functions. Shein has extensive public company experience in the retail industry. He served as CFO of Stage Stores for seven years and is presently a Board Member and Chair of the Audit Committee at Conn's HomePlus. Shein will be taking over for Cindy Hanford, who will be stepping down after serving as the finance leader at Shift since October 2019.

09:02 EDT Adamis Pharmaceuticals: Tempol reduced lung inflammation in hamster model - Adamis Pharmaceuticals announced that in studies conducted at Galveston National Laboratory, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, hamsters challenged with the virus that causes COVID-19, resulted in decreased inflammation in the lungs of animals treated with Tempol compared to controls. This is the first data demonstrating that Tempol, a novel antioxidant, can reduce inflammation in animals given the virus that causes COVID-19. The group plans on submitting the publication to a peer review journal. Dr. Chien-Te Kent Tseng, Professor of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Director of GNL's SARS/MERS/COVID-19 Laboratory at UTMB, commented on these results: "In our hamster COVID-19 model, pulmonary inflammation with cellular infiltrates and hemorrhage is triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection. Treatment with Tempol reduces the overall inflammatory responses and appears to start repairing damaged lungs." These results are also consistent with the results that the company announced regarding in-vitro cytokine data from Stanford University. The results demonstrated that incubation of Tempol significantly suppresses multiple inflammatory cytokines from cells taken from COVID-19 patients.

09:00 EDT Alaska Communications stockholders approve merger pact with ATN International - Alaska Communications Systems Group (ALSK) announced that, based on the preliminary voting results from a special meeting of stockholders held on Friday, March 12, Alaska Communications' stockholders have approved the adoption of the previously announced merger agreement relating to the proposed transaction between Alaska Communications and a newly formed entity created by ATN International, Inc. (ATNI) and ATN's financial partner Freedom 3 Capital, whereby Alaska Communications will become a consolidated, majority owned and operated subsidiary of ATN. After certification by the inspector of elections, the final voting results will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in a Form 8-K, which will also be available at www.sec.gov. Approval by Alaska Communications' stockholders is a condition to closing of the merger. Consummation of the merger remains subject to receipt of certain regulatory approvals and certain other customary closing conditions set forth in the merger agreement. The merger is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021.

08:53 EDT Welsh utility signs contract with Itron to improve water data management - Itron announced that it signed a contract to deploy Temetra, Itron's intelligent cloud-based mobile meter management solution, for Dr Cymru Welsh Water to improve water data management and automate meter reading. With Itron's solution, the utility will be equipped to efficiently read its 750,000 meters across the country of Wales in the United Kingdom. Providing water to 3 million customers, Dr Cymru will take advantage of Itron's Temetra solution to automate meter reading using both automated and manual meter data collection methods. With Temetra, the utility will improve meter reading efficiency with map-assisted meter reading on mobile devices; collect and upload data in real time; and securely store and manage data in the cloud. "At Itron, we are committed to providing modern water solutions to help utilities gain actionable understanding of water metering and use, water distribution, water leakage and more," said Don Reeves, senior vice president of Outcomes at Itron. "With our next-generation Temetra solution, Dr Cymru Welsh Water will be able to optimize its operations and improve customer engagement to make every drop of water count."

08:50 EDT iQIYI, Clover Films announce collaboration for four upcoming film productions - iQIYI is pleased to announce a collaboration with Clover Films to co-produce four upcoming movies. This marks the first collaboration between the two companies in content creation and will be an important foray by Singapore media companies into the China entertainment market. Clover Films will be handling international distribution rights for the slate of movies while iQIYI will be handling distribution for the movies in China. The four movies, to be shot primarily in Mandarin, will be helmed respectively by prominent Singapore directors Kelvin Tong, Melvin Mak, Ong Kuo Sin & Tay Ping Hui.

08:48 EDT Sigma Labs awarded PrintRite3D contract by Lockheed Martin - Sigma Labs (SGLB) has been awarded a contract for an initial system of its PrintRite3D in-process quality assurance solution by Lockheed Martin Space Additive Design & Manufacturing Center (LMT) based in Sunnyvale, California. The Additive Design & Manufacturing Center supports the entire Space portfolio and integrates key materials research and manufacturing processes to streamline the affordable delivery of satellite components.

08:42 EDT LPL Financial says Monteverde Group joins broker-dealer platform - LPL Financial LLC announced that The Monteverde Group has joined LPL Financial's broker-dealer, corporate registered investment advisor and custodial platforms. The team of eight advisors reported having served approximately $440 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets. They join LPL from Royal Alliance, part of the Advisor Group network of broker-dealers.

08:39 EDT Luxfer acquires SCI business of Worthington for $20M in cash, sees accretion - Luxfer (LXFR) announced it has acquired the Structural Composites Industries, or SCI, business of Worthington (WOR) for $20M in cash. The company said SCI strengthens Luxfer's composite cylinder offering and aligns with recent investments to enhance its alternative fuel capabilities to capitalize on the growing compressed natural gas, or CNG, and hydrogen opportunities. The SCI team will join the Luxfer Gas Cylinder's team located in Riverside, California. SCI will become an part of Luxfer's Gas Cylinders and all SCI products will transition to the Luxfer brand name. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to adjusted EPS in 2022 with significant cost and revenue synergies. SCI will be part of Luxfer Gas Cylinders business unit headquartered with its largest manufacturing facility in Riverside, California, about 25 miles from SCI's Pomona operations. Luxfer expects to generate significant cost synergies and growth opportunities within the first three years.

08:36 EDT ODP Corporation rejects proposal from Sycamore to acquire various ODP assets - The Board of Directors of The ODP Corporation responded to and rejected unanimously a proposal from USR Parent. the Sycamore-affiliated owner of Staples to acquire various ODP assets. Staples' proposal was contained in a letter dated March 10, from Stefan Kaluzny, Managing Director of Sycamore Partners and a Member of the Board of Directors of USR Parent and accompanied by a letter of intent by which Staples proposed that the parties would announce the contemplated sale of various ODP assets to Staples and would commit to seek regulatory approval for such transaction. The ODP Board carefully reviewed the letter and the LOI in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, and determined that ODP, in the best interest of its shareholders, cannot agree to the proposal. The Board noted in its response that Staples did not provide a valuation of the assets that Staples sought to acquire, which include certain B2B businesses of ODP. The Board further noted that the LOI, which contemplated a binding commitment to seek regulatory approval, also did not include any obligation on the part of Sycamore or Staples to proceed with the transaction, agree to a purchase price, or assume any related regulatory risk. ODP reiterated that, as it has previously stated -- including in its letter to Staples dated January 19, 2021 -- the Company is open to combining its retail and consumer-facing ecommerce operations with Staples under the right set of circumstances and on mutually acceptable terms, including in the form of a joint venture or potential sale of such assets by ODP. ODP encouraged Staples once again to engage on the basis of that approach.

08:33 EDT Arbitrator requires SDC to pay Align Technology an additional $45.5M - Align Technology (ALGN) announced the favorable outcome of a binding arbitration for the claims it asserted against SDC Financial, LLC, SmileDirectClub (SDC) LLC, David Katzman, David Katzman Revocable Trust, and David Katzman 2009 Family Trust relating to the valuation of Align's membership interest in SDC Financial LLC. "We are pleased with the arbitrator's March 12, 2021 final award in favor of Align, and against SDC, directing SDC to pay Align an additional $45.5 million for a total of $99.7 million," said John Morici, Align Technology CFO. "The first quarter continues to be very strong with increasing momentum for Invisalign Clear Aligners and iTero Systems and Services across products and customer channels worldwide, reflecting the strength of our doctor-directed model and the Align Digital Platform - which provides technology, innovation, digital tools and services to over 200,000 orthodontists, dentists and labs around the world." As previously disclosed, on March 4, 2019 an arbitrator ordered Align to tender its SDC Financial, LLC membership interest for a purchase price equal to the capital account balance as of October 31, 2017 to be determined in accordance with Align's operating agreements with the SDC entities. On July 3, 2019, Align filed a confidential demand for arbitration challenging the propriety of the SDC entities' determination of the capital account balance as of October 31, 2017. In the final award, the arbitrator found in favor of Align and against SDC and determined the value of the capital account balance to be $97.6 million, offset by the $54.2 million paid over the last two years to Align for the capital account. The arbitrator directed SDC to pay the difference of $43.4 million plus interest of $2.1 million, and additional interest of approximately $3,000 per day beginning on March 13, 2021 until payment is made in full or a different rate applies by operation of law. Align has requested the American Arbitration Association to identify March 31, 2021 as the deadline for SDC's payment of the $45.5 million, consistent with the schedule prescribed by the operating agreements, which requires SDC's payment for redemption of Align's membership interests to be made in full on or before March 31, 2021. While Align believes that based on the operating agreements SDC should make the $45.5 million payment on or before March 31, 2021, it is unclear whether SDC will do so in the absence of a stated deadline in the final award.

08:32 EDT Aegion reports amended merger agreement with increased consideration of $27/shr - Aegion Corporation announced that it has entered into an amendment to the definitive merger agreement with affiliates of New Mountain Capital, L.L.C., a growth-oriented investment firm headquartered in New York, to increase the consideration payable to holders of outstanding shares of Aegion common stock to $27.00 per share in cash from $26.00 per share in cash. The revised transaction price represents a total enterprise value of $995 million, including net debt. The revised per-share price represents a premium of 25.9% and 33.2% to Aegion's closing share price and 30-day VWAP, respectively, as of February 12, 2021, the last trading day prior to announcing the definitive merger agreement with New Mountain. The amendment, which was unanimously approved by Aegion's Board of Directors, was negotiated between Aegion and the Buyer following the receipt by Aegion of an unsolicited, non-binding proposal from a third party to acquire all outstanding shares of Aegion common stock. Additionally, the Aegion Board of Directors, in consultation with its outside legal and financial advisors, determined that the third-party proposal was not, and could not reasonably be expected to result in, a "superior proposal" to the amended agreement with New Mountain. In the amendment, as consideration for the increased purchase price, the break-up fee payable by Aegion in certain circumstances has increased from $30 million to $40 million. Further, the termination fee payable by Buyer to Aegion in certain circumstances has also increased from $60 million to $70 million. The transaction remains subject to Aegion stockholder approval, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021. Aegion will schedule a Special Meeting of Stockholders to consider and vote on the proposed merger and amended merger agreement as soon as it is able to do so, and in doing so, intends to recommend that Aegion stockholders approve the proposed merger and amended merger agreement. Upon completion of the transaction, Aegion will become a privately held company and shares of Aegion common stock will no longer be listed on any public market.

08:31 EDT Fair Isaac announces new $500M stock repurchase program - Fair Isaac announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program to acquire up to $500M of the company's outstanding common stock. This new program was approved following completion of FICO's previous stock repurchase program, which was in effect from July 2020 through March 2021. The new stock repurchase program, which is open-ended, allows the company to repurchase its shares from time to time in the open market and in negotiated transactions.

08:27 EDT Roche to acquire GenMark Diagnostics for $24.05 per share in cash - Earlier, Roche (RHHBY) and GenMark Diagnostics (GNMK) announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement for Roche to fully acquire GenMark at a price of $24.05 per share in an all-cash transaction. This corresponds to a total transaction value of approximately $1.8B on a fully diluted basis. This price represents a premium of approximately 43% to GenMark's unaffected closing share price on February 10, the last trading day before a media report was published speculating about a potential sale process. The merger agreement has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of GenMark and Roche. Once the acquisition is completed, GenMark's principal operations will continue at its current location in Carlsbad, California, USA. Under the terms of the merger agreement, Roche will promptly commence a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of GenMark's common stock, and GenMark will file a recommendation statement containing the unanimous recommendation of the GenMark board that GenMark stockholders tender their shares to Roche. "GenMark's syndromic panel testing portfolio will complement Roche's current molecular diagnostics portfolio and the Roche global network will enable expanded reach for GenMark's products. GenMark's ePlex system drives lab efficiency through streamlined order-to-reporting workflow and enables better patient outcomes by rapidly diagnosing a patient's symptoms. Infectious diseases are a leading cause of death globally, and earlier detection of the cause of an infection has been shown to improve patient outcomes and improve key hospital initiatives such as antibiotic stewardship and length of stay," the company said.

08:20 EDT Aeterna Zentaris announces exclusive COVID license pact with Julius-Maximilians - Aeterna Zentaris announced that the company exercised its option announced on February 2, 2021 and has entered into an exclusive worldwide sub-licensable patent and know-how license agreement for a potential COVID-19 vaccine currently in preclinical development that was invented at the Julius-Maximilians-University Wuerzburg. Additionally, the company has entered into a research agreement with the University to conduct supplementary research activities and preclinical development studies on the potential vaccine. The vaccine technology developed at the University uses the approved typhoid fever vaccine Salmonella Typhi Ty21a as a carrier strain and has the potential to be an orally active, live-attenuated bacterial vaccine to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection leading to COVID-19, the company stated. Dr. Klaus Paulini, CEO of Aeterna Zentaris, said, "We look forward to advancing our scientific collaboration with Prof. Rudel and his group at the University. Aeterna plans to select from a set of vaccine candidates to perform further in vitro and in vivo characterization before selecting the most active and stable bacterial strain for further preclinical and potentially clinical development. The goal is to develop an oral dosage form of COVID-19 vaccine which is also active against mutated viruses that can be stored in a common fridge and manufactured with relatively low costs of goods."

08:19 EDT Nokia announces agreement with AWS for cloud-based 5G radio solutions - Nokia (NOK) announced that it has signed an agreement with Amazon Web Services (AMZN) to "research and enable Cloud RAN and Open RAN technologies to support the development of new customer-focused 5G solutions. The collaboration, which will be conducted at Nokia's facilities, aims to develop innovative proof of concepts to explore and enable Cloud RAN and related technologies, the company said in a statement. Nokia is pursuing a strategy of collaborating with AWS to extend the reach of its Cloud RAN technologies in support of 5G deployments and the development of new use cases, it added. The initiative will see engineering teams from both companies research how the combination of Nokia's Radio Access Network, Open RAN, Cloud RAN and edge solutions can operate with AWS Outposts.

08:17 EDT Genpact awarded two U.S. patents for business transformation frameworks - Genpact announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has awarded the company two patents for business transformation frameworks: the first for Genpact ProcIndex, a diagnostic tool that uses smart analytics and automation to measure process health, and a second for its Intelligent Automation Index, designed to drive greater value from digital investments by identifying where automation will have its biggest potential. Both Genpact patents allow companies to generate insights at speed to deliver strategic business outcomes.

08:14 EDT Aspira Women's Health: NYS Medicaid considers OVA1 medically necessary - Aspira Women's Health announced its wholly owned subsidiary, Aspira Labs, is now credentialed with New York State's Medicaid program for an estimated additional 6.5 million Medicaid lives. NY State Medicaid will begin to cover Aspira's OVA1 test effective April 1, 2021. The addition of 6.5M NY State Medicaid lives will also increase the total coverage for OVA1 testing to 179M nationwide, the company said in a statement.

08:12 EDT Edesa Biotech completes over 50% enrollment for EB05 study - Edesa Biotech announced that it has completed enrollment of more than 50% of the patients planned for the Phase 2 portion of its ongoing Phase 2/Phase 3 clinical study evaluating the company's EB05 drug candidate as a single-dose treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients with or at risk of developing Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, or ARDS, - the leading cause of death in COVID-19 patients. The company reported that more than 160 of the expected 316 subjects in the Phase 2 portion of the study have been randomized and dosed with either EB05 or placebo. The patients were treated at hospital sites across Canada, the United States and Colombia. In preparation for the potential Phase 3 portion of the study, the company plans to activate approximately 20 additional hospital sites in the next two months.

08:11 EDT Twist Bioscience starts shipping new synthetic RNA reference controls - Twist Bioscience announced that it has started shipping its new synthetic RNA reference controls, which include the new variant strains of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 and P.1, that have emerged in South Africa and Brazil, respectively. In addition, Twist began shipping synthetic RNA controls that cover the B.1.1.7 strain of SARS-CoV-2 in a stabilized format that can be shipped and stored at room temperature. "The launch of the additional controls demonstrates Twist's continued commitment to the global scientific community as they develop improved tools to identify, monitor and track the evolution of COVID-19," said Emily M. Leproust, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Twist Bioscience. "The number of vaccinated individuals continues to grow exponentially, providing hope that we are making progress in fighting the pandemic and yet it is critically important that we remain vigilant in surveillance of escape mutations that could cause that trend to reverse."

08:10 EDT Nokia partners with Microsoft on cloud solutions for enterprise - Nokia (NOK) announced an agreement with Microsoft (MSFT) to develop new market-ready 4G and 5G private wireless use cases designed for enterprises. The collaboration will combine Nokia's Cloud RAN technologies with Microsoft Azure cloud-based services and developer ecosystem to drive end-user functionality via new business cases. The initiative supports Nokia's strategy of partnering with best-in-class public cloud providers to drive end-user business outcomes essential for monetizing 4G/5G deployments.

08:09 EDT Blucora highlights strength of current board in letter to shareholders - Blucora announced that it will be mailing a letter to its stockholders in connection with the Company's upcoming 2021 annual meeting of stockholders, scheduled to be held on April 21, 2021. Blucora's Board of Directors unanimously recommends that stockholders vote "FOR" ALL of Blucora's highly qualified director candidates on the BLUE proxy card. The letter to stockholders from Blucora's Board highlights the Company's implementation of a strategic transformation that is achieving strong momentum and already delivering measurable results.

08:07 EDT American Tower, Dish in master lease pact for up to 20,000 sites - American Tower (AMT) and DISH Network (DISH) announced that they have entered into a master lease agreement through which DISH may lease space on up to 20,000 American Tower communications sites. Through the agreement, DISH will secure access to American Tower's extensive U.S. portfolio of communications sites as it deploys its new nationwide 5G network, and American Tower will enhance its long-term U.S. organic growth trajectory. Dave Mayo, DISH's Executive Vice President of Network Development said, "With the American Tower agreement, DISH now has the complete, robust infrastructure portfolio we need to support our nationwide 5G network deployment. Our team has already developed colocation plans for American Tower sites across the country to bring a new generation of connectivity to Americans." Steve Vondran, American Tower's Executive Vice President and President, U.S. Tower Division stated, "We look forward to this agreement evolving into a long-term, mutually beneficial strategic partnership. We believe that our nationwide portfolio of communications sites is optimally positioned to continue to serve as the backbone of today's critical mobile broadband networks while assuring a meaningful share of new leasing activity in the marketplace." Under the agreement, cash lease payments from DISH to American Tower will commence in 2022 and grow over time as DISH's network deployment progresses. In addition, DISH may lease shared generators from American Tower on select sites and will have the ability to utilize American Tower's zoning, permitting and other pre-construction services.

08:06 EDT Extended Stay to be acquired by Blackstone, Starwood in deal valued at $6B

08:05 EDT Univar, Novozymes to expand the existing partnership - Univar Solutions and Novozymes announced an agreement, effective April 1, to expand the existing partnership into the U.S. and Canadian homecare, industrial cleaning, and beverages markets. The ongoing and expanding relationship between the two companies demonstrates a shared commitment to providing customers with a portfolio of ingredients designed to help improve product performance and enable solutions that have the potential to bring more sustainable products to the homecare, industrial cleaning and beverages markets through better performing formulations. The exclusive distribution agreement builds upon the companies' existing partnership in Europe. Industrial enzymes and microorganisms help customers more efficiently use raw materials, reduce energy consumption and potentially replace traditional chemicals with more sustainable alternatives for a more diverse product offering. Novozymes will work closely with the Univar Solutions flagship solution center in Houston, Texas, which is home to a global center of excellence for innovation in the homecare and industrial cleaning industry.

08:04 EDT Intec Pharma jumps 127% to $10.50 after announcing all-stock merger with Decoy

08:03 EDT Intec Pharma to merge with Decoy Biosystems - The company states: "Intec Pharma announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination with Decoy Biosystems, Inc., a privately-held, preclinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel, multi-targeted products that safely prime both innate and adaptive anti-tumor and anti-viral immune responses. The combined company will advance its immunotherapy platform to battle a variety of tumor types and chronic viral infections. Decoy previously held a pre-IND meeting with the FDA, currently plans to file an IND in the second half of 2021 and to initiate a Phase I clinical trial in 2022 targeting solid tumors and lymphomas. Under the exchange ratio formula in the merger agreement, without taking into consideration the effect of the respective levels of cash and liabilities of each of Intec Pharma and Decoy, upon completion of the merger, the former Decoy stockholders are expected to own approximately 75% of the combined company, and the Intec shareholders are expected to own approximately 25% of the combined company, calculated on a fully diluted basis. The actual allocation will be subject to adjustment based on, among other things, Decoy's and Intec Pharma's net cash balance (including, in the case of Intec Pharma, any proceeds from any disposition of the Accordion Pill business) at the time of closing and the amount of closing financing raised, which will dilute securityholders of Decoy and Intec Pharma on a pro-forma basis. The combined company is expected to be led by Jeffrey Meckler as Chief Executive Officer and Michael Newman as Chief Scientific Officer with Dr. Roger Pomerantz serving as Chairman. At closing, the combined company's board of directors is anticipated to consist of eight members, including five members of Intec Pharma's current board and three members of Decoy's current board. The Board of Directors of both companies have approved the transaction. The merger is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021, subject to the approval of the shareholders of each company, the domestication of Intec Pharma to Delaware, the disposition of Intec's Accordion Pill business, the raising of closing financing, the continued listing of the combined company on Nasdaq, as well as customary closing conditions."

08:02 EDT GrowGeneration acquires Char Coir, terms not disclosed - GrowGeneration announced its acquisition of Char Coir, an RHP-certified growing medium made from the highest-grade coconut fiber available. Established in 2014, Char Coir is recognized as the best coco coir on the market. Char Coir's portfolio of products are 100% biodegradable and compostable and a sustainable alternative to rockwool. Char Coir's line of coco products is projected to add in excess of $15M in revenue to GrowGen in 2021.

07:53 EDT Extended Stay jumps 17% to $19.88 before halt after WSJ buyout report

07:47 EDT Extended Stay America trading halted, news pending

07:38 EDT Takeda, IDT support manufacturing of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine - Takeda Pharmaceutical (TAK) announced a mutual agreement with IDT Biologika GmbH a contract development and manufacturing organization, to utilize capacity at IDT previously reserved for Takeda's dengue vaccine candidate to manufacture the single-shot COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) . At the end of a three-month period, the capacity will be returned to Takeda to resume critical manufacturing for the planned launch of its dengue vaccine, subject to regulatory approvals. "We are pleased to work with IDT to support Janssen's efforts to make its COVID-19 vaccine available and accessible to as much of the world as possible," said Rajeev Venkayya, President, Global Vaccine Business Unit at Takeda. "We also recognize the massive unmet need for a dengue vaccine and will work closely with IDT to mitigate the impact on the supply of TAK-003." "I am grateful to our longstanding customer Takeda for their flexibility, allowing us to help provide much-needed COVID-19 vaccines to the world," said Jurgen Betzing, IDT Biologika's CEO. "It has become abundantly clear over the past months that the challenges posed by the pandemic can only be solved by cooperation and commitment. I believe this short-term arrangement between three industry organizations demonstrates our sector's willingness and ability to contribute to creatively solving this crisis. With our production for Janssen and AstraZeneca plus the development of our own COVID-19 vaccine in cooperation with the German Center for Vaccine Research, DZIF, our company can make a major contribution to the fight against COVID-19." With this agreement, Takeda is now supporting global access to three different COVID-19 vaccines. Takeda previously announced its commitment to providing rapid and sustained access to COVID-19 vaccines in Japan through partnerships with Novavax and Moderna. Takeda will receive a manufacturing technology transfer from Novavax and will be responsible for the development and commercialization based on manufacturing capacity of over 250 million doses. The company will also import and distribute 50 million doses of Moderna's mRNA COVID-19 vaccine as part of a joint partnership with Moderna and the Government of Japan's Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare .

07:33 EDT Galecto: DSMB recommends Phase 2b study continuing with modifications - Galecto announced that an independent Data Safety Monitoring Board has completed its interim review of the company's Phase 2b GALACTIC-1 study of GB0139 for the treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis. On Friday, March 12, the DSMB recommended that, based upon a safety analysis of the data, the company discontinue dosing and enrolling patients in the 10 mg arm along with patients in the 3 mg arm who are receiving combination treatment with the currently approved treatments of IPF, nintedanib and pirfenidone. "We expect the 3 mg and placebo arms in patients who are not on concomitant nintedanib or pirfenidone will continue enrolling patients," the company said in a statement. GALACTIC-1 is a 52-week randomized, double-blind, multicenter, parallel, placebo-controlled Phase 2b study being conducted across more than 100 centers globally, investigating the safety and efficacy of Galecto's lead compound, GB0139, in patients with IPF. Initial unblinded data readout is anticipated in 2022. The DSMB informed the company, based on unblinded safety and efficacy data, that there was an imbalance in the serious adverse experiences across the study groups, but not an imbalance between the groups in mortality. Galecto expects to continue recruiting patients who are not taking nintedanib or pirfenidone at screening and who would be randomized to receive GB0139 3 mg or placebo. The DSMB recommended the patients randomized to the 10mg group and all those taking nintedanib or pirfenidone should be discontinued from the study. Based on these recommendations, the Company plans to work with both the study investigators and the appropriate regulatory authorities to implement these changes promptly. "Galecto is committed to patient safety and continuing the development of life changing treatments for patients with IPF. Around 50% of IPF patients in Europe and the US do not receive treatment with either pirfenidone or nintedanib, representing a very significant unmet medical need, as they have no available treatment options. Based on our prior phase 1b/2a study of GB0139 in IPF patients, we believe the 3 mg dose has the potential to be an effective clinical dose for these patients," said Dr. Hans Schambye, CEO of Galecto. He added "there is a very strong demand for a tolerable alternative to the approved therapies."

07:31 EDT Farmmi subsidiary wins new multi-product U.S. export order - Farmmi announced its subsidiary Zhejiang Forest Food Co., Ltd., won a new multi-product order for its distinctive and flavorful dried whole and sliced mushrooms, and dried black fungus. The customer, a trading company supplying to major global hotel and supermarket chains, including the STANFORD hotel chain and the H-MART supermarket chain, will export Farmmi's products to the U.S.

07:31 EDT Corcept Therapeutics initiates Phase 1b trial of Relacorilant plus Pembrolizumab - Corcept Therapeutics (CORT) announced enrollment of the first patient in the Phase 1b trial of relacorilant in combination with the PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab, Merck's (MRK) medication, Keytruda, in patients with adrenal cancer with cortisol excess. "Cortisol activity blunts the cancer-killing attributes of immunotherapeutic agents such as checkpoint inhibitors," said Andreas Grauer, MD, Corcept's Chief Medical Officer, "which may be why pembrolizumab is rarely effective as monotherapy in patients with adrenal cancer with cortisol excess. Our trial will examine whether adding relacorilant to pembrolizumab therapy will reduce cortisol-activated immune suppression sufficiently to help pembrolizumab achieve its intended tumor-killing effect, while relacorilant treats the Cushing's syndrome caused by excess cortisol activity." The open-label, Phase 1b trial has a planned enrollment of 20 patients with metastatic or unresectable adrenal cancer with cortisol excess at five sites in the United States.

07:30 EDT Greenrose Axquisition Corporation trading resumes

07:24 EDT Aveo Pharmaceuticals to regain ex-North American rights to AV-203 - AVEO Oncology announced that it will regain its rights to AV-203 outside of North America, its clinical-stage potent humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody that targets ErbB3, following the voluntary termination of its collaboration and license agreement by CANbridge Life Sciences. AVEO will regain rights to AV-203 in all territories outside of North America, and CANbridge has initiated the process to transfer all preclinical data and materials to AVEO. The transfer of rights and termination of the collaboration and license agreement will become effective on September 5, 2021. AV-203 is an IgG1 antibody designed to inhibit both ligand-dependent and ligand-independent ErbB3 signaling. ErbB3 is a receptor that is typically expressed in many human cancers, and AV-203 has demonstrated preclinical activity in multiple tumor models. To date, AVEO has completed a Phase 1, open-label, dose-escalation study of AV-203 in patients with advanced solid tumor. In this study, one patient had a dose limiting adverse event and the recommended phase 2 dose, or RP2D, is 20 mg/kg. One of two neuregulin positive (NRG1+) patients had a partial response. Neuregulin, the only known ligand for ErbB3, is a potential biomarker which may prove to be predictive of AV-203 anti-tumor activity. "By reacquiring rights to AV-203 outside of North America, we add global rights to a third IgG1 antibody clinical candidate within our internally developed and diverse portfolio of oncology therapeutics," said Michael Bailey, president and chief executive officer of AVEO. "AV-203 has demonstrated early signs of activity in an NRG1+ patient that suggest it could have meaningful application in several areas of high unmet need in cancer. We look forward to advancing AV-203 in the clinic as part of our strategy for delivering long-term value from our pipeline programs. This strategy includes progress in our immunotherapy combination programs for FOTIVDA(R) (tivozanib), potential initiation of a pivotal study of ficlatuzumab in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and the execution of our Phase 1 study of AV-380 for cancer cachexia." Under their 2016 agreement, AVEO granted CANbridge Life Sciences worldwide rights, excluding the United States, Canada, and Mexico, to AV-203. CANbridge completed their manufacturing obligations under the agreement and AVEO received a $2 million development and regulatory milestone in August 2018 from CANbridge for regulatory approval from the National Medical Products Administration in China of an investigational new drug application for a clinical study of AV-203 in esophageal squamous cell cancer.

07:22 EDT Lexaria Bioscience provides progress update on five DehydraTECH studies - Lexaria Bioscience announced progress in five studies focused on the performance of DehydraTECH CBD as a treatment for hypertension. Three human clinical trials and two animal research trials are part of the company's 2021 applied research and development program. The company has additional studies under design, to be announced when available. Lexaria's DehydraTECH CBD for hypertension studies are being performed by third-party laboratories to ensure study objectivity. In HYPER-A21-1 dosing is complete and sample analysis is underway in this animal study. No observed behavioural tolerability issues were noted during or after dosing. This study is evaluating the rate of absorption and speed with which various new enhanced DehydraTECH experimental formulations deliver CBD to the bloodstream and brain. Enhanced DehydraTECH 2.0 formulations represent next-generation drug delivery enhancements not yet commercially available anywhere in the world. Results should be reported in or around the first half of May. In HYPER-A21-2 dosing is scheduled to begin next week and is expected to be completed in this animal study by March 30. This study is also evaluating the rate of absorption and speed with which additional enhanced DehydraTECH 2.0 formulations deliver CBD to the bloodstream and brain. Results should be reported in or around the first half of June. In HYPER-H21-1: Regulatory importation clearance was received for the clinical test articles for this human study which have arrived at the European research site. Following this, recruitment of the 24 volunteers with otherwise untreated pre- or mild-hypertension has begun. Human dosing is tentatively expected to be complete by May. A particular DehydraTECH 2.0 formulation will be evaluated in this study. Time series blood pressure and heart rate analyses are the primary objectives of this study. Secondary objectives include speed and rate of absorption of the CBD and its main metabolites, as well as evaluation of inflammatory markers associated with cardiovascular disease and gold-standard biomarkers of nitric oxide. This latter measure provides mechanistic insight into the anticipated reduction in blood pressure via vasodilation. Inflammatory marker assessments may also be applicable to Lexaria's research initiatives in the antiviral therapeutics space whereby effective anti-inflammatory therapies are also useful in treating diseases like COVID-19 or other common pro-inflammatory conditions. Since a large array of data points will be generated and analyzed, final reporting on this study is likely to be reported in early September or thereabouts, though preliminary outcomes may be reported before then. In HYPER-H21-2: Formal hospital and ethics board applications for this upcoming European human clinical study have been approved and test articles are expected to arrive at the research site as early as next week. Following this, recruitment of 16 volunteers will commence soon in this study. A particular DehydraTECH 2.0 formulation will again be utilized in this study. As in HYPER-H21-1, volunteers will be pre- or mildly-hypertensive males and females aged 45-70 years. In this study, however, volunteers will consume three separate doses of 150mg of DehydraTECH CBD or placebo that will be split over a 24-hr period, and be monitored continuously via ambulatory monitoring technology throughout this time. The primary objectives of this study are blood pressure and heart rate evaluation, while the secondary objectives include central arterial stiffness, physical activity and sleep quality. Once again, a large array of data points will be generated and analyzed and final reporting on this study is likely to be reported in late September or thereabouts, though preliminary outcomes may be reported before then. Lastly, in HYPER-H21-3: Formal hospital and ethics board approvals for this upcoming European human clinical study have also been received and test articles are also expected to arrive at the research site as early as next week. Following this, 16 volunteers will be recruited once recruitment in studies HYPER-H21-1 and HYPER-H21-2 is complete. In a placebo-controlled and blinded design, a single 300mg dose of a particular DehydraTECH 2.0 CBD formulation will be administered in this study to examine its effect on acute pulmonary hypertension. Exposure to acute reductions in oxygen tension causes rapid hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and, as a consequence of this HPV response, pulmonary arterial pressure increases. If this increase in pressure becomes too high, as is the case in many cardiac pathologies, an excess of fluid in the lungs can occur that causes difficulty with breathing. The extent to which CBD may act as a novel treatment for HPV, and potentially as an alternative treatment for pulmonary hypertension, is unknown. Thus, the primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of DehydraTECH CBD on pulmonary vascular function in normotensive individuals exposed to hypoxia. The magnitude of HPV, blood pressure, heart rate, blood samples and pulmonary gas exchange data will be collected and analyzed. Details will be furnished at a future date on the likely timing of reporting from this study once recruitment has begun.

07:22 EDT RumbleOn Inc (Class B Stock) trading halted, news dissemination

07:15 EDT Torchlight Energy Resources provides update on Metamaterial combination - Torchlight Energy Resources announced that it is continuing to work towards the completion of the regulatory requirements necessary to consummate the previously announced business combination with Metamaterial. Torchlight will file its 2020 annual report on Form 10-K prior to filing the definitive proxy statement for the special meeting of Torchlight's stockholders in connection with the arrangement. Torchlight expects to hold the special meeting within the next 30 to 60 days, and expects the closing of the arrangement to occur in Q2. Torchlight's definitive proxy statement will announce the meeting date and record date for the special meeting. The record date to determine the Torchlight stockholders that will receive a dividend of the previously announced Series A preferred stock, which will entitle its holders to, among other things, receive cash dividends in connection with the sale of Torchlight's oil and gas assets, will be determined after the special meeting is held. Metamaterial recently announced that its security holders have approved the special resolution relating to the arrangement at Metamaterial's annual general and special meeting.

07:12 EDT IronNet Cybersecurity to go public through LGL Systems Acquisition combination - IronNet Cybersecurity announced that it has signed a definitive business combination agreement with LGL Systems Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company formed to help advance domestic and international defense. Upon close of the transaction, the combined company will be renamed IronNet Cybersecurity and will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange and trade under the ticker symbol (RNT). LGL Systems Acquisition Corp., which currently holds approximately $173M cash in trust, will combine with IronNet at an estimated pro forma total enterprise value of $927M. Assuming no redemptions by LGL's existing public stockholders, IronNet's existing stockholders will hold approximately 72% of the fully diluted shares of common stock in the combined company, IronNet Cybersecurity, immediately following the closing of the business combination. The combined company expects to receive approximately $267M in net proceeds, assuming no redemptions by LGL's existing public stockholders, including proceeds from a $125M PIPE transaction. Cash proceeds are expected to be used to accelerate IronNet's revenue growth, to expand its product portfolio, and for working capital to fund increasing demand. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the board of directors of both LGL and IronNet, and is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including the approval of both parties' stockholders, expiration of Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting periods and the effectiveness of LGL's registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. The transaction is expected to close in Q3 of 2021.

07:12 EDT JPMorgan reports February net credit loss 2.11% vs. 1.97% last month - Reports February 30-plus day delinquencies 0.97% vs. 0.99% last month.

07:10 EDT Tonix Pharmaceuticals achieves 50% enrollment in RALLY Phase 3 study - Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding announced that 50 percent of the planned total number of participants have been randomized in the Phase 3 RALLY study for the management of fibromyalgia. RALLY is the Company's second of two potential pivotal Phase 3 studies of TNX-102 SL 5.6 mg, a non-opioid, centrally acting analgesic, taken daily at bedtime. The RALLY study utilizes the same protocol design as the Company's first positive Phase 3 study, RELIEF, but with an additional 200 patients. "We believe that achieving this milestone keeps us on plan for the anticipated release of interim results from RALLY in the third quarter and topline data in the fourth quarter of this year," said Tonix's President and Chief Executive Officer, Seth Lederman, M.D. "If the topline results are positive, we expect to be in a position to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) for TNX-102 SL for fibromyalgia to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2022." In December 2020, the company reported positive topline results from the RELIEF study, its first Phase 3 study for TNX-102 SL 5.6 mg in fibromyalgia. In the RELIEF study, the 5.6 mg dose achieved statistically significant pain reduction over placebo at Week 14 (primary endpoint, p=0.01). In addition, TNX-102 SL was generally well tolerated with an adverse event profile comparable to prior studies, and no new safety signals observed. An interim analysis of the first 50 percent of randomized participants in the RALLY study will be conducted shortly after the 14-week treatment period has been completed by these participants. Pending approval of the interim statistical analysis plan by the FDA, results from the interim analysis are expected in the third quarter of 2021. The interim analysis will be conducted by an Independent Data Monitoring Committee which will review the unblinded data and make one of four recommendations: (1) stop the study for success; (2) continue to enroll the full study as planned; (3) continue to enroll with a specified increase in the total number of participants in the full study; or (4) stop the study for futility.

07:09 EDT Heinz to launch three new sauce creations - After searching through a decade's worth of posts on forgotten blogs and scouring old tweets and forums, Heinz is releasing three new sauce creations inspired by Canadians: Heinz Tarchup, Wasabioli and Hanch. Created and unwittingly shared online by condiment lovers, these new creations combine some of Canada's favourite condiments into three equally saucy mashups.

07:07 EDT IGM Biosciences names Lisa Decker as chief business officer - IGM Biosciences announced the appointment of Lisa L. Decker, Ph.D., to the newly created position of Chief Business Officer. Ms. Decker joins IGM with twenty years of experience in business development strategy, transactions and alliance management. Most recently, Decker was Chief Business Officer at Atreca, Inc., where she led business development, including the portfolio and alliance management functions.

07:07 EDT Amedisys repurchases approximately $73M of stock under buyback program - Amedisys has repurchased approximately $73M in stock beginning Monday, March 1. Late in 2020, the Amedisys Board of Directors authorized up to $100M in share repurchases through December 31, 2021. "This was a very advantageous time to buy back the stock," said Paul Kusserow, Amedisys Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Our shareholders got a great deal on this repurchase. Given our low leverage and very strong cash flow, this repurchase has no impact on our ability to execute upon our inorganic growth strategy and will not impact our plan to deploy capital into acquisitions. Our pipeline in both home health and hospice remains very full and we look forward to getting a few of these deals across the finish line."

07:06 EDT Rogers, Shaw: Synergies expected to exceed C$1B annually within 2 years

07:05 EDT Rogers, Shaw to invest C$2.5B in 5G networks over 5 years in Western Canada

07:04 EDT Check-Cap receives FDA IDE approval for pivotal study of C-Scan - Check-Cap announced that the U.S. FDA has approved the company's Investigational Device Exemption application, permitting Check-Cap to begin a pivotal study of C-Scan in the U.S. C-Scan is intended for candidates who are at average-risk for CRC and who are poor candidates for colonoscopy or decline colonoscopy, or who had an incomplete optical colonoscopy. The pivotal study will evaluate safety and performance of C-Scan as well as subject compliance with C-Scan.

07:02 EDT Rogers Communications to acquire Shaw Communications for approx. C$26B

07:01 EDT Greenrose Axquisition Corporation trading halted, news dissemination

06:53 EDT Baidu gets qualifications for 35 vehicles to test autonomous driving in Cangzhou - Baidu received qualifications for 35 vehicles to demonstrate commercialized autonomous driving operations, and qualifications for 10 vehicles to conduct driverless testing, by Cangzhou traffic authorities. These qualifications will allow Baidu to be the first company in China to experiment with various monetization mechanisms for autonomous driving services. With these qualifications, Baidu Apollo will be able to roll out commercialized demonstrations of its smart transportation services in Cangzhou, and explore various mechanisms for charging customers, such as discounts, trial tickets, and voluntary payments from riders, for the first time by any autonomous driving company in China. In August 2020, Baidu opened the Apollo Go Robotaxi service in the downtown areas of Cangzhou, which has allowed people to hail a free robotaxi ride through their smartphone. In addition to bringing added convenience and safety to the people of Cangzhou, Baidu's robotaxis are intelligent electric vehicles that contribute to environmental protection by reducing carbon emissions. The qualifications will also enable Baidu to test driverless vehicles in Cangzhou, the first company to receive this permission in the city. Baidu Apollo previously received this permission in Changsha and Beijing in September and December of 2020, respectively. Baidu is the first and only company approved to conduct open road driverless testing in the Chinese capital. Internationally, Baidu Apollo obtained permission in California to conduct driverless testing. To obtain the Cangzhou qualifications, companies were required to complete a total of 50,000 kilometers of local testing on open roads, accompanied by safety drivers, while being responsible for zero accidents. As of March 1, Baidu's Cangzhou fleet accumulated 524,696 kilometers of total test mileage with each car averaging 17,490 kilometers, a testament to the safety and reliability of Apollo-powered autonomous vehicles.

06:33 EDT Trane plans to cut product carbon emissions by nearly 50% by 2030 - Trane Technologies announced that it plans to cut its product carbon emissions by nearly 50% by 2030, and that its ambitious emissions reduction targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative. Cutting product emissions in half over the next decade supports Trane Technologies' 2030 Sustainability Commitments, including its Gigaton Challenge to reduce customer emissions by one billion metric tons. It also supports the Paris Agreement goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, which will require net-zero global carbon emissions by 2050.

06:23 EDT Canaccord Genuity announces offer to acquire RF Capital rejected - Canaccord Genuity announced that on March 9, it submitted a letter to the board of directors of RF Capital Group in which Canaccord Genuity proposed to purchase 100% of the outstanding shares of RF Capital for $2.30 per share for cash or Canaccord Genuity common shares. The proposal represented a 31% premium to the closing price of RF Capital common shares on March 12 and a 30% premium to the volume-weighted average price for the 20 trading days ended on that date. The proposed price of $2.30 per common share is supported by the formal valuation commissioned by the special committee of RF Capital's board of directors in connection with the recently completed transaction between RF Capital and Richardson GMP Limited. The company said, "The rationale behind the Proposal is simple - on a combined basis, RF Capital and Canaccord Genuity would become the preeminent independent wealth business in Canada. Unfortunately, RF Capital's board of directors dismissed the Proposal on March 10, 2021 without reason. As a result, RF Capital shareholders, including its Investment Advisors ("IA"s) who, as a group, represent a significant shareholding, were not provided an opportunity to consider an offer at an attractive valuation. Representatives of Richardson Financial Group Limited (the "Richardson family"), which owns approximately 44% of the outstanding common shares of RF Capital, rejected an invitation to discuss the Proposal. We are disappointed that we have been unable to engage with RF Capital's board of directors and the Richardson family in a meaningful and productive way in connection with our Proposal, despite numerous attempts to engage in constructive dialogue since last September. We feel strongly that RF Capital shareholders and Richardson Wealth Investment Advisors (including those with RF Capital shares subject to a multi-year escrow) should have an opportunity to consider the Proposal. We believe the Proposal presents an opportunity to form the preeminent independent wealth management business in Canada, and a compelling opportunity for RF Capital's shareholders to participate in the ongoing success of Canaccord Genuity's existing platform and on a combined basis with the addition of Richardson Wealth."

06:21 EDT Danone confirms Emmanuel Faber to step down as chairman and CEO - Danone said in a statement: "The Board has decided that Emmanuel Faber will step down as Chairman and CEO. As a consequence, it has appointed Gilles Schnepp as Chairman of the Board with immediate effect. Second, the Board has decided to appoint Veronique Penchienati-Bosetta, currently CEO International, and Shane Grant, currently CEO North America, to jointly lead the business while the search for a new CEO is underway. Veronique Penchienati-Bosetta, CEO, and Shane Grant, deputy CEO, will work together, with a focused attention on operational execution and delivery. The immediate priority of the new Chairman, together with the Board, will be to lead the transition, including the search for a new CEO. Danone has appointed an international search agency to support the process. Gilles Schnepp and the Governance Committeewill oversee the search to ensure that a world leading CEO is found. In his overall mission, Gilles Schnepp will be supported by the Executive VP Chairman's Office, Laurent Sacchi, the Chief Financial Officer, Juergen Esser and the full Executive Committee. The Board believes in the necessity of combining high economic performance and the respect of Danone's unique model of a purpose-driven company, built on the strength of its brands and enabled by the outstanding quality of its teams."

06:18 EDT uCloudlink signs distribution contract with Shore-Access - uCloudlink has signed a distribution contract with Shore-Access, an international communication service provider based in the Philippines, to distribute its products and connectivity services in Philippines, Japan, Australia and Africa. The company said the alliance will increase uCloudlink's sales and distribution channels in these markets, while expanding its partner ecosystem and paving the way for limitless business opportunities. Shore Access is already a global distributor of uCloudlink's GlocalMe device, which offers mobile data solutions for international and domestic travelers. As part of the expanded partnership, Shore Access will also distribute uCloudlink's customer premises equipment router device and data connectivity services in the Philippines, Japan, Australia and Africa. Shore Access will also distribute uCloudlink's data connectivity services, which utilize uCloudlink's PaaS and SaaS platform to integrate and intelligently allocate resources of data service suppliers, terminal suppliers and application developers.

06:14 EDT KBR awarded $25M Australian Defence Force contract - KBR announced it has been awarded a $25M contract to perform sustainment services for the Australian Defence Force, or ADF, secure deployed networks, including Naval, Special Operations, Land and Coalition networks. These services include supply-chain management, identity and access management, and technical services to enable convergence of these networks. Under the terms of this contract, KBR will provide Information Communications Technology, or ICT, engineering and logistics support for the ADF Chief Information Officer Group, or CIOG, in Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane. This work is expected to be performed over three years, with KBR performing technical services to sustain and uplift these warfighter networks. This work represents a new business line for KBR within CIOG, working alongside a number of industry partners.

06:12 EDT Aurora Mobile enters partnership agreement with Sharpening Technology - Aurora Mobile announced that it has entered into a partnership agreement with Sharpening Technology Limited, also known as BitDeer. Leveraging its artificial intelligence-based smart operation services, Aurora Mobile aims to help BitDeer develop the most reliable digital asset mining services.

06:09 EDT Aurinia Pharma reports positive cost-effectiveness assessment of LUPKYNIS - Aurinia Pharmaceuticals announced a favorable assessment regarding the cost-effectiveness and value of LUPKYNIS based on an independent analysis issued by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review in a revised Evidence Report issued on March 12. The report finds that LUPKYNIS represents an important new treatment option for patients living with lupus nephritis and at the estimated net price, determined the therapy to be priced in alignment with ICER's recommended health-benefit price benchmark ranges. LN is a serious progression of systemic lupus erythematosus that can lead to permanent and irreversible kidney damage, if poorly controlled. Medical expenses are four times higher for people with LN when compared to people with SLE alone and black people with SLE are four times more likely to develop the condition. The ICER report determined LUPKYNIS to be more cost-effective across several sub-groups of LN patient populations, including black patients, compared to the general population, which ICER notes could have the potential to reduce historic disparities. The ICER report also reiterated that voclosporin added to standard therapy nearly doubled the complete response and markedly increased the partial response of patients at one year compared with standard therapy alone. In the AURA-LV Phase 2 and AURORA Phase 3 clinical trials, when added to the standard of Care, LUPKYNIS nearly doubled the likelihood of achieving CR and reduced the median time to urine protein/creatinine ratio by 50%, when compared to treatment with the SoC alone.

06:07 EDT CareTrust REIT raises quarterly dividend to 26.5c from 25c per share - The current dividend will be payable to common stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 31. The company confirmed that plans to pay the dividend on or about April 15.

06:03 EDT Ocuphire Pharma says MIRA-2 trial met its primary endpoint - Ocuphire Pharma announced positive top line results in the MIRA-2 Phase 3 registration trial investigating its product candidate Nyxol for reversal of pharmacologically induced mydriasis. Nyxol is a proprietary, preservative-free, stable, investigational eye drop formulation of phentolamine mesylate designed to reduce pupil size by inhibiting contraction of the iris dilator muscle. MIRA-2 was designed as a multi-center, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled, parallel, 24-hour Phase 3 trial that planned 168 healthy study participants, and ultimately enrolled 185 study participants. These topline results indicate that the MIRA-2 trial met its primary endpoint with 49% percent of subjects treated with Nyxol returning to less than or equal to 0.2 mm of their baseline pupil diameter at 90 minutes compared to 7% of subjects treated with placebo. The study population was comprised of subjects who had received one of three mydriatic agents in the modified Intent to Treat population. The three mydriatic agents used in this trial were phenylephrine 2.5%, tropicamide 1%, and Paremyd, which are all commonly used in optometry and ophthalmology offices to dilate patients' pupils for annual or special exams.

05:43 EDT Bluebird Bio announces new data from livaldogene autotemcel gene therapy program - Bluebird Bio announced new data from the clinical development program for its investigational elivaldogene autotemcel gene therapy in patients with cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, or CALD, including updated results from the pivotal Phase 2/3 Starbeam study (and the long-term follow-up study LTF-304, as well as safety outcomes from the Phase 3 ALD-104 study. Data were presented in an oral presentation duringtthe 47th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation , or EBMT 2021. The ALD-102 study has completed enrollment. All reported data below from ALD-102 are as of October 2020 and all reported data below from LTF-304 are as of November 2020. These data reflect a total population of 32 patients with a median follow-up time of 38.6 months. Of the 32 patients who have received eli-cel in ALD-102, 27 have completed the study and enrolled in a long-term follow-up study. Two additional patients continue to be followed in ALD-102 and have not reached 24 months post-treatment. As previously reported, two patients withdrew from the study at investigator discretion, and one experienced rapid disease progression early on-study resulting in MFDs and subsequent death. To date, 124 patient-years of follow-up have been collected for ALD-102 and LTF-304. The primary efficacy endpoint in the study is the proportion of patients who are alive and free of MFDs at Month 24. Of those patients who have reached Month 24, 90% have met the primary endpoint and continue to be alive and MFD-free at two years of follow-up. There is no evidence of MFDs through nearly seven years of follow-up in the 27 patients who completed ALD-102. Fourteen patients in LTF-304 have reached at least their Year 5 follow-up visit, including seven patients who have reached at least their Year 6 follow-up visit. The two patients from ALD-102 that have not reached Month 24 have also shown no evidence of MFDs. Data on several secondary and exploratory efficacy outcomes are reported, including changes in neurologic function score (NFS), a 25-point score used to evaluate the severity of gross neurologic dysfunction across 15 symptoms in six categories; resolution of gadolinium enhancement, or GdE, an indicator of active inflammation in the brain; and change in Loes score, an MRI measurement of white matter changes in CALD. Stable NFS at last assessment is defined as maintaining an NFS less than4 without an increase of greater than three points from baseline. Of the 32 patients treated, 31 had stable NFS at last available visit following treatment with eli-cel, and 23 patients maintained an NFS of 0. An NFS of 0 indicates that there is no observed impairment in the neurologic functions that are assessed on the 25-point scale. As of available last visit, 26 of 32 patients had stable Loes scores and 28 of 32 were GdE-negative. The primary safety endpoint is the proportion of patients who experience acute or chronic graft-versus-host disease, or GvHD, by Month 24. GvHD is a condition that may occur after an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant, where the donated cells view the recipient's body as foreign and attack the body. No events of acute or chronic GvHD have been reported post-eli-cel treatment. There have been no reports of graft failure or graft rejection. In addition, there have been no cases of replication competent lentivirus or insertional oncogenesis to date. The treatment regimen, comprising mobilization/apheresis, conditioning, and eli-cel infusion, had a safety and tolerability profile primarily reflective of the known effects of mobilization/apheresis and conditioning. In ALD-102, as previously reported, three adverse events were considered possibly related to drug product and include one serious AE, BK viral cystitis, and two non-serious AEs, vomiting. All three AEs resolved with standard measures. ALD-104 is a Phase 3 study assessing the efficacy and safety of eli-cel in patients with CALD after myeloablative conditioning using busulfan and fludarabine, a different chemotherapy conditioning regimen than what is used in ALD-102. The primary efficacy endpoint is the proportion of patients who are alive and free of MFDs at Month 24, and the primary safety endpoint is the proportion of patients with neutrophil engraftment after eli-cel infusion. All reported data below are as of October 2020. In ALD-104, the 19 patients currently treated with eli-cel have a median follow-up of 8.6 months to date. Due to the limited duration of follow-up, only safety data are being presented. Efficacy data will be presented in a future scientific forum when sufficient follow-up is reached. Seventeen of 19 evaluable patients achieved neutrophil engraftment and 15 of 19 evaluable patients had platelet engraftment. All patients with pending neutrophil or platelet engraftment had 35 or fewer days of follow-up. No events of acute or chronic GvHD have been reported and there have been no reports of graft failure, graft rejection, cases of insertional oncogenesis, or replication competent lentivirus. The treatment regimen, comprising mobilization/apheresis, conditioning, and eli-cel infusion had a safety and tolerability profile primarily reflective of the known effects of mobilization/apheresis and conditioning. As previously reported, two serious AEs of pancytopenia were considered possibly related to eli-cel. These two ongoing SAEs were diagnosed approximately two months post-eli-cel infusion and following NE in two patients. Both patients achieved PE and as of last visit were clinically stable. An additional previously reported SAE of transverse myelitis was ongoing as of the data cut. The SAE was diagnosed in the presence of viral infection (adenovirus and rhinovirus/enterovirus positivity) approximately six months after eli-cel infusion and assessed as unrelated to eli-cel. As of the data cut, the patient was partially responsive to steroids and plasmapheresis and was experiencing incontinence and ambulation issues.

05:26 EDT Scienjoy announces promotional partnership with Great Wall Society of China - Scienjoy announced a partnership with the Great Wall Society of China, to promote the Great Wall, a Unesco World Heritage site, at home and abroad through cultural products, e-commerce sales, online and offline activities, co-branding and more. The Great Wall Society of China is the only national agency dedicated to the protection, promotion, maintenance and development of the cultural heritage site. The cooperation grants Scienjoy use of the Great Wall's intellectual property, or IP. Consumer goods featuring IP relating to this cultural heritage site will be promoted and sold on Scienjoy's e-commerce and live streaming platforms. The partnership with the Great Wall Society of China, specifically with the Great Wall IP cultural and creative work committee, follows the company's expansion into e-commerce. Scienjoy aims to combine live streaming entertainment and e-commerce to build a "full mobile live streaming ecosystem."

05:15 EDT Calliditas Therapeutics announces submission of Nefecon NDA to FDA - Calliditas Therapeutics announced the submission of a new drug application, or NDA, to the FDA for Nefecon, a novel oral formulation targeting down regulation of IgA1 for the treatment of primary IgA Nephropathy, or IgAN. Calliditas is seeking accelerated approval under Subpart H for the 505 application. The NDA submission is based on data from Part A of the NefIgArd pivotal Phase 3 study, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, international multicenter study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Nefecon compared to placebo in 200 adult patients with IgAN.

05:07 EDT Cnooc commences production at Caofeidian 6-4 oilfield in Bohai - Cnooc announced that Caofeidian 6-4 oilfield has commenced production. Caofeidian 6-4 oilfield is located in the Midwest of Bohai, with average water depth of about 20 meters. In addition to fully utilizing the existing processing facilities of Nanpu 35-2 oilfield and Qinhuangdao 32-6 oilfield, the project has built a new central platform. A total of 42 development wells are planned, including 30 production wells, 12 water injection wells and water source wells. The project is expected to reach its peak production of approximately 15,000 barrels of crude oil per day in 2023. Guided by the vision of green development, Caofeidian 6-4 oilfield will actively promote green and low-carbon production. After putting into production, the project will achieve zero discharge of production and living sewage into the sea. With the introduction of onshore power engineering, it is estimated that about 16,000 tons of standard coal will be saved, and about 40,000 tons of carbon dioxide will be reduced annually.