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

18:55 EDT Apellis Pharmaceuticals trading resumes

18:26 EDT Apellis announces FDA approval of EMPAVELI - Apellis Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved EMPAVELI, the first and only targeted C3 therapy for treatment of adults with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. EMPAVELI is approved for use in adults with PNH who are treatment naive as well as patients switching from the C5 inhibitors Soliris and Ultomiris. "EMPAVELI has the potential to improve the lives of patients with PNH by increasing hemoglobin and reducing blood transfusion requirements," said Olga Frankfurt, M.D., PEGASUS study investigator and associate professor in the department of medicine, division of hematology and oncology, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. "Through my work as an investigator on the PEGASUS study, I was excited to see EMPAVELI providing broad control of PNH."

18:17 EDT Corporacion America Airport reports April passenger traffic up 1,342.4% y/y - Corporacion America Airports reported a 1,342.4% YoY passenger traffic growth in April 2021, and 75.7% decline when compared to the same period of 2019. Total passenger traffic in April 2021 grew 13.4x YoY compared to the same period last year, reflecting easier comparisons as April 2020 was the first month fully impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. When compared to 2019, overall passenger traffic declined 60.4%, while international and domestic passenger traffic dropped 79.8% and 52.7%, respectively, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic on air travel across all countries of operations.

17:48 EDT PNC receives regulatory approval for BBVA USA takeover - The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (PNC) announced receipt of regulatory approval from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to complete the previously announced acquisition of BBVA USA Bancshares, Inc. (BBVA), including its U.S. banking subsidiary, BBVA USA. The regulatory approval process also included approvals from the Banking Departments of the States of Alabama and Texas. No further regulatory approvals are required to complete the acquisition and merger of PNC Bank and BBVA USA. The acquisition is anticipated to close June 1, 2021, pending satisfaction of customary closing conditions. "We are pleased to have received regulatory approval of our acquisition that will accelerate our growth trajectory and drive long-term shareholder value," said William S. Demchak, PNC chairman, president and chief executive officer. "With common cultures and values and a shared commitment to our customers, employees and communities, we look forward to bringing PNC's industry-leading technology and innovative products and services to new markets and clients."

17:21 EDT Perspecta awarded $473.8M DSCA transaction agreement - Perspecta has been awarded an enterprise information technology, or EIT, application development services production other transaction agreement with a base period of 12 months and four optional 12-month periods. The total estimated agreement value at the time of award is $473.8M, with a not-to-exceed value of $500,000,000 for all periods of performance and contract line item numbers. This agreement is based upon the successful completion of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency's, or DCSA, security enterprise architecture and data analytics prototype other transaction agreement, which was competitively awarded to Perspecta on May 14, 2019. The transaction continues the development and operations of the prototype solutions pertaining to major components of a comprehensive IT system for managing all background investigations and security clearance adjudications for federal employees and contractors. Through use of the scaled agile framework, or SAFe, processes, this transaction will support the development, enhancement and expansion of defense business system capabilities throughout operations of the EIT application. Work will be performed within the National Capital Region surrounding Fort Meade, Maryland. It has an estimated completion date of May 14, 2026. FY21 Budget Activity 08, DCSA funds for $29.34Mwere obligated at the time of the award. DCSA Acquisition and Contracting is the contracting activity.

17:03 EDT Apellis Pharmaceuticals trading halted, news pending

16:57 EDT American Financial director Evans sells 7,758 common shares - In a regulatory filing, American Financial director James Evans disclosed the sale of 7,758 common shares of the company on May 14 at a price of $129.53 per share.

16:36 EDT Clear Channel Outdoor extends shareholder rights plan - Clear Channel Outdoor announced that its board of directors unanimously approved an amendment to the company's existing shareholder rights plan pursuant to which the expiration date has been extended until April 15, 2022. All other terms and conditions of the Rights Plan adopted in May 2020 remain unchanged.

16:34 EDT Palo Alto Networks names Aparna Bawa to Board of Directors - Palo Alto Networks (PANW) announced the appointment of Aparna Bawa to the company's board of directors. Bawa brings deep operational, financial and legal expertise, having served in diverse roles at growing technology companies. She is currently the COO and interim chief legal officer of Zoom (ZM).

16:24 EDT nVent Electric announces $300M share repurchase plan - nVent Electric announced that its Board of Directors has approved a three-year share repurchase program pursuant to which the company may repurchase up to $300M of nVent shares. The program begins on July 23, upon the expiration of nVent's current share repurchase programs. As of March 31, the company had approximately 168M common shares outstanding.

16:17 EDT IAC shareholders approve Vimeo spin-off - IAC announced that, at its stockholder meeting, IAC stockholders voted to approve the separation of Vimeo from the remaining businesses of IAC. IAC anticipates the spin-off will be completed prior to the open of business on Tuesday, May 25, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all closing conditions, and that Vimeo will begin trading on Nasdaq under ticker symbol "VMEO" that day. Subject to the final approval of the IAC board of directors, IAC expects that Vimeo will trade on Nasdaq on a "when-issued" basis from May 18 through May 24.

16:11 EDT Floor & Decor to open new location in Fresno on May 19 - Floor & Decor will open its newest location in Fresno, California on May 19, 2021. The 80,000 square-foot Floor & Decor warehouse store and design center will open with a team of about 45 full-time and part-time associates led by Felix Sefa, the new store's Chief Executive Merchant. "Floor & Decor is excited to open a store in Fresno," said Sefa. "We are eager to introduce both Professional customers, as well as Homeowners, to our one-stop solution for their flooring needs with an extensive selection of in-stock, trend-right flooring options. We offer great service and quality flooring at unbeatable prices. With our free design services, we look forward to helping every customer complete their dream project."

16:09 EDT Icahn buyts FirstEnergy, cuts Herbalife in Q1 - Carl Icahn's Icahn Capital disclosed in an SEC filing the firm's holdings as of March 31, 2021. Icahn's one new buy during the first quarter was FirstEnergy (FE). The fund increased its stake in four holdings, including by size of previous position Bausch Health (BHC), Dana (DAN), Xerox (XRX), and Tenneco (TEN). Icahn reduced its stake in two holdings, namely Herbalife (HLF) and Occidental Petroleum (OXY). The fund's top holdings as of March 31, in order of size, were Icahn Enterprises (IEP), Occidental, CVR Energy (CVI), Newell Brands (NWL), and Cheniere Energy (LNG).

15:03 EDT ArcBest CEO sells 25,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, ArcBest chairman, president, and CEO Judy McReynolds disclosed the sale of 25,000 common shares of the company on May 13 at a price of $83.50 per share.

14:40 EDT FTC Acting Chairwoman believes 7-Eleven/Speedway transaction 'illegal' - Federal Trade Commission Acting Chairwoman Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Commissioner Rohit Chopra issued the following statement in response to the announcement by 7-Eleven's parent company (SVNDY) that it had pressed forward in its merger agreement with Marathon Petroleum (MPC) during the agency's ongoing investigation: "Today, Seven & i Holdings, the Tokyo-based owner of 7-Eleven, announced that it closed a $21 billion transaction with Marathon Petroleum Corporation, purchasing roughly 3,900 Speedway retail gasoline and convenience store businesses from Marathon. We have reason to believe that this transaction is illegal under Section 7 of the Clayton Act and Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act, raising significant competitive concerns in hundreds of local retail gasoline and diesel fuel markets across the country. In many local markets, the transaction is either a merger-to-monopoly or reduces the number of competitors from three to two. With the support of a majority of Commissioners, the Commission can and routinely does challenge these harmful mergers. The Commission has spent significant resources investigating this transaction but has not yet come to an agreement with the parties and a majority of the Commission that would fully resolve the competitive concerns. Seven and Marathon's decision to close under these circumstances is highly unusual, and we are extremely troubled by it. The parties have closed their transaction at their own risk. The Commission will continue to investigate to determine an appropriate path forward to address the anticompetitive harm and will also continue to work with State Attorneys General." Reference Link

14:03 EDT Ginkgo Bioworks says will be listed on NYSE under ticker 'DNA' after deal closes - Ginkgo Bioworks stated earlier on its official Twitter account: "While Soaring Eagle (Nasdaq:SRNG) will still be trading as a proxy for Ginkgo for the next few months until the transaction closes, upon the closing of the business combination, Ginkgo will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker DNA." Reference Link

13:15 EDT CDC says effectiveness study in health workers finds mRNA vaccines 94% effective - A new CDC study "adds to the growing body of real-world evidence" outside of a clinical trial setting showing that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines authorized by the Food and Drug Administration protect health care personnel against COVID-19, the CDC announced. mRNA vaccines from Pfizer (PFE)-BioNTech (BNTX) and Moderna (MRNA) reduced the risk of getting sick with COVID-19 by 94% among HCP who were fully vaccinated, the CDC reported. "This assessment, conducted in a different study network with a larger sample size from across a broader geographic area than in the clinical trials, independently confirms U.S. vaccine effectiveness findings among health care workers that were first reported March 29," the CDC noted. Reference Link

13:00 EDT Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count up 5 to 453 rigs

12:15 EDT ISS recommends Exxon Mobil shareholders vote for Engine No. 1 nominees - Engine No. 1, which has nominated four independent director candidates to the Exxon Mobil Corporation Board of Directors, announced that Institutional Shareholder Services recommends that ExxonMobil shareholders vote the WHITE proxy card "FOR" the election of Engine No. 1's independent director nominees Gregory J. Goff, Kaisa Heitala and Alexander A. Karsner to ExxonMobil's Board of Directors in connection with the Company's Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held May 26, 2021. Engine No. 1 commented, "We are pleased that ISS recognizes that the ExxonMobil Board requires new members with track records of transformative success in the energy sector to create sustainable, long-term value for shareholders in a changing industry and world. ISS' recommendation is further validation of our belief that addressing the fundamental issues at ExxonMobil requires a Board that includes individuals with relevant energy industry experience and skills. In making its recommendation "FOR" Engine No. 1's nominees ISS noted: "On the basis of operational performance alone, the dissident has made a compelling case that additional board change is needed to provide shareholders with sufficient confidence in the sustainability of XOM's business - an immediate concern, and one that should arguably take precedence in the order of operations over an assessment of the general sustainability of the industry."

12:00 EDT MediaAlpha falls -9.5% - MediaAlpha is down -9.5%, or -$3.65 to $34.82.

12:00 EDT DoorDash rises 20.4% - DoorDash is up 20.4%, or $23.59 to $139.08.

12:00 EDT Renren rises 25.0% - Renren is up 25.0%, or $2.19 to $10.96.

11:22 EDT Marathon Petroleum trading resumes

11:11 EDT Marathon approves additional in $7.1B share repurchases after Speedway deal

10:59 EDT Dolby Vision for gaming on Xbox Series X/S coming to Xbox Insiders this week - Microsoft's (MSFT) Larry Hryb said on twitter that Dolby Vision (DLB) for gaming on Xbox Series X/S consoles is rolling out to Xbox insiders this week. Reference Link

10:05 EDT Teledyne completes acquisition of FLIR Systems - Teledyne Technologies (TDY) announced the successful completion of the acquisition of FLIR Systems (FLIR). At each of the respective company's special meeting of stockholders held on May 13, the stockholders approved and adopted merger proposals related to the agreement and plan of merger dated January 4. FLIR will now be included in Teledyne's Digital Imaging segment and operate under the name Teledyne FLIR. Under the terms of the agreement, FLIR stockholders received $28.00 per share in cash and 0.0718 shares of Teledyne common stock for each FLIR share, which implies a total purchase price of approximately $57.40 per FLIR share based on Teledyne's closing price on May 13. The aggregate consideration for the transaction was approximately $8.2B, including net debt. Previously, Teledyne secured all permanent cash financing for the transaction with a weighted average borrowing cost of less than 2%, the company noted. Teledyne expects the acquisition to be immediately accretive to earnings, excluding transaction costs and purchase price accounting, and accretive to GAAP earnings in the first full calendar year following the acquisition. Robert Mehrabian, Executive Chairman of Teledyne, said, "As a combined company, Teledyne FLIR will uniquely provide a full spectrum of imaging technologies and products spanning X-ray through infrared and from components to complete imaging systems. Teledyne FLIR will also provide a complete range of unmanned systems and imaging payload across all domains ranging from deep sea to deep space."

10:00 EDT Aurora Cannabis falls -9.4% - Aurora Cannabis is down -9.4%, or -69c to $6.63.

10:00 EDT Poly falls -18.4% - Poly is down -18.4%, or -$6.79 to $30.20.

10:00 EDT Aeva Technologies rises 17.1% - Aeva Technologies is up 17.1%, or $1.21 to $8.27.

09:58 EDT Wolters Kluwer acquires Vanguard Software for $110M in cash - Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting announces that it has signed and completed an agreement to acquire Vanguard Software, a provider of cloud-based integrated business planning solutions, for approximately $110M in cash. "The acquisition offers an opportunity to extend the award-winning CCH Tagetik financial performance management platform into sales and operations planning, including supply chain planning and predictive analytics," the company stated. Wolters Kluwer added: "The company recorded total revenues of $7.2M in 2020, un-audited. While the COVID-19 pandemic caused a contraction in services last year, recurring cloud software revenues grew 33% organically in 2020. A majority of revenue is from North America. We expect the acquisition to achieve a return on invested capital above our after-tax weighted average cost of capital of 8% within 3 to 5 years. The impact on Wolters Kluwer adjusted net profit is immaterial."

09:47 EDT MediaAlpha falls -11.3% - MediaAlpha is down -11.3%, or -$4.35 to $34.12.

09:47 EDT Vivint Smart Home rises 14.7% - Vivint Smart Home is up 14.7%, or $1.72 to $13.44.

09:47 EDT Fisker rises 17.7% - Fisker is up 17.7%, or $1.76 to $11.71.

09:25 EDT Northrop Grumman awarded production contract option for 18 additional GQM-163A - Northrop Grumman announced it has been awarded a production contract option for 18 additional GQM-163A "Coyote" supersonic sea-skimming target vehicles. "This award represents the first of three options that can be exercised against the full-rate production contract awarded last year. The $55.4M award brings the GQM-163A targets ordered to date to 218," the company stated.

09:03 EDT NN, Inc. announces cooperation agreement with Corre Partners - NN, Inc. (NNBR) announced its Board of Directors has voted to expand its Board by appointing Dr. Rajeev Gautam, President and CEO of Performance Materials and Technologies of Honeywell (HON), as a director, effective immediately. NN will also nominate Dr. Gautam to stand for election at the company's upcoming annual meeting of shareholders to be held on May 27. This nomination will be included in a supplement to the proxy statement to be mailed to NN stockholders and filed with the SEC. These actions follow constructive dialogue and collaboration with Corre Partners Management, an investment firm whose affiliated funds are long-time, significant stockholders of the company. This announcement reflects the company's entry into an associated cooperation agreement between NN, Corre Partners, and certain of its affiliates. The NN Board is now comprised of 10 members, nine of whom are independent. After the company's 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and the retirement of Director Steven Warshaw, the Board will be comprised of nine members, eight of whom are independent.

09:01 EDT Bentley Systems acquires sensemetrics, terms not disclosed - sensemetrics announced it has been acquired by Bentley Systems, Incorporated. In its news release about the acquisition, Bentley Systems credits sensemetrics for making "widespread infrastructure IoT deployments feasible by providing simple and reliable means to connect, store, and stream sensor data from a wide range of sensor devices for continuous and automated condition monitoring." The acquisition follows sensemetrics' recent expansion of its IIoT sensor automation portfolio, with the January 2021 launch of the Thread X3, a next-generation broadband IIoT sensor connectivity device, and the March 2021 introduction of the Strand, a cost-effective narrowband solution. Both solutions are designed for organizations seeking to reduce risk, improve safety, and increase visibility to key insights in complex infrastructure, mining, geotechnical and environmental sectors. sensemetrics' technology and talent will be leveraged to add intrinsic IoT capabilities to the Bentley iTwin platform, enabling infrastructure digital twins to incorporate real-time sensor data and ultimately, advance asset performance and mitigate environmental risks. sensemetrics, with global operations and offices in both San Diego and Denver, will add a staff of approximately 25 to Bentley Systems, including Baldwin and his leadership team.

08:51 EDT Charles Schwab reports April core new assets $37.2B - Total client assets were $7.34T as of month-end April, up 94% from April 2020 and up 4% compared to March. Average margin balances, which are being included for the first time as part of the company's monthly activity report, were $72.9B in April, up over 200% from April 2020 and up 2% compared to March.

08:48 EDT GBS Inc. expects cash to fund requirements through at least 2Q22 - GBS believes that based on the current operating plan and financial resources, its cash equivalents and marketable securities will be sufficient to cover expenses and capital requirements through at least the second quarter of 2022.

08:47 EDT CP says will respond to KCS in 'allotted time,' won't enter 'bidding war' - Last night, Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) provided the following statement regarding Kansas City Southern's (KSU) decision related to Canadian National's (CNI) unsolicited proposal: "It is not surprising that CN would raise its offer, and it only highlights CN's recognition of the significant regulatory risk/challenges associated with its anti-competitive bid. There is nothing new here; this doesn't make it any more likely that the CN proposal can close into a voting trust. The Surface Transportation Board already approved CP's use of a voting trust for its pro-competitive combination with KCS. We believe that CP's negotiated agreement with KCS is the only true end-to-end Class 1 combination that is in the best interests of North American shippers and communities. CP-KCS is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only protect all existing shippers options but to inject new competition and capacity into the North American transportation system. As we've said repeatedly, we are not going to enter into a bidding war. Our mutually negotiated agreement with KCS represents compelling short term and long term value for shareholders that is actually achievable. We will respond to KCS within the allotted time."

08:44 EDT Ultragenyx announces longer-term data from OTC phase 1/2, HeLa PCL studies - Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical announced longer-term data from the Ornithine Transcarbamylase, or OTC, Deficiency Phase 1/2 studies demonstrating ongoing durability of response, as well as data highlighting further advancements to the company's proprietary HeLa producer cell line, or PCL, manufacturing platform. Data were presented this week at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy 24th Annual Meeting. DTX301 Program. The six patients who previously demonstrated a response remain clinically and metabolically stable, including all three treated at the highest dose, which is the dose that will be used in the Phase 3 study. Some patients have now demonstrated a durable response three years after treatment, and more than two years after discontinuing ammonia-scavenger medications and liberalizing protein-restricted diets. All responders remain in excellent clinical condition with no significant adverse events, hospitalizations, or other events related to OTC deficiency. Both patients in the prophylactic steroid cohort are doing well clinically with good metabolic control and without any safety issues. The first patient has maintained normal ammonia levels and has reduced their ammonia-scavenger drug by 45% so far, following completion of the prophylactic course of steroids. This patient is continuing to taper medications. The second patient continues to taper their course of steroids, and changes in ammonia-scavenging drugs or diet will only be attempted after the prophylactic steroid taper is complete. This patient has maintained normal ammonia levels since treatment. Across all cohorts of the Phase 1/2 study, there have been no infusion-related adverse events and no treatment-related serious adverse events reported. All treatment-related adverse events have been Grade 1 or 2. The Phase 3 study will include a 64-week primary efficacy analysis period and enroll approximately 50 patients 12 years of age and older, randomized 1:1 to DTX301 or placebo. The co-primary endpoints are the percentage of patients who achieve a response as measured by discontinuation or reduction in baseline disease management and the 24-hour plasma ammonia levels. HeLa 3.0 Producer Cell Line advancements significantly increase productivity of the platform. Data on the HeLa 3.0 platform demonstrated that genetic engineering of the HeLa cell significantly improved AAV production. This increased productivity was achieved while maintaining or improving product quality. Permanent knockout of target genes identified by RNA sequencing was shown to increase titer in established PCLs, and the single knockout HeLa 3.0 PCLs displayed similar phenotype to parental PCLs during production. These cell line engineering improvements result in a 2- to 5-fold yield improvement over the HeLa 2.0 platform, and a 50-fold yield improvement over HeLa 1.0. Additional improvements in yield are expected with future combinatorial knockdowns, with early studies suggesting a further 5-to 10-fold improvement. These improvements in the HeLa platform allow for increased productivity and reproducibility with higher full-to-empty AAV ratios while continuing to drive down AAV production costs, all important attributes in the manufacturing of gene therapies for diseases where high product yield is required.

08:43 EDT Assure Holdings sees 17,000 total procedures for 2021 - The Company forecasts 17,000 total procedures for full-year 2021, a record number representing an increase of more than 70% compared with 2020. This projection is based on organic growth and the acquisitions of Sentry Neuromonitoring and Elevation. It does not account for the impact from anticipated M&A activity that may occur in the second half of 2021. In addition, the guidance reflects the impact to-date of COVID-19, but not a substantial future disruption relating to the pandemic.

08:40 EDT FDA opens public comment period on Philip Morris IQOS 3 MTRP application - The FDA opened a public comment period on Philip Morris' application seeking authorization to market the IQOS 3 electrically heated tobacco system as a modified risk tobacco product, or MRTP. PMI's application requests the same reduced exposure modification orders granted on July 7, 2020, for the IQOS 2.4 system. To authorize MRTP consumer communications, the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products is required by law to conclude that a product is appropriate to promote the public health. Commenting on the FDA's action Jacek Olczak, PMI's CEO, said: "PMI is fully committed to a smoke-free future, one where we completely replace cigarettes with scientifically substantiated smoke-free alternatives that are a better choice for adults who would otherwise continue smoking. Our commitment to a science-based future is unmatched, having invested more than $8 billion since 2008 on smoke-free products. This application underscores PMI's on-going commitment to make new innovations available to American adult smokers through the FDA process; the confidence we have in our science; and our belief that public scrutiny and open engagement with governments is vital to achieving a smoke-free future."

08:37 EDT Simply Good Foods to restate financial statements for 2020, 2019, 2018 - The Simply Good Foods Company announced in a Current Report on Form 8-K, that as a result of recently issued guidance provided by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 12, 2021 for all SPAC-related companies regarding the classification of their warrants for accounting and reporting purposes, it will restate its previously issued audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal years ended August 29, 2020, August 31, 2019 and August 25, 2018 and unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the fiscal quarters ended November 28, 2020 and February 27, 2021. The restatement pertains to the accounting treatment for public warrants and private placement warrants that were outstanding at the time of the Simply Good Foods' business combination with Conyers Park Acquisition Corp. on July 7, 2017. Consistent with market practice among SPACs, Simply Good Foods had been accounting for the warrants as equity under a fixed accounting model. However, consistent with the SEC's recently issued Statement, Simply Good Foods intends to restate historical financial statements such that the warrants are accounted for as liabilities and marked-to-market each reporting period (the "restatement"). In general, under the mark-to-market accounting model, as the stock price of Simply Good Foods' common stock increases, the warrant liability increases, and Simply Good Foods recognizes additional non-operating, non-cash expense in its income statement - with the opposite when the stock price of its common stock declines. As a result of the restatement and the increase in the stock price of its Common Stock over the applicable period, Simply Good Foods expects to recognize an incremental liability on its balance sheet of $110 million to $130 million for the fiscal quarter ended February 27, 2021. Simply Good Foods expects the restatement will not affect its historically reported cash and cash equivalents, or cash flows from operating, investing or financing activities, and will not affect its previously communicated non-GAAP operating metrics for fiscal year 2020 or any periods in fiscal 2021, including Adjusted EBITDA. These estimates are subject to change as management completes the restatement, and Simply Good Foods' independent registered public accounting firms have not audited or reviewed these estimates or ranges. As a result, the expected financial effect described above is preliminary and subject to change. Finally, as of today, Simply Good Foods has approximately 6.7 million private placement warrants outstanding, which represents approximately one-third of the warrants originally issued, as all public warrants and forward purchase warrants have since been exercised or redeemed.

08:35 EDT Misonix appoints Patrick Beyer to board of directors - Misonix (MSON) announced its board of directors has appointed Patrick Beyer as an independent member of the board. Beyer joined the board on May 12. Beyer is currently President of International and Global Orthopedics for ConMed (CNMD) a position in which he has served since October 2020.

08:34 EDT Quipt Home Medical announces filing of Form 40-F with SEC - Quipt Home Medical is pleased to announce that it has filed a Form 40-F Registration Statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, fulfilling a significant milestone in the process for the Company to list its common shares on The Nasdaq Capital Market. Quipt will become a reporting issuer in the United States following effectiveness of the Form 40-F, in addition to being a reporting issuer in Canada. A copy of the Form 40-F is available on EDGAR, SEDAR and the Company's website at www.protechhomemedical.com. Listing of the Company's common shares on Nasdaq remains subject to the approval of Nasdaq and the satisfaction of all applicable listing and regulatory requirements, including the effectiveness of the Form 40-F. Following receipt of all required approvals, the Company will issue a press release announcing its first trading date on Nasdaq.

08:24 EDT CCL Industries board authorizes intention to commence NCIB - CCL Industries announced that the Company intends to file with the Toronto Stock Exchange as soon as practicable a notice of intention to commence a normal course issuer bid to purchase its Class B non-voting shares. If this notice is accepted by the TSX, the Company expects to purchase for cancellation, at its discretion during the 12 months following such acceptance, up to 8,000,000 Class B non-voting shares representing approximately 5% of the outstanding Class B non-voting shares of the Company. Purchases under the NCIB will be conducted in the open market or as otherwise permitted, subject to the terms and limitations applicable to the NCIB. The actual number of Class B non-voting shares that may be purchased under the NCIB, and the timing of any such purchases, will be determined by the Company, subject to the limitations imposed by the TSX. There cannot be any assurance as to how many Class B non-voting shares, if any, will ultimately be purchased by the Company. The Company believes that the purchase of Class B non-voting shares under the NCIB will be in the best interests of the Company and will represent an appropriate and desirable use of available funds.

08:21 EDT Ayala Pharmaceuticals expects cash, cash equivalents to fund into 2023 - Cash and cash equivalents totaled $56.0 million as of March 31, 2021. Ayala expects its existing cash balance to fund operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements through multiple potential key clinical and development milestones into 2023.

08:17 EDT J & J Snack Foods appoints Dan Fachner as Chief Executive Officer - J & J Snack Foods announced the appointment of Dan Fachner as Chief Executive Officer, effective May 11. Fachner currently serves as president, a role he assumed in May 2020 after a notable tenure with the company. Gerald Shreiber, will remain chairman of the board.

08:13 EDT Sysco offers two new online toolkits on its Foodie Solutions platform - Sysco announced that it has launched two new online toolkits to its Foodie Solutions platform. "The Labor & Hiring and Summer Solutions Toolkits are the latest in a series of carefully curated tools to help foodservice operators succeed while generating additional revenue and meeting consumer expectations," the company said. "Labor & Hiring Toolkit - As restaurants reopen amidst a tight labor market, the Labor & Hiring toolkit provides a comprehensive resource for hiring, training and retaining restaurant employees, including tips such as taking action on employee feedback and offering incentives to improve retention... Summer Toolkit - Consumers are eager to get out and enjoy the warm summer months and the Summer toolkit is packed with ideas to help operators drive increased revenue and guest satisfaction," the company added.

08:11 EDT Metromile appoints Troy Dye to new role of Senior Vice President, Growth - Metromile (MILE) announced marketing veteran Troy Dye will join the company in the new role of Senior Vice President, Growth on May 24. "He will oversee a fast-growing team of growth, acquisition, brand and marketing professionals as a member of the leadership team. Dye will be responsible for bringing Metromile's vision of fairer and real-time insurance to more drivers at a time when consumers increasingly seek pay-per-mile auto insurance and greater flexibility and digital experiences from their insurer," the company said. Dye was most recently Managing Vice President and Head of Card Marketing, Engagement and Insights for Capital One's (COF) domestic consumer credit card business.

08:08 EDT Keros Therapeutics present results from preclinical study of KER-012 - Keros Therapeutics announced results from a preclinical study of KER-012 on pulmonary and cardiac dysfunction in an established rodent model of pulmonary arterial hypertension at the virtual American Thoracic Society International Conference held May 14-19. Additional data from a previously conducted nonclinical study in cynomolgus monkeys was also included in the presentation. Keros combined administration of SUGEN5416, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1/2, with exposure to chronic hypoxia to recapitulate the biology in PAH. A research form of KER-012 was tested in this SUGEN/hypoxia rat model of PAH. Adult male rats were subjected to SH and received either vehicle or 10 mg/kg RKER-012 twice weekly for four weeks. Rats maintained under normal oxygen conditions received only vehicle. Consistent with enhanced pulmonary vascular remodeling and cardiac fibrosis, vehicle-treated SH rats showed significantly greater right ventricle plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 expression, alpha-smooth muscle actin expression and increased arterial wall thickness, relative to normoxic controls. Treatment with RKER-012 reduced heart PAI-1 expression and lung alpha-SMA to levels equivalent to normoxic controls and reduced arterial wall thickness, which Keros believes suggests that KER-012 could potentially prevent the progression of PAH. Additionally, vehicle-treated SH rats had significantly greater neutrophil number relative to normoxic controls. Treatment with RKER-012 reduced neutrophils to levels of normoxic controls, indicating a reduction in PAH-associated inflammation. There was no effect of SH or RKER-012 on either white blood cells or lymphocytes. Finally, vehicle-treated SH rats had significantly greater Fulton index, which measures enlargement of the right ventricle, as well as trends for increased atrial natriuretic peptide and B-type natriuretic peptide, relative to normoxic controls. Treatment with RKER-012 reduced Fulton Index to control levels, and reduced ANP and BNP expression to levels below controls, which Keros believes indicates that KER-012 could potentially reduce PAH-induced damage to the heart. RKER-012 did not increase red blood cell number in the SH rats, relative to either vehicle-treated SH rats or normoxic controls. Similarly, KER-012 did not increase red blood cells in healthy naive non-human primates, a model highly translatable to humans.

08:05 EDT Apria appoints Susannah Gray, Terri Kline to board of directors - Apria announced that it has appointed Susannah Gray and Terri Kline to the company's board of directors. Both will serve on the board's Audit Committee. Gray serves in board of director and committee capacities at 4D Molecular Therapeutics (FDMT), Maravai Life Sciences (MRVI), Morphic Therapeutics (MORF), BioSplice Therapeutics, Wesleyan University, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Street Squash and the German Marshall Fund. Kline currently serves on the boards of Amedisys (AMED), Intersect ENT (XENT), SaVida Health and Presbyterian Health Plan.

07:48 EDT Solid Biosciences expects cash to fund expenditures into 4Q22 - Solid had $268.5 million in cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2021, which includes $143.8 million in aggregate gross proceeds, before deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses, raised in an underwritten public offering in the first quarter of 2021. The Company expects that its cash and cash equivalents will enable Solid to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditures into the fourth quarter of 2022.

07:47 EDT Marathon Gold, Miawpukek First Nation sign MOU - Marathon Gold and Miawpukek First Nation announces that they have concluded a Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, relating to the Environmental Assessment and development of the Valentine Gold Project located in central Newfoundland .The MOU was signed by Matt Manson, president and CEO of Marathon, and Miawpukek Chief Mi'sel Joe. The MOU provides for a process of ongoing engagement and consultation between Marathon and Miawpukek. This will include, amongst other things, the completion of a Traditional Knowledge/Traditional Land and Resource Use Study, funding for a community-based Liaison Officer, and the commencement of negotiations towards a Socio-Economic Agreement.

07:46 EDT Boston Beer establishes subsidiary to develop non-alcoholiccannabis beverages - The Boston Beer Company announced that it is establishing a subsidiary to serve as a dedicated research and innovation hub in Canada focused on non-alcoholiccannabis beverages. Boston Beer, the maker of recognized alcohol brands such as Samuel Adams and Truly Hard Seltzer, hopes to continue its industry-leading track record of innovation in this emerging space. Boston Beer has hired industry veteran Paul Weaver to lead a new cannabis beverage research hub in the federally regulated market of Canada. This new subsidiary will enable the company to develop and pilot unique cannabis beverages while cannabis regulations continue to evolve in the United States and worldwide.

07:45 EDT Extended Stay America send letter on transaction with Blackstone, Starwood - Extended Stay America and its paired-share REIT, ESH Hospitality, sent a new letter to shareholders detailing "the strategic and economic factors that support the transaction with Blackstone and Starwood Capital, and addressing the misleading and highly flawed arguments from Tarsadia Capital," the company said. The transaction has received all regulatory approvals and is on track to close on June 11, pending shareholder approval. The letter urges shareholders to vote to approve the transaction at the company's Special Meetings of Shareholders scheduled for June 8.

07:41 EDT SL Green Realty signs Kyndryl to 22,531-square-foot lease at One Vanderbilt - SL Green Realty announced that Kyndryl has signed a 22,531-square-foot, 9-year lease, covering a portion of the 15th floor at One Vanderbilt Avenue for its new global headquarters. One Vanderbilt, the recently opened skyline-defining tower in the heart of East Midtown, is now 81% leased and remains on target to reach 90% leased by the end of this year.

07:37 EDT BridgeBio granted FDA fast track designation BBP-631, present preclinical data - BridgeBio Pharma announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Fast Track designation to BBP-631, an investigational adeno-associated virus 5 gene therapy designed for the treatment of congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Additionally, BridgeBio Gene Therapy presented preclinical data from its CAH program on May 13 at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy annual meeting, being held virtually May 11-14. The presentation covered three key Investigational New Drug-enabling studies that informed the anticipated upcoming clinical trial for BBP-631. The IND application has been cleared by the FDA and site activation for initiation of a first-in-human Phase 1/2 study is ongoing, with initial data anticipated in late 2021 or early 2022. At ASGCT, BridgeBio Gene Therapy will also be presenting preclinical data from its program designed for the treatment of Canavan disease.

07:31 EDT Victoria Gold sees 2021 Eagle Gold gold production of 180,000-200,000 ounces - The company said, "Management believes 2021 production and financial guidance remain achievable assuming there is no significant impact on operations at the Eagle Gold Mine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company has taken precautions to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 on operations. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and any future emergence and spread of similar pathogens could have a material adverse impact on our business, operations and operating results, financial condition, liquidity and market for our securities. The Company produced 26,759 ounces of gold during the first quarter of 2021. The Company's 2021 gold production guidance at the Eagle Gold Mine of 180,000 ounces to 200,000 ounces is unchanged. Gold production is expected to be strongly weighted to the second half of the year due to the seasonal stacking of ore on the Eagle leach pad. The Company's AISC21 per ounce of gold sold during the first quarter of 2021 was US$1,586. The Company's 2021 AISC guidance at the Eagle Gold Mine of US$1,050 to US$1,175 per ounce of gold sold is unchanged. AISC are expected to fall quarter over quarter in 2021 due to the seasonal stacking of ore on the Eagle leach pad. Sustaining capital will be high in 2021 compared with future years due to one-time infrastructure expenditures including construction of the truck shop (US$8 million) and water treatment plant (US$11 million). The Company has initiated 'Project 250' aimed at increasing the average annual production of the Eagle Gold Mine to 250,000 ounces gold by 2023. The two primary opportunities to increase production are the scalping of fine ore from the crushing circuit and adjustments to the seasonal stacking plan. Scalping of fine ore is expected to reduce wear and energy requirements as well as increase overall capacity of the crushing circuit. Further investigation is underway on year-round stacking of ore to the heap leach pad. Early engineering on Project 250 is expected to be complete in the second half of 2021."

07:18 EDT Dyne Therapeutics present preclinical data on myotonic dystrophy type 1 program - Dyne Therapeutics is presenting new preclinical data from its myotonic dystrophy type 1 program during the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy 24th Annual Meeting, including results demonstrating sustained knockdown of toxic human nuclear DMPK RNA, the genetic basis of the disease. Dyne's DM1 candidate consists of an antigen-binding fragment antibody conjugated to an antisense oligonucleotide to enable targeted muscle tissue delivery to reduce accumulation of toxic DMPK RNA in the nucleus, release splicing proteins, allow normal mRNA processing and translation of normal proteins, and potentially stop or reverse the disease. To assess the ability of its DM1 candidate to reduce toxic human nuclear DMPK RNA, Dyne developed a hTfR1/DMSXL mouse model that expresses the human TfR1 and carries a human DMPK gene that represents a severe DM1 phenotype with more than 1,000 CTG repeats. In January 2021, Dyne reported data showing that two doses of its DM1 candidate resulted in significant toxic human nuclear DMPK knockdown at 14 days. New data being presented at ASGCT are consistent with these findings, with the candidate demonstrating an approximately 40% reduction in DMPK heart foci at 14 days. Dyne expanded its analysis in the hTfR1/DMSXL model to evaluate the administration of a single, low 10 mg/kg dose of its lead DM1 candidate after 4 weeks. These new data show sustained DMPK knockdown at 4 weeks: 51% in the diaphragm, 46% in both the heart and tibialis anterior, and 42% in the gastrocnemius. Dyne's candidate was well tolerated in the hTfR1/DMSXL studies. Additionally, Dyne is reporting during ASGCT new in vitro findings from DM1 patient cells with approximately 380 and 2,600 CTG repeats, where its candidate showed a robust, dose-dependent reduction in DMPK RNA, nuclear foci and correction of splicing defects as measured by BIN1 exon 11 inclusion. The results in the cell line with approximately 2,600 CTG repeats are particularly notable given the severity of DM1 disease represented.

07:13 EDT Flyht Aerospace announces amendment to grant of incentive stock options - FLYHT Aerospace Solutions would like to correct the number of shares previously announced on May 10, 2021 from an aggregate 248,355 common shares to an aggregate 434,555, subject to regulatory approval, to employees, officers and directors under the stock option plan approved at the Annual and Special Meeting held on May 6, 2021. These stock options are exercisable at a price of $0.57 per share. The options will vest 1/3 on each of May 6, 2022, 2023 and 2024 and will expire on May 6, 2025. A maximum of 10% of the issued and outstanding shares are reserved under the Company's stock option plan. The options, and any common shares issued upon exercise of the stock options, are subject to a four-month resale restriction.

07:06 EDT Regenxbio reports interim data from Phase I/II trial of RGX-12 - REGENXBIO announced a safety update and additional positive interim data from the ongoing Phase I/II trial of RGX-121 for the treatment of patients up to 5 years old diagnosed with Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II, or MPS II, also known as Hunter Syndrome. The latest data from this trial will be presented today at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy, or ASGCT, 24th Annual Meeting by Dr. Roberto Giugliani, Professor, Department of Genetics, UFRGS, Medical Genetics Service, HCPA, Porto Alegre, Brazil. "I am pleased to report additional data from the Phase I/II trial of RGX-121 in patients with MPS II. The biomarker data from these patients continues to demonstrate that the I2S enzyme is active in the CNS and importantly, continued cognitive development has been observed in the majority of patients who have been followed for more than 6 months. In addition, emerging evidence of systemic enzyme expression and activity has been shown in urine and plasma, including in patients who are naive to enzyme replacement therapy, the current standard of care," said Dr. Giugliani. "The potential to provide therapeutic benefit from a one-time gene therapy would be a meaningful advancement for the treatment of MPS II patients."

07:03 EDT Innovative Industrial Properties acquires property in Pittsburgh for $41.8M - Innovative Industrial Properties announced the acquisition of a property in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which is expected to comprise approximately 239,000 square feet of industrial space upon completion of redevelopment. The purchase price for the property was approximately $41.8M. Concurrent with the closing of the purchase, IIP entered into a long-term, triple-net master lease for the entire property with a subsidiary of Parallel, one of the largest privately-held multi-state cannabis operators in the United States, for use as a regulated cannabis growing and processing facility. Upon completion of the initial phase of development, Parallel is expected to utilize 124,000 square feet of space, as well as an additional 36,000 square feet of expansion space, with the remaining 79,000 square feet being subleased. Parallel is expected to complete additional tenant improvements for the property, for which IIP has agreed to provide reimbursement of up to $26M. Assuming full reimbursement for the tenant improvements, IIP's total investment in the property is expected to be approximately $67.8M. IIP also owns and leases to subsidiaries of Parallel two regulated cannabis cultivation and processing facilities in Florida and one property in Texas expected to be utilized for regulated cannabis cultivation, processing and retail activities upon completion of development. Assuming full reimbursement for tenant improvements under the leases, IIP's total investment in properties leased to Parallel is expected to be approximately $195.1M, encompassing approximately 895,000 square feet. As the pioneering real estate investment trust, or REIT, for the medical-use cannabis industry, IIP partners with experienced medical-use cannabis operators and serves as a source of capital by acquiring and leasing back their real estate assets, in addition to offering other creative real estate-based capital solutions.

06:44 EDT Heritage to buy five Lion Electric battery-electric trucks - Lion Electric (LEV) announced it has been selected to participate in the Heritage-Romeo Power Fleet Electrification Program. The Heritage-Romeo Power Fleet Electrification Program is a collaboration between Heritage and Romeo Power (RMO), to execute on Heritage's fleet electrification strategy. Heritage will initially purchase five Lion Electric battery-electric trucks for the 2021 fleet electrification validation program consisting of Class 6 and/or Class 8 vehicles. Subject to the validation program's success to target specifications with operational excellence experienced, Heritage anticipates purchasing an additional 100 Lion Electric production trucks equipped with Romeo Power battery packs over a four-year period. The production mix is expected to include 80 Lion8 vehicles and 20 Lion6 vehicles. Upon a successful validation program, production is expected to commence in 2022 with completion in 2025.

06:35 EDT General Mills acquisition of Tyson Foods' pet treats seen 'modestly accretive' - General Mills (GIS) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Tyson Foods' (TSN) pet treats business for $1.2B in cash in a transaction that provides an estimated tax benefit of $225M, equating to an effective purchase price of $975M. The business, which includes the Nudges, Top Chews and True Chews brands, is the leader in natural meat treats for pets. Tyson Foods' pet treats portfolio generated more than $240M in net sales in the 12 months ended April 3. As part of the acquisition, General Mills is also acquiring a manufacturing facility in Independence, Iowa. The company intends to fund the acquisition with cash on hand and short-term borrowing. The transaction is expected to be modestly accretive to General Mills earnings in the first 12 months following completion, excluding transaction and integration expenses. The company expects the transaction to close in the first quarter of fiscal 2022, subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions.

06:31 EDT Tyson Foods to sell pet treats business to General Mills for $1.2B - Tyson Foods (TSN) is selling its successful pet treats business to General Mills (GIS) for approximately $1.2B, the company announced. The sale of the business, a leading player in natural pet treats, is expected to be completed by the end of the company's 2021 fiscal year, subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions. It includes the Nudges, True Chews and Top Chews brands, as well as a production facility in Independence, Iowa. Tyson Foods will continue to provide meat ingredients for the pet treats business after General Mills assumes ownership. Tyson Foods' pet treats business and the approximately 300 team members involved in it will become part of General Mills after the sale is completed.

06:02 EDT Tilt Holdings President Gary Santo to succeed Mark Scatterday as CEO - Tilt Holdings announced that current President Gary Santo will be appointed as the company's new CEO, effective June 1. Current CEO Mark Scatterday will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board and will work closely with Santo and the senior management team. He will also serve as a special advisor to TILT's research and development team as they continue to create new technology and product innovations.

05:30 EDT Wynn Resorts updates mask policy to comply with CDC guidelines - Beginning this evening, Wynn Las Vegas and Encore will communicate to guests that they are not required to wear a mask if they are fully vaccinated and are required to wear a mask if they are not. The resort trusts guests to take the appropriate precautions based on their personal vaccination status. Likewise, company employees will follow a similar policy. The company currently has a vaccination rate of 91% among its employees in Las Vegas and as a result, was granted permission by the Nevada Gaming Control Board to amend its occupancy and physical distancing requirements. Effective May 10, the gaming areas at both Wynn and Encore were permitted to run at 100% occupancy and plexiglass dividers were removed from all table games and slot machines.

05:06 EDT The9 signs three Chia cryptocurrency mining machine purchase agreements - The9 announced that it signed three Chia cryptocurrency mining machine purchase and cloud service leasing agreements with three unrelated vendors, with the total contract sum of more than $5.7M. Upon the executions of these agreements, The9 is going to obtain approximately 130 Pebibytes Netspace, and to join the ecological construction of Chia cryptocurrency, also known as the "Green Bitcoin Alternative." The9 had previously invested in Bitcoin and Filecoin mining machines. Chia is the third type of cryptocurrency mining implemented by The9. Chia was created by Bram Cohen, the inventor of BitTorrent and a network protocol engineer. It was developed through Chialisp, a new transaction programming language. Unlike Bitcoin, which uses proof of work, or POW, Chia uses proof of space and time, or POST, consensus algorithm. Chia's main network went live on March 19. On May 4, Chia was opened for the exchange of its cryptocurrency XCH with other cryptocurrencies, and XCH is currently listed for trading on exchanges such as Huobi and OKEx. The9 will continue to invest in blockchain development and cryptocurrency mining business.