Stockwinners Market Radar for August 14, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:08 EDT Canada enters pact with Moderna for additional COVID-19 vaccine supply for 2022 - The Government of Canada announced that Canada has entered into an agreement with Moderna for additional supply of its COVID-19 vaccine for 2022 and 2023, with an option to extend into 2024. The agreement guarantees access to 40M doses, with access to up to 65M more if all options are exercised. The agreement will allow access to new COVID-19 vaccine adaptations based on the evolution of the epidemiological situation in Canada.

17:39 EDT Compass Minerals sees slightly higher unit costs in Q3 vs. Q2 - For the third quarter, the company expects Salt segment revenue to benefit from strong volume growth as well as year-over-year operating earnings improvement, partially offset by slightly lower pricing. In the Plant Nutrition segment, the company expects flat year-over-year third-quarter sales volumes with modestly higher average SOP selling prices. In addition, the company anticipates slightly higher unit costs in the third quarter compared to those realized in the second quarter.

17:21 EDT BAE Systems, Fincantieri awarded maximum $1.3B Navy contract - BAE Systems and Fincantieri Marine Systems were awarded a combined $1.3B maximum ceiling value, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract to support sustainment execution efforts for littoral combat ships homeported in Mayport, Florida. These efforts consist of chief of naval operations dry docking selected restricted availabilities and selected restricted availabilities, continuous maintenance, emergent maintenance, ship assessments, preventative/planned maintenance, facilities maintenance, and corrosion control in the contiguous U.S.; and continuous maintenance, emergent maintenance, preventative/planned maintenance, facilities maintenance, and corrosion control, outside the continental U.S. Delivery orders will be competitively awarded under these contracts. Each contract has an estimated ordering period of five years, which is expected to end in August 2026. FY21 operation and maintenance funding in the amount of $20,000 is being obligated at each contract's initial delivery order and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were competitively procured using full and open competition with 16 offers received via the beta.sam.gov website. The Naval Sea Systems Command is the contracting activity.

17:03 EDT Sonos jumps 7% to $40.80 after judge says Google infringes on five patents

16:51 EDT Nelson Peltz's Trian Fund boosts Janus Henderson, cuts Sysco in Q2 - Nelson Peltz's Trian Fund Management disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of June 30, 2021. The fund increased its stake in four positions during the second quarter, including by size of previous position Janus Henderson (JHG), Comcast Class A (CMCSA), Invesco (IVZ), and General Electric (GE). The fund decreased its stake in four holdings, including by size of previous position Procter & Gamble (PG), Sysco (SYY), Mondelez (MDLZ), and Ferguson (FERG). Trian's top holdings as of June 30, in order of size, were Ferguson, Sysco, Comcast Class A, Invesco, and Janus Henderson.

16:30 EDT China Finance Online receives Nasdaq delisting notice - China Finance Online Co. Limited announced that on August 11, 2021, it has received a notice from the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC stating that the Staff has determined that the Company had not been able to provide a satisfactory definitive plan to regain compliance with the $10 million minimum stockholders' equity requirement for continued listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(b)(1)(A) or sustain such compliance over an extended period of time. As of December 31, 2020, the Company's shareholders' equity was approximately $4.6 million. The Company also does not meet the continued listing requirements under alternative standards relating to the market value of listed securities or the total assets or total revenue of the Company. The Staff cited that the Company's proposed timeframe to regain compliance is beyond the 180-day period available under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(2)(B) and that the Company's history of loss would negatively affect the Company's ability to regain or sustain compliance. The Staff had determined to seek to delist the Company's securities from Nasdaq unless the Company requests a hearing before the Nasdaq Hearings Panel (the "Panel") by August 18, 2021.

16:20 EDT NavSight Holdings shareholders approve combination with Spire Global - NavSight Holdings announced that its stockholders approved all proposals related to the previously announced merger with Spire Global at a special meeting of stockholders held August 13. The closing of the Business Combination is anticipated to occur on August 16. Following closing, the combined company will be known as Spire Global and is expected to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the new ticker symbol "SPIR."

16:18 EDT Casella Waste says Chief Accounting Officer Christopher Heald to retire in 2022 - Casella Waste Systems announced that the company's Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, Christopher Heald plans to retire on March 31, 2022 after a 20-year career with the company. Chris plans to stay on in an advisory capacity during a transition period.

16:06 EDT Nintendo's 'Zelda: Skyward Sword' best-selling game of July, says NPD - NPD analyst Mat Piscatella said Nintendo's (NTDOY) "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword" was the best-selling game of July 2021. It is the first Nintendo published title to lead the monthly best-sellers chart since the launch of "Super Mario 3D World" in the February 2021 tracking month. Capcom's (CCOEY) "Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin" debuted as the third best-selling game of July 2021. Launch month sales of "Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin" more than tripled the lifetime sales of "Monster Hunter Stories," originally released on Nintendo 3DS in 2017. Activision's (ATVI) "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" ranked as the 2nd best-selling game of the month of July, and remains the best-selling game of 2021 year-to-date. "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" was the best-selling game of the month on both the PlayStation (SONY) and Xbox (MSFT) platforms. Sony's "MLB The Show 21" surpassed Capcom's "Resident Evil: Village" to become the 2nd best-selling game of 2021. Year-to-date sales of "MLB The Show 21" are the highest in franchise history. Other companies in the video game space include Tencent (TCEHY), Electronic Arts (EA), Take-Two (TTWO), Ubisoft (UBSFY), and GameStop (GME). Reference Link

16:02 EDT Alpha & Omega names Dr. Wenjun Li as COO - Alpha and Omega Semiconductor announced that its Board of Directors has appointed and promoted Dr. Wenjun Li, currently Executive Vice President of World-Wide Manufacturing, to be the COO of AOS, effective August 12. Dr. Li has held numerous management positions at AOS during his career, including managing AOS wafer foundries and serving various leadership roles at Jireh Semiconductors, AOS's manufacturing facility located in Oregon.

15:18 EDT Fisker lower after pricing upsized convertible notes offering - Last night, Fisker announced the upsize and pricing of $625M aggregate principal amount of its 2.50% Green Convertible Senior Notes due 2026 in a private offering only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, representing an increase of $25M aggregate principal amount from the previously announced proposed offering size. Fisker also granted the initial purchasers of the notes an option to purchase, within a 13-day period beginning on, and including, the date the notes are first issued, up to an additional $100M aggregate principal amount of the notes. The sale of the notes to the initial purchasers is expected to settle on August 17. The notes will be senior unsecured obligations of Fisker. The notes will bear interest at a rate of 2.50% per year, payable semi-annually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year, beginning on March 15, 2022. The notes will mature on September 15, 2026, unless earlier converted, redeemed or repurchased. Fisker intends to allocate an amount equal to the net proceeds from the offering of the notes to finance or refinance, in whole or in part, one or more new or existing "eligible green projects" of Fisker, including PEAR program development, battery pack assembly and potential localization, the furtherance of new model development and technology development. Pending such allocation of net proceeds to eligible green projects, Fisker intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund the approximately $90.6M cost of the capped call transactions described above and for working capital and general corporate purposes. If the initial purchasers exercise their option to purchase additional notes, Fisker intends to use a portion of the additional net proceeds to fund the cost of entering into additional capped call transactions. In afternoon trading, Fisker shares are down 96c, or 6%, to $14.19.

15:10 EDT Sesen Bio trading resumes

14:50 EDT Sesen Bio to resume trading at 3:10 pm ET - Sesen Bio is scheduled to resume trading at 3:10 pm ET, with quotation set to resume at 3:05 pm ET, according to Nasdaq. The stock was halted ahead of the company announcing that it had received a Complete Response Letter from the FDA regarding its Biologics License Application for Vicineum for the treatment of BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

14:29 EDT Intrado acquires Hubb, terms not disclosed - Earlier, Intrado Corporation announced that it has acquired Hubb, which it calls "a leader in hybrid event management technology." Intrado, which is controlled by affiliates of certain funds managed by Apollo Global Management (APO), stated: "The Hubb Platform powers virtual, onsite, and hybrid events that bring brands to life and drives business growth by streamlining time consuming processes, mining profitable insights, boosting engagement, and improving ROI. By collecting, managing, and marketing event data more efficiently, Hubb powers high-impact, immersive, and personalized experiences. Hubb's executive team and employees will join the Intrado Digital Media team to support clients and drive continued technology development and product innovation."

14:03 EDT Norfolk Southern to reopen Pennsylvania intermodal facility - Norfolk Southern announced plans to reopen its intermodal facility in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, "creating capacity to support economic growth and help ease supply-chain congestion that has slowed the flow of commerce across all modes of the U.S. transportation sector." Effective Sept. 10, the railroad plans a gradual phase-in of business at the Franklin County Regional Intermodal Facility, starting with a lane of domestic intermodal traffic that currently moves between Norfolk Southern intermodal facilities in Memphis and Rutherford, in South Central Pennsylvania. "Greencastle will provide additional terminal capacity and help to improve service as demand for the railroad's robust franchise continues to grow," the company said.

13:49 EDT Soros Capital buys Amazon, exits Netflix in Q2 - George Soros' Soros Capital Management disclosed in an SEC filing its holdings as of June 30, 2021. Soros Capital's 24 new buys during the second quarter included, by size of position, Amazon (AMZN), Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet Class A (GOOGL), Twitter (TWTR), and GoDaddy (GDDY). The fund exited 14 positions during the quarter, including by size of previous position Freeport (FCX), Marriott (MAR), Netflix (NFLX), Hilton Worldwide (HLT), and Tencent Music Entertainment (TME). Soros increased its stake in 21 holdings, including by size of previous position Ranpak Holdings (PACK), Fiserv (FISV), Sea Ltd. (SE), Applied Materials (AMAT), and Target (TGT). The fund reduced its stake in 14 holdings, including by size of previous position Micron (MU), T-Mobile (TMUS), Booking (BKNG), Lam Research (LRCX), and Fidelity National Financial (FNF). Soros Capital's top holdings as of June 30, in order of size, were Ranpak, Fiserv, Target, Applied Materials, and Amazon.

13:02 EDT Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count up 9 to 500 rigs - Baker Hughes reports that the U.S. rig count is up 9 from last week to 500 with oil rigs up 10 to 397, gas rigs down 1 to 102, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 1. The U.S. Rig Count is up 256 rigs from last year's count of 244, with oil rigs up 225 gas rigs up 32 and miscellaneous rigs down 1. The U.S. Offshore Rig Count is unchanged at 14, up 1 year-over-year. The Canada Rig Count is up 8 from last week to 164, with oil rigs up 5 to 100, gas rigs up 3 to 63 and miscellanous unchanged at 1. The Canada Rig Count is up 110 rigs from last year's count of 54, with oil rigs up 81, gas rigs up 28 and miscellanous unchanged at 1.

12:32 EDT Exfo shareholders approve arrangement resolution - Exfo announced that, at the special meeting of its shareholders held today, a "significant majority" of shareholders voted in favor of the special resolution approving the previously announced plan of arrangement under Section 192 of the Canada Business Corporations Act pursuant to which 11172239 Canada Inc. will acquire all the issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares of Exfo, other than the subordinate voting shares held by Germain Lamonde, G. Lamonde Investissements Inc., 9356-8988 Quebec Inc., and Philippe Morin for $6.25 per subordinate voting share in cash. "I would like to thank EXFO shareholders for their continued support over the years and in relation to the proposed transaction" said Germain Lamonde, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Board. The arrangement remains subject to customary closing conditions including the approval of the Superior Court of Quebec.

12:19 EDT Teck Resources restarts oxygen plant at Trail Operations - Teck Resources announced that the oxygen plant at Trail has been restarted following an improvement in air quality that had been affected by smoke from wildfires in southwestern British Columbia. Operations at the Trail metallurgical facility are ramping back up to full capacity. However, while production has resumed there remains a risk of further smoke from wildfires and additional outages of the oxygen plant as long as the fire season continues. Regional air quality conditions are being actively monitored and Trail Operations has response plans in place to protect employee safety. Guidance will be updated if necessary after fire risks subside.

12:00 EDT Agiliti falls -11.3% - Agiliti is down -11.3%, or -$2.26 to $17.66.

12:00 EDT XL Fleet falls -14.0% - XL Fleet is down -14.0%, or -99c to $6.11.

12:00 EDT Pretium Resources rises 15.0% - Pretium Resources is up 15.0%, or $1.27 to $9.71.

11:52 EDT Helbiz, GreenVision Acquisition announce closing of business combination - Earlier, Helbiz, which identifies itself as "a global leader in micro-mobility," announced that it completed its business combination with GreenVision Acquisition Corp. (GRNV), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. GreenVision's shareholders approved the combination at a special meeting held on August 11. The combined company will retain the name Helbiz and is expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on August 13, under the new ticker symbol "HLBZ" for Helbiz common stock and "HLBZW" for Helbiz warrants. The transaction resulted in approximately $24.5M of gross cash proceeds, before deducting investment banking fees and other transaction-related expenses. This funding will allow Helbiz to expand its micro-mobility services into more cities throughout the United States and Europe, including smaller cities that are underserved by public transportation. Salvatore Palella, CEO of Helbiz, commented, "The public debut of Helbiz is a significant milestone, not only for us as a company, but for the rapidly growing micro-mobility industry. This transportation revolution has allowed us to advance our mission to solve first-and-last-mile mobility needs for cities around the world with zero impact on the environment. Now operating in 35 international cities, we are committed to providing safe, innovative micro-mobility solutions that are needed to reduce each city's congestion, pollution and carbon footprint. With this new funding, we look forward to making life better in even more cities around the world."

10:32 EDT KBR to acquire Frazer-Nash Consultancy for $400M in cash - KBR (KBR) announced it has entered into a definitive agreement with Babcock International Group (BCKIF), to acquire Frazer-Nash Consultancy Limited for approximately $400M in cash. The company said, "Frazer-Nash delivers high-end systems engineering, systems assurance and technology to solve the world's most complex challenges. Its talented team provides a broad range of professional advisory services across the defense, energy and critical infrastructure sectors primarily in the U.K. and Australia. With expertise in areas such as systems engineering, data science, cyber, and clean energy, Frazer-Nash is highly complementary with KBR's global priorities with minimal overlap because of its geographic footprint." Frazer-Nash revenue outlook for FY 2022 is $150M to $170M with adjusted EBITDA margins in the upper-teens and strong free cash flow generation. The acquisition allows KBR to realign the portfolio and cost structure in the U.K., and with modest revenue and cost synergies, the purchase price multiple is ~12X adjusted 2022 EBITDA. Revenue CAGR is expected to be in line with long-term targets for the Government Solutions business of 5%-8%. KBR plans to unlock previously undeployed international capital and leverage access to low-cost borrowing, enhancing return on capital employed. The Frazer-Nash acquisition is expected to be approx. $0.10 accretive to adjusted EPS in FY 2022. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the KBR Board of Directors and is expected to close in the third or fourth quarter of 2021, subject to certain regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. KBR expects to fund the purchase price of approximately $400M with approximately $175M of international cash on hand and $225M of debt. Following the completion of the acquisition, the company's net leverage will be approximately 2.4x, and Frazer-Nash will become part of KBR's Government Solutions segment.

10:04 EDT Hywin Holdings Ltd (ADS) trading resumes

10:00 EDT On24 falls -6.8% - On24 is down -6.8%, or -$1.48 to $20.22.

10:00 EDT XL Fleet falls -10.5% - XL Fleet is down -10.5%, or -75c to $6.35.

10:00 EDT UpHealth rises 14.9% - UpHealth is up 14.9%, or 75c to $5.80.

09:59 EDT Hywin Holdings Ltd (ADS) trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:47 EDT Figs falls -6.0% - Figs is down -6.0%, or -$2.51 to $39.50.

09:47 EDT XL Fleet falls -9.6% - XL Fleet is down -9.6%, or -68c to $6.42.

09:47 EDT Audacy rises 7.5% - Audacy is up 7.5%, or 23c to $3.23.

09:18 EDT Parker-Hannifin appoints Lee Banks as vice chairman, Jenny Parmentier as COO - Parker Hannifin announced that Lee Banks, currently President and COO, has been elected by the Board of Directors to a new role as Vice Chairman and President. The Board also has elected Jennifer Parmentier, currently VP and President - Motion Systems Group, to the role of COO, reporting to Banks. Berend Bracht, currently VP of Operations - Engineered Materials Group, has been elected to succeed Parmentier as VP and President - Motion Systems Group.

09:06 EDT Moderna receives FDA approval for third COVID-19 vaccine dose - Moderna announced that the FDA has approved an update to the emergency use authorization for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to include a third dose for immunocompromised individuals 18 years of age or older in the United States who have undergone solid organ transplantation, or who are diagnosed with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise.

09:04 EDT Exact Sciences' Oncoguard Liver biopsy test shows positive detection results - Exact Sciences announced that the performance of its Oncoguard Liver liquid biopsy test is now published online in the peer-reviewed journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The test delivers 82% early-stage sensitivity, and an overall 88% sensitivity and 87% specificity for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma, the leading form of liver cancer. Early-stage detection can increase five-year survival rates for HCC from less than 12%4 to upwards of 70%. The test is intended as an aid in the detection of HCC for adults with liver cirrhosis and/or chronic hepatitis B who are at risk for HCC. The Oncoguard Liver test is currently available via an early access program designed to familiarize provider offices with the test and its Patient Engagement Program.

09:04 EDT Virgin Galactic down 4% after Branson sells shares - Shares of Virgin Galactic are down 99c, or 4%, to $24.95 in pre-market trading after it was disclosed in a regulatory filing that from August 10, 2021 through August 12, 2021, Sir Richard Branson disposed of 10,416,000 shares of common stock in a series of transactions at prices ranging from $25.51 to $34.76 per share in open market transactions on the New York Stock Exchange.

09:01 EDT Old Republic declares one-time cash dividend of $1.50 per share - Old Republic has declared a special, one-time cash dividend of $1.50 per share. The dividend will be paid on October 6 to shareholders of record on September 15.

08:48 EDT Patrick Industries authorizes $50M share repurchase increase - Patrick Industries authorized an increase in the amount of the company's common stock that may be acquired over the next 24 months under the current stock repurchase program to $50.0M, including the $14.4M remaining under the previous authorization. Year-to-date through August 12, 2021, the Company repurchased 260,000 shares at an average price of $82.89 per share for a total cost of $21.6M.

08:36 EDT Herborium Group prepares for launch of Skin Protein Bar - Herborium Group announced that its Second Quarter of 2021 is marked by no dilution of its shares structure and standing representing the fifth consecutive profitable quarter since 2020. In addition the Company's margin increased to 66% and the costs and expenses decreased by 12% in comparison to the same period of 2020. To secure further growth of the Company we are presently working on a number of corporate governance items that we believe will benefit both the Company and investors, The first on the agenda being to return the Company to the highest tier of current information on OTC and maintaining this status. The Company also confirms the progress it has made preparing for the launch of its new, proprietary Herborium Skin Protein Bar. The Skin Protein Bar combines the benefits of clear, healthy and youthful skin with healthy weight management. The Skin Protein Bar is scheduled to enter the market in the 4th Quarter of 2021.The target distributors such as Whole Foods, TraderJoe, Walmart and Target will be canvased to distribute this product.

08:33 EDT Saratoga Investment announces distribution of proxy materials - Saratoga Investment announced that the Company commenced distribution of the proxy materials to the Company's stockholders for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on September 27, 2021.

08:20 EDT MedTech Acquisition Corporation (Class A Stock) trading resumes

08:14 EDT Middlefield Banc increases share repurchase program - Middlefield Banc announced its board of directors approved additional share repurchase capacity for the Company's repurchase program. "With strong capital levels, and excess liquidity, we believe investing in our common stock at compelling valuations is a good return for our shareholders. In addition, the expanded repurchase program demonstrates our confidence in the strength of our business and our continued commitment to delivering value to our shareholders. Since April 2019, we have repurchased 527,143 shares of our common stock at an average price of $18.52 per share," said Thomas Caldwell, Middlefield's President and Chief Executive Officer. On August 9, 2021, Middlefield's Board of Directors authorized the company to repurchase an additional 300,000 shares under the Program. Combined with the 28,721 shares available for repurchase pursuant to the Board's November 9, 2020 authorization, the Program permits the company to repurchase a total of 328,721 shares, equating to approximately 5.4% of the company's 6,128,907 outstanding shares at August 9, 2021. The Program may be modified, suspended or terminated by the company at any time. The increased share repurchase authorization positions the Company to enhance the value of its stock and to manage its capital. The Board's action will allow management to make repurchases, without further Board approval, when stock purchases are deemed prudent.

08:11 EDT Outlook Therapeutics expects cash to fund operations through Dec. 2021 - At June 30, 2021, Outlook Therapeutics had cash and cash equivalents of $19.7 million. Outlook Therapeutics' cash and cash equivalents on hand are sufficient to fund planned operations through December 2021.

08:10 EDT Outlook Therapeutics begins commercial launch planning activities for ONS-5010 - In anticipation of potential FDA marketing approval in 2022 for ONS-5010, Outlook Therapeutics has begun commercial launch planning activities, including manufacturing with drug substance manufacturer FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies and best-in-class drug product manufacturer Aji Biopharma Services, along with distribution, sales force planning, physician and payor advisory board outreach, key opinion leader support and payor community engagement. To bring ONS-5010 to market in a way that benefits all stakeholders - clinicians, patients and payors - Outlook Therapeutics has already commenced collaborative discussions with payors and the retina community. Outlook Therapeutics expects ONS-5010, if approved, to be a safe and cost-effective choice for patients, payors and clinicians worldwide for retinal indications. Outlook Therapeutics is also developing registration documents on a parallel path for approvals in Europe and expects to submit them shortly after completing the submission to the FDA in the United States. Outlook Therapeutics continues to explore potential strategic commercialization partners, such as the existing Syntone Biopharma joint venture in China. In addition to the clinical development program evaluating ONS-5010 for wet AMD, Outlook Therapeutics has received agreements from the FDA on three Special Protocol Assessments for three additional registration clinical trials. These SPAs cover the protocols for a planned registration clinical trial evaluating ONS-5010 to treat branch retinal vein occlusion, and two planned registration clinical trials evaluating the drug candidate for the treatment of diabetic macular edema.

08:07 EDT CPI Card Group to delist from Toronto Stock Exchange - CPI Card Group announced that it has provided written notice to the Toronto Stock Exchange regarding the voluntary delisting of its common stock from the TSX. The company said, "The Company believes that the trading volume of its stock on the TSX no longer justifies the expense and administrative efforts associated with maintaining this listing, especially given CPI's recent listing on The Nasdaq Global Market ("Nasdaq"). CPI's listing on Nasdaq provides its stockholders with good liquidity, and the savings in exchange fees, legal fees and managerial time and effort to maintain a dual listing can be redirected into further advancing the business of the Company. CPI's Canadian stockholders may trade their existing shares through their brokers on Nasdaq. CPI anticipates that its common stock will be delisted from the TSX at the close of trading on or about August 27, 2021."

08:04 EDT Oscar Health announces 2022 market expansion plans - Oscar Health announced its individual and family market expansion plans for 2022. During the upcoming open enrollment period, the company plans to offer health insurance to individuals and families in three new states and 146 new counties. With this expansion, Oscar will have a footprint in a total of 22 states and 607 counties. Next year will mark the fifth consecutive year Oscar expands its footprint. As a part of the 2022 expansion, Oscar will offer individual and family plans for the first time in Arkansas, Illinois, and Nebraska. Oscar also will expand its existing state footprints in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Oscar also plans to launch a new plan to better serve diabetic members. The plan will be available to members on individual and family plans in most Oscar states. For members who enroll in the diabetes plan, they will enjoy cost-saving benefits.

07:46 EDT Arthur J. Gallagher to acquire Willis Re for $3.25B cash upfront - Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG) announced an agreement to acquire the treaty reinsurance brokerage operations of Willis Towers Watson (WLTW). The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter. The operations include all of Willis Re's treaty reinsurance brokerage operations. For the year ended December 31, 2020, these operations generated $745M of estimated pro forma revenue and $265M of estimated pro forma EBITDAC. Under the agreement, Gallagher will acquire the combined operations for an initial gross consideration of $3.25B, and potential additional consideration of $750M subject to certain third-year revenue targets. Gallagher intends to finance the transaction using cash on hand, including the $1.4B of net cash raised via its May 17, 2021 follow-on common stock offering and the $850M of net cash borrowed via its May 20, 2021 30-year senior note issuance, short-term borrowings and additional free cash generated before close. The funding contemplates Gallagher maintaining its investment grade debt rating. Integration is expected to take approximately 3 years with total non-recurring integration costs estimated to be approximately $250M. After giving effect to these assumptions and pro forma results discussed above, the acquired operations would have been approximately 5% accretive to Gallagher's 2020 adjusted GAAP EPS excluding earnings from clean energy investments and 9% accretive to Gallagher's 2020 adjusted GAAP EPS excluding amortization and earnings from clean energy investments.

07:41 EDT Caledonia Mining announces purchase of securities by director - Caledonia Mining Corporation announces that it received notice that Johan Holtzhausen, a non-executive director of the company, has purchased a total of 1,200 depositary interests representing the same number of common shares of no par value each in the company at an average price per depositary interest of GBP 8.89. Following this transaction, Mr Holtzhausen holds an interest in 21,025 shares in the company representing approximately 0.17 per cent of the issued share capital of Caledonia.

07:39 EDT Alpha Healthcare, Humacyte nominees for election to board of directors - Alpha Healthcare Acquisition announced the nominees who will stand for election/reelection to its board of directors during the August 24, 2021, AHAC special shareholder's meeting to vote on the proposed business combination with Humacyte. The post-combination Board will be comprised of 11 directors, including seven independent directors. Gordon Binder, former CEO of Amgen; Emery Brown, M.D., Ph.D.; Mike Constantino, Director, 9 Meters Biopharma; Todd Pope, CEO of WellAir; Rajiv Shukla, chairman and CEO of Alpha Healthcare Acquisition; Sue Windham-Bannister, Director, St. Jude Medical Center; Laura Niklason, M.D., Ph.D., founder and CEO of Humacyte; Kathleen Sebelius, former Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services; Brady Dougan, CEO of Exos Financial; Max Wallace, JD, former CEO of Trimeris; Jeffrey Lawson, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Surgical Officer of Humacyte. Subject to approval by the AHAC stockholders, the changes to the Board of Directors will be effective at the closing of the business combination between Humacyte and AHAC, expected in the third quarter of 2021. On February 17, 2021, AHAC, a special purpose acquisition company, and Humacyte announced the execution of a definitive business combination agreement along with a fully committed $175M PIPE financing agreement.

07:35 EDT Rigel: FDA says data from Phase 2 trial of fostamatinib insufficient for EUA - Rigel Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. FDA has informed the company that clinical data submitted in late-May from a 59-patient NIH/NHLBI-sponsored Phase 2 trial of fostamatinib to treat hospitalized patients suffering from COVID-19 are insufficient for an emergency use authorization at this time. The FDA noted in their response that they remain committed to working with Rigel in the development of fostamatinib for COVID-19 as the company is currently conducting a larger Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating fostamatinib in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. "With new virus variants spreading and vaccination rates plateauing, there remains a need for therapies that can improve outcomes for hospitalized patients, particularly patients suffering from hyperinflammatory COVID-19-related complications," said Raul Rodriguez, president and CEO of Rigel. "The Rigel team continues to focus on enrolling our Phase 3 clinical trial, which we anticipate completing later this year, and we look forward to providing further safety and efficacy data from this larger, 308-patient trial of fostamatinib in COVID-19 patients. If this trial meets its endpoints, we plan to resubmit our EUA application with this additional data."

07:31 EDT Arthur J. Gallagher to acquire Willis Towers Watson RE assets for $3.25B

07:20 EDT Longeveron expects cash to cover requirements through at least 4Q22 - Based on the Company's current operating plan and financial resources, we believe that our existing cash on hand will be sufficient to cover expenses and capital requirements through at least the fourth quarter of 2022.

07:18 EDT HCW Biologics expects cash to fund operations for at least 24 months - On June 30, 2021, the Company's cash balance was $5.1 million. Together with net proceeds of $49.0 million from the IPO, the Company estimates that it has sufficient cash to fund operations and capital expenditures for at least the next 24 months. This does not include potential sources of non-dilutive financing, which may be obtained as a result of entering out-licenses, such as upfront cash payment and shares of Wugen common stock that were received as a result of entering a license agreement with Wugen for limited rights to two of the Company's molecules.

07:17 EDT Longeveron announces results from Phase 2b study of Lomecel-B - Longeveron announced results from the company's Phase 2b trial titled: A Phase 2b, Randomized, Blinded and Placebo-Controlled Trial to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Lomecel-B Infusion in Patients With Aging Frailty, or the "Phase 2b trial". The Phase 2b trial, which was partially funded by a Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Institute on Aging, evaluated the safety and efficacy of a single peripheral intravenous infusion of four different doses of Lomecel-B cell therapy compared to placebo, on signs and symptoms of Aging Frailty, including mobility and exercise tolerance. The pre-specified statistical analysis plan for the primary efficacy endpoint, change in six-minute walk test distance at 180 days post-infusion, involved a primary analysis and a secondary analysis: Primary analysis of the primary efficacy endpoint: The primary analysis compared the change from baseline in 6MWT distance for the four Lomecel-B cohorts to the placebo cohort at Day 180. There were statistically significant increases in the highest 3 doses--50 million, 100 million and 200 million Lomecel-B cohorts--and no significant changes in the placebo or lowest dose of Lomecel-B. However, after adjusting for multiple comparisons using the Hochberg method, the four Lomecel-B cohorts did not show a statistically significant placebo-adjusted difference. Secondary analysis of the primary efficacy endpoint: The secondary analysis was to determine whether a dose-response relationship exists using the multiple comparisons and modeling approach by Bretz et. al. The results showed a clear, statistically significant dose-response curve at day 180. Among the various dose-response curves evaluated, all had p-values of less than 0.05, with the Sigmoid Emax model having the most significant dose-response relationship. Despite not achieving the statistical significance for the pairwise comparison to placebo at Day 180, significant differences from placebo were observed at Day 270, which was a pre-specified exploratory endpoint. "We are very pleased to report a statistically significant dose response curve with our experimental cell therapy," commented Geoff Green, CEO of Longeveron Inc. "One of the main objectives of this trial was to determine whether a dose response relationship could be demonstrated in the primary efficacy endpoint, so this finding is important for the research program," Green continued. "Furthermore, the safety profile of Lomecel-B continues to look very good, with no Lomecel-B related Serious Adverse Events reported in this study, which is consistent with previous clinical trial data." The study's key secondary endpoints were day 180 change in the patient reported outcome questionnaire PROMIS-Physical Function-Short Form 20a total score and day 180 change in serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha, an inflammatory cytokine. Lomecel-B cohorts did not show a statistically significant difference compared to the placebo cohort in the SF-20a score, and the TNF-alpha analysis is pending. The remainder of the efficacy endpoints, which included assessments of physical function, sexual function, fear and risk of falling, depression, cognition, frailty status, pulmonary function, and clinical outcomes, were considered exploratory and Lomecel-B-treated groups did not show significant differences versus placebo at most of the time points for any of the endpoints. The main inclusion criteria for entry into the trial were subjects 70-85 years of age, a screening 6MWT of between 200 to 400 meters, a Canadian Health and Safety Assessment Clinical Frailty Scale score of 5 to 6, and a minimum serum TNF-alpha of greater than or equal to 2.5 pg/mL. Longeveron plans to review the trial data during an upcoming steering committee comprised of independent frailty experts, and plan out next steps for the program.

07:03 EDT Medicenna Therapeutics announces upcoming milestones - Medicenna seeks to achieve the following milestones in the upcoming quarters: Start enrollment in the Phase 1/2 ABILITY Study of MDNA11 in Australia in the third quarter of calendar 2021. Receive regulatory approval to expand the ABILITY study to additional sites in the US, UK, and Canada by the end of calendar 2021. Provide a preliminary update on any available safety, PK/PD and biomarker results from the monotherapy portion of the ABILITY study late in the fourth quarter of calendar 2021. Report preliminary efficacy data from the ABILITY study in the first half of calendar 2022. Execute a collaboration or partnership for a registration trial and commercialization of MDNA55 in rGBM. Declare a lead candidate from the BiSKITs program in late calendar 2021

07:03 EDT Medicenna Therapeutics expects cash to fund operations through end of 2022 - Medicenna had cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities of $35.9 million at June 30, 2021. These funds provide the Company with sufficient capital to execute its current planned expenditures through the end of calendar 2022 based on its current plans and projections.

06:52 EDT CareMax and Anthem collaborate to open 50 medical centers - CareMax (CMAX) has signed a collaboration agreement with Anthem (ANTM). Through this collaboration, CareMax plans to build medical centers in areas where Anthem will offer a value-based care model to improve patient outcomes. Through this collaboration agreement, CareMax plans to open approximately 50 medical centers with a focus on Indiana, Texas, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Georgia, Connecticut, and Virginia, among others. Additionally, on July 15, Empire BlueCrossBlueShield, an Anthem Company, in partnership with nonprofit insurer EmblemHealth, was awarded the City of New York group Medicare Advantage retiree contract to serve up to approximately 250,000 retired workers. The contract is scheduled to go into effect January 1, 2022. Anthem will be working collaboratively with CareMax, and other providers, to bring as many of these retirees as possible into value-based arrangements.

06:41 EDT JBS S.A. offers to buy remaining stake in Pilgrim's Pride for $26.50 per share - In a regulatory filing, it was disclosed that on August 12, 2021, JBS Brazil (JBSAY) delivered to the board of directors of Pilgrim's Pride (PPC) a letter setting forth a proposal to acquire all of the outstanding shares of common stock that are not owned by JBS Brazil or its subsidiaries for a purchase price of $26.50 per share in cash. "JBS Brazil indicated in the proposal that it expects that a fully empowered special committee of independent and disinterested directors appointed by [Pilgrim's] Board will consider the proposal and make a recommendation to the company's Board. JBS Brazil also stated in the proposal that it will not move forward with the transaction contemplated by the proposal unless the proposed transaction is approved by the Special Committee, advised by independent legal and financial advisors, and that the proposed transaction will be subject to a non-waivable condition requiring the approval of a majority of the aggregate voting power represented by the shares of common stock that are not owned by JBS Brazil or its affiliates," the filing stated.

06:32 EDT Hexo to transfer U.S. stock exchange listing to Nasdaq from NYSE - Hexo announced it has applied to transfer its U.S. stock exchange listing from the New York Stock Exchange to the Nasdaq. While this transfer remains subject to the approval of the Nasdaq, the company expects the transfer to occur effective August 23 after market close. Common shares of Hexo are expected to begin trading as a Nasdaq-listed security on August 24 with the shares continuing to trade under the symbol "HEXO."

06:11 EDT Nielsen initiates MRC hiatus for national TV ratings service - Nielsen announced yesterday afternoon it had proactively initiated the accreditation hiatus process for its National TV ratings service with the Media Rating Council. "While we remain confident in the integrity of our data and measurement, and fully support the audit process, we believe that moving to a hiatus allows us to concentrate our audit-related efforts on continuing to address panel concerns alongside the transformation of our National TV product and development of Nielsen ONE," the company said. As it relates to the panels, which continue to be a core element of the company's measurement, Nielsen said it will remain focused on recovering the panels for the future. Since March, Nielsen has been working to get our panel back up to full strength by increasing panel size, improving demographic representation and addressing panel maintenance. The company is applying learnings from the last 18 months and is actively making adjustments to its field operations that will inform our processes as it prepares for possible impact from surging COVID-19 variants. "We believe hiatus is the best course of action at this time and will allow us to focus on innovating our core products, continuing to deliver data that the industry can rely on and ultimately creating a better media future for the entire industry," Nielsen said.

06:03 EDT CytoDyn receives FDA Guidance for HIV BLA dose justification report - CytoDyn announced that it received comments from the U.S. FDA on the company's recently submitted dose justification report, an important component to the company's resubmission of its Biologics License Application for HIV. Nader Pourhassan, Ph.D., CytoDyn's President and CEO, commented, "We are encouraged by the guidance and comments received from the FDA. Our management team and regulatory advisory team are confident that we will be able to successfully address these comments, allowing the further advancement of our BLA resubmission. In our view, this is a major step forward in our BLA process. This is an exciting period for CytoDyn. With the continuation of the BLA resubmission, the near-term initiation of two important COVID-19 trials in Brazil, and possibly a strong clinical trial in the U.S. for COVID-19 long-haulers, the next two to three months could be transformative for the company."

05:41 EDT FDA authorizes additional Covid vaccine dose for immunocompromised - The U.S. FDA amended the emergency use authorizations for both the Pfizer (PFE)-BioNTech (BNTX) COVID-19 Vaccine and the Moderna (MRNA) COVID-19 Vaccine to allow for the use of an additional dose in certain immunocompromised individuals, specifically, solid organ transplant recipients or those who are diagnosed with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is scheduled to meet Friday to discuss further clinical recommendations regarding immunocompromised individuals. The action does not apply to people who are not immunocompromised. Reference Link

05:33 EDT Vasta Platform announces share repurchase program - Vasta Platform announced that its board of directors has approved its first share repurchase program. Under the repurchase program, Vasta may repurchase up to 1M in Class A common shares in the open market, based on prevailing market prices, or in privately negotiated transactions, over a period beginning on August 17, continuing until the earlier of the completion of the repurchase or February 17, 2022, depending upon market conditions. Vasta's board of directors will review the repurchase program periodically and may authorize adjustments to its terms and size or suspend or discontinue the repurchase program. Vasta expects to utilize its existing funds to fund repurchases made under the repurchase program.

05:12 EDT Dada Group announces JDDJ establishes one-hour shopping with Sephora China - Dada Group (DADA) announced that JD Daojia, or JDDJ, and Sephora China, have established a partnership to provide more consumers with one-hour shopping services. The move marks a new milestone for JDDJ in further expanding reach beyond grocery to provide consumers with more beauty products. When consumers order via the JDDJ application or mini program, beauty products are delivered from the nearest Sephora store within one hour by Dada Now's riders. As of now, over 70 Sephora stores in China have launched on the JDDJ platform, covering first and second tier cities. Based on Dada Group's partnership with JD.com, these Sephora stores will be simultaneously online with JD.com. By the end of 2021, all Sephora stores in China will be integrated both on JDDJ and JD.com (JD). Moreover, JDDJ collaborates with JD Beauty to support Sephora in its omni-channel retail, and to jointly build a new on-demand retail model of cosmetics brands. JDDJ will assist in products management, digital marketing, targeted user operations, and order fulfillment optimization, and provides an integrated O2O retail solution. At present, over 3,400 beauty stores have launched on JDDJ.

05:05 EDT Nouveau Monde submits thermochemical purification technology patent application - Nouveau Monde has submitted a patent application for its proprietary thermochemical purification technology to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as part of its intellectual property strategy. The company's technology avoids using hydrofluoric acid in favor of high temperatures and the addition of chlor-based reagent. Tests in labs and at third-party facilities have already demonstrated the technology's performance and the products' high purity, reaching 99.95% and over. The company's Phase 1 purification facilities are in the final stages of commissioning, prior to starting production, process optimization and material qualification with potential customers. At the same time, Nouveau Monde is carrying out its definitive feasibility study for the Phase 2 plant in Becancour, QC, Canada. The company's 200,000 m2 industrial site, adjacent to the Phase 1 location, is intended to consolidate manufacturing facilities for the production of 42,000 tpa of lithium-ion battery anode material and 3,000 tpa of purified flakes for specialty applications. In addition to energy applications, Nouveau Monde's thermochemical process has shown to be effective at purifying larger particle sizes that are expected to allow the Company to supply high-purity, carbon-neutral graphite flakes for bipolar plates used in fuel cells, foils for heat dissipation in electronics, expandable graphite for fire retardant applications and other specialty products.