Stockwinners Market Radar for September 04, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:04 EDT Unum Group exec Iglesias sells 20,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Unum Group EVP and General Counsel Lisa Iglesias disclosed the sale of 20,000 common shares of the company on September 2 at a price of $26.50 per share.

17:57 EDT Restaurant Brands director Hedayat sells 10,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Restaurant Brands director Ali Hedayat disclosed the sale of 10,000 common shares of the company on September 1 at a price of $64.44 per share.

17:54 EDT Raytheon Technologies awarded $736.64M Navy contract modification - United Technologies was awarded a $736.64M modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This modification increases the ceiling to procure propulsion system spare parts, modules, support equipment/packaging handling shipping and transportation material, and depot lay-in material in support of the F-135 propulsion system requirements of the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and non-Department of Defense participants. Work is expected to be completed in December 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.

17:35 EDT BOK Financial director Bangert sells 10,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, BOK Financial director Steven Bangert disclosed the sale of 10,000 common shares of the company on September 3 at a price of $86.0094 per share.

17:31 EDT uniQure to replace United Insurance in the S&P 600 at open on 9/20 - UNIQURE (QURE) will replace United Insurance Holdings Corp. (UIHC) in the S&P SmallCap 600. United Insurance Holdings has a market capitalization that is no longer representative of the small-cap market space. S&P Dow Jones Indices is making the index adjustment to ensure the index is more representative of its market capitalization range. The changes will be effective prior to the open of trading on Monday, September 20 to coincide with the quarterly rebalance.

17:28 EDT Tandem Diabetes to replace Healthcare Services in the S&P 400 at open on 9/20 - Tandem Diabetes Care (TNDM) will replace Healthcare Services Group (HCSG) in the S&P MidCap 400. S&P Dow Jones Indices is making the index adjustment to ensure the index is more representative of its market capitalization range. The changes will be effective prior to the open of trading on Monday, September 20 to coincide with the quarterly rebalance.

17:26 EDT Perrigo to replace WW in the S&P 400 at open on 9/20 - Perrigo Company (PRGO) will replace WW International (WW) in the S&P MidCap 400. S&P Dow Jones Indices is making the index adjustment to ensure the index is more representative of its market capitalization range. The changes will be effective prior to the open of trading on Monday, September 20 to coincide with the quarterly rebalance.

17:23 EDT Ceridian to replace Unum Group in the S&P 500 at open on 9/20 - S&P MidCap 400 constituent Ceridian HCM Holding (CDAY) will move to the S&P 500, replacing Unum Group (UNM), which will move to the S&P MidCap 400. S&P Dow Jones Indices is making the index adjustment to ensure the index is more representative of its market capitalization range. The changes will be effective prior to the open of trading on Monday, September 20 to coincide with the quarterly rebalance.

17:11 EDT CACI director Phillips sells 3,500 common shares - In a regulatory filing, CACI International director Warren Phillips disclosed the sale of 3,500 common shares of the company on September 1 at a price of $256.45 per share.

16:58 EDT Uber to also cover legal fees for drivers sued under Texas SB8 - After Lyft (LYFT) CEO Logan Green said the company created a legal defense fund to cover 100% of legal fees for drivers sued under the new Texas SB8 law whild driving on the company's platform, Uber (UBER) CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said his company "is in too and will cover legal fees in the same way."

16:39 EDT GAP Airports reports August traffic down 1.9% - GAP Airports announced preliminary terminal passenger traffic figures for the month of August, which includes comparisons with the 2019 and 2020 figures to facilitate the reading and understanding of the passenger traffic trend. For August, the total number of terminal passengers at GAP's 12 Mexican airports decreased by 1.9%, compared to the same period of 2019. Tijuana, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta presented an increase in passenger traffic of 13.8%, 8.9% and 2%, respectively, while the Guadalajara and Guanajuato airports presented a decrease of only 13% and 15%, respectively, which demonstrates a positive trend in the company's Mexican airports. In relation to international travel restrictions, the United States requests that travelers must present a negative COVID-19 test for entry into that country; while Canadian Government announced, with a tentative date of September 7, international flights will be reopened for people who are fully vaccinated and who meet certain conditions.

16:33 EDT Welbilt announces death of Chief Innovation Officer Richard Caron - Welbilt announced today that Richard Caron, executive VP and Chief Innovation Officer, passed away on September 2 following a brief non-Covid related illness. Caron served as the head of innovation and technology since joining Welbilt's predecessor company Enodis in 2005.

16:16 EDT Jaguar Health announces 1-for-3 reverse stock split - Jaguar Health, Inc. announced that the company will effect a reverse stock split of its issued and outstanding voting common stock, at an exchange ratio of 1-for-3, on Wednesday, September 8, 2021. The company's Common Stock will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis when the market opens on the Effective Date and will remain listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol "JAGX". The new CUSIP number for the company's Common Stock following the reverse stock split is 47010C607.

16:01 EDT Moderna submits data to EMA for COVID-19 vaccine booster - Moderna announced it has submitted for a conditional marketing approval with the European Medicines Agency for the evaluation of a booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the 50 microgram dose level. "We are pleased to submit for a conditional marketing approval with the EMA for our booster candidate at the 50 microgram dose level. The amended Phase 2 study and additional analyses shows that a 50 microgram booster dose of our COVID-19 vaccine induces robust antibody responses against the Delta variant," said Stephane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna. "We remain committed to staying ahead of the virus and following the evolving epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2."

14:16 EDT Bristol-Myers-Pfizer Alliance 'pleased' with appeals court decision on Eliquis - The Bristol-Myers Squibb-Pfizer Alliance issued the following statement: "We welcome the decision by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit's to affirm the U.S. District Court's August 2020 decision finding the composition of matter patent - US 6,967,208 - and formulation patent - US 9.326,945 - covering Eliquis valid and infringed. Given today's decision, the earliest that generic manufacturers are permitted to launch their apixaban products is April 1, 2028, subject to additional appeals and challenges. We believe in the value of science behind Eliquis and its therapeutic potential for patients, and the underlying intellectual property protecting these innovations." In 2007, Pfizer (PFE) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY) entered into a worldwide collaboration to develop and commercialize apixaban, an oral anticoagulant discovered by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Reference Link

13:15 EDT Starboard Value says Egan-Jones recommends vote for Box nominees - Starboard Value LP announced that proxy voting advisory firm Egan-Jones Proxy Services has recommended that Box stockholders vote to elect all three of Starboard's nominees to the Box board of directors at the company's upcoming annual meeting. "Egan-Jones' recommendation, combined with prior commentary issued by Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. and Glass, Lewis & Co. provides significant validation that change is needed on Box's Board to ensure improved operational, governance, and compensation practices, as well as renewed accountability to common stockholders," Starboard said in a statement.

13:05 EDT Baker Hughes reports Canada rig count up five from last week to 152 - Baker Hughes reports the Canada rig count is up five from last week to 152, with oil rigs up seven to 92, gas rigs down two to 60 and miscellaneous unchanged at zero. The Canada rig count is up 100 rigs from last year's count of 52, with oil rigs up 73, gas rigs up 27 and miscellaneous unchanged at zero.

12:42 EDT Cassava falls after scientist finds removal of treatment group in rebuttal - Cassava Sciences CEO Remi Barbier presented a new graph today in the company's public statement regarding recent allegations levied against it that removed a treatment group, scientist Elisabeth Bik said via Twitter. "And here is the part that concerns me the most. He presents a new graph, with some extra lines in the placebo, and from which the 100 mg treatment group 'outlier' now has been removed. I repeat: The outlier has just been removed," Bik wrote. After rallying earlier in the day, shares of Cassava Sciences are down 6% to $60.95 in midday trading. Reference Link

12:03 EDT Blue Bird appoints Razvan Radulescu as CFO - Blue Bird Corporation (BLBD) announced that it has appointed Razvan Radulescu as CFO. Most recently, Razvan served as General Manager of Procurement for Daimler Trucks North America (DDAIF), responsible for all production and aftersales component purchases.

12:01 EDT Red River Bank says banking centers open in areas impacted by Hurricane Ida - All Red River Bank banking centers impacted by Hurricane Ida have resumed full operations as of Friday, September 3, 2021, five days after the storm made landfall. The company's banking centers in affected areas began opening as early as Tuesday, August 31 - ensuring service to all Red River Bank's markets - and gradually came online throughout the week, as electricity and internet access were restored to greater Baton Rouge and Covington, Louisiana. Red River Bank leaders began undertaking business-continuity efforts the week of August 23 in preparation for Hurricane Ida, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm in southeast Louisiana on Sunday, August 29. Despite the resulting temporary banking center closures, none sustained damage, and mobile and online banking options were available, uninterrupted, to hurricane-impacted customers with access to power and internet.

12:00 EDT Yext falls -11.1% - Yext is down -11.1%, or -$1.54 to $12.37.

12:00 EDT SmartRent rises 11.9% - SmartRent is up 11.9%, or $1.49 to $13.98.

12:00 EDT IronNet rises 12.1% - IronNet is up 12.1%, or $1.64 to $15.14.

11:04 EDT Moderna erases gains, down 1% to $392.41 after NY Times report

10:00 EDT ADC Therapeutics falls -6.2% - ADC Therapeutics is down -6.2%, or -$1.85 to $28.15.

10:00 EDT Joby Aviation falls -18.5% - Joby Aviation is down -18.5%, or -$2.21 to $9.72.

10:00 EDT Sinopec Shanghai rises 13.7% - Sinopec Shanghai is up 13.7%, or $3.00 to $24.93.

09:53 EDT Ranger Energy appoints Stuart Bodden as president, CEO - Ranger Energy Services announced that Stuart Bodden has been named as President and CEO, effective September 1, 2021. Stuart has also been appointed to the board of directors. Stuart will succeed Bill Austin, who has been acting as the Company's interim CEO. Bodden has over 20 years of oil field experience in companies throughout the United States and Southeast Asia.

09:47 EDT Brigham Minerals falls -6.2% - Brigham Minerals is down -6.2%, or -$1.21 to $18.34.

09:47 EDT Joby Aviation falls -18.9% - Joby Aviation is down -18.9%, or -$2.25 to $9.68.

09:47 EDT PagerDuty rises 11.9% - PagerDuty is up 11.9%, or $5.26 to $49.56.

09:45 EDT IronNet Inc (Class A Stock) trading resumes

09:40 EDT IronNet Inc (Class A Stock) trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:17 EDT Apple delays new children protection features after feedback - Apple said in a statement: "Previously we announced plans for features intended to help protect children from predators who use communication tools to recruit and exploit them and to help limit the spread of Child Sexual Abuse Material. Based on feedback from customers, advocacy groups, researchers, and others, we have decided to take additional time over the coming months to collect input and make improvements before releasing these critically important child safety features." Reference Link

09:14 EDT EHang 216, Falcon AAVs complete BVLOS trial flights in Estonia - EHang Holdings announced its flagship passenger-grade AAV EHang 216 and Falcon logistics model have completed Beyond Visual Line of Sight trial flights for airport transport and parcel delivery in Estonia under the European Union's GOF 2.0 Integrated Urban Airspace Validation project to demonstrate safe, autonomous and eco-friendly urban air mobility and the integration of unmanned aerial vehicles and air taxis into manned operations with air traffic management and U-space services. The Estonian Transport Administration issued a Special Permit to EHang for trial flights in designated Estonian airspace until the end of 2021.The EHang 216 is the first passenger-grade AAV to have conducted BVLOS trial flights in Estonian airspace. During the live trials, the EHang 216 performed a flight mission of passenger VIP transport scenario from the Tartu Airport to the Estonian Aviation Museum, no passenger onboard, to demonstrate the uses cases and scenarios of eVTOL intra-urban and peri-urban flights. Moreover, the EHang Falcon logistics model completed a flight mission of parcel delivery from the Tartu Airport to a cargo terminal at the Estonian Aviation Museum, to demonstrate the uses cases and scenarios of automated parcel delivery drones operating at low level.

09:02 EDT Tyson Foods strengthens benefits for vaccinated frontline workers - Tyson Foods announced that it would strengthen the benefits it offers its fully vaccinated U.S. frontline team members. Effective January 1, 2022, fully vaccinated team members can begin earning up to 20 hours of paid sick leave per year. New hires will also receive one week of vacation after six months of employment. The new policies come on top of recent compensation improvements, which have included pay increases and other incentives as well as referral and signing bonuses. The average base pay plus benefits for Tyson's U.S. production workers is currently valued at more than $22 per hour, which includes medical, vision and dental benefits. Tyson is also piloting flexible work schedules at its production facilities and has introduced health clinics at seven locations to allow easy and free access to health care. Tyson continues to provide its U.S. workers with free, on-site access to COVID-19 vaccinations. Continuing vaccination events are scheduled throughout the country to offer all team members the vaccine in time for the November 1 deadline. The company is also giving $200 as a thank you to fully vaccinated frontline team members as well as giving out more than $6 million in sweepstakes to incentivize vaccinations. It is also conducting an extensive outreach campaign to educate and inform team members about the COVID-19 vaccinations.

08:54 EDT Gulf Island Fabrication says 'no significant flood damage' at Houma facilities - Gulf Island Fabrication provided an update on the status of operations at its Houma, Louisiana facilities. The company said, "On August 29, 2021, Hurricane Ida made landfall near Gulf Island's Houma, Louisiana facilities as a Category 4 hurricane. The storm caused severe flooding, significant property damage and power outages in the surrounding areas. Gulf Island has a long history of conducting operations in South Louisiana and substantial experience managing through catastrophic weather events and their aftermath. The Company's initial assessment of damage to the Houma facilities indicates no significant flood damage; however, multiple buildings experienced high winds damage and there is significant debris throughout the facilities. Cleanup and restoration efforts at the Houma facilities have commenced to enable employees and contractors to safely return to work. Based upon this initial assessment, the Company expects to be able to recommence certain project activities in approximately one week. The Company's ability to fully recommence project activities will be dependent in part on the restoration of power and other infrastructure in Houma and the surrounding area. The Company maintains insurance policies designed to protect it from material financial losses associated with adverse weather events such as Hurricane Ida and is currently assessing the full extent of the damage and applicable insurance coverage amounts. The Company currently does not expect the financial exposure associated with damage caused by the storm to be material to its overall liquidity."

08:53 EDT Impel NeuroPharma announces FDA approval of TRUDHESA - Impel NeuroPharma announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved TRUDHESA nasal spray for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults. TRUDHESA was previously known as INP104. Using Impel's proprietary Precision Olfactory Delivery technology, TRUDHESA gently delivers dihydroergotamine mesylate-a proven, well-established therapeutic-quickly to the bloodstream through the vascular-rich upper nasal space. TRUDHESA bypasses the gut and potential absorption issues, offering rapid, sustained, and consistent symptom relief without injection or infusion, even when administered hours after the onset of a migraine attack. The Commercial launch of TRUDHESA is planned for early October 2021. The New Drug Application for TRUDHESA included the results of the Phase 3, open-label, pivotal safety study, STOP 301, which is the largest longitudinal study ever conducted with DHE using nasal spray delivery.3 More than 5,650 migraine attacks were treated over 24 or 52 weeks during the study. The primary objective of the study was to assess the safety and tolerability of TRUDHESA. Exploratory objectives included efficacy assessments of migraine measures and a patient acceptability questionnaire. In the trial, TRUDHESA was generally well tolerated and exploratory efficacy findings showed it provided rapid, sustained, and consistent symptom relief. Unlike some oral acute treatments that need to be taken within one hour of attack onset to be most effective, STOP 301 reported TRUDHESA offered consistent efficacy even when taken late into a migraine attack. There were no serious TRUDHESA-related treatment-emergent adverse events observed in the STOP 301 study and the majority of TEAEs were mild and transient in nature. Some of the most frequently reported TRUDHESA-related TEAEs during the entire 52-week study period were nasal congestion, nausea, nasal discomfort, abnormal olfactory test and vomiting. In the STOP 301 study, patient-reported exploratory efficacy findings reported that more than a third of patients had pain freedom, two-thirds had pain relief, and more than half had freedom from their most bothersome migraine symptom at two hours after their first dose of TRUDHESA. For one in six patients, pain relief started as early as 15 minutes. Of patients who were pain free at two hours, 93 percent were still pain free at 24 hours,11 and 86 percent were still pain free through two days. The great majority of patients reported that TRUDHESA was easy to use10 and preferred it over their current therapy.

08:38 EDT Kellogg sees pretax charges of $45M on North America supply chain reorganization - In a regulatory filing, Kellogg announced a reorganization plan for the North America supply chain network, designed to drive increased productivity. "The implementation of the reorganization plan is subject to satisfaction of any collective bargaining obligations. No production facilities are expected to be closed as a result of this plan, which instead involves shifting production of various products to optimal lines across the Americas network. The overall project is expected to be substantially completed by early 2024, with related productivity improvements commencing in 2023 that can help offset cost inflation and reinvest in our brands. The overall project is expected to result in cumulative pretax charges of approximately $45M. Cash costs are expected to be approximately $25M. The company currently anticipates employee-related costs totaling approximately $4M, which will include severance and other termination benefits; and other cash costs totaling approximately $21M, which will primarily consist of charges related to capital expenses. Non-cash costs are expected to be approximately $20M and primarily consist of accelerated depreciation and asset write-offs," the company stated.

08:35 EDT Kraft Heinz to pay $62M to settle SEC accounting scheme charges - The Securities and Exchange Commission announced it charged The Kraft Heinz Company with engaging in "a long-running expense management scheme that resulted in the restatement of several years of financial reporting." The SEC also charged Kraft's former Chief Operating Officer Eduardo Pelleissone and its former Chief Procurement Officer Klaus Hofmann for their misconduct related to the scheme. Without admitting or denying the SEC's findings as to them, Kraft consented to cease and desist from future violations and pay a civil penalty of $62M, whereas Pelleissone consented to cease and desist from future violations, pay disgorgement and prejudgment interest of $14,211.31, and pay a civil penalty of $300,000. And without admitting or denying the SEC's allegations, Hofmann consented to a final judgment permanently enjoining him from future violations, ordering him to pay a civil penalty of $100,000, and barring him from serving as an officer or director of a public company for five years. The settlement with Hofmann is subject to court approval. Reference Link

08:35 EDT Flora Growth receives Good Manufacturing Practices certification in Colombia - Flora Growth announced that Flora Lab has received authorization by the Colombian National Food and Drug Surveillance Institute to be Good Manufacturing Practices certified to manufacture cosmetic products. The certification takes effect immediately and enables Flora to produce cosmetic products for export to international markets that require goods to be manufactured under the rigorous GMP standards.

08:34 EDT Keurig Dr Pepper announces equity distribution by BDT Capital Partners - Keurig Dr Pepper announced that BDT Capital Partners and its affiliates have communicated to KDP that they will distribute a portion of the shares of KDP common stock owned by the BDT Group to certain BDT limited partners that invested alongside BDT's funds. To effect the distribution, BDT will distribute approximately 46M shares of KDP stock that the BDT Group currently holds, representing approximately 3.2% of the outstanding common stock of KDP, to a large number of high-quality investors. Following the distribution, the BDT Group will continue to own approximately 69M shares of KDP stock, representing approximately 4.8% of KDP.

08:34 EDT Assure Holdings board approves 5-for-1 reverse stock split - Assure's Board of Directors approved a 5:1 share consolidation of its issued and outstanding and authorized common stock to meet the share price requirements of NASDAQ. On August 31, 2021, the Company filed a Certificate of Change with the Nevada Secretary of State, pursuant to Nevada Revised Statute 78.209, to consolidate the Company's authorized common stock and its issued and outstanding common stock on a five for one share basis, effective at 5:30 p.m. on September 7, 2021, subject to the right of termination by the Board of Directors prior to the Effective Time. No stockholder consent or approval is required for the Reverse Split pursuant to NRS 78.207. At the Effective Time, the total number of shares of Common Stock authorized by the Company will be reduced from 900,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par $0.001, to 180,000,000 shares of Common Stock, par $0.001, and the number of shares of Common Stock held by each stockholder of the Company will consolidate automatically into the number of shares of Common Stock equal to the number of issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock held by each such stockholder immediately prior to the Reverse Split divided by five: effecting a five for one reverse stock split. No fractional shares will be issued in connection with the Reverse Split and all fractional shares will be rounded up to the next whole share, pursuant to NRS 78.205(2)(b). As of September 3, 2021, the Company had 59,181,440 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding, and after the Reverse Split, the Company will have approximately 11,836,288 shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding. The Common Stock will begin trading on the TSX Venture Exchange and OTCQB on a Reverse Split adjusted basis at the open of business on September 8, 2021. The Company's TSXV trading symbol will remain unchanged. The Company's OTCQB trading symbol will be designated with a "D" for the Reverse Split for 20 trading days. In connection with the Reverse Split, the CUSIP number for the Common Stock will change to 04625J204.

08:32 EDT Assure Holdings applies for Nasdaq listing - Assure Holdings reported that it has submitted an application for listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market, and in connection with the application its Board of Directors approved the following: 5:1 share consolidation of its common stock to meet the share price requirements of NASDAQ; Realignment of Board Committees to comply with NASDAQ requirements; Adoption of new charters for its Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee to comply with NASDAQ requirements; Adoption of a new Code of Business Conduct and Ethics; Amendments to Bylaws; The listing of Assure's common stock on NASDAQ is subject to satisfaction of the listing requirements of NASDAQ and approval of the listing by the exchange. There can be no assurance that NASDAQ will approve Assure's listing application in a timely manner, if at all.

08:25 EDT Impel NeuroPharma Inc trading halted, news pending

08:22 EDT Alaska Air to pay employees $200 for proof of vaccination

08:16 EDT Huntington Ingalls names Stewart Holmes as EVP, government, customer relations - Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced that Stewart Holmes has been named executive vice president, government and customer relations, succeeding Mitch Waldman, who will retire on Sept. 30. Holmes will be located in HII's Washington, D.C. office and will report to Mike Petters, HII's president and CEO. Holmes will be responsible for leading the corporation's engagements with the legislative branch, the executive branch including all federal agencies, business and trade associations, and think tanks. Holmes comes to HII from Textron (TXT) which he joined in 2015 as the vice president of Washington Operations, being appointed senior vice president of Washington Operations in March 2017.

08:07 EDT Orbital Energy says Hurricane Ida may 'produce a positive impact' to bottom line - Orbital Energy Group announced that in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, its subsidiaries, Gibson Technical Services, Orbital Power, and Eclipse Foundations are providing resources to assist electric power and telecommunication customers restore critical infrastructure damaged by the storm. This event may materially affect the company's financial results for the current quarter. As explained by OEG's Vice-Chairman and CEO, Jim O'Neil, "At this stage of our growth, this storm and the follow-on infrastructure work provides our telecom and electric infrastructure groups the opportunity to build relationships with both new and current customers and aid in restoring essential services to those impacted by this storm." "We believe that this hurricane and the resulting work will likely produce a positive impact to our bottom line in the third quarter and possibly beyond," O'Neil concluded.

08:06 EDT Namaste approves changes to non-employee director compensation plan - The Compensation Committee of the Company has reviewed and discussed certain changes to its non-employee director compensation giventhe approval of Shareholders to the adoption of a deferred share unit plan and restricted share unit award plan at the Corporation's last Annual General Meeting held on Tuesday, September 29, 2020 and receipt of recommendations of independent industry experts to best determine the overall remuneration package for non-employee directors, in order to stay competitive in the marketplace and to attract and retain top-tier directors. To that end the Compensation Committee considered long term incentive program benchmarks, including option and RSU grants, as established from peer companies with comparable market capitalization, operating not only within the cannabis sector, but in similar and adjacent sectors, and compared those those against historical grants and standards. On the basis of Compensation Committee recommendations, the Board of Directors of the Company has thereby approved appropriate changes to the non-employee director compensation plan, including rebalancing non-employee director compensation such that approximately 43% of non-employee director baseline compensation is provided in the form of awards, instead of cash subject to the DSU Plan and/or RSU Plan, re-affirming the Board's commitment to the future success of the Company. Connected thereto the Board has approved the grant of 1,612,500 vested restricted share units in aggregate to the Company's four non-employee directors and the Company is thereby reserving 1,612,500 common shares for issuance in connection therewith, all in accordance with the rules of the TSX Venture Exchange and the Company's RSU Plan. In furtherance of the Company's evolution to wellness announced in February 2021, the Company looks forward to launching soon the re-positioning of its corporate identity as first disclosed in September 2020.

08:05 EDT Ardelyx announces publication of 52-week Phase 3 PHREEDOM trial - Ardelyx announced the publication of the company's long term 52-week Phase 3 PHREEDOM trial in the American Society of Nephrology journal, Kidney360. PHREEDOM is a 52-week monotherapy trial that demonstrated a clinically meaningful decrease in mean serum phosphorus in tenapanor-treated patients from 7.7 mg/dL at baseline to 5.1 mg/dL at the end of the 26-week treatment period in the efficacy analysis set, and a clinically meaningful decrease in mean serum phosphorus in the tenapanor-treated patients from 7.4 mg/dL at baseline to 5.9 mg/dL at week 26 in the intent-to treat analysis set. Additionally, in the efficacy analysis set, the difference in estimated mean change in serum phosphorus level between tenapanor and placebo from the beginning to the end of the randomized withdrawal period was -1.4 mg/dl. Furthermore, there were median relative reductions from baseline of 23% for iFGF23 and 14% for cFGF23 at the end of the randomized 26-week treatment period for participants randomized to tenapanor. Diarrhea was the only drug related AE reported for more than 5% of patients and resulted in drug discontinuation in 16% of patients.

08:01 EDT ADDvantage names Michael Rutledge as Chief Financial Officer - ADDvantage Technologies announced that it has named Michael Rutledge, a finance executive with more than 10 years of experience in financial leadership roles, as its Chief Financial Officer, effective September 7, 2021. Rutledge joins ADDvantage Technologies from SomnoMed Group, where he served as Vice President, Finance for the past five years.

07:35 EDT Saia reports August LTL shipments per workday increased 1.9% - Saia is providing LTL shipment and tonnage data for the first two months of the third quarter. In July 2021, final LTL shipments per workday increased 3.4%, LTL tonnage per workday increased 12.6% and LTL weight per shipment increased 9.0% to 1,381 pounds compared to 1,267 pounds in July 2020. In August 2021, LTL shipments per workday increased 1.9%, LTL tonnage per workday increased 9.9% and LTL weight per shipment increased 7.9% to 1,399 pounds compared to 1,297 pounds in August 2020.

07:31 EDT Scotts Miracle-Gro names Corey Miller as Chief Financial Officer - The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company announced that Cory Miller has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer effective immediately. Miller was promoted to senior vice president and chief financial officer on an interim basis earlier this year after previously serving as vice president of finance for Hawthorne Gardening Company.

07:21 EDT Denali Therapeutics CEO sells 18.3K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Denali Therapeutics disclosed that its CEO Ryan Watts sold 18.3K shares of common stock on September 1st in a total transaction size of about $1.0M. Shares of Denali Therapeutics are down 2.9% in pre-market trading at $54.33.

07:09 EDT Cassava Sciences CEO says 'profit motive at work' in allegations - CEO Remi Barbier said, "I'd like to discuss allegations that were recently made against our Company and what we're doing about it. We'll end the discussion with an overview of Cassava Sciences' progress in Alzheimer's disease. As most people know, last Tuesday, August 24th, a law firm in NY made allegations against us. Let me be very clear: I think these allegations are false. This NY law firm claims our science is improbable, unexpected and unique to Cassava Sciences, and therefore it's all an elaborate fraud. By these criteria, all drug innovations are fraudulent. The NY law firm also filed a Citizen's Petition with FDA, essentially using the same allegations to demand a regulatory halt to our clinical progress in Alzheimer's disease. Two days after issuing their report, the law firm disclosed that they represent clients who have a short position in Cassava stock. It's been about a week since these allegations were posted on-line. In that short period of time, our market valuation declined by over $2 billion dollars. You heard right: $2 billion dollars of valuation, wiped out in one week by on-line allegations. When I first read the allegations, I felt dazed and confused. After all, we've been working slowly, carefully, patiently for over ten years on the science, and always in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including academic advisors, non-clinical sites, clinical sites, the NIH, the FDA, peer-reviewed journal publications, and of course, you, the investing public. After ten plus years of effort, we're finally on the verge of initiating a pivotal Phase 3 program. And now this. So let me tell you what I think of these allegations, and I won't hold back. These allegations are not only false, I also think they are misleading. As a science organization, we conduct experiments that generate data. We do not invent stuff out of thin air. Needless to say, we intend to vigorously defend ourselves and our stakeholders against false and misleading allegations. There is an enormous profit motive at work. As previously noted, after the allegations were made public, which is to say after the damage was done, the law firm issued a press release admitting its anonymous clients "hold short positions in Cassava stock." So here we have a situation where there's a significant financial motive to drive down our stock price. When done correctly, short selling is legal. But there are some short sellers who make outlandish allegations, then make a killing when the stock price declines. In fact, this practice has a name. It's called "short and distort". Look it up. Let me be clear: biotech is and will always be a high-risk, high-reward activity. Most drug candidates fail, that's a fact. Simufilam, which is our drug candidate for Alzheimer's disease, still needs to undergo Phase 3 testing and FDA approval before we can declare victory. In this regard, it's normal for some investors to bet for, and some to bet against, a biotech company, especially around the release of important clinical datasets. After all, every trade needs a buyer and a seller. And that's fine. That's the way a healthy market works. But I think what we're currently seeing is no ordinary short seller betting our data will disappoint. To me, the short attack against Cassava Sciences feels unprecedented in itsboldness, its scope, its immediacy and its intensity. It feels highly organized and well-funded. It feels like whoever is behind this effort wants to make a lot of money quickly, at the expense of our science. And, of course, by hiring a law firm to spread allegations on-line, the holders of a short position don't have to do the dirty work. That's done by the law firm. In other words, by distancing the monkey from the organ grinder, those behind this scheme are hard to detect." Reference Link

07:03 EDT Cassava Sciences releases public statement regarding allegations - Cassava Sciences released a public statement regarding recent allegations made against the Company. "Let me be very clear: I think these allegations are false," said Remi Barbier, President & CEO. "The allegations claim our science is improbable, unexpected and unique to Cassava Sciences, and therefore it's all an elaborate fraud. By these criteria, all drug innovations are fraudulent. We intend to vigorously defend ourselves and our stakeholders against false and misleading allegations." Cassava Sciences' full public statement is now available as an audio file made by Remi Barbier, President & CEO, or as a written transcript.

06:52 EDT Audi unveils Grandsphere electric concept - Audi is announced yesterday it is presenting the Audi grandsphere concept study at IAA 2021. Like a first class flight, the 5.35 m long grandsphere sedan combines the luxury of private travel in the greatest of comfort with a comprehensive onboard experience offering. Level 4 automated driving makes new dimensions of freedom possible: in this mode, the interior turns into a spacious sphere of experience without a steering wheel, pedals, or displays. And the front seats become a first class lounge with maximum space, more open views, and access to all the functions of a holistic digital ecosystem that the Audi grandsphere is integrated into. As the second of three "sphere" concept cars from the brand with the four rings, the Audi grandsphere has a special place. That is because the technologies and design features assembled in it are expected to turn up again in future Audi series. The Audi grandsphere concept illustrates the brand's claim that it is becoming a trendsetter at the top of the automotive industry for technological transformation and completely new, holistic mobility offerings. The electrically driven roadster Audi skysphere concept debuted in August 2021 - it was a spectacular vision of an automatically driving GT that transforms into a self-driving sports car with a variable wheelbase. These two concept cars - as well as the Audi urbansphere, which will appear as the third part of the trio in 2022 - are linked by their overall concept, which is derived from their ability to drive automatically at level 4. Audi is working with CARIAD, the Volkswagen Group's global software think tank, toward introducing new ideas in technology in the second half of the decade. Level 4: it is designed to change the interior space of the traditional driver-oriented cockpit and passenger seats into a spacious lounge as soon as the steering wheel and pedals are reduced. At the same time, it opens up new levels of freedom for all the passengers. That is because the Audi grandsphere not only frees the driver from the tasks of driving whenever possible, but at the same time also offers everyone onboard a wide range of options to use that freedom for individually varied experiences: communication or relaxation, work or withdrawal into a private sphere as desired. The Audi grandsphere concept transforms from being strictly an automobile into an "experience device." Reference Link

06:31 EDT EnPro sells polymer components business to Edgewater Capital Partners - EnPro Industries announced the sale of its polymer components business to Edgewater Capital Partners, a private investment firm focused on performance materials, based in Cleveland, Ohio. Financial terms were not disclosed. The polymer components business is headquartered in Houston, Texas, with two production facilities in Texas and a smaller site in Pennsylvania. Under Edgewater ownership, the organization will be renamed Altamira Material Solutions. The polymer components business unit was part of Enpro's Sealing Technologies segment. Revenue in the first half of 2021 was approximately $20M.

06:19 EDT AstraZeneca settles with E.C. on vaccine supply, ending litigation - The company states: "AstraZeneca and the European Commission have reached an agreement that ends legal proceedings over the execution of the Advance Purchase Agreement for the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine Vaxzevria. Under the agreement, AstraZeneca commits to deliver 60 million doses of the vaccine by the end of the third quarter 2021, 75 million by the end of the fourth quarter 2021 and 65 million by the end of the first quarter 2022. Member States will be provided with regular delivery schedules, and capped rebates will apply in the event of any delayed doses." Reference Link

06:13 EDT Sling TV announces exclusive Barstool Sports channel - Sling TV, a Dish (DISH) subsidiary, announced a new, exclusive channel in collaboration with Barstool Sports that is now available for both Sling subscribers and Sling Free users. The Barstool Sports Channel delivers various sports and pop culture content covering the latest news and viral highlights. The Barstool Sports Channel features live content from the brand's portfolio of video podcasts, blogs and video series. New episodes will be available exclusively on Sling for two weeks before wider release. As part of the partnership, Sling will sponsor the Barstool College Football Show with live shows set to stream on Sling ahead of several games. The Fly notes that Penn National (PENN) has a 36% stake in Barstool Sports.

06:03 EDT Cubic unit awarded STE LTS contract from U.S. Army - Cubic Corporation announced that its Cubic Mission and Performance Solutions business division was awarded a U.S. Army Synthetic Training Environment Live Training System prototype development contract. Cubic will execute this contract with its live training system partner, General Dynamics Mission Systems. The award is for the Army's modernization of its Soldier, direct fire, and vehicle systems. It will also be used for the introduction of counter defilade and indirect fire systems into the live training environment at Combat Training Centers and Army home stations around the globe. The contract provides for a one-year milestone-based prototype development effort with the intent of fielding the systems by early 2023 as the current systems begin to reach their end of useful life.

05:11 EDT iQIYI launches Co-Viewer, Co-Time - iQIYI announced that it has launched Co-Viewer, a video review and collaboration platform, and Co-Time, a plug-in that integrates content editing to the video review process.