Stockwinners Market Radar for July 02, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

17:26 EDT Raytheon Technologies awarded $171.63M Navy contract - Raytheon was awarded a $171.63M fixed-price incentive, cost-reimbursable contract. This contract procures three next generation Jammer Mid-Band low rate initial production Lot One ship sets, associated spares, gold units for operational test program set development and associated technical data. Work is expected to be completed in October 2023. FY21 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $171.63M will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.

17:17 EDT JetBlue launches services at Boise Airport in Idaho - JetBlue announced it has officially launched service at Boise Airport in Idaho, with the airline's first flight departing New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport just after 4 o'clock this afternoon. New summer seasonal service operates four times weekly now through Labor Day with plans to resume flying in summer 2022. "With new service in Boise we're once again diversifying the JetBlue route map, advancing our New York focus city strategy and growing our customer base by connecting more people to the places they want to go," said Andrea Lusso, vice president network planning, JetBlue. "Boise is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. and our new flights land at the perfect time to meet growing demand with the only nonstop service between Idaho's capital and the Northeast."

17:08 EDT Advent Technologies names Kevin Brackman CFO - Advent Technologies Holdings (ADN) announced that Kevin Brackman will be joining the company as its new Chief Financial Officer. He will report to Advent Chairman and CEO Dr. Vasilis Gregoriou. Brackman most recently served as CFO of Myers Industries (MYE).

16:41 EDT Laredo Petroleum to cut about 5% of workforce, taking $9.8M in charges - The company states: "On June 29, 2021, Laredo Petroleum committed to a company-wide reorganization effort that includes a workforce reduction of 14 individuals, or approximately 5% of the workforce. The reduction in workforce was communicated to employees on the Effective Date and implemented immediately, subject to certain administrative procedures. The company put the Plan in place in order to reduce costs and better position the company for the future. In connection with the Plan, the company estimates that it will incur an aggregate of approximately $9.8M of one-time charges in the second quarter of 2021 comprising of compensation, tax, professional, outplacement and insurance related expenses."

16:36 EDT IBM President James Whitehurst to step down - In a regulatory 8K filing, the company states: "Effective July 1, 2021, James M. Whitehurst has decided to step down as IBM President and will no longer serve as an officer of IBM. After nearly three years since the Red Hat acquisition was announced and two years into the successful integration of Red Hat and IBM, Mr. Whitehurst will continue to work as a Senior Advisor to IBM, supporting its hybrid cloud and AI strategy."

16:25 EDT Sabre reports June gross air bookings down 54% - In a regulatory 8-K filing, the company states: "Global travel trends continue to be reflective of COVID-19 case counts, cumulative and daily vaccination rates and regional travel restrictions. As COVID-19 vaccines continued to be administered, we saw continued sequential improvement in our key volume metrics in June 2021 versus May, April and the first quarter of 2021. The improvement in our key volume metrics continued to be largely driven by recovery trends in domestic leisure travel. Our gross air bookings were down approximately 54%, and net air bookings were down approximately 51% in June 2021 versus June 2019. Passengers boarded were down approximately 37% in June 2021 versus June 2019. The strongest improvement remains in hotel bookings, with gross hotel central reservation system transactions down approximately 19% in June 2021 versus June 2019."

16:16 EDT United Insurance estimates Q2 catastrophe losses of roughly $40M pretax - United Insurance Holdings Corp. announced estimated current year catastrophe losses incurred during the second quarter ending June 30, 2021, of approximately $40M before income taxes, or approximately $31M after tax, net of expected reinsurance recoveries. The company's estimated catastrophe losses includes claims from two new tropical storms and fourteen new PCS catastrophe events that occurred during the second quarter of 2021.

16:16 EDT Quotient CFO Peter Buhler to step down - In a regulatory filing, Quotient announced that Peter Buhler has notified the Company that he is resigning from his position as CFO to take a position with another company. In accordance with Mr. Buhler's employment agreement, unless the Company elects otherwise, his resignation will take effect on December 31, 2021.

16:01 EDT Marathon Digital announces 265.6 new minted bitcoins in June - The company announces that it has: "Produced 265.6 new minted bitcoins during June 2021, increasing total bitcoin holdings to approximately 5,784 with a fair market value of approximately $201.6 million; received approximately 18,702 S-19 Pro ASIC miners from Bitmain year to date with an additional 1,056 S-19 Pro ASIC miners currently in transit; increased active mining fleet to approximately 19,395 miners, generating approximately 2.09 EH/s; and completed construction of the containers that house mining rigs at the Company's mining facility in Hardin, MT"

15:26 EDT Cameco believes no structural damage to any buildings at Cigar Lake from fire - Cameco provided an update regarding the wildfire situation near the Cigar Lake uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan, stating: "All of the roughly 80 essential workers who remain at Cigar Lake are safe. The wildfire has moved past the main camp area without serious impact to the site itself. While our inspections continue, we believe no structural damage has occurred to any buildings and all assets appear intact. However, the situation remains active. Forest fires are dynamic and circumstances can change rapidly. We therefore continue to monitor the situation very closely and work alongside provincial wildfire management officials from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency who remain on-site. Crews extinguished a few hot spots overnight and some roads in the area remain closed. Weather conditions are forecast to remain hot and dry in the north today before temperatures ease through the following days. Variable and shifting wind and smoke patterns can also pose a challenge. There is currently no timeline for the return to site of the roughly 230 workers who were evacuated from Cigar Lake or for the resumption of production. However, planning for the remobilization process and the associated logistics is underway. A restart decision will be contingent on a variety of factors, including the status of wildfire activity in the area, the impact of ongoing smoke conditions, and safe road and air access to site. Cameco is grateful for the tremendous support and assistance we continue to receive from SPSA officials, along with our own personnel who remain at Cigar Lake to secure the site and conduct essential duties, as well as those from other sites aiding in the effort."

15:19 EDT FDA approves another batch of J&J vaccine from Emergent plant - The Food and Drug Administration said it authorized the use of an additional batch of Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ) vaccine drug substance manufactured at the Emergent BioSolutions (EBS) facility. "To date a total of four batches of Janssen drug substance that were manufactured at the Emergent facility have been authorized. The FDA conducted a thorough review of facility records and the results of quality testing performed by the manufacturer. Based on this review and considering the current COVID-19 public health emergency, the FDA has concluded that these batches are suitable for use. While the FDA is not yet ready to include the Emergent BioSolutions plant in the Janssen EUA as an authorized manufacturing facility, the agency continues to work through issues there with Janssen and Emergent BioSolutions management," it said in a statement. The batch is enough for up to 15M doses of the single-shot vaccine, but still needs to go through the bottling, process, a person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.

15:12 EDT Wrap Technologies appoints Hickman as COO, says Norris retired as CTO - Wrap Technologies (WRAP) announced the appointment of Glenn Hickman as Chief Operating Officer. The company notes that Hickman worked at Axon Enterprises (AXON), formerly TASER International, from 2011-2019, serving as Vice President of Research and Development from 2014-2019. "Hickman will work closely with the growing engineering and operations teams to continue building out WRAP's product lines," the company stated. Woody Norris, inventor of the BolaWRAP, retired as CTO at the end of June and will "continue to play an active role at WRAP as a strategic consultant focusing on new innovations," the company added.

14:16 EDT Digimarc appoints Infosys president Ravi Kumar to board - Digimarc Corporation (DMRC) announced that Ravi Kumar has been elected to its Board of Directors, effective June 28, 2021. Kumar is President at Infosys (INFY), where he leads the Global Services Organization across all industry segments.

13:48 EDT FDA says Medtronic recalls angiographic guidewire component - The FDA announced Medtronic Vascular is recalling the Angiographic Guidewire Component because devices were not sterilized before being shipped directly to hospitals. If patients are exposed to the non-sterile device, serious adverse events could occur such as infection, sepsis, and death. There have been two complaints, and no reported injuries or deaths related to this issue. However, there is potential for underreporting as physicians may not have been aware that devices were non-sterile. 54,997 devices were recalled in the U.S. and date the recall was initiated by the firm was May 4, 2021, the FDA notice dated July 2 stated. The FDA has identified this as a Class I recall, "the most serious type of recall. Use of these devices may cause serious injuries or death." Reference Link

13:11 EDT Broadcom tells Bloomberg looks forward to putting FTC matter behind it - Broadcom said in a statement to Bloomberg: "While we disagree that our actions violated the law and disagree with the FTC's characterizations of our business, we look forward to putting this matter behind us."

13:05 EDT Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count up 5 from last week to 475 - Baker Hughes reports that the U.S. rig count is up five from last week to 475 with oil rigs up for to 376, gas rigs up one to 99, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at zero. The U.S. rig count is up 212 rigs from last year's count of 263, with oil rigs up 191 gas rigs up 23 and miscellaneous rigs down two. The U.S. offshore rig Count is unchanged at 14, up two year-over-year. The Canada rig count is up 10 from last week to 136, with oil rigs up five to 87, gas rigs up three to 47 and miscellaneous rigs up two. The Canada rig Count is up 118 rigs from last year's count of 18, with oil rigs up 81, gas rigs up 35 and miscellaneous rig up two.

12:21 EDT Alibaba takes issue with 'innuendos' from 'misleading' FT report - Alibaba released a statement in response to the Financial Times story with the headline "Alibaba's Jack Ma and Joe Tsai pledge shares to global banks. The company said it takes issue with the "innuendos" implied by the "misleading" characterizations of ordinary financial planning activities of the company's founders. "While it is not appropriate for us to comment on Jack and Joe's private financial matters, we wish to provide information to the extent the inquiries relate to Alibaba Group, as well as Jack and Joe's relationship with Alibaba, that could be of interest to the Company's shareholders," the company said in a statement directed to the report's author. "At the outset, we would like to remind you that Jack Ma handed over his CEO role in Alibaba in September 2018, and the chairmanship in September 2019, to Daniel Zhang. Further, Jack stepped down from the Company's board in September 2020 and therefore he no longer has any executive or board responsibility at Alibaba. Joe Tsai remains as executive vice chairman and board member of Alibaba." "Jack have established separate trusts to hold their respective Alibaba stock holdings for estate planning purposes," Alibaba continued. "Jack is a PRC citizen and has fully complied with all relevant Chinese tax laws on the sale of Alibaba stock - that is, for Chinese tax purposes the capital gains from stock sales by the trust controlled by Jack are attributed to him and he has paid all Chinese capital gains taxes on such sales. Although Cathy serves as a director of certain holding companies under Jack's trust, this does not change the fact that Jack is subject to Chinese capital gains tax on the sale of stocks held by his trust. Similarly, Cathy has complied with all relevant tax law and regulations on the Alibaba shares sold by entities controlled by her." Reference Link

12:10 EDT Broadcom gives up gains, drops 1% after FTC monopolization charges

12:01 EDT FTC charges Broadcom with illegal monopolization

12:00 EDT Butterfly Network falls -10.7% - Butterfly Network is down -10.7%, or -$1.52 to $12.73.

12:00 EDT Santander Consumer rises 11.2% - Santander Consumer is up 11.2%, or $4.08 to $40.51.

12:00 EDT IDT Corp rises 19.9% - IDT Corp is up 19.9%, or $7.81 to $47.14.

11:35 EDT Lordstown Motors down 14% after WSJ report on DOJ probe - Lordstown shares are down $1.45, or 14%, to $8.90 after The Wall Street Journal reported that the Justice Department is probing the electric-truck startup.

11:30 EDT EMA approves scale-up at J&J Covid vaccine plant in Netherlands - The European Medicines Agency's committee for human medicines has approved a scale-up of the active substance manufacturing process at Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Biologics. The plant, which is located in Leiden, the Netherlands, produces all active substance for the manufacture of the European supply of COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen, the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Janssen-Cilag International. The approved modifications to the facility include a newly constructed building, new equipment and the introduction of additional process optimizations. "This will enable an increase of the active substance manufacturing capacity and frequency," the agency said in a statement. The site is expected to support the continued supply of COVID-19 Vaccine Janssen in the European Union.

11:05 EDT DiDi down 6% to $15.35 after confirming cybersecurity review in China

11:04 EDT Natera to present updated results from MRD-guided CIRCULATE trial - Natera announced it will present new data on its personalized and tumor-informed molecular residual disease assay, Signatera, at the 2021 European Society for Medical Oncology World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer, taking place June 30 - July 3, 2021. Data will be presented in colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer. Natera will present updated results from the prospective, multi-center, randomized CIRCULATE-Japan trial, the largest MRD-guided study to date in CRC, designed to investigate ctDNA-guided treatment strategies for patients with stage I-IV resected CRC. With follow-up information now available in the first 808 patients in this trial, this readout is multiple times larger than any previous Natera MRD study in CRC, and as such, creates a new benchmark for evaluating test performance. Monitoring molecular residual disease by circulating tumor DNA in resectable colorectal cancer: Molecular subgroup analyses of a prospective observational study GALAXY in CIRCULATE-Japan: This oral presentation describes an updated interim analysis of the first 808 patients from CIRCULATE-Japan, the largest prospective MRD study to date in CRC. Personalized Signatera assays were performed preoperatively and then serially after surgery. Preoperative MRD was detected in 95% of patients with stage II-III CRC. Longitudinal MRD-positivity was significantly associated with inferior disease-free survival and Signatera demonstrated a relapse sensitivity of 93.1%. MRD-positivity at 4 weeks after surgery was significantly associated with nodal positivity and MRD-negative patients had remarkably good prognosis, with recurrence-free survival greater than99% at six months of follow-up, across all stages and regardless of whether adjuvant treatment was administered. Circulating tumor DNA for early relapse detection and monitoring disease status in patients with early-stage pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A prospective study of seven pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients and one ampullary adenocarcinoma patient who were monitored after surgery using Signatera, in addition to blood biomarkers carcinoembryonic antigen and cancer antigen 19-9 and radiological imaging. MRD-positivity was found to be associated with poorer recurrence-free survival. MRD findings correlated with, and preceded, imaging results in 100% of patients who relapsed. MRD was found to be a more specific prognostic biomarker compared to CEA and CA 19-9.

10:34 EDT IBM announces Whitehurst to step down as President - IBM CEO Arvind Krishna announced: "Our hybrid cloud and AI strategy is strongly resonating with clients. I believe we are at a watershed moment in our journey. As the world begins to reopen, IBM has a unique opportunity to be positioned for a new and exciting era of growth, continue to accelerate the rate and pace of execution of our strategy, and strengthen our client-centric culture and our ability to provide technical expertise. To that end, we are announcing a series of important leadership changes effective immediately: Jim Whitehurst has played a pivotal role in the IBM and Red Hat integration. In the almost three years since the acquisition was announced, Jim has been instrumental in articulating IBM's strategy, but also, in ensuring that IBM and Red Hat work well together and that our technology platforms and innovations provide more value to our clients. Jim has decided to step down as IBM President, however I am pleased he will continue working as Senior Advisor to me and the rest of the Executive Leadership Team as we continue to evolve our business... When I became CEO, Bridget van Kralingen agreed to stay to help ensure my transition went well. She has now decided to step down from her current role as Senior Vice President, Global Markets. I support her decision and thank Bridget for the work she has done to build a stronger company that is more responsive to our clients' needs, including launching our new go-to-market strategy, implementing our sales cloud and changing our sales structure. She has also been a champion of diversity, chairing our LGBT+ and Women's initiatives. Bridget will remain Senior Vice President, Special Projects for a year at which time she will retire from IBM. Rob Thomas will become Senior Vice President, Global Markets... Tom Rosamilia will become Senior Vice President, Cloud and Cognitive Software." Reference Link

10:25 EDT Goldman Sachs Asset Management, EQT Private Equity to acquire Parexel for $8.5B - The EQT IX fund and the Private Equity business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management have agreed to acquire Parexel, a global clinical research organization, from Pamplona Capital Management for an enterprise value of $8.5B. The transaction is subject to customary conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals. Eric Liu, Partner and Global Co-Head of Healthcare at EQT, commented, "We have followed Parexel closely during the past few years and have been impressed by the Company's development and trajectory. Our investment in Parexel reflects EQT's thematic focus on the life sciences industry, as well as our commitment to partnering with businesses that have a positive impact on society. We are excited to partner with Goldman Sachs for the next stage of Parexel's journey, and to back Jamie, who prior to his role at Parexel had been a long-time senior advisor to EQT, as well as the rest of the Parexel team." Reference Link

10:00 EDT Gaotu Techedu falls -6.3% - Gaotu Techedu is down -6.3%, or -91c to $13.45.

10:00 EDT CNFinance falls -7.7% - CNFinance is down -7.7%, or -29c to $3.48.

10:00 EDT IDT Corp rises 17.1% - IDT Corp is up 17.1%, or $6.73 to $46.06.

09:47 EDT Gaotu Techedu falls -4.9% - Gaotu Techedu is down -4.9%, or -71c to $13.65.

09:47 EDT DiDi falls -8.1% - DiDi is down -8.1%, or -$1.33 to $15.07.

09:47 EDT IDT Corp rises 17.8% - IDT Corp is up 17.8%, or $7.01 to $46.34.

09:42 EDT Boeing down 2% after CNBC says 737 cargo plane down in Hawaii - Shares of Boeing moved lower after CNBC reported that a 737 cargo plane has gone down in the water of Honolulu, Hawaii, after experiencing engine trouble. The severity of the crash and extent of the rescue operation unclear at this time, sources tell CNBC. Shares of Boeing are down 2% to $235.43 in morning trading.

09:31 EDT Eco Wave Power Global AB (ADS) trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:27 EDT Bridgeline Digital receives over $2.5M in warrant exercises - Bridgeline Digital announced that it has received over $2.5M in cash as a result of warrant exercises so far this week. The warrants were issued in 2019 with a strike price of $4.00. These funds are above and beyond Bridgeline's fully capitalized operating plan, bringing its cash balance to approximately $6M. This additional capital will be used to accelerate growth and execute Bridgeline's eCommerce 360 strategy to drive traffic, increase conversions and grow average order value for its 2,500 customers.

09:22 EDT Ford reports total June U.S. sales of 115,789 vehicles - Reports truck sales of 63,129, SUV sales of 49,792 and car sales of 2,868. Ford announced sales of electrified vehicles expanded 117% in June, capping off a new first-half sales record on sales of 56,570 vehicles. That's a new all-time sales record driven by new products. Mustang Mach-E sales totaled 12,975 vehicles, while F-150 PowerBoost Hybrid added an additional 17,039 vehicles to the total. Escape Hybrid and Escape Plug-in Hybrid sales totaled 15,642 - up 45.9% over last year. Average transaction prices at Ford were up approximately $6,400 over a year ago at $47,800 per vehicle. Ford's Mach-E expanded its sales 26.7% compared to May. Retail orders for Ford and Lincoln vehicles are up more than 16-fold this year over last. Ford's overall retail truck sales expanded 2.6% in the first half of the year, totaling 420,403 pickups. With tight inventories, F-Series sales totaled 362,032 trucks, while Ranger had its best first half since 2005 on total pickup sales of 58,371. "Through June of this year, Ford retail sales were up 10.7 percent. With constrained inventories and record turn rates in the second quarter, we have been working closely with our dealers gathering retail orders, which are up 16-fold over last year. Reservations for F-150 Lightning have now surpassed 100,000 since the truck was first shown in May, while Ford's sales of electrified vehicles produced a new all-time first half sales record with 56,570 vehicle sold - up 117 percent over year ago," said Andrew Frick, vice president, Ford Sales U.S. and Canada.

09:18 EDT VivoPower secures settlement, full control of JV solar development portfolio - VivoPower International is pleased to announce that the Company has secured a settlement resulting in it gaining full ownership of the remaining 50% of the equity interest in its solar development portfolio in the United States. Ownership of the Portfolio was previously shared 50/50 with the Company's former joint venture partner, Innovative Solar Systems.Ownership of the remaining 50% interest in the Portfolio was acquired by the Company from ISS for nominal consideration under the terms of the settlement between the Company and ISS.

09:13 EDT Arcimoto, Encinitas announce joint municipal pilot program - Arcimoto and the City of Encinitas announced a joint municipal pilot program to test the Deliverator and Rapid Responder for use by Encinitas Lifeguards and Infrastructure and Sustainability Departments, continuing Mayor Catherine Blakespear's efforts to reduce carbon pollution and advance sustainable transportation in the City of Encinitas. Over the course of the 60-day pilot program, Arcimoto vehicles will be tested by staff located at City Hall as well as by the Marine Safety Division, which provides lifeguard services for the 3.5 miles of state beaches managed by the City.

09:12 EDT GTT Communications does not intend to appeal NYSE delisting determination - In a regulatory filing, GTT Communications stated: "As reported by the company in its prior filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company has been unable to file on a timely basis its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2020, its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2021. In addition, as further described in the company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on December 22, 2020, in connection with the company's previously disclosed review of certain accounting issues, the company's board of directors concluded that the company's previously issued consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, each of the quarters during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 and the quarter ended March 31, 2020 and certain related disclosures should no longer be relied upon... On July 2, 2021, the company informed the NYSE staff that it does not expect to complete and file the Restated Financial Statements and the Delayed Filings before the end of the Additional Cure Period. The NYSE staff indicated that the exchange will immediately suspend trading of the common stock on the NYSE and commence proceedings to delist the common stock from the NYSE. The company does not intend to appeal the NYSE's delisting determination... At this time, the company does not know whether the common stock will be quoted on the Pink Open Market operated by OTC Markets Group Inc. or on any other market or quotation system following suspension of trading on the NYSE. Any quotation of the common stock on the Pink Open Market would require a market maker to sponsor the security and comply with Rule 15c2-11 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 before it can initiate such quotation. To the extent the common stock is quoted on the Pink Open Market or another market, the company expects such market may provide significantly less liquidity than the NYSE, and trading prices of the common stock may decline. The company has been and intends to continue working diligently to file the Restated Financial Statements, the Delayed Filings and any subsequent delayed periodic filings with the SEC as soon as possible."

09:04 EDT Overseas Shipholding receives acquisition proposal, to review alternatives - Overseas Shipholding announced that, following receipt by the company of a non-binding indication of interest to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of the company for a price of $3.00 per share, OSG's board of directors has commenced a strategic process to explore, review and evaluate a range of strategic alternatives available to the company to enhance shareholder value, including the non-binding indication of interest. The strategic process will be led by a newly formed special transaction committee of independent directors, and is fully supported by the board of directors and the company's management team.

08:58 EDT Alector jumps 45% after entering $2.2B collaboration deal with GlaxoSmithKline - Shares of Alector are up about 45% at $32.50 in pre-market trading after the company disclosed a $2.2B deal for AL001 and AL101, which includes $700M in upfront payments.

08:50 EDT Gopher Investments announces $250M offer for Playtech's Finalto business - Gopher Investments, a 4.97% shareholder in Playtech plc and an affiliated entity of TT Bond Partners, announces that it has made an indicative offer to the board of directors of Playtech to acquire Finalto for $250 million in cash (the "Offer"). This represents a 47% premium to the base proposal offered by Finalto's management team backed by a consortium led by Barinboim Group. "Gopher's all-cash Offer includes no deferred or contingent component, delivering full value up front and allowing Playtech to receive proceeds with certainty and in full on completion, securing the clean break which the Board has declared as an objective of the transaction. Gopher's Offer will be financed from funds which are immediately available... Gopher has carried out a detailed review of Finalto from a range of publicly available resources. As such, it is prepared to perform only limited due diligence, anticipated to take no more than 3 weeks, before seeking to enter into a fully binding offer for Finalto on terms that are materially equivalent to those entered into with the Consortium. Gopher does not expect its binding offer to be subject to any conditions beyond the equivalent conditions to which the Consortium's proposal is subject, namely Class 1 shareholder approval and mandatory regulatory clearances. Gopher does not dispute the disposal of Finalto as a non-core asset, but it believes that Finalto's attractive growth prospects are not fairly reflected in the value of the Consortium's offer that has been recommended by the Board," the firm stated.

08:45 EDT Alkaline Water postpones earnings call after filing NT 10-K earlier this week - Alkaline Water earnings call has been postponed after the company filed NT 10-K on June 30th, delaying the release of its 10-K and stating that "additional time is needed for the registrant to compile and analyze supporting documentation in order to complete the Form 10-K and in order to permit the Company's independent registered public accounting firm to complete its audit." The conference call has not been re-scheduled. Shares of Alkaline Water are down 5% in the pre-market at $1.50 per share.

08:36 EDT Tesla reports Q2 vehicle deliveries of 201,250 - Tesla announced that in the second quarter, it produced 206,421 vehicles and delivered 201,250. The Bloomberg estimate for deliveries is 204,160. Model S/X production was 2,340 and deliveries were 1,890. Model 3/Y production was 204,081 and deliveries were 199,360. The total subject to operating lease accounting was 7%. Tesla said, "Our delivery count should be viewed as slightly conservative, as we only count a car as delivered if it is transferred to the customer and all paperwork is correct. Final numbers could vary by up to 0.5% or more."

08:34 EDT GTT Communications trading halted, news pending

08:30 EDT Dominion unit, South Carolina ORS file settlement of general electric rate case - Dominion Energy South Carolina, a subsidiary of Dominion Energy, together with the South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff, submitted a comprehensive settlement in the pending general electric rate case for approval by the Public Service Commission of South Carolina. The settlement agreement is supported by all intervenors. DESC, the ORS and intervening parties have engaged over the past six months to produce this agreement, at the direction of the Commission, balancing stakeholders' interests and supporting DESC's ability to continue providing safe, reliable, affordable, and increasingly sustainable energy. Key components of the settlement, which requires Commission approval, provide significant customer benefits: Starting Sept. 1, typical residential customer monthly bills would increase by a net 1.46% - a level that ensures residential rates remain below the national average - driven in part by an acceleration of return of excess deferred income taxes. Initiation of a stakeholder process to propose an electricity affordability program for low-income customers. In addition, per the settlement agreement and contingent upon Commission approval, DESC has agreed to: Commit up to $15M in shareholder funds to forgive past due balances of more than 60 days, as of May 31, 2021. All DESC customers are eligible to participate. Customer credits would take place within 90 days of a final Commission order. Allocate $15M in shareholder funds to energy efficiency upgrades and critical health and safety repairs to customer homes, which will allow those homes to participate in money-saving efficiency programs. Double the annual commitment to EnergyShare, the company's year-round assistance program, to $1.5M in each of the next two years. This includes $500,000 for small business customers to participate in the program, a new benefit. The proposed settlement also supports: An authorized return on common equity of 9.5%. A regulatory capital structure of 51.62% equity and 48.38% debt. A revenue increase of $61.6M (representing a net revenue increase of $35.6M after accounting for accelerated return of excess deferred income taxes). A rate base of approximately $5.8B. There is no change to Dominion Energy's existing financial guidance. DESC has agreed to not file an electric general rate case prior to July 1, 2023, absent unforeseen extraordinary economic or financial conditions that may include changes in corporate tax rates.

08:17 EDT J. Alexander's to be acquired by SPB Hospitality for $220M in cash - J. Alexander's announced that the company entered into a merger agreement under which SPB Hospitality will acquire the company in an all cash transaction valued at approximately $220M. The company's shareholders will receive $14.00 in cash per share of common stock of the company, representing a 78% percent premium to the closing share price on February 9, the last trading day prior to the company's announcement of its commitment to completing the strategic alternatives process, and a premium of approximately 14% to the price on July 1. Certain of the company's officers, directors and shareholders including entered into a voting agreement with SPB Hospitality pursuant to which they agreed, among other things, to vote their respective shares of company common stock in favor of the merger. The merger was approved by J. Alexander's board of directors following a review of a wide range of strategic alternatives, which was first announced in August 2019, and continued in 2020 and 2021. The transaction is expected to be completed early in Q4, subject to approval by J. Alexander's shareholders, expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as well as other customary closing conditions.

08:06 EDT Zivo announces closing of partial exercise of over-allotment option - Zivo Bioscience announced the closing of the sale of an additional 150,000 shares of common stock, at a price to the public of $4.99 per share less underwriting discounts and commissions, pursuant to the partial exercise of the underwriters' over-allotment option in connection with its previously announced public offering that closed on June 2, 2021. ZIVO received gross proceeds of approximately $748,500, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses.

08:05 EDT Reservoir Media acquires producer catalog of Tom Werman - Reservoir (RSVR) announces the acquisition of the producer catalog of Rock producer Tom Werman. The deal includes 100% of Werman's producer rights for all of his works including the #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison. Werman began his career as an A&R executive for Epic Records, signing standout rock artists like REO Speedwagon, Cheap Trick, Ted Nugent, Molly Hatchet, and Boston, before shifting focus to record producing, where he went on to contribute to 23 Gold- and Platinum-certified records for artists and bands such as Mother's Finest, Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick, Molly Hatchet, Blue Oyster Cult, Motley Crue, Twisted Sister, Lita Ford, Dokken, Kix, L.A. Guns, and Poison. In addition to "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," some of Werman's evergreen productions include Poison's "Nothin' But A Good Time," Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock," Motley Crue's "Girls, Girls, Girls," and Cheap Trick's "Surrender," among many others. This news comes following the announcement that Reservoir has entered into an agreement with Roth CH Acquisition II Co. (ROCC), a special purpose acquisition company, taking the first step toward becoming a publicly traded company listed on the Nasdaq.

08:03 EDT GM collaborates with Controlled Thermal Resources to secure low-cost lithium - General Motors has agreed to form a strategic investment and commercial collaboration with Controlled Thermal Resources to secure local and low-cost lithium. This lithium will be produced through a closed-loop, direct extraction process that results in a smaller physical footprint, no production tailing and lower carbon dioxide emissions when compared to traditional processes like pit mining or evaporation ponds. Lithium is a metal crucial to GM's plans to make more affordable, higher mileage electric vehicles. The relationship between GM and CTR is expected to accelerate the adoption of lithium extraction methods that cause less impact to the environment. A significant amount of GM's future battery-grade lithium hydroxide and carbonate could come from CTR's Hell's Kitchen Lithium and Power development in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field, located in Imperial, California. With the help of GM's investment, CTR's closed-loop, direct extraction process will recover lithium from geothermal brine. As an anticipated part of its $35B global commitment to EVs and autonomous vehicles , GM will be the first company to make a multi-million dollar investment in CTR's Hell's Kitchen project. As the first investor, GM will have first rights on lithium produced by the first stage of the Hell's Kitchen project, including an option for a multi-year relationship. The first stage of the Hell's Kitchen project is expected to begin yielding lithium in 2024, helping GM to meet its aspiration of eliminating tailpipe emissions from light-duty vehicles by 2035.

08:02 EDT CSX files expanded application with STB to acquire Pan Am Railways - CSX announced that it submitted an amended and supplemented application to the Surface Transportation Board, or STB, as part of the previously announced agreement to acquire New England's Pan Am Railway's. The amended application provides all of the additional details of the proposed transaction requested by the STB in their May 26, 2021 ruling. James Foote, president and CEO of CSX said: "CSX is pleased to submit an expanded application for the acquisition of Pan Am Railways, which explains the tremendous benefits of the proposed transaction for stakeholders in New England and beyond. The proposed transaction is an "end-to-end" acquisition that will integrate the New England rail network owned by Pan Am into CSX's national rail network, creating seamless single-line service. This will provide substantial benefits to shippers with low-cost, environmentally-friendly rail service with truck-like reliability. Adding Pan Am to our network will extend the reach of our service to a wider customer base over an expanded territory, creating new efficiencies and market prospects for customers to capitalize on a robust pipeline of growth opportunities to move freight to, from and within New England." The proposed transaction would result in significant investments in the region's rail infrastructure. Over the next five years, CSX would invest to upgrade and modernize the Pan Am system, which will make the New England rail network more efficient and safer for operations, communities and passenger rail. New England will also benefit from CSX's track record as leader in environmental performance. CSX will operate Pan Am with a smaller, more reliable and more fuel-efficient fleet, significantly reducing fuel consumption and improving rail's environmental footprint in the region. CSX's operating model will benefit passenger and commuter carriers in New England as well as shippers as the company commits to maintaining or improving existing passenger service that operates on Pan Am. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is subject to regulatory review and approval by the Surface Transportation Board.

07:48 EDT Lexagene works on advancing MiQLab System to meet EUA criteria - LexaGene Holdings announced it continues to systematically advance the MiQLab System to meet the Food and Drug Administration criteria for Emergency Use Authorization. The MiQLab System is a first of its kind, point of care diagnostic testing technology. Jack Regan, LexaGene's Founder and CEO, stated, "The MiQLab systems we've sold into veterinary diagnostics and the biologics manufacturing market are in the field and working as designed. Part of our strategy is to use these systems in real-world settings, processing complex samples, to ensure our technology is ready to pass the stringent FDA requirements. The intent of the FDA requirements is to ensure vendors take the necessary steps to get the highest quality product possible out of their specific technology. Over the last few months, LexaGene has made great progress and completed many of these requirements. Namely, we have passed electrical safety testing, passed ship testing, finalized our master mix and carrier fluid formulation, finalized our test assays and their configuration, finalized our internal amplification control and internal process control, and completed our user manual to a state acceptable for an EUA submission."

07:43 EDT DiDi down 6% after Chinese regulator announces cyber security review - Shares of DiDi Global are down 6% in morning trading after the Cyberspace Administration of China announced a probe of the company's cyber security. According to a translation of a post to the CAC site, the regulator stated: "In order to prevent national data security risks, maintain national security, and protect the public interest, in accordance with the National Security Law of the People's Republic of China and the Cybersecurity Law of the People's Republic of 'Implement a cyber security review. In order to cooperate with the network security review work and prevent risks from expanding, "Didi Travel" stopped new user registration during the review period." In pre-market trading following the announcement, DiDi shares are down 97c, or 6%, to $15.43. Reference Link

07:37 EDT SHUSA submits proposal to acquire Santander Consumer for $39.00 per share - Santander Holdings USA, or SHUSA, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Banco Santander (SAN) announced that it submitted a proposal to Santander Consumer (SC) to acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of SC not already owned by SHUSA for $39.00 per share in cash. The proposal represents a 7.4% premium to Wednesday's closing price of $36.32 and a 30.4% premium to SC's average share price since January 1. SHUSA currently owns approximately 80% of SC's outstanding shares of common stock and, if the transaction is completed, SC would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of SHUSA.

07:33 EDT Cboe Global Markets reports Q2, June ADV of 18.4M contracts - CME Group reported its Q2 and June market statistics, showing it reached average daily volume of 18.4M contracts for both the second quarter and the month of June.

07:30 EDT GSK board responds to Elliott Advisors, says Walmsley 'the right leader' - GlaxoSmithKline said in a press release: "The Board of GSK notes the letter issued by Elliott Advisors (UK) Limited on 1 July. The Board welcomes constructive input from all shareholders that is supportive of the creation and delivery of long-term sustainable shareholder value and benefits for patients. The Board is issuing this announcement to all shareholders and all parties with an interest in GSK to address the matters raised by Elliott in the letter... At its Investor Update on 23 June, GSK set out new ambitions for patients and a step-change in growth and performance for shareholders. Subsequent engagement with GSK's largest shareholders has evidenced widespread and strong support for these strategic ambitions and confidence in GSK's leadership team to deliver them. The ambitions and plans communicated at the Investor Update follow a significant four-year corporate transformation to address historic long-standing issues that have affected GSK's performance. These issues have been well recognised by the Board and the Executive team and include all of those identified in Elliott's letter... The Board and the Executive team believe that focus and stability are now critical to deliver a successful separation and the key innovation, commercial and financial targets expected for New GSK as a growth-focused company... A formal process to appoint a Chair and to form a Board of Directors for the new Consumer Health company is already well underway. The appointment of a Chair is expected in the second half of 2021 who will then, in accordance with best practice, lead the process of appointments to establish the new Board. This new Board will include the appropriate mix of skills, experience and continuity, relevant to Consumer Health, to represent and maximise the value of this new business for shareholders. As previously stated, and building on recent non-executive appointments, further appointments to the Board of GSK are expected, prior to the separation, to increase biopharmaceuticals and scientific experience for New GSK... The separation of Consumer Healthcare is a clear part of GSK's strategic agenda, led by CEO Emma Walmsley, to transform GSK and to deliver a step-change in growth and performance. As evidenced at the Investor Update last week, and with New GSK representing the majority of GSK's existing business, the Board is not conducting a selection process post-separation. The Board strongly believes Emma Walmsley is the right leader of New GSK and fully supports the actions being taken by her and the management team, all of whom are subject to rigorous assessments of performance. Under Emma's leadership, the Board fully expects this team to deliver a step-change in performance and long-term shareholder value creation through the separation and in the years beyond."

07:04 EDT Genius Sports gets sports wagering license from West Virginia Lottery Commission - Genius Sports announced that it has been granted a permanent sports wagering license by the West Virginia Lottery Commission. Genius Sports is now operational in 13 U.S. states. West Virginia was the fifth U.S. state to offer legal and regulated sports betting when it launched in 2018.

07:02 EDT PNM Resources subsidiary files settlement to increase annual revenues - Texas-New Mexico Power, or TNMP,, the Texas utility subsidiary of PNM Resources filed a settlement in its application to amend its Distribution Cost Recovery Factor to recover nearly $105M in net distribution infrastructure investments made during 2020 to reliably serve customers' power needs. The unanimous settlement with parties calls for increased annual revenues of $13.5M and reflects 98% of the company's filed revenue requirement. The settlement is subject to approval from the Public Utility Commission of Texas and is expected to be implemented September 1.

06:50 EDT Marin Software up 16% in pre-market as 2nd highest trending name on StockTwits - Shares of Marin Software are up another 15.9% at $17.47 in pre-market trading following yesterday's 40.5% rally. The stock is the second highest trending ticker on StockTwits in terms of message volume this morning.

06:21 EDT Iterum Therapeutics down 30% after FDA disclosed deficiencies in sulopenem - Shares of Iterum Therapeutics are down 30% at $1.60 in early pre-market trading after the company announced that as part of their ongoing review of the company's NDA for sulopenem etzadroxil/probenecid, the FDA "identified deficiencies that preclude the continuation of the discussion of labeling and post marketing requirements/commitments at this time".

06:18 EDT Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 354.1K shares of Vuzix yesterday

06:05 EDT Charles Schwab says responding to SEC probe on compliance, sees $200M Q2 charge - In a regulatory filing, Schwab said, "The company has been responding to an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission arising from a compliance examination. The investigation largely concerns historic disclosures related to the Schwab Intelligent Portfolios digital advisory solution. The company has been cooperating with SEC staff in the investigation and is evaluating its options. Given the investigation's status, Schwab's second quarter 2021 financial results will include a liability and related non-deductible charge of $200 million. The company's ultimate liability may differ, depending on the outcome of the matter. The company intends to continue cooperating with the SEC with the goal of resolving this matter and remains focused on its core purpose of helping investors achieve their financial goals. SIP is well established as a key component of our digital advisory lineup, which served almost $64 billion in client assets as of March 31, 2021 - up 51% on a year-over-year basis."

05:16 EDT Chevron announces $4B Jansz-Io Compression project to proceed - Chevron (CVX) announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Chevron Australia, as operator and the Gorgon joint venture participants will proceed with the approximately $4B Jansz-Io Compression, or J-IC, project. Nigel Hearne, Chevron Eurasia Pacific Exploration and Production president, said J-IC represents Chevron's most significant capital investment in Australia since the sanctioning of the Gorgon Stage 2 project in 2018. A modification of the existing Gorgon development, J-IC will involve the construction and installation of a 27,000-ton normally unattended floating Field Control Station, or FCS, approximately 6,500 tons of subsea compression infrastructure and a 135km submarine power cable linked to Barrow Island. Construction and installation activities are estimated to take approximately five years to complete. J-IC follows the Gorgon Stage 2 project, which is nearing completion of the installation phase, to supply gas to the Gorgon plant from four new Jansz-Io and seven new Gorgon wells. The Chevron-operated Gorgon Project is a joint venture between the Australian subsidiaries of Chevron, ExxonMobil (XOM), Shell (RDS.A), Osaka Gas, Tokyo Gas and JERA.

05:07 EDT TD Holdings regains Nasdaq compliance - TD Holdings announced that it has received a notification letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of Nasdaq notifying that the company has regained compliance with the periodic filing requirements for Nasdaq under Listing Rule 5250.