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

20:02 EDT Mirum Pharmaceuticals, GC Pharma enter licensing agreement on Maralixibat - The company states: "Mirum Pharmaceuticals and GC Pharma announced that they have entered into an exclusive licensing agreement, pursuant to which GC Pharma has agreed to develop and commercialize maralixibat in South Korea. Maralixibat is an investigational, orally administered medication being evaluated in Alagille syndrome, progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, and biliary atresia. Maralixibat targets the apical sodium dependent bile acid transporter ultimately resulting in lower levels of bile acids systemically. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted a New Drug Application for maralixibat for the treatment of cholestatic pruritus in patients with ALGS under priority review. The European Medicines Agency is reviewing maralixibat for the treatment of PFIC2. Mirum has commenced a global Phase 2b maralixibat study for the treatment of BA. Under the terms of the licensing agreement, GC Pharma has obtained the exclusive right to develop and commercialize maralixibat within South Korea for ALGS, PFIC, and BA. In exchange, Mirum is entitled to receive an upfront payment of $5.0 million as well payments for the achievement of future regulatory and commercial milestones, with tiered double-digit royalties based on product net sales in the region."

18:22 EDT Otis Worldwide CEO: End markets are all positive globally - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Judy Marks said orders are strong which bodes well for the future. "We're executing our strategy with almost perfection. That's what focus does," she added. Otis had record Q2 orders in China. The company is implementing its China strategy well, especially in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities, Marks noted.

18:03 EDT McCormick issues voluntary recall of Italian seasoning products, RedHot ranch - McCormick & Company, Inc. is initiating a voluntary recall of McCormick Perfect Pinch Italian Seasoning, McCormick Culinary Italian Seasoning and Frank's RedHot Buffalo Ranch Seasoning due to possible contamination with Salmonella. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem. The potential risk was brought to McCormick's attention by FDA during routine testing. This recall affects cases that were shipped of the affected date codes.

18:02 EDT Mogu announces definitive agreement to increase control in Hangzhou Ruisha - MOGU announced that Hangzhou Juangua Network, a consolidated affiliated entity of the Company, has entered into definitive agreements with Hangzhou Ruisha Technology, Hangzhou Ruisha's existing shareholder and Hangzhou Ruisha's founder, to increase and obtain controlling equity interests in Hangzhou Ruisha. Under the definitive agreements, Hangzhou Juangua will purchase equity interests from the existing shareholder of Hangzhou Ruisha and subscribe for additional equity interests in Hangzhou Ruisha, at an aggregate consideration of RMB50 million in cash. MOGU will beneficially own 59.62% equity interests in Hangzhou Ruisha at the closing of the transactions. The transactions are subject to customary closing conditions.

17:58 EDT Intel unveils plans to gain process performance leadership by 2025 - Intel (INTC) unveiled a new process and packaging technology roadmap. "Building on Intel's unquestioned leadership in advanced packaging, we are accelerating our innovation roadmap to ensure we are on a clear path to process performance leadership by 2025," Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said during the global "Intel Accelerated"1 webcast. "We are leveraging our unparalleled pipeline of innovation to deliver technology advances from the transistor up to the system level. Until the periodic table is exhausted, we will be relentless in our pursuit of Moore's Law and our path to innovate with the magic of silicon." Intel technologists described the following roadmap with the new node names and the innovations enabling each node: Intel 7 delivers an approximately 10% to 15% performance-per-watt increase versus Intel 10nm SuperFin, based on FinFET transistor optimizations. Intel 7 will be featured in products such as Alder Lake for client in 2021 and Sapphire Rapids for the data center, which is expected to be in production in the first quarter of 2022; Intel 4 fully embraces EUV lithography to print incredibly small features using ultra-short wavelength light. With an approximately 20% performance-per-watt increase, along with area improvements, Intel 4 will be ready for production in the second half of 2022 for products shipping in 2023, including Meteor Lake for client and Granite Rapids for the data center; Intel 3 leverages further FinFET optimizations and increased EUV to deliver an approximately 18% performance-per-watt increase over Intel 4, along with additional area improvements. Intel 3 will be ready to begin manufacturing products in the second half of 2023; Intel 20A ushers in the angstrom era with two breakthrough technologies, RibbonFET and PowerVia. RibbonFET, Intel's implementation of a gate-all-around transistor, will be the company's first new transistor architecture since it pioneered FinFET in 2011. The technology delivers faster transistor switching speeds while achieving the same drive current as multiple fins in a smaller footprint. PowerVia is Intel's unique industry-first implementation of backside power delivery, optimizing signal transmission by eliminating the need for power routing on the front side of the wafer. Intel 20A is expected to ramp in 2024. The company is also excited about the opportunity to partner with Qualcomm (QCOM) using its Intel 20A process technology; Beyond Intel 20A, Intel 18A is already in development for early 2025 with refinements to RibbonFET that will deliver another major jump in transistor performance. Intel is also working to define, build and deploy next-generation High NA EUV, and expects to receive the first production tool in the industry. Intel is partnering closely with ASML to assure the success of this industry breakthrough beyond the current generation of EUV.

17:51 EDT Tesla CFO says Model S and Model X were at slight loss for quarter - Says over last two years, vehicle deliveries have doubled. Says auto gross margins has increased 10 percentage points as cost per vehicle was reduced. Says Opex as percentage of revenue has declined, with operating margins rising from negative to double digits. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

17:42 EDT Tesla CEO says global chip shortage situation remains quite serious - Says difficult to say how long the shortage will last. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

17:26 EDT Raytheon Technologies awarded $212.05M Air Force delivery order - Raytheon Technologies has been awarded a $212.05M delivery order against the F100 production program's indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for F100-PW-229 install engines. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed June 30, 2025. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales, or FMS, to Morocco and is the result of a sole-source acquisition. FMS funds in the full amount will be obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is the contracting activity.

17:09 EDT SkyWater announces $56M investment in Minnesota facility for 200mm GaN market - SkyWater Technology announced that its Board of Directors has approved $56M in strategic capital investments to expand the capacity and capabilities of its Minnesota facility and to accelerate the company's entry into the 200 mm GaN market. "These strategic investments evidence our commitment to our customers to co-create emerging technologies and help ensure we are in position to deliver long-term value to our shareholders," said Thomas Sonderman, president and CEO of SkyWater. "We believe our investment in GaN technologies - which expand possibilities for next generation microelectronics - enhances SkyWater's position for leadership in the aerospace and defense, industrial and automotive markets. As recently noted in the White House 100 Day Supply Chain Review, there is a significant need for a U.S.-based foundry to offer technology services for GaN. We firmly believe SkyWater is that foundry."

17:05 EDT Casella Waste acquires Willimantic, terms not disclosed - Casella Wasate Systems announced that it acquired Willimantic Waste Paper Co., Inc. on July 26, 2021. Willimantic provides residential, commercial and roll-off collection services in eastern Connecticut and serves over 30,000 customers. In addition, Willimantic operates a rail-served construction & demolition processing and waste transfer facility, a waste transfer station, a single stream recycling facility, and several other recycling operations. The company expects to generate approximately $62M of annualized revenues from the Willimantic acquisition. "We are excited about the acquisition of Willimantic and the expansion of our operating footprint into adjacent markets in eastern Connecticut," said John W. Casella, Chairman and CEO of Casella Waste Systems, Inc. "Willimantic is a leading operator in its markets, well regarded by their customers, with strong operational performance and an excellent team."

17:01 EDT Calix names CEO Carl Russo as Chairman, Don Listwin as lead independent director - Calix announced the Board of Directors has unanimously elected current CEO and Board member, Carl Russo, to Chairman of the Board, combining the CEO and Board Chair roles. The Board has appointed current Board Chairman, Don Listwin, to serve as lead independent director of the Board. Russo has served as CEO since 2002. Listwin has served as Chairman since 2007.

16:42 EDT Cinedigm gets Nasdaq notice for failure to timely file annual report, form 10K - Cinedigm announced that on July 20 it received a notice from The Nasdaq Stock Market indicating that it was no longer in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250)due to the failure to timely file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 202 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Notice states that the Company is required to submit a plan to regain compliance with Rule 5250c1 within 60 calendar days from the date of the Notice. If the plan is accepted by Nasdaq, then Nasdaq can grant the Company up to 180 calendar days from the due date of the Form 10-K to regain compliance.

16:38 EDT KKR acquires three self-storage properties in Texas, Tennessee - KKR announced the acquisition of three self-storage properties located in Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee. The properties include approximately 1,800 storage units and were built between 2019 and 2020. They were acquired through separate transactions with two different sellers for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $36M.

16:37 EDT Air Lease announces delivery of A321neo jet to SKY - Air Lease (AL) announced the delivery of one new Airbus (EADSY) A321neo aircraft on long-term lease to SKY. This is the first Airbus A321neo to operate in Chile. "ALC is pleased to deliver this new Airbus A321neo aircraft to SKY and be the first to introduce the aircraft to the airline and country of Chile," said Matthew Stevens, Assistant Vice President of Marketing at Air Lease Corporation. "It is a privilege to work with SKY, and we believe this next generation aircraft will positively contribute to the airline's sustainability and fleet operations."

16:36 EDT Invitation Homes, PulteGroup form strategic relationship - Invitation Homes (INVH) and PulteGroup (PHM) announced the formation of an innovative strategic relationship. As part of this relationship, Invitation Homes expects to purchase approximately 7,500 new homes over the next five years that PulteGroup will design and build expressly for this purpose. The companies have already reached agreement on the construction and sale of over 1,000 homes across seven communities over the next several years, with the first sales expected to close in 2022. Initial projects are scheduled for delivery in Florida, Georgia, Southern California, North Carolina and Texas. "At Invitation Homes, we're committed to serving the growing share of Americans who are opting not to buy a house by providing high-quality homes with valued features such as close proximity to jobs and access to good schools," said Dallas Tanner, President and CEO of Invitation Homes. "We're thrilled that this strategic relationship with PulteGroup further strengthens that commitment while also enhancing our multichannel acquisition approach to growth."

16:36 EDT Black Stone Minerals raises quarterly distribution 43% to 25c per unit - Black Stone Minerals said its board has approved a cash distribution for common units attributable to the second quarter of 2021 of $0.25 per unit. This represents an increase of approximately 43% over the common distribution paid with respect to the prior quarter. In determining the distribution level with respect to the second quarter, the Board considered a base distribution of $0.20 per unit, which it expects will be sustainable through the end of 2021, plus a special distribution of $0.05 per unit which reflects certain positive, non-recurring items in the quarter which will be discussed in greater detail in the earnings release scheduled for August 2, 2021. Distributions will be payable on August 20, 2021 to unitholders of record on August 13, 2021.

16:25 EDT Portman Ridge Finance has repurchased $1.1M in shares since merger closing - Portman Ridge Finance provided an update on its previously announced share buyback program. Following the recent lifting of the suspension on repurchases under the share buyback program due to its merger transaction with Harvest Capital Credit Corporation the Company has been actively repurchasing its shares under the program. To date, the Company has repurchased approximately $1.1M of its shares since the closing the HCAP merger transaction on June 9. The Company expects to continue to conduct buybacks under the program throughout the remainder of the year based on market conditions and other factors, subject to legal and contractual restrictions. Ted Goldthorpe, Chief Executive Officer of PTMN, commented, "We believe the repurchase of our shares is in the best interests of our stockholders and we will continue to assess these opportunities during the remainder of the year."

16:23 EDT La-Z-Boy to invest over $30M in Missouri manufacturing facility over two years - La-Z-Boy announced it plans to invest more than $30M over a two-year period in its Neosho, Missouri manufacturing facility. The 550,000 square-foot plant, which began operations in 1970 and employs approximately 950 people, makes reclining motion furniture and supports all La-Z-Boy manufacturing operations with metal components and purchased parts. The scope of the project includes various upgrades and renovations throughout the upholstery plant, a new medical clinic for employees and their families, and a new parts distribution center.

16:21 EDT Biogen and Eisai announce Biogen will showcase ADUHELM at Alzheimer's event - Biogen (BIIB) and Eisai (ESALY) announced that Biogen, as part of its Alzheimer's disease research portfolio, will contribute four virtual posters that showcase data from its clinical trials with ADUHELM,aducanumab-avwa injection, 100 mg/mL solution at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, AAIC, being held in Denver, Colo. and virtually from July 26-30, 2021,w ADUHELM was recently granted accelerated approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Treatment with ADUHELM should be initiated in patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia stage of disease, the population in which treatment was initiated in clinical trials. There are no safety or effectiveness data on initiating treatment at earlier or later stages of the disease than were studied. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on reduction in amyloid beta plaques observed in patients treated with ADUHELM. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification of clinical benefit in confirmatory trial. The accelerated approval of ADUHELM has been granted based on data from clinical trials showing the effect of ADUHELM on reducing amyloid beta plaques, a surrogate biomarker that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, in this case a reduction in clinical decline.

16:20 EDT Fuel Tech awarded air pollution control orders for $4.5M - Fuel Tech announced the receipt of multiple air pollution control contracts from customers in Korea, North America, and Europe. These awards have an aggregate value of approximately $4.5M.

16:19 EDT Simpson Manufacturing raises FY21 CapEx view to $55M-$60M from $50M-$55M - On April 26 the Company provided a FY21 outlook. The Company is updating its full year outlook, primarily reflecting actual results of the Q2 as well as improved visibility on the pandemic-related restrictions and the impact of those restrictions on the Company's operations. Based on business trends and conditions as of today, July 26, the Company's outlook for the FY21 is as follows: Operating margin is estimated to be in the range of 19.5%-21.0%. The effective tax rate is estimated to be 25.0%-26.0%, including both federal and state income tax rates. Capital expenditures are estimated to be in the range of $55M-$60M.

16:18 EDT GrafTech opens new sales office in Chiba-shi, Japan - GrafTech International announced the opening of a new sales office in Chiba-shi, Japan. This new office will provide GrafTech's customers in the region with local commercial, customer service and technical support. This office also expands the company's global sales and technical support personnel. "We are fully committed to the Japanese market where we have been operating successfully for over 25 years," said Inigo Perez, Senior Vice President, Commercial. "We are very pleased to be able to provide our Japanese customers commercial and technical support from our newest location in Chiba-shi, Japan. This office reflects our dedication to this region and to building highly skilled teams that serve our customers across our global footprint."

16:15 EDT Arthur J. Gallagher terminates deal to acquire Willis Towers Watson brokerages - Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG) announces the termination of its May 12 agreement to acquire certain Willis Towers Watson (WLTW) brokerage operations as a result of Aon plc (AON) and Willis Towers Watson terminating their combination agreement. In conjunction with the termination announcement, Gallagher plans to exercise the special optional redemption feature of its $650M tranche of 10-year senior notes issued on May 20. Additionally, Gallagher is evaluating opportunities to deploy its excess cash position through its merger program as well as possible share repurchases.

16:11 EDT Tesla up 2% to $673.45 in after-hours trading after earnings beat - Tesla shares are up $15.83, or 2%, to $673.45 in after-hours following its quarterly earnings report.

16:09 EDT Tesla says shifted launch of Semi truck program to 2022

16:08 EDT Tesla reiterates view for 2021 growth in vehicle deliveries above 50% - Tesla said in its quarterly update letter: "We plan to grow our manufacturing capacity as quickly as possible. Over a multi-year horizon, we expect to achieve 50% average annual growth in vehicle deliveries. In some years we may grow faster, which we expect to be the case in 2021. The rate of growth will depend on our equipment capacity, operational efficiency, and the capacity and stability of the supply chain. We have sufficient liquidity to fund our product roadmap, long-term capacity expansion plans and other expenses. We expect our operating margin will continue to grow over time, continuing to reach industry-leading levels with capacity expansion and localization plans underway."

16:07 EDT Cerecor announces initial results from CERC-002 trial - Cerecor announced initial results from a Phase 1b proof-of-concept study evaluating CERC-002, an investigational first-in-class fully human anti-LIGHT monoclonal antibody, in adult patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease, or CD. This is a Phase 1b, open-label, dose-escalation, signal-finding, multi-center study. The ongoing study is evaluating the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and short-term efficacy of CERC-002 in adults with moderate to severe, active Crohn's disease who have previously failed anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha, or anti-TNFa, treatment. The study is a pilot study using a dose-escalation design to characterize the safety and tolerability of two different doses of CERC-002. All subjects receive a total of four doses of CERC-002 by subcutaneous injection at 14-day intervals. The trial is designed to initially evaluate two doses of CERC-002 - 1 mg/kg SQ every two weeks and 3 mg/kg SQ every two weeks. The treatment period of the study is eight weeks - when enrolled subjects are evaluated for safety throughout and colonoscopies are performed at baseline and then again at eight weeks. Subjects enrolled in the study must have moderate to severe disease based on simple endoscopic score for Crohn's disease, or SES-CD, of at least seven and must have failed at least one anti-TNF alpha therapy. Rapid response within eight weeks of treatment; Mean reduction in LIGHT levels of approximately 80% as compared to baseline; Clinically meaningful endoscopic improvement in 75% of subjects, as determined by colonoscopy; Three subjects that demonstrated endoscopic healing have explored single-patient investigational new drug, or IND, applications; and one subject relapsed post treatment and required surgery. The adverse events observed in study subjects were mild to moderate with the most common adverse events associated with the gastrointestinal track and the underlying Crohn's disease; There were no treatment emergent serious adverse events attributed to CERC-002; No evidence of increased infections or adverse events related to immunosuppression; and the favorable safety profile is consistent with that which was seen in the CERC-002 COVID19 ARDS trial that studied a 16 mg/kg single dose. Based on results of the first cohort of data, the independent safety review committee of the Phase 1b clinical trial endorsed continued dose exploration by proceeding to the next planned cohort without protocol modification. The trial is ongoing, and the total duration of participation is approximately 26 weeks. More information can be found on clinicaltrials.gov.

16:03 EDT Independence Realty Trust to merge with Steadfast Apartment REIT - Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (IRT) and Steadfast Apartment REIT, Inc. (STFR) announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which STAR will merge with and into IRT, with IRT surviving as the continuing public company. The merger will join together two high-quality portfolios with complementary geographic footprints in the highly desirable Sunbelt region of the United States. On a pro forma basis, the combined company will own a portfolio of 131 apartment communities comprising approximately 38,000 units across 16 states. The combined company is expected to have a pro forma equity market capitalization of approximately $4 billion and a pro forma total enterprise value of approximately $7 billion. Under the terms of the merger agreement, each STAR common share will be converted into 0.905 shares of newly issued IRT common stock, including cash in lieu of fractional shares. On a pro forma basis, following the merger, IRT stockholders are expected to own approximately 50% of the combined company's equity, and STAR stockholders are expected to own approximately 50%. The parties currently expect the transaction to close during the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval of both IRT and STAR stockholders. This strategic transaction was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of IRT and the Board of Directors of STAR. Upon completion of the merger, the company will retain the Independence Realty Trust name and will trade under the ticker symbol "IRT." IRT intends to maintain its current dividend level post-closing.

15:37 EDT Rio Tinto to reduce production by 35% at BC Works aluminum smelter in Canada - Rio Tinto has begun reducing production at its BC Works aluminum smelter in Kitimat, Canada due to a strike initiated by the Unifor Local 2301 union after negotiations failed to reach a new collective labour agreement. Production will be reduced to around 35% of the smelter's 432,000 ton annual capacity, so that it can safely be operated by staff and employees required under an essential services order granted by the BC Labour Relations Board. Rio Tinto Aluminium managing director Atlantic Operations Samir Cairae said: "Reducing production will have a significant impact on the business and community, but we are committed to taking the necessary steps to operate safely with a reduced workforce.

14:18 EDT Box rolls out native e-signature capability with Box Sign - Box (BOX) began rolling out Box Sign, its native e-signature capability, to customers on Business and Enterprise plans at no additional cost. With Monday's launch, Box Sign delivers unlimited signatures and a robust set of APIs, enabling businesses to digitize and modernize the way agreements are managed and governed in the cloud. Following the rollout of Box Sign, basic functionality will be included in all Box business plans and advanced features that help automate high-volume, complex e-signature use cases will be available in higher-tier plans. In February, Box acquired SignRequest, a leading cloud-based electronic signature company, and developed Box Sign on its industry-leading technology. Natively integrated into Box, this new capability reduces business costs for third-party e-signature tools while enhancing team and individual productivity. "Every day, more transactions are moving from paper-based manual workflows to the cloud, and we will only see this trend accelerate as companies shift to a hybrid work environment," said Diego Dugatkin, Chief Product Officer at Box. "With the addition of natively embedded e-signatures, Box customers will be able to manage the entire content lifecycle in the cloud, realizing the value of their content - at no additional cost. From the moment a file is created to when it's shared, edited, published, approved, signed, classified, and retained, the entire content lifecycle can now happen in the Box Content Cloud." The Fly notes that DocuSign (DOCU) has a similar offering.

14:13 EDT Dave Portnoy teases 'huge milestone announcement' in tweet - Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, tweeted: "We have what I would qualify is a huge milestone announcement tomorrow." Penn National has an investment in Barstool Sports and is the operator of the Barstool Sportsbook app. Reference Link

13:59 EDT Southern Copper sees 2021 copper production 960,000 tons - The company said, "Copper production decreased 6.3% in 2Q21 in quarter-on-quarter terms to 237,110 tons. This result was driven by a drop in ore grades due to stripping and maintenance works that were rescheduled to this year after having been postponed in 2020 due the COVID 19 pandemic. Copper production fell 3.9% YoY to 475,512 tons. We expect copper production in 2021 to total 960,000 tons."

13:10 EDT Vuzix announces distribution agreement, volume purchase order with MPH - Vuzix Corporation announced that it has signed a distribution agreement with MPH Group, a UK-based distribution company, and has received a volume purchase order from MPH for Vuzix Smart Glasses for immediate delivery. MPH Group's distribution agreement with Vuzix will include M400 Smart Glasses among other models.

13:03 EDT Allegiant Travel enters exclusive partnership with select Live Nation venues - Allegiant (ALGT) announced an exclusive partnership with select Live Nation (LYV) venues, Ticketmaster and music festivals to give customers access live entertainment experiences across the United States. The multi-year strategic partnership brings together travel and live experiences including digital and commerce elements. As fans discover live events and purchase tickets across the Live Nation and Ticketmaster platforms, they will gain access to turnkey travel packages - including nonstop flights - when planning to attend concerts and festivals across the country. Additionally, as customers book travel, they will be offered exclusive experiences and events at their destination, national sweepstakes opportunities and more.

12:46 EDT Warner Bros. game 'Mortal Kombat 11' sells over 12M units globally - Warner Bros. Games (T) announced that "Mortal Kombat 11" has sold more than 12M units worldwide. Additionally, "Mortal Kombat Mobile" has amassed 138M installs, with millions of people actively playing "Mortal Kombat" every day across console and mobile platforms, the company said. "Mortal Kombat 11" is now available for PlayStation 5 (SONY), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox Series X S (MSFT) , Xbox One consoles, Nintendo Switch (NTDOY), PC and Stadia (GOOG). The game originally launched in April 2019.

12:08 EDT Delta plans 150% increase in capacity to Canada's biggest markets in September - Delta is more than doubling the number of daily flights between the U.S. and Canada starting in September, eight to 19, resulting in a 150% increase in available seats, the company announced in a post to its news hub website. "Canada is reopening its borders to fully vaccinated U.S. travelers for the first time in over a year Aug. 9, and Delta is ready to welcome them back on board with more flight and seat choices," Delta added. Reference Link

12:00 EDT Youdao falls -29.6% - Youdao is down -29.6%, or -$3.75 to $8.94.

12:00 EDT Ranger Energy rises 10.4% - Ranger Energy is up 10.4%, or 85c to $9.01.

12:00 EDT Studio City rises 26.9% - Studio City is up 26.9%, or $2.47 to $11.66.

11:40 EDT Lockheed Martin sees gaining 'lion's share' of F-35 revenue in Q4

11:28 EDT Geoinvesting short on Up Fintech, sees similar headwinds as DiDi faces - Geoinvesting has issued a short report on Up Fintech saying that, "In 2019, we pointed out Up Fintech Holdings (TIGR), dubbed the 'Robinhood of China,' failed to enforce internal checks and balance procedures that can result in Chinese citizens circumventing tight capital controls meant to prevent them from trading foreign securities. Our conclusion was based on the evidence we gathered during our on the ground due diligence." "If you did not take our original research seriously, you might want to see TIGR's own website. In the 'Help' section, the website features an image which suggests TIGR's users put 'travel and tourism' as a reason for a transaction used for funding the account. Investors who still want to shrug off our 2019 bearish research should take notice of the recent DiDi Global Inc. (DIDI) IPO debacle. The Chinese government can strike unexpectedly and hard. Given our opinion that TIGR's website is raising crucial questions about the legality of the business, we believe the government has an easy lever to pull if they want to change things, especially during a time when China / U.S. relationships are worsening. Moreover, TIGR still does not even have a proper license to operate a brokerage firm in China, " the report reads.

11:17 EDT Box begins rollout of Box Sign e-signature capability - Box began rolling out Box Sign, its native e-signature capability, to customers on Business and Enterprise plans at no additional cost. With the launch, Box Sign delivers unlimited signatures and a robust set of APIs, enabling businesses to digitize and modernize the way agreements are managed and governed in the cloud. Following the rollout of Box Sign, basic functionality will be included in all Box business plans and advanced features that help automate high-volume, complex e-signature use cases will be available in higher-tier plans. In February, Box acquired SignRequest, a cloud-based electronic signature company, and developed Box Sign on its technology. Natively integrated into Box, this new capability reduces business costs for third-party e-signature tools while enhancing team and individual productivity.

11:01 EDT Clearfield announces broadening of manufacturing capacity in Tijuana, Mexico - Clearfield announced the broadening of its manufacturing capacity in Tijuana, Mexico. Having significantly added headcount during the last several years, the company has entered into a lease arrangement for a 319,000-square-foot manufacturing and warehouse center that is being built to its specifications and is scheduled to enter into production slightly after the start of calendar year 2022. This move is in support of the anticipated future demand of the business. The facility will augment our growing investments in U.S. production. Through this space and future headcount additions, Clearfield is positioned to more than triple its manufacturing presence in Mexico. This expansion is a clear indication of the value the market is realizing from Clearfield's line of fiber management and fiber connectivity solutions. The expansion assists in lowering Clearfield's cost of product manufacturing while ensuring Clearfield continues to lead the industry in product availability and on-time deliveries.

10:49 EDT Oil and Gas Authority fines BP GBP50,000 for license breach - In a post to its website, the agency said, "The Oil and Gas Authority has today fined bp GBP50,000 and served it with a Sanction Notice for breaching a licence condition by failing to report the progress and results of two extended well tests. Having previously consented to the drilling of two development wells, the OGA granted further consent to conduct extended well tests on two wells in August 2019. Those consents included the need for the licensee to provide regular reports during EWT operations. bp was also required to submit a full report of the results and conclusions within 90days of completion of the EWT operations. In November 2020, following an OGA enquiry, bp admitted that it had failed to report as required. The company's own investigation found that internal communications had broken down, there was no guidance in place for managing OGA consents and there was a lack of awareness among engineers of consent requirements This lack of information unintentionally created an unregulated environment in which the OGA was unsighted of bp's actions. This, in turn, could have exposed bp to a potential flare breach, of which the OGA would not have been aware and would have been unable to take prompt regulatory action. However, in this case there was no flare breach. The reporting requirements, if followed, would have allowed the OGA to track that the EWT proceeded in line with the plan submitted by bp; and helped ensure the clean-up criteria being used did not result in excessive flaring. This investigation and sanction follow the publication of the OGA's Thematic Review into Industry Compliance with Regulatory Obligations in October 2020. The OGA's Thematic Review recognised that industry is improving, following earlier interventions, but stressed the importance of maintaining the high standards now achieved by the majority, and the need for a minority to catch up. In particular, the review noted that there remains room for improvement around managing production, flare and vent consents and the timeliness of licence extension requests." Reference Link

10:24 EDT Sirius XM announces new $34.99 per month 'Platinum VIP' package - SiriusXM announced a new subscription tier - the "Platinum VIP" package. Platinum VIP provides subscribers with the full spectrum of SiriusXM content in up to two cars, with a SXM App login for each, as well as perks, including opportunities to experience SiriusXM events with artists. Platinum VIP is priced at $34.99 per month.

10:21 EDT Spotify launches 'What's New' feed for new releases - In a company blog post, Spotify said, "On Spotify, every day brings the chance to discover something new-whether that's an up-and-coming artist in your Discover Weekly or a podcast that's piqued your interest-or tune into your tried-and-true favorites. As shared at Stream On in February, there are 50,000+ hours of content uploaded to Spotify every day.* So we know it can sometimes be difficult to keep track of the latest releases from your favorite creators. That's why today we're launching another way to discover new music and podcasts you love with What's New, a feed that gathers all the new releases from the artists and shows you follow on Spotify. What's New makes it easier than ever to catch all the latest songs and episodes from the creators you follow. Plus, it's even updated in real time, so you know you'll get to listen to new content just as it's released." Reference Link

10:07 EDT Norfolk Southern aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity 42% by 2034 - Norfolk Southern Corporation announced its science-based target to achieve a 42% reduction in scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 2034 from a 2019 base year. This commitment is another step in the company's ongoing journey to build a more sustainable future. Norfolk Southern's emissions reduction target has been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative and aligns with the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change. Validation from the SBTi - a joint initiative of CDP, UN Global Compact, the World Resources Institute, and World Wide Fund for Nature - confirms that the company's target is consistent with reductions required to keep warming to well-below 2 degrees C above pre-industrial levels. Locomotive fuel accounts for over 90% of the railroad's carbon emissions. Norfolk Southern set a fuel-efficiency goal as part of its 2015 strategic plan, targeting an 8.6% improvement by 2020. The company exceeded that goal with a 9.4% improvement, which resulted in savings of more than 130 million gallons of diesel fuel and avoidance of approximately 1.3 million metric tons of emissions.

10:02 EDT BioNTech announces launch of Malaria project - BioNTech announced the launch of its Malaria project, which aims to develop a well-tolerated and highly effective Malaria vaccine and implement sustainable vaccine supply solutions on the African continent. BioNTech's Malaria project has two key objectives: First, the development of a safe and highly effective mRNA vaccine with durable protective immunity to prevent Malaria and disease-associated mortality. BioNTech will assess multiple vaccine candidates featuring known Malaria targets such as the circumsporozoite protein, as well as new antigens discovered in the pre-clinical research phase. The most promising mRNA vaccine candidates will be selected for clinical development. The start of the clinical trial for the first vaccine candidate is planned for the end of 2022. The Malaria vaccine development program is an extension of BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine efforts. Building on two decades of mRNA research and its clinical stage mRNA platform, BioNTech has co-developed the first mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine together with its partner Pfizer. The second objective is the development of sustainable vaccine production and supply solutions on the African continent. BioNTech is exploring possibilities to set up state-of-the-art mRNA manufacturing facilities, either with partners or on its own. The facilities are expected to manufacture various mRNA-based vaccines upon approval to ensure sustainable supply operations. BioNTech plans to co-locate its African manufacturing capabilities with the technology transfer hubs under development by the WHO, in alignment with the African manufacturing strategy created by the Africa CDC. This strategy aims to expand the capacity of low- and middle-income countries to manufacture contemporary vaccines end-to-end, and scale up production to increase global access. BioNTech has undertaken comprehensive antigen discovery processes to identify antigens for various vaccine candidates. Since 2019, the Company has collaborated with the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation to develop Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Tuberculosis programs and provide affordable access to vaccines to low- and middle-income countries. For Tuberculosis, BioNTech plans to begin clinical trials for testing a vaccine candidate in 2022, just about two years after the program was initiated. The antigen discovery processes for Malaria and Tuberculosis are being conducted by specialized teams at BioNTech's headquarters in Mainz. Currently, BioNTech and its partners are developing vaccines against nine different infectious diseases, and the Company continues to develop 15 oncology programs at clinical stage based on four different drug classes, including mRNA. The World Health Organization, European Commission and other organizations have been involved in the early planning phase of BioNTech's Malaria project and have offered their support to identify and set up the necessary infrastructure. Collaboration with the African Union and the Africa CDC under the partnership for African Vaccine Manufacturing programme will ensure that the enabling factors such as regulatory alignment and policy transfer, as well as country coordination are in place to get the vaccines from factories to the citizens of the African Union. BioNTech's Malaria project is part of the 'eradicateMalaria' initiative, led by the kENUP Foundation, to accelerate the eradication of Malaria. The kENUP Foundation is a non-profit public benefit foundation supporting research-based innovation in the wider health industries for societal benefit.

10:01 EDT Air Products, Cummins to accelerate development of hydrogen fuel cell trucks - Air Products (APD) and Cummins (CMI) announce the signing of a memorandum of understanding to work together to accelerate the integration of hydrogen fuel cell trucks in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Cummins will provide hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrains integrated into selected OEM partners' heavy-duty trucks for Air Products, as Air Products begins the process of converting its global fleet of distribution vehicles to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Cummins and Air Products expect the demonstration phase to begin in 2022. Additionally, Cummins and Air Products will work together to increase the accessibility of renewable hydrogen, including hydrogen infrastructure opportunities that promote the adoption of hydrogen for mobility.

10:01 EDT Youdao falls -30.3% - Youdao is down -30.3%, or -$3.85 to $8.84.

10:00 EDT Navios Maritime rises 7.5% - Navios Maritime is up 7.5%, or 35c to $5.03.

10:00 EDT Studio City rises 29.1% - Studio City is up 29.1%, or $2.67 to $11.86.

09:50 EDT Studio City International Holdings Limited (Class A ADS) trading resumes

09:47 EDT TAL Education falls -30.9% - TAL Education is down -30.9%, or -$1.85 to $4.14.

09:47 EDT Capstead Mortgage rises 7.0% - Capstead Mortgage is up 7.0%, or 43c to $6.51.

09:47 EDT SPX Flow rises 12.1% - SPX Flow is up 12.1%, or $9.19 to $85.31.

09:43 EDT Panorama Travel Solutions enters agreement with National Association of REALTORS - Panorama Travel Solutions announced a new agreement with the National Association of REALTORS to provide travel club services to the organizations' 1.4 million members.

09:36 EDT ATI Physical Therapy trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:30 EDT GSK says Shingrix approved in U.S. for shingles prevention in immunocompromised - GlaxoSmithKline announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Shingrix for the prevention of shingles in adults aged 18 years and older who are or who will be at increased risk of shingles due to immunodeficiency or immunosuppression caused by known disease or therapy. Immunocompromised individuals are at greater risk of shingles and associated complications than immunocompetent individuals.

09:26 EDT Cumberland releases its 2020 Sustainability Report - Cumberland Pharmaceuticals released its 2020 Sustainability Report, which details the company's activities pertaining to environmental, social and governance, or ESG, matters. "After issuing our inaugural ESG report last year, we remain committed to sustainability and to maintaining transparency of our corporate operations," said Cumberland's ESG Board Director Caroline Young. "As the largest biopharmaceutical company founded and headquartered in the Mid-South, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of ethical practices and understand the importance of recognizing and addressing our impact on our constituents, the community and the environment." The report states that in 2020 Cumberland provided nearly 2.5M patient doses of its products, safely disposed of over 4,000 pounds of expired and damaged products and had no product recalls. The company also had no product listings on the FDA's MedWatch Safety Alerts for Human Medical Products, no products identified in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System and no clinical trials terminated due to failure to practice good clinical standards.Additionally, the report highlights the biopharmaceutical company's investment in its employees through its continuing education programs, employee development initiatives and employee awards. Cumberland's workforce is 46% women - and 18% of its employees are minorities.

09:25 EDT Emergent BioSolutions announces launch of Reverse the Silence campaign - An alliance of national nonprofit organizations comprised of Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, Mothers Against Prescription Drug Abuse, SAFE Project, and Shatterproof, sponsored by Emergent BioSolutions announced the launch of a new public awareness campaign, Reverse the Silence, which features television and radio spots that educate and help support people who may be at risk or know someone at risk of an opioid overdose. Lifestyle influencer Dani Schaffer, who lost her brother, Scott Anthony Molinari, to an accidental overdose in 2018 at the age of 33, is using her platform to talk about opioid use and ways to be prepared for an overdose emergency. And professional athlete Darren Waller, who for many years lived with an opioid dependency that started at a young age, is now sharing his story of struggle and triumph after overdosing in his car in 2017.

09:24 EDT Kraken Robotics announces closing of $10M bought deal financing - Kraken Robotics is pleased to announce it has closed its previously announced "bought deal" short form prospectus offering of units of the Company. A total of 20,000,000 Units were sold at a price of $0.50 per Unit for gross proceeds of $10,000,000. Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant. Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.60 per Warrant Share for a period of two years following the closing of the Offering, subject to acceleration in certain circumstances. The Offering was completed by a syndicate of underwriters led by Canaccord Genuity Corp. and including Raymond James Ltd., Desjardin Securities Inc., Beacon Securities Limited, and Research Capital Corp.The Offering was made by way of a prospectus supplement dated July 22, 2021 to the Company's existing short form base shelf prospectus dated April 6, 2021/ The Prospectus Supplement has been filed with the securities commissions in each of the provinces of Canada, and is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. A copy of the Base Shelf Prospectus can also be obtained on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Among other uses as described in the Prospectus Supplement, the Company expects to use the net proceeds from the Offering to fund a portion of the consideration for the acquisition of PGH Capital Inc. and its subsidiaries, PanGeo Subsea Inc. and PanGeo Subsea Scotland Limited and for general working capital for Kraken to strengthen its balance sheet and provide flexibility to position the Company for future growth. The Offering is subject to TSX Venture Exchange final acceptance of requisite regulatory filings. The Company has granted the Underwriters an option to cover overallotments and for market stabilization purposes, exercisable at any time, in whole or in part, until the date that is 30 days following the closing of the Offering, to purchase up to an additional 3,000,000 Units on the same terms and conditions of the Offering, for additional gross proceeds of up to $1,500,000. The Over-Allotment Option is exercisable to acquire Units, Common Shares and/or Warrants at the discretion of the Underwriters.

09:22 EDT MAD Lions, Warner Music Spain ink new partnership agreement - OverActive Media announced that its Spanish esports group, MAD Lions, and Warner Music Spain, part of leading record label Warner Music Group featuring artists such as Kidd Keo, Ed Sheeran and Myke Towers, are teaming up to enhance the fan experience across music, esports and video games.

09:21 EDT Chart Industries SES Cryogenic Carbon Capture tech recognized by MIT researchers - Chart Industries has been recognized for its Sustainable Energy Solutions Cryogenic Carbon Capture by researchers in a study in the journal of Applied Energy as was co-authored by researchers at the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, MIT Energy Initiative, and ExxonMobil. This research analyzed the competitiveness of several types of carbon capture and storage technologies in a global economic model with specific emphasis on ways to reduce GHG emissions from the manufacture of cement, which accounts for approximately 7% of annual CO2 emissions. Coal-fired post combustion capture, natural gas-fired PCC, and CCC were each separately evaluated in EPPA with their specific costs and inputs. CCC was determined to be the most competitive CCS technology. In the analysis, it was determined that the cost to produce cement and capture CO2 using our CCC technology is 24% higher than producing cement with no CO2 capture. This is compared to other capture technologies that range from a 38% increase to a 134% increase in the cost of producing cement and capturing CO2 vs producing cement with no CO2 capture.

09:20 EDT Coffee Holding, The Jordre Well commence sales of CBD-infused coffee pods - Coffee Holding announced that The Jordre Well has commenced commercial sales of its first CBD-infused line extension for the company's flagship dark roast Latin espresso brand, Cafe Caribe, as well as its first CBD-infused line extension for the company's gourmet coffee brand, Harmony Bay. The Jordre Well and the company's Cafe Caribe CBD Infused Colombian Coffee Single Serve Pods, and Harmony Bay CBD Infused Donut Shop Blend Coffee Single Serve Pods contain 12 coffee pods per box - each single-serving cup containing 25 mg of hemp-derived CBD isolate per serving and are compatible for use with most K-Cups Brewers. The Cafe Caribe CBD Coffee Pods and the Harmony Bay CBD Coffee Pods are both available for pre-order to customers in 27 states on The Jordre Well's website. "In conjunction with the commencement of e-commerce sales, we will begin accepting wholesale orders for the Cafe Caribe CBD Coffee Pods and the Harmony Bay CBD Coffee Pods from our company's existing nationwide distribution network for its non-CBD coffee products. We believe we are in a strong position to bring national leadership to the highly fragmented CBD-infused beverage market and intend to launch more high-quality and consistent CBD-infused products in the near future," commented Andrew Gordon, Chief Executive Officer of Coffee Holding.

09:18 EDT Cortexyme presents data linking P.gingivalis pathogen as agent in Alzheimer's - Cortexyme announced the presentation of new preclinical data linking P. gingivalis to increased levels of phospho-tau217, an emerging biomarker for Alzheimer's disease. This research, along with new baseline data from its pivotal GAIN Trial, is being presented by the company at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2021, AAIC, taking place July 26-30, in Denver, Colorado, as well as virtually. In addition to its presentations, Cortexyme will host a corporate sponsored symposium held in conjunction with the conference titled "Getting to the Root Cause of Alzheimer's Disease: An Innovative, Upstream Approach for Disease Modification" on Tuesday, July 27. "Cortexyme continues to conduct research that validates and reinforces the gingipain hypothesis and P. gingivalis' role as a causative agent of Alzheimer's disease," said Casey Lynch, Cortexyme's chief executive officer, co-founder, and chair. "The GAIN Trial, which is designed to be 90% powered to show a 50% slowing of disease, will read out on the gold standard measures of disease modification as Cortexyme looks to shift the paradigm in effective Alzheimer's treatment."

09:17 EDT Synaptogenix publishes further data from Bryostatin study - Synaptogenix announced that its abstract for presentation at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, or AAIC, is now available entitled "Bryostatin Restores Cognitive Functions Above Baseline in Advanced Alzheimer's Disease, or AD, Patients: A Regenerative Therapeutic Strategy." "Recent further analyses of pre-specified cohort results revealed clear evidence of Bryostatin therapeutic efficacy for advanced AD patients. Analyses of treatment benefit, based on mean differences and as a function of successive dosing in the Company's two previous, separate clinical studies, used each patient as his / her own control in both treatment and placebo groups. While these separate analyses showed treatment benefit, the combined groups in a pooled analysis conducted here produced a highly significant statistical separation of the Bryostatin treatment group from the placebo group. Consolidation of identically enrolled and treated patients in the two clinical trials increased the power of pre-specified Treatment and Placebo groups with the resulting separation. This integrated data analysis provides further encouragement that Bryostatin can make a clinically meaningful difference for treating the underlying pathology and cognitive deterioration of AD - as is now being tested in an NIH-sponsored, six-month clinical trial, incorporating lessons learned from the two previous pilot studies. This potential efficacy involved significant improvement over baseline, not only reduction in the rate of cognitive decline," commented Daniel Alkon, President and Chief Scientific Officer.

09:16 EDT CarLotz opens first hub in Colorado - CarLotz announced it has opened its first hub in Colorado. Located at 8120 West Tufts Avenue, the hub will serve guests throughout the greater Denver community and beyond. "I am thrilled the day is here that guests in the Mile-High city are able to experience CarLotz's one-of-a-kind consignment-to-retail model," said Michael Bor, Co-Founder and CEO of CarLotz. "Our expansion into the Southern Rockies coupled with our recent announcement about our planned opening in Las Vegas means we are closer to creating the world's best buying and selling experience for our guests," Bor continued. CarLotz continues its expansion, providing its full offerings to guests in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington State as well as Georgia and Missouri, coming soon.

09:15 EDT Fabletics introduces resale program powered by threadUP's resale-as-a-service - Fabletics and ThredUp announced that thredUP will power resale for Fabletics through its Resale-as-a-Service platform. The deal marks Fabletics' entry into the resale ecosystem and provides consumers with an easy and sustainable way to refresh their closets and extend the life of clothes. "We're delighted that Fabletics has chosen thredUP's Resale-as-a-Service to power their first resale experience, enabling their members to responsibly clean out and refresh their closets," said Pooja Sethi, Senior Vice President and General Manager of RaaS. "Thirty-three million Americans thrifted for the first time in 2020. We believe by helping brands like Fabletics enter the resale ecosystem that we can widen that reach, keep even more clothes in circulation, and further our mission to inspire a new generation of consumers to think secondhand first." Fabletics will offer thredUP Clean Out Kits to their members both online and in-store. Members fill their Clean Out Kits with apparel, shoes, and accessories from any brand and ship them to thredUP for free. thredUP pays the seller for items that meet quality standards and can be sold in the form of Fabletics credits, which are automatically added to the seller's Fabletics account and can be redeemed online or in-store for up to 12 months. Fabletics VIP members also receive 50 VIP reward points. In addition, thredUP sellers can turn earned thredUP credit into Fabletics credit, with a value that is 15% higher than the cash payment option.

09:13 EDT Usio reports Q2 credit card dollars processed up 55% - Second Quarter Processing Results: Credit Card Dollars Processed + 55%; Credit Card Transactions Processed + 100%; Prepaid Card Load Volume + 65%; Prepaid Card Transaction Volume + 63%. More ACH transactions were processed in the second quarter of 2021 than any previous quarter in the company's history. Total Dollars processed in the second quarter of 2021 were $2.73 billion, topping the previous all-time record of $1.87 billion that was set in first quarter of 2021. Finally, Card Processing, including PayFac, set another all-time record for both transactions and dollars processed. Louis Hoch, President and Chief Executive Officer of Usio, said, "This is our third consecutive quarter of record electronic payments and dollar transaction processing volume. ACH electronic check dollars processed almost quadrupled this quarter, while electronic check transactions, return check transactions and card transactions processed all doubled, at least. These results illustrate that we are on a rapid growth trajectory. Our success is built on our strategy to invest in our high growth PayFac platform, target fast growing markets such as cryptocurrency and FinTech lending while maintaining our diversity strategy, and leverage the relationships we've developed with over 100 governmental and charitable organizations through our Prepaid card division. The Usio franchise has never been stronger, and we are committed to extending our leadership by continuing to innovate and deliver value to the markets we serve. The company will report record financial metrics for the second quarter of 2021."

09:13 EDT Ribbon Communications announces selection by Rogers for 400G technology - Ribbon Communications (RBBN) announced that Rogers Communications (RCI) has selected Ribbon's "industry-leading optical networking solution to upgrade its transport network." Ribbon said: "Rogers is one of the first tier-one North American service providers to leverage DWDM 400G ZR+ technology, which supports multiple 400 Gigabits-per-second connections for increased capacity across its national footprint." Sam Bucci, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Ribbon's IP Optical Networks Business Unit, added: "We are delighted that Rogers saw the differentiation in our solutions and entrusted Ribbon with this strategic rollout. Our Optical Transport solution enables Rogers to help future-proof their network and extend their leadership in 5G services deployment across Canada."

09:11 EDT Generex's Olaregen announces Nexgen has gained approval for Excellagen - Generex Biotechnology's subsidiary Olaregen Therapeutix announced in May that the company has executed a Distribution Agreement with Nexgen Medical Sdn Bhd to be Generex's exclusive distributor to import, market and sell the Excellagen line of wound care products in Malaysia pending their Ministry of Health's approval. We are pleased to announce that Nexgen did, in fact, receive The Malaysian Ministry of Health approval. Nexgen has committed to purchasing 1,000 units of Excellagen in year one, with an initial purchase of 500 units 0.8cc syringes of Excellagen. We plan to support our Partners roll out plan as we embark on our previously announced restart with our manufacturing which was completed, and we now await our fill finish & packaging to support our VA rollout as well as Nexgen.

09:09 EDT NeuroMetrix announces publication of trial of its neurostimulation technology - NeuroMetrix announced a publication titled "Effects of Wearable Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on Fibromyalgia: A Randomized Controlled Trial" in the Journal of Pain Research. The article reports an intention-to-treat analysis of a double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial that compared 3-months of at-home treatment with a standard or low dose Quell device in 119 subjects with fibromyalgia.

09:09 EDT ThredUP to acquire Remix Global AD - ThredUp announced the initial phase of its international expansion strategy by entering into a definitive agreement to acquire Remix Global AD, one of Europe's leading fashion resale companies. The acquisition will accelerate thredUP's growth plans in Europe, where the secondhand market was estimated to be $21B in 2020 and is expected to grow to $39B by 2025. The news comes on the heels of strong domestic growth for thredUP and Resale-as-a-Service expansion, including new deals with Vera Bradley, FARFETCH, LG, and Madewell. The acquisition will accelerate thredUP's growth plans in Europe. Goodwin Procter LLP and Kinstellar are acting as legal advisors to thredUP.

09:08 EDT CBAK Energy Technology to acquire majority stake in Zhejiang Meidu Hitrans - CBAK Energy Technology announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Dalian CBAK Power Battery Co., has entered into a framework agreement to acquire a majority stake in Zhejiang Meidu Hitrans Lithium Battery Technology, a lithium-ion battery material supplier in China. CBAK Power will acquire 81.56% of the equity interests of Hitrans currently held by Zhejiang Meidu Graphene Technology Co. and Hitrans's management shareholders for an aggregate consideration of approximately approximately $24.5M. The transaction is subject to certain closing conditions, and CBAK Power aims to complete the acquisition in the third quarter. Hitrans was established in December 2015 to engage in the research and development, production, as well as sales of ternary precursors and anode materials. Additionally, Hitrans was one of the key suppliers of the company in fiscal 2020. Through the acquisition, the company expects to further strengthen its supply chain and competitiveness in the high-power lithium battery market.

09:07 EDT Anghami announces sponsorship of MIDiA Research report - Ahead of its historic listing on NASDAQ New York via proposed merger with Vistas Media Acquisition Company, a special purpose acquisition company (VMAC), Anghami, the Middle East and North Africa's largest music platform, announced today that it has sponsored MIDiA Research's new report, Local Sounds, Global Cultures MENA Music Market Opportunity. MIDiA Research is a go-to source of market research, working with corporate sponsors to publish independent analysis of addressable markets and their dynamics. The report, authored by Srishti Das and Kriss Thakrar, highlights key trends in the music streaming market in the MENA region, including: With global music subscribers set to exceed half a billion by end 2021 and nearing saturation in developed markets, the industry focus has shifted to the next billion users. Emerging markets are acquiring unprecedented importance, representing the most likely source of strong streaming growth just when the newly-listed record labels need a growth narrative for investors. Between 2017 and 2020, the U.S. and Europe reduced their share of global streaming revenues from 76% to 73% as other regions outgrew them. This shift will continue to accelerate. MENA, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Rest of World will account for 73% of global subscriber growth between 2020 and 2028, growing subscriber share from 46% to 59% over the same period. In emerging markets, local players are in a better position to associate themselves with local independent music, being better positioned to take the lead when it comes to local repertoire. Local streaming services will have a better understanding of local habits and values, allowing them to cater to diverse populations within one market. Through pricing and product, local services are catering to very local behaviors. This gives them a differentiated dynamic that is hard for global players to compete with, unless they commit to large local music teams on the ground. Local players find themselves in a position where they can dilute the homogeneity of the global streaming services through focus on local cultural diversity and local talent. They will all continue to grow at different rates and continue to provide new culture, content and opportunities to the global music market. More streaming success stories are to come from the emerging markets.

09:06 EDT Qualys announces contract with DHS - Qualys announced it has secured a contract to provide its FedRAMP-authorized Cloud Platform to assist the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation, or CDM, Dynamic and Evolving Federal Enterprise Network Defense, or DEFEND, Group F program. The Qualys Cloud Platform will provide 70+ non-cabinet level federal agencies with scalable, holistic and continuous vulnerability assessment, configuration settings management, software and hardware asset management, and dynamic application security testing. The solution is being delivered through a large federal system integrator and Qualys' federal distributor Carahsoft Technology Corp.

09:05 EDT Nokia, Export Development Canada announce expanded global partnership - Nokia and Export Development Canada announced an expanded global partnership aimed at investments in 5G and the next generation network infrastructure for global deployment. EDC, a Crown corporation dedicated to helping Canadian companies of all sizes succeed on the world stage, will deploy a full suite of finance and insurance solutions to help Nokia and Nokia Canada compete and win business, while enabling companies around the world to build out their network infrastructure and enable greater broadband access. The agreement will also focus on introducing innovative Canadian companies to Nokia to help deepen the Canadian supply chain. Under EDC's new Global Corporate Partnership program, the expanded partnership will help Nokia sustain and grow its leading-edge Canadian R&D facility to further develop the ecosystem of suppliers and solution partners. EDC will also assist in advancing Nokia's community and social initiatives in Canada. Examples include collaboration on efforts to close the gender gap in tech and working with EDC's inclusive trade group to support indigenous trade. Nokia has a key presence in Canada and is delivering positive impact on Canadian employment, investment, and overall value creation. One of Nokia's largest R&D sites globally is in Ottawa, Ontario, and employs more than 2,300 people in high-tech jobs and its university co-op program employs 400 students from across the country.

09:04 EDT Stereotaxis appoints Myriam Curet to board of directors - Stereotaxis (STXS) announced the appointment of Myriam Curet, M.D., to its board of directors. Curet currently serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Intuitive Surgical (ISRG), the global leader and pioneer of robotic surgery.

09:03 EDT STMicroelectronics says Bouskoura to use 50% renewable energy sources by 2022 - As part of its action plan to achieve carbon-neutrality by 2027, STMicroelectronics announcedthat its Bouskoura site in Morocco will procure 50% of its energy from renewable sources by 2022 compared to 1 % in 2020. STMicroelectronics has been present in Bouskoura for over 20 years with a back-end plant which employs 2,800 people. The site has developed several programs over the last few years to reduce its indirect greenhouse gas emissions and augment the use of renewable energy sources: The purchase of electrical power generated by wind farm: the electricity of 12 wind turbines produced by InnoVent in North Morocco will be fed into Morocco's national power grid and then, purchased by ST. Located in Oualidia - El Jadida in northwest Morocco, near the Atlantic Ocean, the 10-hectare wind farm built by InnoVent, a company specialized in the development and operation of wind and solar farms in France and Africa, started producing electricity on March 2021 and will reach its full capacity of 36 MW at the end of the year. With annual output expected to reach more than 80 gigawatt-hours of green energy, the wind farm should contribute to reduce the Bouskoura facility's CO2 emissions by about 60,000 metric tons per year - or the amount of carbon captured by planting 1,100,000 trees. Solar power generation. In December 2019, ST Bouskoura set up a solar carport, with 2,400 solar panels providing peak power of 672 kilowatts and spanning some 4,000 square meters. With annual production of more than 1 gigawatt-hour of photovoltaic energy, this program reduces the site's annual CO2 emissions by nearly 740 metric tons. The solar energy from this carport provides some of Bouskoura's own power needs, to complement the power supplied by the wind farm. Replacement of conventional light bulbs by LED lighting for the entire site. Kicked off in September 2020, this program will reduce the site's annual power consumption by 1.3 GWh.

09:02 EDT iHeartMedia announces multiyear exclusive agreement with Sports Illlustrated - iHeartMedia announced a multi-year exclusive agreement to co-produce eight original podcasts with sports media brand Sports Illustrated and newly formed joint venture Sports Illustrated Studios. The iHeartPodcast Network will distribute all eight original titles as well as distribute Sports Illustrated's existing podcasts across iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard. Additionally, mutual marketing and promotion commitments will apply to all joint projects. Two of the eight original podcasts are scheduled to launch by Q1 2022. The Sports Illustrated podcast slate will be distributed by the iHeartPodcast Network which is home to more than 750 original podcasts with over 250M downloads each month.

09:00 EDT McKesson increases dividend 12% to 47c per share - The board of directors of McKesson declared a regular dividend of 47c per share of common stock, a 12% increase from 42c per share in the prior quarter. The dividend will be payable on October 1 to stockholders of record on September 1.

08:44 EDT Inhibikase receives FDA clearance for Phase 1b extension study of IkT-148009 - Inhibikase Therapeutics announced that, after a review of safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetic data from the Company's Phase 1 clinical trial of IkT-148009 in healthy volunteers, the FDA has given the Company clearance to begin a Phase 1b extension study to evaluate its lead drug candidate IkT-148009 in Parkinson's patients. The randomized Phase 1 study investigated the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of IkT-148009 in healthy volunteers aged 45 to 70 years old, with the objective of evaluating the safety, tolerability and the PK profile of IkT-148009 in single and multiple ascending dose settings. Forty-two patients were dosed with IkT-148009 between 12.5 and 100 mg with no clinically significant adverse events reported. High drug exposures were achieved in this dose range and were consistent with exposures observed in animal efficacy studies of inherited and sporadic progressive Parkinson's disease. Following the review, the Agency met with the Company on July 22, 2021, and granted the company permission to begin evaluation of IkT-148009 in Parkinson's patients.

08:43 EDT Champions Oncology enters drug discovery and development space - Champions Oncology announced an expansion of its corporate strategy as they unveil their entry into the drug discovery and development space. Champions is organized as a dynamic ecosystem of business units centered around a world leading oncology research center that is based off a unique & proprietary set of data and experimental platforms. The corporate composition of the company includes three business units the foundational Research Services Business, the recently launched Research Software Business with its flagship product, Lumin Bioinformatics, and the newly announced Discovery and Innovation Business.he rollout of the discovery and innovation business is the natural evolution for Champions as it continues to unlock the value contained within the rare dataset that has been amassed over the past twelve years. The tumor bank, and the dataset that has been derived, are unique for several reasons. First, unlike most other tumor models used in research, Champions' PDX models are highly representative of tumors present within a clinical setting.

08:42 EDT Genetic Technologies appoints Carl Stubbings as CCO - The Company has recently appointed Carl Stubbings to the role of Chief Commercial Officer. Carl rounds out the leadership team for GTG with considerable experience commercialising diagnostic products. Based in the USA for 13 years, he served as Senior Vice President for Panbio USA Ltd and Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for Focus Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics, one of the world's largest pathology laboratories. More recently he was Chief Operating Officer of ASX listed BARD1 Life Sciences having successfully facilitated the merger with Sienna Cancer Diagnostics as its CEO and Managing Director.

08:41 EDT Staffing 360 Solutions receives full forgiveness of $19.4M PPP loans - Staffing 360 Solutions announced it will host a conference call to report its fiscal second quarter and six-month financial results on Thursday, August 12, 2021 at 9:00 am Eastern Time to discuss financial results. During the call, management will discuss: Recent full forgiveness of the entire $19.4M in Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, loans made to the company by the Small Business Administration; materially improved balance sheet with a cumulative debt reduction of 70.4% in the past twelve months; the 70.4% debt reduction includes the redemption feature triggered by the release of $2.08M that had been held in escrow since the FirstPRO sale to redeem Series G Preferred and approximately $5M paid July 23, 2021 towards the outstanding note due September 30, 2022; and year-over-year revenue and gross profit growth.

08:39 EDT WSFS Financial receives OCC approval to merger with Bryn Mawr Bank - WSFS Financial (WSFS), the parent company of WSFS Bank, announced it received approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, or OCC, to merge with Bryn Mawr Bank (BMTC). Subject to the remaining regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other conditions, the parties expect to close the merger in the fourth quarter of 2021. The projected system conversion and Bank rebranding is scheduled to occur in January 2022. "We are pleased to receive this timely approval of our merger application from the OCC," said Rodger Levenson, WSFS' Chairman, President and CEO. "Our highly engaged teams at Bryn Mawr and WSFS are working collaboratively designing and implementing our integration plans and we look forward to a smooth conversion for our Associates and Customers in the upcoming months."

08:38 EDT INmune Bio announces design of upcoming Phase 2 AD clinical trial - INmune Bio announced the design of its upcoming Phase 2 clinical trial of XProTM in patients diagnosed with mild Alzheimer's disease, or AD. The announcement is accompanied by the release of additional biomarker data from the Phase 1b AD trial that shows improvement in white matter that degenerate in AD patients. Using a novel MRI metric called Apparent Fiber Density, or AFD, patients treated with 1 mg/kg of XProTM had increased AFD in 34 out of 35 white matter tracts. The largest improvements were within tracts impacted by Alzheimer's disease, including the Arcuate Fasciculus, where an improvement of 10% was observed by three months, an effect that persisted and increased through the last timepoint measured, nine months. "In the Phase 1b study, we demonstrated XProTM significantly decreased biomarkers of neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's patients. The data suggest that decreasing neuroinflammation results in significant improvements in biomarkers of neurodegeneration and white matter," stated RJ Tesi, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of INmune Bio. "The upcoming Phase 2 trial is designed to answer one question: if you decrease neuroinflammation and improve white matter biology in patients with mild AD, does that benefit cognition in patients with Alzheimer's disease? We believe this trial will answer that question, and we look forward to data in 2H2023." The Phase 2 study is a six-month, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial in 168 patients with mild AD who exhibit biomarkers of inflammation. The primary endpoint will examine cognition using the Early AD/MCI Alzheimer's Cognitive Composite. Multiple secondary endpoints of cognition, function, and biology will also be measured. Approximately 50 centers in North America and Australia will be opened to enroll patients.

08:36 EDT Skye Bioscience appoints Praveen Tyle to board of directors - Skye Bioscience has appointed Praveen Tyle, Ph.D., as an independent director to the Company's board. Tyle is currently President & CEO and a director of Invectys, Inc, an immuno-oncology company spun out of the world-renowned Pasteur Institute.

08:35 EDT Cassava Sciences announces data with SavaDX from Phase 2b study of simufilam - Cassava Sciences announced positive clinical data with SavaDx, an investigational diagnostic/biomarker to detect Alzheimer's disease with a simple blood test. SavaDx was used to measure plasma levels of altered filamin A before and after simufilam treatment in patients with Alzheimer's disease. In this Phase 2b randomized, controlled trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, simufilam significantly reduced plasma levels of altered filamin A in Alzheimer's patients treated for 28 days. Plasma levels of p-tau181 also dropped significantly in these same patients. Simufilam 100 mg and 50 mg reduced plasma levels of altered filamin A by 48% and 44% respectively, versus placebo. Additionally, simufilam 100 mg and 50 mg reduced plasma levels of p-tau181 by 17% and 15% respectively, versus placebo. Plasma p-tau181 is a biomarker that is known to be elevated in Alzheimer's disease. Treatment effects on CSF biomarkers for this Phase 2b study have been previously reported.

08:34 EDT Beckman Coulter to distribute BNP cardiac assay to customers - Beckman Coulter announced that it has entered into definitive agreements with Quidel to obtain all rights related to the manufacture, distribution, and sale of a BNP assay for Beckman Coulter analyzers. Under the terms of the agreements, Quidel will continue to manufacture and supply certain components to Beckman Coulter related to the assay, and Beckman Coulter will exclusively manufacture and sell to customers the BNP assay currently sold as TRIAGE BNP by Quidel, under the brand name Access BNP. In addition, the agreements fully resolve disputes and ongoing litigation between Beckman Coulter and Quidel. Beckman Coulter will supply Access BNP globally through the company's distribution channels and will partner with Quidel to transition customers, globally, to Access BNP over the coming months. The schedule per country will be based on local regulations with the United States and some other countries transitioning first. Quidel will cease distribution of the BNP assay after a transition period.

08:33 EDT Willis Towers Watson increases share repurchase program by $1B - Willis Towers Watson announced that its Board of Directors approved an increase of $1 billion to its existing share repurchase program, which has approximately $500 million remaining on the current open-ended repurchase authority. Willis Towers Watson is authorized to repurchase shares, by way of redemption, and will consider whether to do so from time to time, based on many factors, including market and economic conditions, applicable legal requirements and other business considerations. Willis Towers Watson anticipates utilizing this authorization in 2021 and 2022. The share repurchase program has no termination date and may be suspended or discontinued at any time. Willis Towers Watson also expects to utilize the significant capital generated by cash flow from operating and non-operating activities to, among other things, increase its investment in organic and inorganic growth opportunities over the next three years. To discuss the above and to update investors on other important strategic matters, Willis Towers Watson plans to host an Investor Day on September 9, 2021. Specific details for that event will be announced at a later date.

08:32 EDT Green Plains completes debt refinancing - Green Plains Partners LP (GPP) and Green Plains Inc. (GPRE) announced the partnership's debt facility was purchased by funds and accounts managed by BlackRock and was converted into a $60.0 million term loan facility maturing in 2026. The loan facility became effective on July 20, 2021. The $60.0 million term loan facility will mature on July 20, 2026. The loan is secured by substantially all of the assets of the partnership.

08:27 EDT Norwegian Cruise Line announces first sailing in 500 days - Norwegian Cruise Line announced Norwegian Jade set sail from Athens as the first ship in the company's fleet to relaunch since cruises halted in March 2020. This voyage set sail with a fully vaccinated population onboard in addition to multiple layers of preventative protocols, including universal COVID-19 testing immediately prior to boarding, as part of the company's robust, science-backed SailSAFE health and safety program. To resume cruising in the safest way possible in the current public health environment, the company has a consistent 100% vaccination policy* for all voyages across its three brands to protect its guests, crew and communities visited. The company has announced its phased relaunch plans for all 28 ships across its three brands which began with Norwegian Jade in July and continues through April 2022. The first cruise to commence in the United States is scheduled on August 7, 2021 aboard Norwegian Encore sailing to Alaska from Seattle. All initial voyages will operate with the company's SailSAFE health and safety protocols which were developed with leading public health and scientific experts including the Healthy Sail Panel and the SailSAFE Global Health and Wellness Council. The company's SailSAFE protocols will be continuously evaluated and modified with the latest science and technology.

08:25 EDT Newport Merger announces consent solicitation for New Home Company senior notes - Newport Merger Sub, an affiliate of certain investment funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc. (APO), announced that it has commenced a solicitation of consents from holders of The New Home Company Inc.'s 7.250% Senior Notes due 2025 to certain proposed amendments to the Indenture, dated as of October 28, 2020, by and among The New Home Company Inc. (NWHM), the guarantors party thereto and U.S. Bank National Association as trustee, as supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture dated as of February 24, 2021, the Second Supplemental Indenture dated as of March 9, 2021, the Officer's Certificate dated as of February 24, 2021 and by the Global Security for the 7.250% Senior Notes due 2025, as further amended or supplemented. The Consent Solicitation is being conducted in connection with the previously announced merger agreement, pursuant to which, among other things, Newport Holdings, LLC, the parent of Merger Sub, has agreed to acquire The New Home Company. The Merger would constitute a "Change of Control" under the Notes. The proposed amendments would eliminate the requirement for The New Home Company to make a "Change of Control Offer" with respect to the Notes in connection with the Merger and would make certain other customary changes for a privately-held company to the "Change of Control" provisions in the Notes. Holders of Notes who validly consent to the proposed amendments as part of the Consent Solicitation on or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on August 3, 2021, will be eligible to receive a consent fee of $2.50 in cash for each $1,000 in principal amount of Notes for which consents are received on or prior to the Consent Date. Approval of the proposed amendments requires consents from the holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes, excluding any Notes owned by The New Home Company or any of its affiliates. Upon receipt of the Requisite Consents, The New Home Company and the Trustee will execute the third supplemental indenture setting forth the proposed amendments, and the proposed amendments will become operative upon Merger Sub providing notice to the information and tabulation agent that it will pay the consent fee. Except in certain limited circumstances, consents delivered pursuant to the Consent Solicitation may not be withdrawn or revoked after the Requisite Consents are received and the third supplemental indenture is executed. The deadline to revoke consents shall be no earlier than one business day after the filing of The New Home Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2021.

08:22 EDT Ensysce Biosciences appoint Kovacs as VP Public Policy, Tanzer as VP Development - Ensysce Biosciences (ENSC) has appointed David Kovacs to the new position of VP Public Policy and David Tanzer to the new position of VP Strategic Development, both effective July 22, 2021. Kovacs joins Ensysce from his prior role as Head of Public Policy for Humanigen (HGEN). Kovacs currently serves in various roles for public companies, including Vinco Ventures (BBIG) and AudioEye. (AEYE). Tanzer has 25 years of diverse experience in the healthcare and media sectors, including as CEO or President of eight companies, service on nine company boards, and working at private equity firms. Tanzer previously was President of PDR Network, publisher of the Physicians' Desk Reference, the authoritative source of drug safety information for prescribers.

08:18 EDT VSE Corp. acquires Global Parts Group for $38M in cash - VSE Corp. announced that it has acquired privately held Global Parts Group in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $38M, subject to customary working capital adjustments. Global Parts' workforce operates from its distribution and MRO center of excellence in Augusta, Kansas. This transaction provides VSE access to Global Parts' more than 3,000 small- and medium-sized business jet customers, representing more than 100 platforms. VSE Aviation expects to generate meaningful revenue opportunities as both new and existing business jet customers leverage the full breadth of combined repair and distribution capabilities. Global Parts generated approximately $65M in total revenue in 2020. This transaction is immediately accretive to VSE's Aviation segment.

08:17 EDT Universe Pharmaceuticals hosts reception for group from Tianjin University - Universe Pharmaceuticals announced the Company hosted a reception on July 20, 2021 for Mr. Boli Zhang, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and a group of experts from Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Representatives from the local government also attended the reception, including Mr. Zhibin Liu, deputy mayor of Ji'an City, and Mr. Runjin Peng, head of Ji'an County. Mr. Boli Zhang and the experts visited the Company's production facilities, and Mr. Gang Lai, Chairman and CEO of the Company, introduced the Company's core product, Guben Yanling Pill during the reception. Mr. Boli Zhang and the experts thought highly of the Company's achievements in bringing health benefits to people and society.

08:15 EDT LMP Automotive to acquire Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership - LMP Automotive Holdings announced its entry into a definitive acquisition agreement for a Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership in New York, along with the associated real estate, generating approximately $80 million in annualized revenue and $2.6 million in adjusted EBITDA. Expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year. Purchase price of approximately $11 million for goodwill and $8.2 million for the associated real estate expected to be funded through a combination of cash on LMP's balance sheet, $5.6 million in common stock and debt financing. Expected to add approximately $2.6 million in adjusted EBITDA or $0.26 per share in 2022. Sam Tawfik, LMP's Chief Executive Officer, stated, "This acquisition, combined with our previously announced acquisitions, would bring LMP's total franchise and dealership count to 26 and 22, respectively, with consolidated annualized revenue, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA per share run rate expected to be approximately $1.3 billion, $85 million, and $7.82, respectively."

08:13 EDT Verb Technology to introduce AI capability to lineup of sales tools - Verb Technology Company announced that it is introducing AI capabilities to its sales enablement platform. The new feature set called "Pulse" is the first iteration of VERB's artificial intelligence initiatives designed to make it easy for anyone to sell, giving pros and newbies alike a real competitive advantage. The new feature will be available in August 2021. Designed by sales people for sales people, Pulse helps automate management of their customer relationships and interactions. Based on prior activities and behavior, Pulse guides users through behavior-driven prompts, reminders, and suggested actions for specific customers. Pulse also provides a variety of activity-based reports that offer insights on first-time orders, upcoming or cancelled shipments, and active or inactive customers. Pulse suggests tasks that will deliver the most timely customer interactions, such as following up now, setting reminders for later, or quickly connecting with inactive customers on new products or samples to get them re-engaged. Users can leverage the interactive video-based communication tools in verbCRM and verbTEAMS for personalized messages to customers or utilize pre-written messages with suggested content based on the recommended action. Additionally, Pulse offers a dashboard view of sales team members that provides insights for sales team management.

08:12 EDT Intec Israel plans to effect a 1-for-4 reverse share split - In connection with the Decoy Merger, Intec Israel plans to effect a 1-for-4 reverse share split of its outstanding ordinary shares for the purpose of meeting Nasdaq's initial listing requirements. Upon effectiveness of the reverse share split, every four shares of Intec Israel's outstanding ordinary shares will be combined into one ordinary share. In addition, proportionate adjustments will be made to the exercise prices and number of underlying shares of Intec Israel's outstanding options and warrants and to the number of shares issuable under Intec Israel's existing option plans. Following completion of the reverse share split, Intec Israel plans to effect a domestication merger whereby Domestication Merger Sub Ltd., an Israeli company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intec US, will merge with and into Intec Israel with Intec Israel being the surviving entity and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Intec US. In connection with the Domestication Merger, all of Intec Israel's ordinary shares outstanding immediately prior to the Domestication Merger will convert, on a one-for-one basis, into shares of common stock of Intec US, par value $0.01 per share, and all options and warrants to purchase Intec Israel's ordinary shares outstanding immediately prior to the Domestication Merger will be exchanged for equivalent securities of Intec US. Intec Israel will continue to possess all of its assets, rights, powers and property as constituted immediately prior to the Domestication Merger and it will continue to be subject to all of its debts, liabilities and obligations as constituted immediately prior to the Domestication Merger. Both the reverse share split and Domestication Merger will take place prior to completion of the private placement and Decoy Merger. The reverse share split is scheduled to become effective after trading closes on July 26, 2021 and the Domestication Merger is scheduled to enter into effect prior to market open on July 27, 2021. Following the reverse share split and Domestication Merger, Intec US will begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market instead of Intec Israel at the commencement of trading on July 27, 2021 under Intec Israel's existing symbol "NTEC" but with a new CUSIP number (45828B 100).

08:10 EDT 17EdTech expects new regulations to have 'material adverse impact' - 17 Education & Technology Group announced that, on July 24, 2021, China's official state media, including Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television, announced the Opinions on Further Alleviating the Burden of Homework and After-School Tutoring for Students in Compulsory Education, issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council. The Opinion contains high-level policy directives about requirements and restrictions related to the compulsory education system in China, as well as online and offline after-school tutoring services, including, among others, institutions providing after-school tutoring services on academic subjects in China's compulsory education system, or Academic AST Institutions, need to be registered as non-profit; changing the current registration-based regime for operating online Academic AST Institutions to a government approval-based regime, alleviating the amount of homework that students are required to complete, foreign ownership in Academic AST Institutions is prohibited, including through contractual arrangements, and companies with existing foreign ownership need to rectify the situation; listed companies are prohibited from raising capital to invest in businesses that teach academic subjects in compulsory education; Academic AST Institutions are prohibited from providing tutoring services on academic subjects in compulsory education during public holidays, weekends and school breaks; and Academic AST Institutions must follow the fee standards to be established by relevant authorities. The Opinion also provides that institutions providing after-school tutoring services on academic subjects in high schools shall take into consideration the Opinion when conducting activities. The Company will continue to comply with all applicable rules and regulations in providing educational services, including those rules and regulations to be adopted following the policy directives of the Opinion. The Company is carefully considering the provisions of the Opinion and assessing their implications for the Company's business. The Company expects the Opinion, related rules and regulations, and the compliance measures to be taken by the Company will have a material adverse impact on the Company's results of operations and prospect. The Company will proactively seek guidance from and cooperate with government authorities in connection with its efforts to comply with the Opinion and any related rules and regulations.

08:08 EDT Silicon Labs completes divestiture of Infrastructure & Automotive unit - Silicon Labs (SLAB) announced the completion of the divestiture of its Infrastructure & Automotive business to Skyworks Solutions (SWKS) for $2.75B in an all-cash asset transaction. Silicon Labs expects to utilize a significant portion of the net proceeds of approximately $2.3B after taxes and transaction costs to return approximately $2B to shareholders through a combination of special dividends and/or share repurchases.

08:07 EDT Xometry appoints Ranjana Clark to board of directors - Xometry announced the recent appointment of Ranjana Clark to its Board of Directors. Clark, the Head of Global Transaction Banking, Head of Transaction Banking Americas, and Bay Area President of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, will provide counsel to Xometry on payments and business strategies, as the company disrupts and transforms the $260B manufacturing industry.

08:06 EDT Missfresh partners with Mengniu Dairy - MissFresh and Mengniu Dairy have partnered to offer the full range of Mengniu's 70 high-quality dairy products to bring more choices to MissFresh app and WeChat Mini Program users. At the product and supply chain level, Mengniu has established strategic cooperation with MissFresh to supply its full range of products including milk, yogurt, ice cream, and other beverages.

08:06 EDT Bed Bath & Beyond announces partnership with Ryder - Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) announced the next step in its transformation, which is modernizing and reinventing its supply chain to significantly improve merchandise replenishment. Through a strategic partnership with Ryder System (R), Ryder will develop and operate two regional distribution centers that will reduce product replenishment times to Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy BABY stores to less than 10 days from the current 35 days, thereby improving the customer experience. This partnership with Ryder underscores Bed Bath & Beyond's ongoing progress with its supply chain initiatives, as the company last October announced plans to allocate $250M of capital investments in its reinvention of this critical business area over the next several years.

08:05 EDT PolarityTE submits IND to FDA for SkinTE - PolarityTE announced the submission of an investigational new drug application to the United States Food and Drug Administration seeking authorization to commence a clinical trial to evaluate its SkinTE product for the proposed indication of treatment of chronic cutaneous ulcers. SkinTE is PolarityTE's human cellular and tissue-based product derived from a patient's own skin. PolarityTE included in its IND submission data accumulated when SkinTE was used clinically and sold commercially from 2017-2021 pursuant to FDA's stated period of enforcement discretion for certain human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products under Section 361 of the Public Health Service Act . Five separate clinical trials and multiple published case series additionally serve as the basis for PolarityTE to pursue an IND for the clinical evaluation of SkinTE as a potential biologic therapeutic. Prior clinical experience with SkinTE included in the IND was observed in patients with wounds that caused substantial impact to their daily life, were progressing towards permanent morbidity, had no available therapy, were life threatening, and previously failed other treatments. Wounds closed with SkinTE have exhibited significant improvement after SkinTE application . Thus, PolarityTE believes that preliminary clinical evidence suggests SkinTE could ameliorate a number of serious conditions caused by chronic cutaneous ulcers. PolarityTE expects to receive feedback related to this IND submission from the FDA within approximately 30 days. This could result in an accepted IND or, if FDA raises questions regarding certain aspects of the Company's IND, correspondence from FDA after which PolarityTE would work with FDA in an effort to resolve any outstanding issues. The Company plans to take all necessary steps as it works towards achieving an accepted IND and expects to commence its first clinical trial under the IND soon after acceptance by FDA.

08:04 EDT Aon plc, Willis Towers Watson mutually agree to terminate combination pact - Aon plc (AON) and Willis Towers Watson (WLTW) announced that the firms have agreed to terminate their business combination agreement and end litigation with the U.S. Department of Justice. The proposed combination was first announced on March 9, 2020. "Despite regulatory momentum around the world, including the recent approval of our combination by the European Commission, we reached an impasse with the U.S. Department of Justice," said Aon CEO Greg Case. "The DOJ position overlooks that our complementary businesses operate across broad, competitive areas of the economy. We are confident that the combination would have accelerated our shared ability to innovate on behalf of clients, but the inability to secure an expedited resolution of the litigation brought us to this point." In connection with the termination of the business combination agreement, Aon will pay the $1B termination fee to Willis Towers Watson, Willis Towers Watson's proposed scheme of arrangement has now lapsed, and both organizations will move forward independently. Both firms will provide further financial updates and outlooks on their respective Q2 2021 earnings calls, which take place on July 30 for Aon and August 3 for Willis Towers Watson.

08:02 EDT MingZhu Logistics enters into non-binding MOU with Damo Electric Truck - MingZhu Logistics Holdings announced it has entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding, or MOU, with Damo Electric Truck. Under the MOU, Mingzhu will set up a joint venture with DAMO and DAMO will transfer its operating business and all IP it has developed or is currently developing into the JV. MingZhu plans to deploy the next-gen trucks into its expansive existing network, including coal transportation and container transportation within the Yantian International Container Terminals, one of the busiest container terminals in the world. DAMO Electric Truck is a developer dedicated to developing zero-emission automated truck equipped with a single charge range of up to 2,000 km and combined with AI, 5G, automated driving technology, battery technology and micro-turbine generator technology.

07:56 EDT Navios Maritime announces redemption of $100M of senior secured notes - Navios Maritime Holdings announced that on July 23, 2021, the Company completed the redemption of an aggregate principal amount of $100,000,000 of the 11.25% Senior Secured Notes due 2022 at a redemption price equal to 100.00% of the aggregate principal amount thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. All of the redeemed Notes were cancelled. After the redemption, $205,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of Notes remain outstanding.

07:53 EDT Lockheed Martin sees FY21 Aeronautics sales $27.2B-$27.6B - Previous view was $27.375B-$27.77B. Sees FY21 Space sales $11.9B-$12.2B vs. prior $11.875B-$12.175B view. Sees FY21 RMS sales $16.575B-$16.975B vs. prior $16.425B-$16.825B view and MFC sales of $11.625B-$11.925B vs. prior $11.625B-$11.925B view. Sees Aeronautics segment operating profit $2.835B-$2.875B, Space segment operating profit $1.155B-$1.185B, RMS segment operating profit $1.76B-$1.8B and MFC segment operating profit $1.63B-$1.66B. Comments taken from Q2 conference call presentation slides.

07:37 EDT Parsons to lead $935M ceiling effort to maintain Air Base Air Defense systems - Parsons (PSN) is set to lead an industry team to design, mature, procure, integrate, operate, and maintain Air Base Air Defense, or ABAD, systems across the European and African continent areas of responsibility for the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa. The new 10-year, $953M indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity effort will be performed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The Parsons team will focus on the maturation of an all-domain system comprised of commercial off-the-shelf and government off-the-shelf software and hardware technologies with an integrated design to protect existing and future air bases. Parsons touches every aspect of the all-domain battlespace: from space operations to edge computing and full-spectrum cyber; to ground-based command and control systems. The Parsons-led ABAD team includes Leidos (LDOS), Science Applications International (SAIC), SRC, Stellar Solutions, CUBRC, Darkblade, Leonardo, ELTA North America, Capstone Research, and Black River Systems.

07:36 EDT Turning Point Brands acquires Unitabac cigar portfolio, no terms - Turning Point Brands announced that the Company has acquired certain cigar assets of Unitabac . The acquisition is comprised of a robust portfolio of cigarillo products and all related intellectual property, including Cigarillo Non-Tip Homogenized Tobacco Leaf , Rolled Leaf and Natural Leaf Cigarillo Products. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquired brands compete in three core segments: Trivo, Hype and Hi-Fi within the Cigarillo NT HTL segment; Cloud9 within the Natural Leaf Cigarillo segment; and Badlands within the Rolled Leaf segment. These cigars are all Grandfathered Products or subject of Substantial Equivalence Reports in place with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

07:34 EDT Verano Holdings to acquire Sierra Well for $29M - Verano Holdings announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire all of the equity interests of WSCC, Inc., d/b/a Sierra Well, adding two operational dispensaries and an active cultivation and production facility in Nevada along with two real estate properties in Carson City and Reno. Both dispensaries are situated along busy retail corridors and just minutes from their respective city centers. Closing on the transaction is subject to customary conditions, contingencies, and approvals, including regulatory approval. "We've been operating successfully in Nevada since 2017 and have maintained focus on growing our presence in this highly attractive state. Following completion of this accretive transaction, Nevada will become a core market for us. We are pleased to strategically expand our distribution in Nevada while partnering with a like-minded ownership group that has built a profitable business through sound operational management," said George Archos, Verano Founder and CEO. "We look forward to expanding Verano's retail presence into Northern Nevada and bringing our house of premium brands to more patients and consumers in a region that's rife with natural beauty and draws significant tourism from around the country." Upon consummation of the transaction, Sierra Well will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. The purchase price is US$29,000,000, subject to adjustment, implying a 5x 2021 adjusted EBITDA multiple inclusive of real estate, which will be satisfied by the payment of US$5,600,000 in cash and the issuance of up to 1,536,685 Class A subordinate voting shares of the Company. The transaction is expected to close shortly after receipt of all necessary approvals and will include in total two medical cannabis cultivation licenses; two adult-use cultivation licenses; two medical cannabis dispensary licenses; two adult-use dispensary licenses; one medical production license; one adult-use product manufacturing license; and one adult-use distribution license.

07:34 EDT RBC Bearings to acquire DODGE division of Asea Brown Boveri for $2.9B in cash - RBC Bearings announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the DODGE mechanical power transmission division of Asea Brown Boveri for $2.9B in cash. The purchase price represents 16.7x DODGE's adjusted EBITDA for the 12 months ended June 30 or 10.6x to 11.9x adjusted EBITDA when including estimated run-rate synergies. With headquarters in Greenville, South Carolina, DODGE is a manufacturer of mounted bearings and mechanical products. DODGE manufactures a complete line of mounted bearings, enclosed gearing and power transmission components. DODGE primarily operates across the construction and mining aftermarket, food & beverage, warehousing and general machinery verticals, with sales predominately in the Americas. DODGE generated revenue of approximately $617M and adjusted EBITDA of approximately $174M, representing an adjusted EBITDA margin of 28%, for the 12 months ended June 30. The acquisition is anticipated to be immediately accretive to RBC Bearings' cash EPS by approximately 40% to 60% in the first full fiscal year after close. We expect cash EPS to be in the range of $7.00 to $8.00 per share in the first full fiscal year. The acquisition is expected to generate annual pre-tax run-rate synergies of approximately $70M to $100M by FY26. The acquisition is supported by a fully committed bridge facility. Permanent financing is expected to include an appropriate mix of debt and equity, with strong deleveraging expected post-closing. The transaction is expected to close in Q4, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory review.

07:32 EDT Viridian Therapeutics appoints Kirstian Humer as CFO, CBO - Viridian Therapeutics (VRDN) announced the appointment of Kristian Humer as its new Chief Financial Officer, or CFO, and Chief Business Officer, or CBO. Humer spent 20 years on Wall Street, including 14 years as a life science-focused investment banker. He brings significant experience in capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, and partnering to Viridian. Most recently, he served as Managing Director of Banking, Capital Markets & Advisory for the Global Healthcare team at Citigroup (C).

07:31 EDT Penn Virginia announces proposed $400M offering of senior unsecured notes - Penn Virginia Corporation announced that, subject to market conditions and other factors, its indirect, wholly owned subsidiary Penn Virginia Escrow intends to offer $400 million aggregate principal amount of senior unsecured notes due 2026. The gross proceeds of the offering and other funds will initially be deposited in an escrow account pending satisfaction of certain conditions, including the expected consummation of Penn Virginia's merger with Lonestar Resources US on or prior to November 26, 2021. Upon satisfaction of the escrow release conditions, Penn Virginia Holdings will assume the obligations under the Notes, the Escrow Issuer will be merged with and into Holdings, the Notes will be guaranteed by the subsidiaries of Holdings that guarantee its reserve-based revolving credit facility, and the escrowed proceeds relating to the offering of the Notes will be released. Upon the release of the funds from escrow, Penn Virginia intends to use the proceeds from the offering to repay and discharge the long-term debt of Lonestar and to use the remainder, along with cash on hand, to repay Penn Virginia's second lien term loan in full and pay related expenses. If escrow release conditions are not satisfied on or before November 26, 2021, or at any time prior to such date the Lonestar Merger has been terminated or we have decided that we will not pursue the consummation of the Lonestar Merger (or determined that the consummation of the Lonestar Merger is not reasonably likely to be satisfied by such date), then the escrowed funds will be applied to the mandatory redemption of the Notes at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date.

07:25 EDT Agra Ventures intends to consolidate shares - The Company's Board of Directors and executive management team are pleased to announce the intent to complete a share consolidation in the near term. Pursuant to the Name Change and Re-Brand, as well as the previously announced evolution of the Company's competitive strategy, the goal of the Share Consolidation is to simplify the equity component of Agra Ventures' capital structure and accompany the recent improvements made to the liability component. The common share exchange ratio related to the upcoming Share Consolidation is yet to be determined and the Share Consolidation is subject to the approval of the CSE. Each shareholder's percentage ownership of the Company is expected to remain unchanged after the Share Consolidation, except for minor changes resulting from the treatment of any fractional common shares. For clarity, where the upcoming Share Consolidation may result in a shareholder being entitled to a fractional common share, the number of post-Share Consolidation common shares issued to such shareholder are expected to be rounded to the nearest whole number of common shares on a post-Share Consolidation basis.

07:24 EDT Agra Ventures provides cannabis crop harvest update - The timing of the Name Change and Re-Brand coincides with the recently completed harvest of the Company's first crop of cannabis grown over 130,000 square feet at its Delta greenhouse, which is now drying and will soon be tested for potency and prepared for sale. The completed harvest is predominantly comprised of the Mimosa 37 strain of cannabis, with secondary quantities of the Kosher Kush and Gelato strains. Subject to the results of the upcoming potency tests, the Company expects the crop to be valued and sold on a business-to-business basis to a third-party Canadian licensed producer in August. The Company's next crop of cannabis plants is currently being prepared for growth at the Delta facility.

07:20 EDT Questor Technology appoints Ann-Marie Osinski as CFO - Questor Technology announced that it has appointed Ann-Marie Osinski, CPA, CA, as its new CFO and Corporate Secretary effective August 3, 2021. Prior to joining Questor, Ann-Marie was the Senior Financial Consultant for a TSX Venture Exchange Company and an Independent Board member for the Alberta Electric System Operator.

07:18 EDT Digihost Technology, Bit Digital expand collaboration to increase hashrates - Digihost Technology (HSSHF) and Bit Digital (BTBT) announced that the Companies have entered into a second strategic co-mining agreement. Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, Digihost will provide certain premises to Bit Digital for the operation of a 100 MW Bitcoin mining system to be delivered by Bit Digital for a term of two years. This expanded collaboration between Digihost and Bit Digital is expected to facilitate an additional increase in hashrate of approximately 2 EH between the companies, and a total increase in hashrate between the two companies of approximately 2.4 EH including the initial collaboration agreement that was previously announced on June 10, 2021. Under the terms of the Agreement, Digihost will provide power and management services for the operation of the Miners. In consideration for these services, after paying Digihost a competitive rate for power, Digihost and Bit Digital will participate in a profit-sharing arrangement based on a fixed distribution formula. It is expected that the Miners will be delivered and installed beginning in January 2022.

07:16 EDT Apellis announces closing of previously announced exchanges - Apellis Pharmaceuticals announced the closing of its previously announced privately negotiated exchange transactions with certain holders of its 3.500% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026. In the Exchange Transactions, the holders exchanged approximately $201.1 million in aggregate principal amount of Notes and Apellis issued an aggregate of 5,992,217 shares of its common stock.

07:14 EDT uniQure expects cash to fund operations into 1H24 - As of June 30, 2021, the Company's cash position was $677.3 million. The Company expects cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund operations into the first half of 2024, excluding any of the $1.6 billion in future milestones or royalties on net sales the Company may receive under the CSL Behring Agreement. The receipt of approximately $300 million in milestone payments relates to regulatory submissions, first commercial sales and certain development milestones would be expected to extend the cash runway by approximately 18 months.

07:12 EDT Talos Energy estimates Q2 average daily production 66,000M Boe/d - Talos Energy announced preliminary production estimates for the Q2 successful first production from the Company's Tornado Attic well and successful drilling of the Company's Crown and Anchor well. Talos estimates that average daily production for the Q2 was approximately 66,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, or MBoe/d, net, ahead of Company expectations, and was approximately 69% oil and 76% liquids. Estimated realized prices for the quarter, exclusive of hedges, were $64.28/barrel of oil, $22.28/barrel of NGLs and $3.05/mcf of natural gas.Following successful drilling of the Tornado Attic well, announced in June 2021, Talos executed completion operations and achieved first production in mid-July 2021. The well is currently producing above the previously estimated 8-10 MBoe/d range. The Company also increased injection rates in the structurally downdip Tornado injector well and is now injecting at a rate of over 30,000 barrels of water per day into the producing B-6 formation. The project is the first intra-well water flood of its kind in a deepwater subsea environment and is intended to increase overall production and recovery efficiency through the existing subsea producing wells. Talos holds a 65% working interest along with Kosmos Energy.

07:12 EDT Target announces limited-time collaboration with Christian Robinson - Target announced its limited-time-only collaboration with author, illustrator and animator Christian Robinson, who is renowned for his captivating and imaginative illustrations and his best-selling children's books, "You Matter" and "Another." The Christian Robinson for Target collection includes more than 70 items across home, apparel and books for kids and baby that encourage discovery and play. The collection ranges in price from $6-$70, and will be available beginning Sunday, Aug. 15, on Target.com and in most Target stores.

07:11 EDT Virios Therapeutics announces all 41 sites in FM trial enrolling patients - Virios Therapeutics announced that all 41 sites involved in its ongoing 460 patient Phase 2b fibromyalgia, or FM, trial are now fully activated and enrolling patients. This trial builds on the results from the company's previously completed IMC-1 phase 2a FM clinical study. The 143-patient Phase 2a trial demonstrated that VIRI's lead antiviral development candidate, orally administered IMC-1, met its primary endpoint of pain reduction and was statistically better tolerated than placebo. IMC-1 is a novel, proprietary, fixed dose, antiviral therapy combining famciclovir and celecoxib. This dual mechanism antiviral therapy is designed to synergistically suppress Herpes Simplex Virus-1 activation and replication. It is the company's hypothesis that HSV-1 related immune responses can serve as a catalyst for symptoms commonly associated with FM, irritable bowel syndrome and fatigue related disorders. This hypothesis is supported by both clinical and mechanistic data, the latter of which has suggested that HSV-1 is actively replicating in the tissue of patients diagnosed with FM and chronic GI disorders, such as IBS. The company anticipates reporting top line results from the currently enrolling FORTRESS Phase 2b FM trial in mid-2022.

07:09 EDT MediWound announces initiation of Phase I/II study of MW005 - MediWound announced initiation of its phase I/II study of MW005 for the treatment of low-risk Basal Cell Carcinoma. In parallel, an investigator-initiated phase II trial of MW005 in non-melanoma skin cancers is being conducted at the Soroka Medical Center in Israel. MediWound expects that data from both studies will be available by the end of 2021. The phase I/II open-label, randomized clinical study is designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of MW005 in BCC using different schedules of administration, as well as to provide a preliminary evaluation of its efficacy, as measured by the percentage of target lesions with complete histological clearance. The study will enroll up to 32 patients with histologically confirmed superficial or nodular BCC and will be conducted at three leading clinical centers in the United States. The phase II investigator-initiated trial is an open-label study, designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of MW005 in removing non-melanoma skin cancers and pre-cancerous lesions in up to 50 patients.

07:07 EDT Nexstar names Lee Ann Gliha CFO - Nexstar Media announced that Lee Ann Gliha has been named Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer effective August 9. Ms. Gliha will oversee all financial aspects of the Company's business, including internal and external financial reporting, internal audit, compliance and controls, investor relations, and treasury and capital markets functions, and will take a prominent role in strategic planning, business development, and mergers and acquisitions. Ms. Gliha will assume the CFO role from Thomas E. Carter, who was named President and Chief Operating Officer in October 2020 and has served as the Company's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since joining the Company in 2009. Ms. Gliha brings more than 20 years of experience in media, broadcasting, and entertainment investment banking to her new role at Nexstar, serving most recently as a Managing Director at Jefferies LLC., since 2016. Over the course of her career, she has advised a wide range of clients and structured transactions worth more than $90B, primarily in the technology, media, and telecommunications sector, including mergers, acquisitions, divestures, and debt and equity financings. "Lee Ann is an accomplished finance leader who understands the rapidly evolving media ecosystem and brings extensive industry relationships to her new role at Nexstar," said Mr. Carter. "This background will be invaluable to Nexstar's senior management team, Board of Directors, and our experienced finance team, and will be instrumental in advancing our strategic objectives with the goal of further enhancing shareholder value."

07:07 EDT Palantir, U.S to continue to work on Covid-19 vaccine distribution - Palantir announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has renewed its commitment to working with Palantir to support COVID-19 vaccine distribution for another year. Palantir will work with HHS's Office of the Chief Information Officer and provide its software platform to help manage the U.S. COVID-19 vaccine distribution strategy, enable international distribution, and improve the equity and efficacy of vaccine programs. The contract duration is for one year. Palantir's software enables organizations to improve their data-driven decision-making process by integrating disparate data sources into a single common operating picture. Palantir was commissioned in mid-2020 by the Department of Health and Human Services to build Tiberius, a software platform it uses to track vaccine production, distribution, and administration across the United States. For this renewed contract, Palantir will continue to support Tiberius, which gives local, state and federal health officials a comprehensive platform to track vaccine distribution and administration. It will also help U.S. officials facilitate the distribution of American-donated vaccines in an effort to halt the progression of the pandemic worldwide.

07:05 EDT Athenex announces additional licensing agreements for tirbanibulin - Athenex (ATNX) announced that the company has entered into licensing agreements and strategic partnerships with Seqirus, a subsidiary of CSL (CSLLY), and AVIR Pharma for tirbanibulin. Under the terms of the agreements, Seqirus will have an exclusive license to commercialize tirbanibulin in Australia and New Zealand, and AVIR will have an exclusive license to commercialize tirbanibulin in Canada. The addition of these territories enhances the global coverage of the marketing and sales of Klisyri for the treatment of actinic keratosis. Athenex currently has strategic partnerships for tirbanibulin in the U.S., Europe, China, Taiwan, Japan and now also Australia, New Zealand and Canada, among several other territories. In addition to upfront payments and milestone payments, the royalty/transfer prices generally range from 15% to 30% of annual sales across different territories.

07:05 EDT BeiGene announces Brukinsa approved by Health Canada for MCL treatment - BeiGene announced that BRUKINSA or zanubrutinib, has been approved by Health Canada for the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma,MCL, in adult patients who have received at least one prior therapy. This is the second approval for BRUKINSA in Canada, following its initial approval in March 2021 for adult patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia,WM. "BRUKINSA was specifically designed by BeiGene scientists to provide deep and durable responses for patients with hematologic malignancies, while also reducing the frequency of certain off-target side effects seen with first-generation BTK inhibitors. Today's approval in Canada for patients with MCL follows its approval for patients with WM earlier in the year, where Canada was the first country to grant approval for BRUKINSA in patients with WM," said Jane Huang, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Hematology, BeiGene. "We are excited to continue working with patients and physicians in Canada, as well as in other markets, as part of our broad clinical development program for BRUKINSA investigating eight indications in over 25 clinical trials, with more than 3,100 patients participating."

07:03 EDT Iterum: FDA says oral sulopenem NDA cannot be approved in present form - terum Therapeutics announced that it received a Complete Response Letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its New Drug Application for sulopenem etzadroxil/probenecid on July 23, 2021. The CRL provided that the FDA has completed its review of the NDA and has determined that it cannot approve the NDA in its present form. In the CRL, the FDA acknowledged that the Phase 3 SURE-1 clinical trial demonstrated statistical significance in difference in overall response rate of oral sulopenem compared to ciprofloxacin in the ciprofloxacin-resistant population. However, the FDA determined that additional data are necessary to support approval for the treatment of adult women with uncomplicated urinary tract infections caused by designated susceptible microorganisms proven or strongly suspected to be non-susceptible to a quinolone. The FDA recommended that Iterum conduct at least one additional adequate and well-controlled clinical trial, potentially using a different comparator drug. Additionally, the FDA recommended that Iterum conduct further nonclinical investigation to determine the optimal dosing regimen, although the FDA stated that this recommendation does not raise an approvability issue. The FDA indicated its willingness to work with Iterum on the design of the clinical trial to address the deficiencies noted. There were no chemistry, manufacturing or controls issues identified in the CRL, nor were there any safety issues found in over 1,800 patients treated with sulopenem across the Company's clinical development program. Iterum intends to review the CRL with its advisors and plans to request a Type A meeting in the coming weeks. Following the Type A meeting, anticipated to be late in the third quarter, Iterum expects to provide an update on next steps as to the potential additional clinical and non-clinical work to be done prior to a resubmission of the NDA for approval of oral sulopenem.

07:02 EDT CareDx launches ACROBAT study for stem cell patients - CareDx announced the enrollment of the first patient in the Assessing Chimerism and Relapse of Bone marrow/ HCT transplant using AlloHeme Testing, or ACROBAT, study at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. The ACROBAT study is a prospective, multicenter, observational cohort study to evaluate the use of AlloHeme, a microchimerism tool to predict post-transplant relapse in patients with allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplants, also known as bone marrow or stem cell transplants. "We are excited to work with CareDx on the ACROBAT study," said Dr. Ronald Sobecks, Blood and Marrow Transplant Program, Taussig Cancer Institute and Professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. "Although chimerism monitoring after allogeneic HCT has been a standard practice for decades, disease relapse remains the leading cause of treatment failure post-transplant. Further refinements in chimerism monitoring using AlloHeme's higher sensitivity testing with a standardized surveillance protocol may allow for earlier detection of disease relapse. Potential therapeutic interventions may be implemented more readily, which may improve outcomes."

06:47 EDT RPM sees 1H22 performance 'significantly impacted by inflation' - "As mentioned last quarter, a number of macroeconomic factors are creating inflationary and supply pressures on some of our product categories. Due to the lag impact resulting from our FIFO accounting methodology, we expect that our fiscal 2022 first-half performance will be significantly impacted by inflation throughout our P&L, which is currently averaging in the upper-teens. We continue to work to offset these increased costs with incremental MAP to Growth savings and commensurate selling price increases, which we will continue to implement as necessary. More importantly, the limited availability of certain key raw material components is negatively impacting our ability to meet demand. Our largest such challenge for the first half of fiscal 2022 will be in our Consumer Group," stated CEO Sullivan. "Several factors are compressing margins in the segment. First, selling price negotiations took place last spring and material costs have rapidly escalated further since then. Second, insufficient supply of raw materials, several of which are severely constrained due to trucking shortages or force majeure being declared by suppliers, has led to intermittent plant shutdowns and low productivity. Lastly, the Consumer Group has outsourced production in several cases to improve service levels at the expense of margins. In response to these first-half margin challenges, the Consumer Group is cutting costs and working with customers to secure additional price increases. We expect that our other three segments will successfully manage supply challenges to continue their robust top- and bottom-line momentum from the latest quarter into the first half of fiscal 2022."

06:35 EDT Hasbro CEO says 'delivered an excellent second quarter' - "Hasbro delivered an excellent second quarter, with revenues up 54% versus the second quarter of last year and 9% versus pro forma second quarter 2019," said Brian Goldner, Hasbro's chairman and CEO. "Wizards continued to generate outstanding results behind a compelling analog and digital release schedule for MAGIC: THE GATHERING. Consumer products revenue increased as demand remains robust for Hasbro toys and games and entertainment revenue grew as we are producing entertainment with strong deliveries. The Hasbro team is performing at a high level and Supercharging our Brand Blueprint to drive demand for our brands and content slate as we track to our target of double-digit revenue growth for the full-year and position us for profitable growth not just this year but also in future years." "Strength across Hasbro's brands and business backed by strong execution from the entire team drove superb results for our second quarter," said Deborah Thomas, Hasbro's CFO. "As we invest to unlock value from our brands across the blueprint, we are on track to reach our objectives for the year while expanding the reach of our business, reducing debt and paying our dividend. The discipline in our business is evident from the $1.2 billion in cash we had on hand at quarter end, reporting the lowest days sales outstanding in our recent history, and repaying $250 million in debt."

06:32 EDT Babcock & Wilcox announces two contracts in Asia for a total value of $11M - Babcock & Wilcox announced that it has entered into two contracts to design and supply advanced technologies to achieve reduced emissions and generate cleaner energy at a power plant in Asia. The total value of the contracts is more than $11M. B&W will upgrade the plant's existing combustion equipment, supplying a B&W AireJet low-NOx combustion system and other equipment to improve the unit's emissions and efficiency.

06:22 EDT Johnson Controls receives patent grant for OpenBlue Central Utility Plant - Johnson Controls announced it has filed over 200 U.S. utility patent applications for innovations surrounding its OpenBlue Central Utility Plant offering and related energy optimizing product offerings. Additionally, it received its 90th U.S. patent grant for innovations related to OpenBlue Central Utility Plant product and energy optimization innovations. The most recent grants, U.S. Pat. No. 11,061,424, awarded July 13 and U.S. Pat. No. 11,036,249, awarded June 15, include innovations which allow for a building energy optimizer to predict regional peak demand time periods. Peak regional demand predicted by the Johnson Controls system can be used to optimize energy performance based on the probability that any given period of time will be a peak contribution period.

06:13 EDT OneSmart provides update on new regulations in China - OneSmart announced that China's official state media, including Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television, announced the Opinions on Further Alleviating the Burden of Homework and After-School Tutoring for Students in Compulsory Education, issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council. The opinion contains high-level policy directives about requirements and restrictions related to after-school tutoring services, including institutions providing after-school tutoring services on academic subjects to students at China's compulsory education stage, or Academic AST Institutions, need to be registered as non-profit, no approval will be granted to new Academic AST Institutions, and an approval mechanism will be adopted for online Academic AST Institutions; foreign ownership in Academic AST Institutions is prohibited, including through contractual arrangements, and Academic AST Institutions in violation need to rectify the situation; listed companies are prohibited from raising capital to invest in Academic AST Institutions; Academic AST Institutions are prohibited from providing tutoring services on academic subjects in compulsory education during public holidays, weekends and school breaks; and Academic AST Institutions must follow the fee standards to be established by relevant authorities. The opinion also provides that institutions providing after-school tutoring services on academic subjects in high schools shall take into consideration the opinion when conducting activities. The company will continue to comply with all applicable rules and regulations in providing educational services, including those to be adopted following the policy directives of the opinion. The company is considering the provisions of the opinion and assessing their implications for the company's business. The company expects the opinion, related rules and regulations, and the compliance measures to be taken by the Company will have material adverse impact on its after-school tutoring services related to academic subjects in China's compulsory education system, which in turn may adversely affect the company's results of operations and prospect. The company will proactively seek guidance from and cooperate with government authorities in connection with its efforts to comply with the opinion and any related rules and regulations.

06:08 EDT SPX Flow initiates review of strategic alternatives - SPX Flow (FLOW), a provider of process solutions, announced that its board of directors has authorized a review of strategic alternatives, including a possible sale or merger of the company and the continued execution of the company's standalone strategy. Previously, the company announced that its board of directors had received and rejected an unsolicited, conditional, non-binding proposal from Ingersoll Rand (IR) to acquire all outstanding shares of SPX Flow common stock for $85.00 per share. This followed a similar unsolicited proposal from Ingersoll Rand for $81.50 per share. After careful review with its legal and financial advisors, and with the recommendation of a committee of independent directors formed to evaluate the potential transaction, the board concluded that the proposals did not adequately value the company in light of the board's confidence in the potential for increased profit margins and growth associated with the company's execution of its strategic plan. As a result of additional inquiries received from interested parties, the board believes it is appropriate to initiate its review of a broad range of strategic alternatives. With the assistance of outside advisors, the company expects to engage with multiple parties and, subject to customary confidentiality and other protections, share additional information relating to the company.

06:05 EDT Genetron's AYVAKIT enters into priority review and approval process in China - Genetron Holdings announced that its AYVAKIT, or avapritinib, companion diagnostic, or CDx, kit, developed in partnership with CStone Pharmaceuticals has entered the priority review and approval process under the National Medical Products Administration, or NMPA, in China. The test kit is the first companion diagnostic product developed in China to go through the NMPA's accelerated review channel. This channel expedites the review of qualified medical devices that are deemed urgent and necessary, so that they can be applied sooner in clinical settings.

06:02 EDT ModivCare to acquire CareFinders Total Care for $340M - ModivCare announced that the company has signed a merger agreement to acquire CareFinders Total Care. CareFinders is a personal care provider in the Northeast, with a scaled presence in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. CareFinders delivers approximately 10M hours of care annually to over 7,500 patients through its more than 6,200 caregivers. CareFinders' annual revenue is approximately $200M, pro forma for recent acquisitions, generated primarily from Medicaid and Managed Care Organization payors. Under the terms of the agreement, ModivCare will acquire 100% of the equity interests in CareFinders for a purchase price of $340M, inclusive of estimated $34M of net present value tax attributes generated by the transaction, implying a net purchase price of $306M. ModivCare intends to fund the transaction through a combination of cash on hand and the company's credit facility. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter, subject to customary closing conditions.

05:34 EDT Gaotu Techedu expects new regulations in China to have material adverse impact - Gaotu Techedu announced that China's official state media, including Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television, announced the Opinions on Further Alleviating the Burden of Homework and After-School Tutoring for Students in Compulsory Education, issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council. The opinion contains policy directives about requirements and restrictions related to online and offline after-school tutoring services, including, among others, institutions providing after-school tutoring services on academic subjects in China's compulsory education system, or Academic AST Institutions, need to be registered as non-profit; changing the current registration-based regime for operating online Academic AST Institutions to a government approval-based regime, foreign ownership in Academic AST Institutions is prohibited, including through contractual arrangements, and companies with existing foreign ownership need to rectify the situation; listed companies are prohibited from raising capital to invest in businesses that teach academic subjects in compulsory education; Academic AST Institutions are prohibited from providing tutoring services on academic subjects in compulsory education during public holidays, weekends and school breaks and Academic AST Institutions must follow the fee standards to be established by relevant authorities. The opinion also provides that institutions providing after-school tutoring services on academic subjects in high schools (which do not fall within China's compulsory education system) shall take into consideration the Opinion when conducting activities. The company will continue to comply with all applicable rules and regulations in providing educational services, including those rules and regulations to be adopted following the policy directives of the opinion. The company is considering the provisions of the opinion and assessing their implications for the company's business. The company expects the opinion, related rules and regulations, and the compliance measures to be taken by the company will have material adverse impact on its after-school tutoring services related to academic subjects in China's compulsory education system, which in turn may adversely affect the company's results of operations and prospect. The company will proactively seek guidance from and cooperate with government authorities in connection with its efforts to comply with the Opinion and any related rules and regulations.

05:29 EDT Philips announces up to EUR 1.5B share buyback program - Philips announced a new share buyback program for capital reduction purposes for an amount of up to EUR 1.5B. At the current share price, the program represents a total of approximately 36.8M shares, or 4% of total shares outstanding. Philips expects to start the program in Q3 and to complete it within three years.

05:18 EDT Cboe Global Markets European subsidiary to launch Cboe Europe Derivatives - Cboe Europe, the pan-European exchange operator and subsidiary of Cboe Global Markets, announced that it has received the necessary regulatory approvals to launch Cboe Europe Derivatives, a new Amsterdam-based futures and options market, on September 6. Cboe Europe B.V., Cboe Europe's subsidiary in Amsterdam, is now authorized to operate a regulated market for equity index futures and options, which will be regulated by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets, or AFM. EuroCCP, Cboe's pan-European CCP, is also granted permission by the Central Bank of the Netherlands to clear equity derivatives.

05:08 EDT China Online Education provides update on new regulations in China - China Online Education announced that China's official state media, including Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television, announced the Opinions on Further Alleviating the Burden of Homework and After-School Tutoring for Students in Compulsory Education, issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council. The opinion contains high-level policy directives about requirements and restrictions related to online and offline after-school tutoring services, including, among others, institutions providing after-school tutoring services on academic subjects in China's compulsory education system, or Academic AST Institutions, need to be registered as non-profit; changing the current registration-based regime for operating online Academic AST Institutions to a government approval-based regime, banning foreign teachers located overseas from providing tutoring services in China, foreign ownership in Academic AST Institutions is prohibited, including through contractual arrangements, and companies with existing foreign ownership need to rectify the situation; listed companies are prohibited from raising capital to invest in businesses that teach academic subjects in compulsory education; Academic AST Institutions are prohibited from providing tutoring services on academic subjects in compulsory education during public holidays, weekends and school breaks and Academic AST Institutions must follow the fee standards to be established by relevant authorities. The company will continue to comply with all applicable rules and regulations in providing educational services, including those rules and regulations to be adopted following the policy directives of the opinion. The company is carefully considering the provisions of the opinion and assessing their implications for the company's business. The company expects the opinion, related rules and regulations, and the compliance measures to be taken by the company will have a material adverse impact on its results of operations and prospect. The company will proactively seek guidance from and cooperate with government authorities in connection with its efforts to comply with the opinion and any related rules and regulations.