Stockwinners Market Radar for April 19, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:17 EDT Bed Bath & Beyond CFO buys 20K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Bed Bath & Beyond disclosed that its CFO Gustavo Arnal bought 20K shares of common stock on April 16th in a total transaction size of $509K, boosting his stake by about 7%.

19:59 EDT Atlantic Power gets final court order approving I Squared Capital deal - Atlantic Power "announced that it has obtained a final court order from the Supreme Court of British Columbia approving its previously announced arrangement with certain affiliates of infrastructure funds managed by I Squared Capital Advisors LLC. The previously announced transaction with the Purchasers remains subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions, including approval of the holders of the Company's convertible debentures, certain remaining regulatory approvals and third-party consents, and other customary closing conditions. As previously disclosed, the parties intend to close the Transaction without the approval of the holders of the Convertible Debentures unless a sufficient number of Convertible Debentures are voted in favor of the Transaction as currently structured. The parties are continuing to work through the steps required to do so and additional details will be provided once these steps are substantially finalized."

19:07 EDT Mack-Cali Realty director buys 240K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Mack-Cali Realty disclosed that its director Akiva Katz bought 240K shares of common stock on April 15th in a total transaction size of $3.76M, boosting his stake by about 7%.

19:02 EDT Amcor announces investment of up to $15M in ePac flexible packaging - The company states: "Amcor is pleased to announce a strategic investment in ePac Flexible Packaging, a leader in the high quality, short run length digital printing segment for flexible packaging. The investment will range between approximately $10M to $15M, including a minority ownership interest in ePac Holdings LLC and funding for one or more ePac sites."

18:41 EDT Sterling Bancorp reaches $12.5M pact to settle class action lawsuit - Sterling Bancorp announced that the company has entered into the final settlement agreement settling the securities class action lawsuit, Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System v. Sterling Bancorp, Inc., et al, Case No. 5:20-cv-10490-JEL-EAS, pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. This action alleged violations of the federal securities laws, primarily with respect to disclosures concerning the Bank's residential lending practices that were made in the Company's registration statement and prospectus for its initial public offering, in subsequent press releases, in periodic and other filings with the SEC and during earnings calls. The agreement provides for a single $12.5M cash payment in exchange for the release of all of the defendants from all alleged claims therein and remains subject to court approval and other conditions. The full amount of the settlement will be paid by the company's insurance carriers under applicable insurance policies. Thomas M. O'Brien, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commenting on the settlement which remains subject to court approval, said, "This settlement should put to rest one of several difficult matters that arose out of our former Advantage Loan Program and allow our team to continue to focus on working hard to resolve our outstanding compliance issues while prudently managing our credit metrics, capital and liquidity."

18:29 EDT Tesla CEO claims data logs show Autopilot not enabled in fatal Texas crash - Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk said via Twitter that data logs recovered so far from a fatal crash in Texas show Autopilot was not enabled. "Moreover, standard Autopilot would require lane lines to turn on, which this street did not have," Musk claimed in the Tweet, which came in response to a Wall Street Journal reported that two men died after a Tesla vehicle that authorities believe was operating without anyone behind the wheel crashed into a tree. The Fly notes that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into the crash, according to media reports. Reference Link

17:51 EDT MLB reports 12% year-over-year growth in MLB.TV viewership in first 18 days - Major League Baseball said that the MLB.TV is registering "record" streaming numbers through the first three weekends of the 2021 season. The beginning of the season marked the most-watched 18-day period in the 20-season history of MLB.TV. During the 18-day period from Opening Day through April 18th, fans watched more than 1.34B minutes of live games on MLB.TV, a +12% increase compared to the first 18 days of last season and +43% when compared to the same time period of the 2019 season, MLB said. In addition, total games watched on the league's out-of-market streaming platform are up +22% compared to last season and +35% compared to 2019. Publicly traded companies that broadcast MLB games include Disney (DIS), Fox Corp. (FOXA), Comcast (CMCSA), and AT&T (T). Reference Link

17:35 EDT SAIC awarded $199.99M ceiling Defense Intelligence Agency contract - SAIC was awarded a $199.99M, ceiling indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide laboratory operations and support to the Defense Intelligence Agency. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, with an expected completion date of March 29, 2031. No funds will be obligated at time of award. The Virginia Contracting Activity is the contracting activity.

17:16 EDT Slack Technologies CEO sells 250K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Slack Technologies disclosed that its CEO Stewart Butterfield sold 250K shares of common stock on April 15th in a total transaction size of $10.5M, reducing his stake by about 20%.

17:06 EDT Turquoise Hill reports Q1 Oyu Tolgoi copper output 45.4KT vs. 35.2KT last year - Reports Q1 gold output of 146K oz vs. 26K oz last year. The company states: "Following the previously announced two confirmed cases of COVID-19 at site and a corresponding halt to underground work in March 2021, Oyu Tolgoi has carefully managed the situation, including through widespread testing and implementation of a quarantine period. Accordingly, underground work has progressively resumed and continued to ramp-up as personnel return to site following the quarantine period and resumption of flights to site. The COVID-19 situation in Mongolia remains fragile and subject to rapid change. Oyu Tolgoi is constantly adapting to the changing circumstances to prioritize the health and safety of its employees. The Company continues to work with Oyu Tolgoi and Rio Tinto to monitor closely any impacts of this ever-changing situation on current operations and the underground development."

17:03 EDT UnitedHealth chief HR officer Lewis sells 3,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, UnitedHealth executive VP and chief HR officer Patricia Lewis disclosed the sale of 3,000 common shares of the company on April 16 at a price of $389.985 per share.

16:54 EDT Futu Holdings drops 6% to $167.25 after 9.5M ADS offering

16:37 EDT Otis Worldwide raises quarterly dividend 20% to 24c per share - The Otis Worldwide Corporation board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 24c per share of Otis' common stock, which represents a 20% increase over the prior quarter's dividend amount. The dividend will be payable on June 10, 2021, to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 21, 2021. "This 20 percent dividend increase reflects confidence in our ability to generate strong free cash flow and drive value for shareholders," said President and CEO Judy Marks.

16:35 EDT United Airlines reports Q1 operating expenses down 49% vs. 1Q19 - Down 34% excluding special charges.

16:34 EDT United Airlines CEO says 'now see a clear path to profitability' - "The United team has now spent a year facing down the most disruptive crisis our industry has ever faced and because of their skill and dedication to our customers, we're poised to emerge from this pandemic with a future that is brighter than ever," said United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby. "We've shifted our focus to the next milestone on the horizon and now see a clear path to profitability. We're encouraged by the strong evidence of pent-up demand for air travel and our continued ability to nimbly match it, which is why we're as confident as ever that we'll hit our goal to exceed 2019 adjusted EBITDA margins in 2023, if not sooner."

16:32 EDT Conformis enters license agreement with Paragon 28 - Conformis announced that it has entered into a license agreement with Paragon 28, granting Paragon 28 a non-exclusive license under a subset of Conformis' U.S. patents for the use of patient-specific instruments with off-the-shelf implants in Paragon 28's APEX 3D total ankle replacement system. "We are pleased to reach this agreement with Paragon 28, enabling it to incorporate our patient-specific instrument technology in its anticipated total ankle replacement offering," said Mark Augusti, president and CEO. "We believe that this latest license agreement further demonstrates the broad applicability and clinical appeal of Conformis' technology."

16:32 EDT Steel Dynamics CEO says steel demand remained robust in Q1 - CEO Mark D. Millett says: "During the first quarter, steel demand remained robust and product pricing gained momentum across our entire steel platform. Higher flat roll steel selling values were the most significant drivers for our record quarterly earnings, as demand strength and historically low customer inventories throughout the supply chain supported prices. Domestic steel consumption remained strong from the automotive, construction and industrial sectors, and energy has shown some signs of rebounding. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, as a result of our safety culture and spirit of excellence among our teams, our first quarter 2021 segment operating results were once again phenomenal," continued Millett. "First quarter operating income from our steel operations was a record $641M and our metals recycling operations nearly doubled their earnings sequentially, as improved domestic steel mill utilization increased ferrous scrap demand. Our steel fabrication operations also displayed a solid performance, achieving record quarterly shipments and ending March with a record order backlog that is over 50% higher than our previous high point, as we head into the summer construction season."

16:30 EDT j2 Global trading resumes

16:27 EDT BankFinancial extends and expands share repurchase program - BankFinancial has extended the expiration date of the company's share repurchase authorization from April 30 to November 15, and increased the total number of shares currently authorized for repurchase under the Share Repurchase Program from 6,210,755 shares to 6,460,755 shares, an increase of 250K shares. Pursuant to the share repurchase authorization, a total of 288,158 shares of the company remained authorized for repurchase pursuant to the amended repurchase authorization through April 30. Share repurchases will be funded from specifically-allocated working capital, if and as available.

16:18 EDT IBM jumps over 4% to roughly $139 after upbeat Q1 results

16:17 EDT Installed Building Products acquires Alpine Construction Services - Installed Building Products announced the acquisition of Alpine Construction Services. "With approximately $9.4 million of annual revenue, Alpine is a fast-growing installer that expands our residential and multifamily insulation installation services to the compelling Colorado Springs market," stated Jeff Edwards, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "To date in 2021, we have acquired approximately $65 million of annual revenues. Acquisitions remain a key component of our growth strategy and we continue to have a robust pipeline of acquisition opportunities across multiple geographies, products, and end markets. On behalf of everyone at Installed Building Products, I would like to welcome Alpine Construction onto our team."

16:16 EDT Hexcel still withholding guidance due to market uncertainties - The company continues to withhold financial guidance due to the market uncertainties arising from the global pandemic.

16:14 EDT Aviat Networks signs multi-million dollar 5G agreement with Africell - Aviat Networks announced that Africell, a mobile operator serving over 12 million subscribers throughout Africa, has signed a multi-million-dollar agreement with Aviat to provide a 5G-ready end-to-end disaggregated transmission network across multiple African countries. The new network will be designed, installed, and maintained by Aviat. The deployment will occur in Q2.

16:13 EDT SeaSpine announces commercial launch of WaveForm 3D system - SeaSpine Holdings announced the limited commercial launch of its 3D-printed WaveForm TO, TLIF Oblique, Interbody System. WaveForm TO was designed for both PLIF and TLIF , transforaminal lumbar interbody procedures. The system accommodates both direct impact insertion and insert-and-rotate techniques. With a comprehensive set of decompression, disc preparation, and implant insertion instruments that are compatible with the NanoMetalene-based Reef TO system, WaveForm TO provides a versatile lumbar interbody solution for surgeons. "With the launch of WaveForm TO, SeaSpine is once again raising the industry standard," said Dr. Erik Westerlund of Jackson Hughston Memorial Hospital in Alabama. "This 3D-printed interbody system demonstrates the philosophy that every implant should be designed to biologically optimize and support the progress to fusion. The unique, porous gyroid architecture is a perfect example of refined and thoughtful next-generation innovation. Spine surgeons now have a titanium TLIF interbody solution that truly delivers on the amazing potential of 3D printing."

16:10 EDT Genco Shipping announces new strategy in effort to grow shareholder value - Genco Shipping announced a new value strategy centered on paying quarterly cash dividends to shareholders based on cash flows after debt service less a reserve for the growth of the company's asset base, further debt reduction and general corporate purposes. Genco believes that a strategy based on low leverage and an dividend yield that includes a growth and deleveraging component will enable the company to create shareholder value and be a differentiator for Genco over the long-term. Genco intends to use a phased in approach to further reduce its debt and refinance its current credit facilities in order to lower its cash flow breakeven levels and position the company to pay a sizeable quarterly dividend across diverse market environments. We maintain flexibility to grow the fleet through accretive vessel acquisitions. Genco is targeting Q4 results for its anticipated first dividend under its new corporate strategy, which would be payable in Q1 of 2022. In implementing this strategy, the company will focus on the following specific priorities for the remainder of 2021: continue to pay down debt through regularly scheduled quarterly repayments and prepayments from a combination of cash flow generation and cash on the balance sheet; grow the fleet on a low levered basis utilizing proceeds from previous vessel sales and refinance credit facilities to increase flexibility, improve key terms and lower cash flow breakeven rates. Given the above action items, Genco's year-end targets for implementation of the strategy based on management's current estimates are net loan-to-value of 20% based on current market values, cash balance of approximately $75M, with cash above this level used to pay down debt. The company said, "The implementation of our new corporate strategy also aligns with our favorable view of drybulk supply and demand fundamentals in both the short and long term. The foundation of our outlook is based on the record low orderbook as a percentage of the fleet which will limit net fleet growth through the balance of 2021 and at least into 2022. We also believe that newbuilding ordering will be constrained despite the strong freight rate environment due to the lack of clarity with regards to future vessel propulsion and reduced availability of newbuilding yard space due to ordering in other sectors. Low net fleet growth in the coming years, provides a low threshold for demand growth to have to exceed in order to improve fleet-wide utilization. Demand catalysts include the unprecedented level of fiscal and monetary stimulus which the IMF anticipates resulting in global GDP growth of 6.0% in 2021 and 4.4% in 2022. Furthermore, we anticipate a continued improvement in global economic activity following the COVID-related lows of 2020 leading to increased steel production as well as augmented demand for iron ore and minor bulk commodities. Lastly, we anticipate growth in Brazilian iron ore exports to provide support to a key long-haul trade which we expect to be supportive for Capesize vessels. These catalysts coincide well with Genco's barbell approach to fleet composition which consists of the ownership of both Capesize and minor bulks vessels as well as with our new value strategy."

16:08 EDT J&J says regulatory submissions based on Phase 3 ACIS study won't be pursued - The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced that regulatory submissions based on the Phase 3 ACIS study, which evaluated the combination of ERLEADA and ZYTIGA plus prednisone in patients with chemotherapy-naive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, or mCRPC, will not be pursued. As presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Genitourinary Cancers Symposium in February 2021, the ACIS study met its primary endpoint of radiographic progression-free survival; however, combination treatment did not show significant benefit over the active control ZYTIGA plus prednisone in key secondary endpoints, including overall survival, J&J stated. "Safety results from ACIS were consistent with prior studies of ERLEADA and ZYTIGA plus prednisone, with no new safety signals observed. The study also generated valuable scientific outcomes and insights in subgroups of patients with luminal type in PAM50 test and tumors with average or high androgen receptor activity, which warrant further investigation. These data will be important in informing future programs in our pipeline, as we look to build upon our leadership and commitment in bringing transformational therapies to patients diagnosed with prostate cancer," said Kiran Patel, M.D., Vice President, Clinical Development, Solid Tumors, Janssen Research & Development.

16:06 EDT SpartanNash names Masiar Tayebi as Chief Strategy Officer - SpartanNash announced that Masiar Tayebi will join the company as Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, effective April 19, 2021. Prior to joining SpartanNash, Mr. Tayebi was Global Head of Corporate Strategy and Business Development at Whirlpool Corporation, as well as COO of its most recent acquisition, Yummly, a leading digital food platform offering online grocery delivery to millions of users.

16:06 EDT Tenet general counsel Andrews to retire - Tenet Healthcare Corporation announced that Audrey Andrews, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, will retire from the company at the end of the year. With this change, Tom Arnst, who currently oversees Human Resources for all three company divisions as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, will add the responsibility and reporting of the Tenet Enterprise legal department as General Counsel. Arnst's background as Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel of Tenet's Conifer Health Solutions subsidiary, coupled with his many years of experience in this role across other companies, provides a unique opportunity for Tenet as part of the Company's ongoing transformation. Ron Rittenmeyer, Executive Chairman and CEO, said, "Audrey and I have been discussing her plans over the last year, and while I am sorry to see her retire, I respect and support her decision and greatly appreciate her commitment to the company to provide an excellent approach to the transition of this key role. Audrey has been a dedicated leader, a collaborative partner and a trusted advisor during her more than two decades of service at the Company. Through periods of significant change for Tenet and the healthcare industry, she has provided sound judgment and thoughtful, expert counsel, always serving with respect and acting as a mentor to rising talent throughout the organization. She will always be a Tenet alumna of the highest integrity, and we wish her the best on this next chapter."

16:03 EDT Primerica to acquire e-TeleQuote for $600M enterprise value - Primerica and Etelequote Limited announced that they have signed a definitive agreement under which Primerica will acquire 80% of Etelequote Limited's operating subsidiaries at an enterprise value of $600M. Under the terms of the agreement, Primerica will purchase the remaining 20% stake over a period of up to four years. The companies also signed a distribution agreement for Primerica's U.S. sales force to refer Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement sales to e-TeleQuote. The transaction is expected to close in July 2021. Under the terms of the share purchase agreement, Primerica will acquire 80% of e-TeleQuote at a $600M enterprise value and a $450M implied equity value based on an estimated $150 million in net debt at closing. Primerica will fund the transaction - which includes the 80% equity stake for $360M as well as replacing e-TeleQuote's existing debt with lower cost funding provided by Primerica - with $370M in cash, a $125M draw on its revolving credit facility, and a $15M seller's note. e-TeleQuote's stockholders will have a potential earnout of up to $50M payable in cash if specified financial targets are achieved in 2021 and 2022. Specifically, Primerica will acquire 70.25% of e-TeleQuote from The Resource Group International, Limited, representing its entire ownership stake, and 9.75% of e-TeleQuote from e-TeleQuote management. Following the closing, the remaining stake will be held by e-TeleQuote's management. Structural components such as the potential earnout, call and put options and a new management incentive plan are expected to incentivize and encourage retention of key members of the e-TeleQuote team. The call and put options will be exercisable over up to a four-year period. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to Primerica's earnings. As a result of this announcement, Primerica has suspended stock buybacks through the remainder of 2021 but expects to resume repurchases in 2022. The transaction has been approved by both companies' boards of directors and is expected to close on July 1. The transaction is subject to regulatory and other customary closing conditions.

16:02 EDT MorphoSys, Incyte announce first patient dosed in phase 3 study of Tafasitamab - Incyte (INCY) and MorphoSys AG (MOR) announced the first patient has been dosed in the placebo-controlled Phase 3 inMIND study evaluating the efficacy and safety of tafasitamab or placebo in combination with lenalidomide and rituximab in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma, or FL, or marginal zone lymphoma, or MZL. "We are looking forward to building on previous, exploratory data in FL, and the results seen with tafasitamab and lenalidomide in relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, to evaluate the potential benefit of adding tafasitamab to the current lenalidomide and rituximab combination regimen in patients with indolent lymphomas," said Mike Akimov, M.D., Ph.D., Head of Global Drug Development, MorphoSys.

16:00 EDT j2 Global trading halted, news dissemination

15:02 EDT EA says 'Apex Legends Mobile' regional beta tests coming soon - Electronic Arts said that it will kick off the first regional beta tests for the mobile version of popular battle royale shooter "Apex Legends" beginning later this month. "Apex Legends Mobile is specially designed for touchscreens, with streamlined controls and thoughtful optimizations that result in the most advanced battle royale combat available on a phone," the company said. Reference Link

14:56 EDT New Jersey reports March gaming revenue up 119.8% to $359.3M - On Friday, New Jersey's Division of Gaming Enforcement reported total gaming revenue for March was $359.3M, compared to $163.5M in March 2020, reflecting a 119.8% increase. Internet gaming win was $113.7M in March compared to $64.8M in the prior period, reflecting an increase of 75.4%. Sports wagering gross revenue was $60.8M for the month. Casino win for March was $184.9M, increasing 116.3% from the same month last year. Publicly traded companies in the casino and online gambling space include Boyd Gaming (BYD), Caesars (CZR), Churchill Downs (CHDN), DraftKings (DKNG), Flutter Entertainment (PDYPY), Gan Limited (GAN), Las Vegas Sands (LVS), MGM Resorts (MGM), Penn National (PENN), William Hill (WIMHY) and Wynn Resorts (WYNN). Reference Link

14:32 EDT Southern Company raises dividend by 8c per share on annualized basis to $2.64 - Southern Company announced it is increasing its dividend by 8c per share on an annualized basis to a rate of $2.64 per share. Southern Company also announced a regular quarterly dividend - including the increase of 2c per share over the prior quarter - of 66c per share, payable June 7 to shareholders of record as of May 17.

14:13 EDT Facebook confirms plans for 'social audio experiences' - Fidji Simo, Head of Facebook App, stated in a post to the company's site: "At Facebook, we've seen the continuing rise of audio on our platforms, from audio calls to audio messages on WhatsApp and Messenger. We're working to make audio messages easier to record, and more fun - including the ability for people to send familiar sound clips to their friends that range from sound effects like crickets chirping to quotes from popular songs. But we know there are more social experiences to create to help people say what they want to say, discover new voices they haven't heard before, or exchange ideas at the speed of sound. Right now, it's still too difficult for most people to do any of this. The best audio creation tools are reserved for the pros. It's still too hard to discover and share awesome audio content, and too cumbersome to assemble the right group of people to have a conversation about your favorite topic, at the right time. At Facebook, we've invested in the full spectrum of audio technologies to solve these problems. From audio quality enhancements, captions, speech translations, and superhuman hearing, our goal is to make audio presence easy, natural, and immersive so you can more fully experience social presence. Whether it's an in-depth conversation or your passing thoughts, we are building audio tools and formats that connect people with the things they care about." Simo added: "The first thing we're building is a set of new audio creation tools. Just like we did for photos and videos, we want everyone to have tools that are powerful enough for the pros, but intuitive and fun - like having a sound studio in your pocket... These audio creation tools will enable you to create Soundbites - short-form, creative audio clips for capturing anecdotes, jokes, moments of inspiration, poems, and many other things we haven't yet imagined. We'll start testing Soundbites over the next few months with a small number of creators and refine the product with their input before making it available to everyone... While we're big believers in the power of short-form audio, we also know that some stories and conversations deserve more airtime... Within the next few months, you'll be able to listen to podcasts directly on the Facebook app - both while using the app or when the app is backgrounded. And because it's still hard to discover podcasts you like, we will help you easily find new podcasts and episodes based on your interests, comment on them and recommend them to your friends. And podcast creators will be able to reach and connect with new listeners - all directly within the Facebook app... We're also going to start testing Live Audio Rooms and we expect it to be available to everyone on the Facebook app by the summer." Reference Link

14:01 EDT Barnes awarded metallic subassembly contract from Northrop Grumman - Barnes Aerospace (B) announced that it was awarded a multi-year contract by Northrop Grumman (NOC) to produce major metallic subassembly for the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber Tailpipe Mid/Aft Assembly Full Fleet Replacement Program. The assemblies will be manufactured in Barnes Aerospace's Ogden, Utah facility which has deep expertise in precision exotic metal forming and complex assemblies. Barnes Aerospace has a long-term relationship with Northrop Grumman on difficult to manufacture, complex products. "Barnes Aerospace is committed to partnering with our customers through our concurrent engineering capabilities to develop manufacturing solutions that deliver superior value. We look forward to continuing our support of the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber program with Northrop Grumman," said Mike Beck, Senior Vice President, Barnes Group Inc. and President, Barnes Aerospace.

13:47 EDT Verizon announces start of C-band equipment deployment - Verizon (VZ) recently began installation of C-band equipment from Ericsson (ERIC) and Samsung Electronics (SSNLF) to "speed deployment of its 5G Ultra Wideband and fixed wireless broadband service on its recently acquired C-band spectrum," the company announced. "Verizon secured an average of 161 MHz of C-band spectrum nationwide in the recent FCC auction, which will allow the company to offer expanded mobility and broadband services to millions more consumers and businesses. C-band spectrum provides a valuable middle ground between capacity and coverage for 5G networks, and will enable 5G Ultra Wideband speeds and coverage for both mobility, home broadband and business internet solutions. Deploying 5G Ultra Wideband on this spectrum requires new network equipment including basebands, radios and antennas to be placed on existing towers. Verizon tapped Ericsson and Samsung to supply the Radio Access Network equipment for this massive deployment. Although the initial spectrum won't be cleared until the end of this year, Verizon and its vendor partners have already begun the work to ensure the super-fast 5G Ultra Wideband service using C-band is deployed to 100 million customers by March 2022," Verizon stated in a press release.

13:04 EDT Gogo Business Aviation to provide 4G streaming Wi-Fi for Jet Edge - Jet Edge announces a new partnership with Gogo Business Aviation. "The long-term partnership will upgrade Jet Edge's AdvantEdge and Managed super-mid and large cabin fleet to AVANCE L5, Gogo's most popular connectivity system that delivers a robust inflight 4G Wi-Fi experience," Jet Edge announced.

12:09 EDT U.K. opens investigation into Nvidia acquisition of Arm business - The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority is investigating the anticipated acquisition by Nvidia of Arm's Intellectual Property Group business, which is owned by SoftBank (SFTBY). "As a next step and to help me gather the relevant information, the UK's independent competition authority will now prepare a report on the implications of the transaction, which will help inform any further decisions," Digital minister Oliver Dowden said. Reference Link

12:04 EDT Barrick Gold says Kibali mine produces 191,612 ounces of gold in Q1 - The Barrick Gold operated Kibali mine in the DRC produced 191,612 ounces of gold in the first quarter of 2021, keeping it on plan and on track to achieve its full year target. The company said, "The mine's underground operation again drove production and continuing improvements in the plant's throughput and recovery rates also contributed to Kibali's on-plan delivery. Efficiency improvement projects completed during the quarter, including an upgrade of the hoisting infrastructure, are expected to boost its performance further. Power generation costs benefitted during the quarter from higher river levels as the mine's three hydropower plants supplied the bulk of its energy requirements. The power grid was further enhanced by the installation of a 9MW battery support system. The new system will also decrease the need for diesel-generated backup, in line with the mine's strategy of reducing its carbon footprint. Strict adherence to Covid-19 prevention protocols largely shielded the mine from the impact of the pandemic's second wave. Looking ahead, Kibali continues to replace resources and secure further open pit opportunities to balance its underground mine, and to replace reserves and add flexibility to the operation in support of its robust 10-year plan."

12:00 EDT QuantumScape falls -12.3% - QuantumScape is down -12.3%, or -$4.38 to $31.14.

12:00 EDT R.R. Donnelley rises 9.7% - R.R. Donnelley is up 9.7%, or 46c to $5.13.

12:00 EDT Knoll rises 33.1% - Knoll is up 33.1%, or $5.70 to $22.93.

11:57 EDT Microsoft to start testing cloud gaming for Windows 10 PCs, iOS devices - Microsoft (AAPL) said that, starting Tuesday, it will begin ending out invites to select Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members to start testing the Xbox Cloud Gaming limited beta for Windows 10 PCs and Apple (AAPL) phones and tablets via web browsers. "The limited beta is our time to test and learn; we'll send out more invites on a continuous basis to players in all 22 supported countries, evaluate feedback, continue to improve the experience, and add support for more devices," the company said. "Our plan is to iterate quickly and open up to all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in the coming months so more people have the opportunity to play Xbox in all-new ways." Reference Link

11:48 EDT NY Governor says movie theater capacity to be raised to 33% next week - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo stated in a tweet: "Beginning Monday, April 26: Museum and zoo capacity will be raised to 50%; Movie theater capacity will be raised to 33%, with other safety precautions in place". Publicly traded companies in the film exhibition space include AMC Entertainment (AMC), Cinemark (CNK), Cineworld Group (CNNWF), Imax (IMAX), Marcus (MCS) and National CineMedia (NCMI).

11:37 EDT XPeng starts pre-orders of P5 sedan, expects deliveries in Q4 - XPeng said the P5, what it calls "the world's first production smart EV equipped with automotive-grade LiDAR technology," is expected to start delivery in Q4 with reservations starting on today, April 19. "Early bird customers will be entitled for lifetime free charging and supercharging services," XPeng said in a statement. It added, "The P5 will bring Navigation Guided Pilot (NGP) capabilities to city roads for the first time in a production vehicle, powered by XPeng's full-stack in-house developed autonomous driving system XPILOT 3.5 - the strongest autonomous driving architecture in its class."

11:06 EDT Expedia announces new direction in brand positioning - Expedia Brand announces a new direction as the world prepares for the return of travel demand. Launching a new global positioning grounded in the understanding that who you travel with matters, marks the beginning of Expedia's journey in becoming the ultimate travel companion, helping travelers every step of the way. From an updated look and feel to enhanced product offerings, Expedia is looking to double down on efforts to deliver on travelers' evolving wants and needs in a post-pandemic world. The company said, " At the heart of the rebrand is a refresh of Expedia's platform experience across its award-winning mobile app and more than 70 websites. Along with the ability to purchase flights, lodging, cars, activities and more on a single platform, Expedia introduces a series of updates aligned to its brand vision of being the ultimate travel companion: 1. Everything in one place: A new itinerary experience now allows travelers to see all the details of their trip in one place, be it on the mobile app or web, saving time and making future travel planning convenient for those who recognize the value in booking all of their travel elements on a single platform. Available now on the Expedia mobile app, travelers have the ability to pick up where they left off with a 'keep planning' feature that plays back recent searches as well as recent bookings to help travelers build a complete trip. Expedia will soon be launching a new package offering that will provide 'pre-bundled products' with upfront total pricing, reducing the stress of sifting through thousands of options while still allowing for easy customization such as adding or removing travel components. 2. Support from start to finish: Today marks the beginning of a new journey for the evolution of the insurance offering at Expedia, which will evolve over the coming months with a vision to unlock an industry-leading customer experience. Over the course of the year, Expedia will simplify the insurance experience including translating the policy wording into easy-to-digest content, improving the process of submitting claims through clear steps on documents required as well as the status and next steps once a claim is submitted. It also means enhancing coverage, adding broader functionality and delivering value in real-time by monitoring the events of a user's trip journey for claim eligibility. Expedia will also continue to invest in its virtual agent platform. Through the 'one-click cancel' function, travelers can cancel their entire trip or ask the virtual agent questions about their itinerary, including viewing the health and hygiene information for a particular hotel for fast resolution and no wait times. To help travelers discover and experience more of the destination, travelers can now see the popular activities near their accommodation on the accommodation details page. The activities will be available post-booking and in-trip to help travelers easily identify ways to continue maximizing their trip. 3. Getting the most out of every trip: Today Expedia announces that its Expedia Rewards program will be simplified by merging with the existing account setup process, allowing 25 million travelers who were not already enrolled in Expedia's loyalty program to start earning points on travel experiences the next time they log in. Expedia will be introducing additional benefits to the Expedia Rewards loyalty program over the course of the year making it easier for travelers to understand how they can earn and use points while providing a richer program offering. In an effort to help travelers find the right flight and fare type to deliver the best travel experience that suits their needs, Expedia recently embarked on a new flight shopping experience to provide travelers with a clear view of their flight options so they can make informed choices. Whether it's knowing if a carry-on bag is allowed or seat selection is available, these small details are incredibly important to travelers and a clear opportunity for Expedia to help customers find the best flight experience. Expedia recently launched the ability to shop by lodging amenities - a first for the travel industry. Previously, many of the features included in each room rate were bundled such as parking or a complimentary breakfast, making it difficult for travelers to compare and fully understand what they were getting in their booking. Travelers can now shop with confidence as Expedia explicitly calls out the difference in pricing for amenities to take the guesswork out of what's included in a displayed rate."

10:37 EDT Brown-Forman names Tim Nall as chief information, advanced analytics officer - Brown-Forman announces the elevation of its information technology and advanced analytics senior leadership role to the executive leadership team. Effective July 2, Tim Nall, senior vice president, chief information and advanced analytics officer, will report directly to President and CEO, Lawson Whiting. Nall was named chief information officer in 2015, adding advanced analytics responsibilities in 2018.

10:29 EDT Chemomab Therapeutics Ltd (ADS) trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:16 EDT Yellow Corp recruiting employees for positions in Buffalo, New York - Yellow Corporation is recruiting employees for new positions in Buffalo, New York. On Tuesday, April 20 and Wednesday, April 21, Yellow will host two hiring events as the trucking company looks to fill jobs including local drivers, dock workers and linehaul drivers. Yellow intends to hire qualified individuals for more than 60 jobs immediately with more positions open nationwide. Yellow's Buffalo hiring events are among more than two dozen similar recruiting events taking place across America between now and July. By the end of 2021, Yellow aims to hire thousands of new employees nationwide with at least 1,500 of those positions earmarked for commercial drivers.

10:02 EDT QVC, Candace Cameron Bure to launch size-inclusive fashion line - QVC announced that it has collaborated with actress and businesswoman, Candace Cameron Bure, to launch her eponymous fashion line, Candace Cameron Bure. Designed from a size-inclusive perspective, all pieces from collection are available at the same price regardless of size, exclusively on QVC.com. Bure will debut her line on QVC, QVC.com and QVC apps, Monday, April 19.

10:00 EDT Emergent BioSolutions falls -6.1% - Emergent BioSolutions is down -6.1%, or -$4.71 to $72.93.

10:00 EDT China Green rises 9.1% - China Green is up 9.1%, or $1.19 to $14.34.

10:00 EDT Knoll rises 33.6% - Knoll is up 33.6%, or $5.79 to $23.02.

09:47 EDT 500.com falls -7.3% - 500.com is down -7.3%, or -$1.15 to $14.63.

09:47 EDT Haemonetics falls -21.8% - Haemonetics is down -21.8%, or -$25.51 to $91.46.

09:47 EDT Harley-Davidson rises 11.5% - Harley-Davidson is up 11.5%, or $4.63 to $45.01.

09:33 EDT Omnicom's Credera acquires Areteans, terms not disclosed - Credera announced it has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Areteans, a global services and solutions company, to extend its depth in digital transformation, digital marketing and ecommerce capabilities. Credera is part of Omnicom Precision Marketing Group, the digital and customer relationship management specialist practice area within Omnicom Group. Areteans specializes in the design, delivery, and implementation of real-time interaction management and digital customer relationship management. The company serves some of world's biggest brands across banking, insurance, consumer products, telecom, and government and has a presence in Australia, India, New Zealand, Singapore, and the UK. Areteans will retain its brand, culture, and values and will continue to be led by the founding team of CEO Mahesh Agrawal, Chief Technology Officer Sidhartha Mohanty, Executive Vice President of Technology Sanjeev Singh, and Global Head of Sales Subhakanta Mishra as well as its current executive management. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter.

09:30 EDT F-star Therapeutics announces publication of study on SB 11285 - F-star Therapeutics announced the publication of a new study, conducted by Yale University and F-star, of its second generation STING agonist, SB 11285, in the current issue of Nature Communications. The study entitled "STING enhances cell death through regulation of reactive oxygen species and DNA damage" demonstrates that systemic administration of a STING agonist in combination with radiation in a preclinical model enhances local control in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma and suggests that STING expression in the tumor is required for maximal therapeutic benefit. Resistance to DNA-damaging agents such as radiation is a significant cause of treatment failure and poor outcomes in oncology. To identify unrecognized regulators of cell survival, the researchers performed a whole-genome CRISPR-Cas9 screen following treatment with ionizing radiation and identified STING as an intrinsic regulator of tumor cell survival. In addition, the study showed that STING overexpression restored tumor cell sensitivity to ionizing radiation and that STING loss confers resistance to DNA damaging therapies. Analysis of tumors from HNSCC patient specimens showed that low STING expression is associated with poor outcomes. The research also demonstrated that pharmacologic activation of STING enhances the effects of ionizing radiation in vivo, providing a rationale for therapeutic combinations of STING agonists and DNA-damaging agents as well as a strong rationale for investigating STING expression as a predictive biomarker.

09:27 EDT MasterCard to acquire Ekata for $850M to advance digital identity efforts - Mastercard took steps to advance its identity verification efforts with the acquisition of Ekata for $850M identity is a foundational part of Mastercard's multi-layered approach to security. In 2019, the company introduced a new framework on how digital interactions should evolve, as well as how digital identity will build trust, collaboration and economic growth. That framework is now in use across a number of sectors, from education to travel to healthcare. Ekata works with a wide range of global merchants, financial institutions, travel companies, marketplaces and digital currency platforms. The company uses insights to deliver unique scores, data attributes and risk

09:21 EDT Zoom Video announces $100M Zoom Apps Fund - Zoom Video Communications announced the Zoom Apps Fund, a new $100 million venture fund created to stimulate growth of Zoom's ecosystem of Zoom Apps, integrations, developer platform, and hardware. Portfolio companies will receive initial investments between $250,000 and $2.5 million to build solutions that will become core to how Zoom customers meet, communicate, and collaborate. Zoom Apps, announced at Zoomtopia 2020, are leading applications that will bring productivity and engaging experiences directly into the Zoom platform. Dozens of Zoom Apps are currently in development and are an important component in building the future of video communications. The Zoom Apps Fund will invest in developer partners with viable products and early market traction that will provide valuable and engaging experiences to our customers.

09:19 EDT Ampio's Ampion shows anti-inflammatory effects of steroids withou side effects - Ampio announced findings of pre-clinical research demonstrating that Ampio's lead drug candidate, Ampion, provides some of the same anti-inflammatory effects as the steroid dexamethasone but without the significant adverse events associated with steroids. David Bar-Or, Director and Founder of Ampio Pharmaceuticals, said, "It became clear that Ampion regulated some of the same inflammation-associated genes as dexamethasone, though through disparate mechanisms of action. This may explain Ampion's ability to mimic the anti-inflammatory effects of steroids without causing similar adverse effects." The research highlighted key similarities and differences between Ampion and dexamethasone. Ampion regulated 102 of the same transcripts as dexamethasone according to RNA sequencing and differential gene expression analysis; overall IPA modeling predicted significantly similar regulation of downstream molecules by dexamethasone and Ampion. However, there were 30 transcripts where Ampion's activity was different than known regulation by dexamethasone in at least one of the treatment conditions. Dexamethasone also targets a wide range of molecules that are not regulated by Ampion. The absence of significant adverse effects in the large numbers of patients administered Ampion provides a foundation for the ongoing clinical investigations of Ampion in a wide range of inflammatory conditions.

09:16 EDT Duck Creek Technologies announces new partnership with CARFAX - Duck Creek Technologies announced that it has expanded its Partner Ecosystem program through a new relationship with CARFAX. The company's predictive information is now integrated with the Duck Creek Platform, helping "insurance carriers attract and retain the best customers while avoiding losses," the company said. "CARFAX data helps insurers measure road exposure and avoid losses with predictive information," said Dan Hill, National Sales Director in the CARFAX Banking & Insurance Group. "Duck Creek's customers need the most accurate information possible to make informed underwriting decisions. Our studies show that using registration type and length of ownership in rating can produce a 7-point lower loss ratio, and we look forward to working with Duck Creek to help insurers reduce risk with better data."

09:15 EDT Cendyn uses Pluralsight skills during pandemic to close skills gaps - Pluralsight announced that Cendyn used Pluralsight Skills during the pandemic to "invest in their employees and upskill its workforce on the latest technologies to enhance productivity," the company said. Pluralsight launched its Free April campaign by offering full access to its entire platform of more than 7,000 technology skill development courses taught by technology experts for free during the month of April in 2020. To address immediate resource needs to support current projects, Cendyn utilized Pluralsight's Free April offering to quickly upskill its remaining team members, some in highly technical areas, to close the gap left by those who were furloughed. "The pandemic forced us to accelerate upskilling, as teams were reduced in size and those who remained had to take on unfamiliar projects, often using unfamiliar technologies," said Brad Noe, Chief Technology Officer at Cendyn. "We had to quickly pivot and we needed to make sure that our team members had an opportunity to learn the latest technologies and the latest processes to remain efficient and productive. Pluralsight's Free April program gave us that opportunity. Since implementing in 2020, we saw so much success with the training, we have decided to continue to offer skill development for our employees."

09:12 EDT Quisitive Technology achieves certifications for LedgerPay - Quisitive Technology Solutions has announced that it has completed Independent Standards Organization 27001 and 22301 certifications for its cloud-based payment processing and Payments Intelligence platform, LedgerPay.

09:11 EDT Urban Outfitters announced partnership with FABSCRAP to address textile waste - Urban Outfitters announced a partnership with FABSCRAP to support the organization in reducing the fashion industry's impact on the planet. URBN will facilitate FABSCRAP's expansion into the Mid-Atlantic region by providing a new physical FABSCRAP location in Philadelphia, and a working capital grant. "We are excited about the partnership with FABSCRAP as part of the next step in our sustainability journey," said Frank Conforti, Co-President and COO, URBN. "Philadelphia is a perfect location to expand due to local demand for service and many relationships with design and art universities and nonprofits in the region. We believe this expansion will facilitate an infrastructure solution for FABSCRAP and our community."

09:10 EDT Target launches new installment of Designer Dress Collection - Target announced a new installment of its limited-time-only Designer Dress Collection, featuring three designers: Alexis, Christopher John Rogers and Rixo. The Designer Dress Collection will be available on Target.com and in select Target stores this spring and features more than 70 dress designs ranging in price from $40-$60 and in size from XXS-4X.

09:07 EDT Walgreens Boots Alliance enters agreement with Abbott to sell BinaxNOW - As part of Walgreens (WBA) ongoing efforts to increase access to COVID-19 testing in communities across the U.S., the company announced it has entered into an agreement with Abbott (ABT) to sell the BinaxNOW rapid antigen self test over-the-counter in Walgreens stores nationwide. Beginning this week, this test will be available for purchase on Walgreens.com, and later this week, it will be available for purchase in-store, for curbside pick-up, and same day delivery. This test will be available nationwide for $23.99.

09:05 EDT Amazon invests in nine new renewable energy projects - Amazon announced nine new utility-scale wind and solar energy projects in the U.S., Canada, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. The company now has 206 renewable energy projects globally, including 71 utility-scale wind and solar projects and 135 solar rooftops on facilities and stores worldwide, which will generate 8.5 GW of electricity production capacity globally. With this latest announcement, Amazon is now the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in Europe, with more than 2.5 GW of renewable energy capacity, enough to power more than two million European homes a year. These projects supply renewable energy to Amazon's corporate offices, fulfillment centers, Whole Foods Market stores, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers, which power Amazon and millions of AWS customers globally. The renewable energy from these projects also helps Amazon meet its commitment to produce the clean energy equivalent to the electricity used by all consumer Echo devices. All of these projects put Amazon on a path to power 100% of its activities with renewable energy by 2025-five years ahead of the original target of 2030. Investing in renewable energy is one of the many actions Amazon is taking as part of The Climate Pledge, a commitment to be net-zero carbon by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement. "Amazon continues to scale up its investments in renewable energy as part of its effort to meet The Climate Pledge, our commitment to be net-zero carbon by 2040," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. "With these nine new wind and solar projects, we have announced 206 renewable wind and solar projects worldwide, and we are now the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in Europe and globally. Many parts of our business are already operating on renewable energy, and we expect to power all of Amazon with renewable energy by 2025-five years ahead of our original target of 2030."

09:05 EDT INVO Bioscience signs partnership agreement with Lyfe Medical - INVO Bioscience announced the execution of a partnership agreement with Lyfe Medical focused on the expansion of the INVOcell solution in Northern California. Under terms of the partnership agreement, Lyfe Medical will establish and operate a clinic in the San Francisco Bay Area to offer the INVO procedure to its patients while INVO Bioscience will establish and operate the embryology center to provide laboratory services in connection with the INVO procedure provided by Lyfe Medical to its patients.

09:04 EDT Knight-Swift increases quarterly cash dividend to 10c per share - Knight-Swift announced that its board of directors has declared the company's quarterly cash dividend of 10c per share of common stock, which is a 2c increase from the company's existing quarterly dividend of 8c per share of common stock. The company's quarterly dividends are pursuant to a cash dividend policy approved by its board of directors. The company's dividend is payable to stockholders of record on June 4 and is expected to be paid on June 28.

09:03 EDT MiMedx announces last patients last visits in three trials - MiMedx Group announced that the last patients have completed their last clinical visits in two late-stage Investigational New Drug trials: Phase 3 studies of AmnioFix Injectable as a potential treatment for Plantar Fasciitis and Achilles Tendonitis. In addition, all clinical effectiveness endpoint visits have been completed in a Phase 2B study of mdHACM as a potential treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis. With the completion of these patient visits, the company will begin the planned review and statistical analyses of data from all three trials. "Completion of the Phase 2B study for mdHACM as a treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis marks an extraordinary milestone," said Alfred Gellhorn, M.D., Adjunct Associate Professor of Clinical Rehabilitation and Director of Sports Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine. "There is a tremendous unmet need for safe and effective treatment options for Knee Osteoarthritis. The osteoarthritis community has long recognized that current treatment options are painfully insufficient. The benefit of a novel therapeutic option in this setting for both patients and clinicians cannot be overstated."

08:56 EDT Coca-Cola sees signs of return to normal in more markets later in 2021

08:55 EDT Coca-Cola: Monitoring upward pressure in inputs like high fructose corn syrup

08:52 EDT Conduent Transportation implements counting system on buses, trams in Italy - Conduent Transportation announced the implementation of a new system in Bergamo, Italy, to monitor the maximum number of passengers on buses managed by Azienda Trasporti Bergamo, or ATB, and trams managed by its associated company, Tramvie Elettriche Bergamasche, or TEB. The system will enable ATB and TEB to easily comply with government regulations in place to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The regulations, issued by the Italian Ministry of Transport in response to the pandemic, limit the number of bus and tram passengers to 50% of the maximum capacity, as determined by the vehicle's registration certificate. The automatic passenger counting system allows ATB and TEB to monitor the load, or "load factor," of each individual vehicle in real time. "After the impact of the COVID-19 emergency on the area, the Bergamo community wants to return to normalcy. Public transport is an essential part of this restart," said Gianni Scarfone, General Manager of ATB and CEO of TEB. "The maximum limit of passengers on board, currently set at 50 percent, allows citizens to travel in compliance with required health regulations. Conduent's system is essential in order to allow us to monitor the load factor in real time and communicate appropriately with our customers."

08:48 EDT Coca-Cola expanding at-home consumption opportunity

08:47 EDT Steel Connect announces Jason Wong named CFO - Steel Connect announced Jason Wong's appointment as Chief Financial Officer, replacing Doug Woodworth.Jason Wong named CFO Wong was most recently with Tiffany & Co. where he was Vice President - Treasurer & Investor Relations. Prior to Tiffany & Co., Wong was with Newell Brands Inc./Jarden Corp. as the Chief Administrative Officer for Europe. He holds an MBA from Columbia University, a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Bases of Behavior, both from the University of Pennsylvania. Wong will report directly to Warren Lichtenstein, Interim CEO & Executive Chair of Steel Connect.

08:46 EDT ECMOHO, Royal Danish Consulate collaborate to strengthen exports among Chinese - ECMOHO (MOHO) announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding, or MoU, with Royal Danish Consulate General to introduce high-quality Danish products to Chinese consumers. The cooperation aims to broaden ECMOHO's partnership with Royal Danish Consulate General and is a crucial milestone for online commerce between China and Denmark. Under the MoU, the parties will explore different collaboration opportunities, including that ECMOHO will provide support for Danish companies to enter the Chinese consumer market through its various e-commerce channels, while the Royal Danish Consulate General will assist local companies to understand and optimize business in the vast Chinese consumer market by leveraging integrated services related to healthcare products and consumer-centric solutions offered by ECMOHO and platform service offered by JD Health (JD). "We are confident that we will enable Chinese consumers to benefit from the premium and organic products that Danish companies can offer," the company's CEO, Zoe Wang, said. "China is a very promising, but also a challenging market for many Danish companies. With the development of CRM and consumer insights driven by big data, we help our partners better understand Chinese consumers and engage with them more effectively through precise targeting and positioning insights."

08:43 EDT Immutep sees cash runway beyond end of calender year 2022 - Cash receipts from customers for the third quarter was $59k, compared to $336k in Q2. The net cash used in G&A activities in the quarter was $242k compared to $1.82 million in Q2. The significant decrease compared with last quarter is mainly due to the prepayment of certain annual expenses in Q2. G&A costs for the quarter includes $125k in payment of Non-Executive Director's fees and Executive Director's remuneration. The net cash used in Research and Development activities in the quarter was $1.74 million, compared to $3.18 million in Q2. Year to date cash flow used in R&D activities for the 9 months from July 2020 to March 2021 was $7.0 million compared to $16.1 million for the 9 months from July 2019 to March 2020. The decline is mainly due to the declining AIPAC expenses since patients in the AIPAC Phase IIb clinical trial have completed the treatment and moved into the follow-up phase. The cash used in R&D activities is expected to increase with the commencement of the new Phase IIb TACTI-003 clinical trial. Total net cash outflows used in operating activities in the quarter was $3.05 million. In comparison, total net cash outflows from operating activities in Q2 was $5.58 million. The cash and cash equivalent balance as at 31 March 2021 was $51.7 million compared to a balance of $54.9 million as at 31 December 2020. Immutep is in an excellent financial position with a cash runway into calendar year 2023 and beyond several significant data read-outs.

08:41 EDT Agenus submits balstilimab biologics license application to FDA - Agenus announced the submission of a Biologics License Application, or BLA, to the Food and Drug Administration. The BLA has been submitted for the accelerated approval of balstilimab, Agenus' anti-PD-1 antibody, for the treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer with disease progression on or after chemotherapy, and includes data from its pivotal Phase 2 single-arm clinical trial, presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Virtual Congress 2020. These clinical data, along with preclinical data, suggest that balstilimab demonstrates differentiated features from other anti-PD-1 antibodies. "We expect that the potential approval of balstilimab will enable us to better pursue our oncology combination strategy for our own extensive pipeline of agents as well as for existing and future partner products," said Steven O'Day, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Agenus. "In particular, we hope to use this potential approval to allow us to rapidly proceed with our anti-CTLA-4 combination strategy, which we believe can add significantly to the benefit provided by our anti-PD-1 agent. There are currently limited treatment options available for recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer patients, and our vision is to bring effective treatments to these patients." In April 2020, the FDA granted Fast Track designation for balstilimab in recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer based on its potential to provide benefit to patients with a serious condition and unmet medical need. A global, randomized, Phase 3 confirmatory clinical trial designed to support global registration is planned.

08:41 EDT Witt O'Brien's partners with over 80 governments for COVID-19 efforts - Witt O'Brien's has now partnered with over 80 state and local governments in support of their COVID-19 relief efforts. These include six states and territories, as well as cities and counties across the United States. Witt O'Brien's COVID-19 support includes: Identification, integration, and maximization of funds from a variety of federal, state, local, private, and philanthropic sources; Strategic advisory services and outcome-based program design; Federal grants management and compliance; Design and turnkey implementation of emergency rental assistance programs; Planning and implementation of vaccination and testing programs; Emergency assistance for small business; Food security and supply chain stabilization.

08:39 EDT CACI awarded $48M contract by FEMA for NPWS - CACI International announced that it has been awarded a five-year, single award, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity ID/IQ contract, with a ceiling value of $48M, by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide sustainment, decommissioning, construction, modernization, and environmental and historic preservation to the National Public Warning System. The NPWS, maintained by FEMA's Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Directorate, is a nationwide alert and warning system used to issue national emergency information to all Americans in the event of a national crisis. FEMA maintains and operates this system for the dissemination of critical national warning messages by broadcast, cable, satellite, and wireline radio and television channels. Under the contract, CACI will continue to provide enterprise technology to FEMA to improve the resiliency and survivability of the 77 stations nationwide with an all-hazards shelter system, including protections against High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulses. CACI will also provide sustainment support for the stations, to include training for emergency managers, as well as operations and maintenance, project management, and logistical support. The most recent award builds upon enterprise expertise CACI already provides to IPAWS Lab. For example, CACI personnel will provide technical training and support for emergency managers tasked with warning the American public in case of a potential emergency.

08:37 EDT Anixa Biosciences requested additional information by FDA for CAR-T therapy - Anixa Biosciences announced that the FDA has requested additional information regarding its Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T cell therapy being developed in partnership with Moffitt Cancer Center. The study under the Investigational New Drug application has been placed on clinical hold pending submission of additional information requested by the FDA. Within the next 30 days, it is expected that the FDA will provide a letter to MCC with detailed and specific information requested. MCC will assemble and submit information addressing the request as soon as possible thereafter. Successive to the submission, the FDA will continue its review of the IND.

08:36 EDT PPG acquires Cetelon Lackfabrik, terms undisclosed - PPG announced that it has acquired Cetelon Lackfabrik, a manufacturer of coatings for automotive and light truck wheel applications. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Cetelon develops and manufactures a wide range of coating systems for the wheel industry, including certain proprietary technologies. It operates production and sales offices in Ditzingen, Germany, from which it serves many leading wheel suppliers worldwide. Founded in 1948 in Stuttgart, Germany, Cetelon became part of the Berlac Group in 2011. The company employs approximately 95 people globally.

08:35 EDT South Jersey Industries announces Clean Energy, Sustainability plan - SJI announces a comprehensive clean energy plan, including a timeline to achieve carbon-neutral operations, as part of a commitment to sustainability. In 2020, SJI formed a Clean Energy and Sustainability team with the ambitious goal of achieving operational carbon neutrality by the year 2040. Through a new series of sustainability initiatives, SJI plans to reach that goal by eliminating its own carbon footprint and significantly reducing its 700,000+ utility customers' fossil fuel consumption. SJI has set forth benchmarks to achieve a 70% carbon reduction of operational emissions and consumption by the year 2030 and 100% reduction by 2040. Moving forward, SJI is committing at least 25% of annual capital expenditures on sustainability projects. Under this plan, capital expenditures will include the installation of solar panels on SJI facilities, the replacement of aging transmission pipes to reduce "fugitive" emissions, upgrading leak detection technologies and completing the conversion of service vehicles to low carbon-density fuels such as compressed natural gas. In addition, SJI is committing to a series of investments aimed at reducing fossil fuel consumption by its more than 700,000 natural gas utility customers at South Jersey Gas and Elizabethtown Gas. These investments include: significantly expanding energy efficiency programs, providing consumers new tools to reduce energy consumption, and investing in several clean and renewable energy technologies such as renewable natural gas, green hydrogen and high-efficiency fuel cells.

08:35 EDT Zymeworks announces Diana Hausman, M.D. transitioning out of CMO role - Zymeworks announced that Diana Hausman, M.D., will be transitioning out of her role as Zymeworks' Chief Medical Officer and assuming an executive advisory role until November 15th. Neil Josephson, M.D., who currently oversees Zymeworks' global clinical studies in his role as Senior Vice President, Clinical Research, will assume the role of interim CMO. "I am extremely grateful for Diana's contribution to our clinical programs, as a member of the executive team, and to Zymeworks as a whole," said Ali Tehrani, Ph.D., Zymeworks' President and CEO. "I look forward to working with Diana through the transition as she continues to help us advance zanidatamab and ZW49 to the next set of clinical and commercial inflection points." "For the past two years, alongside Diana, Neil has been one of the key architects and contributors to our clinical strategy, accomplishments and growth," Dr. Tehrani added. "Under Neil's leadership, I am confident that we are in good hands as we proceed toward the commercialization of zanidatamab."

08:35 EDT Ambow Education expands partnership with Amazon.com in AI training for teachers - Ambow Education (AMBO) announced an expanded strategic partnership with Amazon (AMZN) with the launch of Artificial Intelligence training for teachers. The deepened partnership is part of the company's ongoing efforts to collaborate with prestigious enterprises to carry out AI education and training for teachers. Since 2018, Ambow has collaborated with Amazon Web Services for in-depth training courses. Combining their respective strengths and advantages in educational expertise and industry practices, Ambow and AWS recently launched live streaming courses on AI education and training for teachers to help teachers improve their educational skills. In the AI landscape, the collaborated courses will further facilitate related talent cultivation, curricula design and a shared platform for innovative educational resources. The cooperation will also help the Company to enrich its emerging engineering courses to address growing job placement needs.

08:34 EDT Naked Brand Group CFO Cheryl Durose to leave, Mark Ziirsen to succeed - Naked Brand Group announced the appointment of Mark Ziirsen to the position of CFO, replacing Cheryl Durose. Ziirsen has extensive experience with public company finance as a corporate officer and audit committee member. His executive career spans senior finance leadership roles with ASX listed companies.

08:34 EDT Motor City Electric enrolls in DTE Energy's MIGreenPower program - Motor City Electric Co. announced its enrollment in DTE Energy's MIGreenPower program. Through the program, Motor City Electric will match 60% of the energy use at its Detroit and Ann Arbor locations to DTE's clean energy projects, a commitment that will offset greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to driving a passenger car 840,000 miles.

08:33 EDT Synnex signs distribution agreement with Citrix - Synnex (SNX) announced a new distribution agreement with Citrix (CTXS). Under the terms of agreement, Synnex will provide their partner community with access to Citrix digital workspace solutions. The solutions will immediately be available to partners in the U.S. and Canada through Synnex Stellr.

08:33 EDT Abbott begins shipping BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Self Test to retailers - Abbott (ABT) announced it began shipping its BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Self Test to retailers across the country. Consumers can expect the test to be available in the next few days online and in some stores. Broader nationwide availability is expected in the next two weeks as tests work their way through distribution channels. The BinaxNOW Self Test initially will be available at CVS Pharmacy (CVS), Walgreens (WBA) and Walmart (WMT) as part of Abbott's commitment to get the country's most studied COVID-19 rapid test to as many Americans as possible. The test, which can be purchased over the counter without a prescription, will then roll out to other major food, drug and mass merchandisers in the weeks ahead.

08:30 EDT Blackwells nominates four directors for Monmouth Real Estate board - Blackwells Capital LLC, an alternative investment management firm that together with its affiliates owns more than 4% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation, announced that it has filed preliminary proxy materials with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with Monmouth's 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Jason Aintabi, CIO of Blackwells, provided the following comments: "Monmouth cannot continue to be run under the jackboot of the Landy family. It is a public company with responsibilities to its public stockholders, who deserve better than a Board of Directors with an average tenure of nearly 17 years that oversaw decades of underperformance1 until Blackwells first contacted the Company. Stockholders should not accept that after more than three months, the Company still has not provided any update regarding its so-called 'review of strategic alternatives' process, about which we were already skeptical. We soon expect the Landy family's next tactic - whether having one family member step down, shrinking or declassifying the bloated Board, or whatever it may be - in an attempt to beguile stockholders into giving the Landys three more years at the helm of Monmouth. Today, we are calling for change. Blackwells has nominated four eminently skilled director candidates, who are independent of the Landy family, for election to the Board at the Annual Meeting. We know that Eugene Landy and his children don't want to share the boardroom with directors they did not hand-pick, but Monmouth belongs to all of its stockholders, not just the Landys. Our director candidates will help Monmouth and its stockholders chart a new course that we believe the Landys are unable, or unwilling to, explore." Blackwells' director candidates for election to the Board are: Craig M. Hatkoff. Mr. Hatkoff has served as Executive Chairman of LEX Markets, a real estate and alternative asset fintech start-up, since April 2019. Jennifer M. Hill. Ms. Hill has served as the Founder and CEO of Murphy Hill Consulting, a Connecticut-based consulting business providing consulting services focused on the financial services, asset management, insurance and risk management industries, since October 2017. Allison Nagelberg. From 2000 until her retirement in December 2019, Ms. Nagelberg served as the General Counsel of Monmouth. Todd S. Schuster. Mr. Schuster was a Senior Partner with Ares Management, a global alternative asset manager with over $140 billion of assets under management, from 2013 through 2015, and was a member of the firm's Executive Committee.

08:27 EDT Everi Holdings new contract with BCLC, to provide slot content for PlayNow.com - Everi Digital announced a new contract with British Columbia Lottery Commission. Pursuant to this contract, Everi Digital recently launched its online slot content on BCLC's PlayNow.com. Everi Digital became the third slot content supplier to provide BCLC with both online and land-based slot games. "We are extremely excited to continue working with BCLC to provide our high-performing game content that has proven popular with players in their land-based casinos to their growing audience of online players," said David Lucchese, Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Digital for Everi. "Online players in a growing number of markets clearly enjoy the experience provided by our library of world-class games, and the expansion of our partnership with BCLC demonstrates our efforts to leverage our engaging content to further expand our Digital gaming business."

08:27 EDT Ashford Hospitality director buys 100K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing late on Friday, Ashford Hospitality disclosed that its director Benjamin Ansell bought 100K shares of common stock on April 15th in a total transaction size $206.5K, boosting his stake by 73%.

08:26 EDT Ceridian appoints Rocky Subramanian as Chief Revenue Officer - Ceridian announced that it has appointed Rocky Subramanian as Chief Revenue Officer, or CRO. Reporting directly into Leagh Turner, Ceridian President and Chief Operating Officer, Subramanian will be responsible for accelerating global revenues, including global sales and the sales ecosystem. As CRO, Subramanian will have responsibilities for building and expanding partnerships with existing and prospective customers, as well as supporting customer success through industry, solution, and value advisory. Subramanian comes to Ceridian from SAP North America where he was a member of SAP's senior leadership team.

08:25 EDT Galectin Therapeutics appoints Ben Carson as special consultant - Galectin Therapeutics announced it has engaged Dr. Ben Carson, Sr., a neurosurgeon and the 17th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as a special consultant to assist with development of the Company's galectin-3 inhibitor, belapectin, as a treatment for NASH cirrhosis and in combination with immunotherapy for the treatment of cancers. The Company engaged Dr. Carson to increase awareness of Galectin Therapeutics including its ongoing Phase 2b/3 NAVIGATE clinical trial in NASH cirrhosis, its continuing research in combination with cancer immunotherapy, and its potential in addressing other fibrotic diseases. Dr. Carson will also assist in the formation of a scientific advisory committee for the Company, recruit potential members of the committee, and identify potential strategic commercial and/or academic partners for the Company. The Company also announced that it has entered into a $10 million convertible debt financing with Richard E. Uihlein, the Company's Chairman and largest individual stockholder. The $10 million convertible debt financing is unsecured and bears interest at a rate of 2% compounded annually. Additional interest of 2.5% per quarter will accrue but will only be paid if the debt and interest are converted into shares of the Company's common stock, at Mr. Uihlein's option, on or prior to maturity, which is four years from the date of the loan. The conversion price of the debt and interest is fixed at $5.00 per share of common stock.

08:25 EDT Anixa Biosciences trading halted, news pending

08:23 EDT Coca-Cola Consolidated opens Central Indiana distribution, warehouse facility - The Whitestown Coca-Cola Consolidated distribution and automated warehouse facility has officially opened as of today, Monday, April 19. The company said, "We have invested approximately $60M to build this 400,000 sq. foot facility allowing us to better serve our customers in central Indiana and the surrounding region. The Whitestown facility will be able to distribute over 20 million cases each year. More than 450 teammates in warehouse, distribution, sales, and equipment services roles are working to serve our customers and consumers across the region. The Whitestown facility will also include teammates and vehicles from our transportation subsidiary Red Classic Transit and a new 15,000 sq. foot fleet shop. Nearly 200 teammates will continue production operations at our Indianapolis production facility, which has increased capacity due to an over $18M investment to add a sleek can production line."

08:21 EDT H2O Innovation increases Ham-Nord manufacturing capacity by 40% - H2O Innovation announced the expansion of its manufacturing plant in Ham-Nord to respond to the sustained growth of its Maple business line and the anticipated increase in water treatment project sales. Following the conclusion of a lease agreement, the new 21,390 square-foot space, adjacent to the current plant, will be ready as of May 1, 2021. The H2O Innovation manufacturing plant located in Ham-Nord, near Victoriaville, is primarily responsible for the design of maple equipment and products as well as water and wastewater treatment systems. In recent years, the space available for manufacturing and storage had become insufficient and problematic. The increase of nearly 40% in manufacturing area in this location positions the Corporation to support future growth. The lease agreement for the new area is for an initial term of five years with a renewal option for five additional years. This new location will allow workstations to be redesigned to support the continued growth of the Maple and Water Technologies & Services business lines. The Corporation expects considerable productivity gains, better inventory management, and improved safety for employees who will be working in less congested spaces. Local teams will also be able to proceed with new hires to support the pace of project delivery.

08:20 EDT Roman DBDR Tech Acquisition Corporation (Class A Stock) trading resumes

08:19 EDT Catalyst Biosciences announces publication of CB 2679d preclinical data - Catalyst Biosciences announced the publication of preclinical data from its study of CB 2679d-GT in Hemophilia B mice in "Blood," the peer-reviewed, official journal of the American Society of Hematology. The paper, entitled: "Gene Therapy for Hemophilia B Using CB 2679d-GT: A Novel Factor IX Variant with Higher Potency than Factor IX Padua," demonstrated superiority of the Company's CB 2679d-GT gene therapy candidate over that of the R338L-Padua variant, which is currently used in clinical trials. The study, conducted at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium, by the team of Thierry VandenDriessche and Marinee Chuah in collaboration with Catalyst Biosciences, showed gene therapy with CB 2679d-GT safely and effectively achieved sustained factor IX levels and significantly outperformed the R338L-Padua variant in hemophilia B mice. A significantly reduced bleeding time and total blood loss with CB 2679d-GT gene therapy compared to mice treated with R338L-Padua demonstrated a more rapid and robust hemostatic correction. Thus, CB 2679d-GT could potentially allow for lower and safer vector doses in future human trials.

08:18 EDT Siyata Mobile issues clarification statement in relation to CTO - Siyata Mobile wishes to clarify information related to the cease trade order issued by the British Columbia Securities Commission on April 8, 2021, due to a financial reporting discrepancy on filing deadlines. This CTO does not impact the trading of its common shares or warrants on the Nasdaq Capital Market, as specifically noted in the CTO, as outlined below: "Despite this order, a beneficial securityholder of the Issuer who is not, and was not at the date of this order, an insider or control person of the Issuer, may sell securities of the Issuer acquired before the date of this order if both of the following apply: 1. the sale is made through a "foreign organized regulated market", as defined in section 1.1 of the Universal Market Integrity Rules of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada; and 2. the sale is made through an investment dealer registered in a jurisdiction of Canada in accordance with applicable securities legislation." The Company is working diligently to bring its Canadian filings up to date as outlined in the CTO.

08:17 EDT iCAD presented new data for ProFound AI breast cancer detection - iCAD announced that new research supporting the clinical value of ProFound AI for Digital Breast Tomosynthesis was presented at the Society of Breast Imaging Symposium, April 9-11, and at the National Consortium of Breast Centers Annual Interdisciplinary Breast Center Conference, April 16-19. Emily Conant, MD, Professor and Division Chief of Breast Imaging at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, presented findings from a retrospective analysis involving ProFound AI for DBT in a presentation titled "Feasibility of automated identification of low-likelihood of cancer cases in digital breast tomosynthesis screening," at the SBI Symposium. At the NCoBC Interdisciplinary Breast Center Conference, Mark Traill, MD, University of Michigan Health, presented findings from a study titled "Correlation between BI-RADS Assessment Categories and Artificial Intelligence Case Scores," which was a winner in the "Breast Disease Diagnosis and Management" category. According to study findings presented by Conant at the SBI Symposium, ProFound AI for DBT accurately identified 33.4% of normal screening DBT exams with no cancers being missed, based solely on the ProFound AI Case Score. When researchers also factored in breast density and age, ProFound AI identified 58.6% of normal cases with no false negatives. The study was conducted to evaluate the thresholds at which the ProFound AI system could be used for triaging DBT exams to reach a minimum rate of false negatives per 1,000 screened in an enriched dataset of 506 biopsy-proven cancer cases and 1,293 non-cancer cases with 320 days of negative follow-up. A consecutive series of cases were collected from 18 sites in the United States and three sites in France. In addition, new data presented by Mark Traill at the NCoBC Interdisciplinary Breast Center Conference highlights the comparison of ProFound AI Case Scores to BI-RADS assessment categories determined by a single radiologist without using AI in a retrospective analysis. Researchers used ProFound AI on 890 consecutive DBT studies and 50 consecutive cases with biopsy-proven breast cancer detected with DBT. Results showed a strong positive correlation between a ProFound AI Case Score of less than 60 percent and patients assessed as likely to be normal, while most of the biopsy-proven cancers had a Case Score of greater than 60%.

08:15 EDT Marlin Business to be acquired by funds managed by HPS for $23.50 per share - Marlin Business Services announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement in which HPS Investment Partners will, through its European Asset Value Funds, acquire all of the Company's outstanding shares of common stock in an all cash transaction for $23.50 per share, as potentially subject to downward adjustment discussed below, which represents a 65% premium over the closing price of Marlin's common stock of $14.24 on April 16, 2021. HPS is a leading global investment firm with $68 billion of assets under management as of March 2021. HPS manages various strategies across the capital structure including through its European Asset Value Funds equipment leasing platforms with approximately $4 billion of leases. The Company's Board of Directors has unanimously approved the transaction. The closing of the transaction is subject to various customary closing conditions, including regulatory and shareholder approvals, as well as the condition that Marlin Business Bank effect a "de-banking" and cease operations as a bank. Subject to satisfaction of all closing conditions, which there can be no assurances will occur, the Company believes the transaction would likely close in the first quarter of 2022. In connection with the transaction, Red Mountain Capital Partners, and certain of its affiliates, have signed a Voting Agreement whereby Red Mountain Capital Partners has agreed to vote in favor of the transaction. The aggregate consideration paid by certain funds managed by HPS to Marlin shareholders may be reduced if the total costs in connection with the de-banking of Marlin Business Bank exceed $8 million. At this time, the Company does not expect this provision to have a material impact on the consideration received. Following the closing, Marlin will become a privately held company and shares of Marlin will no longer be listed on NASDAQ.

08:14 EDT IES Holdings appoints Elizabeth Leykum to board of directors - IES Holdings (IESC) announced the appointment of Elizabeth Leykum to its board of directors. "We are pleased to welcome Elizabeth to our Board," said Jeff Gendell, IES's Chairman and CEO. "Her significant experience in corporate governance, finance and investment management will complement the skill sets of our current directors, and we look forward to adding her perspective to the Board." Leykum brings over 20 years of investment and financial management experience to IES. She has served as founder of Serenade Capital since May 2016. Leykum has served on the board of Lands' End (LE) since April 2014.

08:12 EDT Pingtan Marine Enterprise receives Nasdaq notice of non-compliance - Pingtan Marine announced that it received a notice from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market indicating that, because of Pingtan's delay in filing its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 with the U.S. SEC, Pingtan is not in compliance with the timely filing requirement for continued listing under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1). The Notice has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of Pingtan's ordinary shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market. The company's management is working diligently to complete the Form 10-K and intends to file the Form 10-K with the SEC as soon as practicable.

08:11 EDT Rezolute announces $30M debt financing agreement with SLR Capital - Rezolute announced that it has entered into a $30 million debt financing agreement with investment affiliates managed by SLR Capital Partners. Fifteen million of the $30 million loan was funded upon closing with an interest only period of 24 months. The remaining fifteen million may be funded upon Rezolute achieving certain predetermined milestones and conditions.

08:10 EDT Seagen, Astellas Pharma: FDA accepts two sBLAs for PADCEV - Astellas Pharma (ALPMY) and Seagen (SGEN) announced the U.S. FDA filed two supplemental Biologics License Application submissions for PADCEV for review as part of the Real-Time Oncology Review pilot program. The applications were granted Priority Review, with a target action date of August 17, 2021. The review of both applications will also be conducted under Project Orbis, an initiative of the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence.

08:08 EDT Arcadia Biosciences acquires European food ingredient platform - Arcadia Biosciences announced it has acquired, through Arcadia SPA, S.L., the assets of Agrasys S.A, a food ingredients company based in Barcelona, Spain. The transaction includes the physical and intellectual property assets to enable Arcadia to commercialize Tritordeum, a proprietary cereal grain that was developed at the Instituto de Agricultura Sostenible - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas, the largest public institution dedicated to agricultural research in Spain, and subsequently licensed exclusively to Agrasys for commercialization.

08:07 EDT Seagen, Astellas Pharma announce FDA acceptance of Padcev sBLAs for RTOR pilot - Seagen (SGEN) and Astellas Pharma (ALPMY) announced the FDA filed two supplemental biologics license application, or sBLA, submissions for Padcev for review as part of the real-time oncology review, or RTOR, pilot program. The applications were granted priority review, with a target action date of August 17. The review of both applications will also be conducted under Project Orbis, an initiative of the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence.

08:06 EDT Tribune Publishing's special committee confirms Alden merger recommendation - Tribune Publishing confirmed receipt of a letter dated April 17 communicating that Hansjorg Wyss will no longer provide the level of equity commitment indicated in the revised, non-binding proposal from Newslight dated April 1 to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Tribune common stock for $18.50 per share in cash. In light of the April 17 letter, the special committee of Tribune's board of directors has determined that the Newslight proposal would no longer reasonably be expected to lead to a "Superior Proposal" as defined in Tribune's merger agreement with affiliates of Alden Global Capital. As such, Tribune is no longer permitted to engage in discussions and negotiations with Newslight in connection with their proposal, and has terminated such discussions. On February 16, Tribune and Alden announced that they had entered into the Alden Merger Agreement, under which Alden will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Tribune common stock not currently owned by Alden for $17.25 per share in cash. Alden currently owns 31.6% of the company's outstanding shares. The Alden Merger Agreement remains in full force and effect. At this time, the Tribune Board continues to recommend, and has not withdrawn, qualified or otherwise modified its recommendation, that stockholders of Tribune vote in favor of the approval of the Alden Merger Agreement. Tribune stockholders do not need to take any action at this time.

08:05 EDT Whole Foods adopts Honeywell technology to reduce carbon footprint in U.S - Honeywell announced that global natural and organic foods retailer Whole Foods Market has adopted its Solstice lower global-warming-potential refrigerant in its stores across the United States as it seeks to reduce refrigerant emissions under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's GreenChill program. Whole Foods Market will retrofit their commercial refrigeration systems at more than 100 stores with Honeywell's reduced-GWP alternative, replacing high-global-warming-potential refrigerants R-404A and R-22. Based on hydrofluoroolefin technology, Solstice N40 offers a GWP that is approximately 68% lower than legacy hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants like R-404A. When using Solstice N40, refrigeration systems also consume less energy than their counterparts that cool using HFCs. In U.S. and European supermarket trials, in comparison to R-404A, Solstice N40 demonstrated an average of between 5%-15% lower energy consumption in refrigeration applications. It can be used in new installations and to retrofit existing systems using high-GWP refrigerants like R-404A and R-507.

08:05 EDT OncoCyte closes acquisition of Chronix Biomedical - Oncocyte Corporation has completed its acquisition of Chronix Biomedical. The acquisition includes the intellectual property and technology for Chronix's TheraSure-Copy Number Instability Monitor test for immune therapy monitoring. The Chronix CNI test is a patented, novel blood-based test that is differentiated from current methods because it requires no upfront tumor tissue sample. With the acquisition, Oncocyte also gains the organ transplant technology and the associated patent portfolio developed by Chronix. The addition of the CNI test to Oncocyte's portfolio of diagnostic products marks the Company's entry into blood-based immune-therapy monitoring, a market that is estimated at $3 billion in the United States alone. Ownership of Chronix's intellectual property portfolio helps establish the foundation for Oncocyte to potentially build additional applications to address an estimated $6 billion U.S. recurrence monitoring market. Further, as approximately 40%-60% of patients fail to see a sustained response to immune checkpoint inhibitors, it is estimated that by 2025, more than $60 billion a year could be misspent on treatments that may never benefit patients. The acquisition, which includes Chronix's lab in Germany and its EU-based development and business team, establishes a footprint for the continued development and potential commercial launch of Oncocyte's proprietary tests in the European market. The Company expects to launch the CNI test as a pharma service in Europe from Germany by the end of the current quarter. After the tech transfer to its U.S. facilities, Oncocyte plans to launch the test for research use only in domestic immune therapy clinical trials during the fourth quarter of this year. The anticipated first indication for use will be in lung cancer, followed by expansion to other cancer types. Further, as the path to reimbursement is already established, Oncocyte plans to demonstrate the comparability of the CNI test to existing reimbursed tests. Also included in the acquisition are tests and a patent estate for the use of digital PCR to detect transplant rejection in recipients as well as enabling the absolute amount of tumor or donor cell-free DNA, which eliminates the influence of changes in cell-free DNA caused by unrelated reasons making the technique more specific for monitoring. The Company plans to explore the use of the patented methodologies and combine with digital PCR for development of super-sensitive detection of tumor-derived DNA in blood to monitor for long-term recurrence as well as explore licensing this technology and patent estate for transplant to potential partners.

08:03 EDT Ovid Therapeutics to discontinue development of OV101 - Ovid Therapeutics (OVID) announced an update on its OV101 program and the prioritization of its resources to focus on the development of its robust early-stage pipeline, including OV882, a short hairpin RNA therapy targeting UBE3A gene expression in neurons, as a potential treatment for Angelman syndrome. As part of this update, Ovid will discontinue development of OV101, a delta-selective GABAA receptor agonist, in Angelman syndrome. Furthermore, Ovid does not plan to initiate further clinical studies of OV101 in Fragile X syndrome. Following these updates, Ovid is reiterating its previous guidance of anticipated quarterly operating expenses, excluding non-cash expenses, to be in the range of $8 million to $10 million starting in the second quarter of 2021. As announced on March 30, 2021, Ovid closed a Royalty, License and Termination agreement with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TAK) under which Takeda secured global rights from Ovid to develop and commercialize the investigational medicine soticlestat for the treatment of developmental and epileptic encephalopathies. Under the agreement, Ovid received or is eligible to receive meaningful financial consideration, including an upfront payment of $196 million, up to $660 million in development, regulatory and sales milestones, and tiered double-digit royalties up to 20 percent on sales of soticlestat, if approved and commercialized. Proforma cash, cash-equivalents and short-term investments as of December 31, 2020 is over $250 million, reflecting the receipt of the upfront payment from Takeda. These resources enable a robust, long-term investment in the development of the Company's pipeline, and OVID's ability to assess novel assets and technologies that are complementary to this pipeline. The decision to discontinue clinical study of OV101 in Angelman syndrome and Fragile X syndrome is based on the totality of the clinical results generated to date, including results from the STARS, NEPTUNE, ELARA, and ROCKET trials. While OV101 was well tolerated, with no significant safety signals observed, the Company believes that efficacy outcomes observed in these trials do not support its further development in these conditions.

07:58 EDT PyroGenesis completes Additive Manufacturing NexGen Powder production line - PyroGenesis Canada announced that its Additive Manufacturing NexGen Powder production line, incorporating all the improvements previously announced, is now in place and producing powders. PyroGenesis' NexGen Plasma Atomization System, with its production rate exceeding 25kg/h, has shattered all published plasma-atomized production rates for titanium known to management. As previously disclosed, there are several major top-tier aerospace companies, and OEMs, awaiting powders from PyroGenesis' new, state of the art, NexGen production line. The Company will, over the next several weeks, perform a number of test-runs to confirm batch to batch consistency. The Company now expects to start delivering powders before the end of Q2 2021.

07:56 EDT Arch Therapeutics to launch AC5 Advanced Wound System through distribution model - Arch Therapeutics provided the following corporate update. As Arch transitions to a commercialization stage, in alignment with its strategic plan to rely on the expertise of third parties, it is launching AC5 Advanced Wound System through a distribution model. Arch has engaged and trained approximately one dozen independent sales representatives covering different territories, and it expects to continue to add additional independent sales representatives to enhance Arch's commercialization efforts. The Company plans to support distributor and sales relationships with a sales director and clinical liaison, and is currently engaged with a strategic marketing firm to provide sales support materials. The Company notes that clinicians remain enthusiastically receptive for AC5 Advanced Wound System, and the recent addition of independent sales representatives is expected to result in acceleration of revenue growth over the course of the calendar year. Aligning to its multi-phase launch plan, the Company is implementing a controlled focus on government channels, including Veteran's Affairs facilities, with expansion to non-government channels as growth continues. Ongoing clinical activities support continued favorable results for the Company's AC5 self-assembling peptide technology platform. Two clinical case report abstracts were submitted and accepted for poster presentations at the upcoming Symposium on Advanced Wound Care in May. The SAWC is the official meeting site of the Wound Healing Society and will engage over 1,500 surgeons, wound care providers and other wound care specialists in the vital role emerging therapies play in chronic wound care and prevention. During the pandemic, the Company has added internal and external team members to support commercialization efforts, and additional members are expected this year. The talent acquisition strategy has focused on people who are inspired by our team and the opportunity to support a compelling technology, have the desire to address areas of important medical need, and are excited to have the chance to participate in the success of the product pipeline. As previously announced, and in preparation for the planned retirement of Richard Davis, the Company expects to announce a successor CFO in the near future. In addition, the Company plans to expand the Board of Directors to include a Board Member with expertise in medical device commercialization.

07:48 EDT CERiS offers prospective claim review services for client firms - CERiS now offers a comprehensive prospective claim review services for client firms that pay medical claims. The expanded service produces the most complete and accurate review available for both itemized bills and DRG validation. CERiS's dual reviews validate coding on the DRG base rate and simultaneously perform an itemization review to identify disallowed charges on the outlier payment. All reviews are completed within prompt payment requirements with this turnkey prepayment review before they're paid.

07:46 EDT Auxly Cannabis extends $123M convertible debenture, defers interest - Auxly Cannabis Group is pleased to announce an agreement with its strategic partner, Imperial Brands PLC (IMBBY) to amend certain provisions of its previously issued $123M debenture and investor rights agreement dated September 25, 2019. Pursuant to the Amendments, Imperial Brands and Auxly have agreed to extend the maturity date of the Debenture by 24 months from September 25, 2022 to September 25, 2024. The Amendments will also provide Imperial Brands with the right, on an annual basis, to convert any or all of the accrued and unpaid interest on the Debenture then outstanding into Common Shares, at a conversion price equal to the five-day volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares on the date that Interest Conversion Election is made. Auxly and Imperial Brands have also agreed that the interest rate under the Debenture, which currently accrues at a rate of 4% per annum and is payable annually, will remain unchanged but will be payable on maturity of the Debenture. Lastly, the Amendments provide for the re-instatement of certain approval rights of Imperial Brands under the Investor Rights Agreement. As a result of the Amendments, the Company will see a significant improvement to the near-term cash requirements of the business, enabling it to focus on executing on its business strategies that will position it for long-term growth to the benefit of its stakeholders. The Debentures are convertible into Common Shares at a price of $0.81 per share at any time prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding maturity.

07:44 EDT Penn Virginia sold 16,324 barrels of oil per day for Q1 - Penn Virginia Corporation announced an operational update and timing of its first quarter 2021 earnings release and conference call. Operational and Financial Update: Sold 16,324 barrels of oil per day for the first quarter of 2021, exceeding the high end of the most recent guidance range. Total sales volumes for the first quarter of 2021 were 20,534 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Total production for the seven days ending March 31, 2021 averaged over 20,000 BOPD and 25,000 BOEPD; Estimated capital expenditures for the first quarter of 2021 of approximately $54 million, which was below the low end of the most recent guidance range; Realized oil price for the first quarter of 2021 of $44.80 per barrel, including effects of derivatives, net; Generated Free Cash Flow for the sixth consecutive quarter, which lowered Long-term debt to $376 million and Net Debt to $364 million as of March 31, 2021; and The Company recently obtained an updated reserve report from DeGolyer and MacNaughton as of April 1, 2021. Darrin Henke, President and CEO of Penn Virginia, commented, "Our strong sales volumes for the quarter were largely due to the outperformance of wells brought online during the period, which used our improved completion designs along with an adjusted approach to drilling and flowback. Volumes for the quarter were also less impacted from the February winter storm than we previously anticipated, largely due to the outstanding efforts of the Penn Virginia operational team. In addition to maintaining our existing production and bringing on some impressive wells, we have continued to focus on additional operational and cost efficiencies, which translated into lower than expected capital expenditures for the quarter. Importantly, our production growth was not achieved by increasing our capital expenditures. Rather, it is due to the improvement of our execution on our existing assets, which required less capital than we anticipated. Given this strong outperformance in the first quarter, and expectations of future positive well performance using our improved techniques, we have increased our production guidance for the full year 2021. We continue to believe our premium asset base combined with our commitment to free cash flow, capital discipline, and maximizing cash-on-cash returns will create long-term value for all stakeholders."

07:40 EDT Webster Financial, Sterling Bancorp to combine in all-stock merger of equals

07:39 EDT Blucora urges stockholders to vote for all the company's director candidates - Blucora mailed a letter to stockholders concerning 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 read in part, "I am writing on behalf of the Blucora Board of Directors to encourage you to vote "FOR" ALL incumbent directors on the BLUE proxy card at the upcoming annual meeting of stockholders, to be held this Wednesday, April 21. At this year's meeting, Ancora Catalyst Institutional, and its CEO Fred DiSanto are seeking to replace nearly half of the independent directors on our Board by claiming our current directors and executive team are not producing results or evaluating alternatives to the current strategy and business configuration. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Board has been an agent of change and has taken decisive steps to drive long-term stockholder value....This Board has acted decisively, both refreshing itself and overseeing the Company, and is committed to continuing to evaluate the business configuration, potential improvements and other options to maximize value. Since March of last year, Blucora's diverse Board has added four new independent directors, who bring additional, highly relevant experience in tax, wealth management, strategy, business transformations, data analytics and consumer marketing. In addition to our active oversight of the Company's strategy, Blucora's refreshed Board continues to evaluate all strategic options available to the Company in close consultation with independent financial advisors. We remain open to any option that maximizes value. Under the leadership of the current Board and management team, Blucora is gaining momentum and showing measurable improvement after refining the operating strategies of its two tax-focused businesses for sustainable, long-term growth."

07:36 EDT Lion Group enters transfer, maintenance agreement with Shanghai Minebaba - Lion Group announced that its subsidiary Lion Wealth Limited, entered into an antminer transfer and maintenance agreement with Shanghai Minebaba Network Technology Co., Ltd. and its affiliate, to acquire 5,000 brand new units of Bitmain Antminers S9 Hydro in a single transaction. The Equipment will be deployed in Sichuan, China and used for Bitcoin mining. Under the terms of the Agreement, ownership of the Equipment will be transferred from the Seller to the Buyer for a total price of about $2.6M. The Equipment is expected to contribute revenue about $4.6M in 2021, based on 90PH/S of hashing power generated, estimated power consumption and current Bitcoin price. The deal is expected to close by May, upon onsite inspection and acceptance and payment. After the transaction is completed, the Maintenance Party will continue to handle its operations. Utilizing the trading license held by Lion FinTech Group in Dubai, Lion intends the Bitcoins awarded through its mining activities for serving its customers' needs in investing and trading crypto assets. Lion expects the lifetime of the Equipment to be approximately three years.

07:35 EDT 9 Meters Biopharma announces pact with Celiac Disease Foundation - 9 Meters Biopharma that the Company will collaborate with the Celiac Disease Foundation to support clinical trial enrollment in 9 Meters' Phase 3 study, CeDLara, for their drug candidate larazotide in celiac disease. 9 Meters' CeDLara study is a Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 9 Meters' investigational drug, larazotide, for adult patients with at least a six-month history of celiac disease who continue to experience gastrointestinal symptoms despite maintaining a gluten-free diet for at least six months. Interim results and topline data readouts are anticipated in 2022. "We look forward to working with the Celiac Disease Foundation to bring larazotide to more celiac disease patients through our CeDLara study. With no current treatments available for patients other than following a gluten-free diet (GFD), which is sometimes ineffective, larazotide has the potential to reduce painful symptoms in patients as an adjunctive therapy along with a GFD," said Patrick H. Griffin, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of 9 Meters. "With data showing larazotide as effective, safe and well tolerated in clinical studies to date, we're excited to continue advancing through our Phase 3 trial with the help of CDF."

07:34 EDT Altisource Asset Management terminates CEO Indroneel Chatterjee 'for cause' - On April 16, 2021, the Board of Directors of Altisource Asset Management Corporation terminated the Company's Chief Executive Officer, Indroneel Chatterjee, for cause, effective immediately, for violations of the Company's Equal Employment Opportunity, Prevention Against Harassment, and Conduct on the Job Policies. This action reflects the results of an independent inquiry by counsel to the Board into Mr. Chatterjee's conduct. Under Mr. Chatterjee's employment agreement with the Company, he was also deemed to have simultaneously resigned from his positions as Chairman of the Board and a director of the Company, and the Board accepted his resignations. The Board expects to promptly commence a search for its next CEO and has appointed Thoma McCarthy as interim CEO during the search period.

07:32 EDT Lizhi enters in-car audio collaboration with WM Motor - LIZHI announced that it has entered into a collaboration with WM Motor, an electric vehicle manufacturing company in China, to integrate LIZHI's in-car audio product into WM Motor's in-car system for its electric vehicles. LIZHI's related in-car audio product has been officially launched on the WM W6 model.

07:25 EDT Knoll jumps 29% to $22.22 after takeover proposal from Herman Miller

07:22 EDT Autolus Therapeutics announces appointment of Murphy as non-executive chairman - Autolus Therapeutics announced that Martin Murphy was appointed as non-executive chairman of its board of directors, effective April 15. Christian Itin has chaired the Autolus board of directors since the company's inception in 2014 and has also served as CEO since 2016. As the company's lead program, AUTO1, continues to progress in multiple clinical trials and the company starts to prepare for commercialization in the event that AUTO1 receives marketing approval, the company "believes that the complexity of the business warrants separation of the roles of chairman and CEO, enabling Itin to fully focus on leading the business," the company said. Itin will remain a member of the Autolus board. Murphy has more than 25 years of experience in the life science sector and joined the Autolus Board as a non-executive director at the time of the company's inception in 2014.

07:19 EDT Equinox Gold sells Pilar Gold Mine in Brazil to Pilar Gold - Equinox Gold has sold its Pilar Gold Mine in Brazil to Pilar Gold for aggregate consideration of: $38M in cash, payable as follows: $10.5M on closing, which has been received; $10M payable on or before May 31; and $17.5M payable on or before July 31; a 9.9% equity interest in Pilar Gold; and a 1% net smelter returns royalty on production from the Pilar Gold Mine. The Pilar Gold Mine accounts for approximately 35,000 ounces or 5% of Equinox Gold's previously reported 2021 production guidance of 600K-665K ounces of gold. Guidance will be updated in May, including to reflect the sale of the Pilar Gold Mine and the addition of the producing Mercedes mine in Mexico to Equinox Gold's portfolio with the recent completion of the company's acquisition of Premier Gold Mines.

07:17 EDT Glass Lewis recommends Boston Private Financial-SVB Financial transaction - Boston Private Financial (BPFH) announced that independent proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis has joined Institutional Shareholder Services, or ISS, in recommending that Boston Private shareholders vote for the proposed transaction with SVB Financial Group (SIVB) at Boston Private's upcoming meeting scheduled for April 27. Both Glass Lewis and ISS have recommended that shareholders vote for each proposal to be presented at the meeting, in accordance with the unanimous recommendation of the Boston Private board. The Boston Private board believes that the transaction with SVB Financial will deliver immediate value and ongoing upside participation and is the clear alternative for Boston Private shareholders. The company said, "In contrast, HoldCo's proposed alternative is illusory, and amounts to a reckless gamble fraught with risk that would destroy substantial value for shareholders." The board unanimously recommends that shareholders vote for the proposed transaction with SVB Financial and for the other matters to be considered at the April 27 meeting by following the instructions on the white proxy card to vote via Internet or with a toll-free telephone call.

07:15 EDT CytoSorbents approved by FDA to begin START-T trial for Ticagrelor removal - CytoSorbents announced that the FDA has granted conditional approval of its investigational device exemption application for the U.S. Safe and Timely Antithrombotic Removal - Ticagrelor randomized, controlled trial. Based on this conditional approval, study initiation activities, including clinical trial agreement negotiations and institutional review board submissions, can now commence, putting the study ahead of the company's internal schedule. The company has already identified and pre-screened many high-quality U.S. clinical centers that have indicated strong interest to participate in the STAR-T trial. The company believes conditions for full IDE approval can be appropriately addressed within the 45-day timeframe outlined by the FDA, and once accepted, the company expects to provide additional detail on the trial. In April 2020, the FDA granted CytoSorbents Breakthrough Device Designation to remove ticagrelor during cardiothoracic surgery.

07:14 EDT ChampionX announces investment in QLM Technology - ChampionX Corporation announced the completion of an investment in QLM Technology Ltd, which has developed a quantum gas camera with an ability to detect, visualize and quantify emissions of methane.

07:13 EDT Harbor Custom contracts to develop 99 lots with Lennar, combined contracts $17M - Harbor Custom Development (HCDI) announced that it has entered into a construction contract to develop 99 lots with Lennar Northwest (LEN) in phase 7 of Soundview Estates located in Bremerton, Washington. Harbor Custom Homes previously announced the contract for sale of the 99 undeveloped lots to Lennar on February 18. The two contracts have a combined value of $16,830,000. Harbor has also announced the completion of infrastructure improvements on 240 lots at Soundview Estates, of which 215 were purchased by Lennar for single family home construction. With the addition of phase 7, Soundview Estates has grown to a 339-lot subdivision offering spectacular views of the Olympic Mountains, Mt. Rainier, the Seattle Skyline, and Puget Sound. Soundview Estates is less than a ten-minute drive to downtown Bremerton, the Seattle Ferry, and the Kitsap Naval Shipyard.

07:11 EDT Scienjoy announces strategic partnership with Jiada Hexin - Scienjoy announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Jiada Hexin Science and Technology Ltd., an online-to-offline aesthetic medicine platform. The two companies will launch a live streaming aesthetic medicine platform that uses Scienjoy's proprietary technologies to bring together customers, live streaming broadcasters and aesthetic medicine institutions. Scienjoy and Jiada Hexin's joint aesthetic medicine platform will combine Jiada Hexin's existing network of over 200 certified institutions with Scienjoy's pool of over 300,000 seasoned live streaming broadcasters. The majority of Scienjoy's broadcasters fit the core aesthetic medicine demographic: women in their 20s and 30s with disposable income who are interested in maintaining a healthy and young appearance. This new platform will allow existing live streaming broadcasters to engage with viewers and attract new beauty broadcasters. In 2019, Scienjoy began incubating medical aesthetics-related initiatives to test popularity with broadcasters and existing users. The current iteration, the LikeMei Mini Program launched in November last year, has been integrated and tested on Scienjoy's platforms and shown strong positive user feedback.

07:10 EDT Humanigen announces data from Phase 1b portion of ZUMA-19 trial - Humanigen (HGEN) announced data from the Phase 1b portion of ZUMA-19 evaluating the efficacy and safety of lenzilumab in patients treated with CAR-T in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, or DLBCL. At the recommended Phase 2 dose of lenzilumab, the ORR was 100% and no patient experienced severe cytokine release syndrome, or CRS, or severe neurotoxicity, or NT. ZUMA-19 was a clinical study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lenzilumab and CAR-T in patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL. This study was a standard 3+3 design with three patients administered 600 mg lenzilumab and three patients administered 1,800 mg lenzilumab just prior to CAR-T. The recommended Phase 2 dose was determined to be 1,800 mg. In the six study patients, the ORR was 83% which included four complete responses, or CR. In cohort 1, there was no severe CRS. One patient experienced grade 3 NT with a two-day duration. At the recommended Phase 2 dose, ORR was 100% and the toxicity-free CR was 66%. There was no severe CRS or severe NT at the recommended Phase 2 dose. There were no adverse events attributed to lenzilumab across the study. Inflammatory markers were correlated with reduced rates of CRS and NT. Lenzilumab dose-dependently reduced myeloid cytokines IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, and IP-10 and systemic inflammatory markers CRP, ferritin, and SAA. Humanigen will initiate a randomized, multicenter, potentially registrational, Phase 2 study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lenzilumab combined with all commercially available CD19 CAR-T therapies in DLBCL. The study plans to enroll approximately 150 patients and the protocol is being submitted to FDA. Humanigen has terminated the clinical collaboration agreement with Kite (GILD) related to ZUMA-19 and both parties will collaborate to wind down current study activities.

07:09 EDT Leading BioSciences provides update to Seneca stockholders on merger closing - Leading BioSciences released a video message from its CEO, Dr. Tom Hallam updating stockholders in Seneca Biopharma on what to expect in the days following a positive vote to approve Proposal #1, the reverse stock split. Seneca recently adjourned the virtual Special Meeting until April 23, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. ET. The video also described upcoming potential milestones in three categories: public events, regulatory milestones, and clinical data readouts. Public Events: LBS anticipates participating in multiple investor events, including healthcare conferences held by investment banks and medical conferences to release more detailed clinical data. Further, LBS is organizing a Medical Leader Event Series that will be open to the public. Regulatory Milestones: LBS is preparing several discussions with the FDA and other global regulatory agencies regarding our programs that will form the basis for regulatory submissions for approvals around the world. Clinical Milestones: LBS anticipates announcing data from a Phase 2 GI surgery study designed to show both a shortened time to the return of bowel function and a reduction of postoperative intra-abdominal adhesions. LBS also is working on commencing studies for treating neonates with LB1148 to accelerate the return of bowel function.

07:07 EDT Karyopharm's selinexor in liposarcoma featured in quality of life study - Karyopharm announced that health-related quality of life data from the Phase 3 portion of the Selinexor in Advanced Liposarcoma study were published online in Future Oncology. The SEAL study evaluated selinexor, the company's first-in-class, oral Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export compound, versus matching placebo in patients with advanced unresectable dedifferentiated liposarcoma who have experienced disease progression following at least two prior therapies. Xpovio - selinexor - is currently approved by the FDA for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma and relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; Xpovio has not been approved for the treatment of DDLPS and, therefore, its safety and efficacy for that patient population have not been established. The published SEAL study results were based on the Phase 3 portion of the study, which evaluated oral selinexor versus matching placebo in 285 adult patients with advanced unresectable DDLPS. Overall, the results showed that pain scores worsened in the placebo arm compared to the selinexor arm across all post-baseline visits, though some visits were not statistically significant. Median time to next treatment was also significantly longer in patients receiving selinexor compared to those receiving placebo. These results indicate that reduction in tumor growth is accompanied by clinically important reduction in pain, with minimal effects on other aspects of quality of life.

07:05 EDT Hillman Companies acquires OZCO Building Products, terms not disclosed - The Hillman Companies announced that it has acquired OZCO Building Products. With annual net revenue of approximately $18M, OZCO is a manufacturer of superior quality outdoor hardware in the U.S. and Canada. It is best known for originating the Ornamental Wood Ties hardware category. OZCO offers structural fasteners and connectors across 14 product lines for use in decks, benches, fences, gates, gardens, pergolas, planters, posts and other general construction needs. With over 200 SKU's and 23 U.S. patents, OZCO serves retail DIY customers and building professionals through a distribution network reaching over 1,000 stores and hundreds of independent dealers, as well as direct-to-consumers through e-commerce channels. Over the past 17 years, OZCO has developed many long standing customer relationships and an unrivaled reputation for best-in-class customer service, which together with its geographic footprint, proprietary brands, supply chain, product mix, and local leadership positions, fit squarely into Hillman's deeply embedded network of strategic partnerships with omni-channel retailers. OZCO will operate as part of Hillman's Hardware Solutions business. Ian Hill, Founder & General Manager of OZCO, will continue on with Hillman as a key member of the senior leadership team.

07:04 EDT Webster Financial, Sterling Bancorp to combine in all-stock merger - Webster Financial (WBS) and Sterling Bancorp (STL) jointly announced today that their boards of directors have approved by unanimous vote a definitive agreement under which the two companies will combine in an all-stock merger of equals transaction with a total market value of approximately $10.3B. Under the terms of the agreement, Sterling will merge into Webster, and Sterling's shareholders will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 0.463 of a Webster share for each share of Sterling stock they own. Following the closing of the transaction, Webster shareholders will own approximately 50.4% of the combined company, and Sterling shareholders will own approximately 49.6%, on a fully diluted basis. The combined company will retain the Webster name, establish a new corporate headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, and have a continued multi-campus presence in the greater New York City area and Waterbury, Connecticut. The combined company will have $63B in assets, $52B in deposits and $42B in loans provides scale to deliver financial performance and drive value for all stakeholders. Greater than 20% accretion is expected for Webster and greater than 10% accretion is expected for Sterling after realizing $120M of projected cost savings. Jack Kopnisky, president and CEO of Sterling, will serve as executive chairman of the combined company for 24 months after closing, and will continue in a consulting capacity for an additional 12 months thereafter. John Ciulla, chairman, president and CEO of Webster, will serve as president and CEO of the combined company until 24 months after closing, at which time he will become chairman, president and CEO. The merger is expected to close in Q4, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals and approval by the shareholders of each company.

07:04 EDT Herman Miller to acquire Knoll in cash, stock transaction valued at $1.8B - Herman Miller, Inc. (MLHR) and Knoll Inc. (KNL) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Herman Miller will acquire Knoll in a cash and stock transaction valued at $1.8B. The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, is expected to close by the end of the third quarter of calendar year 2021, subject to the satisfaction of closing conditions. Under the terms of the agreement, Knoll shareholders will receive $11.00 in cash and 0.32 shares of Herman Miller common stock for each share of Knoll common stock they own. Based on Herman Miller's five-day volume weighted average price of $43.94 per share, the transaction terms imply a purchase price of $25.06 per share, representing a 45% premium to Knoll's closing share price on April 16, 2021. Upon completion of the transaction, Herman Miller shareholders will own approximately 78% of the combined company and Knoll shareholders will own approximately 22%. In connection with the closing of the transaction, Herman Miller will purchase all of the outstanding shares of Knoll's preferred stock from Investindustrial VII for a fixed cash consideration of $253 million, representing an equivalent price of $25.06 for each underlying share of Knoll common stock. Investindustrial has entered into a voting agreement to vote in favor of the transaction at the special meeting of Knoll shareholders to be held in connection with the transaction. This highly complementary combination will create the preeminent leader in modern design, catalyzing the transformation of the home and office sectors at a time of unprecedented disruption. Herman Miller and Knoll collectively have 19 leading brands, presence across over 100 countries worldwide, a global dealer network, 64 showrooms globally, more than 50 physical retail locations and global multi-channel eCommerce capabilities. The combined company will have pro forma annual revenue of approximately $3.6 billion and pro forma adjusted EBITDA of approximately $552 million, based on each company's respective last reported 12 months and including the anticipated $100 million of cost synergies, implying adjusted EBITDA margins of approximately 16%. . The transaction is expected to generate $100 million of run-rate cost synergies within two years of closing, driven primarily by SG&A, supply chain, procurement and logistics savings. Bringing together Herman Miller and Knoll is also expected to generate significant revenue synergies across the combined business through enhanced scale, cross-selling, and digital and eCommerce opportunities. The transaction is expected to be accretive to Herman Miller's adjusted cash earnings per share in the first 12 months following the close of the transaction. Following the close of the transaction, Ms. Owen will serve as President and CEO of the combined company. Mr. Cogan plans to depart the combined company upon closing of the transaction after a successful 30-year career with Knoll, during which time Knoll received the National Design Award for Corporate and Institutional Achievement from the Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. The transaction, which is expected to close by the end of the third quarter of calendar year 2021, is subject to approval by Herman Miller and Knoll shareholders, the receipt of required regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. The transaction is not conditioned on financing. Herman Miller expects to fund the cash portion of the transaction consideration with a combination of new debt and cash on hand. Herman Miller has obtained a commitment from Goldman Sachs for $1.751 billion of senior secured revolving and term loan credit facilities, subject to customary conditions.

07:02 EDT Herman Miller to acquire Knoll in cash, stock deal valued at $1.8B

06:55 EDT Coca-Cola reports Q1 global unit case volume even

06:38 EDT Carrier Global to acquire Guangdong Giwee Group - Carrier announced that it has signed agreements to acquire Guangdong Giwee Group and its subsidiaries, including Guangdong Chigo Heating & Ventilation Equipment. Carrier said Giwee Group's strength in the VRF and light commercial market in China will expand Carrier's access to this market. The global market for VRF and light commercial HVAC equipment is expected to reach approximately $20B by 2025. Carrier is a part of Carrier Global. The Giwee Group is a China-based manufacturer of heating, ventilation and air conditioning products, offering a portfolio of products such as variable refrigerant flow, modular chiller and light commercial air conditioners. Carrier expects to close its acquisition of a controlling stake of Giwee Group in Q2, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

06:36 EDT McEwen Mining reports Q1 production 30,600 gold equivalent ounces - McEwen Mining reports consolidated production for Q1 of 23,300 gold ounces and 493,200 silver ounces, or 30,600 gold equivalent ounces, vs. 35,100 GEOs in Q1 2020. All operations delivered production in line with budget. Production is expected to increase over the balance of the year and to be 20-40% greater than 2020. Black Fox, Canada, produced 5,200 GEOs during the period, compared to 8,300 GEOs in Q1 2020. San Jose, Argentina, produced 9,500 gold ounces and 492,300 silver ounces, for a total of 16,700 GEOs, compared to 14,900 GEOs in Q1 2020. Gold Bar produced 7,400 GEOs vs. 9,100 GEOs in Q1 2020, where production in Q2 is expected to be higher than Q1. El Gallo produced 1,300 GEOs from residual leaching of the heap leach pad.

06:34 EDT ChromaDex names Fadi Karam as Chief Marketing Officer - ChromaDex announced that it has appointed Fadi Karam as Chief Marketing Officer. Karam has spent his career driving consumer businesses across multiple geographies and cultures, including scaling direct-to-consumer operations across digital, social, and traditional marketing platforms, as well as launching and scaling product innovation. Prior to joining ChromaDex, Karam led the local brand portfolio for Nestle Waters North America with over $3B in annual revenues.

06:32 EDT Aerie Pharmaceuticals granted marketing authorisation of Roclanda in U.K. - Aerie Pharmaceuticals announced that Roclanda 50 micrograms/ml + 200 micrograms/ml Eye Drops, Solution has received marketing authorisation from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in Great Britain. Roclanda is indicated for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure in adult patients with primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension for whom monotherapy with a prostaglandin or netarsudil provides insufficient IOP reduction. Roclanda was granted a marketing authorisation by the European Commission in January for the same indication. The EC marketing authorisation is valid in all 27 countries of the European Union, plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. Through the EC marketing authorisation, Roclanda is also authorised in Northern Ireland. Roclanda was authorised by the FDA in March 2019 under the trade name Rocklatan for the reduction of elevated IOP in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

06:23 EDT GameStop jumps 6% to $164.50 after CEO George Sherman to step down

06:16 EDT Clean Energy jumps 12% to $12.55 after RNG pact with Amazon.com

06:12 EDT Checkmate Pharmaceuticals begins patient dosing in Phase 2 head and neck trial - Checkmate Pharmaceuticals initiated dosing in a Phase 2 proof-of-concept trial in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The trial will assess the efficacy and safety of vidutolimod in combination with pembrolizumab for the treatment of patients with first-line relapsed or metastatic HNSCC. The results of this trial are expected in the 2nd half of 2022, with initial data in a subset of patients anticipated before the end of 2021. Checkmate is also conducting two clinical trials of vidutolimod in combination with nivolumab in the lead indication of melanoma. Checkmate initiated patient dosing in the first-line melanoma trial in March. Trial sites have been activated and patient screening is underway in the refractory melanoma study.

06:09 EDT Commerce Bancshares invests in startup investment firm SixThirty - Commerce Bancshares is deepening its multi-year relationship with SixThirty, a global venture firm that invests in enterprise technology startups. SixThirty targets investments in seed to early growth stage startups. The collaboration with SixThirty will allow Commerce to make direct investments in ideas that present long-term opportunity. Commerce will also provide hands-on training and mentoring to the companies selected to take part in SixThirty's go-to-market program. SixThirty has been investing in FinTech since 2013. Commerce Bank executives Charles Kim, Chief Financial Officer, and Dave Roller, Chief Information Officer, will serve as members of SixThirty's Investment Committee.

06:08 EDT Preferred Apartment to sell portfolio to Highwoods Properties for $717.5M - Preferred Apartment (APTS) announced that the company has entered into an agreement to sell a portfolio of seven office properties and one office real estate loan investment to Highwoods Properties (HIW) for an aggregate purchase price of $717.5M, including the assumption of debt. The transactions are expected to close in Q3 and are subject to customary closing conditions. The transactions have been unanimously approved by the company's board of directors. Highwoods is posting $50M of earnest money deposits that are non-refundable except in limited circumstances. The portfolio was marketed by JLL. As part of the transaction, PAC will separately market Armour Yards and 251 Armour for sale to a third party. The Armour Yards and 251 Armour transaction may close earlier or later than Q3 depending on whether PAC chooses to sell them to a third party purchaser or requires Highwoods to purchase them. The company expects to utilize a portion of the proceeds to redeem a portion of its 6.00% Series A redeemable preferred stock. The company intends to largely redeploy the remainder of the proceeds to grow its core suburban Sunbelt Class A multifamily business through PAC's proprietary acquisition channels, including real estate loan investments, and for other corporate purposes. The financial impacts of these planned disposition and investment activities were not included in the company's 2021 core FFO per share guidance released on March 1. The Company anticipates that the transaction will reduce core FFO following closing but this may be offset to some extent based on the use of the proceeds, the timing of redeployment of proceeds, and G&A savings.

06:06 EDT RadNet subsidiary receives FDA clearance for AI mammography triage software - RadNet subsidiary DeepHealth, a developer of artificial intelligence for mammography interpretation, has received FDA clearance for its mammography triage software Saige-Q. Saige-Q is a screening worklist prioritization tool that enables radiologists to manage their mammography cases with the use of artificial intelligence.

06:04 EDT MannKind and United Therapeutics submit NDA for Tyvaso to the FDA - MannKind (MNKD) and United Therapeutics (UTHR) submitted a new drug application for Tyvaso to the FDA. MannKind and United Therapeutics entered into a worldwide exclusive licensing and collaboration agreement in September 2018 for the development and commercialization of Tyvaso DPI, a dry powder formulation of treprostinil, delivered via a small, portable dry powder inhaler. Tyvaso DPI incorporates the dry powder formulation technology and Dreamboat inhalation device technology used in MannKind's Afrezza Inhalation Powder, which was approved by the FDA in 2014. Tyvaso DPI, if approved, is expected to provide a choice of inhaled administration for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease. United Therapeutics has applied a priority review voucher to the NDA that could provide for an FDA decision by December. The FDA must first accept the application for review and issue a formal decision date in accordance with the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. Tyvaso DPI is an investigational therapy that is not approved for any use in any country or indication.

06:02 EDT GameStop CEO George Sherman to step down - GameStop announced that George Sherman will be stepping down as CEO on July 31, 2021, or earlier upon the appointment of a successor. The Board of Directors thanks Sherman for his significant contributions since being appointed CEO in April 2019. As disclosed in GameStop's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 23, the Board has been evaluating executive leadership to ensure the company has the right skills to meet changing business requirements. The company's Form 10-K also noted that the Board has retained a third-party firm to support its efforts. The Board's Strategic Planning and Capital Allocation Committee is leading a search to identify CEO candidates with the capabilities and experience to help accelerate the next phase of the company's transformation.

05:30 EDT Toyota debuts all-electric SUV concept - Toyota announced the introduction of the Toyota bZ4X Concept, a vision for the first of a global series of battery-electric vehicles to be introduced under the "Toyota bZ" brand umbrella. The Toyota bZ4X Concept joins a full lineup of electrified vehicles - a lineup that, in total, accounts for more than 40% of all alternative powertrain vehicles sold in the U.S. These alternative powertrains include battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell electrics, hybrids and plug-in hybrids. Toyota plans to expand to around 70 electrified models globally by 2025. This future lineup will feature 15 dedicated BEVs, including seven carrying the bZ brand moniker. In addition, Toyota intends to bring electrification to its pickup truck lineup in the near future, including hybrid and BEV powertrains. The company said this portfolio of electrified products will help propel Toyota toward its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Toyota plans to produce the Toyota bZ4X in Japan and China; it hopes to begin worldwide sales of the model by the middle of 2022. U.S. product details will be shared at a later date.

05:23 EDT Erytech Pharma completes enrollment for first cohort of eryaspase trial - Erytech Pharma announced the completion of enrollment of the first treatment cohort and the escalation to the next and potentially final dose level in a Phase 1 investigator sponsored clinical trial, or IST, named rESPECT, of its product candidate eryaspase for the first-line treatment of pancreatic cancer.

05:13 EDT XBiotech receives FDA permission to commence trials for pancreatic cancer drug - XBiotech announced that the FDA has granted permission to commence clinical trials with its drug candidate for treating patients with pancreatic cancer. From 1992 to 2018 the death rate from pancreatic cancer steadily increased in the U.S. It is now predicted that pancreatic cancer will claim 48,220 lives and be the third leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. in 2021.

05:08 EDT Arthur J. Gallagher announces partnership with MIG Holding, investment in ACE - Arthur J. Gallagher announced that it has agreed to a strategic partnership with MIG Holding which will see the company take a minority interest in Middle East & North Africa, or MENA, specialist insurance broker ACE. Subject to the necessary regulatory approvals, Gallagher will take a 30% minority interest in the ACE entities and MIG Group will retain a 70% interest. With a history dating back to 1952, ACE is an insurance, reinsurance and employee benefits broker with operations in seven countries and expertise in aviation, real estate, construction, oil & gas, financial lines and property risks. Under the direction of president and CEO of MIG Group, Nagib Bahous, ACE's team of over 240 employees operate from offices across Saudi Arabia, as well as in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Greece and Lebanon.