Stockwinners Market Radar for September 10, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:04 EDT Northern Dynasty 'disappointed' in EPA decision to remand or vacate 2019 notice - Northern Dynasty Minerals said it is "disappointed" in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to file a motion for remand with vacatur in relation to a lawsuit brought by Trout Unlimited and other environmental groups against the EPA, challenging the federal agency's July 2019 decision to withdraw its previously issued 'Proposed Determination' with respect to Alaska's Pebble Project. "Here we go again," said Northern Dynasty President and CEO Ron Thiessen. "It is unfortunate that politics continues to interfere with scientific evidence. Under President Joe Biden, we once again find ourselves dealing with Obama-era policies that were inappropriate then, and are inappropriate now. In the end, science and facts prevail over political pressure and misinformation. We fought and won against Former President Obama's heavy-handed political attempts to kill the project, and we will do the same again."

17:22 EDT KeyCorp sells retail auto loan portfolio, enters ASR program - KeyCorp announced that KeyBank has sold its indirect retail auto loan portfolio and that KeyCorp has entered into an accelerated share repurchase, or ASR, program. KeyBank sold its $3.2B indirect retail auto loan portfolio to a vehicle managed by a wholly-owned subsidiary of Waterfall Asset Management. Concurrently with the sale, KeyBank purchased $2.8B of senior notes from a securitization collateralized by the sold loans. KeyBank will remain the servicer of the auto loans. KeyCorp entered into an accelerated share repurchase agreement with Goldman Sachs to repurchase up to $585M of its outstanding shares of common stock. The ASR is part of KeyCorp's previously disclosed, board-approved share repurchase program. Under the ASR agreement, KeyCorp will initially receive delivery of approximately 23.5M shares of common stock on September 14, representing approximately 2.5% of the number of shares of common stock outstanding. Initial delivery is based on the closing price of the common stock of $19.87, on September 10.

17:09 EDT Great Lakes Dredge awarded $138.95M Army contract - Great Lakes Dredge was awarded a $138.95M firm-fixed-price contract for dredging of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas, with an estimated completion date of June 20, 2023. FY21 civil construction; civil operation and maintenance; and non-federal Port of Corpus Christi funds in the amount of $138.95M were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineer, is the contracting activity.

16:24 EDT American Assets Trust acquires Corporate Campus East III in Bellevue, WA - American Assets Trust closed on the acquisition of Corporate Campus East III, consisting of an approximately 161,000 square foot, multi-tenant office campus located just off the interstate 405 and 520 freeway interchange, less than 5 minutes away from downtown Bellevue, Washington. Corporate Campus East III is currently approximately 86% leased to a diversified tenant base with contractual lease rates that the Company views as below prevailing market rates for the submarket. The purchase price of approximately $84M was paid with cash on hand.

15:32 EDT Discovery Communications trading resumes

15:03 EDT Steel Dynamics CEO sells 67,686 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Steel Dynamics chairman, president, and CEO Mark Millett disclosed the sale of 67,686 common shares of the company on September 9 at a price of $66.34 per share.

13:27 EDT Apple general counsel calls Epic court ruling 'huge win for Apple' - Bloomberg cites comments from Apple general counsel Kate Adams, who is quoted as calling today's ruling in the case against Epic Games a "huge win for Apple" and stating that Apple is "extremely pleased" with the "resounding victory."

13:03 EDT Epic CEO responds to Apple, says ruling not 'a win for developers or consumers' - In response to Apple's (AAPL) comments on the ruling in its court battle with Epic Games, Epic CEO and Founder Tim Sweeney stated on Twitter: "Today's ruling isn't a win for developers or for consumers. Epic is fighting for fair competition among in-app payment methods and app stores for a billion consumers." Investors in Epic include Tencent (TCEHY), KKR (KKR), Disney (DIS), and Sony (SONY). Reference Link

13:01 EDT Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count up 6 to 503 rigs

12:57 EDT Intuitive Surgical CFO says company in investment phase - Intuitive Surgical CFO Marshall Mohr is speaking at the Wells Fargo Healthcare Conference.

12:54 EDT Intuitive Surgical CFO says Q2 profitability an 'anomaly' given lower costs - Intuitive Surgical CFO Marshall Mohr said at a Wells Fargo conference that the company's profitability in Q2 was an "anomaly" since revenue returned while marketing costs remain constrained given the lockdowns. Mohr said investors should not expect the same level of profitability in Q3.

12:46 EDT Sesen Bio says Vicineum combo showed three-month response rate of 42% - In June 2017, Sesen Bio (SESN) entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the National Cancer Institute for the development of Vicineum in combination with AstraZeneca's (AZN) immune checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab for the treatment of bacillus Calmette-Guerin-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Today, preliminary results from an interim analysis of 12 patients in the NCI Trial are being presented by Dr. Sandeep Gurram, a Urologic Oncology Fellow at the NCI and an investigator in the NCI Trial, at a conference hosted by the American Urological Association, Sesen said in a regulatory filing. Enrollment in the Phase 1 clinical trial is ongoing. Based on the interim analysis, the combination of Vicineum and durvalumab has been generally well-tolerated with no new safety signals emerging and has a similar safety profile compared to both agents used individually, the company said. The interim analysis also indicated a three-month complete response rate of 42% and a 12-month complete response rate of 17%. Shares of Sesen Bio are up 4% to $1.01 in midday trading.

12:26 EDT Wrap Technologies: Officers 'successfully' deployed BolaWrap in Washington - Wrap Technologies released new bodycam footage of a "successful" BolaWrap deployment in Auburn, Washington that helped officers safely restrain a violent subject in crisis. The company said: "On September 6, 2021, Auburn Police Department responded to a violent subject throwing items at cars and threatening other physical violence. Officers on the scene successfully deployed the BolaWrap, which wrapped around the subject's legs. The subject was surprised and stopped in place, giving officers the time to move in quickly and safely place the subject into handcuffs without any injury."

12:10 EDT Apple says Epic case affirms 'App Store is not in violation of antitrust law' - Apple issued a statement to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in response to the ruling in the company's court case with Epic, stating in part: "Today the Court has affirmed what we've known all along: the App Store is not in violation of antitrust law... We remain committed to ensuring the App Store is a safe and trusted marketplace that supports a thriving developer community and more than 2.1 million U.S. jobs, and where the rules apply equally to everyone." Reference Link

12:06 EDT Wabtec signs MOU with Carnegie Mellon University, Genesee & Wyoming - Wabtec announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Carnegie Mellon University which formalizes their joint aim to create technologies that will decarbonize freight rail transport, improve freight safety, and generate greater rail network utilization. In addition, Wabtec announced an MOU with Genesee & Wyoming to pursue zero-emission battery and hydrogen freight strategies, as well as increase rail utilization across North America. The announcements, which are based on a joint vision of building a more sustainable freight transportation network, were made during a ceremonial gathering on Carnegie Mellon's campus, attended by U.S. elected officials and Pittsburgh dignitaries. This vision consists of two parts. One consists of powering locomotive fleets with alternative energy sources, such as batteries, and eventually, hydrogen fuel cells for a zero-emissions freight rail network pilot. The second focuses on advancements to current signaling systems and digital technologies to increase rail network capacity, utilization and safety across the U.S. To accelerate this effort, Carnegie Mellon University, Genesee & Wyoming and Wabtec aspire to create the Freight Rail Innovation Institute - the first-of-its-kind effort to create zero-emission locomotives, develop technology that increases freight rail utilization and improve safety by 50 percent, and create 250,000 jobs by 2030. To maximize utilization across the nation's mainline rail network, which is the cleanest, safest and most efficient way to move goods over land, Carnegie Mellon University will play a leading role in developing the engineering technologies that bring together the data, logistics and intelligence needed to optimize rail operations, while reducing emissions. G&W's Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad will pilot technologies developed by the Freight Rail Innovation Institute, including a zero-emissions battery and hydrogen-powered train that is planned for revenue operation over 200 miles of track between Pittsburgh and Buffalo, N.Y. within the next three years.

12:00 EDT Teradata falls -9.6% - Teradata is down -9.6%, or -$5.42 to $50.97.

12:00 EDT RLX Technology falls -16.5% - RLX Technology is down -16.5%, or -$1.14 to $5.76.

12:00 EDT Cedar Realty Trust rises 12.1% - Cedar Realty Trust is up 12.1%, or $2.05 to $19.05.

11:47 EDT Judge in Epic lawsuit says Apple 'engaging in anticompetitive conduct' - Plaintiff Epic Games sued Apple, Inc. (AAPL) alleging violations of federal and state antitrust laws and California's unfair competition law based upon Apple's operation of its App Store and Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, a United States District Judge of the District Court for the Northern District of California, issued a ruling this morning that states in part: "Given the trial record, the Court cannot ultimately conclude that Apple is a monopolist under either federal or state antitrust laws. While the Court finds that Apple enjoys considerable market share of over 55% and extraordinarily high profit margins, these factors alone do not show antitrust conduct. Success is not illegal. The final trial record did not include evidence of other critical factors, such as barriers to entry and conduct decreasing output or decreasing innovation in the relevant market. The Court does not find that it is impossible; only that Epic Games failed in its burden to demonstrate Apple is an illegal monopolist. Nonetheless, the trial did show that Apple is engaging in anticompetitive conduct under California's competition laws. The Court concludes that Apple's anti-steering provisions hide critical information from consumers and illegally stifle consumer choice. When coupled with Apple's incipient antitrust violations, these anti-steering provisions are anticompetitive and a nationwide remedy to eliminate those provisions is warranted." The judge found in favor of Apple on all counts except with respect to count 10, which relates to violating California's unfair competition law. Gonzalez Rogers issued a permanent injunction that orders Apple be "permanently restrained and enjoined from prohibiting developers from including in their apps and their metadata buttons, external links, or other calls to action that direct customers to purchasing mechanisms, in addition to In-App Purchasing and communicating with customers through points of contact obtained voluntarily from customers through account registration within the app." On the counterclaim, the judge found in favor of Apple on the counterclaim for breach of contract. Investors in Epic include Tencent (TCEHY), KKR (KKR), Disney (DIS), and Sony (SONY).

11:37 EDT Support.com trading resumes

11:33 EDT Support.com stockholders approve merger with Greenidge Generation Holdings - Support.com announced that its stockholders approved all proposals related to the previously announced merger transaction with Greenidge Generation Holdings, a vertically integrated bitcoin mining and power generation company, at a special meeting of Support.com stockholders. Support.com intends to file a Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission disclosing the full voting results from the special meeting. Greenidge and Support.com will announce the targeted closing date and final exchange ratio in the merger when determined.

11:29 EDT DocuSign appoints Cameron Scott as CCO - DocuSign announced the appointment of former LegalShield chief marketing officer, Cameron Scott as its chief communications officer, a newly created role. With more than 20 years' experience in senior strategic communications, marketing and branding leadership roles at companies including Microsoft, Yahoo! and GoDaddy, Scott will lead DocuSign's efforts to streamline its global communications strategy. Scott's leadership will span corporate, employee, and talent communications, as well as social media and advocacy. He will also be responsible for helping DocuSign innovate its external content strategy, reinventing the company's approach to high-volume, high-impact content production that demonstrates the value of DocuSign's Agreement Cloud. He will report to DocuSign COO Scott Olrich.

11:25 EDT Facebook's WhatsApp to offer encryption on cloud backups - In a company blog post, Facebook software engineering managers Slavik Krassovsky and Gabriel Cadden said, "For years, in order to safeguard the privacy of people's messages, WhatsApp has provided end-to-end encryption by default so messages can be seen only by the sender and recipient, and no one in between. Now, we're planning to give people the option to protect their WhatsApp backups using end-to-end encryption as well. People can already back up their WhatsApp message history via cloud-based services like Google Drive and iCloud. WhatsApp does not have access to these backups, and they are secured by the individual cloud-based storage services. But now, if people choose to enable end-to-end encrypted backups once available, neither WhatsApp nor the backup service provider will be able to access their backup or their backup encryption key. ..To enable E2EE backups, we developed an entirely new system for encryption key storage that works with both iOS and Android. With E2EE backups enabled, backups will be encrypted with a unique, randomly generated encryption key. People can choose to secure the key manually or with a user password. When someone opts for a password, the key is stored in a Backup Key Vault that is built based on a component called a hardware security module - specialized, secure hardware that can be used to securely store encryption keys. When the account owner needs access to their backup, they can access it with their encryption key, or they can use their personal password to retrieve their encryption key from the HSM-based Backup Key Vault and decrypt their backup. The HSM-based Backup Key Vault will be responsible for enforcing password verification attempts and rendering the key permanently inaccessible after a minimal number of unsuccessful attempts to access it. These security measures provide protection against brute-force attempts to retrieve the key. WhatsApp will know only that a key exists in the HSM. It will not know the key itself." Reference Link

11:12 EDT New Jersey Resources appoints Richard Reich SVP, general counsel - New Jersey Resources announced Interim General Counsel and Corporate Secretary Richard Reich has been promoted to Senior Vice President and General Counsel. In this position, Mr. Reich is responsible for leading NJR's legal department, developing and directing the corporate legal function and overseeing corporate compliance. He will also continue to serve in the Corporate Secretary role until a replacement is selected. Reich joined NJR in 2006 as Associate General Counsel, where he focused on securities law and other corporate legal matters. In 2016, he was promoted to Corporate Secretary and Assistant General Counsel with responsibility for the oversight of the company's corporate governance. He was named Interim General Counsel in May 2021.

10:00 EDT Hippo falls -6.1% - Hippo is down -6.1%, or -42c to $6.44.

10:00 EDT Traeger falls -8.8% - Traeger is down -8.8%, or -$2.26 to $23.30.

10:00 EDT Cedar Realty Trust rises 12.0% - Cedar Realty Trust is up 12.0%, or $2.04 to $19.04.

09:50 EDT Golden Path Acquisition Corporation (Units) trading resumes

09:47 EDT Hippo falls -6.1% - Hippo is down -6.1%, or -42c to $6.44.

09:47 EDT Traeger falls -7.0% - Traeger is down -7.0%, or -$1.78 to $23.78.

09:47 EDT Rayonier Advanced Materials rises 8.1% - Rayonier Advanced Materials is up 8.1%, or 55c to $7.35.

09:35 EDT TREES appoints Jessica Bast as CFO - General Cannabis recently announced a corporate name change as a first step in its evolution towards the expansion of their vertically integrated model. Along with the name change, the Company is pleased to augment its executive management team with key appointments and promotions, expanding the current talented leadership team, as the Company progresses into its next stage of growth. Jessica Bast has been promoted to CFO, effective September 6, 2021. Bast will succeed Diane Jones, who is stepping down from the CFO role to pursue other interests. Bast has previously served as the Company's Corporate Controller and holds a CPA in the State of Colorado. Tim Brown, founder and former CEO of TREES, will be appointed as Chief Visionary Officer in addition to his Board role and will help guide the strategic direction of the new organization, with an eye on organic and M&A growth opportunities. The Company has further bolstered its executive team with the following appointments: Trevor Hoffman has been appointed as President of Retail Operations and will continue to oversee all day-to-day operations of the current footprint in Colorado and Oregon, as well as future acquisitions. Jack Taylor has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations, with a focus on cultivation and processes. Amie Rakoczy has been appointed VP of Administration. Mitch Seeman has been appointed Innovation Officer.

09:32 EDT Nymox: Filing process for Fexapotide Triflutate proceeding fully as planned - Nymox Pharmaceutical provided an update on the company's progress with its BPH treatment product Fexapotide Triflutate. The company announced today that all company tasks have been completed and documented and that the upcoming filing process in that regard has proceeded fully as planned. The company is satisfied that it has fulfilled all of its required tasks and mandates at this point. The date of filing has been extended in a minor way mainly due to the need for certain forms and facility documents from third party vendors and contractors that are routinely required. Management assures Nymox shareholders that there are no material or unfamiliar elements unaccounted for in this update. Nymox reports that it has filed with regulatory bodies for brand names for Fexapotide. The company has been formally informed by the authorities in more than one of the major jurisdictions that the proposed marketing trade names that were filed by the company would be acceptable. Those acceptances are always subject to the outcomes of the filing processes. Nymox also reports updates on the acceptance and issuance of several new patents that will bolster the intellectual property protections for the new drug. These are from many different jurisdictions and provide increasing protection for the company's assets. Dr Paul Averback, Nymox CEO said, "We are extremely pleased with the results of our long-haul labors and we expect to keep our supporters thoroughly informed, as much as we can. We obviously cannot speak for third party collaborators with whom we work except to say that we have nothing but good things to say about the commitment to quality which exists with our vendors and associates. The last few steps of documentation from the outside are not under our control. However, we expect the filing to occur soon and without major delay. The Company will report to shareholders within 30 days with all the information at hand."

09:25 EDT Golden Path announces proposed business combination with MC Hologram - Golden Path Acquisition and MC Hologram announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement. A newly created merger subsidiary of Golden Path will be merged with and into MC with MC being the surviving entity and becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Golden Path. Upon closing of the transaction, Golden Path will change its name to MicroCloud Hologram. The merger is structured as a stock for stock transaction and is intended to qualify as a tax-free reorganization. The terms of the merger provide for a valuation of MC and its subsidiaries and businesses of $450M. Based upon a per share value of $10.10 per share, the MC stockholders will receive approximately 44,554,455 ordinary shares of Golden Path which will represent approximately 84.07% of the combined outstanding shares following the closing, assuming no redemptions by the Golden Path stockholders and assuming conversion of the Golden Path outstanding rights into 602,050 ordinary shares. The boards of directors for both Golden Path and MC have approved the proposed merger, which is expected to be completed by the end of first quarter of 2022, subject to, among other things, the approval by Golden Path's shareholders of the merger, the proposed change of name, etc.

09:20 EDT Vertex to acquire Raytheon's Defense Training and Mission Critical Solutions - Vertex Aerospace announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Raytheon Technologies Corporation's Defense Training, Professional Services, Mission Critical Solutions, and Modernization and Sustainment business lines. The Defense Training and Mission Critical Solutions business is "a leading provider of training and sustainment services and products to the defense and commercial aerospace industries," the company said. The acquired business lines making up the Defense Training and Mission Critical Solutions business currently fall into four segments: Defense Training Solutions, Commercial Training Solutions, Mission Critical Solutions and Modernization & Sustainment, generating approximately $1B of sales in 2020. "The acquisition adds scale and diversity to the Vertex portfolio and expands the company's service and product offerings with defense and government agencies and commercial customers, both domestic and international," the company added. The transaction will close following the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals.

09:20 EDT Golden Path Acquisition Corporation trading halted, news dissemination

09:14 EDT Vertex Energy commences phased restart of Marrero refinery - Vertex Energy provided an update on the status of operations at its Marrero, Louisiana refinery. On August 29, a Category 4 hurricane made landfall near New Orleans, resulting in severe regional flooding and power outages. Vertex's Marrero refinery, which is located approximately 10 miles south of New Orleans, was taken offline in advance of the hurricane as a standard, precautionary measure. The Marrero refinery commenced a phased restart of operations on September 10, as power was restored to the area. As previously disclosed, the refinery sustained no significant damage due to Ida and is expected to return to normal production rates, over the near-term. Local refinery management continues to collaborate closely with local authorities, including emergency services teams, to ensure a safe and reliable restart of the refinery, while continuing to ensure the wellbeing of all employees and contractors.

09:08 EDT Artisan Partners hires Michael Cirami, Michael O'Brien, Sarah Orvin - Artisan Partners Asset Management announced that Michael Cirami, CFA, Michael O'Brien, CFA and Sarah Orvin, CFA have joined Artisan Partners to build the firm's newest autonomous investment franchise. At Artisan Partners, Mr. Cirami, Mr. O'Brien and Ms. Orvin will develop active, differentiated strategies with broad exposure to the emerging markets debt asset class. The firm plans to launch the team's initial strategies during the first half of 2022. Cirami joins the firm as managing director and lead portfolio manager. Mr. Cirami previously spent the last 18 years at Eaton Vance where he was co-director of emerging markets and a portfolio manager on Eaton Vance's emerging markets team. Mr. O'Brien joins Artisan Partners as managing director and head of global trading for the emerging markets debt strategies that the firm plans to launch. Mr. O'Brien previously spent the last 16 years at Eaton Vance as director of emerging markets trading and more recently a co-director of emerging markets. Ms. Orvin joins Artisan Partners as portfolio manager and one of the three founding members of the team. Ms. Orvin previously served as portfolio manager on the emerging markets team at Eaton Vance.

09:06 EDT Caterpillar acquires CarbonPoint Solutions - Caterpillar has acquired Enhanced Energy Group operating as "CarbonPoint Solutions," a U.S.-based carbon capture technology company. "Combining CarbonPoint Solutions' patented technology with Caterpillar Oil & Gas solutions enables us to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions while helping our customers meet their climate-related objectives," said Rod Shurman, vice president of Caterpillar's Oil & Gas and Marine Division.

09:03 EDT Y-mAbs Therapeutics to host key opinion leader webinar on DANYELZA data - Y-mAbs Therapeutics announced that it will host a key opinion leader webinar on DANYELZA frontline and HITS data in high-risk neuroblastoma on Thursday, September 23, 2021 at 12 p.m. ET. This webinar will feature presentations from KOLs Jaume Mora, M.D., Ph.D., SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital, and Shakeel Modak, M.D., MRCP, Memorial Sloan Kettering. Additionally, Thomas Gad, Chairman, Founder, and President at Y-mAbs, will provide a brief introduction followed by presentations from Steen Lisby, M.D., DMSc, SVP, Chief Scientific Officer at Y-mAbs, and Claus J. Moller San-Pedro, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at Y-mAbs. Dr. Mora will present frontline data for DANYELZA in High-Risk Neuroblastoma; Dr. Modak will present HITS data for DANYELZA in High-Risk Neuroblastoma; Dr. Lisby will review Y-mAbs' preclinical and research pipeline including its SADA technology; Dr. Moller will provide a corporate update.

09:02 EDT Blackwells calls on Monmouth Real Estate to schedule annual meeting - Blackwells Capital, an alternative investment management firm owning 4.36% of the common stock of Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation (MNR), commented on the results of the Special Meeting of Monmouth Shareholders in which Monmouth shareholders overwhelmingly opposed the proposed merger with Equity Commonwealth (EQC). Jason Aintabi, CIO of Blackwells, said: "Monmouth's Board empaneled a conflicted Board committee to run its so-called strategic alternatives process, and then negotiated and endorsed a deal that was so obviously and grossly inadequate that, when it was put up for a vote, shareholders rejected it by a wider margin than any M&A transaction this century. In so doing, this Board has cemented its standing as abjectly unfit to properly serve the interests of shareholders. At the direction of the Landy family, the Board entered into a flawed deal and unanimously authorized the spending of tens of millions of shareholder dollars to support and advocate enthusiastically for it. Despite the Board's best efforts to serve the tax and employment interests of the Landy family, the transaction was rejected by both major proxy advisory firms and nearly every active investment manager. If there were any doubts about the distain the Board has for public shareholders and their interests, or the unwavering loyalty the directors have to their benefactors in the Landy family, this sad and expensive episode has put those doubts to rest. There can be no question but that this Board does not understand or appreciate the value of Monmouth or the will or views of its public shareholders. Monmouth has not held an annual shareholder meeting in 16 months. The time has come for the Monmouth Board to schedule the long overdue annual meeting of Monmouth shareholders. The Board has failed shareholders and it is time for shareholders to hold it, and especially the Landy family, accountable. We intend maintain our effort to install experienced, independent directors who are committed to running a proper strategic alternatives process and to governing Monmouth in a manner that benefits all shareholders. Meanwhile, this Board should take no actions or attempt any self-refreshment or claim any new enlightened perspective on Board composition or governance. The Board has had its chance to run its game plan and the scorecard is clear."

08:39 EDT Bank of America adding five new members to senior management team - Bank of America announced senior leadership changes it said were being made "to position the company for long-term success, while continuing to deliver for clients, communities and shareholders." The company is adding five new members, including three women, to the senior management team, "further strengthening diversity at the most senior levels of the company." Holly O'Neill has been appointed president of Retail Banking, Wendy Stewart has been appointed president of Global Commercial Banking, Cathy Bessant will become vice chair, Global Strategy, Aditya Bhasin has been named chief technology and information officer, Tom Scrivener has been named chief operations executive, and Paul Donofrio will become vice chair, the company said. Alastair Borthwick has been named chief financial officer, effective in the fourth quarter. David Leitch, global general counsel, is planning to retire in 2022 and Lauren Mogensen will become global general counsel for the company, succeeding David at the end of this year. Chairman and CEO Brian Moynihan stated about the leadership changes: "These changes position the company with highly energized leaders who are committed to driving Responsible Growth through its second decade - delivering for our clients, communities and shareholders, and addressing major societal issues. As I shared with our Board of Directors, it will continue to be my privilege to serve with them as CEO as we drive Responsible Growth through its second decade."

08:36 EDT Akari Therapeutics to present Phase III plans for Nomacopan - Akari Therapeutics announced that Miles Nunn, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Akari Therapeutics, and Sanjeev Khindri, M.D., Medical Director of Akari Therapeutics, will present a poster outlining the design of the Company's Phase III planned pivotal study of nomacopan in patients with moderate to severe bullous pemphigoid at the 2021 International Pemphigus & Pemphigoid Foundation Scientific Symposium. The IPPF's main focus is to improve the quality of life for all those affected by pemphigus and pemphigoid through early diagnosis and support alongside an active patient outreach program. The 2021 IPPF Scientific Symposium will bring together clinical and scientific experts in the field of autoimmune bullous disorders. The aim of the ARREST-BP Phase III trial is to assess the safety of nomacopan in BP patients, and to test nomacopan's ability to rapidly control the symptoms of BP and reduce exposure to systemic steroids to potentially decrease steroid related morbidity and mortality.

08:33 EDT Zealand Pharma increases share capital as result of employee warrants exercise - Zealand Pharma has increased its share capital by a nominal amount of DKK 30,748 divided into 30,748 new shares with a nominal value of DKK 1 each. The increase is a consequence of the exercise of warrants granted under several of Zealand Pharma's employee warrant programs. Employee warrant programs are part of Zealand Pharma's incentive scheme, and each warrant gives the owner the right to subscribe for one new Zealand Pharma-share at a pre specified price, the exercise price, in specific predefined time periods before expiration. The exercise price was DKK 135.30 per share for 8,089 of the new shares, DKK 100.80 per share for 14,000 of the new shares and DKK 138.60 per share for 8,659 of the new shares. The total proceeds to Zealand Pharma from the capital increase amount to DKK 3,705,779.10. The new shares give rights to dividend and other rights from the time of the warrant holder's exercise notice. Each new share carries one vote at Zealand Pharma's general meetings. Zealand Pharma has only one class of shares. The new shares will be listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen after registration of the capital increase with the Danish Business Authority. Following registration of the new shares, the share capital of Zealand Pharma will be nominal DKK 43,581,697 divided into 43,581,697 shares with a nominal value of DKK 1 each.

08:32 EDT SG Blocks selected by Street Food USA as exclusive manufacturer - SG Blocks announced that SG ECHO has been selected as Street Food USA's exclusive manufacturer in the United States for its national modular rollout of food halls.

08:26 EDT Kroger reports Q2 identical sales without fuel down 0.6% - Two-year stack increased 14.0%. Digital Sales two-year stack grew 114%.

08:12 EDT Thermo Fisher's Oncomine Dx Target Test receives approval by Japan MHLW - Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) announced the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, or MHLW, Japan's regulatory agency, has granted approval for the Oncomine Dx Target Test as a next-generation sequencing-based companion diagnostic for patients with RET-fusion positive non-small-cell lung cancer who may be treated with Eli Lilly and Company's (LLY) selpercatinib. The MHLW granted orphan drug designation for selpercatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that selectively binds to the RET receptor, in 2020. "This approval will help patients suffering from non-small cell lung cancers whose tumors are positive for fusions in the RET receptor, providing access to new, potentially more effective treatments," said Hiroo Murota, vice president and general manager, Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan. "We will continue to advance precision medicine by expanding our companion diagnostic tests that identify biomarkers associated with targeted therapies." Thermo Fisher's Oncomine Dx Target Test now has approvals in Japan for five biomarkers with a total of ten associated targeted therapies for NSCLC patients.

08:09 EDT Capstone Green Energy distributor signs energy agreement - Capstone Green Energy announced that its North American distributor, Vergent Power Solutions, has signed an agreement to provide an energy efficient, low emission, one-megawatt Combined Heat and Power, or CHP, microturbine for a large greenhouse expansion in Ontario, Canada. Fueled by high pressure clean burning natural gas, the new off-grid system featuring Capstone's C1000S will provide power to the farm's 100-acre indoor greenhouse expansion, an operation that requires a high degree of uptime and low maintenance. The systems is planned for commissioning in spring 2022, and is expected to achieve a total system energy efficiency of close to 90%.

08:08 EDT TD Holdings announces strategic cooperation with GBWT - TD Holdings announced that the company has entered into a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Guangzhou Wensheng Blockchain Technology, or GBWT, a company focusing on "blockchain+" application solutions to apply blockchain technology in the supply chain financing and development of cloud based warehouse. Pursuant to the Agreement dated September 8, 2021, both parties agree to share blockchain technology related information and jointly apply blockchain technology in the supply chain financing and digital cloud warehouse business. GWBT agrees to support the company in building and improving its digital cloud warehouse logistics platform and optimizing the settlement and payment system for commodities trading. GWBT also agrees to provide the Company with technical equipment and consulting services regarding tracing and financing of supply chain. The parties plan to enter into definitive agreement with details of the cooperation in the future. Ms. Renmei Ouyang, the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented, " We are excited to become a strategic partner of GBWT. Leveraging the respective advantages of GBWT's blockchain technology and the Company's access to U.S. capital market as a U.S. listed company, we believe the alliance will further enhance our existing platform and business. With the tremendous market potential of blockchain in the supply chain financing and digital cloud warehouse business, we look forward to working with GBWT on this important initiative."

08:06 EDT MetLife announces Michael Roberts as CMO - MetLife announced that Michael Roberts will join the company as executive vice president and CMO, effective November 2 and subject to necessary approvals. He will report to president and CEO Michel Khalaf. In this role, Roberts will lead global brand and marketing with responsibility for designing modern, value-driven marketing solutions to help MetLife build remarkable and enduring customer relationships and successfully execute on its strategy. Roberts succeeds Esther Lee, who retired at the end of June. Roberts comes to MetLife from The Vanguard Group, where he served as chief marketing officer for the retail investor group, the company's direct-to-consumer business with more than $2T in assets under management.

08:04 EDT La Jolla appoints Tony Hodges as CMO - La Jolla announced the appointment of Tony Hodges as CMO. From 2016 to 2020, Hodges served in various positions at Banner-University Medical Center Phoenix, including serving as director of the center for lung transplantation, director of the center for infusion medicine and physician executive director of revenue cycle operations.

08:02 EDT BioCardia to present on CardiAMP Cell Therapy Heart Failure trial - BioCardia announces data from its CardiAMP Cell Therapy Heart Failure pivotal trial, which are being presented at the Heart Failure Society of America Annual Meeting 2021 on Saturday, September 11. This year's meeting provides a hybrid format; in-person at the Gaylord Rockies in Denver, Colorado or global live on-line access. Dr. Natasha Altman, principal investigator at the University of Colorado at Denver, will make a trial design presentation titled, "CardiAMP Cell Therapy Heart Failure Trial Randomized Controlled Pivotal Trial of Autologous Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cells." She will provide an overview of the trial, along with her site's experience to date. Dr. Leslie Miller, principal investigator at the Congestive Heart Failure Heart Function Clinic in Clearwater, Florida, will make a presentation titled, "Women with Heart Failure in the CardiAMP Cell Therapy Trial." As seen historically in heart failure studies, female participants are underrepresented in this study. The preliminary clinical data demonstrate women may be more likely than men to meet the cell potency assay study eligibility criterion due to the nature of their cells. Although concentration of CD34+ cells at baseline screening in patients' bone marrow did not differ significantly between males and females, females tended to meet the cell potency assay criterion at a higher rate than males; age did not appear to confound results.

08:00 EDT Porch Group to acquire CSE Insurance, American Home Protect - Last night, Porch Group announced two strategic acquisitions to "help it further protect homes across the U.S., advancing its full-stack insurance presence and entering the home warranty market." Porch and Covea have executed a definitive agreement for Porch to acquire CSE Insurance. The closing is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval of the California Department of Insurance. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022. CSE is a California-based personal lines insurer focused on property and auto. CSE has a 71-year history and a management team put in place over the last two years with significant home and auto experience in the state of California. CSE operates in six states, including its primary focus of California, as well as Arizona, Nevada and Utah and is licensed in an additional 6 states. Porch also signed and closed its acquisition of American Home Protect, or AHP. Based in Plano, Texas, AHP is a provider of whole home warranty policies across the U.S. AHP utilizes a direct-to-consumer model to acquire customers for their multi-year warranty plans. Porch is acquiring CSE for $48.6 million of cash at closing which equates to a 1.9x revenue multiple after the conversion to a capital light insurance operating model and a 0.6x multiple of 12/31/2020 statutory capital and surplus. Thus, CSE is expected to be immediately accretive to Porch's balance sheet at close. The purchase price for AHP was $38.6 million upfront, $3 million of deferred cash consideration held back to be paid in 24 months, and a $4.25 million transaction expense to key employees. CSE is expected to close in Q2 2022. After migrating CSE to a more capital-light insurance model, which Porch hopes to achieve by close, CSE is expected to generate $25 million in revenue on an annualized basis from its $130 million of gross written premium. AHP's trailing twelve-month GAAP revenue is approximately $12 million, and like CSE is recurring. Together, the businesses are expected to add approximately $40 million of annualized revenue, representing a 2.4x revenue multiple paid. Given the time to close for CSE due to regulatory approval requirement, Porch anticipates an impact to its 2022 revenue from both businesses of approximately $30 million, with both businesses expected to operate at approximately breakeven in 2022. Porch CFO Marty Heimbigner said: "Porch's business model, further bolstered by our entry into the home warranty market, produces consistent recurring revenues delivered by a subscription model with highly predictable growth. Over time, we believe we will be able to accelerate the revenue growth of CSE and AHP and leverage their fundamental advantages to deliver strong margins, aligned with Porch's long-term targets."

07:55 EDT Echo Global trading halted, news pending

07:34 EDT WPT Industrial REIT receives interim court order for Plan of Arrangement - WPT Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust (WPTIF) announced the mailing of its management information circular and related materials for the special meeting of the REIT's unitholders to consider the previously announced plan of arrangement pursuant to which an affiliate of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BX) would acquire all of the outstanding trust units of the REIT through a series of transactions that would result in Unitholders receiving US$22.00 per Unit in cash, subject to applicable withholdings, all as more particularly described in the Circular. After receiving the unanimous recommendation of a committee. of independent members of the Board of Trustees of the REIT, and in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, the Board of Trustees has unanimously determined that the Transaction is in the best interests of the REIT and the Unitholders and that the Arrangement and the transactions contemplated thereby are fair to the Unitholders, and is unanimously recommending that Unitholders vote in favour of the Transaction. The Meeting is scheduled to be held on Thursday, October 7, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. At the Meeting, Unitholders will consider, and, if deemed advisable, pass, with or without amendment, a special resolution of the Unitholders to approve the Arrangement. The REIT also announced today that, on September 2, 2021, the Supreme Court of British Columbia granted an interim order regarding the Arrangement. The Interim Order authorizes the REIT to proceed with various matters relating to the Arrangement, including the holding of the Meeting for Unitholders to consider and vote on the Arrangement. Subject to the receipt of the requisite approval of the Unitholders, the final approval of the Arrangement by the Court and the satisfaction of other customary conditions, the Transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021.

07:33 EDT Agenus new subsidiary, SaponiQx, forms collaboration with Ginkgo Bioworks - Agenus (AGEN) announced the launch of SaponiQx, a subsidiary of Agenus, and its partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks. Ginkgo, which recently announced a business combination with Soaring Eagle Acquisition (SRNG). SaponiQx is building an adjuvant platform to deliver sustainable manufacturing approaches and a secure supply of known adjuvants, as well as discover novel adjuvants and develop new, more effective vaccines utilizing optimized antigen-adjuvant pairings. Ginkgo's experience in metabolic engineering, enzymatic diversification, and process optimization can be applied to discover novel adjuvants and improve current manufacturing processes. "Agenus is pleased for SaponiQx to collaborate with Ginkgo Bioworks to develop its novel saponin products from sustainably sourced raw materials, with a goal to meet the current demands placed on the vaccine industry for pandemic vaccines," says Garo Armen, CEO and Chairman of Agenus and Executive Chairman of SaponiQx. "QS21 Stimulon, has shown long-term efficacy and long-term protection in both commercially launched and experimental vaccines."

07:15 EDT LiveXLive Media partners with Vaunt to produce new three-day event - LiveXLive Media announced that it has partnered with Vaunt, a sports and entertainment intellectual property development company, to produce and distribute a 3X3 basketball tournament and Music Lives: BallerFest Edition, a new multi-dimensional three-day event, blending together sports, celebrities and music. The three-day hybrid pop-culture global event will take place in Bayfront Park, Miami on November 12-14, 2021, with LiveXLive's third rendition of its global franchise Music Lives, featuring live and virtual musical performances. The festivities will feature at its center a 3x3 basketball tournament. The participating teams will be announced at a later stage. The event will feature the same number of men's and women's teams, who will play alternatively on the same court in front of the same fans. International teams will also participate alongside American players.

07:13 EDT Omega Therapeutics provides update on upcoming milestones - Omega Therapeutics upcoming milestones and key priorities: complete IND-enabling studies for OTX-2002 and successfully file IND application to FDA during the first half of 2022; nominate additional OEC development candidates in the first half of 2022; file a second IND application targeted for second half of 2022; continue to develop the OMEGA Epigenomic Programming platform and investigate additional development programs to expand pipeline; and publish relevant pre-clinical and early clinical data supporting our programs and platform development.

07:10 EDT Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 69K shares of AeroVironment on Thursday

07:09 EDT Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 1.05M shares of UiPath on Thursday

07:08 EDT Shutterstock exclusive sponsor of exhibit at New York Fashion Week - Shutterstock announced an exclusive sponsorship with Experience the Times of Bill Cunningham, an installation opening in The Seaport, New York City on September 12 during New York Fashion Week. As the exclusive sponsor, Shutterstock is the official photography partner for the opening night premiere of the exhibition and after-party.

07:07 EDT Fulcrum Therapeutics reports inducement grant under Nasdaq listing rule - Fulcrum Therapeutics announced the grant of an inducement award outside of the Company's 2019 Stock Incentive Plan to Mel Hayes, the Company's newly appointed CCO. The grant was approved by the Compensation Committee on August 4, 2021 as an inducement material to the employee entering into employment with the Company in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The inducement grant consisted of a nonstatutory option to purchase up to 140,000 shares of common stock. The option has an exercise price of $28.49 per share, the closing price per share of the Company's common stock as reported by Nasdaq on September 7, 2021. The option has a ten-year term and vests over four years, with 25% of the original number of shares vesting on the first anniversary of the employee's start date and an additional 6.25% of the shares vesting in equal quarterly installments over the twelve successive quarters following the first anniversary, subject to such employee's continued service with the Company through the applicable vesting dates.

07:05 EDT BeyondSpring expects cash to support ongoing programs - As of June 30, 2021, the Company had cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments of $76.3 million. The Company believes it has sufficient cash to support its ongoing clinical programs over the next year, including its immuno-oncology pipeline, and to prepare for a potential launch of plinabulin in CIN in early 2022.

07:02 EDT Vista Outdoor to acquire Foresight Sports for $474M - Vista Outdoor announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Foresight Sports, a designer and manufacturer of golf performance analysis, entertainment, and game enhancement technologies, for $474M. "The addition of Foresight Sports immediately positions Vista Outdoor as one of the top technology players in the golf industry. Foresight Sports is the industry leader in golf technology and launch monitor adoption, and I am pleased to welcome their team of over 150 dedicated employees to Vista Outdoor," said Vista Outdoor Chief Executive Officer Chris Metz. "Together under the same roof, Bushnell Golf and Foresight Sports will elevate their brands' strengths, engage and expand into new segments of the industry and drive growth and brand awareness at unprecedented scale. With more than 36 million golf participants in the U.S. alone, combined with growth in international, digital, and off-course settings, Vista Outdoor is well positioned as a leader in golf data collection, hardware development, game improvement and accuracy." Vista Outdoor has agreed to pay a gross purchase price of $474M, subject to certain customary closing adjustments and not including contingent incentives of up to $25M, upon the achievement of certain net sales targets. The gross purchase price includes a net present value of roughly $60M in future tax benefits. Vista Outdoor expects to use cash on hand and available liquidity under its asset-based revolving credit facility, which is currently undrawn, to complete this transaction. Assuming satisfaction of customary closing conditions, Vista Outdoor expects to close the transaction in the third fiscal quarter of FY 2022.

06:54 EDT Albemarle announces FY26 revenue growth target 13%-17% - Sees FY26 adjusted EBITDA $2.2B-$2.6B. Sees FY26 free cash flow $0.8B-$1.2B. Sees FY26 adjusted EBITDA margin 35%-40%. "We see exciting growth opportunities ahead for Albemarle, primarily driven by the importance of electrification in the transition to more sustainable sources of energy," said Albemarle CEO Kent Masters. "We are actively implementing our structured operating model, the Albemarle Way of Excellence, to help ensure we successfully achieve our strategic goals. With our focus on sustainable practices, our access to world-class resources, and our position as an industry leader, we aim to maintain a leadership position in all our businesses to serve our customers' growing needs and create shareholder value well into the future."

06:46 EDT AdvanSix appoints Gena Lovett to board of directors - AdvanSix (ASIX) announced the appointment of Gena Lovett as a new independent member of its Board of Directors. Lovett most recently served as Vice President of Manufacturing, Safety and Quality for The Boeing Company's (BA) Defense, Space & Security division. Lovett will serve on the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Health, Safety, Environmental and Sustainability Committee of the Board of Directors. AdvanSix's Board now consists of nine members, including eight independent directors.

06:01 EDT Regis appoints Lockie Andrews to board of directors - Regis Corporation (RGS) announces the appointment of Lockie Andrews to its Board of Directors, effective September 10, 2021. Andrews is the Head of eCommerce and Digital Operations at Party City (PRTY) leading the enterprise's web, mobile, app and digital sales and operations as well as the development of next-generation marketing and digital technology.

05:19 EDT KT Corporation acquires Epsilon Telecommunications, terms undisclosed - KT Corporation has acquired Singapore-headquartered Epsilon Telecommunications, a connectivity provider. Epsilon's NaaS platform Infiny provides businesses with a suite of connectivity and communications services at the click-of-a-button. KT said it benefits from Epsilon's fully managed connectivity services with automation, orchestration and an approach to end-to-end service delivery. Epsilon offers connectivity to data centers, clouds and internet exchanges via its global private backbone network.

05:12 EDT Vor Biopharma receives fast track designation for VOR33 from FDA - PureTech Health (PRTC) announced that its founded entity, Vor Biopharma (VOR) announced that the FDA has granted Fast Track designation to VOR33, Vor's lead engineered hematopoietic stem cell, or eHSC, therapeutic candidate for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, or AML. VOR33, the lead product candidate from Vor's novel scientific platform, consists of CRISPR genome-edited hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells that have been engineered to lack CD33. Once infused, VOR33 is designed to protect patients' healthy cells from anti-CD33 therapies, such as VCAR33 or Mylotarg. VOR33 is intended to replace standard of care transplants for AML patients who are at high risk of relapse and has the potential to integrate into current transplant settings. Vor is actively enrolling in its Phase 1/2a clinical trial for AML patients who currently have limited treatment options. Vor remains on track to report VOR33's initial clinical data in the first half of 2022. Vor is also currently exploring the use of its genome engineered hematopoietic stem cell platform in combination with multiple therapeutic modalities.