Stockwinners Market Radar for June 16, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:33 EDT Agilysys CEO sells 69.9K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Agilysys disclosed that its CEO Ramesh Srinivasan sold 69.9K shares of common stock on June 14th in a total transaction size of $3.8M, reducing his stake by about 9%.

20:11 EDT Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 134K shares of Roblox on Wednesday

19:33 EDT Plug Power launches Australia's first modular hydrogen production - The company states: "Hydrogen Fuels Australia is launching Australia's first modular hydrogen production and integrated FCEV refuelling operation at its greenfield facility in Truganina, near Laverton, Victoria. Founded on environmentally sustainable and "low impact" concepts, H2FA's operation uses its own electrolysis assets to convert renewable power into green hydrogen. H2FA facilities will not be connected to the energy grid. In addition to housing Victoria's first integrated commercial hydrogen refuelling station, the Truganina site will also feature research and educational facilities to fully utilize and commercialize all available resources on the site, while showcasing innovative and imaginative industrial design."

18:54 EDT Kilroy Realty to acquire Indeed Tower in Austin for $580M - Kilroy Realty Corporation said it has reached agreement in three separate off-market transactions totaling approximately $670M to acquire Indeed Tower in Austin, Texas, a land site adjacent to its 2100 Kettner development project in San Diego and the ground lease under its Key Center office tower in Bellevue, Washington. All three transactions are expected to close by the end of the third quarter and are subject to certain closing conditions. The company will acquire Indeed Tower for $580M, the San Diego land site for $42M, and the Key Center project for $47M.

18:40 EDT Empire State Realty-owned Empire State Building lifts COVID protocols - The company states: "The Empire State Building announced that it has lifted COVID-19 protocols for guests of its Observatory Experience, in alignment with new state and city guidelines. Masks are optional for visitors, and the many interactive exhibits and elements - including the iconic 86th Floor Observatory viewfinders - have fully reopened."

18:34 EDT HSBC USA to offer sustainability-linked loans for commercial banking clients - HSBC Bank USA, N.A. announced that it is offering Sustainability-Linked Loans that will enable U.S businesses to tie their borrowing to activities that support a more sustainable, resilient and prosperous world. HSBC SLLs are available in a variety of corporate loans and credit facilities, with terms linked to pre-determined sustainability performance targets. Achieving SPTs results in a lower interest expense, effectively bringing financial incentives to the borrower's sustainability strategy. In partnership with clients, HSBC structures SLLs in accordance with the Sustainability Linked Loan Principles, which are voluntary global guidelines set by the independent Loan Market Associations, whereby SPTs are to be meaningful and ambitious for the business, and performance is verified and reported regularly.

18:31 EDT Immutep Ltd trading halted, news pending

18:26 EDT MorphoSys commences offer to acquire Constellation for $34.00 per share - MorphoSys (MOR) announced that it is commencing a cash tender offer to purchase all outstanding shares of Constellation Pharmaceuticals (CNST) for $34.00 per share, net to the seller in cash, without interest, and subject to any applicable withholding of taxes. The tender offer is being made pursuant to the previously announced merger agreement, dated June 2, between MorphoSys and Constellation. The tender offer is scheduled to expire at one minute past 11:59 p.m. New York City Time, on July 14, unless extended or earlier terminated, in each case in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement. The tender offer is subject to various conditions including a minimum tender of at least a majority of outstanding Constellation shares, the expiration or termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, and other customary conditions. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter, as previously announced.

18:14 EDT Cricut holder Abdiel Capital buys 170.8K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Cricut disclosed that its institutional holder Abdiel Capital bought 170.9K shares of common stock on June 14th in a total transaction size of $5.7M, boosting its stake by about 4%. Shares of Cricut are up 1.9% after-hours.

18:06 EDT Microsoft elects Satya Nadella to role of board chair - Microsoft announced that the board's independent directors unanimously elected Satya Nadella to the role of board chair, and unanimously elected John Thompson as lead independent director, a role he held previously from 2012 to 2014.

18:01 EDT Investar Holding increases dividend 14% to 8c per share - Investar Holding declared a quarterly cash dividend of 8c per share to holders of Investar Holding common stock. The dividend is payable on July 31 to shareholders of record as of June 30. This represents a 14% increase in the dividend per share compared to the prior quarter.

17:35 EDT Aon, Willis Towers Watson 'disagree' with DOJ's legal action - Aon (AON) and Willis Towers Watson (WLTW) shared the following statement in response to the legal action taken by the U.S. Department of Justice: "We disagree with the U.S. Department of Justice's action, which reflects a lack of understanding of our business, the clients we serve and the marketplaces in which we operate. Aon and Willis Towers Watson operate across broad, competitive areas of the economy and our proposed combination will accelerate innovation on behalf of clients creating more choice in an already dynamic and competitive marketplace. While this proposed combination was not developed with the pandemic in mind, the impact of the pandemic underscores the need to address similar systemic risks including cyber threats, climate change and the growing health and wealth gap which our combined firm will more capably address. We continue to make material progress with other regulators around the world and remain fully committed to the benefits of our combination. We are grateful to our respective colleagues for the work they have done to support our respective clients and each other throughout this process, as evidenced by the excellent performance of Aon and Willis Towers Watson since the announcement of the proposed combination."

17:24 EDT NEJM reports Pfizer's Tofacitinib meets primary endpoint in COVID-19 patients - The company states: "Pfizer and The Academic Research Organization from the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein announced that the New England Journal of Medicine has published positive findings from the STOP-COVID study evaluating the efficacy and safety of oral Janus kinase, or JAK, inhibitor tofacitinib in 289 hospitalized adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia who were not on ventilation. The trial was a research collaboration between Pfizer and the ARO from the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which was the trial coordinating center. It is important to note that tofacitinib has not been approved or authorized for use by any regulatory authority worldwide for the treatment of COVID-19 and tofacitinib should not be used in patients with an active serious infection. The trial demonstrated a lower cumulative incidence of death or respiratory failure through day 28 - the primary outcome of the study - with tofacitinib (18.1%) compared to placebo (29.0%). Death from any cause through day 28 occurred in 2.8% of patients in the tofacitinib group and in 5.5% in the placebo group. Serious adverse events occurred in 20 patients in the tofacitinib group and 17 (12.0%) in the placebo group. Among protocol-specified adverse events of special interest, deep vein thrombosis, acute myocardial infarction, ventricular tachycardia, and myocarditis occurred in one patient each in the tofacitinib group; hemorrhagic stroke and cardiogenic shock occurred in one patient each in the placebo group. The incidence of serious infection was 3.5% in the tofacitinib group and 4.2% in the placebo group. "

17:21 EDT Parsons awarded $2.24B Missile Defense Agency contract - Parsons was awarded a competitive cost-plus-fixed-fee level-of-effort contract. The total value of this contract is $2.24B. Under this new contract, the contractor will provide support that includes: engineering and technical support; studies, analysis, and evaluations; and management and professional services. The performance period is from July to January 2029. This contract was competitively procured via publication on the beta.SAM.gov website with two proposals received. FY21 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $36,41M are being obligated on this award. The Missile Defense Agency is the contracting activity.

17:05 EDT CureVac drops 47% to under $50 after COVID study doesn't meet 'success criteria'

16:53 EDT Colony Capital to rebrand as DigitalBridge - "Colony Capital announced that the Company will be holding its inaugural Investor Day virtually on Tuesday, June 22. During the virtual event, investors will get exposure to the broadest, deepest team in digital infrastructure as the Company shares its strategic priorities, including: Next Chapter as DigitalBridge: Reflecting the significant business transformation the Company has undergone, Colony Capital will rebrand as DigitalBridge and begin trading under a new ticker DBRG, effective June 22, 2021 and will provide more background on the new name, rebrand and logo," said the firm in a statement.

16:47 EDT FuboTV names former Penn National Gaming executive to board - Earlier today, the company stated: "Fubo Gaming, a subsidiary of leading sports-first live TV streaming platform fuboTV Inc., has appointed former Penn National Gaming, Inc. executive Carl Sottosanti to its board of directors and as chairman of its gaming compliance committee effective immediately. Sottosanti joins Fubo Gaming as it prepares to launch Fubo Sportsbook, a comprehensive sports entertainment experience through online sports betting, in the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to obtaining requisite regulatory approvals." Shares of FuboTV closed up 2.6% and are up another 3.3% after-hours.

16:37 EDT CyrusOne sees FY22-24 normalized FFO up in mid-single digits - In its Investor Meeting presentation earlier today, CyrusOne also forecast dividend yield at 2%-3%, with total return for FY22-24 seen in upper single digits. Shares of CyrusOne were down 6.4% at the close today. Reference Link

16:34 EDT Lennar reports Q2 deliveries of 14,493 homes, up 14% - Reports Q2 new orders of 17,157 homes, up 32%; New orders dollar value of $7.6B, up 56%.

16:33 EDT Chefs' Warehouse acquires Nicola Imports, terms undisclosed - Chefs' Warehouse announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of Nicola Imports, based in Phoenix, Arizona. Since its inception in 2007, Nicola Imports has been a staple purveyor of the finest specialty food products available in Arizona and Colorado.

16:32 EDT Biogen's phase 2 study of Gosuranemab in AD did not meet primary endpoint - The company states: "Biogen announced topline results from its Phase 2 TANGO study of gosuranemab, or BIIB092, an investigational anti-tau antibody that was being evaluated as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Gosuranemab did not meet its primary efficacy endpoint of change from baseline at week 78 on the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale-Sum of Boxes compared to placebo in patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease and mild Alzheimer's disease dementia. No treatment benefit was seen on exploratory efficacy endpoints, including the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale, the Alzheimer Disease Cooperative Study Activity of Daily Living, the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Functional Assessment Questionnaire. Gosuranemab was well-tolerated overall, and safety outcomes were consistent with previous studies of the molecule. Gosuranemab is an antibody directed against the N-terminus of tau. Target engagement was demonstrated with lowering of N-terminal tau in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), consistent with prior studies. However, in the TANGO Study, no statistically significant treatment effect was observed on tau-PET at week 78 for any of the dose groups."

16:26 EDT Xcel Energy's Figoli sells $754K in company shares - Xcel Energy's VP Darla Figoli disclosed in a filing that she had sold 10,886 shares of stock at $69.31 per share on JUne 15, for a total transaction amount of $754,463.

16:19 EDT FS KKR Capital closes merger with FS KKR Capital Corp. II - FS KKR Capital (FSK) and FS KKR Capital Corp. II (FSKR) have completed their merger. The combined company will operate as FS KKR Capital Corp. and continue to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "FSK." FSKR shareholders are receiving 0.9498 FSK shares for each share of FSKR held. The NAV of shares investors will own in FSK will be equal to the NAV of the shares they held in FSKR. As part of the closing, FSK will not be paying cash in lieu of fractional shares.

16:18 EDT Northern Oil and Gas announces Permian bolt-on acquisitions totaling $102M - The company states: "Northern Oil and Gas announced that it has entered into three definitive agreements to acquire non-operated interests across approximately 2,900 net acres located in the heart of Reeves County, Texas and Lea and Eddy Counties, New Mexico for a combined purchase price of $102.2M. May 2021 production on the assets was approximately 2,200 Boe per day and Northern expects average production of 3,700 Boe per day in the second half of 2021, assuming an August 1 closing. The estimated development plan on the properties over the next several years is expected to grow production to approximately 6,500 Boe per day, assuming current strip prices. Under this development scenario, Northern forecasts the assets to generate over $100M of cumulative free cash flow through 2025. The assets include 5.3 net producing wells, 5.0 net wells in process and an additional 23.1 net undrilled locations ascribed to the core zones including the Wolfcamp A, Wolfcamp B and 1st through 3rd Bone Springs. The assets are operated primarily by Mewbourne Oil Company, Colgate Energy, ConocoPhillips and EOG Resources. The effective date for the majority of the transaction value is April 1, 2021. Northern consummated the acquisition of a portion of the assets in June and expects to close on the acquisition of the remaining assets in the third quarter of 2021. Northern estimates approximately $35M of capital expenditures on the combined properties to be incurred in 2021, inclusive of estimated purchase price adjustments at closing of the acquisitions."

16:15 EDT LL Flooring to open new stories in West Virginia, Mississippi - LL Flooring, formerly Lumber Liquidators, announced it will open new stores in Beckley, West Virginia, and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, on June 28. With the addition of the two new stores, LL Flooring now has 416 stores nationwide. The new stores will feature Design Centers with video capability where store associates can collaborate with customers to find the best floor for any vision or project and visualize how it will look using the Picture It floor visualizer. This online tool allows customers to upload a photo of any room and select from hundreds of LL floors to preview how floors will look in their space.

16:14 EDT Cutera renews distribution agreement with ZO Skin Health - Cutera announced that it has renewed its agreement with ZO Skin Health to be the exclusive distributor of ZO's skincare products in Japan. The initial term of the new agreement spans three years from the effective date of June 15, 2021, with annual renewal options for Cutera in each of the two years following the initial three-year period. Dave Mowry, Chief Executive Officer of Cutera, Inc., said, "We are pleased to continue our strong relationship with ZO Skin Health. Together, we have meaningfully grown the ZO skincare business while increasing the overall Cutera footprint across Japan. Cutera is excited to continue this mutually beneficial relationship for the next several years."

16:12 EDT Tarsus Pharmaceuticals initiates dosing in TP-05 trial for Lyme disease - Tarsus Pharmaceuticals announced that it has initiated dosing participants in its first clinical trial for TP-05, a novel, oral, non-vaccine therapeutic for the prevention of Lyme disease. The Phase 1 Callisto trial is a single ascending dose and multiple ascending dose trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics, or PK, of TP-05 in healthy volunteers. There are currently no FDA-approved pharmacological prophylactic options for Lyme disease, which is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States, transmitted to humans through the infection of the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi following the bite of a tick vector. TP-05 is an oral systemic formulation of lotilaner, a well-characterized anti-parasitic agent that paralyzes and kills ticks by selectively inhibiting parasite-specific GABA-Cl channels. TP-05 is believed to be the only non-vaccine, drug-based, preventive therapeutic in development that targets the ticks, and potentially prevents disease transmission. It is designed to rapidly provide systemic blood levels of lotilaner and kill infected ticks attached to the human body before they can transmit the Borrelia bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

16:10 EDT Ellington Financial estimates book value per share of $18.23 as of May 31 - Ellington Financial Inc. announced its estimated book value per common share of $18.23 as of May 31, 2021. This estimate includes the effect of the previously announced monthly dividend of 15c per common share, payable on June 25, 2021 to holders of record on May 28, 2021, with an ex-dividend date of May 27, 2021.

16:08 EDT Myriad Genetics names Thomas Slavin, M.D CMO - Myriad Genetics announced that it has named Thomas P. Slavin Jr. M.D., FACMG, DABMD, chief medical officer of the company. He will report directly to Nicole Lambert, president of Myriad Genetic Laboratories.In his new role, Dr. Slavin will apply deep clinical and scientific expertise, combined with proven leadership and experience in precision medicine, to further elevate Myriad's portfolio of genetic tests spanning oncology, women's health and mental health. Previously, Dr. Slavin served as senior vice president of Medical Affairs for Oncology at Myriad Genetics.

16:05 EDT Four Corners Property Trust acquires Chili's property for $2.8M - Four Corners Property Trust announces the acquisition of a Chili's property for $2.8M. The property is located in a strong retail corridor in Texas and is corporate-operated under a triple net lease with approximately nine years of term remaining. The transaction was priced at a 6.2% going-in cash capitalization rate, exclusive of transaction costs.

16:01 EDT DermTech names Loren Clarke chief medical officer - DermTech announced three new key leadership appointments: Loren Clarke, M.D. to the role of Chief Medical Officer, Ray Bassi to the role of Vice President, Sales and Patrick Johnson to the role of Vice President, Information Technology and Digital Systems. Loren Clarke, M.D., is a board-certified Pathologist and Dermatopathologist with extensive experience in clinical dermatopathology and molecular diagnostics. He succeeds Burkhard Jansen, M.D. who has taken on a new role as Chief Medical Affairs Officer capitalizing on his strong track record of working with payors, clinicians, and medical societies. "I'm thrilled to welcome Loren to DermTech. Loren's extensive experience and thought leadership in clinical dermatopathology and genomic product development in dermatology and skin cancer will be a huge asset to us in advancing our vision to lead the genomics revolution in skin health," commented John Dobak, M.D., chief executive officer of DermTech.

15:50 EDT FDA approves sNDA from Blueprint Medicines for AdvSM indication - The FDA has approved Blueprint Medicines' supplemental NDA for Ayvakit to add an indication of use for the treatment of adult patients with Advanced Systemic Mastocytosis, or AdvSM. Reference Link

15:12 EDT NJ reports May total gaming revenue up 290.4% to $374.2M - New Jersey's Division of Gaming Enforcement reported that total gaming revenue for May was $374.2M, compared to $95.9M in May 2020, reflecting a 290.4% increase. Internet gaming win was $108.2M in May, compared to $85.9M in the prior period, reflecting an increase of 25.9%. Sports wagering gross revenue was $52.9M for the month. Casino win for May was $213.1M. The DGE noted: "Due to COVID-19, Atlantic City casinos closed at 8:00 PM on March 16, 2020. Internet casino gaming and online sports wagering operations continued, however, most sports wagering events were cancelled beginning in mid-March 2020. As a result, casino win and sports wagering revenue for the month and the year-to-date period ended May 2021 are not comparable to 2020. Additionally, the Atlantic City casino hotel properties continue to operate under COVID-19 restrictions since reopening in July 2020." Publicly traded companies in the casino gaming and sports betting space include Boyd Gaming (BYD), Caesars (CZR), Churchill Downs (CHDN), DraftKings (DKNG), Flutter Entertainment (PDYPY), Gan Limited (GAN), Las Vegas Sands (LVS), MGM Resorts (MGM), Penn National (PENN), William Hill (WIMHY) and Wynn Resorts (WYNN).

14:27 EDT IURC clears AES Indiana deal to acquire solar project in Clinton County - AES Indiana, a subsidiary of the AES Corporation, received an order today from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approving the company's plan to acquire the Hardy Hills 195-megawatt solar project in Clinton County, Indiana. "This is an important moment for AES Indiana which advances our investments in renewables here in the state," said Kristina Lund, AES Indiana President and CEO. "We are accelerating the future of energy by diversifying our portfolio to include renewables and conventional fuel sources and prioritizing major investments to modernize our energy grid." Construction on the project is expected to begin in the fall of 2021 and reach commercial operation in 2023. The project will generate enough electricity to power more than 30,000 homes during peak hours.

13:26 EDT North American rail traffic rose 15.3% in week ended June 12, AAR says - The Association of American Railroads, AAR, reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 12. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 529,635 carloads and intermodal units, up 17.9% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending June 12 were 241,628 carloads, up 21.8% compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 288,007 containers and trailers, up 14.8% compared to 2020. For some rail traffic categories, percentage changes for the current week compared with the same week in 2020 are inflated because of the widespread shutdowns - and subsequent large reduction in rail volumes - that impacted many economic sectors last year at this time. North American rail volume for the week ending June 12, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 338,783 carloads, up 16.2% compared with the same week last year, and 377,780 intermodal units, up 14.5% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 716,563 carloads and intermodal units, up 15.3% Publicly traded companies in the space include CSX (CSX), Canadian National (CNI), Canadian Pacific (CP), Genesee & Wyoming (GWR), Kansas City Southern (KSU), Norfolk Southern (NSC) and Union Pacific (UNP). Reference Link

13:12 EDT Amazon debuts 'Just Walk Out technology' to Amazon Fresh in Bellevue, WA - Amazon said in an earlier blog post, in part:: "For the first time, Just Walk Out technology is available in a new full-size Amazon Fresh grocery store. Now customers can save time shopping for groceries by skipping the checkout line with the launch of our new Amazon Fresh grocery store with Just Walk Out shopping, opening Thursday, June 17 in The Marketplace at Factoria in Bellevue, Washington...In this store, customers can come in, shop for the groceries they want, and skip the checkout line using Just Walk Out technology. Alternatively, customers can opt to shop using our traditional checkout lanes, staffed by our employees, who are also available throughout the store for assistance. "The feedback has been fantastic, with customers noting that skipping the checkout allows them to save time and reduce contact in stores." Reference Link

12:21 EDT EXFO Inc. trading halted, news pending

12:08 EDT Goodyear Tire: Volumes in Q2 'may have moderated a bit' from prior outlook - Comments taken from Deutsche Bank Global Auto Industry Conference.

12:04 EDT David Tepper says long oil stocks, cites Occidental as example - Appaloosa Management's David Tepper said today at the Robin Hood Investors Conference that he's long oil stocks, and cited Occidental Petroleum (OXY) as an example. Shares of Occidental are up 4% to $30.25 following the comments. Other companies in the oil space include BP (BP), Chevron (CVX), ConocoPhillips (COP), Exxon Mobil (XOM), Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) and TotalEnergies (TOT).

12:00 EDT TAL Education falls -12.8% - TAL Education is down -12.8%, or -$3.70 to $25.15.

12:00 EDT X Financial rises 8.5% - X Financial is up 8.5%, or 70c to $8.97.

12:00 EDT PubMatic CEO says committed to working with 'as many investors as possible' - PubMatic CEO Rajeev Goel, asked about his company's approach to communicating with and interacting with retail investors, said he is committed to working with "as many investors as possible." PubMatic was identified by CNBC during the network's interview with Goel as a "meme stock" that has attracted high short interest as well as a following among retail investors on sites such as Reddit's Wallstreetbets forum.

11:57 EDT Peloton bikes are vulnerable to malware attacks, says McAfee - Peloton bikes are vulnerable to malware attacks that could enable a person to spy on riders through their webcams, according to a report from software security company McAfee. McAfee said hackers could potentially spy on Peloton bikers by tricking them into installing "malicious apps disguised as Netflix and Spotify," according to research the company released on Wednesday. "An unsuspecting gym-goer taking the Peloton Bike+ for a spin could be in danger of having their personal data compromised and their workout unknowingly watched," according to the report. Reference Link

11:18 EDT ATI, Fortress Value Acquisition Corp. II report approval of all proposals - ATI Physical Therapy, a portfolio company of Advent International, and Fortress Value Acquisition Corp. II, a special purpose acquisition company, announced that at the special meeting of stockholders of FVAC II, all proposals presented at the Special Meeting, including the business combination proposal, were approved. In connection with the previously announced business combination, holders of 8,987,746 shares of Company Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, reflecting approximately 26% of outstanding Class A Common Stock, exercised their right to redeem their shares for cash at a redemption price of $10.00 per share, for an aggregate redemption amount of approximately $89.9 million. ATI and FVAC II anticipate that the merger will close on or about June 16, 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, and for the ATI Class A common stock and warrants to begin publicly trading on NYSE under the new symbols "ATIP" and "ATIP WS", respectively, on or about June 17, 2021.

10:54 EDT WalkMe indicated to open at $33.20, IPO priced at $31 - WalkMe (WKME) priced 9.25M shares at $31.00, inside the $29.00-$32.00 target range. Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Citi are acting as joint book running managers for the offering. WalkMe is a provider of digital adoption solutions whose cloud-based Digital Adoption Platform "enables organizations to measure, drive and act to ultimately accelerate their digital transformations."

10:42 EDT Applied UV announces results show SteriLumen's Lumicide Ribbon kills COVID-19 - Applied UV announced earlier testing results from an independent third-party laboratory confirming that the SteriLumen Lumicide Ribbon, Applied UV's proprietary connected UVC disinfection platform for surface disinfection, kills SARS-CoV-2. The study was designed to determine the SteriLumen Lumicide Ribbon's effectiveness against the SARS-CoV-2 on hard surfaces. CUBRC performed a laboratory experiment to evaluate the ability of the SteriLumen Lumicide Ribbon to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 on two surface substrate materials at a single distance and two timepoints. CUBRC performed the tests within its CDC-permitted Biosafety Level 3 facility. The results demonstrate that the SteriLumen Lumicide Ribbon achieved viral inactivation of greater than 3.04-log reduction at the 5-minute exposure time and greater than 3.66-log reduction at the 20-minute exposure time on stainless steel, at a distance of 2-inches. On ceramic, the viral inactivation was greater than 3.60-log reduction at the 5-minute exposure time and greater than 4.43-log reduction at the 20-minute exposure time at 2-inches. Applied UV shares are up $1.02, or 11%, to $10.05 in morning trading following the announcement earlier.

10:35 EDT TripAdvisor launches $99 per year annual subscription service - TripAdvisor this morning announced the launch of Tripadvisor Plus, its new annual subscription "that promises to help members become better travelers by saving them money so they can get more from their trips." For $99 per year, TripAdvisor offers "member-only prices and perks on hundreds of thousands of hotels around the world with an average of $350 savings per stay." Shares of TripAdvisor are up 3% to $41.84 in morning trading.

10:16 EDT AST SpaceMobile strength attributed to recommendation on Reddit's Wallstreetbets - Shares of AST SpaceMobile are moving higher after a user in Reddit's Wallstreetbets forum recommended the name. In morning trading, AST SpaceMobil is up $1.08, or 10%, to $11.45. Reference Link

10:08 EDT Fifth Third sees Q2 expenses down 5%

10:07 EDT Fifth Third: Q2 NII will be 'better' relative to expectations, up 2% - Sees Q2 NII up 2% sequentially vs. April expectations. On a full year basis, sees NII down 1%. Comments taken from the Morgan Stanley U.S. Financials Conference.

10:00 EDT Roblox falls -10.1% - Roblox is down -10.1%, or -$9.04 to $80.76.

10:00 EDT Hellman & Friedman increases offer price for At Home Group to $37/share in cash - At Home Group announced that they have entered into an amended and restated merger agreement under which H&F will acquire all outstanding shares of At Home for $37.00 per share in cash. Under the terms of the revised agreement, H&F will commence a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of At Home's common stock. Following careful consideration and a unanimous recommendation by the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of At Home, the At Home Board of Directors unanimously approved the amended and restated merger agreement and recommends that all At Home stockholders tender their shares in support of the transaction once launched. The improved offer is an increase from the prior $36.00 per share offer and delivers a significant premium of approximately 21% to the Company's closing stock price of $30.67 on May 4, 2021, the last trading day prior to media speculation regarding a possible transaction, and a premium of approximately 28% to the 30-day volume weighted average share price. On June 15, 2021 the company announced the expiration of the 40-day "go-shop" period under the terms of the prior merger agreement, which resulted in no new offers for the company despite exhaustive solicitation efforts. Phil Francis, At Home's Lead Independent Director and Chair of the Special Committee of the Board of Directors, said, "Throughout this process the Special Committee has been singularly focused on maximizing value for At Home stockholders, and the enhanced H&F offer does just that. The Board unanimously recommends that all At Home stockholders tender their shares into the increased H&F offer, which provides substantial cash premium value in a timely manner and limits stockholders' exposure to the significant risks inherent in the Company's business plan, even with flawless execution."

10:00 EDT X Financial rises 10.2% - X Financial is up 10.2%, or 84c to $9.11.

09:58 EDT AGM Group Holdings Inc (Class A Stock) trading resumes

09:57 EDT At Home Group trading halted, news pending

09:47 EDT TAL Education falls -8.8% - TAL Education is down -8.8%, or -$2.54 to $26.31.

09:47 EDT Blue Apron falls -21.7% - Blue Apron is down -21.7%, or -$1.20 to $4.33.

09:47 EDT AMTD International rises 5.1% - AMTD International is up 5.1%, or 35c to $7.25.

09:38 EDT electroCore set to join Russell Microcap Index - electroCore announced the addition of its stock to the broad-market Russell Microcap Index after its 2021 annual reconstitution, effective after the open of trading on June 28, 2021, according to a preliminary list of additions posted by FTSE Russell on June 4, 2021.

09:26 EDT Envestnet partners with Snowflake on data analytics tools - Envestnet Yodlee (ENV) announced it is collaborating with Snowflake (SNOW) to provide the availability of its industry-leading data analytics on Snowflake Data Marketplace, making the product easy to find, simple to purchase, and more easily integrated into financial solutions. Envestnet Yodlee's data analytics products will immediately be offered on the Snowflake Data Marketplace enabling innovators and businesses to seamlessly receive a wide-range of data analytics, such as investment management and corporate planning insights. For example, Envestnet Yodlee's data analytics enable decision-makers to make confident choices with thorough insights into key market drivers such as competitive landscapes, customer brand affinity, and consumer spending trends.

09:20 EDT Viavi submits proposal to acquire Exfo at $7.50 per share - Viavi (VIAV) has submitted a proposal to the board of directors of Exfo (EXFO) to acquire all of the outstanding subordinate voting shares and multiple voting shares of Exfo at a price of $7.50 in cash per share. The Proposal values EXFO at approximately $430M on an undiluted basis, and represents a significant premium of: 103% to the NASDAQ closing price on June 4, 2021, the trading day before the announcement of the going private transaction by EXFO's majority shareholder, Germain Lamonde; and 25% to the $6.00 consideration offered under the Going Private Transaction. Viavi's Proposal is at the exact high end of the $5.75 to $7.50 formal valuation range of Exfo's subordinate voting shares. Viavi's board of directors has unanimously approved the Proposal, and no Viavi shareholder vote will be required for the transaction. In addition, the transaction will not be subject to any financing condition. ViaviI reported cash and cash equivalents of $672M for the quarter ending April 3.

09:17 EDT Viavi proposes to acquire Exfo for $7.50 per share or $430M

09:16 EDT Creatd intends to purchase majority stake in WHE Agency - Creatd, the parent company of Vocal, announced that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding to acquire a 55% ownership stake in WHE Agency, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Creatd Partners. WHE Agency is a talent management and public relations agency dedicated to the representation and management of family and lifestyle-focused digital creators and influencers. Bringing the WHE talent roster into the Creatd family is expected to benefit both Vocal and WHE's creator networks. The proposed transaction, which consists of $275,000 in cash and $660,000 in stock, is expected to be immediately accretive to Creatd's earnings following its closing. The company expects to execute definitive agreements in early third quarter, subject to the completion of due diligence and other closing conditions. After closing, Creatd will begin to recognize WHE Agency's revenues in its consolidated financial statements.

09:14 EDT Kinross Gold temporarily suspends operations t its Tasiast mine - Kinross Gold announced a temporary suspension of mill operations at its Tasiast mine due to a fire on June 15, 2021. There were no injuries reported due to the fire.

09:14 EDT Ossen Innovation extends termination date of merger agreement - Ossen Innovation has entered into an Amendment to the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated June 16 - Amendment No. 1 - to amend its previously announced Agreement and Plan of Merger - the Merger Agreement - , by and among the company, New Ossen Group - Parent - and New Ossen Innovation - Merger Sub -. The Merger Agreement provides that either the company or Parent may terminate the Merger Agreement if the effective time of the merger has not occurred on or before June 17. Pursuant to Amendment No. 1, the parties have agreed to extend the Termination Date by 3 months to September 17. The company's board of directors, acting upon the unanimous recommendation of a committee of independent and disinterested directors established by the Board, approved the Amendment No. 1 to extend the Termination Date.

09:13 EDT Rambus to Acquire PLDA, terms not disclosed - Rambus announced it has signed an agreement to acquire PLDA, an industry leader in Compute Express Link and PCI Express digital solutions. The transaction is expected to close in the third calendar quarter of 2021. Although this transaction will not materially impact 2021 results due to the expected timing of close and acquisition accounting, Rambus expects this acquisition to be accretive in 2022.

09:11 EDT Rambus initiates $100M accelerated share repurchase program - Rambus announced that it initiated an accelerated share repurchase program with Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch as counterparty, through its agent Deutsche Bank Securities to repurchase an aggregate of approximately $100M of its common stock, with an initial delivery of approximately 4M shares.

09:11 EDT CarParts.com to expand Grand Prairie, Texas distribution center - CarParts.com's Grand Prairie, TX distribution center is nearly doubling in size with a 156,000 square foot expansion, bringing the facility to a total of 366,000 square feet. The expanded warehouse footprint will increase CarParts.com's total distribution center network to over 1 million square feet and allow the company to add 125 full-time positions to its Grand Prairie location when fully operational in 1Q22. This expansion will not only increase inventory for brand partners, but also create more space for CarParts.com's own brands.

09:09 EDT Dell Technologies names Chuck Whitten as co-COO - Dell Technologies announces Chuck Whitten as its co-chief operating officer, effective August 16. Whitten joins Vice Chairman and co-COO Jeff Clarke and Chairman and CEO Michael Dell to lead Dell's next phase of growth. Reporting to the CEO, Whitten will join Dell from Bain & Company, where he spent the last 22 years with the last decade focused exclusively on the technology sector. Most importantly, Whitten worked alongside Dell leadership to help shape Dell's strategy and growth initiatives.

09:07 EDT General Motors to raise EV, AV investments to $35B through 2025 - General Motors announced it will increase its EV and AV investments from 2020 through 2025 to $35B, representing a 75% increase from its initial commitment announced prior to the pandemic. The company's enhanced commitment will accelerate its transformative strategy to become the market leader in EVs in North America; the global leader in battery and fuel cell technology through its Ultium battery platform and HYDROTEC fuel cells; and through Cruise, be the first to safely commercialize self-driving technology at scale. "We are investing aggressively in a comprehensive and highly-integrated plan to make sure that GM leads in all aspects of the transformation to a more sustainable future," said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra. "GM is targeting annual global EV sales of more than 1 million by 2025, and we are increasing our investment to scale faster because we see momentum building in the United States for electrification, along with customer demand for our product portfolio." This announcement builds on GM's initial commitment announced in March 2020 to invest $20B from 2020 through 2025, including capital, engineering expenses and other development costs, to accelerate its transition to EVs and AVs. In November 2020, the company increased its planned investment over the same period to $27B. These investments are enabled by GM's strong underlying business, including record EBIT-adjusted in the last three quarters. GM now expects to deliver better-than-expected results in the second quarter despite the industry-wide impact of the semiconductor shortage.

09:07 EDT Entravision extends NFL pact with Spanish radio broadcast rights - Entravision Communications announced that the Company will bring listeners the most extensive Spanish language radio broadcast coverage of the NFL in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Entravision will broadcast more NFL games than ever before in the 2021 season, scheduled to cover 50 games in 29 U.S. markets across its owned-and-operated and affiliate stations. Entravision will begin with NFL Kickoff on Thursday, September 9, featuring a match-up between the Dallas Cowboys and the defending Super Bowl champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Radio coverage continues across the entire, newly expanded 18-week NFL season, including all Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football games, and will extend through the postseason including the AFC Championship, NFC Championship and culminating with Super Bowl LVI when the event returns to Los Angeles on February 13, 2022 after nearly three decades. Super Bowl LVI will be played at SoFi Stadium, the home of the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams.

09:05 EDT STMicroelectronics delivers first stellar advanced automotive microcontrollers - STMicroelectronics has begun delivering the first Stellar SR6 automotive microcontrollers for automotive-industry leaders to realize the next generation of advanced vehicle electronics that deliver new levels of performance and safety. Stellar SR6 scalable MCU family targeting production in 2024. "Working with lead customers, we have successfully tested the innovations in our game-changing Stellar SR6 MCUs and have now achieved the milestone of supplying the first devices to new road-car projects scheduled for production," said Marco Monti, President, Automotive and Discrete Group, STMicroelectronics. "These MCUs are critical enablers for tomorrow's smart, connected vehicles that aim to be safer, more sustainable, and deliver more rewarding user experiences while allowing car makers and their selected partners to strengthen customer relationships with value-added services."

09:02 EDT Tecogen appoints Rangesh as Chief Financial Officer - Tecogen announces the appointment of Dr. Abinand Rangesh as Tecogen's Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Dr. Rangesh has been with the company since 2016 and has held roles in various divisions including sales, business development and most recently being Vice President and Director of Corporate Strategy. In addition to his position as CFO, Dr. Rangesh will have a seat on the Tecogen Board of Directors.

09:00 EDT Roth CH Acquisition III Company trading resumes

08:45 EDT Bioceres collaborating with PlantArcBio to develop resistant alfalfa - Bioceres announced a new collaboration agreement with PlantArcBio, a gene discovery biotech company, for the development of improved biomass & drought tolerant Alfalfa, leveraging PlantArcBio's identified genes and Bioceres expertise in development of drought tolerant crops. In this collaboration, PlantArcBio has granted Bioceres the exclusive licensing rights to its biomass & drought resistance genes for Alfalfa worldwide; those genes were discovered by PlantArcBio. Bioceres will develop Alfalfa varieties incorporating those traits and will commercialize them. The agreement is contingent upon the successful incorporation of the genetic traits. Bioceres has developed a pipeline of alfalfa technologies currently at different stages of development, including drought tolerance, increased biomass and improved plant architecture. HB4 Alfalfa - drought tolerance - and different crop protection platforms are all entering regulatory stage. The global market for alfalfa hay is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.89% to a market size of $20.6B in 2025, from $14.6B in 2019.

08:41 EDT Momentive promotes Justin Coulombe to Chief Financial Officer - Momentive (MNTV), a management company, formerly SurveyMonkey (SVMK), announced the promotion of Justin Coulombe to the role of chief financial officer, effective June 28. Coulombe joined the company in 2019 as vice president of finance and was promoted to senior vice president in early 2021.

08:38 EDT Assure Holdings reports record number monthly procedures, appoints CIO - Assure Holdings announced its highest ever number of monthly procedures during May 2021. "The Company reported our highest number of monthly procedures in May, managing over 1,400 cases," said John Farlinger, Assure's executive chairman and CEO. "I am pleased to report particular strength in our largest market, Texas, driven by the recent acquisition of Sentry Neuromonitoring. In addition, Assure's monthly procedure total benefitted from the Company's launch of professional neurology services for IONM which boosted our number of cases performed." Assure has appointed Jerod Powell to the newly created chief information officer position. Powell will be a member of Assure's leadership team overseeing automation, security, data management, risk and privacy. Powell has over 20 years of experience in cloud computing, digital transformation, process optimization and organizational development. He specializes in crafting and delivering customized solutions designed to support organizations through rapid growth and market share expansion.

08:36 EDT IAA in strategic market alliance in Nigeria with Boacon Autos. - IAA announces a strategic market alliance in Nigeria with Boacon Autos. As the company's official partner in Nigeria, Boacon Autos will operate the local IAA Auction Center in the city of Lagos, the most populous Nigerian city. Through this new alliance, Boacon Autos will provide local services and assistance, helping buyers efficiently purchase vehicles from IAA in the United States. The company will offer support including bidding assistance, transportation, shipping and importing, reducing risk and increasing convenience for new buyers.

08:34 EDT Albertsons announces Jennifer Saenz as Chief Merchandising Officer - Albertsons announced that Jennifer Saenz will join the Company as EVP, Chief Merchandising Officer effective July 12th. Saenz will be responsible for all areas of merchandising within the Company, including Own Brands. Saenz will also be responsible for further strengthening the Company's relationships with its brand partners. She will join the Company's senior leadership team and report to Vivek Sankaran, President and Chief Executive Officer.

08:34 EDT Qualtrics and Genesys partner for customer service solutions - Qualtrics and Genesys, a cloud customer experience and contact center solutions provider, announced a new partnership to help companies deliver world-class customer service experiences at scale. The new alliance will bring together Genesys' engagement data and Qualtrics' experience data with the aim of helping companies to understand every factor impacting customer satisfaction in a single view. Qualtrics and Genesys aim to provide a holistic view of a customer's service experience history, including their sentiment over time, their past service interactions, and communications preferences. A Qualtrics and Genesys integration is available to customers on the Qualtrics Marketplace and Genesys AppFoundry. New integrations will be available later this year.

08:24 EDT BriaCell expands breast cancer platform technology into other cancers - BriaCell Therapeutics announces the advancement of its targeted oncology therapeutics into several novel immunotherapy cell lines: Bria-Pros for prostate cancer, Bria-Mel for melanoma, and Bria-Lung for lung cancer. BriaCell's immunotherapy treatment appeared most effective in breast cancer when the patient human leukocyte antigen molecules matched with the targeted immunotherapy, allowing BriaCell to potentially identify patients most likely to respond to the treatment. The novel approach uses an HLA-typing test - a simple and widely available test. BriaCell anticipates commencing clinical trials for these novel therapies in 2022. Bria-OTS in advanced breast cancer remains on track to commence patient dosing in 2021.

08:18 EDT FibroGen's pamrevlumab included in cancer clinical trial - FibroGen announced activation of an experimental arm in the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network's Precision Promise adaptive trial platform evaluating pamrevlumab for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. The objective of Precision Promise is to expedite the study and approval of promising therapies for pancreatic cancer by bringing multiple stakeholders together, including academic, industry and regulatory entities. The new experimental treatment arm tests FibroGen's pamrevlumab in combination with standard of care chemotherapy treatments for pancreatic cancer, gemcitabine and Abraxane. The combination therapy is offered to patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer as either a first- or second-line treatment option, marking the first experimental treatment arm to be offered as a first-line treatment in PanCAN's innovative Precision Promise trial. Precision Promise is currently open and enrolling at 15 Clinical Trial Consortium sites nationwide and PanCAN expects to add five additional sites in early 2022.

08:12 EDT Super League Gaming set to join Russell Microcap Index - Super League Gaming announced that the company is set to join the Russell Microcap Index, effective June 28, 2021, according to a preliminary list of additions distributed on June 4, 2021.

08:11 EDT Equinix sets 2030 global climate-neutral target - Equinix announced its commitment to becoming climate-neutral and has set a science-based target for emissions reduction across its global operations and supply chain by 2030 aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement. As part of its science-based target, Equinix is aiming to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions - direct and indirect from electricity - by 50% by 2030 against a 2019 baseline. To achieve this goal, Equinix is targeting to reach 100% renewable energy by 2030, fulfilling its commitment to RE100. Additional carbon emission reductions will be achieved through driving energy efficiency savings, reducing refrigerant loss, phasing out high global warming potential refrigerants and investigating the replacement of diesel generators with cleaner on-site generation technologies. Equinix is also committing to partnering with suppliers by engaging with those responsible for 66% of Equinix's Purchased Goods and Services and Capital Goods supplier-related emissions, to set their own science-based targets by 2025. The company will also address fuel- and energy-related activities with the aim to reduce the carbon associated with the delivery of power to its sites by 50% by 2030. Equinix aims to reach climate-neutrality by 2030 across its Scope 1 and 2 emissions.

08:08 EDT BeyondSpring expects cash to support ongoing programs - As of March 31, 2021, the company had cash and cash equivalents of $90.6M on hand. The company believes it has sufficient cash to support its ongoing clinical programs over the next year, including its immuno-oncology pipeline, and to prepare for a potential launch of plinabulin in CIN in early 2022.

08:08 EDT 1847 Goedeker says May revenue up 41.9% to $44.3M - 1847 Goedeker reports continued strong growth with record revenue for the month of May 2021, up 41.9% from May 2020 to $44.3M. May 2021 written orders of $72.6M. "We continue to operate at more than a $500 million annual revenue run rate through May. While our fill rate of 61% remains well below our historical 85% rate, we continue to believe we will see a return to normal shipping trends as manufacturers catch production up to consumer demand in the latter part of the third quarter," stated Doug Moore, CEO of Goedekers. "We are now two weeks past the official closing of our Appliances Connection acquisition, and as a combined company, we are executing on a proven direct-to-consumer, or DTC, model of current investment driving scalable growth, and as such, plan to further expand our fulfillment capabilities with the addition of fulfilment centers in key markets, enabling us to further speed up processing times and better serve customers nationally. Current plans are accelerating to open facilities in Texas, California, and Florida, and we anticipate announcing more details regarding the addition of a third facility in the coming weeks." "Building on logistics and shipping optimization already underway prior to the close of the deal, as well as ongoing integration of logistics and other key operations, we are implementing a series of initiatives with key vendors to increase shipping speed to customers, cut costs, and increase margins," said Albert Fouerti, President and Founder of Appliances Connection. "I believe the integration steps underway will fortify our position to accelerate market share growth, making us a formidable force in the consumer appliances market as we change the way Americans shop for appliances."

08:07 EDT Fathom announces planned acquisition of Epic Realty, terms not disclosed - Fathom Holdings announced that through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Fathom Realty Holdings, it has signed a definitive agreement to enter the Idaho market through the planned acquisition of Epic Realty. The acquisition is scheduled to close in the second quarter. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

08:06 EDT Diageo becomes first ever official spirits sponsor of the NFL - The National Football League welcomed Diageo as its first ever Official Spirits Sponsor. The multiyear sponsorship is uniquely structured with the NFL fan in mind and will include opportunities for on-site activation and engagement with adult fans, as well as broadcast, digital, and social content from NFL Kickoff through the Super Bowl.

08:04 EDT Landsea Homes acquires 247 homesites at Bentridge in Buckeye, Arizona - Landsea Homes announced that it has closed on 247 homesites at Bentridge, located in the heart of Buckeye, Arizona. This community of 247 homes will feature options for single-level and two-story living, as well as indoor-outdoor living options, spacious design elements, and 14 different floorplans. The community preserves over 30 acres of open space, including a community park. Prices have not yet been published. Construction is slated to begin in 2022, with sales expected to commence in fall 2022.

08:03 EDT VistaGen Therapeutics set to join Russell 2000 Index - VistaGen Therapeutics, announced the company will be added to the Russell 2000 Index at the conclusion of the 2021 Russell Indexes annual reconstitution, effective after the U.S. market opens on Monday, June 28, 2021, according to a preliminary list of additions posted on June 4, 2021.

07:57 EDT NanoXplore concludes agreement to supply Techmer PM with GrapheneBlack - NanoXplore announces that it has entered into a multiyear agreement to supply GrapheneBlack grade of products to Techmer PM, which agreement includes a customer-based exclusivity. Soroush Nazarpour, President and CEO of NanoXplore, commented: "This agreement is particularly exciting, as it allows us to further emphasize the value of graphene and enhance the profile of our GrapheneBlack brand. It also fosters collaboration with a leader in the U.S. market and furthers our efforts to expand the use of graphene."

07:51 EDT Can-Fite BioPharma issued patent from NIPA for use of A3AR ligand - Can-Fite BioPharma announced the Chinese National Intellectual Property Administration, or NIPA, has issued a notice of allowance for its patent titled "An A3 Adenosine Receptor Ligand For Use In Treating Ectopic Fat Accumulation". This patent addresses the use of the A3 Adenosine Receptor, or A3AR, ligand, the target receptor for Can-Fite's drug platform technology, to reduce liver fat particularly in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH. Can-Fite expects to commence a Phase IIb study for its liver drug candidate Namodenoson in the treatment of NASH in Q3 based on a successfully concluded Phase IIa study in which Namodenoson was shown to reduce liver fat content and inhibit fibrosis. Namodenoson has been out licensed for the treatment of NASH in China and is part of a deal worth up to $74.5M in milestone payments plus double-digit royalties. The treatment market for NASH in China is projected to reach $6.4B by 2027 driven by increasing rates of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes.

07:47 EDT CloudMD appoints Adams as President, provides update on Oncidium acquisition - CloudMD Software & Services and its Board of Directors announces the appointment of Karen Adams as President of the company effective June 21, 2021. The company's previous President, Dr. Amit Mathur, will now take on the primary responsibility of delivering CloudMD's expansion into the United States, a key component of the corporate strategy. Dr. Mathur's appointment to the newly created leadership role of President, US Operations is effective June 21, 2021. Further to the recent announcement of the acquisition of Oncidium, the company announces that Oncidium has acquired an organization specializing in independent medical evaluations and health-related services. The business generated $17M in revenue with positive earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization for the 12 month period ending April 2021, and as such, the expected revenue for Oncidium, including the newly acquired business, is significantly increased, while the overall purchase price of Oncidium remains unchanged. CloudMD expects to close the acquisition of Oncidium this month.

07:44 EDT Paratek Pharmaceuticals announce initiation of Phase 2b study of NUZYRA - Paratek Pharmaceuticals announced the initiation of clinical trial sites for the company's Phase 2b study exploring the potential utility of NUZYRA as a treatment for Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease caused by Mycobacterium abscessus complex. "Physicians have continued to highlight the clinical unmet need for an efficacious and well-tolerated oral antibiotic to treat infections caused by M. abscessus. With its once-daily, oral, broad-spectrum profile, NUZYRA has significant potential to address important unmet medical needs in the treatment of M. abscessus pulmonary disease, which represents an important life-cycle opportunity for NUZYRA," said Randy Brenner, Chief Development and Regulatory Officer of Paratek. "We are excited to begin this Phase 2b study, which we believe will build upon the expanding and compelling real-world data seen to date examining the potential efficacy of NUZYRA in M. abscessus pulmonary disease."

07:40 EDT Teva launches generic version of SOOLANTRA for rosacea - Teva Pharmaceuticals announced the U.S. launch of its generic version of once daily SOOLANTRA ivermectin Cream, 1% for the treatment of inflammatory lesions of rosacea. With nearly 550 generic medicines available, Teva has the largest portfolio of FDA-approved generic products on the market. Currently, 1 in 11 generic prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. is filled with a Teva generic product. SOOLANTRA had annual sales of more than $115M in the U.S., according to IQVIA data as of April.

07:34 EDT Dicerna compltes dosing in Phyox4 study of nedosiran - Dicerna announced it has completed dosing in the company's Phyox4 single-dose safety and tolerability study of its investigational candidate, nedosiran, for the treatment of primary hyperoxaluria type 3. Nedosiran is Dicerna's lead investigational GalXC RNAi therapy and is in development as a once-monthly subcutaneous treatment for all three known types of PH, a family of ultra-rare, life-threatening genetic disorders that initially manifest with complications in the kidneys. The company expects to report top-line results from this study in October.

07:33 EDT Williams announces deepwater export agreement at Shenandoah - Williams announced that it recently reached an export agreement with Beacon Offshore Energy Development LLC and its co-owner ShenHai, a subsidiary of Navitas Petroleum, to provide offshore natural gas gathering and transportation services and onshore natural gas processing services to the Shenandoah development through the Discovery infrastructure in the central Gulf of Mexico. Shenandoah is located 160 miles off the coast of Louisiana in the Walker Ridge area of the Gulf of Mexico. "Our interconnected offshore and onshore infrastructure allows us to maximize value for our customers by providing a safe, seamless and direct path to market for deepwater producers in the Gulf," said Micheal Dunn, Chief Operating Officer for Williams. "Our investment in Shenandoah is a strategic expansion of our Gulf of Mexico infrastructure which further strengthens our portfolio of services. We are pleased to provide the entire spectrum of midstream capabilities to Beacon that will capture the full value of these important deepwater resources."

07:32 EDT Novocure initiates usability study for flexible torso array - Novocure announced it has advanced a new, flexible torso array into a clinical usability study. The updated array will be tested by patients and their caregivers at four clinical sites in Europe. Novocure designed the array to improve patient comfort for all torso and abdominal indications. The new design is intended to improve skin adhesion, to increase degrees-of-motion, and potentially to reduce skin irritation. Novocure plans to conclude the usability study in the third quarter of 2021 and will identify the preferred regulatory pathway to bring the updated, flexible array to patients as soon as possible.

07:19 EDT CI Financial renews normal course issuer bid and ASPP - CI Financial announced that the Toronto Stock Exchange has accepted its Notice of Intention to make a Normal Course Issuer Bid and Automatic Securities Purchase Plan, CI intends to purchase up to 18,194,790 of its common shares by way of a Normal Course Issuer Bid, through the facilities of the TSX and alternative Canadian trading systems. Common shares may be purchased by CI or purchased by a trustee, to satisfy obligations under equity-based compensation or employee share purchase plans for CI. All common shares purchased by CI (but not those purchased by such a trustee or non-independent broker) will be cancelled. The 18,194,790 common shares represent 10% of the total public float for CI . As of June 10, there were 203,999,396 issued and outstanding common shares of CI.

07:18 EDT SPI Energy subsidiary launches EV charging solutions in U.S. - SPI Energy announced its wholly owned Phoenix Motorcars subsidiary launched a full range of EV charging products for the U.S. market. The EV charging solutions come in a variety of configurations to serve both residential and commercial customer needs, with 24/7 network support, two-year warranties, and extended warranty options.

07:12 EDT Trevena announces NIH resumed recruiting patients in study for TRV734 - Trevena announced that the National Institute on Drug Abuse, or NIDA, has resumed recruiting patients for its proof-of-concept study for TRV734, the company's novel mu-opioid receptor selective agonist. The company has an ongoing collaboration with NIDA to evaluate TRV734 as a potential maintenance therapy for opioid use disorder. The study was paused in March 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The NIDA study of TRV734 marks the third investigational drug product within Trevena's pipeline being researched by the NIH. This is a randomized, double-blind, four-period, placebo- and positive-controlled study that will enroll approximately 50 opioid-dependent patients undergoing stable methadone maintenance therapy. The primary outcome is suppression of withdrawal symptoms as measured by the Subjective Opioid Withdrawal Scale. The study will also evaluate whether TRV734 suppresses withdrawal signs using the Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale. Secondary outcomes will include assessments of safety, tolerability, and measures of neurocognitive changes.

07:07 EDT Freeline doses second patient in Phase 1/2 MARVEL-1 clinical trial - Freeline Therapeutics Holdings announced dosing of the second patient in the ongoing Phase 1/2 MARVEL-1 clinical trial of FLT190, its liver-directed AAV gene therapy candidate for Fabry disease. Theresa Heggie, Chief Executive Officer of Freeline, said, "With dosing complete in our first cohort, we look forward to advancing through the next cohorts in our dose-finding study. We plan to present data later this year to demonstrate the potential for FLT190 to be a transformative treatment for patients with Fabry disease." MARVEL-1 is a multicenter, international, Phase 1/2 dose-finding trial in adult males with classic Fabry disease being conducted in two parts: in previously treated patients and in previously untreated patients. The study is evaluating the safety and efficacy of FLT190 across four dose levels in approximately 10 patients and monitoring patients for nine months after dosing. In addition to safety, efficacy endpoints include levels of alphaGLA production, clearance of globotriaosylceramide and globotriaosylsphingosine from the plasma, changes in renal and skin biopsies, renal and cardiac function, alphaGLA immune response, and quality of life.

07:05 EDT BioCryst announces acceptance, accelerated review of ORLADEYO in Israel - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals announced that the Israeli Ministry of Health has accepted the regulatory submission of ORLADEYO for the prevention of recurrent attacks in patients with hereditary angioedema 12 years and older. The Israeli Ministry of Health also has granted an accelerated review. In addition, BioCryst has entered into a distribution and supply agreement granting Neopharm, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Israel, the exclusive rights to commercialize ORLADEYO in Israel.

07:04 EDT PureTech Health acquires remaining 22% interest in Alivio Therapeutics - PureTech Health announced the acquisition of the remaining 22% of shares outstanding in its founded entity, Alivio Therapeutics. Alivio's therapeutic candidates, in development for inflammatory disorders including inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, will be integrated into the company's wholly owned pipeline. The acquisition aligns with PureTech's strategy to advance a wholly owned pipeline designed to harness key immunological, fibrotic and lymphatic system mechanisms to treat serious diseases with significant unmet needs. The programs and the underlying Alivio technology platform are expected to be funded by PureTech as well as through partnerships and grants. The integration of this program is in line with the budget for PureTech, which extends into the first quarter of 2025, as previously guided. The integration also includes the addition of therapeutic candidate, LYT-503/IMB-150, to the company's pipeline, which is being developed in collaboration with Imbrium Therapeutics as a potential non-opioid treatment for interstitial cystitis or bladder pain syndrome. An IND filing for LYT-503/IMB-150 is expected in 2021. PureTech will also continue to evaluate existing and additional anti-inflammatory programs leveraging the Alivio platform technology. The consideration for the acquisition of the minority interests in Alivio consist of a closing cash payment and potential future cash payments upon successful achievement of certain milestones. The transaction is a small transaction for the purposes of Annex 1 of Listing Rule 11 and smaller than a class 2 transaction for the purposes of Listing Rule 10.

07:03 EDT Kuwait Oil Company selects Halliburton for digital transformation projects - Halliburton announced it received a contract from Kuwait Oil Company KOC a world leader in digital transformation, to expand KOC's digital transformation journey by implementing solutions to maximize operational efficiency and increase production. The scope applies to all Kuwait fields including West Kuwait, South and East Kuwait, and Heavy Oil, complementing a recently awarded contract for similar services in North Kuwait. Halliburton will collaborate with KOC to accelerate their data-to-decisions cycle by implementing automated work processes and digital twins across KOC's major assets. The solutions will leverage DecisionSpace(R) 365, Halliburton's cloud-based subscription service for E&P applications, to automate work processes to accurately plan, forecast, and optimize production throughout the KOC portfolio. Built on an open architecture, the service integrates Halliburton and third-party technologies to enhance operational performance and increase ultimate recovery.

07:02 EDT Comscore announces new partnership with Viant - Comscore (SCOR) announced a new partnership agreement with Viant Technology (DSP) on the successful integration of Comscore's entire contextual Activation suite into Viant's advertising software, Adelphic. The contextual-based partnership enables Viant's advertisers to leverage Comscore's cookie-free targeting solutions, including brand protection, contextual relevance, keyword targeting, and Comscore's latest innovation, Predictive Audiences, which transforms audience targets into privacy-friendly contextual signals. With this new agreement, Viant's customers will have access to Comscore's entire contextual Activation suite, which harnesses the power of Predictive Audiences. With Predictive Audiences, brands can continue to reach granular audiences aligned to their campaign goals based on TV viewership, OTT consumption, and consumer behaviors - all in a cookie-free environment. As the only provider in market able to provide a crosswalk between audience targets and privacy-friendly contextual signals, Comscore is excited to bring this capability to Viant's customer base.

06:54 EDT Lineage Cell Therapeutics names Kevin Cook as CFO, effective June 21 - Lineage Cell Therapeutics announced that Kevin Cook will join as the company's CFO, effective June 21. Cook will bring more than 20 years of significant strategic, financial, and operational experience to Lineage, with an emphasis in private equity, corporate finance, and investment banking. Cook has broad expertise across a range of financial matters and has executed over $30B of capital raising and corporate development transactions, approximately half of which involved life sciences companies. Cook most recently served as COO of a family office investment firm with an emphasis in the solar energy and infrastructure industries, where he managed existing portfolio companies while pursuing new control investments.

06:47 EDT Ford says Lincoln brand to electrify entire portfolio of vehicles by 2030 - Ford said Lincoln will debut its first global fully electric vehicle next year in "the first step toward electrifying its entire portfolio of vehicles by the end of the decade." The first fully electric Lincoln will join the plug-in hybrid Aviator and Corsair SUVs, as the brand shifts toward electrification. Ford added: "The new electric vehicle will debut as the brand celebrates its 100th anniversary next year and accelerates growth in North America and China. By mid-decade, Lincoln expects half of its global volume will be zero-emissions vehicles and plans to electrify its portfolio of vehicles by 2030. This is part of the company's Ford+ plan and Ford Motor Company's planned investment of more than $30B in electrification by 2025." Reference Link

06:41 EDT Kindred Biosciences jumps 43% to $9.10 after Elanco buyout offer

06:40 EDT Transocean awarded $116M in harsh environment contracts - Transocean's Transocean Barents was awarded a two-well contract in Norway with commencement expected in February 2022. The contract award is approximately 200 days in duration and adds an estimated $60M in firm contract backlog. Additionally, the Transocean Norge was awarded a four-well contract plus five one-well options in Norway with commencement expected in March 2022. The contract award is approximately 200 days in duration and adds an estimated $56M in firm contract backlog.

06:36 EDT SpringsWorks Therapeutics initiates Phase 1/2 trial of mirdametinib in glioma - SpringWorks Therapeutics initiatied a Phase 1/2 clinical trial to evaluate mirdametinib, an investigational MEK inhibitor, for the treatment of children, adolescents, and young adults with low-grade glioma, or LGG. Pediatric LGG can harbor genetic alterations that upregulate the MAPK pathway and promote tumor growth. To date, over 250 subjects have been exposed to treatment with mirdametinib across clinical trials, with preliminary evidence of clinical activity against tumors driven by over-activated MAPK signaling. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital sponsors the trial and SpringWorks provides partial funding, study drug and other non-financial support. The open-label Phase 1/2 trial will evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of mirdametinib in children, adolescents and young adults with LGG. The study plans to enroll up to 130 patients between the ages of 2 years and 24 years of age. Patients will receive mirdametinib twice daily on a continuous schedule for up to two years. The primary objective of the Phase 1 portion of the trial will be to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of mirdametinib. The Phase 2 portion of the trial is designed to measure the objective response rate and duration of response to mirdametinib.

06:33 EDT Elanco to acquire Kindred Biosciences for $9.25 per share, or $440M - Elanco Animal Health (ELAN) and Kindred Biosciences (KIN) announced the parties have entered into a definitive agreement for Elanco to acquire KindredBio. The acquisition further accelerates Elanco's expansion in the attractive pet health market, particularly advancing Elanco's presence in the fast-growing billion-dollar dermatology category. KindredBio brings three potential dermatology blockbusters expected to launch through 2025, as well as a number of additional R&D programs for other chronic disorders and unmet needs, including canine parvovirus. KindredBio's innovative pipeline - added to Elanco's own organic efforts - meaningfully augments Elanco's ability to launch products, gain share, and grow in the dermatology market through fully accretive revenue dollars. Elanco anticipates the combination will add approximately $100M to its previously stated innovation revenue expectation of $500M-$600M by 2025, with significant opportunity beyond the period. Under the terms of the agreement, Elanco will acquire all outstanding stock of Kindred Biosciences at a price of $9.25 per share, or approximately $440M, a premium of 52% based on the 30-day average. Elanco intends to fund the acquisition with pre-payable debt. Elanco expects to extend its leverage objective of under three times net leverage to Adjusted EBITDA by three months, from the end of 2023 to the end of the first quarter of 2024. Elanco expects to unlock upside to its long-term growth algorithm, with the potential to add a full percentage point of consistent annual revenue growth, starting in 2024, and further expand the company's margin potential over time. Transaction and operating costs will be slightly dilutive to Elanco's reported and adjusted earnings per share in 2021, with the impact expected to be concentrated in the fourth quarter, and also slightly dilutive to the full year 2022. Elanco expects the transaction to close in the third quarter of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by KindredBio's shareholders and clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. KindredBio's Board has approved the proposed acquisition.

06:31 EDT Elanco to acquire Kindred Biosciences for $9.25 per share, or $440M

06:20 EDT Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 385.2K shares of UiPath on Tuesday

06:17 EDT MannKind, United Therapeutics: FDA accepts NDA for Tyvaso DPI - MannKind (MNKD) and United Therapeutics (UTHR) reached a major milestone with the announcement that the U.S. FDA accepted for priority review of the New Drug Application for Tyvaso DPI for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension and pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease. The development marks the second compound formulated with MannKind's Technosphere technology to be reviewed by the FDA, which is expected to be complete in October. The FDA has also indicated that they have not identified any potential review issues at this time.

06:04 EDT Amazon.com to create 800 affordable homes in Nashville area - Amazon announced a commitment of $75M in below-market capital for developers to create 800 affordable homes in the Nashville, Tennessee area near WeGo high-capacity transit corridors. The investment is part of Amazon's more than $2B Housing Equity Fund to preserve and create over 20,000 affordable homes through below-market loans to housing partners, traditional and non-traditional public agencies, and minority-led organizations. The transit commitment will help ensure that moderate- to low-income Nashvillians can afford housing within the urban core with easy access to employment, schools, healthcare, education, recreation, and other amenities.

06:03 EDT Amazon.com, Sound Transit to create up to 1,200 new affordable housing units - Amazon and Sound Transit announced a partnership to accelerate the creation of up to 1,200 new affordable housing units on Sound Transit surplus properties near light rail stations across the Puget Sound region. Amazon is committing $100M in below-market funding to developers to help create and expedite the development of Sound Transit property offered for affordable housing. The first $25M will fund pre-development activities like site due diligence, engineering, and permitting, while the remaining $75M will support the construction of new affordable housing, which is expected to begin within five years. The partnership will help ensure that moderate- to low-income families can afford to live in great neighborhoods with easy access to employment, schools, health care, education, and other amenities.

06:02 EDT Amazon.com, Washington Metro to create 1,000 new affordable housing units - Amazon and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority announced a goal to create more than 1,000 new affordable housing units at Metro Stations throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region. Amazon is committing $125M in below-market capital to expedite development of affordable homes so that moderate- to low-income families in the National Capital Region can afford to live in communities with easy access to employment, schools, healthcare, education, and other amenities. The investment is part of Amazon's Housing Equity Fund, a more than $2B commitment to preserve and create over 20,000 affordable homes through below-market loans and grants to housing partners, traditional and non-traditional public agencies, and minority-led organizations.

05:35 EDT Citi partners with Stoxx Qontigo to develop single stock linked indices series - Citi has partnered with Stoxx Qontigo to develop a series of single stock linked indices in an effort to generate a more efficient structured product universe for financial intermediaries and end investors. The Single Stock Decrement Indices are adjusted returns indices where each index references one of 23 blue-chip single stock names. There are three different decrement calibration approaches, which each use the same methodology and offer various levels of risk in line with investors' objectives and needs, for a resulting initial product suite of 69 indices. The decrement dividend approach has been used within the global or regional equity index space previously, but this launch represents the first time that the technology is imported with scale into the single stocks used as structured product underlyings, in particular within autocallable payoff structures. The decrement mechanism involves deducting a pre-determined amount in absolute or percentage terms from the underlying's total return performance on a daily basis - a sort of fixed, synthetic dividend detachment.

05:21 EDT Regeneron announces UK RECOVERY trial meets primary outcome - Regeneron (REGN) announced results from the largest trial assessing any monoclonal antibody treatment in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19. The UK RECOVERY trial found that adding investigational REGEN-COV to usual care reduced the risk of death by 20% in patients who had not mounted a natural antibody response on their own against SARS-CoV-2, compared to usual care on its own. RECOVERY is the first trial large enough to determine whether REGEN-COV reduces mortality in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19. Previous Phase 3 trials in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients have shown that REGEN-COV reduced viral levels, shortened the time to resolution of symptoms and reduced the risk of hospitalization or death. In a Phase 1/2 trial in hospitalized patients, REGEN-COV also rapidly reduced viral levels, with preliminary evidence suggesting that it lowered the risk of death or receiving mechanical ventilation, with the benefit driven by patients who entered the trial without having mounted a natural antibody response of their own; and in the absence of REGEN-COV treatment, seronegative patients had higher mortality rates than patients who had already mounted their own immune response. Based on the above Phase 1/2 data, the independently-run RECOVERY trial prospectively focused on seronegative patients. Similar to the prior trial, patients in RECOVERY who received usual care alone had double the mortality rate at day 28 if they were seronegative compared to seropositive; approximately one-third of hospitalized patients were seronegative, one-half were seropositive and one-sixth had unknown serostatus. The mean age of patients for this comparison was 62 years, and more than 90% received corticosteroids across all groups. The primary outcome of RECOVERY showed that adding REGEN-COV 8,000 mg to usual care reduced all-cause mortality by 20% in seronegative patients, compared to usual care alone. When combining the larger seropositive group with the seronegative patients, there was no longer a significant effect on 28-day mortality. Among seronegative patients in the RECOVERY trial, the median duration of hospital stay was four days shorter in the REGEN-COV group and the proportion of patients discharged alive by day 28 was greater. Among the seronegative patients not on invasive mechanical ventilation at baseline, the risk of progressing to the composite endpoint of invasive mechanical ventilation or death was lower among the REGEN-COV group than the usual care group. No such benefits were seen in the overall trial population. Multiple analyses, including a recent publication in Cell, have shown that REGEN-COV retains potency against the main variants of concern circulating within the U.S.; consequently, REGEN-COV remains available for use in all 50 states. REGEN-COV retains potency against variants including P.1, B.1.351 and B.1.162.2. The combined frequency of the P.1 and B.1.351 variants now exceeds 10% of new COVID-19 diagnoses across eight states and the prevalence of these and other variants continues to be closely monitored. Later this summer, Regeneron expects to submit a full biologics license application, or BLA, for REGEN-COV. Regeneron is collaborating with Roche (RHHBY) to increase global supply of REGEN-COV. Regeneron is responsible for development and distribution of the treatment in the U.S., and Roche is primarily responsible for development and distribution outside the U.S. The companies share a commitment to making the antibody cocktail available to COVID-19 patients around the globe and will support access in low- and lower-middle-income countries through drug donations to be made in partnership with public health organizations.

05:09 EDT Veon acquires majority stake in OTM, terms undisclosed - Veon announced it has acquired a majority stake in OTM, a technology platform for the automation and planning of online advertising purchases in Russia. Veon's investment in OTM will enable Veon to expand OTM's operations into other markets served by VEON's mobile operators. The acquisition builds on Veon's ongoing transformation into a digital operator. OTM is one of the largest independent AdTech players in Russia, both in terms of revenue and in the volume of online ad inventories managed by its platforms. Since its inception in 2010, the OTM platform has become one of the largest players in the Russian AdTech market. As part of Veon, OTM will remain a separate operating company managed by its current management team, playing an important role in growing VEON's AdTech business.