Stockwinners Market Radar for July 29, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:37 EDT HCA Healthcare CIO sells 7,466 common shares - In a regulatory filing, HCA Healthcare CIO P. Martin Paslick disclosed the sale of 7,466 common shares of the company on July 27 at a price of $250 per share.

18:29 EDT Boeing, NASA postpone launch of Starliner space capsule - NASA said that, in order to allow the International Space Station team time to continue working checkouts of the Nauka module and confirm the station is ready for Boeing's Starliner's arrival, NASA and Boeing have delayed the launch of the OFT-2 mission, which had been targeted for Friday, July 30. The launch team is assessing the next available opportunity. Reference Link

18:21 EDT TransMedics gets FDA clearance of OCS lung solution - The company states: "TransMedics announced FDA 510(k) clearance of its OCS(TM) Lung Solution for use in transplants using cold storage techniques. The solution, which is also cleared as a component of the company's OCS Lung System, is indicated for hypothermic flushing, storage and transportation of donor lungs for transplantation. The OCS Lung System is approved in the U.S. and the Company's OCS Heart System and OCS Liver System are currently under review by the FDA after receiving positive votes by the FDA's relevant advisory panels in April and July respectively."

18:11 EDT Yamana Gold increases annual dividend by nearly 15% to 12c per share - Yamana has increased its annual dividend by nearly 15% to 12c per share. Shareholders of record at the close of business on September 30 will be eligible to receive payment of an increased dividend of 3c per share on October 14. The dividend is an "eligible dividend" for Canadian tax purposes.

18:04 EDT GlaxoSmithKline announces FDA approval for Nucala - GlaxoSmithKline announced that the U.S. FDA has approved Nucala, a monoclonal antibody that targets interleukin-5 as a treatment for patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. This new indication for mepolizumab is for the add-on maintenance treatment of CRSwNP in adult patients 18 years of age and older with inadequate response to nasal corticosteroids.

17:44 EDT SPDR Gold Shares holdings rise from 1,025.64MT to 1,031.46MT - This is the highest level of holdings since July 15th.

17:41 EDT Amazon sees revenue comp trends continuing for several quarters - Says year-over-year growth rate has dropped since Prime Day. Says CAGR rate "remains strong." Sees trend in revenue comps to continue over the next several quarters. Says AWS revenue growth accelerated across a broad range of customers. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

17:31 EDT Community Healthcare raises quarterly dividend to 43.25c from 43c per share - The dividend is payable on August 27, 2021 to shareholders of record on August 13, 2021.

17:21 EDT aTyr Pharma granted patent from USPTO for ATYR1923 - aTyr Pharma announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, has granted a patent covering methods for the use of histidyl-tRNA synthetase Fc fusion proteins for reducing inflammatory response in the lung. The patent covers the use of the company's therapeutic candidate, ATYR1923, for reducing inflammatory response in the lung.

17:16 EDT Biogen, Eisai announce trial design for ICARE AD-US trial - Biogen (BIIB) and Eisai (ESALY) announced that it led a late-breaking presentation on the design of the first real-world observational Phase 4 study in Alzheimer's disease called ICARE AD-US, at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, or AAIC. ICARE AD-US, a prospective study of Aduhelm 100 mg/mL solution for injection, is designed to collect real-world, long-term effectiveness and safety data on Aduhelm. Aduhelm is indicated for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Treatment with Aduhelm should be initiated in patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia stage of disease, the population in which treatment was initiated in clinical trials. There are no safety or effectiveness data on initiating treatment at earlier or later stages of the disease than were studied. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on reduction in amyloid beta plaques observed in patients treated with Aduhelm. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. ICARE AD-US is a study that will provide information on the long-term effectiveness and safety of Aduhelm as prescribed in routine clinical practice in the U.S. based on the label approved by the FDA. The primary objective of the study is to characterize and evaluate changes in cognition, function and neuropsychiatric status in Aduhelm-treated patients. Secondary objectives are related to gaining a better understanding of Aduhelm safety in clinical practice. The study design includes an important goal to help address the common underrepresentation of Black/African American and Latinx patients in Alzheimer's disease studies, aiming to enroll at least 16% of the trial's expected 6,000 participants from these communities. The study intends to enroll patients with Alzheimer's disease over four years from approximately 200 sites in the U.S. Patients will be monitored for a period of up to five years.

17:10 EDT Eldorado Gold backs 2021 annual gold production view 430,000-460,000 oz.

17:03 EDT Alnylam, PeptiDream enter collaboration agreement for peptide-siRNA conjugates - Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and PeptiDream announced a license and collaboration agreement to discover and develop peptide-siRNA conjugates to create multiple opportunities to deliver RNAi therapeutics to tissues outside the liver. Through this collaboration, the companies will collaborate to select and optimize peptides for targeted delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules to a wide range of cell types and tissues via specific interactions with receptors expressed on the target cells. Under the terms of the alliance, Alnylam will select a set of receptors for PeptiDream's peptide discovery platform. PeptiDream will select, optimize, and synthesize peptides for each receptor. Alnylam will then generate peptide-siRNA conjugates and perform in vitro and in vivo studies to support final peptide selection. The collaboration has the potential to yield multiple treatment opportunities by targeting disease causing mRNA transcripts in a wide variety of tissue types. Under the terms of the agreement, PeptiDream will receive an upfront payment from Alnylam as well as R&D funding over the term of the research collaboration, as provided in the agreement. PeptiDream may also receive payments based on the achievement of specified development, regulatory, and commercial milestones potentially totaling up to $2.2B. In addition, PeptiDream is eligible to receive low-to-mid single digit royalties on sales on any such Alnylam products.

17:01 EDT Procter & Gamble: Jon Moeller to succeed David Taylor as CEO

16:54 EDT Universal Logistics authorizes new stock repurchase program - Universal authorized a new stock repurchase program under which the company may purchase up to an additional 621,622 shares of the company's common stock. of July 29, 2021, there were 378,378 remaining shares authorized under the plan approved in June 2014, which results in a total of 1,000,000 shares authorized for repurchase by the company.

16:52 EDT Northwest Pipe selected to supply pipe for Pure Water San Diego project - Northwest Pipe Company has been selected to supply pipe for the Pure Water San Diego project. This sustainable and environmentally-conscious project is a phased, multi-year program that will provide more than 40% of San Diego's water supply by the end of 2035. Northwest Pipe Company will be manufacturing steel pipe for the North City Pure Water Pipeline, which is a critical component of Phase 1. When complete, the 7.54-mile pipeline will transport 30 million gallons per day of recycled water from Morena Pump Station to the Miramar Reservoir, where it will mix with imported and local water. The City will treat the water again before use. The company is using over 3,220 tons of steel to manufacture the 48-inch diameter engineered steel pipeline. The pipe features cement mortar lining and cement mortar coating with a polyethylene tape wrap. Long Beach-based W.A. Rasic Construction is the installation contractor for this segment.

16:50 EDT Datadog announces its availability on Google Cloud Marketplace - Datadog (DDOG), announced its availability on Google Cloud Marketplace (GOOG, GOOGL), deepening its partnership with Google Cloud. Google Cloud customers can now purchase Datadog with just a few clicks on the Google Cloud Marketplace, allowing them to quickly and easily monitor the health of their applications and infrastructure across their Google Cloud and hybrid cloud environments.

16:49 EDT SM Energy sees Q3 production 13.0-13.2 MMBoe or 141-143 MBoe/d

16:48 EDT Canadian Pacific urges KSU shareholders to vote against CNI-KCS merger - Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) announced it has filed a proxy statement asking Kansas City Southern (KSU) shareholders to vote "AGAINST" the proposed Canadian National (CNI)-KCS combination at the KCS special meeting of stockholders on August 19, so that CN's proposed acquisition can be decided at a later date, when more information will be available to KCS's stockholders. "CP has always said it wanted to do a friendly deal with KCS and that remains true," said Keith Creel, CP President and CEO. "CP would have preferred not to appeal directly to KCS's stockholders, but given the impending vote on CN's proposal, we believe we have no choice. What we are doing here is simply contesting the vote on the CN-KCS proposal because a 'yes' vote now would lock KCS stockholders in until February 2022, instead of their being free to consider other, better, options. We want to ensure KCS stockholders are aware that a vote today, without the benefit of an STB decision on the CN voting trust proposal and without a chance to consider other proposals until the spring of next year, would not be in their best interests."

16:42 EDT Mohawk Industries up 2.8% after reporting Q2 results, giving Q3 EPS guidance

16:38 EDT Sterling awarded projects totaling $159M during Q2 - Sterling Construction announced that its Specialty Services segment was awarded projects totaling $159 million during the second quarter of 2021. Significant projects included distribution centers, data centers, e-commerce projects, industrial warehouses, and multi-family residential facilities. "We continue to be excited about the end market growth and our ability to bid, win, and execute effectively on new projects," stated Joe Cutillo, Sterling's CEO. "This strong market growth has enabled us to continue to expand further geographically with our existing customer base and faster than anticipated. That expansion has also enabled us to secure new customers in these geographies. Our ability to deliver the toughest projects better and faster than our competitors is what has built these relationships and continues to help us win and grow. The new projects enhance our strong backlog, allow us to deliver consistent value, and give us even more confidence in these strong markets for sustainable growth as we move into the second half of 2021 and beyond."

16:37 EDT Welltower forms joint venture with Oakmont Management Group - Welltower announced the expansion of its relationship with Oakmont Management Group. Through the acquisition of new management contracts, the partnership is expected to roughly double the size of Welltower and Oakmont's existing portfolio by the end of the third quarter in affluent markets across California. Welltower has also signed a long-term exclusive development agreement with Oakmont. Through this agreement, both organizations will invest significant capital and resources to build, own and operate Class A communities to serve the seniors housing resident of the future, with a focus on highly specialized programming and resident health and wellness. Oakmont and Welltower expect to grow the partnership's footprint significantly over the next decade. The partnership will leverage Welltower's data analytics platform and innovative access to health and wellness partners and Oakmont's best in class operating platform. Additionally, the two companies have agreed to a strongly aligned RIDEA 3.0 management contract. In a recently completed transaction, Oakmont and Welltower acquired Ivy Park at Otay Ranch, an assisted living and memory care community in San Diego, California. Ivy Park is the first of Oakmont's new brand, Ivy Living, which builds upon decades of operational excellence providing Oakmont the flexibility to pursue opportunities that have a different built environment.

16:35 EDT US Ecology CEO 'pleased' with revenue growth in Waste Solutions segment - "Strong industrial trends and solid momentum continued into the second quarter, driving revenue growth across all of our business segments," commented Chairman and CEO, Jeff Feeler. "We are pleased with the strong revenue growth in our Waste Solutions segment Base Business driven by improved fundamentals. Delays in our Event Business from ongoing pandemic challenges shifted volume to the second half of 2021 and into 2022. Combined with a less favorable service mix, and early project completions, this led to margin pressure in our Waste Solutions segment and caused the shortfall in our adjusted EBITDA. This is a short-term headwind, and we expect to see improvement in the coming months."

16:33 EDT Dolby down 3.9% after reporting Q3 results, giving Q4 and FY21 guidance

16:30 EDT Dolby comments on impact of COVID-19 - Dolby continues to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on its company. Since the initial outbreak of COVID-19, the company's revenue continues to be impacted across various markets within licensing and products and services. The implications of COVID-19 on its future results of operations remain uncertain. Dolby expects continued uncertainty in global financial markets. Dolby's financial results rely on estimates of royalty-based revenue that take into consideration the macroeconomic effect of global events, including COVID-19, which may impact supply chain activities and consumer demand for electronic products.

16:29 EDT Durect says enrolling alcohol hepatitis study at 'good rate' - The company said, "We expanded the number of U.S. clinical trial sites to 26 in the Phase 2b AHFIRM clinical study of DUR-928 in severe alcohol-associated hepatitis, and we are enrolling at a good rate. We have now opened about 75% of the U.S. sites we plan to open. We expect to open our first ex-U.S. clinical sites (in the UK, Europe and Australia) in the coming months. In addition, we presented further encouraging DUR-928 clinical data from the completed NASH Phase 1b trial showing trends for reduction in insulin resistance and liver fibrosis biomarkers. Data from a Pharmacokinetic trial in patients with moderate and severe liver impairment showed a reduction in an important apoptosis biomarker with no adverse events or dose-limiting toxicity in these severely ill liver patients. We were also invited to present at the 2021 Epigenetic Therapeutic Targets Virtual Summit, which is for leading companies in the field of Epigenetics to present to their peers. To our knowledge, we were the only presenter utilizing an epigenetic regulator to restore function in injured cells as opposed to most who are using epigenetics to kill cancer cells. Our presentation was well received."

16:25 EDT Byline Bancorp board authorizes expansion of share repurchase program - On July 27, 2021, the Company's Board of Directors authorized an expansion of its current stock repurchase program. Under the extended program, the Company is authorized to repurchase up to an additional 1,250,000 shares of the Company's outstanding common stock and will be in effect until December 31, 2022. The extended stock repurchase program does not require the Company to repurchase any specified number of shares of its common stock, and it may be discontinued, suspended, or restarted at any time at the Company's discretion. As of June 30, 2021, the Company has approximately 39.1 million shares of common stock issued and 38.1 million shares of common stock outstanding. The additional shares authorized for repurchase under the extended program represent approximately 3.2% of the Company's issued shares and 3.3% of the Company's outstanding shares of common stock. In connection with the previously announced stock repurchase program, the Company has repurchased 989,974 shares of common stock through June 30, 2021.

16:22 EDT Ardelyx receives CRL from FDA for NDA for tenapanor - Ardelyx announced that it has received a Complete Response Letter from the U.S. FDA regarding the company's New Drug Application for tenapanor for the control of serum phosphorus in adult patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis. According to the CRL, while the FDA agrees that "the submitted data provide substantial evidence that tenapanor is effective in reducing serum phosphorus in CKD patients on dialysis," they characterize the magnitude of the treatment effect as "small and of unclear clinical significance." Additionally, the FDA noted that for the application to be approved, Ardelyx needs "to conduct an additional adequate and well-controlled trial demonstrating a clinically relevant treatment effect on serum phosphorus or an effect on the clinical outcome thought to be caused by hyperphosphatemia in CKD patients on dialysis." There were no safety, clinical pharmacology/biopharmaceutics, CMC or non-clinical issues identified in the CRL. The FDA indicated it is willing to meet with Ardelyx to discuss options for obtaining approval. To that end, the company intends to request a Type A meeting as soon as possible to discuss the CRL and determine potential paths forward for the approval of tenapanor for the control of serum phosphorus in adult patients with CKD on dialysis.

16:21 EDT Qualtrics to acquire Clarabridge in a stock transaction valued at $1.125B - Qualtrics announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Clarabridge, "the leader in omnichannel conversational analytics," in a stock transaction valued at $1.125B. Qualtrics will acquire Clarabridge for $1.125B in Qualtrics Class A common stock based on a fixed number of Qualtrics shares and a Qualtrics share price of $37.33. The boards of directors of Qualtrics and Clarabridge have each approved the transaction. An investor presentation about the transaction is available on our investor relations website at qualtrics.com/investors. The proposed transaction is subject to receipt of required regulatory approvals and satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions and is expected to close during Qualtrics' fourth quarter of fiscal year ending December 31, 2021.

16:19 EDT Arthur J. Gallagher announces $1.5B share repurchase program - The company announced its board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $1.5B of common stock under a new share repurchase plan. This repurchase plan replaces its prior repurchase program, of which approximately $1.0B remained.

16:16 EDT Qualtrics to acquire Clarabridge in a stock transaction valued at $1.125B

16:15 EDT DoubleVerify CEO calls Q2 'outstanding' - We delivered an outstanding second quarter fueled by record Programmatic Revenue as advertisers adopted our industry-leading Authentic Brand Safety solution on Google's DV360 and additional programmatic buying platforms," said Mark Zagorski, CEO of DoubleVerify. "Product innovation success, industry-leading accreditations in fast-growing sectors such as CTV and Social, and continued investments in enhancing our international footprint have yielded new enterprise client wins and meaningful expansion opportunities within our existing blue-chip customer base. Our ongoing product and market leadership combined with digital advertising spend tailwinds, make us optimistic about our growth prospects for the rest of the year and beyond."

16:14 EDT WWE backs FY21 adjusted OIBDA view $270M-$305M - In January, the Company issued Adjusted OIBDA guidance of $270 million to $305 million for the full year 2021. During the second quarter, key performance metrics demonstrated positive trends, and the Company continue to realize better-than-expected television production efficiencies, stronger sponsorship sales, and heightened demand for its live events. However, management is not adjusting full year 2021 guidance at this time given ongoing caution regarding the potential impact of COVID-19 and its variants on WWE's operations. Additionally, the Company anticipates spending on its new headquarters buildout as the projects re-starts in the second half of 2021. For the full year 2021, the Company estimates total capital expenditures of [$85 million to $105 million]. The increase in capital expenditures for 2021 reflects the acceleration of certain construction spend, as the overall cost of construction - net of tenant incentives, tax credits and other capital offsets - has not materially increased. The total net cost of the Company's new headquarters through completion is estimated within a range of [$160 million to $180 million].

16:12 EDT Bioventus to acquire Misonix in deal that values Misonix at $518M - Bioventus Inc. (BVS) and Misonix, Inc. (MSON) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement by which Bioventus will acquire Misonix in a cash-and-stock transaction. Under the terms of the agreement, which has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both Bioventus and Misonix, Misonix stockholders will receive aggregate consideration that values Misonix at approximately $518 million on a fully diluted basis as of July 27, 2021. In the transaction, Misonix stockholders may elect to receive either (i) 1.6839 shares of Bioventus class A common stock or (ii) $28.00 in cash, without interest, for each share of Misonix common stock they hold, subject to proration based on an aggregate maximum cash amount payable by Bioventus equal to $10.50 per share of Misonix common stock outstanding shortly prior to the completion of the transaction. The aggregate share consideration represents 25% of the combined company on a fully diluted basis. The aggregate per-share value for Misonix represents a 25% premium to Misonix's 30-day VWAP as of July 27, 2021. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, Bioventus stockholder approval, Misonix stockholder approval, and other customary closing conditions. It is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021. Following the closing of the transaction, the combined company is expected to conduct business as Bioventus Inc. Bioventus expects the transaction to add nearly $80 million of calendar year 2021 revenue and provide an incremental 100 basis points to Bioventus' long-term average annual revenue growth rate before factoring in any potential revenue synergies. Bioventus also expects the combination to generate $20 million of annual pre-tax cost synergies by the end of the second full year following the completion of the transaction. Cost synergy opportunities include public company expenses, overlapping support and systems costs, and infrastructure expenses. Bioventus anticipates that the transaction will be accretive to its adjusted EBITDA in the first full year after completion of the transaction and accretive to its adjusted EBITDA margins by the second full year after completion of the transaction.

16:08 EDT Seagen sees FY21 Adcetris net product sales $675M-$700M - Sees FY21 royalty revenues $125M-$135M.

16:07 EDT Energous names Cesar Johnston acting CEO, CFO Sereda to depart - Energous announced several changes to the composition of the board and its leadership team, including its CEO and CFO positions. These changes follow the official retirement of former company president and CEO Stephen Rizzone last month. Effective immediately, Cesar Johnston will assume the role of acting CEO. Johnston has been with the company for the past seven years, most recently serving as chief operating officer and executive vice president of engineering. Additionally, Bill Mannina will assume the role of acting CFO. Mannina has been with the company since 2016, serving in several finance-related roles including VP of finance and controller. Mannina's appointment comes as current CFO Brian Sereda, who has held the position since 2015, intends to depart the company. Finally, Kathleen Bayless will join Energous as a member of the board of directors as well as the company's audit committee.

16:04 EDT PTC Therapeutics sees FY21 revenue for DMD franchise $370M-$390M - Continues to anticipate GAAP R&D and SG&A expense for 2021 to be $825M-$855M. Continues to anticipate Non-GAAP R&D and SG&A expense for the full year 2021 to be between $725M-$755M, excluding estimated non-cash, stock-based compensation expense of $100M.

16:04 EDT Amazon reports Q2 AWS net sales $14.81B vs. $10.81B a year ago - Amazon reports Q2 AWS operating income of $4.19B vs. $3.36B a year ago.

16:03 EDT T-Mobile reports Q2 postpaid net additions of 1.3M - Reports postpaid phone net additions of 627 thousand, 2.5x more than last year, postpaid account net additions of 349 thousand, best in industry and record-high. Service revenues of $14.5 billion grew 10% year-over-year. Free Cash Flow excluding gross payments for the settlement of interest rate swaps of $1.7 billion, grew 16% year-over-year.

15:33 EDT FDA posts letter on previous issues seen with Becton Dickinson COVID-19 test - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration had alerted clinical laboratory staff and health care providers of an increased risk of a false positive result with BD SARS-CoV-2 Reagents for the BD Max System test, the agency stated in a communication posted on its website. "On March 10, 2021, based on new data provided by Becton, Dickinson and Company, the FDA reissued the EUA for the BD SARS-CoV-2 Reagents for the BD Max System test, and the test no longer has an increased risk of false positive results. For updated labeling, including results of a post-authorization study, see the Instructions for Use. Accordingly, all safety concerns listed on this page have been resolved and the previous recommendations for clinical laboratory staff and health care providers no longer apply to the BD SARS-CoV-2 Reagents for the BD Max System test," the FDA posting dated July 29 stated.

14:28 EDT GlaxoSmithKline announces FDA approval for Nucala in added indication - GlaxoSmithKline announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved Nucala, a monoclonal antibody that targets interleukin-5, as a treatment for patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, or CRSwNP. This new indication for mepolizumab is for the add-on maintenance treatment of CRSwNP in adult patients 18 years of age and older with inadequate response to nasal corticosteroids. Reference Link

13:26 EDT Tellurian, Shell finalize LNG sale, purchase agreements - Tellurian (TELL) announced it has finalized liquefied natural gas sale and purchase agreements with Shell NA LNG (RDS.A). The SPAs are on a free on board basis at Driftwood LNG for a combination of three million tonnes per annum for a ten-year period, indexed to a combination of two indices: the Japan Korea Marker and the Dutch Title Transfer Facility, each netted back for transportation charges. The agreements mark the third deal that Tellurian has finalized in ten weeks, totaling nine mtpa and nearly all of the capacity of Driftwood LNG's first two plants.

13:17 EDT Southern Company sees maintaining credit profile - Sees slower-than-expected recovery from COVID-related staffing reductions in 2020. Says has seen "positive" staffing trends at Vogtle Unit 4 in recent weeks. Says expects to maintain credit profile. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

12:51 EDT MGIC Investment raises dividend to 8c from 6c per share - The board of directors of MGIC Investment declared a quarterly cash dividend of 8c per share, up from 6c previously. The dividend is payable on August 26 to shareholders of record on August 12.

12:23 EDT CME Group 'pleased' about ARRC's formal recommendation of SOFR rates - CME Group issued the following statement in response to the Alternative Reference Rates Committee's formal recommendation of CME Term SOFR Reference Rates for use based on their previously outlined best practices: "We are pleased to be selected by the ARRC to play this important role and have been delivering robust, forward-looking SOFR term rates to the industry, based on our deep and liquid underlying CME SOFR futures market, since September 2020," said Sean Tully, CME Group Global Head of Financial and OTC Products. "The ARRC's formal recommendation of CME Term SOFR Reference Rates is an important milestone for the industry and the continued development of the broader SOFR ecosystem. Today's decision provides the market with greater clarity and ensures CME Term SOFR Reference Rates are widely available for use alongside other forms of SOFR. We look forward to continued collaboration with the ARRC and market participants."

12:05 EDT L'Oreal CEO 'more confident than ever' in ability to achieve FY growth in sales

12:00 EDT Diebold falls -11.2% - Diebold is down -11.2%, or -$1.29 to $10.28.

12:00 EDT RYB Education falls -11.6% - RYB Education is down -11.6%, or -44c to $3.36.

12:00 EDT Tempur Sealy rises 14.9% - Tempur Sealy is up 14.9%, or $5.62 to $43.27.

11:59 EDT Dish announces new agreement with WarnerMedia for HBO Max, HBO and Cinemax - DISH Network (DISH) announced that the HBO Max streaming platform, as well as the HBO and Cinemax premium networks, are now available to DISH TV customers nationwide through a new agreement with WarnerMedia, part of AT&T (T). "Tied to the launch and for a limited time, DISH is offering customers a 10-day free preview to access HBO and Cinemax," the company stated. "DISH TV customers can subscribe to the HBO Max Ad Free plan for $12 per month for up to 12 months when they subscribe by October 27, 2021, a discount off its standard $14.99 per month pricing," the company stated.

11:43 EDT FMC Technologies trading halted, news pending

10:36 EDT Spirit Airlines in 'active' talks to increase flying in NYC, Newark

10:33 EDT Spirit Airlines sees reaching 2019 unit cost level in mid-2022

10:18 EDT GH Research PLC trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:15 EDT Alector says AL001 slowed progression of dementia by 47% in study - Alector presented results from the company's INFRONT-2 Phase 2 clinical trial of AL001 at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference. AL001 is initially being developed for the treatment of adults at risk for or with symptomatic frontotemporal dementia due to a progranulin gene mutation. Data presented today focused on up to twelve symptomatic FTD-GRN patients treated over twelve months in an open-label study designed to assess safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, exploratory biomarkers and efficacy, the company said. It added, "AL001 showed a favorable safety profile and rapidly restored progranulin levels to normal ranges in both plasma and cerebrospinal fluid for the duration of treatment. While the INFRONT-2 Phase 2 study was not designed to demonstrate clinical benefit, clinical outcome assessments using the CDR plus NACC FTLD-SB scale found that AL001 treatment slowed clinical progression by 47% compared to a matched control cohort of participants from the Genetic FTD Initiative. Additionally, multiple disease-relevant biomarkers of lysosomal function, complement activation and neuronal health trended toward normalization or remained stable." Alector added that it is actively enrolling the INFRONT-3 Phase 3 pivotal clinical study of AL001 in at-risk and symptomatic carriers of the progranulin mutation causative of FTD.

10:11 EDT Spirit Airlines sees Q3 capacity up 10.6% vs. 3Q19 - Sees Q4 capacity up about 23% vs. 4Q19.

10:09 EDT Spirit Airlines: Non-ticket revenue nearing $60 per passenger

10:05 EDT Spirit Airlines: Q2 turned out 'even better than expected'

10:03 EDT Spirit Airlines: Summer is 'operationally challenging' and 'very busy' - Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

10:00 EDT Peabody Energy falls -10.6% - Peabody Energy is down -10.6%, or -$1.14 to $9.63.

10:00 EDT Diebold falls -14.8% - Diebold is down -14.8%, or -$1.71 to $9.86.

10:00 EDT DiDi rises 13.9% - DiDi is up 13.9%, or $1.23 to $10.10.

09:59 EDT MasterCard expects 'vibrancy of travel' to come back - Says very well-positioned to capitalize on any increase in travel. Sees "long runway" for card usage from reopening of economy. Expects secular trend against cash to continue for a long time. Sees Q3 rebates and incentives "in-line" with Q2. Sees "decent deceleration" in crypto purchases.

09:53 EDT PG&E sees loss from Dixie fire, can't reasonably estimate range - PG&E said in its quarterly filing: "Based on the facts and circumstances available to PG&E Corporation and the Utility as of the date of this filing, including information contained in the 2021 Dixie fire EIR and other information gathered as part of PG&E Corporation's and the Utility's investigation, PG&E Corporation and the Utility believe it is probable that they will incur a loss in connection with the 2021 Dixie fire. However, due to the limited amount of time that has elapsed since the start of the 2021 Dixie fire, the preliminary stages of the investigations, and the uncertainty as to the extent and magnitude of possible losses, PG&E Corporation and the Utility cannot reasonably estimate the amount or range of such possible loss at this time."

09:47 EDT Ranpak Holdings falls -8.5% - Ranpak Holdings is down -8.5%, or -$2.21 to $23.91.

09:47 EDT Diebold falls -12.4% - Diebold is down -12.4%, or -$1.44 to $10.13.

09:47 EDT DiDi rises 14.0% - DiDi is up 14.0%, or $1.24 to $10.11.

09:40 EDT Comcast announces Peacock coming to Sky - Comcast announced NBCUniversal and Sky will make Peacock available at no additional cost to nearly 20 million Sky customers in Europe. Beginning later this year, Peacock will make its international debut across Sky platforms, including Sky Q, NOW, and Sky Ticket, currently serving customers throughout the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland.

09:35 EDT Annovis Bio Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:29 EDT AmpliTech Group secures $500,000 follow-on orders for LNAs - AmpliTech Group announced it has received $500,000 in orders for custom Low Noise Amplifiers, or LNA, for a global high-speed satellite broadband services provider. The amplifiers, which are expected to ship in the third quarter, will be utilized in satellite ground stations to disseminate valuable geosynchronous equatorial orbit, Low Earth Orbit and Medium Earth Orbit satellite system data to end-users. CEO Fawad Maqbool commented, "We have years of experience working with this customer to deploy customized low noise amplifiers in their satellite systems. It recognizes the value of our industry-leading performance and reliability to deliver data and communications that are unimpacted by environmental interference. We are excited to build on this relationship to maximize the efficiency of the customer's communications systems and look forward to working with the customer in the future."

09:29 EDT Assure Holdings performs first neuromonitoring case in Nebraska - Assure Holdings announced that it has performed its first neuromonitoring case in the state of Nebraska. Assure will be working with neurosurgery spine surgeon W. Lee Warren, M.D. of Great Plains Health who performs approximately 250 procedures annually. Dr. Warren is a retired Major of the United States Air Force and is an Iraq War veteran who performed over 200 brain and spine surgeries in a tent hospital at Balad Air Base between 2004 and 2005. In addition to serving 14 years in the military, Dr. Warren retired as chairman of neurosurgery at Wilford Hall Medical Center in Texas. Dr. Warren holds two U.S. patents for minimally invasive surgical equipment and is the inventor of numerous high-impact medical devices. In addition to his neurosurgery work, Dr. Warren is a nationally known author, blogger and hosts a podcast heard in over 70 countries weekly. Assure has renewed its agreement with Sidoti & Company to provide securities and capital market research services to the Company in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange and other applicable securities laws.

09:27 EDT GenTech Nature Soothie brand available at Whole Foods - GenTech Holdings is excited to announce that its recent acquisition, Nature Spoon, the producer of Nature Soothie branded herbal supplement lollipops for children, is now available at Whole Foods Market locations. Nature Soothie has officially launched its Immune Soothie and Tummy Soothie in select Whole Foods Market locations initially in the Rocky Mountain and Southern Pacific regions, with the potential to expand to locations across North America.

09:25 EDT Cedar Fair explores potential development of esports arena in Sandusky - Cedar Fair Entertainment announced it is exploring the potential development of an esports arena in Sandusky. The facility would be a beacon for Midwest youth and collegiate gaming and esports, providing a best-in-class space to host competitive events for up to 1,500 stadium spectators. It would include 200 gaming stations and offer a wide range of food and beverage options, supplying amenities for competitors, gamers, and spectators alike. "Our long-term strategy is focused on delivering an immersive entertainment experience that differentiates our parks and makes our park guests want to come back again and again," said Richard A. Zimmerman, Cedar Fair president and chief executive officer. "The opening of our Cedar Point Sports Center in 2017 was consistent with this strategy and has proved to be enormously popular with amateur sports teams and other large groups. Given the booming popularity of esports, we believe there is an opportunity to tap into the growing appetite for that form of entertainment and package it with all that Cedar Point has to offer." The facility would represent the next phase of development of the approximately $50 million Cedar Point Sports Center. That highly successful venue includes Sports Force Parks and its 10 multi-purpose outdoor turf fields, as well as a 145,000-square-foot indoor facility boasting 10 basketball courts. The Sports Center is a significant economic driver that demonstrates Cedar Fair's continued investment in the region. Cedar Fair is partnering with Esports Development to develop preliminary plans for the estimated $28M arena. This Ohio-based group plans to work with the "best of breed" Tier 1 gaming companies to provide a world-class experience for guests and gamers alike.

09:24 EDT Northrop Grumman sees FY21 aeronautics systems sales $11.5B-$11.7B - Sees FY21 aeronautics systems OM rate 10.1%-10.3%. Sees FY21 defense systems sales $5.75B-$5.95B. Sees FY21 defense systems OM rate 11.3%-11.5%. Sees FY21 mission systems sales $10.1B-$10.3B. Sees FY21 mission systems OM rate 15.2%-15.4%. Sees FY21 space systems sales $10.3B-$10.5B. Sees FY21 space systems OM rate 10.2%-10.4%. Sees FY21 eliminations sales ($2B)-($2.1B). Sees FY21 eliminations om rate 12.7%-12.9%. Sector guidance taken from Q2 investor presentation slides.

09:23 EDT Nasdaq approves Draganfly's application to list - Draganfly announces that its application to list its common shares on The Nasdaq Capital Market was approved by The Nasdaq Stock Market, subject to meeting the applicable initial listing requirements. The common shares of the Company are expected to begin trading on Nasdaq on or about Friday, July 30, 2021, under the symbol "DPRO". The company's common shares will continue to trade in Canada on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol "DPRO." Concurrent with the listing of Draganfly's common shares on Nasdaq, they will cease to be quoted on the OTCQB.

09:23 EDT Arrowhead granted BTD by FDA for ARO-AAT, also known as TAK-999 - Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals (ARWR) announced that it was granted Breakthrough Therapy designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for ARO-AAT, also known as TAK-999, the company's second-generation investigational RNA interference therapeutic being co-developed with Takeda Pharmaceutical (TAK) as a treatment for the rare genetic liver disease associated with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency . Investigational therapy ARO-AAT was also previously granted Orphan Drug designation and Fast Track designation from the FDA, and Orphan designation from the European Commission. "I am also pleased to announce that the ARO-AAT Phase 2 SEQUOIA study has recently reached full enrollment of 40 patients. The interim results we recently presented at the 2021 European Association for the Study of the Liver International Liver Congress from the AROAAT2002 Phase 2 open label study were highly encouraging. We believe these interim results suggest that investigational ARO-AAT consistently reduced the production of the toxic mutant Z-AAT protein, which has been identified as the cause of progressive liver disease in patients with AATD. Further, these reductions over 6 and 12 months led to multiple important signals associated with healing of liver disease in patients with fibrosis due to AATD."

09:21 EDT Verizon announces the expansion of its mobile hotspot plans - Verizon announced it is launching four new mobile hotspot plans. "The new mobile hotspot plans range from 15 GB to 150 GB per month, and the top three tiers give you access to 5G Ultra Wideband1, so you can stream more videos, send bigger files and browse the web at faster speeds," the company said. "Whether you're a business traveler getting back to working out of airports, gassing up your RV for new adventures, or a digital nomad taking advantage of the option to work on the go, Verizon has a mobile hotspot plan for you," the company added.

09:19 EDT Digital Turbine announces expansion of app distribution partnership with TikTok - Digital Turbine (APPS) and TikTok earlier announced a comprehensive expansion of their app distribution partnership. "Digital Turbine is to be the preferred distributor for TikTok on mobile device preload inventory in North America, expanding its current Latin America partnership. Under this new mutual agreement, TikTok will manage their mobile preloads through Digital Turbine's platform, with TikTok becoming the preferred short-form video platform preloaded on Digital Turbine inventory. Digital Turbine is the largest global on-device media platform with key partnerships in the US including Verizon, AT&T, Tracfone and Cricket and in Latin America with partners such as Telefonica, America Movil, and Millicom," the companies stated. Digital Turbine shares are up $1.99, or 3%, to $65.13 in pre-market trading.

09:18 EDT Fortinet announces expansion to FortiCare, FortiGuard offerings - Fortinet announced an expansion to its FortiCare and FortiGuard security services offerings, adding a new security service called FortiTrust. FortiTrust security services offer user-based licensing across all networks, endpoints and clouds, which traditionally have been siloed. Initial service levels are being offered for zero trust network access and identity verification, with more offerings forthcoming.

09:17 EDT Nuvei adopts Alipay+ Solution - Nuvei Corporation and Alipay announced a partnership that will connect Nuvei's merchants with over 1.2 billion potential customers in the Asia Pacific region through the Alipay+ cross-border payment and merchant marketing solution. This includes access to a network of Asia's leading local e-wallets.

09:16 EDT Hudson Pacific and Blackstone to develop LA studio facility - Hudson Pacific (HPP) unveiled plans to develop a fully entitled, state-of-the-art, purpose-built studio facility in Sun Valley, California. Sunset Glenoaks Studios will be the first large-scale, purpose-built studio in the Los Angeles area in over 20 years. The facility will be known as Sunset Glenoaks Studios, making it part of the Sunset Studios brand family, which includes three existing studios in Hollywood-Sunset Gower Studios, Sunset Bronson Studios and Sunset Las Palmas Studios-also jointly owned by Hudson Pacific and funds managed by Blackstone (BX). Sunset Glenoaks Studios, which will represent a total investment of approximately $170-190 million, is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2023. Upon the completion of Sunset Glenoaks, the joint venture will collectively own and operate under its Sunset Studios platform 42 stages or 3.5 million square feet, including development rights, of Los Angeles area studio facilities. The partnership is also actively pursuing further expansion opportunities in Los Angeles, New York, London and Vancouver.

09:15 EDT Fortinet announces FortiGate 3500F Next-Generation Firewall - Fortinetannounced the FortiGate 3500F Next-Generation Firewall to protect organizations with hybrid data centers against the ever-growing threat landscape and ransomware attacks. FortiGate 3500F offers some of the industry's highest performance numbers, including TLS1.3, with automated threat protection post decryption. Additionally, FortiGate 3500F is built with zero trust network access (ZTNA) capabilities, further delivering consistent security and seamless user experience to any user at any location with its security-driven networking approach.

09:14 EDT Sumo Logic announces new capabilities for Observability solution - Sumo Logic announced new capabilities that augment analytics-powered use cases and capture end user experience as part of its Observability solution. As the requirements for modern application Observability push past the limits of traditional, siloed APM, monitoring and logging tools, Sumo Logic is continuously investing to address the evolving needs of customers. Today's announcement includes Real User Monitoring and Span Analytics, capabilities designed to help DevOps/SRE teams identify and resolve customer-impacting issues faster, reduce application downtime and optimize application performance.

09:11 EDT Medtronic's Hugo robot-assisted surgery system used in gynecological procedure - Medtronic announced the first gynecological procedures with the Hugo robotic-assisted surgery system. The six cases included hysterectomies and myomectomies in Panama City, Panama. Pacifica Salud is the latest institution to join Medtronic's Partners in Possibility Program, a group of hospitals that will be among the first in the world to use the Hugo RAS system. Earlier this month, the hospital announced its first five urological cases with the Hugo RAS system.

09:08 EDT Rogers Communications to bring fibre-powered network to Quinte region - Rogers is proud to be taking the next step in closing the digital divide by expanding its network to the communities of Quinte West, Belleville and Prince Edward County. As part of its $140 million investment, Rogers will expand its fibre network delivering fibre-to-the home technology, servicing more than 20,000 homes and businesses in Quinte West, Belleville and Prince Edward County. Once completed, residents and business owners will have access to the full suite of services including Rogers Ignite Internet with download speeds of up to 1.5 gigabit per second and Rogers' leading IPTV service, Ignite TV.

09:07 EDT Editas Medicine, IDT announce publication in Nature Communications - Editas Medicine and Integrated DNA Technologies announced the publication of research data demonstrating the advantages of Alt-R A.s. Cas12a Ultra, an engineered AsCas12a nuclease variant, as a tool to eventually enable the development of gene-edited cell medicines. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications. The published results detail a directed evolution in bacteria to identify a highly active AsCas12a mutant, Alt-R A.s. Cas12a Ultra, and demonstrate the variant's superior on-target editing efficacy compared to Cas9 and AsCas12a. The paper summarizes several experiments of Alt-R A.s. Cas12a Ultra that demonstrated dramatically elevated knock-out and knock-in efficiency in both cancer cell lines and in human primary cells such as hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, T cells, and natural killer cells. Overall, the results support further research for the use of Alt-R A.s. Cas12a Ultra as an advanced CRISPR nuclease with significant potential future applications.

09:04 EDT Medallion Financial appoints Robert Meyer to board of directors - Medallion Financial announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Robert Meyer as an independent director, effective immediately. Mr. Meyer's appointment expands the Board to eight members, five of which are independent directors. Mr. Meyer will be a member of the Company's Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Nominating and Governance Committee. Mr. Meyer has had a 47-year career in banking. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Lending Officer at Valley National Bancorp from 1997 until his retirement in 2016.

08:59 EDT Dicerna receives FDA Clearance for DCR-AUD - Dicerna announced the FDA clearance of its investigational new drug, or IND, application for DCR-AUD, the company's investigational RNAi candidate for the treatment of alcohol use disorder, or AUD.

08:58 EDT Diversified Royalty announces preliminary Q2 results for royalty partners - Mr. Lube generated same-store-sales-growth of 21.8% for the Mr. Lube stores in the royalty pool for Q2 2021, an improvement compared to SSSG of -12.5% for the three months ended June 30, 2020. Mr. Lube generated SSSG of 13.2% for the six months ended June 30, 2021 compared to SSSG of -10.0% for the six months ended June 30, 2020. Mr. Lube's SSSG for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 were more significantly negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ensuing restrictions and lockdown measures implemented by various levels of government than in the current period. As provinces relax the restrictions put in place to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and Canadians drive more, Mr. Lube is experiencing favorable trends in its business. DIV expects to report that royalty income of $1.6 million was generated from the AIR MILES licenses in Q2 2021, an increase of $0.1 million compared to Q2 2020. For the six months ended June 30, 2021, DIV expects to report royalty income of $3.1 million, a decrease of $0.2 million compared to the six months ended June 30, 2020. DIV's royalty payment is derived from several AIR MILES metrics, with AIR MILES reward miles issued being the primary metric, and other metrics including AIR MILES reward miles redeemed, service revenue, commissions and promotional items, all of which affect quarterly variability. DIV expects to report royalty income and management fees of $1.0 million were generated from Sutton Group Realty Servicesin Q2 2021, compared to $0.5 million in Q2 2020. DIV waived 50% of Sutton's March 2020 royalty and management fees and 75% of Sutton's April and May 2020 royalty and management fees in connection with the dramatic slow-down of residential real estate activity that occurred following the initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the related impact on Sutton's business. The Canadian residential real estate market has experienced a strong recovery following a period of low transactional activity in April and May 2020. DIV expects to report that royalty income and management fees of $0.9 million were generated from Oxford Learning Centres in Q2 2021, compared to $0.7 million in Q2 2020. The majority of Mr. Mikes Restaurants Corporation restaurants were open for in-restaurant dining at a reduced capacity in mid-June 2021. Overall, SSSG in Q2 2021 for the Mr. Mikes restaurants in the royalty pool, including stores that were temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic was 77% compared to Q2 2020 and -50% compared to Q2 2019. SSSG for the six months ended June 30, 2021 for the Mr. Mikes restaurants in the royalty pool was flat compared to the six months ended June 30, 2020 and -43% compared to the six months ended June 30, 2019. Mr. Mikes restaurants were closed for in-restaurant dining for most of Q2 2020, which negatively impacted Mr. Mikes' system sales in that quarter.DIV expects to report that the royalty entitlement to DIV from Nurse Next Door Professional Homecare Services was $1.2 million in Q2 2021. The DIV Royalty Entitlement from Nurse Next Door grows at a fixed rate of 2.0% per annum during the term of the license, with the most recent increase effective October 1, 2020.

08:56 EDT South Jersey Industries President Robbins to retire, Orsen to succeed - SJI announced key promotions to the executive leadership teams to ensure continued growth across the business. The following promotions and organizational changes are part of SJI's executive succession plan. Dave Robbins, President of SJI Utilities, will retire at the end of 2021 after nearly three decades of service to SJI. Robbins will resign from his position at SJI Utilities, effective August 1, 2021, but will remain a Senior Vice President at SJI through the remainder of 2021 ensuring a seamless transition. Melissa Orsen, SVP of SJI and President and COO of South Jersey Gas Company, will succeed Robbins as President of SJI Utilities. Brent Schomber will succeed Melissa as President and Chief Operations Officer of South Jersey Gas Company. Schomber will provide leadership and oversight of all day-to-day operations at the utility and will report to Orsen. Leonard Brinson Jr., Chief Information Officer, SJI, and Eric Stein, General Counsel, SJI, have both been promoted to Senior Vice Presidents and will continue to drive strategy as members of the Senior Leadership Team.

08:54 EDT AquaBounty technologies announces Pioneer, Ohio as location for salmon farm - AquaBounty Technologies announced that it has identified Pioneer, Ohio as the location for its planned large-scale farm for the company's proprietary genetically engineered salmon. The new farm will be AquaBounty's first large-scale commercial facility, with a planned annual production capacity of 10,000 metric tons - approximately eight times the size of its farm in Albany, Indiana, which has an annual production capacity of 1,200 metric tons. The Company is finalizing the design for the estimated 479,000 square foot facility and expects to invest over $200M in the project. Construction is slated to begin in late 2021 and the Company anticipates commercial stocking of salmon to commence in 2023. Once in operation, the farm is expected to bring over 100 new jobs to the region.

08:52 EDT GreenBox chairman says Coyni 'best structured as a spinoff company' - GreenBox issued a letter to shareholders from the company's Chairman, Ben Errez. Ben Errez wrote, "As part of our long-term strategy to unlock shareholder value, we have explored a number of strategic options and currently believe that Coyni is best structured as a spinoff company. We are continuing, however, to evaluate different strategies and alternatives. The assets of the SpinCo are expected at this time to include the smart contract token technology, Coyni branding, and associated revenue, although we will continue to evaluate and assess other possible strategies. We believe the SpinCo strategy is advantageous to GreenBox and its shareholders in several ways. First, both GreenBox and the SpinCo may be valued as pure-play financial technology and financial services companies, respectively. Second, it allows for the SpinCo, and its new management team, to focus wholly and entirely on growing and enriching the Coyni business model, positioning it as a focused competitor with clear differentiated technology advantages relative to traditional payment systems. Third, it allows both GreenBox and the SpinCo to potentially maximize the utility of their respective capital structures, without diluting either investment thesis... For these reasons, we announced our intent to implement a special dividend series to reward long-term, loyal shareholders of GreenBox... We hope this summary provides additional clarity to our corporate vision and objectives on how we are building GreenBox to be, we believe, the newest, most agile, and robust payment software technology to compete in the digital payment space."

08:51 EDT Joint Corp. selected by Army & Air Force Exchange Service for chiropractic care - Joint Corp. has reached an agreement with the Army & Air Force Exchange Service to provide on-installation chiropractic care to members of the military and their families. The initial target sites include Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Ariz., MacDill Air Force base in Tampa, Fla. and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Trenton, New Jersey. The Exchange operates more than 4,900 facilities in more than 30 countries, 50 states, four U.S. territories and the District of Columbia and serves an eligible customer base of 33 million active-duty and retired service members and their families.

08:49 EDT CCL Industries announces bolt-on acquisition for Checkpoint - CCL Industries announced it has acquired the privately owned Uniter Group of companies. Founded 25 years ago in A Coruna, Spain, Uniter consists of five apparel label factories located in Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Turkey and China. Estimated results for calendar year 2021 are sales of $37.5 million with an adjusted EBITDA of $8.75 million. The purchase price, net of cash and debt, is approximately $53.7 million, subject to customary closing adjustments. The five Uniter factories will become part of the Checkpoint Apparel Labeling Solutions business.

08:48 EDT TotalEnergies, Amazon announce strategic collaboration agreement - TotalEnergies (TTE) announced a strategic collaboration with Amazon (AMZN) through which TotalEnergies will contribute to Amazon's commitment to power its operations with 100% renewable energy, while Amazon will help TotalEnergies accelerate its digital transformation. TotalEnergies and Amazon have signed power purchase agreements for a commitment of 474 MW of renewable capacity in the US and Europe, and expect to expand their cooperation in the Middle East and Asia Pacific. With Amazon Web Services as a key cloud provider, TotalEnergies will accelerate its move to the cloud, boosting its IT transformation, the digitization of its operations and its digital innovation, the companies said.

08:44 EDT Creative Learning's Bricks 4 Kids signed master franchise agreement in India - Creative Learning Corporation, the parent company of the STEAM-based educational franchise Bricks 4 Kidz, announces the brand's expansion into India. Bricks 4 Kidz has signed a master franchise agreement with FranGlobal to expand its market presence in India. FranGlobal will be opening new franchise opportunities with plans to expand by more than 50 locations and growing the brand's presence and influence in the region. Christopher Rego, the CEO of Creative Learning Corporation stated, "Bricks 4 Kidz is thrilled to partner with FranGlobal. Their experience and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to build a world-class innovative STEAM enrichment program. Our expansion in India comes at a time when parents are encouraging their kids to learn STEAM skills that are required for a successful future. Our goal is to make sure every child has access to the quality STEAM education they deserve."

08:43 EDT Huntington Bancshares expects Q2 to be low point for NIM for the year - Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

08:42 EDT Verizon announces appointments of Tony Wells, Jennifer Gardner - Verizon announced the appointment of Tony Wells as Senior Vice President, Chief Media Officer and Jennifer Gardner as Vice President, Media Platforms. Wells will be responsible for enterprise media across all business units, platforms and channels; managing the enterprise centers of excellence for sponsorships, experiential and digital marketing; and leading relationships and partnerships for sports and entertainment marketing and sponsorships across Verizon. He will join Verizon in September and report to Chief Marketing Officer, Diego Scotti. Wells succeeds John Nitti who held the role of Chief Media Officer for over 5 years and was recently promoted to Senior Vice President of New Business & Partner Development leading Verizon's major enterprise wide partnerships for the company. Jennifer Gardner has been appointed to the newly created role of Vice President, Media Platforms. Gardner will oversee media strategy, planning, buying and activation across Verizon. Gardner comes to Verizon from Unilever where she managed customer-centric media plans. She will join Verizon in August and report into Wells.

08:40 EDT Finward Bancorp, Royal Financial sign definitive merger agreement - Finward Bancorp announced they have executed a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which FNWD will acquire RYFL and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Royal Savings Bank, of Chicago, Illinois, in a stock and cash transaction. A copy of the definitive agreement is available as Exhibit 2.1 to the Form 8-K filed by FNWD today with the Securities Exchange Commission at the SEC's internet site. Under the terms of the merger agreement, stockholders of RYFL who hold 101 or more shares of RYFL common stock will have the right to elect to receive $20.14 per share in cash or 0.4609 shares of FNWD common stock, or a combination of both, for each outstanding share of RYFL common stock, subject to allocation provisions to assure that, in the aggregate, 65% of RYFL's outstanding shares of common stock will receive FNWD common stock and 35% will receive cash. Stockholders of RYFL holding less than 101 shares of RYFL common stock will have the right to receive $20.14 in cash and no stock consideration for each share of RYFL common stock. Based on FNWD's closing stock price of $44.00 as of July 28, 2021, the merger consideration has an aggregate value of approximately $52.9 million, which represents approximately 115% of RYFL's tangible book value, and which includes approximately $0.9 million paid to RYFL's stock option holders. RYFL is a bank holding company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois with total consolidated assets of $533 million as of June 30, 2021. Royal Savings Bank was established in 1887 and serves the Chicagoland metropolitan market with nine full-service locations. FNWD expects the merger to be approximately $1.08 or 21% accretive to 2022 earnings per share and more than 25% accretive to 2023 earnings per share, approximately 6.1% dilutive to tangible book value at closing and expects the tangible book value earn back to be approximately 2.3 years using the cross-over method. Upon closing of the transaction, both Peoples Bank and FNWD expect to remain above well-capitalized standards on all regulatory capital ratios. As part of the merger, a current director or executive officer of RYFL, as mutually agreed upon prior to closing by FNWD and RYFL, will be appointed to the boards of directors of FNWD and Peoples Bank effective as of the closing date of the merger. The merger is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2022, subject to approval by bank regulatory authorities and the shareholders of both FNWD and RYFL, as well as the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. Additionally, Royal Savings Bank will be merged with and into Peoples Bank, and the combined operations will be continued under the Peoples Bank name. Integration is expected to be complete in the second quarter of 2022.

08:37 EDT Strongbridge Biopharma provides announcement under Irish Takeover Rules - Strongbridge Biopharma announced in accordance with Rule 2.10 of the Irish Takeover Rules that, as of the close of business on July 28, 2021, Strongbridge's issued share capital, excluding treasury shares, is comprised of 67,828,952 ordinary shares with a par value of $0.01 per share. Strongbridge's ordinary shares are traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol SBBP. The International Securities Identification Number of the Strongbridge ordinary shares is IE00BYZ5XL97. Strongbridge confirms that, as of the close of business on July 28, 2021, there were outstanding 2,747,191 restricted share units and 8,226,117 options to purchase Strongbridge ordinary shares granted by Strongbridge. Upon vesting, each Strongbridge Restricted Share Unit entitles the holder to receive one Strongbridge ordinary share and each Strongbridge Share Option entitles the holder to purchase one Strongbridge ordinary share at the applicable exercise price. Strongbridge also confirms that as of the close of business on July 28, 2021, Strongbridge has 7,368,033 warrants outstanding and 4,464,285 ordinary shares will be issued upon the conversion of the portion of Strongbridge's debt that is convertible. Upon exercise, each Strongbridge Warrant entitles the holder to receive one ordinary share.

08:35 EDT Compass Pathways appoints Goodwin as CMO, CFO to leave end of 2021 - COMPASS Pathways announced that it has appointed psychiatrist, Professor Guy Goodwin FMedSci, as Chief Medical Officer. Guy Goodwin is Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at The University of Oxford. He was formerly WA Handley Chair of Psychiatry and Head of the University's Department of Psychiatry. COMPASS also announced that Piers Morgan, Chief Financial Officer, will be leaving towards the end of 2021, to take up a new position in CellCentric, a clinical stage oncology company.

08:34 EDT Aqua Metals, ACME sign agreement to deploy AquaRefining technology - Aqua Metals announced it has signed a definitive agreement with ACME Metal Enterprise to deploy and license AquaRefining equipment at its facility in Keelung, Taiwan. While both companies signed a Letter of Intent on July 1, 2021, that provided 60 days to reach a definitive agreement, the contract was signed in less than a month. The agreement includes terms for licensing to ACME and working with ACME to consider licensing AquaRefining to other parties in Taiwan. The agreement also defines a phased deployment of AquaRefining technology and provisions for ACME to work with Aqua Metals and one or more large battery manufacturers to develop a second methodology to produce oxide directly from AquaRefined material, which can significantly improve economic costs, safety, environmental impact and streamline the link between battery recycling and new battery manufacturing. ACME currently refines lead bullion into lead alloys for sale to global battery manufacturers. These relationships will enable ACME to utilize AquaRefining as the only proven green method for recycling lead in the largest and fastest growing lead recycling market in the world. Aqua Metals intends to begin shipping Aqualyzers and supporting equipment to ACME during the next quarter for phase one of the deployment, which is expected to begin operating by the fourth quarter of 2021. The Aqualyzers will enable ACME to produce ultrapure lead metal in Taiwan with vastly improved emissions and worker safety. The partnership between Aqua Metals and ACME includes joint development of a process for converting the ultra-high purity AquaRefined briquettes into lead oxide utilizing a ball mill that ACME will have rights to throughout Taiwan. Aqua Metals announced in January 2021 that it had developed a process for converting briquettes into lead oxide through the Barton pot method (melting). With the addition of the ball mill process, AquaRefining will have the potential to produce oxide using the only two industry-standard processes available.

08:32 EDT Micron begins volume shipments of 176-layer NAND UFS 3.1 mobile solution - Micron Technology announced it has begun volume shipments of the world's first 176-layer NAND Universal Flash Storage 3.1 mobile solution. Engineered for high-end and flagship phones, Micron's discrete UFS 3.1 mobile NAND unlocks 5G's potential with up to 75% faster sequential write and random read performance than prior generations,1 enabling downloads of two-hour 4K movies2 in as little as 9.6 seconds.

08:32 EDT AbbVie's Allergan says FDA approves expanded Botox label - Allergan, an AbbVie company, announced that the U.S. FDA has approved a label expansion of Botox to include eight new muscles for the treatment of upper limb spasticity in adults. The new muscles for treatment include additional muscles of the elbow and forearm (brachialis, brachioradialis, pronator teres, and pronator quadratus), as well as intrinsic hand muscles (lumbricals and interossei) and thumb muscles (flexor pollicis brevis and opponens pollicis). The label now includes the use of ultrasound as a muscle localization technique in adult spasticity.

08:31 EDT Loxo Oncology, Kumquat enter collaboration on novel small molecules - Loxo Oncology, a research and development group of Eli Lilly, and Kumquat Biosciences announced an exclusive collaboration focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of potential novel small molecules that stimulate tumor-specific immune responses. Through the multi-year collaboration, Kumquat will utilize its small molecule immuno-oncology, or IO, platform to discover novel clinical candidates and Lilly has the option to select a certain number of drug candidates for further development and commercialization worldwide, excluding Greater China. Kumquat has retained development and commercialization rights in Greater China for each of the drug candidates selected by Lilly, subject to Lilly's option to co-commercialize in Greater China. Additionally, Kumquat has the option to co-develop and co-commercialize a certain number of the drug candidates selected by Lilly in the U.S. Kumquat will receive an aggregate of $70M consisting of a cash upfront payment and an equity investment. Kumquat is eligible to receive over $2B in potential milestone payments based on the achievement of preclinical, development and future commercial milestones, as well as royalties on sales of commercialized products resulting from the collaboration.

08:30 EDT Aeterna Zentaris receives Nasdaq notification on minimum bid price compliance - Aeterna Zentaris announced that on July 28, 2021, the Company received notice from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC indicating that, based upon a closing bid price of less than $1.00 per share for the Company's common stock for the prior 30 consecutive business day period, the Company no longer satisfies Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550a2. In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810c3A, the Company has been provided a grace period of 180 calendar days, through January 24, 2022, to evidence compliance with the Rule. To evidence compliance with the Rule, the Company must evidence a closing bid price of at least $1.00 per share for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days on or before January 24, 2022. In the event the Company does not timely evidence compliance with the Rule, the Company may be eligible for an additional 180-day grace period or may face delisting. In the latter case, the Company would be entitled to request a hearing before the Nasdaq Hearings Panel, which request would stay any delisting action by the Staff pending completion of the hearing process. The Company's business operations are not affected by the receipt of the Nasdaq notice.

08:29 EDT Cohen & Co. reinstates quarterly cash dividend of 25c per share - The Company's Board of Directors has declared a dividend of $0.25 per share, which will be payable on August 27, 2021, to stockholders of record on August 13, 2021. The Board of Directors will continue to evaluate the dividend policy each quarter, and future decisions regarding dividends may be impacted by quarterly operating results and the Company's capital needs.

08:27 EDT Principal Solar, IntelliMedia Networks collaborate to reduce carbon footpring - Principal Solar announced that it has entered into a collaborative agreement with IntelliMedia Networks. The two companies intend to jointly develop a Global Virtual Environment Summit Platform with the express goal of reducing the carbon footprint of in-person summits while preserving the impact of the experience for attendees. The platform will be developed to provide virtual show floor and booth presence, live and on demand broadcasting of seminars, sales and marketing interaction with exhibitors via integrated video conferencing, social interaction among participants, marketing and information collateral distribution, and host of other immersive and engaging features.

08:26 EDT Vaxart reports boosting immune response in subjects with Vaxart vaccine - Vaxart has shown for the first time in clinical trials that its oral tablet vaccine platform successfully boosted immune responses in subjects previously vaccinated with a Vaxart oral vaccine more than a year earlier. The data came from Vaxart's 12-subject Phase 1b blinded study evaluating the ability of its norovirus vaccine to boost immunogenicity. Study participants were initially vaccinated with Vaxart's oral norovirus vaccine in late 2019 and were vaccinated again between February and April 2021. All seven participants who had been previously immunized with the oral norovirus vaccine elicited a similar broad range of immune responses to norovirus as the five subjects that had not received a prior oral vaccine dose. Serum antibody blocking titer 50,a surrogate neutralizing antibody measurement, increased in both previously vaccinated and unvaccinated subjects by similar amounts. Antibodysecreting B cell responses to norovirus VP1 measuredseven days post-boost were no different thanthose in subjects receiving the vaccine for the first time. Serum IgG and IgA antibody responses were significantly elevated 29 days post-boost immunization, with no difference in titer between subjects that had received a prior oral norovirus vaccineand those who had not previously been vaccinated.

08:24 EDT Impel NeuroPharma to host KOL event on August 6 - Impel NeuroPharma announced that it will host a virtual key opinion leader event to review the post triptan failure landscape and new options for the treatment of acute migraine. In addition, the program will cover the role of non-oral acute migraine therapies, including the history of use of dihydroergotamine, the STOP301 trial results for Impel's lead product candidate TRUDHESA and commercial insights and opportunities in the acute migraine market. The event will take place on Friday, August 6, 2021 at 1:00pm ET. The event will feature presentations from guest speakers Dr. Wade Cooper, Director of Headache and Neuropathic Pain at the University of Michigan School of Medicine, Dr. Stewart Tepper, Director of Dartmouth Headache Center at the Geisel School of Medicine, Dr. Nada Hindiyeh, Assistant Professor of neurology and neurological systems at Stanford Medical School and Impel NeuroPharma management.

08:23 EDT Harsco to implement MachineMax equipment management technology - Harsco Corporation announced its Harsco Environmental division will be implementing MachineMax, an equipment management platform to help it reach its sustainability goals while maximizing the productivity and profitability of its heavy equipment around the globe. The solution provided by MachineMax, a Royal Dutch Shell company, will enable Harsco Environmental to access real-time data and reporting about its global on-site fleet, providing a single equipment management platform that helps track and better manage carbon emissions from the equipment used in its operations. In addition to helping Harsco reduce energy use and emissions, MachineMax will allow Harsco Environmental to pinpoint operational inefficiencies such as excessive idling and site bottlenecks by analyzing machine data using Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence technologies. Reducing inefficiencies reduces cycle times, which, in turn, further reduces emissions. This platform will be used in more than 30 countries and represents a significant step towards the reduction of carbon emissions across Harsco's operations by increasing efficiency to improve sustainability.

08:21 EDT Scynexis announces presentations on pooled data from Phase 3 VANISH program - SCYNEXIS announced two oral presentations of oral ibrexafungerp from its Phase 3 VANISH Program at the Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics & Gynecology 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting, held on July 29 and July 30, 2021. The data presented demonstrate oral ibrexafungerp's safety and efficacy as a treatment for vulvovaginal candidiasis, also known as vaginal yeast infection. "The data from our Phase 3 VANISH program demonstrated strong efficacy and a favorable tolerability profile in women with vaginal yeast infections and supported the recent FDA approval of BREXAFEMME, which represents the first approved drug in a novel antifungal class in more than 20 years, offering the first and only oral non-azole treatment option for VVC patients," said Marco Taglietti, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of SCYNEXIS. "We believe that we can continue to build on this momentum in this category with our ongoing Phase 3 CANDLE study investigating ibrexafungerp for the prevention of recurrent VVC and expect to report topline data in the first half of 2022." Selected Important Safety Information Most common adverse reactions observed in clinical trials (incidence greater than or equal to2%) were diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, dizziness, and vomiting See below for complete Important Safety Information Oral presentation details: Title Efficacy and Safety of Oral Ibrexafungerp in Subjects with Vulvovaginal Candidiasis: Pooled Data from Two Phase 3, Randomized, Blinded, Studies vs. Placeb: The Phase 3 VANISH-303 and VANISH-306 trials evaluated the safety and efficacy of oral ibrexafungerp as a treatment for patients with VVC. A pooled analysis of 376 patients receiving oral ibrexafungerp and 182 patients receiving placebo found that 94% of ibrexafungerp patients had severe disease. Clinical Cure Rate, defined as complete resolution of all Vaginal Signs and Symptoms at the Day-10 Test-of-Cure visit, was reported as 56.9% in the treatment arm vs. 35.7% in the placebo arm. Overall, ibrexafungerp was well tolerated, with the most common treatment-related adverse events being gastrointestinal in nature. Outcomes in Subpopulations from Pooled Phase 3 Clinical Studies of Oral Ibrexafungerp versus Placebo in Patients with Vulvovaginal Candidiasis: The study outlines a sub-population analysis of different patient demographics from the Phase 3 VANISH-303 and VANISH-306 trials evaluating efficacy of oral ibrexafungerp as a treatment for patients with VVC. Clinical Cure, defined as complete resolution of all Vaginal Signs and Symptoms at the Day-10 Test-of-Cure visit, was 57.0% in patients aged less than65 years, 52.3% in Black patients, 54.7% in Hispanic or Latino patients, and 46.2% in patients with BMI greater than35. These results are largely consistent with the overall clinical cure rate reported by the study and support ibrexafungerp's potential to treat all important populations impacted by VVC infections.

08:21 EDT Sapiens' digital solutions selected by Thailand-based insurer - Sapiens has been selected by one of Thailand's leading non-life insurers for its large-scale digital core transformation. Sapiens end-to-end solutions for non-life - general - insurance will transform the insurer's 30-year-old legacy core through the implementation of Sapiens IDITSuite, Sapiens ReinsuranceMaster, Sapiens Intelligence and Sapiens DigitalSuite's API layer. IDITSuite supports all core operations and processes for personal, commercial and specialty lines of business. Sapiens ReinsuranceMaster is a comprehensive business and accounting solution. Sapiens Intelligence is an out-of-the-box solution with a full industry standard data management model.

08:17 EDT Vivid Seats launches strategic rebrand with improved rewards program - The company said, "Vivid Seats continues to deliver exceptional value to fans by enhancing Vivid Seats Rewards, where all fans earn on every purchase. In addition, the Company revealed an extensive brand refresh inspired by the energy and passion of live event fans, together with a new logo and a redesigned website and app, built with new capabilities rooted in personalization and simplicity. Vivid Seats Rewards will introduce the first of several fan-focused experiential enhancements in conjunction with the brand refresh: Every Purchase Counts: Start earning rewards today. Enrollment is free and automatic. Free Tickets for Every Fan: Fans earn a stamp for every ticket they purchase. Once they've collected 10 stamps, they will receive a Reward Credit worth the average value of the 10 stamps which can be used for tickets to another event. Unlock Status for More Perks: Fans can also benefit from increasing perks as they progress through each of the three levels-Rising Star, Super Fan, and Icon-such as surprise and delight moments which include ticket upgrades, exclusive access to industry events, and other VIP perks. Birthday Gift: All members will get a birthday reward to celebrate their special day. The new loyalty program is designed to benefit every fan, whether they attend two events a year or twenty. Current Vivid Seats Rewards members will get to enjoy all the new benefits, while also maintaining their current level or moving to a higher tier in the updated program."

08:16 EDT Jowell Global announces acquisition of equity interest in Hongrun Small Loan - Jowell Global announced that its variable interest entity Shanghai Juhao Information Technology has entered into a Capital Increase Agreement to acquire 18.96% equity interest in Suzhou Industrial Park Hongrun Rural Small Amount Loan, or Hongrun Small Loan, for an aggregate consideration of RMB 30M, or approximately $4.6M, in cash. The investment by Shanghai Juhao will be ear-marked for the loans to the owners of Juhao Best Choice Stores for their business development and expansion. Juhao Best Choice Stores are the community group-buying franchise stores launched by Shanghai Juhao in April 2021. "We believe there are significant opportunities to further grow our business, through organic growth or acquisitions", said Zhiwei Xu, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Jowell Global Ltd. "The acquisition announced today is a clear indication of the Company's continuous capabilities in executing long-term growth strategies and evidence of continued efforts in expanding Juhao Best Choice Stores across China. This investment will be dedicated to support the development and expansion of Juhao Best Choice Stores. We believe our partnership with Hongrun Small Loan will generate new growth points and value for the Company as well as create better products, services and quality satisfactory shopping experiences for consumers of Juhao Best Choices Stores."

08:14 EDT Engine Media expands patent infringement lawsuits against DraftKings and FanDuel - Engine Media's Winview subsidiary has filed amended complaints in its patent infringement lawsuits against DraftKings and FanDuel, which are pending in the District Court for the District of New Jersey, to include allegations that the gaming services provided by DraftKings and FanDuel infringe two additional patents owned by Winview. These actions seek the recovery of damages and other appropriate relief.

08:11 EDT CN seeks comments regarding Interim Extreme Weather Fire Plan - CN announced that it is seeking comments regarding its Interim Extreme Weather Fire Plan. The Plan presents measures to increase prevention, monitoring and response to wildfire risks when the fire danger level for a given area is "extreme". These measures will supplement existing practices and allow CN to serve our customers while protecting neighbouring communities. Safety is a core value at CN. It is also a shared responsibility, which is why CN is seeking the input of local communities and governments, including Indigenous Governments or other Indigenous Governing bodies on its Plan.

08:10 EDT Workhorse Group appoints Richard Dauch as CEO - Workhorse Group announced the appointment of Richard Dauch as CEO, effective August 2nd, 2021. He will also join the Company's Board of Directors. Dauch succeeds Duane Hughes who has served as CEO from February 2019 to August 1, 2021, and who previously served as Chief Operating Officer from August 2016 to January 2019. Hughes will continue to serve as a consultant through the transition period. Dauch previously served as the CEO of Delphi Technologies where he successfully completed the spin-off from Aptiv and then executed a merger with BorgWarner in October 2020.

08:09 EDT Rubius Therapeutics appoints Dannielle Appelhans as COO - Rubius Therapeutics (RUBY) announced the appointment of Dannielle Appelhans as chief operating officer, effective August 9, 2021. She will oversee corporate strategy and technical operations. Most recently, Ms. Appelhans served as senior vice president of technical operations and chief technical officer at Novartis Gene Therapies (NVS), where she oversaw late-stage development, clinical and commercial manufacturing, supply chain and all supporting operational functions for the gene therapy unit and AAV portfolio.

08:01 EDT Peabody Energy lowers 2021 CapEx view by $25M to $200M

07:58 EDT Sanuwave Health announces collaboration with NASA for water processor assembly - SANUWAVE Health announces collaboration with National Aeronautics and Space Administration. One of the most important objectives of this decade for National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the restart of missions to the Moon to establish a Lunar Base. The closed loop Water Recovery System, or WRS, is important for the ISS and any Lunar Base or Mars Colony, to provide sufficient water supply for their human inhabitants. SANUWAVE announces that it was selected as one of the companies that can help with the mitigation of the bacterial biofilms formed inside the WRS. SANUWAVE's proprietary shockwave technology, which is a highly mechanical energy, will be used to test the detachment, destruction, and ultimately prevention of biofilms formation. The experimental design presented in the paper at the ICES 2021 conference will be used in a grant awarded by NASA to systematically assess the shockwave technology influence on the biofilms formed in the water tank of the WPA from the WRS. This research work will be done at the SANUWAVE's research laboratory and also at CBE, which is one of the main partners for us and also the leading facility that is performing the biofilm work for NASA. Kevin Richardson II, the CEO of SANUWAVE, added, "Clean water is crucial for NASA human inhabited structures, and this is why it needs to be recycled. As we know water weight is super high, which prohibits the hauling of it on periodic rocket launches from Earth. This is why the WRS is crucial to the future success of NASA missions to Moon and Mars. The use of shockwaves is simple and efficient and can be combined with other technologies to produce increased efficiency in the elimination and prevention of bacterial biofilms formed inside such a closed-loop system. We are proud to be selected by NASA to be one of their partners and we are looking forward to delivering successful solutions. This work will be used for future development of commercial application for water mitigation, cleaning and disinfection."

07:54 EDT Kura Oncology appoints Helen Collins to board of directors - Kura Oncology announced the appointment of industry veteran Helen Collins, M.D., to its board of directors. Collins joins the Kura board of directors with more than 25 years of medical experience. Most recently, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Five Prime Therapeutics.

07:53 EDT Brightcove says Chief Revenue Officer leaving, hired Chief Data Officer - During Brightcove's Q2 earnings call, CEO Jeff Ray stated, according to a transcript: "Rick Hanson, Chief Revenue Officer is leaving Brightcove at the end of July. Over his 2.5 years at Brightcove, he transformed the sales organization and hired a sales leadership teams, it's taken us to the next level. We're thankful for Rick's contribution to our growth and wish him the best as he takes some time with his family. We're excited to promote Brian Froehling to the role of Executive Vice President, Head of Global Sales. Brian joined Brightcove in August of 2019 to lead the America sales team. During his tenure, the team has seen tremendous bookings growth and executed at a high level... I'm also delighted to announce that Patrick Wagstrom has joined Brightcove as the company's first Chief Data Officer. He will spearhead an advanced R&D organization that integrates machine learning capabilities into Brightcove solutions, bringing advanced opportunities for customers and viewers. Prior to Brightcove, Wagstrom led the Emerging Technology Group at Verizon was part of Capital One's cloud transformation, and led the development of the machine learning platform for their credit card business, and was also a founding member of the IBM Watson Group."

07:52 EDT IBI Group awarded two bridge toll system contract in Michigan - IBI Group was awarded an 18-lane toll system contract, and related services, by the Michigan Department of Transportation for the modernization of the existing toll system infrastructure at Blue Water Bridge and International Bridge. The firm will implement its toll system on both the U.S. and Canadian sides of the Blue Water Bridge, and the U.S. side of the International Bridge, as well as provide operations and maintenance support for up to 10 years for toll operations and customer-facing services. Adding to IBI's existing portfolio of toll system projects in Michigan, this two-bridge, cross-border project win is illustrative of the firm's commitment to create value for its clients through the application of technology, and enable the efficient operation of the trade corridors between the United States and Canada.

07:50 EDT AC Immune presents full Phase 1b results on anti-abeta vaccine - AC Immune outlined two presentations being delivered at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2021, taking place both in Denver, USA and virtually from July 26-30, 2021. The presentations highlight precision medicine approaches to enable the early detection and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases by targeting amyloid beta and alpha-synuclein. The first virtual oral presentation includes the full results from a first-of-its-kind Phase 1b clinical trial evaluating the anti-Abeta vaccine ACI-24 in adults with DS. Previously announced topline data from the trial showed that ACI-24 generated evidence of immunogenicity along with a positive pharmacodynamic response and a favorable safety and tolerability profile. The Phase 1b study results showed that ACI-24 was safe and well tolerated in adults with DS. No serious adverse events or evidence of central nervous system inflammation, meningoencephalitis, or ARIA, including ARIA-E and ARIA-H, were reported. Data also showed that administration of ACI-24 resulted in encouraging immune responses that correlated with increases in plasma Abeta, which are indicative of target engagement. Andrea Pfeifer, CEO of AC Immune SA, commented: "The full data set from our Phase 1b DS study are promising and highlight AC Immune's expertise in active vaccination approaches for neurodegenerative disease. Based on these results, we plan to advance an optimized formulation of ACI-24 into late-stage clinical testing to treat and prevent the progression of DS-related AD. This formulation has demonstrated enhanced immunogenicity against the two most toxic Abeta species in non-human primates, positioning it to be a potential breakthrough in Abeta vaccination. We look forward to the program's continued advancement, which we believe will be accelerated by the recent validation of Abeta as a surrogate trial endpoint in AD." In addition, AC Immune is also presenting a poster on ACI-12589, a first-in-class positron emission tomography imaging tracer targeting a-syn that is being developed as a first-in-class diagnostic for Parkinson's disease.

07:47 EDT Intercontinental Exchange sees Q3 recurring revenue $870-$885M

07:46 EDT Pacira announces new analysis on iovera, reduces opioid use, pain scores - Pacira BioSciences announced new data on the ability of the iovera degrees system to reduce pain, opioid consumption, and length of stay following total knee arthroplasty. The findings show that patients receiving preoperative iovera degrees as part of a multimodal pain management protocol reduced both opioid intake and in-hospital pain while optimizing outcomes during the 6-week recovery period after TKA. The results of the study, A Multimodal Pain Management Protocol Including Preoperative Cryoneurolysis for Total Knee Arthroplasty to Reduce Pain, Opioid Consumption, and Length of Stay, were published in Arthroplasty Today. This retrospective analysis utilized data from patients who underwent TKA by a single surgeon at one center. Patients who received iovera degrees before TKA were compared with a historical control group including patients who underwent TKA without iovera degrees. Results showed that patients undergoing TKA who received iovera degrees compared to those who did not demonstrated a significant: decrease in daily opioid consumption, as the iovera degrees group had 51% lower daily morphine milligram equivalents than the control group; decrease in mean and maximum pain scores; decrease in average hospital LOS; and greater range of motion, as indicated by greater flexion degree at discharge.

07:42 EDT Oncorus appoints Barbara Yanni to board of directors - Oncorus (ONCR) announced the appointment of Barbara Yanni to fill a vacancy on its Board of Directors. Since her retirement from Merck & Co. (MRK) in 2014, where she served as Vice President and Chief Licensing Officer, Ms. Yanni has served as a director of multiple publicly traded and privately held biopharmaceutical companies.

07:38 EDT Alliance Data reports June net charge offs 4.8% vs. 5.2% last month - Reports June delinquency ratio 3.3% vs. 3.2% last month.

07:32 EDT Atreca presents initial clinical data from Phase 1b trial of ATRC-101 - Atreca announced initial data from the dose escalation portion of its ongoing Phase 1b trial evaluating ATRC-101 in select solid tumor types that displayed greater than 50% target expression in preclinical studies. The Phase 1b trial is a first-in-human, open-label study of ATRC-101 in patients with select solid tumor cancers, utilizing a 3+3 design for the dose escalation portion. The objectives of the study are to characterize safety, determine a maximum tolerated or recommended dose for expansion, measure initial clinical activity, and characterize potential biomarkers of activity in tumors, plasma, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. A total of 26 participants had been dosed in the trial as of the data cut-off date of July 16th, including 24 participants treated at five once-every-21-day dose levels, and two participants treated at one once-every-14-day dose level. The peak concentration of ATRC-101 was dose proportional and minimal accumulation was observed following multiple doses. ATRC-101's half-life was 10.5 days and was relatively consistent across all dose levels. ATRC-101 was generally well-tolerated, with no dose-limiting toxicities at doses less than or equal to 30 mg/kg. Respiratory failure and sepsis were the only grade greater than or equal to 3 AEs observed in more than one participant, and the one grade 4 treatment-emergent AE observed was a case of acute respiratory failure. The most common treatment-related AEs were fatigue, nausea, and tumor pain. Phase 1b monotherapy dose expansion is ongoing at 30 mg/kg, a combination study evaluating ATRC-101 with pembrolizumab is active and another combination study with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin is expected to begin enrolling patients in 4Q21. Atreca expects to report additional monotherapy data by mid-2022, pembrolizumab combination data in mid-2022 and chemotherapy combination data in late 2022. Supported by data from the dose escalation portion of the trial, Atreca is developing a diagnostic to select patients based on target expression

07:30 EDT American States Water increases quarterly dividend to 36.5c per share - The board of American States Water approved an increase in the company's third quarter cash dividend from 33.5c per share to 36.5c per share on the common shares of the company. Dividends on the common shares will be payable on September 1 to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 16.

07:29 EDT InterDigital wins patent verdict against Lenovo in UK - InterDigital (IDCC) announced a judgment from the UK's High Court that Lenovo (LNVGY) has infringed one of the company's patents and that the patent-in-suit is valid and essential to the 4G LTE standard. InterDigital initiated legal proceedings against Lenovo in the U.K. and in U.S. district court in 2019. This decision is the first from five technical trials that are scheduled to proceed before the UK High Court with an additional trial to establish fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory licensing terms scheduled for January 2022.

07:28 EDT Huntington Bancshares targeting annual revenue growth slightly above nominal GDP - Targeting lower half of the long-term CET1 operating range. Medium-term financial goals include: Return on tangible common equity 17%+, 56% efficiency ratio, positive operating leverage, and CET1 ratio of 9%-10%. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call presentation slides.

07:27 EDT Gilat Satellite receives multi-million dollar award from US Army to supply BUCs - Gilat Satellite Networks announced a multi-million-dollar award by the US Army to supply high-performance BUCs for tactical communications. Gilat's fully owned subsidiary, Wavestream, to supply additional 50W Ka-band BUCs for program sustainment that is well into its second decade. Wavestream's Matchbox 50Ka MIL was originally fielded by the US Army in WIN-T Increment 1 as early as 2007 and is still active in service today.

07:26 EDT Computer Task Group sees year-over-year revenue growth - Given the evolving global impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic which has led to limited visibility on CTG's end markets and clients, the company is not providing formal quarterly or annual guidance at this time. The company does however expect continued year-over-year revenue growth and operating profit improvement driven by an increasing mix of Solutions revenue, partially offset by the ongoing strategic disengagement from lower-margin Staffing business.

07:24 EDT Anavex announces new data on ANAVEX 2-73 - Anavex Life Sciences reported new data that established ANAVEX 2-73 to be a preventive treatment in the pharmacological model of Alzheimer's disease. Pre-treatment with ANAVEX 2-73, repeated once daily for one week before the Abeta challenge was protective in the Abeta25-35 peptide model of Alzheimer's disease in mice. ANAVEX 2-73 significantly and dose-dependently prevented Abeta25-35-induced biomarker-correlated cognitive impairments, which were assessed one week after the Abeta insult during which no further ANAVEX 2-73 treatment took place. ANAVEX 2-73 activates the sigma-1 receptor. "We are excited about this data, which indicates the potential expansion for the ANAVEX 2-73 platform to find an effective Alzheimer's prevention therapy, which might benefit the entire field," said Christopher U. Missling, PhD, President & Chief Executive Officer of Anavex. "In addition to finding treatment options for Alzheimer's disease, we are also striving to find effective prevention therapies for this devastating disease, and this data might help advance this endeavor to address an area of high unmet medical need." This data seems to be consistent with the effect of ANAVEX 2-73 on cognition assessed in the recently completed placebo-controlled Phase 2 study of 132 patients with Parkinson's disease dementia with once-daily administration of oral 30 mg ANAVEX(R)2-73, 50 mg ANAVEX 2-73 and placebo for 14 weeks.

07:23 EDT Comstock Mining forms joint venture with Lakeview Energy - Comstock Mining announced the execution of a series of agreements with Lakeview Energy and its subsidiaries, pursuant to which the company acquired 50% of the equity of Lakeview's subsidiary, LP Biosciences, and agreed to provide the financing needed to retrofit LPB's pre-existing industrial scale solvent extraction and valorization facility in Merrill, Iowa, for the production of an array of wholesale products from up to 200,000 pounds per day of industrial hemp. Comstock issued 3,500,000 restricted shares of its common stock to LPB in connection with its acquisition and financing commitments, and simultaneously acquired 100% of MANA Corporation, an industrial hemp technology development, marketing, and management company, for 4,200,000 restricted shares of Comstock common stock.

07:21 EDT Akoustis receives two design wins from CBRS cutomer - Akoustis Technologies announced that it has received two design wins and a volume pre-production order for its 3.6 GHz XBAW Citizens Broadband Radio Service filter for 5G network infrastructure base stations as well as customer premise equipment. This is the second and third design win in CBRS for Akoustis, and the Company remains in active discussions with over 10 CBRS equipment makers. This customer plans to use the Akoustis XBAW filters for qualification in fixed wireless base station equipment and CPE devices, both of which are expected to enter production in early calendar 2022. Both the base station and CPE applications are expected to use multiple Akoustis XBAW devices.

07:19 EDT Else Nutrition launches clinical study on plant-based nutrition - ELSE NUTRITION HOLDINGS announces the launch of a clinical study aimed at validating its toddler and kids products support growth benefits in healthy young children vs. cow-milk-based formula. The study will be led be Prof. David Fleischer, and Prof. Carina Venter from the Allergy and Immunology Center, Children's Hospital Colorado and University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. Prof. David Fleischer, and Prof. Carina Venter are leading research in the field of food allergy prevention and working with children with food allergies. This study is part of the overall efforts to establish the scientific basis for the safety and tolerance of Else Nutrition products. It will follow healthy toddlers for four months, comparing growth and wellness versus those consuming a commercial cow milk -based toddler product.

07:16 EDT Huntington Bancshares announces $800M share repurchase program - The Board of Directors approved an $800M share repurchase authorization for the next four quarters.

07:13 EDT Comcast reports Q2 total customer relationships increased 294,000 to 33.8M - The company said, "Residential customer relationships increased by 277,000 and business customer relationships increased by 17,000. Total broadband customer net additions were 354,000, total video customer net losses were 399,000 and total voice customer net losses were 108,000. In addition, Cable Communications added 280,000 wireless lines in the quarter."

07:10 EDT Genocea expects cash, cash equivalents to fund operations to the end of 2022 - As of June 30, 2021, cash and cash equivalents were $60.4M compared to $79.8M as of December 31, 2020.

07:05 EDT Intercept reiterates FY21 Ocaliva net sales view of $325M-$340M - The company said, "We are reiterating our full year 2021 non-GAAP adjusted operating expense guidance of between $380 million to $410 million."

07:04 EDT Ecopetrol opposes preliminary injunctive relief filed against sale of ISA - Ecopetrol reported that it filed a statement in opposition to the preliminary injunctive relief requested within a public action to which it was named as defendant by means of a judicial order notified on July 21. The company said, "The accion popular is being processed by the First Section of the Administrative Court of Cundinamarca and was filed by Fundacion Defensa de la Informacion Legal y Oportunidad - Dilo Colombia. The claimant is requesting the Court to issue a preliminary injunctive relief measure to cause the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit and Ecopetrol "... to refrain from continuing the process to sell the Nation's share ownership in ISA to Ecopetrol ..." Ecopetrol opposes to the injunctive relief on the grounds that the claim has no legal basis. In its statement, Ecopetrol exposes the technical, financial, and legal arguments that show that Fundacion Dilo Colombia did not comply with the legal requirements for said preliminary injunctive relief measure to be granted. In addition, Ecopetrol explained that the potential sale of the Nation's ownership in ISA is allowed by Colombian legislation, maximizes benefits to the Nation and to Ecopetrol, and does not threaten or violate any of the collective rights invoked by the claimant. Ecopetrol will continue to defend the legality of the potential ISA transaction in all stages of the judicial process described herein."

07:02 EDT Carrier Global announces $1.75B share repurchase authorization

06:56 EDT Tempur Sealy increases quarterly dividend nearly 30% to 9c per share - Tempur Sealy announced that its board of directors has declared a third quarter cash dividend on its common stock of 9c per share. The dividend is payable on August 26 to shareholders of record as of August 12.

06:43 EDT Airbus sees 600 commercial aircraft deliveries in 2021 - Targets EBIT Adjusted EUR 4B; FCF before M&A and customer financing EUR 2B.

06:35 EDT Sanofi now sees FY21 business EPS up around 12% at CER - Sanofi now expects 2021 business EPS to grow around 12% at CER, barring unforeseen major adverse events. Applying average July 2021 exchange rates, the currency impact on 2021 business EPS is estimated to be between -4% to -5%.

06:33 EDT Credit Suisse publishes report on independent investigation into Archegos - Credit Suisse Group published the report based on the independent external investigation into Archegos Capital Management, which was commissioned by the Board of Directors and supervised by a special committee of the Board. Over the past months, at the direction of the Board of Directors, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP and its expert advisors conducted a comprehensive review of Credit Suisse's relationship with Archegos following the US hedge fund's default on March 25, 2021. The review consisted of more than 80 interviews with current and former Credit Suisse employees as well as the collection of more than 10 million documents and other data. Among some of the key conclusions, the investigation found a failure to effectively manage risk in the Investment Bank's Prime Services business by both the first and second lines of defense as well as a lack of risk escalation. In the same business, it also found a failure to control limit excesses across both lines of defense as a result of an insufficient discharge of supervisory responsibilities in the Investment Bank and in Risk, as well as a lack of prioritization of risk mitigation and enhancement measures. However, the investigation also found that this was not a situation where the business and risk personnel engaged in fraudulent or illegal conduct or acted with ill intent. Nor was it one where the architecture of risk controls and processes was lacking, or the existing risk systems failed to operate sufficiently to identify critical risks and related concerns. Under the leadership of the Tactical Crisis Committee of the Board - which consists of the Chairman of the Board, the Chair of the Audit Committee, the Chair of the Risk Committee, and the Chair of the Conduct and Financial Crime Control Committee - and in close collaboration with the Group Chief Executive Officer and selected members of senior management, including the ad interim Chief Risk Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the General Counsel, the ad interim Chief Compliance Officer, the new CEO of the Investment Bank Division, and the Head Internal Audit, the bank has already implemented a series of key recommendations. These implementation steps have included several changes in senior leadership at the Investment Bank, including in the Prime Services business, and initiating the recruitment of additional resources for the Risk function. Furthermore, over the past months, a review of all large group-wide exposures and a revision of limit excess controls and escalation requirements has been conducted. A number of risk-governance bodies have been reviewed and upgraded, and a reduced risk appetite across the organization has been implemented together with additional approval requirements for all material transactions. Through this exercise, the bank has significantly reduced the risk-weighted assets and leverage exposure in the Prime Services business while increasing margin requirements, and all hedge fund clients have been moved to dynamic margining. In addition, the bank has commissioned a review of double-hatted roles. A key aspect of the overall review considered individual accountability, with subsequent actions taken on 23 individuals. These actions include termination of employment and severe monetary penalties totaling approximately USD 70 mn in the aggregate via compensation adjustment tools encompassing up to 100% malus. The bank will provide a full accounting of the implicit and explicit compensation consequences for the Archegos incident in the Compensation Report after the close of the year. Finally, earlier this week, the bank announced the appointment of David Wildermuth as the new CRO, joining from Goldman Sachs and bringing a wealth of relevant risk management experience with him. He will commence his new role in early 2022. Until then, and as originally planned and announced in early April 2021, Joachim Oechslin, will continue as ad interim CRO. Joachim Oechslin and Richard Meddings, the ad interim Chair of the Risk Committee, have both been instrumental in leading and implementing the above described risk management improvement steps.

06:32 EDT Danone sees returning to profitable growth in 2H

06:30 EDT Credit Suisse: CSAM focus is returning cash to investors, maximizing recoveries - The company said, "On the SCFF matter, returning cash to investors and maximizing recoveries remain CSAM's top priority. Taking into account the upcoming fourth distribution, planned for the first half of August, of approximately USD 0.4 bn, the total cash distribution to investors will stand at approximately USD 5.9 bn. Together with the cash distributed to date and cash remaining in the funds, the cash position is equivalent to approximately USD 6.6 bn, or 66%, of the funds' net asset value at the time of their suspension. With regard to the three 'focus' areas, where we expect recovery to be more complex and take more time, we are in advanced negotiations with certain debtors on restructuring to maximize recovery, and we have set up dedicated teams of more than 60 internal and external experts as part of our efforts to maximize and expedite asset recovery. In respect of our non-focus areas, we expect overall recovery of more than 90%. Finally, on insurance, we continue to work on filing insurance claims with the aid of Greensill Bank."

06:29 EDT Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 712K shares of Teladoc yesterday

06:26 EDT Cenovus Energy still sees 2021 CapEx $2.3B-$2.7B - Raises oil sands expenditure to $100M. 2021 production guidance range for 2021 increased by 2%, including an additional 10,000 bbls/d from Lloydminster thermals and increases in Offshore, partially offset by announced asset sales in the Conventional segment.

06:22 EDT Credit Suisse expects more normal levels of market volumes in coming quarters - The company said, "Overall, we continue to expect more normal levels of market volumes in the coming quarters of 2021 compared to the elevated levels seen in 2020. Furthermore, for the course of the ongoing review of the Group's business strategy, we expect to continue to adopt a more conservative approach to risk. In Wealth Management, we expect recurring commissions and fees to continue to benefit from higher levels of AuM as well as increased levels of mandate penetration, together with broadly stable net interest income. For the Investment Bank, we would expect the third quarter to reflect the usual seasonal slowdown in market activity, as well as some further impact from the resizing of our Prime Services business. We have a strong M&A advisory pipeline up both sequentially and notably on a year on year basis and our pipelines across ECM and leveraged finance are also robust. The ongoing recovery in the global economy could allow us to continue to release part of our allowance for credit losses, which was built in the early months of the COVID-19 crisis last year, under the CECL accounting methodology. As we noted at the end of the first quarter, we would, though, expect the effective tax rate to remain significantly elevated for the remainder of the year. Following significant strengthening of our capital ratios in 2Q21, we continue to intend to operate with a CET1 ratio of at least 13% and a CET1 leverage ratio of at least 4%."

06:16 EDT Taylor Morrison sees Q3 average active community count 330-335 - Sees Q3 home closings 3,300-3,500. Sees Q3 tax rate 23.5%.

06:07 EDT Overstock.com reports active customers reached 9.2M as of June 30, up 31% y/y - Q2 highlights: Active customers reached 9.2 million as of June 30, 2021, an increase of 31% year over year. LTM net revenue per active customer was $310 as of June 30, 2021, an increase of 20% year over year. Orders delivered in the second quarter of 2021 were 3.7 million, a decrease of 22% year over year. Average order value was $213 for the second quarter of 2021, an increase of 33% year over year. Orders per active customer, measured as LTM orders divided by active customers, was 1.69 for the second quarter of 2021, compared to 1.62 for the second quarter of 2020. Orders placed on a mobile device were 49.9% of gross merchandise sales in the second quarter of 2021, compared to 52.7% for the second quarter of 2020.

06:04 EDT M.D.C. Holdings sees FY21 home deliveries 10,000-11,000

06:03 EDT Ares Capital prices public offering - Ares Capital (ARCC) has priced a public offering of 12,500,000 shares of its common stock. Ares Capital has granted the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 1,875,000 shares of common stock. The offering is expected to close on August 2. The offering of the shares is being made under Ares Capital's shelf registration statement filed with the SEC on June 3. On July 28, the official close price of Ares Capital's common stock on NASDAQ was $20.38 per share. Ares Capital expects to use the net proceeds of this offering to repay certain outstanding indebtedness under its credit facilities. Ares Capital may reborrow under its credit facilities for general corporate purposes, which include investing in portfolio companies in accordance with its investment objective.

06:01 EDT Hilton sees FY21 net unit growth of 5%-5.5%

05:54 EDT Viatris, Biocon receive FDA approval for Semglee - Viatris and Biocon Biologics announced that the FDA has approved Semglee as the first interchangeable biosimilar product under the 351(k) regulatory pathway.

05:50 EDT Genentech announces FDA acceptance of faricimab BLA for priority review - Genentech, a member of Roche, announced that the FDA has accepted the company's biologics license application, or BLA, under priority review, for faricimab for the treatment of wet, or neovascular, age-related macular degeneration, or AMD, and diabetic macular edema, or DME. The FDA has also accepted the company's submission for diabetic retinopathy. Faricimab will be the first and only bispecific antibody designed for the eye, if approved.

05:30 EDT Royal Dutch Shell announces up to $2B share buyback program - Royal Dutch Shell announced the commencement of share buybacks as part of its move to the next phase of its capital allocation framework, which includes shareholder distributions in a range of 20%-30% of CFFO. The company has entered into an irrevocable, non-discretionary arrangement with a broker to enable the purchase of A ordinary shares and/or B ordinary shares for a period up to and including December 29. The aggregate maximum consideration for the purchase of A ordinary shares and/or B ordinary shares is $2B, of which it is expected that more than half will have been completed by the company's Q3 results, which are scheduled for October 28. The purpose of the share buybacks is to reduce the issued share capital of the company. All shares repurchased as part of this arrangement will be cancelled. The maximum number of ordinary shares which may be purchased by the company under this arrangement is 780M, which is the maximum pursuant to the authority granted by shareholders at the company's 2021 Annual General Meeting. The shares bought back under this arrangement will be whichever of the A ordinary shares and/or B ordinary shares traded in the GBP denomination is economically the least expensive on a given trading day. The broker will make its trading decisions in relation to the company's securities independently of the company. The share buybacks will be carried out on the London Stock Exchange and/or on BATS and/or on Chi-X and will be effected within certain pre-set parameters.

05:08 EDT Accenture acquires Openmind, terms undisclosed - Accenture has acquired Openmind, a commerce agency in Italy with capabilities in cloud-based platforms, to meet client demand in the growing commerce market and deliver experiences. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2004, Openmind, based in Monza, Italy, works with some of the world's luxury and fashion brands. Approximately 110 employees from Openmind will join Accenture Interactive in Italy.