Stockwinners Market Radar for May 11, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:41 EDT Alarm.com CEO sells 45.6K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Alarm.com disclosed that its CEO Stephen Trundle sold 45.6K shares of common stock on May 7th in a total transaction size of $3.89M, reducing his stake by about 2%.

18:30 EDT Liberty Oilfield Services launches advanced fracture diagnostic service - Liberty Oilfield Services "announced the introduction of FracSense(TM), a diagnostic service to help E&P customers acquire more accurate diagnostic well data to optimize hydraulic fracture completions and well spacing. Launched in partnership with OptaSense, a Luna Innovations company, the diagnostics service utilizes real time fiber optic measurements to monitor per stage fracture placement and frac hits in offset wells. Since the technology can be conveyed via wireline, it can also be used to profile production in producing wells."

18:24 EDT Affirm CEO: We are an alternative to credit cards - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Max Levchin said Affirm (AFRM) doesn't charge late fees. "Consumers use Affirm when they want honesty and transparency," he added. "We have an exclusive relationship with Shopify (SHOP)." Levchin noted that Affirm is "first and foremost" a technology company. It can scale with the largest partners and offer solutions. He feels the company is "primed" to take advantage of the recovery in travel.

18:06 EDT Franklin Resources reports preliminary AUM $1.529T as of April 30 - Compared to $1.498T at March 31.

17:25 EDT EA sees releasing next 'Battlefield' console game in October-December 2021

17:15 EDT Gap announces resumption of share buyback program - Gap announced the resumption of its share repurchase program, which has $800M of its $1B authorization remaining. Subject to market conditions and other considerations, the company currently intends to repurchase up to $200 million of shares under the program in the remainder of fiscal year 2021.

17:13 EDT EA says Glu acquisition to help double mobile business within 3 years - EA (EA) says Glu Mobile (GLUU) acquisition to help company doule mobile net bookings. Says "Battlefield" mobile title going into early testing. Sees developing "many" games and franchises that can cultivate larger player base. Says will focus on mobile games and experiences that will lean on user-generated content.

17:07 EDT EA says 'Madden NFL' series had 'biggest year ever' in 2021 - Says "very excited" to have added "really talented teams" from Codemasters, Glu, and Metalhead. Says forecasting growth in 2022. Says applying live services approach of "Apex Legends," "FIFA," "Madden," and "The Sims" to entire software catalogue. Says "Madden NFL" had "biggest year ever." Says company "accelerating." Says all sports games for 2022 designed for next-generation platforms. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

16:58 EDT CVR Energy announces renewable fuels focus, $492M special dividend - CVR Energy (CVR) announced that its board has determined that the company will focus on renewable fuels and is no longer interested in acquiring another crude oil refinery. In connection therewith, the board approved expenditures of up to $10M to progress its renewable diesel initiatives, including: the completion of process design to convert an existing hydrotreater at the Coffeyville refinery to renewable diesel service and the completion of process design and the ordering of certain long-lead equipment for a feed pretreater for the Wynnewood refinery to lower carbon intensity and feed cost. The pretreater design could be expandable to also process feed for the potential Coffeyville refinery renewable diesel conversion. The board has approved a special dividend of $492M, to be payable in a combination of cash and the outstanding stock of Delek US (DK) currently held by the company, pursuant to a provision in the company's Indenture under which the company retained the right to distribute to its stockholders up to $492M on or before July 26. This special dividend will be paid on June 10 to stockholders of record as of the close of market on May 26, subject to customary conditions. The stock distribution portion of this special dividend will occur in the form of a pro rata common stock dividend to each CVR Energy stockholder as of the record date. As of May 10, CVR Energy held 10,539,880 shares of Delek stock. No fractional shares of Delek stock will be distributed. Instead, CVR Energy stockholders will receive cash in lieu of any fractional share of Delek stock they otherwise would have received. Following this distribution, Icahn Enterprises (IEP), which owns approximately 71% of the company's outstanding common stock, would directly hold approximately 10.5% of Delek's outstanding common stock. The cash portion of this special dividend will be determined based on the difference between $492M and the value of the stock distribution portion as of the distribution date, with each CVR Energy stockholder as of the record date receiving a pro rata portion of such difference in cash. CVR Energy intends to announce the number of Delek shares and amount of cash per share of CVR Energy common stock to which each CVR Energy stockholder as of the record date would be entitled at a later date. The New York Stock Exchange has determined that CVR Energy's shares will trade with "due-bills" representing an assignment of the right to receive the special dividend through the ex-dividend date of June 11, the first business day following the distribution date. Stockholders who sell their shares on or before the distribution date will not be entitled to receive the special dividend. Due-bills obligate a seller of shares to deliver the dividend payable on such shares to the buyer. The due-bill obligations are settled customarily between the brokers representing the buyers and sellers of the shares. CVR Energy has no obligation for either the amount of the due-bill or the processing of the due-bill. Buyers and sellers of CVR Energy's shares should consult their broker before trading to be sure they understand the effect of the NYSE's due-bill procedures.

16:51 EDT Amazon.com CEO Bezos sells about $251.6M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Amazon.com disclosed that its CEO Jeffrey Bezos sold another 77.9K shares of common stock on May 7th in a total transaction size of $251.6M under a 10B5-1 plan.

16:45 EDT Eneti announces contract for construction of one WTIV - Eneti announced that it entered into a binding agreement for the construction of one Wind Turbine Installation Vessel, or WTIV. In addition, the company announced that it is in advanced discussions with American shipbuilders for the construction of a Jones Act-Compliant WTIV. The company has entered into a binding agreement with Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering for the construction of one WTIV. The contract price is $330M and the Vessel will be delivered in early Q3, 2024. In addition, the company holds an option to construct an additional Vessel at the same price, net of currency adjustments. The Vessel is an NG-16000X design by GustoMSC and includes a 2,600 Ton Leg Encircling Crane. The Vessel is capable of installing up to 20 Megawatt turbines at depths of up to 65 meters of water, and it can be adapted to operate on the alternate fuels of LNG or Ammonia. Separately, the company announced it is in advanced discussions with several American shipbuilders for the construction of a Wind Turbine Installation Vessel. This vessel would be constructed, financed, and operated by American citizens in compliance with the Jones Act, in order to address the heightened demand for transportation and installation capacity on the Continental Shelf of the United States.

16:43 EDT Cellectis, Sanofi enter supply, partnership agreement for alemtuzumab - Cellectis (CLLS) and Sanofi (SNY), entered into a partnership agreement and a supply agreement regarding alemtuzumab, an anti-CD52 monoclonal antibody, to be used as part of a lymphodepleting regimen in certain Cellectis sponsored UCART clinical trials. Cellectis is the inventor of the combination of CD52 knockout UCART cells with a lymphodepleting regimen with an anti-CD52 antibody such as alemtuzumab. The CD52 knockout renders its UCART product candidates resistant to alemtuzumab as part of the lymphodepleting regimen. Patients' lymphodepleting regimens reduce host immune cells and should improve allogeneic CAR T-cell expansion and persistence. In Cellectis sponsored trials, alemtuzumab is currently used as part of the lymphodepleting regimen for UCART22 in the BALLI-01 clinical trial in relapsed/refractory ALL, and for UCART123 in the AMELI-01 clinical trial in relapsed/refractory AML, but not for UCARTCS1 which has a self-lymphodepleting activity. Both Cellectis' UCART22 and UCART123 candidate products have the CD52 gene inactivated by Talen gene editing technology. As part of the agreement, Sanofi will supply alemtuzumab to support Cellectis' clinical trials and the parties agreed to enter into discussions to execute a commercial supply of alemtuzumab under pre-agreed financial conditions.

16:39 EDT Camping World to launch exclusive Thomasville brand of RV, camping furniture - Camping World announced plans to launch the Thomasville Recreation Furniture brand of RV and camping furniture. The Thomasville Recreation furniture will be exclusive in the U.S. and provide the latest designer trends and innovations as consumers continue to demand premium choices for their RV and outdoor lifestyles. "We are excited to launch the exclusive Thomasville Recreation brand with a wide variety of RV and camping furniture," said Marcus Lemonis, CEO and Chairman of Camping World. "This brand launch along with our acquisition of furniture manufacturer, Allure, in the fall of 2020 accelerates our vertical integration within the space and strengthens our sales and margin growth opportunities." The new line of top-end, private label furniture for the RV aftermarket and RV original equipment manufacturer space will be available exclusively at Camping World and Gander RV & Outdoors retail locations nationwide and via e-commerce in late 2021.

16:34 EDT PepsiCo director sells 20K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, PepsiCo disclosed that its CEO of Europe business, Silviu Popovici, sold 20K shares of common stock on May 7th in a total transaction size of $2.91M, reducing his stake by about 21%.

16:31 EDT Orion Engineered to raise specialty carbon black products prices by up to 20% - Orion Engineered Carbons "announced it will raise pricing for its specialty carbon black products. The price increase is necessary due to continuous higher demand for its specialty products, as well as sharply rising global raw material and supply chain costs. Against this backdrop, Orion Engineered Carbons will increase specialty carbon black prices by up to 20% globally, effective July 1, 2021, or as soon as individual contracts allow, for all shipments on or after that date."

16:30 EDT Group 1 Automotive raises dividend 6.5% to 33c - Group 1 Automotive announced that its board of directors declared a cash dividend of 33c per share for the Q1. The dividend, which represents an increase of 6.5%, or 2c per share, from the Q4 of 2020, will be payable on June 15 to stockholders of record as of June 1.

16:30 EDT AutoNation CEO sells 50,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, AutoNation CEO Michael Jackson disclosed the sale of 50,000 common shares of the company on May 7 at a price of $105.2033 per share.

16:25 EDT Electronic Arts down roughly 1% to $140 after Q4 results

16:23 EDT Allete names Bethany Owen chair of the board - Allete's board of directors has named President and Chief Executive Officer Bethany M. Owen chair of the Allete board of directors effective May 11, 2021. Owen has served as Allete's president since 2019 and chief executive officer since February 2020. "Bethany's inaugural year as CEO has been like no other. Under her exemplary leadership, ALLETE successfully navigated the pandemic and its economic impacts on customers, a shift to many employees working remotely, and the implementation of new health and safety employee protocols to ensure 24/7 delivery of essential energy services, all while enhancing the company's culture grounded in strong values," said Lead Director Heidi E. Jimmerson.

16:22 EDT QuantumScape sees FY21 cash spend $260M-$320M - "With the expansion of our QS-0 line and the associated equity offering, we plan to increase spending in 2021 to continue our momentum," the company said. "Based on our new projections, we expect cash spend on operations and capex for the full year to be between $260M and $320M to support our development activities and the higher capacity QS-0 line. Net of financing proceeds from our follow-on equity offering, VW investment, and public warrant exercises, we expect to enter 2022 with greater than $1.3B in liquidity, reflecting a net increase of more than $300M compared to our liquidity entering the year. We believe this capital fully funds QuantumScape through initial QS-1 production and additionally contributes to the subsequent QS-1 expansion. We have already accomplished two of the four previously announced milestones for 2021 and have made strong progress toward the third, as illustrated on the chart below. We satisfied the VW technical milestone, secured the facility that will house our QS-0 line, and demonstrated the performance of the initial builds of the four-layer commercially relevant area battery cells. Our remaining stated milestones for the year are to complete the development and testing of the four-layer commercially relevant area cells and then to build 8-10-layer full-sized battery cells that meet our test criteria. Looking forward, we aim to deliver prototype samples in commercially relevant form factors to auto OEMs from our engineering line in 2022; provide cells for R&D test cars from QS-0 in 2023; and enter commercial production in the 2024-2025 timeframe."

16:21 EDT Array Technologies, Nucor in pact for components of solar tracking system - Array Technologies (ARRY) announced that Nucor(NUE) entered into an agreement with the company to produce certain components of its solar tracking system, as well as support the co-development of future components for Array's next generation of products. "As the largest recycler of steel in the U.S., Nucor is an ideal partner for Array. Nucor's longstanding commitment to recycling as well as their efforts to source a portion of the power they use in their production process from renewable generation is consistent with Array's corporate mission and values. As Array invests in innovation and develops technologies that will decrease installation time and bring down levelized cost of energy for our customers, we are proud to say that our products will be made with sustainably sourced materials," said Jim Fusaro, Chief Executive Officer of Array Technologies. Under the agreement, Nucor will supply Array with torque tubes and rolled steel for Array's production of clamps, foundations and brackets, and other components. Nucor processes approximately 20 million tons of scrap metal annually to produce new steel that is 100% recyclable at the end of its useful life. The company is also making the steel production process cleaner by investing in solar and other renewable energy sources. Last year, Nucor was the 7th largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in the U.S. "We are honored to partner with the leading tracker company in the U.S., and we are excited about the role we can play supplying the sustainable steel needed for the energy transition," said Dave Sumoski, Chief Operating Officer of Nucor Corporation. "Both Nucor and Array recognize that the transition to a clean energy future begins at home, and we're honored to be both a supplier and a customer for the U.S. solar energy industry."

16:20 EDT Virtus Investment reports preliminary total AUM $176.2B as of April 30

16:17 EDT Textainer sees industry fundamentals favorable for remainder of FY21 - Olivier Ghesquiere, President and CEO of Textainer Group Holdings, said, "As we look ahead, we expect industry fundamentals will remain favorable through at least the remainder of 2021, mostly driven by a strong economy, continued demand for container trade and stable container production. We plan to continue our disciplined approach to fleet growth, deploying our ample liquidity in new container investments for the most attractive long-term opportunities. We remain committed to our strategic plan and focused on enhancing financial performance and delivering long-term value to our shareholders."

16:16 EDT Nanobiotix partners with LianBio over radioenhancer NBTXR3 - Nanobiotix announced a partnership with LianBio, a biotechnology company dedicated to bringing paradigm-shifting medicines to patients in China and major Asian markets, to develop and commercialize Nanobiotix lead product candidate NBTXR3, a potential first-in-class radioenhancer, in Greater China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau), South Korea, Singapore and Thailand. Shanghai and Princeton-based LianBio was founded by Perceptive Advisors with an innovative partnership model to develop and commercialize therapeutics in China and other Asian markets. LianBio's cross-border development and commercialization expertise includes strong capabilities in oncology and NBTXR3 is the third investigational cancer treatment in the company's portfolio. Given the global high unmet need in locally advanced and metastatic cancers, along with data supporting the potential of NBTXR3 across solid and metastatic tumor types, Nanobiotix continues to leverage strategic relationships with world class collaborators to expand and accelerate its pipeline while prioritizing Company resources to support development in head and neck cancer and immunotherapy. "Discovery of practice-changing therapeutics for major diseases through a physics-based approach, with the support of people committed to making a difference for humanity, is our mission at Nanobiotix. We have long believed that NBTXR3 will significantly improve treatment outcomes for patients with any solid or metastatic tumor, and we are grateful that a partner with the talent and capability of LianBio has agreed to walk with us in our journey. Cancer is a disease that knows no borders and bringing our innovation to patients in Greater China with speed and determination is an absolute necessity," said Nanobiotix CEO and co-founder Laurent Levy.

16:13 EDT GMS Inc. to acquire Westside Building Material for $135M - GMS announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all the assets of Westside Building Material for $135M in cash.

16:12 EDT Verastem sees 2021 operating expenses $50M - With the proceeds from the sale of COPIKTRA, Verastem Oncology expects that it will have a cash runway until at least 2024 to deliver on the current programs for VS-6766 and defactinib, including clinical and regulatory milestones and development in LGSOC and KRAS mutant NSCLC. Verastem Oncology expects its 2021 annual operating expenses to be approximately $50M.

16:09 EDT CuriosityStream acquires One Day University, terms not disclosed - CuriosityStream announced it has acquired One Day University, which provides access to more than 500 engaging talks and lectures from the best professors at more than 150 colleges and universities in the United States. "One Day University shares our core value of providing inspiring, engaging and informative content for people who want to know more," said Clint Stinchcomb, President and CEO of CuriosityStream. "With the increasing popularity of digital learning and edutainment services like Masterclass and Coursera, we see this as a timely and well-suited opportunity to maximize our shared passion for knowledge and discovery and accelerate growth. Bolstered by Founder Steven Schragis' extraordinary creative vision and commitment to the highest quality talent, One Day University is a truly special addition to CuriosityStream that will fortify and enhance our long-term consumer proposition."

16:09 EDT Grocery Outlet expects 36-38 stores to open in FY21 - The company said, "Quarter-to-date comparable store sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2021 are in the negative low double digits.Capital expenditures, net of tenant improvement allowances, are estimated to be approximately $130.0 million for fiscal 2021. The Company will report 52 weeks of operating results in fiscal 2021 compared to 53 weeks in fiscal 2020."

16:07 EDT Site Centers raises quarterly dividend by 9% to 12c per share - The dividend is payable on July 2, 2021 to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 10, 2021.

16:05 EDT Chesapeake launches dividend at initial annual rate of $1.375 - Chesapeake launched sustainable dividend at an initial annual rate of $1.375 per share to be paid quarterly beginning in the Q2 of FY21. Base dividend built to withstand commodity price volatility with incremental cash return strategy to be defined by year end 2021

16:03 EDT Sientra in pact to sell miraDry business to 1315 Capital, terms undisclosed - Sientra announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its miraDry business to 1315 Capital, a healthcare growth equity firm investing in commercial stage companies across medical devices, healthcare services, and therapeutics. Subject to certain terms and conditions, the transaction is expected to close within the next 30 days. "Sientra's strategic decision to focus investment on its core Breast Products business constrained our ability to maximize the miraDry opportunity given the different business models," said Ron Menezes, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sientra. "We are delighted to have found the best partner in 1315 Capital who has recognized the untapped potential of the miraDry business and is committed to serving and growing the current installed base of over 1,600 miraDry systems. The Sientra team will be working side-by-side with 1315 Capital to ensure a smooth transition for our existing miraDry customers." "The sale of miraDry will enable Sientra to focus on our core Breast Products business and the plastic surgery channel," continued Mr. Menezes. "Our team is more energized than ever to concentrate on our rapidly growing Breast Products business within both the augmentation and reconstruction markets by targeting market share expansion with existing and new accounts and executing on our development pipeline that will extend or evolve our offerings. I am confident that Sientra is now in the best position possible to become a leader of transformative treatments and technologies focused on progressing the art of plastic surgery."

15:28 EDT YouTube introduces $100M Shorts fund for creators - Alphabet's YouTube division said in a blog post that it is introducing the YouTube Shorts Fund, a $100M fund distributed over the course of 2021-2022. Anyone is eligible to participate in the fund simply by creating unique Shorts that "delight the YouTube community," the company said. "Each month, we'll reach out to thousands of creators whose Shorts received the most engagement and views to reward them for their contributions," YouTube added. "We'll also ask these creators to share their feedback with us so we can continue to improve the product experience. The Shorts Fund is not limited to just creators in the YouTube Partner Program. Creators will be eligible to participate if they create original content for Shorts and adhere to our Community Guidelines. We'll share additional details as we get closer to launching the fund in the coming months." Reference Link

15:07 EDT American National up 6% after Reuters report of exploring potential sale

14:50 EDT Coinbase says 'currently investigating' issue with EOS withdrawals - Coinbase stated in a status alert regarding delayed EOS withdrawals: "We are currently investigating this issue." Reference Link

13:33 EDT FirstEnergy's Potomac Edison reports Maryland PSC approves two battery projects - Potomac Edison, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy, announced it has received approval from the Maryland Public Service Commission for two battery energy storage projects in Allegany and Frederick counties, the latter of which will be paired with a new electric vehicle fast-charging station. "These two projects will allow us to evaluate the potential benefits of energy storage for our residential customers and to learn more about the interaction between energy storage systems and electric vehicle charging stations, which will help inform future grid development efforts," said James Sears, Jr., president of FirstEnergy's Maryland operations.

12:37 EDT Occidental Petroleum backs FY21 oil & gas production view of roughly 1,140 Mboed - Sees FY21 domestic tax rate 22%. Sees FY21 international tax rate 45%.

12:18 EDT eBay updates policy to include sale of NFTs - eBay announced in a blog post that it is opening up its platform to include the sale of non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. "In the short term, NFT inventory will be provided by trusted sellers who meet our high standards, across categories like trading cards, music, entertainment and art," the company said. "This is only the beginning. This initial rollout will help us learn more about what's important to our community. Expect to see programs, policies and tools that will allow our audiences to buy and sell NFTs with greater ease and confidence, across a broader range of categories. In the coming months, eBay will add new capabilities that bring blockchain-driven collectibles to our platform. I'm looking forward to bringing on new creators to share their passions in ways we can't even imagine yet. Together we will ensure eBay remains the preeminent marketplace for collectibles of all kinds and serves the next generation of collectors." Reference Link

12:01 EDT StarTek falls -14.1% - StarTek is down -14.1%, or -$1.02 to $6.24.

12:00 EDT Hanesbrands falls -14.5% - Hanesbrands is down -14.5%, or -$3.17 to $18.73.

12:00 EDT 3D Systems rises 20.8% - 3D Systems is up 20.8%, or $3.69 to $21.46.

11:42 EDT Marriott's Edition announces re-opening for both New York City properties - EDITION, one of Marriott's luxury brands, announces the re-opening of its two NYC hotel locations in Times Square and Madison Square Park. EDITION reopens The New York EDITION on May 11 and The Times Square EDITION on June 1.

11:32 EDT Origin Agritech reports update on progress of GMO corn hybrid trials - Origin Agritech announced progress in official government trial of GMO corn hybrid varieties. The company said" "One herbicide resistant variety has completed its final trial and is pending final approval. Under the agricultural regulations in China, both the GMO traits and the hybrid corn varieties require government approval before the seed can be sold commercially. In general, the government hybrid variety trials take two years to completion. In addition, five of Origin's insect resistant and herbicide resistant double stack GMO corn hybrid varieties have advanced to the second-year variety trials. Three more new elite Bt/Gt corn hybrids will join the first-year government variety trials next year. In total, 27 elite commercial hybrids have been converted to GMO corn hybrids in different stages of evaluation trials. Furthermore, thirteen GMO Phytase have completed the trials and are pending final approval." Dr. Gengchen Han, Origin's Chairman, said, "We are very excited by the progresses we are making in the approval process of our hybrid corn varieties. This further shows the importance of our corn seed germplasms in bringing GMO corn to the commercial markets, which will give us production ready product lines once our GMO technology receives regulatory approval."

11:27 EDT Just Eat CEO accuses of analysts of not being able to do 'basic maths' - Jitse Groen, the CEO of Just Eat, said via Twitter: "I am amazed how bad these analysts have become. Some of them can't even do basic maths. All of them mix up definitions. It's unbelievable. Sorry guys, that was uncalled for... but please at least buy a calculator or be prepared for a good slapping on our next call. You are breaking my brain." The Fly notes that Exane BNP Paribas analyst Andrew Gwynn earlier upgraded Just Eat to Neutral from Underperform with an EUR 81 price target. Reference Link

11:12 EDT Boeing reports 25 gross orders, 17 commercial jet deliveries in April - Boeing reported its April orders and deliveries figures earlier on its corporate website. Reference Link

10:55 EDT Matthews International announces acquisition of Terrella Energy Systems - Matthews International announced that the company has acquired the assets of Terrella Energy Systems, a supplier of technology solutions to the global hydrogen fuel cell industry. Terrella is now part of Matthews' Saueressig Engineering business. "This is an exciting time for Matthews. After years of investment in research and development, our Saueressig Engineering business has established itself as a leader in the renewable energy market with advanced manufacturing solutions for Lithium-ion batteries," explains Greg Babe, Matthews International Chief Technology Officer. "Now, with Terrella as part of our team, we will be well-positioned to serve the complementary hydrogen fuel cell industry as well."

10:26 EDT Jumia Technologies reports Q1 GMV EUR165M, down 13% y/y

10:16 EDT NCR Corp. says Cardtronics shareholders approve deal - NCR Corporation (NCR) acknowledged that Cardtronics (CATM) shareholders held their meetings on May 7, and in excess of 99% of the shares voted at the meetings were voted in favor of the transaction with NCR. The transaction is expected to close in mid-year 2021, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of customary closing conditions, one of which was approval by Cardtronics' shareholders, NCR said.

10:05 EDT Aramark names Bart Kaericher as president, CEO of Healthcare division - Bart Kaericher has been named the president and CEO of Aramark's Healthcare division, reporting to Marc Bruno, Chief Operating Officer for the company's U.S. Food and Facilities sector. In his role, Kaericher will be responsible for Aramark's growing healthcare business. Before joining Aramark, Kaericher served as Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Retention & Strategic Partnerships for Morrison and Crothall, divisions of Compass Group (CMPGY).

10:03 EDT Caterpillar to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 30% to 2030 - Caterpillar said its 2020 Sustainability Report was published today. In addition to highlighting the company's progress through 2020, the report introduces Caterpillar's new sustainability goals to achieve by 2030, the company said in a statement. The company said: "We have set a science-based Scope 1 and 2 goal to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions from our operations by 30% from 2018 to 2030. Implement water management strategies at 100% of facilities located in water high-risk areas by 2030. Reduce landfill intensity by 50% from 2018 to 2030.100% of Caterpillar's new products through 2030 will be more sustainable than the previous generation through collaborating with customers, reduced waste, improved design for rebuild/remanufacturing, lower emissions or improved efficiency. Increase sales and revenues from remanufacturing offerings by 25% from 2018 to 2030." "Caterpillar is well-positioned to continue improving the quality of the environment and communities by helping our customers fulfill society's basic needs such as shelter, clean water, education and reliable energy, in a sustainable way," said Caterpillar Chairman and CEO Jim Umpleby. "We are demonstrating our commitment to a reduced-carbon future in many ways, including through our significant progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from our operations and our continued investment in new products, technologies and services that help customers achieve their climate-related objectives as they build a better, more sustainable world."

10:02 EDT DoorDash, Rite Aid partner for on-demand delivery of health, wellness products - DoorDash (DASH) announced a partnership with Rite Aid (RAD) to offer same-day delivery of non-prescription health, convenience, and wellness essentials. Consumers can now order products via the DoorDash platform from more than 2,100 Rite Aid locations across 17 states through the DoorDash app or website, with average delivery in less than an hour. DoorDash will offer more than 24,000 items from Rite Aid including health and beauty supplies such as shampoo and makeup, non-perishable and perishable grocery staples such as milk and Thrifty ice cream, over-the-counter medicine like pain relievers, cold and flu care, and household products such as paper towels, cleaning supplies, and more.

10:00 EDT Hanesbrands falls -13.3% - Hanesbrands is down -13.3%, or -$2.92 to $18.98.

10:00 EDT Domtar rises 14.0% - Domtar is up 14.0%, or $6.64 to $54.02.

10:00 EDT Ferro rises 23.0% - Ferro is up 23.0%, or $4.04 to $21.62.

09:47 EDT Jumia Technologies falls -16.3% - Jumia Technologies is down -16.3%, or -$3.83 to $19.62.

09:47 EDT Paysafe falls -19.9% - Paysafe is down -19.9%, or -$2.70 to $10.87.

09:47 EDT 3D Systems rises 15.3% - 3D Systems is up 15.3%, or $2.72 to $20.49.

09:44 EDT Blink Charging acquires Blue Corner for $24M in cash and stock - Blink Charging announced that it acquired the European EV charging operator Blue Corner N.V., based in Antwerp, Belgium, and its portfolio of 7,071 charging ports and a robust European charging network. The acquisition was made with a combination of cash and stock for approximately $24M and gives Blink complete operational control of Blue Corner and its EV charging assets. The acquisition is part of Blink's broader strategic international expansion plans and provides the company a significant infrastructure footprint in the region. Blue Corner chargers are located across Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and France. To facilitate Blink's European expansion, the Company also announced the formation of Blink Holdings B.V., a new Dutch company in Amsterdam, which will drive the growth of Blink's European presence. The existing Blue Corner operations, management team, and personnel will remain unchanged following the acquisition.

09:41 EDT Virgin Galactic trading resumes

09:33 EDT Crown Crafts announces closing of Carousel Designs subsidiary - Crown Crafts announced that it is closing the operations of its Carousel Designs, LLC, subsidiary, effective May 21, 2021. The Carousel Designs manufacturing facility in Douglasville, Georgia, and its direct-to-consumer website, www.babybedding.com, will cease operations on that date. The Company decided to close Carousel Designs due to high costs, declining sales and continued losses associated with the subsidiary. Net sales for Carousel Designs declined from $6.6M in fiscal year 2019 to $4.8M in fiscal year 2020, the most recently reported full fiscal year. Crown Crafts' consolidated diluted earnings per share without Carousel Designs would have been higher by 6c and 4c in fiscal years 2019 and 2020, respectively. The Company expects to record charges totaling $2.8M to $3.4M in fiscal years 2021 and 2022, most of which will be non-cash charges associated with the impairment of long-lived assets. Carousel Designs will work to fulfill any customer orders placed prior to the closing date. Any customers whose orders cannot be fulfilled will receive full refunds.

09:27 EDT Orbcomm says Marten Transport uprgrades fleet with asset tracking solutions - ORBCOMM announced that Marten Transport has begun the retrofit of their fleet of refrigerated and dry van trailers with ORBCOMM's next generation, dual-mode asset tracking solutions in preparation for the sunsetting of 3G wireless service, which will commence at the end of 2021.

09:21 EDT Seanergy Marine announces delivery of Capesize M/V Flagship - Seanergy Maritime Holdings announced that it has taken delivery of the 176,387 dwt Capesize bulk carrier, built in 2013 by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in Japan, which was renamed M/V Flagship. The Vessel was subsequently financed through a leasing agreement with Cargill International. Pursuant to the agreement, the Company has chartered back the Vessel on a bareboat basis and subsequently entered into a five-year time charter with Cargill at a rate which is linked to the Baltic Capesize Index. The bareboat financing amount of the Vessel is $20.5 million at an implied interest rate of approximately 2% all-in, fixed for five years. The Company has the option to buy back the Vessel at any time during the whole five-year leasing period, at the end of which it has a purchase obligation of $10 million subject to certain adjustments based on the market price of the Vessel. Under the terms of the T/C, the Vessel will earn an index-linked rate based on BCI, while the Company has the option to convert the daily hire from index-linked to fixed for a minimum period of three months to a maximum of 12 months based on the prevailing Capesize Freight Futures Agreements curve. The index-linked rate will be 102% of the BCI minus $1,325 per day. The term of the T/C matches the term of the leasing transaction and has a duration of 60 months from the delivery of the Vessel to Cargill on May 10, 2021. In addition, Cargill will fund the equipment and the installation of certain energy saving devices onboard the M/V Flagship, aimed to increase the Vessel's energy efficiency by reducing fuel consumption and subsequently the Vessel's carbon footprint. The Company and the Charterer have successfully implemented a similar project for the M/V Championship in 2019 in a cooperative scheme pioneered by Seanergy and Cargill.

09:18 EDT TOP Ships announces delivery of Suezmax M/T Eco Malibu - TOP Ships announced that it took delivery of the very high specification, scrubber fitted, 157,000 dwt newbuilding Suezmax vessel M/T Eco Malibu constructed at the Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in South Korea. The vessel is scheduled to commence by the end of the week its previously announced time charter employment with a major oil trader for three years with two yearly extensions at the charterer's option. The revenue backlog expected to be generated by this fixture, assuming all options are exercised, is about $63.3 million. For 2021 alone, this charter is expected to contribute $7.8 million in revenue.

09:16 EDT U.S. Physiatry leverages CareCloud's technology platforms - CareCloud announced that U.S. Physiatry, one of the nation's largest physiatry groups, is utilizing CareCloud's technology platform to boost revenue and increase collections across the entire organization.

09:11 EDT Reed's introduces range of resealable bottles - Reed's announce the launch of its first-ever resealable format in the company's 30+ year history. Now available in proprietary 20 oz. resealable bottles, beverages from Reed's and Virgil's bring healthier alternatives to consumers' on-the-go. The introduction of the 100% recyclable bottles marks Reed's and Virgil's breakthrough into convenience and drug store channels nationwide, as well as an expansion into new sections in the supermarket. The 20 oz. resealable bottles will be primarily be available at retailers in the refrigerated and single-serve aisles, allowing for more immediate consumption for consumers.

09:09 EDT Bottomline Technologies, Autobooks partner for digital experience solution - Bottomline and Autobooks announced a partnership to deliver innovative and essential digital solutions designed to help small businesses thrive. Autobooks' invoicing, receivables and accounting tools will be combined with Bottomline's Digital Banking IQ platform, enabling financial institutions to deliver a unified digital experience and a comprehensive suite of integrated payments and cash lifecycle solutions, purpose-built for small businesses.

09:08 EDT Comtech awarded $2M contract for 500W Ka-band gateway amplifiers - Comtech Telecommunications announced that during its third quarter of fiscal 2021, its Santa Clara, California-based subsidiary, Comtech Xicom Technology, Inc., a world leader in high-power amplifiers, was awarded a $2M order for state-of-the-art 500W Ka-band high power amplifiers supporting a leading high throughput satellite customer. The HTS market provides broadband internet service to geographic regions that are under-served by terrestrial networks. HTS systems are very high capacity, offering bandwidth and pricing competitive with more conventional terrestrial offerings, regardless of the customers' location. These systems serve consumer, small business, enterprise and government customers. "Reliable and affordable broadband internet service is essential in today's world. People who live and work in rural areas have the same needs as urban users for a high-quality on-line experience. HTS networks are an ideal way for rural customers to stay connected," said Fred Kornberg, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Comtech Telecommunications Corp. "Comtech's 500W amplifiers are at the heart of HTS gateway earth stations. We have been supplying the HTS community with 500W Ka-band amplifiers since 2009, and they feature high linear power, superior phase noise, and offer great reliability."

09:07 EDT Quest Diagnostics expands eligibility for $0 out-of-pocket COVID-19 testing - Quest Diagnostics unveiled several new enhancements to its COVID-19 testing services, with the goal to help combat COVID-19 while empowering more individuals and families to resume "back to life" activities with greater safety this spring, summer and beyond. Starting May 11, adults can request access to the company's $0 out-of-pocket COVID-19 test option for themselves and children 4 years of age and older through QuestDirect, the company's online consumer-initiated test platform. Eligibility for $0 out-of-pocket COVID-19 testing includes adults and minors regardless of symptoms or suspected exposure, consistent with updated government guidance on insurance coverage for COVID-19 testing.

09:06 EDT Container Store and Narvar partner to improve ecommerce experience - Narvar and The Container Store Group announced they have partnered to enhance the ecommerce experience for customers across all touchpoints in the buying journey. The Container Store will enhance their brand experience to encompass order tracking and notifications this summer, and will introduce a convenient self-service online returns process later this year.

09:04 EDT Progress Software releases MOVEit 2021 - Progress announced the release of Progress MOVEit 2021, the secure, automated Managed File Transfer software that can be deployed both on-premises and in the cloud. With enhancements such as data encryption key rotation, MOVEit Transfer notification branding, REST API improvements and more, MOVEit 2021 managed file transfer directly addresses the most critical market developments and top customer concerns in security, usability and integration.

09:03 EDT Document Security sells its DSS Digital division to Proof Authentication - Document Security Systems announced Proof Authentication signed a purchase agreement pursuant to which Proof acquired 100% of the outstanding shares of DSS Digital, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company. Under the terms of the agreement, DSS will retain and sell to certain key customers through a non-exclusive license granted by Proof to DSS, while continuing to use the anti-counterfeiting technology on consumer packaging for authentication and consumer engagement purposes under the company's Premier Packaging division. The terms of the deal with Proof include upfront cash and an earn-out provision that provides for potential payments to DSS based on the achievement of certain revenue targets.

09:02 EDT Esports Technologies adds Rocket League to roster of games on Gogawi - Esports Technologies announced it is adding Rocket League to the roster of games available for wagering on its international consumer platform, Gogawi.com. Rocket League joins the list of major esports titles Gogawi is currently accepting wagers. The platform also allows for more traditional sports betting on the NFL, NBA, Soccer, and more than 40 other sports. The platform also recently added casino and table games to its betting roster thanks to its recently announced partnership with Spinomenal.

09:01 EDT EnWave sells 60 kW REV machine to AvoLov - EnWave Corporation announces that it has completed the sale of a 60kW Radiant Energy Vacuum machine to AvoLov, LLC d.b.a. BranchOut Food, a company based in Bend, Oregon that produces a lineup of "better-for-you" avocado and fruit snacks and ingredients. The 60kW REV machine will provide BranchOut with large-scale drying capacity to meet the increasing demand for its portfolio of innovative products made using EnWave's technology. EnWave also signed a new royalty-bearing commercial license agreement with BranchOut, granting certain manufacturing exclusivity for its line of avocado snacks and ingredients within North, South and Central America. Under the terms of the License Agreement, BranchOut will pay a royalty to EnWave for all products sold that are manufactured using REV technology. The License Agreement also stipulates certain performance measures that are required to maintain exclusivity, including minimum annual equipment purchases and annual minimum royalties payable to EnWave.

08:59 EDT Hawaii selects Conduent to process Medicaid claims - Conduent Incorporated announced it has been selected by the Med-QUEST Division of the Hawaii Department of Human Services to process claims for medical service providers in support of more than 410,000 Medicaid beneficiaries. The company reviews claims and processes payments for state reimbursements of healthcare and pharmacy services.

08:58 EDT Park Hotels & Resorts announces senior secured notes offering - Park Hotels & Resorts announced that certain of its subsidiaries, Park Intermediate Holdings, PK Domestic Property and PK Finance Co-Issuer Inc., intend to offer $650 million aggregate principal amount of senior secured notes due 2029. The Notes will be guaranteed by Park and certain subsidiaries of the Operating Company that guarantee the Company's senior credit facilities and existing senior secured notes due 2025 and 2028. The Issuers intend to use the proceeds of the offering to repay a portion of the amounts outstanding under the Company's revolving credit facility and to repay a portion of the Company's term loan facility entered into in 2019 and maturing in August 2024.

08:56 EDT Dundee Precious Metals releases 2020 sustainability report - Dundee Precious Metals is pleased to announce the publication of its 2020 Sustainability Report. The Report highlights DPM's unique approach and performance in key environmental, social and governance areas as identified through a comprehensive materiality assessment. "ESG is fundamental to our culture and is integrated into all levels of our organization. In 2020, we defined our corporate purpose and added a new ESG-focused strategic objective, to generate a net positive impact from our operations, which places an emphasis on our ability to deliver positive value for all of our stakeholders," said David Rae, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dundee Precious Metals. "We have long understood the strategic importance of maintaining our social license to operate and have seen first-hand how excelling in this important area is a competitive advantage that can unlock additional value and lead to superior long-term returns."

08:55 EDT NeoPhotonics ships over 2M ultra-narrow linewidth tunable lasers - NeoPhotonics announced that it has shipped a cumulative total of more than 2M of its ultra-narrow linewidth tunable lasers since initiating shipments in 2011.

08:52 EDT SG Blocks subsidiary acquires project site in Lago Vista - SG Blocks announced that SGB Development Corp., the real property development arm and wholly owned subsidiary of SG Blocks, has closed on its initial project site in Lago Vista, Texas. The 50+ acre parcel sits on Lake Travis on the Colorado River in central Texas and is planned to provide upscale condominiums, a health club, marina and other amenities, making Lago Vista an alternative in the housing market. The project will yield one- and two-bedroom units manufactured at the company's factory in Durant, Oklahoma. SG Blocks' approach to development is based on speed to market, environmental sensitivity and high-quality products due to manufacturing in optimal indoor conditions, with a dedicated, full-time workforce. SG Echo anticipates revenue in the $20M range from Lago Vista. In general, modular projects reduce the time to completion by approximately 500%. This is in part due to the fact that while the site and civil work is being executed, the fabrication of the units are being done in parallel. SGB Development Corp. is currently finishing plans for review and approval, with groundbreaking currently slated for Q2. SG Blocks expects to benefit from the manufacturing revenue on the front side, as well as from proceeds from the asset sales upon completion. Projected sales from the sale of the condo units are approximately in the $80M-$90M range, of which a significant portion will be shared with the real estate development firm SGB Development Corp. plans to engage to develop the project.

08:50 EDT Biomerica's 15-minutes COVID-19 antigen test now available with nasal swab - Biomerica announced that its new COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test can now be performed with a less invasive nasal swab. "This nasal swab, which takes the sample from the front opening of the nose, is less invasive and more comfortable for patients than the deep anterior nasal swab which is typically used. The test is highly portable, cost effective and provides visual results negating the need for any equipment to perform or read the test. The test also provides results in 15 minutes versus lab-run PCR tests which can take up to three days for results, thereby potentially expediting the process of identifying infectious people and preventing further spread of the virus," the company said.

08:47 EDT Akoya Biosciences beins accepting applications for Imaging Innovators Network - Akoya Biosciences announced that its Imaging Innovators Network is now accepting applications from innovators with ambitions to disrupt the field of spatial biology through cutting-edge applications. Akoya is the first spatial biology company to set up a collaborative network specifically aimed at supporting open innovation. Spatial biology is a rapidly emerging discipline whose tremendous potential is dependent on nurturing cutting-edge innovation, a goal that is made possible by the CODEX system's new, open interface. Today, the CODEX technology combines the advantages of single-cell biology and histology and enables multiplex imaging of 40 or more biomarkers in tissue samples. This allows researchers to visualize different cell phenotypes and analyze how they organize and interact to impact disease pathology and progression. Akoya plans to initially select 10 exceptional researchers for the I network, who have creative ideas on how to use the CODEX system to advance the frontiers of knowledge in the field of spatial biology. Applications could include, but are not limited to, multi-analyte or single-molecule detection, 3D imaging, high-speed acquisition, or super-resolution imaging.

08:46 EDT Iteris awarded $1.1M contract by City of San Antonio - Iteris announced that it has been awarded a three-year contract by the City of San Antonio with a potential value of up to $1.1M, representing continued demand for Iteris' specialized consulting services in a key geographic market.

08:45 EDT Protech Home Medical to chang name to Quipt Home Medical, consolidate stock - Protech Home Medical is pleased to announce that, subject to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, it intends to change its name to "Quipt Home Medical Corp." and consolidate its common shares on the basis of one post-consolidation Common Share for every four pre-consolidation Shares. The Name Change and Consolidation are anticipated to be completed on May 13, 2021 and it is expected that the Common Shares will commence trading on the TSXV on a post-Share Consolidation basis under the new name and new symbol "QIPT" on such date. The Name Change, symbol change and Share Consolidation are proposed to be completed in anticipation of the Company's application to list the Common Shares on the NASDAQ Capital Market. The Company aims to set the standard of the home health industry and will be branded and utilized in local markets over time to meet the one-of-a-kind needs of every individual that puts their confidence in the name. Supported by the reach and the reputation of our current local brands, following the Name Change, the Company will continue to strive to enrich the lives of our patients by providing full-service technology-enabled home healthcare solutions to suit every kind of need, for every kind of patient. The Company expects that on the same date that the Common Shares begin to trade on a post-Share Consolidation basis under the new name, its 8.0% unsecured convertible debentures due on March 7, 2024 will commence trading on the TSXV under the new symbol "QIPT.DB.A". No action will be required by existing holders of the Debentures with respect to the Name Change or Share Consolidation. The CUSIP numbers assigned to the Common Shares and Debentures under its new name will be 74880P104 and 74880PAA2, respectively. It is anticipated that Computershare Trust Company of Canada will mail letters of transmittal to the shareholders providing instructions on exchanging pre-Consolidation share certificates for post-Consolidation share certificates. At that time, shareholders are encouraged to send their share certificates, together with their letter of transmittal, to Computershare in accordance with the instructions in the letter of transmittal. The Company is currently targeting to complete the proposed listing on NASDAQ by the end of June 2021, or as soon as possible thereafter, subject to satisfaction of all necessary listing requirements and acceptance of the Company's Form 40-F Registration Statement by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission . The Company will continue to trade under the symbol "PTQQF" on the OTCQX, following the Name Change and Share Consolidation and prior to completion of its proposed NASDAQ listing. While the Company intends to satisfy all of the applicable listing criteria, no assurance can be given that its application will be approved.

08:42 EDT Vinco Ventures announces $2M pre-sale of first of three exclusive Emmersive-NFTs - Vinco Ventures announced its subsidiary, EVNT Platform, has pre-sold the first of three exclusive Emmersive NFTs released as a package investment to a private third-party investor. The deal structure includes an initial payment of $2M for the three-celebrity set. The digital assets are expected to generate additional monies through revenue sharing based upon their individual sale prices determined in an upcoming digital art auction at one of the world's preeminent auction houses.

08:39 EDT Ekso Bionics expands partnership with Kindred Healthcare with EksoNR order - Ekso Bionics announced an expanded partnership with Kindred Healthcare bringing EksoNR, the robotic exoskeleton, to four of Kindred's Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals in the U.S. The multi-unit order follows a successful pilot program of the EksoNR last year. "EksoNR has become a standard of care within Kindred's Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals by driving patient outcomes in neurorehabilitation through early mobility and gait training," the company said. "EksoNR is a robotic exoskeleton device that empowers patients recovering from acquired brain injury, stroke, and spinal cord injury to learn to walk again with a more natural gait. The device contains posture and clinician control, SmartAssist software, adaptive gait training, and pre-ambulatory tools among other features designed for patients to mobilize earlier and restore independence," the company added.

08:39 EDT ManTech wins $123M FBI contract for information security services - ManTech announced that it has been awarded a contract to support the FBI with sophisticated technology solutions and expertise that deliver Information Systems Security, Management and Maintenance. The contract is for a base period of one year with the potential total performance period of five years if all options are exercised. ManTech's Cognitive Cyber, a key market differentiator, will support FBI cybersecurity stakeholders and help drive the mission of providing cybersecurity strategy, training and services for the FBI enterprise.

08:37 EDT FleetCor in JV with Brazil's CAIXA to distribute electronic payment solutions - FleetCor announced the signing of a joint venture in Brazil between its local subsidiaries and CAIXA, the country's largest bank. FLEETCOR partnered with VR Beneficios, a Brazilian leader in meal and food vouchers, on the joint venture to meet the product requirements in the agreement. The 20-year joint venture agreement exclusively provides CAIXA's customers the most comprehensive portfolio of electronic payment solutions including automatic toll tags, fuel cards, transportation vouchers and food vouchers. CAIXA has locations in 99 percent of Brazilian municipalities, representing the largest network of branches in the country, with more than 26 thousand service points. It also has the largest client base with 146 million individuals and companies including about 107 million clients in its digital banking operation. "This agreement creates a potentially meaningful new sales channel for our payment products in Brazil. Combining our portfolio of payment products with VR Beneficios' proven meal and food programs will allow CAIXA to better serve its clients, especially those seeking the payment flexibility, mobility and security delivered by our digital solutions," said Ron Clarke, FLEETCOR Chairman and CEO. "We believe that this alliance will bring benefits to millions of Brazilians, in addition to strengthening FLEETCOR's recognition in Brazil, reinforcing our mission to create better payment solutions," highlighted Armando Netto, CEO Brazil of FLEETCOR. The agreement is contingent on approval by a variety of regulatory bodies including the Administrative Council for Economic Defenset he Central Bank of Brazil and the Secretariat for Coordination and Governance of State-owned Companies.

08:37 EDT Cerence, tooz partner for integration of conversational AI, smart glasses - Cerence (CRNC) and tooz technologies, a joint venture of ZEISS and Deutsche Telekom (DTEGY) focused on the development of smart glasses, announced their work to integrate conversational AI and the use of smart glasses to enhance and improve the two-wheeler rider experience. By integrating the tooz Smart Glasses with the voice- and AI-enabled capabilities of the newly developed Cerence 2-Wheeler Mobility Platform, the partners aim to shape the future of the digital mobility market with the common goal of making the two-wheeler experience safer and more intelligent.

08:35 EDT Codiak presents new preclinical data from its engEx Platform - Codiak BioSciences announced new preclinical data from programs from its engEx Platform showing the potential therapeutic applications of engineered exosomes. The data, which include results from the IND-enabling studies for exoASO-STAT6, immune evasion data from Codiak's exoAAV gene therapy platform, data showing the versatility of Codiak's exoVACC vaccine platform, and Codiak's ability to engineer specific cell uptake were presented at the virtual 24th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. Codiak's proprietary engEx Platform enables the company to engineer exosomes with distinct properties, load them with various therapeutic molecules and alter tropism so they reach specific cellular targets. Codiak has two programs in clinical development and expects to file an IND for exoASO-STAT6 by the end of the year. exoASO-STAT6 Demonstrates Immune-Mediated Anti-Tumor Activity. Data presented at ASGCT from Codiak's exoASO-STAT6 program confirm results presented earlier this year showing potent local and systemic anti-tumor activity. Exosome-mediated delivery of an ASO results in enhanced uptake and improved silencing of STAT6 in tumor associated macrophages compared to ASO administration without an exosome. This activity, which was evident both in vitro and in vivo and across species, was persistent for up to 10 days and resulted in effective reprogramming of immunosuppressive macrophages to a pro-inflammatory phenotype. Efficacy studies of exoASO-STAT6 in multiple tumor models revealed dose-dependent single-agent activity, including 94% tumor growth inhibition and 60% complete responses at the efficacious dose in a CT26 tumor model and 62% reduction in tumor mass and complete elimination of tumor lesions in an orthotopic model of HCC unresponsive to other immunotherapies. exoVACC Induces Robust, Tunable and Broad Immune Response. The data presented at ASGCT show that this platform enables antigen-specific immune responses that can be modulated through antigen orientation and adjuvant loading. Further, multiple exoVACC vaccine constructs induced superior systemic and tissue-resident immune responses via various routes of administration compared to conventional vaccine formulations in animal models. Immune-Silent Nature of Exosomes Provides Potential Strategy to Enhance AAV Delivery. Codiak presented new data at ASGCT that show that exosomes also have potential utility in overcoming the limitations of current adeno-associated virus vectors used for the delivery of gene therapies. Engineered Exosomes with Altered Cellular Tropism Instigate Preferential Uptake in Neuronal Cells. Results from multiple in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated the ability of the engEx Platform to modulate exosome tropism and drive uptake into specific cell types.

08:33 EDT Muddy Waters: Nano-X Imaging 'is a scam' - Muddy Waters Research said via Twitter: "Reminder: $NNOX is a scam." Reference Link

08:33 EDT Alleghany Capital forms subsidiary to acquire Wilbert - Alleghany Capital, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alleghany Corporation, announced that it has formed a new wholly-owned subsidiary, Piedmont Manufacturing Group, to acquire Wilbert, a provider of injection molded and thermoformed parts and multi-component assemblies for original equipment manufacturer customers in a range of end-markets. Operating out of three facilities in the Southeast and one in the Midwest United States, WPS provides OEM customers in the industrial, commercial, transportation, recreational, medical, and other industries with a full range of product design and engineering, injection molding, thermoforming, painting, assembly, logistics, and inventory management capabilities.

08:30 EDT Lightbridge demonstrates high-temperature coextrusion process for reactors - Lightbridge announced it has successfully demonstrated the manufacturing process for three-lobe, six-foot rods using surrogate materials. This demonstration of Lightbridge's proprietary manufacturing process uses an internally developed and patented high-temperature coextrusion process. The six-foot length of the surrogate rods is the typical length of the fuel rods used by many small modular reactors now in development and licensing. Future fabrication of high-assay low-enriched uranium rodlets for loop irradiation testing in the Advanced Test Reactor, and ultimately commercial length HALEU fuel rods, will use similar extrusion and casting techniques to create material chemistry and grain structures representative of Lightbridge Fuel. Performing fabrication development activities with surrogate materials allows Lightbridge to use a broader range of suppliers and is a cost-effective approach as it does not require uranium material.

08:28 EDT Phunware begins selling PhunToken - Phunware announced that it has launched the PhunToken Purchase Portal to begin selling PhunToken to consumers, developers and brands. PhunToken is a cryptocurrency utilized by a blockchain-enabled Mobile Loyalty Ecosystem to help drive engagement by unlocking the features and capabilities of Phunware's Multiscreen-as-a-Service platform. PhunToken is designed to promote profitable behavior by rewarding consumers for their activity, such as watching branded videos, completing surveys designed to understand purchase intent and visiting points of interest. Consumers will also have an opportunity to receive PhunToken from brands who integrate the PhunToken MaaS Loyalty Software Development Kit into their mobile applications for Apple iOS and Google Android, which will allow any publisher to track and reward in-app customer behavior. PhunToken, as well as PhunCoin, will be managed by PhunWallet on Apple iOS and Google Android, which is expected to be released later this month following application approvals by the Apple App Store and Google Play, respectively.

08:27 EDT Teladoc launches 'myStrength Complete' mental health service - Teladoc Health announced the launch of myStrength Complete, an integrated mental health service providing personalized, targeted care to consumers in a single, comprehensive experience. The announcement comes as more than half of people with mental health concerns report that they do not know where to start when getting care, highlighting the importance of the digital front door myStrength Complete will provide.

08:25 EDT Broadcom introduces Emulex Gen 7 LPe36000-series HBAs - Broadcom announced immediate availability of its Emulex Gen 7 LPe36000-series Host Bus Adapters- the world's first 64G Fibre Channel HBA. With the release of LPe36000-series, Broadcom becomes the first in the industry to provide a complete portfolio of products that enable an end-to-end 64G data path.

08:23 EDT VNA signs agreement to sell home health, hospice services to Amedisys - Visiting Nurse Association, or VNA, announced they have signed an agreement to transition home health and hospice operations to Amedisys. The transaction is expected to close on or around July 1. "By continuing the exceptional VNA home health and hospice care legacy, Amedisys will provide additional scale and resources that will expand our opportunities to care for more patients and expand home health services to more communities across Nebraska and Iowa, especially during these unprecedented and evolving times in the healthcare industry," said Amedisys President and Chief Operations Officer Chris Gerard. "Amedisys is proud to expand its presence in Omaha's and Council Bluffs' healthcare communities and honored to continue and grow VNA's century of remarkable hospice and home health in the years to come."

08:23 EDT Aslan Pharmaceuticals expects cash to fund operations into 2023 - Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totalled US$100.8 million as of 31 March 2021 compared to US$14.3 million as of 31 December 2020. Following the financing activities in the first quarter of 2021, which raised combined gross proceeds of approximately US$101 million, management believes that its cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund operations into 2023.

08:18 EDT Lumen awarded connectivity contract by U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General - Lumen Technologies announced it recently won a task order to provide secure high-speed connectivity, WiFi, unified communications and managed network services to the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General, or JAG, Corps. Lumen's connectivity solutions will be delivered via software-defined wide area networking, or SD-WAN, and managed security services hosted at the company's federal data centers in support of 20 Navy JAG sites in the continental U.S.The 12-year task order, which has an initial term of one year with 11 one-year options, was awarded under the General Services Administration's 15-year, $50B Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions, or EIS, program.

08:14 EDT XL Fleet confirms changes to warrant accounting following SEC statement - XL Fleet announced that, following a statement published by the Staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 12, 2021 regarding the accounting and reporting of warrants issued by special purpose acquisition companies, the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020 included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 31, 2021 should be restated. The restatement will be isolated to this change in accounting treatment, which the Company believes also applies to a significant number of companies, and has no impact on historical or forward-looking cash flow and operations of the Company. Additionally, the Company believes that the change in the accounting treatment of the warrants will have no effect on XL Fleet's current and future business operations, competitive position or business strategy. The restatement pertains to the accounting treatment for both public and private placement warrants that were outstanding at the time of the business combination between a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pivotal Investment Corporation II and XL Hybrids, Inc. that occurred on December 21, 2020.

08:11 EDT Unity Biotechnology expects cash to fund operations into 2H22 - Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities totaled $110.2 million as of March 31, 2021 compared with $115.6 million as of December 31, 2020. UNITY believes that current cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities are sufficient to fund operations into the second half of 2022.

08:08 EDT CME Group announces surpasses 100,000 contracts traded - CME Group announced that Micro Bitcoin futures volume surpassed 100,000 contracts in the new contract's first six days of trading. At 1/10th of one bitcoin in size, Micro Bitcoin futures provide an efficient, cost-effective way for traders to fine-tune their bitcoin exposure and enhance their trading strategies, all while retaining the benefits of CME Group's existing Bitcoin futures contract. Micro Bitcoin futures are cash-settled to the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate, which serves as a once-a-day reference rate of the U.S. dollar price of bitcoin. Micro Bitcoin futures are listed on and subject to the rules of CME.

08:06 EDT Harmony Biosciences announces clinical development update - Enrollment continues in Harmony's Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of pitolisant for the treatment of EDS and other symptoms in patients with Prader-Willi Syndrome and is on track to achieve top line data in the first half of 2022. Harmony is on-track to initiate a Phase 2 trial in patients with Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 in the first half of 2021. Harmony's strategic partner, Bioprojet, is evaluating pitolisant in pediatric patients ages 6 to 18 years with narcolepsy in a Phase 3 trial. Bioprojet and Harmony have decided to wait for the data from Bioprojet's trial to read out in order to decide on next steps in pursuit of both a pediatric narcolepsy indication and pediatric exclusivity. Harmony anticipates providing an update on the path forward in the coming months. WAKIX time-to-onset of clinical response and cardiovascular safety data were presented at the 2021 American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in April. Data on the efficacy of WAKIX in patients with a high burden of narcolepsy symptoms were recently published in the journal Sleep Medicine.

08:04 EDT Ultium Cells, Li-Cycle collaborate to expand recycling in North America - Ultium Cells LLC, a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution, announced an agreement today with Li-Cycle to recycle up to 100% of the material scrap from battery cell manufacturing. The new recycling process will allow Ultium Cells to recycle battery materials, including cobalt, nickel, lithium, graphite, copper, manganese and aluminum. 95% of these materials can be used in the production of new batteries or for adjacent industries. The hydrometallurgical process through which these battery materials will be recycled emits 30% less greenhouse gas than traditional processes, helping to minimize environmental impact. Ultium Cells LLC and Li-Cycle will begin the new scrap recycling process later this year.

08:03 EDT Elanco launches ZoaShield in the U.S. - Elanco launched ZoaShield in the United States, which offers poultry producers a zoalene solution that keeps coccidiosis under control. A component of maintaining optimal bird health, especially in No Antibiotics Ever, or NAE, flocks, is having an anticoccidial program. ZoaShield offers producers an active ingredient product that can be used in a variety of seasons and operations.

08:02 EDT Lexagene Holdings hires four additional sales representatives - LexaGene Holdings pleased to announce the hiring of four additional sales representatives, including three for the veterinary market and one for the contract drug manufacturing market. The Company has hired the following sales managers for veterinary diagnostics sales and open-access sales: Julie Griggs is LexaGene's West Regional Sales Manager. She has 18 years of experience in companion animal health and comes to LexaGene from Antech Diagnostics. Kara Alkire is LexaGene's Southeast Regional Sales Manager. She has 15 years of sales experience in companion animal health and comes to LexaGene from Bayer Animal Health / Elanco. Whitney Fernandes is LexaGene's Northeast Regional Sales Manager. She has 8 years of sales experience in companion animal health and equine. She comes to LexaGene from American Regent Animal Health and previously worked at Smartpak Equine. Chris Bartlett is LexaGene's Open-Access Sales Manager. He has 20 years of experience specializing in the sale of capital equipment technologies for laboratory, diagnostic, and single use bioprocessing applications. Chris comes to LexaGene from Refine Technology and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from North Carolina State University. In addition, LexaGene is announcing that on May 11, 2021, the board of directors approved inducement grants in accordance with the Company's Omnibus Incentive Plan for independent, non-executive directors totaling 396,000 restricted share units and 396,000 share options. The sum covers an initial grant for LexaGene's newest board member who joined in February, as well as annual grants for the other three independent non-executive directors. Each Option is exercisable into one common share of the Company at a price of CAD$0.66 per Share, for a period of ten years from the date of grant. The CAD$0.66 per share was 120% above the close price of the Company's stock on the TSX Venture Exchange on May 10, 2021. The Options vest 10% on the grant date, and 15% every six months thereafter with an expiry date of May 11, 2031. The RSUs start vesting on May 11, 2023, in equal 10% increments on the 11th day of each month thereafter expiring on February 11, 2024.

07:53 EDT Flyht Aerospace appoints Nina Jonsson as chairman of the board - FLYHT Aerospace Solutions is pleased to announce that Ms. Nina Jonsson, a 30-year global airline industry veteran, has agreed to serve as Chairman of the Board of FLYHT. Ms. Jonsson brought the airline customer's perspective to the forefront when she joined FLYHT's board of directors in 2019, and in her new role, will continue to help guide the Company as the industry recovers from the pandemic and refocuses on the future. Jonsson has held leadership roles at major operators in the U.S. and Europe, including most recently at Air France-KLM, United Airlines, US Airways and global industrial aviation services provider Bristow Group.

07:52 EDT Clene expects cash to fund operating expenses into mid-2022 - Clene's cash totaled approximately $48.0 million as of March 31, 2021, compared to approximately $59.3 million as of December 31, 2020. The decrease in cash during the first quarter ended March 31, 2021 was primarily due to approximately $9.2 million of net cash used in operating activities, $0.2 million of net cash used in investing activities, and $1.9 million of net cash used in financing activities. We expect that our cash as of March 31, 2021 will be sufficient to fund our operating expenses into mid-2022.

07:50 EDT Ferro to be acquired by Prince International for $2.1B in cash - Ferro announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Prince International, a portfolio company of American Securities, in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $2.1B, or 12.4 times TTM adjusted EBITDA as of March 31, including the assumption of debt, net of cash. Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the Ferro Corporation board of directors, Prince will acquire all of the outstanding common stock of Ferro for $22.00 per share in cash. The purchase price represents a 25.1% premium to the closing stock price on May 10 of $17.58 per share and a 33.8% premium to the 90-day volume-weighted average price.

07:46 EDT Calibre Mining announces update on drilling program at Limon Complex - Calibre Mining Corp. is pleased to provide an update in respect of the Company's 2021 drilling program, highlighting both exploration and infill holes at high-grade underground targets within the Company's producing Limon Mine Complex. Atravesada & Veta Nueva Underground: 4.85 g/t Au 5.5 metres Estimated True Width from 302.4 metres; 5.50 g/t Au over 7.1 metres ETW from 285.5 metres; 13.35 g/t Au over 3.2 metres ETW from 86.9 metres in new vein structure. Panteon & Santa Pancha 1 Underground: 13.42 g/t Au over 2.0 metres ETW from 304.8 metres and 3.01 g/t Au over 3.5 metres ETW from 347.3 metres; 3.24 g/t Au over 5.5 metres ETW from 195.6 metres and 6.89 g/t Au over 2.0 metres ETW from 241.1 metres; 12.58 g/t Au over 1.8 metres ETW from 331.2 metres; 5.95 g/t Au over 4.9 metres ETW from 67.9 metres; 5.40 g/t Au over 2.3 metres ETW from 344.2 metres. Exploration and step-out delineation drilling at the Atravesada deposit continues to return positive results. Drill hole LIM-21-4548 intersected 4.85 g/t Au over 5.5 metres ETW at a down-hole depth of 302 metres and approximately 50 metres below the current mineral resource. Hole LIM-21-4549 drilled on a separate ore shoot 100 metres along strike to the southwest intercepted 5.5 g/t Au over 7.1 metres ETW at a down-hole depth of 285.5 metres. Exploration drilling continues to test the potential to delineate additional resources along strike to the east and west of the central area of the mine. Drilling at Veta Nueva has also intercepted a new vein structure located approximately 190 metres to the north of the mine in hole LIM-21-4537 which intersected 13.35 g/t Au over 3.2 metres ETW at a down-hole depth of 87 metres, further demonstrating favorable potential for continued resource growth within proximity to existing underground infrastructure. During Q1 development of an underground access drive commenced to link Veta Nueva and Atravesada, which lies 600 metres east. As at December 31, 2020, the Atravesada mineral resource is estimated to contain 171,000 tonnes grading 6.20 g/t Au containing 34,000 ounces in the indicated category and 215,000 tonnes grading 6.36 g/t Au containing 44,000 ounces in the inferred category. Exploration and infill drilling at Panteon and Santa Pancha 1 likewise continues to deliver positive results. Drill hole LIM-21-4532, which targeted both vein structures, intersected 4.76 g/t Au over 1.9 metres ETW at 114 m down hole in the SP1 vein followed by 12.94 g/t Au over 4.4 metres ETW at 198 metres down-hole in the main Panteon vein. Both intercepts occur along the southern limits of currently defined resources, demonstrating good potential to extend mineral resources along strike toward the southeast where the two veins converge. Drilling at Panteon has also intersected high grade gold mineralization lateral to the main structure with hole LIM-21-4540 intersecting 13.42 g/t Au over 2.0 metres at 305 metres down-hole in a narrow vein located approximately 25 metres away from the currently defined resource. At SP1, positive results from exploration drilling along strike and down dip has likewise returned positive results. Drill hole LIM-21-4550 intersected 5.95 g/t Au over 4.9 metres ETW at 67.9 metres down-hole at shallow depth near the entrance ramp to the mine, while hole LIM-21-4551 intersected 5.40 g/t Au over 2.3 metres ETW at 344 metres down-hole. These results further demonstrate good potential for the continued expansion of resources both along strike, down dip and lateral to the Panteon and SP1 vein systems. Exploration drilling will continue through Q2 targeting potential resource additions at Panteon and Santa Pancha 1.

07:43 EDT WPD Pharmaceuticals to receive $6.7M grant for development of annamycin - WPD Pharmaceuticals is pleased to announce that it has been conditionally awarded a grant of $6,730,036 from the Polish National Center for Research and Development, for the development of Annamycin, the Company's drug candidate used in the treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Annamycin is a "next generation" anthracycline, that has been shown to be less cardiotoxic compared to other anthracycline, such as doxorubicin, and to avoid multidrug resistance, so the use of Annamycin may not face the same dose limitations imposed on doxorubicin. The project entitled: "A novel approach to the therapy of acute myeloid leukemia" will be co-financed by the European Union, from the European Regional Development Fund, under the Smart Growth Operational Program 2014-2020. The funds will be used on the continued development of Annamycin in combination treatment and is budgeted to cover about 60% of the planned costs of a Phase 1/2 combination drug clinical trial. WPD sublicenses the rights for Annamycin in 29 European and Asian countries from Moleculin Biotech, Inc. (MBRX).

07:39 EDT Voyager Therapeutics presents new preclinical data on novel capsids - Voyager Therapeutics will present new preclinical data demonstrating high transduction efficiency of the company's novel adeno-associated virus capsids in the central nervous system after intravenous dosing in non-human primates. Data will be presented at the 24th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy taking place virtually May 11-14. A subset of capsids showed a 10-fold or higher improvement in transduction of the brain and spinal cord, compared to AAV9. The most efficient capsid identified in the work to be presented, TRACER 9P801, displayed more than 1,000-fold higher transgene expression in the brain and 100-fold higher transgene expression in the spinal cord. The overall tolerability of 9P801 was favorable and no toxicity was observed in the liver, spinal cord or dorsal root ganglia. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that 9P801 displayed predominant neuronal tropism and achieved widespread transduction of multiple brain regions including the cortex, thalamus, putamen and brainstem. The TRACER platform generates large data sets on engineered capsid performance in a relevant primate species suitable for in silico approaches to optimizing capsid selection for specific cellular targeting and tropism. Further information about the company's TRACER platform and pipeline, including novel capsid-enabled new programs, will be shared at an upcoming investor and analyst event in July 2021.

07:37 EDT Progenity receives funding from Crohns' & Colitis Foundation IBD - Progenity announced that it has received funding from the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's IBD Ventures program to further develop Progenity's first-in-class oral Drug Delivery System for delivery of targeted therapeutics for inflammatory bowel disease. The DDS capsule is an orally ingestible and self-guided drug delivery device under development, which is designed to deliver doses of therapeutic compounds formulated in proprietary solutions to a defined location within the gastrointestinal tract. The DDS could improve efficacy of treatment through increased localized drug concentration, while potentially minimizing harmful side effects associated with systemic drug delivery. Funding from IBD Ventures will support further development and clinical studies of the DDS technology. Progenity is also developing a pipeline of therapeutic candidates that use the DDS to deliver proprietary soluble liquid formulations, designed to improve tissue uptake, directly to the colon to treat ulcerative colitis. Progenity's lead candidates include PGN-001, a high-concentration formulation of adalimumab, and PGN-600, a high concentration, solubilized formulation of tofacitinib. Progenity also plans to use the platform to develop solutions for Crohn's disease and other GI diseases in the future.

07:36 EDT Axcella Health announces initiation of EMMPACTSM Phase 2b clinical trial of AXA1 - Axcella announced that it has activated initial clinical sites and begun patient screening for its EMMPACT Phase 2b clinical trial of AXA1125, the company's multi-targeted oral product candidate for the treatment of NASH. NASH is the quintessential complex disease, involving the dysregulation of numerous biological pathways and impacting an enormous, heterogenous global population," said Stephen A. Harrison, M.D., Medical Director of Pinnacle Clinical Research in San Antonio, TX, visiting professor of Hepatology at the University of Oxford, UK and the principal investigator of EMMPACT. "These factors have confounded many physicians and drug developers in the past. Given its multi-modal mechanism, the activity and tolerability seen in past clinical studies and the presumed safety of its underlying amino acids, AXA1125 holds the potential to serve as an ideal first-line NASH agent. We are excited to have EMMPACT underway and are eager to gauge AXA1125's histological impact."

07:36 EDT L Brands reports Q1 Bath & Body Works net sales $1.469B - At Bath & Body Works, net sales were $1.469 billion for the first quarter ended May 1, 2021, compared to net sales of $760.6 million for the first quarter ended May 2, 2020. First quarter 2021 sales increased 60 percent compared to the first quarter of 2019. First quarter 2021 U.S. and Canada store sales increased 47 percent to $1.050 billion compared to $714.3 million in 2019. First quarter 2021 sales in the direct channel were $349.2 million, an increase of 21 percent compared to 2020 and a 123 percent increase compared to 2019.

07:35 EDT Glory Star New Media reports Q1 DAUs of CHEERS video application up 73.2% - Glory Star New Media Group Holdings updated its operating metrics for the Q1. Operating metrics highlights include: ddownloads of the Company's CHEERS Video Application increased by 91.6% year over year to 192.6M as of March 31; average daily active users, or DAUs of the Company's CHEERS Video Application increased by 73.2% year over year to 7.1M; stock Keeping Units, or SKUs, carried on the Company's CHEERS e-Mall platform increased by 284.2% year over year to 36,887; gross merchandise value, or GMV, of the CHEERS e-Mall platform increased by 963.2% year over year to RMB432M. In addition, the Company announced that both of its earnout targets for fiscal year 2019 and 2020 for Glory Star New Media Group under the Share Exchange Agreement, dated September 6, 2019, and as amended by that certain Joinder to the Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2019 and the Amendment to the Agreement, dated December 29, 2020, by and among the Company, GS Media, and other parties to the Agreement, were fully achieved.

07:33 EDT L Brands to separate Bath & Body Works, Victoria's Secret into public companies - L Brands announced its Board of Directors has unanimously approved a plan to separate the company into two independent, public companies: Bath & Body Works, one of the world's leading bath, body and home fragrance retailers, and Victoria's Secret, including Victoria's Secret Lingerie, PINK and Victoria's Secret Beauty, a leading retailer of intimates and beauty products. The company expects to create these companies through a tax-free spin-off of Victoria's Secret to L Brands' shareholders. The spin-off will enable each company to maximize management focus and financial flexibility to thrive in an evolving retail environment and deliver profitable growth. As previously announced, the L Brands Board has been evaluating the possibility of either a spin-off or sale of Victoria's Secret with input from its financial advisors, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. Throughout the review process, the company received interest from and held discussions with multiple potential buyers. Ultimately, the Board concluded that the spin-off of Victoria's Secret into a separate, public company would provide shareholders with more value than a sale. The benefits of separating these two businesses include distinct strategic and management focus on specific operational and growth priorities and tailored capital deployment strategies based on each company's operating and financial model, and the ability for the investment community to value each business independently and create significant value and certainty for our customers, employees and shareholders. The proposed transaction will create two highly focused companies. Both businesses have strong, well-tenured leadership teams with significant industry experience, well suited to lead the two companies going forward in their distinct markets. Andrew Meslow, Chief Executive Officer of L Brands, will continue to hold this position and lead Bath & Body Works following the spin-off. Martin Waters, Chief Executive Officer of Victoria's Secret, will continue to lead the new standalone Victoria's Secret business following the separation. Additions to the management teams and the composition of the boards of directors for both companies will be named in due course. The spin-off is expected to be effected through a pro-rata distribution to L Brands shareholders of common stock of a newly-formed entity holding certain assets and liabilities comprising the Victoria's Secret business. The spin-off is generally expected to qualify as tax free to L Brands and its shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The transaction is currently expected to be completed in August 2021, subject to certain customary conditions, including final approval of the L Brands Board and effectiveness of a Form 10 registration statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

07:30 EDT XPO Logistics wins U.K. contract with Pearson Education - XPO Logistics was awarded a contract by new customer Pearson Education to distribute courseware and assessment materials in the UK. British-based Pearson is a leading provider of educational materials, e-learning programs and assessment services for schools, corporations, students and clinicians in 70 countries. Pearson's published materials in the UK are distributed mainly to primary and secondary schools and clinicians. By relocating distribution from Belgium to the UK, Pearson has shortened times for deliveries to its customers. XPO uses its technology to manage all materials for a course of study as a single SKU, accommodate peaks in demand, and customize clinical testing kits.

07:28 EDT Nvidia releases new wave of GeForce RTX laptops - NVIDIA announced a new wave of GeForce RTX laptops, delivering real-time ray tracing and AI-based DLSS, starting at just $799. "The platforms bring NVIDIA's Ampere architecture with dedicated RT and Tensor Cores to the most mainstream audience yet, and expand the number of RTX 30 Series laptops to more than 140. Providing exceptional performance in thin, sleek designs, the new RTX laptops are twice as fast as previous-generation systems, delivering smooth, 60 frames per second gameplay at 1080p in popular titles such as Minecraft RTX and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War," the company said.

07:22 EDT Applied Genetic reports process development advances for manufacturing XLRP - Applied Genetic Technologies announced the presentation of new data from two studies related to improvements in the manufacturing process for rAAV2tYF-GRK1-RPGRco, the company's gene therapy candidate for the treatment of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa. The data are being presented today in two abstracts at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy 24th Annual Meeting, which is being held virtually May 11-14,. One abstract describes improvements to the company's process for manufacturing its XLRP candidate and the other describes the development and validation of a novel expression assay that meets International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use guidelines. Subretinal Rd9 Mouse Study to Compare RPGR Expression Pre- and Post-Manufacturing Process Improvements. AGTC has made several improvements to the manufacturing process for its XLRP candidate. This abstract describes a study designed to compare transgene expression between vectors produced with the original and improved processes. Study results show that these changes resulted in an improved full/empty capsid ratio from 30% to greater than 80%, reduced process residuals, and an improved ratio of infectious particles. Immunohistochemistry staining of RPGR expression was scored as equivalent in retinal area and intensity of staining following subretinal injection of XLRP vectors produced under each process into the eyes of Rd9 mutant mice, an animal model for XLRP due to mutations in the RPGR gene. RPGR expression by western blotting was also similar following administration of vector from each process. These findings support that AGTC's novel, more efficient production method yields similar, high-quality XLRP gene therapy vectors for use in future clinical trials. Expression Assay Development for rAAV Vector Encoding Retinitis Pigmentosa GTPase Regulator. This abstract reports the development and validation of a sensitive and specific in vitro cell-based assay to measure hRPGRco mRNA expression from AGTC's XLRP vector, rAAV2tYF-GRK1-RPGRco. Measurement of hRPGRco mRNA expression after transduction with the company's AAV-RPGR vector was achieved in three phases: cell transduction, cell harvesting/RNA isolation, and detection via gene-specific real-time qualitative polymerase chain reaction. Study data demonstrate successful optimization of this gene expression assay, resulting in qualification for use as a functional potency assay according to ICH guidelines. This qualification evaluated the assay's sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, precision, RT-qPCR linearity, and total assay linearity. AGTC is using this assay to support release of XLRP vector material for the Phase 2/3 Vista trial.

07:21 EDT Alnylam announces new advances in ATTR amyloidosis program - Alnylam Pharmaceuticals announced that it has started a clinical study of a biannual dosing regimen of vutrisiran, an investigational RNAi therapeutic in development for the treatment of transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis. The study is being conducted during a randomized treatment extension period in the HELIOS-A Phase 3 study, and will characterize the safety, efficacy, and TTR reduction of a 50 mg biannual dosing regimen of subcutaneously administered vutrisiran in patients with hereditary ATTR amyloidosis with polyneuropathy. In addition, the Company announces today advancement of a new pre-clinical ATTR amyloidosis program aimed at achieving highly potent and reversible TTR reduction of over 90 percent with an annual subcutaneous dosing regimen. "Alnylam has a long-standing commitment to continuous innovation aimed at providing breakthrough treatment options for patients with ATTR amyloidosis. We're pleased to have now initiated a clinical study of a biannual dosing regimen for vutrisiran. If shown to be safe and efficacious, the new dosing regimen may provide some patients with a treatment option that neatly aligns the frequency of administration with biannual visits to their doctor," said Rena Denoncourt, Vice President, Vutrisiran Program Leader. "In addition, based on continued discoveries from our RNAi therapeutics platform, we're also advancing a new pre-clinical program that could enable highly potent and reversible TTR reduction with an annual dosing regimen. We believe that once yearly dosing could provide a vaccine-like dosing schedule strategy for management of ATTR amyloidosis, providing meaningful life-cycle management for our ATTR franchise."

07:18 EDT Immatics presents preclinical data for TCR bispecifics program IMA402 - Immatics N.V. announced data from its second T cell receptor Bispecifics program, IMA402. IMA402 is directed against the cancer target PRAME, a protein that is frequently expressed in many solid cancers, thereby supporting the program's potential to address a broad cancer patient population. IMA402 is the second program originating from Immatics' TCR Bispecifics pipeline, called TCER. The lead candidate showed anti-tumor activity against PRAME-positive cancer cells leading to consistent reduction of the engrafted tumors, including complete responses in an in vivo mouse model. The preclinical data will be presented at the virtual 17th Annual PEGS Boston Protein Engineering and Cell Therapy Summit, on May 11-13. Preclinical data highlights:The IMA402 TCER candidate targets an HLA-A*02-bound peptide derived from preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma. The target peptide was selected and validated based on quantitative mass spectrometry data from Immatics' proprietary XPRESIDENT platform and is prevalent in many solid tumor indications including lung, ovarian and breast cancer as well as other solid cancer types. Over 50 different human wild-type TCRs recognizing the PRAME target peptide were systematically evaluated using Immatics' XCEPTOR platform. Two TCRs with high avidity and specificity were selected and affinity-enhanced by at least 1,000-fold while retaining specificity through the XPRESIDENT-guided screening for off-target toxicity and cross-reactivity. Different engineered TCR variants were then incorporated into the bispecific TCER scaffold and the best candidate was selected. The IMA402 TCER candidate induces killing of tumor cells in vitro with PRAME target peptide levels similar to levels found in cancer patients. Administration of IMA402 TCER(R) candidate leads to consistent tumor regression including complete responses in an in vivo mouse model. The IMA402 TCER candidate demonstrates selective PRAME recognition leading to an at least 1,000-fold therapeutic window between tumor and normal cell reactivity in vitro. Preclinical data support antibody-like profiles for manufacturability and pharmacokinetics of the IMA402 TCER candidate. For the IMA402 TCER program, Immatics has initiated GMP process development activities to advance this program towards the Investigational New Drug stage and clinical development. The company's first TCER program, IMA401 remains on track for submission of a clinical trial application by year end 2021. The company had previously announced preclinical proof-of-concept data for IMA401 in last quarter of 2020.

07:17 EDT AppFolio CFO Ida Kane to depart at future date - AppFolio announced last night that its Chief Financial Officer, Ida Kane, has notified the board of her plans to depart the company. Kane will remain in her current position until a mutually determined future date, the company added. It is initiating a search for her successor.

07:15 EDT Achilles Therapeutics expects cash to fund operations into 2H23 - Cash and cash equivalents were $159.3 million as of March 31, 2021 as compared to $177.8 million as of December 31, 2020, not including $160.6 million in net proceeds from the IPO which closed on April 6, 2021. The Company anticipates that its existing cash and cash equivalents plus the IPO proceeds are sufficient to fund its planned operations into the second half of 2023, including full funding of the ongoing Phase I/IIa CHIRON and THETIS clinical trials.

07:13 EDT Xtant files $150M shelf registration statement - Xtant Medical Holdings announced it has filed a universal shelf registration statement on Form S-3 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Under the shelf registration, upon being declared effective by the SEC, Xtant may offer and sell, from time to time over a three-year period, various securities in an amount of up to $150 million. In addition, the registration statement, upon effectiveness, will allow certain stockholders affiliated with OrbiMed Advisors, LLC to offer and sell, from time to time, up to 18,218,374 shares of Xtant common stock. The shelf registration statement is intended to afford Xtant the flexibility to finance future growth initiatives and business opportunities by accessing the capital markets on a timely and cost-effective basis. At the present time, the Company has no specific plans to issue securities under the registration statement. The specifics of any future offering, along with the prices and terms of any such securities and the use of proceeds of a particular offering, will be determined at the time of any such offering and will be described in a prospectus supplement filed in connection with such offering.

07:13 EDT Zoetis names Wetteny Joseph as CFO - Zoetis announced leadership changes that will accelerate its long-term growth strategy in key markets and add new talent to its executive team. Glenn David, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Zoetis, has been named Executive Vice President and Group President, overseeing International Operations and other business units, effective June 1, 2021. In addition, the company announced Wetteny Joseph will join Zoetis as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, reporting to CEO Kristin Peck, and assume responsibility for the oversight of the company's financial management, planning, and business development group, effective June 1, 2021. Glenn's record of success at Zoetis, plus his deep knowledge of our operations and the animal health industry, make him the ideal leader to drive Zoetis' next phase of global growth in international markets, aquaculture, biodevices and pet insurance," said Chief Executive Officer Kristin Peck. "As CFO for the last five years and a leader in animal health for a decade, Glenn has been a champion for building our business. He has played a pivotal role in supporting our recent product launches, scrutinizing new business opportunities, and investing in global expansion initiatives. We are very excited by the strong leadership qualities and experience Glenn will bring to this role."

07:11 EDT MeaTech 3D to establish and operate chicken fat pilot plant - MeaTech 3D announced its intention to establish, own, and operate a pilot plant to commence scaled-up cultured chicken fat production in 2022. This plan is consistent with MeaTech's vision of developing sustainable premium cultured foods. The cultured fat production process will be designed to deploy technologies developed by Belgian subsidiary Peace of Meat, which was acquired by MeaTech earlier in 2021. MeaTech's goal is to produce cultured chicken fat for use in potential industry collaborations. Ultimately, MeaTech plans to incorporate its 3D bioprinting technologies in the pilot plant, to manufacture real meat cuts from cellular agriculture.

07:07 EDT VBL Therapeutics expects cash to fund requirements until year-end 2023 - As of March 31, 2021, VBL had cash, cash equivalents, short-term bank deposits and restricted bank deposits totaling $36.6 million. After the end of the first quarter, VBL raised gross proceeds of $28.3 million in a public offering of shares and pre-funded warrants. VBL expects that its cash and cash equivalents and short-term bank deposits will be sufficient to fund operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements until year-end 2023.

07:07 EDT CGI Inc. selected for DIA's SITE III $12.6B IDIQ - CGI was selected by the Department of Defense's Defense Intelligence Agency for the Solutions for the Information Technology Enterprise III IDIQ contract, designed to streamline the delivery of IT mission support solutions on classified and unclassified programs across multiple security domains across DIA and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. One of the largest defense and intelligence IT contracts, SITE III carries a 10-year contract period with $12.6B ceiling.

07:06 EDT Palantir sees FY21 adjusted free cash flow over $150M - Sees annual revenue growth of 30% or greater for 2021 through 2025.

07:03 EDT Gingko Bioworks expects to generate $150M of revenue in 2021 - Ginkgo expects to generate $150M of revenue in 2021, representing approximately 96% growth from 2020.

07:02 EDT Ginkgo Bioworks to combine with Soaring Eagle Acquisition - Ginkgo Bioworks and Soaring Eagle Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, have agreed to a business combination that will result in Ginkgo becoming a publicly-listed company. In connection with the closing of the transaction, Soaring Eagle intends to change its name to Ginkgo Bioworks Holdings, Inc., change its jurisdiction of formation to Delaware and list under a new ticker symbol. The transaction implies a pre-money equity valuation for Ginkgo of $15.0 billion, and is expected to provide up to $2.5B of gross cash proceeds. Gross proceeds include Soaring Eagle's $1.725B of cash in trust and $775M in proceeds from a PIPE transaction priced at $10.00 per share of Class A common stock of Soaring Eagle to be funded immediately prior to the closing of the transaction. Eagle Equity Partners is co-sponsoring the transaction with Bellco Capital, led by Dr. Arie Belldegrun. Dr. Belldegrun is a leader in the field of cell and gene therapy and founder of Kite Pharma and Allogene Therapeutics. Both co-sponsors are also investing in the PIPE. The PIPE is being led by Baillie Gifford, Putnam Investments, and funds and accounts managed by Counterpoint Global and with additional participation from new and existing investors including accounts advised by ARK Investment Management LLC, ArrowMark Partners, Bain Capital Public Equity, Berkshire Partners, Cascade Investment, Casdin Capital, Franklin Advisers, funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., and Viking Global Investors. Ginkgo will continue to be led by co-founder and CEO Jason Kelly and co-founder and President/COO Reshma Shetty and will retain the rest of the Ginkgo founding team, including Chief Technology Officer Barry Canton, Head of Strategy Austin Che and DNA Hacker Tom Knight.

06:55 EDT Larimar Therapeutics trading halted, news pending

06:51 EDT NuZee announces Jose Ramirez as chief sales officer, chief supply chain officer - NuZee and Farmer Bros, a national coffee roaster, wholesaler and distributor of coffee, tea, and culinary products, announced that after 12 years with Farmer Brothers, Jose Ramirez will be leaving Farmer Brothers and joining NuZee as its chief sales officer and chief supply chain officer. Ramirez brings to NuZee over 20 years of coffee industry experience and relationships. As the chief sales officer and chief supply chain officer, he will be responsible for NuZee's sales strategy for both traditional and non-traditional channels.

06:49 EDT Eli Lilly, MiNA Therapeutics enter collaboration to develop drug candidates - Eli Lilly and MiNA Therapeutics announced a global research collaboration to develop novel drug candidates using MiNA's proprietary small activating RNA, or saRNA, technology platform. Under the terms of the agreement, MiNA will utilize its saRNA platform to research up to five targets selected by Lilly that aim to address diseases across Lilly's key therapeutic focus areas. Lilly will be responsible for preclinical and clinical development of candidates and will retain exclusive commercialization rights for any products resulting from the collaboration. MiNA will receive a $25M upfront payment and is eligible to receive potential development and commercialization milestones up to a total of $245M per target, as well as tiered royalties from the low-single to low-double digits on product sales resulting from the collaboration.

06:47 EDT Suncor, ATCO partner on clean hydrogen project in Alberta - Suncor Energy and ATCO Ltd. are collaborating on early stage design and engineering for a potential clean hydrogen project near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. The project would produce more than 300,000 tonnes per year of clean hydrogen, reduce Alberta's CO2 emissions by more than two million tonnes per year, significantly advance Alberta's hydrogen strategy, generate substantial economic activity and jobs across the province, and make a sizable contribution to Canada's net zero ambition. The hydrogen production facility would be located at ATCO's Heartland Energy Centre near Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta and could be operational as early as 2028, provided that it has the required regulatory and fiscal support to render it economic. A sanctioning decision is expected in 2024. In addition to supplying clean hydrogen to Suncor and the Alberta gas grid, the project would make hydrogen volumes available for Alberta's other industrial, municipal and commercial transport users. The parties anticipate that Suncor would construct and operate the hydrogen production and CO2 sequestration facilities and ATCO would construct and operate associated pipeline and hydrogen storage facilities. The hydrogen production facility design would be capable of being replicated, allowing for the construction of subsequent project phases.

06:38 EDT Lion Electric appoints Brian Piern as chief commercial officer - Lion Electric (LEV) announced that it has named Brian Piern as chief commercial officer, or CCO, effective June 7. In this role, Piern will guide Lion to the next level of its growth by expanding to new markets and building on relationships with existing clients, while developing new accounts and expanding market share. He will report to Marc Bedard, founder and CEO. Piern most recently served as VP, sales and marketing at XL Fleet (XL), where he directed the development of the firm's commercial team.

06:21 EDT Orchard Therapeutics announces publication of data evaluating OTL-101 - Orchard Therapeutics announced data published in the New England Journal of Medicine, or NEJM, evaluating the safety and efficacy of investigational gene therapy products, including OTL-101, for the treatment of adenosine deaminase severe combined immunodeficiency, or ADA-SCID. Fifty ADA-SCID patients were treated with investigational gene therapy composed of autologous CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells, or HSCs, transduced ex vivo with a self-inactivating lentiviral vector (LVV) encoding the human ADA gene. Results showed 100% overall survival and greater than or equal to95% event-free survival at two and three years. The data were taken from three Phase 1/2 clinical studies, two conducted in the U.S. and one in the UK, as well as from a compassionate use program in the UK.

06:17 EDT Chevron subsidiary to invest $20M in Adopt-a-Port initiative with Clean Energy - Chevron (CVX) announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Chevron U.S.A. is investing an additional $20M in the Adopt-a-Port initiative with California renewable natural gas, or RNG, provider Clean Energy Fuels (CLNE). Chevron has now invested a total of $28M in the initiative, which provides truck operators - large fleets and owner-operators - serving the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach with cleaner, carbon-negative RNG to reduce emissions. In addition to providing funding for Adopt-a-Port, Chevron supplies RNG to Clean Energy stations near the ports. Chevron's funding will allow truck operators to subsidize the cost of buying new or converting to RNG-powered trucks. Clean Energy, meanwhile, will manage the program, including offering fueling services for qualified truck operators.

06:11 EDT Western Union launches cross-border payments on Google Pay - Western Union (WU) and Google (GOOG, GOOGL) have teamed up to provide users in the U.S. with access to Western Union's highly rated digital money movement experience via the Google Pay app. Commencing May 11, Google Pay users in the U.S. will enjoy a seamless peer-to-peer in-app experience when sending cross-border payments to family and friends through Western Union's global financial network of bank accounts, wallets and retail locations throughout India and Singapore. Users may fund their transactions using a Google Payi bank account or card. Google Pay users in the U.S. will be able to send money to their family and friends globally by year-end. Upon worldwide activation, they can choose to send funds to billions of bank accounts, millions of wallets and cards, as well as more than half a million retail locations in 200 countries and territories in minutes.

06:04 EDT Guild Holdings declares $1.00 per share special cash dividend - The board of directors of Guild declared a special cash dividend of $1.00 per share on its Class A and Class B common stock. The $1.00 per share dividend will be paid on or about May 28 to stockholders of record on May 21.

06:01 EDT Guild Holdings to acquire RMS for $196.7M in cash and stock - Guild Holdings and Residential Mortgage Services, or RMS, announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement under which Guild will acquire RMS. Guild expects the transaction to be accretive to 2021 earnings per share and to close in Q3, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Founded in 1991, RMS has 70 offices across 14 New England and Mid-Atlantic states. The RMS management team averages more than 30 years of industry experience and like Guild, specializes in conventional and government lending. In 2020, RMS generated $8.5B of loan originations, achieving a compounded annual growth rate of 26% since 2010. Over the last 11 years, RMS averaged 70% purchase originations, which is 23% higher than the market average. Guild expects the transaction to be accretive to 2021 EPS. Under the terms of the merger agreement, the purchase price is estimated to be $196.7M based on March 31 tangible book value, representing 3.25x estimated 2021 earnings. The final purchase price will be determined by the June 1 tangible book value, subject to certain transaction related adjustments. RMS will also receive a three-year earnout. The initial consideration will be predominantly cash with key members of the RMS management team receiving a portion of their consideration in stock. Following the transaction, the RMS management team will continue to manage the business.

05:35 EDT Accenture, Shiseido establish Shiseido Interactive Beauty joint venture - Accenture and Shiseido are establishing a joint venture to accelerate Shiseido's digital transformation as part of the partnership the two companies announced on February 9. The joint venture, called Shiseido Interactive Beauty, will include approximately 250 digital, information technology, or IT, and other resources from both Shiseido and Accenture. Accenture will also provide training to help the venture's employees enhance their digital skills. Shiseido Interactive Beauty, which is majority-owned by Shiseido, is expected to begin operations in July.

05:28 EDT SoftBank to invest $60M in Axiata Digital Advertising for 23.1% stake - SoftBank announced that it is forming a capital and business alliance with Axiata Digital Advertising, or ADA, a Kuala Lumpur-based data and AI company that offers integrated digital marketing solutions in nine Asian countries. ADA is a group company of Axiata Group Berhad, a telecommunications operator in Asia. As part of the agreement, SoftBank will invest approximately $60M in ADA, giving it a 23.1% stake in the company. Furthermore, Daichi Nozaki, SoftBank VP and head of the enterprise business unit's global business division, will join the ADA board in mid-May.

05:17 EDT Pfizer, BioNTech announce FDA expansion of COVID-19 vaccine EUA - Pfizer (PFE) and BioNTech (BNTX) announced that the FDA has expanded the Emergency Use Authorization, or EUA, for their COVID-19 vaccine to include individuals 12 to 15 years of age. This is the first COVID-19 vaccine authorized in the U.S. for use in this age group. The FDA based its decision on data from a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial, which enrolled 2,260 participants aged 12 to 15 years. Topline results from this trial, announced on March 31, showed a vaccine efficacy of 100% in participants with or without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection and robust antibody responses. In the trial, the vaccine was also generally well tolerated. Participants will continue to be monitored for long-term protection and safety for an additional two years after their second dose. As a next step following today's FDA decision, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's, or CDC, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, will meet to discuss recommendations for use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine in adolescents 12 to 15 years of age based on the amended EUA.

05:03 EDT CooTek announces investment in Lejiu mobile game studio - CooTek announced its recent investment in Shanghai Lejiu Network Technology, or Lejiu, a mobile game studio that produces boutique mobile games. Through this investment, CooTek has further enhanced its cooperation with third-party corporate partners in the mobile game industry and expanded its pan-entertainment content ecology.