Stockwinners Market Radar for July 28, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:20 EDT Air Lease announces lease placement of ten Airbus A320 aircraft with Allegiant - Air Lease (AL) announced long-term lease placements for ten used Airbus (EADSY) A320-200 aircraft with Allegiant (ALGT). The aircraft are scheduled to deliver to the airline beginning in Fall 2021 through Summer 2022.

20:17 EDT Samsung says Semiconductor Memory demand to stay solid - Samsung says Q2 Memory shipments exceeded bit growth guidance by "actively addressing strong demand mainly for server and PC, and earnings improved significantly on ASP hikes as well as cost reductions from a rising portion of production using cutting-edge processes". In the second half of 2021, Samsung expects "demand to stay solid for server/mobile on the back of expanding adoption of a new CPU and the release of new models".

18:50 EDT Pilgrim's Pride says demand in the U.S. continues to recover - The company stated, "Demand in the U.S. continues to recover, with our foodservice business improving year-over-year and sequentially, achieving levels higher than pre-pandemic, while Retail volumes remain strong. Our business has improved its margins, especially on the Commodity large bird deboning operation, despite higher input costs and less than optimal mix due to significant labor shortages. Mexico maintained its strong momentum during the second quarter. Solid execution, improved overall economic conditions, supply/demand balance, and our increased share of non-commodity products contributed to the continued strength. Our combined European business continues to achieve operational improvements and benefited in the quarter with year-over-year and sequential improvements in foodservice volumes in the UK, offset by continued increases in feed costs, which are not yet fully reflected in prices, and lower pig pricing in the region."

18:25 EDT Wingstop CEO: Strength of the brand is as good as it has ever been - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Charlie Morrison said Wingstop invested in digital years ago and made it the forefront of the company's strategy. "We're investing capital aggressively to build out our tech stack," he noted. Wingstop is opening its first location in Manhattan in about a month and plans to open 25 ghost kitchens in the area. Wingstop is a global grand and growing quickly in the UK as well as markets in Western Europe, he said. Each location can operate with as few as three to four employees. Morrison thinks current high food costs are transitory and the problem will resolve itself in early 2022.

17:40 EDT Enviva backs 2021 net income view $29.4M-$49.4M - Sees 2021 adjusted EBITDA $250M-$270M.

17:37 EDT LendingClub jumps 43% to $23.35 after Q2 results, guidance top estimates

17:29 EDT Leidos awarded $151.43M Army contract - Leidos was awarded a $151.43M cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the High-Resolution Three-Dimensional Geospatial Information Operations and Technology Integration II. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Poland, Afghanistan, Iraq, Niger, the Philippines, Djibouti, and Manassas, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of September 5, 2025. FY20 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $26.4M were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Army Geospatial Center is the contracting activity.

17:27 EDT Ford says expects to update 600,000 vehicles OTA by end of year - Says updated 150,000 vehicles over the air, or OTA, so far this year. Says expects Argo Lidar will help expand autonomous zones beyond urban areas. Says chip supply improving. Says engaging directly with fabs on semiconductors. Says stockpiling critical parts like semiconductors. Says batteries are becoming a larger part of billed material. Says continuing to assess business in India. Says expects second half adjusted EBIT to be lower than first half. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

17:15 EDT Facebook building new video monetization tools for creators - Says building new video monetization tools for creators. Says adding new shopping tools for Messenger, such as QR codes. Says has full roadmap for integration of shopping tools. Says Oculus Quest 2 continuing to "do well." Says work needed to boost commerce offerings. Says expects people in the future to view Facebook as a "metaverse" company more than a social media company. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

17:14 EDT Limelight Networks to acquire Layer0 - Limelight Networks announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Moov Corporation, which does business as Layer0. This acquisition is a significant step in advancing Limelight's strategy as an edge enabled SaaS solutions provider and will drive growth in revenue, margins and EBITDA. Layer0 provides development, deployment and monitoring tools that deliver sub-second web apps and APIs through an all-in-one Jamstack platform. Under the terms of the definitive agreement, Limelight will acquire Layer0 for approximately $32.5M in cash and $22.5M worth of common stock, subject to customary adjustments for transactions of this nature. The transaction is subject to certain customary closing conditions and is expected to close in August 2021.

17:08 EDT Genentech's Evrysdi data published in NEJM - Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced that the New England Journal of Medicine has published data from FIREFISH Part 2, a pivotal global study evaluating the efficacy and safety of Evrysdi in babies aged 1-7 months old with symptomatic Type 1 spinal muscular atrophy. The study met its primary endpoint with 29% of infants sitting without support for at least 5 seconds by month 12, a milestone not seen in the natural course of the disease. Safety for Evrysdi in the FIREFISH Part 2 study was consistent with its known safety profile. "Without treatment, babies with Type 1 SMA are unlikely to survive beyond two years of age," said Professor Laurent Servais, M.D., Ph.D., FIREFISH investigator and Professor of Pediatric Neuromuscular Diseases at the MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Center. "Important motor milestones, such as sitting, rolling over and swallowing, are the fundamental building blocks that can help these babies achieve optimal outcomes with Evrysdi, potentially reducing the need for ventilation and increasing the rate of survival."

17:07 EDT Alamos Gold sees FY21 gold production 470K-510K ounces - Sees FY21 CapEx $354M-$384M.

17:07 EDT Oceaneering sees 'relatively flat activity and operating profitability' - The company states "For the third quarter, compared to the second quarter, we anticipate relatively flat activity and operating profitability in our SSR, Manufactured Products, and IMDS segments, lower activity levels and relatively flat operating profitability in our OPG segment, and lower activity levels and lower operating profitability in our ADTech segment. Unallocated Expenses are forecast to be in the mid-$30 million range due primarily to increased information technology infrastructure costs and normalized accruals for incentive-based compensation. On a consolidated basis, we expect a sequential decline in third quarter 2021 results, with adjusted EBITDA in the range of $50 million to $55 million on slightly lower revenue."

17:05 EDT Gentherm receives first production vehicle award for ClimateSense technology - Gentherm announced that the company has received its first production vehicle award for its ClimateSense technology on an all-new 2024 model year electric vehicle with a global automaker.

17:04 EDT Spirit Airlines reports Q2 load factor down 0.6 percentage points - Load factor for the second quarter 2021 was 84.4 percent, down 0.6 percentage points compared to the second quarter 2019. Capacity for the second quarter 2021 was down 5.1 percent compared to the second quarter 2019. During the second quarter 2021, numerous weather systems impacted the Company's network. Despite the adverse weather conditions, Spirit maintained its strong operational reliability and achieved a DOT on-time performance2 of 78.3 percent and a Completion Factor2 of 99.3 percent.

17:02 EDT Satsuma Pharmaceuticals randomizes first patient for SUMMIT trial - Satsuma Pharmaceuticals announced randomization of the first subject in its SUMMIT Phase 3 efficacy trial of STS101 for the acute treatment of migraine.

17:01 EDT Covanta to no longer update forward looking guidance - In light of the announcement of a definitive agreement with EQT to purchase Covanta at $20.25 per share, the Company will no longer update forward looking guidance and will discontinue quarterly earnings conference calls. The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions including approval by the majority of the holders of Covanta's outstanding common shares.

17:00 EDT iRobot sees more modest 2022 revenue growth - In its prepared remarks, the company states: "In terms of our 2022 top-line assumptions, we anticipate more modest revenue growth in the first half of the year as we take proactive steps to increase our access to semiconductor componentry amid fundamentally healthy demand signals from retailers and consumers. Assuming our chip suppliers steadily ramp their production, as expected, we look forward to accelerating revenue during the second half of 2022, anchored by substantial restocking orders from retailers who will carry very lean channel inventory over the next several quarters. In addition to executing on our product roadmaps and leveraging our unique home understanding, we are also excited about the potential of our iRobot Select service, which we expect will begin to scale later this year as a growing, recurring revenue stream. We also look forward to seeing the impact of our DTC infrastructure investments on growing existing customer revenue as we further personalize the online buying experience on our website and Home App, and focus on delivering the right promotions to the right customers at the right time. As we plan for next year, we anticipate that other transitory costs that have spiked in 2021, namely raw materials, oceanic transport and air freight, should eventually revert back to more normalized levels at some point in 2022. These potential tailwinds, combined with expected tariff relief, Malaysia manufacturing at scale and our ongoing efforts to optimize our production and fulfillment costs, will leave us well positioned to drive gross margin improvement next year. By remaining very disciplined with our spending, we believe that we will convert our top-line expansion into strong operating profitability gains and significant EPS growth next year. As we move forward, we believe there is a lot of opportunity in front of us. Household penetration remains low; we have an expansive and growing global connected customer base; and there are exciting new growth initiatives now underway or in the advanced planning stages. As a result, we believe that our exit trajectory for the second half of 2022 in combination with continued strategic progress will set the stage for sustaining solid annual top-line expansion that can be converted into improving double digit operating profit margins, substantial EPS growth and robust operating cash flow generation".

16:59 EDT Fusion Pharmaceuticals says FDA clears IND for FPI-1966 - Fusion Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. FDA has cleared the company's Investigational New Drug applications for [225Ac]-FPI-1966 (FPI-1966) and imaging agent [111In]-FPI-1967 (FPI-1967). FPI-1966 is a targeted alpha therapy designed to use vofatamab, a human monoclonal antibody, to target and deliver actinium-225 to tumor sites expressing fibroblast growth factor 3, a protein that is overexpressed in multiple tumor types, particularly head and neck and bladder cancers. FPI-1966 utilizes Fusion's Fast-Clear linker to connect vofatamab to actinium-225.

16:54 EDT Qorvo Biotechnologies Omnia SARS-CoV-2 antigen test platform complete milestone - Qorvo announced that the Qorvo Omnia SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Test platform completed a key milestone for the NIH Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostic initiative. Atlanta's Center for Microsystems Engineered Point-of-Care Technologies completed two independent studies, an adult study and a pediatric study, verifying the low SARS-CoV-2 limit of detection and high specificity/sensitivity of the Qorvo Omnia Antigen Test. The adult and pediatric studies compared performance of the platform to the Roche cobas 6800 and Hologic Panther RT-PCR systems, respectively. The studies demonstrated 100% sensitivity/specificity for the adult population, and 83% sensitivity and 100% specificity for the pediatric group. Three pediatric samples that tested negative on the Qorvo Omnia Antigen Test had Cycle threshold values greater than 38 on the Hologic system, indicating very low viral loads in those samples. Sensitivity and specificity for the study were 100% below those levels. Overall, the investigators found the Qorvo Omnia platform design intuitive and easy to use while producing rapid test results compared to high-sensitivity molecular testing systems, with test results within 20 minutes from sample collection. James Klein, president of Qorvo Biotechnologies, said, "Independent external studies are a critical step in educating the market about the capabilities of the Omnia Antigen Test and an important milestone in the evolution of the Qorvo Omnia diagnostic platform. We are pleased with the results and investigator feedback from these studies."

16:52 EDT Banc of California appoints Diana Hanson Chief Accounting Officer - Banc of California announced the appointment of Diana Hanson as senior VP and Chief Accounting Officer of the company and the bank, effective Monday, August 16. Hanson succeeds Mike Smith, who resigned from the company effective August 6.

16:47 EDT Yum China CFO sees pressures on margins from wage increases - Andy Yeung, CFO of Yum China, added, "We achieved solid system sales and operating profit growth, both comparing to the prior year and to pre-pandemic 2019 levels, even though the recovery trajectory in the quarter was disrupted by the Delta variant outbreak in southern China. On a two-year basis, Pizza Hut's system sales growth returned to positive and KFC's system sales grew an impressive 7% led by rapid new store openings. Our strong operating profit growth reflected operational excellence and continued improvement in operating efficiency." Yeung continued, "With the lingering effects of the pandemic, we continue to expect full recovery of same-store sales to pre-pandemic 2019 levels to take time, with a recovery path that is nonlinear and uneven. We plan to invest more in marketing, value proposition and customer service to drive traffic. In addition, rising commodity prices will become a headwind and likely turn into inflationary pressure in the later part of this year. Recent wage increases will also put more pressure on the margins for the balance of the year. Nevertheless, we are committed to driving long-term returns for our shareholders. After careful deliberations that balanced the COVID-19 risks and our strong liquidity position, the Board of Directors has approved the resumption of share repurchases."

16:45 EDT XPO Logistics appoints Ravi Tulsyan CFO - XPO Logistics announced the appointment of Ravi Tulsyan as CFO. Tulsyan joined the company as treasurer in 2016, and has served in the additional role of deputy CFO since February 2021. He will replace CFO David Wyshner, who is leaving the company effective September 2.

16:42 EDT Tronox raises quarterly dividend to 10c from 8c per share - The quarterly dividend will be payable on Friday, September 10 to shareholders of record of the company's ordinary shares at the close of business on Monday, August 9.

16:40 EDT OFG Bancorp raises quarterly dividend 50% to 12c per share - OFG Bancorp announced its Board of Directors increased the regular quarterly cash dividend by 50%, to $0.12 per common share from $0.08 per share, for the quarter ending September 30, 2021. The dividend is payable October 15, 2021, to holders of record at September 30, 2021, with an ex-dividend date of September 29, 2021.

16:32 EDT Yum China raises FY21 CapEx view to $700M-$800M from $600M - The company is updating the following fiscal year 2021 targets: To open approximately 1,300 gross new stores, an increase compared to the original target of 1,000, primarily due to the acceleration of KFC and Pizza Hut store expansion. To make capital expenditures of approximately $700-800 million, an increase compared to the original target of $600 million, as a result of additional new stores and stepped-up investment in infrastructure and digitalization.

16:27 EDT Selective Insurance revises FY21 guidance - For 2021, Selective has revised its full-year guidance as follows: A GAAP combined ratio, excluding catastrophe losses, of 89% (prior guidance 90%) that assumes no additional prior-year casualty reserve development; Catastrophe losses of 4.0 points on the combined ratio; After-tax net investment income of $220 million (prior guidance $195 million) that includes $55 million (prior guidance of $31 million) in after-tax net investment income from our alternative investments; An overall effective tax rate of approximately 20.5% that includes an effective tax rate of 19.0% for net investment income and 21.0% for all other items; and Weighted average shares of 60.5 million on a fully diluted basis.

16:25 EDT RenaissanceRe board approves renewal of authorized share buyback - The board of RenaissanceRe announced a quarterly dividend of $0.36 per common share on its common shares. The dividend is payable on September 30, 2021, to shareholders of record on September 15, 2021. In addition, the Board of Directors approved a renewal of RenaissanceRe's authorized share repurchase program, bringing the total current authorization up to $500.0 million, which includes the remaining amounts under prior authorizations. The program will expire when the Company has repurchased the full value of the shares authorized, unless terminated earlier by the Board of Directors. Pursuant to the program, RenaissanceRe may repurchase shares through open market purchases and privately negotiated transactions, and the decision to repurchase common shares will depend on, among other things, the market price of the common shares and the Company's capital requirements.

16:22 EDT United Natural Foods names Sandy Douglas CEO - United Natural Foods announced the appointment of J. Alexander (Sandy) Miller Douglas to the role of Chief Executive Officer and a member of its Board of Directors effective August 9, 2021. Mr. Douglas is a proven, customer-focused, strategic leader who brings a broad background and expertise in distribution, sales, marketing, and e-commerce as the Company's new CEO. Mr. Douglas was selected after an extensive search to replace Mr. Steven Spinner, who earlier announced his retirement as CEO and who will concurrently retire from the Board, both effective August 9, 2021. Mr. Spinner will continue to provide Management and Board advisory services to UNFI through a transition period for up to one year after his retirement. Also effective as of August 9, 2021, the UNFI Board has elected Mr. Jack Stahl to serve as Independent Chair of the Board. Mr. Stahl has served in senior leadership positions throughout his career, most recently as President and CEO of Revlon Inc., and currently serves as Lead Director of Catalent, Inc. "Since joining our Board, Jack has made meaningful contributions and developed strong relationships," said Ms. Clark. "Jack's experience in executive and board leadership roles provide a strong foundation for his leadership of UNFI. The entire board looks forward to working closely with Jack and Sandy as we guide UNFI's growth and support the entire team in their mission to transform the future of food."

16:14 EDT Comfort Systems USA raises quarterly dividend to 12c per share from 11.5c - Comfort Systems USA announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 12c per share, which is a 0.5c increase from the company's most recent dividend, on Comfort Systems USA, Inc. common stock. The dividend is payable on August 24, 2021 to stockholders of record at the close of business on August 13, 2021.

16:11 EDT Facebook drops 5% to $356.40 following Q2 results

16:10 EDT Facebook expects icreased ad targeting headwinds in 2021 - The company said, "We continue to expect increased ad targeting headwinds in 2021 from regulatory and platform changes, notably the recent iOS updates, which we expect to have a greater impact in the third quarter compared to the second quarter. This is factored into our outlook. As noted in recent earnings calls, we continue to monitor developments regarding the viability of transatlantic data transfers and their potential impact on our European operations."

16:08 EDT Facebook reports June monthly active users 2.9B, up 7% year-over-year - Facebook daily active users were 1.91B on average for June, an increase of 7% year-over-year. Facebook monthly active users were 2.90B as of June 30, an increase of 7% year-over-year. Family daily active people was 2.76B on average for June, an increase of 12% year-over-year. Family monthly active people was 3.51B as of June 30, an increase of 12% year-over-year. Capital expenditures, including principal payments on finance leases, were $4.74B for Q2. Cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities were $64.08B as of June 30. Headcount was 63,404 as of June 30, an increase of 21% year-over-year.

16:04 EDT Qualcomm up 3% to $146.27 after Q3 earnings beat

15:39 EDT Redfin says now serves more than 100 markets after Mississippi launch - Redfin announced it has launched in Gainesville, Pensacola and Tallahassee, Florida and Jackson, Mississippi. "Mississippi is the 44th state for Redfin, which now serves more than 100 markets across the U.S. and Canada. In these new markets, consumers can now buy and sell homes with local Redfin agents and use Redfin's website and mobile app to search for homes for sale, book on-demand home tours, and track their home's estimated value with the Redfin Estimate. Redfin puts the customer first by blending technology with local agents to deliver innovative service for a lower fee," the company stated.

14:36 EDT North American rail traffic rose 4.6% in week ended July 24, AAR says - The Association of American Railroads, AAR, reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending July 24. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 503,219 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.6 percent compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending July 24 were 230,095 carloads, up 7.1% compared with the same week in 2020, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 273,124 containers and trailers, up 2.6% compared to 2020. North American rail volume for the week ending July 24, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 327,085 carloads, up 6.7% compared with the same week last year, and 360,431 intermodal units, up 2.7% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 687,516 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.6% . Publicly traded companies in the space include CSX (CSX), Canadian National (CNI), Canadian Pacific (CP), Kansas City Southern (KSU), Norfolk Southern (NSC) Union Pacific (UNP), Trinity Industries (TRN), Greenbrier, GBX) and FreightCar America (RAIL). Reference Link

14:04 EDT American Electric names Phllip Ulrich SVP and chief human resources officer - American Electric Power has named Phillip Ulrich senior vice president and chief human resources officer, effective August 2. Ulrich will have responsibility for aligning human resources functions, processes and company culture in support of AEP's overall business strategy. In this role, he will have oversight of employee relations, leadership and organizational development, diversity, equity and inclusion, benefits and compensation, operations, wellness and productivity for AEP's 16,800 employees. He will report to Nicholas K. Akins, AEP's chairman, president and CEO. "Phil brings decades of experience guiding human resources operations for large companies and implementing effective diversity, equity and inclusion strategies," said Akins.

13:17 EDT Dassault selects GE Aviation for electrical power distribution on Falcon10X - Dassault Aviation (DUAVF) has selected GE Aviation (GE) to provide the Primary and solid state Secondary Electrical Power Distribution and Control System for the recently launched Dassault Falcon 10X aircraft. The Primary and Secondary Electrical Power Distribution and Control System for the Falcon 10X will have increased flexibility, enabling Dassault's rapid implementation for customer-specific configurations. The system architecture will allow ease of in-service modification and implementation, while improving the maintainability of the system.

13:02 EDT TPG Telecom selects Infinera's ICE6 800G solution for tech upgrade - TPG Telecom and Infinera announced a major technology upgrade of TPG Telecom's submarine cable connecting Australia and Guam to significantly boost cable capacity and improve reliability leveraging Infinera's ICE6 800G solution. PPC-1 is TPG Telecom's ultra-long-haul cable system connecting Australia and Guam, including connectivity to Papua New Guinea. It has two fiber pairs spanning approximately 7,000 kilometers, with 78 repeaters spaced approximately 92 kilometers apart. The submarine cable is a major gateway for North America and other Asia Pacific destinations.

12:56 EDT Kroger Central Division, Central Illinois Associates ratify new agreements - Kroger's Central Division and its associates working in central Illinois area stores have ratified new labor agreements with UFCW Local 536. Kroger Central Division will invest $11.3M in wage increases during the three-year term of the new agreements. "We are pleased we could reach agreements which support our central Illinois associates and our company. Under the terms of the new agreements associates will receive significant pay increases, affordable and comprehensive health care, and continued investment in our associates' pension fund," said Colleen Juergensen, president of the Kroger Central Division.

12:54 EDT Pfizer vaccine efficacy gradually declines over six months, study says - Pfizer (PFE) and BioNTech's (BNTX) Covid vaccine's efficacy was 91% through up to six months of follow-up, among evaluable participants and irrespective of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, a new study published in medRxiv says. Vaccine efficacy of 86%-100% was seen across countries and in populations with diverse characteristics of age, sex, race/ethnicity, and Covid-19 risk factors in participants without evidence of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. With up to six months of follow-up and "despite a gradually declining trend in vaccine efficacy, BNT162b2 had a favorable safety profile and was highly efficacious in preventing COVID-19," the study concludes. Reference Link

12:01 EDT Myovant Sciences falls -11.5% - Myovant Sciences is down -11.5%, or -$2.33 to $17.95.

12:01 EDT Gaotu Techedu rises 21.5% - Gaotu Techedu is up 21.5%, or 62c to $3.51.

12:00 EDT Youdao rises 23.8% - Youdao is up 23.8%, or $1.73 to $8.99.

11:43 EDT EC approves acquisition of Telekom Romania by Orange with conditions - The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed acquisition of Telekom Romania Communications by Orange SA. The approval is conditional on the divestiture of TKR's 30% minority shareholding in Telekom Romania Mobile Communications, which is a direct competitor of Orange. Reference Link

11:40 EDT Nintendo to end 'Dr. Mario World' service on November 1, 2021 - Nintendo said that its mobile game "Dr. Mario World" will end its service on November 1, 2021. "We would like to extend our sincere thanks to everyone who has played the game since it began service on July 10, 2019," the company said. Reference Link

11:33 EDT Hill Rom Holdings trading resumes

11:28 EDT Hill Rom Holdings trading halted, volatility trading pause

11:08 EDT Boeing still expects to turn cash flow positive in 2022

11:02 EDT iHeartMedia, NBA team up for multiyear podcast partnership - iHeartMedia and the National Basketball Association announced a multi-year podcast partnership, which will feature the launch of more than 20 new iHeartRadio-NBA co-produced podcasts. The new slate of NBA podcasts will be distributed widely by the iHeartPodcast Network with the first show set to debut this Fall. The new shows will be produced using a wide variety of content from the NBA archives to tell the backstories of some of the greatest moments in sports history, along with a mix of the latest league news, player commentary, insider analysis, and much more. The partnership provides the NBA and its teams access to iHeartMedia's massive reach across multiple audio platforms including podcasts, streaming and broadcast radio, as well as the opportunity to develop a new slate of groundbreaking shows each year.

10:56 EDT Boeing monitoring U.S.-China trade relations, CEO says

10:49 EDT Boeing CEO: Global defense market remains 'strong'

10:40 EDT Boeing sees China regulatory approval for 737 Max this year

10:38 EDT Boeing CEO: 175 countries have certified 737 Max for flight

10:37 EDT Boeing has 'started to turn a corner from a demand perspective,' CEO says

10:15 EDT Wingstop sees restaurant margins of 20% for 2H21 - Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

10:10 EDT Snap introduces My Places on Snap Map - Snap has introduced "a new way for Snapchatters to explore the world with Snap Map. With My Places, Snapchatters can discover more than 30 million businesses, log their favorite local spots, and even find personalized recommendations informed by their friends and the global Snapchat community." "Now, a quick pan around Snap Map not only helps Snapchatters stay in touch with the people they care about and keep up with global events, but now offers even more ways to help friends connect IRL. And, with Layers from The Infatuation and Ticketmaster coming to Snap Map later this year, there are endless ways to explore, " the company added.

10:02 EDT Robinhood reports FINRA investigative request - In an amended S-1 filing related to its upcoming IPO, Robinhood stated that on July 26, 2021, RHF received a FINRA investigative request seeking documents and information related to its compliance with FINRA registration requirements for member personnel, "including related to the FINRA non-registration status of Mr. Tenev and Mr. Bhatt." "Robinhood is evaluating this matter and intends to cooperate with the investigation," the company stated. Vladimir Tenev is co-founder and CEO of Robinhood and Baiju Bhatt is the company's co-founder and Chief Creative Officer.

10:00 EDT Generac falls -10.1% - Generac is down -10.1%, or -$44.27 to $394.65.

10:00 EDT AMREP rises 11.1% - AMREP is up 11.1%, or $1.37 to $13.72.

10:00 EDT Waterdrop rises 25.3% - Waterdrop is up 25.3%, or $1.08 to $5.36.

09:50 EDT Starbucks CEO says coffee buying strategy helps cost basis and supply - Johnson said the company views investments in partners and wages as "a good investment." Johnson said can offset some of inflationary pressures via efficiency and some via pricing. Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson is being interviewed on CNBC.

09:47 EDT Starbucks CEO says 'brand continues to resonate very well in China' - Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson is being interviewed on CNBC after the company's quarterly report last night.

09:47 EDT Teladoc falls -11.4% - Teladoc is down -11.4%, or -$17.18 to $133.83.

09:47 EDT Vipshop rises 10.4% - Vipshop is up 10.4%, or $1.64 to $17.36.

09:47 EDT Full Truck Alliance rises 14.4% - Full Truck Alliance is up 14.4%, or $1.25 to $9.96.

09:45 EDT Chatham urges R.R. Donnelley to not renew stockholder rights plan - Chatham Asset Management, a private investment firm which manages funds that beneficially own approximately 14.9% of the outstanding common stock and which is the largest bondholder of R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, sent a letter to the Company's Board of Directors.The text of the letter follows: "As owners of approximately 14.9% of the common stock of R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, Chatham Asset Management believes that our sizeable position reflects our conviction in the value opportunity at the Company. We write today, however, out of concern that the Board of Directors' stance on certain critical matters imperils that value. Although Chatham has been publicly and privately supportive of the management team, we are disappointed that the Board has publicly indicated that "the Board expects that under current circumstances it would approve an extension of the Rights Plan and submit the Rights Plan to stockholders for ratification at the Company's 2022 annual meeting of stockholders." Moreover, we note that the Company has not committed to redeeming the pill in the unfortunate event the Rights Plan is extended and voted down by the shareholders at the upcoming Annual Meeting: "[[a]s currently contemplated by the Board, if such stockholder ratification were obtained, the Rights Plan as so extended would expire on August 28, 2022; otherwise, the Rights Plan would expire at the close of business on the first business day following the certification of the voting results for the Company's 2022 annual meeting of stockholders." We wish to make it crystal clear to the Board that the Board should not renew its stockholder rights plan upon its expiry on August 28, 2021. Renewing the pill would further erode any remaining confidence we have in the Board's stewardship. Instead, we believe the Board should concentrate its efforts on undertaking a strategic review of assets with an external advisor with a view to unlocking the intrinsic value of the Company that, despite positive operating performance and outlook, the Company's share price persistently fails to reflect. We remain eager to continue to engage in open dialogue with the Company."

09:41 EDT Cinedigm partners with Exeest to power Fandor film submission portal - Cinedigm announced the Company will partner with Exeest to power a fully-integrated film submission platform for Fandor and its portfolio of channels. The advanced platform will use Exeest's exclusive technology to streamline the film submission process for independent filmmakers, provide the Fandor programming team a way to solicit, ingest, screen and evaluate film content suitable for its audience. Through a direct integration with Cinedigm's proprietary distribution platform, Matchpoint, the combined platform will expand the exposure and reach of independent filmmakers by making their content more easily and efficiently discoverable while enabling monetization across Cinedigm's wide network of OTT distribution partners. Independent to major, global filmmakers will have the ability to participate in the booming OTT business and reach audiences and platforms that have increasingly become relegated only to Hollywood's major studios and media conglomerates.

09:39 EDT PAVmed reports former Exact Sciences CEO joins Lucid as vice chairman - PAVmed Inc. (PAVM) announced that medical diagnostics pioneer Stanley N. Lapidus, founder and former Chairman and CEO of Exact Sciences (EXAS), has joined its majority owned subsidiary Lucid Diagnostics as Vice Chairman of Lucid's Board of Directors.

09:36 EDT Grove halted for volatility after jumping 46% to $6.77

09:34 EDT Inpixon announces orders for tens of thousands of units in RTLS product line - Inpixon announced that it has received orders for tens of thousands of units in its RTLS product line including next-generation technologies, from integrator partners for their industrial customers in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. One of the noteworthy commitments was a purchase order worth over a half million U.S. dollars for Inpixon swarm bee tag modules and related subassemblies for integration into a Europe-based partner's industrial safety solutions. The products are anticipated to be used in several countries in Europe and Asia for collision avoidance and remote control of industrial equipment intended to increase safety, facilitate regulatory compliance, and improve operational efficiency by accelerating work sequences and increasing operator flexibility. A Canadian Inpixon customer purchased several thousand of Inpixon's latest-generation tag modules, the swarm bee LE V3 for anticipated shipments to their customers across numerous countries. The Inpixon products will be used in a variety of devices to be attached to personnel, vehicles and equipment for operator awareness, collision warnings, static and moving proximity zones, and operational safety KPI analysis. Inpixon also noted it received an order for thousands of nanoLOC transceivers which are part of a stream of orders received in 2021 totaling tens of thousands of swarm bee LE V3 and nanoLOC units from a partner in South Africa. Inpixon expects additional demand from the region due to more stringent governmental regulations that mandate mining operators comply with increased safety requirements.

09:31 EDT Pactiv Evergreen to exit coated groundwood paper business in Q4 - Pactiv Evergreen announced that the Company has made the difficult decision to exit the coated groundwood paper business. As a result, the Company will permanently cease production of coated groundwood paper at its Pine Bluff, AR location. The Company will continue to strategically invest in the Pine Bluff mill, which will remain an essential facility in the Pactiv Evergreen operations network, serving the fiber-based beverage packaging market. "With the decline in the coated groundwood market, our decision to exit this business enables us to re-invest resources into our strategic core competency of liquid packaging board as well as other more profitable segments across the enterprise," said Mike King, CEO. "Pactiv Evergreen will continue to employ more than 650 employees at the Pine Bluff mill, where liquid packaging board and extrusion manufacturing will remain." Pactiv Evergreen will work directly with coated groundwood customers to meet their product needs and support their transition to new suppliers until production ends in Q4. The Company expects to complete the closure by October 31, 2021, with shipments continuing until inventory is depleted. The Company will work closely with impacted employees and union leadership during this transition. We are committed to helping support our team members during this difficult time.

09:16 EDT Swvl to go public via merger with Queen's Gambit Growth Capital - Swvl, a Dubai-based provider of transformative mass transit and shared mobility solutions, and Queen's Gambit Growth Capital, announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination that would result in Swvl becoming a publicly listed company. Upon completion of the proposed transaction, the combined public company will be named Swvl Holdings Corp and is expected to be listed on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "SWVL". The transaction is expected to generate gross proceeds of up to approximately $445M, which will be used to fund and accelerate Swvl's growth plan. This includes a $100M fully committed private placement of common shares of the combined company, led by Agility, Luxor and Zain. The implied, fully diluted equity value of the combined company is approximately $1.5B, assuming minimal redemptions by Queen's Gambit's public shareholders, with existing Swvl shareholders expected to own approximately 65% of the combined company. Swvl's leadership team will remain intact, with Mostafa Kandil continuing as CEO of the combined company, overseeing its strategic growth initiatives and expansion. The Board of Directors of the combined company will include Mostafa Kandil, Victoria Grace and Lone Fonss Schroder, as well as six additional members to be appointed by Swvl prior to the closing, taking into account the right mix of skills, experience, diversity and viewpoints. The Board of Directors will also establish an advisory committee, including two members of Queen's Gambit, to focus on fostering continued diversity and inclusion as a public company. The proposed transaction has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both Queen's Gambit and Swvl. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth calendar quarter of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval of Queen's Gambit shareholders.

09:14 EDT General Dynamics sees FY21 CapEx 2.5% of sales

09:14 EDT Nevada Gaming Control announces reinstitution of face covering mandate - The Nevada Gaming Control Board announced in an emergency directive dated July 27: "On July 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance relating to the mitigation of the spread of COVID-19 and the Delta variant. In part, the updated guidance states that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, should wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission. Emergency Directive 045 adopts all CDC guidance related to requirements for facial coverings. Governor Sisolak issued Emergency Directive 047 on July 27, 2021, which provides a grace period for full compliance with all guidance issued by the CDC related to the use of face coverings. Therefore, licensees in a county deemed an area of substantial or high transmission shall ensure that all employees, patrons, and guests properly utilize face coverings, subject to the conditions in Emergency Directives 045 and 047, effective 12:01am on Friday, July 30, 2021." Based on current CDC data, Clark county, where Las Vegas is located, is among the areas deemed to be showing "substantial or high transmission," the board noted. Publicly traded companies in gambling and casino gaming space include Boyd Gaming (BYD), Caesars (CZR), Churchill Downs (CHDN), DraftKings (DKNG), Flutter Entertainment (PDYPY), Gan Limited (GAN), Las Vegas Sands (LVS), MGM Resorts (MGM), Penn National (PENN), William Hill (WIMHY) and Wynn Resorts (WYNN). Reference Link

09:12 EDT Eguana Technologies appoints Karen Hayward, Graeme Stening to board - Eguana Technologies announced the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors, Ms. Karen Hayward and Mr. Graeme Stening, effective immediately. Concurrent with these appointments, Mr. Gregory Nelson will retire from the Board, after having served the Company for more than 13 years. As a result, the Board now consists of a total of six directors. Mr. Stening and Ms. Hayward will serve as directors for a term expiring at the Company's upcoming 2020 annual general and special meeting of shareholders where they will stand for election by shareholders. Karen Hayward, a Canadian national, is an author, international speaker and a Managing Partner and CMO with Chief Outsiders, where she is responsible for building and supporting a team of world-class marketers. Graeme Stening, a British national, is Managing Partner of DH Private Equity Partners, the group that owns the Company's largest shareholder, DHCT II Luxembourg Sarl.

09:11 EDT General Dynamics sees increasing demand for business aircraft

09:09 EDT Wynn Resorts' WynnBET and Cumulus Media enter multi-year partnership - Cumulus Media (CMLS) and WynnBET, the mobile sports betting app from Wynn Resorts (WYNN), launched a multi-year, multi-platform partnership which activates Cumulus Media's ability to reach more than 250 million listeners each month to drive users to the WynnBET app. As part of the agreement, WynnBET leverages Cumulus Media's targeting technology, which aims to enable WynnBET to customize multiple brand messages and deliver tailored content to different markets and demographics across hundreds of radio stations.

09:08 EDT Easterly Government increases quarterly dividend to 26.5c per share - Easterly Government Properties announced that its Board of Directors has approved an increased quarterly cash dividend of 26.5c per common share. The dividend will be payable on August 24 to shareholders of record on August 12.

09:08 EDT Castor Maritime completes $40.75M debt financing - Castor Maritime announces the closing and drawdown of a $40.75 million senior term loan facility with a European bank, through four of its dry bulk vessel shipowning entities. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the $40.75 Million Financing for general corporate purposes, including supporting the Company's growth plans. The $40.75 Million Financing has a tenor of five years and bears interest at LIBOR plus 3.10% per annum.

09:06 EDT Rush Street Interactive partners with GTG Network - Rush Street Interactive and GTG Network, a data insights, gamification and technology company, have agreed to a multi-year co-exclusive partnership to offer GTG's iSport Genius data facts and insight. The iSport Genius product is now live in every state where RSI operates its online sportsbook, BetRivers.com, which includes Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Colorado, Iowa, and Virginia. RSI is one of four U.S. Sportsbooks that will have the rights to offer the customer education and sports data information service to its bettors. The facts displayed on the BetRivers sportsbook cover all major sports, including NBA, MLB, NFL, PGA, NHL, UFC, and NASCAR, and betting markets, from moneyline, spread, and totals through to more sport-specific markets.

09:05 EDT Teva says 'cautiously optimistic' on nationwide opioid settlement - Says up to 12 generic product launches planned for 2H21. Expects approvals to "tick up" in 2H21. Says "very happy" about pipeline in biopharmaceuticals.

09:04 EDT Jones Lang LaSalle appoints Ben Breslau as Chief Research Officer - Jones Lang LaSalle appointed Ben Breslau to the newly established role of Chief Research Officer, effective immediately. In his role of Chief Research Officer, Americas, Breslau led JLL's 200-person Research & Strategy team in the Americas region.

09:02 EDT Uber partners with FTD's ProFlowers for on-demand flower delivery - Uber entered an exclusive partnership with FTD for on-demand flower delivery to Uber and Uber Eats customers nationwide, starting in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami and more. The offering will continue to roll out to additional cities throughout the year and will be available nationwide by early 2022.

09:01 EDT Brooge Energy announces results of feasability study for Phase III facility - Brooge Energy released the results of the feasibility study commissioned for Brooge Energy's Phase III oil storage facility and refinery. The feasibility study supports the financial viability of the Company's Phase III expansion plan, highlighting upcoming infrastructure investments in the region as a key driver of sustainable storage demand and rising domestic and export demand for refined products as a key driver of refinery demand. The Phase III expansion project is for a 2.5 million cbm oil storage facility, a modular 25,000 barrel per day refinery, and a larger 180,000 bpd conventional refinery. The successful build out of Brooge Energy's Phase III facility would position the Company as the largest independent oil storage facility in Fujairah, with capacity to store Clean Petroleum Products; Middle Distillates; High and Low Sulphur Fuel oil as well as crude oil. The Phase III expected construction period is two years, with the Company anticipating it will be operational within 2023. Competitive advantages: Technology: Brooge Energy's terminals are designed to deliver superior ancillary services to clients, reduce operational cost to clients, and increase safety. IMO 2020 compliant; Strategic Location: Located on a prime location in Fujairah, the second largest bunker hub in the world. Modular refinery will be focused on LSFO production which has a shortage in supply. Nicolaas Paardenkooper, CEO of Brooge Energy and BPGIC, said, "The feasibility study defines a project with robust economics and reinforces the strength of our business strategy, highlighting that the oil market is expected to continue to be the most important energy source going forward, with the Middle East region continuing to be the leading producer and exporter of crude over the medium to long term. The midstream sector will remain integral to its proper functioning. Our strategic positioning in Fujairah, where the high utilization of third-party storage terminals along with upcoming infrastructure investments, is expected to drive sustainable and growing demand for our storage solutions. To leverage this opportunity as much as possible, we are building out our technologically-advanced terminals that are able to deliver high margins. We also plan to build out a modular and a conventional refinery, including the capability to comply with the new IMO 2020 low sulphur rule, at a time when the UAE is adding to its oil production capacity which we anticipate will drive demand for refinery services for both the domestic and export market. With the completion of this study, we are now looking forward to potentially starting construction for Phase III as early as the second half of 2021."

08:56 EDT EU commercial vehicle registrations up 12.4% in June - In June, commercial vehicle registrations in the EU markets increased by 12.4% year-on-year to 185,573 units, reported the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. "During the first half of the year, EU commercial vehicle registrations went up by 36.9% to 1 million units, reflecting the contribution of the big gains recorded between March and May," stated the industry group. Publicly traded truck makers and suppliers include Daimler AG (DDAIF), Paccar (PCAR), CNH Industrial (CNHI), Navistar (NAV), Cummins (CMI) and Allison Transmission (ALSN). Reference Link

08:53 EDT McDonald's sees 2H tax rate 21%-23%

08:48 EDT Capstone Green Energy wins multiple deals with wastewater treatment plants - Capstone Green Energy (CGRN), formerly Capstone Turbine (CPST) announced that it received orders for several different customers in Austria and Germany to provide its microturbines as part of upgraded and expanded systems at multiple industrial and wastewater treatment plants. The orders, secured by long-time Capstone distributor Wels Strom, are expected to provide reliable, low maintenance energy for these critical infrastructure sites, several of which are repeat Capstone customers. A total of eight C65 Microturbines and five C30s have been ordered. Five of the C65s will run on biogas and three on natural gas, while the C30s will all run on biogas. Because biogas is a waste byproduct that would otherwise need to be flared at these sites, the systems are expected to reduce emissions, while also saving on fuel costs. In addition to the microturbine purchases, several customers have already signed 5- or 10-year service contracts provided by Capstone's Factory Protection Plan, FPP. Through the FPP, maintenance costs are fixed, and both planned and unplanned repairs are covered for the life of the contract, thereby maintaining high performance and limiting long-term system costs.

08:47 EDT Mullen Technologies provides shareholder update - Mullen Technologies, which previously announced a definitive agreement to merge with Net Element, announces an update for Mullen shareholders. In March 2021, Mullen crossed a major milestone with the purchase of its 120,000-square-foot Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing Center and Proving Grounds on 100+ acres in Tunica, Mississippi. Mullen's plans include an additional 700,000-square-foot body shop, paint shop, warehouse, and test track to complete an automotive campus. In total, the campus will include over 820,000-square-feet with production capacity of 100,000 vehicles annually. Mullen has also hired experienced operating executives Trey Agner as Director of Operations and Jerry Baker as Production Manager to oversee and begin preparing the facility for production start. Agner and Baker were also part of the original manufacturing team that established the facility in 2017 and they bring a wealth of firsthand working knowledge for customizing the AMEC facility to support the start of manufacturing Mullen's first EVs. Mullen has also spent the past few months diligently working on fine-tuning the design, material selections and vehicle build for the Mullen FIVE Crossover EV. Mullen will unveil the FIVE to the world for the first time in November 2021. Mullen is now accepting reservations on the FIVE.

08:45 EDT McDonald's expects comps to surpass pre-pandemic levels in Q3

08:40 EDT McDonald's has most downloaded QSR app in the U.S., CEO says

08:40 EDT McDonald's: Delta variant has brought 'more stops and starts to Covid story'

08:39 EDT Verizon awarded $78.8M by Air National Guard to modernize network services - The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Verizon Public Sector a $78.8M Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions, or EIS, task order to provide advanced network modernization services to the Air National Guard Readiness Center. Once exercised, the ANG network will expand to include roughly 140 locations. The order expands Verizon's existing partnership to include Internet Protocol voice services and managed network services to help the ANG achieve its mission. "Verizon's managed services solutions are tailor made to support the modernization of the Air National Guard to IP-enabled voice services," said Jennifer Chronis, Senior Vice President for Public Sector at Verizon. "This award enables the Verizon Public Sector team to build on the innovative work we've been performing throughout DoD and the Air National Guard, helping our customers transition legacy enterprise networks into forward-looking platforms that utilize Verizon's next-generation technologies."

08:37 EDT CGI Inc., Desjardins extend payroll business process services partnership - CGI has renewed its long-term payroll services alliance with Quebec-based Desjardins, a financial cooperative in North America. The 10-year agreement is valued at over C$500M. Since 1997, CGI has collaborated with Desjardins to deliver comprehensive human capital management solutions in the Province of Quebec and across Canada. Desjardins extends its partnership with CGI for the management of the payroll service center, including business continuity, IT infrastructure and customer support services.

08:37 EDT Logiq partners with GumGum to bring contextual targeting to e-commerce marketers - Logiq has partnered with GumGum to provide e-commerce marketers a targeting solution for their digital advertising campaigns. GumGum will offer its contextual intelligence solution, Verity, through the Logiq Digital Marketing, or LDM, platform. Verity is one of the only contextual intelligence solutions to combine natural language processing with computer vision. This combination creates a solution that scans the entirety of a digital media environment, providing a precise understanding of the overall context through text, imagery, audio and video. Digital marketing agencies and brands will be able to use LDM to add contextual intelligence to their overall multi-channel e-commerce marketing campaigns. From the LDM dashboard, e-commerce marketers will be able to assess the value of their digital ad placement. It will also help protect marketers from bidding on media that has negative or not relevant contextual sentiments relative to a brand's core values. The integration is expected to be completed by the third quarter of 2021.

08:34 EDT MiNK announces confidential submission of draft registration statement for IPO - MiNK Therapeutics announced that it has confidentially submitted a draft registration statement on Form S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the proposed initial public offering of its common stock. The number of shares to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined. The initial public offering is expected to take place after the SEC completes its review process, subject to market and other conditions. MiNK is a subsidiary of Agenus.

08:33 EDT Zymeworks doses first patient in zanidatamab combination study - Zymeworks announced the first patient has been dosed with zanidatamab in combination with Tukysa and capecitabine in a new cohort of a Phase 1 trial for HER2-positive breast cancer patients with locally advanced and/or metastatic disease.

08:22 EDT FDA grants Takeda's oral orexin agonist BTD to TAK-994 to treat narcolepsy NT1 - Takeda Pharmaceutical announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation, BTD, to TAK-994,1 its Phase 2 investigational oral orexin agonist, which is designed to selectively target orexin 2 receptors. TAK-994 is currently being studied for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness, EDS, in patients with narcolepsy type 1 ,2 a chronic neurological disorder that alters the sleep-wake cycle.3 EDS is a hallmark symptom of NT1 and is characterized by a person's inability to stay awake and alert throughout the day, and falling asleep unintentionally or at inappropriate times on a daily basis.3,4 The FDA's Breakthrough Therapy Designation process is designed to expedite the development and review of a drug that is intended to treat a serious condition, for which preliminary clinical evidence exists indicating it may demonstrate a substantial improvement over available therapies on at least one clinically significant endpoint.5 The TAK-994 BTD was based, in part, on early phase and preliminary clinical data that indicates Takeda's investigational oral orexin agonist may demonstrate substantially improved objective and subjective measurements of daytime wakefulness in NT1 patients.1 Currently, TAK-994 is being studied in an ongoing Phase 2 study.2 Data from the completed Phase 2 study will be presented at a future scientific conference after the study's conclusion. "Individuals with narcolepsy type 1 suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness, which might mean routinely falling asleep at work or in school. If approved, investigational TAK-994 has the potential to transform the way we currently treat NT1 by addressing the underlying orexin deficiency central to the disease," said Sarah Sheikh, Head, Neuroscience Therapeutic Area Unit at Takeda. "Orexin plays a critical role in regulating a person's sleep wake cycle, and supports the body's natural wake promoting pathways in the brain."

08:21 EDT Novan announces last patient visit in B-SIMPLE4 Phase 3 trial of SB206 - Novan announced the last patient has completed their planned Week-24 follow-up visit in the B-SIMPLE4 pivotal Phase 3 clinical study of SB206, a topical gel with antiviral properties for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum. B-SIMPLE4 is a multi-center, double-blind, randomized, vehicle-controlled study that exceeded its enrollment target by randomizing 891 patients in the study, across 55 clinical sites. Patients were treated for up to 12 weeks with a follow-up visit at Week 24. The primary endpoint for the study is the proportion of patients with complete clearance of all treatable molluscum lesions at Week 12. In June 2021, the company reported positive topline results, including statistical significance for the primary endpoint with p-value less than 0.0001. Additionally, as was consistent with results from the company's Phase 2 and earlier Phase 3 studies, SB206 was found to be safe and well tolerated in the B-SIMPLE4 study. No treatment-related serious adverse events were reported.

08:20 EDT Hill to provide technical assistance for Bucharest's treatment plant project - Hill International announced it was selected by the Municipality of Bucharest to provide technical assistance for Phase 2 of the Glina Wastewater Treatment Plant project, one of the largest environmental projects in the country. Valued at more than $400M, the project comprises the expansion of the largest wastewater treatment plant in Romania with a secondary stage, tertiary stage, and sewage sludge line. Other components of the project include the construction of a sludge incinerator and works to reduce groundwater infiltration in Bucharest's sewer system. As part of an international consortium, Hill will provide technical assistance for all works supervision services, acting as the engineer and maintaining adherence to International Federation of Consulting Engineers, European Union, and national specifications. Hill will support the project through pre-construction, construction, and post-construction stages. Works are expected to last until 2028. The EU is financing the project with its Cohesion Fund.

08:18 EDT Acutus Medical to present EP Technologies at HRS conference - Acutus Medical will offer a variety of unique clinical and educational opportunities at the 2021 Heart Rhythm Society conference happening July 28-31 in Boston, MA. The company and its innovative solutions to treat complex arrhythmias will be featured in several venues at HRS, including poster sessions, podium presentations, the Acutus exhibit booth and a dedicated Rhythm Theater. Acutus Medical's Rhythm Theater presentation, "Update from the Experts: Beyond Pulmonary Vein Isolation and the Promise of Pulsed Field Ablation," will be held on Friday, July 30 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. ET. This peer-to-peer presentation will focus on the benefits of using full chamber, non-contact mapping to drive ablation strategies in the treatment of atrial fibrillation, as well as the growing potential of PFA technology. Expert perspectives will be shared by several notable electrophysiologists including Acutus' Chief Translational Science Officer Dr. Steven Mickelsen. On Friday, July 30, from 11:30 to 12:30 p.m. ET, Dr. Wilber Su of Banner-University Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, will lead a hands-on educational masterclass at the Acutus booth, showcasing the broad usability and compatibility of the AcQCross Universal Transseptal Access System.

08:16 EDT Manhattan Associates selected by C&A to modernize, optimize supply chain - Manhattan Associates announced that C&A has chosen to implement Manhattan Active Warehouse Management across its five Brazilian distribution centers by 2022. This rollout started at C&A's ecommerce fulfillment center in Sao Paulo, which went live this year, and will initially help the retailer manage its rapidly growing online business. "As the leader in warehouse management technology, Manhattan looks forward to helping C&A provide its customers with a world-class shopping experience," said Bob Howell, senior vice president, Americas, at Manhattan Associates. "Manhattan Active Warehouse Management will undoubtedly streamline C&A's supply chain and help them continue rapid and strong growth."

08:14 EDT Reneo Pharmaceuticals announces first patient dosed in STRIDE study - Reneo Pharmaceuticals announced that the first patient has been dosed in the STRIDE study. The trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of REN001 for the treatment of patients with primary mitochondrial myopathies. STRIDE is a global, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2b trial designed to assess the efficacy and safety of 100 mg REN001 administered orally, once-daily for 24 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint is the change from baseline in the distance walked during a 12-minute walk test after 24 weeks of treatment. Secondary efficacy endpoints include changes from baseline in the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale, Patient Global Impression of Change scale, and other patient-reported outcomes.

08:13 EDT GT Biopharma raised over $16M in warrant exercise proceeds - GT Biopharma has raised over $16M in proceeds from the exercise of warrants. The warrants were issued as part of the $27M financing that closed in February. GT Biopharma's first drug candidate GTB-3550 TriKE monotherapy is currently in FDA Phase 1 Clinical Trial. The Phase 1 safety part of the study is expected to conclude in August 2021 with data publication currently scheduled for September 2021.

08:11 EDT ZF North America enrolls in DTE Energy's MIGreenPower program - DTE Energy announced ZF North America's enrollment in DTE's MIGreenPower program. MIGreenPower is a voluntary renewable energy program that enables DTE Electric customers to attribute a greater percentage of their electricity use to DTE's wind and solar projects beyond the 15% already included in customers' energy mix. ZF North America has committed to a 10-year, escalating MIGreenPower contract with the company attributing 100%of its usage to renewable energy by 2030. This commitment will ultimately offset the equivalent of the carbon sequestered by 78,144 acres of forests in one year.

08:10 EDT Alkahest appoints Cesar Cerezo as CMO - Alkahest, Inc., a subsidiary of Grifols (GRFS), announced the appointment of Dr. Cesar Cerezo M.D., Ph.D., as chief medical officer. He will be responsible for leading and providing strategic direction to the clinical development and medical teams. Prior to joining Alkahest, Dr. Cerezo served as Vice President and Therapeutic Area Head of Global Medical Affairs General Medicine at Amgen (AMGN), in which he led the global and U.S. medical organizations across Amgen's Cardiovascular/Metabolic, Bone, Nephrology, Neuroscience, Inflammation and Biosimilars divisions, overseeing strategies and execution of Medical plans for over 20 in-line and pipeline programs.

08:10 EDT FactSet, Smartplus bring ESG to retail investors in Japan - FactSet and Smartplus announced the integration of FactSet's Truvalue Labs ESG content into Smartplus' platform for retail clients. This integration will help Smartplus become the first robo-advisor investment platform in Japan that allows individual investors to consider ESG factors when selecting stocks. The integration of Truvalue Labs' real-time ESG data with Wealth Wing will allow retail investors to use ESG factors to screen for and exclude companies with low ESG scores, construct ESG-conscious portfolios, and see Truvalue Lab's ESG metrics for each stock within their portfolios. "We are excited to announce our work with FactSet," said Ryota Hayashi, Director, Smartplus and CEO, Finatext Holdings. "We strongly believe in the importance of providing retail investors with the ability to access ESG investments in Japan. Integrating the ESG scores provided by FactSet's Truvalue Labs with our portfolio management strategy supports our mission of reinventing finance as a service."

08:08 EDT Alithya Group signs $12M infrastructure service agreement with Canadian client - Alithya Group signed an infrastructure service agreement with a client from the Canadian financial services industry. The agreement which was signed in July 2021 will be in place until 2023.

08:07 EDT SharpLink Gaming to initiate trading on Nasdaq Capital Market - SharpLink Gaming announced that the Company's ordinary shares will commence trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market on a 1-for-2 reverse stock split basis under symbol "SBET," effective with the market open this morning, Wednesday, July 28, 2021. Additionally, the Company today received formal notice from Nasdaq that, as a result of the merger between SharpLink and Mer Telemanagement Systems, the Company satisfies all applicable rules for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market and that the previously disclosed listing deficiency issued by Nasdaq to MTS prior to the merger has been rendered moot and the matter has been closed.

08:06 EDT Optinose reports preliminary Q2 XHANCE revenue of $18.4M - Optinose announced preliminary XHANCE net product revenue of $18.4 million for the three months ended June 30, 2021. This represents a 79% increase compared to the three months ended June 30, 2020, and a 67% increase compared to the three months ended March 31, 2021. The Company expects XHANCE net product revenue for the full year of 2021 to be at least $80 million. In addition, the number of XHANCE prescriptions increased by 33% from 62,500 in the second quarter 2020 to 82,900 in the second quarter 2021 based on third-party prescription data and data from XHANCE preferred pharmacy network partners. XHANCE net revenue per prescription increased 35% from $164 in the second quarter 2020 to $221 in the second quarter 2021 based on preliminary second quarter net product revenue of $18.4 million.

08:05 EDT PolarityTE announces SkinTE plus SOC trial for DFU treatment meets endpoints - PolarityTE announced final data from a multi-center randomized controlled trial evaluating treatment of Diabetic Foot Ulcers, or DFU, with its investigational product SkinTE plus standard of care, or SOC, vs. SOC alone. The trial met the primary endpoint of wound closure at 12 weeks and secondary endpoint of Percent Area Reduction, or PAR, assessed at 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks. 100 participants were evaluated across 13 sites with 50 participants receiving SkinTE plus SOC and 50 receiving SOC alone. PolarityTE is pleased to announce the final analysis of the full data set, which includes: 70% of participants receiving SkinTE plus SOC had wound closure at 12 weeks versus 34% of participants receiving SOC alone. PAR assessed at 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks was significantly greater for the SkinTE plus SOC treatment group vs SOC alone. Overall, 90% of SkinTE plus SOC treated participants received a single application of SkinTE. Treatment with SkinTE plus SOC increased the odds of wound closure by 5.37 times versus SOC. In total 148 adverse events, or AEs, were allocated to 49 subjects. The SkinTE plus SOC treatment group had 66 AEs allocated to 21 subjects while the SOC treatment group had 82 AEs allocated to 28 subjects. There were 26 serious AEs, 12 in the SkinTE plus SOC treatment group and 14 in the SOC treatment group. Wound size for the SkinTE plus SOC treatment group was 3.5 cm2 versus 3.2 cm2 for the SOC treatment group. A comparison by treatment group for wound-related variables showed that variables were well balanced between groups with the exception of sharp debridement count, which was marginally statistically significantly higher in the SOC group compared to the SkinTE group, due to shorter wound closure times in the SkinTE group. While this DFU study will not be considered to be a registrational trial as part of a biologic license application, or BLA, the company incorporated data from the trial as part of its investigational new drug, or IND, application to the FDA, which was submitted on July 23. Additionally, PolarityTE announced a randomized controlled trial evaluating SkinTE versus SkinTE plus SOC in Venous Leg Ulcers, or VLUs, has been completed with a total of 29 enrolled participants. Topline data from the VLU trial will be announced via press release in the second half of 2021.

08:03 EDT Medtronic announces FDA approval of two AccuRhythm AI algorithms - Medtronic announced U.S. FDA clearance for two AccuRhythm AI algorithms for use with the LINQ II insertable cardiac monitor. AccuRhythm AI applies artificial intelligence to heart rhythm event data collected by LINQ II, improving the accuracy of information physicians receive so they can better diagnose and treat abnormal heart rhythms. AccuRhythm AI validation data will be presented this week at Heart Rhythm 2021, the Heart Rhythm Society's annual Heart Rhythm meeting.

08:03 EDT Jushi Holdings collaborates with Colin Hanks for kerchiefs accessory line - Jushi Holdings announcedit partnered with Colin Hanks to bring his handkerchief line, Hanks Kerchiefs, to select BEYOND / HELLO retail stores. The collaboration expands on Jushi's vision for BEYOND / HELLO to work with new and like-minded partners to build the Company's brand into a modern retail leader that blends exclusive and unique offerings with cultural experiences. The line of kerchiefs created by the actor, producer and director is now available for purchase at select BEYOND / HELLO dispensary locations, as well as online nationwide at Shop Jushi. In addition, a portion of each Hanks Kerchiefs sold will support several charities such as Homes for Our Troops, a nonprofit organization that builds homes for veterans.

07:46 EDT Tuya sees 'strong growth' in North American IoT market - Tuya Smart is witnessing strong growth in the North American IoT market for itself and customers in 2021. As business in North America begins to open its doors again, many companies are evaluating work approaches, reviewing options for a return to working in-office, working remotely, or a hybrid approach. The pandemic has accelerated flexible work approaches offered by employers and accelerated adoption of IoT devices. While consumers are spending more time at home, they are also increasingly adopting and realizing the benefits of smart home technologies, a trend that looks to be here to stay. "We saw tremendous success throughout the pandemic and continued to grow despite unprecedented challenges in the market," said Fritz Werder, General Manager of Tuya Smart North America. "Over the past year clients reported strong user adoption of smart home devices, signaling an opportunity for Tuya Smart to support brands during this unique time. Coming back for our first in-person team meeting in over a year, this crew is ready to go even bigger in the second half of 2021."

07:41 EDT Pfizer CEO says 'highly confident' in 6% CAGR through 2025 - Dr. Albert Bourla, Chairman and CEO, stated: "The second quarter was remarkable in a number of ways. Most visibly, the speed and efficiency of our efforts with BioNTech to help vaccinate the world against COVID-19 have been unprecedented, with now more than a billion doses of BNT162b2 having been delivered globally. In addition, we are equally proud of the second-quarter performance of our business excluding BNT162b2, which posted 10% operational revenue growth. Looking forward, we remain highly confident in our ability to achieve at least a 6% compound annual growth rate through 2025 and intend to build upon our recent successes by continuing to follow the science, trust in our people and remain focused on delivering breakthroughs for the patients we serve." Frank D'Amelio, CFO and Executive Vice President, Global Supply, stated: "Pfizer's second quarter performance highlighted once again the underlying strength of our business, with consistent and solid growth coming from multiple products and categories. It is important to point out that the 10% year-over-year operational revenue growth rate for our business excluding BNT162b2 comes on top of a strong 6% operational growth rate delivered by the comparable business in the second quarter of last year. As a result of updates to our expectations for our business, both including and excluding BNT162b2, we are increasing our 2021 financial guidance ranges for revenues and Adjusted diluted EPS for the second quarter in a row."

07:37 EDT Probe Metals announces option payment for La Peltrie property - Probe Metals announced that it has completed the second payment due in consideration of a binding option agreement previously announced on July 9, 2020 with Midland Exploration, whereby Probe may earn up to a 65% interest in the La Peltrie gold property. The details of the transaction are described in the Company's press release dated July 9, 2020. Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company issued 32,544 common shares to Midland for the second payment for a total value of $55,000 based on a 5-day weighted average price of $1.69 per share on the TSX Venture Exchange. In accordance with the applicable securities regulations and policies of the Exchange, the common shares issued to Midland pursuant to the transaction are subject to a statutory four month and a day hold period. Probe has commenced ground geophysical programs on the La Peltrie property in preparation for upcoming drilling programs. Drills are currently turning on the Gaudet-Fenelon joint-venture property, with joint-venture partner Midland, on the eastern end of the Detour Project.

07:35 EDT Xoma granted Orphan Drug Designation for NIS793 by FDA - XOMA (XOMA) announced NIS793 in combination with standard of care chemotherapy has been granted Orphan Drug Designation in pancreatic cancer by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. NIS793 is a potential first in class novel antibody specific for Transforming Growth Factor Beta. Under the terms of the 2015 agreement between XOMA and Novarti (NVS), XOMA has the potential to earn up to $445M in additional milestone payments. Upon receipt of regulatory approval to commercialize NIS793, XOMA will receive tiered royalties on any net product sales that range from the mid-single digits to the low double digits.

07:33 EDT Boeing reports total backlog of $363B at Q2-end

07:33 EDT Abeona Therapeutics announces Type B meeting with FDA for ABO-102 - Abeona Therapeutics announced that the company completed a successful Type B meeting with the Food and Drug Administration regarding the pivotal trial to support filing and approval for its AAV-based gene therapy ABO-102 for the treatment of patients with Sanfilippo syndrome type A. Based on the Type B meeting with the FDA, the ongoing Transpher A study will serve as the study for ABO-102 and could potentially support a Biologics License Application submission depending on the data set. In addition, Abeona also aligned with the FDA on the definition of the primary endpoint for the study, neurocognitive assessment. "We are grateful to the FDA for their guidance and collaborative exchange regarding the pivotal trial to support bringing ABO-102 to MPS IIIA patients who currently have no approved treatment," said Michael Amoroso, Chief Executive Officer of Abeona. "From 2016 to-date we have treated 21 patients in the Transpher A trial. We are excited about the safety and magnitude of benefit seen with our investigational ABO-102 therapy in the younger children from the higher dose cohort reported earlier this year. We remain hopeful that if the more recently dosed children in cohort 3 display a similar treatment effect, we could have an evaluable data set in 2022. The patients we serve have tremendous unmet need and we remain fully focused on operational excellence with the intent of now delivering potentially two pivotal data packages-one for ABO-102 and one for EB-101-in 2022."

07:32 EDT Orthofix announces launch, first patient implants of fiberFUSE Strip - Orthofix announced the launch and first patient implants with the fiberFUSE Strip, an advanced demineralized fiber bone-graft solution containing cancellous bone. The fiberFUSE Strip is formulated as a convenient preformed bone-graft strip to enable optimized application for posterior cervical, posterior lumbar and degenerative spinal procedures.

07:31 EDT Boeing reports Q2 operating cash flow ($0.5B) - Reports cash and marketable securities of $21.3B.

07:27 EDT BIT Mining Limited acquiring 2,500 new bitcoin mining machines for $6.6M - BIT Mining Limited has entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire 2,500 new bitcoin mining machines for a total consideration of approximately $6.6M. When deployed, the company expects the Acquired Machines to increase its theoretical maximum total hash rate capacity by approximately 165 peta hashes per second, or PH/s. The Acquired Machines are expected to be delivered within one week. Following delivery, the company plans for them to be shipped to Kazakhstan for deployment. BIT Mining is monitoring current conditions in the market for cryptocurrency mining machines and will consider cost-efficient mining machine acquisitions on an opportunistic basis.

07:23 EDT MindMed initiates Phase 1 clinical trial of intravenous DMT - MindMed is pleased to announce the start of a Phase 1 clinical trial to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of DMT, a naturally occurring psychedelic substance and an active ingredient in ayahuasca. The outcome of this Phase 1 clinical trial is expected to facilitate potential future Phase 2 clinical trials of DMT in patients. The clinical trial is being conducted as an investigator-initiated study by Dr. Matthias Liechti as part of MindMed's ongoing collaboration with the UHB Liechti Lab. The Phase 1 clinical trial has received all necessary regulatory approvals in Switzerland and subject enrollment has been initiated.

07:20 EDT I-Mab: IND for Phase 2 trial of efineptakin alfa accepted by CDE of China - I-Mab announced that an IND application for the initiation of a phase 2 clinical trial of efineptakin alfa in combination with anti-PD-1 antibody in patients with advanced solid tumors, including triple-negative breast cancer and head and neck cancers (HNC), has been accepted by the Center for Drug Evaluation of the China National Medical Products Administration.

07:18 EDT Versus Systems launches HP OMEN rewards in India, UK, Mexico - Versus Systems (VS) announced that it now powers HP's (HPQ) expansion of OMEN Rewards in India, the United Kingdom, and Mexico, following the success of OMEN Rewards and the OMEN Gaming Hub in the United States. OMEN Rewards is the result of a multi-year collaboration with Versus Systems that has integrated its patented Dynamic Regulatory Compliance engine into HP's OMEN Gaming Hub. OMEN Rewards allows everyone running the OMEN Gaming Hub app to play their favorite games for real-world prizes, including gift cards, products and special offers.

07:16 EDT ALX Oncology announces first patient dosed in Phase 2 ASPEN-04 study - ALX Oncology (ALXO) announced the first patient has been dosed in the Phase 2 ASPEN-04 study evaluating the combination of ALX148, a next generation CD47 blocker, with KEYTRUDA, Merck's (MRK) anti-PD-1 therapy, and standard chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. ASPEN-04 is an open-label, randomized phase 2 multi-center study of the anti-tumor efficacy of ALX148 in combination with pembrolizumab and standard chemotherapy in patients with first line metastatic or unresectable, recurrent HNSCC who have not received prior systemic therapy for their advanced disease. This study will enroll patients regardless of PD-L1 expression status. The study is being conducted in collaboration with Merck and is based on clinical data reported from the ASPEN-01 Phase 1 study, which provided the basis for ALX148's Fast Track Approval in HNSCC granted by the FDA.

07:12 EDT BioCryst appoints Vincent Milano to board of directors - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (BCRX) announced that the company has appointed Vincent Milano, to its board of directors. Milano currently serves as chief executive officer of Idera Pharmaceuticals (IDRA).

07:09 EDT Georgia DOT awards Atlas Technical Consultants $10M contract - Atlas Technical Consultants announced the award of a $10M contract to provide on-call consultant services for Maintenance Engineering and Inspection services for the Georgia Department of Transportation District One region. The newly awarded contract will remain in effect for three years, with the option to extend for an additional two years.

07:04 EDT General Dynamics reports Q2 backlog $89.2B - Backlog at the end of second-quarter 2021 was $89.2B. Estimated potential contract value, representing management's estimate of value in unfunded indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts and unexercised options, was $41.1B. Total estimated contract value, the sum of all backlog components, was $130.3B at the end of the quarter. Overall demand remained strong in the quarter, with a consolidated book-to-bill ratio of 1-to-1.

07:00 EDT Stepan Company expects Surfactant volumes in North America to be challenged - "The Company delivered record earnings in the first half of 2021," said Quinn Stepan, Jr., chairman and CEO. "Looking forward, we believe our Surfactant volumes in the North American consumer product end markets will be challenged versus peak pandemic levels in 2020. While we believe institutional cleaning volume will continue to grow versus prior year, we do not believe it will compensate for lower consumer consumption of cleaning, disinfection and personal wash products. We anticipate that demand for surfactants within the agricultural and oilfield markets will benefit from higher agricultural and commodity prices and improve versus 2020. Global demand for rigid polyols continues to recover from pandemic-related delays and cancellations of re-roofing and new construction projects. This recovery, combined with our first quarter 2021 acquisition of INVISTA's aromatic polyester polyol business, should position our Polymer business to deliver growth versus prior year. We believe the long-term prospects for rigid polyols remain attractive as energy conservation efforts and more stringent building codes are expected to continue. We anticipate our Specialty Product business results will improve slightly year-over-year. Despite continued raw material price increases, supply chain inflationary pressures and planned second half maintenance expenses, we remain cautiously optimistic about the remainder of the year."

06:52 EDT KULR Technology receives permit from DoT for transport of recalled batteries - KULR Technology announced it received a special permit, its third in two months, from the U.S. Department of Transportation, or DoT, authorizing commerce transportation of damaged, defective, or recalled lithium ion cells, batteries, or lithium metal cells contained in or packed with KULR's proprietary Thermal Runaway Shield packaging.

06:45 EDT Support.com up 18.6% in pre-market, second highest trending name on StockTwit - Shares of Support.com are up 18.6% at $8.21 in pre-market trading following yesterday's 2.7% advance. The stock is the second-highest trending ticker on StockTwits in terms of message volume this morning.

06:32 EDT Avery Dennison acquiring Vestcom for $1.45B - Avery Dennison has signed an agreement to acquire Vestcom, a privately held market-leading provider of pricing and branded labeling solutions at the shelf-edge for retailers and consumer packaged goods companies, for $1.45B in a cash transaction, subject to certain closing and post-closing adjustments. Vestcom uses data management capabilities to synthesize and streamline store-level data and deliver item-specific, price-integrated messaging at the shopper's point of decision. The acquisition is expected to close in Q3, subject to customary closing conditions. Vestcom is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, with roughly $400M in annual revenue. The company has 11 U.S. production facilities and approximately 1,200 employees, with sales across multiple U.S. retail channels. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to the company's 2022 EPS, net of purchase accounting amortization and financing costs.

06:31 EDT Barclays: Half year dividend of 2.0p per share to be paid on September 17

06:29 EDT Barclays reiterates medium-term targets, including RoTE of over 10% - Barclays continues to target the following over the medium term: RoTE of greater than 10%; income ratio below 60%; CET1 ratio in the range of 13-14%.

06:22 EDT AstraZeneca's Vaxzevria and mRNA COVID vaccines show similar safety profiles - The company states: "In a large real-world study, data published as a pre-print on The Lancet server from over one million individuals assessed the incidence rates of blood clotting disorders of thromboembolism and thrombocytopenia, including the very rare thrombosis with thrombocytopenia following vaccination with an mRNA vaccine or Vaxzevria, and compared them with expected rates in a general population and in people with COVID-19. Safety profiles of Vaxzevria, and the mRNA-based vaccine were similar and overall favourable. Very rare clotting disorders were observed with both vaccines but these were in line with what would be expected in the general population and lower than in those diagnosed with COVID-19.1 Follow-up time was not sufficient to report rates after two doses of Vaxzevria, though other studies have shown rates of rare blood clotting events to be lower after a second dose. Regardless of the vaccine used, the increase in rates of thrombosis among persons infected with COVID-19 was far higher than among those vaccinated. Rates of venous thromboembolism were eight times higher after a diagnosis of COVID-19 infection compared with the expected rate." Reference Link

06:21 EDT Navient sees FY21 core earnings ROE in low 20s - Sees FY core efficiency ratio 52%, adjusted tangible equity ratio 5.5%. Sees FY21 NIM for the Federal Education Loan segment of 0.10% and NIM for the Consumer Lending segment of 1.5%-2%.

06:18 EDT Citizens Financial agrees to acquire Investors Bancorp in $3.5B transaction - Citizens Financial Group (CFG) and Investors Bancorp (ISBC) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement and plan of merger under which Citizens will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Investors for a combination of stock and cash. Highlights of the proposed transaction to acquire Investors: Immediately accretive to EPS; given substantial synergies, expected to add approximately 6.4% to 2023 fully-diluted EPS. Combined with HSBC, transactions add 8.8% to 2023 fully-diluted EPS; Expected to deliver a strong internal rate of return of over 20% and an estimated return on invested capital of approximately 13%; Accelerates achievement of long-term financial goals; expected to improve return on tangible common equity by approximately 120 basis points and efficiency ratio by approximately 270 basis points; Expected to be CET1 neutral at closing. Under the terms of the agreement and plan of merger, Investors shareholders will receive 0.297 of a share of CFG common stock and $1.46 in cash for each share of Investors they own. Following completion of the transaction, former Investors shareholders will collectively own approximately 14% of the combined company. The implied total transaction value based on closing prices on July 27, 2021 is approximately $3.5 billion. Key members of Investors' management team are expected to join Citizens, ensuring business and client continuity. Upon closing of the transaction, Kevin Cummings, Investors' Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and Michele N. Siekerka, who are current members of the board of directors of Investors, are expected to join Citizens' board of directors. The agreement and plan of merger has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of each company and the transaction is expected to close in first or second quarter 2022, subject to approval by the shareholders of Investors, receipt of required regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

06:03 EDT Spotify reports Q2 total MAUs up 22% y/y to 365M - The company said: "Total MAUs grew 22% Y/Y to 365 million in the quarter, finishing below our guidance range and forecast. Despite our underperformance, we added 9 million MAUs in Q2, which drove double digit Y/Y growth in all regions. MAU performance was slower than expected due primarily to lighter user intake during the first half of the quarter. COVID-19 continued to weigh on our performance in several markets, and, in some instances, we paused marketing campaigns due to the severity of the pandemic. Separately, a user sign-up issue associated with a global third party platform created unexpected intake friction, which also impacted MAU growth. This issue has since been resolved. Overall, we saw a return to better growth patterns in the back half of the quarter. Although we continue to face near-term uncertainty with respect to COVID-19, we remain confident in the underlying health of our user funnel, and our existing user retention activity remains consistent with historical trends." Premium Subscribers grew 20% Y/Y to 165 million in the quarter.

05:32 EDT Valley Republic Bancorp to merge into TriCo Bancshares in $165.6M stock deal - TriCo Bancshares and Valley Republic Bancorp announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Valley will merge with and into TriCo in a stock transaction valued at approximately $165.6M, or $38.15 per share, based on TriCo's stock price of $40.16 on July 26. The strategic combination will bring together two community banks. When completed, the combined company will have more than $9B in assets, $8B in deposits, and nearly $6B in loans, serving business and consumer customers with locations throughout California. Under the terms of the agreement, Valley shareholders will receive 0.95 of a share of TriCo's common stock in exchange for each share of Valley's common stock, subject to certain potential adjustments. The aggregate merger consideration of $165.6M includes $164.7M in TriCo stock to be issued to Valley shareholders and $0.9M to be paid in cash to Valley option holders. The value of the merger consideration will fluctuate until closing based on the value of TriCo's stock. The merger is expected to qualify as a tax-free reorganization. The agreement was unanimously approved by the boards of each company and provides for one director of Valley to join TriCo's board. Upon the close of the transaction, Valley's shareholders will own approximately 12% of the combined company. The transaction is expected to close in Q4, contingent upon approval from Valley's shareholders, along with other customary regulatory approvals. The transaction is expected to be 5.5% accretive to TriCo's earnings per share in 2022, with 1.6% dilution to tangible book value per share, and a tangible book value earnback of two years. The earnings per share accretion estimates are based on anticipated cost savings of approximately 17% of Valley's non-interest expense and does not include any benefits from potential revenue synergies which may result, although opportunities have been identified.

05:25 EDT Walmart to offer technologies to other businesses, partners with Adobe - Walmart (WMT) announced it will begin offering several of its own technologies and capabilities to other businesses and brands seeking to better serve customers as they increasingly shop across digital and physical storefronts. As part of this effort, Walmart also announced a strategic partnership with Adobe (ADBE) to integrate Walmart's Marketplace, online and in-store fulfillment, and pickup technologies with Adobe Commerce. Through the Adobe Commerce platform, retail businesses will be able to use Walmart's cloud-based services to offer pickup and delivery to their customers. Businesses will be able to reach new customers on Walmart's Marketplace where they can leverage Walmart's Fulfillment Services to offer two-day shipping nationwide.

05:09 EDT Magna, LG Electronics establish LG Magna e-Powertrain JV and name leaders - LG Electronics and Magna signed the transaction agreement which establishes a joint venture, or JV, between the two companies. The new company, to be called LG Magna e-Powertrain, is headquartered in Incheon, South Korea. Leading the new company will be CEO Cheong Won-suk, a 20-year LG veteran who was most recently vice president and head of the LG Vehicle component Solutions' Green Business. Prior to LG, Cheong spent nearly a decade with Daewoo Motors R&D. Javier Perez, who has been with Magna since 2016, will be the new company's COO. He will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the joint venture. Perez brings nearly a quarter century of automotive manufacturing and quality control experience to LG Magna e-Powertrain, 18 of those years based in Asia. LG Magna e-Powertrain will be made up of more than 1,000 employees in the United States, South Korea and China.