Stockwinners Market Radar for October 15, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

17:34 EDT TherapeuticsMD names Mark Glickman as Chief Business Officer - TherapeuticsMD announced the appointment of Mark Glickman as the company's Chief Business Officer. Glickman previously served as Chief Commercial Officer of Esperion and Aralez Pharmaceuticals, and Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing, of Auxilium Pharmaceuticals, among other global pharmaceutical roles.

17:11 EDT Femsa CEO Eduardo Padilla to retire, Daniel Rodriguez Cofre to succeed - Femsa announced that in accordance with its senior leadership succession planning process, and consistent with previously established timeframes, Eduardo Padilla will retire from his position as Femsa's CEO on January 1, 2022. Accordingly, Femsa's Board of Directors has appointed Daniel Rodriguez Cofre, currently CEO of Femsa Comercio, to become Femsa's CEO as of January 1, 2022. Daniel Rodriguez Cofre joined Femsa in 2015 as Chief Corporate Officer and, since January of 2016, he has been CEO of Femsa Comercio. Prior to Femsa, Daniel occupied several senior finance positions at Shell, and he was CFO and CEO at Cencosud.

17:06 EDT General Dynamics awarded $269.49M Navy contract modification - General Dynamics was awarded a $269.49M cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract for lead yard support and development studies and design efforts related to Virginia-class submarines. Work is expected to be completed by October 16. FY21 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $13M will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The statutory authority for this sole source award is in accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1- only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command is the contracting activity.

16:46 EDT Medtronic provides update on SPYRAL HTN-ON MED clinical study - Medtronic is providing an update on its SPYRAL HTN-ON MED clinical study of its Symplicity Renal Denervation System to lower blood pressure in typical hypertensive patients taking up to three anti-hypertensive medications. On September 10, the company announced that it was expecting a prespecified interim data analysis of its ON MED study in October. The company is announcing today that it has received notification from its ON MED study independent data safety monitoring board that it has conducted the prespecified interim data analysis and has recommended that clinical trial enrollment continue as planned, until the full, predefined sample size is reached. A prespecified interim analysis is designed to enable early stoppage of clinical trial enrollment should the results be significantly better than the planned clinical trial design assumptions. The trial was designed to follow 260 randomized patients for 6 months post procedure and is powered to detect a statistically significant and clinically relevant therapeutic benefit at the final analysis. The company estimates that the follow-up of the full cohort of patients will be complete in the second half of calendar year 2022. The statistically significant results from the company's three previous sham-controlled SPYRAL studies, and the data from the company's Global Symplicity Registry of more than 3,000 real-world patients, give the company confidence in its renal denervation program, including ultimate approval of the therapy. These data, in addition to the full clinical cohort, will complete the company's robust premarket application to the U.S. FDA. The company expects renal denervation to become a multi-billion dollar market, with global market revenue now expected to exceed $500M by calendar year 2026 and $2-$3B by calendar year 2030. Of note, this update does not impact the company's fiscal year 2022 revenue and EPS guidance, nor does it affect the company's long-range plan to deliver 5%+ organic revenue growth and 8%+ adjusted EPS growth. Management remains confident in its outlook and its pipeline, including its renal denervation program.

16:30 EDT Lennar increases share repurchase authorization to up to $1B - Lennar Corporation announced that its board of directors increased the authorization for the company to repurchase its own shares from time to time by up to the lesser of $1B in purchase price, or 25M in shares, of the company's outstanding Class A or Class B common stock. The repurchase authorization has no expiration date.

16:02 EDT Frequency Electronics awarded $5.3M contract for space-qualified oscillators - Frequency Electronics announced the award of a contract for space-qualified precision oscillators for ultimate application to a government satellite program. This order is an exercise of options on a current contract. Value of the award is approx. $5.3M. The contract period of performance runs through October of 2024. No further details of the award are being released.

15:58 EDT Paychex SVP Gioja sells 8,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Paychex senior vice president Michael Gioja disclosed the sale of 8,000 common shares of the company on October 15 at a price of $118.94 per share.

14:16 EDT Spirit AeroSystems says it does not buy parts directly from MPS - Spirit AeroSystems (SPR) said in a statement: "From March through July 2021, Boeing (BA) issued communications to its supply chain including Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc., identifying possible flawed parts, dating back to 2017 from Manufacturing Process Specification srl (MPS), based in Italy. Spirit does not buy parts or services directly from MPS. In its initial communication, Boeing stated that it had revoked approval of MPS. Upon receipt of information from Boeing identifying parts from sub-tier suppliers which used MPS, Spirit took appropriate action. Spirit has worked with Boeing throughout this process and has only shipped parts approved by Boeing. Spirit continues to focus on quality and safety with our customers as a top priority."

14:11 EDT American Express reports September net write-off rate 0.4% vs. 0.6% last month - Reports September 30 days past due loans as a percent of total 0.7% vs. 0.6% last month.

14:06 EDT U.S. Bank removes interim tag for chief credit officer Remington - U.S. Bank announced that it has named Troy Remington as chief credit officer. Remington, who currently is executive credit officer and head of portfolio risk management, has been serving as interim chief credit officer since early August, when the former chief credit officer accepted a new leadership role within the company. Remington will report to Jodi Richard, U.S. Bank's chief risk officer.

13:45 EDT FIFA to adopt new commercial positioning in gaming and eSports - FIFA, which "exists to govern football and to develop the game around the world," announced that it will "adopt a new commercial positioning in gaming and eSports to ensure that it is best placed to make decisions that benefit all football stakeholders." The group said: "FIFA is bullish and excited about the future in gaming and eSports for football, and it is clear that this needs to be a space that is occupied by more than one party controlling all rights. Technology and mobile companies are now actively competing to be associated with FIFA, its platforms, and global tournaments. Consequently, FIFA is engaging with various industry players, including developers, investors and analysts, to build out a long-term view of the gaming, eSports and interactive entertainment sector. The outcome will ensure that FIFA has a range of suitable parties with specialist capabilities to actively shape the best possible experiences and offerings for fans and consumers... FIFA also has a duty to support its 211 member associations to fully capitalise on the inherent opportunities that have been emerging over the recent years. As part of this strategy, FIFA also commits to continuing to organise skill-based eSports tournaments under the umbrella of the recently launched FIFAe competition structure and consumer brand. The relationship and affinity that the gaming and eSports market has developed over time with the FIFA name clearly underscore that football-based gaming and the FIFA name are intrinsically intertwined. Finally, FIFA has also determined that the overlaps between virtual sport and FIFA's football competitions must be more closely aligned. In this respect, FIFA is excited about using the FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women's World Cup as platforms to launch and integrate exciting new games and eSports offerings." Electronic Arts recently addressed the global football community through a blog post from EA Sports Group GM Cam Weber, in which he stated in part: "As we look ahead, we're also exploring the idea of renaming our global EA SPORTS football games. This means we're reviewing our naming rights agreement with FIFA, which is separate from all our other official partnerships and licenses across the football world. The future of football is very big and very bright. Our priority is to ensure we have every opportunity to continue delivering the world's greatest interactive football experiences." Reference Link

13:36 EDT CureVac holder dievini seeks registration for resale of shares - In a regulatory filing, CureVac disclosed that shareholder dievini Hopp BioTech holding, which holds a 41.9% stake in CureVac, stated that in connection with a planned distribution of shares by dievini to entities wholly owned by certain reporting persons that those reporting persons and/or dievini plan to sell some of the shares and have engaged in discussions with the company's management for the registration of the resale of those shares. Among the reporting persons listed in the filing is Dietmar Hopp, who beneficially owns 86,069,774 CureVac shares, or a 46.1% stake, including 78,362,024 shares held of record by dievini, 7,368,500 shares held of record by DH-LT-Investments, and 375,250 shares held of record by a company of which Mr. Hopp is the sole shareholder.

13:04 EDT Capstead Mortgage stockholders approve merger with Franklin BSP Realty Trust - Capstead Mortgage Corporation announced that at its special meeting of stockholders, Capstead stockholders approved the merger transaction in which Capstead will merge with and into Rodeo Sub I, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Franklin BSP Realty Trust, pursuant to the previously announced Agreement and Plan of Merger entered into among Capstead, FBRT, Merger Sub and Benefit Street Partners L.L.C., FBRT's external manager, on July 25, 2021, and amended on September 22, 2021. At the special meeting, approximately 74.19% of Capstead's outstanding shares of common stock were voted, with approximately 98.12% of the votes cast in favor of the Capstead merger proposal. The Merger is expected to close prior to market open on October 19, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions. At the effective time of the Merger, each issued and outstanding share of Capstead Common Stock will be converted into the right to receive from FBRT, 0.3288 newly-issued shares of common stock of FBRT, from FBRT, cash consideration of $0.21 per share and from BSP, cash consideration of $0.73 per share. FBRT will pay cash in lieu of any fractional shares of FBRT Common Stock that would otherwise have been received as a result of the Merger. In addition, as a result of the Merger, each outstanding share of Capstead 7.50% Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock will be converted into the right to receive one newly-classified share of FBRT 7.50% Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock. Both Capstead Common Stock and Capstead Series E Preferred Stock are expected to be delisted from trading on the New York Stock Exchange after the close of trading on October 18, 2021. FBRT Common Stock and FBRT Series E Preferred Stock are expected to begin trading on the NYSE under the ticker symbols "FBRT" and "FBRT PRE", respectively, on October 19, 2021.

13:01 EDT Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count up 10 to 543 rigs

12:32 EDT Moderna down 2% after WSJ says FDA delaying decision on shot for adolescents

12:23 EDT Gan Limited reports signing binding terms sheet with Red Rock Resorts - Gan Limited (GAN) announced it has signed a binding terms sheet with Red Rock Resorts (RRR) to build and deploy the infrastructure for Station Casinos' "STN Sports" online sports platform, mobile applications, and retail Over-the-Counter and Kiosk-based sports betting throughout Nevada. A commercial launch is subject to regulatory technical certification and related regulatory licensing, the latter of which the company has now commenced. The agreement pertains to Red Rock Resort's current portfolio of properties and projects in development, Gan noted. Dermot Smurfit, CEO of GAN, said: "After a comprehensive and competitive process, we are greatly pleased to secure our first major US retail casino operator client of our omnichannel sports betting technology and managed trading services solution acquired at the outset of the year and demonstrated at G2E earlier this month. The GAN team worldwide is excited to enter the U.S. sports' market next year with a market leader in Nevada."

12:00 EDT Virgin Galactic falls -14.8% - Virgin Galactic is down -14.8%, or -$3.55 to $20.51.

12:00 EDT CatchMark Timber falls -17.8% - CatchMark Timber is down -17.8%, or -$2.16 to $10.01.

12:00 EDT Nexa Resources rises 11.6% - Nexa Resources is up 11.6%, or $1.21 to $11.60.

12:00 EDT Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao rises 16.2% - Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao is up 16.2%, or 81c to $5.84.

11:24 EDT Evolent Health up 2% as Dealreporter speculates on deal fit with Walgreens - Shares of Evolent Health (EVH) are up 64c, or 2%, to $30.62 and trading contacts tell The Fly that some of the strength could be attributable to a Dealreporter report earlier that discussed how Evolent's New Century segment could be the "missing piece" for Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) after the pharmacy operator formed a new business segment, Walgreens Health, and announced that it has upped its investment in VillageMD and CareCentrix to bolster that new business. "With stakes in CareCentrix and VillageMD now on the books, perhaps a takeover of EVH is the next shoe to drop," the deal-focused publication speculated, according to contacts.

11:01 EDT Goldman Sachs CEO: There's 'no question' there's compensation pressure - Goldman pays "exceptionally" for exceptional performance, CEO Solomon says.

10:46 EDT Frontiers In Immunology publishes new article on Covaxin/BBV152 - Frontiers In Immunology has published a new article on Covaxin/BBV152, a whole virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Ocugen announced on October 5 that it had entered into a development and commercial supply agreement with Bharat Biotech pursuant to which Bharat Biotech will exclusively manufacture and supply the company with its requirements of Covaxin clinical trial materials as well as manufacture and supply Covaxin drug product components and finished drug product as necessary for commercial supply of Covaxin subsequent to a regulatory approval, as contemplated by the parties pursuant to the co-development, supply and commercialization agreement between Bharat Biotech and the company entered into in February. Reference Link

10:39 EDT Goldman Sachs CEO notes concerns over wage inflation in short-term

10:32 EDT Synlogic presents data on hyperoxaluria program - Synlogic announced two poster presentations at the upcoming American Society for Nephrology Kidney Week 2021, to be held virtually November 4 - 7th, 2021. The two posters will be available throughout the duration of the conference: Poster #3605649: Relationship Between 24-hr Urinary Oxalate and Incident Chronic Kidney Disease Among Patients with and without Underlying Gastrointestinal Disease: In one of the largest longitudinal retrospective observational cohort studies of urinary oxalate to date, greater than750,000 individuals with at least one 24-hr urine collection were identified. The risk of incident chronic kidney disease increased with increasing 24-hour urine oxalate excretion, with an odds ratio of 1.67 for the highest UOx group compared with the lowest UOx group. Poster #3605510: Proof-of-Concept Study of Oxalate-Consuming Synthetic Biotic Medicine SYNB8802 in Enteric Hyperoxaluria after Roux-en-Y Surgery: As previously disclosed, the dose of 3e11 live cells was identified in healthy volunteers and demonstrated to be well-tolerated. At this dose, the percent reduction from baseline UOx levels was -28.6% compared to placebo in diet-induced hyperoxaluria. Part B of the study is a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of SYNB8802 in subjects with enteric hyperoxaluria and a history of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. Part B remains ongoing and results are expected in 2022.

10:04 EDT Winnebago commits to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 - Winnebago Industries has joined the Business Ambition for 1.5 degrees C. The company has set a goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and commits to setting a science-based target through the Science Based Targets initiative. The Business Ambition for 1.5 degrees C is a campaign led by the Science Based Targets initiative in partnership with the UN Global Compact and the We Mean Business coalition. The commitment is designed to engage businesses, aligned with other stakeholders, to set science-based targets to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels, a goal made more relevant by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's recent report. In the coming months, Winnebago Industries will work with the Science Based Target initiative and external validators to develop and enact a plan to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Advancing environmental sustainability is a key focus of the company's corporate responsibility strategy, which evolved in 2018 to advance environmental, social and governance priorities. High-level sustainability goals include: Zero Waste to Landfill, with 90 percent diversion of waste by 2030. Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2050. Reduce fresh water use by 30 percent by 2050. Advance Product Sustainability with eco-friendly upgrade options on all new products by 2025 and product lifecycle assessments by 2030.

10:00 EDT Virgin Galactic falls -13.8% - Virgin Galactic is down -13.8%, or -$3.31 to $20.75.

10:00 EDT Alcoa rises 12.1% - Alcoa is up 12.1%, or $5.86 to $54.46.

10:00 EDT Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao rises 16.6% - Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao is up 16.6%, or 83c to $5.87.

09:47 EDT Pearson falls -11.7% - Pearson is down -11.7%, or -$1.18 to $8.88.

09:47 EDT Turquoise Hill falls -18.7% - Turquoise Hill is down -18.7%, or -$2.89 to $12.54.

09:47 EDT Onion Global rises 11.9% - Onion Global is up 11.9%, or $1.05 to $9.85.

09:42 EDT U.S. to allow foreign national travelers to enter beginning Nov. 8 - White House Assistance Press Secretary Kevin Munoz said via Twitter: "The US' new travel policy that requires vaccination for foreign national travelers to the United States will begin on Nov 8. This announcement and date applies to both international air travel and land travel. This policy is guided by public health, stringent, and consistent." Publicly traded companies in the airlines space include Alaska Air (ALK), American Airlines (AAL), Delta Air Lines (DAL), JetBlue (JBLU), Southwest (LUV), Spirit Airlines (SAVE) and United Airlines (UAL).

09:38 EDT PagSeguro sees 'negligible' impact to 2022 revenue, income from BCB hearing - PagSeguro Digital announced that it "wishes to clarify that after considering the various moving parts and analyzing internal data, PAGS has run several hypothetical scenarios taking into account all of the available information about the Brazilian Central Bank, BCB, public hearing 89/2021 on capping debit and prepaid card transaction interchange fees." The company said its conclusion at this time is that regardless of the outcome of the public hearing, the impacts on PagSeguro net revenues and net income in 2022 are "expected to be negligible." From 2023 onwards, the anticipated impact tends to be slightly positive for PagSeguro because of expected costs savings in interchange in the acquiring business. "The fact that PAGS has complementary payments businesses - acquiring and cards issuance - creates a natural hedge for the company. In case there is a negative impact in the card issuance in each period, i.e., decrease of interchange revenues from PagBank prepaid cards and/or shorter settlement period, PAGS immediately benefits from a positive impact on the acquiring business, i.e., decrease in interchange cost from all prepaid cards in the market that make transactions in PAGS acquiring business and/or shorter settlement of prepaid card receivables. PagBank PagSeguro remains committed to improving financial inclusion and disrupting the banking industry, and we will continue to support our clients through the introduction of new and innovative products in the future," the company stated. Reference Link

09:06 EDT Clearlake Capital completes acquisition of Cornerstone OnDemand - Clearlake Capital Group announced that it has completed its acquisition of Cornerstone OnDemand. The acquisition was previously announced on August 5 and was approved by Cornerstone OnDemand shareholders on October 12. Under the terms of the agreement, Clearlake has acquired the outstanding shares of Cornerstone common stock for $57.50 per share in cash. As a result of the transaction, Cornerstone is now a privately held company and shares of Cornerstone common stock are no longer listed on the public market.

09:04 EDT Motorsport Games announces pre-sale of NASCAR Heat Ultimate Edition+ for Switch - Motorsport Games (MSGM) announces the pre-sale and release dates for NASCAR Heat Ultimate Edition+ on Nintendo (NTDOY) Switch. The game, the first ever NASCAR title to come to Nintendo Switch consoles, will launch on November 19, 2021, with pre-orders live across retail & digital stores starting at noon ET on October 15, 2021.

09:03 EDT Perficient acquires Izmul - Perficient announced the acquisition of Izmul S.A. and its subsidiaries, an approximately $40M annual revenue nearshore software development firm based in Montevideo, Uruguay. The acquisition is not reflected in existing 2021 revenue or earnings guidance and is expected to be accretive to adjusted earnings per share immediately. Overactive CEO Nicolas Chiappara joins Perficient in a leadership role.

09:02 EDT Caterpillar names Julie Lagacy as Chief Sustainability & Strategy Officer - Caterpillar is creating the position of Chief Sustainability & Strategy Officer, enhancing its environmental, social and governance-related disclosures and tying a portion of executive compensation to ESG. Julie Lagacy, current vice president of the Enterprise Strategy Division, will assume additional responsibilities as the Chief Sustainability & Strategy Officer effective November 1.

08:39 EDT Protalix, Chiesi dose final patient in Phase III BALANCE trial of PRX-102 - Protalix BioTherapeutics and Chiesi Global Rare Diseases, a business unit of Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A., announced the final dosing of the last patient in the phase III BALANCE clinical trial of pegunigalsidase alfa, or the BALANCE Study, for the proposed treatment of Fabry disease. The head-to-head BALANCE Study is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of PRX-102 compared to agalsidase beta on renal function in Fabry patients with progressing kidney disease previously treated with agalsidase beta.

08:32 EDT Goldman Sachs reports Q3 Investment Banking net revenue $3.7B - Global Markets generated quarterly net revenues of $5.61 billion, primarily reflecting strong performance in Equities, including record Equities financing net revenues, and the second highest Fixed Income, Currency and Commodities financing net revenues, the company said. Consumer & Wealth Management produced quarterly net revenues of over $2 billion for the first time, 35% higher than the third quarter of 2020. Firmwide assets under supervision increased $67 billion during the quarter, including long-term net inflows of $49 billion, to a record $2.37 trillion. Book value per common share increased by 4.7% during the quarter and 17.4% during the first nine months of 2021 to $277.25.

08:30 EDT Goldman Sachs CEO: Opportunity set across businesses continues to be attractive - Chairman and CEO David Solomon said: "The third quarter saw strong operating performance and an acceleration of our investment in the growth of Goldman Sachs. We announced two strategic acquisitions in our Asset Management and Consumer businesses which will enhance our scale and ability to drive higher, more durable returns. Looking forward, the opportunity set continues to be attractive across all of our businesses and our focus remains on serving our clients and executing our strategy."

08:11 EDT Navios Maritime Partners completes acquisition of Navios Acquisition - Navios Maritime Partners (NMM) announced that it completed the acquisition of Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation (NNA). In the merger, each outstanding common share of Navios Acquisition was exchanged for 0.1275 of a common unit of Navios Partners, with Navios Partners issuing a total of approximately 3.4 million common units to the Navios Acquisition shareholders in the transaction. As a result of the merger, Navios Acquisition's common shares were no longer listed for trading on NYSE. The company said benefits of the combination include, " Creates the #1 largest U.S. publicly-listed shipping company, with over 140 vessels aggregating approximately 15 million deadweight tons operating in three segments through 15 different vessel types and serving more than 10 end markets. Scales operations with trades across all sizes with about one-third of its vessels operating in each of the three segments. Achieves diversification to mitigate idiosyncratic segment volatility as operational segments are driven by unique fundamentals. Optimizes strategy allowing management to take advantage of opportunities within each sector, such as by calibrating charter term based upon segment opportunity. Realizes annual cost reductions. Maintains significant financial flexibility with a combined modest leverage ratio of approximately 35%, based upon the average of publicly available broker reports as of August 20, 2021, and a large collateral value base for refinancing debt maturities. Enhances credit profile by increasing cash retention to support growth and continued deleveraging. Grows equity market capitalization and depth in share trading to offer an attractive fundamental investment opportunity to investors seeking exposure to global economy. Maintains and ultimately grows returns to unitholders of the combined company. Provides Navios Acquisition's shareholders the opportunity to continue to participate in the combined company and avail themselves of market upside."

08:10 EDT Wayside Technology announces resignation of DiBattiste from board - Wayside Technology has announced Carol DiBattiste's resignation from its Board of Directors to pursue other interests. Commenting on her resignation, DiBattiste stated: "I have really enjoyed my time on the Board and thank the Directors and Company Leadership for their great work and collaboration. I am grateful for having had the opportunity to contribute to the Board's and the Company's success."

08:09 EDT Tinley closes $1.865M non-brokered private placement - The Tinley Beverage Company is pleased to announce the closing of a non-brokered private placement of 12,437,805 units for gross proceeds of $1,865,670.75. Of the Units sold as part of the Offering, Richard Gillis, recently appointed to the role of President and Chief Operating Officer of Tinley's USA, subscribed for 1 million Units. The investment increased Mr. Gillis' aggregate position to 2 million Common Shares. Prior to joining Tinley, Mr. Gillis served as President of Young's Market Company. The Company is also pleased to announce that Advisory Board member Andrew Stodart participated in the Offering. Mr. Stodart has returned to active advisory work for Tinley's with a focus on driving the Company's expansion in Canada. Tinley's award-winning products are contracted to be manufactured in Canada by Peak Processing Solutions and BevCanna Enterprises. Each Unit was priced at C$0.15 and is comprised of one common share of Tinley's and one common share purchase warrant. Each Warrant is exercisable into one Common Share at a price of C$0.20 for a period of 24 months following the closing. The net proceeds from the Offering will be used for working capital, capital expenditures, marketing, establishing new business lines and exploring potential mergers and acquisitions. The Company may complete additional tranches of the Offering from time to time in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements. In consideration for the services of certain eligible finders who introduced subscribers under the Offering to Tinley's, the Company issued an aggregate of 760,256 compensation options to acquire 760,256 Units at a price of $0.15 per Unit and paid aggregate cash commissions of $114,625 to such finders.

08:09 EDT LumiraDx submits SARS-CoV-2 & Flu A/B Test to FDA for EUA - LumiraDx announced it has submitted the LumiraDx SARS-CoV-2 & Flu A/B Test to the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization. The microfluidic immunofluorescence assay can quickly verify infection for patients suspected of flu and/or COVID-19 to aid diagnosis and clinical decision making.

08:06 EDT Prothena appoints Chris Bailey as president, Proterra Powered & Energy - Proterra announced the appointment of Chris Bailey as president of its Proterra Powered and Energy business units. Previously Senior Vice President of Proterra Energy, Chris will now lead Proterra's growing business as a provider of its electric vehicle technology to commercial vehicle manufacturers and charging infrastructure solutions for heavy-duty electric fleets. Chris succeeds Gareth Joyce, whose promotion to President of Proterra was announced in September.

08:05 EDT Exela Technologies expands relationship with multinational insurer in France - Exela Technologies announced an expanded relationship with a large multinational insurer based in France which provides financial services, supplementary retirement fund, and pension services. This expanded relationship, which originally began in 2015, will utilize Exela's subject matter knowledge to address a backlog of pension reconciliation cases. Due to prior established COVID-19 relief policies in France, pension contributions from employers to individuals were allowed to be delayed during the worst of the pandemic. With some restrictive policy changes now in effect, employers must resume payments and support is often needed to review gap contribution and ensure timely processing. "Exela's ability to be responsive using its strong presence in France and quickly deploy subject matter experts to address a backlog of cases greatly accelerates financial recovery benefits to individuals," the company said.

08:03 EDT Ascendis Pharma announces US commercial launch of SKYTROFA - Ascendis Pharma A/S announced the U.S. commercial launch of SKYTROFA, its once-weekly treatment for the treatment of pediatric patients one year and older who weigh at least 11.5 kg and have growth failure due to inadequate secretion of endogenous growth hormone. SKYTROFA is available by prescription and distributed through a network of specialty pharmacies across the United States. "SKYTROFA offers patients, caregivers, and physicians the potential to replace daily somatropin injections that have been the standard of care for more than 30 years," said Jan Mikkelsen, Ascendis Pharma's President and Chief Executive Officer. "As the first and only FDA-approved once-weekly therapy for pediatric growth hormone deficiency, SKYTROFA represents one of the most important innovations for these patients in decades." Ascendis Pharma has also launched the Ascendis Signature Access Program, a personalized patient support program in the U.S. to work with families, caregivers, and physicians from decision to treat through long-term therapy adherence. The program is staffed by nurses and offers a full suite of services including, but not limited to, prior authorization support, out of pocket assistance, and training on proper injection procedures. The full commercial launch of SKYTROFA marks an important milestone as the Company continues to deliver on its Vision 3x3 strategic roadmap through 2025 to build a leading global biopharma company by achieving sustainable growth through multiple approaches.

08:03 EDT Ascendis Pharma announces U.S. commercial launch of Skytrofa - Ascendis Pharma announced the U.S. commercial launch of Skytrofa, its once-weekly treatment for the treatment of pediatric patients one year and older who weigh at least 11.5 kg and have growth failure due to inadequate secretion of endogenous growth hormone. Skytrofa is available by prescription and distributed through a network of specialty pharmacies across the United States.

08:02 EDT El Pollo Loco CEO Bernard Acoca resigns, Laurance Roberts named interim CEO - El Pollo Loco announced the resignation of Bernard Acoca as Director, CEO and President of the Company and its affiliates, to pursue other opportunities, effective today. The Company's Board of Directors has appointed industry veteran Laurance Roberts, the Company's CFO, as Interim CEO while continuing in his role as CFO. Mr. Acoca will continue to provide consulting services to the Company to further ensure a smooth transition.

07:53 EDT Pfizer announces CHMP recommendations for abrocitinib, Xeljanz - Pfizer announced that the European Medicines Agency's, or EMA, Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, has adopted an opinion recommending the 100 mg and 200 mg doses of abrocitinib, an oral, once-daily, Janus kinase 1 inhibitor, for marketing authorization to treat moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy. The CHMP also adopted an opinion recommending marketing authorization for Xeljanz 5 mg and 10 mg, administered twice daily, for the treatment of adults with active ankylosing spondylitis who have responded inadequately to conventional therapy.

07:44 EDT Pearson falls about 12% to $8.86 per share after its 9-month trading update

07:38 EDT Apellis, Sobi: Aspaveli receives positive CHMP opinion - Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB and Apellis Pharmaceuticals announce that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion recommending the marketing authorisation of Aspaveli for the treatment of adults with paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria who are anaemic after treatment with a C5 inhibitor for at least three months. The positive opinion from the CHMP is now referred to the European Commission for an approval decision.

07:30 EDT 26 Capital Acquisition Corporation (Class A Stock) trading resumes

07:20 EDT Truist Financial reports Q3 net interest margin 2.81%, down 7 bps sequentially - Core net interest margin was 2.58%, down two basis points from Q2.

07:18 EDT Apellis, Sobi receive positive CHMP opinion for Aspaveli - Apellis Pharmaceuticals (APLS) and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (BIOVF)) announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion recommending the marketing authorization of Aspaveli for the treatment of adults with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria who are anemic after treatment with a C5 inhibitor for at least three months. The positive opinion from the CHMP is now referred to the European Commission for an approval decision. The positive opinion is based on the results from the head-to-head Phase 3 PEGASUS study, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of Aspaveli compared to eculizumab at 16 weeks in adults with PNH who had persistent anemia despite treatment with eculizumab. The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in March 2021.

07:10 EDT Silence announces proposed cancellation of admission of shares to trading on AIM - Silence Therapeutics announces: the Company's intention to cancel the admission of its ordinary shares of nominal value GBP0.05 each to trading on AIM, subject to shareholder approval, with effect from 30 November 2021. Subject to shareholder approval, the Company's last day of trading on AIM will be 29 November 2021. Silence will retain the listing on the Nasdaq Global Market of American Depositary Shares, each representing three Ordinary Shares, under ticker symbol "SLN". The Company expects Nasdaq to become the primary trading venue for its equity securities. Existing holders of ADSs not also holding Ordinary Shares do not need to take any action in relation to the AIM Delisting; and the posting of a circular to shareholders which contains further information on the AIM Delisting and the process to deposit Ordinary Shares for delivery of ADSs and notice of a general meeting to be held on 1 November 2021 at 72 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8TH at 2.00 p.m. at which shareholder approval will be sought, inter alia, for the AIM Delisting

07:07 EDT Gran Colombia Gold declares monthly dividend of C$0.015 per share - Gran Colombia Gold announced that its Board of Directors has declared the next monthly dividend of CA$0.015 per common share will be paid on November 15, 2021 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on October 29, 2021. Gran Colombia also announced that it has filed with the Toronto Stock Exchange, and the TSX has accepted, a notice of intention to make a normal course issuer bid for its common shares trading under the symbol GCM. The NCIB will allow the Company to purchase for cancellation up to 9,570,540 Shares of the Company over a 12-month period, representing 10% of the current issued and outstanding Shares in the public float as of October 6, 2021. As at October 6, 2021, the Company had a total of 98,485,775 Shares issued and outstanding. The NCIB will commence on October 20, 2021 and terminate on October 19, 2022, or such earlier date on which purchases under the NCIB have been completed. Purchases of Shares under the NCIB will be made through the facilities of the TSX or other alternative Canadian trading systems at the market price of the Shares at the time of acquisition. The average daily trading volume of the Shares for the six months ended September 30, 2021 was 345,204 Shares. Daily purchases will be limited to 86,301 Shares, other than block purchase exceptions. Shares purchased under the NCIB will be cancelled. Pursuant to a previous notice of intention to conduct a normal course issuer bid, under which the Company sought and received approval from the TSX to purchase up to 5,934,811 Shares, the Company purchased 1,536,100 Shares for cancellation through the facilities of the TSX at a volume weighted average trading price of $5.93 per Share during the period from September 4, 2020 to September 3, 2021. Gran Colombia has entered into an automatic share purchase plan with a broker in connection with the NCIB to allow for the purchase of Shares during certain pre-determined blackout periods. Outside of these pre-determined blackout periods, Shares will be purchased at the discretion of senior management of Gran Colombia.

07:06 EDT CatchMark Timber provides long-term growth targets - CEO Davis said: "Looking ahead, we see strong growth prospects for CatchMark. We continue to build a robust pipeline for acquisitions to grow our portfolio of prime timberlands in superior mill markets in the U.S. South, the nation's premier timber basket, and to further strengthen our industry-leading harvest EBITDA per acre while maintaining stable merchantable inventory per acre. We are focused on identifying and executing attractive acquisition opportunities that include a high allocation of pine plantations with strong site indices as well as above average operability. We will execute on acquisitions that either enhance our near-term timber revenue with high merchantable stocking levels with an older average age or complement our long-term portfolio objectives that will balance portfolio age class distribution and productivity." Consistent with its strategy since inception, the company also intends to maximize long-term returns by achieving an optimum balance among biological timber growth, generation of current cash flow from harvesting, and responsible environmental stewardship. Beginning in 2022, CatchMark expects to: Deliver annual harvest volume in the range of 1.6 million tons to 1.8 million tons, excluding acquisitions. These harvest volumes are consistent with historical productivity on a per acre basis. Expand annual timberland sales targets, in light of unprecedented retail demand, from about 2% to approximately 3% of its fee timberland acreage, which could increase total land sales revenue to approximately $20M next year compared to the $13M-$15M targeted for 2021.

07:05 EDT Pearson on track to deliver FY21 adj. operating profit in line with expectations

07:04 EDT Bowman Consulting acquires BTM Engineering, sees accretion - Bowman Consulting announced the acquisition of the assets of BTM Engineering, a professional services firm based in Louisville, Kentucky. Established in 1980, BTM offers a variety of services including civil and structural engineering, planning, land survey and 3-D scanning, landscape architecture, and cellular infrastructure design. The acquisition, which the Company expects to initially contribute approximately $3M of annual net service billing and be immediately accretive, was financed with a combination of cash, seller financing, and stock.

07:04 EDT CatchMark Timber exits Triple T joint venture - CatchMark Timber Trust announced that it reached a definitive agreement with its joint venture partners in TexMark Timber Treasury, L.P. on the redemption of its common equity interest in Triple T for $35M in cash and closed the transaction upon signing. CatchMark also entered into an agreement pursuant to which it will continue to provide certain asset management services to the joint venture through the first quarter of 2022 in exchange for an additional $5M services fee, which was also paid to CatchMark at the time of closing. The $40M of proceeds will be used to pay down existing debt. CatchMark expects to pay a new annualized dividend rate of 30c per common share, beginning with the fourth quarter of 2021. This adjustment reflects the loss of asset management fee revenue from the Triple T joint venture. The company has declared a cash dividend of 7.5c per share for its common stockholders of record as of November 30, 2021, payable on December 15, 2021. Given the continued strong performance from the execution of its core strategy, the company expects 2021 Adjusted EBITDA to be at the top-end of its previously announced guidance range.

07:02 EDT Okada Manila, 26 Capital Acquisition announce plans to merge in $2.6B deal - Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment Inc., operating as Okada Manila, along with Miami-based publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, 26 Capital Acquisition Corp., announced that they have entered into a merger agreement, which will result in Okada Manila becoming a publicly traded company listed on Nasdaq. The transaction implies an enterprise value for Okada Manila of $2.6B and is anticipated to provide Okada Manila with up to $275M in cash. Upon closing of the transaction, the publicly traded company will have its common stock listed on the Nasdaq through an American Depository Receipt program. Following the expected closing of the merger, Okada Manila will continue to be led by President Byron Yip and CFO Hans Van Der Sande. Universal Entertainment Corporation, Okada Manila's parent company and the current owner of 100% of its equity, will retain all of its current holdings in Okada Manila in the newly publicly traded company. The Boards of Directors of both 26 Capital Acquisition Corp. and Okada Manila have unanimously approved the proposed transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2022 and is subject to approval by 26 Capital stockholders and other customary closing conditions.

07:02 EDT Dover acquires LIQAL B.V., terms not disclosed - Dover announced that it has completed the acquisition of LIQAL B.V., a turnkey supplier of liquefied natural gas and hydrogen refueling equipment and solutions, and micro liquefaction solutions. LIQAL is now part of the Dover Fueling Solutions operating unit within Dover's Fueling Solutions segment.

07:00 EDT Bristol-Myers receives positive CHMP opinion for Zeposia - Bristol Myers Squibb announced the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency has recommended approval of Zeposia for the treatment of adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis who have had an inadequate response, lost response, or were intolerant to either conventional therapy or a biologic agent. Zeposia, an oral medication taken once daily, is a sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator that binds with high affinity selectively to S1P subtypes 1 and 5. The CHMP recommendation will now be reviewed by the European Commission, which has the authority to approve medicines for the European Union.

06:51 EDT Avino Silver & Gold Mines reports Q3 production 285,464 silver equivalent ounces - During Q3 production came primarily from the Avino Mine. The company is currently mining and milling from the Avino Mine only. As part of the ramp-up of operations 10,806 tons of Historic Above Ground stockpile material having been processed during Q3. Production from this material totaled 15,784 silver equivalent ounces, consisting of 9,336 ounces of silver, 58 ounces of gold, and 12,584 pounds of copper, and there was no comparable production from Q2 2020.

06:39 EDT Ford reports Q3 Greater China sales down 8.7% to over 150,100 units - Ford Motor Company reports that it has achieved double-digit growth of 11% in year-to-date sales in Greater China, with approximately 457,000 units sold in the first three quarters of the year. Third-quarter sales in Greater China exceeded 150,100 units, representing a year-over-year decrease of 8.7%, due to continued challenges related to the global semiconductor shortage, Central China floods in July and pandemic-related restrictions in parts of the country, the company stated. "Strong consumer demand in the third quarter resulted in double-digit growth for Lincoln brand passenger vehicles, with sales up 24%," Ford added.

06:31 EDT Emergent BioSolutions initiates Phase 3 study of CHIKV VLP - Emergent BioSolutions announced the first participant dosed in its pivotal phase 3 study evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of the company's investigational chikungunya virus-like particle vaccine candidate, CHIKV VLP, in a single dose. CHIKV VLP is the only VLP-based vaccine currently in clinical development for active immunization against chikungunya disease. The study will observe the CHIKV SNA response at day 22 as measured by geometric mean titer and seroresponse rate and will enroll at least 3,150 participants in up to 49 U.S. sites.

06:08 EDT KBR joint venture enters binding settlement agreement with client - KBR announced that JKC Australia, a joint venture in which KBR has a 30% ownership interest, has entered into a binding settlement agreement that resolves outstanding claims and disputes between JKC and its client, ICHTHYS LNG. As a result of the settlement agreement, the parties agreed to withdraw all claims and terminate all ongoing arbitrations and court proceedings between the parties. In connection with the settlement agreement, KBR recorded the majority of the impact in its Q2 results and expects to record a non-material charge for final warranty items in its quarterly earnings for the period ended September 30. Additional details will be provided in connection with our Q3 earnings report. The settlement agreement does not impact pursuit of, or positions related to, JKC's claim against its subcontractor associated with the combined cycle power plant, which KBR expects to result in a favorable cash award upon resolution.