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

17:27 EDT Silvergate Capital director Reed sells over 5,000 class A shares - In a regulatory filing, Silvergate Capital director Scott Reed disclosed the sale of 5,498 class A common shares of the company on October 21 at a price of $150.0193 per share.

17:18 EDT Liquid Media announces settlement of Waterproof litigation - Liquid Media Group, via its wholly-owned subsidiary Liquid Media Group (Canada) Ltd., has entered into a definitive settlement agreement with three shareholders of Waterproof Studios terminating litigation among them in respect of Liquid's interest in Waterproof. Pursuant to the Agreement, Liquid has agreed to transfer its interest in Waterproof to or for the benefit of the Shareholders in consideration of a cash payment of $825,000 to Liquid, and the Shareholders have agreed to dismiss the claim on a without cost basis. The Agreement also includes customary mutual releases.

17:09 EDT Atento detected cyberattack on IT systems in Brazil on October 17 - Atento said it detected a cyber-security attack on its IT systems in Brazil on Sunday October 17 2021. "We immediately deployed all available cybersecurity protocols to assess and contain the threat," the company said. "Our top priority has always been to ensure the protection and integrity of our customers' data and systems. In order to prevent any possible risk to our clients, we proactively isolated the impacted systems inside of Atento and also suspended the connections from our systems to those of our customers in Brazil. This is what caused the interruption of the service. Our investigations are still ongoing and we are working closely with our advisors and the relevant authorities to assess the business impact of the incident and to take the appropriate measures. We quickly contained the threat, and in first 24 hours we could start providing limited service to some customers. At this time, we have already resumed data center operations and will continue recovering services of the remaining affected sites progressively. We would like to thank all our customers who are and have been fully supportive during this incident."

16:30 EDT First Bancorp raises quarterly dividend to 10c from 7c per share - The dividend is payable on December 10 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 26.

16:08 EDT Mueller Water raises quarterly dividend to 5.8c from 5.5c per share - Payable on or about November 22 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 10.

16:08 EDT Apollo Endosurgery announces 'positive' MERIT-Trial outcomes - Apollo Endosurgery announced that study investigators of the Multi-Center ESG Randomized Interventional Trial presented positive outcomes. Dr. Barham Abu Dayyeh, Professor of Medicine and Director of Advanced Endoscopy at the Mayo Clinic, presented the data at the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders during the "Top 10 Papers at IFSO" session. The trial enrolled 208 patients across nine US centers. Patients were randomized between ESG and moderate lifestyle modification controls. Average BMI at enrollment was 35.7 +/-2.6 kg/m2. The primary efficacy endpoint was Percent Excess Weight Loss (%EWL) and responders were defined as those achieving at least 25% EWL at 12 months. The study targeted a serious adverse event rate of less than5%, which was the primary safety endpoint. Patients were followed for 24 months, with control subjects given the option to cross over at 12 months. Patients undergoing Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty (ESG) demonstrated an excess body weight loss (EWL) of 49.2% (+32%) at 12 months, which was a 45% difference in %EWL compared to patients undergoing moderate intensity lifestyle modification. Furthermore, 77% of subjects undergoing ESG achieved at least 25% EWL, and percent total body weight loss (%TBWL) for this responder group was 16.3% (+7%). Patients undergoing ESG demonstrated improvements in diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome compared to controls, as well as improvement in, and no onset of, gastroesophageal reflux disease. ESG met the primary safety endpoint with a rate of serious adverse events of 2.0% (3/150), all of which resolved and did not require intensive care or surgical intervention. Despite the Global Pandemic during year-two, cross-over patients achieved similar results to the initial treatment group and those that had undergone treatment maintained the vast majority of their weight loss at 24 months.

16:06 EDT Shore Bancshares, Severn Bancorp receive shareholder approval for merger - Shore Bancshares, Inc. (SHBI) and Severn Bancorp (SVBI) announced that, at special meetings of their respective shareholders held on October 22, 2021, Shore's shareholders approved the merger of Severn with and into Shore, with Shore as the surviving corporation, and the issuance of shares of Shore's common stock to the shareholders of Severn pursuant to that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of March 3, 2021, by and between the company and Severn, and Severn's shareholders approved the Merger Agreement, the Merger, and the compensation payable to the named executive officers of Severn in connection with the Merger. The company previously announced the receipt of all required bank regulatory approvals for the consummation of the Merger and the merger of Severn Savings Bank, FSB, Severn's wholly-owned bank subsidiary, with and into Shore United Bank, with Shore United Bank as the surviving institution. Subject to customary closing conditions, the transaction is expected to be consummated effective as of October 31, 2021.

16:00 EDT Aurinia Pharmaceuticals trading resumes

14:48 EDT Caesars says Sportsbook app now live in Louisiana - Caesars Entertainment announced its Caesars Sportsbook app is officially available for download and sign-up by eligible sports fans in Louisiana. "In addition to mobile sports wagering, sports bettors in Louisiana can soon enjoy in-person sports betting at iconic Caesars properties Harrah's New Orleans and Horseshoe Bossier City. Each casino will soon take in-person bets at temporary retail locations inside their properties, before the unveiling of their new Caesars Sportsbooks, pending regulatory approval in the state. In the fall of 2022, Isle of Capri Lake Charles will be renovated into Horseshoe Lake Charles and reopen with an additional Caesars Sportsbook location," the company stated.

14:31 EDT FDA approves Genentech's Susvimo - Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Susvimo 100 mg/mL for intravitreal use via ocular implant for the treatment of people with wet, or neovascular, age-related macular degeneration who have previously responded to at least two anti-vascular endothelial growth factor injections. Wet AMD is a potentially blinding condition that requires treatment with eye injections as often as once a month. Susvimo, previously called Port Delivery System with ranibizumab, is the first and only FDA-approved treatment for wet AMD that offers as few as two treatments per year. "Susvimo represents a major advancement in the treatment of retinal disease, and is an important new option for patients with wet AMD," said Carl Regillo, M.D., Chief of Retina Service at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia and an Archway study investigator. "With Susvimo, my patients now have an option that can help them maintain their vision as well as anti-VEGF injections, but on a more manageable twice-yearly treatment schedule."

14:01 EDT Hubbell raises quarterly dividend 7% to $1.05 per share - The board of directors of Hubbell Incorporated declared a 7% increase in the common stock dividend rate. The new annual payment of $4.20 per share, or $1.05 per quarter, compares to the former rate of $3.92 per share, or 98c per quarter. The dividend will be paid on December 15, 2021 to shareholders of record on November 30, 2021.

13:03 EDT Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count down 1 from last week to 542 rigs - Baker Hughes reports the U.S. rig count is down 1 from last week to 542, with oil rigs down 2 to 443, gas rigs up 1 to 99, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 0. The U.S. rig count is up 255 rigs from last year's count of 287, with oil rigs up 232 gas rigs up 26 and miscellaneous rigs down 3. The U.S. offshore rig count is up 1 to 13, unchanged year-over-year.

13:00 EDT Gundlach recommends 30%-35% exposure to commodities - Jeffrey Gundlach of DoubleLine is speaking on CNBC.

12:22 EDT Capital Senior Living shareholders approve amended investment agreement - Capital Senior Living Corporation announced that, based on preliminary vote estimates provided by its proxy solicitor, the Company received the requisite votes to approve all proposals, including the plan to raise up to $154.8M through a series of financing transactions with Conversant Capital, at the Special Meeting of Stockholders held on October 22, 2021. The expiration date for the Company's pending rights offering is 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on October 27, 2021, unless extended by the Company. Pursuant to the rights offering, existing stockholders have the right to purchase 1.1 shares of common stock for each share of common stock they held as of the record date of September 10, 2021, at $30 per share.

12:04 EDT Criteo says 'more insulated' from Apple's ATT than 'app-first players' - Criteo (CRTO) said this morning in a statement: "As a matter of company policy, we do not comment on the results of other companies. As previously communicated, Criteo is more insulated from the overall impact of Apple's ATT than large mobile app-first players because of our network reach. As a reminder, our Retail Media onsite business is not impacted by Apple's ATT feature nor by the iOS15 changes. As of October 2021, our total exposure to Apple users in our Marketing Solutions business is limited to below 10% of Traffic Acquisition Costs. These changes are reflected as part of the total privacy and identity impact that we have already communicated to the market for the full year 2021. Our Commerce Media Platform is a key differentiator and the roll-out of our First-Party Media Network allows us to collect alternative, addressable identifiers, build privacy-by-design audiences and drive commerce outcomes on inventory consumed by Apple users." Shares of Criteo are down 7% to $34.66 following Snap's (SNAP) weaker than expected results.

12:00 EDT X Financial falls -17.6% - X Financial is down -17.6%, or -$1.07 to $5.02.

12:00 EDT Cleveland-Cliffs rises 8.4% - Cleveland-Cliffs is up 8.4%, or $1.79 to $22.95.

12:00 EDT Capital Senior Living rises 8.7% - Capital Senior Living is up 8.7%, or $2.52 to $31.51.

11:26 EDT CD Projekt acquires The Molasses Flood, terms not disclosed - CD Projekt announced the acquisition of U.S.-based games developer The Molasses Flood, which is known for "The Flame in the Flood" and "Drake Hollow." "We're always on the lookout for teams who make games with heart," said Adam Kicinski, President and Joint CEO, CD Projekt. "The Molasses Flood share our passion for video game development, they're experienced, quality-oriented, and have great technological insight. I'm convinced they will bring a lot of talent and determination to the Group." The Molasses Flood will be working in close cooperation with CD Projekt Red, but will keep their current identity and will not be merged with existing teams. The studio will be working on its own ambitious project which is based on one of CD Projekt's IPs. Details about the project will be announced in the future.

11:13 EDT Xiaobia Maimai Inc (ADR) trading halted, volatility trading pause

11:00 EDT Cleveland-Cliffs CEO not changing guidance, sees prices offsetting cost pressure - Asked by a Morgan Stanley analyst Carlos De Alba on the company's earnings call about expectations for cost and EBITDA in the fourth quarter, Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves responded: "I'm not changing my guidance at this point because that's another fool's exercise. You change the guidance and you set yourself for failure. So I got that. So not changing anything." Asked further if it is fair to say that the price increases he expects will more than offset the cost pressures, Goncalves said, according to a call transcript: "They will more than offset. They will more than offset Okay. I'll give a few indications. Our steel plate business, for example, which we have already renegotiated with all the clients, they are increasing between 2021, 2022 price-wise, 100%. In other words, we are doubling the price of our steel plate. So because the costs are not increased, not even fairly close. So it's a fraction of that. So we're going to have a meaningful bigger contribution from steel plate. Another one that I will give to you, electrical steels... So we are heading to next year with much higher prices in the electrical steels, a full order book, and we are privileging the clients that were with us during the time that others were importing... So the pricing equation for us has very little to do with this thing of the spot prices of hot-rolled that went down $5 yesterday or went up $2 today. We don't care about that, to be honest with you. We are contract business type of operation. And we are always looking 12 months ahead, not necessarily calendar year comes, but 12 months ahead."

10:40 EDT Nintendo delays 'Advance Wars' remake to Spring 2022 - Nintendo announced via Twitter that upcoming Switch game "Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp," which was set to launch on December 3, 2021, has been delayed to Spring 2022. "The game just needs a little more time for fine tuning," Nintendo said. "You'll be battling with Andy & friends soon! Thanks for your patience." Reference Link

10:22 EDT 'GTA: The Trilogy' out for Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox consoles on November 11 - Take-Two's (TTWO) Rockstar Games confirmed that "Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition," a collection of remastered games in the "GTA" series, will launch on November 11, 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4 (SONY), PS5, Xbox One (MSFT), Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch (NTDOY). The collection will be priced at $59.99. Reference Link

10:03 EDT Q2, NYDIG say U.S. financial institutions to launch bitcoin trading solution - Q2 Holdings and NYDIG announced Five Star Bank and UNIFY Financial Credit Union as the first financial institutions in the U.S. to enable their banking clients and members to buy, sell and hold bitcoin, powered by NYDIG. With the integration of NYDIG into the Q2 Digital Banking Platform, leveraging Q2's Innovation Studio, banks and credit unions can now provide bitcoin services to their customers and members, while helping to overcome barriers such as wallets and key management. By leveraging NYDIG's Bitcoin platform, Q2's financial institution clients will be able to provide their account holders with integrated bitcoin services and further drive end-user acquisition, retention, and engagement, while increasing fee revenue opportunities. The collaboration extends NYDIG's secure, regulated Bitcoin platform to Q2's extensive customer base with more than 18 million end users. Using the Q2 Innovation Studio and Q2's modern, best-in-breed open-architecture Digital Banking Platform, traditional financial institutions now have the ability to seamlessly add Bitcoin services to their existing capabilities on the Q2 Digital Banking Platform.

10:00 EDT U.S. Xpress Enterprises falls -13.3% - U.S. Xpress Enterprises is down -13.3%, or -$1.23 to $8.05.

10:00 EDT Snap falls -22.4% - Snap is down -22.4%, or -$16.79 to $58.32.

10:00 EDT Cleveland-Cliffs rises 6.9% - Cleveland-Cliffs is up 6.9%, or $1.47 to $22.63.

09:58 EDT Biofrontera receives FDA approval of BF-RhodoLED XL lamp - Biofrontera announced the approval of the new red-light source for photodynamic therapy, the BF-RhodoLED XL, by the U.S. FDA. In accordance with FDA requirements, the approval was granted as a combination approval with the prescription drug Ameluz, same as the approval with the predecessor model BF-RhodoLED. The new, larger BF-RhodoLED XL was approved in combination with Ameluz for the treatment of mild and moderate actinic keratoses on the face and scalp, which corresponds to the current approval of Ameluz. The new PDT lamp enables the illumination of larger areas, enabling the simultaneous treatment of several actinic keratoses distant from each other.

09:47 EDT X Financial falls -6.4% - X Financial is down -6.4%, or -39c to $5.70.

09:47 EDT Snap falls -21.7% - Snap is down -21.7%, or -$16.31 to $58.80.

09:47 EDT BlackSky rises 5.0% - BlackSky is up 5.0%, or 50c to $10.46.

09:40 EDT JPMorgan, Paymentus partner to launch Digital Bill Payment - J.P. Morgan (JPM) announced the launch of Digital Bill Payment, powered by Paymentus (PAY). With Paymentus, the firm will equip businesses with a single, modern platform for customer engagement, bill presentment and payments. The companies said, "Businesses expect their payments partners to offer modern and fast integrated receivables capabilities, such as Digital Bill Payment, and requests for these types of solutions accelerated in the last 18 months. This solution is part of the firm's efforts to help clients digitize the entire receivables journey-via new innovations like request to pay and upcoming solutions aimed at automating the acceptance of virtual card payments." Reference Link

09:30 EDT Digital World Acquisition Corporation (Class A Stock) trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:26 EDT Custodian Ventures calls My Size lawsuit 'baseless' - Custodian Ventures, as the largest stockholder of My Size prior to the Company's recent dilutive transaction, with an ownership interest of approximately 9.99% of the Company's outstanding shares, commented on the lawsuit filed by MYSZ on October 20, 2021 to prevent Custodian Ventures from nominating director candidates and running an election contest at the Company's 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. As a reminder, on May 12, 2021, Custodian Ventures nominated four independent candidates for election to replace all four members of the MYSZ Board of Directors at the Company's next Annual Meeting. David Lazar, CEO of Custodian Ventures, stated: "The lawsuit filed by MYSZ is baseless and we intend on vigorously defending ourselves. This action appears to be a blatant entrenchment maneuver intended to disenfranchise Custodian Ventures and insulate Ronen Luzon and his boardroom allies, who have demonstrated a flagrant disregard for stockholders and their rights for years. We contend that the incumbent Board has irreparably impugned its credibility by weaponizing litigation in an attempt to silence a sizable stockholder and undermine corporate democracy. We urge stockholders not to be misled by this latest effort by MYSZ to distract stockholders from the reality that this Board: has overseen a Company whose stock price has declined by a staggering 98.7% since MYSZ was listed on Nasdaq in July 2016; issued nearly 20% of the Company's then outstanding shares in a dilutive May 2021 transaction that appears to have had no bona fide business purpose other than to "buy the vote" in advance of a potential election contest with Custodian Ventures by putting the shares in the hands of a Shoshana Zigdon, a former insider whose husband Yitzhak Zigdon has been reported as having been closely involved in the business as well and who at one point had an Interpol listing saying he is wanted by the United States on charges of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud and mail fraud; refused to produce any documents substantiating the legitimacy of the Zigdon transaction and instead used the Company's finite resources to apparently give the Company's external counsel carte blanche approval to erect roadblocks to our legitimate information requests under Delaware law; and failed to hold the Annual Meeting within thirteen months of its prior annual meeting and in violation of the Company's historical practice and statutorily required timeframe, forcing Custodian Ventures to file suit in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware on September 22, 2021 to protect stockholder rights and compel MYSZ to promptly hold the Annual Meeting for the election of directors. We believe stockholders should be equally alarmed that the Board is wasting the Company's finite resources on under-handed efforts to harm Custodian Ventures and thwart a fair, open election contest. Fortunately for stockholders, we will not allow the Board to use scorched-earth litigation and reputational attacks as a means of escaping accountability and remain fully committed to offering stockholders the opportunity to vote for sorely-needed change at this year's Annual Meeting. It is our belief that with a reconstituted and independent Board at the helm, there remains tremendous value that can ultimately be unlocked at MYSZ."

09:24 EDT Theratechnologies announces publication highlighting SORT1+ technology - Theratechnologies announced the publication of a peer-reviewed article demonstrating that the Company's novel investigational peptide-drug conjugates TH1902 and TH1904, derived from its SORT1+ Technology, are effective in inhibiting vasculogenic mimicry in in vitro ovarian and triple negative breast cancer models. The article was published in the science journal Frontiers in Oncology and is titled "New Peptide-Drug Conjugates for Precise Targeting of SORT1-Mediated Vasculogenic Mimicry in the Tumor Microenvironment of TNBC-Derived MDA-MB-231 Breast and Ovarian ES-2 Clear Cell Carcinoma Cells." The article is the first to report that SORT1 plays a key role in VM formation and highlights the novel results from preclinical models evaluating the efficient inhibitory properties of TH1902 and TH1904 against VM in in vitro ovarian and TNBC cell models. These results further support the expectation that TH1902 and TH1904 may alter the VM process by bringing anticancer drugs, like docetaxel and doxorubicin, into SORT1-positive cancer cells.

09:08 EDT Beyond Meat sinks 14% to $93 after cutting Q3 sales outlook

09:05 EDT Tompkins Financial increases quarterly dividend 5.6% to 57c per share - Tompkins Financial announced that its board of directors approved payment of a regular quarterly cash dividend of 57c per share, payable on November 15 to common shareholders of record on November 2. The dividend amount represents an increase of 3c or 5.6% over the dividend paid in Q3.

09:03 EDT Lightspeed expands Lightspeed Capital program in U.S. - Lightspeed announced the expansion of its popular Lightspeed Capital program. This expansion means the Lightspeed Capital program is now available to eligible U.S. customers along with recently integrated merchants from the acquisitions of Upserve, ShopKeep, and Vend. This latest expansion increases the portion of Lightspeed's merchant customer base to whom the offering is available by approximately 40%. Lightspeed currently anticipates further expanding the offering to retail and hospitality customers in APAC by the end of 2021.

09:01 EDT Alteryx acquires Lore IO, terms not disclosed - Alteryx announced that it has acquired Silicon Valley-based Lore IO, a no-code AI-enabled data modeling platform that rapidly deploys analytics that adapt easily within a changing business environment. The acquisition of Lore IO provides Alteryx with the talent and technical know-how to leverage cloud-native, elastic compute within Alteryx Designer Cloud and Alteryx Machine Learning, allowing customers to analyze large datasets for actionable self-service insights.

08:53 EDT Rogers says has not yet received any documentation from Edward Rogers - The company said, "Rogers Communications is responding to last night's announcement by the Company's former Chairman Edward Rogers that he intends to remove the majority of the independent directors of Rogers Communications (RCI) and replace them with nominees of the Rogers Control Trust through a written resolution without convening a meeting of shareholders. The Company is not aware of this mechanism ever having been utilized in respect of a public company in Canada. Directors of public companies are invariably removed at meetings of shareholders that are convened after proper notice and disclosure has been provided to all shareholders, and they have had an opportunity to consider the information and make an informed decision. This process generally takes several months or happens at the company's annual meeting. The Company is concerned that its controlling shareholder, the Rogers Control Trust, would seek to make such a fundamental change to the Company's independent governance framework in this unprecedented manner. At this time, the Company has not received any documentation or resolution from Mr. Rogers or the Rogers Control Trust with respect to this matter. If and when received, the Company will consult with its counsel regarding the legality of this course of action. The Company's CEO, Joe Natale, and management team remain steadfast in their commitment to driving the performance of the business and executing on the proposed merger with Shaw (SJR)."

08:32 EDT Helbiz to deploy fleet of e-scooters, e-bikes in Flint - Helbiz announced that it will deploy a fleet of its e-scooters and e-bikes in Flint, Michigan after securing a two-year permit. The vehicles will be powered by Kuhmute, a universal micro-mobility charging network based in Flint that increases reliability and improves efficiency among shared electric devices.

08:30 EDT Ocular Therapeutix trading resumes

08:21 EDT Sierra Bancorp announces 1M share repurchase program - Sierra Bancorp announced that its board of directors has approved a new share repurchase program authorizing the company to repurchase up to 1M shares of its outstanding common stock, from time to time, commencing after the current blackout period ends and continuing until October 31, 2022. This share repurchase program replaces and supersedes the prior share repurchase program.

08:16 EDT Ocular Therapeutix announces OTX-CSI trial did not meet primary endpoint - Ocular Therapeutix announced topline results from its Phase 2 clinical trial of OTX-CSI for the treatment of dry eye disease, or DED. The Phase 2, U.S.-based, randomized, double-masked, multi-center, vehicle-controlled clinical trial of OTX-CSI was designed to evaluate safety, tolerability, durability, and efficacy of two different formulations of OTX-CSI by measuring signs and symptoms of DED in 140 subjects treated in both eyes over approximately 16 weeks. In the Phase 2 clinical trial, OTX-CSI was administered to 147 subjects with DED at 15 sites in the U.S. The four groups evaluated in this study were: OTX-CSI for a shorter duration, OTX-CSI for a longer duration, vehicle insert for a longer duration and vehicle insert for a very short duration. The study did not show separation between the OTX-CSI treated subjects and the vehicle treated subjects for the primary endpoint of increased tear production at 12 weeks as measured by the Schirmer's Test. Change from baseline in mean Schirmer's Test scores for the four groups were as follows: OTX-CSI F1: 1.98 mm, OTX-CSI F2a: 1.91 mm, Vehicle F2b: 2.24 mm and Vehicle F3: 3.08 mm. The study did show an improvement compared with baseline in signs of dry eye disease as measured by total corneal fluorescein staining, or CFS, and symptoms of dry eye disease as measured by the visual analogue scale, or VAS, eye dryness in subjects treated with the OTX-CSI insert starting as early as two weeks after insertion and continuing over the 12 weeks study period. These improvements were not statistically significant compared with vehicle insert for either CFS or VAS eye dryness at 12 weeks. Overall, the OTX-CSI insert was generally observed to have a favorable safety profile and was well tolerated. There were no ocular serious adverse events. No subjects dropped out of the trial due to an adverse event. The most common ocular adverse event was ocular pruritis which was seen in less than 16% of subjects. The adverse events of ocular discomfort or pain were seen in less than 3% of subjects. The most common non-ocular event was COVID-19 and was seen in 3% of subjects.

08:11 EDT CEL-SCI completes expansion of dedicated Multikine cGMP manufacturing facility - CEL-SCI announced it has completed the expansion of its existing dedicated Multikine cGMP manufacturing facility. The expansion was undertaken in anticipation of filing a biologics license application, or BLA, which, if approved, will allow Multikine produced in the facility to be commercially distributed. The construction, which began in 2020, expanded the facility and added various upgrades to ensure it will be in compliance with all requirements of the FDA's Current Good Manufacturing Practice, or GMP, regulations. The facility's production capacity has been doubled to meet anticipated market demand for Multikine once it is licensed. The renovations also anticipate that additional personnel will be required to staff a second manufacturing shift to meet the eventual market demand for Multikine. Following an $11M investment to increase production, CEL-SCI staff recently moved back into the renovated facility.

08:08 EDT Apollo Global invest $824M supporting NextEra's acquisition in 2.5GW portfolio - Apollo (APO) today announced that funds managed by its affiliates have agreed to invest $824M in a convertible equity portfolio financing agreement with NextEra Energy Partners (NEP) in a 2.5 GW renewable energy generation portfolio. The Apollo Funds committed to the investment as part of the sale of 50% of the Portfolio from NextEra Energy Resources, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy (NEE), to NextEra Energy Partners. The Portfolio, which is expected to be operational at the time of funding, consists of 13 utility-scale wind and solar assets, three of which include battery storage, that are diversified across US power markets. The assets have in place long-term power purchase agreements with diversified, investment-grade counterparties. NextEra, one of the largest global renewable energy producers, will provide asset management and O&M services to the portfolio, aligning Apollo with a world-class operating partner and building on the Firm's growing activity within its infrastructure investing platform. "At Apollo, we have been actively investing in the clean energy transition through our infrastructure platform and are pleased to invest in this blue-chip portfolio of wind and solar assets, which are supported by long term contracts with investment grade counterparties," said Geoff Strong, Apollo Senior Partner and Co-Head of Infrastructure and Natural Resources. "We are thrilled to work with NextEra Energy, one of the world's leading renewable energy companies, in an innovative transaction that matches our differentiated sources of capital with NextEra's broader growth initiatives in the sector. As we laid out in our recent Investor Day, we believe our infrastructure platform is uniquely positioned to scale and will be an important driver of our growth story, and this transaction showcases our unique capabilities in this sector."

08:07 EDT Palisade Bio announces sale of Seneca asset NSI-189 for $400,000 upfront - Palisade Bio announces that an early exercise option has led to the acquisition of the Seneca asset NSI-189, a neurogenic compound which was part of Seneca Biopharma's product portfolio at the time of the merger to form Palisade Bio and which is part of the Contingent Value Rights issued to the pre-merger Seneca shareholders. Prior to the merger Seneca had exclusively out-licensed the NSI-189 program with a 3-year exercise option. Under the terms of the agreement to acquire NSI-189, the purchaser will pay an upfront cash payment of approximately $400,000 with up to an additional $4.5M contingent on certain clinical development milestones or a subsequent license or sale of the asset by the purchaser within a certain period.

08:05 EDT Aadi Bioscience announces publication of phase 2 AMPECT trial - Aadi Bioscience announced the publication of "nab-Sirolimus for Patients with Malignant Perivascular Epithelioid Cell Tumors", detailing its AMPECT study of investigational ABI-009 in the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Journal of Clinical Oncology. The authors concluded that investigational nab-sirolimus, if approved, may represent an important new treatment option in malignant PEComa, a rare cancer and aggressive form of sarcoma, with no currently approved treatment. The content of the publication included the primary analysis, which occurred 6 months after the last patient on the AMPECT study initiated treatment, as well as a 1.5-year follow-up after the primary analysis with a data cutoff of November 23, 2020. In the 31 evaluable patients, the overall independently assessed response rate was 39% with 1 complete and 11 partial responses. In addition, 52% of patients had stable disease. The responses were durable and median duration of response was not reached after a median follow-up for response of 2.5 years, and 7 of 12 responders with treatment ongoing. Responses were of rapid onset. The safety profile was found to be acceptable with most treatment-related adverse events characterized as low grade and manageable for long-term treatment. A New Drug Application for investigational ABI-009 is under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treatment of patients with PEComa and has a Prescription Drug User Fee Action target date of November 26, 2021. If approved, ABI-009 will be known as FYARRO.

08:05 EDT Agenus withdraws BLA for balstilimab, decides to discontinue BRAVA trial - Agenus announced a strategic decision to withdraw its Biologics License Application for balstilimab, its PD-1 inhibitor. The decision to withdraw the BLA does not change the development plans for balstilimab combinations. Following the full approval of pembrolizumab, announced four months earlier than the FDA goal date, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration no longer considered it appropriate to review the BLA for accelerated approval and recommended Agenus withdraw. The BLA submission for balstilimab received Fast Track and Priority Review designation from the FDA, with a target action date of December 16, 2021. As part of the BLA review process, Agenus completed 3 FDA inspections with no cited issues, concerns, or Form-483s. As previously reported, in the largest single-arm trial to date in this population, balstilimab demonstrated objective responses in both PD-L1 positive and negative patients, with an objective response rate of 20% and 8% respectively. Pembrolizumab has demonstrated an ORR of 14% and 0% in PD-L1 positive and negative patients respectively, which led to its accelerated approval in 2018. Balstilimab has shown superior killing of PD-L1 negative tumors compared to other anti PD-1 therapies, including pembrolizumab, suggesting a broader mechanism consistent with balstilimab's clinical activity in both PD-L1 positive and negative cervical cancer2. Concurrent with the withdrawal, Agenus will discontinue its ongoing confirmatory trial in this population, which is expected to reduce R&D expenses by over $100M. However, given the clinical benefit demonstrated by balstilimab, Agenus plans to launch expanded access programs to give patients and doctors access to balstilimab in several countries, including the US, pending regulatory processes.

08:03 EDT NextEra Energy Partners to acquire 50% interest in 2,520-MW renewables portfolio - NextEra Energy Partners announced that it has entered into an agreement with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, to acquire a 50% interest in an approximately 2,520-MW renewables portfolio. In conjunction with the acquisition, NextEra Energy Partners has also entered into an approximately $824 million convertible equity portfolio financing with Apollo Global Management. Jim Robo, chairman and CEO, said, "The acquisition of the high-quality, long-term contracted renewable energy assets extends the partnership's geographic footprint into three new states and expands its ownership of battery storage assets, which would total nearly 90 megawatts at close. Additionally, the convertible equity portfolio financing we are announcing today is the lowest cost in the partnership's history, with a more than 250 basis points lower implied return to the investor in the buyout price than the first iterations of the structure in 2018 and early 2019. This significant access to low-cost capital and access to NextEra Energy Resources' industry-leading renewables portfolio enables NextEra Energy Partners to be uniquely positioned to take advantage of the clean energy transformation and meet its long-term growth objectives." The contracted renewables portfolio of wind, solar and solar-plus-storage assets has a strong and diverse mix of investment-grade counterparties and cash available for distribution- weighted remaining contract life of approximately 19 years. NextEra Energy Partners expects to close the acquisition later this year or in early 2022, subject to customary closing conditions and receipt of certain regulatory approvals.

07:55 EDT Ocular Therapeutix trading halted, news pending

07:35 EDT Algoma announces addition of six new directors to the board - Algoma Steel Group (ASTL) announced the addition of six new directors to its Board following the closing of Algoma's business combination with Legato Merger Corp. (LEGO). The new directors expand the range of expertise offered, and underscore Algoma's commitment to bringing diverse perspectives and experience to the boardroom that reflect the broader interests of Algoma stakeholders. In connection with the Transaction, in addition to Andrew Harshaw, Andrew Schultz and Michael McQuade, new directors Mary Anne Bueschkens, Gale Rubenstein, and James Gouin were added to Algoma's board. Former Legato representatives David Sgro and Eric Rosenfeld and former Legato chairman Brian Pratt also joined the Algoma board on the closing of the Transaction. All of the Algoma directors, other than Mr. McQuade, Algoma's CEO, are independent. Bueschkens is a globally experienced business executive, attorney and board member. She has held progressive roles as General Counsel, President, CEO, and Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors and member of the Nominating and Governance Committee of ABC Technologies. Ms. Rubenstein has spent the last 40 years of her career with Goodmans LLP, including as a partner in the firm since 1986. Gouin served as President, Chief Executive Officer, and a member of the board of directors of Tower International, a global manufacturer of engineered automotive products from 2017 until the sale of Tower in 2019. Sgro is a Managing Director of Crescendo Partners, L.P., an investment firm, and Director of Research of Jamarant Advisors. Mr. Rosenfeld has been the president and CEO of Crescendo Partners, L.P., an investment firm, since 1998. Pratt served as Chairman of Primoris Services Corp from July 2008 until May 2019 and as a Director from July 2008 to February 2020.

07:32 EDT Jushi Holdings opens 25nd BEYOND / HELLO retail location - Jushi Holdings announced the opening of its 25th retail location nationwide and its 16th BEYOND / HELLO medical marijuana dispensary in Pennsylvania through its subsidiary Franklin Bioscience - NE LLC. BEYOND / HELLO Stroudsburg will begin serving Pennsylvania medical marijuana patients and caregivers on Wednesday, October 27, 2021, at 10:00 a.m., providing a best-in-class in-store experience, coupled with the ability to make online reservations through beyond-hello.com for curbside and in-store express pickup.

07:31 EDT Avicanna completes commercial export from Colombia to Chile - Avicanna announced that, through its majority owned Colombian subsidiary, Santa Marta Golden Hemp, it has completed a commercial exports of CBD Isolate and CBD full spectrum psychoactive cannabis resin to a Chilean homeopathic and naturopathic pharmaceutical company. The Cannabis Derivatives, branded as Aureus, are cultivated, extracted, and manufactured by SMGH. In addition, for Avicanna's global input needs, SMGH also supplies other pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies with cannabinoids including CBD, THC, and rare cannabinoids such as CBG in addition to supplying global cultivation companies with standardized and feminized seeds. This new export to Chile is a recurring order and part of on-going relationship with an established homeopathic Chilean company.

07:14 EDT Roche assay receives FDA approval as a companion diagnostic to Tecentriq - Roche announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the VENTANA PD-L1 Assay in non- small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, as a companion diagnostic test for Tecentriq, "advancing the company's commitment to guide clinical decision making through innovative, high quality assays that improve patient access to personalized healthcare." The VENTANA PD-L1 Assay was used as part of the IMpower010 study sponsored by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to identify patients whose tumors expressed the PD-L1 protein. The IMpower010 clinical study began in 2015 with the goal of understanding how patients would respond to treatment with Tecentriq following traditional surgery and chemotherapy. In 2021, Genentech reported a 34% reduction in the risk of disease recurrence or death amongst Tecentriq patients whose tumors were shown to express PD-L1 protein.

07:12 EDT Electric Last Mile Solutions announces key hires - Electric Last Mile Solutions (ELMS) announced recent key hires across connected car, parts and service, engineering, supply chain, sales and finance as the Company ramps up production of its all-electric Urban Delivery Class 1 vehicle. Benjamin Hawthorne joins ELMS as Vice President, Strategic Planning; Adam Schabel as Vice President, Supply Chain; Brandon Anulewicz as Vice President, Sales; Timothy Maly as Director, Parts and Service; Qiang Mei as Director, eDrive and Power Electronics and Sam Lee as Director, Investor Relations. These new additions bring decades of auto, tech and finance experience from notable companies including Intel, General Motors, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Whirlpool and Lear. Before ELMS, Hawthorne was the Finance Director within Intel Corporation's (INTC) Internet of Things Group. In recent roles, Schabel served as Director of Material, Planning and Logistics in Europe and U.S. Purchasing Director for Tower International. In his most recent role, Anulewicz led a key customer business unit account at Joyson Safety Systems as Global Sales Executive Director. Maly was Vice President of Engineering at Certus Automotive and spent eight years at Key Safety Systems, where he was a Global Director of Advanced Sales and Marketing. Before ELMS, Mei worked at General Motors (GM) for four years in electrical drive system integration and motor control collaboration. Before ELMS, Lee worked at CorePoint Lodging (CPLG), a publicly traded REIT as the Director of Investments.

07:07 EDT American Express reports Q3 Global Merchant, Network Services net income $529M - The company said, "Global Merchant and Network Services reported third-quarter pretax income of $529 million, compared with $326 million a year ago. Total revenues net of interest expense were $1.3 billion, up 28 percent from $1.0 billion a year ago. The rise reflected an increase in network volumes compared to the prior year. Total expenses were $779 million, up 13 percent from $691 million a year ago, driven by higher marketing investments. Corporate and Other reported a third-quarter pretax loss of $285 million, compared with a pretax loss of $359 million a year ago."

07:05 EDT Aslan Pharmaceuticals announces scientific collaboration for ASLAN04 biomarkers - ASLAN Pharmaceuticals announced a collaboration with renowned inflammatory skin disease expert Dr Emma Guttman-Yassky, MD PhD, to conduct research that will continue throughout ASLAN's Phase 2b program to identify and characterize the effects of ASLAN004 on disease-associated skin and serum-biomarkers in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. In the study, Dr Guttman-Yassky and her team will be evaluating a complex cadre of skin and serum biomarkers, including those from the T helper 2 and Th22 inflammatory pathways, known to play a critical role in the inflammation that is characteristic of AD. The study aims to provide insight into the cellular and molecular mechanisms of ASLAN004 that may correlate with clinical efficacy, by identifying the key biomarkers and pathways altered by ASLAN004 during the treatment period. Dr Karen Veverka, Vice President, Medical, ASLAN Pharmaceuticals, said: "We are fortunate to be collaborating with Dr Guttman-Yassky and her team for our Phase 2b trial of ASLAN004 in moderate-to-severe AD patients and we expect to enroll the first patient in this study later this quarter. Advancing our knowledge about the effects of ASLAN004 in patients, while developing a deeper understanding of its differentiation versus other pathway-specific treatments, is an important next step in our development of ASLAN004 as a potential best-in-class, novel treatment option."

07:04 EDT American Express reports Q3 Global Consumer Services Group net income $1.5B - The company said, "Global Consumer Services Group reported third-quarter pretax income of $1.5 billion, compared with $1.1 billion a year ago. Total revenues net of interest expense were $6.4 billion, up 21 percent from $5.3 billion a year ago. The rise primarily reflected an increase in Card Member spending compared to the prior year. Provisions for credit losses resulted in a benefit of $126 million, primarily reflecting a portion of the previously mentioned reserve releases and lower net write-offs, compared with a provision expense of $411 million a year ago. Total expenses were $5.0 billion, up 34 percent from $3.8 billion a year ago. The increase primarily reflected higher customer engagement costs due to a rise in Card Member spending, higher marketing investments to continue building growth momentum, and higher usage of travel-related Card Member benefits."

07:04 EDT VF Corp. says majority of supply chain is currently operational - The company said, "To help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and in response to public health advisories and governmental actions and regulations, VF has modified its business practices, including the temporary closing of offices and retail stores, instituting travel bans and restrictions and implementing health and safety measures including social distancing and quarantines. The majority of VF's supply chain is currently operational. Suppliers are complying with local public health advisories and governmental restrictions which has resulted in isolated product delays. The resurgence of COVID-19 lockdowns in key sourcing countries has resulted in additional manufacturing capacity constraints during the second quarter. Additionally, continued port congestion, equipment availability and other logistics challenges have contributed to increasing product delays. VF is working with its suppliers to minimize disruption and is employing expedited freight as needed. VF's distribution centers are operational in accordance with local government guidelines while maintaining enhanced health and safety protocols. In North America, no stores were closed during second quarter. Currently, all stores are open. In the EMEA region, no stores were closed during second quarter. Currently, all stores are open. In the APAC region, including Mainland China, 5% of stores were closed at the beginning of the second quarter. Stores have since re-opened and nearly all stores are open at the end of the quarter. VF is continuing to monitor the COVID-19 outbreak globally and will comply with guidance from government entities and public health authorities to prioritize the health and well-being of its employees, customers, trade partners and consumers. As COVID-19 uncertainty continues, VF expects ongoing disruption to its business operations."

07:03 EDT Genetron Shanghai Fosun - Genetron (GTH) announced that it has entered into an exclusive agreement with Jiangsu Fosun Pharmaceutical Sales, a subsidiary of Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (SFOSF), to commercialize Seq-MRD, a molecular diagnostic assay for the detection of minimal residual disease in patients suffering from select hematologic cancers. The partnership marks the launch of Genetron Health's first product for hematologic cancer and MRD detection in the China market. Under the agreement, Genetron Health and Jiangsu Fosun Pharma will work exclusively together to co-market and co-promote Seq-MRD in hematologic-focused hospitals and clinics across designated territories in China. Both parties intend to serve patients afflicted by lymphoid malignancies, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia, multiple myeloma, and chronic lymphoid leukemia. "We are thrilled to enter into this exclusive strategic partnership with Fosun Pharma, a leading global pharmaceutical company, to market our innovative Seq-MRD assay product and further its clinical applications in China. This product has been optimized with our One-step Seq technology, and has received positive feedback from our biopharma partners during clinical trials," said Sizhen Wang, Co-founder and CEO of Genetron Health. "MRD is an emerging field that is being closely watched by global scientific research institutes, clinicians, and diagnostic companies. In addition to hematologic cancer, Genetron is committed to developing MRD for solid tumor. We look forward to sharing more updates in the near future."

07:01 EDT Roper reaches agreement to sell its CIVCO Radiotherapy business for $120M - Roper Technologies announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to sell its CIVCO Radiotherapy business to an affiliate of Blue Wolf Capital Partners, a private equity firm, in an all-cash transaction valued at $120M. Roper will retain its CIVCO Medical Solutions business, which will continue to operate independently. Roper retained William Blair as a financial advisor in connection with this transaction. Roper expects the transaction to close in the Q4, subject to customary closing conditions.

06:58 EDT 23andMe acquires Lemonaid Health for $400M - 23andMe announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement with Lemonaid Health, an on-demand platform for accessing medical care and pharmacy services online. Under the merger agreement, the purchase price is $400M, of which 25% will be paid in cash and 75% in shares of 23andMe Class A Common Stock. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of 2021. The acquisition adds Lemonaid Health's innovative telemedicine and prescription drug delivery services to 23andMe's consumer business. Paul Johnson, CEO and Co-Founder of Lemonaid Health, will become the General Manager of the 23andMe consumer business, and in that role, will continue to run the Lemonaid Health services. Ian Van Every, Managing Director, U.K. and Co-Founder of Lemonaid Health, will manage and grow operations in the U.K.

06:52 EDT Schlumberger CEO expects to close 2021 with 'strong momentum' - Schlumberger CEO Olivier Le Peuch commented, "Looking ahead, we anticipate another quarter of growth, and expect to close 2021 with strong momentum that will set the foundation for an exceptional growth cycle. The industry macro fundamentals have visibly strengthened this year, particularly in recent weeks-with demand recovery, oil and gas commodity prices at recent highs, low inventory levels, and encouraging trends in pandemic containment efforts. Absent a recession or pandemic-related setback, these favorable conditions are expected to materially drive investment over the next few years-particularly internationally-and result in exceptional multiyear capital spending growth globally, both on land and offshore. As the market leader, we have an advantaged position from which to capture this growth given our technology, integration capability, and international strength, with our core poised for activity and earnings outperformance. In this context and given our financial outperformance at this point in the cycle, we are increasingly confident in achieving our mid-cycle adjusted EBITDA margin ambition of 25% or higher and sustaining a double-digit free cash flow margin throughout the cycle."

06:49 EDT IAA to acquire SYNETIQ Ltd. for GBP 225M - IAA announced it has signed an agreement to acquire the stock of SYNETIQ Ltd, an integrated salvage and vehicle dismantling company in the United Kingdom, for GBP 225M. IAA will acquire the stock of SYNETIQ through its indirect wholly owned subsidiary IAA International Holdings Limited. SYNETIQ has 14 locations and approximately 500 employees throughout the United Kingdom. The business has capabilities covering the entire salvage journey, from collection to vehicle auction or dismantling, and optimizes vehicle value through parts and material recycling. For the 12 months ended September 30, 2021, the business generated revenue of approximately GBP 154M. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to earnings per share. Closing is expected to occur by the end of October. IAA and SYNETIQ will continue to operate independently in the market until clearance of the transaction is obtained from the CMA.

06:46 EDT Merck: EC approves KEYTRUDA plus chemotherapy for treatment of TNBC - Merck announced that the European Commission has approved KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, in combination with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of locally recurrent unresectable or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer in adults whose tumors express PD-L1 and who have not received prior chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive type of breast cancer. This represents KEYTRUDA's first approval in Europe in a breast cancer setting.

06:17 EDT Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 2.1M shares of Skillz on Thursday

06:09 EDT Lyft reports 1,807 sexual assaults, four fatal assaults in 2019 - Lyft released its first-ever safety report on sexual and physical assaults, fatal accidents and other serious incidents showing 1,807 sexual assaults occurred during Lyft rides in 2019, a 64% increase from 2017. The company, which also reported four people killed during physical assaults and 49 killed during car crashes, said safety has improved overall because of the increase in the number of rides. Reference Link

05:20 EDT Ericsson receives DOJ correspondence stating it has breached DPA - On December 6, 2019, Ericsson entered into a deferred prosecution agreement, or DPA, with the United States Department of Justice, or DOJ. Ericsson has received correspondence from the DOJ stating that it has determined that Ericsson breached its obligations under the DPA by failing to provide certain documents and factual information, and that Ericsson will have the opportunity to respond in writing to explain the nature and circumstances of such breach, as well as the actions Ericsson has taken to address and remediate the situation. At this stage it is premature to predict the outcome of these developments. DOJ has sole discretion under the DPA to determine whether a breach occurred. Ericsson intends to respond to DOJ and to continue cooperating with DOJ consistent with the terms of the DPA, including requirements regarding production of documents.

05:14 EDT Regeneron, Sanofi announce Dupixent trial met primary and secondary endpoints - Regeneron (REGN) and Sanofi (SNY) positive pivotal Phase 3 results from a trial evaluating Dupixent in adults with uncontrolled prurigo nodularis, a chronic type 2 inflammatory skin disease that causes extreme itch and skin lesions. The trial met its primary and all key secondary endpoints, showing that Dupixent significantly reduced itch and skin lesions compared to placebo in this investigational setting. The impact of uncontrolled prurigo nodularis on quality of life is one of the highest among inflammatory skin diseases with intense, chronic itch. In the Phase 3 PRIME2 trial, topline results comparing Dupixent to placebo showed: 37% of Dupixent patients experienced a clinically meaningful reduction in itch from baseline compared to 22% of placebo patients at week 12, the primary endpoint. At week 24, nearly three times as many Dupixent patients experienced a clinically meaningful reduction in itch from baseline: 58% of Dupixent patients compared to 20% of placebo patients. At week 24, nearly three times as many Dupixent patients achieved clear or almost clear skin: 45% of Dupixent patients compared to 16% of placebo patients. Dupixent patients experienced significantly greater improvements in measures of health-related quality of life, skin pain and symptoms of anxiety and depression. The safety results of the trial were generally consistent with the known safety profile of Dupixent in its approved indications. The occurrences of treatment-emergent adverse events were generally similar between Dupixent and placebo groups. Rates of conjunctivitis and herpes viral infections were similar to what was previously observed in atopic dermatitis trials, and there was a numerically lower rate of skin infections observed with Dupixent. Additionally, 3% of Dupixent patients and 30% of placebo patients discontinued prior to week 24. An additional trial in the LIBERTY-PN PRIME clinical program, PRIME, is fully enrolled. PRIME has a similar trial design and is expected to read out in in the first half of 2022. Regeneron and Sanofi plan to begin regulatory submissions in 2022. The potential use of Dupixent in prurigo nodularis is currently under clinical development, and the safety and efficacy have not been fully evaluated by any regulatory authority.