Stockwinners Market Radar for April 28, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:16 EDT Samsung says Semiconductor segment profit to improve significantly - Samsung says Q1 Semiconductor profit decreased slightly from Q4 due to initial costs associated with advanced process migration and a continued downward trend in NAND price despite higher-than-expected shipments. In Q2, Samsung says its Semiconductor profit "will improve significantly amid favorable business conditions, which include strong demand mainly for server/PC". Says Q1 Display Panel segment "mobile earnings earnings declined from Q4 due to weak smartphone demand from major customers but improved Y-Y as OLED adoption expanded from flagship to entry-level models"; In Q2 Display Panel segment Mobile sales to decline "due to continued impacts of weak seasonality from Q1 and also latent demand for new smartphone models scheduled for release in the 3rd quarter". In IT & Mobile Communications segment, Samsung says Mobile revenue and profitability "grew significantly q/q backed by increased sales of flagship models as Galaxy S21 has been well received by consumers". In Q2, Samsung sees "sales of newly-introduced A Series to accelerate and sales of tablets and wearables to be solid, but weakening new product effects for flagship models and short supply of some components may lead to a decline in revenue". Reference Link

19:47 EDT Northfield Bancorp raises quarterly dividend by 18.2% to 13c per share - The dividend is payable May 26, 2021, to stockholders of record on May 12, 2021.

19:16 EDT Capcom says new 'Monster Hunter' has sold 6M copies worldwide - Capcom (CCOEY) said that its latest game "Monster Hunter Rise," a Nintendo Switch (NTDOY) console exclusive, has sold 6M copies worldwide, including downloads. The game launched on Switch on March 26, 2021. Reference Link

18:22 EDT Stanley Black & Decker CEO: It's a bonanza for tools right now - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, James Loree said the whole market has changed and growth is off the charts. Contractors and renovations got hot in the U.S., and now it has extended throughout the world, he added. It's hard to tell if inflation is going to be temporary or permanent, he noted.

18:14 EDT Columbia Care acquires 34-acre cultivation site in Long Island - Columbia Care announced it has acquired a 34-acre cultivation site in eastern Long Island, New York. The company's first harvest and sales from this property for the state's medical marijuana program is expected in Q4 2021, pending regulatory approvals. The Long Island location offers supplemental cultivation and manufacturing capacity for Columbia Care's existing Rochester facility that has served New York's more than 120,000 medical cannabis patients since 2015, to meet the demand of a growing medical market, which, subject to regulatory approval, will include a number of newly approved additional form factors, including flower, in 2021. This facility currently has approximately 740,000 square feet of operational greenhouse space, which the Company plans to acquire upon phase two of the transaction, with 200,000 square feet of incremental grow capacity, situated perfectly for both retail distribution to Columbia Care's three NYC and Long Island dispensaries and wholesale distribution to the most densely populated metropolitan area in the United States. The property's infrastructure is fully developed for industrial scale and throughput and is currently used for growing ornamental flowers. Additionally, the existing owners have previously planted and successfully harvested industrial hemp on-site. Columbia Care will pay a total purchase price of $42.5M, which includes $15.0M in cash and $27.5M in Columbia Care stock. The initial payment of $30.0M has been made. The remaining $12.5M in stock payment will follow in August 2021 upon completion of the second phase of the transaction.

18:06 EDT Enviva raises quarterly dividend to 78.5c per share from 78c

17:47 EDT Facebook CEO says Quest 2 seeing some 'real inflection' - Says additional investment warranted by how the team is executing and the products we have in the pipeline. Says Quest has "by far the best VR content". Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call Q/A.

17:34 EDT Apple says advertising rebounding after pandemic slowdown - Says U.S., China moved "quickly" to 5G adoption.

17:27 EDT Cogent raises quarterly dividend to 78c from 75.5c per share - The dividend is payable on May 28, 2021 to shareholders of record on May 14, 2021.

17:23 EDT Cheesecake Factory says not providing guidance due to operating environment - Says encouraged by Q1 performance as well as Q2 to date performance. Says long-term outlook is bright. Says quarter-to-date through April 27 comparable sales at Cheesecake Factory restaurants increased 7% versus 2019. Says on average, Cheesecake Factory locations are operating at approximately 60% indoor dining capacity, with approximately two-thirds total on-premise capacity including patios. Says expects general and administrative expenses of $47M for each of the remaining quarters. Says estimated tax rate for the year is 27%. Says expects to open as many as 14 new restaurants this year. Says expects $100M in capital expenditures for the year. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

17:18 EDT Alcon to acquire U.S. commercialization rights to Simbrinza - The company states: "Alcon announced it has signed an agreement to acquire exclusive U.S. commercialization rights to Simbrinza 1%/0.2% from Novartis (NVS). The acquisition of Simbrinza combined with the company's existing over-the-counter eye drops will give Alcon a strong ophthalmic eye drop portfolio and the opportunity to capitalize on both the large glaucoma market and the fast-growing dry eye preservative free and eye allergy markets. The company's strong U.S. ophthalmology expertise and existing relationships with healthcare professionals will help drive HCP and patient adoption."

17:14 EDT Danaher EVP Weidemanis sells over 17,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Danaher executive VP Joakim Weidemanis disclosed the sale of 17,169 common shares of the company on April 27 at a price of $258.759 per share.

17:10 EDT Apple says Mac just had best three quarters 'ever' - Says last three quarters for Mac its best three quarters "ever." Says Q2 saw continued strength in wearables. Says products fueled by M1 chip set sales record. Says Apple TV+ seeing "milestone" period. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

17:07 EDT Facebook CEO says Quest 2 device doing better than expected - Says most companies will not be able to deliver similar experience as the wireless Quest 2 device. Says expect augmented and virtual reality to unlock massive value. Says feedback from products suggests that we are focusing on the right area. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

17:03 EDT Oceaneering sees Q2 adjusted EBITDA $55M-$60M - "For the second quarter, compared to the first quarter, we anticipate higher activity levels and operating profitability improvement in our SSR and OPG segments, higher activity levels and relatively flat operating profitability in our IMDS and ADTech segments, and lower activity levels and lower operating profitability in our Manufactured Products segment. Unallocated Expenses are forecast to be in the low- to mid-$30 million range. On a consolidated basis, we expect second quarter 2021 results to improve, with adjusted EBITDA in the range of $55 million to $60 million on sequentially higher revenue."

17:01 EDT TriMas CFO Robert Zalupski retires, Scott Mell to succeed - TriMas announced the retirement of Robert Zalupski as CFO and Treasurer. In connection with this development, and as part of the company's succession planning process, TriMas also announced the appointment of Scott Mell as CFO, effective May 1. He will report to Thomas Amato, TriMas President and CEO. Zalupski, who has served in finance leadership roles within TriMas for 19 years, and as its CFO since January 2015, joined TriMas in 2002.

16:58 EDT EVgo opens first three charging stations from collaboration with General Motors - EVgo announced it has opened the first three fast charging stations from the company's collaboration with General Motors to triple the size of its current network. In July 2020, GM and EVgo announced plans to accelerate widespread EV adoption by adding more than 2,700 fast chargers in markets across the country through 2025. EVgo and GM are already delivering on that commitment with the first stations online and available to the public. The new fast charging station locations include four stalls at Carlmont Village Shopping Center in Belmont, California, six stalls at Oakwood Plaza in Hollywood, Florida, and two stalls at Ballard Blocks shopping center in Seattle, Washington.

16:49 EDT Sunstone Hotel acquires Montage Healdsburg resort for $265M - Sunstone Hotel announced the acquisition of the fee-simple interest in the 130-room Montage Healdsburg. The newly constructed luxury Resort, which was completed in December 2020, was acquired for a gross purchase price of $265M. The acquisition was funded from cash on hand and through the direct issuance of $66M of perpetual preferred equity to the seller, affiliates of Ohana Real Estate Investors. Upon stabilization, the company expects the Resort to generate a 6.0%-7.0% net operating income yield on total invested capital. The acquisition of the Resort further advances Sunstone's strategy of owning a portfolio of Long-Term Relevant Real Estate.

16:47 EDT Huntsman raises quarterly dividend 15% to 18.75c per share - The dividend is payable on June 30 to stockholders of record as of June 15.

16:44 EDT Continental Resources reinstates dividend at 11c per share - Continental Resources approved the reinstatement of the quarterly dividend at 11c per share on the company's outstanding common stock, payable on May 24 to stockholders of record on May 10. This dividend is double the company's previous quarterly dividend.

16:41 EDT Curtiss-Wright awarded flight recorder technology contract by SRC - Curtiss-Wright announced that it was selected by Scientific Research Corporation, or SRC, to provide its industry-leading Fortress flight recorder system to upgrade the T-6 Texan II trainer aircraft used by the U.S. Air Force and Navy. This important military aircraft contract builds on Curtiss-Wright's recent success in the Commercial Aerospace market, highlighted by our partnership with Honeywell to use real-time connectivity to reinvent the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder - commonly referred to as "black boxes" - for the commercial airline, cargo transport, and business jet markets.

16:39 EDT Apple shares up 3% to $138.25 after Q2 beat, dividend raise

16:38 EDT Apple reports Q2 Wearables, Home, Accessories sales $7.84B vs. $6.28B last year

16:37 EDT Apple reports Q2 iPad revenue $7.81B vs. $4.37B last year

16:36 EDT Apple CFO expresses confidence in future - Apple CFO Luca Maestri said, "We are proud of our March quarter performance, which included revenue records in each of our geographic segments and strong double-digit growth in each of our product categories, driving our installed base of active devices to an all-time high. These results allowed us to generate operating cash flow of $24 billion and return nearly $23 billion to shareholders during the quarter. We are confident in our future and continue to make significant investments to support our long-term plans and enrich our customers' lives."

16:36 EDT Apple reports Q2 iPhone revenue $47.94B vs. $28.96B last year

16:34 EDT Kaiser Aluminum backs view of adjusted EBITDA margin comparable to 2020 - "Prior to completion of the acquisition, our outlook for the full year 2021 anticipated total value added revenue up 5% to 10% year-over-year and an adjusted EBITDA margin comparable to 2020 driven by strong growth in automotive, defense and general engineering applications. With the acquisition of Warrick now completed, we have updated the full year outlook for 2021 to reflect approximately $375 million to $400 million of additional value added revenue for the remainder of the year and reiterate our expectation of an adjusted EBITDA margin comparable to 2020," stated Mr. Harvey. The Company anticipates aerospace/high strength demand to continue improving through the balance of the year driven by growth in defense related programs and business jet production. Demand for the Company's products related to large commercial airframe production appears to have stabilized with continued recovery through 2023-2024. Demand for the Company's automotive applications remains robust with multiple new programs successfully launched and underway. The Company has experienced slight delays in some programs mainly due to the semiconductor chip shortage anticipated to continue through the first half of 2021. If the shortage is not recoverable in the second half 2021, automotive value added revenue for the year could be slightly lower than previously anticipated."

16:33 EDT Sterling Construction awarded $170M in Specialty Services projects in Q1 - Sterling Construction announced that our Specialty Services segment was awarded projects totaling approximately $170M during the first quarter of 2021. Significant projects included data centers, large distribution centers, an e-commerce project and a healthcare project in Florida. The majority of these awards commenced work during the quarter.

16:32 EDT Apple increases share buyback program by $90B - Apple said its board of directors has authorized an increase of $90B to the existing share repurchase program.

16:30 EDT Adverum Biotechnologies trading resumes

16:22 EDT FDA panel votes for maintaining accelerated approval of Genentech's Tecentriq - Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) voted 10 to 1 in favor of maintaining accelerated approval of Tecentriq(R) (atezolizumab) for the treatment of adults with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC, bladder cancer) who are not eligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy and whose tumors express high levels of PD-L1 (PD-L1-stained tumor-infiltrating immune cells covering greater than or equal to5 percent of the tumor area) as determined by an FDA-approved test or are not eligible for any platinum-containing chemotherapy regardless of PD-L1 status. Today's ODAC meeting is part of an industry-wide review of accelerated approvals with confirmatory trials that have not met their primary endpoint(s) and have yet to gain regular approvals. The advisory committee provides the FDA with independent opinions and recommendations from outside medical experts though the recommendations are not binding. The FDA has not announced when it will make its final decision for Tecentriq in this indication.

16:20 EDT United States Lime & Minerals de - The Company announced today that the Board of Directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.16 per share on the Company's common stock. This dividend is payable on June 11, 2021 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 21, 2021.

16:17 EDT MGM Resorts: MGM China outperformed broader Macau market's pace of recovery

16:12 EDT Facebook up 5% after Q1 earnings report - Facebook shares are up $16.05, or 5%, to $323.15 in after-hours trading.

16:11 EDT Xencor doses first subject in ph1 study of XmAb564 - Xencor announced that the first subject has been dosed in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1 clinical study of XmAb564, an engineered IL-2-Fc cytokine in development as a potential treatment for patients with autoimmune diseases. The study will evaluate the safety and tolerability of XmAb564, administered subcutaneously in healthy adult volunteers.

16:07 EDT eBay CEO says 'on a path of continued growth' in years ahead - "We delivered another strong quarter for the company and an excellent start to the year for our buyers and sellers. We generated tremendous volume and earnings, with revenue growth the highest it has been since 2005," said Jamie Iannone, Chief Executive Officer at eBay. "Last July, I laid out our vision for a Tech-led reimagination of eBay and our results prove this long-term strategy is working. While we have more work to do, we are confident we are on a path of continued growth in the years ahead."

16:07 EDT eBay reports GMV of $27.5B, up 29% on an as-reported basis - Annual active buyers grew by 7%, for a total of 187 million global active buyers. Annual active sellers grew by 8%, for a total of 20 million global active sellers.

16:05 EDT Qualcomm sees Q3 QCT revenue $5.8B-$6.3B - Sees Q3 QTL revenue $1.35B-$1.55B.

16:00 EDT Adverum Biotechnologies trading halted, news pending

15:41 EDT FTC to require divestitures in Casey's acquisition of Buck's - Casey's General Stores, Buck's Intermediate Holdings and Steven Buchanan have agreed to divest retail fuel assets in local gasoline and diesel fuel markets across two states to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that Casey's proposed acquisition would violate federal antitrust law. Headquartered in Ankeny, Iowa, Casey's operates retail fuel outlets and convenience stores in 16 Midwestern states, primarily Iowa, Missouri and Illinois. Buck's Intermediate Holding, or Bucky's, is a family-owned chain of fuel outlets and convenience stores headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. According to the complaint, markets for retail gasoline and retail diesel fuel are highly localized, and no economic or practical alternative to the retail sale of gasoline or diesel fuel exists. The complaint alleges that the acquisition as proposed would harm competition for retail sale of gasoline in seven local markets in Nebraska and Iowa. In four of these local markets, competition for the retail sale of diesel fuel would also be harmed. The complaint alleges that without a remedy, the acquisition would reduce the number of competitors to three or fewer in these seven local markets. Under the terms of the proposed consent order, Casey's is required to divest six retail fuel outlets, three Casey's outlets and three Bucky's outlets, to Western Oil II and its affiliate Danco within 10 days after Casey's completes the acquisition. Western Oil is an experienced operator or supplier of retail fuel sites and will be a new entrant into the local markets. Reference Link

15:19 EDT Bausch Health up 8% after Bloomberg says eye-care unit sale considered

15:03 EDT General Motors announces collaboration with seven 'major charging networks' - General Motors (GM) introduced "Ultium Charge 360," which it calls "a holistic charging approach that integrates charging networks, GM vehicle mobile apps, and other products and services to simplify the overall charging experience for GM electric vehicle owners." GM said it will continue to work with a variety of third parties, including charge point operators, electric utilities and government agencies to make home, workplace, public and fleet charging ubiquitous for customers. GM announced it now has signed agreements with "seven major charging providers:" Blink Charging (BLNK), ChargePoint (CHPT), EV Connect, EVgo (EVGO), FLO, Greenlots and SemaConnect. "Through their GM vehicle mobile apps, EV customers will soon be able to easily see real-time information from nearly 60,000 charging plugs throughout the U.S. and Canada, find stations along a route and initiate and pay for charging," GM stated. Travis Hester, GM's chief EV officer, added, "As we launch 30 EVs globally by the end of 2025, Ultium Charge 360 simplifies and improves the at-home charging experience and the public charging experience - whether it's community-based or road-trip charging." GM added: "The first GM and EVgo sites are now live in Washington, California and Florida, nine months after a commitment to add more than 2,700 fast chargers in cities and suburbs by the end of 2025 was first announced. Each site is capable of delivering up to 350 kilowatts and averages four chargers per site. GM and EVgo are on track to have approximately 500 fast charging stalls live by the end of 2021."

14:14 EDT NeuroRx, Georgia health ministry agree to expand Zyesami access program - NeuroRx announced that it has met with Dr. Ekaterine Tikaradze, Minister of Health of Georgia, and other senior leadership, to immediately initiate an Expanded Access Program of its phase 3 drug, ZYESAMI for critically-ill citizens of Georgia with COVID-19 Respiratory Failure. The EAP will be conducted in collaboration with Denk Pharma Georgia, Georgia's primary pharmaceutical distributor, and under the auspices of the Potomac Institute of Policy Studies and the Richard G. Lugar Center for Public Health Research, a research facility funded by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency and named in honor of former U.S. Senator Richard G. Lugar to support international research efforts in its endeavor to stop global diseases. The Georgian Ministry of Health has granted approval for the EAP approved by the US FDA to be initiated in Georgia and potentially in other neighboring countries in the Caucasus Region under the oversight of the Georgian Ministry of Health. NeuroRx has signed an agreement to merge with Big Rock Partners Acquisition Corp.

14:02 EDT CFPB issues statement against Mr. Cooper for unauthorized withdrawals - Earlier, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, CFPB, Acting Director Dave Uejio issued the following statement in response to apparent unauthorized withdrawals made by a mortgage servicer, Mr. Cooper. Unauthorized duplicate-payment drafts by Mr. Cooper appear to have resulted in hundreds of thousands of consumers' bank accounts being debited for multiples of their mortgage payments. Affected consumers have reported being charged overdraft fees and likely suffered additional harm as a result of these unauthorized withdrawals. CFPB Acting Director Dave Uejio: "The CFPB is taking immediate action to understand and resolve the situation that has affected hundreds of thousands of consumers. The CFPB will use all appropriate tools at our disposal to help ensure harmed consumers receive relief. Consumers affected by the incident should monitor their accounts and may contact Mr. Cooper directly. Consumers can submit complaints to the CFPB. Reference Link

13:35 EDT Protalix says CRL didn't note concerns relating to safety or efficacy of PRX-102 - Protalix BioTherapeutics provided an update regarding the Complete Response Letter, or CRL, received from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding the Biologics License Application seeking accelerated approval of pegunigalsidase alfa, or PRX-102, for the proposed treatment of adult patients with Fabry disease. Receipt of the CRL was announced earlier today. "The CRL did not report any concerns relating to the potential safety or efficacy of PRX-102 in the submitted data package. In the CRL, the FDA noted that an inspection of Protalix's manufacturing facility in Carmiel, Israel, including the FDA's subsequent assessment of any related findings, is required before the FDA can approve the BLA. Due to travel restrictions, the FDA was unable to conduct the required inspection during the review cycle. The FDA explained that it will continue to monitor the public health situation as well as travel restrictions, and is actively working to define an approach for scheduling outstanding inspections. With respect to the third-party facility in Europe at which fill and finish processes are performed for PRX-102, due to COVID-19, the FDA reviewed records under Section 704(a)(4) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in lieu of a pre-licensing inspection. In the CRL, the FDA stated that it will communicate remaining issues to the facility in order to seek prompt resolution of any pending items. In addition to the foregoing, the FDA noted that Fabrazyme was recently converted to full approval which must be addressed in the context of any potential resubmission seeking accelerated approval of PRX-102. Protalix intends to work collaboratively with the agency to identify the most expeditious pathway to approval, including accelerated approval. Protalix remains confident that it will be able to work with the FDA to resolve these issues and provide a new, alternative drug to Fabry patients. Protalix intends to request a Type-A meeting with the FDA, and will provide further updates on next steps after the meeting," the company stated in its update press release.

13:29 EDT Protalix trading halted, volatility trading pause

13:03 EDT Cinedigm launches Film Detective, Lone Star channels on Rakuten TV - Cinedigm announced that the company is launching its classic film and television channel The Film Detective and its classic western channel The Lone Star Channel on Rakuten TV in 36 European countries. "Our partnership with Rakuten TV represents an exciting opportunity to expand the global reach of our classic film and television library," said Phil Hopkins, President of The Film Detective. "Rakuten TV's commitment to providing unparalleled cinematic experiences perfectly aligns with The Film Detective and The Lone Star Channel's mission to bring exceptional vintage film and television to audiences with the convenience of today's streaming technology."

12:22 EDT M&T Bank to create over 1,000 jobs at Buffalo Tech Hub - M&T Bank debuted its collaborative workspace inside the Tech Hub at Seneca One, marking the completion of construction at the now-transformed downtown Buffalo landmark, the tallest privately-owned building in the state outside of New York City. The company plans to create over 1,000 jobs based at the location, where it invested nearly $58M to develop their 330,000-square foot space, now poised to become a driving force for the city's growing tech ecosystem and considered by collective leaders to be an asset for the entire community.

12:04 EDT Carvana now offering as-soon-as-next-day touchless home delivery in Daphne - Carvana announced that it is now offering as-soon-as-next-day touchless home delivery to Daphne area residents, with Ernie Garcia, Carvana founder and CEO, stating: "We're pleased to offer our easy, transparent car buying experience to even more customers in Alabama." Carvana now offers as-soon-as-next-day vehicle delivery to customers in 274 cities across the U.S., the company noted.

12:01 EDT CoreLogic shareholders approve $80 per share takeover - CoreLogic announced that its shareholders voted to approve the company's acquisition by funds managed by Stone Point Capital and Insight Partners for $80 per share in cash. The completion of the transaction remains subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions.

12:01 EDT Pinterest falls -12.8% - Pinterest is down -12.8%, or -$9.94 to $67.64.

12:00 EDT Unitil rises 14.7% - Unitil is up 14.7%, or $7.34 to $57.29.

12:00 EDT Copel rises 404.4% - Copel is up 404.4%, or $4.57 to $5.70.

11:43 EDT American Water sees dividend growth at high end of 7%-10% range - American Water said it expects to continue dividend growth at the high end of the 7% to 10% range and target a dividend payout ratio between 50% to 60% of earnings.

11:33 EDT Sony sees I&SS market share returning to previous levels in FY21 - "In FY21, we expect that our market share on a volume basis will return to a similar level as it was in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, thanks to our efforts to expand our customer base in the mobile sensor business, and we will manage the business in a more proactive manner while keeping an eye on risk," the company said. "We plan to increase research expenses in FY21 by approximately 15%, or 25 billion yen, year-on-year to expand the type of products we sell and to shift to higher value-added models from the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023. We expect image sensor capital expenditures to be 285 billion yen, part of which was postponed from the previous fiscal year. We plan to shift to higher value-added products that leverage Sony's stacked technology in preparation for an improvement in the product mix from FY22, and we will concentrate our investment on production capacity necessary to produce them. The other day, we held a completion ceremony for our new Fab 5 building at our Nagasaki Factory. Expansion of production capacity is progressing according to plan and we will build, expand and equip facilities in-line with the pace of expansion of our business going forward. Shortages of semiconductors have become an issue recently, but, with the cooperation of or partners, we have already secured enough supply of logic semiconductors used in our image sensors to cover our production plan for this fiscal year. However, there is a possibility that the semiconductor shortage will be prolonged, so we are accelerating the shift to higher value-added products that we have been advancing heretofore. We are also continuing to proactively pursue mid- to long-term initiatives in the automotive and 3D sensing areas and will explain more details at the IR Day scheduled for next month."

11:31 EDT Uber, Walgreens launch nationwide vaccine appointment, ride scheduling feature - Uber Technologies (UBER) and Walgreens (WBA) unveiled a new feature that allows consumers to book vaccination appointments at a Walgreens location and also schedule their Uber ride to the vaccination appointment all with a few taps through the Uber app. The companies said: "With all adults in the United States eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, Uber and Walgreens remain focused on helping ensure that transportation is never a barrier to receiving a vaccination. The new Uber app feature is the result of months of collaboration between the two companies. This new feature and many other new additions to Uber and UberEats were unveiled today in a global announcement from Uber." "We're committed to helping ensure that transportation is not a barrier to getting vaccinated. We know that by making it easier to get to an appointment, more people will get vaccinated," said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. "By partnering with Walgreens, our goal is to make getting that shot as easy as booking a ride with Uber."

11:18 EDT Grainger boosts dividend by 6%, announces new 5M share buyback - W.W. Grainger announced today that its board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $1.62 per share, an increase of 6% from the dividend paid in March. The dividend is payable on June 1, to shareholders of record on May 10. In addition, the board authorized the repurchase of up to 5M shares of the company's outstanding common stock, replacing the company's existing repurchase program. The new repurchase program has no expiration date. "We are proud today to announce our 50th year of consistent annual dividend increases. We remain committed to our capital allocation strategy which allows us to return value to shareholders through consistent increases in the dividend and share repurchases while continuing to invest in the business," said Grainger Chairman and CEO, DG Macpherson.

11:03 EDT Boeing sees 'much improved' operating cash flow in 2021 vs. 2020

10:57 EDT Boeing still expects to deliver half of 737 MAX inventory by end of 2021

10:47 EDT Boeing: Widebody demand to 'remain challenged for longer'

10:44 EDT Boeing sees first 777x delivery in late 2023

10:40 EDT Hartford drops 4% after Chubb closes 'chapter' on possible deal - Shares of Hartford Financial Services Group (HIG) are Chubb (CB) CEO Evan Greenberg said on the company's earnings call that the "chapter with the Hartford is closed." "We have moved along," said Greenberg, while adding, "I'm not going to now engage and talk about past events." Hartford previously rejected Chubb's attempts to engage in takeover talks. Shares of Hartford are down 4% to $66.55 in morning trading while Chubb is down 1% to $165.22.

10:35 EDT Oshkosh CEO says Postal contract won 'fairly' over Workhorse - Oshkosh (OSK) names John Pfeifer said on CNBC that while there has been a lot of "noise" around the contract, his company won the U.S. Postal Service electric vehicle contract "fairly" over Workhorse Group (WKHS).

10:34 EDT Boeing views 2021 as critical inflection point for industry - Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

10:24 EDT Wingstop: Domestic SSS have remained positive during first 4 weeks of Q2 - Says this represents an acceleration in the 2-year comp. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

10:12 EDT HoldCo urges SVB to honor early September offer for Boston Private - HoldCo Asset Management, LP and its managed, which own 4,049,816 shares of common stock of Boston Private Financial Holdings, representing approximately 4.9% of the Company's outstanding shares, issued the following public letter to Greg Becker, President and CEO of SVB Financial Group in connection with its proposed merger with BPFH. The letter read, in part, " We are writing this letter to you in the hopes of paving a path forward that benefits both SVB and BPFH shareholders. As it currently stands, we believe SVB lacks the necessary votes to win BPFH shareholder support for the Merger. And while those votes may ultimately come, we believe yesterday's Special Meeting adjournment is more likely to cause those BPFH shareholders that voted for the deal to have a change of heart. Following the failed vote, you issued a press release asserting that SVB's announced purchase price was its "Best and Final" offer. We understand that SVB likely sees no benefit, and significant downside, in putting forth a higher offer with no guarantee that shareholders like us will accept it. We assume that you do not wish to "bid against yourself." Recognizing this dynamic, we are willing to narrow the goalposts and provide you with our "Best and Final" offer. Although we cannot say for sure whether the announced purchase price is in fact your "Final" offer, we can confidently say that it is not your "Best" offer. We can say this because we know that it was not even your best offer last year...As detailed in BPFH's definitive proxy statement, in "early September 2020" you yourself verbally communicated an offer of $9.25 per share to BPFH CEO Anthony DeChellis ...Considering that it appears SVB was willing, and therefore likely received internal approval, to offer 26% more SVB shares in early September than it is willing to offer now you can understand why we and other BPFH shareholders are extremely skeptical that the current offer being presented is indeed your "Best and Final". That being said, we do not blame you for being a better negotiator than your counterpart at BPFH. Your counterparty inexplicably allowed you to materially reduce the exchange ratio over the course of negotiations. We don't blame you for this. In the spirit of compromise, however, our request is that you honor the early September offer you made to Mr. DeChellis and provide shareholders of Boston Private with consideration equal to 0.0288 SVB shares and $1.78 in cash per BPFH share. As shown in the table above, this consideration would result in an approximately 23% premium to Boston Private's current stock price."

10:06 EDT Delta to equip over 300 aircraft with ViaSat's satellite connectivity - Delta Air Lines (DAL) announced yesterday that it will initially equip more than 300 aircraft with high-speed satellite connectivity, powered by ViaSat (VSAT), by the end of 2021. "The new Wi-Fi system delivers a reliable and streaming quality connection to everyone onboard - a critical capability for Delta's vision for the future customer experience. Beginning in June, customers on ViaSat-enabled aircraft will have access to enhanced connectivity for a simple and consistent $8 per flight per device no matter their destination," the company said in a statement. Delta's first ViaSat-enabled aircraft, a new Airbus A321ceo, will enter regular service on May 1. Reference Link

10:00 EDT Veoneer falls -10.2% - Veoneer is down -10.2%, or -$2.72 to $23.93.

10:00 EDT R.R. Donnelley falls -19.3% - R.R. Donnelley is down -19.3%, or -$1.14 to $4.77.

10:00 EDT Unitil rises 14.0% - Unitil is up 14.0%, or $7.01 to $56.96.

09:51 EDT General Dynamics says does not see any 'significant' M&A opportunities - Says company's main focus is on "execution" and "wise deployment of capital."

09:47 EDT Spotify falls -9.2% - Spotify is down -9.2%, or -$26.88 to $266.04.

09:47 EDT R.R. Donnelley falls -13.9% - R.R. Donnelley is down -13.9%, or -82c to $5.09.

09:47 EDT GSX Techedu rises 12.3% - GSX Techedu is up 12.3%, or $3.95 to $35.94.

09:46 EDT Chubb: 'Chapter with the Hartford is closed' - Chubb (CB), on its Q1 earnings conference call, said that the "chapter with the Hartford (HIG) is closed." The company added that "We have moved along," with Executive Chairman and CEO Evan Greenberg saying "I'm not going to now engage and talk about past events."

09:41 EDT Stride unit Galvanize appoints Hamilton as CEO - Galvanize, a unit of Stride, has announced the appointment of Ricky Hamilton as Chief Executive Officer. Prior to being named CEO, Hamilton served as Executive Vice President of Revenue Operations and as Chief of Staff to former Galvanize CEO Harsh Patel.

09:35 EDT Senmiao Technology announces cooperation with Travelgo.com - Senmiao Technology announced the signing of a cooperation agreement with Nanjing Tongyou Tianxia Auto Leasing Co., Ltd., an affiliate of Tongcheng-Elong Holdings Limited that operates Travelgo.com, which is part of LY.com, a provider of leisure travel in China. Under Senmiao's collaboration with the platform operated by Travelgo.com, when a traveler makes a booking through Travelgo.com, they will be provided with the option to book an online ride-hailing vehicle for a trip from the airport or train station to their final destination. If a traveler books an online-ride hailing vehicle, the order will then be sent to a registered driver on Senmiao's platform for viewing and acceptance. Senmiao will earn commissions for each completed order based on a certain percentage of the value of the order.

09:32 EDT Alcon launches Systane Hydration MDPF Lubricant Eye Drops in the U.S. - Alcon announced the U.S. launch of the newest addition to its innovative portfolio of dry eye products - Systane Hydration Multi-Dose Preservative-Free Lubricant Eye Drops. With its proprietary HydroBoost Technology, this new preservative-free eye drop provides extra moisture for patients with sensitive dry eyes.

09:19 EDT BK Technologies bolsters manufacturing operations in Florida - BK Technologies announced that its American manufacturing operations in Florida has expanded printed circuit board assembly capabilities and capacity with the addition of high-specification surface mount technology equipment. The expansion is anticipated to double capacity and allow for additional production shifts. The equipment has been deployed, with full production anticipated for May 2021. With a core objective based in providing world-class quality, value and responsiveness, BK Technologies launched a strategic initiative several years ago to significantly upgrade its manufacturing processes. Among other things, the initiative included bringing certain activities, such as SMT, in-house while migrating others to U.S.-based manufacturing partners and qualified second-sources for back-up. This strategy allows for improved quality control and shortened lead-time, while guarding against business interruptions, which ult

09:13 EDT Neovasc provides Reducer reimbursement progress update - Neovasc announced "progress towards its value creation strategy of expanding global reimbursement for the Neovasc Reducer. Expanding reimbursement for the Reducer is a key component of Neovasc's strategy to create shareholder value," the company said. Neovasc supports the Medicare Coverage of Innovative Technologies executive order that is currently under review in the U.S. by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. MCIT, if enacted in its current form, will provide a pathway for incremental reimbursement for technologies designated as "Breakthrough Medical Devices" by the FDA upon FDA approval. The Reducer is recognized as a Breakthrough Device by FDA. The company has worked with the American Medical Association to establish a new Category III CPT code to report the transcatheter implantation of a coronary sinus reduction device which will be effective July 1, 2021. Additionally, Neovasc has worked with CMS over the course of the last several months to create a new ICD-10 procedural code for Reducer and new ICD-10 diagnosis codes for refractory angina that are currently under review by CMS. In the United Kingdom, the company recently participated in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Interventional Procedures Advisory Committee meeting and anticipates continuing discussions with NICE as they develop guidance for Reducer therapy in the U.K. The company expects NICE to issue a consultation document in the coming months that will be eligible for public comment. Final NICE guidance is anticipated as early as the second half of 2021, although NICE will ultimately determine timing of its communication. In France, the company submitted its reimbursement dossier to the National Authority for Health earlier this year. The company performed the first Reducer implants in France late in 2020 and has subsequently performed additional Reducer implants this year in order to gain initial experience in the country prior to establishing reimbursement. If the company can obtain adequate reimbursement in France, Neovasc intends to hire a direct sales force to support expansion in that market. In Germany, as previously disclosed, the company has been granted NUB Status 1 for Reducer for 2021. Additionally, with the support of the German Cardiac Society, the company has recently applied a negotiable supplementary payment. If the company is successful in achieving ZE payment, all hospitals in Germany will be able to negotiate incremental payment for Reducer.

09:10 EDT Diana Shipping announces time charter contract for M/V Electra - Diana Shipping announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with Tongli Shipping Pte. Ltd., for one of its Post-Panamax dry bulk vessels, the m/v Electra. The gross charter rate is $21,000 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a time charter period until minimum February 10, 2022 up to maximum April 10, 2022. The charter is expected to commence today. The "Electra" is an 87,150 dwt Post-Panamax dry bulk vessel built in 2013. The employment of "Electra" is anticipated to generate approximately $5.92 million of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter.

09:07 EDT Model N and Global Pricing Innovations announce strategic partnership - Model N announced a strategic life sciences industry partnership with Global Pricing Innovations The partnership with Model N delivers scalable technology and services that enable data-powered insights, achieving measurable impact on global customer pricing and market access decision-making. Management of international customer pricing and market access is key to effective pharmaceutical pricing strategies. The collaboration between Model N and GPI combines the Model N Revenue Cloud for Life Sciences with GPI's data and consulting services, delivering value in the form of global pricing strategies that provide measurable revenue benefits for companies across life sciences. Customers will leverage Model N's industry-leading capabilities in global price management and international reference pricing, combined with GPI's pricing data and analytics. According to Melonie Warfel, vice president and general manager of Life Sciences for Model N, the GPI partnership underscores Model N's commitment to providing customers with industry- leading analytics to make critical decisions and achieve market access excellence. "We are dedicated to providing life sciences firms with tools that provide the best in decision-making information when it comes to global pricing and market access," she said. "And this new partnership with GPI - a recognized leader in their space - provides customers with a seamless end-to-end experience that enables them to manage pricing data and derive optimal strategies through a single, deeply-integrated solution." GPI is a market leader in analytics and innovative solutions for biopharma pricing and market access, supporting price decision-making throughout the lifecycle. As a team of leading domain specialists, GPI provides high-quality, curated insights and recommendations on global drug pricing strategy, market access optimization, asset evaluation, value perception, and payer behaviour. "Our new partnership with Model N delivers the best of both worlds to clients seeking an enhanced solution for biopharma pricing and market access," said Preeti Patel, GPI CEO. "Users of Model N Revenue Cloud can now leverage GPI's critical competitor insights and solutions in order to achieve optimized global pricing that drives profitable revenue."

09:05 EDT CarGurus hires Brad Rosenfeld as EVP, digital retail commercialization - CarGurus (CARG) announced that Brad Rosenfeld has joined the company as its Executive Vice President of Digital Retail Commercialization. In this new role, he will be responsible for overseeing the company's path to further developing and monetizing its digital retail business. Prior to joining CarGurus, Rosenfeld spent nearly a decade at Amazon (AMZN) where he held several global business leadership positions focused on building and scaling e-commerce businesses, with a specialization in helping physical businesses with their digital transformations.

09:04 EDT Canaan announce order for bitcoin mining machines to $93.6M with Genesis Digital - Canaan announced that it has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with Genesis Digital Assets and secured a purchase order from Genesis Digital Assets valued at up to $93.63M. As part of the order, Canaan will deliver its A1246 AvalonMiner mining machines to Genesis Digital Assets throughout 2021, adding 117MW in next-generation Bitcoin computing capacity to Genesis Digital Assets' current capacity of 140MW.

09:02 EDT SPX Flow to acquire Philadelphia Mixing Solutions in cash deal valued at $65M - SPX Flow announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire mixing solutions provider Philadelphia Mixing Solutions from Thunder Basin Corporation, an affiliate of Wind River Holdings, L.P. The all-cash transaction valued at $65M is expected to close during the second quarter and will be paid for with cash on hand.

08:55 EDT Teva says will be 'very disciplined' with allocating capital until at least 2023 - Says no plans for M&A. Says no major business units left to divest.

08:42 EDT Yum! Brands: Capital priorities remain unchanged

08:39 EDT Virtualis studios selected by Endemol to provide remote production solution - Virtualis Studios, a division of Super League Gaming (SLGG), announced the studio's recent selection by Endemol Shine North America, a division of Banijay, to provide remote production and monitoring solutions for the second season of FOX's (FOX) LEGO Masters. Through this deal, Virtualis Studios supported Endemol Shine's commitment "to maintain COVID-safe environments, contain costs, meet tight production timelines and facilitate critical real-time, remote communications between producers, executives, directors, agents, contestants and talent while shooting," the company said. The second season of LEGO Masters is set to premiere Tuesday, June 1 on FOX.

08:37 EDT Kindred Biosciences' parvovirus candidate efficacy data accepted by USDA - Kindred Biosciences (KIN) announced that the United States Department of Agriculture's Center for Veterinary Biologics has accepted efficacy data to support the prophylactic indication for KIND-030. The pivotal efficacy data demonstrated that 0% of the KIND-030 treated dogs developed parvovirus infection while 100% of the placebo-control dogs developed the disease, and also showed 100% survival rate in KIND-030. The efficacy study is part of the overall project data package required for full approval, along with safety, manufacturing and additional data. KIND-030 is a monoclonal antibody targeting canine parvovirus or CPV, and is partnered with Elanco Animal Health (ELAN). There are currently no FDA or USDA approved treatments for CPV, nor any other available treatment.

08:35 EDT MicroVision announces completion of its long-range sensor platform - MicroVision announced that it has completed development of its A-Sample hardware and development platform for demonstration of key performance features of its long-range lidar sensor to potential customers, partners, or parties interested in strategic alternatives. "In October 2020 we set an aggressive schedule to complete development of our A-Sample in the April timeframe. I am proud of our talented team, their dedication and their ability to execute," said Sumit Sharma, CEO of MicroVision. "I believe our differentiated, high-performance lidar sensor has the potential to advance autonomous driving and active safety systems beyond current sensors announced in the automotive market. I expect that a version of this lidar sensor could be available for sale, in initial quantities, in the third or fourth quarter of 2021," continued Sharma.

08:35 EDT Yum! doesn't expect bad debt to significantly impact op. profit growth for FY

08:33 EDT Alto Ingredients to sell Madera facility to Seaboard Energy for $28.3M - Alto Ingredients (ALTO) announced it has signed a definitive agreement with Seaboard Energy California (SEB) to sell its fuel ethanol production facility in Madera, CA for total consideration of $28.3M, comprised of $19.5M in cash and $8.8M in assumption of liabilities. The sale of the 40M gallon per year facility is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions. The majority of the cash proceeds will be used to retire company debt. Michael Kandris, Alto Ingredients, Inc.'s president and CEO, stated, "We further optimized our production footprint with the sale of our Madera facility, which will reduce the carrying cost associated with our idled plants. We are in discussions to sell our other idled California facility in Stockton and will announce those terms once an agreement has been reached."

08:33 EDT Luna Innovations names Brian Soller COO - Luna Innovations announced that Brian J. Soller has been appointed as the company's new Chief Operating Officer effective immediately. Soller will support President and CEO, Scott A. Graeff, in developing the company's strategy and executing Luna's vision to "Enable the Future with Fiber". In this new position, Soller will play a crucial role in developing and implementing the company's strategic plan, including a focus on optimizing operational efficiency to continue to drive sustainable, profitable growth. "Brian is a well-recognized and respected thought leader within the fiber optic world," said Scott Graeff, President and CEO of Luna Innovations. "I have had the pleasure of working with Brian closely for nearly twenty years, and his guidance, experience and leadership have been instrumental to Luna's growth. With a strong strategic mindset and vision, combined with a sharp focus on operational excellence, he is uniquely qualified to drive strategic prioritization and accountability within the company." Graeff continued, "The Board and I strongly believe this is the right time to appoint a position of this level as we prepare for robust growth. We've worked hard to establish a strong, scalable foundation for this organization, which positions us well to execute the necessary strategic moves - including M&A - to support a focus on our fiber optic capabilities. Brian's breadth of industry knowledge, decades-long proven track record, and unique mix of business and management expertise make him the perfect candidate to lead Luna's operations into the future." "There is no doubt in my mind of the scale of opportunities we have ahead of us, and I am excited to take on this new role within Luna," said Soller. "I look forward to continuing to work alongside Scott, our Board of Directors, and our global teams to grow the company and foster a culture of integrity and accountability."

08:32 EDT Assure Holdings enters in-network agreement with Aetna Colorado - Assure Holdings is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with Aetna Colorado. The Agreement is effective as of May 1, 2021, and allows the Company to provide its neuromonitoring services as an in-network healthcare provider for Aetna in the state of Colorado. The Agreement will help streamline the Company's billing and collections process in Colorado by including contracted rates, payment of claims within 45 days, medical necessity conditions and dispute resolution steps. The Agreement includes a right for both parties to terminate the Agreement with 90 days written notice.

08:32 EDT BioMarin partners with The Allen Institute - The Allen Institute and BioMarin Pharmaceutical announced a collaboration today that will use technologies developed at the Allen Institute to create new gene therapies aimed at rare genetic diseases of the central nervous system. BioMarin will receive an exclusive license to each program for research, development and commercialization. The organizations did not disclose financial terms.

08:31 EDT Yum!'s KFC: Chicken sandwich has 'more than 2x' volume of prior sandwiches - Demand is so high, along with tightening of supplies, that "the main challenge is keeping up with that demand," Yum! said on its Q1 earnings conference call.

08:29 EDT Biocept to provide COVID-19 testing to 116 California community colleges - Biocept has partnered with the Foundation for California Community Colleges to make COVID-19 testing available to the 116 California community colleges and their more than 2.1M students. Through the Foundation's CollegeBuys program, Biocept's PCR-based COVID-19 test is now available for community colleges to purchase for students, faculty and staff. Access to and availability of testing will provide information needed to help protect the safety of campus populations and reduce the spread of the virus on campuses and in surrounding communities if/when colleges return from the current remote learning environment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

08:20 EDT VBI Vaccines publishes data of eVLP vaccine candidate against COVID-19 - VBI Vaccines announced that preclinical data of VBI's enveloped virus-like particle, eVLP, vaccine candidate, VBI-2902, has been submitted for peer-review to a scientific journal and will be available on the online preprint server, bioRxiv. These data demonstrate that VBI's eVLP vaccine candidate expressing a modified, prefusion form of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein elicited a highly potent and focused neutralizing antibody response, and conferred protective benefit in Syrian golden hamsters challenged with COVID-19, assessed in terms of clinical disease (loss of body weight) and lung inflammation.

08:19 EDT Boeing: 2021 financial hinge on commercial market recovery - Expects higher revenue, lower use of cash.

08:18 EDT Boeing continues to see passenger traffic returning to 2019 levels in 2023-2024 - Sees return to long-term trend "a few years thereafter." Believes long-haul international traffic will be the slowest to recover. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call presentation slides.

08:14 EDT Alphabet board authorizes repurchase up to an additional $50B of Class C stock - Along with its earnings release last night, Alphabet reported that on April 23, the board of directors of Alphabet authorized the company to repurchase up to an additional $50.0B of its Class C capital stock. The repurchases are expected to be executed from time to time, subject to general business and market conditions and other investment opportunities, through open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions, including through Rule 10b5-1 plans.

08:13 EDT Teva expects volumes to return to normal in Europe in Q3, Q4 - Says portfolio is "nicely balanced." Targets 28% operating margin by 2023. Says long-term financial targets remain unchanged. Says no plans to raise equity. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

08:12 EDT ClearSign Combustion receives certification for firetube boiler burner in China - ClearSign has received official certification from the Chinese government confirming that its 125hp 2-ton fire tube boiler burner is approved to be sold in the Chinese market. With this certification, the company can produce, market and sell its 125hp fire tube boiler burners throughout China. The company intends to continue the expansion of its fire tube boiler burner line to provide a full range of fire tube boiler burner sizes for both the U.S and Chinese markets.

08:10 EDT Euro Tech Holdings awarded $0.8M contract for ballast water port solution - Euro Tech Holdings has received a contract worth about $ 0.8M from a port client in Jiangsu Province, China. This project covers design, manufacture, supply and commissioning of a ballast water port solution system with 2,000 cubic meters per hour treatment capacity with explosion proof requirement and is expected to complete before the end of August. The accumulation of sales orders for port solutions in the last six months is worth about $2M based on four contracts received from port clients in East China. BWTS are an imminent requirement by IMO to prevent the biological unbalance caused by the estimated 12 billion tons of ballast water transported across the seas by ocean-going vessels when their ballast water tanks are emptied or refilled.

08:08 EDT Boqii announces partnership with Kuaishou Technology - Boqii Holding announced a strategic partnership with the Chinese short-video giant Kuaishou Technology. Through the partnership, Boqii and Kuaishou will leverage their respective resources and expertise to generate more pet content, support pet influencers and help to raise awareness of pet care. The collaboration with Kuaishou will further empower Boqii to produce more high-quality pet content by leveraging Kuaishou's strong data analytics and large user base. The two companies will jointly promote the development of pet content to guide pet parents, provide more traffic conversion opportunities for pet KOLs and help more brands build their presence on emerging content platforms.

08:06 EDT Timber Pharmaceuticals receives decision to grant Japanese patent for TMB-001 - Timber Pharmaceuticals announced that the Japanese Patent Office has decided to grant a patent for its lead asset, TMB-001, the company's topical pharmaceutical composition of isotretinoin that is currently being evaluated for the treatment of moderate to severe subtypes of congenital ichthyosis. "We are focused on continuing to advance our clinical development program and have made great strides in protecting our proprietary lead candidate, now with additional patent protection in Japan following U.S. patent allowance," said John Koconis, chairman and CEO of Timber. "Many dermatologists are familiar with oral isotretinoin. By formulating isotretinoin into a topical formulation, it may be possible to reduce systemic absorption, potentially allowing for chronic use over larger areas of the body." In 2018, the FDA awarded TMB-001 a $1.5M grant to support Phase 2a and Phase 2b clinical trials through its Orphan Products Clinical Trials Grant program. Timber is currently advancing the Phase 2b CONTROL study evaluating TMB-001 in patients with moderate to severe CI. It is a randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled study to investigate the safety and efficacy of two concentrations of TMB-001.

08:04 EDT Akari Therapeutics receives FDA fast track designation for Nomacopan - Akari Therapeutics announced that the FDA has granted Fast Track designation to nomacopan for the treatment of patients with moderate and severe BP. Nomacopan has also been granted orphan drug designation for nomacopan for the treatment of BP by the FDA and the European Medicines Agency. Success in BP could potentially open up a range of other severe dermatological conditions for treatment with nomacopan where C5 and LTB4 are implicated, including hidradenitis suppurativa, epidermolysis bullosa acquisita and mucous membrane pemphigoid. Akari also announced FDA approval of the Investigational New Drug Application, which enables clinical sites to be opened in the U.S. Clinical sites are planned to open in Europe mid-2021.

08:03 EDT Norwegian's Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises to resume in August - Norwegian Cruise Line Holding unveiled the next phase of its long awaited plan to resume cruising outside of the U.S. this summer. Oceania Cruises will resume operations with sailings to Scandinavia and Western Europe beginning in August and Regent Seven Seas Cruises will restart cruising with voyages from the U.K. beginning in September. In addition, Norwegian Cruise Line will continue its phased restart with Mediterranean voyages on board Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Getaway in September, following its previously announced Caribbean and Europe itineraries beginning in July and August. In parallel, the Company continues to await feedback on its proposal submitted to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on April 5, 2021, outlining its plan to restart cruising from U.S. ports starting July 4th and requesting the CDC lift the Conditional Sail Order. All initial voyages will operate with fully vaccinated guests and crew in addition to the Company's robust, multi-layered SailSAFE health and safety program, which includes universal COVID-19 testing prior to embarkation. As part of the Company's phased return to cruising, Oceania Cruises will restart cruise operations with the Marina in August, resuming her originally published voyage schedule commencing on August 29, 2021 in Copenhagen. Regent Seven Seas Cruises will return to sailing with Seven Seas Splendor cruising from the U.K. beginning September 11, 2021. The voyage will also mark the resumption of Seven Seas Splendor's inaugural season, with the ship having only completed two cruises with guests after being christened in February 2020. All voyages on these brands, excluding these newly announced voyages, with embarkation dates through September 30, 2021 have been cancelled. Impacted guests on voyages that will not operate will be notified accordingly. Norwegian Cruise Line will continue its return to cruising with voyages in the Mediterranean during September and October on Norwegian Epic and Norwegian Getaway. Norwegian Epic will cruise seven-night Western Mediterranean itineraries from Sept. 5, 2021 through Oct. 24, 2021 and Norwegian Getaway will sail 10 to 11-day Greek Isles voyages from Rome from Sept. 13, 2021 to Oct. 25, 2021. The Company previously announced its initial restart with sailings originating in Jamaica, Dominican Republic and Greece beginning in July 2021 with Norwegian Joy, Jade and Gem. Certain sailings for Norwegian Cruise Line outside of these newly announced voyages have been cancelled. Impacted guests on voyages that will not operate will be notified accordingly. The Company continues to expect a phased-in approach to reintroducing additional vessels across its three brands while taking into account the public health environment, global travel restrictions and port availability, among other considerations. All voyages will operate with the Company's comprehensive SailSAFE health and safety protocols which were developed with leading public health and scientific experts including the Healthy Sail Panel and the SailSAFE Global Health and Wellness Council.

08:00 EDT Marquee Raine Acquisition Corporation (Class A Stock) trading resumes

07:48 EDT Plus Products announces listing of amended debentures - Plus Products announced that further to its press release dated February 25, 2021, the Canadian Securities Exchange issued its final bulletin confirming that the Company's amended debentures have been approved for listing on the CSE. Trading is expected to resume on April 28, 2021 under the stock symbol "PLUS.DB.A".

07:46 EDT Becton Dickinson appoints Elizabeth McCombs as CTO - Becton Dickinson announced the appointment of Elizabeth McCombs as executive VP and CTO, effective immediately, succeeding John DeFord. McCombs will be responsible for continuing to drive the company's category innovation strategy and leading all research and development activities, including executing the current innovation pipeline and developing the future product portfolio. McCombs, who brings more than 20 years of extensive experience in advanced medical device innovation to her new role, joined BD in 2019 as the senior vice president of R&D for the BD medical segment.

07:42 EDT Flexion presents preliminary FX201 clinical data at ASGCT meeting - Flexion Therapeutics will present preliminary data from a Phase 1 single ascending dose trial of FX201 at the 2021 American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy annual meeting taking place virtually May 11-14, 2021 The clinical data will be presented in a digital presentation entitled, Interim Data from the First-in-Human Phase 1 Trial of FX201, An Intra-Articular, Helper-Dependent Adenoviral Gene Therapy for Osteoarthritis - Safety, Tolerability, Biodistribution, and Preliminary Evaluation of Clinical Activity in 5 Patients. Key findings included in the ASCGT abstract: FX201 was generally well-tolerated in the initial low-dose cohort. Two patients had self-limited Grade 2 index-knee AEs possibly related to treatment, managed conservatively. No evidence of systemic biodistribution of FX201 in plasma or shedding in urine or at the injection site was observed in any patient, indicating that the vector remained in the encapsulated joint space. Based on IMMPACT1 criteria, two out of the five patients demonstrated substantial improvement in knee OA pain at Weeks 8, 12, and 24 following treatment with FX201. Flexion will present longer term follow-up data from the low-dose cohort in a video presentation available on the ASGCT website at the start of the conference on May 11.

07:40 EDT Enjoy Technology to come public in merger with Marquee Raine Acquisition - Enjoy Technology, a technology-powered service platform "reinventing 'Commerce at Home'," and Marquee Raine Acquisition Corp. announced that they entered into a definitive merger agreement to "accelerate Enjoy's rapid growth and vision to pioneer the next disruptive channel for retail." Marquee Raine is sponsored by an affiliate of The Raine Group, a growth TMT-focused advisory and investment platform, and affiliates of Marquee Sports Holdings, a sports, media, entertainment and hospitality company led by the Ricketts family. Upon the closing of the transaction, the combined company will operate as Enjoy Technology, Inc. and its common stock will be listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol "ENJY." The transaction values the combined company at an implied pro forma enterprise value of approximately $1.2B, representing 4.8x the company's estimated 2022 revenues. The transaction is expected to deliver up to $454M of gross proceeds to Enjoy, consisting of the contribution of up to approximately $374M of cash held in Marquee Raine's trust account and $80M of additional capital, through a private placement of common stock of the combined company, priced at $10.00 per share. Before giving effect to any redemptions by the public stockholders of Marquee Raine, Enjoy shareholders will own approximately 67% including options and warrants, Marquee Raine public shareholders will own approximately 23%, private placement investors will own approximately 5% and Marquee Raine's sponsor will own approximately 5% of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock, respectively, of the combined company at closing. Enjoy will be capitalized with up to $460M in cash, including proceeds received from the transaction, Enjoy's expected rollover cash and after paydown of approximately $47M in debt. The transaction, unanimously approved by the board of directors of Marquee Raine and Enjoy, is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2021, subject to approval by the stockholders of Marquee Raine and other customary closing conditions.

07:39 EDT Dana reports Q1 adjusted EPS 66c, consensus 47c - Reports Q1 revenue $2.26B, consensus $2.02B. "Dana realized higher sales of $2.3 billion in the first quarter as a result of continued strength in the light-truck market, as well as growth in both the commercial-vehicle and off-highway markets," said James Kamsickas, Dana chairman and CEO. "While our end-markets have recovered from last year's shutdowns, higher costs related to supply-chain disruptions and shipping constraints continue to challenge the mobility industry. Our established multi-end-market presence tempers these outside pressures as we continue to execute our enterprise strategy, launch our significant new business backlog, and focus on strengthening our vehicle electrification position."

07:39 EDT Arrowhead announces improvement in fibrosis after ARO-AAT treatment in Patients - Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals announced positive interim 48-week liver biopsy results from the AROAAT2002 study, an open-label Phase 2 clinical study of ARO-AAT, the company's second generation investigational RNA interference therapeutic being co-developed with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited as a treatment for the rare genetic liver disease associated with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. The results demonstrate that ARO-AAT treatment led to a consistent and substantial reduction in intra-hepatic mutant AAT protein, both Z-AAT monomer and Z-AAT polymer; a consistent decrease in histological globule burden; improvements in fibrosis; and, improvements in other relevant biomarkers of liver health. Arrowhead intends to present additional interim AROAAT2002 data at an upcoming medical congress, pending abstract acceptance. Javier San Martin, M.D., chief medical officer at Arrowhead, said: "The results from treatment with investigational ARO-AAT in the Phase 2 AROAAT2002 open-label study continue to impress us. We believe the pharmacodynamic effect in alpha-1 patients is clear and consistent. The results from 24 and 48 weeks of treatment also indicate that when production of the Z-AAT protein is inhibited, the liver has the ability to clear the accumulated mutant protein and begin the fibrosis regression process earlier and more efficiently than we anticipated, even in patients with severe liver disease. We look forward to sharing more details about these exciting results at an upcoming medical congress. We also intend to use these and other results to inform further interactions with regulatory authorities to pursue opportunities for potential accelerated approval pathways, if appropriate. Our collaboration with Takeda on the ARO-AAT program has been highly productive, and we continue to see them as the ideal partner as the program advances towards patients in need of new therapies for alpha-1 liver disease." In October 2020, Arrowhead and Takeda announced a collaboration and licensing agreement to develop ARO-AAT. Under the terms of the agreement, Arrowhead and Takeda will co-develop ARO-AAT which, if approved, will be co-commercialized in the United States under a 50/50 profit-sharing structure. Outside the U.S., Takeda will lead the global commercialization strategy and receive an exclusive license to commercialize ARO-AAT with Arrowhead eligible to receive tiered royalties of 20-25% on net sales. Arrowhead received an upfront payment of $300 million and is eligible to receive potential development, regulatory and commercial milestones of up to $740 million.

07:38 EDT Brookfield Infrastructure Partners urges Inter Pipeline to increase transparency - The company said, "On February 10, 2021, Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (BIP), together with its institutional partners announced its intention to pursue a privatization transaction in respect of Inter Pipeline Ltd. (IPPLF), pursuant to which it would acquire all of the outstanding common shares of the Company not already owned by Brookfield Infrastructure at a price per IPL common share equal to C$16.50. On February 22, 2021, the Offer was formally launched and the Offer to Purchase and Bid Circular was mailed to IPL shareholders, filed with the Canadian securities regulators and posted on the Brookfield Infrastructure site for the Offer. Given the significant passage of time since announcement of the Offer, and shareholder inquiries we have received, we find it appropriate to provide an update to the market and fellow shareholders at this time. Brookfield Infrastructure continues to believe the Offer is in the best interests of IPL shareholders. After receiving no contact from IPL or the Special Committee of IPL's board of directors since launching our Offer, Brookfield Infrastructure sent a letter to the Special Committee on April 13, 2021 with the following key messages: A number of IPL's largest shareholders have been in dialogue with us following the Offer, including many event-driven investors. Shareholders have expressed surprise that the Special Committee has chosen not to engage with Brookfield Infrastructure, as the publicly-announced mandate of the Special Committee should be to actively engage with all prospective credible parties. A number of significant shareholders have stated to us that the status quo or any just say no strategy undertaken by the Company would be unacceptable. We need meaningful engagement by the Special Committee on realistic terms and reasonable access to a comprehensive data room so that we have sufficient information to determine whether to increase our Offer. Further delays by the Special Committee in providing Brookfield Infrastructure access to due diligence would bring into question the motivations and credibility of the Strategic Review process. Despite our outreach efforts, IPL has demonstrated a lack of urgency and has failed to credibly engage in a manner that would allow Brookfield Infrastructure to participate in the Strategic Review process. On April 20, 2021, the Special Committee provided us with a short response indicating an openness to Brookfield Infrastructure participating in the Strategic Review process. Subsequent dialogue initiated by us with IPL's financial advisors revealed that the Special Committee seeks to impose unreasonable conditions on Brookfield Infrastructure in exchange for providing access to due diligence information, including seeking restrictions on Brookfield Infrastructure's ability to increase the Offer price. We are not willing to agree to restrictions designed to frustrate and limit our ability to offer shareholders a higher price in exchange for reasonable access to due diligence. These types of restrictions are not commercial, are suggestive of management and board entrenchment, and are not in the best interest of IPL or its shareholders. Brookfield remains open to engaging on commercial terms."

07:35 EDT Enbridge enters partnership for renewable natural gas projects in Canada - Enbridge, Walker Industries and Comcor Environmental announced a partnership to jointly develop renewable natural gas projects across Canada. The partnership aims to transform landfill waste into carbon-neutral energy, which will be injected into local natural gas distribution networks across Canada. The industry estimates over 33 Petajoules of landfill derived RNG can be generated in Canada, potentially supplying energy to approximately 400,000 homes for a year. The Niagara RNG facility in Ontario, which is currently under development for in service in 2022, is the partnership's first landfill RNG project, and several additional projects are in the works.

07:32 EDT Boeing reports Q1 operating cash flow ($3.4B) - Reports cash and marketable securities of $21.9B.

07:31 EDT Boeing reports Q1 total backlog of $364B - Commercial Airplanes added 76 net orders.

07:29 EDT Eve & Co completes first shipment of dried flower to Alberta - Eve & Co Incorporated completed its first shipment of cannabis under its supply agreement with Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis. Eve & Co's recreational cannabis products will be available on Alberta's online store and can be purchased by the province's privately owned licensed retailers. The first shipment consisted of Eve & Co's 28g dried flower products, available in Sativa Blend and Indica Blend.

07:27 EDT Marquee Raine Acquisition Corporation (Class A Stock) trading halted, news pending

07:25 EDT Trillium Therapeutics announces upcoming milestones - In 2021, Trillium expects two data updates: TTI-622 data update from the ongoing dose escalation study in R/R lymphomas at a medical conference in 4Q 2021; and TTI-621 data update from the ongoing dose escalation study in R/R CTCL at a medical conference in 4Q 2021. Over approximately the next twelve months, the Company plans to initiate studies in the following indications and patient settings: TTI-622 + azacitidine combination in p53 mutant AML patients in 2Q 2021; TTI-622 + azacitidine + venetoclax combination in elderly or unfit p53 wild type AML patients in 2Q 2021; TTI-622 + chemotherapy combination in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients in 2H 2021; TTI-622 combination study in a to-be-announced solid tumor indication in 1H 2022; TTI-622 + anti-PD-1 and TTI-621 + anti-PD-1 in DLBCL patients in 4Q 2021 to 1H 2022; TTI-621 monotherapy study in PTCL in 3Q 2021; and TTI-621 + doxorubicin combination in leiomyosarcoma in 3Q 2021. As all of the above studies are open-label trials, the Company expects a robust flow of new data updates and multiple catalysts in 2022, in addition to the above mentioned updates from the continuing dose escalation studies in the fourth quarter of 2021.

07:23 EDT OPAL, NextEra Energy Marketing to build RNG facility in Minnesota - OPAL Fuels, a Fortistar portfolio company, and NextEra Energy Marketing, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources (NEE), announced plans to build the first landfill renewable natural gas production facility in Minnesota. The project will be located at a landfill owned by Republic Services (RSG) and interconnect with a pipeline owned by Xcel Energy (XEL), the leading electric and gas utility in the region.

07:22 EDT Denison Mines to receive $5.3M for termination of UPC management services deal - Denison Mines' Management Services Agreement, or MSA, with Uranium Participation will be terminated upon completion of the conversion of UPC into the Sprott Physical Uranium Trust to be managed by Sprott Assett Management. The current MSA was entered into as of April 1, 2019 with a five-year term ending March 31, 2024. Denison estimates the termination payment due from UPC to be approximately $5.3M. The actual termination payment may differ, as it will be based on UPC's NAV as of the month-end immediately prior to the date of a formal notice of termination to Denison by UPC in accordance with the MSA.

07:20 EDT Grifols to make EUR 32M investment to establish PYIRC in Andorra - Grifols announced it has signed an agreement with the government of Andorra through Andorra Development and Investment, or ADI, to establish a global R+D+i hub to advance knowledge of the human immune system and investigate and develop new immune therapies. The planned facility, the Pyrenees Immunology Research Center, or PYIRC, will focus on developing treatments for immune system disorders that can result in diseases including autoimmunity disorders, cancer and emerging infectious diseases. It will also host and sponsor conferences, symposiums and educational programming on the subject matter as well as promote broader awareness of immunological pathologies. When completed in 2023, this center will be one of only a few in Europe dedicated to immunology and is expected to attract international multidisciplinary scientists and technicians distinguished for their translational and clinical expertise. Their immunology research will also include collaborations with teams from other leading global research institutions. To be located in the Andorran Pyrenees, the immunology research hub will be designed by Grifols Engineering and Grifols Innovation and New Technologies, or GIANT, which have experience in creating facilities for healthcare research and manufacturing. Grifols, which has a research presence globally that involves more than 1,200 people dedicated to R+D+i in 10 centers, will draw on its scientific expertise and laboratory management skills to run the new research center, which will be equipped with new facilities and systems, including the latest bioinformatics and data analytical tools. Pending the relevant authorizations, Grifols, through GIANT, will own 80% of the joint venture created to develop and manage the new R+D+i center. The remainder will belong to the Andorran government through Andorra Development and Investment, the principality's economic development agency. Under the agreement and in alignment with the ownership structure, Grifols will have a majority of the new incorporated entity's board of directors, with the remaining seats corresponding to the government of Andorra. The expected investment is in the range of EUR 25M for the construction of the center and approximately EUR 7M in annual operating costs to conduct research. Grifols will provide all needed financial support to build the center and develop the project.

07:17 EDT Neptune Wellness signs supply agreement with Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis - Neptune Wellness has entered into a supply agreement with Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis, or AGLC, the wholesaler and sole online retailer for recreational cannabis in Alberta, for the sale and distribution of Neptune's proprietary recreational cannabis brand, Mood Ring. This is the fourth supply agreement the company has secured with a provincial cannabis wholesaler, and enables Neptune to sell recreational cannabis products, through its Mood Ring and PanHash brands, to over 1,600 retailers across British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. These four provinces accounted for over 80% of the Canadian cannabis retail sales in 2020.

07:16 EDT CGI Inc. announces intent to acquire Sense Corp - CGI announced its intent to acquire Sense Corp, a professional services firm focused on digital systems integration and consulting for state and local government and commercial clients. This merger further expands CGI's footprint in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and St. Louis and grows CGI's digital and cloud solution capabilities. The two companies signed an agreement to proceed with the transaction, which is expected to close in early May. Sense Corp brings approximately 300 consultants to CGI.

07:10 EDT AC Immune expects 2021 cash burn CHF65M-CHF75M

07:10 EDT AC Immune expects cash to fund operations through at least 1Q24 - The Company had a total cash balance of CHF 216.1 million, composed of CHF 151.1 million in cash and cash equivalents and CHF 65 million in short-term financial assets. This compares to a total cash balance of CHF 225.9 million as of December 31, 2020. The Company's cash balance provides enough capital resources to progress through at least Q1 2024 without potential incoming milestone payments.

07:08 EDT Essa Pharma collaborates with Bayer on EPI-7386 - ESSA Pharma (EPIX) announced that the company has entered into a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Bayer (BAYRY) to evaluate ESSA's lead product candidate, EPI-7386, a first-in-class N-terminal domain androgen receptor inhibitor, in combination with Bayer's androgen receptor inhibitor, darolutamide, in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Under the terms of the agreement, Bayer may sponsor and conduct a Phase 1/2 study to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of the combination of EPI-7386 and darolutamide in mCRPC patients. ESSA will supply EPI-7386 for the trial and will retain all rights to EPI-7386. The clinical study is expected to start in 2021.

07:06 EDT Sirius XM reports subscribers at end Q1 were 34.5M, down 1% from last year - SiriusXM added 126,000 net new self-pay subscribers in the first quarter, an 83% increase from the 69,000 added in the first quarter of 2020. Paid promotional subscribers decreased by 341,000. A new vehicle trial structure adjustment for two automakers, and to a lesser extent, lower vehicle shipments due to silicon supply constraints, contributed to negative paid promotional net additions during the quarter. Total subscribers at the end of the first quarter were 34.5 million, a reduction of 1% from the prior year period. The total SiriusXM trial funnel stood at approximately 8.7 million at the end of the first quarter, up from approximately 8.4 million at the end of 2020, on record trial starts in the first quarter of 2021. Self-pay monthly churn for the first quarter improved to 1.6% from 1.8% in the first quarter of 2020.

07:02 EDT Sirius XM CEO says 'started the year impressively' - "I am pleased to announce SiriusXM has started the year impressively - we added 126,000 self-pay net subscribers, an 83% increase as compared to the period a year ago, saw a first quarter record-low churn rate of 1.6%, and are reporting a new record-high quarterly adjusted EBITDA figure. These strong results reflect the value we bring to our listeners through the breadth and depth of our content. Our advertising revenue grew 24%, driven by robust monetization of both on- and off-platform opportunities, as well as the growing podcast market. While we are benefiting from the broader reopening of the economy and the acceleration of consumers' digital adoption, the meaningful long-term investments we've been making are also paying off. This includes creating and delivering compelling content, strengthening our digital product experiences, and scaling a full suite of end-to-end distribution and monetization solutions for content creators and publishers. We are extremely focused on achieving our 2021 goals and reinforcing our long-term position as North America's premier audio entertainment company," said Jennifer Witz, CEO of SiriusXM.

07:00 EDT Marine Products increases quarterly cash dividend 20% to 12c per share - Marine Products announced that its board declared a 20% increase to the regular quarterly cash dividend from 10c per share to 12c per share payable June 10 to common stockholders of record at the close of business on May 10.

06:57 EDT SunCoke Energy sees FY21 domestic coke production 4.1M tons - Sees FY21 adjusted EBITDA $215M-$230M. Sees FY21 capital expenditures $80M. The company said, "Our 2021 guidance is based on our Domestic Coke plants running at full capacity supported by export sales and foundry coke sales. It also assumes higher volumes at Logistics facilities as compared to 2020 results."

06:46 EDT Pfizer acquires Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, terms not disclosed - Pfizer announced that it has acquired Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, a privately-held company dedicated to the development of therapies for debilitating and life-threatening diseases that affect people with compromised immune systems. Amplyx's lead compound, Fosmanogepix (APX001), is a novel investigational asset under development for the treatment of invasive fungal infections. In addition to Fosmanogepix, with this acquisition, Pfizer has secured ownership of Amplyx's early-stage pipeline that includes potential antiviral (MAU868) and antifungal (APX2039) therapies. Financial terms of this acquisition were not disclosed.

06:38 EDT Deutsche Bank CEO confident on reaching 2022 targets - "Our first quarter is further evidence that Deutsche Bank is on the right path in all four core businesses, and is building sustainable profitability," said Christian Sewing, CEO. "In addition to substantial revenue growth over an already-strong prior year quarter, we demonstrated cost and risk discipline. We achieved a post-tax return on tangible equity of above 7%, and returns in the Core Bank are already ahead of our ambition for next year. These results give us confidence that we'll reach our 2022 targets."

06:33 EDT Travel + Leisure sees Q2 adjusted EBITDA $160M-$170M - Expects Q2 gross vacation ownership interest sales of $355M-$365M, tours of 118,000-123,000, Volume Per Guest to be approximately $2,800.

06:31 EDT Praxis Precision Medicines gets FDA designation in SCN2A Encephalopathy - Praxis Precision Medicines received orphan drug designation from the FDA for the treatment of SCN2A Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathy. Reference Link

06:29 EDT Lloyds Banking's Antonio Horta-Osorio to step down as CEO later this month - Horta-Osorio said: "It is with both pride and sadness that I will step down as Group Chief Executive later this month. Most importantly, theGroup is well placed for sustainable success and the publication of Strategic Review 2021 in February shows that the Group has clear execution outcomes for 2021, underpinned by long-term strategic vision. The Group also has exceptional people. I am very proud of all of our colleagues across the Group, who have again shown their continued dedication and relentless focus on supporting their customers through these challenging times."

06:19 EDT Spotify reports Q1 MAUs grew 24% y/y to 356M - The company said, "Total MAUs grew 24% Y/Y to 356 million in the quarter, finishing within our guidance range but modestly below our internal expectations. In Q1, we added 11 million MAUs, which drove healthy double digit Y/Y growth across all regions. We saw meaningful contributions from markets such as the US, Mexico, Russia, and India. However, growth was lower than plan in Latin America and Europe. In aggregate, the performance of our newly launched markets was in line with our expectations. Global consumption hours continued to grow meaningfully in Q1 on a Y/Y basis. Per user consumption grew in developed regions such as North America and Europe, while developing regions showed signs of improvement but remained below pre-COVID levels."

06:17 EDT Sanofi sees FY21 business EPS growing high single digit at CER - Sanofi expects 2021 business EPS to grow high single digit at CER, barring unforeseen major adverse events. Applying average April 2021 exchange rates, the currency impact on 2021 business EPS is estimated to be between -4% to -5%.

06:12 EDT MER Telemanagement issues letter to shareholders regarding Lazar Group - The letter said, "We are approaching you in order to highlight the change in circumstances and events that occurred since we published the notice and proxy statement in connection with an extraordinary shareholders' meeting (the "Meeting") called at the request of Mr. David Elliot Lazar, Custodian Ventures LLC and Activist Investing LLC (together the "Lazar Group"). The Meetings is scheduled for Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 12:30 p.m. (Israel time). On April 12, 2021, MTS published a position statement submitted by the Lazar Group, in which the Lazar Group included baseless accusations towards the Company's management, specifically concentrating on the "substantial doubt" that exists with respect to the outcome of the letter of intent executed by MTS in connection with a potential transaction, claiming that the current Board is "utterly incompetent to negotiate deals or create value to the Company's shareholders." Moreover, in its position statement, the Lazar Group claimed, without providing any evidence or additional information, that Mr. Lazar (30), has, since 2012, "led and been involved in dozens of transactions involving publicly-traded companies," not even claiming that any of these purported transactions were successful or contributed to increasing value to the shareholders of such companies On April 15, 2021, MTS published the execution of the Agreement and Plan of Merger among MTS, New SL Acquisition Corp. and SharpLink, Inc., a leading online technology company that works with sports leagues, fantasy sports sites and sports media companies to connect fans to relevant and timely betting content sourced from its sportsbook partners (the "SharpLink Transaction"). On April 20, 2021, the Lazar Group, which increased its holdings in the Company's ordinary shares from approximately 9.5% to approximately 14.2% in the days prior to the record date for the Meeting (April 1, 2021), submitted a Schedule 13D to the Securities and Exchange Commission reporting that it sold almost all of its holdings in the Company on April 16, 2021 and currently holds approximately 1.1% of the Company's ordinary shares. Thus, the Lazar Group seized the opportunity created by the substantial increase in the market price of the Company's shares following the publication of the SharpLink Transaction, and made substantial gains in the process. The Lazar Group, who reported holding approximately 1.1% of the Company's ordinary shares as of April 20, 2021, noted in its Schedule 13D that it still intends to vote the shares held by it as of the Meeting record date (approximately 14.2%) for the removal of the MTS current Board members, but did not state whether and how it will vote the shares it previously held in connection with its own board nominees. In addition, on April 20, 2021, even prior to the publication of the updated Schedule 13D by the Lazar Group, the leading independent proxy advisory firm, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) has recommended* that the shareholders vote AGAINST the Lazar Group proposals and FOR the proposal presented by MTS to reelect two of its current Board members.... In conclusion, the Lazar Group failed to base any of its accusations towards the Company's current management on any facts and its position statement was effectively rendered moot by the publication, just three days later, of the SharpLink Transaction. The Lazar Group continues to seek to take over the Company using the voting power of shares it no longer owns and thereby interfere with the Company's business and with the consummation of the SharpLink Transaction. The Lazar Group quickly chose to sell the substantial majority of its shares when it recognized the opportunity created by the publication of the SharpLink Transaction, and as a result currently bears little, if any, economic interests that are aligned with the interests of the Company and its shareholders."

06:07 EDT Evercore Partners raises quarterly dividend to 68c per share - To be paid on June 11 to common stockholders of record on May 28.

05:40 EDT Liberty says rise in energy demand has paralleled economic recovery - Liberty Oilfield Services said, "Buoyed by worldwide vaccine distribution campaigns together with fiscal and monetary stimulus, global economic growth expectations are increasingly more constructive. A rise in energy demand has paralleled the economic recovery, with strong leading economic indicators suggesting that these trends should continue. There is still risk driven by the resurgent virus spread in India, Brazil and several European countries which has led to a reinstatement of containment measures, unlike the U.S. and U.K. where another wave of the Covid pandemic has been kept at bay. A tightening in oil supply and demand has developed, with a steady draw of global oil inventory signifying that increased OPEC+ production is largely being absorbed by higher global demand. Over the last three quarters North American frac activity has rapidly increased towards supporting maintenance production levels. Hence public exploration and production ("E&P") companies have now reached roughly maintenance run-rate frac activity for 2021. Private E&P companies, on the other hand, are more responsive to current oil and gas prices which continue to support modestly increasing demand for frac services, in line with their recent rise in rig activity. Importantly, E&P companies are maintaining capital discipline and moderating long-term growth aiming to increase commodity price stability and enhance sector attractiveness. This fundamental change in philosophy should impact positively the entire value chain, leading to a disciplined phase in North American energy development. As E&P economics have substantially improved with WTI crude oil prices stabilizing in the $60 range, Liberty's customers are becoming more comfortable with the necessity to incorporate a phased approach to price increases. Frac industry underinvestment has accelerated attrition of older equipment. Importantly, the market for next generation equipment has tightened, and the market for next generation equipment with industry leading operations and technology innovation is even tighter."

05:34 EDT HP Enterprise awarded S$40M to build new supercomputer for NSCC Singapore - HP Enterprise announced it has been awarded S$40M to build a new supercomputer for the National Supercomputing Centre, or NSCC, Singapore. The new system, which will be 8x faster compared to NSCC's existing pool of HPC resources, will expand and augment ongoing research efforts by enabling tools such as artificial intelligence, or AI, and machine learning to optimize modeling, simulation and even software simulation for quantum computing. NSCC will use the system to unlock scientific discoveries across medicine, diseases, climate, engineering and more. The new supercomputer was funded through a S$200M investment that was announced by the Singapore government in March 2019 to boost Singapore's high-performance computing resources.

05:22 EDT Nokia chosen by Telefonica Spain to upgrade its IP network - Nokia announced it has been chosen by Telefonica Spain to bring 5G and fiber-to-the-home, or FTTH, connectivity to more people in Spain by upgrading the operator's IP network. This hardware and services deal is the final piece in a long-term architecture project that has positioned Nokia products across all layers of Telefonica's end-to-end IP network. Its routers in the access and aggregation network will enable Telefonica to offer connectivity to consumers and enterprises especially in rural and remote sites. Nokia has already been providing its IP solutions for mobile backhaul, edge, core and peering as part of Telefonica's IP Network Fusion project. The operator designed the project as a platform for incorporating services into a single network infrastructure, offering advanced communications services and transforming the customer experience for mobile, residential and business services. Under the final deal in the project, Telefonica will deploy the Nokia 7250 IXR products, including the 7250 IXR-e cell site router for access and the 7250 IXR-R6 for aggregation. Both are specifically designed to support edge clouds, moving applications closer to end users for a better customer experience.

05:17 EDT Smith & Nephew announces computer-guided technology THA study results - Smith+Nephew announced a new study showing that computer-guided technology for total hip arthroplasty, or THA, such as Smith+Nephew's RI.HIP Navigation - significantly reduces the risk of revision and increases patient satisfaction when using Smith+Nephew implants. The study is the first of its kind using the dataset from the world's largest arthroplasty register to investigate the effect of computer-guided THA surgery on implant survivorship. The data reported on THA surgery performed using Smith+Nephew hip replacement components implanted for osteoarthritis since 2003. Presented at the 2021 World Arthroplasty Congress, or WAC, the results demonstrated: significantly lower revision rate at 10 years with computer-guided vs. conventional THA, 55% lower risk of revision at 10 years with computer-guided vs. conventional THA and patient satisfaction was significantly higher in the computer-guided group compared to conventional THA.

05:09 EDT UMC partners with customers to expand capacity at Fab 12A Phase 6 - UMC announced plans to expand capacity at its 300mm Fab 12A Phase 6, or P6, in Taiwan's Tainan Science Park through a collaboration model with several of its global customers. These customers will make a deposit that secures their long-term chip supply at P6 using pre-determined pricing that will enable UMC to grow organically and meet its long-term profitability and market relevance goals. The P6 expansion is scheduled for production in Q2 of 2023, with total investment for the project earmarked at NT$100B. In addition to UMC's previously announced 2021 capital expenditures of $1.5B, the bulk of which is allocated towards equipment for the company's Fab 12A P5 site adjacent to P6, total UMC investment in the Tainan Science Park will reach approximately NT$150B over the next three years. UMC has operated in the Tainan Science Park since November 1999, when Fab 12A was established as Taiwan's first 300mm fab. Fab 12A is currently operating at a capacity of approximately 90K 300mm wafers per month, with an additional 10K wpm being installed at P5 starting in 2021. The P6 project will add 27.5K more wpm production capability when fully equipped. UMC is planning to hire an additional 1000 employees to support this and other areas of the company's operations.