Stockwinners Market Radar for July 23, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:07 EDT Gores Holdings V announces planned transfer of listing to NYSE - Gores Holdings V announced that, as contemplated by its previously announced business combination with Ardagh Metal Packaging S.A. and the contemplated listing of AMPSA's shares and warrants on the New York Stock Exchange in connection with and subject to the closing of the Business Combination, it intends to voluntarily remove the listing of its shares of common stock, warrants and units from The Nasdaq Capital Market. As previously announced, the company expects AMPSA's shares and warrants to commence trading on the NYSE the day after the closing of the Business Combination under the symbols "AMBP" and "AMBPW," respectively. GRSV's Class A common stock, warrants and units will continue to trade on Nasdaq until the closing of the Business Combination. The decision to list AMPSA's shares and warrants on the NYSE was made as part of the Business Combination. At the closing of the Business Combination, GRSV will delist its units, shares of common stock and warrants from Nasdaq. The NYSE listing and Nasdaq delisting are subject to the closing of the Business Combination and fulfillment of all NYSE listing requirements.

17:49 EDT Clever Leaves to 'take advantage' of cannabis flower export approval in Colombia - Clever Leaves Holdings hosted Colombian President Duque at its cultivation facility in Colombia for the signing of a new decree that allows Colombian licensed cannabis companies such as Clever Leaves to participate in the commercial production and export of medical cannabis flower. With flower representing an estimated 50% of the global medical cannabis markets, this decree doubles the total addressable market for Colombian cannabis producers. "Clever Leaves is well-positioned to take advantage of this opportunity to export dried cannabis flower, leveraging its 1.8 million sq. ft. CUMCS GACP certified cultivation facility, its EUGMP Part II certification covering the production of dry flower, and its 30-plus cannabinoid genetics registered in the country," the company said. "Colombia's environmental conditions, coupled with Clever Leaves' experience in sustainable cannabis growing, will allow the company to bring to market unique products with pharmaceutical quality. Colombian flower complements Clever Leaves' already strong Portuguese flower production, allowing the company to present a comprehensive portfolio, covering different strains and growing conditions, that will suit ever-evolving patient needs. Having shipped cannabis products to over 15 countries in five continents, Clever Leaves has a strong network of partners globally, who will benefit from its broader flower offering. Clever Leaves will leverage its position as a trusted B2B partner to develop and produce high quality and innovative products for medical cannabis patients around the world. This change in regulation, allowing for the export of dried flower, will catalyze the continued development of the Colombian medical cannabis industry by eliminating the restriction that blocked access to 50% of the global medical cannabis market. In addition, the decree includes features that will help Clever Leaves to drive additional growth, including streamlined processes in quota management systems, which enable efficiencies and improve Clever Leaves' ability to serve clients faster. The bill also includes access to medical cannabis for patients in Colombia."

17:04 EDT AptarGroup signs pact to acquire majority stake in Voluntis at EUR8.70 per share - AptarGroup announced that following the entry into exclusive negotiations with Voluntis on June 21, and after completion of the consultation procedure of the employee representative bodies of Voluntis, it has signed on July 22 a share purchase agreement for the acquisition of a majority stake in Voluntis, representing approximately 64.6% of the share capital of Voluntis at a price of EUR 8.70 per share. The completion of the transfer of the block of shares is expected to occur before the end of the third quarter 2021 and is subject to customary conditions, notably the approval of the French Ministry of Economy under the foreign investment clearance regulations. After and subject to completion of this acquisition, Aptar will launch a mandatory cash tender offer to acquire Voluntis' remaining shares for the same price of EUR 8.70 per share. The Tender Offer would be filed with the French Markets Authority in the third quarter and will be subject to the regulatory clearance from the AMF. If the regulatory conditions are met upon completion of the Tender Offer, Aptar intends to implement a squeeze-out on the remaining outstanding shares of Voluntis. In accordance with applicable law, Voluntis' board of directors, in accordance with the recommendation of the ad hoc committee, appointed Advolis Orfis as independent expert on July 5 and will issue, notably on the basis of the independent expert's report opining on the financial terms of the Tender Offer and potential subsequent squeeze-out, a reasoned opinion on the Tender Offer and its consequences on Voluntis, its shareholders and employees.

16:41 EDT Tonix Pharmaceuticals to stop enrollment in Phase 3 RALLY study of TNX-102 SL - Tonix Pharmaceuticals Holding Corp. announced that the company has decided to stop enrollment in the Phase 3 RALLY study of TNX-102 SL 5.6 mg for the management of fibromyalgia following an unblinded, pre-planned interim analysis by the Independent Data Monitoring Committee of the RALLY study. Based on interim analysis results of the first 50% enrolled participants, the IDMC recommended stopping the trial for futility as TNX-102 SL is unlikely to demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in the primary endpoint of overall change from baseline in daily diary pain severity scores between those treated with TNX-102 SL 5.6 mg and those receiving placebo. Tonix remains blinded to the detailed interim analysis results and only received the recommendation made by the IDMC. Preliminary blinded safety data from these participants did not reveal any new safety signals, and the decision to discontinue enrolling new participants is not related to safety. The company intends to continue studying those participants currently enrolled until completion and then proceed with a full analysis of the unblinded data, with the topline results expected to be reported in the fourth quarter of 2021, to determine the next steps in this program. "We are surprised and disappointed that the interim analysis did not support continued enrollment in this Phase 3 RALLY study, especially considering the previous Phase 3 RELIEF study, which had a similar design and achieved statistical significance on the primary endpoint. After the currently enrolled participants complete the study, we will proceed with a full analysis of the unblinded data from the study to determine the next steps in this program," commented Seth Lederman, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer. "These results underscore the difficulty in managing and treating fibromyalgia. We thank the patients, caregivers and investigators who participated in the RALLY study."

16:33 EDT FDA issues CRL saying it can't approve Incyte's retifanlimab BLA - Incyte Corporation announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a Complete Response Letter regarding its Biologics License Application for retifanlimab, an intravenous PD-1 inhibitor, for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal who have progressed on, or who are intolerant of, platinum-based chemotherapy. The complete response letter states that the FDA cannot approve the application in its present form. Consistent with the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee recommendation on June 24, 2021, the FDA determined that additional data are needed to demonstrate the clinical benefit of retifanlimab for the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic SCAC. Incyte is reviewing the letter and will discuss next steps with the FDA. "Patients with SCAC who have progressed after first-line chemotherapy currently do not have approved treatment options," said Herve Hoppenot, Chief Executive Officer, Incyte. "While we are not surprised with the FDA decision given the ODAC recommendation, we are disappointed. We remain committed to advancing science to find solutions for patients with unmet medical needs, and we will ensure close coordination with the FDA in order to address feedback and determine next steps for the review of retifanlimab."

16:30 EDT Associated Capital reports preliminary Q2 book value per share of $42.10-$42.30 - Associated Capital Group announced a range of its second quarter preliminary book value of $42.10 to $42.30 per share, an increase from $41.22 per share at March 31, 2021 driven largely by changes in mark-to-market values. This compares to $40.36 at December 31, 2020, and $38.09 at June 30, 2020. Assets under management were $1.611B at June 30, 2021 as compared to $1.305B at June 30, 2020.

16:22 EDT Protagenic updates timeline for patient enrollment for PT00114 trial - Protagenic Therapeutics, Inc. announced that upon reviewing its investigational new drug application filed on June 29th, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has requested that Protagenic provide clinical sites with ready-to-inject clinical vials rather than providing site pharmacies with drug substance to be formulated locally. Implementing this FDA guidance will have the added benefit of Protagenic's control of the formulation of the final drug product. Protagenic is immediately implementing this required change. As a result of this development, the company expects to refile its IND and commence patient enrollment in the 4th quarter of 2021.

16:16 EDT AgeX Therapeutics, LyGenesis terminate merger negotiations - AgeX Therapeutics and LyGenesis announced that they have discontinued negotiations for a merger agreement. The board of directors of AgeX and the board of directors of LyGenesis each determined that it was in the best interest of their respective shareholders not to proceed with the merger given the diversity of the companies' technology platforms and product development focus. AgeX will continue to consider new strategic opportunities as they arise. AgeX said it remains committed to creating shareholder value through third-party collaborations and licensing agreements for its core technologies UniverCyte and PureStem, and its cell therapy programs, including AGEX-VASC1 and AGEX-BAT1. AgeX also will continue to explore financing for its iTR technology.

16:05 EDT Four Corners Property Trust acquires dual-tenant property for $3.4M - Four Corners Property Trust announced the acquisition of a dual-tenant property leased to Aspen Dental and Starbucks for $3.4M. The properties are located in a strong retail corridor in Illinois and are under long term net leases with each brand's corporate tenant. The transaction was priced at a 6.5% going-in cash capitalization rate, exclusive of transaction costs.

14:52 EDT PropertyGuru to come public via combination with Bridgetown 2 Holdings - PropertyGuru, which calls itself "Southeast Asia's leading property technology company," and Bridgetown 2 Holdings (BTNB), a special purpose acquisition company formed by Pacific Century Group and Thiel Capital, announced that they have entered into a business combination agreement. Upon closing, the combined company is expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange. "Founded in 2007, PropertyGuru has grown to become Southeast Asia's #1 digital property marketplace with leading positions in Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand. The company currently hosts more than 2.8 million monthly real estate listings and serves 37 million monthly property seekers and 49,000 active property agents across the five largest economies in Southeast Asia - Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam... PropertyGuru's high growth business delivered an average annual revenue growth of approximately 25%3 in the four years preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, and its pro-forma revenue is expected to have a compounded annual growth rate of 29% between CY20A and CY25F," the companies stated. The combined company will have an enterprise value of approximately $1.35B and an equity value of approximately $1.78B at closing. The transaction is expected to deliver up to $431M of gross proceeds through the contribution of up to $299M of cash held in Bridgetown 2's trust account, a concurrent $100M private placement, or "PIPE," of common stock anchored by Baillie Gifford, Naya, REA Group, Akaris Global Partners, and one of Malaysia's largest asset managers, priced at $10.00 per share, and an additional $32M equity investment from REA Group. KKR, TPG Group and REA Group will roll 100% of their equity into the combined company, demonstrating their continued commitment to the company's growth strategy. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021 or first quarter of 2022, subject to regulatory and stockholder approvals, and other customary closing conditions.

14:05 EDT Zions Bancorp announces $125M buyback for Q3, boosts dividend - Zions Bancorporation announced today that its board authorized a share repurchase for Q3 of up to $125M. The board also declared a regular quarterly dividend of 38c per common share, payable August 19, to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 12. The prior dividend was 34c per share.

14:00 EDT Proofpoint holders approve $176 per share takeover by Thoma Bravo - Proofpoint announced that its stockholders voted to approve the acquisition of Proofpoint by Thoma Bravo. Under the terms of the merger agreement announced on April 26, Proofpoint shareholders will receive $176 in cash for each share of Proofpoint common stock they own. The transaction remains on track to close in Q3, the company said.

13:43 EDT Department of the Treasury announces $1.4M settlement with Payoneer - The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC, announced a settlement with Payoneer, a publicly traded New York-based online money transmitter and provider of prepaid access. Payoneer agreed to remit $1,400,301.40 to settle its potential civil liability for 2,260 apparent violations of multiple sanctions programs. Payoneer processed payments for parties located in the Crimea region of Ukraine, Iran, Sudan, and Syria, and also processed payments on behalf of sanctioned persons on OFAC's List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons, or "SDN List,", said the Department of the Treasury. Reference Link

13:19 EDT Origin Agritech says three new initiatives from Chinese MOA 'very relevant' - In a tweet from its official Twitter account, Origin Agritech stated: "Three new initiatives in support of the seed industry out from the Chinese MOA today, which include higher government investment into the industry. Very relevant to $SEED." The tweet linked to a Chinese-language post from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China. Reference Link

13:02 EDT Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count up 7 to 491 rigs - Baker Hughes reports that the U.S. rig count is up 7 from last week to 491 with oil rigs up 7 to 387, gas rigs unchanged at 104, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 0. The U.S. Rig Count is up 240 rigs from last year's count of 251, with oil rigs up 206 gas rigs up 36 and miscellaneous rigs down 2. The U.S. Offshore Rig Count is unchanged at 17, up 5 year-over-year. The Canada Rig Count is down 1 from last week to 149, with oil rigs down 1 to 93, gas rigs unchanged at 55 and miscellanous unchanged at 1. The Canada Rig Count is up 107 rigs from last year's count of 42, with oil rigs up 83, gas rigs up 23 and miscellanous rig up 1.

12:52 EDT AbbVie announces FDA approval of Dalvance for bacterial skin infection - AbbVie announced that the Food and Drug Administration approved Dalvance for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infection in pediatric patients from birth. Dalvance is the first single-dose option administered as a 30-minute intravenous infusion for the treatment of ABSSSI caused by designated susceptible Gram-positive bacteria in pediatric patients, including infections caused by methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, the company said in a statement.

12:38 EDT Google Stadia introduces Crowd Play feature for streaming - Google Stadia announced Crowd Play, a new feature for the game streaming platform that allows a Stadia user's friends and viewers to jump into the game and play alongside them as they stream. "It's audience participation like you've never seen it before," Stadia said via Twitter. "Crowd Play allows your friends and viewers to jump into the game and play alongside you as you stream!" Reference Link

12:02 EDT Rise Education responds to reports on after-school tutoring regulations - Rise Education Cayman noted that certain English and Chinese language media outlets reported that the PRC regulators are considering a new set of regulations concerning after-school tutoring service related to school subjects taught in China's compulsory education system. The reported regulations have not been published, and the Company has not received official notification of the regulations. It is the Company's policy not to comment on market speculations.

12:00 EDT Gaotu Techedu falls -59.6% - Gaotu Techedu is down -59.6%, or -$5.71 to $3.87.

12:00 EDT Snap rises 21.0% - Snap is up 21.0%, or $13.26 to $76.22.

12:00 EDT New Home Company rises 82.9% - New Home Company is up 82.9%, or $4.03 to $8.89.

11:39 EDT Lee's Pharmaceutical announces first patient dosed with socazolimab - Sorrento Therapeutics and Lee's Pharmaceutical Holdings announced that, on July 15, China Oncology Focus Limited, a subsidiary of Lee's Pharm, has enrolled the first patient in China in the Phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double blinded, placebo controlled clinical trial of Socazolimab combined with chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer. The clinical trial clearance was granted by China's National Medical Products Administration in March 2021. The initiation of this Phase 3 trial is based on the results from an earlier Phase Ib trial in which Socazolimab combined with carboplatin and etoposide showed a promising efficacy and safety profile in patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer, the companies said in a statement. This clinical trial involves 56 centers and is led by Prof. Shun Lu from Shanghai Chest Hospital.

10:42 EDT Hellman & Friedman completes acquisition of At Home Group - Funds affiliated with Hellman & Friedman and At Home Group announced that they have completed a transaction in which H&F has acquired At Home in an all-cash transaction that valued the company at $2.8B, including the assumption of debt. With the completion of the acquisition, At Home's common stock ceased trading and the company is no longer listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

10:00 EDT China Online Education falls -37.9% - China Online Education is down -37.9%, or -$2.53 to $4.15.

10:00 EDT Gaotu Techedu falls -59.4% - Gaotu Techedu is down -59.4%, or -$5.69 to $3.89.

10:00 EDT Veoneer rises 56.4% - Veoneer is up 56.4%, or $11.25 to $31.18.

09:47 EDT Youdao falls -37.8% - Youdao is down -37.8%, or -$8.39 to $13.80.

09:47 EDT Gaotu Techedu falls -58.9% - Gaotu Techedu is down -58.9%, or -$5.64 to $3.94.

09:47 EDT Veoneer rises 56.0% - Veoneer is up 56.0%, or $11.17 to $31.10.

09:37 EDT Honeywell says supply chain constraints 'a daily battle' - Says seeing some inflation. Says "very optimistic" on markets in short to medium term. Says balance sheet "world class, incredibly strong." Says "definitely prioritizing M&A."

09:36 EDT Tal Education Group trading resumes

09:30 EDT Tal Education Group trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:24 EDT Meridian Bioscience to acquire North American BreathTek business for $20M - Meridian Bioscience (VIVO) announced that it signed a definitive agreement to acquire the North American BreathTek business from Otsuka America Pharmaceutical (OTSKY) for $20M in cash. The transaction is expected to close in Meridian's fiscal fourth quarter. With this acquisition, Meridian will assume the customer relationships in North America to supply BreathTek, a urea breath test for the detection of Helicobacter pylori. The acquisition is expected to add more than $20M of annual revenue, strengthening Meridian's position as a leading provider of gastrointestinal diagnostic solutions, and is expected to be accretive to earnings and cash immediately.

09:16 EDT Youdao reposnds to media outlets news on regulations - Youdao noted that it was reported in the press that the PRC regulators were expected to publish new rules and regulations that are intended to, among other things, tighten the regulation over after-school tutoring services. As of the date of this press release, the Company has not received any official notification of the new rules and regulations reported in the press. The Company will closely monitor regulatory developments in the PRC education industry.

09:11 EDT Moderna receives CHMP recommendation for use of COIVD-19 vaccine on adolescents - Moderna announced that the European Medicines Agency's, or EMA, Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, adopted an opinion recommending marketing authorization for Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine to include adolescents 12 years of age and older. Spikevax is the trade name authorized by the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

09:09 EDT Churchill Capital Corp IV stockholders approve Lucid business combination - Churchill Capital Corp IV announced that in a special meeting held today, its stockholders voted to approve the proposals required to complete its combination with Lucid Motors, a leader in EV technology which is setting new standards with its advanced luxury EVs. All of the proposals related to the business combination received overwhelming support from stockholders that voted-approximately 98% of votes cast voted for the proposal to approve the business combination. The closing of the business combination is expected to occur today, July 23, 2021, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all closing conditions.

08:56 EDT SmileDirectClub joins Women in DSO as founding industry partner - SmileDirectClub announced it has joined the non-profit Women in DSO as a founding industry partner, advancing the Company's commitment to diversity and inclusion by empowering women in the dental industry. As a founding industry partner, SmileDirectClub will contribute to the Women in DSO platform, which was created to enable networking, professional mentorship, specialized education, and a rich resource network designed to recognize current and future women leaders in DSOs. Susan Greenspon Rammelt will serve as a founding board member of Women in DSO, and Dr. Riddhi Gangoli, Sr. Director of Professional Education and Marketing at SmileDirectClub, will join as a founding member.

08:46 EDT Kuke announces strategic cooperation agreementwith People's Music - Kuke Music Holding announced a strategic cooperation agreement with People's Music Publishing House. The two parties will work together to establish the People's Music & Naxos Global Platinum Record Program of China, and the Global Resource Co-construction Plan for the National Aesthetic Education Research Music Encyclopedia Interdisciplinary Curriculum. Meanwhile, both parties will explore various cooperation opportunities utilizing the music licensing resources of both parties. Kuke is a leading classical music content provider and technology-driven music education company in China, focused on classical music licensing, subscription and smart educational content and system development.

08:42 EDT Zhangmen Education responds to media outlets reports concerning new regulations - Zhangmen Education noted that it was reported in the press that the PRC regulators were expected to publish new rules and regulations that are intended to, among other things, tighten the regulation over after-school tutoring services. As of the date of this press release, the Company has not received any official notification of the new rules and regulations reported in the press. The Company will closely monitor the regulatory development in the PRC education industry.

08:37 EDT InspireMD enrolls, treats first patient in C-Guardian trial of CGuard EPS - InspireMD announces the initiation of enrollment and successful completion of the first cases of the Company's U.S. registration C-Guardian trial of CGuard EPS. The first patients, who were under the care of principal investigator, Chris Metzger, M.D., system chair of clinical research at Ballad Health System in Eastern Tennessee, were successfully implanted with the CGuard EPS stent device. These are the first of 315 patients who are expected to be enrolled in the trial and treated with CGuard EPS in the treatment of carotid artery stenosis in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients undergoing carotid artery stenting.

08:34 EDT Sachem Capital announces $200M master repurchase financing facility - Sachem Capital announced that it has consummated a $200M master repurchase financing facility with Churchill MRA Funding I. Under the terms of the Master Repurchase Agreement between Sachem and Churchill, Sachem has the right, but not the obligation, to sell mortgage loans to Churchill, and Churchill has the right, but not the obligation, to purchase those loans.

08:21 EDT China Online Education responds to media outlets concerning new regulations - China Online Education noted that certain English and Chinese language media outlets reported that the PRC regulators are considering a new set of regulations concerning after-school tutoring service related to school subjects taught in China's compulsory education system. The regulations have not been published, and the Company has not received official notification of the regulations. It's the Company's policy not to comment on market speculations.

08:12 EDT New Home Company trading resumes

08:07 EDT Unity Biotechnology to host investor call on Phase 1 trial of UBX1325 - UNITY Biotechnology announced that it will host a webcast for investors and analysts on July 27, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time to discuss clinical data from the Phase 1 study in diabetic macular edema and wet age-related macular degeneration patients treated with a single injection of UBX1325. At this webcast, Robert Bhisitkul, M.D., Ph.D., professor of ophthalmology and director of the Retina Fellowship at University of California, San Francisco, and members of UNITY senior management will present on recent safety and initial efficacy signals from UBX1325, including rapid improvements in best-corrected visual acuity, central subfield thickness and sub- and intra-retinal fluid (SRF, IRF) - all key clinical measures of disease progression, observed in a majority of trial subjects. Based on previous data announced, UNITY is currently enrolling additional patients with advanced wet AMD in the Phase 1 study to gather additional data to support a potential Phase 2a study in wet AMD. A parallel Phase 2a study in DME is currently enrolling.

08:04 EDT Cortexyme selects COR803 for treatment of coronavirus infections - Cortexyme announced the selection of 3CLpro inhibitor, or COR803, for treatment of coronavirus infections, including COVID-19 disease, caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection. COR803 is a novel patent-pending small molecule 3CLpro inhibitor discovered and developed by Cortexyme based on its expertise in cysteine protease inhibition. 3CLpro, or Mpro, is a validated antiviral drug target shown to be essential in viral replication of SARS-CoV-2.

08:03 EDT Jabil announces new $1B share repurchase plan - Jabil announced that its board of directors has authorized a share repurchase program of up to $1B in common stock. The shares will be repurchased from time-to-time through fiscal year 2023 using various methods, including in the open market at the company's discretion and subject to market conditions and other factors.

08:02 EDT New Oriental Education says policy is not to comment on market speculations - New Oriental Education & Technology Group noted that certain English and Chinese language media outlets reported that the PRC regulators are considering a new set of regulations concerning after-school tutoring service related to school subjects taught in China's compulsory education system. The regulations have not been published, and the company has not received official notification of the regulations. It's the company's policy not to comment on market speculations.

07:51 EDT Field Trip Health obtains conditional approval to list on Nasdaq - Field Trip Health announced that it has received conditional approval from The NASDAQ Stock Market to list its issued and outstanding common shares on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. Final approval of the listing is subject to the Company fulfilling any remaining conditions as required by NASDAQ. The Company expects to satisfy all of the requirements and will issue a statement once a trading date has been confirmed by NASDAQ. The Company's common stock will continue to trade in Canada on the TSX Exchange under its current symbol FTRP; and until the NASDAQ listing, in the U.S. on the OTCQX under its current symbol, FTRPF. Concurrent with the listing of Field Trip's common shares on NASDAQ, they will cease to be quoted on the OTCQX.

07:49 EDT Ameris Bancorp says experienced top quartile return on assets - Says CRE concentrations are moderate. Says excess liquidity negatively impacted margins. Says continues to drive expense control behaviors. Says purchase percent is returning closer to normal levels. Says management remains focused on growth in TBV. Comments taken from Q2 investor presentation slides.

07:37 EDT Gold Royalty to acquire royalty interests from Monarch in $11.25M transaction - Monarch Mining announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Gold Royalty whereby Gold Royalty will acquire the following royalty interests from Monarch for cash proceeds of $11.25M: a $2.50 per tonne royalty on all material processed through the Beacon mill originating from the Beaufor mine operations; and a 2.5% net smelter return royalty on each of the Croinor Gold, McKenzie Break and Swanson properties, of which half can be bought back by Monarch for $2M per property in the future, subject to certain conditions being met. As a condition and as part of the Transaction, Gold Royalty will also acquire a 1% NSR on the Beaufor property from Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec and the Corporation's existing buy back rights relating to a 1% NSR will be cancelled and extinguished, following which CDPQ will own a 2% NSR and Gold Royalty a 1% NSR on Beaufor. CDPQ's royalty interest will be reduced to a 1% NSR once Monarch repays the $5M capital invested by CDPQ. Following the closing of the Transaction, Monarch will have a strengthened balance sheet with approximately $30M in cash and cash equivalents. The Transaction is expected to close in August 2021 and is subject to certain customary closing conditions for transactions of this nature.

07:32 EDT BRP Group enters into agreement to acquire FounderShield - BRP Group announced that Millennial Specialty Insurance, an indirect subsidiary of BRP Group, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all the assets of FounderShield, AlphaRoot, ReShield, and Scale Underwriting Services, collectively the Founder Shield. With annual revenue of approximately $9.8M, Founder Shield represents BRP Group's seventh announced partnership in 2021. The partnership, BRP Group's nomenclature for a strategic acquisition, is expected to close on or around August 1, 2021, subject to certain closing conditions. "Founder Shield is the archetypal type of firm we seek to partner with, featuring a history of strong growth and innovation, and an exceptional group of talented, entrepreneurial colleagues," said Trevor Baldwin, Chief Executive Officer of BRP Group. "Founder Shield greatly enhances our ability to innovate for our clients and facilitates unique early access to some of the country's most rapidly growing businesses. Founder Shield has fostered a dynamic colleague and client-centric culture that is clearly aligned with what we are building at BRP Group, and we are thrilled to welcome the Founder Shield team to the BRP Group family."

07:24 EDT Castle Biosciences presents new data on DecisionDx-SCC test - Castle Biosciences announced a podium presentation on its DecisionDx-SCC test at the American Head & Neck Society, or AHNS, 10th International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer, being held July 22-25. DecisionDx-SCC is Castle's prognostic 40-gene expression profile, or GEP, test for patients diagnosed with high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, or SCC, designed to use a patient's tumor biology to predict individual risk of metastasis for patients with SCC and one or more risk factors. Archival, primary tumor specimens and associated data from a cohort of 278 patients from 33 different clinical sites were included in the study; the patients had high-risk SCC located on the head or neck, and 54 patients developed regional and/or distant metastasis. All SCC tumor specimens were tested with DecisionDx-SCC and analyzed using Kaplan-Meier for metastasis-free survival, or MFS, and Cox regression for risk of regional/distant metastasis. Patients who received a Class 1, Class 2A or Class 2B DecisionDx-SCC result had significantly different three-year MFS rates compared to the overall cohort MFS rate of 81.3%. Univariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the GEP test has significant, independent prognostic value. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the DecisionDx-SCC results compared to AJCC8 T staging was the most significant predictor of outcomes with a Hazard Ratio of 9.07 compared to AJCC8 at 2.88. Similar results were shown when the GEP test was compared with BWH T stages and individual clinicopathologic risk factors, such as tumor diameter, deep invasion, poor differentiation and perineural invasion. The specificity and positive predictive value of a high-risk Class 2B DecisionDx-SCC result were improved relative to these metrics for high-stage AJCC8 and BWH, while maintaining a similar negative predictive value. Overall, the study demonstrated that DecisionDx-SCC offers significant, independent prognostic value for determining a patient's individual risk of SCC metastasis, and that the test could be used to complement AJCC8 and BWH T staging and a patient's clinicopathologic risk factor-based assessment.

07:14 EDT REE Automotive to open U.S. headquarters in Austin - REE Automotive announced that it will open its U.S. headquarters in Austin, Texas. In addition, Austin will be the location of REE's first asset-light Integration Center for the assembly and testing of its REEcorner technology and ultra-modular EV platforms. REE is exploring several collaborations with a number of Koch Industries, Inc. companies, to support and accelerate the establishment of REE's integration center in Austin. The REE Austin facility is expected to create approximately 150 jobs in upcoming years.

07:12 EDT American Express reports Q2 Global Consumer Services net income $839M - The company said, "Global Commercial Services reported second-quarter pretax income of $839 million, compared with a pretax loss of $22 million a year ago. Total revenues net of interest expense were $3.0 billion, up 35 percent from $2.3 billion a year ago, primarily reflecting a rise in Card Member spending. Provisions for credit losses resulted in a benefit of $235 million, primarily reflecting a portion of the previously mentioned reserve releases and lower net write-offs, compared with a provision expense of $645 million a year ago, which primarily reflected significant reserve builds. Total expenses were $2.4 billion, up 49 percent from $1.6 billion a year ago. The increase primarily reflected higher customer engagement costs due to a rise in Card Member spending and higher marketing investments to rebuild growth momentum."

07:12 EDT Tilt Holdings enters $10M revolving credit facility - TILT Holdings announced that its subsidiary, Jupiter Research, has entered into a new two-year, $10M asset-based revolving credit facility with Entrepreneur Growth Capital. Borrowings under the new credit facility will bear interest at Prime plus 3.5% and will be secured by Jupiter's inventory, accounts receivable and related property. Jupiter's existing senior and junior note creditors will subordinate their security interests in Jupiter's inventory, accounts receivable and related property when the new facility closes; the existing note creditors will maintain the priority of their security interests in other Jupiter collateral. The new credit facility has a two-year initial term and will continue for successive one-year terms unless terminated by either party effective at the end of the then-current term. The loan terms provide for minimum monthly interest charges, and for borrowing base eligibility requirements, advance rates, fees, events of default and default interest rates that are common features in such facilities.

07:10 EDT Hutchmed announces end of stabilization period in connection with offering - HUTCHMED announces that the stabilization period in connection with the Global Offering ended on July 23, 2021, being the 30th day after the last day for the lodging of applications under the Hong Kong Public Offering on June 23, 2021. The stabilizing actions undertaken by Morgan Stanley Asia Limited, as the Stabilizing Manager during the stabilization period were: over-allocations of an aggregate of 15,600,000 Offer Shares in the International Offering, representing approximately 15% of the total number of the Offer Shares initially available under the Global Offering before any exercise of the Over-allotment Option; borrowing of an aggregate of 15,600,000 Shares by Morgan Stanley & Co. International from Hutchison Healthcare Holdings Limited pursuant to the Stock Borrowing Agreement dated June 23, 2021, to cover over-allocations in the International Offering; and the full exercise of the Over-allotment Option by the Joint Global Coordinators, on behalf of the International Underwriters, on July 12, 2021, in respect of an aggregate of 15,600,000 Offer Shares, representing approximately 15% of the total number of the Offer Shares initially available under the Global Offering before any exercise of the Over-allotment Option, at the Offer Price, to facilitate the return to Hutchison Healthcare Holdings Limited of all the borrowed Shares under the Stock Borrowing Agreement which were used to cover over-allocations in the International Offering. There has been no purchase or sale of any Shares on the market for the purpose of price stabilization by the Stabilizing Manager during the stabilization period.

07:08 EDT American Express reports Q1 Global Consumer Services Group net income $1.9B - The company said, "Global Consumer Services Group reported second-quarter pretax income of $1.9 billion, compared with $843 million a year ago. Total revenues net of interest expense were $6.0 billion, up 28 percent from $4.7 billion a year ago. The rise primarily reflected an increase in Card Member spending compared to the prior year. Provisions for credit losses resulted in a benefit of $342 million, primarily reflecting a portion of the previously mentioned reserve releases and lower net write-offs, compared with a provision expense of $887 million a year ago, which primarily reflected significant reserve builds. Total expenses were $4.5 billion, up 50 percent from $3.0 billion a year ago. The increase primarily reflected higher customer engagement costs due to a rise in Card Member spending, higher marketing investments to rebuild growth momentum, and higher usage of travel-related Card Member benefits."

07:04 EDT Taboola to acquire Connexity for $800M - Taboola announced hat it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire Connexity from Symphony Technology Group for approximately $800M. Connexity is one of the largest independent e-Commerce media platforms in the open web, serving over 1,600 direct merchants, and 6,000 publishers. Connexity's core technology powers customer acquisition for leading merchants including Walmart, Wayfair, Skechers, Macy's, eBay and Otto. Connexity reaches more than 100 million unique shoppers per month, via relationships with premium publishers including Conde Nast, DotDash, Hearst, Vox Media, Meredith, and News Corp Australia. In addition, Connexity allows publishers to seamlessly integrate more than 750 million product offers on their websites, providing a significant revenue stream. The acquisition of Connexity aligns with Taboola's "Recommend Anything" growth strategy to introduce new types of recommendations and enter new segments, while leveraging its significant scale and recommendations platform to deliver even greater value to its 9,000 digital property partners, 13,000 direct advertisers and 500 million daily active users. This acquisition empowers a new type of advertiser to connect with Taboola's massive and global audience across the open web, while providing publishers with a new and additional way to drive meaningful revenue growth, tapping into the estimated $35B U.S. e-Commerce media market, as well as the large global market. Taboola's advanced technology coupled with Connexity's retail expertise and index of more than 750 million product offers will help introduce a new type of recommendation offering for Taboola on the open web. These recommendations will connect editorial content to product recommendations, where readers can easily buy products related to stories they are reading. Today's deal represents Taboola's fifth acquisition and adds over 200 people to their team, bringing the number of total employees to approximately 1,600. Bill Glass, Connexity CEO, and the Connexity management team will lead the newly formed business unit at Taboola. Connexity generated $158M of revenue, $63M of ex-TAC Gross profit and $28M of Adjusted EBITDA in 2019, growing to $176M of revenue, $78M of ex-TAC Gross profit and $38M of Adjusted EBITDA in 2020, driven by expansion of its merchant customer base, as well as the successful integration of Skimlinks' market-leading commerce content technologies. Total estimated consideration for the Connexity acquisition is $800M including purchase price and retention incentives. Taboola plans to finance the transaction with approximately $260M from cash on hand, $300M from committed debt financing and approximately $240M through the issuance of ordinary shares to the seller. The exact number of ordinary shares issued will depend on the volume weighted average price of Taboola's shares over the five business days ending three business days prior to the closing. The company expects the transaction to close in the third quarter of 2021, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Until the transaction closes, both companies will continue to operate independently. Following becoming a publicly listed company on June 30, 2021, Taboola's estimated fully diluted share count, as of the start of the third quarter, was approximately 256 million using the Treasury Stock Method of estimating fully diluted shares outstanding. This implies a fully diluted market capitalization of approximately $2.3 billion based on Taboola's closing stock price of $9.00 on July 22, 2021. This market capitalization would imply dilution from this transaction to existing shareholders of approximately 10.4% at the $9.00 share price.

07:02 EDT TD Holdings enters trade agreement with Yangpu Economic Development Zone - TD Holdings announced that the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Hainan Baiyu Cross-border E-commerce Co., entered into a trade cooperation agreement with the management committee of the Yangpu Economic Development Zone, Hainan's largest economic zone and China's first national-level development zone to be comprehensively developed by foreign investors, enjoying preferential policies for bonded zones, to expand the company's commodity trading business. The Agreement shall be in effect until December 31, 2022. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company agreed to commence its commodity trading business in the Yangpu Economic Development Zone and the management committee of the Yangpu Economic Development Zone agreed to grant the company preferential policies including tax relief, financial support, rental subsidies, etc.

06:53 EDT Schlumberger sees 2H21 international revenue growing 'double-digits' - Management said "Consequently, absent any further setback in the recovery, we continue to see our international revenue growing in the second half of 2021 by double-digits when compared to the second half of last year. This translates into full-year 2021 international revenue growth, setting the stage for a strong baseline as we move into 2022 and beyond."

06:47 EDT Pfizer, BioNTech to supply U.S. with additional 200M doses of Covid-19 vaccine - Pfizer (PFE) and BioNTech SE (BNTX) announced that the U.S. government has purchased an additional 200M doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. These doses are expected to be delivered from October 2021 through April 2022. This brings the total number of doses to be supplied by the companies to the U.S. government under its existing supply agreement to 500M. In a separate announcement on June 10, 2021, Pfizer and BioNTech shared plans to provide the U.S. government with 500M doses of the companies' COVID-19 vaccine for donation to the world's poorest nations. The companies expect to deliver 110M of the additional doses by December 31, 2021, with the remaining 90M doses to be delivered no later than April 30, 2022. The U.S. government also has the option to acquire an updated version of the vaccine to address potential variants as well as new formulations of the vaccine, if available and authorized.

06:32 EDT Alzamend Neuro reports toxicology results for AL002 in GLP study - Alzamend Neurocannounced that it has received positive toxicology results for AL002 in a good laboratory practices, or GLP, toxicology study using a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. The study was conducted by Charles River Laboratories. AL002 is a patented method using a mutant-peptide sensitized cell as a cell-based therapeutic vaccine that seeks to restore the ability of a patient's immunological system to combat Alzheimer's. "The positive GLP toxicology results represent a key milestone for Alzamend as we continue to advance our proprietary pipeline. We believe AL002 could potentially reverse the effects of Alzheimer's disease. We look forward to providing more details on the timeline and market opportunity as we prepare for the submission of our Pre-Investigational New Drug Application for AL002 to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the near future," commented Stephan Jackman, the CEO of Alzamend. A five-dose GLP study with AL002-sensitized cells was completed using a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease to investigate the tolerability of AL002. Single injections were administered on days 1, 30, 50, 70, and 90. The mice were evaluated for potential toxicity and reversibility of any findings at 75 and 90 days after dosing. Histopathology results demonstrate that there was no indication of T-cell infiltration or meningoencephalitis suggesting that AL002 therapy is safe and tolerable as there were no adverse findings over a 90-day period and 90 days after the last dose.

06:17 EDT Walgreens Boots Alliance and Village MD to open primary care practices - Walgreens Boots Alliance and VillageMD announced plans to open new Village Medical at Walgreens practices in Indiana, including in Merrillville, Griffith, Portage, and South Bend this year. The strategic partnership is on track to meet its overall goal of opening at least 600 Village Medical at Walgreens in more than 30 U.S. markets over the next four years, with the intent to build hundreds more thereafter. The expansion is part of the $1B accelerated investment effort announced in January 2021 to deliver high-quality healthcare to patients, with Village Medical primary care physicians and Walgreens pharmacy services through a coordinated care delivery model. Village Medical at Walgreens locations accept a wide range of health insurance options, offering cost-effective and comprehensive primary care and coordinated pharmacy services to meet the full continuum of healthcare needs.

06:08 EDT AstraZeneca says Vaxzevria 'highly effective' after one dose in COVID variants - The company states: "Results from the Canadian Immunization Research Network with support from Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, published as a pre-print, demonstrated one dose of Vaxzevria was 82% effective against hospitalisation or death caused by the Beta/Gamma variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The vaccine also showed a high level of effectiveness against the Delta (B.617.2, 'Indian') and Alpha (B.1.1.7, 'Kent') variants with an 87% and 90% reduction of hospitalisations or deaths respectively.1 The effectiveness of Vaxzevria after one dose against hospitalisation or death was similar to that of other vaccines tested in the study. Follow-up time was not sufficient to report on effectiveness of Vaxzevria after two doses, other studies have shown an increased effectiveness following the indicated two dose schedule. Vaxzevria was effective against milder symptomatic disease although, given that data was only reported after a first dose instead of the indicated two dose schedule where efficacy is known to be enhanced in this disease setting,2 the efficacy was lower than against severe disease. Vaccine effectiveness against any symptomatic disease was 50% against the Beta/Gamma variants, and 70% and 72% against the Delta and Alpha variants, respectively." Reference Link

06:04 EDT South State, Atlantic Capital announce all-stock merger agreement - SouthState (SSB) and Atlantic Capital (ACBI) jointly announced today the signing of a definitive agreement pursuant to which Atlantic Capital will merge with and into SouthState in an all-stock transaction with an aggregate value of approximately $542M, or $26.43 per share of Atlantic Capital common stock. Atlantic Capital, based in Atlanta, Georgia, has approximately $3.8B in total assets, $3.3B in total deposits, and $2.3B in total loans as of June 30 and operates one branch in the Atlanta metro area and one branch in Athens, Georgia. This merger will enhance SouthState's scale and improve market density in the attractive Atlanta market. SouthState will have top ten deposit market share in the Atlanta MSA, with approximately $5B in pro forma deposits. Upon merger completion, the combined company will have pro forma total assets of $44B, deposits of $36B, gross loans of $26B, and a market capitalization of approximately $5.7B. Subject to the terms of the merger agreement, Atlantic Capital shareholders will receive 0.36 shares of SouthState common stock for each outstanding share of Atlantic Capital common stock. Based on SouthState's stock price of $73.42 as of July 22, this equates to a per share value of $26.43 and an aggregate transaction value of $542M. Additionally, two Atlantic Capital directors will join both the company board and the SouthState Bank board. The transaction is expected to result in 3% EPS accretion on a fully phased in basis and minimal tangible book value dilution, which is expected to be earned back in two years. The merger agreement has been unanimously approved by the board of directors of Atlantic Capital and SouthState. Completion of the merger is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals and the approval by shareholders of Atlantic Capital. The transaction is expected to close in Q1 of 2022.

05:16 EDT Magna to acquire Veoneer for $31.25 per share in cash - Magna (MGA) and Veoneer (VNE) announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Magna will acquire Veoneer. Pursuant to the agreement, Magna will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Veoneer for $31.25 per share in cash, representing a total value of $3.8B, and an enterprise value of $3.3B, inclusive of Veoneer's cash, net of debt and other debt-like items as of March 31. Magna expects to operate Veoneer's Arriver sensor perception and drive policy software platform as an independent business unit, consistent with Veoneer's current practice. In addition, Magna will acquire Veoneer's global position in restraint control systems. Following the closing of the transaction, Veoneer will be combined with Magna's existing ADAS business and integrated into Magna's electronics operating unit. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Veoneer and Magna boards of directors, and Veoneer's board of directors unanimously recommends that Veoneer stockholders approve the proposed merger and merger agreement. In addition, Veoneer stockholders AMF, Cevian, AP4 and Alecta, which collectively represent approximately 40% of Veoneer's outstanding shares of common stock, have either entered into support agreements with Magna or provided indications of support, pursuant to which they have agreed, among other things and subject to certain conditions, to vote their shares of Veoneer common stock in favor of the transaction. A special meeting of Veoneer's stockholders will be convened in connection with the transaction as soon as practicable after the mailing to Veoneer's stockholders of the proxy statement in connection with the merger. The transaction is expected to close near the end of 2021, subject to the approval of Veoneer's stockholders, certain regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is not subject to any financing conditions.