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

18:37 EDT KKR, Telefonica partner to create digital infrastructure company in Colombia - KKR (KKR) announced an agreement with Telefonica Colombia, a subsidiary of the leading Spanish telecom group Telefonica (TEF), to establish Colombia's first independent nationwide open access wholesale digital infrastructure company. On a mission to bring greater broadband access across Colombia, the new company will expand availability of ultra-fast fiber optic internet, benefitting more consumers and businesses across Colombia. As part of the agreement, KKR will acquire a majority stake in Telefonica's existing fiber optic network, the largest in Colombia, and make the network open access through a newly established independent entity, which KKR will control as the majority shareholder. Telefonica will be a minority shareholder in the new company, with a 40% stake. The company will be run independently by a local team in Colombia but brings together the expertise of both KKR and Telefonica to build and operate Colombia's premier digital infrastructure network. Recently, the companies similarly joined efforts to establish ON NET Fibra as Chile's first open access wholesale fiber optic network. Upon closing of the transaction, Telefonica's existing fiber optic network will become open access and available for all internet service providers in Colombia to utilize, including Telefonica. With the investment from KKR, the new company plans to expand existing fiber optic coverage from approximately 1.2 million homes today to, at minimum, 4.3M homes by the end of 2024, covering at least 87 municipal areas in Colombia, with more than half consisting of underserved areas outside of high-income urban areas. The network will utilize state-of-the art technology to deliver connection speeds up to 1,000 times faster than conventional networks currently available to most Colombians, improving both quality and coverage. The investment will help to close the digital gap, facilitate new 5G connectivity, and provide access to telework, telehealth, and virtual education to far more Colombians than have it today.

17:32 EDT Aurinia Pharmaceuticals announces delisting from TSX - Aurinia Pharmaceuticals announced it will voluntarily delist the common shares of the company from the Toronto Stock Exchange effective as of the close of trading on July 30, 2021. The company's common shares will no longer be traded on the TSX but will continue to trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol AUPH. Trading on the Nasdaq accounted for approximately 94 percent of Aurinia's daily trading volume over the past 12 months. Therefore, the company believes that the trading volume of its shares on the TSX no longer justifies the expense and administrative efforts associated with maintaining a dual listing. The company is confident that the transition to a single listing will help deliver better value to its shareholders, employees and of course, the patient and HCP communities it serves. Pursuant to Sec. 720(b) of the TSX Company Manual, shareholder approval is not required as an acceptable alternative market exists for the listed securities.

17:26 EDT Greenbrier CEO Furman acquires nearly 70,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Greenbrier chairman and CEO William Furman disclosed the purchase of 69,783 common shares of the company on July 14 at a price of $43.05 per share.

16:39 EDT PPL Capital Funding trading halted, news pending

16:30 EDT Morgan Stanley exec Saperstein sells 11,465 common shares - Morgan Stanley co-president and head of wealth management Andrew Saperstein disclosed the sale of 11,465 common shares of the company on July 16 at a price of $92.97 per share.

16:11 EDT Canadian Pacific says no evidence its trains contributed to Lytton fire - Canadian Pacific issued the following statement on the Transportation Safety Board of Canada's rail transportation safety investigation update concerning the fire in Lytton, B.C.: "The TSB posted an update today regarding its investigation of potential train activity-related fire in the vicinity of Mile 98.3 of Canadian National Ashcroft Subdivision around the time of the wildfire in Lytton, B.C. on June 30, 2021. The TSB said that "at approximately 16:50 Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), smoke was spotted on the nearby hills around the pedestrian bridge which parallels the Canadian National (CN) bridge at Lytton, B.C." According to the update, TSB deployed an investigation team on July 9, 2021 to gather information and assess. In a statement given to the Canadian Press, TSB Chair Kathy Fox said that a full TSB report on any train-related cause or contributing factors in connection to the Lytton fire could take up to two years. At this preliminary stage, any conclusions or speculation regarding any cause of the Lytton fire or contribution factor is premature. Additionally, Ms. Fox is reported to have stated that it "is certainly a wake-up call to really look at what precautions need to be taken by railway companies..." In light of the early stage of this TSB investigation, we believe it is irresponsible and misleading to imply that railways are to blame for the fire. To the best of CP's knowledge, the last train that passed through Lytton on CN's Ashcroft Subdivision before the fire started was a CN train known to CP as CN 731L. To clarify, while this train is CP equipment, with CP locomotives and railcars, it was transferred to the care, custody and control of CN at Kamloops in the morning of June 30, 2021, and was being operated by CN, using CP's locomotives, over CN's own tracks on the Ashcroft Subdivision. Transport Canada inspected that train on July 6 and confirmed in a letter dated July 7 that there were "no non-compliance or concerns" in relation to that train. CP confirms that it has also inspected that train, as well as all other CP trains that went through the town of Lytton during the relevant time period on June 30 when we understand the fire started. Based on train records, including contemporaneous video footage, CP has found nothing to indicate that any of CP's trains or equipment that passed through Lytton caused or contributed to the fire. A review of the key facts confirms that railways are not a significant cause of wildfires in B.C., contrary to media and government speculation. The vast majority of wildfires are caused by nature when environmental conditions are extremely hot and dry, like those recently experienced in B.C."

16:08 EDT Holley announces closing of combination with Empower - Holley (HLLY) announced the closing of its previously announced business combination with Empower (EMPW). The business combination was approved by Empower's stockholders on July 14. Holley is a portfolio company of Sentinel Capital Partners, who will continue to have a significant stake in the company. Beginning July 19, Holley's shares will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "HLLY."

16:02 EDT Consolidated Communications receives PUC approvals for Searchlight investment - Consolidated Communications announced that it has received all required state Public Utilities Commission regulatory approvals necessary for the conversion of the contingent payment right issued by the company to an affiliate of Searchlight Capital Partners in connection with the previously announced investment by Searchlight in the company. By securing all required state PUC regulatory approvals, the CPR has now converted into an additional number of shares of the company's common stock, which together with the shares issued to Searchlight at the completion of the first stage of the Investment on Oct. 2, 2020, constitutes approximately 24.5% of the company's outstanding shares.

14:57 EDT Kiromic says FDA returned with comments on allogeneic CAR-T product INDs - Kiromic BioPharma provided the following update on its IND filings on its off-the-shelf, allogeneic CAR-T for solid tumors: "Two INDs were submitted to the FDA in May 2021 for the first-in-human off-the-shelf allogeneic CAR-T for solid tumors. FDA returned with comments on the company's allogeneic CAR-T products with respect to tracing of all reagents used in manufacturing; flow chart of manufacturing processes; and certificate of analysis, or COA, for the company's CAR-T products. The company has an FDA response taskforce, staffed with 30 yr industry veterans, working on answering the FDA comments above. Our CMC processes are rigorous. Our product is allogeneic gamma delta T cell manufacturing which few companies have mastered. The company's timeline for commencement of the dosing of its first in human clinical trial is expected to be tighter but we still plan on delivering in 3Q 2021."

14:42 EDT NJ reports June total gaming revenue up 302.7% to $392.8M - New Jersey's Division of Gaming Enforcement reported total gaming revenue for June was $392.8M, compared to $97.6M in June 2020, reflecting a 302.7% increase. Internet gaming win was $107.1M in June, compared to $84.9M in the prior period, reflecting an increase of 26.1%. Sports wagering gross revenue was $71.3M for the month. Casino win for June was $214.5M. The NJ DGE noted: "Due to COVID-19, Atlantic City casinos closed at 8:00 PM on March 16, 2020. Internet casino gaming and Online sports wagering operations continued, however, most sports wagering events were cancelled beginning in mid-March 2020. As a result, casino win and sports wagering revenue for the month and the year-to-date period ended June 2021 are not comparable to 2020. Additionally, the Atlantic City casino hotel properties continue to operate under certain COVID-19 restrictions since reopening in July 2020." Publicly traded companies in the casino gaming and sports betting space include Boyd Gaming (BYD), Caesars (CZR), Churchill Downs (CHDN), DraftKings (DKNG), Flutter Entertainment (PDYPY), Gan Limited (GAN), Las Vegas Sands (LVS), MGM Resorts (MGM), Penn National (PENN), William Hill (WIMHY) and Wynn Resorts (WYNN).

14:25 EDT Kadmon says FDA grants full approval of Rezurock for cGVHD - Kadmon announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Rezurock 200 mg once daily for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients 12 years and older with chronic graft-versus-host disease, or cGVHD, after failure of at least two prior lines of systemic therapy. The FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy designation and Priority Review for Rezurock and reviewed the New Drug Application under the Real-Time Oncology Review pilot program. "The FDA approved this NDA six weeks ahead of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act - PDUFA - goal date of August 30, 2021. Rezurock is the first and only FDA-approved small molecule inhibitor of ROCK2, a signaling pathway that modulates inflammatory responses and fibrotic processes," the company said. Rezurock is expected to be available in the United States by late August 2021.

13:40 EDT CannTrust announces court approval of plan of compromise, reorganization - CannTrust Holdings announced that its Fourth Amended & Restated Plan of Compromise, Arrangement and Reorganization dated July 7 was sanctioned by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in connection with the company's restructuring proceedings under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act. Implementation of the CCAA Plan remains subject to a number of conditions, including the U.S. Approval Order being entered in the U.S. Class Action and the expiration of applicable appeal periods. CannTrust expects the conditions to be satisfied and implementation of the plan to occur in three to five months, or in the fourth quarter of 2021. "Having the CCAA Plan sanctioned is another significant milestone in our CCAA journey and we are pleased to have made progress towards plan implementation." said Greg Guyatt, CEO at CannTrust. As previously disclosed, CannTrust anticipates announcing the engagement of a replacement independent auditor during the third quarter of 2021 and has initiated discussions with the Ontario Securities Commission about proposing a plan and timetable for curing the company's historical disclosure defaults. Following the engagement of a replacement auditor, the company anticipates submitting an application to the OSC for a discretionary order revoking the OSC's cease-trade order dated April 13, 2020 and seeking a new listing for CannTrust's common shares on a Canadian stock exchange.

13:09 EDT Redfin report shows 'cool-down in 'hyper-competitive' home market - The average weekly share of homes for sale with a price drop passed 4% for the first time since September, "signaling a cool-down in the hyper-competitive market," according to a new report from Redfin. The median home-sale price increased 21% year over year to $365,500, a record high, according to the company. Asking prices of newly listed homes were up 12% from the same time a year ago to a median of $361,700. This is up 0.5% from the four-week period ending July 4, but down 0.6% from the all-time high two weeks ago, it added. Pending home sales were up 11% year over year, the smallest increase since the four-week period ending July 5, 2020. Pending sales were down 11% from their 2021 peak during the four-week period ending May 30, compared to a 4% decrease over the same period in 2019. The share of homes for sale with price drops rose to 4.1%, "continuing to surpass 2020 level, and climbing closer to 2019 levels," it said.

13:00 EDT Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count up 5 to 484 rigs

12:52 EDT American Realty Investors trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:08 EDT Ford announces three safety recalls in North America - Ford Motor Company announced details of three safety recalls in North America. Ford is issuing a safety recall for approximately 34,939 Ford F-350 Super Duty vehicles with 6.7-liter engine and single rear wheel axle for a rear axle housing spring seat interface weld issue. This action affects 34,855 vehicles in North America, with the remaining balance in Ford's International Markets Group. Vehicles were built at Kentucky Truck Plant between Aug. 6, 2020 and May 15, 2021. Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this condition. Also, Ford is issuing a safety recall for approximately 774,696 2013-2017 Ford Explorer vehicles that may experience a seized cross-axis ball joint that may cause a fractured rear suspension toe link. This action affects approximately 676,152 vehicles in North America, 59,935 in China, 25,257 in Ford's International Markets Group, 13,162 in Europe and 190 in South America. Ford is aware of six allegations of injury related to this condition in North America. Ford is providing a customer satisfaction program for vehicles not sold or registered in corrosion states. In addition, Ford is issuing a safety recall for approximately 40,995 2020-2021 Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with 3.0-liter gas engines because the battery cable wire harness may not be properly secured, allowing contact with the A/C compressor pulley. This action affects approximately 36,258 vehicles in North America, 2,601 in Ford's International Markets Group, and 2,136 in China. Ford is not aware of any accidents, injuries or fires related to this concern. Reference Link

12:00 EDT American Realty Investors falls -11.9% - American Realty Investors is down -11.9%, or -$1.62 to $12.00.

12:00 EDT Turquoise Hill falls -13.7% - Turquoise Hill is down -13.7%, or -$2.22 to $13.96.

12:00 EDT NOW Inc. rises 6.4% - NOW Inc. is up 6.4%, or 57c to $9.51.

11:34 EDT Buyer consortium says Glass Lewis, ISS recommend consent on Hollysys proposals - The buyer consortium consisting of Mr. Shao Baiqing, Ace Lead Profits Limited and CPE Funds Management Limited announce that independent proxy advisory firms, Glass, Lewis & Co. and Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. both recommend that shareholders of Hollysys Automation Technologies "consent" with respect to the shareholder resolutions proposed by the consortium on the White consent card. "Both firms made the recommendation after reviewing in detail the issues and arguments raised by the consortium regarding the consent solicitation and the company's lack of response to the consortium's proposed acquisition of all outstanding ordinary shares of the company not already owned by the consortium at a price of $17.10 per share in cash," the buyer group stated in a press release.

11:31 EDT IZEA awarded contract expansion from Fortune 200 customer - IZEA Worldwide announced that it has been awarded a new contract from a Fortune 200 customer, the third and largest expansion since first engaging IZEA to handle its influencer marketing campaigns in Q2 of 2020. The scope of the mid-six figure managed services agreement is to execute influencer marketing campaigns promoting the customer's products across multiple social platforms, including Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube. The content will target audiences interested in DIY and home improvement projects.

11:07 EDT Pfizer, BioNTech say FDA granted priority review for Covid vaccine - Pfizer (PFE) and BioNTech (BNTX) announced that the Food and Drug Administration granted priority review designation for the biologics license application for their mRNA vaccine to prevent Covid-19 in individuals 16 years of age and older. The FDA action date for a decision by the FDA is in January 2022. Pfizer and BioNTech completed the rolling submission of the BLA in May. "The application includes clinical data from the pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of the vaccine, where the vaccine's efficacy and favorable safety profile were observed up to six months after the second dose," they said in a statement. Reference Link

11:05 EDT Pfizer, BioNTech says FDA granted priority review for Covid vaccine - Pfizer (PFE) and BioNTech (BNTX) announced that the Food and Drug Administration granted priority review designation for the biologics license application for their mRNA vaccine to prevent Covid-19 in individuals 16 years of age and older. The FDA action date for a decision by the FDA is in January 2022. Pfizer and BioNTech completed the rolling submission of the BLA in May. "The application includes clinical data from the pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of the vaccine, where the vaccine's efficacy and favorable safety profile were observed up to six months after the second dose," they said in a statement. Reference Link

11:01 EDT Sony's new 'Ratchet & Clank' best-selling game in June in U.S., says NPD - NPD analyst Mat Piscatella said that, in the U.S., Sony's (SONY) PS5 exclusive "Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart" debuted as June's best-selling game, achieving the highest launch month dollar sales of any title in franchise history. Launch month dollar sales more than doubled those of the previous high, set by "Ratchet & Clank" in April 2016. Nintendo's (NTDOY) "Mario Golf: Super Rush" launched as the 3rd best-selling game of June 2021. Launch month dollar sales were the highest ever achieved by a "Mario Golf" game. The previous high was set by "Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour," which launched for the Nintendo GameCube in July 2003. Activision's (ATVI) "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2" jumped from #51 in May to rank 17th on the June best-selling titles chart. The Switch version of the game was released in the U.S. during the month, accounting for most of the gains. The June release of the "A Pirate's Life" content update helped push Microsoft's (MSFT) "Sea of Thieves" up from 36th a month ago back into the top 20 best-seller's chart. "Sea of Thieves" originally launched in March 2018. Other top sellers in the U.S. for the month of June, according to NPD, were Activision's "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War," Sony's "MLB The Show 21," Bandai Namco's "Scarlet Nexus," Capcom's (CCOEY) "Resident Evil Village," and Nintendo's "Mario Kart 8." Other companies in the video game space include Take-Two (TTWO), Electronic Arts (EA), Ubisoft (UBSFY), GameStop (GME), and Tencent (TCEHY). Reference Link

10:57 EDT PolarityTE 'concerned' confusion about Peet DeFi 'may have affected trading' - PolarityTE issued the following statement: "Based on investor inquiries, it has been brought to the attention of PolarityTE that there may be confusion amongst the investment community related to PolarityTE's stock and Peet DeFi, which is a crypto currency asset, and the company is concerned that such confusion may have affected trading in PolarityTE stock. This press release serves to inform investors that PolarityTE, traded on the Nasdaq under ticker symbol 'PTE,' and Peet DeFi, often referred to on social media platforms and elsewhere as 'PTE coins,' are completely unrelated. The company is communicating with social media platforms in an effort to mitigate such confusion moving forward."

10:26 EDT State Street sees FY fee revenue guidance better than upper end of previous view -

10:25 EDT State Street sees fee revenue up 7%-8% y/y in Q3 - Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

10:04 EDT AIkido Pharma provides update on antiviral platform with University of Maryland - AIkido Pharma provided an update to the progress of its antiviral platform with the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The Company stated: "The goal for the project is the identification and optimization of anti-viral compounds that inhibit viral replication by targeting a protein complex that degrades RNA at the cellular level. Scientists have identified proteins that are required for viral replication in these viruses. Computers were also used to aid the drug design approach by identifying compounds that are predicted to block viral replication. From this work, scientists have identified 4 lead compounds that block Influenza, Coronavirus, and Ebolavirus replication." Anthony Hayes, CEO of AIkido Pharma stated, "Moving forward, the upcoming phase is to optimize the best of these compounds to make them even better. At the same time, the scientists will take the compounds and measure how well they are bioavailable in the lungs when given either as an injection or as an oral dosing. Ultimately the goal is to have compounds that demonstrate strong antiviral activity against Influenza virus, SARS-CoV-2, and Ebolavirus. These illnesses have significant unmet medical needs as demonstrated by their continued resurgence and represent tremendous market opportunities."

10:02 EDT Eli Lilly, Incyte: FDA will not meet PDUFA action date for SNDA for baricitinib - Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) and Incyte (INCY) announced that the U.S. FDA will not meet the Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date for the supplemental new drug application for baricitinib for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. The delay is related to the FDA's ongoing assessment of JAK inhibitors. "We are confident in the efficacy and safety of baricitinib data supporting a favorable benefit-risk profile for the treatment of atopic dermatitis and look forward to continuing to work with the FDA during the remainder of the review process," said Ilya Yuffa, senior vice president and president of Lilly Bio-Medicines. "We are committed to bringing baricitinib to market to help meet the needs for people living with atopic dermatitis." This action does not affect Lilly's previously issued financial guidance for 2021.

10:00 EDT Turquoise Hill falls -11.8% - Turquoise Hill is down -11.8%, or -$1.91 to $14.27.

10:00 EDT MRC Global rises 6.2% - MRC Global is up 6.2%, or 54c to $9.24.

10:00 EDT NOW Inc. rises 11.9% - NOW Inc. is up 11.9%, or $1.06 to $10.00.

09:47 EDT TAL Education falls -7.1% - TAL Education is down -7.1%, or -$1.56 to $20.38.

09:47 EDT American Realty Investors falls -20.8% - American Realty Investors is down -20.8%, or -$2.83 to $10.79.

09:47 EDT FuboTV rises 7.0% - FuboTV is up 7.0%, or $1.81 to $27.50.

09:40 EDT ASGN acquires cybersecurity firm IndraSoft - ASGN announced the acquisition of IndraSoft, a cybersecurity and digital transformation solutions provider to the federal government. IndraSoft's team of more than 220 consultants will be integrated into the ECS Missions Solutions business unit, ASGN said. In addition to the cash consideration, ASGN is granting restricted stock unit awards to 16 IndraSoft employees covering approximately 52,000 shares. "The acquisition of IndraSoft is yet another example of our long-term capital deployment strategy to acquire high-growth consulting businesses that position ASGN as an industry-leading provider of IT services and solutions to the commercial and government marketplaces. IndraSoft's depth and breadth of technical capabilities, talent, and solutions align perfectly with our Federal Government Segment and ECS' digital modernization expertise," said Ted Hanson, ASGN CEO.

09:23 EDT Tyler Technologies enters agreement with NREL to expand solar energy access - Tyler Technologies announced it has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy's, or DOE, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, or NREL, to integrate Tyler's EnerGov Community Development software with the newly developed SolarAPP+. SolarAPP+, developed by NREL, is designed to streamline the review and inspection process for the installation of rooftop solar panels.

09:19 EDT Diana Shipping acquires Kamsarmax dry bulk vessel for $22M - Diana Shipping announced that it has signed, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, a Memorandum of Agreement to acquire from unaffiliated third parties the m/v Magnolia, a 2011 built Kamsarmax dry bulk vessel of 82,165 dwt, for a purchase price of $22M. The Company anticipates to take delivery of the vessel by the end of February 2022.

09:04 EDT Auris Medical launches new corporate website - Auris Medical announced the launch of its newly-designed corporate website www.aurismedical.com. The new website features a streamlined and modern design and also reflects the Company's recently announced strategic repositioning.

09:01 EDT Finacity, DZ Bank facilitate $75M receivables securitization for Audacy - Finacity Corporationand DZ Bank AG Deutsche Zentral-Genossenschaftsbank announce that they have launched a trade receivables securitization for Audacy, a New York Stock Exchange listed company headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. The 3-year facility is collateralized by Audacy's billed and unbilled receivables for radio and podcast advertisements. Finacity serves as the Transaction Administrator and provided analytic and structuring support to DZ BANK which serves as the Agent for the transaction and funded the transaction via its ABCP conduit Autobahn Funding Company.

08:34 EDT Kinder Morgan to acquire Kinetrex Energy for $310M, sees accretion - Kinder Morgan announced it has agreed to acquire Indianapolis-based Kinetrex Energy from an affiliate of Parallel49 Equity. Kinetrex is a supplier of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, in the Midwest and a player in producing and supplying renewable natural gas, or RNG, under long-term contracts to transportation service providers. Kinetrex has a 50% interest in the largest RNG facility in Indiana as well as signed commercial agreements to begin construction on three additional landfill-based RNG facilities. Once operational next year, total annual RNG production from the four sites is estimated to be over four billion cubic feet. RNG is derived from abundant renewable sources, including organic waste in landfills, wastewater treatment plants and agricultural operations. By capturing methane produced from the decomposition of organic waste, the RNG production process reduces or eliminates greenhouse gas emissions. The transaction requires regulatory approval under Hart-Scott-Rodino and is expected to close in Q3. Members of Kinetrex's management team will be joining KMI as part of the acquisition to pursue new projects that expand their successful RNG platform. After close, Johnson will continue with KMI as president of renewable natural gas and will report to Arenivas. KMI expects the investment to be accretive to its shareholders as the three RNG facilities become operational over the next 18 months, with the purchase price and additional development capital expenditures representing less than six times expected 2023 EBITDA.

08:31 EDT AbbVie says FDA did not meet PDUFA action date for sNDA for RINVOQ - AbbVie announced the U.S. FDA did not meet the Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date for the supplemental New Drug Application for RINVOQ for the treatment of adults and adolescents with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. Consistent with the recent update on the PDUFA action dates for RINVOQ in psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, the FDA cited its ongoing review of Pfizer's post-marketing study, ORAL Surveillance, evaluating tofacitinib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. No formal regulatory action has been taken on the sNDAs for RINVOQ in atopic dermatitis, psoriatic arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis. "We remain confident in the strong efficacy data and in the safety profile for RINVOQ, and we will continue working closely with the FDA to bring the medicine to patients living with the burden of atopic dermatitis and other immune-mediated diseases," said Michael Severino, M.D., vice chairman and president, AbbVie.

08:16 EDT Calavo Growers publishes annual sustainability report - Calavo Growers announced the publication of its third annual sustainability report providing an overview of the company's commitment to sustainability, social responsibility and governance, and highlighting progress made over the last year. In the report, Calavo's Chief Executive Officer James Gibson reflects on how the company's ESG initiatives were amplified by the pandemic. "While 2020 was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, it afforded us an opportunity to evaluate how our ESG initiatives play a key role in advancing our company as a worldwide leader in fresh produce and prepared foods and expand upon our sustainability practices." 2020 sustainability highlights include: reviewed materiality results using the "five factor test" from the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, or SASB, and added "COVID-19 response" and "cybersecurity approach" to this year's report; undertook the first corporate carbon footprint, calculating direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions, thereby providing a baseline starting point to measure future carbon reduction initiatives on Calavo's journey to net-zero; Calavo's Uruapan, Mexico facility received the Clean Industry Distinction by meeting all environmental requirements for waste disposal, energy consumption, water consumption and emissions to air and water.

08:14 EDT BioVie announces article summarizing rational for Phase 3 trial of NE3107 - BioVie announced that an article summarizing the scientific rationale for the company's upcoming pivotal Phase 3 Trial of its NE3107 asset in Alzheimer's disease has been published in the medical journal Neurodegenerative Disease Management. The article, NE3107 Alzheimer's Phase III Study Rationale, Design and Therapeutic Modulation of Neuroinflammation and Insulin Resistance. In addition to presenting the design of the NM101 trial, this publication details the rationale for an anti-inflammatory insulin sensitizer in Alzheimer's disease, and elucidates the mechanism of NE3107 on the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment. NE3107 has demonstrated a favorable safety profile based on chronic dosing safety studies in rats and dogs and in human clinical trials to date. BioVie plans to launch a pivotal Phase 3 trial in Alzheimer's this summer to assess how treatment with NE3107 could slow cognitive decline and improve function and behavior compared to placebo as measured by Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale Cognitive Subscale 12 and the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Clinical Global Impression of Change. The study will have a number of secondary endpoints involving additional neuropsychological endpoints, glycemic control, and insulin sensitivity.

08:13 EDT Trinity Biotech will not devote additional investment to UniGold SARS-CoV-2 test - In June 2021, the Company made an Emergency Use Authorisation application to the FDA for the UniGold SARS-CoV-2 rapid antibody test. The test detects IgG antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus and demonstrated sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 95% during validation studies when measured against a comparator PCR method that established a confirmed prior infection. In July 2021 the FDA informed the Company that given the volume of EUA requests it has received, it is not currently prioritising this type of serological test for review and thus will not review an EUA application for the test at this time. The Company has examined other potential pathways to regulatory approval to allow US sales of this test, but it is expected that these would require significant additional investment. Due to the advent and widespread adoption of COVID-19 vaccines since this antibody test was envisaged and the focus of public health authorities on using evidence of vaccination rather than the presence of antibodies as proof of immunity, the Company now expects that the use for such tests will be limited and thus the potential revenues from the sales of this product to be minimal. Given this current limited market demand for antibody tests, the Company has decided to not devote additional investment to this test and instead is focusing its resources on the aforementioned COVID-19 antigen test for which we expect a much larger market.

08:11 EDT Trinity Biotech in 'advanced stage' in development of SARS-CoV-2 antigen test - Trinity Biotech is at an advanced stage in the development of a SARS-CoV-2 antigen test. This test will use the Company's core lateral flow technology. The test can be run without any specialised equipment, provides a result in 12 minutes and utilises an easy-to-use anterior nasal swab sample. As the COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health responses have developed, antigen tests have continued to play an important role in the overall diagnostic response. Even as the roll out of vaccines continues, the role of antigen tests in providing assurance around active infection remains important and Trinity Biotech expects antigen testing to have a continuing place in the overall public health response to COVID-19, even as vaccinations continue.

08:09 EDT COMSovereign Holding acquires RF Engineering & Energy Resource - COMSovereign Holding announced that it has acquired RF Engineering & Energy Resource, a specialist in the design, outsourced manufacturing and distribution of ultra-high performance microwave antennas and other branded solutions for the wireless and wireline industries in the United States and Latin America. Terms of the transaction include total consideration of approximately $2.2M worth of shares of restricted common stock and $550,000 in cash.

08:07 EDT Elys Game Technology to debut new retail sports betting platform - Elys Game Technology announced that it will showcase its new U.S. retail sports betting platform, Elys Gameboard U.S., at the United Tote booth during the National Indian Gaming Association Trade Show being held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 19-22.

08:06 EDT Celularity closes merger with GX Acquisition Corp., provides corporate update - Celularity (CELU) announced the closing of a merger with GX Acquisition Corp. (GXGX) and provided a corporate update. Proceeds from the transaction totaled approximately $138M, which included funds held in GXGX's trust account and a concurrent private placement investment in public equity financing led by existing Celularity shareholders. GXGX shareholders approved the transaction on July 14, 2021. The combined, publicly traded company will operate under the name Celularity, Inc., and its common stock will commence trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on July 19, 2021, under the ticker symbol "CELU." Celularity's management team will continue leading the merged company following this transaction. Pipeline and Clinical Updates: Celularity Announces Expansion of Human Placental Hematopoietic Stem Cell Derived Natural Killer Cells Phase 1 Trial in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Celularity expanded its ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of CYNK-001 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia to include patients with relapsed/refractory AML in addition to its ongoing trial in MRD. Of the findings to date, no dose limiting toxicity was observed with outpatient administration of three doses at total dose levels of 1.8, 3.6 and 5.4 billion CYNK-001 cells, respectively. Additionally, the company reported positive results from a single patient enrolled in the study who received a total of 5.4 billion CYNK-001 cells in the outpatient setting without experiencing dose limiting toxicity and experienced conversion from MRD positive to MRD negative on bone marrow exam and had good risk cytogenetics, NPM-1 positive FLT-3 negative AML. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Orphan Drug Designation to Celularity's CYNK-001, a non-genetically modified cryopreserved human placental hematopoietic stem cell-derived natural killer cell therapy, for the treatment of patients with malignant gliomas. CYNK-001 is currently being investigated in a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of patients with glioblastoma multiforme, an indication within the scope of this orphan designation. Celularity received a positive recommendation from the independent Data Monitoring Committee to continue the advancing the company's Phase 1/2 COVID-19 trial assessing CYNK-001 in patients with the disease. In the first assessment, there was no evidence of dose-limiting toxicities or evidence of worsening of inflammatory biomarkers. Enrollment is ongoing in the multi-center clinical study with active sites in Arizona, Arkansas, California, New Jersey and Washington.

08:03 EDT Century Casinos reports developments at Century Casino Caruthersville, Missouri - Century Casinos announced the latest developments at Century Casino Caruthersville in Missouri. Efforts to change a Missouri law that required each casino to be a "floating facility" have been successful. Going forward, the Missouri Gaming Commission will have the ability to approve a casino facility that is built as a standard building as long as it also includes a container with at least 2,000 gallons of water beneath the facility. This change opens the opportunity for Century Casino Caruthersville, which is the last remaining riverboat casino on open water in Missouri, to move to a non-floating facility. The company also purchased parcels of land between land already leased by the company and the land-based Pavilion building, which contains a restaurant, multifunctional spaces and an entrance to the walkway to the riverboat casino. The purchases also come with a small, existing two-story hotel. The land purchases provide strategic options for the future casino and hotel development and better access to parking. The company has already started working with a renowned architecture firm to develop plans for the new casino and hotel facility. The company will refurbish the existing hotel with the goal to reopen it with 36 rooms by early 2022. There is currently no other hotel situated in downtown Caruthersville. The number of available casino licenses in Missouri remains capped at 13, and casino facilities are still required to be located within 1,000 feet of the Mississippi or Missouri rivers. The company's two casinos in Missouri, Century Casino Caruthersville and Century Casino Cape Girardeau, operate 1,365 slot machines and 32 table games and generated 43% of the company's net operating revenue and 104% of the company's Adjusted EBITDA in Q1.

07:40 EDT Burlington Stores appoints Travis Marquette as President and COO - Burlington Stores (BURL) announced that Travis Marquette has been appointed as the company's new President and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing and managing the company's stores, real estate, supply chain and information technology functions. Marquette is expected to commence employment with the company on or about October 4, 2021 but in any event no later than October 31, 2021. Marquette most recently served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Ross Stores (ROST) from March 2021 through his resignation in July 2021, the company noted in a regulatory filing last night.

07:33 EDT Lizhi announces partnership with Xinghe Zhilian Automotive Technology - LIZHI announced that it has inked a partnership with Xinghe Zhilian Automotive Technology to integrate LIZHI's audio products into Xinghe Zhilian's in-car communications and entertainment network. Xinghe Zhilian provides auto companies with integrated intelligent cockpit solutions, artificial intelligence technology, and digital tools. "We are pleased to collaborate with Xinghe Zhilian Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. to further apply LIZHI's audio products to more in-car scenarios and further boost the application of LIZHI's audio technology in vehicles through Xinghe Zhilian's IoV network," said Jinnan Lai, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of LIZHI.

07:31 EDT Exela Technologies announces listing of option contracts on NYSE Arca - Exela Technologies announced that NYSE Arca has launched options trading in XELA. Trading is expected to begin July 16, 2021.

07:09 EDT Apollo Endosurgery appoints Jeffrey Black as CFO - Apollo Endosurgery (APEN) announced the hiring of Jeffrey Black as CFO. Black has served as CFO for a variety of publicly-traded companies in the medical device, diagnostics, life sciences, technology and industrial biotech industries. Black brings 30 years of experience to Apollo Endosurgery. Most recently, he served as CFO at Alphatec (ATEC).

07:03 EDT Fathom Digital to go public via merger with Altimar Acquisition Corp. II - Fathom Digital Manufacturing and Altimar Acquisition Corp. II announced that they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement pursuant to which Fathom and Altimar will combine, and after which Fathom will become a publicly-traded company. Upon completion of the transaction, the combined company expects to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Fathom is majority-owned by CORE Industrial Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm focused exclusively on investing in North American manufacturing, industrial technology and services businesses. Headquartered in Hartland, Wisconsin, Fathom has over 35 years of industry expertise and leadership in on-demand digital manufacturing solutions. Upon the closing of the proposed transaction, Fathom's senior management will continue to serve in their current roles. Fathom will continue to be led by Chief Executive Officer, Ryan Martin. Mark Frost and Rich Stump will continue as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Commercial Officer, respectively. Following the transaction, TJ Chung, Senior Partner at CORE, who has served on several public company boards, will continue to serve as Chairman. The transaction is valued at a pro forma enterprise value of $1.5B. The acquisition will be funded through a combination of ATMR's cash in trust and an $80M fully committed common stock PIPE at $10.00 per share. The boards of directors of both Fathom and ATMR have unanimously approved the proposed transaction and it is expected to close later this year, subject to customary closing conditions, including a registration statement being declared effective by the SEC and approval of ATMR's shareholders.

07:02 EDT Colliers International announces Normal Course Issuer Bid - Colliers International Group announced that the Toronto Stock Exchange has accepted a notice filed by Colliers of its intention to make a normal course issuer bid with respect to its outstanding subordinate voting shares. The notice provides that Colliers may, during the twelve month period commencing July 20, 2021 and ending no later than July 19, 2022, purchase through the facilities of the TSX, alternative Canadian Trading Systems or The NASDAQ Stock Market up to 3,200,000 Subordinate Voting Shares in total, being 9.7% of the 32,708,670 shares comprising the "public float" as of July 5, 2021 of such class of shares. Purchases of Subordinate Voting Shares through Nasdaq will be made in the normal course and will not, during the twelve month period ending July 19, 2022 exceed, in the aggregate, 5% of the outstanding Subordinate Voting Shares as at the commencement of the NCIB. The price which Colliers will pay for any such shares will be the market price at the time of acquisition. During the period of this NCIB, Colliers may make purchases under the NCIB by means of open market transactions or otherwise as permitted by the Ontario Securities Commission, Canadian Securities Administrators and/or Nasdaq. The actual number of Subordinate Voting Shares which may be purchased pursuant to the NCIB and the timing of any such purchases will be determined by senior management of Colliers. The average daily trading volume on the TSX from January 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021 was 53,602 Subordinate Voting Shares. Daily purchases under the NCIB will be limited to 13,400 Subordinate Voting Shares, other than block purchases. All shares purchased by Colliers under the NCIB will be cancelled. As of July 5, 2021, there were 42,658,300 Subordinate Voting Shares and 1,325,694 multiple voting shares of Colliers outstanding. Colliers may purchase its Subordinate Voting Shares, from time to time, if it believes that the market price of its Subordinate Voting Shares is attractive and that the purchase would be an appropriate use of corporate funds and in the best interests of Colliers. Colliers' previous NCIB authorized the purchase of up to 3,000,000 Subordinate Voting Shares and expires on July 19, 2021. As of the date hereof, Colliers has not purchased any of its Subordinate Voting Shares under this NCIB.

07:00 EDT Bristol-Myers says CheckMate -651 trial did not meet primary endpoints - Bristol Myers Squibb announced an update on the Phase 3 CheckMate -651 trial comparing Opdivo (nivolumab) plus Yervoy (ipilimumab) to the EXTREME regimen as a first-line treatment in platinum-eligible patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Although Opdivo plus Yervoy showed a clear, positive trend towards overall survival in patients whose tumors express PD-L1 with a combined positive score greater than or equal to 20, the study did not meet its primary endpoints. The safety profile of Opdivo and Yervoy in this trial was consistent with previously reported studies in solid tumors. "Numerous studies have shown long-term survival improvements with the Opdivo plus Yervoy combination across various tumor types, bringing benefit to patients around the world," said Abderrahim Oukessou, M.D., vice president, thoracic cancers, development lead, Bristol Myers Squibb. "In the CheckMate -651 trial, Opdivo plus Yervoy showed a positive overall survival trend relative to EXTREME in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck whose tumors express PD-L1, despite the control arm performing better than expected based on historical data. We are disappointed that these results did not reach statistical significance, and we remain committed to advancing research and supporting patients with this difficult-to-treat cancer."

06:46 EDT First Horizon reports Q2 adjusted ROTCE of 22.2% - Reports tangible book value per share of $10.74 up 4% from Q1.

06:31 EDT Ault Global Holdings forms unit to invest in commercial real estate - Ault Global Holdings announced that it has formed Ault Global Real Estate Equities, a Nevada corporation, to invest in commercial real estate, targeting the middle-market segment in the Unites States. AGREE has appointed Christopher Wu as its CEO to lead this strategy.

06:15 EDT GlaxoSmithKline poised to create 5,000 new jobs at new UK hub - GSK has announced that it has formally started the process of seeking a development partner to transform land within the company's existing 92-acre Research & Development site in Stevenage into one of Europe's largest 'clusters' for biotechnology and other early-stage life science companies. As part of proposals, GSK is looking to sell the 33 acres of land, with an aim to subsequently unlock up to GBP400M in new investment from a private sector developer to build the new campus and potentially create up to 5,000 highly-skilled jobs, over the next five to ten years. The company expects to select a development partner later this year, with a view for work to begin on master planning for the new campus in 2022. Reference Link

06:02 EDT DoD, Priceline expand American Forces Travel site - The United States Department of Defense, or DoD, officially announced the expansion of American Forces Travel, a leisure travel site created with Priceline, part of Booking Holdings, for current and retired members of all six branches of the U.S. military, the National Guard, and their families, along with DoD civilians. The program's expansion extends benefits to all Veterans of the United States Armed Forces with a discharge status of honorable or general under honorable conditions, allowing an additional 16M users access to the full-service travel booking platform.

05:53 EDT Retail Value sells remaining assets located in Puerto Rico for $550M - Retail Value disclosed yesterday morning that July 13, the general due diligence period expired under the purchase and sale agreement, by and among Retail Value and RVT PR Mezz Borrower 1 LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, and Kildare Acquisitions US. Pursuant to the agreement, the sellers have agreed to sell to the purchaser all of their interests in the limited liability companies that own all of Retail Value's remaining assets located in Puerto Rico for $550M in cash. Closing of the transaction is expected to occur by the end of Q3 of 2021. Retail Value anticipates utilizing a portion of the net proceeds from the transaction to repay the entire balance of the mortgage loan, as required under the mortgage agreement. At June 30, the outstanding principal amount of the mortgage loan was approximately $214.5M.

05:32 EDT B2Gold says will meet or exceed FY21 gold production of 970,000-1.03M ounces - For FY21, B2Gold is on track to meet or exceed the upper end of its total gold production forecast of between 970,000-1,030,000 ounces with total consolidated forecast cash operating costs of between $500-$540 per ounce and total consolidated all-in sustaining costs of between $870-$910 per ounce. Based on current assumptions, including a gold price of $1,800 per ounce, the company expects to generate cashflows from operating activities of approximately $630M for FY21.

05:27 EDT Ericsson, Verizon enter multi-year $8.3B 5G deal - Ericsson (ERIC) announced a landmark multi-year agreement with Verizon (VZ) to provide its 5G solutions to accelerate the deployment of Verizon's 5G network in the U.S. Under this $8.3B agreement, Verizon will deploy Ericsson's 5G MIMO C-band, low-band and millimeter wave, or mmWave, solutions to enhance and expand Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband coverage, network performance and user experience. Niklas Heuveldop, president and head of Ericsson North America, says: "This is a significant strategic partnership for both companies and what we're most excited about is bringing the benefits of 5G to U.S. consumers, enterprises and the public sector. We're looking forward to working with Verizon to leverage solutions like Cloud RAN and our Street Macro, adding depth and versatility to 5G network rollouts across the U.S."

05:17 EDT Jacobs awarded $50M for program to construct rail link between Oxford, Cambridge - Jacobs has been appointed as the East West Rail program partner, providing an integration role across a supply chain during the three-year development phase of this program to construct a new rail link between Oxford and Cambridge. As program partner, Jacobs unites skills and best practice to drive opportunities for program innovation and outcome-focused benefits for the communities in the region. East West Rail estimates the contract value at $50M over three years.

05:11 EDT Exxon Mobil to participate in Acorn carbon capture, storage project in Scotland - ExxonMobil has signed a memorandum of understanding to participate in the recently announced Acorn carbon capture and storage project, or CCS, in Scotland. The project plans to capture and store approximately 5M-6M tons of CO2 per year by 2030 from gas terminals at the St Fergus complex at Peterhead, Scotland, which includes ExxonMobil's joint venture gas terminal. The Acorn Project has the potential to provide more than half of the 10M tons per year of CO2 storage the UK government is targeting, and when expanded has the potential to store more than 20M tons of CO2 emissions per year by the mid-2030s. ExxonMobil also said it has joined NECCUS, an alliance of industry, government and academic experts committed to reducing carbon emissions from industrial facilities in Scotland. ExxonMobil's membership will help the alliance explore the potential of technology-driven solutions to reduce emissions by drawing on the company's experience with carbon capture and storage. NECCUS members include the Scottish government, four Scottish universities and several industry partners.