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

19:22 EDT Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought about 168.9K shares of JD.com on Monday

19:21 EDT Monmouth board reiterates support for merger with Equity Commonweal - Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corp (MNR) announced that its Board has reaffirmed its unanimous support for the Company's pending merger with Equity Commonwealth (EQC). The Board, in consultation with Monmouth's financial and legal advisors, "carefully considered the following factors, among others, and once again concluded that the merger with EQC remains in the best interest of Monmouth stockholders. As previously disclosed, on August 18, 2021, Monmouth received a revised, unsolicited acquisition proposal from Starwood Capital Group. Starwood proposed that its affiliate Starwood Real Estate Income Trust, Inc. would acquire 100% of the outstanding equity of Monmouth for net cash consideration of $19.20 per Monmouth common share. Monmouth's Board, in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, carefully evaluated the terms of Starwood's revised, unsolicited proposal and determined that the pending amended transaction with EQC represents the best opportunity to maximize value for Monmouth stockholders."

18:31 EDT Krispy Kreme chairman buys 60K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Krispy Kreme disclosed that its chairman Olivier Goudet bought 60K shares of common stock on August 19th in a total transaction size of $792.7K.

18:27 EDT Lyft President: Business has never been stronger - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, John Zimmer said Lyft had an "exceptionally strong" quarter. Demand is increasing as more people get vaccinated, he added. Zimmer is "extremely confident" in a positive outcome from the California ruling on Proposition 22. He said Lyft is focused on consumer transportation. It has a clear vision, is methodical, and is executing well. Zimmer noted that the majority of drivers work under 20 hours a week and use Lyft to supplement their income. He said the company is building a transportation network and autonomous vehicles will be a part of that, likely increasing over time.

18:00 EDT Vitru Ltd trading resumes

17:42 EDT Camping World jumps 5% to $39.26 after raising dividend 100%

17:38 EDT Vitru to resume trading at 18:00ET

17:16 EDT Seacoast Banking to acquire Sabal Palm Bancorp and Business Bank of Florida - Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida, the holding company for Seacoast National Bank, announced that it has entered into two separate definitive agreements to acquire Sabal Palm Bancorp, parent company of Sabal Palm Bank based in Sarasota, FL and Business Bank of Florida, parent company of Florida Business Bank based in Melbourne, FL. Upon the completion of each acquisition, the banks will merge with and into Seacoast Bank. Sabal Palm Bank operates three branches across the Sarasota market with deposits of approximately $377M and loans of $272M as of June 30. Florida Business Bank operates one branch in Melbourne, FL with deposits of approximately $166M and loans of $136M as of the same period. In aggregate, the two transactions will add approximately $600M in assets. Seacoast expects the transaction to be 4% accretive to EPS in 2023, the first full year of combined operations, and expects minimal upfront tangible book value dilution to be earned back within 1.25 years. Under the terms of the Sabal Palm merger agreement, Sabal Palm shareholders are expected to receive 0.2203 shares of Seacoast common stock for each share of Sabal Palm common stock. The exchange ratio for the transaction is fixed, which means that the transaction value will fluctuate as a result of changes in Seacoast's stock price. Based on Seacoast's closing price of $31.58 as of August 20 the Sabal Palm transaction, including the exchange of Sabal Palm options, is valued at approximately $53.9 million or $6.96 per share. Under the terms of the BBFC merger agreement, BBFC shareholders are expected to receive 0.7997 shares of Seacoast common stock for each share of BBFC common stock. The exchange ratio for the transaction is also fixed, which means that the transaction values will fluctuate as a result of changes in Seacoast's stock price. Based on Seacoast's closing price of $31.58 as of August 20 the BBFC transaction is valued at approximately $28.4M or $25.25 per share. Closing of each transaction is expected to occur in the Q1 of FY22, following receipt of approvals from regulatory authorities, the approval of the respective entity's shareholders, and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. Piper Sandler & Co. served as financial advisor and Alston & Bird LLP served as legal counsel to Seacoast on both transactions. Hovde Group LLC served as financial advisor to Sabal Palm and BBFC. Smith Mackinnon, PA served as legal counsel to Sabal Palm and Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP served as legal counsel to BBFC.

17:13 EDT Mr. Cooper to sell Xome Valuations business - Mr. Cooper announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Xome Valuations business to Voxtur Analytics Corp. The sale is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021. Consideration for the sale is "not material".

16:57 EDT Kadant acquires Balemaster for $54M in cash - Kadant announced it has completed its acquisition of Balemaster for $54M in cash, subject to certain customary adjustments. Balemaster is a "leading U.S. manufacturer of horizontal balers and related equipment used primarily for recycling packaging waste at corrugated box plants and large retail and distribution centers." The company's revenue for the trailing twelve months ended June 30, 2021 was approximately $22M. Balemaster will become part of Kadant's Material Handling reporting segment.

16:40 EDT Camping World raises quarterly dividend 100% to 50c from 25c per share - Camping World announced that its Board of Directors has doubled the company's quarterly dividend and declared a cash dividend of 50c per share on the company's Class A common stock. Payment is expected to be made on September 28, to stockholders of record at the close of business on September 14. The company's regular dividend will increase from 25c per share to 50c per share on a quarterly basis, and from $1.00 per share to $2.00 per share on an annualized basis.

16:35 EDT Theravance Biopharma trading resumes

16:32 EDT NOV Inc. announces contract to design offshore wind installation vessels - NOV Inc "announced the signing of a contract with COSCO SHIPPING Heavy Industry and Cadeler to supply two GustoMSC NG-20000X self-propelled wind turbine installation jack-up vessel designs, which will be known as the Cadeler X-Class. The Cadeler X-Class is designed with 5,600 m2 of deck space and a carrying capacity of more than 17,600 tons. This new hybrid, DNV-certified, cyber-secure jack-up vessel is designed to transport and install seven complete 15 MW turbine sets or five sets of 20-plus MW turbines, a significant upgrade from prior designs. This expanded carrying capacity will reduce the number of vessel trips required per development and accelerate installation speed, thereby improving project economics while reducing the total carbon footprint of the installation process. In addition to the overall jack-up design, NOV will supply the jacking system that lifts the vessel and cargo above the waterline to safely install wind turbines."

16:24 EDT BlueLinx announces new $25M share repurchase program - BlueLinx announced that its board of directors authorized a new share repurchase program under which the company may repurchase up to $25M of its outstanding shares of common stock in the open market, in accordance with all applicable securities laws and regulations, including Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The company's decision to repurchase its shares, as well as the timing of such repurchases, will depend on a variety of factors, including the ongoing assessment of the company's capital needs, the market price of the company's common stock, general market conditions and other corporate considerations, as determined by management. The repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

16:20 EDT Clearway Energy to acquire remaining 50% of Utah Solar Portfolio for $335M - Clearway Energy announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the remaining 50% equity interest in the Utah Solar Portfolio that it does not currently own for $335M. The Utah Solar Portfolio consists of seven utility-scale solar farms located in Utah representing 530 MW of capacity that achieved commercial operations in 2016. The assets within the portfolio sell power subject to 20-year PPAs with PacifiCorp that have approximately 15 years remaining under the agreements. Subject to customary closing conditions, the company expects to close the transaction in Q4. The company expects to finance the acquisition in part with new non-recourse project level debt of between $210M to $240M resulting in an expected net corporate capital commitment of approximately $95M to $125M. Based on current expected terms and conditions of the new non-recourse project financing, the acquisition is expected to provide incremental annual levered asset CAFD on a five-year average basis of approximately $9M to $11M prior to corporate financing beginning January 1, 2022.

16:19 EDT Southern Company CFO Andrew Evans to retire, Daniel Tucker to succeed - Southern Company announced that Andrew Evans, executive vice president and CFO, announced his plans to retire. Evans will step down as executive vice president and CFO effective September 1. He intends to remain employed as a senior advisor to the CEO until his retirement on December 31. Additionally, he will be joining the Board of Directors of Georgia Power, a Southern Company subsidiary, upon his retirement. Daniel Tucker, currently executive vice president, CFO and Treasurer of Georgia Power, will succeed Evans as executive vice president and CFO of Southern Company, effective September 1. Tucker began his career with Southern Company in 1998. Over more than two decades of service, he has held various positions with Southern Company and its subsidiaries.

16:17 EDT Apple Hospitality REIT acquires AC Hotel by Marriott for $66.8M - Apple Hospitality announced the acquisition of the 178-room AC Hotel by Marriott in Portland, Maine, for a total purchase price of approximately $66.8 million, or approximately $375,000 per key. With results exceeding the Company's full portfolio averages in June 2021, the AC Hotel reported occupancy of 85%, average daily rate of $256 and RevPar of $217 for the month. Following this acquisition, the Apple Hospitality portfolio includes 213 hotels with approximately 27,800 guest rooms geographically diversified throughout 35 states.

16:15 EDT Williams CFO John Chandler to retire effective March 31, 2022 - Williams announced that John Chandler, senior vice president and CFO, has indicated his intent to retire, effective March 31, 2022. Efforts are underway to identify a suitable successor, and Chandler will be engaged in that process.

16:14 EDT Palo Alto Networks jumps 7% to $400 after Q4 results beat estimates - The company's FY22 guidance also topped estimates.

16:12 EDT Connect Biopharma announces Jiang Bian joins company as General Counsel - Connect Biopharma Holdings (CNTB) announced Mr. Jiang Bian has joined the Company as General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, effective August 20 . In his role, Mr. Bian will oversee Connect Biopharma's legal function and will report to Dr. Zheng Wei, Co-founder and CEO. The hiring of Mr. Bian is an important step in filling out the Company's Executive Leadership and advancing the organizational growth strategy. Separately, the Company announced a change to the composition of its Board of Directors, with the appointment of Jean Liu, J.D., Executive Vice President, Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary of Seagen Inc., a targeted cancer therapeutic company. Ms. Liu joins as an Independent Director to the Company. "Jiang has strong experience both as a senior counsel in healthcare and biopharmaceutical companies as well as at a law firm representing global public companies and emerging life science and technology companies in licensing, intellectual property and corporate issues. He will be a key addition to our executive management team as we continue our progress as newly public company," said Dr. Zheng Wei. Mr. Bian joins Connect Biopharma from Guardant Health (GH)) where he served as Senior Counsel. Prior to Guardant Health, Mr. Bian was with Shartsis Friese LLP where he focused on corporate and technology licensing areas of legal advisory. Mr. Bian also held positions of increasing responsibility, including Senior Counsel at Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a publicly traded biotechnology company. He received his LL.B. from Southwest University of Political Science and Law, Chongqing, China, and his LL.M. in Intellectual Property and J.D. from George Washington University Law School.

16:10 EDT Palo Alto Networks CEO says 'notable strength in large customer transactions' - "Our strong Q4 performance was the culmination of executing on our strategy throughout the year, including product innovation, platform integration, business model transformation and investments in our go-to-market organization," said Nikesh Arora, chairman and CEO of Palo Alto Networks. "In particular, we saw notable strength in large customer transactions with strategic commitments across our Strata, Prisma and Cortex platforms." "We are pleased to deliver strength across all the key total shareholder return drivers - top line, operating margin and free cash flow conversion," said Dipak Golechha, CFO of Palo Alto Networks. "We look forward to updating investors on our long-term goals at our upcoming analyst day on September 13th".

16:09 EDT Theravance reports Phase 2b study of izencitinib did not meet primary endpoint - Theravance Biopharma announced top-line results from its Phase 2b dose-finding induction study of izencitinib, an orally administered, gut-selective pan-Janus kinase, or JAK, inhibitor in development for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. The study did not meet its primary endpoint of change in the total Mayo score or the key secondary endpoint of clinical remission at week 8, relative to placebo. There was a small dose-dependent increase in clinical response measured by the adapted Mayo score, which was driven by a reduction in rectal bleeding. At all doses, izencitinib was well-tolerated when administered orally once daily for 8 weeks; adverse event rates were similar among patients receiving izencitinib and placebo. The Company plans to present study results at a scientific forum. Regarding current plans, the Company will work to understand the complete results and implications for izencitinib. Forthcoming ulcerative colitis data will include results from the 16-week extended induction portion of the study and the 44-week maintenance study. The Company reiterates timing of the top-line results of the Crohn's Phase 2 study in late fourth quarter 2021 or early first quarter 2022. Based on the ulcerative colitis results, the Company will seek to minimize future expenses associated with the izencitinib program.

16:07 EDT Turtle Beach unveils Recon 200 Gen 2 headset - The company states: "Turtle Beach unveiled the newly redesigned Recon(TM) 200 Gen 2 multiplatform gaming headset. The wired Recon 200 Gen 2 headset delivers powerful, amplified game audio on Xbox Series X S and Xbox One, PlayStation5 and PlayStation4, and Nintendo Switch, as well as on compatible PC and mobile platforms with a 3.5mm jack. Successor to the original Recon 200, the Gen 2 model offers gamers more features and functionality for the same $59.95 MSRP, including Variable Mic Monitoring, ProSpecs(TM) glasses-friendly technology, softer memory foam cushions, a new headband with added rigidity, and the ability to work in passive mode. The Recon 200's sound is driven by 40mm speakers with enhanced Bass Boost to deliver immersive, detailed game audio that supports the available spatial surround sound technologies like Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos or DTS Headphone: X1, and Sony 3D Audio. The Recon 200 Gen 2 comes in black, white, and an all-new midnight blue color, and is available for pre-order starting today at www.turtlebeach.com and participating retailers worldwide. The Recon 200 Gen 2 launches September 19, 2021."

16:02 EDT Theravance Biopharma trading halted, news pending

15:43 EDT Cara Therapeutics, Vifor Pharma announce FDA approval of KORSUVA injection - Cara Therapeutics and Vifor Pharma announced that the U.S. FDA has approved KORSUVA for injection for the treatment of moderate-to-severe pruritus associated with chronic kidney disease in adults undergoing hemodialysis . KORSUVA injection is a first-in-class kappa opioid receptor agonist that targets the body's peripheral nervous system. The KORSUVA injection new drug application received Priority Review by the FDA, which is granted to therapies that, if approved, would offer significant improvements in the safety or effectiveness of the treatment, diagnosis, or prevention of serious conditions when compared to standard applications.

15:11 EDT Regeneron granted orphan status for cervical cancer treatment - The FDA granted Regeneron Pharmaceuticals orphan status for cemiplimab-rwlc, its treatment of stage IA2 to stage IV cervical cancer. Reference Link

14:54 EDT FDA still probing varenicline impurity in Pfizer's Chantix - The Food and Drug Administration announced that it continues to investigate the presence of the N-nitroso-varenicline impurity in Pfizer's Chantix. The FDA has identified levels of N-nitroso-varenicline above FDA's acceptable intake limit in some samples of varenicline finished drugs. Reference Link

13:10 EDT ISS recommends Box stockholders vote for all director nominees - Box announced that Institutional Shareholder Service, has recommended that Box stockholders vote on the company's BLUE proxy card in connection with the company's 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, scheduled to be held on September 9, 2021. The company urges stockholders to vote "FOR ALL" of Box's director nominees, Dana Evan, Peter Leav and Aaron Levie, on the BLUE proxy card. In its August 23, 2021 report, ISS recognized that the Box of today is not the Box of 2019 and that significant changes have already been made at Box. ISS stated: "Eight of the 10 directors are now independent, there is an independent chairperson, and the average tenure is 2.3 years for the independent directors. The company reported a significant improvement in operating margin and Revenue Growth + FCF in FY21, and recently raised its FY22 guidance to incorporate an acceleration in revenue and better-than-expected improvements in operating margin and Revenue Growth + FCF. These improvements have driven significant share price gains since the settlement, driving meaningful TSR outperformance vs. the median of the peer set, as well [as] Dropbox and Open Text...Since the 2020 settlement with the dissident and the formation of the operating committee, the company appears to have made significant progress on the margin side over the past several quarters. While the revenue metrics are taking longer to improve, the company's assertion that there are green shoots appears fair, particularly in the most recent quarters, as evidenced by the improvements in net retention rate and large deal growth." In commenting on the experience and engagement of the current Box Board, and direct representation by the dissident not being necessary, ISS stated: "The company collaborated with the dissident in 2020, and has given the two board members directly chosen by the dissident prominent roles on the board. Between the two directors placed on the board last year by the dissident, and the three candidates it is nominating this year, if successful, the dissident would have a direct tie to five out of 10 directors. At this stage, despite the room for improvement, in light of the progress made over the past several quarters since the settlement, such a significant presence by the dissident at the board level does not appear necessary...Given the level of collaboration in the initial stages of the dissident's involvement, it is unclear what incremental benefit the dissident's presence on the board would impart at this stage. The nominees who joined the board as a result of the settlement appear credible, experienced, and engaged, and they have expressed conviction in the company's strategy."

12:46 EDT D.C. AG announces settlement with J&J, opioid distributers - Washington D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine announced via Twitter: "BREAKING: My office signed a settlement with opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson and three leading opioid distributers that, if executed, will bring as much as $48 million to the District to support residents struggling with opioid addiction over the next 18 years."

12:39 EDT Seneca Foods trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:23 EDT Support.com jumps after report sees potential for 'short squeeze' - Shares of Support.com moved higher after a report from Bezinga said a "growing number of analysts and experts see the stock as the next potential massive short squeeze." Shares of Support.com are up 6% to $9.36 in midday trading. Reference Link

12:00 EDT Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares falls -10.4% - Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares is down -10.4%, or -$1.44 to $12.43.

12:00 EDT Scor ADR falls -11.2% - Scor ADR is down -11.2%, or -$2.51 to $19.93.

12:00 EDT Huaneng Power rises 16.6% - Huaneng Power is up 16.6%, or $2.75 to $19.27.

11:59 EDT Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine receives full FDA approval - Pfizer Inc. (PFE) and BioNTech SE (BNTX) announced that the U.S. FDA approved the Biologics License Application for COMIRNATY to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 16 years of age and older. COMIRNATY is the first COVID-19 vaccine to be granted approval by the FDA. For FDA approval, Pfizer and BioNTech submitted a comprehensive data package that included longer-term follow-up data from the Phase 3 trial, where the vaccine's high efficacy and favorable safety profile were observed up to six months after the second dose. The BLA submission package also included the manufacturing and facilities data required for licensure. Pfizer and BioNTech completed submission of the BLA in May 2021, and the BLA was granted Priority Review in July 2021. "Based on the longer-term follow-up data that we submitted, today's decision by the FDA affirms the efficacy and safety profile of our vaccine at a time when it is urgently needed. About 60 percent of eligible Americans are fully vaccinated, and infection, hospitalization and death rates continue to rise rapidly among unvaccinated populations across the country," said Albert Bourla, Chairman and CEO, Pfizer. "I am hopeful this approval will help increase confidence in our vaccine, as vaccination remains the best tool we have to help protect lives and achieve herd immunity. Hundreds of millions of doses of our vaccine already have been administered in the U.S. since December 2020, and we look forward to continuing to work with the U.S. government to reach more Americans now that we have FDA approval."

11:02 EDT NeuroOne Medical enters strategic partnership with RBC Medical Innovations - NeuroOne Medical Technologies announces that it has executed an agreement with RBC Medical Innovations to develop and manufacture a proprietary radiofrequency generator for use with NeuroOne's combination recording and ablation electrode that is being designed to both record brain activity and ablate brain tissue using the same electrode. Currently two separate hospital visits and surgeries are required to treat patients that have seizures due to epilepsy or brain tumors that contribute to seizures. The combining of the diagnostic and therapeutic functions is expected to save time, money and potentially improve patient outcomes given the patient will be able to get both procedures performed with the same device and as part of the same procedure requiring one hospital visit. If successful, this will represent the Company's first therapeutic product offering.

10:06 EDT Merck KGaA stops trial for bintrafusp in metastatic biliary tract cancer - Merck KGaA (MKGAY) said that based on a review of data conducted by the Independent Data Monitoring Committee, it has decided to discontinue the Phase II INTR@PID BTC 055 study evaluating bintrafusp alfa with gemcitabine plus cisplatin in the first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer. The study is unlikely to achieve the primary objective of overall survival, says Merck, who noted that no new safety signals were identified. Bintrafusp alfa, discovered in-house at Merck KGaA, is currently in clinical development through a strategic alliance with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Merck added.

10:00 EDT Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares falls -6.0% - Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares is down -6.0%, or -83c to $13.04.

10:00 EDT Scor ADR falls -9.3% - Scor ADR is down -9.3%, or -$2.09 to $20.35.

10:00 EDT Huaneng Power rises 16.8% - Huaneng Power is up 16.8%, or $2.78 to $19.30.

09:47 EDT San Juan Basin Royalty Trust falls -5.3% - San Juan Basin Royalty Trust is down -5.3%, or -22c to $3.95.

09:47 EDT Scor ADR falls -9.2% - Scor ADR is down -9.2%, or -$2.06 to $20.38.

09:47 EDT Huaneng Power rises 18.6% - Huaneng Power is up 18.6%, or $3.08 to $19.60.

09:44 EDT Visa confirms acquisition of CryptoPunk #7610 - Visa said via Twitter: "Over the last 60 years, Visa has built a collection of historic commerce artifacts - from early paper credit cards to the zip-zap machine. Today, as we enter a new era of NFT-commerce, Visa welcomes CryptoPunk #7610 to our collection." Reference Link

09:39 EDT Duke Energy, Accenture, Microsoft collaborate for methane-emissions monitoring - Duke Energy (DUK) announced it is working with Accenture (ACN) and Microsoft (MSFT) on the development of a new technology platform designed to measure actual baseline methane emissions from natural gas distribution systems. This unique platform will provide near-real-time data collection, allowing Duke Energy's field response teams to more rapidly identify and repair methane leaks. The cloud-hosted platform will track and prioritize data associated with leaks using advanced detection methods such as satellites, fixed-wing aircraft and ground-level sensing technology. The new sensor technology can detect trace levels of methane emissions that current technology may not identify. The new platform will augment the company's drive toward net-zero methane emissions in its natural gas business by 2030. As a part of this effort, the companies will execute monthly satellite captures in Greenville, S.C., beginning in August to further refine the technology for identifying methane leaks on Duke Energy's pipeline system. Duke Energy anticipates implementing its methane-monitoring platform by October 2021.

09:37 EDT LIV Capital Acquisition Corp., AgileThought complete business combination - LIV Capital Acquisition Corp. (LIVK), a special purpose acquisition company, and AgileThought, a global provider of digital transformation services, custom software development, and next-generation technologies, announced the completion of their previously announced business combination. The combined company will operate as AgileThought, Inc. Its Class A common stock are expected to commence trading tomorrow on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the new ticker symbol "AGIL." AgileThought successfully closed an equity capitalization of $91.5M through the business combination today to become a public, next-gen digital transformation company, with a market capitalization of approximately $420M with a total of approximately 42 million outstanding shares at $10 per share. As a result of the business combination, existing AgileThought shareholders own 87.2% of the combined equity of the company, with the remaining 12.8% being held by shareholders of LIVK prior to the business combination and PIPE investors. AgileThought intends to use the proceeds from the transactions, net of transaction related expenses, for repayment of AgileThought's first-lien credit facility and cash to the balance sheet to be used for general corporate purposes.

09:33 EDT Velodyne Lidar founder calls for chairman, director to resign - David Hall, the largest holder of outstanding common stock of Velodyne Lidar (VLDR) issued an open letter to the Company's Board of Directors: The letter read, in part: "I am pleased that following my calls for meaningful leadership changes at Velodyne Lidar, Dr. Anand Gopalan decided to resign as Chief Executive Officer and a director. Though I believe this represents a first step in the right direction, the root of poor business management and the anti-stockholder culture at Velodyne Lidar remains. This is why today, I am calling on Chairman Michael Dee and director Hamid Zarringhalam to resign from the Board. I believe that both of these individuals have breached stockholders' confidence and destroyed significant value in the Company. Since being installed on the Board via a merger with Graf Industrial, a special purpose acquisition company, Mr. Dee has spearheaded major business decisions that leave him responsible for the Company's nearly 80% stock price decline, in my view.1 Despite this poor performance and Mr. Dee's lack of relevant skillsets or public company board experience, the Board recently elevated Mr. Dee to the position of Chairman. In addition to Mr. Dee's lack of relevant skillsets to serve on the Board, stockholders should be aware that he is currently deeply embroiled in litigation at PureCycle Technologies, Inc., relating to his role as Chief Financial Officer following its merger with a SPAC with disastrous results. Mr. Dee is facing serious accusations of misleading investors and fraud. Beyond his unsettling track record, I am deeply concerned that Mr. Dee and the Board are considering transferring Velodyne Lidar's sophisticated Alpha Prime lidar manufacturing know-how and associated trade secrets, the crown jewels of the Company's IP portfolio, to Nikon, which is moving into the lidar space with, among other things, its recent partnership with Aeva, a Silicon Valley startup founded to develop lidar technology. I question how moving the best of the Company's portfolio of technology to Nikon benefits Velodyne's stockholders whatsoever. It seems as if this move greatly benefits director Hamid Zarringhalam, an executive employee of Nikon, who is acting within a disabling conflict of interest in making decisions that seemingly benefit Nikon, when he should be focused on what is best for Velodyne Lidar and its stockholders. We are aware that during a recent conversation discussing the decline in Velodyne Lidar's valuation, Mr. Zarringhalam commented, "I don't care about the stock decline because I don't own any." This statement reveals a complete lack of professionalism and alignment with stockholders. Clearly, the Company is in serious need of ethical directors with public company and high growth tech experience to help turn around the anti-stockholder culture that pervades the current Board...Though the Board now has an opportunity to help improve Velodyne Lidar by identifying an independent, high-integrity Chief Executive Officer with significant technology and public company board experience, the reality is that this will not fix the Company's broken corporate governance. I am calling for Messrs. Dee and Zarringhalam to resign from the Board so that new blood can join the boardroom to help the Company revitalize its culture and return to its position at the forefront of lidar technology innovation "

09:29 EDT Red Table Talk 'expands' reach with iHeartMedia deal to launch audio network - Red Table Talk expands its reach, signing an overall deal with iHeartMedia (IHRT ) to launch the Red Table Talk Audio Network. The venture will include a slate of co-produced podcasts, including its two current audio series: "Red Table Talk," hosted by Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith and Adrienne Banfield-Norris; and "Positively Gam," a podcast hosted by Banfield-Norris. The Red Table Talk Audio Network slate will be distributed by the iHeartPodcast Network and will be available on iHeartRadio and everywhere podcasts are heard. The newly formed network will launch five new series over the next two years with iHeartMedia that will allow listeners to go deeper into topics covered at the table, with all-new original podcasts from Red Table Talk hosts and regular show contributors. The first show to launch on the slate will be the podcast version of the EMMY and GLAAD Media Awards-nominated RTT spinoff, "Red Table Talk: The Estefans," hosted by Gloria Estefan, Emily Estefan, and Lili Estefan. The podcast series will launch this Wednesday, August 25 as part of iHeartMedia's My Cultura, a dedicated podcast platform created to elevate Latinx voices and creators, while sharing the Latinx experience with millions of listeners everywhere. Fans can hear the official audio trailer now HERE. Red Table Talk streams on Facebook (FB) Watch, boasting over 13 Million followers across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, is produced by Westbrook Studios, with Jada Pinkett Smith, Ellen Rakieten, and Miguel Melendez, serving as executive producers. Red Table Talk: The Estefans airs on Facebook Watch, is produced by Westbrook Studios, with Jada Pinkett Smith, Gloria Estefan, Ellen Rakieten, and Miguel Melendez serving as executive producers.

09:12 EDT Scientific Games acquires Sideplay Entertainment - Scientific Games has signed an agreement to acquire Sideplay Entertainment, a digital "eInstant" content studio, to expand Scientific Games' portfolio of iLottery content and accelerate the global market penetration of its iLottery business, subject to final regulatory approval. Sideplay is the primary supplier of digital eInstant games to the UK National Lottery. In North America, Scientific Games is the exclusive distributor of Sideplay's content for iLottery programs, including the Pennsylvania Lottery and Loto-Quebec. Through this acquisition, Scientific Games Lottery Group expects to expand its share in digital lottery markets.

09:09 EDT Heartland BancCorp signs Ohio State's Garret, Liddell to NIL partnerships - Heartland BancCorp announced NIL partnerships with Ohio State football defensive tackle Haskell Garrett and men's basketball forward E. J. Liddell. Both players will be championing Heartland's 'Relationships Matter: Bank ON Community Banking' movement. "Community Bankers are accessible and are excellent advisors to help navigate the financial landscape. Not to mention, in good times and bad, they are there to help you and your business," according to G. Scott McComb, Chairman, President and CEO of Heartland Bank. "As a proud sponsor of Ohio State Athletics, I am pleased to associate with these proven, dedicated and professional young men." The movement will also contain financial education and messaging to the underbanked and to Central Ohio's young adults who desire a valued financial partner.

09:08 EDT Document Security's Impact Biomedical reports results for 3FDB technology - Impact Biomedical, a wholly owned subsidiary of Document Security Systems, along with its scientific research partner Global Research and Discovery Group Sciences announced encouraging results from clinical tests of its 3FDB technology. These results suggest that 3FDB can boost the effectiveness of mosquito repellants, specifically DEET. First Test: The first test examined 3FDB / DEET concentrations that could be suitable for use in fragrances, shampoos, soaps, and detergents. The lower concentration mixture outperformed DEET alone. After three hours, the lower concentration mixture had a 74% repellency rate, while the DEET alone had a repellency rate of 38%. After 5 hours, the 3FDB mixture had a repellency rate of 39%, compared to 22% for DEET alone. After 8 hours, the 3FDB mixture scored a repellency rate of 47%, compared to 15% for DEET alone. Second Test: A second test comparing shirt fabric impregnated with 3FDB and untreated shirt fabric, demonstrated that 3FDB impregnated fabric provides better protection compared to untreated fabric. After 15 minutes, the 3FDB fabric repelled 93% of mosquito landings, while the untreated fabric repelled only 14%. The impregnated fabric stopped 100% of the probes, compared to 17% for the untreated fabric. In fact, throughout the testing, which included measurements after six hours and eight hours, the 3FDB impregnated fabric continued to repel 100% of mosquito probes. Third Test: The final test tested higher concentrations of 3FDB for a longer duration. A mixture of 10% 3FDB with 5% DEET appeared to increase the effectiveness of 5% DEET alone at the 3-, 5-, 8-, 12-, 15-, and 18-hour marks.

09:07 EDT Byrna Technologies appoints Mike Gillespie as COO - Byrna Technologies has named Mike Gillespie as COO, effective August 23. Since 1996, Gillespie was with Linear Technology, a semiconductor manufacturer. Most recently, from 2016 to 2019, he was the General Manager of Wafer Fab Operations in their Camas, WA plant, the largest fab in the company. Prior to his role as General Manager, he was a Managing Director of Global Assembly Operations from 2014 to 2016.

09:05 EDT Verisk, Avalara announce integration for property preservation specialists - Verisk (VRSK) and Avalara (AVLR) announced an integration that can significantly streamline tax compliance workflows for property preservation specialists. The integration with Avalara's AvaTax solution allows property preservation professionals to calculate sales and use tax in real time within Property Pres Wizard, a robust work order management solution developed by Verisk's Xactware business. With this enhanced capability, property preservation specialists will be able to calculate sales tax quickly, efficiently and more accurately.

09:05 EDT Gannett names Nate Rackiewicz as Chief Data Officer - Gannett announced Nate Rackiewicz joining as Chief Data Officer, a newly-created role overseeing the company's vision, strategy and execution of data, analytics, and science across all business units. In a first for Gannett, Rackiewicz will lead a global team that will implement the company's enterprise-wide customer identity, data and growth analytics as well as data science and modeling capabilities. He will report to Gannett's Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer Mayur Gupta. Rackiewicz brings over two decades of experience in data science and advanced analytics. He joins Gannett from Take-Two Interactive where he served as Head of Analytics building a global data science and advanced analytics center of excellence, in addition to creating a competitive intelligence platform to successfully drive increased revenue for the leading video game publisher. Rackiewicz has also previously led consumer data and analytics efforts at A+E Networks and HBO.

09:03 EDT Adverum Biotechnologies appoints Wang as senior VP, head of regulatory affairs - Adverum Biotechnologies (ADVM) announced that Jim Wang, Ph.D., has been appointed senior vice president, or VP, head of regulatory affairs. Reporting directly to Laurent Fischer, M.D., Adverum's president and chief executive officer, Dr. Wang will lead regulatory strategies and execution for the company's product pipeline. He brings more than 17 years of global regulatory experience, including a decade in gene therapy that includes the submission and approval for LUXTURNA. Dr. Wang joins Adverum from PTC Therapeutics (PTCT), where he served as vice president, global head of regulatory strategy, leading the planning and execution of worldwide regulatory activities across all therapeutic areas focusing on rare disease.

09:03 EDT BorgWarner secures minority stake in Enexor BioEnergy - BorgWarner is expanding the breadth of its sustainability business activities by investing in Enexor BioEnergy, a company that provides on-site, renewable energy and carbon conversion solutions to help solve the world's organic waste and plastic waste problems. Through a $10M investment, BorgWarner has secured a minority stake in the company. As a major A Series investor, BorgWarner's investment will help the startup steadfastly commercialize its renewable energy and carbon conversion solutions.

09:00 EDT Landmark Infrastructure trading resumes

08:55 EDT SVT selects Avid Software subscription for production workflows - Avid announced that Sveriges Television has expanded its investment in Avid technology to further enhance its end-to-end media production workflows, marking a new chapter in the two companies' longstanding relationship. After almost three decades as an Avid customer, SVT has updated and future-proofed its production operations with the innovative MediaCentral subscription model.

08:52 EDT Navitas Semi, Live Oak Acquisition II announce additional PIPE investment - Navitas Semiconductor and its partner Live Oak Acquisition Corp. II, provided certain updates related to their proposed business combination, which values the combined entity at a pro forma equity value of $1.04B. At the time that Navitas and Live Oak II entered into the definitive agreement for the business combination, Live Oak II also entered into subscription agreements for an oversubscribed and upsized $145M private placement of Class A common stock in Live Oak II at $10.00 per share, from a diversified group of institutional investors. On August 17, 2021, Live Oak II entered into a subscription agreement with an affiliate of Atlantic Bridge, an existing investor in Navitas for an additional $10M of Class A common stock to be issued in the PIPE, on the same terms as the existing PIPE investors. Live Oak II has also entered into a redemption backstop agreement with Encompass Capital Advisors. Encompass is an institutional investment manager, primarily focused on investing across the energy eco-chain. In the agreement, and subject to certain conditions and including limitations on pricing, Encompass has agreed to direct certain fund entities and/or managed accounts, for which it has investment discretion to offer to purchase up to 2M shares of LOKB Class A common stock prior to the closing of the business combination. Encompass has also agreed to not redeem any shares of Class A Common Stock in connection with the business combination, and to vote any shares of Class A Common Stock held by Encompass as of the record date for the special meeting in favor of the business combination and all other proposals to be presented at the special meeting, provided that such proposals have been approved and recommended by the LOKB Board for approval by LOKB's stockholders.

08:43 EDT GrowGeneration acquires Hoagtech Hydroponics, terms not disclosed - GrowGeneration announced the acquisition of Hoagtech Hydroponics, a hydroponic equipment and indoor gardening store, serving the Bellingham, Washington area. This acquisition brings the total number of GrowGen hydroponic garden centers nationwide to 59 stores. Founded in 2010, by Dan Hoag, GrowGeneration plans to operate out of Hoagtech's 25,000 square-foot warehouse in Bellingham. As part of the transaction, Hoag and his team of eight cultivation experts will join GrowGeneration.

08:41 EDT Grom Social's Top Draw Animation founder Wayne Dearing to retire - Grom Social Enterprises announced that Wayne Dearing, whose career in animation spans more than four decades, including 22 years since founding and serving as Managing Director of Grom's Top Draw Animation division, will retire in 2022. To meet the growing animation needs of Top Draw's roster of global entertainment customers, Grom will install former Nickelodeon President of Content Development and Production, Russell Hicks, to oversee Top Draw in addition to serving as Chief Content Officer for Curiosity Ink Media, the original storytelling entertainment company Hicks founded in 2016 and Grom's newest division.

08:39 EDT Strong/MDI Screen Systems introduces HGA ReAct screen - Strong/MDI Screen Systems announced the release of its HGA ReAct screen, specially designed for adaption to the new generation of high-resolution laser projectors. The HGA ReAct screen incorporates the benefits of Strong/MDI's acclaimed Premium HGA screens now optimized for use with laser projection applications. HGA ReAct sets the new standard for laser projection. Engineered for high output projector systems that require superior light diffusion properties, the ReAct offers high quality results with both 2D and passive 3D projection, with one of the highest 3D contrasts in the industry.

08:38 EDT MusclePharm closes $1M in pre-orders for MP Performance Energy - MusclePharm Corporation reported that they have closed $1M to date in pre-orders for MP Performance Energy, their new functional energy drink line, through their eight collective distributors. These orders will begin to ship in September 2021. MP Performance Energy will be on shelves in initial markets this September and FitMiss will be on shelves by close of 2021.

08:36 EDT Xenon Pharmaceuticals appoints Christopher Kenney as Chief Medical Officer - Xenon Pharmaceuticals announced the appointment of Christopher Kenney, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer, effective immediately. Kenney will oversee all clinical development and medical affairs strategies, guiding the development of Xenon's portfolio of neurology-focused therapeutic programs. Dr. Christopher Kenney is a board-certified neurologist with extensive clinical research experience within neuroscience in both industry and academic roles spanning more than 20 years. Most recently, Dr. Kenney served as Chief Medical Officer at Cadent Therapeutics from 2019 until December 2020.

08:35 EDT Avant Brands announces 3PL facility issued Health Canada licenses - Avant Brands announces that its joint venture, 3PL Ventures, has been issued Standard Cultivation, Standard Processing and Medical Sales Licences, in accordance with Health Canada's Cannabis Act and Regulations. The 60,000 square foot facility located in Vernon, BC is currently the largest cultivation facility within the Avant group of companies and will add an additional 50+ rare and unique cultivars, many of which are not currently believed to be available within Canada's legal cannabis market. The JV is expected to fulfil accelerating demand for Avant's recreational brands, including the award-winning BLK MKT, Tenzo, and Cognundefinedscente. The JV will also support incremental growth of the GreenTec Medical portal and help fulfil increasing demand for the Company's international export strategy. The JV was formed in 2018 between Avant's wholly-owned subsidiary, GreenTec Holdings and F-20 Developments Corp. GreenTec holds a 49% equity interest in the JV and an option to acquire the remaining 51% interest from F-20 at a predetermined valuation. In addition, GreenTec also has an option to acquire 3PL's real estate based upon a predetermined metric for valuing the property. Currently, GreenTec does not intend to exercise its option to acquire F-20's interest in the JV.

08:34 EDT Ultragenyx announces approval of Dojolvi in Brazil - Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical announced that Brazil's National Health Surveillance Agency has approved Dojolvi as a source of calories and fatty acids for the treatment of pediatric and adult patients with molecularly confirmed long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders. "Patients with LC-FAOD face frequent hospitalizations and major medical events with limited options to support management of their disease," said Eduardo Thompson, Senior Vice President and Regional Head, Latin America at Ultragenyx. "This approval of Dojolvi is critical to providing therapeutic options for patients in Brazil and we are now working with urgency to obtain reimbursement approval in order to support broad access to therapy. We are grateful to the community of patients, caregivers and physicians whose efforts have contributed to this important approval." Dojolvi is also approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and by Health Canada for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with LC-FAOD. Outside of the U.S., patients have had access to Dojolvi through named patient and early access programs.

08:33 EDT NextPlay Technologies agree to acquire tech from Fighter Base Publishing - NextPlay Technologies announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire from Fighter Base Publishing the assets and AI-powered video game development platform of FBP's wholly-owned division, Make It Games. Make It Games enables developers to create video games powered by artificial intelligence. Its technology supports the training of virtual characters to be more lifelike in appearance and behavior. Tony Harman, Make It Games president, is also expected to join the NextPlay technology team. NextPlay co-CEO Nithinan Boonyawattanapisut, commented, "We believe that the addition of Make It Games technology and its leadership will help accelerate our global initiatives and transform NextPlay into a powerhouse in online advertising, interactive digital media, gaming, fintech and travel, and serve as a bridge for us to expand into the metaverse. They are expected to greatly augment our growing global technology group that is focused on developing and implementing innovative consumer-engaging assets across multiple media channels."

08:31 EDT Tenable Holdings, SecurityScorecard partner on cyber monitoring - SecurityScorecard announces a partnership with Tenable to deliver a comprehensive view into an organization's risk posture by marrying Tenable's unmatched visibility and depth of analytics into enterprise environments with external cyber monitoring powered by SecurityScorecard. As a result of this partnership, CISOs, IT leaders and security teams are able to review their SecurityScorecard rating, assess their external cybersecurity health, and understand their risk posture directly within the Tenable Lumin dashboard.

08:22 EDT Provident Financial appoints Bennett MacDougall as SVP, general counsel - Provident Bank has announced that Bennett MacDougall has joined the Bank as SVP, General Counsel of Provident Bank and Beacon Trust Company and Deputy General Counsel of Provident Financial Services. Mr. MacDougall is based in the Bank's Iselin, N.J. administrative headquarters and is responsible for overseeing all legal affairs of the Bank and its subsidiaries, in addition to providing advice to the Executive Leadership Team on all matters of law and policy. MacDougall joins the Bank after serving for six years as chief legal officer of BNY Mellon Investment Adviser, Inc. and the BNY Mellon family of funds, where he oversaw all legal and regulatory matters involving BNY Mellon's U.S. retail investment management business.

08:18 EDT Capstone Green Energy contracts remote data center in Louisiana - Capstone Green Energy Corporation (CGRN) formerly Capstone Turbine Corporation (CPST) announced that its southern U.S. distributor, Lone Star Power Solutions, has contracted with a remote data center in Louisiana to provide a long-term rental of a Capstone C1000S microturbine system. Capstone Green Energy continues to expand its Energy as a Service, EaaS, business, including its long-term rental program, which is an important element in achieving its profitability goals as rentals generate higher contribution margin rates than traditional product sales. With this latest contract, the Capstone microturbine rental fleet now stands at 13.1 MW with a goal of expanding to 21.1 MW by March 31, 2022. By offering customers Energy as a Service, Capstone Green Energy is strengthening its commitment to creating smarter energy for a cleaner future, as carbon reduction continues to have ever-increasing value to global customers. This customer, which is located on an oil and gas well, handles large volume blockchain and cryptocurrency mining, approached Lone Star looking for an innovative way to take advantage of their existing on-site production gas, a byproduct that would otherwise go to waste. Because Capstone microturbines are designed to offer fuel flexibility, the system will use the waste gas, essentially as free fuel, a benefit that not only reduces emissions but also offers operational savings. Further, the added reliability and low maintenance requirements of microturbine-based systems make them an ideal solution for remote locations, which can be hard to reach and often deal with challenging climate conditions.

08:13 EDT Splash Beverage Group to debut brands at 84th annual NBWA show - Splash Beverage Group announced it will present its growing portfolio of brands at the 84th Annual National Beer Wholesalers Association, or NBWA, Convention & Trade Show to be held in Las Vegas on October 3 - 6, 2021. Splash will feature its brands including SALT Tequila, Copa di Vino, and Pulpoloco Sangria at its dedicated 20'x20' space for the first time at this industry event to more than 500 distributors looking for brands that align with their markets. Held each year in the fall, the NBWA Annual Convention provides valuable education programs for the beer industry and introduces distributors to new products, technologies, and vendors.

08:11 EDT Quipt Home Medical acquires business with operations in Missouri for $2.25M - Quipt Home Medical announces that it has recently acquired a business with operations in Missouri. The acquisition adds three locations, 15,000 active patients, 1,500 unique referring physicians, insurance contracts and decades of operating experience, with an over 40-year operating track record in the markets served. The acquisition provides Quipt the ability to quickly expand on the recently acquired business in Missouri and gives meaningful exposure to a major U.S. city. The business has a diverse payor mix and traditional durable medical equipment product mix. The Company is pleased to share the following updated metrics for the Company on a consolidated basis taking into consideration the three businesses recently acquired: 145,000 current active patients; 18,500 referring physicians; and 60 locations across 15 U.S. States. Under the terms of the definitive purchase agreement, Quipt acquired the business for approximately $2.25M in cash. It is expected that the acquisition will increase Quipt's annual revenues by approximately $5.5M and, post integration, increase Quipt's Adjusted EBITDA by $1.1M. "We continue to focus on strategic acquisitions that help to build our footprint across the United States. The addition of 15,000 patients and 1,500 referring physicians significantly strengthens our overall interconnected healthcare network and the fast-paced expansion in Missouri will serve as a foundation for other new states, where we can grow through economical bolt-on acquisitions that provide us important insurance contracts," said Greg Crawford, Chairman and CEO of Quipt. "Our continued dedication to superior patient care is helping us build market share across our geographies and we are excited to continue filling in the map. As we look at the last 90 days, not only have we accomplished a major milestone of listing on NASDAQ, but we have also completed four acquisitions with combined revenue of over $11 million, expanding us into four new states."

08:09 EDT Firm Capital Property Trust closes acquisition of 50% interest in community - Firm Capital Property Trust is pleased to announce the closing of the previously announced acquisition of a 50% interest in a 242 unit condominium Manufactured Housing Community named Hidden Creek Condominium located in McGregor, Ontario. The acquisition price for 100% of the 242 condominium units was approximately $10.7 million, excluding transaction costs. The Trust's portion of the acquisition price is approximately $5.4 million. The Trust also entered into a joint venture arrangement with SunPark Communities, such that the Trust owns 50% of the Property and SunPark the remaining 50%. SunPark is partially affiliated with members of the board and senior management of the Trust. The Trust is funding its portion of the acquisition through its credit facilities and is immediately accretive to AFFO.

08:08 EDT PetVivo changes brand name of therapeutic osteoarthritis product to 'SPRYNG' - PetVivo announces that the Company has changed the brand name of its therapeutic osteoarthritis and lameness product to "SPRYNG". "We are incredibly excited to introduce to the world the new brand name for our therapeutic product that squarely addresses the debilitating impact of osteoarthritis and lameness in companion animals." said John Lai, Chief Executive Officer of PetVivo Holdings, Inc. "The brand name "SPRYNG" clearly illustrates how PetVivo's product enhances the mobility and overall quality of life in dogs, horses and other animals." Spryng with OsteoCushion Technology is a veterinary medical device comprised of millions of micronized hydrogel matrices, which are derived from the natural components collagen and elastin. OsteoCushion Technology provides both reinforcing natural joint support to replace missing and damaged cartilage as well as delivers natural scaffolding to help the healing of tissue defects.

08:07 EDT NGM Biopharmaceuticals discloses fourth oncology development candidate, NGM831 - NGM Biopharmaceuticals disclosed its fourth oncology development candidate, NGM831, an antagonist antibody designed to block the interaction of ILT3 with fibronectin, as well as with other ligands. The announcement coincides with a publication in Cancer Immunology Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research,1 describing NGM's discovery of ILT3's functional ligand, fibronectin, an extracellular matrix protein that forms a fibrillar network within the tumor stroma. This discovery enabled the development of NGM831, which joins NGM's growing portfolio of wholly owned oncology antibody programs, including NGM120, NGM707, and NGM438. NGM plans to initiate first-in-human testing of NGM831 in the first half of 2022. In July 2021, NGM announced the initiation of a Phase 1/2 study of NGM707 when given alone or in combination with KEYTRUDA in patients with advanced solid tumors, which is anticipated to enroll 180 patients. NGM also plans to initiate a Phase 1 study of NGM438 in advanced solid tumors in the first half of 2022.

08:05 EDT Heat Biologics announces addition of Mark Pryor to Biothreat Advisory Board - Heat Biologics announces the addition of Mark Pryor, former US Senator from the State of Arkansas, to the Company's Biothreat Advisory Board. Former US Senator Mark Pryor currently serves with the premier law firm, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. He is a former two-term U.S. senator and Arkansas attorney general.

08:04 EDT Arcutis Biotherapeutics appoints Bruce Binkowitz as VP, biometrics - Arcutis Biotherapeutics announced that Bruce Binkowitz has joined as Vice President of Biometrics. Dr. Binkowitz will lead all biometrics activities for the company including supporting late-stage clinical programs and regulatory submissions of topical roflumilast in psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and seborrheic dermatitis. Most recently, Dr. Binkowitz was the Vice President of Biometrics at Shionogi.

08:03 EDT Dynavax, Medigen Vaccine Biologics announce rollout of Covid-19 vaccine - Medigen Vaccine Biologics and Dynavax Technologies announced the rollout of its COVID-19 vaccine, MVC-COV1901. Approximately 600,000 people are anticipated to receive the Medigen vaccine this week.

08:02 EDT NCR Corp. acquires Foremost Business Systems, terms undisclosed - NCR Corp. announced the acquisition of Foremost Business Systems, a point-of-sale, or POS, and restaurant solutions provider in Minneapolis. NCR will maintain Foremost Business Systems' existing customer sites with the Foremost Business Systems management team and staff of local Minneapolis restaurant experts. The integration of the Foremost Business Systems team into the NCR local office network accelerates NCR's ability to bring innovative solutions to Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.

07:37 EDT Saia appoints two new directors Kevin Henry, Donald James - Saia announced the Board of Directors has elected Kevin Henry and Dr. Donald James as directors of the corporation, effective on September 1, 2021. Henry will serve on the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors and James will serve on the Audit Committee. Kevin Henry, the current Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Extended Stay America, has more than 23 years of experience as a public company C-suite executive. Dr. Donald R. James, most recently President of the Americas for Joyson Safety Systems, has more than 24 years of experience in the automotive industry.

07:35 EDT Aleafia Health announces closing of $10M credit facility - Aleafia Health is pleased to announce the closing of a $10M senior secured term credit facility. The full amount of the Credit Facility was drawn down by the Company on closing. The Credit Facility carries a 12-month term, with an option for early repayment, and accrues interest at a rate of 12% per annum, with the interest and principal amounts due upon maturity. The outstanding amount of the Credit Facility together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon, may be repaid by the Company at any time and also includes certain mandatory prepayment obligations upon certain specified incurrences. The Credit Facility is secured by first lien mortgages on the Paris, Ontario and Grimsby, Ontario production facilities. As partial consideration for the Credit Facility, the Company has granted to the lender 1,000,000 common share purchase warrants of the Company. Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one common share in the capital of the Company at an exercise price of $0.32, subject to adjustment in certain circumstances, until August 20, 2023. The Warrants vest in equal instalments of 250,000 Warrants commencing on November 20, 2021, and subsequently every three months thereafter, subject to adjustment in certain circumstances. The Warrants are not transferable other than to affiliates of the lender. The Toronto Stock Exchange has conditionally approved the listing of the Warrant Shares issuable on the due exercise of the Warrants. The Warrants and the Warrants Shares are subject to a statutory holder period in accordance with applicable securities laws. The net proceeds from the Credit Facility are expected to be used to support accretive growth initiatives, including improved product availability in the adult-use business, accelerating onboarding of new employer relationships under the exclusive Unifor agreement, operational efficiency enhancements on the production lines at its manufacturing facility in Paris, Ontario, and for other general corporate purposes.

07:34 EDT Vivos Therapeutics says FDA denies 510(k) application for DNA appliance - The FDA has denied Vivos' previously submitted, additional 510(k) application for its DNA appliance. The DNA appliance is already registered with the FDA as a Class I device for palatal expansion and is currently being used by Vivos-trained clinicians accordingly. Vivos expects to appeal the FDA's decision or resubmit the 510(k) application to the FDA in the coming weeks. This denial does not impact the existing use of the DNA appliance by licensed, trained dentists, and the Company does not believe that this development will have a near- or long-term impact on its operational results or future prospects.

07:33 EDT AnPac Bio files with China's NMPA for registering testing for CDA device - AnPac Bio-Medical Science announces that the Company filed with China's National Medical Products Administration, NMPA, on Aug. 19, 2021, for registration testing of its class III, multi-cancer detection medical device based on its Cancer Differentiation Analysis Technology. This multi-cancer detection medical device has been extensively evaluated and positive results have been obtained from successful preclinical trials completed through July 2021. The application with the NMPA covers the utility of assisting in diagnosis of 11 different types of cancer, including lung, esophageal, gastric, rectal, colon, liver, breast, cervical, thyroid, pancreatic and brain cancers. The current filing for AnPac Bio's multi-cancer CDA device includes a number of cancer types which do not yet have generally accepted biomarkers, including esophageal, thyroid and brain tumors. Following registration testing of the multi-cancer CDA device, it is expected that clinical trials at multiple hospitals will start in 2022. As announced on Feb. 8, 2021, AnPac Bio entered into the registration testing phase for its CDA device, a class III medical device for assisting in diagnosis for lung cancer. The device is now waiting in line at an NMPA designated testing lab for registration tests, with a clinical trial expected in the first half of 2022 after its registration tests are completed. AnPac Bio plans to file additional medical device registrations in China and also intends to pursue and offer multi-cancer detection as Laboratory Developed Tests in the U.S. through its certified U.S. lab.

07:32 EDT Krispy Kreme discloses 294.7K shares bought by JAB Investments - In a regulatory filing, Krispy Kreme disclosed that shareholder JAB Investments bought 294.7K share of common stock on August 20th in a total transaction size of $4.48M.

07:30 EDT NextGen Acquisition Corporation II (Class A Stock) trading resumes

07:11 EDT Gold Royalty completes acquisition of Ely Gold - Gold Royalty completed the previously announced acquisition of Ely Gold by way of a plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act. In connection with completion of the transaction, Trey Wasser was appointed to the board of directors of GRC. GRC acquired all of the issued and outstanding Ely Gold common shares. As a result, Ely Gold has become an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of GRC. The consideration paid by GRC on closing of the transaction consisted of an aggregate of 30,902,176 GRC Shares and $84,008,748 in cash. Pursuant to the Arrangement, each of the 15,946,732 warrants to purchase Ely Shares that were outstanding immediately prior to the effective time represent the right to acquire 0.2450 of a GRC Share plus $0.0001.

07:08 EDT Virgin Orbit to become public through NextGen Acquisition Corp. II merger - Virgin Orbit and NextGen Acquisition Corp. II (NGCA) announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Virgin Orbit will become a publicly-traded company. Upon closing, the transaction is expected to provide the combined company up to $483M in cash proceeds, including up to $383M of cash held in the trust account of NextGen and a $100M fully committed PIPE; the combined company will retain the Virgin Orbit name and is expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol (VORB). The transaction values Virgin Orbit at an implied pro forma enterprise value of approximately $3.2B and is expected to close around the end of the year, subject to, among other things, approval by NextGen's shareholders and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions. Virgin Orbit has entered into the merger agreement to become publicly traded on Nasdaq through a business combination with NextGen. The transaction values Virgin Orbit at an implied pro forma enterprise value of approximately $3.2B. The combined company is expected to receive approximately $483M of gross proceeds from the combination of approximately $383M of cash held in NGCA's trust account and a fully committed common stock PIPE offering of $100M at $10.00 per share. Proceeds from the business combination and PIPE transaction are expected to provide growth capital to further scale rocket manufacturing to meet customer demand and to fund growth in its space solutions business and Virgin Orbit's ongoing product development initiatives. The boards of directors of both Virgin Orbit and NextGen have unanimously approved the proposed business combination, which is expected to be around the end of the year subject to, among other things, the approval by NextGen's shareholders and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions.

07:07 EDT Genetron enters strategic partnership with Yikon Genomics - Genetron announced the signing of a strategic partnership with Shanghai Yikon Genomics Technology, a company that focuses on reproductive health diagnostic testing. Genetron Health expects this partnership to contribute to its 2021 revenues. Under the agreement, Yikon Genomics will have the exclusive rights to use Genetron Health's S5 instrument for reproductive health applications in the China market. The partners will cooperate with each other to drive forward registration processes for new assays that are developed on the S5 platform. Genetron Health will also support Yikon Genomics' commercialization efforts. "GENETRON S5's flexible and open characteristics have laid the groundwork for clinical applications in the reproductive health field. We are committed to using an open platform to provide versatile, multi-dimensional solutions for our hospital partners," said Sizhen Wang, co-founder and CEO of Genetron Health. "We are pleased to become Yikon Genomics' strategic partner. We hope to leverage our respective strengths so that we can introduce a comprehensive range of high-performance, personalized, precision medicine solutions to patients, making innovative genetic technology more accessible to the public."

07:07 EDT StorageVault completes purchase of two storage assets for $8.7M - STORAGEVAULT CANADA announced that, further to its April 14, 2021 and July 8, 2021 news releases, it has completed the acquisition of two stores, one in the GTA and one in Alberta, from two vendor groups, for an aggregate purchase price of $8,672,000. The Acquisitions were arm's length transactions. The purchase price for the Acquisitions, subject to customary adjustments, was paid by the issuance of 713,537 common shares of StorageVault at an aggregate price of $3.6 million with the remainder being paid with funds on hand. The Payment Shares are subject to a hold period that expires four months and a day from the date of issuance of such shares. With the completion of these two purchases, StorageVault has now closed $140.7 million of transactions to date this year.

07:05 EDT Kezar Life Sciences announces enrollment completion in Presidio trial of KZR-61 - Kezar Life Sciences announced that PRESIDIO, its Phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of KZR-616 for the treatment of polymyositis and dermatomyositis completed the target enrollment of 24 subjects. PRESIDIO is a Phase 2 randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover design study of KZR-616 in patients with PM or DM. During the 32-week treatment period, patients receive either 45 mg of KZR-616 or placebo subcutaneously once weekly for 16 weeks followed by a crossover to the other treatment arm for an additional 16 weeks (the first two doses are at 30 mg). The primary endpoint of PRESIDIO is the mean change in the Total Improvement Score. Top line results from this trial are expected in the second quarter of 2022. Subjects who complete the 32 week study have the option to enroll into an open-label extension study and continue to receive 45mg weekly of KZR-616. "Completing enrollment in PRESIDIO marks a significant milestone on our path to the full development of KZR-616 for the treatment of polymyositis and dermatomyositis. We are grateful to the patients, their families and caregivers, investigators and clinical research team who are participating in the trial. It goes without saying that their unwavering support of the trial during the course of the global pandemic was heroic," said Noreen Roth Henig, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Kezar.

07:05 EDT Target announces Disney expansion ahead of holiday season - Target (TGT) announces the return of Bullseye's Top Toys list this holiday season, along with plans to expand to over 160 Disney (DIS) store at Target locations across the country. With more exclusives and only-at-Target experiences in stores and online, Target is positioned to inspire children of all ages all season long. As Target's partnership with Disney continues to be a major hit, guests will find Top Toys from popular Disney properties, including Star Wars and Raya and the Last Dragon. By the end of the year, Target will expand to over 160 Disney store at Target locations across the country, providing even more guests with the opportunity to enjoy the unique in-store experience. Plus, Target continues to grow its dedicated online Disney experience for fans seeking toys and games from the hottest properties.

07:03 EDT Versus Systems powers fan experiences for nine NFL teams - Versus Systems announced that the company is powering live in-stadium and mobile-enabled fan experiences for nine NFL teams starting in the pre-season, including the San Francisco 49ers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Tennessee Titans, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets. For the 2021 preseason, fans of these nine teams can use the Versus XEO Platform to play custom interactive games in team apps on their mobile devices while they watch and cheer for their favorite teams.

07:03 EDT KAR Auction to acquire CARWAVE for $450M - KAR Auction Services has signed a definitive agreement to acquire CARWAVE Holdings subject to certain regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. CARWAVE is an online dealer-to-dealer marketplace featuring certified mechanical inspections, buyer guarantees and a 24/7, direct offer trading format with semi-weekly live auctions. Upon closing, the acquisition will build on KAR's consistent growth in the dealer-to-dealer segment, enhance KAR's position in the highly fragmented wholesale used vehicle market, and accelerate the company's overall transformation to a digital marketplace company. After the transaction closes, key CARWAVE leadership including co-founders John Lauer and Bill Lauer will remain with the company, and KAR intends to continue operating CARWAVE's Escondido, California headquarters. The purchase price of the acquisition is $450M and the transaction is expected to close prior to year-end pending the requisite legal and regulatory approvals.

07:02 EDT CTO Realty Growth declares Q3 quarterly dividend of $1.00 per share - CTO Realty Growth announced that its Board of Directors has authorized, and the Company has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.00 per share of common stock for the third quarter of 2021. The dividend is payable on September 30, 2021 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on September 9, 2021. The 2021 third quarter cash dividend represents an annualized yield of approximately 7.4% based on the closing price of the common stock on August 20, 2021. The Board of Directors also authorized, and the Company has declared, a pro-rated quarterly cash dividend of $0.39630 per share of the Company's 6.375% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, to be paid on September 30, 2021 to stockholders of record as of September 9, 2021.

07:00 EDT Bristol-Myers: FDA accepts for priority review sBLA for Orencia - Bristol Myers Squibb announced that the U.S. FDA has accepted its supplemental Biologics License Application for Orencia for the prevention of moderate to severe acute graft versus host disease in patients 6 years of age and older receiving unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The FDA granted the application Priority Review and assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act goal date of December 23, 2021.

06:57 EDT NextGen Acquisition Corporation II (Class A Stock) trading halted, news pending

06:48 EDT Missfresh partners with 5,000 businesses to deploy smart vending machines - As part of Missfresh's efforts to drive the digitalization and modernization of the neighborhood retail industry and offer consumers an even more convenient shopping experience, the company recently partnered with more than 5,000 businesses in Beijing to deploy Missfresh Convenience Go Smart Vending Machines on their premises. These smart vending machines from Missfresh are the first in the industry to receive multiple replenishments in one day.

06:47 EDT Golden Minerals CFO Robert Vogels retiring at year end - Golden Minerals announced the pending retirement of the company's CFO, Robert Vogels, planned to occur around the end of 2021. The company has begun the process of searching for Vogels' successor.

06:39 EDT Crypto names rally as bitcoin jumps to 3-month high above $50,000 - The price of bitcoin has topped the $50,000 level for the first time since mid-May, according to data from Coindesk. Stocks levered to bitcoin prices including Riot Blockchain (RIOT), Marathon Digital (MARA), and Coinbase (COIN) are up 6.1%, 5.5%, and 3.8% respectively in pre-market trading.

06:18 EDT Lexicon's sotagliflozin shows cardiovascular benefits in two trials - Lexicon Pharmaceuticals presented additional analyses of sotagliflozin data from the SOLOIST and SCORED Phase 3 clinical trials at ESC Congress 2021. Sotagliflozin is a first-in-class, investigational dual SGLT1 and SGLT2 inhibitor that showed substantial reductions, compared to placebo, in the primary endpoint of total cardiovascular deaths, hospitalizations for heart failure, and urgent visits for heart failure in both studies in patients with type 2 diabetes and worsening heart failure or chronic kidney disease. The new analyses evaluated the effect of titrating sotagliflozin from the initial daily dose of 200 mg to 400 mg on the primary endpoint - a composite endpoint of cardiovascular death, heart failure hospitalizations and urgent visits for heart failure - and other cardiorenal endpoints from both trials. Reductions in heart failure-related events were more pronounced at the target daily dose of sotagliflozin 400 mg, whereas similar results were observed between sotagliflozin 200 and 400 mg with other endpoints. THe ompany prepares to submit an NDA with the FDA later this year for sotagliflozin, as a therapy for people suffering from heart failure and living with type 2 diabetes.

06:08 EDT JD.com reports annual active customer accounts up 27.4% to 531.9M - Annual active customer accounts increased by 27.4% to 531.9M in the twelve months ended June 30, 2021 from 417.4M in the twelve months ended June 30, 2020.

06:05 EDT Maxar Technologies awarded five-year, $60M contract by U.S. NGA - Maxar Technologies announced it signed a 5-year, $60M contract with the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency to continue development and operations of a classified big data analytics program. Under the contract, Maxar will continue to support a mission-critical analytic system relied on by thousands of Department of Defense and Intelligence Community users. This system leverages a number of geospatial tools to manage and exploit hundreds of data feeds, reducing the time needed to analyze intelligence from hours to minutes.

06:03 EDT Axsome: FDA says review of NDA for AXS-05 won't be complete by PDUFA date - Axsome Therapeutics announced that the U.S. FDA informed the company in a teleconference on August 20 that its review of the new drug application for AXS-05 for the treatment of major depressive disorder would not be completed by the Prescription Drug User Fee Act target action date of August 22. The FDA did not request additional information from the company, and the review of the application is ongoing.

06:01 EDT Intel awarded contract from U.S. Department of Defense - The U.S. Department of Defense, through the NSTXL consortium-based S2MARTS OTA, has awarded Intel an agreement to provide commercial foundry services in the first phase of its multi-phase Rapid Assured Microelectronics Prototypes - Commercial program. The RAMP-C program was created to facilitate the use of a U.S.-based commercial semiconductor foundry ecosystem to fabricate the assured leading-edge custom and integrated circuits and commercial products required for critical Department of Defense systems. Intel Foundry Services, Intel's dedicated foundry business launched this year, will lead the work.

05:20 EDT IBM unveils details of upcoming Telum Processor - IBM unveiled details of the upcoming new IBM Telum Processor, designed to bring deep learning inference to enterprise workloads to help address fraud in real-time. Telum is IBM's first processor that contains on-chip acceleration for AI inferencing while a transaction is taking place. Three years in development, the breakthrough of this new on-chip hardware acceleration is designed to help customers achieve business insights at scale across banking, finance, trading, insurance applications and customer interactions. A Telum-based system is planned for the first half of 2022.

05:15 EDT Masimo announces PVi study findings published - Masimo announced the findings of a study published in the Turkish Journal of Emergency Medicine in which Drs. Seda Dagar and Huseyin Uzunosmanoglu at the Kecioren Training and Research Hospital in Ankara, Turkey investigated the role that noninvasive, continuous Masimo PVi might play in monitoring volume status and volume changes in spontaneously breathing patients undergoing hemodialysis, or HD. The researchers found that there was a "strong correlation" between change in PVi and the volume of fluid removed, concluding that "PVi may provide clinicians with useful information for monitoring the volume status in critically ill patients with spontaneous breathing." More than 100 independent studies have demonstrated the utility of PVi as an indicator of fluid responsiveness. Noting that PVi has been studied mostly in mechanically ventilated patients, the researchers sought to investigate its ability to help assess volume changes in spontaneously breathing patients. They enrolled 60 adult patients with end-stage renal disease who received routine HD and had a median of 3,500 cc of fluid removed during HD. PVi was measured using a Masimo pulse oximetry sensor attached to a Masimo Root monitor, before and after HD, and changes in PVi were compared to the amount of fluid removed during the session. The researchers found that mean PVi showed a statistically significant increase after HD, from 20.7% +/- 5% to 27.7% +/- 6%. Based on the amount of fluid removed during HD, the change in PVi was statistically significant and was strongly correlated to the volume of fluid removed. The researchers concluded, "In the present study, we found that the fluid removed by HD in spontaneously breathing patients caused an increase in PVi and that this increase was strongly correlated with the amount of volume change. Bedside monitoring of PVi, which is a noninvasive, fast, reproducible measurement parameter, may provide the clinicians with useful information for monitoring the volume status and evaluating the effectiveness of volume-restoration therapy in critically ill patients with spontaneous breathing."

05:06 EDT BGC Partners entity partners with Algorithmica to launch Volatility Aggregator - kACE, a division of Fenics Software, an entity within the BGC Partners group of companies, announced the launch of its kACE Volatility Aggregator, or kACE VA, application, a collaboration between kACE and Algorithmica, leveraging both organizations' experience in FX derivatives and analytical solutions to deliver volatility aggregation functionality. The kACE VA application allows users to combine FXO volatilities from multiple sources to create a surface that feeds downstream into client applications such as kACE Pro, back and middle office systems and proprietary technologies.