Stockwinners Market Radar for May 17, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:10 EDT Benchmark Electronics raises quarterly dividend to 16.5c from 16c per share

20:01 EDT Morningstar chairman sold 16.1K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Morningstar disclosed that its chairman Joseph Mansueto sold 16.1K shares of common stock on May 13th in a total transaction size of $3.96M.

19:01 EDT HSBC launches multi-currency wallet for international payments - HSBC USA announced the launch of a multi-currency digital wallet that "enables businesses to make international payments simply and securely." HSBC Global Wallet is the first multi-currency offering by a U.S. bank that removes the need to use third-party providers for foreign exchange and international transactions. HSBC clients in the United States can send money in a number of currencies, and hold and manage those currencies. HSBC Global Wallet uses the bank's global payments network and is fully integrated with the bank's existing business banking platform, enabling customers to "pay like a local." HSBC is taking an agile product development approach and rolling out digital innovations that address the needs of businesses. HSBC Global Wallet also launched today in the United Kingdom and Singapore. Further markets will follow in 2022, and the bank has a pipeline of new currencies and enhancements.

18:47 EDT Einhorn's Greenlight Capital buys FinServ Acquisition, exits NCR in Q1 - David Einhorn's Greenlight Capital disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of March 31, 2021. Among Greenlight's new buys during the first quarter were, by size of position, FinServ Acquisition (FSRV), Foley Trasimene Acquisition (WPF), Supernova Partners Acquisition (SPNV), GoPro (GPRO), and Extraction Oil & Gas (XOG). The fund exited its position in NCR Corporation (NCR) during the period. Greenlight increased its positions in Danimer Scientific (DNMR), Concentrix (CNXC), APi Group (APG), Echostar (SATS), and ADT (ADT). Greenlight decreased its stake in Green Brick (GRBK) in the first quarter.

18:06 EDT Guaranty Bancshares names Joel Johnson chief digital officer - Guaranty Bancshares announced that Joel Johnson has been hired and appointed as the company's Chief Digital Officer. Johnson will be responsible for continuing the growth of Guaranty's digital product offerings with a focus on creating a streamlined user experience for the company's digital and mobile banking customers while growing the company's digital asset products. Ty Abston, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty, said, "We are pleased to have Joel on our team. With the ever-changing digital landscape, Joel will help us stay at the forefront of serving our customers today and into the future."

17:29 EDT Ecor1 Capital reports 7.9% passive stake in Shattuck Labs - Ecor1 Capital disclosed a 7.9% stake in Shattuck Labs, which represents over 3.29M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

17:22 EDT Lockheed Martin awarded maximum $194.7M Navy contract modification - Lockheed Martin was awarded a not-to-exceed $194.7M undefinitized contract modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract. This modification adds scope to provide non-recurring engineering, integration and testing of the aircraft interface module in support of ASQ-239 electronic warfare/countermeasures system upgrades planned for F-35 Lot 17 aircraft deliveries for the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and non-Department of Defense participants. Work is expected to be completed in April 2024. FY21 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $3.5M and FY21 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $3.5M will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.

17:06 EDT Elliott Management boosts stakes in Twitter, Pinterest, Snap - Paul Singer's Elliott Management disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of March 31, 2021. Elliott's six new buys during the first quarter included, by size of position, E2open Parent Holdings (ETWO), Discovery Class C (DISCK), Trade Desk (TTD), Ryanair (RYAAY), and Facebook (FB). Elliott exited three positions during the quarter, including by size of previous position, F5 Networks (FFIV) and Franco Nevada Corp. (FNV). Elliott increased its stake in four holdings, including by size of previous position, Twitter (TWTR), Marathon Petroleum (MPC), Pinterest (PINS), and Snap (SNAP). Elliott reduced its stake in three holdings, including CorMedix (CRMD). Elliott's top holdings as of March 31, in order of size, were Dell Technologies (DELL), Howmet Aerospace (HWM), Evergy (EVRG), Marathon Petroleum, and Twitter.

17:04 EDT Stealth BioTherapeutics to receive $30M in payments from Morningside Ventures - Stealth BioTherapeutics announced that it has reached agreement with Morningside Ventures for Morningside to provide $30M of additional payments to the company during 2021 under its existing development funding agreement. The payments will be paid to the company in three tranches. The additional payments were triggered by new analyses of clinical data from the ReCLAIM Phase 1 trial, announced on May 5, which associated baseline mitochondrial viability with improvements in vision for patients with geographic atrophy. The company also previously announced a new data analysis from its MMPOWER-3 Phase 3 clinical trial, which identified responders among patients with primary mitochondrial disease due to nuclear DNA mutations and plans to initiate a Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with nPMD based on these results.

17:01 EDT Century Aluminum CEO Mike Bless to retire - Century Aluminum announced that Mike Bless will retire as CEO, effective July 1, 2021, after 15 years with Century, including nearly 10 years as CEO. He will also step down from the board at that time. Mr. Bless will continue to provide his guidance and expertise to Century as a strategic advisor until his ultimate retirement from the company on March 31, 2022. Century's Board of Directors has appointed Jesse Gary, currently Century's Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, to succeed Mr. Bless as Century's next President and Chief Executive Officer on July 1, 2021. Mr. Gary will also join the Board upon assuming his new role.

16:57 EDT Pershing Square exits Starbucks, takes stake in Domino's Pizza - Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of March 31, 2021. Pershing Square's one new buy during the first quarter was Domino's Pizza (DPZ). Pershing Square exited one position during the quarter, Starbucks Corporation (SBUX). Pershing Square increased its stake in one holding, Howard Hughes (HHC). Pershing Square reduced its stake in five holdings, including by size of previous position, Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG), Restaurant Brands (QSR), Agilent Technologies (A), Hilton Worldwide (HLT), and Lowe's (LOW). Pershing Square's top holdings as of March 31, in order of size, were Lowe's , Hilton Worldwide, Restaurant Brands, Chipotle, and Agilent.

16:44 EDT Canadian National 'welcomes' STB's decision to move forward with KCS review - Canadian National (CNI) issued the following statement in response to the Surface Transportation Board's decision to apply the current merger rules to its review of CN's superior proposal to acquire Kansas City Southern (KSU): "We welcome the STB's decision to move forward with reviewing CN's proposed combination with KCS under the current merger rules, which requires demonstrating that the combination would enhance competition. We requested that the STB review its superior proposal to combine with KCS under these rules because we are confident that a CN-KCS combination will create a safer, faster, cleaner and stronger railway that is ideally positioned to support the growth of an emerging consumption-based economy through better service options and customer choice. CN has received strong support for its combination with KCS as evidenced by the over 1,000 letters of support that have been filed with the STB by customers and other stakeholders. As we have stated before, we are committed to addressing any competitive concerns under the current merger rules in order to successfully complete a CN-KCS combination. We note that the STB's procedural decision to defer consideration of our voting trust was based solely upon the fact that a merger agreement for the combination between CN and KCS was not yet available to be filed with the Board. We intend to promptly complete our application as the merger agreement with KCS was finalized on May 13, 2021, the same day that KCS' Board of Directors announced that our combination was superior and that it intends to terminate its merger agreement with Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (CP). We look forward to the STB promptly setting forth its timetable for reviewing our voting trust. We firmly believe that, once the STB has had the opportunity to undertake a full and fair review of our voting trust, we will have demonstrated that our voting trust is in the public interest. In particular, CN will demonstrate that our strong balance sheet, cash flows and ratings profile will provide certainty that we have the financial strength and integrity to satisfy the STB's public interest analysis. CN's proposed voting trust has identical terms and uses the same trustee as CP's recently approved voting trust and our proposal provides superior and more certain value for KCS shareholders and represents a pro-competitive solution that offers unparalleled opportunities for customers, employees, shareholders, the environment and the North American economy. Together, CN and KCS will create an express route that connects the U.S., Mexico and Canada with a seamless single-owner, single-operator service, and preserve access to all existing gateways to enhance route choices and ensure robust price competition. We maintain that we are the better bid, better partner, better railway and best solution for KCS. We remain confident in our ability to close the combination with KCS and look forward to continuing to engage productively and respectfully with the KCS Board to deliver a superior and pro-competitive transaction to CN and KCS' respective stakeholders."

16:37 EDT Capital Product Partners delivers M/V 'CMA CGM Magdalena, generates $49.2M - Capital Product Partners announced that the M/V 'CMA CGM Magdalena was delivered to its new owners generating gross proceeds from the sale of approximately $49.2M after repaying outstanding debt. The partnership previously announced that had entered into a memorandum of agreement for the sale of the M/V 'CMA CGM Magdalena' and the M/V 'Adonis' expected to be delivered in July/August to an unaffiliated third party for a total consideration of $195M.

16:34 EDT Intrepid Potash announces Trio price increase - Intrepid Potash announced the following updates to its fertilizer pricing. Effective immediately, Intrepid increased its Trio price by $20 per ton on all product grades. Trio price is now posted at $100 per ton above the 2020 summer-fill value. In response to fill programs announced by competitors in early May, Intrepid increased its potash price by $20 per ton last week. Potash price is now posted at $150 per ton above the 2020 summer-fill value. "Tightening supply and strong farmer economics have Intrepid on pace for record domestic deliveries of Trio(R) in the first half of 2021." said Bob Jornayvaz, Intrepid's Executive Chairman, President, and CEO. "At today's commodity prices, Trio(R) continues to provide significant nutrient value to both row crops and chloride-sensitive crops such as citrus and potatoes. The potash fill program allowed for a limited order period for historic volumes and distributors are restocking warehouses ahead of what will likely be another strong fertilizer application in the second half of the year."

16:31 EDT Paulson buys Perpetua, exits American Equity in Q1 - John Paulson's Paulson & Co. disclosed in an SEC filings its holdings as of March 31, 2021. Paulson's three new buys during the first quarter included, by size of position, Perpetua Resources (PPTA) and Talend (TLND). The fund exited three positions in the quarter, including by size of previous position Discovery Class C (DISCK) and American Equity Investment Life Holding (AEL). Paulson increased its stake in five holdings, including by size of previous position Alexion (ALXN), Occidental (OXY), Exxon Mobil (XOM), TIM SA (TIMB), and SandRidge Energy (SD). The fund reduced its stake in three holdings, including by size of previous position Takeda (TAK), Barrick Gold (GOLD), and Thryv Holdings (THRY). The fund's top holdings as of March 31, in order of size, were Bausch Health (BHC), Horizon Therapeutics (HZNP), Brightsphere Investment (BSIG), SPDR Gold Shares (GLD), and Alexion.

16:29 EDT Kinnate announces FDA clearance of investigational new drug application - Kinnate Biopharma announced that the U.S Food and Drug Administration FDA has cleared the company's Investigational New Drug application for KIN-2787 and also announced financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2021. Kinnate expects to initiate a first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial of KIN-2787 in patients with mutant BRAF-driven solid tumors in mid-2021. "In the three years since our founding, Kinnate has consistently hit key milestones essential to our mission of delivering new therapies to patients with difficult-to-treat, genomically-defined cancers. The FDA's clearance of our KIN-2787 IND marks another major achievement for the company and demonstrates the important progress we are making in our transition to becoming a clinical-stage company," said Nima Farzan, Chief Executive Officer of Kinnate. "As we prepare for our first-in-human trial of KIN-2787 later this year, we are also pleased with the rapid advance of our lead FGFR inhibitor candidate, KIN-3248, which we believe may offer a new option for certain patients with cancers like urothelial tumors or intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. We anticipate a first half of 2022 IND filing for KIN-3248." The Phase 1 trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and anti-cancer activity of KIN-2787 in cancer patients with mutant BRAF-driven solid tumors. The dose escalation portion of the trial will determine the recommended dose and schedule of KIN-2787 for further evaluation in patients with BRAF mutations. The dose expansion phase (Part B) of the trial will assess the safety and efficacy of KIN-2787 at the recommended dose and schedule in patients with cancers driven by BRAF Class II or III mutations, including lung cancer, melanoma and other selected adult solid tumors.

16:22 EDT Pershing Square Capital reports 5.3% passive stake in Domino's Pizza - Pershing Square Capital disclosed a 5.3% stake in Domino's Pizza, which represents over 2.03M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:19 EDT Innovative Industrial Properties acquires Warren, MI property for $10.3M - Innovative Industrial Properties announced that it closed on the acquisition of a property in Warren, Michigan, comprising approximately 85,000 square feet of industrial space. The purchase price for the property was approximately $10.3M. Concurrent with the closing of the purchase, IIP entered into a long-term, triple-net lease at the property with a subsidiary of Sozo Companies, Inc. for continued use as a regulated cannabis cultivation, processing and retail facility. Sozo is expected to complete additional tenant improvements for the property, for which IIP has agreed to provide reimbursement of up to approximately $5.7M. Assuming full reimbursement for the tenant improvements, IIP's total investment in the property is expected to be $16.0M.

16:16 EDT Twilio to acquire Zipwhip for $850M - Twilio announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Zipwhip for approximately $850M in an equal blend of cash and stock. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2021.

16:11 EDT Ellington Financial estimates book value per share of $18.21 as of April 30 - Ellington Financial announced its estimated book value per common share of $18.21 as of April 30, 2021. This estimate includes the effect of the previously announced monthly dividend of 14c per common share, payable on May 25, 2021 to holders of record on April 30, 2021, with an ex-dividend date of April 29, 2021.

16:08 EDT Spero Therapeutics awarded up to $23M by NIAID for SPR206 development - Spero Therapeutics announced that it has been awarded funding of $2.09M with the potential for up to an additional $21.3M over 5 years, from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIAID, one of 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health. The funding will support the further clinical development of SPR206, an intravenously (IV)-administered next-generation polymyxin product candidate derived from Spero's potentiator platform that is being developed to treat serious multi-drug resistant Gram-negative infections in the hospital setting. The initial award provides funding for pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies to aid in dose selection, manufacturing process development, clinical microbiology, and support for regulatory interactions. If fully exercised, the award additionally provides funding for a broad range of activities including new drug application (NDA)-enabling toxicology studies, drug substance, and drug product manufacturing, a Phase 1 absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) study, and a Phase 2 clinical proof-of-concept study to evaluate the efficacy of SPR206 in target indications.

16:06 EDT Concert Pharmaceuticals sells VX-561 milestones for $32M to Vertex - Concert Pharmaceuticals (CNCE) announced that Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) has purchased the potential future milestones under the companies' 2017 asset purchase agreement relating to VX-561 for $32M. Under the asset purchase agreement, Vertex acquired worldwide development and commercialization rights to VX-561 and other assets related to the treatment of cystic fibrosis. VX-561 is an investigational cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator potentiator that has the potential to be used as part of future once-daily combination regimens of CFTR modulators that treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis. In 2017, Concert received a one-time cash payment of $160 million upon closing the asset purchase, with the potential for $90 million in future milestones. Following receipt of the $32 million, no further milestone obligations remain.

16:05 EDT Gan Limited to obtain exclusive online rights to future Ainsworth online games - Gan Limited announced it has reached an agreement with Ainsworth Game Technology Limited to obtain the exclusive online rights to all current and future Ainsworth online games, today comprising over seventy unique games, for an undisclosed amount. Jeff Berman, Chief Commercial Officer of GAN, said, "Today's announcement recognizes the benefit of marrying our distribution to Ainsworth's content and is an important step toward disrupting existing distribution channels in the U.S. online gaming space. This agreement ensures that GAN possesses differentiated and exclusive access to what we believe will be an ever-growing focus on recognized retail gaming content naturally sought-after by Americans engaged in playing online casino games. Our goal is to continue to build a leading portfolio of U.S. casino games to benefit our diverse clients and establish ourselves as exclusive providers of premier U.S. content. We are excited to extend our long-standing relationship with Ainsworth, as they have built a global reputation for developing award-winning games for both the online and land-based channels."

16:04 EDT Raven off to 'tremendous start' in FY22, says CEO - "We are off to a tremendous start in fiscal 2022, breaking our previous quarterly record for revenue in Applied Technology, while also making significant progress on our strategic platforms for growth," said Dan Rykhus, President and CEO. "The strong demand we continue to see in our businesses, particularly in Applied Technology and Engineered Films, provides us even greater confidence in our ability to exceed our previous annual revenue record in the current year."

16:03 EDT Desktop Metal buys Adaptive 3D - The company states: "Desktop Metal announced it has acquired Adaptive3D, a leading provider of elastomeric solutions for additive manufacturing. Adaptive3D is a category leader in printed elastomers for additive manufacturing. Its products enable volume end-use parts production via additive manufacturing of odorless, tough, strain-tolerant, tear-resistant, and biocompatible rubbers and rubber-like materials. Adaptive3D's solutions are designed for high-throughput manufacturing, while maintaining low cost of production, with superior material performance. The company serves a broad customer base across consumer, healthcare, industrial, transportation, and oil and gas markets. Adaptive3D offers category-leading photopolymer elastomers. Its products enable volume end-use parts production via additive manufacturing of odorless, tough, strain-tolerant, tear-resistant, and biocompatible rubbers and rubber-like materials. The Company's flagship resin is Elastic ToughRubber 90, a tough, printable elastomer for all seasons. Adaptive3D printable materials are optimized for high-throughput manufacturing of functional, complex 3D plastic and rubber parts in consumer, healthcare, industrial, transportation, and oil and gas markets. Adaptive3D's core technology was developed through Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency funding, and the Company has received strategic capital from leading materials companies including Covestro, Arkema Group, West Pharmaceuticals, Applied Ventures, and Royal DSM."

16:01 EDT Univar, Ingredion expand agreement to distribute PureCircle stevia products - Univar B.V., a subsidiary of Univar (UNVR) announced that it has reached an expanded agreement with Ingredion (INGR) as its exclusive distributor of PureCircle's portfolio of plant-based stevia products in select countries across Europe.

15:29 EDT FDA says data do not support benefit of CytoDyn's leronlimab in treating COVID - The FDA issued a statement on leronlimab that said in part: "FDA recognizes the substantial public interest in medicines that are being studied for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19, especially those medicines that may provide a benefit to patients with the most severe forms of disease that can result in respiratory failure and death. Leronlimab, a monoclonal antibody investigational drug under development by CytoDyn, Inc., is one of the potential medicines that has been studied to determine whether it is safe and effective in treating patients with COVID-19, including those with severe outcomes from COVID-19. CytoDyn has conducted two separate clinical trials investigating leronlimab for the treatment of COVID-19. A smaller trial, titled CD10, which included 86 patients, studied leronlimab's effect on mild-to-moderate COVID-19 disease. A larger trial, titled CD12, which included 394 patients, studied leronlimab's effect on severe symptoms of respiratory illness associated with COVID-19. CytoDyn has communicated information to the public about the results of these trials. Although FDA generally cannot disclose confidential information about unapproved products, we have concluded that given the significant public interest in leronlimab, it is important to provide summary information about the status of the CytoDyn development program... With the conclusion of both the CD10 and CD12 clinical trials, it has become clear that the data currently available do not support the clinical benefit of leronlimab for the treatment of COVID-19. In the smaller study that CytoDyn conducted in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 disease (CD10), there was no observed effect of the drug on the study's primary endpoint or on any of the secondary endpoints. The primary endpoint for the CD10 trial relied on a measure of participants' COVID-19 symptoms called a "total clinical symptom score", which was assigned based on the severity of each participant's fever, muscle aches, shortness of breath, and cough. This score ranged from 0 (no symptoms) to 12 (all 4 symptoms present and severe). The CD10 trial results showed no clinically meaningful differences in average change in "total clinical symptom score" from baseline to Day 14 between study arms (-3.5 in the leronlimab group versus -3.4 in the placebo group). Additionally, none of the secondary endpoints were met in this study, including mortality, time to symptom resolution, and time to return to normal activity. Taken together, the CD10 results indicate that most study participants experienced resolution in COVID-19 symptoms regardless of whether they received leronlimab or placebo. The larger trial that CytoDyn conducted in patients with severe COVID-19 disease (CD12) also failed to find any effect of the drug on the primary study endpoint, with no difference seen in mortality (20.5% in the leronlimab treatment group and 21.6% in the placebo treatment group); or on any of the secondary endpoints, for example, with no difference on the average length of hospitalization (21.4 days in both the leronlimab and the placebo treatment groups)... If CytoDyn plans further studies of leronlimab to determine whether the drug can provide clinical benefit to individuals with COVID-19, FDA will continue to provide advice to the company on their development program." Reference Link

15:02 EDT Jack in the Box announces Tony Darden joins as COO - Jack in the Box announces the addition of new Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Tony Darden, who "brings more than 25 years' experience in multi-unit, quick-service restaurant operations." Darden joins Jack in the Box from MOOYAH Burgers Fries and Shake, where he served as president for the past two years. He has also held chief operating officer titles at Taco Bueno and Sun Holdings, Jack in the Box stated. "Darden's first day on the job is planned for June 7, 2021. He is the fifth new C-suite hire for [Jack in the Box CEO Darin] Harris, who joined Jack in the Box as CEO in 2020," the company added.

14:31 EDT Siemens to acquire Supplyframe for $700M - Siemens has signed an agreement to acquire Supplyframe, a Design-to-Source platform for the global electronics value chain, for $700M. "We are very pleased to welcome Supplyframe's highly innovative and talented team to the Siemens family. Supplyframe will be the nucleus to accelerate our overall digital marketplace strategy," said Cedrik Neike, member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG. "Supplyframe's ecosystem and marketplace intelligence complements our industrial software portfolio perfectly and strengthens our capabilities for the growing market of small- and mid-size customers." Siemens said it will realize significant synergies between Supplyframe's capabilities and its own portfolio with an expected USD mid-triple digit net present value. EPS accretive pre-ppa in second year after closing. Steve Flagg will continue as CEO of the company and join the Siemens Digital Industries Software senior leadership team. The expected revenue of Supplyframe for the fiscal year 2021 is around $70M with profit margins typical for the software business, according to Siemens. Closing of the transaction is subject to customary conditions and is expected in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2021.

14:28 EDT STB says 'current merger rules apply' to transaction between CN and KCS - The Surface Transportation Board announced a decision finding that application of the waiver provision under 49 C.F.R. Section 1180.0(b) to the potential transaction between Canadian National Railway (CNI) and Kansas City Southern Railway (KSU) is not warranted. "Per the Board's decision, the agency's review of the transaction will be governed by the regulations set forth at 49 C.F.R. part 1180, as adopted in Major Rail Consolidation Procedures, 5 S.T.B. 539 (2001). The Board also denied CN's motion to approve a proposed voting trust agreement as incomplete, without prejudice to filing a new motion. The Board's decision in Canadian National Railway Company, Grand Trunk Corporation, and CN's Rail Operating Subsidiaries-Control-Kansas City Southern, The Kansas City Southern Railway Company, Gateway Eastern Railway Company, and The Texas Mexican Railway Company, Docket No. EP 36514," the STB stated. Reference Link

14:08 EDT Citi reports April charge-offs 2.07% vs. 2.49% last month - Reports April 30-plus day delinquencies 1.12% vs. 1.26% last month.

13:53 EDT Western Copper announces C$25.6M strategic investment by Rio Tinto - Western Copper and Gold (WRN) announced earlier a C$25.6M strategic investment by Rio Tinto Canada (RIO) to advance the company's copper-gold Casino Project in the Yukon. Rio Tinto has agreed to subscribe for and purchase 11,808,490 common shares at a price of C$2.17 per share for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately C$25.6M, resulting in Rio Tinto owning approximately 8.0% of Western's outstanding common shares. Western remains the sole owner of the Casino Project and will continue to be the operator. The company will use the proceeds of the strategic investment to fund specific areas of study, which will form part of the feasibility study and permitting with the aim of progressing to a development phase for the Casino Project. The investment represents an opportunity for Rio Tinto to better understand the potential of the Casino Project. "We are pleased to welcome Rio Tinto as a strategic investor in the company. The investment by Rio Tinto, a leading global mining group which operates in 35 countries around the world, and whose purpose is to produce the materials essential to human progress is a strong endorsement of the Casino Project. We look forward to working with Rio Tinto to advance Casino," said Paul West-Sells, President and CEO.

13:52 EDT Duke Energy: Board determined Elliott proposals not in best interests of company

13:51 EDT Duke Energy responds to Elliott Management's letter - Duke Energy's responded to Elliott Management's announcement, saying: "Today's announcement by Elliott is the latest in a series of proposals that the hedge fund has offered to Duke Energy since July 2020. Throughout, Duke Energy's Board of Directors has reviewed their proposals in depth and determined that they are not in the best interests of the company, its shareholders and other stakeholders. Duke Energy will review Elliott's latest proposals as well and the company is always open to new ideas to create growth and value. However, Duke Energy and its Board of Directors will always advocate for the best long-term interests of its shareholders and other stakeholders over any narrow special or short-term interest. Guided by Duke Energy's management team and world-class Board of Directors, Duke Energy is performing at a high level by executing its clean energy strategy, delivering strong, sustainable value for shareholders, customers, communities and its employees, and outlining a clear vision for future growth, grounded in the largest clean energy transition in the country. The company is poised to deploy over $125B of capital over the next decade and deliver 5% to 7% annual earnings growth along the way. As a result, Duke Energy has increased its long-term EPS growth rate and driven the company's share price to outperform the S&P Utility Index in both 2020 and year-to-date. Over the last 12 months, Duke Energy's stock price has increased 25.2% versus 18.7% for the S&P Utility Index. Duke Energy's strategic goals are supported by its history of strong safety and operational performance, and excellent customer services, allowing it to consistently pay shareholders a dividend, which the company has increased for 15 consecutive years... Given the performance of the company, there is no strategic logic to breaking the company apart, and there is serious risk of dis-synergies that would weigh down the various spun-off entities and raise questions about the viability of the dividend to shareholders."

13:06 EDT MDIC selects Booz Allen Hamilton to support benchmarking initiative - The Medical Device Innovation Consortium announced a partnership with Booz Allen Hamilton to establish a benchmark of the medical device industry's cybersecurity maturity and create resources to measure maturity over time. MDIC said, "The benchmark will serve as a critical source of information and further enable the industry to continue to improve product security...The goal of the Medical Device Cybersecurity Benchmarking Initiative is to measure cybersecurity maturity and benchmark across the industry to drive common improvements that reduce overall cybersecurity risk."

12:51 EDT Box 'committed' to engaging with Starboard, investors in good faith - Box, Inc. (BOX) issued the following statement to set the record straight in light of a letter from Starboard Value LP and a related complaint filed by Building Trades Pension Fund of Western Pennsylvania, the Plaintiff, in the Delaware Court of Chancery: "The Plaintiff has already agreed to voluntarily dismiss all claims set forth in the Lawsuit. Last week, the company chose to eliminate restrictions on the voting rights of the preferred stock, and KKR (KKR) will be free to vote without restriction. The Box Board remains unified in its ongoing commitment to acting in the best interests of all stockholders, and to ensuring Box benefits from world-class corporate governance and oversight. The KKR-led investment is about pursuing the best path forward for Box and its stockholders, irrespective of voting structure, and is a strong vote of confidence in Box's position, strategy, and potential. The Strategy Committee of the Box Board, including the three directors who were appointed in 2020 in conjunction with the agreement with Starboard, undertook a multi-month comprehensive review of a wide range of strategic options with the support of independent financial and legal advisors. Following this review, the Strategy Committee unanimously recommended, and the full Board unanimously agreed, that the KKR-led transaction and a share repurchase through a "Dutch auction" self-tender is in the best interests of all stockholders. The transaction provides the ability for stockholders to elect to either monetize their investment or participate in any upside potential with KKR as a committed partner that believes in the growth strategy that the Box Board and management team are executing. The Box Board has embraced suggestions from Starboard and other stockholders that it believes are in the best interests of all stockholders, and not any single one. Further, the company has engaged in a regular and ongoing dialogue with Starboard not only in recent months but also over the last two years. Box remains committed to engaging with Starboard and all stockholders in good faith."

12:03 EDT Elliott sends letter to Duke Energy board, recommends exploring separation in 3 - Elliott Investment Management, which manages funds that have an investment in Duke Energy Corporation that "make it a top 10 investor" in the company, confirms that it sent a letter to Duke's board outlining "a plan to create $12 to $15 billion of line-of-sight near-term value for shareholders." Elliott said that "this value upside is based on observable publicly traded market valuation metrics of Duke's closest peers and does not incorporate meaningfully higher valuations realized in recent transactions in Florida and Indiana, which would result in several billion dollars of incremental value." In the letter, Elliott argued that Duke's long-term underperformance has not been reflective of its high-quality assets and that the company should explore a separation to increase operational focus and improve performance. Elliott's plan proposes that the company commence a strategic review to explore a separation into three regionally focused entities: (1) the Carolinas; (2) Florida; and (3) the Midwest, each of which would be headquartered in the region it serves. "Elliott asserted that this separation will enable greater operational focus resulting in improved execution, better system reliability, lower costs and increased investment in critical infrastructure, including renewables. Elliott noted that it engaged with the Duke board on a private basis over the past month. As a result of incomplete information regarding its involvement after news reports last week, Elliott has determined to make public its views and facilitate a broader discussion of the optimal path forward for the company," the firm stated in a press release.

12:00 EDT Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares falls -9.6% - Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares is down -9.6%, or -87c to $8.19.

12:00 EDT Sunnova Energy falls -10.6% - Sunnova Energy is down -10.6%, or -$3.06 to $25.69.

12:00 EDT Express rises 16.7% - Express is up 16.7%, or 54c to $3.77.

11:49 EDT Keysight Technologies commits to net zero emissions by end of 2040 - Keysight Technologies has announced that it will achieve net zero emissions in its operations by end of fiscal year 2040, a decade ahead of the Paris Agreement's timeline. Keysight's strategy focuses on achieving net zero emissions in its operations through energy efficiency and conservation, investment in renewable energy and selective purchase of certified offsets to neutralize any residual emissions. In particular, the company's renewable energy approach will consider a mix of on-site renewable energy installations, procurement of green energy from utility providers and power purchase agreements in solar and wind energy. To ensure progress and accountability towards the net zero goal, Keysight has committed to the following interim measures: By the end of fiscal year 2030 - the company commits to 55% renewable energy and 10% energy reduction through efficiency and conservation initiatives. By the end of fiscal year 2040 - the company commits to 100% renewable energy and 20% energy reduction through efficiency and conservation initiatives.

11:12 EDT Franklin Electric acquires New Aqua, LLC for total consideration of $150M

10:47 EDT U.S. Supreme Court denies Sandoz petition to review biosimilar Erelzi case - Sandoz announced that the US Supreme Court has denied its petition to review the Federal Circuit's July 2020 decision concerning the Sandoz biosimilar Erelzi for reference medicine Enbrel. The Federal Circuit previously ruled against Sandoz in a divided decision upholding Amgen's patents. "We are disappointed the Supreme Court decided not to review our case," said Keren Haruvi, President of Sandoz US and Head of North America. "Today's decision means Erelzi, a more affordable biosimilar, will not be available to US patients with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases until 2029; nonetheless we remain committed to providing important treatment options for patients affected by these diseases."

10:43 EDT Domtar to expand Engineered Absorbent Materials facility in Georgia - Domtar Corporation announced it will expand its Jesup, Georgia based Engineered Absorbent Materials facility. The project will play an integral role in helping the company grow its position as a leading global absorbent materials and technology business offering fluff pulp and airlaid nonwoven materials. Domtar's EAM facility has been developing and manufacturing innovative, high-quality absorbent core solutions since 1998. This expansion project will add a large scale Dan-Web airlaid production line to the facility. The machine will be fully operational in 2022, enhancing Domtar's ability to supply both domestic and global customers with unique absorbent materials solutions.

10:07 EDT Regeneron, Sanofi Phase 3 data show Dupixent reduced asthma attacks in children - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) and Sanofi (SNY) announced that detailed results from a Phase 3 trial showed Dupixent significantly reduced severe asthma attacks, and within two weeks rapidly improved lung function in children aged 6 to 11 years with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe asthma, with evidence of type 2 inflammation. Dupixent also significantly improved overall asthma symptom control and reduced an airway biomarker of type 2 inflammation that plays a major role in asthma, called fractional exhaled nitric oxide. These data are being presented at the 2021 American Thoracic Society International Conference and featured in the Breaking News: Clinical Trial Results in Pulmonary Medicine Scientific Symposium. The Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled VOYAGE trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of Dupixent combined with standard-of-care asthma therapy in 408 children with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe asthma. Two pre-specified populations with evidence of type 2 inflammation were evaluated for the primary analysis: 1) patients with baseline blood eosinophils patients with FeNO greater than or equal to20 parts per billion or EOS greater than or equal to150 cells/mul. Top line results from the trial, which met its primary and key secondary endpoints, were announced in October 2020. These data showed that patients who added Dupixent to standard-of-care in these two patient groups, respectively, experienced: Substantially reduced rate of severe asthma attacks, with a 65% average reduction over one year compared to placebo. Improved lung function observed as early as two weeks and sustained for up to 52 weeks, measured by percent predicted FEV1.

10:05 EDT Harley-Davidson reaffirms commitment to defend position in Europe - Responding to the announcement by E.U. Executive Vice-President, Valdis Dombrovskis, Harley-Davidson reaffirms its commitment to defend its position in Europe. The company will continue to pursue its legal challenge to the Binding Origin Information revocation, and its application for extended reliance. Harley-Davidson remains committed to free and fair trade and is focused on remaining globally competitive in the interests of all its stakeholders, and is committed to ensuring its customers around the world have access to its products. Jochen Zeitz, chairman, president and CEO of Harley-Davidson, said: "We are encouraged by today's announcement that tariffs affecting our products will not escalate from 31% to 56%. This is the first step in the right direction in a dispute not of our making. Harley-Davidson employees, dealers, stakeholders and motorcycles have no place in this trade war. These tariffs provide other motorcycle manufacturers with an unfair competitive advantage in the E.U. European motorcycles only pay up to 2.4% to be imported into the U.S. We want free and fair trade. UNITED WE RIDE."

10:02 EDT Regeneron Phase 3 data shows REGEN-COV reduces risk of hospitalization, death - Regeneron Pharmaceuticals announced the presentation of detailed results from the Phase 3 pivotal trial showing REGEN-COV significantly reduced the risk of hospitalization or death, shortened symptom duration and reduced viral load in non-hospitalized patients with COVID-19. These data were presented at the 2021 American Thoracic Society International Conference in the Breaking News: Clinical Trial Results in Pulmonary Medicine Scientific Symposium, which features late-breaking information on leading clinical trials in pulmonary and critical care medicine. The Phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated REGEN-COV in 4,567 high-risk outpatients with COVID-19. Two REGEN-COV doses were studied in the trial - the currently authorized 2,400 mg dose and a 1,200 mg dose under evaluation with the U.S. FDA. All patients evaluated for efficacy had at least one risk factor for severe COVID-19, such as chronic lung disease, obesity, cardiovascular disease or being at least 50 years of age. topline results from the trial were announced in March 2021, showing REGEN-COV met its primary and all secondary endpoints, with similar efficacy observed for both doses. These data demonstrated patients treated with 1,200 mg or 2,400 mg REGEN-COV experienced: 70% and 71% reduced risk of hospitalization or death through day 29, compared to placebo. 4-day shorter time to symptom resolution, with a median of 10 days with both REGEN-COV groups compared to a median of 14 days with placebo.

10:00 EDT Sunnova Energy falls -10.0% - Sunnova Energy is down -10.0%, or -$2.88 to $25.86.

10:00 EDT Santander Chile falls -12.5% - Santander Chile is down -12.5%, or -$2.91 to $20.34.

10:00 EDT Peabody Energy rises 10.5% - Peabody Energy is up 10.5%, or 69c to $7.18.

09:49 EDT S&P Dow Jones Indices reaches settlement with SEC - S&P Dow Jones Indices, a division of S&P Global, announced that it has reached a settlement with the U.S. SEC to resolve a matter that was the subject of a previously disclosed Wells Notice. The settlement order finds that S&P DJI, which neither admits nor denies the SEC's allegations, acted negligently in violation of Section 17(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933 with respect to the operation of a then undisclosed quality assurance mechanism and its impact on certain real-time values of the S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures Index ER on a single business day, February 5, 2018. S&P DJI is pleased to have concluded this matter. In the order, the SEC acknowledged S&P DJI's cooperation with the SEC staff. The company agreed to pay a penalty of USD 9 million and to cease and desist from committing or causing any violations and any future violations of Section 17(a)(3) of the Securities Act. The company said in a statement: "S&P DJI takes these matters seriously and is committed to transparency and the integrity of its benchmark determination process. S&P DJI has reviewed its methodologies and its related policies and procedures as part of its index governance processes. The company continues to enhance and strengthen its control framework and operations to meet the needs of its clients and the evolving markets it serves."

09:47 EDT J.Jill falls -10.9% - J.Jill is down -10.9%, or -$1.34 to $10.96.

09:47 EDT Peridot Acquisition Corp. II rises 6.9% - Peridot Acquisition Corp. II is up 6.9%, or 67c to $10.45.

09:47 EDT UWM Holdings rises 9.6% - UWM Holdings is up 9.6%, or 72c to $8.23.

09:37 EDT E Home Household Service Holdings Ltd trading resumes

09:31 EDT Euronet's epay becomes global partner of Revolut - epay, a business segment of Euronet Worldwide, is now the global partner for digital gift card and prepaid products for the UK's fintech app, Revolut. The new partnership between Revolut and the full-service payment provider epay will span across 36 countries via an API integration into Revolut's three apps. Launching in April 2021, epay began providing Revolut customers across these countries with access to an abundance of digital content at both a global and local level across food, entertainment, lifestyle, gaming, health and wellness, home office and office categories from brands such as Twitch, Ikea, Nintendo, and Spotify Premium

09:30 EDT Creatd vocal platform announces milestone of over 25,000 paid subscribers - Creatd announced that its premium membership program, Vocal+, has surpassed 25,000 subscribers. Commented Creatd CEO Jeremy Frommer, "In less than a year-and-a-half since we first rolled out Vocal+, over 25,000 creators have opted to upgrade to a premium membership. We're seeing creators increasingly recognize Vocal as their home base, an all-in-one solution to their content needs."

09:28 EDT Carnival brands resume cruising in Europe, Caribbean - Carnival has announced plans to resume guest cruise operations this summer through seven cruise line brands, with AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn and P&O Cruises UK sailing from global ports in Europe and the Caribbean. Additionally, its Carnival Cruise Line brand has announced possible U.S. restart plans and hopes to begin operating sailings in July on three ships from ports in Miami and Galveston, Texas. The company and several of its brands also hope that cruises will be allowed to sail to Alaska for part of the summer. The brands resuming sailings from global ports over the next several months will be using a gradual, phased-in approach, including limited itineraries that have been announced on 16 initial ships to date, representing nearly 20% of the company's global fleet. The initial cruises will take place with adjusted passenger capacity and enhanced health protocols developed in conjunction with government and health authorities. The newly announced voyages build on recent cruising restarts from the company's Germany-based AIDA Cruises brand, which resumed in late March sailing in the Canary Islands, and its Italy-based Costa Cruises brand, which restarted in May sailing to Italian ports.

09:28 EDT Revive Therapeutics enters into feasability agreement with LTS Lohmann - Revive Therapeutics is pleased to announce it has entered into a feasibility agreement with LTS Lohmann Therapie-Systeme, a leader in pharmaceutical oral thin films, to develop and manufacture a proprietary oral psilocybin thin film strip for the Company's clinical and commercial initiatives to evaluate in mental illness, neurological and substance abuse disorders. Under the terms of the Agreement, LTS shall perform certain formulation development of oral psilocybin thin films, to support preclinical studies for the product development, as well as GMP manufacturing of clinical trial supplies.

09:27 EDT Apollo Global appoints Craig Farr as senior partner - Apollo Global Management announced that Craig Farr will join the Firm as a Senior Partner to lead Apollo's capital solutions activities. In this newly created role, Mr. Farr will spearhead Apollo's centralized origination, structuring and distribution platform, reporting directly to Apollo Co-Presidents, Scott Kleinman and Jim Zelter. Mr. Farr will lead Apollo's continued expansion in front-end origination, structuring and distribution to ensure that Apollo's broad capital base is being effectively delivered to borrowers in a solutions-oriented manner. With Mr. Farr's leadership alongside Apollo Senior Partner Howard Widra and MidCap Financial, Apollo's market-leading middle market lending platform, Apollo will continue to provide borrowers with flexible capital structure solutions to meet any financing need. Mr. Farr most recently served as a Senior Advisor to Carlyle from 2017 to 2019.

09:25 EDT Amazon Music HD to be available to Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers at no cost - Amazon Music announced that going forward, its high-quality streaming tier, Amazon Music HD, will be available to all eligible Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers at no extra cost. "When we first launched Amazon Music HD, our goal was to lead the industry by enabling music fans around the world to stream the best quality recording, the way artists intended their music to be heard. We're thrilled now to make Amazon Music HD available to everyone at no extra cost. All music fans should have access to this quality of music, and now they do!" said Steve Boom, VP of Amazon Music.

09:25 EDT Murphy USA announces 3,000 positions hiring campaign - Murphy USA announced a hiring campaign to fill 3,000 positions across its 1,650 stores to support the company's continued growth. As one of the largest national gasoline and convenience retailers serving an estimated 2M customers per day, Murphy USA is seeking applicants for full-time and part-time positions. Current incentives include a 2021 Summer Bonus of $500 at select stores for new team members who are hired by May 31.

09:24 EDT Parsons awarded $185M contract by SMC/SPG - Parsons has been awarded a task order contract by the Space and Missile Systems Center Special Programs Directorate, or SMC/SPG, for Integrated Solutions for Situational Awareness, or ISSA, support, potentially worth up to $185M. The cost-plus-fixed-fee, or CPFF, contract has a one-year base period with four one-year options. It will provide SMC/SPG and its strategic partners with highly specialized services in IT engineering, space domain expertise, software development, scientific analysis, and data analytics to develop, maintain, sustain, and enhance the ISSA system.The task order award will enable continued use of Parsons' existing ISSA software contributions with targeted enhancements to enable continued rapid delivery of mission capability, providing an immediate foundation for growth. In addition to delivering operational, technical, and space domain awareness expertise, Parsons will meet critical innovation and agility goals for the ISSA effort by providing unique solutions in astrophysics, intelligence, data analytics, and multi-domain operations.

09:21 EDT Conduent business unit awarded $178M contract in UK - Conduent Transportation, a global business unit of Conduent, announced it was selected by the UK Department of Transport's Highways England to implement and manage an automated free-flow charging solution for the Dartford-Thurrock Crossing of the River Thames east of London. The value of the contract is GBP128M, or approximately $178M, over 10 and a half years. T

09:20 EDT AT&T merger commented by Elliott Investment - Elliott Investment Management released a statement on behalf of Managing Partner Jesse Cohn and Portfolio Manager Marc Steinberg regarding AT&T's plan to merge media assets with Discovery: "It has been a transformational year at AT&T year since John Stankey took over as CEO, and today's announcement represents another impressive step in the Company's recent evolution. AT&T has now executed on its promise to streamline operations and re-focus on its core businesses, all while improving operational execution, enhancing its financial position and advancing its corporate governance. As investors, Elliott supports AT&T in its efforts to best position the company for future success."

09:17 EDT Nuwellis presents data on Aquadex FlexFlow system - Data supporting the effectiveness of Aquadex FlexFlow system in the treatment of acutely decompensated heart failure patients was presented May 16th at the 2021 American College of Cardiology conference. The single-center study evaluated 30 ADHF patients in mainstream setting who were treated with Aquadex therapy. The Aquadex FlexFlow is developed by Nuwellis formerly CHF Solutions, Inc., a company dedicated to changing the lives of people suffering from fluid overload. The study showed 83% of patients treated with Aquadex therapy experienced clinical symptom improvement and significant weight decrease - the mean fluid removed was 9.40L. In addition, heart failure related readmissions were significantly reduced at 60 days and moderately at 90 days. Findings from this study compared favorably to several randomized controlled trials on ultrafiltration as well as the ten-year results published by Abington-Jefferson Health last fall.1,2 All found that ultrafiltration using the Aquadex system: Is effective in driving fluid removal and weight loss in ADHF patients; Decreases heart failure readmissions; Has no significant impact on renal function.

09:17 EDT Comtech awarded $2M contract for Ka-band TWTAs - Comtech Telecommunication 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 $2.0 million order for rugged Ka-band high power traveling wave tube amplifiers for a U.S. military communications system that provides a secure internet connection to U.S. soldiers without the need for fixed infrastructure.

09:16 EDT DuPont invests $5M in Europe facilities to up capacity for automotive adhesives - DuPont Mobility & Materials announced it is investing $5M in capital and operating resources at its manufacturing facilities in Germany and Switzerland to increase capacity for its automotive adhesives. The investment will expand capacity to support growing demand for advanced mobility solutions for vehicle electrification. New equipment has been delivered and installed that will increase manufacturing capacity as well as accelerate delivery of product samples to customers. This capacity increase in Europe follows recent announcements the company has made reinforcing its ability to produce and supply customers with advanced adhesives solutions in the Asia-Pacific region.

09:15 EDT Global Indemnity appoints Reiner Mauer as COO - Global Indemnity Group parent company of Penn-America Group, United National Group, Diamond State Group, American Reliable Insurance Company, and Collectibles Insurance Services announced the appointment of Reiner R. Mauer as the COO of Global Indemnity's insurance businesses and the Company's principal operating officer. Mauer is a 29-year veteran property & casualty insurance industry senior executive, with expertise in commercial and personal lines insurance, specialty insurance and operations. Prior to joining Global Indemnity, Mauer served for sixteen years at Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK) U.S. Liability Insurance Company, most recently as President of the Property/Casualty Division. Prior to USLI, Mauer served as Senior Vice President of Business Operations and as a member of the senior management team at Talk America Holdings.

09:14 EDT Scynexis sees cash runway into 2023 - Cash and cash equivalents totaled $92.0 million on March 31, 2021, compared to $93.0 million in cash and cash equivalents on December 31, 2020.

09:11 EDT Concentrix to sell insurance administration operations and software platform - Concentrix announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to sell its insurance third-party administration operations and software platform to Abry Partners, a leading Boston-based private equity firm, and Hoplon Capital, an asset manager focused on digital disruption of end markets including insurance. This will create a new company which will operate as a standalone business bringing innovation to the insurance marketplace. The transaction is expected to close by the end of May 2021 subject to the approval of customary regulatory requirements and closing conditions. The sale does not impact Concentrix' financial guidance for FY21, which remains unchanged.

09:08 EDT Apple Music to add Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos - Apple's (AAPL) Apple Music is adding Spatial Audio with support for Dolby (DLB) Atmos. Dolby Atmos is an immersive audio experience that enables artists to mix music so the sound comes from all around and from above the listener. Apple Music subscribers will also be able to listen to more than 75 million songs in Lossless Audio. These new features will be available for Apple Music subscribers starting next month at no additional cost. By default, Apple Music will automatically play Dolby Atmos tracks on all AirPods and Beats headphones with an H1 or W1 chip, as well as the built-in speakers in the latest versions of iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple Music will be adding new Dolby Atmos tracks constantly and will be curating a special set of Dolby Atmos playlists. Albums that are available in Dolby Atmos will have a badge on the detail page.

09:07 EDT ZoomInfo names Chetna Mahajan as Chief Information Officer - ZoomInfo announced that Chetna Mahajan has joined as Chief Information Officer. With nearly two decades of experience in technology and operations, she will lead ZoomInfo's information technology strategy to accelerate digital transformation and operational excellence as the company continues its rapid growth. Mahajan will serve on ZoomInfo's executive leadership team and report to Chris Hays, ZoomInfo's Chief Operating Officer. "Chetna's ability to strategically align digital technology and business operations is unmatched," said Hays. "She has exceptional expertise in scaling enterprise-wide information technology initiatives and running multimillion-dollar projects successfully for international companies. Chetna will be instrumental in helping our customers grow their businesses rapidly and enabling our company to continue to innovate globally."

09:06 EDT Summit Therapeutics expects cash to fund requirements into 4Q22 - The Company's existing cash and cash equivalents and committed external funding are expected to be sufficient to enable the Company to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the fourth quarter of 2022.

09:05 EDT Abbott receives CE Mark for TAVI system - Abbott announced it has received CE Mark for its latest-generation transcatheter aortic valve implantation, or TAVI, system, Navitor, making the minimally invasive device available for people in Europe with severe aortic stenosis who are at high or extreme surgical risk.

09:03 EDT Sabina Gold & Silver provides site development, engineering updates - During the first quarter, much has been advanced on the project, including the following: Procurement of the initial surface mining fleet for the first year of pit development consisting of seven 64 tonne haul trucks with associated drilling, loading and support equipment. Procurement of phase I of the permanent accommodation complex, building steel and cladding for the process plant, crusher building and truck shop, construction equipment necessary for concrete placement and building erection as well as equipment required for winter ice road construction. Sabina is also working with a logistics specialist to finalize the execution strategy for mobilizing goods and equipment to site. Site civil works continue including ground support of the box cut face which Sabina is developing for the underground exploration ramp and harvesting of esker material for concrete production and plant site preparation work. The erection of a 60' x 100' underground shop has been completed and installation of site services for power and compressed air supply for underground activities is ongoing. 1,800 meters of a planned 4,000 meter exploration drilling program has been completed. Necessary geotechnical drilling of proposed water containment areas is finished. To facilitate this work, transportation of over one million litres of fuel and 1.5 million pounds of supplies and consumables for surface civil works has also been completed. Engineering Update: Detailed engineering is approximately 75% complete and is expected to be completed in late Q2 with issued for construction drawings and finalized vendor interfaces. Sabina has also entered into a contract with FLSmidth to complete the engineered design and fixed pricing for the plant, including commissioning, training and spare requirements. Sabina is also continuing to negotiate a performance guarantee on plant equipment. The Company has also engaged an Arctic experienced constructor who has completed constructability reviews and is developing an execution plan focused on providing a fixed price bid on construction deliverables.

09:00 EDT Musk says Tesla 'has not sold any Bitcoin' - In a Tweet earlier replying to another Twitter user, Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated: "To clarify speculation, Tesla has not sold any Bitcoin" Reference Link

08:57 EDT FTC Solar comments on supply chain environment - FTC Solar announced it will report its first quarter 2021 financial results before market open on Tuesday, June 8, 2021. A conference call for members of the investment community will be held at 8:30 a.m. E.T. that same day, during which the Company will discuss its first quarter 2021 results, its outlook and other business items. This call will be webcast and can be accessed within the Investor Relations section of the FTC Solar corporate website at investor.ftcsolar.com. A replay of the conference call will also be available on the website for 30 days following the webcast. In advance of the call, FTC Solar President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony Etnyre provided the following statement regarding the Company's first quarter 2021 results and the current supply chain environment: "We were pleased to become a publicly traded company last month, and we are now looking forward to providing our first quarter 2021 earnings results and sharing, for the first time, information about our business outlook moving forward. In advance of that discussion, we are certainly aware of meaningful concerns associated with increasing commodity costs, especially for steel, and increasing logistics costs for international imports. As discussed in detail in our IPO offering materials, FTC Solar is not immune to those pressures, and we have seen steel and logistics pricing continue to increase since that time. However, we are pleased to report that, during the first quarter of 2021, the financial impact of these factors on our performance was manageable. The impacts for first quarter of 2021 are primarily related to shifting a small amount of revenue from the first quarter into the second quarter as a result of a supplier production delay, as well as a small increase in expense reflecting the portion of additional logistics costs that were not passed through to customers. At FTC Solar we do not currently have any multi-project customer agreements with unprocured or unhedged steel liability. It has been our strategy to lock in our commodity pricing on a project-by-project basis to align our commodity costs with the pricing we offer to customers. Earlier this year, we also expanded and reinforced our global supplier base that spans across 13 countries, improving our ability to procure all necessary supplies for existing and expected projects. While we did not see a significant impact on our business from these factors during the first quarter of 2021, we continue to monitor the global commodity and logistics environment. In particular, while we expect that increased commodity and logistics costs will result in higher pricing for customers under their agreements with us, we continue to monitor the overall impact that these higher costs, along with higher costs for other solar project materials not sold by FTC Solar, for example modules, will have on customers and their project-development timelines. We are exploring additional opportunities to limit the impact of rising steel prices and commodity prices on our customers. In the meantime, our contracted and awarded order volume has continued to grow, we continue to progress on implementation of our cost-reduction roadmap, and our balance sheet was recently strengthened by raising approximately $181 million in the IPO and establishing a $100 million revolver, each while holding no debt. We believe we are further positioning ourselves to capitalize on the significant growth opportunities we see ahead."

08:56 EDT DiaMedica Therapeutics receives FDA clearance for DM199 IND application - DiaMedica Therapeutics announced that the FDA has accepted the company's investigational new drug, or IND, application. The company plans to proceed with a pivotal Phase 2/3 study of DM199 for the treatment of patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke, or AIS.

08:53 EDT Nuvve Holding and Stonepeak forming $750M joint venture for EV solutions - Nuvve Holding and certain investment vehicles managed by Stonepeak Partners, a private equity firm specializing in infrastructure investing, announced an agreement to pursue the formation of a new sustainable infrastructure joint venture called Levo Mobility. Upon signing of definitive documents and closing, Levo will utilize Nuvve's proprietary V2G technology and Stonepeak's capital to help accelerate the deployment of electric fleets, including zero-emission electric school buses for school districts nationwide through "V2G hubs" and Transportation as a Service. Stonepeak plans to deploy up to an aggregate $750M capital commitment to Levo. V2G allows EVs to earn revenue by combining energy from multiple batteries to form virtual power plants and access energy markets, sell energy back to the grid, and perform services that stabilize the grid. Nuvve, Stonepeak, and Evolve agree to finalize definitive agreements for the formation of Levo within 90 days. Following closing, Stonepeak and Evolve will fund Levo's acquisition and development of agreed assets and infrastructure up to an aggregate capital commitment of $750M. Stonepeak and Evolve would be granted the ability to upsize their capital commitments upon deployment of the initial $750M. Nuvve will seek shareholder approval for the issuance of shares of common stock. Definitive agreements for the joint venture are expected to be signed and closing is expected to occur prior to the end of July.

08:50 EDT Evolve, Nuvve and Stonepeak to form infrastructure joint venture - Evolve Transition Infrastructure (SNMP) announced an agreement with Nuvve Holding (NVVE), and certain investment vehicles managed by Stonepeak Partners, a private equity firm specializing in infrastructure investing, to pursue the formation of a new sustainable infrastructure joint venture called Levo Mobility. Upon signing of definitive documents and closing, Levo will utilize Nuvve's proprietary V2G technology and capital from Stonepeak and Evolve to help accelerate the deployment of electric fleets, including thousands of zero-emission electric school buses for school districts nationwide through "V2G hubs" and Transportation-as-a-Service. Stonepeak and Evolve plan to deploy up to an aggregate $750M capital commitment to Levo, with a maximum of 10% of such capital commitment being funded by Evolve. Levo expects to initially focus on electrifying school buses and associated charging infrastructure plus V2G services to provide safer and healthier transportation for children while supporting CO2 emission reduction, renewable energy integration, and improved grid resiliency. Levo also plans to work with commercial fleets such as last-mile delivery, ride hailing and ride sharing, and municipal services.

08:48 EDT Jesse Cohn says Elliott supports AT&T plan to merge assets with Discovery - Jesse Cohn, Head of U.S. Equity Activism at Elliott Management, stated on Twitter: "It's been a transformational year at @ATT since John Stankey took over as CEO & today's announcement represents another impressive step in their recent evolution. @ATT has now executed on its promise to streamline operations and re-focus on its core businesses [...] all while improving operational execution, enhancing its financial position and advancing its corporate governance. As investors, @Elliottinvmgmt supports @ATT in its efforts to best position the company for future success" Reference Link

08:45 EDT Medirom Healthcare reports 301 salons in April - The number of salons was 301 in April 2021, up from 290 in the year-ago period, primarily as a result of openings of new salons. Total customers served were 63,682 in April 2021 versus 13,381 in April 2020, a 376% increase due to a recovery from the COVID-19 impact. Sales per customer slightly decreased to JPY 6,250 in April 2021, up from JPY6,209 in April 2020. The decrease from the previous month is due to promotional pricing for the newly opened and rebranded salons. Our repeat ratio, a measure of repeat customers, was 81.4% in April 2021, down from 88.0% in April 2020. The repeat ratio in April 2020 was higher due to fewer new customers during the COVID-19 lock-down. Our operation ratio recovered from the COVID-19 impact to 46.3% in April 2021, increasing from 19.7% in the year-ago period.

08:44 EDT Alto Ingredients sells ethanol production facility to Seabord Energy California - Alto Ingredients announced the completion of the sale of its fuel ethanol production facility in Madera, CA to Seaboard Energy California. The Company received $19.5M in cash proceeds and an additional $8.8M in assumption of liabilities. The Company used the $19.5M in net proceeds to prepay principal and accrued interest on its senior notes outstanding. After the close, the Company's outstanding balance of its senior notes is only $700,000.

08:43 EDT Dime Community named as official bank of New York Islanders and UBS Arena - Dime Community Bank announced that it has reached an agreement to become the official retail and commercial bank of the New York Islanders and the new UBS Arena at Belmont Park, the New York metropolitan area's most anticipated new live entertainment venue. Dime has also been named a founding partner of UBS Arena, the cutting edge live entertainment and sports venue, scheduled to open in the fall. UBS Arena is a $1.1B multi-purpose arena under construction and development adjacent to the Belmont Park racetrack. The world class entertainment venue, with its timeless and classic design, will bridge its iconic past with today's advanced technology and amenities. In addition to being the new home to the famed New York Islanders Hockey Club, UBS Arena is one of the few venues in the world designed with a sharp focus on music and will create one of the best and most special experiences for both artists and audiences. In addition, as a result of the partnership, Dime will have access to 2,000 arena employees and Dime employees will have opportunities to attend select arena games and concerts and to participate in Dime community service events with Islanders' talent.

08:39 EDT Kearny Financial approves new stock repurchase plan - Kearny Financial, the holding company for Kearny Bank, announced that the Board of Directors has authorized a new stock repurchase plan to acquire up to 4,064,649 shares or approximately 5% of the Company's outstanding common stock. The new stock repurchase plan will go into effect upon the completion of the Company's current stock repurchase plan. As of May 13, there were 321,820 shares of the Company's common stock remaining to be repurchased under the current stock repurchase plan.

08:38 EDT ExlService announces strategic partnership agreement with ACORD - EXL has announced an ongoing strategic partnership agreement with ACORD. The partnership will enable EXL to leverage ACORD's standards and data exchange solutions to create and commercialize next-generation digital solutions for the P&C insurance industry in the areas of underwriting and distribution, policy services, accounting, settlements, and claims.

08:37 EDT Colony Capital subsidiary Digital Colony to acquire Landmark Dividend - Colony Capital (CLNY) subsidiary Digital Colony affiliates have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Landmark Dividend, a real estate and infrastructure acquisition and development company. LD owns, among other things, 100% of the membership interests in the general partner of Landmark Infrastructure Partners (LMRK) and 13.2% of the common units representing limited partner interests in LMRK. Digital Colony intends to submit a proposal to the LMRK Board, subject to completion of the Sponsor Acquisition, to acquire substantially all of the assets of LMRK. Such acquisition, if consummated, would result in the payment of $13.00 per common unit in cash to LMRK's unaffiliated unit holders in a transaction valuing LMRK at approximately $972M. Digital Colony has also informed the General Partner that when the Sponsor Acquisition is completed, it intends to continue LD's current strategy of not pursuing additional drop-down acquisitions to LMRK and would evaluate LMRK's distribution policy in order to maintain reserves sufficient to provide for the proper conduct of LMRK's business. The Sponsor Acquisition is expected to close within several weeks, subject to customary closing conditions.

08:36 EDT Troika Media launches Troika Labs division - Troika Media Group announced the launch of Troika Labs, a new division with the primary mission to leverage its expansive data and content creation capabilities to provide a fully integrated digital and creative offering to clients on a global scale. Troika Labs will be a data-driven content practice built on the intelligence and insight that media provides about which content connects brands with people in the most compelling and personalized way. By aligning and leveraging consumer and media data from TMG's digital investments, Troika Labs can deliver a higher level of consumer insight and increase the efficiency and impact of both the creative product and client media investments. Troika Labs will be led by Chief Digital Officer Gregg Lester. Lester will report to Robert Machinist, CEO of TMG.

08:32 EDT Equillium announces three presentations on itolizumab at the AAI - Equillium announced that three posters detailing the novel mechanistic activity of itolizumab were presented at the 2021 American Association of Immunologists, or AAI, Annual Meeting held May 10-15. "As leaders in CD6 biology, we are proud to be presenting important research that continues to advance the field and provide greater insight into the importance of the CD6-ALCAM pathway and its role in the pathogenesis of T cell mediated diseases," said Stephen Connelly, Chief Scientific Officer of Equillium. "This series of posters highlight itolizumab's potent and broad inhibition of T cell activity, how itolizumab mechanistically inhibits those T cells - through a loss of CD6 - and that we now have an assay to monitor the loss of CD6 on T cells in patients as a pharmacodynamic biomarker."

08:30 EDT Alimera Sciences appoints David Dyer as Chief Retina Specialis - Alimera Sciences has announced the expansion of its leadership team with the appointment of David Dyer as Chief Retina Specialist. Dyer brings his extensive medical knowledge and business expertise to the company, while continuing to see patients out of his longstanding practice in Kansas City, Missouri. Dyer founded Retina Associates in 1999, one of the most well-established and advanced practices devoted to diagnosing and treating diseases of the retina, macula, and vitreous in the Greater Kansas City area and the surrounding communities. Dyer also founded TreVia Digital Health, a health care company that provides technology-enabled services, including digital diabetic retinopathy screenings, for the diagnosis and prevention of diabetic retinopathy complications and iTronix Systems, a medical device development company.

08:30 EDT Seaport Global Acquisition Corporation (Class A Stock) trading resumes

08:29 EDT Box stockholder Starboard Value sends letter, issuing Books and Records request - Box stockholder Starboard Value, with an ownership interest of approximately 8% of the company's outstanding shares, delivered an open letter to Box stockholders "reiterating its significant concerns with the company's $500M convertible preferred equity financing and the board's continued refusal to engage constructively with Starboard". In the letter, Starboard also disclosed its intention to submit a Books and Records request to inspect books and records relating to the company's review of strategic options, including the financing and the proposed upcoming "Dutch auction" self-tender.

08:28 EDT Landmark Infrastructure trading halted, news pending

08:28 EDT Galectin expects cash to fund operations at least through Sept. 30, 2022 - As of March 31, 2021, the Company had $20.8 million of cash and cash equivalents. On April 16, 2021, the Company received $10,000,000 in proceeds from an unsecured convertible promissory note from its Board Chairman, Richard E. Uihlein. The Company also has a $10 million unsecured line of credit, under which no borrowings have been made to date. The Company believes it has sufficient cash, including availability under the line of credit, to fund currently planned operations and research and development activities through at least September 30, 2022. The Company expects that it will require more cash to fund operations after September 30, 2022 and believes it will be able to obtain additional financing as needed. Currently, we expect to require an additional approximately $35-$40 million to cover costs of the trial to reach the planned interim analysis estimated to occur in the second half of 2023 along with drug manufacturing and other scientific support activities and general and administrative costs. However, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in obtaining such new financing or, if available, that such financing will be on terms favorable to us.

08:27 EDT Redbox to become public through $693M Seaport Global Acquisition combination - Redbox (RDBX) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to combine with Seaport Global Acquisition (SGAM), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company. The transaction will result in Redbox becoming a publicly traded company with an enterprise value of $693M. Upon closing, Redbox's common stock is expected to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol RDBX. As part of the transaction, all existing shareholders will roll 100% of their equity in Redbox, including funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global (APO), which acquired Redbox through the acquisition of Outerwall in September 2016. Upon close of the combination, these existing shareholders will hold approximately 59% of the outstanding common stock. The company generated $114M of adjusted EBITDA in 2020, despite limited new theatrical content and lockdowns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Redbox converts on average over 80% of its adjusted EBITDA directly into free cash flow and expects growth of adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow through 2023, driven by an increase of theatrical content as releases return to historical levels as well as digital revenue growth. Following the completion of the transaction, Galen Smith, who has served as Redbox's CEO since 2016, will continue to lead the company along with the existing management team. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the board of directors of Seaport Global Acquisition and Redbox and is expected to close in Q3, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The transaction, which values Redbox at an enterprise value of $693M, will be funded by a combination of $145M of cash held in the trust account of Seaport Global Acquisition, and a fully committed PIPE of $50M. Upon completion of the transaction, Redbox expects to have approximately $209M in cash that will be used to pay down existing debt and fund digital expansion, content acquisition and marketing initiatives. All references to cash on the balance sheet, available cash from the trust account and retained transaction proceeds are subject to any redemptions by the public stockholders of Seaport Global Acquisition and payment of transaction expenses.

08:25 EDT Siyata Mobile delays release of Q4, Q1 financial results - Siyata Mobile announces that it has delayed the release of Q4 2020 and Q1 2021 financial results that were scheduled to be released on Monday, May 17, 2021 after the market close. It has also delayed the associated earnings call originally scheduled for Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 8:30 a.m. ET / 5:30 a.m. PT. The financial results will be released at a later date and time, and the conference call will be rescheduled. Management will announce the new timeline of events.

08:25 EDT Neuronetics announces 100,000 TMS treatments milestone - Neuronetics announced Southern California TMS Center, a NeuroStar Advanced Therapy provider with 12 treatment centers across Southern California, has delivered more than 100,000 NeuroStar transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, treatments. Medical Director, Todd Hutton is the immediate past President of the Clinical TMS Society and was one of the first Neurostar providers following FDA approval in 2008.

08:23 EDT Calithera Biosciences and Antengene announce license agreement for CB-708 - Antengene and Calithera Biosciences announced an exclusive, worldwide license agreement for the development and commercialization of CB-708, Calithera's small molecule inhibitor of CD73. Under the terms of the license agreement, Calithera will receive an upfront payment and potential development, regulatory and sales milestones, and is eligible to receive tiered royalties on sales of the licensed product within the range of single to low double-digits. CD73 generates adenosine that is highly immunosuppressive.

08:21 EDT Illumina appoints Susan Tousi as Chief Commercial Officer, Aravanis as CTO - Illumina,announced that it is appointing Susan Tousi as Chief Commercial Officer and Dr. Alex Aravanis as Chief Technology Officer Head of Research and Product Development. "We're fortunate to have Susan and Alex, two of the strongest leaders in the genomics industry, take on these large, important roles," said Francis deSouza, Chief Executive Officer of Illumina. "Susan and Alex are talented and passionate executives with successful track records of creating a compelling vision, building great teams, delivering exceptional results, and championing our culture. In their new roles, they will help further accelerate our innovation roadmaps and expand our customer relationships globally."

08:20 EDT Telus investing $17B across Ontario through 2024 - To complement the $53 billion TELUS has invested in Ontario since 2000, TELUS announced today it is investing an additional $17 billion in infrastructure and operations across Ontario through 2024 to further support the province through the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent economic recovery. These investments will create important and tangible social outcomes for us all by enabling Ontarians to work, learn, access healthcare, and socialize from home during these unprecedented times. TELUS' significant investments include: Bringing our blistering-fast 5G network speeds to connect 24 more communities across the province to 5G utilizing our current spectrum holdings by the end of 2021. The broad deployment of 5G across our province will contribute to improved health and educational outcomes for Ontarians, supporting environmental sustainability, enabling our entrepreneurial spirit, and unleashing human productivity. It is estimated that 5G will create 250,000 jobs1 and contribute $150 billion to Canada's economy over the next 20 years. Hiring 10,000 Ontarians primarily in construction, engineering and emerging technologies at TELUS and through our vast partner ecosystem now through 2024.

08:19 EDT Silicon Labs, Flip team to fulfill end-of-life and obsolete component solutions - Flip Electronics has signed an agreement with Silicon Labs to distribute its end-of-life semiconductor products. Silicon Labs offers the industry's most comprehensive IoT ecosystem as a leading provider of silicon, software, and solutions for a smarter, more connected world. Silicon Labs serves tens of thousands of global customers, thousands of applications, and hundreds of leading partners. These include organizations defining the next wave of technology, such as Project Connected Home over IP and Amazon Sidewalk. Silicon Labs' market-leading wireless and MCU solutions are focused on driving performance, energy savings, and connectivity in a broad range of smart home, industrial, and commercial applications. "Silicon Labs is an outstanding addition to our product portfolio of industry-leading semiconductor partners," states Jason Murphy, CEO of Flip Electronics. "The markets that Silicon Labs creates solutions for will now have an authorized source to help provide supply chain solutions and to avoid line shutdowns due to obsolete components. As component makers release new products faster, the pace of obsolescence has also increased. OEMs and EMS providers may no longer be able to source a part designed into their equipment. Manufacturers turn to us to source obsolete electronic components and avoid counterfeit parts. We will be there to support them as an ECIA-authorized distributor." "Our award-winning technologies are shaping the future of the Internet of Things," says John Dixon, VP Global Distribution, Silicon Labs. "The addition of Flip Electronics to our distribution network allows us to further enhance our customer experience with an authorized distributor that supports our EOL and obsolete products and understands unique supply chain needs."

08:18 EDT Interpace Biosciences subsidiary announces new capability using GeoMx platform - Interpace Pharma Solutions, a subsidiary of Interpace Biosciences, announced that it will offer a new capability in providing Digital Spatial Profiling services using the novel GeoMx testing platform. GeoMx combines the benefits of IHC/FISH and high-throughput expression analysis into one streamlined tissue multiplexing assay. Protein and nucleic acids can now be measured by Interpace with an unparalleled level of precision, from whole tissue to single cell, in either an FFPE sample or frozen tissue section. The unique combination of high-plex and high-throughput spatial profiling provided by GeoMx enables researchers to rapidly and quantitatively assess the biological implications of the heterogeneity within tissue samples. Many applications are possible including, morphologically-guided gene expression profiling, biomarker discovery, and the profiling of tumor heterogeneity, microenvironments, and cancer stem cells.

08:16 EDT MasterCard, Mercado Libre and others join to provide financial support service - A new initiative in Latin America supported by Mastercard (MA), Mercado Libre (MELI), the IDB's Retirement Savings Laboratory, and Common Cents Lab, a financial behavior research lab at Duke University, seeks to use behavioral science to help entrepreneurs and SMEs in the region make better financial decisions. According to the IDB's COVID-19 Labor Market Observatory, during the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 31 million people lost their jobs in Latin America, and the United Nations anticipates the worst recession for the region in a century. With support from the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth for the next two years, Common Cents Lab team will work with digital platforms including Mercado Libre, the largest e-commerce site in Latin America, to design strategies based on behavioral science, which can be validated and adopted by multiple players in the region. Thus, these strategies will contribute to the growth of digital platforms offering greater financial resilience for the most vulnerable entrepreneurs and workers.

08:15 EDT F-star Therapeutics expects cash to fund operating plans into 2H23 - Cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2021 were $3.7 million, compared to $18.5 million at December 31, 2020. Based on the Company's current operating plan, the Company believes its cash and cash equivalents at March 31, 2021, together with the net proceeds from the recent sales of common stock in the underwritten public offering and under the ATM, and funds from its debt facility will be sufficient to fund its current operating plans into the second half of 2023.

08:13 EDT Humanigen and Chime Biologics in manufacturing pact for lenzilumab for Covid - Humanigen announced that they have entered into a manufacturing services agreement to produce lenzilumab bulk drug substance and drug product for Humanigen for commercial sale following receipt of the requisite regulatory authorizations or approvals in regions outside of the United States including Europe, the United Kingdom, India and Brazil. "With the recent announcement of the results from the LIVE-AIR Phase 3 clinical trial of lenzilumab, we are pleased to enter into a partnership with Chime to help with our anticipated commercial production of lenzilumab," said Cameron Durrant, MD, MBA, chief executive officer of Humanigen. "Following a competitive process focused on quality, technical abilities, supply chain and economic criteria we selected Chime as our first foreign CDMO to supply lenzilumab to ex-US markets." Under the terms of this agreement, Chime will use the state-of-the-art modular single use KuBio (Cytiva) biologics facility in China. The cell culture capacity at the facility is 24,000L with planned expansion to 140,000L and Chime would be willing to commit at least 56,000L for Humanigen manufacture annually. Technical transfer work has already begun, and commercial product is planned to be available in 2022.

08:10 EDT Optical Cable Corporation awarded $1M contract from DoD contractor - Optical Cable Corporation has been awarded a contract to supply certain of OCC's proprietary products to a major defense contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense. OCC has received a purchase order totaling more than $1.0M. The company expects to begin manufacturing the products in Q3 and continuing throughout FY21. Further details regarding the contract were not disclosed.

08:07 EDT Bed Bath & Beyond appoints John Barresi to Chief Accounting Officer - Bed Bath & Beyond named John Barresi in the newly created role of Senior VP of Finance, Chief Accounting Officer, effective June 7. Barresi will report to CFO Gustavo Arnal. The company announced additional changes in senior finance positions, each of whom will report into Arnal, including: the promotion of Laura Crossen to SVP, Treasury, Tax, and Finance Transformation, effective immediately. Crossen was previously VP and has been with the Company since 2001. Susie Kim as VP of Investor Relations, succeeding Janet Barth. Kim was most recently VP of Investor Relations and Treasurer for ABM Industries. Lisa Adinolfi as VP, Controls, Audit and Risk Services, succeeding Pasquale Monterosso. Adinolfi most recently served as Partner with PwC's Risk Assurance group. Barresi comes to Bed Bath & Beyond from Tiffany & Co., where he most recently served as VP of Global Business Transformation.

08:04 EDT Scienjoy signs framework agreement with Qingyin Culture for WeChat ecosystem - Scienjoy has entered into a strategic framework agreement with Qingyin Culture Technology, a multi-channel network on WeChat Channels, a short video platform embedded in WeChat. As part of this agreement, Scienjoy will leverage Qingyin Culture to accelerate its deployment in the WeChat ecosystem, build a closed loop of private domain traffic operation and market for its e-commerce business. Qingyin Culture is a MCN that originated in the WeChat Channels ecosystem. Its primary user demographic is women aged 20 to 40 years old who live in first-tier to fourth-tier cities in China. Qingyin Culture operates livestreaming and integrates private domain e-commerce businesses, ranging from physical products to training courses. Qingyin Culture will also integrate Scienjoy's resources and technological advantages in the mobile entertainment livestreaming industry.

08:03 EDT Prometheus appoints Fred Hassan to board of direcrors - Prometheus Biosciences announced the appointment of Fred Hassan to its Board of Directors. Mr. Hassan joined Warburg Pincus LLC, a global private equity investment institution, in 2009 and currently serves as Director. Previously, Mr. Hassan served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Schering-Plough from 2003 to 2009.

08:01 EDT Teresa Poggenpohl joins Unisys as Chief Marketing Officer - Unisys Corporation announced that Teresa Poggenpohl, who formerly served Accenture as chief marketing and communications officer for North America, has joined the company as chief marketing officer and senior vice president, Marketing and Communications. She reports directly to Unisys Chair and Chief Executive Officer Peter Altabef. "Teresa is a recognized leader in IT services and an innovator in her field who will bring her deep experience to our marketing and communications efforts as we position our company and our solutions for future growth," said Altabef. "The Unisys story is both inspiring and evolving. Teresa will lead the way in working with teams throughout the company and beyond to communicate our compelling message."

07:57 EDT Mogo to acquire Canadian broker-dealer Fortification Capital - Mogo has entered into a binding letter of intent to acquire 100% of Fortification Capital, a Canadian registered investment dealer, for a combination of cash and common shares of Mogo. The acquisition of Fortification would bring OEO registration capabilities which is a necessary regulatory requirement for Mogo to offer stock trading to its members. Mogo would acquire the necessary licenses, registration and technology to accelerate the development of the company's planned commission free stock trading solution. MogoTrade is expected to launch in 2021. Mogo has agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding securities of Fortification from the sole shareholder of Fortification in exchange for a cash payment of C$500K, a cash payment equal to the working capital of Fortification plus repayment of the subordinated debt owed to the Vendor at the time of closing, anticipated to be approximately C$550K; and 75,000 Mogo Shares. One-half of the Mogo Shares to be issued to the Vendor at closing will be subject to a six-month escrow restriction and the other one-half will be subject to a three-year escrow restriction. t is anticipated that Fortification will continue to operate as a stand-alone wholly-owned subsidiary of Mogo following closing of the transaction.

07:55 EDT iBio expects cash to fund operations at least through Mar. 31, 2023 - iBio had $103.9 million in cash, cash equivalents and debt investments as of March 31, 2021. The Company further strengthened its financial position through the aforementioned settlement of litigation with Fraunhofer USA. The Company believes it will have sufficient resources to fund its planned operations at least through March 31, 2023, inclusive of its planned investment in the FastPharming Discovery Platform and potential in-licensing activities.

07:50 EDT GT Gold announces completion of acquisition by Newmont - GT Gold is pleased to announce the successful completion of the previously-announced plan of arrangement with Newmont Corporation under the Business Corporations Act. Pursuant to the Arrangement, Newmont has acquired the remaining 85.1% of the outstanding common shares of the Company not already owned by Newmont or its affiliates. Upon completion of the Arrangement, GT Gold became an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Newmont. The Arrangement was approved by GT Gold's shareholders at a special meeting held on May 6, 2021, and by the Supreme Court of British Columbia on May 10, 2021. Under the terms of the Arrangement, shareholders of GT Gold, will receive C$3.25 per GT Gold common share in cash. The Company expects that its common shares will be delisted from the TSX Venture Exchange on or about May 21, 2021, and the Company intends to promptly apply to cease to be a reporting issuer in Alberta and British Columbia. Newmont trades on the New York Stock Exchange and on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

07:42 EDT Fisker enters partnership with Sharp to support in-vehicle screens, interfaces - Fisker (FSR) announced it has serially nominated Sharp (SHCAY), part of Hon Hai Technology (HNHPF), to develop technologies supporting in-vehicle screens and interfaces. The agreement would include the co-creation of technologies and the subsequent manufacture of screens and components from Sharp to support the Ocean SUV, Project' PEAR' and potentially two additional Fisker vehicles. Fisker and Sharp will work to optimize the global production strategy for all screens and related products. The sourcing strategy will seek to balance cost, total environmental impact, and logistics. Fisker intends to start production and deliveries on its first vehicle, the Ocean electric SUV, in Q4 2022 and unveil a production-intent prototype at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this year. On May 13, Fisker and Foxconn announced the signing of framework agreements for Project PEAR, a new segment vehicle to be jointly developed by both companies and sold under the Fisker brand into global markets including North America, Europe, China, and India. Project PEAR will be the company's second model, with US production slated for Q4 2023.

07:40 EDT Bellicum Pharmaceuticals expects cash to fund requirements into 2Q22 - Bellicum reported cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash totaling $29.6 million as of March 31, 2021, compared to $37.0 million as of December 31, 2020. Based on current operating plans, Bellicum expects that current cash resources will be sufficient to meet operating requirements into the second quarter of 2022.

07:40 EDT Discovery Communications trading resumes

07:37 EDT W.P. Carey announces four transactions totaling $170M - W. P. Carey announced four investments totaling $170M and covering approximately 1.1M square feet. The investments comprise properties net leased to industry-leading tenants with a weighted-average lease term of approximately 16 years, bringing investment volume year-to-date to approximately $765Mwith a weighted-average lease term of 22 years. The investments include: a $65M sale-leaseback of a 316,300-square-foot food production facility net leased to a leading supplier of shelf-stable, dairy-based food and beverage products; a $52M acquisition of a 203,800-square-foot flex R&D and manufacturing facility net leased to Velodyne Lidar; a $27M off-market acquisition of a 567,000-square-foot Class-A light manufacturing facility net leased to a U.S. wholly-owned subsidiary of Knowlton Development; a $26M acquisition of a student housing asset comprising 94 units across 49,500 net rentable square feet, net leased to Monroe College.

07:35 EDT Ondas to acquire American Robotics for $70.6M - Ondas announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire American Robotics, a developer of fully-automated commercial drone systems and the first and only company approved by the FAA to operate its drones beyond-visual-line-of-sight, or BVLOS, without a human operator on the ground. This acquisition will integrate the two companies' technology platforms and increase automation, data collection, and AI-powered analytics in industrial markets. American Robotics brings together IP, a Robot-as-a-Service business model, and its FAA approvals. Founded in 2016 by roboticists, the American Robotics team is comprised of engineers, entrepreneurs, business leaders and industry veterans. Ondas is acquiring American Robotics for consideration valued at approximately $70.6M. The purchase price will be funded via a mixture of cash and equity securities. Ondas had previously made a loan to American Robotics in the aggregate amount of $2M on April 22. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by the Ondas stockholders of the equity securities to be issued to American Robotics stockholders. The transaction is expected to close in Q3.

07:33 EDT Vitalhub completes acquisition of business from Jayex Healthcare - VITALHUBis pleased to announce it has completed the acquisition of the on-premise hospital queue management business segment of Jayex Healthcare Limited. Total consideration paid by VitalHub is GBP 1.3M. Jayex received the Purchase Price as GBP 1.04M in cash and GBP 0.26M in VitalHub common shares. The Shares were issued at CAD$2.915 per Share, and resulted in 150,078 Shares being issued. In addition, for 24 months after closing of the Acquisition, Jayex may receive an earn-out based on earned revenues of the Jayex System, capped at a total of GBP 1M. The Company had 36,471,462 Common Shares issued and outstanding. Upon delivery of the Shares, the Company now has a total 36,621,540 issued and outstanding Common Shares.

07:30 EDT CAS Investment Partners sends letter to At Home Group board - CAS Investment Partners, which beneficially owns approximately 17% of the outstanding common stock of At Home Group announced that it has sent the following letter to the Company's Board of Directors as you know, CAS holds approximately 17% of At Home's outstanding common stock and is currently the Company's largest stockholder. This is why we hoped the Board would substantively engage with us following our initial outreach to you and Hellman & Friedman last week. We are extremely disappointed that the Board ultimately chose to ignore our stated concerns regarding the proposed sale of At Home to H&F. We are writing to you today to underscore that CAS intends to vote against the transaction as currently structured. If necessary, we are also prepared to take steps to prevent a sale to H&F under the present terms. Although this is not our preferred path, we will not sit idly by as the Board tries to push through a sale that we believe grossly undervalues the Company and deprives stockholders of anything resembling a fair premium.

07:28 EDT Athenex announces presentation of clinical data from GINAKIT2 phase 1 study - Athenex announced that investigators from Texas Children's Cancer Center and the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine presented new clinical data from the ongoing GINAKIT2 phase 1 study of Athenex's cell therapy candidate KUR-501 targeting GD2 in neuroblastoma at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy, or ASGCT, 24th Annual Meeting on Friday, May 14. Observed responses to date in 11 evaluable, heavily pretreated patients with neuroblastoma, include one complete response or CR, and one partial response, or PR. Four additional patients have exhibited stable disease, or SD. The durations of response for the CR and PR were approximately 5 and 3 months, respectively. No patients experienced grade 2 or higher toxicities related to the GD2-CAR NKTs. Post-treatment tumor biopsies showed GD2-CAR NKTs homing to metastatic lesions at all dose levels. The CAR-NKT AUC normalized to disease burden appears to be associated with response to therapy.

07:27 EDT G1 Therapeutics presents posters on economic impact of treating myelosuppression - G1 Therapeutics presented two scientific posters at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research describing the estimated economic impact of treating myelosuppression among patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. The posters are available in the scientific publications section of the G1's website. COSELA was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on February 12, 2021 to decrease the incidence of chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression in adult patients when administered prior to a platinum/etoposide-containing regimen or topotecan-containing regimen for ES-SCLC. Cost-Benefit Analysis of Trilaciclib for the Prevention of Chemotherapy-Induced Myelosuppression in Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer: The first poster details a cost-benefit model estimating the economic value from a U.S. commercial payer perspective of using COSELA prior to chemotherapy in patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. According to the model, the estimated potential total cost savings per patient is $15,006 - savings that are based on a projected reduction in myelosuppressive adverse events and their associated treatment costs. The authors attributed this cost saving, in part, to data from previous trials indicating that use of COSELA prior to chemotherapy was associated with fewer myelosuppressive AEs: 0.6 AEs per patient with COSELA compared to 2.7 myelosuppressive AEs per patient without COSELA. Overall, the authors suggested that the model indicates that COSELA could be an economically favorable innovation when addressing the incidence of myelosuppression in patients with ES-SCLC receiving a platinum/etoposide-containing chemotherapy regimen. Trends in Prevalence, Treatment Patterns, Myelosuppression, and Burden on the Health Care System Among Patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer: A SEER-Medicare Analysis: The second poster quantifies the impact of treatment-induced myelosuppression among Medicare patients diagnosed with SCLC, thereby contributing to the growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating the significant health burden, economic toll, and health-related quality-of-life effects of chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression. The presented findings - among the first to evaluate healthcare utilization in a SEER Medicare-linked data set of SCLC patients - provided an epidemiologic assessment quantifying the real-world prevalence, treatment patterns and healthcare burden of myelosuppression prior to the availability of COSELA. Among the findings of this SEER Medicare epidemiologic study: Nearly three-quarters of chemotherapy-treated patients experienced anemia during the timeframe studied; Neutropenia was reported in 45.2% of chemotherapy-treated patients overall; Thrombocytopenia was reported in 27.0% of chemotherapy-treated patients overall; Pancytopenia was reported in 24.4% of patients overall; and During the same period, 74.3% of chemotherapy-treated patients experienced at least one inpatient admission associated with myelosuppression.

07:25 EDT Orthofix announces US and European full market launch of OSCAR PRO system - Orthofix Medical announced the U.S. and European full market launch of the OSCAR PRO Ultrasonic Arthroplasty Revision System. Designed to reduce the challenges associated with revising failed cemented arthroplasties, the OSCAR PRO is an ultrasonic surgical system that aids in the removal of cement during complex joint revision surgeries. OSCAR PRO system for arthroplasty procedures and osteotomies.The OSCAR PRO system is a fourth generation product from the OSCAR line that has been the gold standard in assisting with complex joint revision surgeries since 1990," said Orthofix President of Global Orthopedics Paul Gonsalves. "The technology is well accepted and has been used successfully for decades in removing cement total joint arthroplasties and aiding cementless prosthesis removal. We are pleased to continue to bring new innovations to the market to assist surgeons in performing these often challenging procedures."

07:24 EDT OraSure appoints Scott Gleason as SVP, investor relations - OraSure Technologies (OSUR) announced that Scott Gleason has been appointed Senior Vice President Investor Relations and Corporate Communications effective today. Prior to joining OraSure, Mr. Gleason served as the Senior Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Strategy for Myriad Genetics (MYGN).

07:22 EDT Baudax Bio announces publication of results from Phase IIIb study of ANJESO - Baudax Bio announced that the results of the Phase IIIb study evaluating ANJESO, or meloxicam, injection administered preoperatively prior to colorectal surgery were published online in the journal Pain Management. ANJESO is the Company's marketed, non-opioid, once daily, intravenous, or IV, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, or NSAID, agent for use in adults for the management of moderate to severe pain that is indicated for use alone or in combination with other non-NSAID analgesics.

07:20 EDT AT&T, Discovery to create global DTC business through Reverse Morris Trust - AT&T (T) and Discovery (DISCA) announced a definitive agreement to combine WarnerMedia's premium entertainment, sports and news assets with Discovery's nonfiction and international entertainment and sports businesses to create a standalone global entertainment company. Under the terms of the agreement, which is structured as an all-stock, Reverse Morris Trust transaction, AT&T would receive $43B in a combination of cash, debt securities, and WarnerMedia's retention of certain debt, and AT&T's shareholders would receive stock representing 71% of the new company; Discovery shareholders would own 29% of the new company. The boards of both AT&T and Discovery have approved the transaction. Bringing together the leadership teams, content creators, and series and film libraries. The new company is projectd for 2023 revenue of approximately $52M, adjusted EBITDA of approximately $14B, and free cash flow conversion rate of approximately 60%. The transaction is expected to create at least $3B in expected cost synergies annually for the new company. The new company will compete globally in the direct-to-consumer business bringing content to DTC subscribers across its portfolio, including HBO Max and the recently launched discovery+. The transaction will combine WarnerMedia's content library of IP with Discovery's global footprint, local-language content and regional expertise across more than 200 countries and territories. The companies announced that Discovery president and CEO David Zaslav will lead the proposed new company with a management team and operational and creative leadership from both companies. Discovery's current multiple classes of shares will be consolidated to a single class with one vote per share. The new company's board will consist of 13 members, seven initially appointed by AT&T, including the chairperson of the board; Discovery will initially appoint six members, including CEO David Zaslav. The combination will be executed through a Reverse Morris Trust, under which WarnerMedia will be spun or split off to AT&T's shareholders via dividend or through an exchange offer or a combination of both and simultaneously combined with Discovery. The transaction is expected to be tax-free to AT&T and AT&T's shareholders. In connection with the spin-off or split-off of WarnerMedia, AT&T will receive $43B in a combination of cash, debt securities and WarnerMedia's retention of certain debt. The new company expects to maintain investment grade rating and utilize the significant cash flow of the combined company to rapidly de-lever to approximately 3.0x within 24 months, and to target a new, longer term gross leverage target of 2.5x-3.0x. WarnerMedia has secured fully committed financing for the purposes of funding the distribution. The transaction is anticipated to close in mid-2022, subject to approval by Discovery shareholders and customary closing conditions, including receipt of regulatory approvals. No vote is required by AT&T shareholders. Agreements are in place with John Malone and Advance to vote in favor of the transaction.

07:19 EDT Akoustis announces its XBAW filters selected by leading SoC maker - Akoustis Technologies announced that its patented XBAW filters are being included in a new WiFi 6E reference design by a leading system-on-chip, or SoC, maker. This is the third SoC reference design partner for WiFi 6E announced by Akoustis since March as its WiFi 6E coexistence solution continues to gain adoption in the market. The 5.5 GHz filter module covers the UNII 1-3 spectrum of the WiFi 6E standard, while the 6.5 GHz filter module covers the entire UNII 5-8 spectrum.

07:17 EDT Aaon promotes Christopher Eason to Chief Accounting Officer - AAON announced that its Board of Directors has promoted Christopher D. Eason to the position of Chief Accounting Officer, effective May 11. Christopher D. Eason joined AAON in 2018 as Controller and Financial Reporting Manager. Prior to joining the Company, he served as a Senior Manager at Grant Thornton, LLP, where he had 13 years of experience in the assurance division. Eason is a licensed certified public accountant and graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Accounting.

07:13 EDT Galera Therapeutics doses first patient in Phase 2b GRECO-2 trial of GC4711 - Galera Therapeutics announced the first patient has been dosed in the randomized Phase 2b GRECO-2 trial of GC4711 in combination with stereotactic body radiation therapy, or SBRT, in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer, or LAPC. GC4711 is a selective small molecule dismutase mimetic being developed to increase the anti-cancer effect of radiation. Enrollment of the first patient in this trial has triggered a $20M milestone payment from funds managed by Blackstone Life Sciences to Galera under the amended royalty agreement.

07:12 EDT AC Immune and Janssen expand Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of ACI-35.030 - AC Immune announced that the Company and its strategic partner Janssen Pharmaceuticals, have expanded the ongoing Phase 1b/2a clinical trial of the Companies' anti-phosphorylated-Tau, or pTau, vaccine candidate ACI-35.030 for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, or AD. The trial expansion, which is based on encouraging interim safety, tolerability and immunogenicity results to date, specifically includes vaccination of additional AD patients at the second highest dose to support continued development of ACI-35.030 into Phase 2b/3. In parallel, the trial continues to evaluate patients in the highest dose cohort, for which the first interim results will be available in Q4 2021. Interim results from the low and second highest dose groups of the Phase 1b/2a trial showed that ACI-35.030 vaccination generated a potent antigen-specific antibody response against pTau in 100% of older patients with early AD with no clinically relevant safety concerns observed to date. These data, as well as additional interim Phase 1b/2a results, will be presented at an upcoming medical congress.

07:11 EDT Adicet Bio expects cash to fund expenses through beginning of 2H23 - Cash and cash equivalents and marketable debt securities were $223.4 million as of March 31, 2021, compared to $94.6 million as of December 31, 2020. The Company expects that current cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of March 31, 2021 will be sufficient to fund its operating expenses through the beginning of the second half of 2023.

07:09 EDT Acasti Pharma receives non-compliance letter from Nasdaq - Acasti Pharma announced that, on May 11 the Company received notice from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Department indicating that, based upon the Company's non-compliance with the $1.00 bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550 as of May 10 the Company's securities were subject to delisting unless the Company timely requests a hearing before the Nasdaq Hearings Panel. The Company has previously disclosed and expected such notification from Nasdaq and believes it has options to regain compliance, preferably in connection with its proposed acquisition of Grace Therapeutics as is often done in connection with similar transactions. The Company plans to timely request a hearing, which will stay any further action by Nasdaq pending the conclusion of the hearing process. Importantly, Acasti is prepared to take definitive action to regain compliance with the Rule and otherwise ensure the Company's continued listing on Nasdaq. The Company understands that Panel hearings are typically scheduled within 30-45 calendar days of an issuer's request, and in accordance with the Nasdaq Listing Rules, the Panel has the discretion to grant the Company an extension through November 8 to regain compliance with the Rule. At the hearing, the Company will present a detailed plan of compliance for the Panel's consideration, which will include the Company's commitment to implement a share consolidation if needed to evidence compliance with the Rule. Should the Company determine that a share consolidation is necessary or otherwise advisable, the Company would likely take such action concurrent with the completion of its proposed acquisition of Grace.

07:08 EDT JetBlue names Ursula Hurley acting CFO - JetBlue announced that Ursula Hurley, head of treasury and investor relations, has been named acting chief financial officer. She succeeds Steve Priest, who has decided to leave JetBlue effective June 11, 2021 to pursue a new opportunity. Hurley will assume the role of acting chief financial officer effective June 12, 2021, in addition to her current duties.

07:07 EDT Foghorn Therapeutics doses first patient in clinical trial of FHD-286 - Foghorn Therapeutics announced that the first patient has been dosed in a first-in-human clinical trial of FHD-286 in metastatic uveal melanoma, or mUM. A separate clinical study of FHD-286 in relapsed/refractory acute myelogenous leukemia, or AML, is also underway. FHD-286 is a selective inhibitor of the BAF chromatin remodeling complex ATPases BRG1 and BRM, and the first program in Foghorn's diverse pipeline of novel drug candidates targeting genetically determined dependencies within the chromatin regulatory system. FHD-286 is not only the company's first clinical stage program, the company believes it is also the first drug candidate directly targeting the chromatin regulatory system to enter clinical trials.

07:05 EDT Beyond Meat and Pizza Hut expand global partnership - Beyond Meat and Pizza Hut announced an expansion of their global partnership to bring new plant-based protein menu items to Canada. Beginning, fans in the west end of the GTA and Edmonton can order three new craveable offerings featuring Beyond Italian Sausage Crumble. The new Beyond Meat topping is exclusive to Pizza Hut and available on pizzahut.ca or through the Pizza Hut app for contactless delivery or pick-up. Beyond Italian Sausage is made with simple, plant-based ingredients and is designed to deliver the meat-like flavor and juicy texture of Italian pork sausage with the added nutritional and environmental benefits of plant-based protein.

07:04 EDT Zentalis announces anticipated milestones - The Company plans to report interim results from numerous ongoing trials with ZN-c5 and to share guidance on future development plans for this product candidate in the second quarter of 2021. Zentalis expects to initiate several studies in the coming months, including: A Phase 2 trial of ZN-c3 in uterine serous carcinoma in the third quarter of 2021; A Phase 1/2 trial of ZN-c3 in combination with chemotherapy in osteosarcoma in the third quarter of 2021; and A Phase 1/2 trial of ZN-c3 in combination with GSK's niraparib in ovarian cancer in the second half of 2021.

07:04 EDT Aerpio Pharmaceuticals and Aadi Bioscience announce merger agreement - Aerpio Pharmaceuticals and Aadi Bioscience, a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focusing on precision therapies for genetically-defined cancers with alterations in mTOR pathway genes, announced their entry into a definitive merger agreement. Following the proposed merger, Aerpio will change its name to "Aadi Bioscience" and the combined public company will focus on advancing Aadi's lead product candidate, FYARROTM. In support of the merger, Aerpio has entered into subscription agreements to raise $155M in a Private Investment in Public Equity, or PIPE, financing led by Acuta Capital Partners and KVP Capital and including Avoro Capital Advisors; Avoro Ventures; Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners; BVF Partners; Vivo Capital; Alta Bioequities; Rock Springs Capital; RTW Investments; Acorn Bioventures; and Serrado Capital as well as other undisclosed institutional investors. The PIPE financing is expected to be consummated concurrently with the closing of the merger. Proceeds from the PIPE financing are intended to be used for commercialization of FYARRO in advanced malignant PEComa and a planned tumor-agnostic registrational trial in solid tumors harboring inactivating alterations in the mTOR pathway genes TSC1 and TSC2 expected to be initiated by the end of 2021. Upon closing of the transaction, the combined company will be led by Aadi's CEO, Neil Desai, and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Aadi's board members Neil Desai and Richard Maroun; Aadi's board observer Karin Hehenberger; and current Aerpio board members Anupam Dalal and Caley Castelein will be members of the board of directors of the combined company.

07:03 EDT Discovery Communications trading halted, news pending

07:02 EDT Lordstown Motors announces Lordstown Week - Lordstown Motors Corp. announced Lordstown Week, a weeklong event at the company's Ohio headquarters, hosted by the Lordstown Motors executive team and featuring factory tours, presentations and test drives of the Lordstown Endurance, the world's first all electric commercial pickup truck. From June 21-25, investors, analysts, customers and partners will spend time with the management team, and tour the Lordstown Motors facilities to experience firsthand how the production team is preparing the plant for the ramp up to be ready for the beginning of early production units of the Endurance in late September of this year.

06:56 EDT Aerpio Pharmaceuticals Inc trading halted, news pending

06:52 EDT NovaBay launches i-Chek Illuminated Eye Examination Mirror - NovaBay Pharmaceuticals announces the availability of i-Chek Illuminated Eye Examination Mirror on Amazon. i-Chek is a unique portable, lightweight, handheld lighted mirror featuring 10x magnification that is specifically designed for at-home precise visual resolution and high magnification of the eyes, eyelashes and eyelids.

06:49 EDT U.S. Well Services says working with customers to begin price increases in Q2 - The company said, "As anticipated, the first quarter of 2021 saw a sharp uptick in activity across the industry as E&P producers responded to higher crude oil prices. U.S. Well Services expects E&P operators to demonstrate capital discipline going forward, which may limit demand for incremental fracturing fleets in the near term. While the active fleet count in the U.S. recovered along with the broader oil and gas market, pricing for conventional diesel-powered frac services has lagged. This segment of the market remains oversupplied and faces unsustainable pricing levels. U.S. Well Services has been actively working with its customers to begin implementing price increases during the second quarter of 2021. The Company is committed to operating with discipline and will only maintain fleets that are priced to meet return and cash flow objectives."

06:47 EDT Qiagen announces agenda for Annual General Meeting - QIAGEN also announced the agenda for the Annual General Meeting, which is to be held virtually on June 29, 2021. The meeting will be held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in line with Dutch legislation. The agenda includes regular recurring agenda items, including the discharge of the Managing Board and Supervisory Board, an advisory vote on the remuneration report, and proposals related to the Managing Board and Supervisory Board remuneration policies. Among other topics to be discussed at the AGM is QIAGEN's commitment to increasing its focus on sustainability topics within the Environmental, Social and Governance framework. The Supervisory Board has decided to rename the Selection & Nomination Committee to become the Nomination & ESG Committee, while the Compensation Committee has been renamed as the Compensation & Human Resources Committee. Seven of the current Supervisory Board members will be proposed for re-election to one-year terms: Lawrence A. Rosen, Dr. Metin Colpan, Thomas Ebeling, Dr. Toralf Haag, Prof. Dr. Ross Levine, Prof. Dr. Elaine Mardis and Elizabeth A. Tallett. Additionally, Chief Executive Officer Thierry Bernard and Chief Financial Officer Roland Sackers are proposed for re-election as Managing Board members for one-year terms. Stephane Bancel, a member of the Supervisory Board since 2013, has decided not to stand for re-appointment due to his very significant role as CEO of Moderna, Inc., a leading provider of vaccines in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

06:44 EDT Synchrony reports April net charge-off rate 3.24% vs. 3.72% last month - Reports April 30-plus day delinquencies 1.58% vs. 1.73% last month.

06:38 EDT Centrus Energy reports nuclear fuel sales over previous 12 months of $225M - Centrus Energy has secured new nuclear fuel sales contracts and commitments valued at approximately $225M over the past 12 months. The new sales contracts and commitments cover deliveries in North America, Asia, and Europe from 2021 through 2027, with revenues to be recognized in the year of delivery.

06:35 EDT Aon to sell retirement, investment business in Germany to LCP - Aon (AON) announced the firm has signed a definitive agreement to sell its pensions consulting, pension insurance broking, pensions administration and investment consulting business in Germany to Lane Clark & Peacock, or LCP. The agreement resolves questions raised by the European Commission with respect to the markets in which these businesses are active. Aon and Willis Towers Watson (WLTW) continue to work toward obtaining additional regulatory approval in all relevant jurisdictions, including the United States, where regulators are conducting an independent review of the proposed combination. LCP posted record income of GBP 126.5M during FY 2019-2020, an increase of 10.1%. The retirement and investment business LCP will acquire includes 350 colleagues across five offices in Germany and will be rebranded as LCP upon close of the transaction. The transaction with LCP is contingent on the completion of the pending Aon and Willis Towers Watson combination, as well as other customary closing conditions.

06:35 EDT Gold Resource appoints Alberto Reyes as COO - Gold Resource announces the addition of Alberto Reyes to the Company's senior leadership as its new COO. Alberto Reyes, a B.Eng by training, has more than 20 years of experience in the mining industry in an operational capacity. His international experience includes North and Latin America, South Africa, Australia, the Philippines, Ghana, and Brazil. Reyes' expertise includes operations, mine planning, feasibility studies, developing cost-saving strategies, and community and government relations. Reyes has progressively held more senior roles in Newcrest Mining LTD, GoldFields International Luna Gold Corp, and most recently Vice President of Operations at Coeur Mining.

06:33 EDT Hexo to acquire 48North for $50M - HEXO and 48North Cannabis announced that they have entered into a definitive arrangement agreement under which HEXO will acquire, by way of court-approved plan of arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act, all of 48North's issued and outstanding common shares in an all-share transaction valued at approximately $50M on an enterprise value basis. Under the terms of the Arrangement Agreement, 48North shareholders will receive 0.02366 of a HEXO common share in exchange for each 48North common share held. Taking into account half of the working capital bridge loan being made available to 48North by HEXO as part of the Transaction, the Exchange Ratio implies a premium per 48North common share of approximately 20% based on the 10-day volume-weighted average price of 48North common shares on the TSX-V and HEXO common shares on the TSX as of the close of markets on May 14. HEXO has entered into voting and support agreements with 48North's directors and officers with respect to all 48North shares owned by them as well as voting and support agreements with certain other shareholders covering all of those shareholders' common shares of 48North. As a result, in total approximately 25.9% of 48North's issued and outstanding common shares are subject to signed voting and support agreements with commitments to support and vote in favour of the Transaction.

06:32 EDT Verso completes sale of Duluth, Minnesota mill - Verso announced the completion of the sale of the company's closed mill in Duluth, Minnesota, to ST Paper 1, LLC, effective May 13.

06:19 EDT Segro publishes Green Finance Framework - SEGRO has published its Green Finance Framework. building on the Responsible SEGRO strategy launched in February 2021. The Framework, which applies to SEGRO, its subsidiaries and joint ventures including SEGRO European Logistics Partnership, integrates financial strategy with the Responsible SEGRO commitments. The Responsible SEGRO strategy has three central commitments: Championing low-carbon growth;Investing in our local communities and environments; Nurturing talent. The Green Finance Framework identifies projects which can be financed through green bonds, loans and other debt products. The projects, known as Eligible Green Projects, must support our Responsible SEGRO commitments as well as the Group's business strategy. These include the development and acquisition of buildings with high quality environmental certifications, refurbishments of existing buildings which improve their energy efficiency and discrete projects which encourage clean transportation, generate renewable energy, reduce pollution and which have a positive influence on local biodiversity.

06:16 EDT Zomedica appoints Greg Blair as VP, business development - Zomedica announced that it has hired a Vice President Business Development to lead its acquisition and licensing efforts. To support Zomedica's product and technology expansion efforts, Greg Blair has joined the Company as Vice President Business Development, becoming a member of the senior executive team reporting to Mr. Cohen. Mr. Blair comes to Zomedica after six successful years of increasing responsibility for business development at Elanco Animal Health. Separately, the Company announced that Dr. Stephanie Morley will be leaving Zomedica.

06:12 EDT Liberty Gold appoints Brian Martin asVP, business development - Liberty Gold (LGDTF) is pleased to announce the appointment of Brian Martin as Vice President, Business Development. Prior to joining Liberty Gold, he served in senior corporate development roles at SSR Mining (SSRM) during its growth into an intermediate precious metals producer.

06:10 EDT Ascent Solar completes delivery of contract for HyperLight Thin-film Modules - Ascent Solar Technologies announces that the Company has completed the delivery of a major contract for its HyperLight thin-film modules for high altitude airship applications. The HyperLight family of modules further reduces packaging and PV module mass, achieving power-to-weight ratio of over 350 W/kg for a fully laminated product on an airship, while streamlining customer operations to integrate the modules to their application. The company said, "The shipment represents the third and the largest order from the customer since March 2018. The customer is the developer of the world's most advanced unmanned, helium-filled airship operating in the stratosphere at an altitude greater than 60,000 feet above sea level. The robust, versatile and solar-powered high-altitude platform aims to provide several services, including to deliver high-speed internet directly-to-device, enable high-resolution real-time Earth imagery, and facilitate other humanitarian endeavors."

06:09 EDT NanoString launches WTA for spacial analysis research using GeoMx DSP - NanoString Technologies announced the commercial availability of the Mouse Whole Transcriptome Atlas, or WTA, for spatial analysis research using the GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler, or DSP. This launch extends the GeoMx RNA portfolio, which combines the power of spatial biology and Next Generation Sequencing, or NGS, to enable full transcriptome spatial RNA and high-plex protein analysis on the GeoMx DSP. The GeoMx Mouse WTA provides an unbiased, spatial view of all protein-coding genes and is designed for NGS readout on Illumina sequencers. The WTA extends the GeoMx RNA Assay portfolio from a focus on oncology and immunology to new applications in neuroscience, developmental biology, and additional diverse fields. The GeoMx Mouse WTA platform provides the opportunity to examine the relationship between pathology and gene expression within a tissue section.

06:07 EDT Amazon.com launches WorkingWell health and safety program - Amazon announced the launch of WorkingWell, a new comprehensive program providing employees with physical and mental activities, wellness exercises, and healthy eating support that are scientifically proven to help them recharge and reenergize, and ultimately reduce the risk of injury. The program is part of the company's investment of more than $300 million into safety projects in 2021, and its mission to be Earth's Safest Place to Work. There are a number of components of WorkingWell, each of which was developed in collaboration with employees from within Amazon operations. Aspects of WorkingWell piloted in the U.S. in 2019, and the program has since expanded to 859,000 employees at 350 sites in North America and Europe. By the end of 2021, WorkingWell will expand further to cover all of Amazon's operations network in the U.S. with the aim of cutting recordable incident rates by 50 percent by 2025. The health and safety of employees is Amazon's number one priority and has been since day one. The company works closely with health and safety experts and scientists, conducts thousands of safety inspections each day in its buildings, and has made hundreds of changes based on employee feedback to improve their well-being at work, including development of the WorkingWell program. Similar to other jobs of this kind, about 40 percent of work-related injuries at Amazon are musculoskeletal disorders which include sprains or strains caused by repetitive motions, and they're more likely to occur among newer employees, many of whom might be working in a physical role for the first time. Pilots of the WorkingWell program have reduced these injuries, and have had a positive impact on regular day-to-day activities for employees outside of work. In fact, this program-along with other company initiatives focused on early MSD prevention-helped decrease MSD-related injuries by 32 percent from 2019 to 2020.

06:05 EDT Bright Machines to become public company via merger with SCVX - Bright Machines and SCVX, a special purpose acquisition company, announcedthat they have entered into a definitive merger agreement that will result in Bright Machines becoming a publicly listed company. Upon completion of the transaction, which is expected to occur in the second half of 2021, the combined company will operate as Bright Machines, and will be traded under the new ticker symbol "BRTM". The company said, "Founded in 2018, Bright Machines saw a unique opportunity to bring a software-and-data-first approach to factory operations and production execution. Over the past few years, ongoing supply chain disruptions, compounded by pandemic-induced factory closures and labor shortages, and increasing tensions around global trade and tariffs, have turned global manufacturing on its head. More and more companies are accelerating their efforts to onshore or re-shore production to secure their supply chains and build products closer to their end-users. Bright Machines provides the solutions these customers need to deploy fast, flexible, and intelligent automation at a pace and cost that scales along with their business. Led by an experienced management team of technology and manufacturing industry veterans, Bright Machines has grown to over 500 employees, including approximately 150 software engineers. The Company possesses a portfolio of 36 patent filings that provide a competitive advantage. They have 25 global, blue-chip customers that span essential industries, including network infrastructure, data centers, automotive, consumer products, medical devices, and industrial equipment." The transaction is expected to provide up to $435 million in gross cash proceeds, including $230 million of cash held in trust from SCVX. In addition, investors including XN, Hudson Bay Master Fund Ltd., SB Management Limited, Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, and Alyeska Investment Group, have committed to invest $205 million in the form of a PIPE at a price of $10 per share of SCVX, immediately prior to the closing of the transaction. XN, SCVX's sponsor, and certain other SCVX stockholders will be restricted from transferring or selling their shares until the earlier to occur of 180 days after the closing of the merger, subject to the satisfaction of certain equity performance thresholds, or one year after the closing of the merger. The Boards of Directors of both SCVX and Bright Machines have approved the transaction. The transaction will require the approval of the stockholders of SCVX, and is subject to other customary closing conditions, including the receipt of certain regulatory approvals. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2021. Following the completion of the transaction, Amar Hanspal will continue to lead Bright Machines as CEO.

05:56 EDT GSK, Sanofi say Covid vaccine achieved 'strong rates' of antibody responses - The Sanofi (SNY) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) adjuvanted recombinant COVID-19 vaccine candidate "achieved strong rates" of neutralizing antibody responses, in line with those measured in people who have recovered from COVID-19, in all adult age groups in a Phase 2 study with 722 volunteers, the companies announced. A global pivotal Phase 3 study is expected to start in the coming weeks. The Phase 2 interim results showed 95% to 100% seroconversion following a second injection in all age groups, 18 to 95 years old, and across all doses, with "acceptable tolerability and with no safety concerns," they said. After a single injection, high neutralizing antibody levels were generated in participants with evidence of prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, suggesting strong potential for development as a booster vaccine, the companies added. The Phase 3 trial is expected to enroll more than 35,000 adult participants from a range of countries and will assess the efficacy of two vaccine formulations including the D614 and B.1.351 variants. In parallel, the companies intend to conduct booster studies with various variant formulations in order to assess the ability of a lower dose of the vaccine to generate a strong booster response regardless of the initial vaccine platform received. Pending positive Phase 3 outcomes and regulatory reviews, the vaccine is expected to be approved in Q4 of 2021. Reference Link

05:27 EDT KKR to invest $95M in Lenskart via secondary stake acquisition - Lenskart and KKR announced the signing of definitive agreements under which KKR will invest $95M in Lenskart via a secondary stake acquisition. Upon the completion of the transaction, KKR will look to leverage its experience working with leading technology and eyewear companies globally to support Lenskart in expanding its presence in India, scaling its operations overseas, and enhancing its digital offerings. As part of the transaction, existing investors TPG Growth and TR Capital, who first invested in Lenskart in late 2014, will each divest a portion of their holding in the company. KKR is making its investment from its Asian private equity fund. Additional details of the transaction are not disclosed.

05:16 EDT Stellantis, Foxconn to announce new strategic partnership - Stellantis (STLA) and Hon Hai Precision (HNHPF), or Foxconn, together with its subsidiary FIH Mobile, will announce a new strategic partnership on Tuesday, May 18.

05:07 EDT KKR to acquire majority position in ERM, terms undisclosed - KKR, a global investment firm, announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire a majority position in ERM, a sustainability consultancy. KKR will acquire its position in the company from OMERS Private Equity and Alberta Investment Management, with ERM's management team and partners remaining as minority investors. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Over the last 50 years, ERM has built expertise in environmental health, safety, risk and social matters with a team of more than 5,500 consultants, including 580 partners, across 150 offices in over 40 countries.