Stockwinners Market Radar for June 26, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:01 EDT Onion Global, Sunwah Chuanyu establish JV targeting Southwest China - Onion Global announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Sunwah Chuanyu, the Sichuan Area Branch of Sunwah Group to establish a joint venture Xinyang Wujie. The joint venture will target new consumer opportunities in Southwest China, and aims to boost cross-border e-commerce in the region with the mission of "cross-promoting local Sichuan goods to overseas markets, and bringing international goods to Sichuan." Currently, Xinyang Wujie has successfully introduced and incubated the first collection of premium international brands. Cong Li, Founder and CEO of Onion Global, commented, "Southwest China is a rapidly evolving market that presents us with many new growth drivers and business opportunities. The changing consumer behaviors and overall progression towards a higher quality of living and healthier lifestyle will continue to drive the economic growth, leading to massive, untapped market opportunities for us. Only the brands that have effectively integrated global supply chains, high-quality distribution resources, and elevated their operational efficiencies will be able to remain competitive and continue to gain market share to reshape their brand's landscape moving forward."

17:01 EDT GCM Grosvenor added to Russell 2000 Index - GCM Grosvenor announced that it joined the Russell 2000 Index after the equity markets closed today as part of the 2021 Russell indexes reconstitution. The new index will be effective at the opening of U.S. equity markets on June 28, 2021. "Our inclusion in the Russell 2000(R) Index is the latest milestone in the firm's 50-year history, following our successful transition to a public company last year," said Michael Sacks, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GCM Grosvenor. "We look forward to continuing to deliver value to our clients and shareholders." Membership in the Russell 2000 Index, which remains in place for one year, is based on membership in the broad-market Russell 3000 Index. The stock also was automatically added to the appropriate growth and value indexes.

16:21 EDT Coty Chief Supply Officer Richard Jones leaving the company - Coty announced that Richard Jones is stepping down from his role as Chief Supply Officer and Head of R&D. Jones, who joined Coty in 2019, will remain with Coty until June 30. The company intends to separate Jones' role into two positions, appointing an expert leader over each of Supply Chain and R&D. These new appointments will be announced in due course. In the interim, current Coty leaders will be assuming Jones' responsibilities.

16:07 EDT OceanFirst Financial announces stock repurchase program - OceanFirst Financial Corp. announced the authorization of the board of the 2021 stock repurchase program to repurchase approximately 5% of the company's outstanding common stock up to an additional 3M shares. This amount is in addition to the remaining 1.52M shares available under the existing 2019 stock repurchase program.

15:44 EDT Microsoft investigating malicious actor distributing malicious drivers in gaming - Microsoft said in post to it security response blog: "Microsoft is investigating a malicious actor distributing malicious drivers within gaming environments. The actor submitted drivers for certification through the Windows Hardware Compatibility Program. The drivers were built by a third party. We have suspended the account and reviewed their submissions for additional signs of malware. We have seen no evidence that the WHCP signing certificate was exposed. The infrastructure was not compromised. In alignment with our Zero Trust and layered defenses security posture, we have built-in detection and blocking of this driver and associated files through Microsoft Defender for Endpoint. We are also sharing these detections with other AV security vendors so they can proactively deploy detections. The actor's activity is limited to the gaming sector specifically in China and does not appear to target enterprise environments. We are not attributing this to a nation-state actor at this time. The actor's goal is to use the driver to spoof their geo-location to cheat the system and play from anywhere. The malware enables them to gain an advantage in games and possibly exploit other players by compromising their accounts through common tools like keyloggers." Reference Link

15:23 EDT Electric Last Mile Solutions closes deal, expects to trade as 'ELMS' on June 28 - Electric Last Mile and Forum Merger III Corporation (FIII) announced the completion of the companies' previously announced business combination, which was approved by Forum stockholders on June 24. The merger has resulted in Electric Last Mile Solutions, a pure-play commercial electric vehicle company, becoming a publicly traded company and its common stock and warrants are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbols "ELMS" and "ELMSW", respectively, on June 28. "The ELMS Urban Delivery, anticipated to launch later this year, is expected to be the first Class 1 commercial electric vehicle available in the U.S. market and will be produced at the Company's facility in Mishawaka, Indiana. The Urban Delivery is anticipated to have a range of approximately 150 miles and is also expected to come with a suite of connectivity and productivity solutions, including over-the-air updates. As part of its integrated business model, ELMS also plans to offer upfitting solutions to customize the Urban Delivery to fleets' individual end-use cases. ELMS also recently announced plans to reveal a working prototype of its second vehicle, the Urban Utility, an all-electric medium duty cab forward truck, later this summer," the company stated.

14:00 EDT Toshiba stakeholders oust Osamu Nagayama as chairperson - Toshiba Corporation announced that the newly elected Board of Directors of Toshiba has issued a statement. The full text of the statement is as follows: "The newly elected Board of Directors of Toshiba Corporation acknowledges and respects the outcome of the vote at the Company's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders today. Listening to shareholders' concerns and responding to them is a critical responsibility of the Board. Toshiba is in the middle of a period of considerable change, focused around an improvement in corporate governance, greater emphasis on capital management, increase in shareholder returns, and the rebuilding of trust and support from our shareholders. The Board of Directors has undergone considerable change as a result of the independent investigation report published on June 10th, 2021 and the voting at the Annual General Meeting this afternoon. Today, the Board unanimously elected Satoshi Tsunakawa as Interim Chairperson of the Board. Mr. Tsunakawa brings to this role a deep understanding of Toshiba's strategic capabilities and competitive advantages, as well as an objective view of its challenges and opportunities. Mr. Tsunakawa will provide stability for our customers and employees while enabling the Board to advance its commitment to constructive change. The Board has resolved on a new composition of all board committees, focused on the skills and capabilities of the current members of the board. In the coming weeks, the Nomination Committee and other members of the Board and management will engage with Toshiba's major stakeholders-our shareholders, management, employees and customers- to consider any additional changes that may be needed to achieve the best possible outcome for Toshiba's stability, governance and future profitability."

13:39 EDT Synaptogenix jumps after CSO speaks on TD Ameritrade Network - Previously, Synaptogenix announced that Dr. Daniel Alkon, the company's President and Chief Scientific Officer, will appear as a featured guest on TD Ameritrade Network's "The Watch List" on Friday, June 25, at 1:20pm ET. "Dr. Alkon will discuss the progression of treatments for Alzheimer's disease ("AD"), the regenerative mechanism of action for Synaptogenix's lead drug, Bryostatin-1, and how the recently approved drug from Biogen may impact future treatments in the AD space," the company said ahead of the CSO's planned appearance. In afternoon trading, shares of Synaptogenix have jumped $2.08, or 19%, to $13.10. Reference Link

13:22 EDT Two Royal Caribbean guests under 16 tested positive for Covid - Royal Caribbean announced that two guests on Adventure of the Seas tested positive for Covid-19 after routine testing that is required before returning home. The company said, "Both guests, under the age of 16 and unvaccinated, were immediately quarantined. One guest is asymptomatic, and the other guest is experiencing mild symptoms. Those in their immediate travel party are vaccinated and have tested negative. Close contacts were quickly identified and tested. All are vaccinated and tested negative. The guests and their travel party disembarked today in Freeport, The Bahamas and are on their way home to Florida. Ninety-two percent of our guests on Adventure are fully vaccinated and the remaining 8% are under 16 years old. One hundred percent of our crew are fully vaccinated." Shares of Royal Caribbean are up 2% to $88.43 in afternoon trading.

13:02 EDT Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count flat at 470 rigs - Baker Hughes reports that the U.S. rig count is unchanged from last week at 470 with oil rigs down 1 to 372, gas rigs up 1 to 98, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 0. The U.S. Rig Count is up 205 rigs from last year's count of 265, with oil rigs up 184 gas rigs up 23 and miscellaneous rigs down 2. The U.S. Offshore Rig Count is up 1 to 14, up 3 year-over-year. The Canada Rig Count is up 9 from last week to 126, with oil rigs up 8 to 82, gas rigs up 1 to 44. The Canada Rig Count is up 113 rigs from last year's count of 13, with oil rigs up 78, gas rigs up 35.

13:01 EDT Court grants Exela Technologies' motion to dismiss class action lawsuit - Exela Technologies announced that U.S. District Judge Sydney A. Fitzwater has granted Exela's motion to dismiss in its entirety the Texas federal securities class action suit filed March 2020. Plaintiffs have the option to file an amended complaint correcting the deficiencies set forth in the Court's June 24 dismissal order by August 5.

12:59 EDT Florida authorizes sports, event betting at venues via online betting platforms - Florida has authorized sports and event betting under Florida law at "professional sports venues and pari-mutuel facilities and statewide via online sports betting platforms by entities authorized to conduct online sports betting, and by Native American tribes with a Florida gaming compact, only for persons age 21 years or older," according to a statement. The statement goes on to say that it "Requires legislative action to regulate sports betting. Legislature may tax betting revenues, and all such taxes are required to supplement the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund." Reference Link

12:06 EDT Fisker CEO notes 'something to check out this weekend' - Fisker Chairman and CEO Henrik Fisker said via Twitter: "Something to check out this weekend ; going live in 5 minutes: see http://Fiskerinc.com !" Reference Link

12:00 EDT Adecoagro falls -9.3% - Adecoagro is down -9.3%, or -$1.05 to $10.31.

12:00 EDT X Financial rises 22.5% - X Financial is up 22.5%, or $2.60 to $14.16.

12:00 EDT Virgin Galactic rises 32.8% - Virgin Galactic is up 32.8%, or $13.22 to $53.48.

11:38 EDT MannKind to present posters on 923-P in Diabetes, 722-P in clinical therapeutics - MannKind Corporation will present two posters at the American Diabetes Association's virtual 81st Scientific Sessions, June 25-29. The submissions include 923-P in Pediatrics-Type 1 Diabetes, and 722-P in Clinical Therapeutics/New Technology-Insulins. MannKind is also hosting a booth in the virtual Exhibit Hall at the Scientific Sessions. An insulin regimen that closely mimics physiologic insulin for pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes remains a critical goal. Poster 923-P reports on a Phase 2 clinical study to characterize the pharmacokinetics and safety of prandial Afrezza in 30 children aged 8 to 17 years with T1D. Afrezza - an ultra rapid-acting dry-powder prandial insulin - is currently indicated to improve glycemic control in adults with T1D or type 2 diabetes. "The final results from the phase 2 pediatric study revealed that serum insulin concentrations peaked rapidly within 10-15 minutes of inhaled administration of TI, similar to the results observed previously in adults. In addition, there were no severe hypoglycemic events or clinically relevant declines in pulmonary function, and no new or unexpected signals with TI," said Dr. Kevin Kaiserman, Vice President, Medical Affairs and Safety of MannKind and the presenting author of the study. "The pharmacokinetics and safety results provide us the rationale to move forward with conducting a phase 3 safety and efficacy study in pediatric patients with diabetes, which we expect to initiate in the fall." Poster 722-P presents a retrospective analysis of data from the Levin study, an investigator-initiated trial sponsored by MannKind, to determine the effect of prandial inhaled insulin on daytime glucose levels in people with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. For purposes of the study, daytime was defined as 6:00 am to midnight. Twenty T2D patients who had never been on mealtime insulin before were started on TI and rapidly titrated during the first week and followed for 12 weeks. On average, patients showed an 83.5% increase in daytime time-in-range. The study concluded that TI reduced patients' daytime time spent in hyperglycemia by 76.4% and without a significant increase in daytime time spent in hypoglycemia.

11:36 EDT Madrigal announces presentation of 'positive' data from MAESTRO-NAFLD-1 study - Madrigal Pharmaceuticals announced the presentation of "positive" clinical data from the open-label portion of its ongoing Phase 3 MAESTRO-NAFLD-1 study of resmetirom at the European Association for the Study of the Liver Annual Meeting, The International Liver Congress 2021, being held virtually, June 23-26. "The data continue to position resmetirom as a promising treatment option for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis - NASH - patients," the company said. At the time of this presentation, in this Phase 3 open label arm of MAESTRO-NAFLD-1, 52 week data was available on 115 non-cirrhotic presumed NASH patients, including safety analyses, various blood chemistry measurements, magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat-fraction, magnetic resonance elastography, and FibroScan. All patients received 100 mg of resmetirom, once-a-day. The study demonstrated rapid and sustained reduction in hepatic fat and fibrosis. Reductions were also observed in multiple liver enzymes, inflammatory biomarkers, LDL cholesterol, and other atherogenic lipids. Resmetirom was safe and well-tolerated with the only adverse event observed at more than 5% frequency being a transient increase in stool frequency in the first two weeks of therapy, about 10% over historical placebo rates, and COVID infection of 6.8%. As seen throughout the resmetirom clinical trial program, no central thyroid axis changes or adverse effects on vital signs were observed. "Based on Phase 2 results, together with the open-label data from the ongoing MAESTRO-NAFLD-1 Phase 3 clinical trial, we remain confident that resmetirom has the potential to become the best-in-class and first-to-market treatment option for patients with NASH, especially those with significant liver fibrosis," said Paul Friedman, M.D., CEO of Madrigal.

11:30 EDT Cobham Group says considering possible combination with Ultra Electronics - Cobham Group issued the following "response to media speculation" to the London Stock Exchange: "Following recent media speculation, Cobham Group confirms that it is currently considering a possible combination with Ultra Electronics Holdings plc with a view to creating a global defence electronics champion. Ultra and Cobham both have long heritage as innovators, and share advanced complementary capabilities delivering mission critical solutions to the US, UK and other key allies. A number of structures are under consideration to effect such a combination, including a contribution of Cobham into Ultra in exchange for new Ultra shares or a possible offer for Ultra by Cobham. There can be no certainty that any combination will result, and therefore there is no certainty that an offer will be made for Ultra or Cobham, nor as to the terms on which any such offer will be made. In accordance with Rule 2.6(a) of the Code, Cobham must, by not later than 5.00 p.m. on 23 July 2021 (being 28 days after today's date), either announce a firm intention to make an offer for Ultra in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the Code or announce that it does not intend to make an offer, in which case the announcement will be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Code applies. This deadline can be extended with the consent of the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers in accordance with Rule 2.6(c) of the Code. A further announcement will be made in due course."

10:45 EDT Amazon's AWS acquires encrypted messaging service Wickr - In an AWS Security blog post, the company said, "We're excited to share that AWS has acquired Wickr, an innovative company that has developed the industry's most secure, end-to-end encrypted, communication technology. With Wickr, customers and partners benefit from advanced security features not available with traditional communications services - across messaging, voice and video calling, file sharing, and collaboration. This gives security conscious enterprises and government agencies the ability to implement important governance and security controls to help them meet their compliance requirements...AWS is offering Wickr services effective immediately and Wickr customers, channel, and business partners can continue to use Wickr's services as they do today." Reference Link

10:18 EDT HollyFrontier up 3% after Supreme Court rules in renewable fuels case - Shares of HollyFrontier (HFC) are up $1.00, or 3%, to $34.68 while shares of refiner peer CVR Energy (CVI) are up nearly 5%, or 86c, to $19.90.

10:00 EDT Adecoagro falls -6.8% - Adecoagro is down -6.8%, or -77c to $10.60.

10:00 EDT YPF falls -8.0% - YPF is down -8.0%, or -41c to $4.80.

10:00 EDT Paysafe rises 17.6% - Paysafe is up 17.6%, or $1.95 to $13.06.

09:47 EDT Banco BBVA Argentina falls -7.5% - Banco BBVA Argentina is down -7.5%, or -27c to $3.34.

09:47 EDT Doximity falls -9.1% - Doximity is down -9.1%, or -$4.84 to $48.16.

09:47 EDT Nike rises 13.4% - Nike is up 13.4%, or $17.84 to $151.44.

09:46 EDT Cyteir Therapeutics Inc trading resumes

09:31 EDT Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment's Crackle App to launch on TCL - Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment announced the agreement to launch an android powered, Crackle-branded application on TCL's service.

09:27 EDT Diana Shipping announces time charter contract for M/V Melia - Diana Shipping announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with Viterra Chartering B.V., Rotterdam, for one of its Panamax dry bulk vessels, the m/v Melia. The gross charter rate is US$25,750 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period until minimum April 7, 2022 up to maximum June 7, 2022. The charter commenced retroactively on June 11, 2021. The m/v Melia was chartered, as previously announced, to Ausca Shipping Limited, Hong Kong, at a gross charter rate of US$10,000 per day, plus US$500,000 gross ballast bonus, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties. The "Melia" is a 76,225 dwt Panamax dry bulk vessel built in 2005. The employment of "Melia" is anticipated to generate approximately US$7.65 million of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter.

09:26 EDT FibroGen, Astellas Pharma receive positive CHMP opinion for EVRENZO - Astellas (ALPMY) and FibroGen (FGEN) announced the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion relating to the use of roxadustat for the treatment of adult patients with symptomatic anemia associated with chronic kidney disease. CKD impacts one in 10 people globally, of whom one in five are affected by anemia. Anemia of CKD is associated with significant impairment in quality of life and progression to adverse cardiovascular and renal outcomes.4-6 Anemia of CKD is often untreated or not treated to target If approved by the European Commission, roxadustat will be the first orally administered inhibitor of hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase available in Europe. Roxadustat increases hemoglobin levels through a different mechanism of action compared to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents. As a HIF-PH inhibitor, roxadustat activates the body's natural response to reduced oxygen levels in the blood. This response involves the regulation of multiple, coordinated processes that lead to the correction of anemia with a reduced need for intravenous iron. The positive opinion from the CHMP will now be reviewed by the EC, which has the authority to approve medicines for European Union member states, as well as Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Northern Ireland.13 The EC has 67 days from the CHMP opinion to issue a final decision.

09:14 EDT DTE Energy declares 82.5c per share dividend, payable October 15 - The DTE Energy (DTE) Board of Directors on Thursday declared an 82.5c per share dividend on its common stock payable Oct. 15, 2021 to shareholders of record at the close of business Sept. 20, 2021. The company said: "This continues DTE Energy's history issuing a cash dividend for more than 100 years. The October dividend reflects the company's performance as a predominantly pure-play utility company."As previously announced, the Board of Directors authorized management to spin off the midstream company. "The spin generates a combined dividend of DTE and DT Midstream ( DTM) that is expected to be higher than DTE's pre-spin dividend," said Jerry Norcia, DTE Energy president and CEO. DTE Energy expects to continue a payout ratio and dividend growth target consistent with pure-play utility companies. DTM plans to establish a growing dividend with an initial level competitive with midstream peers.

09:10 EDT StoneMor Partners set to join Russell 3000, Russell Microcap Indexes - StoneMor announced that the company will be added to the Russell 3000 and Russell MicroCap Indexes at the conclusion of the 2021 Russell indexes annual reconstitution, effective after the US market opens on June 28, according to a preliminary list of additions posted June 4.

09:06 EDT Cumulus Media announces completion of $175M debt paydown - Cumulus Media announced that it has successfully completed its previously announced actions to pay down $175M of debt using cash on hand as further described below.

09:04 EDT Y-mAbs' 177Lu-omburtamab-DTPA receives positive opinion on OMPD by EMA - Y-mAbs Therapeutics announced that the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products of the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, has recommended the granting of orphan medicinal product designation, OMPD, in the European Union for 177Lu-omburtamab-DTPA for the treatment of medulloblastoma. The positive opinion from the EMA's COMP has been sent to the European Commission, which is expected to grant the orphan drug designation within 30 days. Obtaining OMPD for 177Lu-omburtamab-DTPA is part of an overall plan to expand the Company's European development programs and ultimately obtain orphan drug exclusivity to protect 177Lu-omburtamab-DTPA for the treatment of medulloblastoma in the EU.

09:03 EDT L.B. Foster CEO Robert Bauer to retire, John Kasel to succeed - L.B. Foster Company announced that Robert Bauer is retiring from the Company after serving as its President and CEO since 2012. The decision is the culmination of a comprehensive CEO succession planning process resulting in the appointment of John Kasel as the Company's next President and CEO, effective July 21, 2021, and his election as a member of the Board of Directors with his term commencing on that same date. Kasel has held senior management positions with L.B. Foster for 18 years, most recently serving as the COO. In order to ensure a seamless transition, Bauer will step down from his role as President and CEO and as a director on July 21, 2021, to serve as a senior advisor to Mr. Kasel through December 31, 2021, at which point he will retire from employment with the Company.

09:02 EDT Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives appoints new executive vice president - Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives announced the appointment of Erin Roth as Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, effective immediately. Roth has over twenty years of legal experience, most recently as the Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary of Strada Education Network. Roth is replacing Gil Melman who has left to pursue other opportunities.

08:59 EDT Astellas Pharma, FibroGen announce positive CHMP opinion for roxadustat - Astellas Pharma (ALPMY ) and FibroGen (FGEN) announced the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion relating to the use of roxadustat for the treatment of adult patients with symptomatic anemia associated with chronic kidney disease.

08:53 EDT Vir Biotechnology presents clinical data from trials of VIR-2218, VIR-3434 - Vir Biotechnology announced new data from its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trials of VIR-2218 and ongoing Phase 1 studies of VIR-3434 in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. The results, which demonstrate positive safety findings plus a reduction in hepatitis B surface antigen for both compounds, were presented in two oral and two poster presentations at the European Association for the Study of the Liver International Liver Congress 2021, which is taking place virtually. Vir will hold a conference call and webcast, Friday, June 25, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. ET, to discuss the new data presented at the meeting. In summary, data presented this week demonstrate the promising safety profile and potential durable response of VIR-2218, an investigational small interfering ribonucleic acid that mediates RNA interference, through 48 weeks. In a separate analysis evaluating VIR-2218 in combination with pegylated interferon alfa for 12 weeks, a more rapid and substantial HBsAg decline was observed in the co-administration cohort compared to VIR-2218 alone. The treatment regimen resulted in no new safety signals. Additionally, two new analyses from an ongoing Phase 1 trial of VIR-3434 showed no safety signals in healthy volunteers dosed with up to 3,000 mg, and a rapid reduction in HBsAg levels one week after subcutaneous administration of this investigational HBV-neutralizing monoclonal antibody, which has been Fc engineered to include the XX2 "vaccinal mutation," allowing it to potentially function as a T cell vaccine. VIR-2218: Key Data: Results from a Phase 2 multiple-ascending dose trial of VIR-2218 in 32 patients with chronic HBV infection evaluating the safety and antiviral activity of two doses of VIR-2218 administered subcutaneously four weeks apart demonstrate: Dose-dependent reductions in HBsAg through 48 weeks in both trial participants with hepatitis B e antigen, a marker of actively replicating HBV, and those without. Of the 12 participants who received the 100 mg or 200 mg dose, four participants experienced sustained HBsAg reductions of greater than1 log10 IU/mL and absolute HBsAg levels below 100 IU/mL through Week 48. Treatment with VIR-2218 achieved dose-related reductions in other viral biomarkers; one patient receiving 200 mg experienced HBeAg loss at Week 24 and anti-HBe seroconversion at Week 16 that was sustained through Week 48. Adverse events were mild, and no dose-dependent changes in post-treatment ALT levels occurred. No trial participants discontinued treatment. In a separate ongoing Phase 2 trial, 47 adult patients with chronic HBV infection were assigned to receive subcutaneously injected VIR-2218 alone or in combination with PEG-IFN-alpha. Preliminary results through Week 12 of the treatment period demonstrate: VIR-2218 alone and in combination with PEG-IFN-alpha were associated with HBsAg reductions of greater than1 log10 IU/mL by Week 12. Co-administration of VIR-2218 with PEG-IFN-alpha resulted in a more rapid and substantial HBsAg decline compared to VIR-2218 alone. In Cohort 3, the mean HBsAg decline from baseline was 2.0 log10 IU/mL at Week 12 and 0.6 log10 IU/mL greater than in the two cohorts evaluating VIR-2218 alone. In published studies, PEG-IFN-alpha alone in virally suppressed patients was associated with less than or equal to 0.25 log10 IU/mL HBsAg decline, on average, over the first 12 weeks. No treatment-related grade greater than or equal to3 treatment-emergent adverse events or serious adverse events were reported with VIR-2218 alone or in combination with PEG-IFN-alpha, and the combination did not appear to increase the known side effects of PEG-IFN-alpha. VIR-3434: Key Data: Results from a Phase 1 trial evaluating VIR-3434 in 40 virally suppressed patients with chronic HBV infection who were randomized to receive a single low dose of either 6 mg or 18 mg for four weeks demonstrate: Treatment with VIR-3434 resulted in rapid greater than1 log10 IU/mL reductions in HBsAg, with the largest reductions observed in the 18 mg cohort; maximum reductions were generally observed within one week. No new safety signals were identified with single doses of VIR-3434; all adverse events were grade 1 or 2. No significant changes in liver-related laboratory parameters or clinically significant changes in ALT or other liver-related laboratory parameters were reported. In a separate Phase 1 trial in 40 healthy adult volunteers evaluating single doses of up to 3,000 mg of VIR-3434 administered subcutaneously or intravenously, results demonstrate: Subcutaneous administration of VIR-3434 showed favorable pharmacokinetic properties, with VIR-3434 remaining in the serum for 24 weeks. No new safety signals were identified; specifically, no grade 3/4 adverse events, serious adverse events or adverse events leading to trial discontinuation were reported.

08:39 EDT Ford issues Canadian safety recall for certain 2015- 2020 Ford Transit vehicles - Ford Motor is issuing a safety recall for certain 2015-2020 model year Ford Transit vehicles with short-arm, manual-fold, power-adjust outside rearview mirrors in corrosion provinces that can corrode at the mirror pivot, potentially loosening or breaking the mirror pivot flange. An outside rearview mirror that has become separated from the mirror pivot can limit the field of view of the driver to observe traffic conditions surrounding the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. This action affects approximately 37,221 vehicles that were originally sold in - or currently reside in - the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, or Quebec. Ford is not aware of any reports of accidents or injuries related to this condition. Dealers will replace outside rearview mirror assemblies on affected vehicles. Customer notifications will begin the week of August 16.

08:35 EDT Color Star Technology added to Russell Microcap Index - Color Star Technology announces that it will be added to the Russell Microcap Index at the close of trading on June 25.

08:32 EDT Veru enrolls first patient in phase 3 VERACITY clinical trial of sabizabulin - Veru announced that it has enrolled the first patient in its Phase 3 VERACITY clinical trial of sabizabulin, an oral, new chemical entity, androgen receptor transport disruptor, for metastatic castration and androgen receptor targeting agent resistant prostate cancer. The Phase 3 VERACITY clinical trial is an open label, randomized, multicenter registration study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sabizabulin 32mg oral daily dosing versus an alternative androgen receptor targeting agent for the treatment of chemotherapy naive men with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer who have progressed on at least one androgen receptor targeting agent. The primary endpoint is median radiographic progression free survival and key secondary endpoints are overall response rate, duration of objective response, overall survival, time to chemotherapy, and pain progression. The study is expected to enroll 245 patients and will be conducted in over 45 clinical sites across the United States. "We are excited to begin enrolling patients in our open label Phase 3 VERACITY clinical trial," said Mitchell Steiner, MD, Chairman, President and CEO of Veru Inc. "As we have previously reported, in the Phase 1b/2 clinical trial sabizabulin had significant evidence of tumor efficacy including PSA declines and responses as well as objective and durable tumor responses. Furthermore, sabizabulin was well tolerated without neutropenia... If the Phase 3 is successful, sabizabulin could be the next 'go to drug' in the largest and growing unmet medical need in men who have metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer and who have developed progression of prostate cancer while being treated with an androgen receptor targeting agent, but prior to using IV chemotherapy."

08:25 EDT Ikonics trading halted, news pending

08:09 EDT CN, KCS publish op-ed on rail merger transaction - An op-ed co-authored by JJ Ruest, President and CEO of CN (CNI) and Patrick Ottensmeyer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kansas City Southern ("KSU) was published in The Hill yesterday under the headline "Rail merger is a key to economic growth, supply chain security." In the op-ed, Ruest and Ottensmeyer articulated how the combination of CN and KCS will supply critical infrastructure to shorten supply chains. They underscored that the combination will enhance competition and support the economies of the United States, Mexico and Canada, allowing the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement to reach its full potential: "Consider an auto manufacturer in Michigan: Our track would directly connect Detroit to the heart of Mexico, giving U.S. manufacturers more competitive routes and the ability to create U.S. jobs as they meet new domestic and regional content requirements under the USMCA. Other potential beneficiaries include grain farmers in Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin who would have expanded reach into global markets, as well as ethanol producers in Iowa who would have direct access to markets in Mexico; home-builders in Texas and poultry farmers in Arkansas would benefit from expanded supply networks of lumber and source feed ingredients." Ruest and Ottensmeyer also highlighted key environmental benefits the combination will deliver to customers and communities: "For a single route, from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, to Detroit, Mich., moving freight from trucks to trains would save 260,000 tons of CO2 per year, the equivalent of the average annual emissions of more than 300 long-haul trucks. Multiply that across multiple routes and years, and the impact would be significant." The op-ed also advocated for the approval of CN-KCS' proposed plain vanilla voting trust.

08:07 EDT Curis set to join Russell 2000, 3000 and Microcap indexes - Curis announced that it will be added to the Russell 2000, 3000 and Microcap indexes at the conclusion of the 2021 Russell indexes annual reconstitution, effective after the U.S. market opens on June 28, according to a preliminary list of additions posted June 4.

08:05 EDT Bit Brother Limited announces completion of name and ticker symbol change - The company stated, "Bit Brother Limited is pleased to announce that effective on June 16, its name has changed from Urban Tea to Bit Brother Limited, and its ticker symbol has changed from MYT to BTB, reflecting our vision for the future to conduct business in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry. We are also pleased to announce that our US subsidiary, Bit Brother New York Inc., has obtained the money services business license from the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network Department of the Treasury. The MSB license issued by FinCEN allows Bit Brother NY to act as a foreign exchange dealer, money transfer agent and seller of money orders."

08:03 EDT Leidos awarded $950M prime contract by U.S. Air Force - Leidos announced it has been awarded a prime contract by the U.S. Air Force to provide solutions for a broad spectrum of aviation requirements. Leidos will support the Air Force's Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance & Special Operations Forces Directorate, Sensors Division Non-Standard Foreign Military Sales branches. The multi-award, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract has a total estimated value of $950M. The period of performance for the contract is 13 years total with a 10-year ordering period and an additional 3-year performance period. Work will be performed at locations worldwide.

08:02 EDT I-MAB announces China NMPA clearance for Phase 1b trial of felzartamab - I-Mab announced that the Center for Drug Evaluation of the China National Medical Products Administration has approved the Investigational New Drug application to initiate a phase 1b trial of felzartamab, a CD38 antibody, in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. I-Mab is also currently conducting two parallel registrational trials with felzartamab to aim for registration for the treatment of multiple myeloma in Greater China. Felzartamab originally derived from MorphoSys' HuCAL antibody technology and MorphoSys is currently evaluating the safety and efficacy of felzartamab in patients with anti-PLA2R antibody-positive membranous nephropathy.

07:49 EDT Bombardier announces one-day extension to cash tender offer - Bombardier announced a one-business day extension with respect to its cash tender offer previously announced on June 3, 2021 to purchase for cash up to $1,000,000,000 aggregate purchase price of three series of its outstanding senior notes due 2022 and 2023 as identified in the Offer to Purchase, subject to the Acceptance Priority Levels and the 2023 Tender Cap, as applicable, and possible proration, as set forth in the Offer to Purchase containing the terms and conditions of the Tender Offer. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Offer to Purchase dated June 3, 2021 with respect to the Tender Offer. The Tender Offer and the Offer to Purchase are hereby amended as follows: The expiration date of the Tender Offer shall be extended by one U.S. federal business day to July 1, 2021, due to the fact that on June 17, 2021, the United States declared June 18, 2021 to be a federal holiday in the United States.

07:46 EDT Jazz Pharmaceuticals announces Orphan Drug Exclusivity for Xywav - Jazz Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. FDA has recognized seven years of Orphan Drug Exclusivity for Xywav oral solution for the treatment of cataplexy or excessive daytime sleepiness in patients 7 years of age and older with narcolepsy. Xywav is an oxybate product with a unique composition of cations resulting in 92% less sodium - or approximately 1,000 to 1,500 mg/night - than sodium oxybate at the recommended dosage range of 6 to 9 grams. The seven-year market exclusivity for Xywav began on July 21, 2020, the date of FDA approval.

07:39 EDT AYR Wellness launches Big Pete's Cookies - Ayr Wellness announced the launch of Big Pete's cookies in Florida on Saturday, June 26, and the planned opening of Liberty Health Sciences Spring Hill, on Sunday, June 27, the Company's 36th open dispensary in the state. Big Pete's is the first of many edibles brands Ayr will bring to the Florida market following the approval and opening of its industrial kitchen and manufacturing facility earlier this month. Ayr plans to bring many of its successful product lines from other markets to expand offerings available to patients in Florida and to enhance the customer experience.

07:34 EDT Evaxion Biotech develops method to enhance AI drug development - Evaxion Biotech announced the acceptance of a new scientific paper by the International Conference on Machine Learning. The paper is entitled "Efficient Generative Modelling of Protein Structure Fragments using a Deep Markov Model." The paper describes BIFROST, a novel predictive system based on deep probabilistic programming that enables the rapid conversion of sequence data into structural information on protein fragments, which we believe may be useful for drug or vaccine design. Deep probabilistic programming is a new development in machine learning that combines the principled treatment of uncertainty provided by Bayesian statistics with the capabilities of deep learning. Compared to existing protein structure prediction approaches, BIFROST appears to be computationally more efficient, only requires sequence information and, importantly, incorporates an assessment of the reliability of its own predictions.

07:33 EDT Samsung Bioepis, Biogen receive positive CHMP opinion for BYOOVIZ - Samsung Bioepis (SSNLF) and Biogen (BIIB) announced that the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has adopted a positive opinion for BYOOVIZ, a biosimilar candidate referencing Lucentis, also known as SB11. Ranibizumab is an anti-VEGF for retinal vascular disorders, which are a leading cause of blindness. BYOOVIZ has been recommended for approval for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration, visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, visual impairment due to macular odemea secondary to retinal vein occlusion and visual impairment due to choroidal neovascularization in the European Union. The CHMP's positive opinion will now be referred to the European Commission, which will decide whether to grant a marketing authorization for BYOOVIZ. If a marketing authorization is granted by the EC, BYOOVIZ would be added to the biosimilars portfolio developed by Samsung Bioepis and commercialized by Biogen, including three widely prescribed anti-TNF biosimilars in Europe: BENEPALI, IMRALDI and FLIXABI.

07:31 EDT LoanDepot names Karin Lockovitch as Chief Risk Officer - loanDepot announced that Karin Lockovitch has joined the company as Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Officer. She will be responsible for all aspects of enterprise risk management. Lockovitch has a deep background in building and leading risk disciplines, having previously held the positions of Executive Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer for both Bank of the West/BNP Paribas and Zions Bancorporation, and Chief Compliance Officer for Consumer Banking at SunTrust.

07:20 EDT Akumin to acquire Alliance HealthCare Services for $820M - Alliance HealthCare Services announced that it has entered into an agreement to be acquired for $820M by Akumin. The closing of the transaction is expected in Q3, subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act and other customary closing conditions. Upon the closing of the transaction, the combined company will offer the radiology and oncology solutions to patients in the U.S., operating in 46 states, with more than 1,000 hospital and health system customers, 154 independent outpatient radiology centers and 34 radiation therapy centers. The combined company expects to have over 4,000 team members serving more than two million radiology and oncology patient visits annually.

07:07 EDT Regulus presents additional data from ADPKD Program - Regulus Therapeutics announced the presentation of additional data from the first cohort of patients in the company's Phase 1b clinical trial of RGLS4326 for the treatment of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, as well as new preclinical data from relevant animal models of the disease. The E-poster presentation, titled "Preclinical Evaluation and Results from the First Cohort of Phase 1b Clinical Trial of RGLS4326 for the Treatment of Patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease," is available to attendees of the PKD Connect Conference 2021, on Friday, June 25, from 2-3 p.m. CDT. The poster presents results from the company's ongoing Phase 1b study evaluating the safety, pharmacokinetics, and effects on pharmacodynamic biomarkers of multiple doses of RGLS4326 in patients with ADPKD. The data demonstrate clinical proof of mechanism by showing target engagement in the kidneys through a statistically significant increase in urinary biomarkers PC1 and PC2, validating miR-17 as a target for ADPKD treatment. Levels of PC1 and PC2 have previously been shown to be inversely correlated with disease severity. RGLS4326 was well-tolerated with no serious adverse events. The poster also describes new data from relevant preclinical models showing treatment with RGLS4326 results in increased gene and polycystin levels in vitro. In addition, improvements in key disease markers including serum creatinine and BUN were demonstrated in the Pkd1 mouse model that harbors Pkd1 mutation equivalent to human ADPKD.

07:06 EDT Pieris Pharmaceuticals announces development of PRS-220, $17M grant - Pieris Pharmaceuticals announced the development of PRS-220, an oral inhaled Anticalin protein targeting connective tissue growth factor, or CTGF, also known as CCN2, for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF. The company also announced it has been selected to receive a $17M grant from the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy for the research and development of PRS-220 for post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, or PASC, pulmonary fibrosis, or PASC-PF, also known as post-COVID-19 syndrome pulmonary fibrosis or "long COVID". Clinical development of the program for both indications is expected to begin next year.

07:04 EDT Plug Power issues 2020 corporateESG report - Plug Power released its 2020 Corporate Environmental, Social and Governance report. The ESG report focuses on data available in the year 2020 and details Plug Power's efforts to link environmental and social impacts to its business strategy to lead the global green hydrogen economy. The report's focus includes Plug Power's GenDrive, GenFuel, GenSure and ProGen product lines, and the operation of its Latham, NY, Clifton Park, NY, Rochester, NY, Spokane, WA, Romeoville, Il, Dayton, OH and Montreal, Canada offices. The company conducted a materiality assessment which will guide our focus in the coming years, and will influence our approach to managing ESG expectations internally, as well as with suppliers and partners. Plug Power's dynamic work in 2020 has laid the building blocks to position the company to become an industry leader in the $10T hydrogen economy. Key results from the year include: Green hydrogen generation activity with renewable energy partners to generate a combined 40+ tons per day with room to expand; 76,944 kilowatt hours of electricity generated to power the Clifton Park facility using Plug Power fuel cell systems; 39.1 million hydrogen fills enabled with Plug Power's dispensing infrastructure; $42,000 raised by Plug Power employees to support local charities; 54% increase in employment of Veterans of the U.S. Armed Services from 2019; Executed recycling program with ELEMENT reducing landfill to only 0.13% of product weight.

07:00 EDT Bristol-Myers receives positive CHMP opinion for Opdivo - Bristol Myers Squibb announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has recommended approval of Opdivo for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer who have residual pathologic disease following prior neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. The European Commission, which has the authority to approve medicines for the European Union, will now review the CHMP recommendation.

06:56 EDT CarMax reports 452,188 units sold in Q1, up 128% y/y - The company stated, "Sold 452,188 units through our retail and wholesale channels combined, up 128% from the prior year quarter and up 31% over a record first quarter in fiscal year 2020, primarily driven by significant demand for used autos and solid execution supported by our rapidly evolving omni-channel experience. Retail used unit sales increased 100.6% to 270,799 vehicles; comparable store units increased 99.1% compared with a year ago and two-year comparable units grew 16.0%. Wholesale units increased 186.6% to 181,389 from the prior year first quarter and 50.2% versus the first quarter of fiscal year 2020. Bought 341,275 vehicles from consumers in the first quarter, a 236% increase versus the prior year quarter and 77% increase versus the first quarter of fiscal year 2020. We believe CarMax became the largest online buyer of used vehicles from consumers as a result of our nationwide online instant appraisal offerings, with approximately 163,000 vehicles bought in the quarter. Gross profit per retail used unit was $2,205 and wholesale gross profit per unit was $1,025, a $268 and $47 per unit increase, respectively, when compared with the first quarter last year. CarMax Auto Finance income increased to $241.7M due to the combined effects of favorable loan loss performance, higher net interest margin and an increase in average managed receivables."

06:52 EDT Bristol-Myers receives positive CHMP opinion for Abecma - Bristol Myers Squibb announced the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has recommended granting Conditional Marketing Authorization for Abecma, the company's B-cell maturation antigen-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cell immunotherapy, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior therapies, including an immunomodulatory agent, a proteasome inhibitor and an anti-CD38 antibody and have demonstrated disease progression on the last therapy. The CHMP recommendation will now be reviewed by the European Commission, which has the authority to approve medicines for the European Union. The CHMP adopted a positive opinion based on results from the pivotal Phase 2 KarMMa study evaluating the efficacy and safety of Abecma in 128 patients with heavily pre-treated and highly refractory multiple myeloma.

06:48 EDT Advent Technologies to acquire fuel cell systems businesses of fischer Group - Advent Technologies announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the fuel cell systems businesses of fischer Group for an aggregate consideration of cash and stock of EUR52M. These businesses include Serenergy A/S, based in Aalborg, Denmark, and fischer eco solutions GmbH, based in Achern, Germany. The transaction consideration is EUR15M in cash and EUR37M in ADN shares based on Advent's closing share price for the 20 trading days prior to closing, subject to certain closing adjustments. The closing of the acquisition of the SerEnergy and FES businesses is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions for regulatory approval. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter.

06:35 EDT Apogee Enterprises CEO says Q1 a 'solid start to our fiscal year' - "This was a solid start to our fiscal year, putting us on track to achieve our full year goals," said Ty R. Silberhorn, CEO. "The business recovered strongly from the pandemic-related issues that impacted last year's first quarter. We achieved sales growth in all of our segments, with significantly improved earnings." Silberhorn continued, "During the quarter, we also made good progress on our key initiatives. We continued to take steps to improve our cost structure and strengthen operational execution across the business. We launched several foundational projects to enable our enterprise transformation, and we made substantial progress on our enterprise strategy project, to better position the company for long-term profitable growth."

06:32 EDT Walker & Dunlop acquires TapCap, terms undisclosed - Walker & Dunlop announced that it acquired TapCap, a technology firm with proprietary web-based software that provides real-time, online quotes for commercial real estate debt to streamline the loan application and origination process. TapCap's technology is designed to remove friction from the borrower experience. Zac Rosenberg, founder and CEO of TapCap, will join Walker & Dunlop as a leader in their technology group.

06:18 EDT Amazon, Google face formal fake review inquiry in Britain - The U.K.'s CMA has opened a formal probe into Amazon (AMZN) and Google (GOOGL) over concerns that they have not been doing enough to combat fake reviews on their sites. In this next phase of the work, the Competititon and Markets Authority will gather further information to determine whether these two firms may have broken consumer law by taking insufficient action to protect shoppers from fake reviews. The move comes after an initial CMA investigation, which opened in May 2020, and assessed several platforms' internal systems and processes for identifying and dealing with fake reviews. Andrea Coscelli, the CMA's CEO, said: "We are investigating concerns that Amazon and Google have not been doing enough to prevent or remove fake reviews to protect customers and honest businesses. It's important that these tech platforms take responsibility and we stand ready to take action if we find that they are not doing enough." Reference Link

06:08 EDT Amazon acquires Art19, terms not disclosed - Amazon is acquiring Art19, a podcast hosting and monetization platform, for an undisclosed amount. On its website, Art19 said: "Art19 is joining Amazon Music... Together, we will be able to expand our offerings and even better serve your podcasting needs." Reference Linkvg[p]22313432[t]w[r]feedly.com[d]D]

06:04 EDT High Tide to acquire Daily High Club for $10M in shares and cash - High Tide announced that it is entering into a definitive agreement pursuant to which High Tide USA, a wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of the company, will acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of DHC Supply operating as Daily High Club. The transaction, which is an arm's length transaction, is subject to, among other things, receipt of required TSX Venture Exchange, or TSXV, approval, and other customary conditions of closing, is expected to close around the end of June. Pursuant to the terms of the transaction, High Tide USA will acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of Daily High Club. Total consideration to Daily High Club shareholders will be $10M and Daily High Club is expected to have approximately $0.8M of cash on closing. The consideration will be comprised of: $6.75M in common shares of High Tide on the basis of a deemed price per High Tide Share equal to the volume weighted average price per High Tide Share on Nasdaq for the 10 consecutive trading days preceding the closing of the transaction and $3.25M in cash. In connection with the transaction, High Tide is excited to announce that Harrison Baum will be joining the High Tide team on closing as director of digital marketing to oversee all social media initiatives for High Tide globally. The Transaction has been unanimously approved by the board of directors/managers of each of High Tide and Daily High Club. The High Tide Shares issued pursuant to the Share Consideration are subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day. In addition, shares having a value of 25% will be held in escrow to insure certain indemnification obligations if claims arise.

05:23 EDT Aurinia Pharmaceuticals announces OPEL files voclosporin MAA to EMA - Aurinia Pharmaceuticals announced that the company's licensing partner, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, or OPEL, filed an initial marketing authorization application, or MAA, for voclosporin for the treatment of lupus nephritis, or LN, to the European Medicines Agency, or EMA. LN is a complication of the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE, that impacts the kidneys. Once the MAA is approved, OPEL would be authorized to market voclosporin in the European Union, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. As part of the agreement, Aurinia received a $50M U.S. upfront cash payment with the potential to secure up to $50M in additional regulatory and reimbursement milestone payments. In addition, Aurinia will receive tiered royalties ranging from 10% to 20%, dependent on net and annual sales following commercialization, along with additional milestone payments based on the attainment of certain annual sales by OPEL. Voclosporin will be provided to OPEL under a cost-plus supply agreement.

05:17 EDT Regeneron, Sanofi receive European Commission approval for Libtayo - Regeneron (REGN) and Sanofi (SNY) announced that the European Commission, or EC, has approved the PD-1 inhibitor Libtayo to treat adults with locally advanced or metastatic basal cell carcinoma, or BCC, who have progressed on or are intolerant to a hedgehog pathway inhibitor, or HHI.

05:13 EDT Kennedy Wilson acquires The Capitol Building in England for $66.2M - Kennedy Wilson and its equity partner have acquired The Capitol Building, a 173,000 square-foot institutional quality office campus for $66.2M, reflecting a cap rate of 7.7%. The partnership invested $29M of equity and Kennedy Wilson's ownership interest is 51%. The Capitol Building, in Bracknell, is part of the active Thames Valley submarket.

05:06 EDT Renault, STMicroelectronics enter cooperation on power electronics systems - Renault (RNLSY) and STMicroelectronics (STM) announced a strategic cooperation on the design, development, manufacturing, and supply to Renault Group of STMicroelectronics' products and related packaging solutions for the power electronics systems of battery-operated and hybrid vehicles. These technologies will have impacts on electric vehicles' driving range and charging by reducing power losses and improving efficiency, which will result in lower battery costs, more kilometers per charge, shorter charging time and reduced user-cost. Renault and STMicroelectronics will work together with the objective of improving the power performance of Renault's Group's applications for electric and hybrid vehicles, based on STMicroelectronics' wide bandgap semiconductor technologies and products. The companies will collaborate on the development of efficient, rightsized, and modular components based on the understanding of Renault Group's technology needs for Silicon Carbide, or SiC, devices, Gallium Nitride (GaN) transistors, along with related packages and modules. As Renault's innovation partner, STMicroelectronics will benefit from significant volumes guaranteed for the annual usage of these power modules and transistors from 2026-2030.