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

18:51 EDT Leidos awarded $531M AMIC contract - Leidos was recently awarded a new task order by the Air Combat Command Acquisition Management and Integration Center, or AMIC, to support ACC intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations. The single-award, firm-fixed price task order has a one-year base period of performance, four one-year options, and a total contract value of approximately $531M if all options are exercised. Work will be performed at over 25 CONUS locations.

18:23 EDT GXO Logistics CEO: We're all about blue chip customers - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Malcolm Wilson said GXO Logistics signed over $1B of new business recently, setting up the company for a great 2022. GXO is winning lots of new contracts, especially in North America, he noted. "We've got no slow environment globally," he added.

18:05 EDT AstraZeneca's treatment of eosinophilic gastritis gets FDA orphan designation - According to a post on the FDA's website, AstraZeneca's treatment of eosinophilic gastritis received orphan designation. Reference Link

18:00 EDT Freeport McMoRan announces new $3B share repurchase program - Freeport-McMoRan announced that its Board of Directors has approved a new share repurchase program authorizing repurchases of up to $3B of FCX common stock. The Board also approved the addition of a variable cash dividend on common stock for 2022 at an expected annual rate of 30c per share. The combined annual rate of the base dividend and the variable dividend is expected to total 60c per share. The Board intends to declare quarterly dividends for 2022 of 15c per share, with the initial quarterly dividend expected to be paid on February 1, 2022. Based on current shares outstanding totaling 1.47B, the total common stock dividend expected to be paid approximates $0.9B per annum.

17:33 EDT Rimini Street names Eric Helmer as new Chief Technology Officer - Rimini Street has appointed Eric Helmer as its chief technology officer and announced the establishment of the Office of the Chief Technology Officer. Prior to his appointment as CTO, Helmer led Rimini Street's Strategic Services Group where he was responsible for the development and deployment of complex solutions for clients including advanced security, professional services, license management advisory, technical blueprints and cloud and migration services.

17:27 EDT FirstEnergy Ohio utilities reach settlement in PUCO proceedings - FirstEnergy announced that its Ohio utilities have reached a settlement with all parties involved to resolve multiple proceedings under consideration by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, or PUCO. The settlement will provide $306M in benefits to FirstEnergy's Ohio utility customers. The parties to the unanimous settlement include: The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, Staff of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, Ohio Energy Group, Industrial Energy Users-Ohio, Ohio Manufacturers' Association Energy Group, Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy, Nucor Steel Marion, Inc., The Kroger Co., Interstate Gas Supply, Inc., Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council, the Ohio Hospital Association, and FirstEnergy's Ohio utilities. The settlement discussions, which began in August, resolved a wide range of topics in ten proceedings before the PUCO, including Significantly Excessive Earnings Tests, or SEET, for 2017-2020, audits of the companies' energy efficiency riders for 2014-2018 and a review of the companies' current rate plan that is required every four years. The settlement includes the following benefits to all FirstEnergy Ohio utility customers: $96M in bill credits associated with the companies' 2017-2019 SEET cases, with $51M allocated to residential customers. A total of $210M in future rate reductions for all customers, including $80M in 2022, $60M in 2023, $45M in 2024, and $25M in 2025. FirstEnergy's Ohio utilities' current rate plan also will continue through May 2024, and these utilities will file their next base distribution rate case in May 2024. The settlement has been filed with the PUCO and is subject to final Commission approval.

17:20 EDT NetScout to replace Invacare in S&P 600 at open on 11/5 - Invacare is no longer representative of the small-cap market space.

17:16 EDT Liquidity Services acquires Bid4Assets, terms not disclosed - Liquidity Services announced it has acquired Bid4Assets, an online marketplace strategically focused on conducting real property auctions for the government, including tax foreclosure sales and sheriff's sales. The transaction accelerates Liquidity Services' penetration of the large and fragmented municipal government real estate market and expands the size of Liquidity Services' overall public sector market opportunity. Under the terms of the agreement, Liquidity Services has acquired 100% of Bid4Assets' issued and outstanding stock.

17:04 EDT Black Stone Minerals sees FY21 production at high end of previous guidance - The Company now expects total production for 2021 to be at or near the high end of its previously revised guidance range of 34.5 to 37.0 MBoe/d. The Company expects lease operating expenses and production costs as a percentage of oil and gas revenues to be at the low end of the revised guidance ranges of $10M-$12M and 10%-12%, respectively. Black Stone expects cash and non-cash G&A to be slightly above the revised guidance ranges of $33M-$34M and $10M-$12M, respectively, due primarily to the outperformance of 2021 financial and operating results to date relative to targets.

17:00 EDT Context Therapeutics appoints Jennifer Minai-Azary as CFO, Alex Levit as CLO - Context Therapeutics (CNTX) announced the appointment of Jennifer Minai-Azary as CFO and the prior appointment, in April, of Alex Levit as chief legal officer, or CLO. Minai-Azary brings more than 20 years of finance and accounting experience to Context. Prior to joining Context, Minai-Azary served in roles of increasing responsibility at Millendo Therapeutics. Levit has nearly two decades of industry experience advising public and private companies. Prior to joining Context, Levit served as vice president, deputy general counsel and assistant corporate secretary of OptiNose (OPTN).

16:55 EDT Wintrust Financial to purchase $570M of loans from Allstate - Wintrust Financial (WTFC) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Lake Forest Bank & Trust, announced they have agreed to purchase approximately $570M of loans from Allstate (ALL). The portfolio is comprised of approximately 1,800 loans to Allstate agents nationally, which agents use to establish and grow their businesses, as well as meet other working capital needs. In addition to acquiring the loans, Wintrust has agreed to become the national preferred provider of loans to Allstate agents. Allstate agents will have expanded lending options and services through Wintrust and be supported with its lending services. A team of Allstate agency lending specialists will join the Wintrust team. The transaction is expected to close in November. In addition to the traditional agency term loan and revolving credit financing, Wintrust will be able to offer SBA and real estate-related financing, as well as other banking services to Allstate agents, including wealth management and mortgage services. Allstate agents also will have access to Wintrust's digital banking services.

16:50 EDT MidWestOne to acquire Iowa First Bancshares for $47.6M - MidWestOne and Iowa First Bancshares jointly announced the execution of a definitive merger agreement providing for the acquisition of IOFB by MidWestOne in a transaction valued at approximately $47.6M. The combined company will have approximately $6.2B in total assets with over 60 banking offices throughout Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida and Colorado. IOFB operates five banking offices in Iowa through its two banks, First National Bank of Muscatine and First National Bank in Fairfield. First National Bank of Muscatine was founded in 1870, and as of September 30, had approximately $361.6M in total assets with $315.9M in deposits, and $203.9M in total loans, net. First National Bank in Fairfield was founded in 1865, and as of September 30, had approximately $157.6M in total assets with $137.4M in deposits, and $100.0M in total loans, net. As of September 30, MidWestOne had total assets of approximately $5.9B, operating thirty-four banking offices in Iowa, twelve banking offices in Minnesota, seven banking offices in Wisconsin, two banking offices in Florida, and one banking office in Colorado. Under terms of the definitive merger agreement, the aggregate consideration to be paid by MidWestOne for IOFB will consist of cash consideration of $47.6M, subject to adjustment. MidWestOne expects the transaction to be approximately 14.4% accretive to its earnings per share in 2022 and 10.8% accretive in 2023. The transaction is expected to be approximately 0.70% dilutive to tangible book value per share at closing, which dilution is expected to be earned back in less than one year. The definitive merger agreement has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies. The acquisition is expected to close during Q1 of 2022 and is subject to approval by IOFB's shareholders and regulatory agencies, as well as other customary closing conditions.

16:47 EDT Mosaic board approves 50% increase to targeted annual dividend - Mosaic's Board of Directors approved a 50% increase to the targeted annual dividend, to 45c per share, effective with the next declaration, which is expected to be in December 2021. The company also began to execute its recently expanded share repurchase program, repurchasing 956,404 shares at an average price of $35.72 per share through October 31.

16:41 EDT Microvast acquires new R&D center in Orlando, FL - Microvast "announced that it has purchased a new research, development and innovation center in Lake Mary, Florida, which is part of the Orlando metropolitan area. The $11M existing facility is approximately 75,000 square feet on 8 acres and currently consists of office space and a warehouse. The location will become Microvast's innovation headquarters and will include a world-class laboratory for battery prototyping. Existing employees in the Orlando area will begin working in the facility immediately and Microvast expects to hire an additional 100 industry experts to work in various areas of battery technology research and development over the next 5 years."

16:39 EDT Clorox reports Q1 net cash provided by operations $41M vs. $383M a year ago

16:38 EDT Vornado CAO Matthew Iocco to retire, Deirdre Maddock to succeed - Vornado announced today that Deirdre Maddock has been promoted to the position of senior VP, chief accounting officer, or CAO, of Vornado. Maddock succeeds Matthew Iocco, who will be retiring after 22 years with Vornado. Iocco will remain with Vornado through December 31 to assist with the transition. Maddock currently serves as VP, SEC reporting and corporate accounting. Prior to joining Vornado in 2016,Maddock worked in the audit practice at Deloitte & Touche specializing in real estate and banking.

16:37 EDT One Rock Capital completes acquisition of Eastman Chemical unit - One Rock Capital Partners announced that one of its affiliates has completed the previously announced acquisition of the tire additives business of Eastman Chemical Company. The company will operate under the name Flexsys, a tribute to the legacy name of the business. The acquisition of Flexsys marks One Rock's sixth corporate carve-out transaction in 2021. Latham & Watkins LLP acted as legal counsel, and RBC Capital Markets, LLC acted as financial advisor to One Rock.

16:36 EDT GrafTech announces CFO succession plan - GrafTech International announced that Quinn Coburn expressed his intention to retire from his position as CFO, VP Finance and Treasurer, effective November 29, but will remain with GrafTech as senior VP through the 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders expected to be held on May 12, 2022 to help ensure a seamless transition. Timothy Flanagan, the former executive VP and CFO of Cleveland-Cliffs, will join GrafTech as its new CFO, VP Finance and Treasurer on November 29.

16:32 EDT Installed Building Products announces several acquisitions - Installed Building Products announced the acquisition of Denison Glass and Mirror and an affiliated entity, DGM Glass. Denison primarily installs glass, frames, curtainwall, and related products into new commercial construction projects. DG primarily installs shower doors and windows in new and existing residential projects. IBP also announced the acquisition of Mr. Insulation, a Hermiston, Oregon based installer of insulation, gutters, windows, and siding to single family, multifamily, and commercial customers primarily in the state of Oregon but also in Washington state. "With approximately $20M of annual revenue, DGM expands our presence to commercial builders within the strong construction markets of Dallas and Fort Worth," stated Jeff Edwards, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "In addition, our recent acquisition of Mr. Insulation increases our presence within Oregon and Washington state. To date in 2021, we have acquired approximately $130 million of annual revenues, further surpassing our $100 million acquired revenue target for this year. Acquisitions remain a key component of our growth strategy and we continue to have a robust pipeline of opportunities across multiple geographies, products, and end markets. On behalf of everyone at Installed Building Products, I would like to welcome DGM and Mr. Insulation onto our team."

16:31 EDT J&J's Janssen announces extension of BLA PDUFA data for cilta-cel - The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has extended the Prescription Drug User Fee Act date to February 28, 2022 for the ciltacabtagene autoleucel Biologics License Application. Cilta-cel is a B-cell maturation antigenCAR-T therapy that is being investigated for the treatment of adults with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma. The FDA extended the PDUFA date to allow sufficient time to review information recently submitted by the company pertaining to an updated analytical method following an FDA information request, Janssen said in a statement. No additional clinical data have been requested. Janssen is committed to working with the FDA in its ongoing review of the BLA.

16:29 EDT Chegg sinks 24% to under $48 after cutting FY21 revenue guide

16:24 EDT Callaway Golf completes $30M minority investment in Five Iron Golf - Callaway Golf announced that it has completed a $30M minority investment in Five Iron Golf, an emerging, privately-owned, urban indoor golf and entertainment company offering simulator rentals, golf lessons, custom club fittings, social events and a curated food and beverage menu. Callaway will be accounting for the investment on a cost basis. Other terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

16:23 EDT CBL Properties exits Chapter 11 - CBL Properties "announced that it successfully completed its Chapter 11 reorganization. CBL emerged with a significantly improved capital structure, greater financial flexibility and a lowered cost of capital, positioning the company with a much-improved balance sheet and primed to pursue future growth opportunities. CBL intends to utilize the $50.0 million in new money proceeds and $10.0 million in recent asset sale proceeds to redeem a portion of the 10% Notes, which will result in a total of $395.0 million of 10% Notes outstanding post-redemption. Following the redemption and $195 million in cash payments made as part of the emergence and other fees and costs, CBL will have approximately $260.0 million in cash and cash equivalents on the balance sheet."

16:22 EDT Generac to acquire ecobee in $200M cash, $450M stock transaction - Generac announced the signing of an agreement to acquire ecobee in a transaction valued up to $770 million contingent on the achievement of certain performance targets. Ecobee was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. With a team of over 500 employees globally, ecobee currently offers several Energy Star-certified thermostats and a suite of home monitoring products. At closing and subject to customary adjustments, Generac will pay $200M in cash along with $450M in GNRC common stock to the current equity holders of ecobee. Additionally, upon achievement of certain performance targets between closing and June 30, 2023, the sellers may receive up to $120M in additional shares of GNRC common stock. The acquisition is expected to close during the fourth quarter, subject to customary closing conditions, including clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act.

16:20 EDT Williams sees FY21 adjusted EBITDA $5.5B-$5.55B - The company now expects 2021 Adjusted EBITDA between $5.5 billion and $5.55 billion, a $325 million midpoint increase from guidance originally issued in February 2021. Also, we are increasing Available Funds from Operations guidance to a range of $4.025 billion to $4.075 billion. The leverage ratio midpoint has been updated to ~4.0x versus ~4.25x prior for year-end 2021 and growth capex is reaffirmed at between $1 billion to $1.2 billion. Importantly, Williams expects to generate excess cash flow (available funds from operations less capital expenditures and dividends), allowing it to retain financial flexibility.

16:19 EDT Univar announces $500M share repurchase program - The Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of up to $500M of the company's outstanding common stock over the next five years.

16:16 EDT ZoomInfo jumps 4% to $71 after Q3 results, sales outlook boost

16:14 EDT Clorox CEO expects 'cost pressures to persist' in FY22 - "We're off to a solid start in fiscal year 2022 and saw stronger-than-anticipated demand across our portfolio, despite a challenging operating environment. We made meaningful progress on restoring supply - which contributed to holding or gaining market share in the vast majority of our businesses - and we're pulling multiple levers to manage through this inflationary period. This includes pricing actions and stepping up our cost reduction initiatives, which will help us rebuild margins and create fuel to reinvest in the business," said CEO Linda Rendle. "Although the environment remains volatile and we expect cost pressures to persist, our first-quarter performance, coupled with the actions we're taking, put us on track to meet our fiscal 2022 outlook. Importantly, we also remain focused on delivering against our strategic priorities to create long-term value for our stakeholders."

16:12 EDT LSB Industries is 'very optimistic' for continued strong sales into 2022 - The company said, "The environment for U.S. agricultural markets remains very favorable as a result of a combination of stronger farm incomes in 2020, increased demand for corn from China and other countries, and dry conditions in South America and the Western U.S... Our industrial business also continues to benefit from solid demand from key end markets including homebuilding and power generation. While auto sales have backed off after rebounding from early 2020 pandemic lows and reaching peak levels in April of 2021 due to a shortage of microprocessors, we have yet to see any reduction in demand for our nitric acid... As it relates to the surge in natural gas prices that began in the first quarter of this year, many of our industrial contracts are cost-plus, enabling us to pass along the cost of gas to our customers... Collectively, these factors make us very optimistic for continued strong sales and adjusted EBITDA levels for the balance of 2021 and well into 2022, which combined with our lower cost capital structure should enable us to generate consistent positive free cash flow that we plan to invest in bottom line growth initiatives."

16:09 EDT Rambus sees Q4 non-GAAP licensing billing $62M-$68M - Sees Q4 non-GAAP product revenue $40M-$46M; non-GAAP contract and other revenue $12M-$18M; and non-GAAP total operating costs and expenses $68M-$64M.

16:09 EDT Compass Therapeutics advanced CTX-009 to phase 2a development in BTC patients - Compass Therapeutics provided an update on the clinical development of CTX-009, also known as ABL001, a dual anti-angiogenic bispecific antibody targeting DLL4 and VEGF-A. The company staes: "A Phase 2a study for CTX-009 in combination with paclitaxel was initiated by Handok Pharmaceuticals in Q1 2021 in patients with BTC and the enrollment in the first part of the study has been completed. The study has been enrolling patients who have unresectable advanced, metastatic, or relapsed BTC's who have received one or two prior systemic therapies. The Phase 2a design was informed by the CTX-009 Phase 1b study, where CTX-009 in combination with either paclitaxel or irinotecan led to an overall response rate of 23.5% and a clinical benefit rate of 76.5%, including two confirmed and durable partial responses among four patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma. The Phase 2a study utilizes a Simon Two-Stage adaptive design where the criteria to advance to the second stage of the study is three or more partial responses observed in 21 patients. So far, there have been five partial responses observed among the first 17 patients evaluated, which is an overall response rate of 29%, and accordingly, the criteria to advance to the second part of the study has been met. In the second part of the Phase 2a study, 45 additional patients will be enrolled. The preliminary adverse event profile of CTX-009 in this Phase 2a study is consistent with prior studies of CTX-009 with hypertension and neutropenia being the most common events related to CTX-009 and paclitaxel, respectively. Handok initiated the study in Q1 2021 at four leading medical centers in South Korea. Compass plans on submitting an IND for CTX-009 in the United States later this quarter and subject to the IND going into effect with the FDA, plans on initiating a Phase 2 study in the United States in Q2 2022."

16:08 EDT Crowdstrike to acquire SecureCircle, terms not disclosed - CrowdStrike Holdings announced it has agreed to acquire SecureCircle, a SaaS-based cybersecurity service that extends Zero Trust security to data on the endpoint. With this acquisition, CrowdStrike will extend its industry leading Zero Trust endpoint security device and identity capabilities to include data. The all cash transaction is expected to close during CrowdStrike's fiscal fourth quarter, subject to customary closing conditions.

16:05 EDT Neurocrine sees FY21 combined Non-GAAP R&D and SG&A expenses $760M-$780M - Sees FY21 Combined GAAP R&D and SG&A expenses $895M-$915M. Previously, the Company expected combined GAAP R&D and SG&A expenses in the range of $855M-$905M and Non-GAAP R&D and SG&A expenses in the range of $720M-$770M. GAAP expense guidance range includes $10M of IPR&D and milestone expenses, and approximately $135M of share-based compensation, including increased share-based compensation for an equity grant to full-time employees other than executive officers in September 2021.

16:05 EDT Kennametal sees FY22 CapEx $110M-$130M - In FY22: Strong operating leverage for the full year. First half headwinds from prior year temporary cost controls of approximately $25M. Free operating cash flow at approximately 100% of adjusted net income. Primary working capital trending toward 30% of sales by year-end. Adjusted ETR expected to be 25% - 28%.

16:02 EDT Cirrus Logic announces retirement of CFO Thurman Case - Cirrus Logic "announced that Thurman Case is planning to retire from his position as chief financial officer. Mr. Case will remain in his role and will work to help ensure a seamless transition following a comprehensive search to identify his successor."

16:01 EDT Legend Biotech announces extension of PDUFA date for Cilta-Cel - Legend Biotech (LEGN) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has extended the Prescription Drug User Fee Act target date for ciltacabtagene autoleucel to February 28, 2022. Cilta-cel is a BCMA-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy being investigated for the treatment of adults with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma. The Biologics License Application was submitted by Legend Biotech's collaboration partner Janssen Biotech (JNJ). "We are working closely with Janssen and the FDA to facilitate an efficient and thorough review of the BLA for cilta-cel," said Ying Huang, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Legend Biotech. "We remain confident that cilta-cel has shown great promise in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma, and we are focused on making this therapy available to them in the US as soon as possible." The FDA notified Janssen on October 28, 2021 of the extension of the PDUFA date to allow sufficient time to review information recently submitted pertaining to an updated analytical method following an FDA information request. Legend and Janssen met with the FDA on November 1. No additional clinical data have been requested.

15:43 EDT Tesla launches 'Non-Tesla Supercharger pilot' at 10 Netherlands' locations - Tesla confirmed earlier that the company was launching "our Non-Tesla Supercharger pilot at 10 Supercharger locations in the Netherlands".: "Today we are launching our Non-Tesla Supercharger pilot at 10 Supercharger locations in the Netherlands. Access to an extensive, convenient and reliable fast-charging network is critical for large-scale EV adoption. That's why, since opening our first Superchargers in 2012, we have been committed to rapid expansion of the network. Today, we have more than 25,000 Superchargers worldwide. With this pilot, 10 stations are now accessible to Dutch Non-Tesla EV drivers via the Tesla app, version 4.2.3 or higher. Tesla drivers can continue to use these stations as they always have, and we will be closely monitoring each site for congestion and listening to customers about their experiences. It's always been our ambition to open the Supercharger network to Non-Tesla EVs, and by doing so, encourage more drivers to go electric. This move directly supports our mission to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy. More customers using the Supercharger network enables faster expansion. Our goal is to learn and iterate quickly, while continuing to aggressively expand the network, so we can eventually welcome both Tesla and Non-Tesla drivers at every Supercharger worldwide. Reference Link

15:30 EDT Zillow falls after Bloomberg report on ' fumble in its high-tech home-flipping' - Shares of Zillow fell over 3% to $95.02 after a Bloomberg report that the company is looking to sell about 7,000 homes as it "seeks to recover from a fumble in its high-tech home-flipping business," Bloomberg's Patrick Clark, Sridhar Natarajan and Heather Perlberg write. The company is seeking roughly $2.8 billion for the homes, according to people familiar with the matter.Reference Link

13:55 EDT FBI reports 2.59M NICS firearm background checks in October - The FBI reported that there were 2,593,168 firearm background checks initiated through the NICS system in October 2021. This compares to 3,305,0465 checks in October 2020, and 2,626,389 checks in September 2021. Publicly traded companies in the space include Smith & Wesson Brands (SWBI), Sturm Ruger (RGR) and Vista Outdoor (VSTO). Reference Link

13:04 EDT Amazon to launch two internet satellites by 4Q22 - Amazon said that its Project Kuiper, a low Earth orbit satellite constellation that will provide "fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world," is set to launch two satellites by 4Q22 on ABL Space System's all-new RS1 rocket. "This morning, we filed an experimental license application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch, deploy, and operate two prototype satellites for Project Kuiper," the company said. "These satellites-KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2-are an important step in the development process. They allow us to test the communications and networking technology that will be used in our final satellite design, and help us validate launch operations and mission management procedures that will be used when deploying our full constellation." "Alongside our FCC application, we're also excited to announce an agreement with ABL Space Systems to support these initial launches using its all-new RS1 rocket," Amazon added. "Launches will take place at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida." Reference Link

12:31 EDT BioSig Technologies exceeds procedural target of 1500 patient cases in 2021 - BioSig Technologies announced that it exceeded its procedural target of 1500 patient cases in 2021. As of October 21, 2021, the PURE EP System had been used in over 1560 patient cases by 71 physicians, up from 1000 cases in June 2021, when the procedural guidance was raised amid increased technology usage in elective procedures. As the adoption of the technology increases and the COVID-19 hospitalization rates continue to decline, the Company intends to complete between 1700-1800 procedures by the end of 2021.

12:13 EDT Beacon Roofing acquires Midway Sales & Distributing, terms not disclosed - Beacon announced that it has acquired Midway Sales & Distributing, a Midwest distributor of residential and commercial exterior building and roofing supplies, including a broad offering of complementary products to contractors, homebuilders and retail customers. Midway Wholesale has built a reputation for quality and reliability serving customers at 10 locations across Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. With annual sales of approximately $130M, the acquisition deepens Beacon's presence in the Midwest.

12:01 EDT Westpac falls -8.4% - Westpac is down -8.4%, or -$1.65 to $17.90.

12:01 EDT A10 Networks falls -18.2% - A10 Networks is down -18.2%, or -$3.40 to $15.29.

12:00 EDT Desktop Metal rises 18.6% - Desktop Metal is up 18.6%, or $1.30 to $8.29.

11:59 EDT First Citizens appoints Marco Maiurano as CISO - Marco Maiurano has joined First Citizens Bank (FCNCA) as Chief Information Security Officer. He is responsible for overseeing the company's information security operations, identity and access management, information security architecture and security consulting solutions. Prior to joining First Citizens, Maiurano held the Chief Security Officer position for Barclays (BCS) since early 2018.

11:34 EDT Pinterest launches live, shoppable episodes with Pinterest TV - In a Saturday blog post, Pinterest announced the launch of Pinterest TV, a slate of live, original and shoppable creator shows. The company said, "Pinterest is a destination for people to watch, shop and try inspiring ideas in categories like food, beauty, home, and DIY. Through recent advancements with shopping and creator features, Pinners are engaging in more immersive formats and actionable entertainment than ever before. Today we're announcing Pinterest TV, a series of live, original and shoppable episodes featuring creators right on Pinterest. Pinterest TV episodes are refreshed each weekday and will be recorded and available for Pinners to view on-demand, and save and rewatch later. Beginning November 8, episodes will air Monday-Friday at 3PM PDT / 6PM EDT in the U.S. on iOS and Android. Each Friday, products will drop in a live shopping setting where Pinners can take advantage of discounts from brands including Patagonia, All Birds, Crown Affair, Melody Ehsani, Outdoor Voices, Mented and more...Along with Pinterest TV, Pinterest is launching a virtual studio where Pinterest producers work directly with each creator to develop unique content, providing "backstage" A/V support, and go live with engaging episodes. Creators who've hosted Pinterest TV episodes during the pilot phase have substantially increased their following on the platform, with some creators more than doubling their followers after a live episode." Reference Link

10:18 EDT Inovio announces preprint publication of NHP study on immunity after INO-4800 - Inovio said via Twitter, "Today we announced the preprint publication in @biorxivpreprint of our NHP study illustrating the durability of immunity following vaccination with INO-4800 and the use of either INO-4800 or INO-4802 in prime-boost regimens. #COVID19" According to the abstract, "The enhanced transmissibility and immune evasion associated with emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants demands the development of next-generation vaccines capable of inducing superior protection amid a shifting pandemic landscape. Since a portion of the global population harbors some level of immunity from vaccines based on the original Wuhan-Hu-1 SARS-CoV-2 sequence or natural infection, an important question going forward is whether this immunity can be boosted by next-generation vaccines that target emerging variants while simultaneously maintaining long-term protection against existing strains. Here, we evaluated the immunogenicity of INO-4800, our synthetic DNA vaccine candidate for COVID-19 currently in clinical evaluation, and INO-4802, a next-generation DNA vaccine designed to broadly target emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, as booster vaccines in nonhuman primates. Rhesus macaques primed over one year prior with the first-generation INO-4800 vaccine were boosted with either INO-4800 or INO-4802 in homologous or heterologous prime-boost regimens. Both boosting schedules led to an expansion of antibody responses which were characterized by improved neutralizing and ACE2 blocking activity across wild-type SARS-CoV-2 as well as multiple variants of concern. These data illustrate the durability of immunity following vaccination with INO-4800 and additionally support the use of either INO-4800 or INO-4802 in prime-boost regimens." Reference Link

10:13 EDT Aurinia Pharmaceuticals announces updated interim results from AURORA 2 study - Aurinia Pharmaceuticals announced updated interim results from the AURORA 2 continuation study evaluating the long-term safety and tolerability of LUPKYNIS for the treatment of lupus nephritis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, a chronic and complex autoimmune disease. The updated results will be presented virtually on Nov. 8 during Plenary Session III at 10:45 a.m. EST during The American College of Rheumatology Convergence 2021. In the interim analysis, patients in the voclosporin group maintained meaningful reductions in proteinuria. From pre-treatment baseline in AURORA 1 to month 30 in AURORA 2, mean urine protein/creatinine ratio was -3.32 mg/mg for the voclosporin group and -2.55 mg/mg for the control group. In the voclosporin group, estimated glomerular filtration rate, an important measurement of kidney function, remained stable through month 30. There were no unexpected new adverse events reported in the voclosporin group compared to the control group. AURORA 2 is a Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to assess the long-term safety and tolerability of voclosporin, in addition to the standard of care, for the treatment of LN in patients with SLE. Patients who completed 12 months of treatment in the Phase 3 AURORA 1 study were eligible to enroll in the AURORA 2 continuation study with the same randomized treatment of voclosporin at 23.7 mg twice daily or placebo, in combination with mycophenolate mofetil at 1 g twice daily with either no or low-dose oral steroids, for an additional 24 months. A total of 216 LN patients continued into AURORA 2, with 116 patients in the voclosporin group and 100 patients in the control group. 90 and 78 patients, respectively, received 30 months of total treatment as of this interim analysis. Final results from the AURORA 2 study are expected by the end of 2021. Results from the completed Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter AURORA 1 study were recently published in The Lancet.

10:09 EDT MakeMyTrip announces strategic long-term partnership with Amazon Pay - Amazon Pay (AMZN) and MakeMyTrip India, a fully owned subsidiary of MakeMyTrip Limited (MMYT), have announced a strategic long-term partnership to offer travel services on Amazon.in, which includes its suite of mobile apps and websites. "The partnership will help Amazon Pay create a convenient experience and provide greater value for its customers with access to MakeMyTrip's best in class travel offerings," the companies announced. Rajesh Magow, Co-founder and Group CEO of MakeMyTrip, said, "We are excited to partner with Amazon, the company that has revolutionized online purchase behaviour of people world over. There is an accelerated digital shift happening as a result of the pandemic and through this partnership, we look forward to making travel bookings extremely convenient for new adopters, thereby increasing the online penetration of travel bookings."

10:00 EDT Oil States falls -7.4% - Oil States is down -7.4%, or -45c to $5.61.

10:00 EDT A10 Networks falls -10.6% - A10 Networks is down -10.6%, or -$1.99 to $16.70.

10:00 EDT Ciner Resources rises 14.6% - Ciner Resources is up 14.6%, or $2.38 to $18.63.

09:54 EDT Fluor reports $1.16B contract extension for Navy nuclear propulsion work - Fluor Corporation announced that its Department of the Navy contract with Fluor Marine Propulsion, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fluor, was extended through fiscal year 2022. The contract is part of a joint program, Naval Reactors, that is overseen by the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration and the Department of the Navy. The contract includes Naval Nuclear Propulsion work at the Navy Nuclear Laboratory sites in New York, Pennsylvania and Idaho. The one-year, cost-plus-fixed-fee option is valued at $1.16B, the company said.

09:47 EDT A10 Networks falls -7.2% - A10 Networks is down -7.2%, or -$1.34 to $17.35.

09:47 EDT LoanDepot rises 9.4% - LoanDepot is up 9.4%, or 62c to $7.18.

09:47 EDT Harley-Davidson rises 10.7% - Harley-Davidson is up 10.7%, or $3.90 to $40.39.

09:37 EDT ENGlobal partners with university on development of carbon capture technology - ENG announced it is partnering with a leading technology university to build a prototype CO2 sequestration reactor. When completed, the reactor will be capable of capturing the carbon dioxide (CO2) formed during power generation and other industrial processes and storing it so that it is not released into the atmosphere. While the university will retain its intellectual property and other rights to the technology, ENG will apply its carbon capture and engineering expertise to the design and building of the reactor and has already begun the first phase of the project - the design drawings for the reactor. Today's announcement follows the company's disclosure on October 26 that ENG had added on-site construction to its suite of client services.

09:29 EDT Medexus announces grant of Type A meeting with FDA for treosulfan - Medexus Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted a Type A meeting to medac for treosulfan, a bifunctional alkylating agent developed for use as part of a conditioning treatment for patients prior to undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The Type A Meeting has been scheduled to occur on November 23, 2021. On August 3, 2021, Medexus announced that it had received notice from medac, its licensor for treosulfan, that medac had received a Complete Response Letter from the FDA with respect to the New Drug Application for use of treosulfan in the United States. In the CRL, the FDA explained their reasons for non-approval and provided recommendations for how to address the outstanding issues, primarily relating to the provision of additional clinical and statistical data and analyses pertaining to the primary endpoint of the completed pivotal Phase III study. As previously noted, these recommendations were covered by medac's existing development plan for treosulfan, which medac is contractually responsible to execute and fund. The Company believes that the CRL provides a path to review and approval that does not require additional clinical studies, provided it can satisfy the FDA's data and post marketing requirements. Treosulfan was approved by Health Canada in June 2021, under the brand name Trecondyv, and was granted marketing authorization in combination with fludarabine with the European Commission in June 2019.

09:26 EDT Patrick Industries sees Wet Sounds acquisition 'immediately accretive' - Patrick Industries announced that it has completed the acquisition of Rosenburg, Texas-based Wet Sounds, a designer, fabricator, engineer, and distributor of innovative audio systems and accessories, including amplifiers, tower speakers, soundbars, and subwoofers. Wet Sounds' trailing 12-months revenue through September was approximately $55M, and the acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to net income per share.

09:21 EDT Terreno Realty acquires ndustrial property located in Alexandria, VA for $9M - Terreno Realty acquired an industrial property located in Alexandria, Virginia on October 29 for a purchase price of approximately $9M. The property consists of one industrial distribution building containing approximately 28,000 square feet on 1.3 acres. The property is at 619 S. Pickett Street, inside the Capital Beltway, provides two dock-high and one grade-level loading positions and parking for 20 cars. The property is vacant and the estimated stabilized cap rate is 4.5%.

09:18 EDT Sodexo appoints Stuart Winters as president, U.S. Healthcare - Sodexo has appointed Stuart Winters as CEO for the US Healthcare division to lead Sodexo's growing business to deliver patient nutrition, culinary services, infection prevention, healthcare technology management and other essential services for Sodexo's clients. Previously, Stuart was CEO for Healthcare in the UK & Ireland and the Asia Pacific regions.

09:16 EDT Cue Health provides molecular COVID-19 testing to MLB Clubs - Cue Health and Major League Baseball announced that Cue has been providing all Clubs, as well as the league office, with its integrated Cue platform, which features both the portable Cue Health Monitoring System and easy-to-use Cue COVID-19 tests, throughout the Postseason and World Series. The Cue COVID-19 Test for Home and Over The Counter Use is the first FDA-authorized molecular diagnostic test for at-home and over-the-counter use without physician supervision or a prescription. Cue's platform is a molecular diagnostic system that delivers results directly to mobile smart devices - both Android and iOS - in about 20 minutes.

09:15 EDT PDC Energy announces redemption of outstanding 6.25% senior notes - PDC Energy announced that it has given notice to U.S. Bank National Association that it will redeem the remaining $102,324,000.00 in aggregate principal amount of its 6.250% Senior Notes due 2025 on December 1, 2021. The redemption price for the Notes will be equal to 103.125% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest, pursuant to the Indenture, dated as of November 29, 2017, among PDC and the Trustee. Interest on the Notes will cease to accrue on and after the redemption date.

09:12 EDT Mondelez commits to 2050 net zero emissions target - Mondelez International announced it is committing to a 2050 target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions across its full value chain. As part of its commitment, Mondelez International has signed the Science Based Targets Initiative's Business Ambition for 1.5 degrees C, aligning its long-term emissions mitigation targets with the aim of limiting temperature rise in accordance with the Paris Agreement. Mondelez International has also joined the United Nations Race to Zero Campaign to help build momentum towards a decarbonized economy. "For the last several years, we've worked with the Science Based Targets initiative to reduce our emissions footprint and our announcement today will help accelerate our existing efforts to create a more sustainable snacking company," said Dirk Van de Put, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We're transforming how we do business across our operations and with the suppliers and farmers we work with - from seeking to improve cocoa farming practices in West Africa to promoting regenerative agriculture in wheat fields in the Midwest United States." The company will take an end-to-end approach in its aim to reach its net zero emissions target by focusing efforts across key areas and delivering against its existing goals and targets: Sustainably Sourced Ingredients and Packaging: Source 100% cocoa volume for chocolate brands through Cocoa Life Program by 2025; Source 100% wheat volume for EU biscuits through the Harmony Program by 2022; Design 100% of packaging to be recycle ready by 2025; Reduce overall virgin plastic use by 5% and reduce overall virgin rigid plastic by 25% by 2025. Mondelez International Operations: Continue to convert global manufacturing electricity footprint to renewable energy; Reduce food waste by 15% in manufacturing and 50% in distribution by 2025; Work toward achieving energy efficiency for biscuit ovens and steam boilers; Start replacing thermal fuels with "green" alternatives. Logistics: Invest in new mobility concepts including electric and hydrogen trucks; Reduce warehouse emissions at both owned and third-party facilities by converting to renewable energy sources; Improve efficiency of distribution networks by optimizing routes, improving truck & container utilization, increasing intermodal solutions and reducing traveled distances. Sustainable Ingredients 2025 Targets: 68% of cocoa volume for chocolate brands sourced through Cocoa Life Program and 99% palm oil sourced from suppliers aligned to the company's 2020 Palm Oil Action Plan

09:10 EDT Worthington to purchase Tempel Steel for $255M - Worthington Industries announced that its Steel Processing segment has signed an agreement to acquire Tempel Steel Company, a manufacturer of precision motor and transformer laminations for the electrical steel market. Tempel is a global business and manufactures in five facilities located in Chicago, Canada, China, India and Mexico. "Acquiring Tempel will immediately make us a market leader in the rapidly growing electrical steel market that includes transformers, machine motors and electric vehicle motors," said President and CEO Andy Rose. "Worthington's experience and deep relationships in the automotive sector will position Tempel to further penetrate the growing hybrid and EV market." Rose added, "As EVs are embraced globally and the electricity infrastructure is upgraded and expanded to accommodate the shift to electric motors, we're excited about what our organizations can do together on a global scale." The transaction is expected to close in December 2021 with a purchase price of approximately $255M plus the assumption of certain liabilities, funded primarily with existing cash.

09:06 EDT Revelation Biosciences partners with MedWorld Advisors for REVID - Revelation Biosciences announced that it has engaged MedWorld Advisors to optimize the value of Revelation's diagnostic tool, REVID. REVID is a rapid, point-of-care immunologic diagnostic device that can be used for the detection of upper respiratory viral infection. The device may offer a broad detection of various viral infections, such as influenza A & B, Rhinovirus, RSV, and SARS-CoV-2, irrespective of their type and/or variant. "As we look to a future where transmission of respiratory viruses continue to increase, it's more clear than ever that the world needs easy-to-use, dependable, and accurate diagnostic tools," said James Rolke, Chief Executive Officer of Revelation. "The team at MedWorld Advisors has the deep experience and global network needed to optimize value for REVID, and the passion to help companies like Revelation provide solutions to the people who need it."

09:05 EDT MarineMax acquires assets of Texas MasterCraft, no terms, sees accretion - MarineMax announced it has acquired the assets of Texas MasterCraft. Texas MasterCraft is a full-service Dallas, Texas area towboat dealer that operates primarily from two locations. The Dallas-area market is the largest towboat market in the United States. Texas MasterCraft generated revenue of over $45M in 2020. The acquisition is expected to be accretive in its first full twelve months after the closing. Texas MasterCraft is recognized annually as the largest MasterCraft dealer in the world. Jimmy Harvell launched Texas MasterCraft in 2001, after several years teaching as a waterski pro and working with various other Dallas area dealerships. The dealership benefits from a private lake it owns, which is used for various promotional events and customer demonstration purposes. Mr. Harvell and his team will continue to operate both locations with additional support and resources provided by MarineMax. W. Brett McGill, Chief Executive Officer and President of MarineMax stated, "We have great appreciation and respect for Jimmy Harvell and his team and admire how effectively they operate their business. Our cultures and passion for customer service, as well as the boating lifestyle, are perfectly aligned. This strategic acquisition allows our existing Dallas area operation to join forces with those of the Texas MasterCraft team, creating the most powerful customer servicing dealership organization in the important north Texas towboat market. We welcome the Texas MasterCraft Team into the MarineMax family and are excited about our future growth."

09:04 EDT Sumo Logic names Lynne Doherty as President, Worldwide Field Operations - Sumo Logic (SUMO) announced the appointment of Lynne Doherty to the newly formed role of President, Worldwide Field Operations, effective immediately. Lynne has been leading sales organizations and driving positive business outcomes for customers for more than 20 years. She joins Sumo Logic from McAfee Enterprise (MCFE), where she served as EVP of Global Sales and Marketing.

09:03 EDT AvidXchange announces availability of AvidSuite for Financial Services - AvidXchange Holdings announced that AvidSuite for Financial Services is available to credit unions to help more financial services organizations transform the way they pay bills. AvidSuite for Financial Services is purpose built for the industry, designed expressly to meet the needs of credit unions by making AP and payments processes more efficient and secure. AvidSuite for Financial Services combines AP automation solution, ASCEND, with AvidPay and the AvidPay Network to create a single, end-to-end platform for AP and payments automation. ASCEND leverages artificial intelligence to quickly read and capture critical invoice data while AvidPay enables multiple electronic payment options for suppliers, allowing credit unions to spend less time managing paper-based processes and more time focused on delivering services to their members. AvidSuite also improves the invoice audit trail for financial institutions, providing greater visibility and control to help customers more easily maintain regulatory compliance.

09:03 EDT Redbox signs content deal with Fremantle - Redbox announced it has signed a content deal with Fremantle to further accelerate the company's free streaming service. The deal adds Free Ad Supported Television channels which will make their debut on December 1. They include BUZZR, The Price Is Right: The Barker Era and the Baywatch channel. "Our partnership with Fremantle will add tremendous value to our free streaming service," said Chris Yates, General Manager, Redbox On Demand. "These iconic television shows anchor our latest FAST channels, and our customers will soon enjoy even more entertainment from Redbox. We couldn't be more excited to add them to the platform."

09:02 EDT Grainger to add 100 jobs in Lake County, Illinois - Grainger announced it will expand its customer service capabilities by adding approximately 100 new jobs to its Lake County, Illinois, headquarters. The company's new customer service center will open in January, allowing Grainger to better support its growing customer base by continuing to deliver exceptional service. The majority of the new jobs are Customer Experience Representatives, who answer customer questions, provide product information, help customers find solutions, and take and process customer orders over the phone through electronic communication including chat and email.

08:57 EDT Lucid pointing to open above $39 per share after first Dream Edition deliveries - Shares of Lucid Group are up $2.11, or 6%, to $39.10 in pre-market trading after the company hosted an Owners Club meeting over this weekend, during which members took delivery of their Dream Editions. "This is a big day. We always said until we've handed cars to customers, we haven't achieved a damn thing," Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson was quoted as having said in a tweet from the company issued on October 30. Reference Link

08:48 EDT Urban-Gro participates in XS Financial's convertible note offering - urban-gro announced participation in a convertible note offering of XS Financial, a specialty finance company providing CAPEX financing solutions including equipment leasing to cannabis companies in the United States. The investment strengthens the strategic alliance between urban-gro and XSF providing urban-gro clients with expanded access to short duration, non-dilutive, low-cost capital financing. urban-gro's $2.5 million investment entails a private placement of unsecured convertible notes in the aggregate principal amount of $43.5 million, of which $33.5 million will be funded at closing and $10 million is available on a delayed draw on the same terms until June 30, 2022. urban-gro expects this investment will return significant value to shareholders not only in terms of the note and conversion itself, but also with respect to creating additional revenue and margin opportunities for both companies.

08:47 EDT Mirum Pharmaceuticals study of maralixibat in patients with ALGS published - Mirum Pharmaceuticals announced that The Lancet has published four-year data highlighting the safety and efficacy of maralixibat in patients with Alagille syndrome, ALGS, a rare liver disease affecting one in 30,000 children. Maralixibat is an ileal bile acid transporter, IBAT, inhibitor that interrupts enterohepatic bile acid recirculation and has recently been approved by the U.S. FDA under the name of LIVMARLI. Data published in The Lancet demonstrate that maralixibat provides durable and clinically meaningful improvements across multiple disease parameters and has the potential to provide a new treatment paradigm for patients with ALGS. "Maralixibat is the first medication shown to deliver durable and clinically meaningful improvements in cholestasis for patients treated through the course of the four-year clinical study," said Professor Emmanuel Gonzales, MD, Hepatologie Pediatrique, Hopital Bicetre, AP-HP, Universite Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicetre, France and lead author of the publication in The Lancet. "These data are important as they signal a meaningful treatment opportunity to address chronic cholestasis and to potentially extend transplant-free survival for patients with ALGS."

08:47 EDT Vallon Pharmaceuticals presents data from adult stimulant abuse pattern survey - Vallon Pharmaceuticals announced data from its recently sponsored survey of stimulant abuse patterns in adults was presented at the AACAP 68th Annual Meeting held virtually October 18-30, 2021. The poster titled, "Characteristics and Behaviors of Recreational Prescription Stimulant Users: Findings from an mTurk online survey," was presented by Timothy Whitaker, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Vallon Pharmaceuticals. The presented data outlined results from a recently sponsored survey, led by researchers at the University of Kentucky, of nearly 500 people who misuse or abuse prescription stimulants. Participants in the survey were recruited using Amazon.com Mechanical Turk, an online crowdsourcing platform. 975 respondents aged 18 - 30 completed the survey between March - April 2020, of whom 496 reported using a prescription stimulant when not prescribed to them. The survey included demographic and drug use questionnaires, as well as clinical and behavioral instruments. The survey was conducted through a common online platform, MTurk, which has been used in addiction science research to efficiently crowd source information from large populations. Summary of Results A total of 496 responders who were surveyed reported using a prescription stimulant when not prescribed; greater than150 admitted snorting prescription stimulants. While most abusers reported taking prescription stimulants orally, 32% reported snorting, 2% injecting, and 4% vaping. Almost 90% of prescription stimulant snorters have done so with an IR amphetamine. Adderall was the most commonly snorted prescription stimulant. Over 80% of those who snort say it takes no more than 5 minutes to manipulate; Over 90% say it takes no more than 10 minutes. Over 90% of snorters say they would take the stimulant orally if unable to manipulate for snorting; less than5% would try to prepare the stimulant to inject.

08:46 EDT PG&E recorded $1.15B liability in Q3 related to Dixie fire - In a regulatory filing related to its quarterly report, PG&E stated: "Based on the current state of the law concerning inverse condemnation in California and the facts and circumstances available to PG&E Corporation and the Utility as of the date of this filing, including the information contained in the Dixie EIR and other information gathered as part of PG&E Corporation's and the Utility's investigation, PG&E Corporation and the Utility believe it is probable that they will incur a loss in connection with the 2021 Dixie fire. PG&E Corporation and the Utility recorded a liability in the aggregate amount of $1.15 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, before available recoveries. The aggregate liability of $1.15 billion for claims in connection with the 2021 Dixie fire, before available recoveries, corresponds to the lower end of the range of PG&E Corporation's and the Utility's reasonably estimable range of losses and is subject to change based on additional information. The $1.15 billion estimate does not include, among other things: any amounts for potential penalties, fines, or restitution that may be imposed by courts or other governmental entities on PG&E Corporation or the Utility, any punitive damages, any amounts in respect of compensation claims by federal agencies, including for damage to land and vegetation in national parks or national forests or fire suppression costs, or by state, county and local agencies, including for fire suppression costs, evacuation costs, or any other amounts that are not reasonably estimable. In addition to claims for property damage, business interruption, interest and attorneys' fees under inverse condemnation, PG&E Corporation and the Utility could be liable for fire suppression costs, evacuation costs, medical expenses, personal injury damages, punitive damages and other damages under other theories of liability in connection with the 2021 Dixie fire, including if PG&E Corporation or the Utility were found to have been negligent."

08:45 EDT ElectraMeccanica partner Zongshen exercises 1.4M warrants - ElectraMeccanica Vehicles announced that the Company's strategic contract manufacturing partner, Zongshen Industrial Group, has exercised 1.4 million warrants at a C$4.00 strike price, as of October 28, 2021, generating C$5.6 million in proceeds to the Company.

08:44 EDT Herc Holdings acquires Reliable Equipment, no terms - Herc Holdings announced that it has acquired substantially all the assets of Reliable Equipment , a New Hampshire-based equipment rental business with branch operations in Dover and Londonderry, NH. Terms were not disclosed. Reliable Equipment is a full-service provider of equipment rentals with a fleet that includes aerial, material handling and earthmoving equipment, as well as specialty climate control and power generation equipment. Founded in 2010, the business has more than 50 employees and service coverage from Boston to Portland, ME. "This transaction supports one of our key strategic initiatives to expand our presence in urban markets across North America. In particular, Reliable Equipment is well positioned in the north Boston metropolitan area and to achieve growth in this dynamic market.

08:42 EDT Xpel acquires invisiFRAME, sees immediate accretion, no terms - XPEL announced the acquisition of invisiFRAME, a provider of custom-tailored bicycle frame protection kits based in the United Kingdom. invisiFRAME, primarily sells direct-to-consumer through its website and also directly supplies bicycle shops across the UK, Europe, Australia and the U.S. With one of the largest custom bicycle pattern libraries in the world, invisiFRAME's business model is well-suited to complement and leverage XPEL's existing sales channels inclusive of its global network of independent dealers and installers. Robert Bezner, Vice President, Brand of XPEL, stated, "invisiFRAME has set the bar for the design and distribution of bike protection kits and has built a strong following for its brand. As we continue to evolve and expand our reach to new consumer targets, we've seen a significant crossover between bike and car enthusiasts. We've supplied invisiFRAME with XPEL protection films for years and look forward to leveraging our global scale to address the growing worldwide demand for bike protection." invisiFRAME is expected to add over $2.7M USD in incremental annual revenue and is anticipated to be immediately accretive to the Company's 2021 results of operations.

08:42 EDT NextPlay Technologies announces pricing of $30M registered direct offering - NextPlay Technologies announced that it entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain institutional investors to purchase approximately $30 million worth of its common stock and warrants in a registered direct offering. Under the terms of the securities purchase agreement, the Company has agreed to sell approximately 18.98 million shares of its common stock and warrants to purchase approximately 14.24 million shares of common stock. The warrants will be exercisable beginning April 30, 2022, have an exercise price of $1.97 per share, and will expire five years from the initial exercise date. The purchase price for one share of common stock and three-fourths of a corresponding warrant will be $1.58. The gross proceeds to the Company from the registered direct offering are estimated to be approximately $30 million, before deducting the placement agent's fees and other estimated offering expenses. The offering is expected to close on or about November 3, 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The Company intends to use a portion of the net proceeds of the offering to pay down the balance of certain existing indebtedness of the Company, and the remainder for other working capital and general corporate purposes.

08:40 EDT Envestnet appoints Dawn Newsome as Chief Business Operations Officer - Envestnet announces that Dawn Newsome has joined the firm as Chief Business Operations Officer. As a member of the executive team, Dawn will ensure Envestnet remains well-positioned to continue building and expanding its financial wellness network. Newsome, who works out of the Berwyn, PA office and reports directly to Crager, will work with all divisions to help Envestnet deliver on its objectives, reach its financial milestones, and continue to grow its market share. She will also drive Envestnet's more immediate priorities and initiatives, including efforts to operationalize new ventures that support its expansion. Newsome has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. She joined Envestnet from TP ICAP, the world's largest inter-dealer broker, where she was CEO of the Americas. In this role, she was responsible for overall management across business lines and support functions. Newsome also served as COO of Liquidnet, a fully electronic agency broker which was acquired by TP ICAP in Mach.

08:38 EDT Toll Brothers, EJF Capital announce joint venture to develop Rafferty - Toll Brothers, through its Toll Brothers Apartment Living rental subsidiary, and EJF Capital have announced the formation of a new joint venture to develop Rafferty, a 218-unit multifamily rental community in Santa Ana, Calif. The project is being financed through a $66M construction loan facility from Santander Bank. The debt was arranged by Toll Brothers' in-house Finance Department. Berkadia JV Equity & Structured Capital arranged the equity financing. Rafferty is located in downtown Santa Ana. Rafferty will consist of 218 rental apartments in two buildings, one five-story and one seven-story, with a total of 328 parking spaces. Rafferty will also offer 12,350 square feet of ground-floor commercial space along Main and 4th Streets.

08:38 EDT Franklin Resources to acquire Lexington Partners for $1.75B, sees accretion - Franklin Resources announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Lexington Partners, a global manager of secondary private equity and co-investment funds. Lexington has raised in excess of $55B in aggregate commitments from more than 1,000 institutional investors, deploying capital across more than 4,500 secondary, co-investment and primary interests. Lexington is currently investing from its $14B global secondary fund, its $2.7B middle market secondary fund and its $3.2B co-investment vehicle. A global firm with current fee-based AUM of $34B, Lexington has eight offices strategically located in major centers for private equity and alternative investing including New York, Boston, Menlo Park, London, Hong Kong, Santiago, Sao Paulo and Luxembourg. Lexington's 35 partners and principals average 17 years of alternative investment experience and more than 14 years together at Lexington. Franklin Templeton is acquiring 100% of Lexington from its current owners, for aggregate cash payments of $1.75B, made up of $1B at close and additional payments totaling $750M over the next three years. Lexington will operate as a Specialist Investment Manager within Franklin Templeton with its current management team continuing in their roles post transaction. As part of the transaction, Lexington partners and employees will simultaneously be granted a 25% ownership stake in Lexington vesting over five years and $338M of performance-based cash retention awards to be paid out over approximately five years. The transaction will be funded from Franklin Templeton's existing balance sheet resources and is expected to be immediately accretive to adjusted earnings per share. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close by the end of Q2 of 2022.

08:36 EDT HealthEquity completes acquisition of Further for $445M - HealthEquity completed the acquisition of Further, a leading provider of HSA and consumer-directed benefit administration services, and the nation's ninth largest HSA custodian. The acquisition of Further and its technology expands HealthEquity's leadership in the growing HSA market and enhances its ability to drive growth with health plans and other go-to-market partners. The deal also adds to HealthEquity's Total Solution offering-remarkable products backed by service, education and employee engagement support that go above and beyond customer expectations.HealthEquity now has approximately 6.7 million HSAs and approximately $18 billion in HSA Assets, including Further's approximately 580,000 HSAs and $1.9 billion of HSA assets and the recently closed acquisition of the Fifth Third Bank HSA portfolio, which added 157,000 HSAs and $490 million of HSA assets. Further also brings approximately 28,000 employer clients and approximately 270,000 CDBs, not including approximately 50,000 VEBA accounts which may be acquired at a later date, to expand HealthEquity's market leadership. The Further acquisition expands HealthEquity's commitment to independent Blue Cross Blue Shield licensees, now serving the great majority of the Blue network of 35 independent companies. HealthEquity also serves a growing network of health plan, retirement plan, benefits administration, and other go-to-market partners. HealthEquity purchased Further for $455 million, with an additional purchase price of up to $45 million that may be payable dependent upon the closing and migration of the VEBA assets early next year. We expect Further will add more than $12 million in revenue in our fiscal year 2022 ending January 31, 2022, and less than $1 million in adjusted EBITDA based on the fourth quarter member services ramp up and costs associated with implementation of the federal vaccine mandate.

08:35 EDT Fossil announces offering of $125M senior notes - Fossil Group announced it has commenced an underwritten registered public offering of $125 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2026, subject to market and certain other conditions. The Company expects to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase an additional $5.0 million aggregate principal amount of Notes in connection with the offering. The Company expects to use the net proceeds of the offering to repay outstanding borrowings under the Company's Term Credit Agreement.

08:33 EDT Muscle Maker signs 40 unit franchise deal in Saudi Arabia - Muscle Maker announced that it has inked a Master Franchise Agreement for 40 units in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; solidifying the company's second multi-unit international deal. Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East and the newly signed 40 unit agreement will grow the company's international footprint by 400%. Muscle Maker Grill previously signed a 10 unit deal in Kuwait. Muscle Makers' current Kuwaiti international franchise partners Abrar Kadhem Almatrouk, Abdullah Kadhem Almatrouk, Yousef Kadhem Almatrouk and Essa Kadhem Almatrouk will expand the healthier for you brand across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by selling franchise units in packs of 10 units. They will be responsible for all facets of development for new locations in Saudi Arabia including but not limited to opening, training, distribution, operations and marketing. "We are pleased to announce our 40 unit Master Franchise Agreement, our second international deal, quadrupling Muscle Maker Grill's future presence in the Middle East," said Mike Roper, Chief Executive Officer of Muscle Maker, Inc. "We're thrilled that growth plans with our Kuwaiti partners are coming to fruition by expanding healthier for you options into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. According to research, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Fitness Service Market is expected to reach $1.3 billion by 2022, stressing the need for healthier dining options. We look forward to the brand coming to life in a new region as our international partners accelerate on local and regional levels."

08:32 EDT Lazydays to open new dealership in Florida - Lazydays announces that it will greenfield a dealership in Fort Pierce, FL to serve the Florida Atlantic Coast. The Company expects the new dealership to open for business in the Q4 of 2022. The dealership will be branded Lazydays RV of Fort Pierce. Lazydays RV of Fort Pierce brands will include Thor Motor Coach, Forest River, Coachmen, Keystone and Heartland, along with Pre-Owned RVs. In addition, the dealership will have 20 service bays, a collision center and an RV parts and accessories store.

08:31 EDT Hudson Global announces acquisition of Karani - Hudson Global announced the acquisition of Karani, a Chicago-headquartered recruiting services provider that serves mainly U.S.-based customers from its operations in India and the Philippines. Karani partners with recruitment and staffing firms to assist with recruiting, sourcing, screening, onboarding, and other talent-related services across a variety of industries. "We are very excited to welcome the Karani team to Hudson RPO and believe this accretive combination will generate considerable value for our clients, team, and stockholders," said Jeff Eberwein, Chief Executive Officer of the Company. "The addition of Karani will enhance Hudson RPO's global delivery capability and open up opportunities to win new business in India and other new markets. As a combined company, we expect to expand Karani's offering beyond the U.S., leverage the capability of the Karani team for Hudson RPO projects and clients, penetrate the enterprise RPO markets in India and the Philippines, and strengthen Hudson RPO's expertise in technology recruitment. All current employees of Karani and its subsidiaries will be joining Hudson RPO, except for owner and CEO Dan Williams. Dan will be retiring from his leadership role at Karani and its subsidiaries but will be an advisor to us for a period of 12 months."

08:29 EDT Kinnate Biopharma, Guardant Health announce initial findings from BRAF studies - Kinnate Biopharma (KNTE) announced a collaboration with Guardant Health (GH), a leading precision oncology company, focused on characterizing the prevalence of patients with advanced solid tumors bearing BRAF Class I, II and III alterations. The study will also assess real-world clinical outcomes stratified by BRAF alteration class and by treatment type. "Currently, patients with Class II and III BRAF alterations have no available targeted therapies and represent a significant and potentially greater unmet clinical need than previously understood," said Richard Williams, MBBS, Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer at Kinnate. "With a focus on metastatic disease and longitudinal genomics data, GuardantINFORM has provided valuable insights into this important biomarker that will help us to guide the development of our lead BRAF candidate. We believe that this collaboration with Guardant Health will enable a deeper look at the occurrence rates of functionally distinct classes of BRAF alterations across patient groups and help advance our efforts to develop novel targeted therapies that improve their lives." Preliminary analyses conducted utilizing the GuardantINFORM platform suggest that the prevalence of Class II and III alterations across patients with advanced and metastatic solid tumors screened via liquid biopsy-based comprehensive genomic profiling is higher than previously understood. Among the nearly 6,000 patients who were identified as having BRAF alteration-positive cancers, approximately 55% were found to be harboring Class II and III alterations across all tumor types. When looking across common tumor types - Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Melanoma and Colorectal Cancer - approximately 65%, 20% and 30% of oncogenic BRAF alterations, respectively, are BRAF Class II and III. In addition to NSCLC, Melanoma, and CRC, BRAF Class II and III alterations are also detected at substantial rates in other common and rare tumor types such as prostate, breast, duodenal adenocarcinoma, renal pelvis urothelial carcinoma, and cholangiocarcinoma.

08:29 EDT Willis Towers Watson agrees to acquire remaining 51% shares in WTW India - Willis Towers Watson announced the signing of an agreement to acquire the remaining 51% shares from Anemone Holdings Private Ltd and Rohit Jain in Willis Towers Watson India. WTW currently owns 49% of Willis Towers Watson India Insurance Brokers Private Limited and recent changes in regulation have made it possible for WTW to own up to 100% of WTW India. This transaction remains subject to customary legal and regulatory approvals.

08:26 EDT Coca-Cola acquires remaining stake of Bodyarmor for $5.6B in cash

08:26 EDT Lithium Americas makes offer to acquire Millennial Lithium for C$4.70 per share - Lithium Americas is pleased to announce that it has submitted an unconditional offer to Millennial Lithium Corp. to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Millennial. Under the terms of the Offer, on closing, each Millennial shareholder will receive C$4.70 per Common Share, payable in Lithium Americas common shares and C$0.001 in cash per Common Share, representing total consideration of approximately US$400 million. Based on the Company's closing price on October 29, 2021, this consideration would result in Millennial Shareholders owning approximately 9.9% of Lithium Americas. The board of directors of Millennial, after consultation with Millennial's financial and legal advisors, and after considering a recommendation from the Special Committee of the Millennial Board, has unanimously determined that the Offer constitutes a "Superior Proposal" in accordance with the terms of the arrangement agreement between Millennial and Contemporary Amperex Technology, dated September 28, 2021, as assigned and amended on October 12, 2021. In accordance with the CATL Agreement, Millennial has notified CATL that it considers the Offer to be a Superior Proposal and that the ten business day matching period has commenced, during which CATL has the right, but not the obligation, to propose to amend the terms of the CATL Agreement in order for the Offer to cease to be a Superior Proposal. The Matching Period expires at 4:30 p.m. on November 16, 2021. The Offer provides that Lithium Americas will, subject to certain conditions, reimburse Millennial for the termination fee of US$20 million payable to CATL if the CATL Agreement is terminated. Under the terms of the Offer, Millennial will pay Lithium Americas a termination fee of US$20 million in certain specified circumstances and Lithium Americas will pay Millennial a reverse termination fee of US$20 million, to be held in escrow, in certain specified circumstances. The board of directors of Lithium Americas has unconditionally authorized and approved the Offer. Further details of the Offer will be provided following the Matching Period if CATL does not exercise its Match Right, and the Offer enters into a definitive agreement by Millennial with Lithium Americas.

08:22 EDT R1 RCM's VisitPay, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center collaborate - R1 RCM, through its recent acquisition of VisitPay, announced a collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to implement a personalized digital financial experience for patients. The VisitPay platform offers transparency into billing statements and cost consolidation across visits. With VisitPay, users can break down their medical bills into flexible payment plans. "Our goal is to not only take the mystery, fear and frustration out of the payment experience, but also to empower the patient and allow them to focus their energy on healing and recovery," said Kent Ivanoff, CEO of VisitPay, an R1 Company. "We are excited to collaborate with MSK to provide clear and consolidated billing that is easy to understand, frictionless to pay, and includes a compassionate approach. Together, we can help patients manage their medical obligations in a way that is helpful, at a time when they need it most."

08:20 EDT GBS Inc. appoints Steven Boyages as interim CEO - GBS announced changes to its executive leadership team as the Company advances into a new phase focused on product development and planned manufacturing. In order to bolster the Company's existing management capabilities, the Board is implementing a number of leadership and management changes. To lead the Company into this new phase, the Board has appointed Professor Steven Boyages, PhD, the Chairman of the Board, to the position of Interim Chief Executive Officer, effective October 29, 2021. Professor Boyages is an endocrinologist with extensive experience in research and clinical science, as well as being a seasoned healthcare executive leading complex, large organizations across the healthcare industry. Furthermore, he is a Clinical Professor of the Sydney Medical School at The University of Sydney. The Board is initiating a search process with a leading executive search firm to identify a permanent CEO. Additionally, the Board announced that Harry Simeonidis, will continue to serve GBS now as President Asia Pacific, Sales & Marketing. In this role Mr. Simeonidis will facilitate the Company's continued focus on the APAC markets drawing on his vast experience and skill developed over his 25 years tenure in the region. Mr. Simeonidis will facilitate a smooth transition in his new role and remain supportive of Professor Boyages as a new CEO search gets underway.

08:19 EDT Super League Gaming, LLS partner to build competition on Minehut - Super League and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society announced that they are teaming up for an interactive build competition hosted by Super League's Minecraft community, Minehut. The company said, "The inspiring virtual event will take place throughout the month of November, bringing together creative Minecraft players with LLS Honored Heroes - real-life, pediatric cancer survivors and patients. Participants will enter into an amusement park-themed lobby in Minehut, tasked to build what their dream world would look like once they or their loved one are declared cancer-free. As they join the competition, they'll learn more about LLS Honored Heroes and their inspiring journeys...Following the four-week competition, the creators of the best builds will be interviewed by top Minecraft influencers and featured in exclusive video content on their YouTube channels. During the building phase, players will be encouraged to promote the event and raise funds to advance The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life for current patients and their families. If players raise $250, they will receive a one-of-a-kind Minecraft LLS Build Competition Gamer Kit with special items."

08:17 EDT Service Properties amends management agreement with Radisson - Service Properties Trust , or SVC, announced that it reached an agreement with a subsidiary of Radisson Hospitality, to amend their previous management agreement for nine hotels owned by subsidiaries of SVC. Under the amended agreement, Radisson will continue to manage eight of the hotels, including five Radisson Hotels and Resorts and three Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, for a 10-year term effective as of August 1. Among other terms, the new agreement with Radisson provides as follows: SVC's owner's priority return is set at $10.2M annually, supported by a $22M guaranty for 75% of the aggregate annual owner's priority return beginning in 2023. A management fee equal to 3% of gross revenue for Radisson branded hotels and 5% of gross revenue for Country Inn & Suites hotels payable to Radisson will be an operating cost paid senior to SVC's owner's priority return. Following payment of SVC's owner's priority return and reimbursement of certain advances, if any, Radisson may earn a 20% incentive management fee and SVC will receive the remaining cash flow. SVC will fund approximately $12M for renovations expected to be completed by the end of 2022. As such funding is advanced by SVC, the aggregate annual owner's priority return due to SVC under the amended agreement will increase by 6% of the amounts funded. SVC and Radisson transitioned management of one hotel to Sonesta International Hotels Corporation, or Sonesta, under the Royal Sonesta brand on October 31. SVC also owns approximately 34% of Sonesta.

08:15 EDT ManTech to acquire Gryphon Technologies for $350M - ManTech International announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Gryphon Technologies, a leading systems engineering firm, from AE Industrial Partners, for $350M. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., Gryphon Technologies provides a broad array of advanced digital and systems engineering capabilities for Department of Defense agencies. "This acquisition maps directly to our Defense Sector expansion strategy of leveraging transformational innovation to advance missions, modernize operations and safeguard military systems and personnel across the DoD landscape," said Kevin M. Phillips, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of ManTech. "We are very pleased to welcome Gryphon's talented employees, sophisticated capabilities and customers." ManTech will fund the acquisition from cash on hand with additional funding from its existing line of credit and delayed draw term loan facilities. The acquisition is subject to various closing conditions and approvals including approval under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, and is expected to be completed by year-end, 2021.

08:14 EDT Provectus announces presentation of meta-analyst results of PV-10 - Provectus announced that results from a meta-analysis of response, survival, and safety data from the Company's Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials and expanded access program of single-agent cancer immunotherapy PV-10 for the treatment of Stage III cutaneous melanoma was presented at the SMR 2021 Virtual Congress, which was held online from October 28th to 31st. Highlights of the SMR 2021 presentation: Safety, 104 patients: Adverse events were predominantly transient, locoregional to the PV-10-injection site, and mild-to-moderate grade. Injected-lesion response : Efficacy evaluable population; 56% complete response, 64% objective response rate, 78% disease control rate. Clinical evaluable population ; 56% CR, 65% ORR, 91% DCR. Time-to-event metrics: Time-to-response: mean 2.6 months. Time-to-progression: median not reached. Time-to-treatment failure: median not reached. Survival: Overall survival: median 44.9 months. Disease-specific survival: median 53.8 months. Dominic Rodrigues, Vice Chair of the Company's Board of Directors, said, "For a Stage III cutaneous melanoma patient population with unique locoregional disease characteristics having a serious condition and facing an unmet medical need, these PV-10 data unequivocally display a positive risk-benefit profile: rapid response to PV-10 treatment, a high injected-lesion complete response rate, and an attractive safety profile." Rodrigues added, "This meta-analysis represents approximately 12 years, 185 patients, and 1,200 lesions worth of PV-10 data. The results categorically quantify a robust response of Stage III melanoma lesions to intralesional PV-10 treatment that is temporally consistent and reproducible across multiple different countries, sites, principal investigators, and study protocols. The data compare very favorably with those reported for drug products approved for Stage III melanoma, such as oncolytic virus and immune checkpoint blockade therapies."

08:14 EDT Khosla Ventures Acquisition Co. II, Nextdoor merger expected to close Nov. 5 - Khosla Ventures Acquisition Co. II announced that it expects all conditions to be met, including minimum cash proceeds, subject to stockholder approval, to complete its previously announced business combination with Nextdoor. The transaction is expected to raise at least $363.3M from KVSB trust proceeds, and $270M from a fully committed common stock private placement, resulting in total gross proceeds of at least $633.3M. KVSB shares closed at $10.23 per share on October 29, and stockholders who elected to redeem will receive approximately $10.00 per share. Upon completion of the business combination, KVSB will change its name to "Nextdoor Holdings, Inc." Following the consummation of the business combination, Nextdoor Holdings Inc.'s shares are expected to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "KIND." Subject to stockholder approval and satisfaction or waiver of all closing conditions, KVSB and Nextdoor expect to close the business combination on November 5.

08:11 EDT Uber announces partnership with Bed Bath & Beyond, buybuy BABY - Uber Technologies (UBER) announced a partnership with Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) and buybuy BABY to help launch the brand new baby and kids vertical in the Uber Eats app. This new hub makes it easier than ever for parents to get all of their baby, kids and family essentials on-demand and delivered right to their door. Starting immediately, a massive catalog of essential baby and home products from nearly 120 buybuy BABY and more than 750 Bed Bath & Beyond locations nationwide are available for on-demand delivery through the Uber and Uber Eats apps. Parents and caregivers can now get everything from dinner for the entire family to diapers and wipes, first aid kits and bath toys, as well as a wide variety of Bed Bath & Beyond's offering for the home, all at the tap of a button.

08:10 EDT Huadi International awarded $3.26M stainless steel piper order contracts - Huadi International announces that the Company was recently awarded stainless steel seamless pipe order contracts worth $3.26M in total. Pursuant to the contracts, HUDI will supply square-cut and beveled seamless or electric-fusion-welded austenitic stainless steel pipes with a total value of $3.26M to a U.S. headquartered global leader in the manufacturing and distribution of critical application fittings, flanges pipe and related products. Di Wang, Chairman of the Company, commented: "These new contracts are exciting news for us as we continue to supply high standard products to our long-term partners both domestically and internationally. Leveraging our expertise and proficiency in industrial pipes manufacturing, we expect that our relationships with existing and prospect clients will become even better developed as we expand our operation with dedication to precision and quality, which makes us the perfect partner to support our global clients' needs."

08:08 EDT SomaLogic announces strategic collaboration with UH Cleveland Medical Center - SomaLogic announced a strategic collaboration with University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center where they will evaluate the impact of the company's SomaSignal tests on the medical management of diabetic patients who are at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. As part of the collaboration, University Hospitals, UH, Cleveland Medical Center and SomaLogic will promote the use of proteomic data to identify diabetic patients who are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and track the effectiveness of treatments used for these patients. The collaboration will include clinical trials and development projects that establish the groundwork for the use of proteomics in the health care system as part of their larger vision for building healthier communities, improving patient care and reducing healthcare costs. "We share a common vision with University Hospitals for finding innovative patient solutions for cardiovascular diseases," said SomaLogic Chief Executive Officer Roy Smythe, M.D. "We're excited to see our high-plex proteomic SomaSignal tests used to support physicians in their efforts to improve their patients' health outcomes."

08:08 EDT Outset Medical announces CMS approval for TPNIES for Tablo Hemodialysis System - Outset Medical announced that its Tablo Hemodialysis System has received the first-ever approval from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, for a Transitional Add-on Payment Adjustment for New and Innovative Equipment and Supplies, or TPNIES. The company said this decision will help encourage healthcare providers to embrace new technology enabling more patients to dialyze at home and reclaim their independence.

08:07 EDT Kiniksa plans to initiates Phase 2 trial of KPL-404 in 4Q21 - Kiniksa plans to initiate a Phase 2 clinical trial of KPL-404 in rheumatoid arthritis in the fourth quarter of 2021. The Phase 2 trial is designed to evaluate the efficacy, dose response, pharmacokinetics, and safety of chronic subcutaneous dosing in rheumatoid arthritis over 12 weeks. The pharmacokinetic lead-in of the Phase 2 trial is designed to provide optionality to evaluate the therapeutic potential of KPL-404 across a range of other autoimmune diseases with pathologies believed to be mediated by the CD40-CD154 pathway.

08:06 EDT Eiger BioPharmaceuticals completes enrollment of Phase 3 D-LIVR study - Eiger BioPharmaceuticals announced completion of enrollment in the Phase 3 D-LIVR study evaluating two different treatment regimens containing Lonafarnib, the company's first-in-class oral prenylation inhibitor, for the treatment of chronic hepatitis delta virus infection. The two regimens include all-oral Lonafarnib boosted with ritonavir and in combination with peginterferon alfa. The D-LIVR study spans 116 clinical sites across 22 countries and is the largest Phase 3 study ever conducted in HDV. Over 400 patients have now been enrolled in D-LIVR. Eiger is planning for topline data release by the end of 2022.

08:05 EDT Kiniksa expects data from Phase 3 trial of mavrilimumab in 1Q22 - Mavrilimumab has demonstrated broad utility across multiple indications including COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress syndrome and giant cell arteritis. Kiniksa expects data from the Phase 3 clinical trial of mavrilimumab in hospitalized non-mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19-related ARDS in the first quarter of 2022. The primary efficacy endpoint for the Phase 3 trial is the proportion of patients alive and without mechanical ventilation at Day 29. A key secondary efficacy endpoint is mortality at Day 29. Phase 2 clinical data in hospitalized non-mechanically ventilated patients with COVID-19-related ARDS showed mavrilimumab reduced the risk of mechanical ventilation or death by 65% versus placebo at Day 29.

08:05 EDT PRA Group announces $80M increase to share repurchase program - PRA Group announced that its Board of Directors has authorized an increase of $80M to its existing share repurchase authorization. The share repurchase program has no stated expiration date.

08:03 EDT Net 1 UEPS to acquire the Connect Group for $242M - Net 1 UEPS Technologies announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the Connect Group for a consideration of approximately $242M at an exchange rate of $1: ZAR 15.22. The acquisition of the Connect Group, a South African fintech company, is "transformational for Net1 in its journey to becoming South Africa's leading fintech platform," the company said. The Acquisition is expected to close in the quarter ending March 31, 2022, as it is subject to regulatory approval and satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

08:02 EDT Sino-Global CEO Lei Cao to step down, Yang Jie to succeed - Sino-Global announced that Lei Cao, Chairman and CEI of Sino-Global, plans to step down from his role as CEO effective November 1. He will remain Chairman of the Board, ensuring a smooth transition, having served as CEO since founding the company in 2001. To accelerate the company's diversification and growth in cryptocurrency and other new markets, the company's Board of Directors unanimously elected the company's Vice President, Yang "Leo" Jie to succeed Lei Cao effective November 1. Separately, the company announced its Acting CFO, Tuo Pan, has been appointed as its CFO.

07:58 EDT Fairfax Financial announces extension of exchange offer for senior notes - Fairfax Financial Holdings announces that it has extended its offer to exchange up to US$600,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of its 3.375% Senior Notes due 2031 for an equivalent amount of its 3.375% Senior Notes due 2031 registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended. US$600,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Old Notes were previously issued and sold by Fairfax in a private offering in March 2021. The Exchange Offer, previously scheduled to expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Friday, October 29, 2021, will now expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Friday, November 5, 2021, unless further extended. An aggregate principal amount of US$593,910,000.00, or 98.9850%, of the outstanding Old Notes was tendered in the Exchange Offer as of 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 29, 2021. Fairfax is extending the Exchange Offer to provide holders of any remaining Old Notes additional time to exchange their notes for Exchange Notes. Holders of the Old Notes that have already validly tendered and not validly withdrawn their Old Notes in the Exchange Offer do not need to re-tender their Old Notes or take any other action in response to the extension of the Exchange Offer.

07:52 EDT Arch Therapeutics presents AC5 Advanced Wound System - Arch Therapeutics presented at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care during the "Innovation Spotlight: Shining a Light on Bold Ideas in Wound Care" session on October 31, 2021. The presentation, led by Terrence W. Norchi, MD, Founder and CEO of Arch and key opinion leader, Randall Wolcott, MD, Founder of the Southwest Regional Wound Care Center, focused on the use of AC5 Advanced Wound System in chronic and non-healing wounds. Key points of note included the clinical advantages of the AC5 technology platform and the potential for AC5 Advanced Wound System to support optimal debridement and manage the challenges associated with biofilm infected wounds.

07:50 EDT eMagin unveils prototype for widescreen ultra-extended graphics array - eMagin Corporation has unveiled a new prototype for a widescreen ultra-extended graphics array that uses the Company's Direct Patterning Display technology to achieve 10,000 candela per square meter of maximum luminance, becoming the world's brightest high-resolution, full-color OLED microdisplay.

07:47 EDT Akoustis adds third mobile customer - Akoustis Technologies announced that it has signed a statement of work with a new mobile customer to develop a XBAW filter for a challenging 4G/5G band. This new customer is a leading 4G/5G RF component company focused on Asian handset OEMs, which is looking to leverage Akoustis' leading XBAW filter technology to address difficult frequency bands in 4G and 5G mobile applications. The customer expects to expand its use of XBAW filters in additional frequency bands if this initial statement-of-work is completed on time and within the stated specifications. This brings the number of active customer engagements in mobile for Akoustis to three, all of which are planning production ramps in late calendar 2022, or early calendar 2023.

07:46 EDT Jacobs to acquire BlackLynx, terms not disclosed - Jacobs announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire BlackLynx, a provider of high-performance software, to complement Jacobs' leading portfolio of cyber, intelligence and digital solutions. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. At closing, BlackLynx will expand Jacobs' position to 14 of 18 U.S. Intelligence Community agencies and will be aligned with Jacobs' Cyber & Intelligence business unit under the leadership of Caesar Nieves, Senior Vice President.

07:44 EDT Kaleido Biosciences plans to initiate Phase 2 trial of KB109 in 1H22 - The Company remains on track to initiate a Phase 2 clinical trial of KB109 in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in the first half of 2022, in collaboration with the COPD Foundation.

07:42 EDT Kaleido Biosciences sees cash runway into 2Q22 - As of September 30, 2021, the Company reported cash and cash equivalents of $55.7 million and has cash runway into the second quarter of 2022.

07:41 EDT Deere elects Leanne Caret to board of directors - Deere & Company (DE) announced the election of Leanne Caret, a manufacturing executive, to the company's board of directors. She is an executive vice president of The Boeing Company (BA) and serves as president and CEO of the Boeing Defense, Space, and Security business.

07:38 EDT Statera BioPharma recognizes Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month - Statera Biopharma announced its support for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, designated as the month of November. Recognizing the efforts by many organizations, foundations and associations around the world to raise awareness of the disease and advocate for patients, Statera joins with these groups in exploring new treatment options for a high need patient population. Statera is developing STAT-401 as an adjunct to standard of care therapy to extend the duration of disease remission in patients with pancreatic cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted STAT-401 Orphan Drug Designation for the disease. In August 2021, the company received feedback following a Type C meeting with the U.S. regulators regarding the STAT-401 clinical development program. The Company has established an advisory panel of oncology experts, and now expects to initiate a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial during the first half of 2022.

07:36 EDT NFI Group achieves new milestone, completes over 50M EV service miles - NFI Group announced that its electric vehicles, EVs, have collectively travelled more than 50M zero-emission miles. Through this milestone, NFI EVs have prevented nearly 140,000 imperial tons of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the environment - the equivalent of removing almost 30,000 cars from the road for one year. Six months ago, NFI announced it had reached the 40M zero-emission milestone. "As we lead up to COP26, we remain cognizant of the need to limit global warming, which demands significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade.1 There has never been more urgency for the design and delivery of mobility solutions that are clean, safe, accessible, efficient, and reliable." said Paul Soubry, President and Chief Executive Officer, NFI. "NFI exists to move people, and we do just that - moving millions of people around the world, each and every day," continued Paul Soubry. "Today, we are leading the electrification of transit operations in multiple markets, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. In just six months, our electric vehicles have collectively completed over 10 million zero-emission miles, bringing our lifetime total to over 50 million electric service miles. This is a huge milestone for NFI, and for the environment, and it is also proof that the transition to zero-emission is accelerating."

07:33 EDT Coherus, Junshi announce FDA acceptance of BLA for toripalimab - Shanghai Junshi Biosciences and Coherus BioSciences announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration has accepted for review the Biologics License Application for toripalimab in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin for the first-line treatment for patients with advanced recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma and toripalimab monotherapy for the second-line or above treatment of recurrent or metastatic NPC after platinum-containing chemotherapy. The FDA has granted Priority Review Designation for the toripalimab BLA and set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date for April 2022. The FDA is not currently planning to hold an advisory committee meeting to discuss the application. The toripalimab BLA is supported by the results from clinical studies "POLARIS-02" and "JUPITER-02". The POLARIS-02 study is a multi-center, open-label, pivotal Phase II clinical study, the results of which were published online in January 2021 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The JUPITER-02 study is a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, international multi-center Phase 3 clinical trial, the results of which were recently presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in a Plenary Session presentation and were published as the cover article of the September 2021 issue of Nature Medicine.

07:33 EDT DTE Energy names Joi Harris as president of DTE Gas - DTE Energy announced the appointment of Joi Harris as president of DTE Gas. Harris is a 30-year veteran of DTE and most recently as senior vice president of the Major Enterprise Projects division. Harris replaces Matt Paul, who has been named executive vice president of DTE's distribution operations group in DTE Electric.

07:32 EDT South Plains Financial announces approval of stock repurchase program - South Plains Financial announced that the board of directors of the Company approved a new stock repurchase program for up to $10M shares of outstanding common stock beginning on November 6, 2021 and concluding on November 6, 2022, subject to earlier termination or extension of the new repurchase plan by the Board. The stock repurchase plan currently in place will expire prior to the new repurchase plan becoming effective. Any remaining shares under the expiring repurchase plan will not be rolled into the new repurchase plan.

07:29 EDT Mount Logan Capital completes acquisition of Ability Insurance Company - Mount Logan Capital announces that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of 100% of the equity of Ability Insurance Company for a purchase price of $20 million comprised of the issuance of an unsecured promissory note in the amount of $15 million and $5 million of common shares of Mount Logan. Mount Logan's wholly-owned subsidiary, Mount Logan Management has now been engaged as an investment adviser for a meaningful portion of Ability's assets, increasing ML Management's assets under management. The transaction has been approved by both the Nebraska Department of Insurance as well as the Neo Exchange Inc. Ability is a Nebraska domiciled insurer and reinsurer of long-term care policies with approximately $900 million of invested statutory assets as of June 30, 2021. Ability is unique in the insurance industry in that its long-term care portfolio's morbidity risk has been largely re-insured to third parties, and Ability is no longer insuring or re-insuring new long-term care risk. The Seller (as defined below) has also provided certain protections that increase the credit quality of Ability's investment portfolio and limit risk associated with Ability's long-term care liabilities. As part of the Transaction, the Purchase Consideration has been pledged to Ability to support Ability's investment portfolio. As part of the Transaction, Mount Logan has invested $10 million of capital into Ability to strengthen Ability's balance sheet and launch a platform for the reinsurance of annuities, which is expected to reinsure $150 million of fixed annuities within six to twelve months. Anna Elliott and David Charsky, current members of the Ability management team, will continue to lead the business following the closing of the Transaction as President and Vice President of Finance & Treasurer, respectively. The acquisition of Ability by Mount Logan combines two companies providing products and services that Mount Logan believes are, and will continue to be, in high demand - insurance solutions and asset management. The stronger capital base and alignment will allow Mount Logan to scale asset and liability origination for the benefit of Ability's policyholders as well as Mount Logan and its shareholders. Mount Logan acquired Ability from Advantage Capital Holdings, an insurance and financial business platform. An aggregate of 1,579,671 Shares at a price of C$3.92 per Share, being the 20 day volume-weighted average price as of October 21, 2021, were issued by Mount Logan in satisfaction of the $5 million of share consideration forming part of the Purchase Consideration. Mount Logan's $10 million investment in Ability at close was funded by an $8.5 million draw on an existing $25 million corporate credit facility of a subsidiary of Mount Logan and existing cash on the balance sheet. Separately, in connection with the Company's previously announced transaction completed on July 1, 2021 where ML Management acquired certain assets from Capitala Investment Advisors, and became the investment adviser of Logan Ridge Finance Corporation Mount Logan issued approximately $4.0 million of Shares to CIA in satisfaction of a portion of the deferred purchase price payable pursuant to the asset purchase agreement with CIA. An aggregate of 1,258,931 Shares at a price of C$3.93 per Share, being the 15 day volume-weighted average price as of October 21, 2021, were issued to CIA.

07:25 EDT Akouos appoints Stacy Price as CTO - Akouos (AKUS) announced the appointment of Stacy Price as chief technical officer. At Akouos, she will be responsible for the strategy and operations of vector development and manufacturing, as well as device development and engineering. Ms. Price was most recently senior vice president of technical operations at Ziopharm Oncology (ZIOP), where she was accountable for development and delivery of CMC strategy for cell and combination gene therapy products, and for establishing the company's clinical manufacturing capability.

07:23 EDT Kornit Digital appoints Lee as strategic advisory to company, board - Kornit Digital (KRNT) announced it has appointed Jae Hyun Lee as a strategic advisor to the Company and Board of Directors. The Company plans to subsequently nominate Lee for election to the Board at Kornit's 2022 Annual Shareholder Meeting. Lee brings nearly three decades of international executive leadership and a background in e-commerce and digital marketplaces, including nearly two decades at global commerce and third-party marketplace leader eBay (EBAY).

07:20 EDT Tela Bio, Next Science enter into exclusive distribution agreement - TELA Bio announced it has entered into a distribution agreement with Next Science, a medical technology company, granting TELA exclusive rights to sell and market Next Science's proprietary antimicrobial surgical wash with XBIO technology across the US plastic reconstructive market. Additionally, TELA Bio received a first right of negotiation for the EU market upon successful CE approval. "We are excited to work with Next Science and will commence private label marketing of the solution for plastic surgery in early 2022," said Antony Koblish, President and CEO of TELA Bio. "Including this novel infection control solution into our product portfolio will expand our service offerings and diversify our supplier base as we continue to create a market-leading soft tissue restoration portfolio. Surgical site infections present a significant risk to patients and are especially troubling in plastic surgery procedures where tissue preservation is critical."

07:19 EDT Marrone Bio submits regulatory packages for MBI-306 in US, Brazil - Marrone Bio Innovations has submitted the regulatory packages for MBI-306 to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, and for MBI-206 to all three Brazilian regulatory authorities - the National Health Surveillance Agency, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources. Pending EPA approval, MBI-306 will compete in the insecticide market. "Our submissions are on track, as we committed, and thus begins the regulatory review process that will allow us to bring two differentiated products with favorable environmental benefits to the world's largest soybean and corn-growing regions," said Chief Executive Officer Kevin Helash. "With estimated peak potential revenue in excess of $100M for both products, MBI-306 and its variants and MBI-206 will be important contributors to advancing Marrone Bio's growth and leadership in crop bioprotection." MBI-206 has been submitted for approval in Brazil for two uses: as a seed treatment and as a foliar/in-furrow product. Upon approval, the seed treatment will be used to control nematodes on soybeans and corn, which are estimated to be on a record-setting 148 million acres for the 2021/2022 growing season.

07:14 EDT Infinity Energy Resources announces name change to American Noble Gas - American Noble Gas announced the results of its recent Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The shareholders approved all matters voted upon including the proposed name change from Infinity Energy Resources, Inc. to American Noble Gas, Inc. The Company has already submitted the necessary filings to effect the name change and is in process of changing its ticker symbol to OTC-QB: AMNG. The name change emphasizes the Company's expansion of its strategic focus to include the exploration, development and production of helium and other minerals contained in its recently acquired 11,000-acre oil & gas properties in the Otis/Albert Field located on the Kansas Central Uplift. AMGAS's professional oil and gas exploration and production team is actively targeting and evaluating helium and other noble gas resources on its Central Kansas Properties to help meet the increasing global demand for noble gases including helium which represents an irreplaceable and scarce element critical to advanced technology, medical and space exploration industries. Currently hybrid and electric cars, wind power generators, the military, electronic, medical imaging, and optics technology industries have created dramatically increased demand for noble gases and rare earth elements, which are critical to the advancement of these and other high-technology fields. The Company has been and continues to test its Central Kansas Properties for the existence of noble gas resources and such tests have yielded very positive but not yet conclusive results. The Company will be conducting additional testing during the remainder of 2021 as well as possibly drilling additional pilot wells to support the existence of helium and other noble gas resources contained on its Central Kansas Properties. In addition, the shareholders approved a proposal to increase the authorized shares of common stock at the Annual Meeting. This is an important measure which management believes will facilitate the Company's plan to target several potential acquisitions of oil and gas properties in geographic proximity to its Central Kansas Properties which could be financed, in part with equity. The Company believes that certain of the targets with acreage that is proximate to its Central Kansas Properties could provide the gas gathering and pipeline infrastructure necessary to accommodate the needs of its Central Kansas Properties in addition to expanding AMGAS's existing and proven oil and gas reserves. The Company's goal is to become a leading producer of noble gases in the United States and the world to meet the largely unmet demand for such scarce resources. The Company will keep investors informed of developments with respect to the acquisition of additional properties and their potential noble gas resources. The Company will continue to explore for, develop and produce hydrocarbons on its Central Kansas Properties and the targeted properties however, the existence of helium and other noble gas resources could prove to be far more valuable than tradition oil and natural gas production.

07:11 EDT McKesson to sell UK businesses to Aurelius - McKesson announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its UK businesses to Aurelius, a pan-European asset management group with offices in Munich, London, Stockholm, Madrid, Amsterdam, Milan and Luxembourg. The transaction includes the sale of McKesson UK businesses LloydsPharmacy, LloydsDirect, AAH Pharmaceuticals, LloydsPharmacy Clinical Homecare, LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor, MASTA and John Bell & Croyden. The transaction is expected to close in FY22, subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals.

07:10 EDT Rockwell Automation expands supply chain services with acquisition of AVATA - Rockwell Automation announced that it has acquired AVATA, a leading services provider for supply chain management, enterprise resource planning, and enterprise performance management solutions. AVATA has significant domain expertise in enterprise applications and is a leading consultant and systems integrator for Oracle cloud software applications. By significantly improving end-to-end supply chain visibility and management, AVATA, together with Kalypso, Rockwell's industrial digital transformation services business, will help further unlock the value of information technology/operational technology convergence that Rockwell can deliver to customers. AVATA will be integrated into Kalypso, which is a part of Rockwell's Lifecycle Services business. "Welcoming AVATA into our portfolio is another example of our strategy to bolster our technology and consulting capabilities to better serve our customers with cloud-native solutions that are easy to implement, use, and maintain," said Frank Kulaszewicz, senior vice president, Lifecycle Services for Rockwell Automation. "Manufacturers are increasingly seeking resiliency, agility, and sustainability in their supply chain and operations and are adopting cloud solutions to accelerate their efforts. AVATA augments our ability to provide our customers access to a leading portfolio of cloud solutions for enabling digital transformation."

07:08 EDT Incyte gets acceptance for parsaclisib NDA for refractory Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma - Incyte announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, has accepted its New Drug Application, NDA, for parsaclisib, an investigational novel potent, highly selective, next-generation oral inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase delta, PI3Kd, for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma, FL, marginal zone lymphoma, MZL and mantle cell lymphoma, MCL. The submission is based on data from several Phase 2 studies evaluating parsaclisib as a treatment for relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphomas, NHLs FL, MZL and MCL. Parsaclisib was generally well-tolerated in all studies with a manageable safety profile. Parsaclisib has been granted Priority Review by the FDA for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory MZL who have received at least one prior anti-CD20-based regimen and for the treatment of adult patients with MCL who have received at least one prior therapy. The FDA grants Priority Review to medicines that, if approved, would be significant improvements in the safety or effectiveness of the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of serious conditions when compared to standard applications. This designation shortens the review period by four months as compared to Standard Review so the Prescription Drug User Fee Act PDUFA target action date for these indications is April 30, 2022. The NDA for use of parsaclisib in adult patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphomawho have received at least two prior systemic therapies will have a Standard Review and a PDUFA target action date of August 3 . Confirmatory phase 3 studies are in preparation for parsaclisib in patients with MCL and relapsed or refractory FL and MZL.

07:07 EDT Gogo says no plans to certain radio frequencies for 5G networks - Gogo Business Aviation commented on recent reports of federal regulatory bodies discussing the potential of certain radio frequencies planned to be used for 5G networks interfering with aeronautical services. Those discussions between the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Communications Commission center on potential interference with aircraft radio altimeters that operate in the 4.0 GHz - 4.2 GHz range caused by the terrestrial carriers' 5G use of C-Band spectrum in the 3.7 - 3.98 GHz range. "Gogo has never used the frequencies under discussion, nor do we plan to use those frequencies for our 5G network," said Sergio Aguirre, president of Gogo Business Aviation. "The spectrum bands used by Gogo, currently and following the launch of our 5G network, have been in use for decades and have never been shown to interfere with aeronautical services." For its 5G network Gogo plans to use 4 MHz of spectrum it owns in the 800 MHz band and additional unlicensed spectrum in the 2.423 GHz - 2.475 GHz range, which has sufficient

07:07 EDT ArcBest approves ASR with Morgan Stanley to repurchase $100M in common stock - ArcBest (ARCB) announced that the Board has authorized ArcBest to enter into an accelerated share repurchase program, or ASR, with Morgan Stanley & Co. (MS) to repurchase $100M of ArcBest's common stock. The ASR authorization is in addition to the authorization under the existing ArcBest share repurchase program, which currently has $41.9M available. ArcBest intends to enter into the ASR shortly after the release of its earnings for third quarter 2021 scheduled for November 2. "We are pleased to increase the return of capital to ArcBest's shareholders by entering into this accelerated share repurchase agreement," said Judy R. McReynolds, ArcBest chairman, president and CEO. Under the ASR agreement, ArcBest will make an initial payment of $100M to Morgan Stanley and will receive an initial delivery of ArcBest common stock. The final number of shares to be repurchased will be based on the volume-weighted average price of ArcBest's common stock during the term of the ASR and subject to adjustments pursuant to the terms of the ASR. The final settlement of the ASR is expected to be completed in Q1 of 2022.

07:05 EDT Lear to establish joint venture with Shinry Technologies Co. - Lear announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to establish a joint venture with Shinry Technologies Co., a China-based Tier 1 supplier of electronics for electric vehicles. The completion of the approval and registration of the joint venture is anticipated within the fourth quarter of 2021, and the joint venture management team is expected to be finalized this year. Located in Shenzhen, China, the joint venture will integrate complementary portfolios of advanced onboard vehicle chargers and next generation multi-function integrated power modules from both companies to serve a broad range of regional and global automakers.

07:02 EDT Chifeng Jilong Gold to acquire Golden Star in all-cash offer valued at $470M - Golden Star Resources and Chifeng Jilong Gold Mining Co. are pleased to announce that they have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which Chifeng has agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Golden Star by way of a statutory plan of arrangement under the Canada Business Corporations Act. The Transaction will be consummated through Chifeng's majority-controlled subsidiary, Chijin International Limited. Pursuant to the Transaction, holders of Golden Star Shares will receive total consideration, payable in cash, of $3.91 per Golden Star Share, which equates to approximately $470M on a fully-diluted, in-the-money basis. The Board of Directors of Golden Star has unanimously approved the Transaction and is unanimously recommending that Golden Star Shareholders vote in favour of the Transaction. Subject to the various approvals required, the Transaction is expected to close in January 2022.

06:54 EDT Timken expects supply chain issues to persist through early 2022 - "We expect operating conditions through the rest of the year to be similar to the third quarter, with the benefits of strong demand being largely offset by inflation and higher costs to serve customers," said Kyle. "As we look out to 2022, we are planning for the robust demand environment to continue, with supply chain issues persisting through at least the early part of the year. We expect to offset these headwinds with significant price realization and operational excellence initiatives, and we are well positioned to deliver higher levels of performance in 2022."

06:44 EDT DarioHealth enters RPM services contracts with providers in Hawaii, Georgia - DarioHealth announced that it has entered into contracts with two regional providers in Hawaii and Georgia for its Remote Patient Monitoring, or RPM, services. The two new contracts expand Dario's provider footprint with one of the largest providers in Hawaii, and a metro Atlanta primary care system with multiple locations. Both partnerships will provide RPM services for patients living with diabetes and hypertension, two of the most common - and commonly co-occurring - chronic conditions. Each contract represents a win for Dario in the crowded RPM market. Dario's established track record of partnering with providers to engage patients factored heavily in both decisions as providers increasingly look for credible solutions. Dario supports more than 197,000 members on its multi-chronic condition digital therapeutics platform today with live provider clients in the Midwest, Southeast and Southwest.

06:35 EDT Takeda Pharmaceutical applies for selection of "Prime Market" segment of TSE - Takeda Pharmaceutical applied for selection of the "Prime Market" segment of the Tokyo Stock Exchange as its listing market as determined at the Board of Directors Meeting held on September 29 and 30, 2021. Takeda received the results of the initial assessment made by the TSE on July 9, 2021, confirming Takeda's compliance with the listing requirements for the "Prime Market" in the new market segments that will be introduced on April 4, 2022 by the TSE. In addition, Takeda filed its Corporate Governance Report with the TSE based on the Corporate Governance Code, which was revised on June 11, 2021. This report describes the status of compliance with the disclosure items required of companies listed on the "Prime Market."

06:34 EDT General Electric completes combination of GECAS with AerCap - GE (GE) announced the completion of the combination of its GE Capital Aviation Services business with AerCap Holdings N.V. (AER). GE Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., said, "Completing this strategic transaction is a significant milestone in GE's transformation to a more focused, simpler, stronger high-tech industrial company. This is a debt story today. The cash proceeds put us in a position to have reduced our debt by approximately $75 billion since the end of 2018, and we gain a meaningful stake in AerCap that we will monetize as the aviation industry recovers. And it is an equity story longer term, substantially simplifying GE to its industrial core. I'd like to thank AerCap and the exceptional GECAS team for their support in creating the combined company that will better serve customers around the world." Under the terms of the transaction agreement, GE received total consideration of greater than $30B upon closing, including approximately $23B in net cash proceeds; 111.5M ordinary shares equivalent to approximately 46% ownership of the combined company, with a market value of approximately $6.6B based on the closing share price of $59.04 on October 29, 2021; and $1B paid in AerCap senior notes.

06:29 EDT Li Auto reports October deliveries of 7,649 Li ONEs - Li Auto "announced that the company delivered 7,649 Li ONEs in October 2021, increasing 107.2% year over year. As of October 31, 2021, the year-to-date and cumulative deliveries of Li ONEs reached 62,919 and 96,516 respectively. As of October 31, 2021, the Company had 162 retail stores in 86 cities, as well as 223 servicing centers and Li Auto-authorized body and paint shops operating in 165 cities."

06:24 EDT AstraZeneca to transfer Eklira and Duaklir rights in $270M deal - AstraZeneca "has agreed to transfer its global rights to Eklira, known as Tudorza in the U.S., and Duaklir, or aclidinium bromide/formoterol to Covis Pharma Group Covis Pharma. Both medicines are delivered via the Genuair device and used for the treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The agreement will ensure continued patient access to these established medicines. Covis Pharma previously acquired the rights to the respiratory medicines Alvesco, Omnaris and Zetonna from AstraZeneca in 2018. Covis Pharma will pay AstraZeneca $270m on completion. Covis Pharma will also cover certain ongoing development costs related to the medicines. The income arising from the upfront payment will be fully offset by a charge for derecognition of the associated intangible asset and therefore no Other Operating Income will be recognised in AstraZeneca's financial statements. In 2020, Eklira and Duaklir generated AstraZeneca revenue of $143m in the countries covered by this agreement. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearances. The agreement will not impact the Company's financial guidance for 2021."

06:18 EDT Southwest conducting probe following anti-Biden chant by pilot - Southwest Airlines is conducting an investigation following reports that one of its pilots said an anti-Joe Biden chant during an inflight announcement. The phrase, "Let's Go, Brandon" has been used as a code to criticize Biden. Southwest on Sunday said via Twitter that it is investigating the incident. Reference Link

06:05 EDT Organigram reports 7.7% national market share position in September - Organigram believes that market share continues to be an important indication of success for a licensed producer as sell through to end consumers is a strong predictor of long-term sustainable revenue. The company continues its impressive market share growth trajectory in Canada, moving from a 3.9% market share position in January 2021 to a 7.7% national market share position in September 2021, securing the #4 position among Canadian LPs. Organigram is pleased to announce that, following the receipt of the required import and export permits, it has resumed shipping to Canndoc Ltd. in Q1 Fiscal 2022. The company's most recent shipment to Canndoc included several of Organigram's new genetic offerings, all popular genetics recently launched in the Canadian market. The Company is pleased that Canndoc's patients in Israel will now have access to these popular new cultivars from Organigram. Organigram is pleased to announce that it has signed a supply agreement with the Yukon Liquor Corporation and is planning to commence shipments in the coming months. The addition of the Yukon further expands the geographic reach of the company which now includes all 10 Canadian provinces, and one territory.

05:27 EDT XPeng reports October deliveries of 10,138 vehicles, up 233% - XPeng announced its vehicle delivery results for October. XPeng maintained momentum in October with a total 10,138 Smart EVs delivered, representing a 233% increase year-over-year and the second month surpassing the 10,000-unit benchmark despite the semiconductor shortage. Deliveries in October consisted of 6,044 P7 smart sports sedans, representing a 187% increase year-over-year. The company delivered 3,657 G3 and G3i smart SUVs, reaching a monthly record since the G3's launch in December 2018. The P5 smart family sedans, launched in September had 437 units delivered in October. As of October 31, year-to-date total vehicle deliveries reached 66,542, representing a 289% increase year-over-year, including 45,271 P7 deliveries. The company's cumulative deliveries exceeded 100,000 as at the end of October. The company continues to expand its supercharging facilities to address increasing customer demand. XPeng's branded supercharging network spans urban commuting thoroughfares and highways through 439 stations across 121 Chinese cities, as of September 30. The company now offers free supercharging services to customers at 1,648 stations in 221 cities across China.

05:22 EDT Hutchmed, AstraZeneca initate SAMETA trial of savolitinib - Hutchmed (HCM) and AstraZeneca (AZN) have initiated SAMETA, a global Phase III study of savolitinib, an oral, potent, and highly selective small molecule inhibitor of MET, a receptor tyrosine kinase, in combination with AstraZeneca's PD-L1 inhibitor Imfinzi in patients with MET-driven advanced papillary renal cell carcinoma. The first patient received their first dose on October 28.

05:15 EDT Sportradar named exclusive authorized collector, distributor of data for UEFA - Sportradar announced that the company will serve as UEFA's exclusive authorized collector and distributor of data for betting purposes, as well as extending its role as UEFA's official integrity partner. Sportradar secured the exclusive agreement following UEFA's first competitive tender process for its data distribution rights for betting purposes. The agreement covers 1,550 matches from the 2021/22 season through to the end of the 2023/24 season across all UEFA properties including UEFA Euro 2024, the European Qualifiers, the UEFA Nations League, the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Women's Champions League and UEFA Women's Euro 2022, Under-21s and UEFA Futsal Champions League and UEFA Futsal Euro Championship. As part of this agreement, UEFA and Sportradar will extend their long-standing integrity cooperation, which will now include dedicated Intelligence and Investigation Services to support UEFA's anti match-fixing unit. Sportradar will also continue to provide UEFA with its bet monitoring services to protect the integrity of UEFA and its member associations' competitions as it has for the last 12 years.

05:08 EDT Baidu appoints Rong Luo as chief financial officer - Baidu (BIDU) announced the appointment of Rong Luo as chief financial officer, effective immediately. Rong Luo joins Baidu from TAL Education (TAL), where he served as the chief financial officer since November 2014 and played several management roles.