Stockwinners Market Radar for October 25, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

16:25 EDT KAR Auction hires James Coyle as Chief Digital Officer - KAR Auction has hired James Coyle as Chief Digital Officer. Coyle was most recently the CEO at RealSelf, a digital marketplace connecting consumers with physicians for medical and cosmetic procedures. Prior to that, Coyle was the chief customer officer at Varsity Tutors.

16:23 EDT AstraZeneca's IMFINZI combo met primary endpoint in Phase III trial - Positive high-level results from the TOPAZ-1 Phase III trial showed AstraZeneca's IMFINZI, in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy, demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful overall survival benefit versus chemotherapy alone as a 1st-line treatment for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer. At a predefined interim analysis, the Independent Data Monitoring Committee concluded that the trial met the primary endpoint by demonstrating an improvement in OS in patients treated with IMFINZI plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone. The combination also demonstrated an improvement in progression-free survival and overall response rate, key secondary endpoints. IMFINZI plus chemotherapy was well tolerated, had a similar safety profile versus the comparator arm and did not increase the discontinuation rate due to adverse events compared to chemotherapy alone.

16:19 EDT Rand Capital CEO Allen Grum to retire effective December 1st - Rand Capital announced that Allen F. "Pete" Grum, President and CEO of Rand, intends to retire effective December 1, 2021. Mr. Grum will remain as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company and has been appointed Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the company effective December 1, 2021. As a result of Mr. Grum's pending retirement, the Board of Directors has appointed Daniel Penberthy, Executive Vice President, Treasurer, CFO and Secretary of the Company, to serve as President and CEO of the Company effective December 1, 2021. In addition, Margaret Brechtel, Vice President of Finance, will succeed Mr. Penberthy as Executive Vice President, Treasurer, CFO and Secretary of the Company, also effective December 1, 2021.

16:15 EDT Hess Midstream Partners raises quarterly dividend by 1.2% to 51c per share - The distribution will be payable on November 12, 2021 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 4, 2021.

16:11 EDT 4D Molecular announces interim data from 4D-310 trial - 4D Molecular announced interim clinical data from the Phase 1/2 clinical trial of intravenous 4D-310 in patients with Fabry disease. The company also provided a clinical data update from the on-going Phase 1/2 clinical trial of 4D-110 in patients with choroideremia. The data described are from the ongoing Phase 1/2 dose-escalation and dose-expansion clinical trial assessing intravenous 4D-310, 4DMT's targeted and evolved C102 vector-based product candidate designed for a broad Fabry disease patient population. The primary endpoint of the trial is safety and tolerability. Key secondary endpoints include change from baseline in serum AGA activity and serum lyso-Gb3. The data cutoff date was October 12. As of the data cut-off date, three patients with Fabry disease were enrolled, with post-treatment follow-up ranging from six weeks to six months. These patients were enrolled in the 1E13 vg/kg cohort, the lower of two planned dose escalation cohorts: 1E13 vg/kg and 3E13 vg/kg. Prior to dose-escalation, the trial is designed to allow enrollment of an additional 6 patients in the 1E13 vg/kg dose cohort. An oral corticosteroid prophylaxis taper was administered over 10 weeks post-dosing. All three patients currently enrolled are patients with classic Fabry disease, defined as having AGA activity less than 5% of mean normal in peripheral blood white cells and having one or more clinical characteristics such as acroparesthesia, hypohidrosis, angiokeratoma or cornea verticillata. Consistent with the classic Fabry disease phenotype, all three patients had serum AGA activity below mean normal at baseline, ranging from 0 - 0.42 nmol/hr/mL. All three patients had prior experience on enzyme replacement therapy, or ERT. Patients 1 & 3 were enrolled while receiving ERT. Patient 2 had prior experience with ERT but was not receiving ERT for 13 months prior to dosing. Consistent with prior ERT use, each patient had positive baseline anti-AGA antibody titers. Following 4D-310 infusion, mean serum AGA enzyme activity was within, or significantly above, the normal range in all three patients, despite pre-treatment anti-AGA antibody titer positivity in all patients. Lyso-Gb3 substrate concentrations in serum decreased significantly in Patient 2, who enrolled in the trial OFF-ERT and therefore with an elevated lyso-Gb3 level. Lyso-Gb3 substrate concentrations in serum remained low and stable in Patients 1 and 3 following discontinuation of ERT. 4D-310 demonstrated a manageable safety profile in all three patients. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed. No serious adverse events were reported with Patient 1 and 3, and these patients did not have either atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, or aHUS, or liver toxicity, which are the two primary class-related toxicities associated with systemically administered AAV. Patient 2 developed transient, self-limited aHUS within approximately one week following treatment and was admitted to the hospital for observation and hydration and was discharged after four days. As a result of hospitalization, this event was classified as a serious adverse event, or SAE. The patient received no complement inhibitors; kidney function recovered without further intervention Laboratory parameters improved daily throughout this observation period, and no lasting clinical sequelae resulted. Transient and asymptomatic grade 1 transaminitis was also observed in this patient at a separate and single protocol-defined timepoint. No other SAEs were reported. -110 is currently being studied in an ongoing Phase 1/2 dose escalation clinical trial in patients with choroideremia. To date, six patients with clinically advanced choroideremia have been enrolled. A standard 3+3 dose escalation design was used. Patients were enrolled in one of two dose cohorts: 3E11 vg/eye and 1E12 vg/eye. To date, at the 3E11 vg/eye dose, 4D-110 was well-tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities or serious adverse events. Initial signals of clinical activity were observed at this dose, through anatomical measurements of the retinal pigment epithelium by fundus autofluorescence area and photoreceptors by ellipsoid zone area. We expect to continue enrolling at the 3E11 vg/eye dose level. At the 1E12 vg/eye dose, pigment dispersion was observed in three patients in the 1E12 vg/eye cohort 7 to 9 months following treatment. Two cases were asymptomatic and one patient reported mild glare. In each case the investigator described this as an SAE but no hospitalization or medical intervention was initiated. We believe this pigment dispersion finding is consistent with REP1 transgene overexpression in iris pigment epithelial cells, or IPE; no association with inflammation was evident.

16:10 EDT Joby Holdings merges with and into Joby Aviation - Joby Aviation confirmed the simplification of Joby's corporate structure. Joby Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation, a former stockholder of Joby and holding company through which employees of Joby indirectly held interests in Joby stock, was merged with and into Joby earlier today. As a result of this action, stockholders of Joby Holdings were directly issued a corresponding number of shares in Joby Aviation, Inc. Simultaneously, all shares of Joby which were held by Joby Holdings were cancelled, resulting in no dilution to holders of Joby stock. None of these changes result in a change in the directors, executive officers, management or business of Joby. Immediately prior to this change, Joby Holdings held approximately 16% of the total outstanding shares of Joby.

16:09 EDT Facebook announces $50B increase in share repurchase authorization - Facebook said: "We repurchased $14.37 billion of our Class A common stock in the third quarter and had $7.97 billion remaining on our prior share repurchase authorization as of September 30, 2021. We also announced today a $50 billion increase in our share repurchase authorization."

16:07 EDT Comscore names Jon Carpenter as CFO, effective November 29 - Comscore announced the appointment of Jon Carpenter as CFO. Carpenter, who will start November 29, joins Comscore as the company continues to capitalize on the transformational marketplace opportunities and executes on its mission to shape the next generation of advanced audience and advertising measurement. Carpenter has served as CFO at Publishers Clearing House since 2016.

16:07 EDT Enterprise Financial board raised quarterly dividend 5% to 20c per share - The company's Board of Directors unanimously approved a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per common share, payable on December 31, 2021 to shareholders of record as of December 15, 2021, an increase of $0.01, or 5.0%, compared to the third quarter.

16:05 EDT Medtronic informs Aziyo of decision to cease distribution of CBM products - Aziyo Biologics (AZYO) announced that it was informed by Medtronic (MDT) that, after conducting a thorough review of customer and patient needs, Medtronic has made the decision to cease distribution of Cellular Bone Matrix, or CBM, products. As a result of this decision, the two companies are working toward a mutual termination of their FiberCel distribution agreement.

16:02 EDT Bentley Systems expands Bentley Education program - The company states: "Bentley Systems announced the global expansion of the Bentley Education program - offering seamless access to learning licenses of over 60 popular Bentley applications, at no cost, to all eligible students and educators, from middle schools through higher education levels, via the Bentley Education portal. Following on the initial May 3, 2021 announcement of the launch of Bentley Education in the pilot countries of Australia, the UK, Singapore, Lithuania, and Ireland, the program is gaining a resounding response, with more than 500,000 students and educators across many countries visiting the Bentley Education portal. Now, with global expansion, the Bentley Education program is accessible to all students and educators at middle schools, high schools, community colleges, polytechnics, institutes, and universities across the world to employ Bentley applications in their classrooms, labs, and at home."

15:38 EDT DaVita to divest three Provo-area clinics, have limits in future deals, FTC says - The Federal Trade Commission issued a proposed order imposing strict limits on future mergers by DaVita. The order follows allegations that DaVita's proposed acquisition of the University of Utah Health's dialysis clinics would reduce competition in vital outpatient dialysis services in the Provo, Utah market. Under the proposed order, DaVita is required to divest three Provo-area dialysis clinics to Sanderling Renal Services, Inc. and prohibited from entering into or enforcing non-compete agreements and other employee restrictions. The FTC investigated this case in collaboration with the Utah Attorney General's Office, the Commission noted. "The proposed order limiting future transactions marks the FTC's return to the standard use of prior approval. It was accompanied by the announcement of the agency's new Prior Approval Policy Statement putting industry on notice that the FTC's orders will once again routinely require prior approval for future transactions affecting each relevant market for which a violation was alleged, for a minimum of ten years. These actions build upon the FTC's rescission of a decades-old policy that curtailed what used to be a long-established practice of requiring merging parties subject to a Commission order to obtain prior approval," the FTC stated. Reference Link

15:02 EDT Annexon treatment of Huntington's Disease granted FDA orphan designation - According to a post on the FDA's website, Annexon's treatment of Huntington's Disease was granted orphan designation. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/opdlisting/oopd/detailedIndex.cfm?cfgridkey=843121

14:33 EDT GE Healthcare says will showcase over 15 radiation therapy solutions at ASTRO 21 - GE Healthcare announced that it will show over 15 "innovative multi-modality radiation therapy solutions" at this year's ASTRO 2021 event, "offering medical practitioners imaging tools and support they need to improve patient-centered care and advance the practice of precision medicine." Jan Makela, President & CEO, Imaging at GE Healthcare, said: "GE Healthcare aims to drive improved patient outcomes through cutting-edge multi-modality radiation therapy planning and guidance solutions. Our expertise in clinical workflows, deep learning image reconstruction and image segmentation, and precision analytics can help support the delivery of more efficient, precise and personalized care."

14:26 EDT Tesla market cap exceeds $1T after Hertz deal - Tesla's (TSLA) market capitalization briefly surpassed $1T before the price fell once again after Hertz (HTZZ) announced an order of 100,000 Tesla vehicles as part of efforts to electrify its fleet. The Fly notes that the milestone put Tesla in the rare company of other $1T market cap companies, including Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), and Microsoft (MSFT). Shares of Tesla are up 11.5% to over $1,000 in afternoon trading.

14:11 EDT S&P upgrades Netflix issuer credit rating to 'BBB' from 'BB+' - S&P Global Ratings announced that it raised its ratings on Netflix, including its issuer credit rating and issue-level ratings, to 'BBB' from 'BB+' S&P stated: "Our improved view of Netflix's cash flow prospects supports its business strength. The upgrade reflects our improved view of the company's business relative those of many of its diversified media peers (such as ViacomCBS Inc., Fox Corp., and Discovery Inc.). We now assess Netflix's business risk profile as strong. This is the same level as our assessment of Disney's business risk, though we still view Disney's overall business as more favorable due to its iconic franchises, which it monetizes across its movies, television, and theme parks. The improvement in our assessment of the company's business recognizes the progress it has made in translating its scale and strong brand into a sustainably free cash flow generative business. This is pivotal because of Netflix's need to make significant investments for programming content to keep increasing its subscriber numbers, which had led to much weaker cash flows compared to Netflix's media peers. However, as the company has continued to scale and build its content library, the expansion in its content spending has moderated. Thus, we now forecast that it will generate sustainably positive FOCF starting in 2022. This pivot to a more mature and cash generative business (with increasing operating margins and cash flow), coupled with its strong brand and global OTT leadership position, distinguish it from most of its peers that are still in the early stages of building their own scaled OTT services."

13:46 EDT Comtech 'disappointed' by Outerbridge's 'highly misleading' comments - Comtech Telecommunications confirmed receipt of a letter from Outerbridge Capital Management and has issued the following statements: "Comtech maintains regular dialogue with all investors and values their perspectives. Since June 2021, our Board and management team have attempted to engage in constructive dialogue with Outerbridge. As such, we are disappointed by Outerbridge's inaccurate and highly misleading comments regarding our recently announced $100M investment from current shareholder White Hat Capital Partners, LP and Magnetar Capital LLC. This investment meaningfully enhances our ability to execute our strategic plan for creating long-term shareholder value, as our business has increasingly required significant capital in order to pursue growing market opportunities. While Outerbridge has oversimplified Comtech's ability to rely on its $300M revolving loan facility and materially overstated both the current size and available borrowing capacity under the credit facility, the fact of the matter is that this investment more than doubles our accessible capital to achieve our strategic objectives...The proceeds of the investment will be applied to a range of initiatives to further accelerate growth and profitability, including, but not limited to: Completing the build out of Comtech's new, state-of-the-art technology centers and advanced manufacturing capabilities to better allow the Company to capture value from the increasing demand for satellite ground station infrastructure and next-generation broadband technology. Continuing to pursue the Company's robust pipeline of opportunities to capitalize on the ongoing 911 upgrade cycle across the United States. Executing on a disciplined strategy of acquiring and integrating complementary technologies and capabilities, with a focus on creating shareholder value. Additional flexibility to optimize capital allocation and our return program. In addition, in connection with this investment from White Hat and Magnetar, we announced that Mark Quinlan, who brings more than 20 years of experience in the technology space, will be joining the Board in 2022. The addition of Mr. Quinlan complements the recent addition of Judy Chambers to our Board and will increase the Board's size to seven directors, of which five will be independent. Contrary to Outerbridge's insinuation, in line with Comtech's commitment to sound corporate governance, the investment agreement with White Hat and Magnetar does not contain any voting commitment for the Company's upcoming 2021 Annual Meeting. Additionally, to correct another false statement from Outerbridge, the holders of common shares actually vote side-by-side with the holders of preferred shares, as a single class, on the election of the director candidate nominated by holders of preferred shares. We remain open to constructive dialogue with Outerbridge even as we move forward to create value for all shareholders."

13:43 EDT Fiserv announces strategic relationship with Bakkt for crypto assets - Fiserv (FISV) announced a strategic relationship with Bakkt (BKKT), stating that the "combination of expansive capabilities from Fiserv, including the ability to move funds into and out of mobile wallets, with Bakkt's digital asset platform will enable practical uses of crypto and emerging asset classes." A future integration of Bakkt into the Carat omnichannel ecosystem from Fiserv will allow businesses to pursue new options for B2B and B2C payouts, loyalty programs, and transactions, all with crypto assets accessible via a digital asset wallet, Fiserv stated. In addition to innovating on new digital capabilities for merchants, Fiserv and Bakkt plan to introduce Bakkt technology that supports consumers' ability to buy, sell, and hold crypto assets to Fiserv financial institution clients, the companies noted.

12:53 EDT CYNGN Inc trading resumes

12:50 EDT EMA says Moderna booster may be considered for people 18 and over - The European Medicines Agency's human medicines committee has concluded that a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine Spikevax from Moderna may be considered in people aged 18 years and above. "This follows data showing that a third dose of Spikevax given 6 to 8 months after the second dose led to a rise in antibody levels in adults whose antibody levels were waning. The booster dose consists of half the dose used for the primary vaccination schedule," the agency said in a statement. It added, "The risk of inflammatory heart conditions or other very rare side effects after a booster is being carefully monitored. As for all medicines, EMA will continue to look at all data on the safety and effectiveness of Spikevax." Reference Link

12:48 EDT CYNGN Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:26 EDT Redwire says 'proud to be' on Orbital Reef team along with Boeing, Blue Origin - Redwire Space (RDW) said in a tweet: "We are proud to be on the #OrbitalReef team, providing microgravity research, development and manufacturing; payload operations; and deployable structures like our ROSA solar arrays!" Orbital Reef is a commercial space station being developed in partnership with Blue Origin, Sierra Space and Boeing (BA) Space, noted Redwire. Reference Link

12:24 EDT Redwire says 'proud to be' on OrbitalReef team along with Boeing, Blue Origin - Redwire Space (RDW) said in a tweet: "We are proud to be on the #OrbitalReef team, providing microgravity research, development and manufacturing; payload operations; and deployable structures like our ROSA solar arrays!" OrbitalReef is a commercial space station being developed in partnership with BlueOrigin, Sierra Space and Boeing (BA) Space, noted Redwire. Reference Link

12:12 EDT Coinbase seeing intermittent connectivity issues for some pages on Coinbase Pro - The Coinbase Support account stated on Twitter: "We're experiencing intermittent connectivity issues for some pages on Coinbase Pro (web and mobile). Trading does not appear impacted. Our team is investigating and working to fix - your funds are safe in the meantime." Reference Link

12:03 EDT Choice Hotels announces new corporate headquarters in North Bethesda, MD - Choice Hotels International announced it has executed a lease for a new corporate headquarters in North Bethesda, Maryland. The new headquarters will occupy over 105,000 square feet of office space in the mixed-use development of Pike & Rose, Choice said in a statement. "Between this new building in North Bethesda and our state-of-the-art technology center in Scottsdale, Arizona, which opened this month, we're thrilled to offer our associates best-in-class places to work," said Patrick Pacious, president and CEO, Choice Hotels. "Designed with our specific needs in mind, these amenity-rich facilities will help enable us to perform at our peak, so we can best serve our guests and hotel owners. Further, we're pleased to keep our headquarters in Maryland, which has been our home for over 50 years."

12:01 EDT Pinterest falls -12.1% - Pinterest is down -12.1%, or -$7.02 to $51.04.

12:01 EDT XPeng rises 11.1% - XPeng is up 11.1%, or $4.77 to $47.91.

12:00 EDT Bakkt rises 66.9% - Bakkt is up 66.9%, or $6.12 to $15.27.

11:52 EDT Best Buy to soon offer reapairs for Samsung foldable phones - Samsung (SSNLF) announced that Best Buy (BBY) is now an Authorized Service Center where Samsung phone owners can can receive same-day repairs on most Samsung phones at over 100 Best Buy locations nationwide. Mobile devices eligible for service at Samsung Authorized Best Buy locations: All Samsung Galaxy S models from S8 through S21; All Samsung Galaxy Note models from Note8 through Note20, and; All Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold models, beginning early November. Reference Link

10:52 EDT Linde appoints Sanjiv Lamba to succeed Steve Angel as CEO - Linde announced its Board of Directors has appointed Sanjiv Lamba to succeed Steve Angel as CEO and Steve Angel to succeed Wolfgang Reitzle as Chairman, effective March 1, 2022. Lamba was named Linde's COO in October 2020. Throughout his more than 30-year tenure with Linde, he served in various leadership roles including Executive Vice President APAC, Head of Regional Business units and Managing Director India. In addition to his appointment as CEO, Lamba will join Linde's Board of Directors, effective March 1, 2022.

10:46 EDT Lockheed Martin's Greenville site to add over 300 jobs by end of 2022 - Lockheed Martin will add more than 300 new jobs for F-16 production and sustainment to its Greenville, South Carolina site by the end of 2022. The company is actively hiring today, and interested candidates can apply on LockheedMartinJobs.com. Select roles are eligible for new hire incentives, including up to $2,000 sign-on bonuses and up to $5,000 relocation lump-sum payments. Aircraft-specific experience is desired, but not required for some positions. Robust, on-the-job training is available as needed, and employees will have the opportunity to learn new automation and digital engineering technologies as Lockheed Martin continues to invest in the F-16 program.

10:33 EDT Humanigen says lenzilumab named among EC's ten most promising COVID treatments - Humanigen announced that the European Commission identified lenzilumab as one of the "10 most promising treatments for COVID-19" in a report and press release issued on October 22. Cameron Durrant, MD, Chairman and CEO, Humanigen. "We look forward to continuing our discussions with colleagues at the European Medicines Agency to advance our efforts to submit a marketing authorization application for lenzilumab in COVID-19. We are also progressing with our early access program, under compassionate use, where allowed by regulations in some European countries and the United States." Lenzilumab is not authorized, or approved in any country, and as the European Commission notes, the selection of lenzilumab as a top-10 candidate "does not replace the scientific assessment by the European Medicines Agency, or the authorisation ... by the European Commission," the company stated.

10:16 EDT Bakkt Holdings Inc (Class A Stock) trading resumes

10:09 EDT Bakkt Holdings Inc (Class A Stock) trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:03 EDT General Dynamics Land Systems enters Strategic Teaming Agreement with Epirus - General Dynamics Land Systems announces a Strategic Teaming Agreement with Epirus. GD and Epirus will collaborate to integrate the Leonidas directed energy system and broader high-power microwave technology into the U.S. Army's Stryker and other manned and autonomous ground combat vehicles for enhanced mobile Short Range Air Defense capabilities.

10:01 EDT Izea awarded contract expansion for mobile telecommunications company - Izea announced it has been awarded a mid six-figure contract expansion for a leading mobile telecommunications company. The new contract is for managed influencer marketing services and is a continuation of an existing relationship with the company. Influencer activations are scheduled to begin in Q4 2021 and will carry into 2022. It is the largest single contract that IZEA has received to promote this brand, and doubles the size of the previous largest commitment.

10:01 EDT Pinterest falls -14.4% - Pinterest is down -14.4%, or -$8.35 to $49.71.

10:00 EDT Doma Holdings rises 18.9% - Doma Holdings is up 18.9%, or $1.12 to $7.06.

10:00 EDT Bloom Energy rises 28.0% - Bloom Energy is up 28.0%, or $5.66 to $25.85.

09:47 EDT Casper Sleep falls -7.5% - Casper Sleep is down -7.5%, or -33c to $4.10.

09:47 EDT Pinterest falls -13.8% - Pinterest is down -13.8%, or -$8.01 to $50.05.

09:47 EDT Bloom Energy rises 32.3% - Bloom Energy is up 32.3%, or $6.52 to $26.71.

09:47 EDT Citi to wind down consumer banking business in Korea - Citi announced that it will wind down its consumer banking business in Korea as part of the strategic actions the bank is taking to refocus its Global Consumer Bank presence in Asia and EMEA on four wealth centers-Singapore, Hong Kong, the UAE and London-and pursue exits from its consumer franchises in 13 markets across the two regions. Even with the wind-down, the exits from these consumer franchises are accretive to capital and are still expected to release approximately $7B of allocated tangible common equity over time, $2B of which is related to the Korea wind-down. Across its remaining consumer markets in the regions, Citi is pursuing options including consumer franchise sales, with a focus on optimal results for its people, clients and shareholders. Conversations with potential buyers continue with strong interest from a broad range of bidders.

09:35 EDT Digital World Acquisition Corporation (Class A Stock) trading resumes

09:33 EDT MasterCard, Bakkt partner to offer cryptocurrency solutions - Mastercard (MA) and Bakkt (BKKT) announced a multifaceted partnership to make it easier for merchants, banks and fintechs in the U.S. to embrace and offer a broad set of cryptocurrency solutions and services. Consumers, in turn, will experience expanded access to the digital asset ecosystem. Bakkt extends Mastercard's ecosystem of cryptocurrency partners enabling Crypto-as-a-Service, which provides quick access to cryptocurrency capabilities. Through the power of the Mastercard network and Bakkt's trusted digital asset platform, Mastercard partners will be able to offer cryptocurrency solutions. These include the ability for consumers to buy, sell and hold digital assets through custodial wallets powered by the Bakkt platform and streamlined issuance of branded crypto debit and credit cards. Mastercard will also integrate crypto into its loyalty solutions, enabling its partners to offer cryptocurrency as rewards and create fungibility between loyalty points and other digital assets. This means that consumers can earn and spend rewards in cryptocurrency instead of traditional loyalty points and seamlessly convert their crypto holdings to pay for purchases. This is the latest move by Mastercard to bring innovative loyalty options to consumers that align with their passion points.

09:30 EDT SmileDirectClub expands oral care line with launch of water flossers - SmileDirectClub announced the addition of two new water flossers to help customers maintain a healthy smile wherever they go. The new Large Tank and Compact Water Flossers are more effective than string floss and complement SmileDirectClub's existing product offerings, including the whitening systems and various other premium oral care products which are available at Walmart, Amazon and the company's own website. The Large Tank Water Flosser $39.98 and Compact Water Flosser $39.98 are now available online at Shop.SmileDirectClub.com and at Amazon, Walmart and Walmart.com.

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

09:25 EDT Spirit Airlines selects Raytheon's Pratt & Whitney engines for new A320neo - Spirit Airlines (SAVE) has signed an agreement with Pratt & Whitney, a Raytheon (RTX) business, through its affiliate, IAE International Aero Engines, for PW1100G-JM engines to power its latest order of new Airbus A320neo Family aircraft. Deliveries from the firm 100-aircraft order are expected to begin in 2023, and the agreement includes options for another 50 aircraft. In addition to the engine order, Spirit and Pratt & Whitney entered into an EngineWise Comprehensive long-term maintenance agreement to service Spirit's fleet of 168 aircraft and growing. Since entering service in early 2016, the GTF engine has demonstrated 16% reduction in fuel burn and carbon emissions on A320neo family aircraft, reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions by 50% compared to the regulatory standard, and reduction of noise footprint by 75%.

09:20 EDT Macy's 'announces an exclusive Black Friday Sneak Peek' - "Macy's announces an exclusive Black Friday Sneak Peek - unveiling this year's biggest deals by the best brands. Browse the specials coming in November across fashion, fine jewelry, tech, beauty, toys and home, some as low as $3, at macys.com/blackfriday. Beginning November 3, shoppers can enjoy unbeatable deals each week with an updated assortment of specially-curated, early-access specials. Shop all Black Friday specials from November 23 - 27 from virtually anywhere through macys.com, the Macy's app, or safely in-store." said the retailer in a statement.

09:12 EDT Sodexo, N.C. A&T, Starship Technologies partner for autonomous campus delivery - North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and its food services provider, Sodexo, have partnered with Starship Technologies to roll out the university's food delivery service via autonomous robots. A&T is the first historically Black college or university to partner with Starship, as well as its first partnership in North Carolina. Starship's fleet of 20 autonomous, on-demand robots will deliver from three campus eateries: Qdoba, 1891 Bistro and the new Paavo's Pizza with the goal to expand additional retail locations by next spring. A&T's students, faculty and staff can now use the Starship Food Delivery app to order food and drinks to be delivered on campus, within minutes. The service will be free of delivery fees, which will be covered for students by the university for two years and works in conjunction with student meal plans.

09:10 EDT Rogers Communications achieves 5G standalone smartphone certification - Rogers Communications announced it has achieved the first 5G standalone device certification in Canada and completed the rollout of Canada's first national standalone 5G core - major technological milestones on the road to powering the possibilities of 5G across the country. The Google Pixel 6 and the Google Pixel 6 Pro will be the first 5G standalone smartphone devices certified for use in Canada. Over the next few months, eligible customers will automatically connect to the 5G standalone network where it has been rolled out. Rogers has completed its 5G standalone core network deployment nationally and is deploying its 5G standalone service coverage in major markets, including Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.

09:09 EDT ADM, Gevo sign MoU to produce up to 500M gallons of SAF - ADM (ADM) and Gevo (GEVO) announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding, MoU, to support the production of sustainable aviation fuel, SAF, and other low carbon-footprint hydrocarbon fuels. The MoU contemplates the production of both ethanol and isobutanol that would then be transformed into renewable low carbon-footprint hydrocarbons, including SAF, using Gevo's processing technology and capabilities. About 900M gallons of ethanol produced at ADM's dry mills in Columbus, Nebraska, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as well as its Decatur, Illinois, complex, is expected to be processed utilizing this technology, resulting in approximately 500M gallons of SAF and other renewable hydrocarbons. The isobutanol is expected to be produced at a proposed new facility in Decatur that would employ ADM's carbon capture and sequestration capabilities. "The potential conversion of 900 million gallons of ethanol - more than half of our production capacity - to serve growing demand for sustainable aviation fuel would represent a major step in the continued evolution of our Carbohydrate Solutions business to focus increasingly on new, high-growth opportunities," said ADM Chairman and CEO Juan Luciano. "Carbohydrate Solutions is unlocking new value and meeting customer needs through the growth of our BioSolutions platform, with agreements like our LG Chem MoU; sustainable solutions supported by our carbon capture capabilities, like our net-zero carbon milling footprint in the U.S.; and the completion of our dry mill review, with the sale of our Peoria facility and this exciting collaboration with Gevo. Equally important, we're continuing to live our purpose, with our entry into SAF representing another step in our strategic efforts to advance decarbonization and use our integrated value chain to deliver more sustainable, environmentally friendly products and services." The companies intend to work together to determine full commercialization plans and enter into definitive agreements enabling a timeline such that production of SAF can begin in the 2025-2026 timeframe.

09:08 EDT Rush Street Interactive, Connecticut Lottery launch in-person sports betting - The Connecticut Lottery Corporation, Rush Street Interactive and Sportech announced the launch of in-person sports betting at the first of 15 PlaySugarHouse retail sportsbooks in Connecticut. Beginning today, players will be able to place bets at Sports Haven in New Haven, Connecticut. In the coming days, the retail sportsbooks at Bobby V's Restaurant & Sports Bar locations in Stamford, Connecticut, and Windsor Locks, Connecticut, will open and begin accepting bets. The new PlaySugarHouse sportsbooks in New Haven, Stamford and Windsor Locks offer a full suite of entertainment options, including wall-to-wall TV monitors, odds boards, food and beverage menus, and now the opportunity for fans to wager on sports, leagues and players. Eligible bettors 21 and over will be able to place a wide array of bets on various professional and collegiate sports, including parlays, prop bets and in-game bets, through self-service kiosks as well as staffed teller stations. In addition to betting in-person, Connecticut players can now bet online using RSI's platform from their mobile devices, tablets, desktop and laptop computers.

09:05 EDT Archer Daniels, Gevo sign MoU to support production of SAF fuels - Archer Daniels (ADM) and Gevo (GEVO) announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding, or MoU, to support the production of sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, and other low carbon-footprint hydrocarbon fuels. The MoU contemplates the production of both ethanol and isobutanol that would then be transformed into renewable low carbon-footprint hydrocarbons, including SAF, using Gevo's processing technology and capabilities. About 900M gallons of ethanol produced at ADM's dry mills in Columbus, Nebraska, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as well as its Decatur, Illinois, complex, is expected to be processed utilizing this technology, resulting in approximately 500M gallons of SAF and other renewable hydrocarbons. The isobutanol is expected to be produced at a proposed new facility in Decatur that would employ ADM's carbon capture and sequestration capabilities. The companies intend to work together to determine full commercialization plans and enter into definitive agreements enabling a timeline such that production of SAF can begin in the 2025-2026 timeframe.

09:04 EDT RLJ Lodging Trust Acquires AC Hotel by Marriott Boston downtown for $89M - RLJ Lodging Trust announced that it has acquired the fee simple interest in the recently constructed 205-room AC Hotel by Marriott Boston Downtown for a purchase price of $89.0M or approximately $434,000 per key. The purpose-built hotel opened in 2018 and is located within the mixed-use Ink Block development in Downtown Boston. Upon stabilization the Hotel is expected to generate 7.5% to 8.0% NOI yield. The Company funded the acquisition with existing cash on its balance sheet. "We are pleased to expand our footprint in Boston Downtown by acquiring this recently-built asset in the heart of Boston's fast-growing, life sciences and technology core," commented Leslie D. Hale, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are confident that the addition of this Hotel will enhance our portfolio's growth profile throughout this cycle and fits our investment thesis of buying premium-branded hotels within growth markets. This off-market acquisition also demonstrates our team's ability to source attractive opportunities at discounts to both replacement cost and pre-COVID pricing. Our strong balance sheet positions us extremely well to continue to pursue additional external growth opportunities."

09:03 EDT CPI Aerostructures appoints Andrew Davis as Chief Financial Officer - Aerostructures (CPI) announced the appointment of Andrew Davis as chief financial officer effective immediately. Davis replaces Thomas Powers who has been serving as acting chief financial officer since February 2020. Powers will remain with the Company in his prior role as director of FP&A until his planned retirement at the end of this year. Prior to joining the Company, Davis served as chief financial officer of Altice Technical Services, a division of Altice USA, (ATUS), one of the largest broadband communications and video services providers in the United States.

08:46 EDT Conduent updates comprehensive HSP Core Claims Administration solution - Conduent Incorporated announced new and important updates to its comprehensive HSP Core Claims Administration solution for healthcare payers and Third-Party Administrators. The latest enhancements will better enable payers and TPAs to accelerate the pace of digital transformation with Business Process as a Service models that deliver greater operational flexibility and efficiency while supporting member engagement initiatives. Updates to Conduent's HSP core claims administration technology deliver increased support for omnichannel communications that enable payers and TPAs to drive consumerism and make data on member and provider portals more accessible to individuals with disabilities. New utilities also transform HSP data into the FHIRR4 format to promote transparent information sharing across the healthcare ecosystem and improve compliance with Interoperability and Patient Access final rule requirements.

08:42 EDT Valvoline launches hybrid, EV products in China - Valvoline recently announced the launch of XEV, the brand's first China-based release of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric vehicle products. The announcement was made in conjunction with Shanghai-based car maintenance service provider, Tuhu, who will provide services using Valvoline XEV products. Much like the Valvoline EV Performance Fluids launched stateside in 2019, XEV product line innovation works to address needs specific to hybrid and EV, including battery temperature variations, powertrain performance, brake system corrosion and seal bearing failure.

08:42 EDT Logiq issues update on Employee Equity Incentive Plan transactions - Logiq provided an update on recent employee stock transactions which were reported on Form 4 to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday, October 22, 2021. As reported in respective Form 4s, Logiq CEO Tom Furukawa forfeited 16,666 shares and COO Steven Hartman forfeited 5,764 shares to satisfy the payment of withholding tax liability which incurred upon the vesting of the restricted stock units. An online business news publisher, Newsfilter, erroneously reported that these shares were sold. However, as forfeited shares, they were not sold but were canceled and returned to the company's treasury. This was the first instances of a recently announced updated employee equity incentive plan which allows the option of forfeiting shares to satisfy tax withholding obligations rather than by selling shares. Excluding the sale in September by the plan administrator to satisfy a withholding tax liability, no insider has sold any of their Logiq shares since 2015. The company earlier reported on a Form 4 that the company's president, Brent Suen, purchased 24,000 shares of Logiq common stock from the open market at an average price of $3.21 per share.

08:41 EDT Cassava Sciences citizens petition circulated by traders - A citizen's petition for administrative action submitted to the FDA is being circulated among traders, contacts tell The Fly. The petition requests that the Commissioner of Food and Drugs "immediately initiate Phase 4 trials of the drug Simufilam 21 per U.S. Code Section 356 - Expedited approval of drugs for serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions." Reference Link

08:40 EDT Antares Pharma announces oral presentation on XYOSTED - Antares Pharma announced that an abstract on XYOSTED, was accepted as on oral presentation at the 22nd Annual Fall Scientific Meeting of SMSNA in Scottsdale, AZ on October 21-24, 2021. The abstract entitled "Subcutaneous Testosterone Enanthate and the Effect of Body Mass Index on Serum Testosterone in Men with Testosterone Deficiency" was presented by Martin M. Miner, MD, Men's Health Center, Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI. The post-hoc analysis evaluated the association between body mass index and serum total testosterone to assess the pharmacokinetics parameters of XYOSTED, a weekly subcutaneous testosterone enanthate treatment, in men with testosterone deficiency and varying BMIs. Dr. Miner concluded that patients with higher BMI may require higher testosterone doses to return serum testosterone to physiological levels.

08:39 EDT AptarGroup nasal pump system included in first dry eye disease FDA approval - AptarGroup announced that its patented Cartridge Pump System, or CPS, designed for the multidose delivery of preserved and non-preserved drug formulations, was recently reviewed by the FDA as the drug delivery device in the approval of Oyster Point Pharma's Tyrvaya Nasal Spray 0.03 mg, the first and only nasal spray approved for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease.

08:37 EDT Exela Technologies announces new DMR solution - Exela Technologies announced the company's Digital Mailroom, DMR, solution will fully enable remote employees working at home and in field offices to access data securely and quickly at one the largest franchisors. Initially, Exela will deploy DMR to remote working employees stationed near headquarters as part of phase one then expand to other personnel working in the home office. Eventually all field offices will be able to access digital mail. "The ever-evolving hybrid work environment has been a catalyst to our DMR solution and demand continues to rise across both enterprise and SMB customers," said Suresh Yannamani, President of Exela Technologies, "DMR's comprehensive feature set enabled us to sign one of the most recognizable logos on the globe." DMR is a document management system that digitizes mail and other documents to create secure, searchable, shareable digital assets. The platform also benefits from Exela's proprietary classification technology, which allows enterprises to intelligently route mail based on type to the relevant recipient or department without having to implement complex distribution and routing rules. This provides enterprise customers with the ability to receive and action critical correspondence in a timely and relevant fashion and also enables security teams to monitor volume and type of communications received outside of the usual electronic channels.

08:35 EDT Akari Therapeutics announces new data with nomacopan - Akari Therapeutics announces data highlighting the potential of nomacopan in the surface of the eye in Allergy, European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The article in Allergy summarizes a large body of work undertaken with University College of London and Moorfields Eye Hospital. The underlying work demonstrates a clear dose response effect for nomacopan. The optimal dose of nomacopan showed a greater reduction in inflammation score than cyclosporin and dexamethasone compared to control at day 10 in an experimental allergic eye disease model. The improvement in inflammation seen with nomacopan in this model is likely to be in part a consequence of the increased suppression of pro-inflammatory T helper 2, Th9 cells and cytokine IL-9 by nomacopan in comparison to cyclosporin and dexamethasone. This data complements Akari's Phase I/II study in severe AKC patients where nomacopan was comfortable and well tolerated and where Akari is exploring further patient targeted work in keratinizing and dry eye diseases. Akari is now collaborating on a topical mucous membrane pemphigoid, MMP, program. Over half of MMP patients have a type of disease that affects the surface of the eye for which there are no approved treatments. MMP shares a similar pathology with bullous pemphigoid where Akari has initiated a Phase III study with nomacopan. Clive Richardson, Chief Executive Officer of Akari, commented, "The new surface of the eye data is an important step forward in our program and highlights the potential benefits of nomacopan's differentiated bi-specific mode of action. Taken together with prior data this collectively points to the more severe form of these diseases as important clinical targets for nomacopan within the $6bn+ surface of the eye market.

08:33 EDT Sharps Compliance acquires Affordable Medical Waste for $2.2M - Sharps Compliance announced the acquisition of Affordable Medical Waste, a full-service, route-based provider of medical waste solutions to over 500 customer locations in the Midwest, primarily in Indiana. The purchase price for AMW was $2.2 million.

08:27 EDT B2Gold to sell Burkina Faso projects to West African Resources - B2Gold has entered into a binding agreement with West African Resources pursuant to which B2Gold has agreed to sell to WAF 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of Volta Resources, the holder of an 81% interest in the Kiaka gold project located in Burkina Faso. B2Gold will receive the following consideration: cash payment of $450K paid on execution of the Kiaka Agreement; $45M payable on closing of the Kiaka Transaction, comprised of 50% cash and 50% in WAF ordinary shares; $45M payable on the earlier of ) commencement of construction at the Kiaka Project completion of a positive feasibility study at the Kiaka Project, and October 25, 2022, in cash or WAF ordinary shares; 2.7% net smelter return royalty interest on the first 2,500,000 ounces of gold produced at the Kiaka Project, and a 0.45% NSR royalty interest on the next 1,500,000 ounces of gold produced at the Kiaka Project. The parties expect the Kiaka Transaction to be completed by the end of November. In addition, B2Gold has entered into an amended and restated purchase agreement with WAF and GAMS pursuant to sell to WAF 100% of the shares of Kiaka Gold SARL, the holder of the Toega gold project located in Burkina Faso and for GAMS to sell its 10% beneficial interest in the Toega Project. B2Gold holds a 90% beneficial interest in the Toega Project with GAMS holding the remaining 10%. B2Gold will receive a cash payment of $18M, $9M of which has been received, and on the first 1,500,000 ounces of gold produced at the Toega Project, a 2.7% NSR royalty until such time as the royalty payments total $22.5M and thereafter a 0.45% NSR royalty interest. The parties expect the Toega Transaction to be completed by the end of November.

08:25 EDT Wells Fargo announces rebuilt mobile app, 'Fargo' virtual assistant - Wells Fargo a rebuilt mobile banking experience for consumer and small business customers, set to begin rolling out early next year, with an all-new virtual assistant, Fargo, to be added later in 2022. The enhanced digital capabilities are part of the company's multiyear strategy to become digital-first and reinvent digital personal finance, supported by increased investments in next generation technology and strategic partnerships with leading tech companies, Wells Fargo said in a statement.

08:22 EDT Itafos announces draft EIS for Conda mine life extension - Itafos announced a significant milestone on Conda's mine life extension with the publication of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Husky 1/North Dry Ridge mine development project. The Company previously defined H1/NDR as the path forward for Conda's mine life extension following completion of the independent technical report encompassing Conda and Paris Hills deposits during 2019. The Draft EIS was prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act by the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. The NEPA process is designed to help public officials complete permitting decisions that are protective of the environment and includes a public engagement process. The Draft EIS was published on the Federal Register on October 22, 2021, which initiated a public comment period through December 6, 2021. On October 30, 2019, the Company announced the results of the independent technical report encompassing Conda and Paris Hills deposits and defined H1/NDR as the Company's path forward for mine life extension. The independent technical report was compiled by Golder Associates Ltd. and titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Itafos Conda and Itafos Paris Hills Mineral Projects, Idaho, USA". On December 16, 2019, the Company announced the conversion of Mineral Resources to Mineral Reserves related to Conda's existing mines, which are expected to extend Conda's mine life through mid-2026.

08:20 EDT Mayfair Gold reports results from Fenn-Gib drill program - Mayfair Gold announced further drill results from the higher-grade Footwall Zone located between 100 and 200 meters to the north of the Fenn-Gib deposit. The Fenn-Gib deposit, located in the Timmins region of Northeast Ontario, hosts a pit-constrained Indicated Resource of 2.08M ounces with disseminated gold mineralization striking east-west on the Pipestone Fault over 1.25 kilometers and up to 300m wide. The Footwall Zone mineralization is not included in the current Fenn-Gib resource and is a priority target in Mayfair's Phase 1 50,000m drilling campaign. The infill and expansion drilling is being supported by four drill rigs with 44,052m completed to date in 65 holes. The Footwall Zone target consists of multiple mineralized zones hosted primarily in the footwall mafic volcanic assemblage within the general east-west trending Pipestone Fault mineralized corridor. Mineralization consists of bleached, buff-altered pillowed mafic volcanic with pyrite ranging from 2% to over 20%. The latest Footwall Zone drill results continue to intersect significant gold mineralization, building on the previously reported results. Highlights of the newly reported mineralized intervals include: Drill Section 558525E which includes 2011 historical drill hole FG-11-05 that intersected 3.62 g/t gold over 59.0m and 4.22 g/t Au over 6.0m. FG21-166 intersected 1.42 g/t Au over 66.0m, including 3.4 g/t Au over 19.2m and also 6.20 g/t Au over 9.2m. This intersection is located approximately 180m above the mineralized intersection in historical hole FG-11-05. A lower zone in hole FG21-166 returned 1.02 g/t Au over 34.0m, including 11.49 g/t Au over 1.0m; FG21-170 intersected 37.51 g/t Au over 2.6m and 59.05 g/t over 1.0m; and Assay results are pending for holes FG21-173 and 179 drilled on the same section. Drill Section 558575E which includes 2011 historical drill hole FG-11-08 that intersected 2.24 g/t Au over 39.4m and 4.50 g/t Au over 5.7m. FG21-186 intersected 2.31 g/t Au over 30.0m, including 6.58 g/t Au over 7.0m. This intersection is located approximately 220m above the mineralized intersection in historical hole FG21-11-08; FG21-195 intersected 1.28 g/t Au over 28.0m, including 1.74 g/t Au over 16.0m. This intersection is located approximately 160m above the mineralized intersection in historical hole FG21-11-08; and Assay results are pending for holes FG21-183, 188 and 192 drilled on the same section. The Footwall Zone drilling is continuing on Drill Section 558600E which includes Mayfair drill hole FG21-139 that intersected 1.94 g/t Au over 38.0m, including 4.06 g/t Au over 15.0m. FG21-199b, the first follow-up drill hole on this section, has been completed, and the second hole FG21-203 is in progress. The drill rig will continue testing the northeast-trending Footwall Zone at 50m step-outs with 3 to 4 holes per set-up. The latest drill results from the Footwall Zone are summarized in Table 1 below. Additional results will be released as they are received.

08:18 EDT Dice Therapeutics initiates Phase 1 clinical trial of S011806 - DICE Therapeutics announced that the first healthy volunteer has been dosed in the company's Phase 1 clinical trial of S011806. S011806 is an orally-available, small molecule antagonist of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-17, IL-17, which is a validated drug target for the treatment of a variety of immunological diseases. The Phase 1 trial of S011806 is designed to generate safety and pharmacokinetic data, as well as provide early clinical proof-of-concept in psoriasis patients. "S011806 is designed to be a highly selective and potent orally administered inhibitor of the IL-17 cytokine, a well-validated target in psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and non-radiographic axial spondylarthritis," said Kevin Judice, Ph.D., founder and CEO of DICE Therapeutics. "The initiation of this clinical trial for S011806, the first of several programs in our IL-17 franchise, marks a major milestone in our mission to bring an effective and convenient oral therapy to patients suffering from IL-17 mediated diseases like psoriasis." The Phase 1 clinical trial is a first-in-human, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that will evaluate S011806 in healthy volunteers and psoriasis patients in the UK. The trial will evaluate single and multiple ascending doses in healthy volunteers to understand the safety and pharmacokinetics of S011806. In addition, the Phase 1 clinical trial will evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and efficacy of S011806 across two dose regimens in psoriasis patients, which could provide early clinical proof-of-concept and dose selection guidance for use in future studies.

08:17 EDT Mersana Therapeutics appoints Mohan Bala as SVP, strategic product planning - Mersana Therapeutics (MRSN) announced the appointment of Mohan Bala, Ph.D., as SVP, Strategic Product Planning & Program Leadership, effective Monday, October 25, 2021. Dr. Bala will assume strategic product planning responsibilities from Brian DeSchuytner who has been named SVP and CFO. Mr. DeSchuytner will continue to lead finance, business development, corporate strategy and investor relations and remain Mersana's principal financial officer. Mohan Bala, Ph.D., was most recently Chief Operating Officer at Constellation Pharmaceuticals (CNST).

08:15 EDT SK ecoplant to invest $500M in Bloom Energy through expanded partnership - Bloom Energy and SK ecoplant, an affiliate of South Korean conglomerate SK Group, announced the companies are expanding their existing partnership. The partnership includes purchasing a minimum of 500 megawatts, or MW, from Bloom Energy, representing a $4.5B revenue commitment; co-creating two hydrogen innovation centers; and targeting an equity investment of approximately $500M. Since the start of their strategic partnership three years ago, Bloom Energy and SK ecoplant have transacted nearly 200 MW of projects together totaling more than $1.8B of equipment and expected service revenue. Over the next three years the companies will expand this existing business with contracts for at least an additional 500 MW of power between 2022 and 2025, representing approximately $4.5B in equipment and future service revenue. Bloom Energy and SK ecoplant agreed to create Hydrogen Innovation Centers in the United States and South Korea. The intent is to accelerate the global market expansion for Bloom Energy's hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen electrolyzer products. The agreement also reflects both Bloom Energy and SK ecoplant's enhanced commitment to a zero-carbon future and the further implementation of environmental, social and governance practices. In addition, Bloom Energy and SK ecoplant agreed to strengthen their alliance through expanding business cooperation in global markets, which may include exclusive distribution rights in select new markets. SK ecoplant will invest $255M in Bloom Energy by acquiring 10M shares of zero coupon, non-voting redeemable convertible preferred stock at a price of $25.50 per share. SK ecoplant has the option to acquire a minimum of an additional 11M shares of Class A common stock at a 15% premium to the prevailing stock price at the time, which must be no later than November 30, 2023 and is subject to a maximum ownership of 15%. Upon completion of SK ecoplant's purchase of its second tranche, SK ecoplant will add a member to the Bloom Energy board of directors. SK will give an irrevocable proxy to vote its shares to Bloom Energy. The investment is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals and is expected to close within 45 days.

08:14 EDT E2open COO buys 6K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, E2open disclosed that its COO Peter Hantman bought 6K shares of common stock in a transaction size of $75K on October 21st. Shares of E2open are up 2.1% in pre-market trading at $12.50.

08:13 EDT Aptose Biosciences expands senior leadership team - Aptose Biosciences announced the appointment of two key members to its management team to support the company's finance and operations functions: Janet Clennett has been named to Vice President, Finance; and Roger Davies joins Aptose as Vice President, Operations. Janet Clennett has been named to the role of Vice President, Finance at Aptose. Clennett joined Aptose in 2017 as Director of Finance and she continues to oversee financial operations, including financial reporting and accounting. Roger Davies brings to Aptose more than 25 years of senior clinical project management experience. In his role of Vice President, Operations, he assumes oversight of Aptose's general operations, including human resources, cross-functional communications, information technology and project management.

08:11 EDT Novartis reports CANOPY-1 Phase 3 study did not meet primary endpoints - Novartis announced that the CANOPY-1 Phase 3 study did not demonstrate the statistically significant primary endpoints of overall survival, or OS, and progression-free survival, or PFS, in patients treated with canakinumab combined with pembrolizumab plus platinum-based doublet chemotherapy, compared to patients receiving placebo in combination with pembrolizumab plus platinum-based doublet chemotherapy. "The trial data, however, showed potentially clinically meaningful improvements in both PFS and OS in pre-specified subgroups of patients based on the baseline inflammatory biomarker, hs-CRP, as well as other biomarker-defined subgroups. These data support further evaluation of canakunimab in lung cancer," Novartis stated. John Tsai, MD, Head of Global Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, Novartis, added: "While this trial did not confirm the benefit for all patients we hoped for, we are energized by the overall CANOPY-1 findings as they support our commitment to continue studying canakinumab in lung cancer. We share our gratitude and thanks to the CANOPY-1 study patients and clinical investigators for their partnership." The comprehensive CANOPY clinical trial program continues with CANOPY-A, a Phase III study investigating canakinumab as an adjuvant therapy, and CANOPY-N, a Phase II study in the neoadjuvant setting. Enrollment for both trials is ongoing. "Patients in the CANOPY-A trial more closely reflect the earlier CANTOS study population than those in the CANOPY-1 trial. CANTOS was the first study to show that blocking the IL-1beta inflammatory signal may potentially reduce lung cancer's incidence and mortality," the company said.

08:10 EDT NCR Corp. expands self-checkout partnership with Royal Farms - NCR Corp. announced that Royal Farms, a privately owned chain of convenience stores, is expanding its partnership with NCR to equip all of its 250+ stores with self-checkout solutions. This self-checkout rollout adds to the existing NCR solutions that Royal Farms has in place, including its enterprise point-of-sale software.

08:09 EDT Eyenovia announces FDA reclassification of MydCombi - Eyenovia announced that MydCombi, the company's proprietarycombination microdose formulation of tropicamide and phenylephrine for in-office pupil dilation, has been reclassified as a drug-device combination product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in a Complete Response Letter for the company's new drug application received on October 22, 2021. Eyenovia will provide additional information to the FDA, as requested in the CRL, as soon as possible, including information necessary to meet additional requirements under Genus Medical Technologies, LLC v. FDA. Genus refers to a recent decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit which has resulted in an agency-wide reclassification by FDA of certain drugs to devices or to drug-device combination products. There were no issues raised related to the phase III clinical program for MydCombi. "While we were surprised by the FDA's position in the CRL, given our original FDA designation, we understand the unusual situation created by the impact of the Genus case, which compelled an Agency-wide reclassification," stated Dr. Sean Ianchulev, CEO and CMO of Eyenovia. "Fortunately, we had taken actions throughout the development of MydCombi to minimize the impact of a potential reclassification by the FDA. We are preparing additional documentation requested by the FDA and look forward to resubmitting our NDA in early 2022 for the FDA's review. Since the device used for MydCombi has commonality with that used in the MicroLine and MicroPine programs, we believe that the information submitted in support of MydCombi will pave the way in advance of those regulatory submissions. In fact, we are on track to initiate our second Phase III MicroLine study for presbyopia in the coming days." The Company's current total pro forma cash balance is approximately $30.7 million after the sale of approximately 1.8 million shares of common stock earlier this quarter through the Company's At The Market offering facility. The Company believes its total unrestricted and restricted cash balance will be sufficient for the resubmission of the NDA for MydCombi, completion of the MicroLine clinical program and other planned activities through the beginning of 2023. Eyenovia announced FDA acceptance of the MydCombi NDA in March 2021. The NDA was based on the MIST-1 and MIST-2 studies. In these two Phase 3 studies, a fixed combination of micro-dosed tropicamide 1% and phenylephrine 2.5% ophthalmic solution met the studies' primary endpoints and was shown to be well-tolerated and effective for pharmacologic mydriasis. Approximately 94% of treated eyes achieved 6mm or greater dilation at 35 minutes post-instillation. Adverse events were infrequent, with fewer than 1% of patients reporting blurred vision, reduced acuity, photophobia or instillation site pain.

08:08 EDT Jiuzi Holdings enters into strategic cooperation agreement with EGO Group - Jiuzi Holdings has entered into strategic cooperation agreement with EGO Group, an industry park operator in China, to achieve long term mutual business growth. JZXN will offer EGO's clients to purchase its new energy vehicle and rent services at discounted prices. On the other hand, EGO will market the company's products and services on its mobile application and internal network. EGO will also authorize JZXN to set up demonstration center within its industrial parks. Through this cooperation, the two parties also expect to form a more effective initiative to communicate with the local government and gain additional policy supports. As of September 2020, EGO has been operating at more than 300 industrial parks within 29 provinces, managing 15.4 million square meters property, and serving over 100,000 enterprise clients.

08:07 EDT Amalgamated Bank commits to net zero targets by 2045 - Amalgamated Bank announced formal targets to achieve 49% reductions in 2030 and net zero greenhouse gas emissions in its financing and operations by 2045-five years ahead of the 2050 global deadline for net zero emissions, as stated by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

08:07 EDT Lumen, Cisco expand partnership - Lumen Technologies (LUMN) and Cisco (CSCO) announced they have expanded their partnership to include a new offering: Lumen Solutions for Cisco Unified Communications Manager Cloud. This new product pairs Cisco's most advanced, cloud-based collaboration services with the reliability and speed of Lumen's global fiber network, which makes it an ideal solution for businesses that have already invested in Cisco Webex, or those that are considering it.

08:06 EDT Purple Innovation names as Chief People Officer - Purple Innovation announced that Jack Roddy has been appointed as Chief People Officer, with responsibility for the company's human resources, company culture, talent acquisition and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Most recently, Jack was the Chief People Office for VASA Fitness, a fast-growing health and wellness company headquartered in Orem, Utah.

08:05 EDT Happiness Biotech acquires majority ownership in Fujian Shennong - Happiness Biotech and its wholly owned-subsidiary, Fujian Happiness, have signed a share transfer agreement to acquire 70% of the equity interest in Fujian Shennong to further strengthen the Company's industrial integration. Fujian Shennong is a company focusing on the trading of agriculture products and supply chain management. Fujian Shennong had generated annual revenues of over $20M on average from FY14 to FY19. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020, Fujian Shennong was not able to return to the normal level until 2Q21. The parties agreed that the valuation of Fujian Shennong is approximately $16.1M. Happiness Biotech will issue 4.2 million shares to a certain equity owner of Fujian Shennong and make a cash payment of approximately $7.5M in exchange for the 70% equity of Fujian Shennong.

08:04 EDT Allakos presents data from prospective study on eosinophilic gastritis - Allakos announced that its poster, "High Discovery Rate of Eosinophilic Gastritis and/or Duodenitis Among Patients with Chronic Unexplained Gastrointestinal Symptoms," received a Presidential Poster Award at the American College of Gastroenterology 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting. The poster reports the results from a prospective study which examined the rates of elevated tissue eosinophils in over 400 patients with moderate-severe unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms, most of whom had a diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux or a functional gastrointestinal disorder such as irritable bowel syndrome or functional dyspepsia. Millions of people in the U.S. suffer with chronic, unexplained GI symptoms, which can dramatically impact quality of life. The results suggest that EG/EoD may be an underrecognized cause of chronic unexplained GI symptoms, and that systematic evaluation for EG/EoD, including a standardized biopsy and histopathology method, is warranted in these patients.

08:03 EDT Onex saus ONCAP completes sale of Bradshaw Home - Onex Corporation announced that ONCAP has completed the sale of Bradshaw Home to Arbor Investments. Bradshaw Home is a leading designer, marketer and category manager of high-quality kitchen tools and gadgets, bakeware, cookware, food storage and home cleaning products to retailers across North America. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

08:03 EDT WEC Energy names Scott Lauber as CEO, effective Feb. 1, 2022 - The board of directors of WEC Energy Group took the next steps in the company's succession planning process, providing continuity and senior leadership for the next chapter of the company's growth, development and service to customers. Gale Klappa will continue to serve as executive chairman until May 2024. Scott Lauber, currently COO, is promoted to president and CEO effective Feb. 1, 2022. In his new role, Lauber will report to Klappa. Kevin Fletcher, currently president and CEO, has announced his plan to retire. From Feb. 1, 2022, until his retirement in June, Fletcher will serve as a senior adviser to help ensure a seamless transition.

07:52 EDT Small Pharma announces European patent grant for ketamine-based patent portfolio - Small Pharma announced that it has received European patent grant number EP 3 463 323 as acceptance for its European patent application No. 17 728640.8. The patent grants certain protections for oral dosage forms of a range of 2R,6R-hydroxynorketamine based compounds, including the Company's preclinical candidate SPL801B, for the treatment of depressive disorders. The European patent office has determined the patentability of the novel dosage forms of 6-HNK, an active ketamine metabolite. The European patent also provides protection for a solid oral dosage form of SPL801B for administration, in combination with a serotonin modulator, for use in the treatment of depressive disorders. Early preclinical studies of SPL801B have shown signs of potential antidepressant effects without the psychoactive effects typically associated with ketamine.

07:48 EDT Rogers Sugar says employees vote against proposed bargaining agreement - Rogers Sugar announced that employees of the main bargaining unit of the its Montreal refinery have voted against the memorandum of agreement reached by Lantic, the Corporation's wholly owned subsidiary, and union leaders last week. The parties agreed to meet in upcoming days to resume discussions. The Montreal refinery employs approximately 200 unionized workers. The collective bargaining process between Lantic and its four Montreal unions began last winter in light of the expiry of a 5-year collective agreement at the end of May.

07:41 EDT Alliance Data's Bread, Sezzle enter strategic partnership - Alliance Data's Bread business will offer its pay-over-time installment loan product through Sezzle's merchant network. Sezzle is a buy now, pay later solution. Sezzle will leverage Bread's deep underwriting and installment loan product to reach more customers buying big-ticket items, while offering a comprehensive product suite to its merchant partners. Acquired by Alliance Data in December 2020, Bread is a payments technology company. Through the partnership, Bread will originate the loans through its affiliate Comenity Capital Bank.

07:40 EDT CarLotz to open hub in greater Los Angeles-area - CarLotz announced it will open a hub to serve the greater Los Angeles-area. Located at 85 Auto Center Drive in Pomona, California, this is CarLotz's second location to open in the Golden State this year and will provide Los Angeles-area guests with easy access to its service, value and inventory.

07:39 EDT Kimberly-Clark sees FY21 organic sales decline of 1%-2% - Prior view was organic sales decline of 0%-2%. FY21 revenue consensus $19.42B. Cites higher input cost inflation.

07:37 EDT HNI Corporation sees Q4 revenue growth in the mid-to-high single-digit range - The Corporation expects consolidated revenue, including the impact of acquisitions, to grow in the mid-to-high single-digit percent range compared to the prior-year quarter. This outlook includes the assumption of continued impacts from labor availability and supply chain constraints. Workplace Furnishings revenue: The Corporation expects growth in the mid-single-digit percent range on a year-over-year basis including acquisitions impacts. Order trends, an elevated backlog, and continued momentum with office re-entry activity support stronger growth but fourth quarter revenue will be constrained by ongoing labor shortages and supply chain issues. Residential Building Products revenue: Recent order trends, quarter-ending backlog, new home construction activity, the outlook for remodel/retrofit demand, and expected benefits tied to multiple growth initiatives, combine to suggest growth rates in the high single-digit percent range compared to the prior-year quarter, including impacts from acquisitions and labor and supply chain constraints. Profitability drivers: Many of the margin pressures experienced in the third quarter of 2021 are expected to persist in the fourth quarter of 2021. As a result, the Corporation expects fourth quarter operating income to be at or slightly below that reported in the third quarter. Concluding Remarks "We remain optimistic about our businesses and ability to drive profit growth. We are aggressively addressing the current headwinds. This includes increasing our capacity, strengthening our supply chains, and taking aggressive pricing actions to offset the ongoing and increasing inflationary pressures. Supported by our strong balance sheet, we are also continuing to invest as reflected by the addition of Trinity, which expands our strong Fireside Hearth & Home installing distribution business into a rapidly expanding housing region. These actions and investments position us for success in 2022 and over the long-term," Mr. Lorenger concluded.

07:35 EDT Titan Medical completes studies with Enos robotic single access surgical system - Titan Medical announced that it has completed its scheduled pre-clinical studies with its Enos robotic single access surgical system, performed in accordance with FDA's good laboratory practice, or GLP, regulations. GLP is a set of principles intended to assure the quality and integrity of non-clinical laboratory studies that are intended to support marketing permits for products regulated by government agencies. Titan's pre-clinical studies involved utilizing the Enos system to perform hysterectomies in porcine subjects. Initial testing has been completed and in accordance with GLP principles, further tests on the subjects were run post-surgery and pathology results are expected over the next several months. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the processing time at laboratories, resulting in a longer than expected turnaround time for results. With the completion of these studies, surgeons have now performed over 70 pre-clinical procedures representing multiple subspecialties with Titan's Enos system.

07:35 EDT FTI Consulting names Steve Lutfy as senior managing director, health solutions - FTI Consulting announced the appointment of healthcare revenue cycle expert Steve Lutfy as a Senior Managing Director in its Health Solutions practice. Based in Columbia, S.C., Mr. Lutfy brings more than 40 years of experience providing and implementing revenue cycle solutions to clients across the healthcare continuum, from academic medical centers to health systems. He specializes in leading, developing and optimizing healthcare revenue cycle processes and workforce members to improve net revenue capture and accelerate cash collection at maximum economic value. Prior to joining FTI Consulting, Mr. Lutfy was the founder and leader of a 1,000-seat accounts receivable third-party outsourcing center at a Big Four consulting firm.

07:33 EDT Xeris Pharmaceuticals enters XeriJect collaboration agreement with Merck - Xeris Biopharma (XERS) announced a collaboration agreement with Merck (MRK), with an option to license Xeris' suspension-based formulation technology, XeriJect, for use with undisclosed monoclonal antibodies for the purpose of engineering ultra-high concentration, ready-to-use formulations. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

07:33 EDT Kimberly-Clark CEO says Q3 results impacted by 'significant inflation' - Chairman and CEO Mike Hsu said, "Our third quarter results reflect a dynamic and challenging macro environment. Our organic sales were strong, including double-digit growth in a number of our personal care markets, and improving performance in tissue and our professional business. Market share performance also remained strong, demonstrating the strength of our innovation and excellent local commerical execution. Our earnings were negatively impacted by significant inflation and supply chain disruptions that increased our costs beyond what we anticipated. We are taking further action, including additional pricing and enhanced cost management, to mitigate these headwinds as it is becoming clear they are not likely to be resolved quickly." Hsu continued, "We will continue to invest in our brands and capabilities as we navigate through this volatile and difficult macro environment. Our strategy is working, and we remain confident in our future and our ability to create long-term shareholder value."

07:31 EDT Windtree Therapeutics announces notice of allowance from USPTO for Istaroxime - Windtree Therapeutics announced the United States Patent and Trademark Office, USPTO, has issued a Notice of Allowance of new patent claims for istaroxime administration. A notice of allowance is issued by the USPTO to indicate that the application has passed examination. When the patent is issued by the USPTO in the near future, it will provide new intellectual property protection for istaroxime until late 2039. The istaroxime patent application is entitled, "Istaroxime-Containing Intravenous Formulation for the Treatment of Acute Heart Failure," and was the result of an expedited US Track One filing by Windtree in April 2021. The claims cover longer infusion durations of istaroxime for improved outcomes in treatment of acute heart failure. Istaroxime is an investigational drug candidate being studied in acute heart failure and also in early cardiogenic shock. Phase 2a and Phase 2b studies in acute heart failure have demonstrated significant improvements in cardiac function as well as preserving or increasing blood pressure and renal function. Windtree plans to start the next acute heart failure study by mid-2022. This study will target AHF patients with normal to low blood pressure and look to optimize istaroxime dosing by employing a longer infusion duration. The primary endpoint will be echocardiographic assessment of cardiac function. It will also include as secondary endpoints, assessments that could potentially become primary pivotal endpoints in the Phase 3 program and thus put the program in what the company believes will be a good Phase 3 ready and partnership position. In the meantime, the company is also conducting a Phase 2 study in early cardiogenic shock patients with results expected in the first quarter of 2022.

07:23 EDT Athabasca Oil closes $350M senior secured notes financing - Athabasca Oil Corporation announces that it has closed the issuance of $350 million of Senior Secured Notes and the syndication of a $110 million reserve based credit facility. Athabasca's strategy is to position itself as a low leveraged company that will generate significant free cash flow through its low-decline, oil weighted asset base. The refinanced capital structure provides certainty to shareholders of the Company's ability to utilize free cash flow to further reduce debt and enhance long-term resiliency. The Company is focused on utilizing its free cash flow to increase margins and provide superior shareholder returns. New Notes: The $350 million Senior Secured Second Lien Notes have a coupon rate of 9.75% and a 5-year term until 2026. The New Notes provide Athabasca the ability to further reduce debt in the near-term by utilizing 75% of free cash flow semi-annually to retire notes at 105% of face value. The notes offering included the issuance of 79.4 million warrants with a strike price of $0.9441 per warrant and a cashless exercise feature that reduces future equity dilution by issuing new common shares for only the in-the-money value of the warrant. Existing Notes: Net proceeds from the New Notes offering along with cash on hand will be used to redeem the Company's existing $450 million Senior Secured Second Lien Notes. The redemption date is November 6, 2021. New Credit Facility: A $110 million reserve-based credit facility unlocks the remaining $46 million of restricted cash that was securing letters of credit for transportation agreements. In 2021, Athabasca has now unlocked $165 million in restricted cash and long-term deposits through a series of market egress transactions along with the new credit facility. The Company maintains its $40 million unsecured letter of credit facility that is supported by a performance security guarantee from Export Development Canada. Pro Forma Positioning: The Company estimates 2021 year-end liquidity of ~$265 million with a 2021 net debt to adjusted EBITDA of 0.8x The Company is targeting to be in a net cash position in 2023 as it implements further debt reductions in the current commodity price environment.

07:21 EDT Versus Systems conducts 33 activations of fan engagement products - Versus Systems announced that the company conducted thirty-three activations of its fan engagement products during the week of October 18, 2021, the highest number to date in the company's history. The in-venue activations were done at stadiums across the world, in multiple sports leagues, as fans increasingly return to watching sports in-person. Throughout the week, fans of teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, NCAA, AHL, and Nippon Professional Baseball League played live, interactive games such as Trivia, Match Game, Plinko, Tug of War, and many others in-venue during the games and matches where Versus was available. Multiple teams offered the Filter Fan Cam and other experiences that drive to the giant video boards at the center of arenas, stadiums, and venues. Several teams also used the Versus XEO platform for their second-screen fan engagement for those fans in attendance. Teams playing at some of the best live event venues across the United States, Canada, and Japan used Versus fan engagement activations last week, including teams in New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Tampa, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Newark, Tokorozawa, and Edmonton.

07:19 EDT Red White & Bloom preferred stock shareholders to lock-up over 50M shares - Red White & Bloom Brands announced that certain Company shareholders, representing over 50 million RWB Series II Preferred Shares, have agreed to a non-conversion lock-up period for their Preferred Shares for a term that expires on April 24th, 2022; the date at which the Preferred Shares are slated for automatic conversion into common shares of the Company. The Agreement shall provide for the Locked-up Shareholders to maintain their current rights as Preferred Share shareholders, including the 5% accrued dividends that form part of the Preferred Share features, as well as a change of control clause that would accelerate the conversion date in the event that there is a change of control of the Company. All shareholders of the Series II Preferred Shares have the option to hold their shares until April 24th, 2022.

07:17 EDT Titan Pharmaceuticals granted development funding from Gates Foundation - Titan Pharmaceuticals has received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support the demonstration of its ability to deliver a human immunodeficiency virus preventative therapeutic and a contraceptive from a single implant using its proprietary ProNeura technology, and ensure this technology is accessible to women and adolescent girls in low- and middle-income countries.

07:15 EDT Esperion announces agreement to exchange $15M in principal amount of notes - Esperion announced that it has entered into a privately negotiated exchange agreement with two co-managed holders of its 4.00% Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes due 2025. Under the terms of the exchange agreement, the Holders agreed to exchange with ESPERION $15M aggregate principal amount of Notes held in the aggregate by them for shares of ESPERION's common stock. Pursuant to the exchange agreement, the number of shares of ESPERION's common stock to be issued by ESPERION to the Holders upon consummation of the Exchange will be determined based upon the volume-weighted-average-price per share of ESPERION's common stock, subject to a floor of $5.62 per share, during the five trading-day averaging period, commencing on the trading day immediately following the date of the exchange agreement. The Exchange is expected to close on November 3, 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

07:13 EDT Applied Therapeutics reports biomarker data from pilot trial of AT-007 - Applied Therapeutics reported biomarker data from a pilot trial of AT-007 in patients with SORD Deficiency. Sorbitol Dehydrogenase Deficiency, or SORD Deficiency, is a rare, progressive, debilitating hereditary neuropathy that affects peripheral nerves and motor neurons. SORD Deficiency affects approximately 3,300 patients in the US and 4,000 patients in Europe. Patients with SORD Deficiency have 100 times higher sorbitol concentration in their blood compared with unaffected individuals. In a pilot open-label study in 8 SORD Deficiency patients, AT-007 reduced blood sorbitol levels by approximately 66% from baseline through 30 days of treatment. The range of reduction from baseline in patients was 54%-75%. AT-007 was safe and well tolerated in all treated patients. These results, in addition to preclinical findings, demonstrate that AT-007 has the potential to be the first disease-modifying therapy for SORD Deficiency. The Company plans to initiate a registrational study by the end of 2021. In advance of the registrational study start, patients can now pre-screen to determine whether they have SORD and if they may qualify for the upcoming trial.

07:11 EDT Alliance Resource Partners increases quarterly distribution 100% to 20c per unit - ARLP also announced today that the Board of Directors of its general partner declared a cash distribution to unitholders of 20c per unit, an annualized rate of $0.80 per unit, for the 2021 Quarter, payable on November 12 to all unitholders of record as of the close of trading on November 5. The announced distribution represents a 100.0% increase over the cash distribution of 10c per unit for the Sequential Quarter.

07:08 EDT Taysha announces AAV -based gene therapy approach fo AS treatment - Taysha Gene Therapies announced the publication of new preclinical data for an AAV-mediated UBE3A gene replacement approach for the treatment of Angelman syndrome in the Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight . Angelman syndrome s a monogenic neurodevelopmental disorder caused by deletions or mutations in the maternal ubiquitin protein ligase E3A gene. UBE3A encodes both short and long protein isoforms. Whereas the short isoform is most abundant, clinical data indicate that long UBE3A isoforms also contribute to healthy brain development and function. Common signs and symptoms of Angelman syndrome typically appear early in childhood and include intellectual and developmental disabilities, walking and balance disorders, gastrointestinal issues, seizures, and little to no speech. There are currently no approved treatments for Angelman syndrome and current interventions are focused on managing medical and developmental issues. Angelman syndrome impacts approximately 55,000 patients in the United States and in Europe. Taysha's UBE3A gene replacement therapy is a cerebrospinal fluid-delivered AAV vector enabling dual isoform UBE3A expression for the treatment of Angelman syndrome. It was originally developed in the laboratories of Dr. Ben Philpot and Taysha's Chief Scientific Advisor, Dr. Steven Gray. In preclinical mouse models of Angelman syndrome, AAV-mediated UBE3A gene replacement recapitulated endogenous UBE3A isoform expression and UBE3A subcellular expression in neurons. Anatomical and behavioral phenotypes, including nest building, motor performance and seizure phenotypes, were recovered following treatment, providing proof-of-concept preclinical data supporting further study of UBE3A gene replacement therapy as a potentially safe and effective treatment for Angelman syndrome.

07:08 EDT uniQure expects cash to fund operations into 1H24 - As of September 30, 2021, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of $578.5 million. The Company expects that its cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund operations into the first half of 2024. In addition, under the CSL Behring Agreement, the Company is eligible to receive more than $300 million in regulatory, development, and first commercial sale milestones, $1.3 billion in additional commercial milestones, and tiered double-digit royalties of up to a low-twenties percentage of net product sales arising from the collaboration. The receipt of approximately $300 million in regulatory, development, and first commercial sale milestones would be expected to extend the cash runway by approximately 12-18 months.

07:06 EDT Kiromic BioPharma reports results from cancer vaccine candidate trial - Kiromic BioPharma announced the results of a published pilot Phase 1 clinical trial that showed KiroVax/BSK01, Kiromic's cell therapy cancer vaccine candidate, in combination with chemotherapy, demonstrated a significant progression free survival, or PFS, benefit in one of the patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer who participated in the trial. The results from the pilot Phase 1 clinical trial demonstrated PFS of seven months after treatment with KiroVAX/BSK01 and chemotherapy versus PFS of 3.9 months with second line chemotherapy.

07:04 EDT 111, Inc. enters strategic partnership with Chugai Pharma for disease management - 111 announced a strategic cooperation agreement with Chugai Pharma China. The agreement will allow 111 and Chugai Pharma China to work together towards building a "Healthy China" by establishing a "SMART Healthcare City" concept through the use of digital drug distribution programs, and expanding the accessibility of treatment programs with modern logistics. 111 will leverage its Internet technology, supply chain, omni-channel drug commercialization and cloud service e-commerce, combined with Chugai Pharma China's international experience and medical solutions in the treatment of various diseases, to develop and implement a national medicine and Internet strategy.

07:02 EDT Concert Pharmaceuticals completes enrollment in THRIVE-AA1 trial - Concert Pharmaceuticals announced that it has completed patient enrollment in THRIVE-AA1, the first Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CTP-543, an oral Janus kinase, or JAK, inhibitor, in adult patients with moderate to severe alopecia areata. Topline data from THRIVE-AA1 is expected in Q2 of 2022.

06:50 EDT Bausch + Lomb, Clearside Biomedical announce FDA approval of Xipere - Bausch + Lomb, an eye health business of Bausch Health (BHC), and Clearside Biomedical (CLSD), announced that the FDA has approved Xipere for suprachoroidal use for the treatment of macular edema associated with uveitis, a form of eye inflammation.

06:47 EDT Merck's Doravirine/Islatravir meets primary endpoints in Phase 3 trials - Merck announced top-line results from two pivotal Phase 3 trials of the investigational, once-daily oral fixed dose combination pill of doravirine/islatravir in adults with HIV-1 infection who are virologically suppressed on different antiretroviral therapy regimens or bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir. At 48 weeks, both trials met their primary efficacy endpoint of percentage of participants with HIV-1 RNA levels greater than or equal to50 copies/mL, demonstrating that antiviral efficacy was comparable between DOR/ISL and ART and between DOR/ISL and BIC/FTC/TAF. The safety and tolerability profile of DOR/ISL during the trials to date are consistent with the previously reported Phase 2 studies. Doravirine is approved for the treatment of adults with HIV-1 in combination with other antiretrovirals, as a single agent and a component of a single-tablet regimen. Islatravir is Merck's investigational nucleoside reverse transcriptase translocation inhibitor under evaluation for the treatment of people living with HIV-1 infection in combination with other antiretrovirals. Detailed findings from these studies will be presented at a future scientific congress and will form the basis of global regulatory applications, Merck said in a statement. "Merck is committed to investigating potential treatment options to help address the evolving needs of people living with HIV," said Dr. Joan Butterton, vice president, global clinical development, infectious diseases, Merck Research Laboratories. "We are encouraged by the results from the Phase 3 ILLUMINATE SWITCH A and B trials, in which the DOR/ISL dual regimen efficacy was comparable to certain commonly used three-drug regimens. We will continue to study doravirine/islatravir in diverse populations of people living with HIV and look forward to sharing data from these trials."

06:41 EDT DarioHealth enters contract with U.S. national employer - DarioHealth announced that it has entered into a contract with a U.S. national employer for the company's full multi-condition suite of chronic condition management solutions, including diabetes, pre-diabetes, hypertension, musculoskeletal, behavioral health, and digital employee assistance programs. Enrollment of the company's multi-condition suite of chronic condition management solutions is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2022, consistent with the Employer's benefit year.

06:40 EDT Ares Management launches Ares Wealth Management Solutions - Ares Management announced the formation of Ares Wealth Management Solutions, or WMS. WMS will oversee the product development, distribution, marketing and client management activities across Ares' investment offerings in the global wealth management channel with a team of more than 90 fundraising and client service professionals. Raj Dhanda has been named Ares' Global Head of Wealth Management and will lead WMS. Prior to joining Ares in 2021, he was CEO at Black Creek Group, which he joined in 2016. Previously, Dhanda spent 26 years at Morgan Stanley. In addition to Dhanda, Christina Adamson, Moshe Bajnon, Casey Galligan and Jeff Taylor have been named to senior leadership positions at WMS.

06:39 EDT Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 449K shares of Twitter on Friday

06:37 EDT Lion Electric receives conditional purchase order for 1,000 LionC school buses - Lion Electric announced that it has received a conditional purchase order for 1,000 all-electric LionC school buses from Student Transportation of Canada, or STC, a subsidiary of Student Transportation of America, or STA, a north-American leader in student transportation, safety and fleet management services, whose controlling shareholder is Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, or CDPQ. The purchase order is conditional upon the satisfactory grant of non-repayable contributions to STC under Infrastructure Canada's Zero-Emission Transit Fund, for which STC has filed a formal application. Under the ZETF program, the Government of Canada aims to invest $2.75B over five years to support public transit and school bus operators in the transition to electrification. If confirmed, this purchase order would allow STC to become the largest operator of zero-emission school buses in North America. This investment would also contribute to CDPQ's portfolio decarbonation objectives. Deliveries would begin in 2022 and occur through the first half of 2026. These electric buses would replace existing diesel vehicles within STC's Canadian fleet. The operator plans on working closely with its customers and partners to determine which school boards would adopt the electric buses if fulfilled. Lion estimates that the deployment of 1,000 all-electric school buses would help eliminate approximately 23,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, in addition to significantly reducing noise pollution for the communities in which they operate.

06:35 EDT HSBC 'committed' to achieving RoTE of greater than or equal to 10% over MT

06:35 EDT HSBC: Revenue outlook becoming 'more positive' - HSBC said: "The revenue outlook is becoming more positive, with fee growth across many of our businesses and a stabilization of net interest income, which we expect to begin to increase in the coming quarters from lending growth and earlier than anticipated policy rate rises. Given current consensus economics and default experience, we expect a net release of ECL for 2021, with the potential for a further small net release of ECL in 4Q21, dependent on offsetting levels of stage 3 charges. Given inflationary pressures, continued investment and the impact and timing of recently announced acquisitions and disposals, we now expect adjusted costs of approximately $32B for 2021 and 2022, excluding the estimated UK bank levy charge of $0.3B."

06:34 EDT HSBC to initiate share buyback of up to $2B - HSBC said: "We remain well placed to fund growth and step up capital returns, and now intend to normalize our CET1 position to be within our 14% to 14.5% target operating range by the end of 2022. We intend to achieve this through a combination of growth and capital returns, as well as from an expected $20B to $35B uplift in RWAs in 2022 due to regulatory developments. Given our strong capital position and notwithstanding growth opportunities available to us, we intend to initiate a share buyback of up to $2B, which we expect to commence shortly."

06:31 EDT Clearway Energy to sell Thermal Business to KKR for $1.9B - Clearway Energy (CWEN), through its subsidiary Clearway Energy Operating LLC, announced it has entered into a binding agreement to sell its Thermal Business to KKR for total consideration of $1.9B, subject to closing adjustments. Based on current estimates, the company expects total net cash proceeds of approximately $1.3B as a result of the transaction. The company's Thermal Business, commercially known as Clearway Community Energy, consists of thermal infrastructure assets that provide steam, hot water and/or chilled water, and in some instances electricity, to commercial businesses, universities, hospitals, and governmental customers across the United States. The transaction is subject to various customary closing conditions, approvals, and consents and is expected to close in the first half of 2022.

06:25 EDT UniCredit, Italian MEF cease negotiations on Banca Monte dei Paschi acquisition - Unicredit (UNCRY) and the Italian Minsitry of Economy and Finance, MEF, released the following statement yesterday: "Despite the effort from both sides, UniCredit and the MEF announce that the negotiations pertaining to the potential acquisition of a defined perimeter of Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (BMDPF) will no longer continue." Reference Link

06:15 EDT Sprague Resources reduces cash distribution 35% to 43.38c per share - Sprague Resources declared a cash distribution of 43.38c, $1.73 per unit on an annualized basis, for the quarter ended September 30. This represents a 35% reduction from the Q2 cash distribution of 66.75c per unit. The reduction will provide approximately $25M annually in direct cash flow to invest in accretive growth projects.

06:14 EDT FaZe Holdings to become public through B. Riley Principal 150 Merger combination - FaZe Clan announced it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to combine with B. Riley Principal 150 Merger (BRPM), a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by an affiliate of B. Riley Financial (RILY). The proposed business combination transaction implies an equity value of approximately $1B for the combined company inclusive of nearly $275M of cash. Upon completion of the proposed business combination, BRPM will change its name to FaZe Holdings. The combined company's common stock is expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the new ticker symbol (FAZE). Estimated gross transaction proceeds total $291M, including $173M in cash from BRPM's IPO proceeds held in trust and $118M from committed PIPE investments. The proposed business combination has been approved by the boards of directors of both FaZe Clan and BRPM and is expected to close in Q1 of 2022, subject to regulatory and stockholder approvals. Upon closing, the combined company will be led by FaZe Clan's CEO, Lee Trink, who will also become chairman of the board; Amit Bajaj, CFO; Kai Henry, chief strategy officer and Tammy Brandt, chief legal officer.

06:07 EDT AstraZeneca's Imfinzi + chemotherapy shows improved survival in BTC - The company states: "Positive high-level results from the TOPAZ-1 Phase III trial showed Imfinzi, or durvalumab,, in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy, demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful overall survival benefit versus chemotherapy alone as a 1st-line treatment for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer, or BTC. At a predefined interim analysis, the Independent Data Monitoring Committee concluded that the trial met the primary endpoint by demonstrating an improvement in OS in patients treated with Imfinzi plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone. The combination also demonstrated an improvement in progression-free survival and overall response rate, key secondary endpoints. Imfinzi plus chemotherapy was well tolerated, had a similar safety profile versus the comparator arm and did not increase the discontinuation rate due to adverse events compared to chemotherapy alone." Reference Link

06:05 EDT Merck and Ridgeback's Molnupiravir for COVID-19 to be reviewed by EMA - Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics announced that the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, has initiated a rolling review for molnupiravir, an investigational oral antiviral medicine, for the treatment of COVID-19 in adults. Merck plans to work with the EMA's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use - CHMP - to complete the rolling review process to facilitate initiating the formal review of the Marketing Authorization Application. Merck has submitted an application for Emergency Use Authorization to the FDA, and is actively working to submit applications to other regulatory agencies worldwide. The submission is based on positive results from a planned interim analysis. At the interim analysis, molnupiravir 800 mg twice-daily reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by approximately 50%; 7.3% of patients who received molnupiravir were hospitalized through Day 29 following randomization, vs. 14.1% of placebo-treated patients that were either hospitalized or died. Through Day 29, no deaths were reported in patients who received molnupiravir, vs. 8 deaths in patients who received placebo. Merck has been producing molnupiravir at risk and expects to produce 10 million courses of treatment by the end of 2021, with more courses expected to be produced in 2022. Merck has entered into non-exclusive voluntary licensing agreements for molnupiravir with established Indian generic manufacturers to accelerate availability of molnupiravir in more than 100 low- and middle-income countries following approvals or emergency authorization by local regulatory agencies.

06:02 EDT Matador doubles quarterly dividend to 5c per share - Matador Resources announced that its Board of Directors amended the company's dividend policy pursuant to which the company intends to pay quarterly cash dividends on its common stock of 5c per share, which is an increase from its prior policy of 2.5c per share initiated earlier this year. Pursuant to this revised policy, the Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of 5c per share of common stock payable on December 1 to shareholders of record as of November 10.

05:34 EDT Rogers Communications board members provide statement on CEO Joe Natale - Rogers Communications provided a statement on behalf of Loretta Rogers, Melinda Rogers-Hixon, Martha Rogers, John MacDonald, John Clappison, David Peterson, Bonnie Brooks and Ellis Jacob. The statement said, "We unequivocally support Joe Natale as CEO and support his management team. We along with the Management continue to work tirelessly on behalf of all stakeholders including customers, employees, and shareholders. We remain as duly elected members of the Rogers Communications Inc. Board and represent the majority of the Board members of the company. No other group of individuals has any authority to purport to act as the Board of Directors of Rogers Communications Inc."

05:22 EDT Erytech Pharma announces TRYbeCA-1 trial misses OS primary endpoint - Erytech Pharma announced top-line results from its Phase 3 TRYbeCA-1 clinical trial evaluating eryaspase as second-line treatment in 512 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. The trial did not meet its primary endpoint of overall survival, or OS. In the TRYbeCA-1 trial, eryaspase demonstrated an improvement in the primary endpoint of OS compared to chemotherapy alone with a hazard ratio, or HR, of 0.92 in the intent-to-treat population, and the difference was not statistically significant. The median OS for patients treated with eryaspase plus chemotherapy was 7.5 months, compared to 6.7 months for chemotherapy alone. While the patients treated with gemcitabine plus nabpaclitaxel did not experience a survival benefit from the addition of eryaspase, patients treated with eryaspase and an irinotecan-based chemotherapy regimen showed nominal survival benefit with a HR of 0.77 over those treated with chemotherapy alone. This prespecified subgroup had a median OS of 8 months in the eryaspase-treated arm versus 5.7 months in the control arm. Key secondary endpoints of the trial, including progression-free survival, disease control rate and objective response rate, showed benefit in favor of eryaspase. The safety profile of eryaspase observed in the TRYbeCA-1 trial was consistent with earlier observations and previous safety reviews by the trial's independent data monitoring committee, or IDMC. Further analysis of the data will be performed, and full results will be presented at an upcoming medical conference. Erytech will now focus on its late-stage program in acute lymphoblastic leukemia , or ALL, and pursue a path to approval in hypersensitive ALL based on results of NOPHO-sponsored Phase 2 trial. The company reiterates its intention to submit a BLA before the end of the year.

05:12 EDT Creatd announces second NFT art drop, includes photos of former president Trump - Creatd announced its second non-fungible token, or NFT, art drop. The company's second NFT offering captures a a series of three photographs of former president Donald Trump. The photographs were first unearthed by Creatd founder and co-CEO Jeremy Frommer within the collection, acquired from creditors of Bob Guccione. Guccione, an artist and photographer, was the CEO of General Media, the company behind magazines such as Longevity, Viva, Penthouse and OMNI. The NFT is being offered by the OG Gallery through the OpenSea platform and features three candid images of Donald Trump. The asking price for the Trump photo NFT is 240 ETH, and includes the original JPG of the photograph, plus a large scale 1/1 print of the photograph in a gilded frame, all authenticated by the OG Collection curation team.

05:05 EDT Fortuna Silver Mines provides update on EIA extension at San Jose Mine - Fortuna Silver Mines is providing an update on the status of its application for an extension of the environmental impact authorization at the San Jose Mine, located in Oaxaca, Mexico. In 2009, the Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, or SEMARNAT, granted an Environmental Impact Authorization, or EIA, to Fortuna's Mexican subsidiary, Compania Minera Cuzcatlan, or CMC, which authorized the construction, execution and maintenance of the San Jose Mine for a period of 12 years effective until October 23. In May, CMC filed an application to extend the term of the EIA for an additional period of 10 years. SEMARNAT requested additional information pertaining to the application which has been provided. A decision from SEMARNAT is outstanding. CMC is working with SEMARNAT and government authorities to resolve this matter and has obtained a provisional injunction from a Mexican federal court that allows the continued operation of the San Jose Mine beyond the expiry date of the EIA. CMC has also initiated legal proceedings in the Federal Administrative Court in Mexico City to protest the lack of formal response to the application to extend the EIA and to seek an additional injunction to permit the continued operation of the San Jose Mine until the extension to the EIA is granted.