Stockwinners Market Radar for October 01, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:38 EDT Five9 CEO: We parted ways amicably with Zoom Video - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Rowan Trollope said Zoom (ZM) has been a friend and a great partner and the two companies will continue to work together. "We were never selling our company. Our focus has been on execution since day one," he noted. Five9 (FIVN) has added a record number of new employees since the potential merger was announced, Trollope noted.

17:57 EDT Physicians Realty Trust acquires medical office buildings for $764M - Physicians Realty Trust announced that the company, through its operating partnership, Physicians Realty L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, has executed a Master Transaction Agreement for the acquisition of 15 Class-A medical office buildings located in eight states, comprising approximately 1,460,000 square feet, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $764.3M. The portfolio is approximately 95% leased with a weighted average remaining lease term of approximately 7.4 years. Each of the 15 buildings are either located on a health system campus or are affiliated with a health system, and approximately 74% of aggregate leased space is attributable to investment grade health systems or their subsidiaries. Upon closing, the first year unlevered cash yield of the portfolio is expected to be 4.9%. The Company expects that the transaction will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2021.

17:48 EDT Gilead's Kite announces FDA approval of Tecartus for treatment of ALL - Kite, a Gilead Company, announced the U.S. FDA has granted approval for Tecartus for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Following FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation and a priority review, Tecartus is the first and only chimeric antigen receptorT-cell therapy approved for adults with ALL. There is a high unmet need, as half of this patient population will relapse, and median overall survival is only approximately eight months with current standard-of-care treatments. Patients can access Tecartus through 109 authorized treatment centers across the U.S.

17:32 EDT Dril-Quip announces resignation of CFO Raj Kumar - Dril-Quip announced that Raj Kumar, Vice President and CFO, has resigned his position with Dril-Quip effective November 1 to take another opportunity and will assist in a smooth transition of his duties. The company has engaged an executive search firm to conduct a search for its next CFO.

17:12 EDT OraSure awarded $109M contract by U.S. Air Force - OraSure was awarded a $109,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the increased domestic manufacturing capability of rapid antigen self-tests for home care testing. This contract provides for the retrofit of a production facility and a new additional facility with machinery to increase domestic COVID-19 rapid test production capacity.

17:06 EDT BridgeBio announces phase 2b trial update in ADH1 patients - BridgeBio "announced updated results from its ongoing Phase 2b proof-of-concept, open-label study of encaleret for the treatment of Autosomal Dominant Hypocalcemia Type 1, or ADH1. Within five days of individualized dose titration in 13 participants, encaleret normalized mean blood calcium levels and 24 hour urine calcium excretion. The results are featured in an oral presentation titled 'The Effects of Encaleret on Mineral Physiology in Autosomal Dominant Hypocalcemia Type 1 Demonstrate Proof-of-Concept: Early Results from an Ongoing Phase 2B, Open-Label, Dose-Ranging Study' at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2021 Annual Meeting, taking place in San Diego, California on October 1 - 4, 2021. In this update from the ongoing Phase 2b open-label, dose-ranging study, 13 adults with ADH1 with nine distinct CASR variants were administered encaleret. Calcitriol and extra-dietary calcium supplementation beyond the recommended daily intake were discontinued during the study. Through the inpatient observation periods of defined dose escalation and individualized dose titration, encaleret was well-tolerated with no serious adverse events, no adverse events of severe intensity, or treatment discontinuation due to adverse events reported. Across 13 trial participants, encaleret normalized mean blood calcium levels and 24-hour urine calcium excretion during Periods 1 and 2. Parathyroid hormone levels increased in all participants and mean blood phosphate decreased into the normal range during Periods 1 and 2. The tolerability and consistent mineral responses following encaleret administration demonstrate that encaleret may become an efficacious therapy option for patients with ADH1. BridgeBio plans to engage with regulatory health authorities to discuss the design of a Phase 3 registrational study in patients with ADH1. If the development program is successful, encaleret could be the first approved therapy indicated specifically for the treatment of ADH1."

16:41 EDT RA Capital reports 9.9% passive stake in Synlogic - RA Capital disclosed a 9.9% stake in Synlogic, which represents over 6.66M shares. The filing does not allow for activism.

16:35 EDT Mereo BioPharma, Ultragenyx present phase 2b ASTEROID study data in OI treatment - The companies state: "Ultragenyx (RARE) and Mereo BioPharma (MREO) presented secondary endpoint data on UX143 from the Phase 2b ASTEROID study for the Treatment of Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Data were presented at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research 2021 Annual Meeting in an oral presentation by Suzanne Jan de Beur, M.D., an associate professor of medicine at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and president of ASBMR. Previously reported analyses of pre-specified endpoints in the Phase 2b ASTEROID study demonstrated a clear, dose-dependent, statistically significant bone-building effect at multiple anatomical sites in adult patients with OI that was consistent across all subtypes of OI studied, including Types I, III and IV. This effect was determined by evaluating areal bone mineral density over baseline at the lumbar spine, as measured by DXA and reaching 8.97% at 12 months in the highest dose cohort. The data also show a statistically significant and consistent improvement in bone strength over baseline at the wrist and tibia measured by Finite Element Analysis in both medium and high dose cohorts . There was also a statistically significant improvement in bone strength at the wrist at the highest dose. New data presented today at ASBMR demonstrate that treatment with UX143 resulted in dose-dependent increase in P1NP serum levels, a marker of bone formation, and decrease in CTx serum levels, a marker of bone resorption, confirming the mechanism of action of sclerostin inhibition. These changes peaked at month one and declined thereafter, an expected effect based on data from prior clinical studies of sclerostin antibodies tested in osteoporosis. Observed improvements in BMD were continuous, with comparable gains achieved in the first and second 6 months of treatment in the high dose group despite temporal changes in biomarkers."

16:31 EDT LGL Group approves spin-off of MTronPTI subsidiary - The LGL Group announced that its board has approved a spin-off of the MTronPTI subsidiary. The company had previously announced its exploration of this potential spin-off transaction and will now proceed with the spin-off, which will be submitted to a shareholder vote for approval.

16:21 EDT DHT Holdings buys back 1.23M of its shares - DHT Holdings announced that the company has purchased 1.23M of its own shares - equivalent to 0.7% of its outstanding shares - at an average price of $5.466 in the period from August 12 to August 23. The shares have been retired upon receipt.

16:11 EDT Karat Packaging CFO Ann Sabahat resigns for personal reasons - Karat Packaging announced that Ann Sabahat, CFO, has resigned for personal reasons, effective October 8, 2021. On October 1, 2021, Karat's board of directors appointed Peter Lee to serve as its interim CFO, effective October 8, 2021, until a successor is named. The company has initiated a search for a new CFO. Mr. Lee, a Certified Public Accountant and founder and managing partner of PJ LLP, previously served as Karat Packaging's interim chief financial officer from October 2018 to October 2019, and his firm has remained an advisor to Karat throughout the IPO process to present.

16:06 EDT Prothena names Brandon Smith as COO - Prothena announced that CFO Tran Nguyen has been appointed to the additional and newly created role of Chief Strategy Officer. Brandon Smith will take over as COO.

16:03 EDT Adverum Biotechnologies' OPTIC data shows sustained durability of ADVM-022 - Adverum Biotechnologies "announced new long-term data from the OPTIC clinical trial of ADVM-022 single, in-office intravitreal injection gene therapy in patients requiring frequent anti-VEGF injections for their neovascular or wet age-related macular degeneration. Safety and efficacy data from patients followed through 2 years post injection are being presented at the Retina Society's 54th Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago, Illinois" . CEO Laurent Fischer says: "We have now followed all wet AMD patients in the OPTIC trial for a minimum of a year, and in some cases beyond two years, after treatment with a single in-office intravitreal injection of ADVM-022. We are very pleased to report that both the promising safety profile and durability of treatment effect continue to be maintained in this patient population,. We are excited to see that ADVM-022 has the potential to extend the treatment benefit from weeks to years."

16:01 EDT PriceSmart sells Aeropost package forwarding and marketplace businesses - PriceSmart announced the sale of the legacy cross border casillero and online marketplace businesses operated by its Aeropost subsidiary to Click to Collect Company Ltd., a company based in Nassau, Bahamas. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

15:19 EDT Deere, UAW reach tentative labor agreement - Deere & Company and the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America have reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year labor agreement covering approximately 10,100 production and maintenance employees at 12 facilities in Iowa, Illinois, and Kansas. Deere and the UAW have also reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year labor agreement covering nearly 100 production and maintenance employees at Deere parts facilities in Denver and Atlanta. Deere production and maintenance employees will have time to review the terms of the tentative agreement before a ratification vote. All Deere operations will continue as scheduled.

14:24 EDT FDA to hold advisory committee meeting on Pfizer vaccine use in younger children - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is announcing two upcoming meetings of its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, or VRBPAC, to discuss newly available data for the currently available COVID-19 vaccines. The FDA said it anticipates receiving a request from Pfizer to amend its emergency use authorization to allow the use of its COVID-19 vaccine in children 5 through 11 years of age. In anticipation of the request, the FDA is moving forward with scheduling an advisory committee meeting on Oct. 26 to inform the agency's decision-making. The FDA intends to make background materials for both VRBPAC meetings available to the public, including the meeting agendas and committee rosters, no later than two business days before each meeting. "We know from our vast experience with other pediatric vaccines that children are not small adults, and we will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of clinical trial data submitted in support of the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine used in a younger pediatric population, which may need a different dosage or formulation from that used in an older pediatric population or adults," said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. Reference Link

13:31 EDT Nissan reports Q3 U.S. sales down 10.0% to 198,955 units - Nissan Group announced total U.S. third-quarter sales for the calendar year 2021 of 198,955 units, a decrease of 10% versus the prior year. Nissan Division sales of 188,289 units were down 7.6% year-over-year, while Infiniti sales were down 38.6% to 10,666 units.

13:12 EDT Coherus announces BLA filing for CHS-201 accepted for review by FDA - Coherus BioSciences, announced the United States Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review the 351(k) Biologics License Application for CHS-201, a biosimilar candidate of reference product Lucentis. The FDA has set a Biosimilar User Fee Act action date for August 2, 2022, and, if approved, Coherus plans to launch the Lucentis biosimilar in the U.S. in the second half of 2022. The BLA for CHS-201 was submitted by Coherus' partner, Bioeq AG, from whom Coherus acquired U.S. commercial rights in 2019. In addition to CHS-201, Coherus' biosimilar portfolio includes UDENYCA, which the Company launched in the United States in January 2019; CHS-1420, a biosimilar candidate of reference product Humira, currently under review by the FDA with a target action date of December 2021; and CHS-305, a biosimilar candidate of reference product Avastin, currently being evaluated in a comparative pharmacokinetic study in healthy subjects to support a potential BLA filing in 2022.

12:45 EDT James Wolf reports Enzo Biochem stake, may nominate himself to board - James Wolf disclosed a 5.4% stake in Enzo Biochem, which represents 2.64M shares. The filing with the SEC allows for activism. Wolf said he may nominate himself for election as a director of the company at the next annual meeting of shareholders if he is not nominated by the board.

12:00 EDT Benson Hill falls -14.4% - Benson Hill is down -14.4%, or -$1.03 to $6.10.

12:00 EDT Spire Global falls -39.8% - Spire Global is down -39.8%, or -$4.98 to $7.55.

12:00 EDT Global Blue rises 11.9% - Global Blue is up 11.9%, or 77c to $7.23.

11:58 EDT Sandoz resolves legacy U.S. federal government civil investigation - Sandoz Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Sandoz, announced it has entered a settlement agreement with the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice concerning the Department's years-long pricing investigation into the U.S. generic drug industry. "This settlement is an expected outcome of the resolution the company reached in March 2020 with the DOJ Antitrust Division regarding the same investigation and underlying conduct. Today's settlement contains no new factual allegations against Sandoz, and the company fully provisioned for this settlement and disclosed the agreement in principle as part of the March 2020 resolution. As recognized by the DOJ, Sandoz cooperated with the government's investigation. The conduct at issue here occurred at Sandoz from March 2013 through December 2015 in direct contravention of the company's values, policies and trainings in place at the time. The individuals implicated in the underlying conduct are no longer employed by the company. As part of the agreement, Sandoz will pay $185M, plus interest from the date of the agreement in principle to settle, and has agreed to corporate integrity obligations with the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through 2026. Since the time of the referenced conduct, Sandoz has further evolved its compliance program in the spirit of continuous improvement. Given that this resolution includes a Corporate Integrity Agreement, Sandoz will be implementing controls designed to ensure compliance with the terms of this settlement. Sandoz strives to operate at the highest levels of sound governance as it reinforces its global leadership in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars covering all major therapeutic areas," the company said. Keren Haruvi, President of Sandoz Inc., said: "Today's settlement bookends the March 2020 resolution and resolves all outstanding federal government matters concerning the DOJ's investigation into our historical conduct. The agreement is consistent with our commitment to resolve legacy compliance matters and continuously improve our compliance and training programs and evolve our controls. We're moving forward and remain focused on pioneering new ways to help people around the world access high-quality medicines." Sandoz is a division of Novartis.

11:43 EDT Delivery Hero acquires Danish food delivery service Hungry - Delivery Hero SE announced that it has acquired Hungry.dk ApS, which it calls "a leading Danish online food delivery marketplace" that "has built a fast-growing, profitable business." Following previous investments for a total 44% stake in Hungry, Delivery Hero has now acquired all remaining shares in the company. "With this acquisition, Delivery Hero further strengthens its presence in the Nordic countries," the company stated. Reference Link

11:33 EDT Three generic drug makers to pay $447.2M to settle price-fixing claims, DOJ says - Three generic pharmaceutical manufacturers, Taro Pharmaceuticals USA (TAR), Novartis' (NVS) Sandoz Inc. and Apotex Corporation, have agreed to pay a total of $447.2M to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act arising from conspiracies to fix the price of various generic drugs, the Justice Department announced. "These conspiracies allegedly resulted in higher drug prices for federal health care programs and beneficiaries," according to the Justice Department. The government alleges that between 2013 and 2015, all three companies paid and received compensation prohibited by the Anti-Kickback Statute through arrangements on price, supply and allocation of customers with other pharmaceutical manufacturers for certain generic drugs manufactured by the companies. Taro Pharmaceuticals USA has agreed to pay $213.2M. The Taro drugs allegedly implicated in this scheme address a wide variety of health conditions, and include etodolac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to treat pain and arthritis, and nystatin-triamcinolone cream and ointment, a combination of an antifungal medicine and steroid used to treat certain kinds of skin infections. Sandoz Inc. has agreed to pay $185M. The Sandoz drugs at issue include benazepril HCTZ, used to treat hypertension, and clobetasol, a corticosteroid used to treat skin conditions. Apotex Corporation has agreed to pay $49M in connection with its sale of pravastatin, a drug used to treat high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Reference Link

11:31 EDT Toyota reports September U.S. sales down 22.4% y/y to 152,916 vehicles - Toyota Motor North America reported U.S. September 2021 sales of 152,916 vehicles, a decrease of 22.4% on a volume and daily selling rate basis versus September 2020. U.S. September 2021 sales of alternative powered vehicles, including hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fuel cells totaled 42,945 vehicles, up 36% on a volume and DSR basis, representing 28.1% of total monthly sales.

10:36 EDT Acreage closes acquisition of cultivation, processing, retail operations in Ohio - Acreage Holdings announced the closing of the acquisitions of cultivation, processing and retail operations in Ohio by its subsidiary, High Street Capital Partners. As previously announced, Acreage entered into purchase agreements for these operations in Ohio during the summer of 2018 for the total purchase price of approximately $7.1M in cash, $7.1M in notes and 1.1M shares of High Street, which are convertible into shares of Acreage, with the remaining $3.3M worth of notes repaid. Under the terms of the agreements, Acreage acquired all of the membership interests of Greenleaf Gardens, which operates a cultivation license in Ohio, Greenleaf Therapeutics, which operates a processing license in Ohio and Greenleaf Apothecaries, which operates five retail dispensaries in Ohio. Upon completion of these acquisitions, Acreage will subsequently consolidate the results of Greenleaf into its consolidated financial statements.

10:33 EDT GM reports Q3 U.S. sales of 446,997 vehicles, down 218,195 units from last year

10:16 EDT LabCorp receive EUA from FDA for home collection kit for COVID-19, flu detection - Labcorp announced that it received Emergency Use Authorization, or EUA, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, for a combined home collection kit that detects COVID-19 and influenza A/B simultaneously in individuals as young as 2 years of age. The kit will be available at no upfront cost to those who meet clinical guidelines, which may include experiencing symptoms, being exposed to someone with COVID-19, or if asked to be tested by a health care provider.

10:00 EDT World Fuel Services falls -8.8% - World Fuel Services is down -8.8%, or -$2.94 to $30.68.

10:00 EDT Spire Global falls -34.6% - Spire Global is down -34.6%, or -$4.33 to $8.20.

10:00 EDT Merck rises 7.8% - Merck is up 7.8%, or $5.88 to $80.98.

09:47 EDT Kingsway Financial falls -8.5% - Kingsway Financial is down -8.5%, or -46c to $4.90.

09:47 EDT Spire Global falls -23.9% - Spire Global is down -23.9%, or -$3.00 to $9.53.

09:47 EDT BIT Mining Limited rises 8.8% - BIT Mining Limited is up 8.8%, or 72c to $8.89.

09:42 EDT Olympic Steel acquires Shaw Stainless & Alloy; terms not disclosed - Olympic Steel announced that it has acquired the assets of Shaw Stainless & Alloy. The all-cash purchase is immediately accretive and terms were not disclosed, Olympic Steel said in a statement. The acquisition includes Shaw's stainless steel distribution and fabrication businesses as well as its architectural and barrier defense businesses, it added, further stating that Shaw will be incorporated into Olympic Steel's specialty metals segment, led by Andy Markowitz, President - Specialty Metals. The Shaw team will report to Zachary J. Siegal, Olympic Steel's Vice President - Strategic Development.

09:27 EDT Diana Shipping announces time charter contract for M/V Baltimore - Diana Shipping announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with Olam International Limited, Singapore, for one of its Capesize dry bulk vessels, the m/v Baltimore. The gross charter rate is $56,000 per day, minus a 4.75% commission paid to third parties, for a time charter trip duration of about ninety days. The charter commenced retroactively as of September 28, 2021. The m/v Baltimore was chartered, as previously announced, to Koch Shipping Pte. Ltd., Singapore, at a gross charter rate of $13,000 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties. The "Baltimore" is a 177,243 dwt Capesize dry bulk vessel built in 2005. The employment of "Baltimore" is anticipated to generate approximately $5.04 million of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter.

09:20 EDT Siemens awarded $1.78M FDA contract to showcase digital design, manufacturing - The Food and Drug Administration's Office of Counterterrorism and Emerging Threats has awarded a contract worth over $1.78M to Siemens Government Technologies with technology from Siemens Digital Industries. Siemens will provide its expertise to implement advanced industrial software for digital design and an automated manufacturing production demonstration line for regulatory science use in the FDA OCET advanced manufacturing program. This program is collaborating with the Center for Devices and Radiological Health to provide FDA with access to extensive software from Siemens Digital Industries Software's Xcelerator portfolio including advanced integrated software capabilities for design control and risk management; product lifecycle management; product, plant, and process design modeling and simulation; manufacturing execution; closed loop quality management; Industrial Internet of Things, and more. The digital showcase will help facilitate evaluation, education and industry adoption of smart design and manufacturing processes, which can improve performance, speed regulatory review, reduce supply shortages and increase supply chain resilience in the Lifesciences industry. "In addition to helping the FDA gain new perspectives in developing industry guidance, evaluation of submissions, and preparing for the next disruption; this technology showcase will also help demonstrate to manufacturers the possibilities that exist today to accelerate product development, improve performance, increase production capacity, and enable more flexible and agile manufacturing networks. With the FDA leading the way, this partnership will help accelerate the digital transformation occurring across the healthcare industry," said Barbara Humpton, President and CEO of Siemens Corporation. The contract between Siemens and the FDA will last for several years as new use cases are developed and implemented.

09:16 EDT Fat Brands completes $300M acquisition of Twin Peaks restaurant chain - FAT Brands announced the completion of its pending acquisition of the Twin Peaks restaurant chain from Garnett Station Partners for $300M. As a result of the acquisition, FAT Brands has entered a new restaurant category, polished casual dining. The transaction was funded with the proceeds of $250M in principal amount of new securitization notes and the issuance to the sellers of shares of Series B preferred stock. With the acquisition of Twin Peaks, FAT Brands will have more than 2,100 franchised and corporate-owned stores around the world with combined annual system-wide sales of approximately $1.8B.The addition of the sports lodge concept, including the new stores due to open and under development, is expected to increase the Company's post-COVID-19 normalized EBITDA by approximately $25M to $30M. The Twin Peaks transaction marks the third acquisition in the past twelve months for the rapidly growing global franchising company, including the acquisitions of Johnny Rockets in September 2020 and Global Franchise Group in July 2021.

09:14 EDT CoStar Group acquires COMREAL INFO, operator of BureauxLocaux - CoStar Group announced that it has acquired COMREAL INFO, the owner and operator of BureauxLocaux.com. "The acquisition of BureauxLocaux is an important step in continuing our international expansion," said Andrew Florance, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CoStar Group. "France is one of Europe's largest commercial property markets with an estimated EUR 40 billion in annual investment transaction value. BureauxLocaux has built a leading commercial property-specific listings platform with national coverage, great brand recognition, and an excellent reputation among its clients."

09:13 EDT Greenbrook TMS announces closing of Achieve TMS East, Central acquisition - Greenbrook, a provider of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, TMS, therapy in the United States, announces the closing of the acquisition of Achieve TMS East and Achieve TMS Central. The initial aggregate purchase price for Achieve TMS East/Central was $8.0M, net of Achieve TMS East/Central's cash and debt and subject to customary working capital adjustments. In addition, a portion of the total purchase price payable in respect of the Acquisition is subject to a capped earn-out of up to an additional $2.5M based on the financial performance of Achieve TMS East during the twelve-month period following completion of the acquisition. Bill Leonard, President and CEO commented: "I am thrilled to announce that we have acquired Achieve TMS East and Achieve TMS Central, adding 17 centers into the Greenbrook family. This acquisition brings the Greenbrook care experience to more communities, and further strengthens our platform for sustained growth. Changing patients' lives for the better is the fuel that motivates our work. I'm excited to welcome Achieve TMS East and Achieve TMS Central into the Greenbrook family and look forward to the impact we will all have together."

09:12 EDT Cabot Oil & Gas, Cimarex Energy complete merger forming Coterra Energy - Coterra Energy (CTRA) announced the successful completion of the combination of Cabot Oil & Gas (COG) and Cimarex Energy (XEC). Coterra's common stock will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CTRA" at the open of trading on October 4, and under the symbol "COG" until then.

09:09 EDT Glacier Bancorp completes acquisition of Altabancorp - Glacier Bancorp (GBCI) announced the completion of its acquisition of Altabancorp (ALTA), the bank holding company for Altabank, a community bank in Utah. Altabank provides banking services to individuals and businesses throughout Utah and southern Idaho with 25 branch locations from Preston, Idaho to St. George, Utah, and will operate as the newest banking division of Glacier Bank under the name "Altabank, Division of Glacier Bank". At June 30, 2021, ALTA had total assets of $3.5B, total loans of $1.9B and total deposits of $3.2B. With the addition of ALTA, on a pro forma combined basis, Glacier would have total assets of $24B, total loans of $13.1B and total deposits of $19.9B at June 30, 2021.

09:07 EDT Xometry establishes Xometry Scholars Program with Howard University - Xometry announced the creation of the Xometry Scholars Program in partnership with Howard University. Xometry will pledge more than $900,000 to provide eight scholarships over the next four school years to students enrolled in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Howard University College of Engineering and Architecture.

09:06 EDT Eagle Bancorp to acquire First Community Bancorp in $41.3M transaction - Eagle Bancorp Montana announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire First Community Bancorp, Inc., and its subsidiary, First Community Bank. The transaction is Eagle's fourth announced acquisition of a Montana-based bank since 2017, and its largest transaction to date. Headquartered in Glasgow, Montana, First Community is the largest bank headquartered in Northeast Montana with $374 million in total assets. First Community currently operates nine branches and two mortgage LPOs, including commercial-focused branches in Helena and Three Forks. The acquisition will further solidify Eagle's position as the fourth largest Montana-based bank with over $1.7 billion in pro forma assets and add $307 million in deposits and $220 million in gross loans, based on June 30, 2021 information. Upon completion of the acquisition, Opportunity Bank of Montana will have 32 retail branches in key commercial and ag markets across Montana. The board of directors for both companies unanimously approved the transaction, which is subject to the approvals of bank regulatory agencies, the shareholders of First Community, and Eagle, and other customary closing conditions. Under the terms of the definitive agreement signed by the parties, First Community shareholders will receive 37.7492 shares of Eagle common stock and $276.32 in cash for each share of First Community common stock. In aggregate, First Community shareholders will receive 1,396,721 shares of Eagle common stock and $10.2 million in cash, for a total transaction value of approximately $41.3 million, based on the Eagle common stock closing price of $22.25 on September 27, 2021. In addition, First Community shareholders shall be entitled to a special dividend at closing equal to the amount tangible common shareholders' equity exceeds $29.5 million, subject to certain conditions. The deal is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2021.

09:05 EDT Eli Lilly reports 'positive' results from Phase 2 study of mirikizumab - Patients taking mirikizumab for their moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis were in symptomatic remission for up to two years as demonstrated in new results from Eli Lilly and Company's Phase 2 study. Symptomatic remission is defined as no more than two bowel movements more than an individual's normal bowel frequency, and no blood in their stool. In a separate, post-hoc analysis of patients treated with mirikizumab in this Phase 2 study, an absence of bowel urgency in patients with moderately to severely active UC at 12 weeks was strongly associated with reduced levels of inflammatory biomarkers, an indicator of disease activity. Both analyses will be presented virtually at United European Gastroenterology Week taking place October 3-5, 2021.

09:03 EDT Hyundai Motor America reports total September sales of 53,800 units, down 2% y/y - Hyundai Motor America reported total September sales of 53,800 units, a 2% decrease compared with September 2020. Hyundai's monthly sales results were significantly better than industry predictions that forecasted a 25% decline in September. Hyundai also set new September total sales records for Palisade, Ioniq HEV, Kona EV and Nexo. Hyundai sold 49,439 retail units in September, a decline of 5%. Hyundai eco-friendly vehicle retail sales continued to grow substantially, increasing 348% on the month. New retail September sales records were established for Palisade, Ioniq PHEV, Kona EV and Nexo.

09:02 EDT Humanigen submits all planned modules for potential CMA from UK's MHRA - Humanigen announced it has submitted all the planned modules as well as a risk management plan and pediatric investigation plan for the lenzilumab Conditional Marketing Authorization, or CMA, in hospitalized COVID-19 patients to the UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, MHRA. MHRA has previously accepted the application for expedited COVID-19 rolling review. "We are pleased with the engagement with MHRA and are committed to continue to work with the agency as necessary to enable MHRA to review our application. As the United Kingdom's Health Secretary recently stated, the UK is leading the world in identifying and rolling out life-saving medicines, particularly for COVID-19," said Cameron Durrant, CEO of Humanigen. "A UK study funded by the Medical Research Council demonstrated benefits of GM-CSF neutralization in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and we believe results of our LIVE-AIR Phase 3 trial of lenzilumab provide further evidence for the benefits of this approach. Thus, we are seeking Conditional Marketing Authorization with a view to bringing lenzilumab to patients in the UK. We note in the UK there have been more than 20,000 new hospitalizations in the month of September and as of September 27th there were 7,007 people currently hospitalized for COVID-19."

09:01 EDT Omeros announces FDA notified company of deficiencies in BLA for narsoplimab - Omeros announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, notified the company that, as part of FDA's ongoing review of the company's Biologics License Application, BLA, for narsoplimab in the treatment of hematopoietic stem cell transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy, or HSCT-TMA, FDA has identified deficiencies that preclude discussion of labeling and post-marketing requirements/commitments at this time. FDA stated that the notification does not reflect a final decision on the information under review. FDA did not provide specific details of the deficiencies in its notification; however, in a meeting held on September 30, 2021, FDA expressed its intention to work with Omeros to resolve any issues as expeditiously as possible, but the company does not currently expect any such resolution to occur by the October 17, 2021 target action date under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act. Omeros is evaluating potential next steps as it awaits additional information from FDA and plans to obtain FDA approval for narsoplimab in HSCT-TMA.

09:01 EDT Arch Capital announces completion of redemption of 5.25% Series E shares - Arch Capital Group announced that it completed the redemption on Sept. 30, 2021 of all 18,000 of its outstanding 5.25% Series E Non-Cumulative Preferred Shares represented by 18,000,000 depositary shares, each of which represents a 1/1,000th interest in a Series E Preferred Share. All of the Series E Preferred Shares were redeemed at a redemption price equal to $25,000 per Series E Preferred Share. The Redemption Price was paid on the Redemption Date to holders of record of the Shares on the Redemption Date. Record holders of the Shares as of Sept. 15, 2021 were also paid the previously announced dividend for the third quarter of 2021 of $328.125 per Series E Preferred Share on the Redemption Date.

08:58 EDT Sterling Bancorp promotes Knott to Chief Financial Officer, CFO Huber steps down - Sterling Bancorp announced that Karen Knott, current Senior Vice President and Controller, has been promoted to the role of Chief Financial Officer of the company and the bank. Knott's promotion to Chief Financial Officer for the Bank is subject to the receipt of regulatory non-objection from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Stephen Huber, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the company, who also briefly served as interim Chief Executive Officer, has decided to step down from his roles at the Company and pursue other interests.

08:46 EDT Life Storage board increases quarterly dividend 16% to 86c per share - The Board of Directors of Life Storage announced an increase in the company's quarterly common stock dividend from 74c per share to 86c per share or $2.96 to $3.44 annualized. The increase is effective with the quarterly dividend to be paid on October 26, 2021 to shareholders of record on October 13, 2021. The dividend, based on yesterday's closing share price, equates to an annual yield of 3%. "The Board is pleased to approve a 16% increase in our quarterly dividend based on our strong operating results, outlook and financial position," said Joe Saffire, the Company's Chief Executive Officer. "Our team and platforms are well positioned to continue generating strong cash flow to invest in our technology initiatives, operating platforms, properties and people while also returning capital to shareholders by maintaining our payout ratio."

08:38 EDT Strong/MDI, IMAX partners for largest IMAX screen globally - Strong/MDI Screen Systems, Inc., a Ballantyne Strong (BTN) company, announced that it has partnered with IMAX (IMAX) to deliver a record breaking-screen at the Traumpalast Multiplex in Leonberg, Germany. Covering a 574-seat IMAX auditorium, the Strong/MDI screen pushes the boundaries of visual experience to a new level. The IMAX screen is an impressive 69 feet high and 125 feet wide and weighs over 500 pounds, another IMAX record. It was manufactured in Joliette, Canada and coated on site by Strong/MDI professionals due to its massive measurements.

08:37 EDT Applied Materials appoints Bob Halliday as interim CFO - Applied Materials (AMAT) announced that Dan Durn, Senior Vice President and CFO is departing the company on Oct. 15 to become the CFO at Adobe (ADBE). Former Applied Materials CFO Bob Halliday has been appointed interim CFO and is serving in the role until a successor is in place. Applied's guidance for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 is unchanged.

08:36 EDT Frontier Communications appoints Pint as Chief Digital Information Offcier - Frontier Communications announced Melissa Pint has been appointed Chief Digital Information Officer. Pint will report directly to President and Chief Executive Officer Nick Jeffery and oversee digital operations and architecture, enterprise technology architecture, business processes and enhancing customer engagement initiatives. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President and Head of Technology at JCPenney.

08:33 EDT Qualtrics completes acquisition of Clarabridge - Qualtrics announced that it has completed its acquisition of Clarabridge. "With Clarabridge, Qualtrics is adding industry-leading conversational analytics to its platform, the gold standard for engaging with customers and employees. Clarabridge's sophisticated AI-powered platform allows companies to discover and analyze customer feedback from indirect sources such as support conversations, chat, social media posts, review sites and others," the company said. "With our acquisition of Clarabridge, we're accelerating our growth and leadership as the world's #1 experience management company and taking the category we created to an entirely new level," said Zig Serafin, Qualtrics CEO. "Together, we'll give companies even greater power to build deep, trusted relationships with their customers and employees and deliver incredible experiences that everyone will love. We're excited to welcome Mark and the entire Clarabridge team to Qualtrics."

08:32 EDT Anixa Biosciences announces Notice of Allowance for additional patent - Anixa Biosciences announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance broadening protection of Anixa's novel Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T cell cancer treatment technology, known as its Chimeric Endocrine Receptor T-cell, or CER-T approach, or more specifically, "Follicle Stimulating Hormone Receptor-Mediated CAR-T technology," which has been licensed from The Wistar Institute and is being developed in partnership with Moffitt Cancer Center.

08:26 EDT Greenlight Capital Re appoints Brian O'Reilly as head of innovations - Greenlight Capital Re has appointed Brian O'Reilly as Head of Innovations. O'Reilly joined Greenlight Re in 2013 and has held a variety of roles within the actuarial and underwriting teams. In 2018, he was part of the founding team of Greenlight Re Innovations. Greenlight Re Innovations also announced the appointment of Alex Whitney as an Innovations Associate and the promotion of Elliot Vernon to Innovations Associate. Prior to joining Greenlight Re, Alex was an investor with ManchesterStory, a venture capital firm specializing in insurtech, fintech and digital health companies.

08:24 EDT Better Choice Company appoints Lionel Conacher, Arlene Dickinson to board - Better Choice Company announced that it has appointed two new members to its Board of Directors, Lionel Conacher and Arlene Dickinson. They will replace current serving directors, Lori Taylor and Jeff Davis, effective September 28, 2021. Conacher currently serves as Chairman of DXL Group (DXLG),. Dickinson is widely recognized for her role as a Dragon / Venture Capitalist for over 12 seasons on the multi-award-winning CBC television series, Dragons' Den.

08:22 EDT Crypto names surge as bitcoin jumps above $47,000 - The price of bitcoin is extending its gains from yesterday with an overnight rally above the $47,000 level. Stocks levered to bitcoin prices are also sharply higher in pre-market trading, with Riot Blockchain (RIOT) up 7.2%, Marathon Digital (MARA) up 9.1%, and Coinbase Global up 3.6%.

08:20 EDT CymaBay announces presentations at The Liver Meeting - CymaBay Therapeutics announced that multiple presentations of results from clinical and preclinical studies of seladelpar will be delivered during The Liver Meeting Digital Experience 2021 of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, which will be held online November 12th - 15th. An oral presentation titled "Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Seladelpar in Patients with Primary Biliary Cholangitis"1 will be delivered by Dr. Marlyn J. Mayo, MD, Professor and Liver Disease Specialist, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. This presentation will highlight the efficacy and safety of seladelpar during 2 years of treatment in patients with primary biliary cholangitis. The mean percent change in alkaline phosphatase from baseline was -42% and -50% after 1 and 2 years, respectively. Over 2 years, there were sustained reductions in ALT, AST, and GGT. Total bilirubin and platelet levels remained stable. Seladelpar appeared safe and well-tolerated. These data support that long-term treatment with seladelpar resulted in continued improvement in markers of cholestasis after 1 year. A second clinical presentation titled "Efficacy and Safety of Seladelpar in Patients with Compensated Cirrhosis and Evidence of Portal Hypertension due to Primary Biliary Cholangitis" will be delivered by Dr. Cynthia Levy, MD, Professor of Medicine, University of Miami. This electronic poster presentation will highlight the treatment effects of seladelpar in compensated cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension after 3 months, which led to ALP changes of -30% in the 5 mg and -45% in the 10 mg groups. Total bilirubin, platelets, albumin, and INR either improved or remained stable. Seladelpar appeared safe and well-tolerated. Efficacy, safety, and tolerability in patients with compensated cirrhosis and portal hypertension was comparable to that of non-cirrhotic patients. In addition, a preclinical poster presentation will highlight seladelpar's effects on reducing established fibrosis in both the liver and kidneys of a non-obese diabetic inflammation and fibrosis mouse model.

08:17 EDT Rubius Therapeutics announces preclinical data for RTX-224 - Rubius Therapeutics announced it will present preclinical data for RTX-224, a broad immune costimulatory agonist for the treatment of cancer, at the upcoming Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer's 36th Annual Meeting which is being held from November 10-14, 2021, in Washington, D.C., and virtually. RTX-224 is an allogeneic cellular therapy that is engineered to express hundreds of thousands of copies of 4-1BB ligand and interleukin-12 on the cell surface. RTX-224 is designed as a broad immune agonist of both adaptive and innate responses, activating CD8+ and CD4+ T cells, promoting antigen presentation and activating and expanding NK cells. It is expected to produce a broad and potent anti-tumor T cell response, an innate immune response and have anti-tumor activity in those tumor types with known sensitivity to T cell killing, including tumor types with high mutational burden, PD-L1 expression and prior responsiveness to checkpoint inhibitors.

08:17 EDT Farmers National, Cortland Bancorp announce election deadline - Farmers National Banc Corp. (FMNB), the holding company for The Farmers National Bank of Canfield, and Cortland Bancorp (CLDB), the holding company for The Cortland Savings and Banking Company, today announced an election deadline of 5:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, October 25, 2021 for shareholders of Cortland to elect the form of consideration they wish to receive for their shares of Cortland common stock in connection with the proposed merger of Cortland with and into FMNB Merger Subsidiary IV, LLC, a newly-formed, wholly-owned subsidiary of Farmers, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of June 22, 2021, by and among Farmers, Merger Sub and Cortland. The Election Deadline may be extended, in which case Farmers and Cortland will issue a press release announcing the new election deadline. As previously announced, shareholders of Cortland can elect to receive, for each Cortland common share held, either cash or Farmers common shares in connection with the Merger, although such elections are subject to proration, adjustment and certain limitations as set forth in the Merger Agreement, which are described in the joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus dated September 23, 2021, relating to the Merger. Shareholders of Cortland are reminded that if they wish to make an election, they must complete, sign and return a Letter of Transmittal and Election Form to Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as exchange agent, by the Election Deadline. Shareholders of Cortland who hold their common shares through a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other fiduciary, or through Cortland's 401(k) plan, may have an earlier election deadline and should carefully review any instructions received from their broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company, other fiduciary or plan administrator. The documents necessary for shareholders of Cortland to make an election for their Merger consideration were mailed beginning September 27, 2021.

08:14 EDT Treace Medical treats first patient in Mini3D Lapiplasty study - Treace Medical Concepts announced treatment of the first patient in the Mini3D Lapiplasty(R)clinical study. The study will evaluate outcomes using the Lapiplasty Mini-Incision System.

08:13 EDT Solid Power awarded up to $12.5M to develop nickel-, cobalt-free battery cells - Solid Power, in the process of merging with Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation III, announced an award from the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity for a multi-phase, multi-year research contract to develop nickel- and cobalt-free all-solid-state battery cells. Solid Power expects to receive up to $12.5M to complete the project through the life of the contract. During the IARPA Robust Energy Sources for Intelligence Logistics in Extreme Novel and Challenging Environments project, Solid Power plans to collaborate with the University of Maryland to develop a nano-scale iron sulfide pyrite cathode that is largely comprised of iron and sulfur. Solid Power's objective is to produce multi-layer cells meeting intelligence application needs for high energy density, high power density, long calendar life, quiet operation, and robustness to extreme environmental conditions. This effort leverages Solid Power's next generation advanced cathode formulation, which has the potential to cut cathode active material cost by over 90 percent. The IARPA award substantiates the flexibility of Solid Power's All-Solid-State Platform technology, which can enable high energy electrode materials not suitable in lithium-ion or other liquid-based cell architectures and provides an opportunity to demonstrate the potential benefits of next-generation chemistries ahead of introduction into automotive applications. As announced on June 15, 2021, Solid Power has entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination with DCRC, a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, that would result in Solid Power becoming a publicly listed company. Completion of the proposed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2021.

08:11 EDT Seaport Global Acquisition, Redbox announce filing of definitive proxy statement - Seaport Global Acquisition (SGAM) announced that Seaport Global Acquisition's definitive proxy statement relating to the previously announced business combination with Redbox has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on September 29, 2021. Stephen Smith, Chairman and CEO of Seaport Global Acquisition said, "When we announced this business combination in May, we knew Redbox had an established, differentiated customer base and a unique, innovative digital offering that would provide substantial value to both consumers and investors alike. Today, we are more confident than ever in the significant opportunities ahead for Redbox, and are excited to partner with the team to take the business to the next level."

08:10 EDT Timber Pharmaceuticals presents results form Phase 2a study of TMB-001 - Timber Pharmaceuticals announced that it is presenting at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology's 30th anniversary congress being held virtually from September 29-October 2, 2021. The topic of the Company's presentation is the results from its previously completed Phase 2a study in 2018 which evaluated TMB-001 in patients with lamellar or X-linked congenital ichthyosis. TMB-001 is a topical isotretinoin formulated using Timber's patented IPEG delivery system. The Phase 2a study results demonstrated no concerning safety signals and no evidence of significant systemic exposure to isotretinoin or tretinoin after 12 weeks of treatment. Most participants in the study experienced greater than or equal to1-grade Investigator Global Assessment score reduction and improvement in clinical signs and symptoms of moderate or severe CI. Importantly, patients experienced greater than or equal to75% improvement of one point from baseline in scaling by IGA measurement and 100% of TMB-001 treated patients were considered to have had their scaling clear, almost clear, or mild by day 57. In 2018, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration awarded TMB-001 a $1.5 million grant to support Phase 2a and Phase 2b clinical trials through its Orphan Products Clinical Trials Grant program. Timber expects to report topline data from the Phase 2b CONTROL study in the fourth quarter of 2021 and is planning for an end-of-Phase 2 meeting with the FDA by the end of the year. CI is a group of rare, genetic keratinization disorders that lead to dry, thickened, and scaling skin. People living with CI may have limited range of motion, chronic itching, an inability to sweat, high risk of secondary infections, and impaired eyesight or hearing. The management of CI is a life-long endeavor, which remains largely symptomatic and commonly focused on reducing scaling and/or skin lubrication with both systemic and topical treatments. The two-part, multicenter, double-blind Phase 2a study evaluated the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of TMB-001 for the treatment of CI in patients greater than 12 years of age. A total of 19 participants were randomized 1:1 to 0.1% or 0.2% concentrations of TMB-001 and were required to have two comparable contralateral treatment areas that covered no more than 6% of body surface and were greater than 150cm2 with identical baseline IGA scores greater than or equal to3. Seven participants discontinued the study, including two who discontinued due to treatment-emergent adverse events including mild application site folliculitis and four who withdrew consent from study participation. Other mild or moderate adverse events reported included rash, irritation, pruritus, and pain at the application site as well as contact dermatitis. In part one of the study, one of the two areas was randomly treated with either concentration of active drug, while the second area was treated with vehicle twice daily for eight weeks. Treatment with 0.1% concentration of TMB-001 led to a greater proportion of participants achieving an improvement in greater than or equal to1- and greater than or equal to2-grade IGA score versus vehicle. For 0.2% concentration of TMB-001, participants receiving active drug achieved similar greater than or equal to1- and greater than or equal to2-grade IGA improvement versus vehicle. Additional efficacy analyses from part one of the study show the following: When directly comparing improvements at day 57, the proportions of participants where IGA scores were greater than or equal to1 grade lower for 0.1% and 0.2% concentration of TMB-001 versus vehicle were 66.7% and 37.5%, respectively. TMB-001 0.1% and 0.2% treatment areas showed improvements in IGA score of greater than or equal to1 grade at day 57 versus baseline in erythema, scaling, fissuring, and papulation/lichenification. By day 57, the proportion of patients with reduction of scaling to clear, almost clear, or mild was higher in patients treated with TMB-001 0.1% or 0.2% when compared with vehicle. In part two of the study, both areas received the same active treatment for four weeks. Continued active treatment areas were assessed as clear, almost clear, or mild by IGA assessment in 85.7% and 60% of participants for TMB-001 0.1% and 0.2% by day 84, respectively. Additional efficacy analyses from part two of the study show the following: All participants receiving TMB-001 0.1% had greater than or equal to1-grade total IGA score reduction versus baseline in both treatment areas, and most patients had greater than or equal to2-grade total IGA improvement versus baseline. For TMB-001 0.2%, greater than or equal to1- and greater than or equal to2-grade IGA reductions were observed in 80% and 60% of participants, respectively, for both treatment areas. By the end of the study, most participants in both treatment groups had greater than or equal to1-grade IGA score improvement in all clinical signs and symptoms, including erythema, scaling, fissuring, and papulation/lichenification for both treatment areas. Pharmacokinetic analyses conducted in five evaluable participants show that plasma concentrations of isotretinoin and tretinoin indicated systemic exposure minimally increased from baseline four hours after initial application, and trough concentrations measured 12 hours following application were within range of baseline levels through day 84.

08:08 EDT CN issues response to TCI's 'misleading' claims - CN (CN) responded to the numerous "misleading claims and inconsistencies" in recent disclosures by CIFF Capital and TCI, which, in addition to being a shareholder of CN is the largest shareholder of Canadian Pacific (CP), CN's direct competitor and Canada's second-largest Class 1 railroad. The company said, "As CN highlights, these erroneous claims include: False or misleading characterizations of CN's performance; Inaccurate description of financial risks associated with CN's bid for Kansas City Southern (KSU) and refusal to acknowledge that CN walked away with an incremental $700 million amongst other strategic benefits; Failure to provide a credible or differentiated plan; and Failure to acknowledge concerns over the fact that TCI is the largest shareholder of CN's principal competitor." "CN has announced an ambitious strategic plan to deliver immediate and long-term shareholder value, while retaining our commitment to safety, customer service and the communities we serve. This plan builds on the investments we have made in technology and capacity over the past three years to drive long-term sustainable growth in total revenues and operating margins. CN maintains an open and constructive dialogue with its shareholders, including discussions about areas where we can improve our business performance, but we will not indulge unfounded and bad-faith arguments that serve the interests of one shareholder over others - or of one of our competitors over CN. CN's Board and senior management team are intently focused on putting forward ideas, initiatives and people that drive us forward to where CN and the railroad industry are going, not where it's been," said JJ Ruest, President and Chief Executive Officer of CN.

08:05 EDT United Community Banks announces completion of merger with Aquesta Financial - United Community Banks has completed its merger, effective October 1, 2021, with Aquesta Financial Holdings, including its wholly-owned subsidiary, Aquesta Bank, which was merged into United's bank subsidiary, United Community Bank. Aquesta will now operate under the United brand. Aquesta brings a premier franchise focused on providing personal service to business owners and individuals who care about their community. Their nine branches, located in Charlotte's most attractive markets and also in the coastal city of Wilmington, North Carolina, will add to United's high growth footprint. As of June 30, 2021, Aquesta reported total assets of $739 million and $641 million in deposits. Ninety-three percent of Aquesta' s deposits were non-CD, core deposits.

08:04 EDT Everi Holdings acquires certain strategic assets of Meter Image Capturing - Everi Holdings announced that it is acquiring certain strategic assets of Meter Image Capturing, a privately owned provider of progressive meter reporting technology that utilizes optical and voice recognition to accurately record and store all progressive meter data of electronic gaming machines on a casino gaming floor, significantly enhancing the process and reducing time casino operators spend on this daily task. The acquisition was funded from existing cash on hand and Everi expects the acquisition to be accretive to earnings and operating cash flow. Financial terms were not disclosed.

08:02 EDT Esports Technologies to acquire Aspire Global's B2C business in $75.9M deal - Esports Technologies announced the execution of a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Aspire Global's B2C business in a $75.9M transaction, including $58.3M in cash, $11.7M in a promissory note and approximately $5.9M worth of common stock. The closing of the acquisition is subject to Esports Technologies' receipt of financing, as well as other closing requirements. The transaction is expected to close by November 30. Under the terms of the deal, Esports Technologies will acquire Aspire's portfolio of B2C proprietary online casino and sportsbook brands, including Karamba, Hopa, Griffon Casino, BetTarget, Dansk777, and GenerationVIP. Strategically, Esports Technologies intends to utilize the multiple-brand acquisition to cross-sell esports wagering opportunities to increase its esports revenue, player bet transactions, and customers. In the most recent 12-month period ending June 2021, Aspire Global's B2C revenue was $73.9M and its EBITDA was $8.2M. During the same period, the B2C business recorded wagering of $1.8B and over 1.3B bets. Upon completion of the acquisition, Aspire and Esports Technologies will enter into an agreement where Aspire will provide four years of managed services for the acquired brands, ensuring operational continuity while allowing Esports Technologies to scale its operations in key markets.

07:58 EDT BIO-key to showcase identity-bound biometric solutions at Connect:ID - BIO-key International announced the company will be a sponsor and exhibitor at the 2021 Connect:ID Identity Conference and Exhibition, which will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC from October 5-6. BIO-key will be available for Q&A sessions and live demonstrations of their Identity-Bound Biometric software and hardware solutions at booth 441. In addition, BIO-key's own Michael DePasquale, Chairman and CEO, and Jim Sullivan, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Compliance and CLO, will be featured experts on multiple agenda sessions.

07:49 EDT G1 Therapeutics announces permanent J-Code from CMS for COSELA - G1 Therapeutics announced that the permanent J-code for COSELA that was issued in July 2021 by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is now effective for provider billing for all sites of care. The permanent J-code for COSELA, J1448, published online on the CMS website.. J-codes are permanent, product specific reimbursement codes assigned to outpatient and physician administered "buy and bill" products under Medicare Part B and are used by commercial insurers and government payers to facilitate and standardize claims submissions and reimbursements for medications like COSELA. With the permanent J-code now in effect, all hospital outpatient departments, ambulatory surgery centers and physician offices in the United States will have one consistent Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System code to standardize the submission and payment of COSELA insurance claims across Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and commercial plans. G1's new technology add-on payment for COSELA which provides additional payment to inpatient hospitals above the standard Medicare Severity Diagnosis-Related Group payment amount also became effective for provider billing today, October 1, 2021.

07:47 EDT Anthem, subsidiaries announce new Medicare advantage plans - Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Healthy Blue, Anthem MaineHealth, Amerigroup and Empire BlueCross and Empire BlueCross Blue Shield each announced expanded access to health and wellness services offered through its 2022 Medicare Advantage plans. Members will be able to choose from a package of up to nine benefits, which may include benefits such as dental, vision, and hearing flex card; healthy food; and in-home support. These services aim to address drivers of health, such as food insecurity, home safety, and social isolation. The Essential Extras package will give members the ability to choose, at no extra cost, one benefit available through the package to help meet their healthcare needs. The package, depending on the location, may include the services listed: Flex Card; Healthy Groceries Card; In-Home Support; Assistive Devices; Health & Fitness Tracker; Healthy Meals; Personal Home Helper; Pest Control; and Transportation. Healthy Blue will offer its 2022 Medicare Advantage plans in 56 parishes across Louisiana. Anthem MaineHealth will offer its 2022 Medicare Advantage plans in all counties across Maine. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield will offer its 2022 Medicare Advantage plans: in 76 counties across Georgia; throughout Connecticut; in all counties across Kentucky; in all counties in Indiana; in all counties in New Hampshire; in Clark, Nye, and Washoe counties in Nevada; in all counties in Ohio except for Knox; and in all counties in Virginia except for Accomack. Empire will offer its 2022 Medicare Advantage plans in 28 counties across New York.

07:35 EDT Onex completes investment in Wealth Enhancement Group - Onex Corporation announced that Onex Partners V, Onex' $7.2B fund, and certain co-investors, including Onex, have completed their investment in Wealth Enhancement Group, in partnership with the management team and the company's existing investor, TA Associates. The company said, "WEG is a leading U.S. independent wealth management firm offering comprehensive and customized financial planning and investment management services. The firm specializes in providing retail clients with the team-based knowledge and resources they need to simplify their financial life." Of the Onex Group's total investment, Onex Corporation's share was approximately $250M through Onex Partners V and a co-investment.

07:34 EDT Golden Star Resources amends agreement for sale of Bogoso-Prestea mine - Golden Star Resources is pleased to announce that it has concluded negotiations with Future Global Resources Limited to restructure the consideration for the purchase of the Bogoso-Prestea mine that was completed on September 30, 2020. Highlights include: The conclusion of negotiations to restructure the consideration for the purchase of the Bogoso-Prestea mine represents a full and final settlement of all existing and future claims, together with a mutual release between Golden Star and FGR. The deferred consideration detailed in the share purchase agreement dated July 26, 2020, as supplemented by a letter agreement dated September 30, 2020, and amended by a first amending agreement dated March 28, 2021 and a second amending agreement dated May 31, 2021 will now be replaced by a net smelter return agreement which will trigger certain payments once 100,000 ounces of gold have been produced from the Prestea underground mine. The NSR payments are capped at $35M, equaling the value of the initial Deferred Consideration and the working capital balancing payment that were defined in the Share Purchase Agreement The quantum of the Sulphides Contingent Payment defined in the Share Purchase Agreement remains unchanged. Golden Star has agreed to adjust the timing of the staged payments in order to support the development of the refractory resource at Bogoso-Prestea.

07:31 EDT U.S. Physical Therapy announces acquisition for $3.3M - U.S. Physical Therapy announced the acquisition of a company that will add to its industrial injury prevention services business. The acquired company specializes in return-to-work and ergonomic services, among other offerings. The business generates more than $2M in annual revenue. Through its Briotix subsidiary, USPH acquired the company's assets at a purchase price of approximately $3.3M. Chris Reading, Chief Executive Officer, stated "We are pleased to be able to continue to grow our industrial injury prevention services business. We believe there are good cross-selling opportunities that will come from this acquisition with Briotix's support."

07:17 EDT Exelon announces leadership of businesses to result from planned separation - Exelon announced the senior leadership of the transmission and distribution utility business and the competitive power generation and retail energy business that will result from the planned separation of the companies. Christopher Crane, Exelon president and CEO, will continue as CEO of the regulated utility business, which will be called Exelon, and Joseph Dominguez, currently CEO of ComEd, has been named CEO of Exelon Generation and incoming CEO of the competitive energy business, which will be called Constellation. The company also announced that Joseph Nigro, Exelon CFO, will continue as CFO of Exelon, and Daniel Eggers, currently senior vice president of corporate finance for Exelon, has been named CFO of Exelon Generation and incoming CFO of Constellation. Dominguez and Eggers will move into their new roles immediately, and Crane and Nigro will remain in their current roles. Calvin Butler, currently CEO of Exelon Utilities, will assume the role of interim CEO of ComEd, in addition to his current duties. The separation remains on track to close in the first quarter of 2022, pending completion of the remaining regulatory approvals.

07:12 EDT Bristol-Myers announces EMA validates MAA for relatlimab - Bristol Myers Squibb announced that the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, has validated its Marketing Authorization Application, MAA, for the LAG-3-blocking antibody relatlimab and nivolumab fixed-dose combination for first-line treatment of adult and pediatric patients with advanced melanoma. This validation confirms completion of the submission and begins the EMA's centralized review process. "Melanoma can be a devastating disease and cases have been on the rise for years. The results from the RELATIVITY-047 trial demonstrate the potential that the relatlimab and nivolumab fixed-dose combination holds for people with advanced forms of this cancer," said Jonathan Cheng, senior vice president and head of oncology development, Bristol Myers Squibb. "If approved, this treatment would become the first of its kind available to patients in the European Union. We look forward to working with the EMA as they evaluate this combination - which includes our third distinct checkpoint inhibitor - and are proud of this first step toward making it available for patients with advanced melanoma." The filing was based on the efficacy and safety results from the Phase 2/3 RELATIVITY-047 trial, which is the first trial to demonstrate a statistically significant and clinically meaningful progression-free survival benefit of a combination therapy over standard of care anti-PD-1 monotherapy in metastatic melanoma. The U.S. Food Drug Administration has also accepted for priority review the Biologics License Application for the relatlimab and nivolumab fixed-dose combination.

07:10 EDT Cybin announces new additions, promotions in management team - Cybin announces: the addition of Dr. Amir Inamdar as its Chief Medical Officer for its European Operations, the addition of Dr. Geoff Varty as its new Head of Research & Development, the promotion of Lori Challenger to Chief Compliance, Ethics & Administrative Officer, and the promotion of Robert Mino to General Counsel.

07:05 EDT Kore Group to begin trading on NYSE on October 1 - Kore Group Holdings (KORE) announced that it will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on October 1 after completing the previously announced business combination between KORE Wireless Group, and Cerberus Telecom Acquisition Corp. (CTAC).

07:04 EDT IEC Electronics, Creation announce extension of tender offer - IEC Electronics and Creation Technologies jointly announced that CTI Acquisition Corp., an entity controlled by Creation, had extended the offering period of the previously commenced cash tender offer by Merger Sub to purchase all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of IEC to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 4, 2021, unless further extended. The tender offer was previously scheduled to expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 30, 2021. As contemplated by the terms of the merger agreement, Creation has elected to extend the offering period to complete the financing of the transaction. Computershare Trust Company, N.A., the depositary for the tender offer, has advised Creation that, as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 30, 2021, 7,483,017 shares of common stock of IEC, representing approximately 70.1% of the issued and outstanding IEC shares, were tendered pursuant to the tender offer. Stockholders who have already tendered their shares of common stock of IEC do not have to re-tender their shares or take any other actions as a result of the extension of the expiration of the tender offer. Creation expects the tender offer will be consummated promptly following the expiration of the offering period, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining conditions to the consummation of the tender offer set forth in the merger agreement.

07:02 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 Naomi Aoki, the Company's newly appointed SVP, Communications and Investor Relations. The grant was approved by the Compensation Committee on September 10, 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 58,000 shares of common stock. The option has an exercise price of $28.21 per share, the closing price per share of the Company's common stock as reported by Nasdaq on September 30, 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.

07:00 EDT Bristol-Myers: EMA validates MAA for mavacamten - Bristol Myers Squibb announced that the European Medicines Agency has validated its Marketing Authorization Application for mavacamten, an investigational, first-in-class cardiac myosin inhibitor, for the treatment of patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Validation of the application confirms the submission is complete, and the EMA's centralized procedure with Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use's assessment begins.

06:54 EDT Diageo sees organic sales momentum in all regions - In a trading statement ahead of its analyst day, Diageo CEO Ivan Menezes said: "We have made a strong start to fiscal 22, with organic net sales momentum across all regions. This reflects excellent execution, as we benefit from resilience in the off-trade and continued recovery in the on-trade. However, we expect near-term volatility to remain, including the potential impact of any future waves of Covid-19. Our North American business is performing strongly, despite some supply chain constraints, reflecting resilient consumer demand. We continue to invest ahead in marketing and innovation to underpin long- term growth. Our business in Europe is recovering ahead of our expectations. Off-trade demand has remained robust and there is good momentum in the on-trade. Our businesses in Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean are performing well, although volatility in these markets is likely to persist. Travel Retail continues to be disrupted. We expect organic operating margin to benefit from a further recovery in sales volumes, positive channel mix and premiumisation trends, while we are continuing to invest in our marketing and commercial capabilities. As previously indicated, we are managing rising inflationary pressures, which are partly due to supply chain constraints. I am pleased with how our business is performing and I remain confident in our ability to deliver long- term sustainable growth and shareholder value."

06:42 EDT GFL acquires Peoria Disposal Company, offers update on M&A activity - GFL Environmental provided an update on its year-to-date M&A activity. Since July 1, 2021, GFL has completed 16 acquisitions across its North American platform, for a total of 31 acquisitions year-to-date. Most recently, GFL acquired the solid waste management and recycling business of Peoria Disposal Company and affiliates on October 1, 2021. PDC owns a vertically integrated network of assets in Central Illinois and Eastern Missouri, providing residential, commercial and industrial solid waste hauling and recycling services. The operations include three active landfills, two strategically located transfer stations, one material recovery facility and a wastewater treatment plant. The acquisition also includes Peoria City/County Landfill Number 3, which is expected to begin operations in early 2024. The PDC assets are supported by a fleet of over 350 vehicles and more than 400 employees. PDC has operated a regional platform for over 90 years under the ownership of the Coulter family. Royal Coulter and his son Matt Coulter will remain with the business on a long-term basis, while other family members will continue with GFL as consultants and advisors to assist with the transition. On October 1, 2021, GFL also closed the acquisition of the Alabama Dumpster group of companies. Alabama Dumpster provides commercial and roll-off solid waste and recycling services and landfill operations in the State of Alabama. GFL also announced that it has sold certain solid waste assets in and around the Chicago, Illinois market and Rochester, Minnesota, other than the Zion Landfill, for aggregate proceeds of approximately $72.5M. As part of the transaction, the purchaser and GFL entered into several disposal arrangements, including a 10-year disposal agreement for 450,000 tons per annum at the Zion Landfill. This sale, together with the previously announced sale of certain assets in Pennsylvania and Maryland, brings GFL's total proceeds from asset sales to $122.5M for the year. GFL financed the acquisitions completed since July 1, 2021 through its recent bond offerings, drawings under its upsized credit facility, the asset sales described above and cash on hand.

06:35 EDT ChromaDex: Jury rules Elysium Health breached contract with ChromaDex - ChromaDex announced that a jury in the United States District Court for the Central District of California found that Elysium Health breached its contract with ChromaDex by failing to pay for product it ordered and received in 2016. Based on the jury's verdict, Elysium and Mark Morris will be required to pay ChromaDex approximately $2.25M-$2.50M in damages and estimated interest. "It took nearly five years and has been challenging for both companies, but the jury's decision finally holds Elysium accountable for paying what it owes," said ChromaDex CEO Rob Fried. "We now look forward to focusing on the next phase of global growth for Tru Niagen with partners including Sinopharm Xingsha, Nestle Health Science, Walmart, A.S. Watson Group, H&H Group, W.R. Grace, and Ro."

06:31 EDT WiLAN signs wireless license with Motorola Mobility - Wi-LAN, a Quarterhill (QTRHF) company, announced that WiLAN has entered into a license agreement with Motorola Mobility (MSI(. The licensed patents relate to wireless technology. The terms and conditions of this agreement are confidential.

06:20 EDT Merck jumps 4% to $78.25 after positive results from Phase 3 MOVe-OUT trial

06:12 EDT Wallbox appoints Beatriz Gonzalez to board of directors - Wallbox announced the appointment of Beatriz Gonzalez to the Company's Board of Directors upon completion of Wallbox's business combination with Kensington Capital Acquisition Corp. II. Gonzalez is the Founder and Managing Partner of Seaya Ventures, a European & Latin-American Venture Capital firm focused on accelerating startup growth. Through this latest appointment, Wallbox's Board of Directors following the business combination with Kensington now includes Enric Asuncion, Anders Pettersson, Francisco Riberas, Diego Diaz, Pol Soler, and Beatriz Gonzalez.

06:10 EDT Mullen Group announces new, amended credit facility - Mullen Group announced that it has entered into a new credit agreement with Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. The CIBC Credit Facility is a $100M revolving demand credit facility to finance the Corporation's general operating requirements including acquisition transactions. The CIBC Credit Facility is available in, among other things, Canadian dollar loans, US dollar loans and Canadian dollar banker's acceptances. Interest on the CIBC Credit Facility is based on either the Canadian bank prime rate plus 0.50 percent or US bank base rate plus 0.50 percent, in each case payable in arrears or banker's acceptance rates plus an acceptance fee of 1.50 percent payable upon acceptance. The CIBC Credit Facility is unsecured although the Corporation's wholly-owned subsidiary, MT Investments, has granted an unlimited guarantee of any indebtedness owing on the CIBC Credit Facility. The CIBC Credit Facility does not have any financial covenants although the Corporation cannot be in default of its obligations under any other credit agreement that it has entered into and it must remain in compliance with certain reporting and general covenants customary for credit facilities of this nature. The Corporation also announces that it has amended the terms of its existing $150M revolving demand credit facility with Royal Bank of Canada, to add MTI as a guarantor. MTI has granted an unlimited guarantee of any indebtedness owing on the RBC Credit Facility. All other material terms of the RBC Credit Facility remain the same.

06:07 EDT Scientific Games receives required consents pursuant to consent solicitation - Scientific Games International announced that it has received consents from holders of a majority of the outstanding aggregate principal amount of each of its outstanding 5.000% Senior Secured Notes due 2025, 3.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2026, 8.625% Senior Notes due 2025, 5.500% Senior Notes due 2026, 8.250% Senior Notes due 2026, 7.000% Senior Notes due 2028 and 7.250% Senior Notes due 2029 to approve the adoption of certain proposed amendments to the indentures governing the Notes, which the Company requested pursuant to its previously announced consent solicitation described in the Issuer's Consent Solicitation Statement dated September 23, 2021. The Consent Solicitation expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 30, 2021.

06:04 EDT Portland General Electric announces placement of $150M in green bonds - Portland General Electric Company announced the placement of its inaugural $150M green bonds, part of a $400M placement of the company's first mortgage bonds with over 50 institutional investors, which closed on September 30, 2021. The green bonds were issued under PGE's new Green Financing Framework, which allows the company to issue bonds and other debt instruments to finance or refinance eligible green projects, as described in the framework. Proceeds of the $150M in green bonds will be dedicated to refinancing PGE's interest in the Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility. The bond issuance follows the recent renewal of the company's revolving credit facility, which now includes a sustainability-linked pricing structure. The company's sustainability strategy, which includes a goal to achieve at least an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from power served to customers by 2030 and zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, is described in its 2020 Environmental, Social and Governance Report.

06:02 EDT Thermo Fisher opens biologics manufacturing site in Lengnau, Switzerlan - Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) announced that it has assumed operational responsibility for a new biologics manufacturing site in Lengnau, Switzerland as part of its strategic partnership with CSL Limited (CSLLY) announced last year. The Lengnau site will become part of Thermo Fisher's global biologics manufacturing network, and approximately 200 employees will join Thermo Fisher. The Lengnau site is a 1.5 million square-foot facility. The company said "it will leverage highly flexible bioproduction technologies, including both single-use and stainless steel with up to 12,500L bioreactor capacity. This will provide biopharma companies with a pathway from development to large-scale production as manufacturing needs evolve." Following completion of site construction in 2022, Thermo Fisher will initially support manufacturing of CSL's next-generation recombinant factor IX product Idelvion for patients with hemophilia B. Over time, Thermo Fisher plans to expand the use of the site to include additional biopharma customers.

05:51 EDT Li Auto provides September delivery update - Auto announced that the company delivered 7,094 Li ONEs in September, up 102.5% year over year. The company's deliveries for the third quarter were 25,116, up 190.0% year over year. Total deliveries of Li ONEs in the first nine months of 2021 reached 55,270 and the cumulative deliveries of Li ONEs as of September 30 reached 88,867. "Deliveries of Li ONEs in September moderated compared with the prior month due to the prolonged chip supply shortage. Responding to the continually rising orders since the release of the 2021 Li ONE, we are taking multiple measures to ensure the supply of the auto parts, aiming to shorten the waiting time of delivery for our users," said Yanan Shen, co-founder and president of Li Auto.

05:48 EDT BioNTech says first patient treated with mRNA cancer vaccine BNT122 - BioNTech announced that the first colorectal cancer patient has been treated with its individualized mRNA cancer vaccine BNT122 in a Phase 2 clinical trial. The trial has been initiated in the United States, Germany, Spain and Belgium. It is planned to enroll about 200 patients to evaluate the efficacy of RO7198457 (BNT122) compared to watchful waiting after surgery and chemotherapy, the current standard of care for these high-risk patients.

05:43 EDT Spirit AeroSystems signs pact to upgrade 757 fleet for SF Airlines in China - Spirit AeroSystems, Inc., a subsidiary of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings (SPR), announced it signed, through its Belfast, Northern Ireland operations, known as Short Brothers, an agreement with SF Airlines to modify inlet cowlings for its Boeing (BA) 757 cargo freighters. SFA technicians will remove cowlings from the engines and ship them to Spirit's site in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the repairs will take place. Once repairs are complete, the cowlings will be shipped back to SFA.