Stockwinners Market Radar for November 02, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:15 EDT Turquoise Hill Turquoise Hill cuts FY21 CapEx view to $80M-$100M from $105M-$125 - Oyu Tolgoi's copper and gold production guidance for 2021 remains within the ranges of 150,000 to 180,000 tonnes of copper and 400,000 to 480,000 ounces of gold, respectively.

18:34 EDT Estee Lauder CEO: Brick and mortar really picked up in Q1 - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Fabrizio Freda said, "Our customer is the Chinese middle class and it is growing." He noted that Q1 was probably the best quarter in North America in a long time.

18:06 EDT EverCommerce to acquire DrChrono, terms not disclosed - EverCommerce announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire DrChrono Inc., a company developing an essential platform and services for modern medical practices. Based in Sunnyvale, California, DrChrono offers an all-in-one, cloud-based practice management, EHR, and billing solution. Completion of the transaction is pending regulatory review and other customary closing conditions and is expected to close before the end of November. "As the healthcare industry rebounds from the pandemic, there is increased focus on making care accessible and adaptable to maximize patient engagement," said Matt Feierstein, president, EverCommerce. "DrChrono is a leader in mobile technology for healthcare providers. Patient preference for those convenient options continues to grow, making DrChrono an ideal complement for our EverHealth solutions group." TripleTree is serving as exclusive financial advisor to DrChrono. Terms of the acquisition will not be disclosed.

17:20 EDT Ovintiv says to maintain production in FY22 in line with second half of FY21 - CEO Brendan McCracken: "We are confident in our ability to maintain our capital efficiency in 2022. Our teams have been relentless in finding ways to offset cost inflation and make better wells. Our Permian, Anadarko, and Montney assets are all generating superior returns on invested capital as evidenced by the fact that each asset is on track to generate between $1.0 to $1.1 billion of upstream operating free cash flow in 2021. Our multi-basin portfolio, repeatable load-leveled program, pacesetter cost performance, and rigorous supply chain management provide a strong position to continue delivering industry leading capital efficiency as we head into 2022."

17:14 EDT Weyco Group CFO John Wittkowske to retire, Judy Anderson to succeed - Weyco Group announced that John Wittkowske, the company's senior VP, CFO and secretary, will retire effective May 6, 2022. Wittkowske will be succeeded as the company's CFO and secretary by Judy Anderson. Anderson will report directly to Thomas Florsheim, Jr., the company's chairman and CEO. Anderson joined the Company in 1996 and has held various financial leadership roles.

17:12 EDT Caesars COO says confident in return of convention customer in Las Vegas in 2022

17:12 EDT Marathon Digital produced 417.7 self-mined bitcoins during October - Marathon Digital (MARA) published unaudited bitcoin (BTC) production and miner installation updates for October. The company produced 417.7 self-mined bitcoins during October, increasing total bitcoin holdings to approximately 7,453 with a fair market value of approximately $457.4M. As of November 1, 2021, Marathon's mining fleet has produced approximately 2,516 self-mined bitcoins during 2021."In October, we increased our bitcoin production by 23% month-over-month to 417.7 BTC and increased our total bitcoin holdings to approximately 7,453 BTC," said Fred Thiel, Marathon's CEO. "As in prior months, our bitcoin production was impacted by maintenance related outages at the power plant in Hardin, MT and increases in the total network hash rate. However, with shipments of our previously purchased miners accelerating over the coming months, we continue to expect our bitcoin production to become more consistent as we scale. In addition to improving our bitcoin production, MaraPool reached 3.0 EH/s, and we began sending our first batches of miners to one of Compute North's facilities. We also began chartering planes in October to expedite the delivery of our miners and to mitigate the adverse effects of global logistics issues on our growth. By chartering planes, we decreased the average time it took for miners to be shipped and delivered by approximately 50% from September to October. Providing it remains economically viable to do so, it is our intention to continue chartering flights to ensure the on time delivery of our miners. Given the number of miners expected to ship and the steps we have taken to prepare for their deployment, we believe that the fourth quarter will be an transformative time for our business, and we look forward to continuing to scale our mining operations."

17:09 EDT Clearwater Paper says seeing recovery in food service segment - Says saw demand recovery at retail level in Q3. Expects demand to be flat in Q4 vs. Q3. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

17:06 EDT Synchronoss appoints Taylor Greenwald as CFO - Synchronoss announced that Taylor Greenwald is appointed executive VP and CFO, effective immediately. In his new role at Synchronoss, Greenwald will oversee global financial operations for the company, including accounting, treasury, business planning and analysis, corporate development, and investor relations. Greenwald brings to Synchronoss experience managing financial functions of large global public organizations. He most recently served as senior VP finance and CFO, web presence for Endurance International, an IT services company.

17:03 EDT Unisys appoints Mike Thomson as COO - The company announced the appointment of Unisys CFO Mike Thomson as president and COO, effective upon the hiring of a new CFO. Thomson has driven the financial transformation of the company since becoming CFO in 2019, including the substantial strengthening of the company's balance sheet. Thomson has also played an important operational role in the company, as he currently runs the company's corporate development efforts and oversees the strategy function. The company has begun the search for a new CFO. Thomson will succeed current Unisys President and COO Eric Hutto, who is stepping down after 6.5 years of service with the company to pursue other interests. Hutto, who was instrumental in improving the financial performance of the company in recent years and in the implementation of the company's new strategy and operating model, will be leaving his current role on November 30. Chair and CEO Peter Altabef will assume Hutto's responsibilities on an interim basis until the CFO transition is complete.

16:56 EDT Commercial Vehicle Group says demand outlook in key markets is favorable - The company states: "The demand outlook for the Company's key markets are favorable; however production capacity is limited in a number of our end markets due to continued pandemic-driven supply-chain constraints. We believe the demand outlook for the Company's entrance into the electric and fuel cell vehicle market to be favorable. Many global electric and fuel cell vehicle platforms are underway across the spectrum of vehicle types. Adoption rates are forecast to increase per the Bloomberg NEF Electric Vehicle Outlook and supports continuance of the Company's efforts aimed at partnering with electric vehicle and fuel cell makers to help them develop and produce these vehicles and make use of the Company's full product basket of offerings such as: entire electrical systems for the chassis and powertrain, seating solutions, headliners, interior trim, mirrors, wipers, floor mats, and road sensors. The demand outlook for the Company's warehouse automation products is favorable. According to LogisticsIQ, demand for warehouse automation products is expected to grow approximately 14% annually through 2026."

16:53 EDT Activision Blizzard says 'Hearthstone' set for y/y net bookings growth in Q4 - Says "Hearthstone" net bookings stable year-over-year in Q3. Says "Hearthstone" positioned for year-over-year growth in net bookings in Q4. Says "Candy Crush" still top-earning mobile game franchise on U.S. app stores.

16:50 EDT Akamai sees Q4 operating expenses $290M-$297M

16:48 EDT Freshworks falls 11% after Q3 earnings, Q4 guidance

16:44 EDT Activision Blizzard sees later-than-expected launch of 'Overwatch 2,' 'Diablo 4' - Says expects to continue to experience "negative" and "challenging" media attention from workplace discrimination claims. Says continued to grow developer headcount in Q3. Says geographic expansion "paying dividends." Says now planning for later launch of "Overwatch 2" and "Diablo 4" than originally anticipated. Says 119M people engage with Activision content monthly.

16:42 EDT ICF International acquires ESAC, terms not disclosed - ICF announced it has acquired ESAC, also known as Enterprise Science and Computing, one of the leading specialized providers of advanced health analytics, research data management and bioinformatics solutions to U.S. federal health agencies.

16:39 EDT Activision says new workplace actions are right ones for business success - Says should have done a better job creating a "model workplace." Says any instance of wrongful conduct is unacceptable. Says actions company is taking are right ones for business success. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

16:38 EDT John Bean Technologies acquires Urtasun Tecnologia Alimentaria S.L. for $40M - JBT announced it has acquired Urtasun Tecnologia Alimentaria S.L., a provider of fruit and vegetable processing solutions. The company is headquartered in Navarra, Spain. The purchase price was approximately $40M. Urtasun expects 2021 revenue of approximately $25M with Adjusted EBITDA margins in the mid to high-teens. The transaction is expected to be approximately 4c dilutive to 2021 GAAP earnings per share and 1c dilutive on an adjusted basis which excludes transaction-related costs and purchase price accounting. In 2022, Urtasun is expected to be accretive to GAAP and adjusted earnings per share by approximately 3c.

16:37 EDT Laredo Petroleum sees Q4 total production 80.3-83.3 MBOE per day

16:33 EDT FMC Corporation backs FY21 free cash flow view $480M-$570M - Expects to repurchase $350M-$450M of FMC shares through end of year.

16:32 EDT Lyft rises nearly 4% to almost $47 after Q3 results

16:30 EDT Allied Motion acquires ORMEC Systems, terms not disclosed - Allied Motion Technologies announced that it has acquired ORMEC Systems Corp., a developer and manufacturer of mission critical electro-mechanical automation solutions and motion control products including multi-axis controls, electronic drives and actuators for the automation and aerospace industries. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to both EPS and the gross margin profile of Allied. "ORMEC is an excellent bolt on acquisition that strengthens our technical expertise and adds a higher level of precision motion control systems and solutions to our offerings. In addition to its products, ORMEC designs and manufactures complete electro-mechanical and software solutions for custom automation applications. We are very excited to add such a highly experienced and capable team to Allied. We look forward to a bright future together as we expand the joint business potential by increasing our scale and ability to support new applications." commented Dick Warzala, Chairman and CEO of Allied. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

16:25 EDT Bed Bath & Beyond announces moves to redefine business model - Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) announced the launch of its new digital marketplace to build on the company's existing authority in key Home & Baby categories. The marketplace will expand its assortment of key products from a highly curated selection of third-party brand partners that will be seamlessly integrated into the Bed Bath & Beyond digital platform. This announcement follows the joint press release, in which Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. and The Kroger Co. (KR) announced a strategic collaboration to directly offer Kroger customers an extensive selection of the most sought-after goods for the home and baby products carried by Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. through Kroger.com as well as a small-scale physical store pilot at select Kroger Family of Companies stores beginning in 2022. The multi-category omnichannel collaboration will include popular items - from bedding and storage to baby furniture and gear - from Bed Bath & Beyond and buybuy Baby's assortment, including the company's exclusive Owned Brands as well as national brands. To further enable the company's transformation through these growth partnerships and expanded capabilities, Bed Bath & Beyond is realigning its organizational infrastructure and refreshing its leadership team to support its stronger business model. As part of the Company's ongoing redefinition of its business model as it pursues future growth drivers, Anu Gupta has been named Chief Growth Officer. This newly created position will focus on internal and external growth opportunities. In her new role, Ms. Gupta will be working cross-functionally to continue managing the Company's business transformation. She will be responsible for driving growth through the development and incubation of strategic partnerships and management of an increasingly expanding revenue ecosystem, while helping maintain the core business. Rafeh Masood, the Company's current Chief Digital Officer & interim Chief Brand Officer, has been named Chief Customer Officer, also a newly created role combining his digital and brand roles. Both appointments are effective immediately and will report to Mark Tritton, Bed Bath & Beyond's President & CEO. John Hartmann, Bed Bath & Beyond's Chief Operating Officer and President of buybuy Baby will be responsible for partnership execution, in addition to his leadership across IT and supply chain.

16:23 EDT Kaman receives new K-MAX orders - Kaman Air Vehicles, a division of Kaman Corporation, announced the receipt of signed purchase agreements for two K-MAX medium-to-heavy lift helicopters with deliveries expected in the fourth quarter of 2021. The operators are located in the U.S. and Canada. "We are thrilled that the K-MAX continues to be the helicopter of choice for external lift applications that require the need for precise, efficient and cost-effective operations," said Roger Wassmuth, Senior Director of Business Development. "The proven firefighting capabilities of the K-MAX and the tireless efforts of its operators throughout the 2021 fire season have garnered the K-MAX with the reputation of being the most accurate water placement according to the United States Forest Service (USFS) hotshot ground crew survey." "Kaman is pleased to continue the delivery of K-MAX helicopters to the external lift industry", stated Darlene Smith, President, Kaman Air Vehicles Division. "K-MAX is a clear choice for the repetitive lift market where there is an urgent need for a reliable aerial platform to perform critical missions such as firefighting and infrastructure building."

16:20 EDT Bed Bath & Beyond expects to complete $1B share repurchase by end of FY21 - Bed Bath & Beyond announced that it expects to complete its $1B three-year share repurchase plan by the end of fiscal 2021, two years ahead of schedule. Program-to-date, the company has completed $600M in share repurchases since the end of fiscal 2020. The company now expects to repurchase the remaining $400M of the program by the end of fiscal 2021, specifically over the third and fourth quarters. Mark Tritton, Bed Bath & Beyond's President and CEO commented, "We continue to execute our bold transformation and implement successful strategies that will fortify our near-term and long-term value creation. Today's announcement further underscores our ongoing confidence in our turnaround, and our ability to simultaneously generate positive cash flow, maintain a strong balance sheet and invest in our long-term growth, all while returning significant capital to shareholders. We remain committed to our capital allocation framework of delivering strong and sustainable total shareholder return."

16:20 EDT Infinity Pharmaceuticals sees FY21 net loss ($50M)-($40M) - Infinity expects to end 2021 with a year-end-cash, cash equivalents and available for sale securities balance ranging from $70M-$80M. Infinity's financial guidance does not include additional funding or business development activities.

16:18 EDT Edison International provides update on 2017/2018 wildfire/mudslide events - In October 2021, SCE and the SED executed an agreement subject to CPUC approval, to resolve the SED's investigations into the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events and three other 2017 wildfires for, among other things, aggregate costs of $550 million. The $550 million in costs is comprised of a $110 million fine to be paid to the State of California General Fund, $65 million of shareholder-funded safety measures, and an agreement by SCE to waive its right to seek cost recovery in CPUC-jurisdictional rates for $375 million of third-party uninsured claims payments. The SED Agreement also imposes other obligations on SCE, including reporting requirements and safety-focused studies. In the SED Agreement, SCE did not admit imprudence, negligence or liability with respect to the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events or the three other 2017 wildfires. During the quarter, EIX and SCE increased the estimated losses for the 2017/2018 Wildfire Mudslide Events by $1.3 billion, reflecting the review of information obtained as a result of achieving key milestones in the litigation process, including settlement activity to date. The estimated losses for the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events as of September 30, 2021, reflect the impact of the SED Agreement. After giving effect to all settlements entered into through September 30, 2021, Edison International and SCE's best estimate of expected losses for remaining alleged and potential claims related to the 2017/2018 Wildfire/Mudslide Events was $2.2 billion. This settlement and revised best estimate of potential losses do not change EIX's previous disclosed 2021 financing plan. Edison International continues to anticipate issuing securities with up to $1 billion of equity content to support its investment grade credit ratings.

16:16 EDT Sixth Street declares special dividend per share of 50c - The Company announced that its Board of Directors has declared a fourth quarter 2021 base dividend of $0.41 per share to shareholders of record as of December 15, 2021, payable on January14, 2022, a third quarter supplemental dividend of $0.07 per share to shareholders of record as of November30, 2021, payable on December 31, 2021, and a special dividend of $0.50 per share to shareholders of record as of December 7, 2021, payable on December 20, 2021.

16:11 EDT Qiagen expands QIAstat-Dx testing menu to differentiate flu, RSV, and COVID - Qiagen "announced the launch and CE-marking of the QIAstat-Dx Respiratory 4 Plex Flu A-B/RSV/SARS-CoV-2 test for the QIAstat-Dx system to quickly identify whether patients have common seasonal respiratory infections or SARS-CoV-2. QIAGEN's new Respiratory 4 Plex Flu A-B/RSV/SARS-CoV-2 test is a powerful diagnostic tool in the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in influenza like illness (ILI) or "flu" seasons. It leverages the easy-to-use QIAstat-Dx modular cartridge-based system to deliver fast results that require no additional sample preparation."

16:07 EDT Zillow Group announces plans to wind down ZIllow Offers

16:04 EDT T-Mobile now sees FY postpaid net adds 5.1M-5.3M - Postpaid net customer additions are expected to be between 5.1 million and 5.3 million, an increase from prior guidance of 5.0 million to 5.3 million. Core Adjusted EBITDA, which is Adjusted EBITDA less lease revenues, is expected to be between $23.4 billion and $23.5 billion, an increase from prior guidance of $23.0 billion to $23.3 billion. Cash purchases of property and equipment, including capitalized interest, are expected to be between $12.1 billion to $12.3 billion, an increase from the prior guidance of $12.0 billion to $12.3 billion. Merger-related costs are expected to be between $2.8 billion and $3.0 billion before taxes. Net cash provided by operating activities, including payments for Merger-related costs, is expected to be between $13.9 billion and $14.0 billion, an increase from prior guidance of $13.6 billion to $13.9 billion. Free Cash Flow, including payments for Merger-related costs, is expected to be between $5.5 billion and $5.6 billion, an increase from prior guidance of $5.2 billion to $5.5 billion.

16:03 EDT Cerus raises FY21 Product Revenue view to $127M-$129M from $118M-$122M - The revised guidance range represents approximately 38% to 40% growth over 2020 reported product revenue. v

15:02 EDT ViacomCBS says DOJ's claims without merit, intends to fight lawsuit 'vigorously' - In a regulatory filing, ViacomCBS said that, "On November 2, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to block the sale by ViacomCBS of its Simon & Schuster business to Penguin Random House pursuant to a Share Purchase Agreement, dated November 24, 2020, between ViacomCBS, certain of its subsidiaries, Penguin Random House and Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA. The Purchase Agreement contains customary representations and warranties and covenants, including commitments on the part of Penguin Random House to take all necessary steps to obtain any required regulatory approvals and to defend any litigation that would delay or prevent consummation, and also provides for a termination fee payable to ViacomCBS in certain circumstances in the event the transaction does not close for regulatory reasons. The parties believe the DOJ's claims are without merit and intend to defend against them vigorously." Earlier on Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice confirmed that it has filed a civil antitrust lawsuit to block Penguin Random House's proposed acquisition of its competitor, Simon & Schuster.

14:21 EDT SomaLogic up 10% after blog report on takeover rumor - Shares of SomaLogic (SLGC) are up $1.25, or 10%, to $13.82 after a report from Street Insider claimed, citing a source, that Illumina (ILMN) is exploring a possible takeover of the test developer that came public this summer via a SPAC merger.

14:18 EDT TransDigm VP Henderson sells over $6M in company shares - TransDigm VP Robert Henderson disclosed in a filing that he had sold 10,000 shares of company stock at $627.17 per share om November 1, for a total transaction amount of $6,271,665.

14:05 EDT Bristol-Myers says Opdivo receives two new Health Canada approvals - Bristol-Myers Squibb announced two recent Health Canada approvals for OPDIVO. Unlike traditional cancer therapies that target tumours directly, OPDIVO activates the body's own immune system to help recognize and attack cancer cells. On October 28, 2021, Health Canada approved OPDIVO for the treatment of HER2 negative advanced or metastatic gastric cancer, gastroesophageal junction cancer or esophageal adenocarcinoma, in combination with fluoropyrimidine and platinum- containing chemotherapy. This approval was based on the results of the CheckMate -649 clinical trial, and represents a potential new standard of care for the first-line treatment of HER2 negative patients with advanced or metastatic gastric, gastroesophageal junction or esophageal adenocarcinoma. Earlier this year, on July 2, 2021, Health Canada also approved OPDIVO as an adjuvant treatment of completely resected esophageal or gastroesophageal junction cancer in patients who have residual pathologic disease following prior neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. This approval was based on the results of the CheckMate -577 clinical trial and represents the possibility of extending the lives of patients with completely resected esophageal cancers and gastroesophageal junction cancers. "Stomach and esophageal cancers are some of the deadliest cancers, and there have been no major treatment advancements in many years," says Dr. Elena Elimova, Medical Oncologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, and an investigator in the CheckMate -649 and Checkmate -577 clinical studies. "Time is of the essence for these patients and the addition of nivolumab as a treatment option provides an opportunity to potentially extend their lives."

13:07 EDT Netflix says five mobile games available starting today - Netflix (NFLX) said that it is taking its first step in launching Netflix games on mobile to the world. Starting today, members everywhere can play five mobile games: Stranger Things: 1984, Stranger Things 3: The Game, Shooting Hoops, Card Blast, and Teeter Up. "Whether you're craving a casual game you can start from scratch or an immersive experience that lets you dig deeper into your favorite stories, we want to begin to build a library of games that offers something for everyone," the company said. "We're in the early days of creating a great gaming experience, and we're excited to take you on this journey with us." Users just need a Netflix subscription, with the company noting there will be no ads, additional fees, or in-app purchases. In addition, the company said its mobile games are currently available on Android (GOOGL) devices and are available in "many of hte languages we offer on service." Members will be able to play games on multiple mobile devices on the same account, and games are not available on kids profiles. While some mobile games may require an internet connection, others will be available to play offline. Reference Link

13:03 EDT Facebook shutting down Face Recognition system - Jerome Pesenti, VP of Artificial Intelligence, said in a blog post: "We're shutting down the Face Recognition system on Facebook. People who've opted in will no longer be automatically recognized in photos and videos and we will delete more than a billion people's individual facial recognition templates. This change will also impact Automatic Alt Text, which creates image descriptions for blind and visually impaired people. After this change, AAT descriptions will no longer include the names of people recognized in photos but will function normally otherwise. We need to weigh the positive use cases for facial recognition against growing societal concerns, especially as regulators have yet to provide clear rules." Pesenti added: "In the coming weeks, we will shut down the Face Recognition system on Facebook as part of a company-wide move to limit the use of facial recognition in our products. As part of this change, people who have opted in to our Face Recognition setting will no longer be automatically recognized in photos and videos, and we will delete the facial recognition template used to identify them... More than a third of Facebook's daily active users have opted in to our Face Recognition setting and are able to be recognized, and its removal will result in the deletion of more than a billion people's individual facial recognition templates." Reference Link

12:31 EDT Justice Department sues to block Penguin acquisition of Simon & Schuster - The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed that it has filed a civil antitrust lawsuit to block Penguin Random House's proposed acquisition of its competitor, Simon & Schuster. As alleged in the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, this acquisition would "enable Penguin Random House, which is already the largest book publisher in the world, to exert outsized influence over which books are published in the United States and how much authors are paid for their work," the DOJ stated. "The complaint filed today to ensure fair competition in the U.S. publishing industry is the latest demonstration of the Justice Department's commitment to pursuing economic opportunity and fairness through antitrust enforcement," added Attorney General Merrick Garland. Penguin Random House is a subsidiary of Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and is headquartered in New York, New York. In 2019, Penguin Random House reported revenues of $2.4B from U.S. publishing. Simon & Schuster Inc. is a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. and is headquartered in New York, New York. In 2019, Simon & Schuster reported revenues of $760M from U.S. publishing. Previously, on November 25, 2020, ViacomCBS announced a definitive agreement to sell the publishing business Simon & Schuster to Penguin Random House, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bertelsmann, for $2.18B in cash. Reference Link

12:01 EDT Intrepid Potash falls -21.0% - Intrepid Potash is down -21.0%, or -$10.79 to $40.50.

12:01 EDT Chegg falls -45.1% - Chegg is down -45.1%, or -$28.32 to $34.44.

12:00 EDT Arista Networks rises 20.3% - Arista Networks is up 20.3%, or $82.92 to $491.50.

11:46 EDT Microsoft says it is continuing to expand portfolio of Teams displays - Microsoft said it is expanding its portfolio of Teams displays, saying the the Yealink deskVision AIO24 is expected to be available in early 2022. "Upon certification, the Yealink deskVision AIO24 with its large 24-inch display can be used as a standalone device for Teams collaboration or connected to your PC as a second screen, which will allow you to seamlessly multitask and see more content across the displays," the company said. Microsoft added that native Bluetooth capability to enter preview early next year, and that it is working on a feature to let users raise their hands by holding the Teams button.

11:07 EDT NRx Pharma reports 'favorable' new safety report on Zyesami in NIH trial - NRx Pharmaceuticals provided a "favorable" new safety update on Zyesami, or aviptadil, which is being tested in the ACTIV-3b Critical Care Phase 3 study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. In its third scheduled analysis, the study's Independent Data Safety Monitoring Board found no new safety concerns after reviewing a total of more than 300 patients and recommended continued enrollment, the company announced. "This safety analysis by the NIH continues to contribute evidence that Zyesami is safe to administer to patients with Critical COVID-19, who have no other therapeutic alternative," said Prof. Jonathan Javitt, MD, MPH, Chairman and CEO of NRx. "We now have safety data on nearly 600 patients treated with Zyesami in the ICU or step-down unit, with no reports of unexpected, drug-related, serious adverse events." On May 31, 2021, NRx submitted a request for Emergency Use Authorization to the US Food and Drug Administration for Zyesami for the treatment of patients suffering from Critical Covid-19 with respiratory failure. That request remains pending. ACTIV-3b represents one of three ongoing studies of Zyesami in Severe or Critical COVID-19, the company noted.

11:02 EDT Lockheed Martin, Verizon collaborate on 5G.MIL technologies - Verizon (VZ) and Lockheed Martin (LMT) have signed an agreement to collaborate on 5G.MIL technologies that will provide ultra-secure, reliable connections for U.S. Department of Defense systems, bringing together high-tech platforms into a cohesive network spanning air, land, sea, space and cyber domains. The strategic relationship agreement also establishes a joint research and development lab framework to prototype, demonstrate and test 5G.MIL technologies.

11:00 EDT Northeast Indiana Bancorp increases quarterly dividend to 30c from 28c - The Board of Directors of Northeast Indiana Bancorp announced that it has increased the cash dividend paid to shareholders for the 27th year in a row. The cash dividend of 30c per common share per quarter represents a 2c per share or 7.1% increase over the company's previous quarterly dividend, the company said in a statement. The dividend will be payable on November 26, 2021 to shareholders of record on November 11, 2021.

10:51 EDT Adtran sees Q4 non-GAAP gross margin in the mid 30s

10:40 EDT Sage Chief Medical Officer resigned to pursue CEO opportunity at private company - Sage Therapeutics stated earlier along with its report of business highlights and financial results for the third quarter: "During the third quarter, the company strengthened its leadership with key changes: Chris Benecchi, MBA, joined Sage as Chief Commercial Officer; Jim Doherty, Ph.D., assumed the role of Chief Development Officer; Mike Quirk, Ph.D., promoted to Senior Vice President of Discovery Research; Vanessa Procter promoted to Senior Vice President, External Affairs and joined the executive leadership team; Steve Kanes, M.D., resigned as Sage's Chief Medical Officer." Kanes is "pursuing a new opportunity as a Chief Executive Officer at a private biotechnology company," Sage stated.

10:31 EDT Hertz extends rally, shares up 32% to $45.10

10:18 EDT Switchback II shareholders approve business combination with Bird Rides - Switchback II Corporation (SWBK) announced that its shareholders have voted to approve the business combination and all other proposals related to the previously announced business combination with Bird Rides at its Extraordinary General Meeting held today, November 2. Jim Mutrie and Scott McNeill, Co-CEOs and Directors of Switchback II, commented, "With the support of our shareholders, we are pleased to help bring Bird to the public markets. Through the leadership and innovation of Travis VanderZanden and his team, Bird has positioned itself as a category leader in eco-friendly, electric micromobility, which it provides to more than 350 cities globally. We look forward to continuing to support Bird as it further advances its mission." Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the closing conditions set forth in the business combination agreement, dated as of May 11, the business combination is expected to close on November 4, and the common stock and warrants of Bird Global, the combined company, are expected to commence trading on the New York Stock Exchange on November 4, under the ticker symbols, "BRDS" and "BRDS WS," respectively. A halt will be implemented on the trading of the units of Switchback II before trading commences on the NYSE on November 4 and holders of Switchback II units will receive one share of Class A common stock and one-fifth of one redeemable warrant of Bird Global. The resulting shares of Class A common stock and whole warrants following the separation of Switchback II units are expected to commence trading on the NYSE on November 5.

10:06 EDT Avis Budget halts for volatility after 56% move higher - Shares of Avis Budget have been halted for volatility with the stock up $96.22, or 56%, to $267.68 in early trading after last night's earnings report.

10:05 EDT STAR Bank launches NYDIG bitcoin services via Alkami platform - Alkami Technology has announced STAR Financial Bank as its first client to empower customers with trading systems that allow the purchase, sale, and secure storage of bitcoin, powered by NYDIG. STAR Bank is the first bank in the state of Indiana to offer bitcoin trading services to customers.

10:02 EDT Arthur J. Gallagher acquires Mark J. Becker & Associates - Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. announced the acquisition of Johnston, Iowa-based Mark J. Becker & Associates, LLC. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2011, Mark J. Becker & Associates is an employee benefit consulting firm with a focus on serving the public sector, social services, medical community, secondary and higher education industry, and small group businesses. The team designs and manages traditional employee benefits programs and offers strategic planning, risk analysis and funding tool management services. Mark Becker and his team will be relocating to Gallagher's West Des Moines office, under the direction of Jerry Roberts, head of Gallagher's Heartland region employee benefit consulting and brokerage operations.

10:01 EDT UPS expects to hire at least 60,000 seasonal employees at 'Brown Friday' event - UPS announced that it expects to hire at least 60,000 seasonal employees this Thursday through Saturday, in its annual 'UPS Brown Friday' events at company locations across the country. Nearly a month before Black Friday and Cyber Monday officially kick off the holiday shopping season, the UPS Brown Friday event includes more than 400 local hiring events as well as virtual events on UPSJobs.com/BrownFriday that will support more than 1,200 locations across the U.S. The hiring weekend is part of its broader effort, announced last month, to hire seasonal workers to support its annual holiday shipping rush.

10:00 EDT Intrepid Potash falls -18.4% - Intrepid Potash is down -18.4%, or -$9.46 to $41.83.

10:00 EDT Under Armour rises 15.5% - Under Armour is up 15.5%, or $3.41 to $25.39.

10:00 EDT Rogers Corporation rises 29.6% - Rogers Corporation is up 29.6%, or $61.57 to $269.80.

09:47 EDT Intrepid Potash falls -12.3% - Intrepid Potash is down -12.3%, or -$6.29 to $45.00.

09:47 EDT Under Armour rises 15.6% - Under Armour is up 15.6%, or $2.96 to $21.99.

09:47 EDT Rogers Corporation rises 29.9% - Rogers Corporation is up 29.9%, or $62.28 to $270.51.

09:31 EDT AT&T awarded $182M EIS task order from USAID - The U.S. Agency for International Development, which leads the U.S. Government's international development and disaster assistance around the world, has awarded AT&T a Task Order agreement to support its domestic and international wireless and wireline connectivity needs. The agreement, awarded via the General Services Administration's Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions contract, is valued at $182M over 10-years if all options are exercised.

09:29 EDT INVZBL announced TD SYNNEX as 'exclusive distribution partner' - INVZBL announced TD SYNNEX as its exclusive distribution partner. "The agreement gives INVZBL access to TD SYNNEX' massive reseller/dealer network across a host of vertical markets. The announcement comes as INVZBL sees continued growth through its industry-leading technology, including its N-AIR UV-C Ceiling Panel Air Purifiers available commercially to a range of businesses in the education, enterprise, government, healthcare and hospitality industries," noted the company. "INVZBL was established to provide a safe and convenient cleaning solution for high-touch items and shared spaces. We have invested heavily in developing our technology, and now we are thrilled to expand our distribution capabilities through this partnership with TD SYNNEX," says Chuck Morrison, founder and CEO of INVZBL. "This will allow INVZBL to scale its business more effectively and reach more consumers looking to benefit from UV-C disinfection technology."

09:21 EDT AerCap signs joint venture agreement with Safran regarding SES - AerCap Holdingshas announced that following its acquisition of the GE Capital Aviation Services business, or GECAS, it has signed a 20-year joint venture agreement with Safran Aircraft Engines regarding Shannon Engine Support, or SES. SES, the leading provider of spare engines for CFM International, is now a 50/50 joint company between AerCap and Safran. SES, the world's largest lessor of CFM56 and LEAP engines, will continue to provide lease engine support to CFM and CFM operators.

09:20 EDT Hertz, Tesla shares falls after Elon Musk says no car deal is signed - Shares of Hertz (HTZZ) are moving lower after Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk tweeted to a shareholder commenting on the stock's recent rise, "If any of this is based on Hertz, I'd like to emphasize that no contract has been signed yet. Tesla has far more demand than production, therefore we will only sell cars to Hertz for the same margin as to consumers. Hertz deal has zero effect on our economics." Hertz in premarket trading is down 5%, or $1.55, to $32.60. Tesla is down 3%, or $41.59, to $1,167.00. Hertz on October 25 announced an initial order of 100,000 Teslas by the end of 2022 and new electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the company's operations.

09:19 EDT Chicken Soup for the Soul's Screen Media acquires 'Fast Charlie' - Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment announced Screen Media's acquisition of worldwide rights to the upcoming hitman thriller Fast Charlie starring Pierce Brosnan and directed by Phillip Noyce.

09:18 EDT Liquid Media formalizes intake process for films, series, video content - Liquid Media Group announced its project intake procedures following a significant increase in demand for the Company's four-phase solution engine to help drive content from inception through monetization. The boost in submissions follows Liquid's successful industry launch, star-studded "Big Splash'' gala and multiple panel presentations at the Toronto International Film Festival. These activities generated a flurry of media for the Company, including stories, coverage and interviews via Deadline Hollywood, Playback, Just Jared, E-Talk News, ET Canada, CTV's "The Social", The Globe and Mail, People Magazine, Film Daily, Benzinga and more. Liquid's new project submission portal is now the principal way for all producers and content creators seeking to work with Liquid to submit projects for financing, distribution and monetization. Whether a project is in the early stages and requires predictive analysis or production financing or is more advanced and needs digital asset management, distribution & monetization or discoverability, the submission portal enables each project to be matched to the appropriate phase of Liquid's solution engine.

09:17 EDT Tetra Tech wins $110M USACE dam safety and risk management contract - Tetra Tech announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USACE, Sacramento District awarded a Tetra Tech-led joint venture a multiple-award contract to assess and manage risks for dams and levee systems in the western United States for a period up to five years. Tetra Tech will perform site characterization studies, environmental assessments, engineering evaluations, and hydrologic analyses related to the safety of dams and levee systems. Our team will use advanced analytics and predictive modeling to assess structural integrity and design risk-based management approaches for dam and levee safety. "Increased impacts from climate change have placed the nation's dam and levee systems under additional stress from extreme weather events," said Dan Batrack, Tetra Tech Chairman and CEO. "Tetra Tech looks forward to continuing to use our Leading with Science approach to support the USACE in reducing flood risks, maintaining public safety, and restoring ecosystems."

09:15 EDT Reed's announces launch of two sodas in swing-lid bottles - Reed's announced the launch of Flying Cauldron Butterscotch Cream Soda, and return of Virgil's Bavarian Nutmeg Root Beer, in classic half-liter Swing-lid packaging. "The pint-sized glass bottles feature a ceramic swing-lid resealable top, making it easier than ever to sip, share and enjoy handcrafted beverages with family and friends," the company said. "Reed's Inc. is dedicated to listening to our consumers and delivering them new ways to enjoy our variety of craft all-natural beverage options," shared Norman Snyder, CEO of Reed's Inc. "We recognized the demand to bring back our Virgil's Bavarian Nutmeg Root Beer Swing-lid this year and to excite them a step further, it was a natural fit to replicate the dynamic bottle with our fan-favorite Flying Cauldron Butterscotch Cream Soda."

09:10 EDT Boston, Ovia Health launch programs to improve maternal health outcomes - Ovia Health announced that it has partnered with the City of Boston, in collaboration with Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts, to bring a suite of innovative and comprehensive fertility, maternity, and family health benefits to Boston municipal employees. The collaboration will help close gaps in care equity and provide enhanced care management and clinical outcomes for women and families. With Ovia Health, Boston municipal employees now have access to a full spectrum of services and resources, including personalized clinical pathways, on-demand digital health coaching, return-to-work training, and other support programs designed to help employees with their unique family needs.

09:09 EDT BriaCell appoints Gross to board, separately enters 6-month marketing contract - BriaCell Therapeutics (BCTX) announces the appointment of Jane Gross, Ph.D. to its Board of Directors. Jane Gross currently serves as an Independent Director for aTyr Pharmaceuticals (LIFE). BriaCell also announces that its Board of Directors has approved a grant of 10,000 options to purchase common shares in the capital of BriaCell to Dr. Gross in her role as a director of BriaCell, pursuant to the Company's stock option plan. The options have an exercise price of C$9.92 per share and a term of five years and vest immediately. Separately, BriaCell has also entered into a 6-month marketing and investor engagement contract with Toronto-based marketing firm North Equities. North Equities Corp. specializes in various social media platforms and will be able to facilitate greater awareness and widespread dissemination of the Company's news. In connection with the Contract, the Company will pay North Equities CAD$105,000. North Equities Corp. does not have an equity stake in the Company currently.

09:07 EDT Premise Health partners with Humana - Premise Health has partnered with Humana to offer care to its associates at multiple wellness centers. As part of Humana's commitment to the health of its workforce, the company has partnered with Premise to operate its Humana Health & Well-being Centers, increasing in-person and virtual health care access for thousands of associates. The partnership with Premise supports Humana's continued work toward simplifying the health care journey for their associates and making it easier to achieve their best health.

09:06 EDT Ingersoll-Rand acquires Tuthill unit Tuthill Pump Group in $84.6M transaction - Ingersoll Rand has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Tuthill Corporation's Pump Group. The all-cash transaction, valued at $84.6M, is expected to close in Q4, subject to customary closing conditions. Upon transaction close, the employees and brands of the Pump Group will join the Ingersoll Rand Precision and Science Technologies, PST, segment. "This is the second business we have purchased from Tuthill Corporation and I'm excited to welcome another Tuthill team to the Ingersoll Rand family," said Vicente Reynal, president and chief executive officer of Ingersoll Rand. "With an IRX-driven playbook in place, I'm confident the integration of the Pump Group will be as seamless and successful as the prior transaction, and will help extend our portfolio of mission critical, high margin pumping solutions within PST. This transaction aligns with our M&A focused capital allocation strategy, meets our strategic and financial criteria, and we expect it to deliver meaningful shareholder value through synergy realization, including a mid-single digit Adjusted EBITDA purchase multiple by year three of ownership." Tuthill's Pump Group is a market leader in gear and rotary piston pump solutions for sustainable, high growth end markets, including life science, food and beverage, medical and water and wastewater treatment. It has two manufacturing locations in Alsip, IL and Ilkeston, UK, approximately 100 employees and annual sales of more than $25 million. Tuthill's Pump Group is highly complementary to existing PST brands including MP, Oberdorfer and ARO, increases PST's market presence, and provides access to new end markets, customers and applications.

09:05 EDT WynnBET gains market access in West Virginia in partnership with Delaware North - WynnBET announced it has partnered with Delaware North to obtain market access in West Virginia for online sportsbook and casino operations. West Virginia represents the 18th jurisdiction in a rapidly growing footprint of states in which WynnBET has secured varying degrees of market access. Delaware North, a global hospitality and entertainment company with a portfolio of regional gaming venues, owns and operates two casinos in West Virginia - Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack in Wheeling and Mardi Gras Casino & Resort in Nitro, near Charleston. Both operate retail sportsbooks, and Delaware North operates Betly, its own website and mobile sports betting app.

09:04 EDT Solid Power announces Paprzycki as CFO, Jacobs as CMO - Solid Power, which is in the process of merging with Decarbonization Plus Acquisition III, announced two new appointments to its executive team. Kevin Paprzycki will serve as Solid Power's new Chief Financial Officer, CFO, succeeding Steve Fuhrman, who will remain with Solid Power as Vice President of Finance. Jon Jacobs will serve as Solid Power's new Chief Marketing Officer, CMO. Paprzycki brings more than 25 years of financial leadership experience, including over 15 years in C-level financial and executive leadership positions at Colorado-based public companies. Prior to joining Solid Power, Paprzycki served in various executive roles at Scott's Liquid Gold. Jacobs has over 25 years of experience in business development, marketing, materials development and engineering, primarily in the fields of battery materials and automotive vehicle designs. Prior to joining Solid Power, Jacobs served as Vice President of Business Development at Wildcat Discovery Technologies.

09:03 EDT US Energy Initiatives provides update on potential projects - US Energy Initiatives Corp announces that Management is still investigating 2 business ventures that will bring significant shareholder value to the stockholders of the company. According to Anthony Miller, CEO, "With the rapidly changing Digital Assets landscape, Management is working on closing opportunities that are before us. Currently, the company's digitals assets hover between $50- $60 Million dollars. It is Management's goal to make the best decisions possible, and we have delayed utilizing these assets because of the rapidly appreciating value they possess. The goal is to pledge or sell a portion of this currency to capitalize on these opportunities. We just don't want to make a deal just to make folks happy, we want an awesome deal. It is our intent to have great news to report in the next couple weeks, more significant than this update. As Sumcoin continually reaches historical values... and with the approval of our related firm by the regulators, USEI could possibly sell its assets at the full market value, instead of discounting the price, which is a far better option to us all. Finally, we continue to reiterate that will not increase the authorized shares of the Company and there is no reverse split contemplated for the present or the future. The fundamentals of this firm are fixed and changing this structure is not in anyone's best interest. It is still Management's belief that this company will create significant strategic alliances in the coming months," stated Miller.

09:02 EDT LegalZoom partners with Square to offer payment solution to small businesses - LegalZoom.com (LZ) has partnered with Square (SQ) to provide small business owners across industries POS payment software and versatile operations management tools to support the growth of their business. This partnership will allow LegalZoom customers to access and receive preferential pricing on offerings available with Square the moment they form their business. "We know that officially forming a business is just the beginning of an entrepreneur's work. So many other services are needed to launch and scale a business, including payment processing, and we want to make sure new business owners get the right tools at the right time," said Kathy Tsitovich, chief partnerships officer at LegalZoom. "Millions of small business owners already trust Square due to its impressive infrastructure and versatility across industries, so we're proud to recommend their products to our customers. With this partnership, and others to come, LegalZoom customers have access to a curated ecosystem of trusted partners that can propel their business forward."

09:00 EDT Westport awarded a tender for the supply of 60,000 LPG systems to NAFTAL - Westport Fuel Systems announced the award of a tender issued by NAFTAL, a branch of SONATRACH, the national Algerian Oil & Gas company. Westport Fuel Systems will supply 60,000 liquefied petroleum gas, LPG, systems over the next 18 months with related spare parts for a total value of about EUR 9M. The award of this new tender will further strengthen the strong relationship between Westport Fuel Systems and NAFTAL. Over the last 6 years, the company has supplied over 120,000 LPG kits to NAFTAL, furthering the company's commitment to providing affordable fuel systems to emerging markets. Algeria is strongly supporting the growth of Autogas which has been selected by the Algerian Government as the strategic fuel for the future of the country. "This order solidifies the strong partnership between Westport Fuel Systems and NAFTAL while highlighting our technology capabilities and the high quality of our products. We are proud to serve the Algerian national strategic plan to expand the LPG use," said David M Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Westport Fuel Systems. "LPG emits fewer pollutant emissions such as NOx than diesel and petrol and further supports the global transition underway to cleaner fuels."

08:58 EDT Mountain Vally MD completes licensing agreement with Red White & Bloom - Mountain Valley MD Holdings announced, further to its news release dated September 29, 2021, that Mountain Valley MD has entered into a Product Development and Commercial Licensing Agreement with Red White & Bloom Brands. The Agreement establishes the terms upon which Mountain Valley will develop and license formulas using MVMD's Quicksome technology and novel cannabinoid solubilization techniques to be applied by RWB to various cannabis product applications. The Agreement grants RWB an exclusive 5-year license in Florida, Michigan and California to manufacture and distribute its cannabis products in exchange for the payment of product fees and ongoing sales royalties. The MVMD team have been working closely with RWB to apply proprietary formulations across a number of branded Medical and Rec product lines. The MVMD Quicksome sublingual applications, include a proprietary THC-based sleep formulation created for RWB, which is planned to be the initial product that RWB will introduce in the medical sleep market in the United States. The Company is currently finalizing a patent for submission to the United States Patent Trademark Office to protect its cannabinoid solubilization work, which it believes will be a cornerstone for many unique product formulations in the cannabis marketplace.

08:57 EDT Harbor Custom Development appoints Chief Financial Officer - Harbor Custom Development (HCDI) announced the hiring of Lance Brown, as the Company's Chief Financial Officer, effective November 1, 2021. Prior to joining Harbor, Brown was Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer at Select Interior Concepts (SIC), where he was responsible for Finance, Accounting, SEC Reporting, and Tax.

08:55 EDT Mullen begins expansion plans for 1.2M square feet of EV manufacturing space - Mullen Automotive, which previously announced a definitive stock-for-stock reverse merger agreement with Net Element, announces that Mullen Automotive has begun its plans to expand on its 100-acre site in Robinsonville, Mississippi. Robinsonville is located in Tunica County and is approximately 40 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The capital investment and facility expansion are expected to deliver many needed jobs in and around the tri-state area. Mullen's Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Facility currently occupies 124,000 square feet of manufacturing space. The total available land on the property is over 100 acres, and Mullen is moving ahead with plans to build out another 1.2 million square feet of manufacturing space to support class 1 and class 2 EV cargo vans and the Mullen FIVE EV Crossover. "Mullen is taking the initiative to work with industry-leading companies and is installing high-caliber equipment to keep with its goal of building world-class-quality EVs," said David Michery, CEO and chairman of Mullen Automotive. "By committing to this scale of project and working with some of the best manufacturing processing companies in the world, Mullen is showing its commitment to be part of the rising electric era of EVs."

08:51 EDT Longboard Pharmaceuticals announces Spector joins as General Counsel - Longboard Pharmaceuticals announced Steven Spector, J.D., has joined the company as its General Counsel. Most recently, Spector has served as part-time general counsel for several publicly traded companies.

08:50 EDT Safe-T announces first purchase order to use DCaaS solution - Safe-T Group announced that Safe-T's enterprise privacy business unit received a purchase order for a project led by an Israel-based global data services company which intends to utilize Safe-T's recently announced web Data Collection-as-a-Service, DCaaS, solution in the analysis of online leading social media sites. The initial value of this high margin project is $180,000 and the potential value from the specific customer is estimated at $500,000 a year. The DCaaS solution was chosen following an intensive testing and evaluation period focused on determining performance metrics including system stability, and the diversity and the scalability of the data collection platform versus existing solutions on the market. Shachar Daniel, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Safe-T, noted: "We are pleased to have been selected by this established data services organization following extensive comparison testing of our new DCaaS product against several leading solutions in the market and look forward to expanding this contract. This project is the latest milestone for Safe-T and validates our capabilities in the data collection market, one of several large global opportunities we are now targeting with our portfolio of cyber security and privacy technologies. Based upon customer feedback and growing interest in our DCaaS, we expect to continue to show growth in this segment and to announce additional contracts and partnerships in the near future."

08:49 EDT Elliott sends letter to Healthcare Trust board urging sale - Elliott Investment Management, in its capacity as one of Healthcare Trust of America's largest investors, sent a letter to the company's board citing broad shareholder and analyst support for a sale process and calling on HTA to address on its third-quarter earnings call certain questions regarding the board's efforts to sell the company. According to Elliott, HTA shareholders believe that HTA should conduct a strategic review and publicly communicate its efforts around a sale process. "Once commenced," Elliott wrote, "this process must be thorough and pursued with urgency to take advantage of the favorable market environment, and to evaluate bids from the full universe of potential buyers." Elliott also called on the company's board to provide clarity as part of its upcoming earnings call regarding the mandate of its financial advisor and legal counsel, in order to be transparent with shareholders and demonstrate that the Board is acting in their best interests. Reference Link

08:48 EDT Quoin Pharmaceuticals announces signing of exclusive license from QUT - Quoin Pharmaceuticals announced that it has signed an agreement with Queensland University of Technology, Australia, QUT. The agreement is for an exclusive option to a bi-functional protein that has shown promising in-vitro data as a potential treatment for Netherton Syndrome. Under the terms of the deal, Quoin will fund a pre-clinical program at QUT. Upon completion of the program, Quoin has the option to sign an exclusive global license to the protein and all of its associated intellectual property. The terms of the deal do not require Quoin to pay any upfront license or milestone fees. Upon approval of the completed product, Quoin will pay QUT a mid-single digital royalty on sales. Dr. Michael Myers, Chief Executive Officer of Quoin, commented, "We are excited to have entered into this partnership with QUT. Quoin believes that the in-licensing of this protein is complementary to our lead asset, QRX003 for Netherton Syndrome, and further strengthens our leadership position in the development of potential treatments for this devastating disease. Following our recent merger with Cellect Biotechnology Ltd., we have a strong balance sheet to support the execution of our strategic plans."

08:47 EDT Novan appoints Johnson as CCO, FDA conditionally acceptances brand name of SB206 - Novan announced the appointment of Brian Johnson as its Chief Commercial Officer, CCO. Additionally, the Company received notice that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has conditionally accepted KINSOLUS as the brand name for SB206, a topical antiviral gel for the treatment of molluscum contagiosum, if approved. From 2015 to 2018, Johnson served as Chief Commercial Officer of Novan. Johnson joins Novan having most recently served as a Principal at Two Hearts Group.

08:45 EDT Freeport McMoRan appoints Maree Robertson as CFO - Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) announced the appointment of Maree Robertson as senior VP and CFO effective March 1, 2022. In this role, Robertson will assume responsibility for FCX's accounting, finance and tax functions, including financial reporting, operational accounting, internal controls, financial planning and analysis, treasury and risk management. Robertson will report to Kathleen Quirk, who has served as CFO since 2003, and was appointed to an expanded role of president in February. Robertson served as CFO, energy and minerals of Rio Tinto (RIO).

08:44 EDT Ideal Power releases whitepaper on B-TRAN circuit breakers - Ideal Power has released a whitepaper, "B-TRAN Devices in Solid-State Circuit Breaker Applications". The whitepaper describes how Ideal Power's patented, proprietary, semiconductor power switch architecture, the Bidirectional Bipolar Junction Transistor, solves the limitations of both mechanical circuit breakers now in widespread use, as well as those of solid-state circuit breaker solutions using power semiconductors such as the Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistor. The fast switching and low conduction losses of the B-TRAN, along with its inherent bidirectional capability, potentially lay a path to broad SSCB adoption to support both existing and emerging applications in the global circuit breaker market, which is projected to reach nearly $26 billion by 2027, growing at a forecasted compound annual growth rate of 6.6%. A B-TRAN enabled SSCB could potentially displace mechanical circuit breakers, which are roughly ten times slower than SSCBs and prone to arcing and wear. Ideal Power believes that B-TRAN would also solve the problems posed by SSCBs using conventional switches such as IGBTs that suffer high conduction losses, resulting in significant wasted energy that must be dissipated in the form of heat. Along with energy savings, the inherent bidirectionality and lower conduction losses of B-TRAN should also reduce component count and thermal management requirements and, therefore, the cost of SSCBs. As validation of the performance breakthrough of B-TRAN for circuit breaker applications, Diversified Technologies, in collaboration with Ideal Power, was awarded a contract with the U.S. Navy/Naval Sea Systems Command to develop a B-TRAN based solid-state direct current circuit breaker rated at 12 kV, 500 A for mission-critical technology in the Navy's ship electrification program. Further funding has also been received from the U.S. Department of Energy for Phase I of a program for an alternating current version of a B-TRAN based SSCB. This SSCB is intended to be used in medium voltage power distribution and renewable energy / microgrid connection to the United States' main power grid. If Phase I is successful and a Phase II grant is awarded, DTI will build and test a full 50 MW AC SSCB using Ideal Power B-TRAN devices. Ideal Power also recently announced that a Forbes 2021 Global 500 diverse power management market leader will be testing and evaluating B-TRAN for use in bidirectional DC SSCB applications for solar and wind systems. B-TRA(TM) will be evaluated against insulated-gate bipolar transistors and silicon carbide power devices. This represents Ideal Power's first test and evaluation announcement in the industrial and utility SSCB space.

08:41 EDT Bigg Digital Assets appoints KPMG as auditor - BIGG Digital Assets announced that on November 1, 2021 KPMG LLP has been appointed auditor. Also, pursuant to the Company's stock option plan and subject to regulatory approval, it has granted stock options to its directors, officers, employees and consultants to purchase an aggregate 750,000 common shares in the capital of the Company at an exercise price of $1.60 per common share for a period of five years. The stock options will be subject to vesting requirements over a period of up to 24 months. The securities represented by this grant will be subject to a four-month hold period.

08:40 EDT Digi International acquires Ventus for $347.4M in cash, sees accretion - "Digi International announced it has acquired Connecticut-based Ventus Holdings, a leader in Managed Network-as-a-Service solutions that simplify the complexity of enterprise wide area network connectivity. The acquisition-the largest in Digi's 36-year history-will enable the company to provide software and subscription service plans along with its award-winning hardware, thereby strengthening its position as a supplier of complete, high-value networking solutions. and boost IT resources.," said the companuy. Digi acquired Ventus for $347.4M in cash, which is just over eight times annualized recurring revenues. To finance the purchase, Digi secured a $350M debt facility through existing lender BMO Harris Bank N.A. and its affiliates Digi expects the acquisition to be immediately accretive to its non-GAAP measurements of adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EPS. Because of interest expense on the credit facility on a GAAP basis the acquisition is expected to be mildly non-accretive on net income and EPS in fiscal year 2023. Digi expects to report Ventus' performance as part of its IoT Solutions segment. "Our primary goal is to simplify the deployment and management of sophisticated and distributed enterprise networks," said Ron Konezny, President and CEO of Digi International. "Our acquisition of Ventus leverages our unique understanding of the evolving connectivity needs and challenges enterprises face today--from wide geographic footprints to large numbers of dynamic and intelligent endpoints. We're proud to renew our commitment to reducing the complexities of network and endpoint connectivity, as well as simplifying the building, hosting deploying, monitoring, and maintenance of secure, disruption-free WAN networks."

08:39 EDT Ouster enters customer agreement with Local Motors - Ouster announced that it has signed a strategic customer agreement with electric autonomous vehicle company, Local Motors. The agreement includes a binding commitment for over one thousand OS digital lidar sensors through 2023 and a non-binding forecast of over 20,000 sensors through 2025 which will be used to meet production demand for Local Motors' next-generation shuttles.

08:38 EDT Landos Biopharma announces FDA clearance of IND for LABP-105 for RA - Landos Biopharma announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the Company's Investigational New Drug, IND, application for LABP-104, a novel, oral, systemically delivered LANCL2 agonist, for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, RA,. The FDA has recently cleared an IND application for LABP-104 for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE. Landos has initiated a Phase 1 trial of LABP-104 for the treatment of RA and SLE in healthy volunteers and expects to report topline results in the first half of 2022. "Our team continues to successfully and timely deliver on the goals we set out at the beginning of the year, notably to clear three INDs in 2021. The FDA clearance of the LABP-104 IND application in RA is Landos' seventh successful IND approval derived from our LANCE A.I. platform in less than four years," commented Josep Bassaganya-Riera, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Landos. "LABP-104 has reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and its LANCL2 mechanism showed significantly less risk for toxicities than biologic and JAK inhibitor treatments currently available. As RA patients are prone to relapse, we are inspired by the opportunity to develop a candidate that could potentially redefine the treatment paradigm as a therapy that helps maintain clinical remission and overall survival for these patients, while improving their quality of life."

08:34 EDT cbdMD appoints Matt Coapman as chief marketing officer - cbdMD announced the hiring of Matt Coapman as the chief marketing officer. In his role as chief marketing officer, Coapman will be responsible for developing and executing strategies that help drive sustainable growth, create greater customer engagement and conversion, amplify brand messaging and deliver both top and bottom-line results.

08:32 EDT Check-Cap granted patent covering C-Scan's proprietary tracking technology - Check-Cap announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a decision to grant a patent covering C-Scan's proprietary tracking technology. This new, patent titled "Position Estimation of Imaging Capsule in Gastrointestinal Tract", claims the proprietary tracking technology developed at Check-Cap that allows the C-Scan system to accurately track the C-Scan capsule within the patient's body and enables real time activation of the capsule when the capsule moves throughout the colon. This functionality comprises the benefits of optimal scanning along the GI tract while maintaining low energy consumption during the procedure. The patent also covers capsule positioning data recording for the C-Scan analysis suite, which enables gastroenterologists to make a clinical decision and generate a report with their diagnosis and recommendations. This patent will expire in May 2034, subject to appropriate maintenance and renewal. Corresponding patents issued in Japan and China and patents approved for granting in Europe and Israel.

08:31 EDT Save Foods commences pilot program for Citrus to expand European presence - Save Foods announced that it has commenced a commercial pilot program of its treatment for citrus fruits with a large Turkish packing house, HERA Meyve ve Sebze. The commercial trial, which is scheduled to begin between November 8th and 12th, was designed to verify that the Company's products, when combined with permitted pesticides, mitigate undesirable pathogens but most importantly reduce the presence of the pesticides' hazardous residues on citrus fruit, as required by the EU's recently established "Farm To Fork Green Deal Initiative". Dan Sztybel, the Chief Executive Officer of Save Foods Ltd., the Company's Israeli Subsidiary, commented on the announcement, "This program is an important step in advancing our presence in the EU. Turkey is one of the world's largest producers of fruit and vegetables, and while it is not a member of the EU, it is estimated that more than 42% of all Turkish exports go to EU countries. I expect the results achieved here will facilitate our relationships with other regional growers, packers and retailers and help us take advantage of the many opportunities within the European marketplace."

08:27 EDT 17 Education announces $10M share repurchase program, plan for ADS ratio change - 17 Education & Technology announced that its board of directors has approved a share repurchase program whereby the Company is authorized to repurchase up to $10M worth of its ordinary shares over the next 12 months. In addition, the Company plans to change the ratio of its American Depositary Shares to its Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share, from the current ADS Ratio of two ADSs to five Class A ordinary shares to a new ADS Ratio of one ADS to ten Class A ordinary shares. The Company will file a post-effective amendment to the ADS Registration Statement on Form F-6 with the SEC to reflect the change in the ADS Ratio. The Company anticipates that the change in the ADS Ratio will be effective on or about November 17, 2021, subject to the SEC having declared the post-effective amendment to the ADS Registration Statement on Form F-6 to be effective on or before that date. 17EdTech's ADSs will continue to be traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "YQ".

08:24 EDT Missfresh reports Q3 in-house fresh food brand sales up 250% y/y - Missfresh saw sales for its in-house fresh food brand, "Xiang An Xin," jump 250% in the third quarter as compared to the same quarter last year. This significant boost in product sales is a result of Missfresh's continued investment in its supply chain, and is also buoyed by the industry trend of in-house branded goods becoming a new growth driver for leading retail players. Launched in 2016, Xiang An Xin - which refers to high-quality products trusted by customers - offers value-for-money and safe fresh food. The range has grown to comprise more than 200 products such as meat, eggs, vegetables, and baked goods.

08:23 EDT Verra Mobility to acquire T2 systems from Thoma Bravo for $347M - Verra Mobility announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire privately held T2 Systems from leading software investment firm Thoma Bravo for $347M on a cash-free and debt-free basis, plus an additional up to $9M related to an impending asset acquisition by a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of T2 Systems. T2 Systems is a leading provider of parking solutions in North America, with nearly $80M in revenue and approximately $21M in adjusted EBITDA expected in 2021. Verra Mobility will fund the all-cash transaction with a combination of current cash balances and accordion features in existing debt. The transaction is expected to close by the end of the Q4. T2 Systems provides an integrated suite of parking software and hardware solutions to universities, municipalities, parking operators, healthcare facilities and transportation hubs. Verra Mobility plans to operate T2 Systems as a distinct business unit.

08:21 EDT Faraday Future appoints Walter McBride as CFO - Faraday Future Intelligent Electric announced today that Walter J. McBride has been appointed to the role of Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately.

08:20 EDT Genius Sports awarded initial sports betting authorization in Louisiana - Genius Sports announced that it has been certified by the State of Louisiana Gaming Control Board as Sports Wagering Service Provider for an initial six months. Genius Sports is currently awaiting its full license authorization. With the addition of Louisiana, Genius Sports is now authorized to operate in 18 U.S. states, powering award-winning official data, streaming, and marketing solutions for leading sportsbooks and lotteries. Online sports betting was authorized in Louisiana in June. Certain of Louisiana's retail sportsbooks are beginning to open and online sports wagering is likely set to launch in the coming weeks.

08:19 EDT Poet collaborates with laser supplier for Optical Interposer Platform - POET Technologies reported that it has agreed on the first phase of a supply agreement with a leading global supplier of lasers and other components used in high-speed optical networking equipment. The companies will collaborate on the design and production of flip-chippable Continuous Wave high power lasers for use in the Company's 400G Optical Engines. In this first phase, POET will work with the Supplier on a customized version of its current flip-chippable production CW laser. The customization to the physical design would enable the existing laser to be compatible with POET's Optical interposer platform, which enables passive, wafer-scale hybrid integration of lasers to produce high performance Optical Engines. CW lasers combined with a Silicon Photonics-based modulator will be incorporated in transmit Optical Engines operating at 400G speeds and beyond. POET has issued a Purchase Order to the Supplier for the first phase of the project, covering the design requirements and operating specs of the laser. In a subsequent phase, the Supplier will build and supply known good lasers for use by POET in the production of 400G Optical Engines. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

08:18 EDT Concrete Pumping acquires Pioneer Concrete Pumping Service for $20.1M - Concrete Pumping announced that it completed the acquisition of Pioneer Concrete Pumping Service. CPH acquired Pioneer for an asset purchase valuation of $20.1 M in cash that includes 83 units of operating equipment. "We continue to successfully execute on our strategic initiatives to enhance our geographic footprint and responsibly grow our business. The Pioneer addition is another example of the successful execution of our acquisition strategy at a valuation that is consistent with our proven acquisition criteria," said CPH's CEO Bruce Young. "Pioneer is a well-run and highly respected business that holds an established position in attractive regional markets. We are excited to bring both businesses of exceptional talent together to deliver continued industry-leading growth. With this acquisition, we believe our Company is well-positioned to capitalize on long-term demand drivers in the Georgia and Texas regions and across all of our end markets. We are confident in our ability to realize the benefits of this transaction and deliver value creation following the same proven approach we have taken with our previous acquisitions."

08:17 EDT Immutep granted Chinese patent for eftilagimod alpha - Immutep announce the grant of a new patent entitled "Use of recombinant LAG-3 or the derivatives thereof for eliciting a monocyte immune response" by the Chinese Patent Office. The patent forms part of a broad and growing portfolio of patent families for the Company's lead product candidiate eftilagimod alpha in key global markets including China. This new Chinese patent follows the grant of the corresponding European, Japanese and United States patents announced previously. The claims of the new patent relate to methods of use of Immutep's efti which is a LAG-3 fusion protein and a chemotherapy agent in combination for the manufacture of a preparation for the treatment of cancer. The patent provides protection in mainland China and the expiry date is 3 October 2028. The new patent is owned by Immutep S.A.S. and exclusively licensed to Immutep's partner in China, EOC Pharma. Immutep CEO, Marc Voigt, noted: "We are making good progress building our global patent estate around our LAG-3 development pipeline, including lead candidate efti which has delivered promising clinical data in various settings. We will continue to make these important investments and are especially pleased to be working so closely with our Chinese partner, EOC Pharma, as they expand their clinical development of efti for the Chinese market."

08:16 EDT H2O Innovation's Piedmont launches PiPerLink Connector - H2O Innovation is pleased to announce that its Piedmont business line is launching a new product, the PiPerLink permeate connector, at the Aquatech Amsterdam International Tradeshow. The Piedmont Permeate Link, or PiPerLin, is akn integrated permeate connector that replaces complex multi-component assemblies and fits every reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration vessel brand, connection type, and connection size. The product delivers cost savings in design, manufacturing, and installation, and reduces the number of connections between the vessel and permeate or filtrate header, decreasing the risk of leakage.

08:16 EDT Aldeyra reports dry eye disease trial met primary endpoint - Aldeyra announced achievement of the primary endpoint of ocular redness in a randomized, double-masked, vehicle-controlled Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with dry eye disease. The clinical trial enrolled 158 patients: 80 patients were randomized to receive 0.25% reproxalap ophthalmic solution, and 78 patients were randomized to receive vehicle ophthalmic solution. Patients received four doses one day prior to and two doses during exposure to a 90-minute dry eye chamber with minimal humidity, high airflow, and forced visual tasking. Based on final enrollment and data from the run-in cohort of TRANQUILITY, Aldeyra's ongoing Phase 3 trial in dry eye disease, the Phase 2 trial exceeded 90% power to detect statistical significance in the primary endpoint of ocular redness over all time points in aggregate in the dry eye chamber. Ocular redness scores in the reproxalap group were observed to be statistically lower than those of vehicle. Additionally, Schirmer's test scores assessed after the first dose were directionally in favor of reproxalap over vehicle and approached statistical significance. Mean visual analog scale ocular dryness and ocular discomfort scores were lower in reproxalap-treated subjects than in vehicle-treated subjects at all of the 18 time points when symptoms were assessed in the dry eye chamber, including the first time point in the chamber, although differences did not reach statistical significance. Tear RASP level results from the trial are expected to be available later this quarter. Consistent with the clinical experience of reproxalap in more than 1,300 patients, there were no observed safety or tolerability concerns in the trial; the most common adverse event was mild and transient instillation site discomfort lasting less than one minute and similar to many prescribed topical ophthalmic medications for anterior segment inflammation.

08:14 EDT RocketFuel Blockchain announces $5M registered direct offering - RocketFuel Blockchain announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with certain institutional investors for the issuance and sale of an aggregate of 6,666,667 shares of its common stock and warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 6,666,667 shares of common stock, at a combined purchase price of $0.75 per share and accompanying warrant in a registered direct offering. The gross proceeds to the Company from the offering, before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses, are expected to be approximately $5.0 million. The offering is expected to close on or about November 4, 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. H.C. Wainwright & Co. is acting as the exclusive placement agent for the offering. The warrants will have an exercise price $0.75 per share and exercise period commencing immediately upon issuance date and a term of five and one-half years. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering for general corporate purposes and to fund ongoing operations and expansion of its business.

08:13 EDT Metracrine reports topline results for MET409 Phase 2a combination trial - Metacrine reported topline results from its Phase 2a trial evaluating MET409, a farnesoid X receptor agonist, in combination with empagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransport-2 inhibitor, in patients with type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, NASH. The Phase 2a study is a 12-week, randomized, placebo-controlled, multi-center trial that evaluated the safety, tolerability and pharmacological activity, as measured by reductions in liver fat content with magnetic resonance imaging-derived proton density fat fraction, of MET409 and empagliflozin versus individual treatments and placebo. A total of 132 patients were randomized. All regimens had favorable safety profiles and were generally well-tolerated, with no treatment-related serious adverse events. Mild-moderate pruritus was reported in 0%-6% of patients across all groups. No pruritus-related treatment discontinuations occurred in any of the cohorts. LDL-cholesterol increases with MET409 were consistent with previous studies and were comparable alone or in combination with empagliflozin. Secondary assessment of liver fat content at 12 weeks indicated reduction in liver fat, as measured by MRI-PDFF, in both monotherapy arms and demonstrated additive effects in the combination regimen. "NASH is closely linked to several co-morbidities, with an estimated 65% of type 2 diabetes patients also having NASH," said Hubert Chen, M.D., chief medical officer, Metacrine. "These results showcase the multiple mechanisms that drive NASH and the promise of novel combination approaches in bringing new therapies to patients. We are pleased by the MET409 combination trial results, as this product candidate achieved improvements in liver fat both as a monotherapy and additively when combined with empagliflozin. Treating this large and important patient segment effectively will likely require combination therapies." Chen continued, "With the additional data from this study's MET409 individual cohort, it has also become clear that MET409 and MET642 have comparable therapeutic profiles. Both compounds were developed from the same unique chemical scaffold, and these data along with the MET642 interim results we recently shared provide a comprehensive view of our FXR program and highlight the similarity of these two assets."

08:12 EDT Lightning eMotors partners with Siemens to offer Level 2 charging stations - Lightning eMotors (ZEV), a provider of all-electric powertrains and medium-duty and specialty commercial electric fleet vehicles, now offers Siemens (SIEGY) German-engineered Level 2 electric-vehicle chargers to commercial and government fleets. Siemens' eMobility solutions next generation VersiCharge AC charging systems are immediately available under Lightning eMotors' Lightning Energy brand. Lightning eMotors now offers Siemens VersiCharge Level 2 AC charging stations "We are proud to stand with Siemens at the forefront of fleet electrification," said Brandon McNeil, vice president of Lightning Energy. "By combining our industry-leading electric vehicles with the best charging hardware on the market we deliver affordable, fully integrated vehicle and charger solutions that maximize uptime and optimize our customers' fleet operations. With this agreement, we will offer Siemens' line of reliable VersiCharge Level 2 AC charging stations along with our installation services, intelligent charge management software, flexible financing, and on-going support to small and mid-size fleets."

08:12 EDT CME Group to launch Micro Ether futures on December 6 - CME Group announced it will expand its crypto derivatives offerings with the introduction of Micro Ether futures on December 6, pending regulatory review. Sized at one-tenth of one ether, Micro Ether futures will provide an efficient, cost-effective way for a range of market participants - from institutions to sophisticated, active, individual traders - to hedge their spot ether price risk or more nimbly execute ether trading strategies, all while retaining the features and benefits of CME Group's larger-sized Ether futures.

08:11 EDT Beam Global announces Leon County's Sheriff Office deployed the EV ARC - Beam Global announced that the Leon County's Sheriff's Office in Tallahassee Florida has deployed the EV ARC solar-powered EV charging system to charge department fleet EVs. The system was purchased through the Florida Sheriff's Association contract number FSA20-EQU18.0 Heavy Equipment which has pre-negotiated pricing and simplifies the procurement process. Leon County's EV ARC charging system fits in a standard parking space and is equipped with a dual port charger to serve the growing fleet of electric vehicles. The EV ARC system generates and stores its own clean electricity and delivers that electricity to power City EVs day or night, and during inclement weather and power outages. "We are seeing increased interest from states to provide EV charging infrastructure that can survive extreme weather events and provide a hedge against lost charging infrastructure due to flooding or blackouts. It makes perfect sense for the Sunshine State to drive on sunshine," said Beam Global CEO, Desmond Wheatley. "To keep up with increasing state mandates, rapid and scalable deployment is crucial. The EV ARC is the only rapidly deployed, sustainable EV charging solution on the market that is off-grid, transportable and can be deployed in minutes instead of months. It requires no permitting, no electrical work, no construction and generates no utility bill."

08:10 EDT RioCan REIT provides update on capital recycling program - RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust provided an update on its capital recycling program. For 2021, RioCan's disposition transactions total $880.5 million at a weighted average capitalization rate of 3.74%, of which all but $16.5 million are closed or firm. These transactions provide an attractively priced source of funding for existing growth opportunities that are expected to generate higher returns. RioCan's recent capital recycling activities include: The sale, along with its 50% co-owner, of Kennedy Commons, an open air shopping centre in Scarborough, Ontario, for $215.0 million representing a capitalization rate of 4.49% based on in-place net operating income; The sale, along with its 50% co-owner, of Centre Carnaval Lasalle, an open air shopping centre in Montreal, Quebec, for $70.0 million at a capitalization rate of 2.09%; The sale of its 100% interest in Impact Plaza, an open air shopping centre in Surrey, British Columbia, for $73.0 million at a capitalization rate of 4.50%; and The completion of its previously announced joint venture partnership with Bentall GreenOak / Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada with the sale of a 50% non-managing interest in a three-property retail and residential portfolio for $151.2 million at a blended capitalization rate of 4.11%. RioCan's capital recycling program provides multiple benefits including, efficient capital to fund high growth value creation initiatives such as mixed-use development. It also allows for the monetization of embedded density value. In addition, capital partnerships established through the divestiture of partial interests further mitigates risk and generates consistent and sustainable fee income. RioCan has also achieved qualitative improvements through its continued disposition of certain secondary market, low growth assets.

08:09 EDT Lonza to acquire Codiak BioSciences exosome manufacturing facility - Lonza (LZAGY) announced the acquisition of an exosome manufacturing facility located in Lexington, Massachusetts from Codiak BioSciences (CDAK). Codiak will retain its pipeline of therapeutic candidates as well as its exosome engineering and drug-loading technologies. Codiak will receive as part of the deal approximately $65M of cGMP manufacturing services in kind. Lonza will gain worldwide access and sub-licensable rights to Codiak's high-throughput perfusion-based cGMP process for exosome manufacturing. The companies will establish a Center of Excellence for the development of exosome manufacturing technologies. Alberto Santagostino, SVP, Head of Cell and Gene Technologies at Lonza, commented: "We are excited about the collaboration we have established with Codiak BioSciences. Exosomes are emerging as a new modality for advanced therapies and could become the next frontier in biotherapeutics. Our collaboration with Codiak, one of the most advanced companies in this modality, is consistent with our strategy to advance this technology and will drive the advancement of the whole industry. We are committed to providing our capabilities to Codiak, alongside other customers in the exosome space."

08:08 EDT CytRx comments on Orphazyme Type A meeting with FDA on arimoclomol - CytRx (CYTR) commented on Orphazyme's (ORPH) regulatory update following its recently held Type A meeting with the FDA on arimoclomol, a heat shock protein amplifier intended for the treatment of Niemann-Pick disease Type C, or NPC. Arimoclomol, CytRx's drug candidate, was sold to Orphazyme in exchange for milestone payments and royalties. CytRx commented, "In June 2021, Orphazyme announced it had received a Complete Response Letter ("CRL") from the FDA following the regulatory agency's review of the new drug application ("NDA") for arimoclomol. Orphazyme disclosed that the FDA issued the CRL based on needing additional evidence to further substantiate the validity and interpretation of the 5-domain NPC Clinical Severity Scale and, in particular, the swallow domain. Further, the FDA noted in the CRL that additional data is needed to bolster confirmatory evidence beyond the single phase 2/3 clinical trial to support the benefit-risk assessment of the NDA. Orphazyme's recent Type A meeting to discuss the CRL resulted in the following takeaways: The FDA recommended that Orphazyme submit additional data, information and analyses to address certain topics in the CRL and engage in further interactions with the FDA to identify a pathway to resubmission. The FDA concurred with Orphazyme's proposal to remove the cognition domain from the NPCCSS endpoint, with the result that the primary endpoint is permitted to be recalculated using the 4-domain NPCCSS, subject to the submission of additional requested information which Orphazyme intends to provide. To bolster the confirmatory evidence already submitted, the FDA affirmed that it would require additional in vivo or pharmacodynamic (PD)/pharmacokinetic (PK) data; Orphazyme is considering the optimal path forward to address the FDA's requests."

08:07 EDT Heska to acquire 100% of VetZ - Heska announced that the Company has entered a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of VetZ, a European leader in veterinary practice information management software solutions, or PIMS. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Isernhagen, Germany, VetZ has created software solutions for better workflow, communication, service and patient outcomes. The Acquisition is expected to close in early 2022, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of closing conditions set forth in the Agreement, including customary closing conditions.

08:05 EDT iKena Oncology announces FDA acceptance of IND for IK-930 - Ikena Oncology announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted its Investigational New Drug, IND, application to study its TEAD inhibitor candidate, IK-930, for the treatment of cancers harboring genetic mutations in the Hippo signaling pathway. Ikena is developing IK-930 as a potential targeted therapy for patients with cancers that exhibit genetic alterations across the Hippo pathway. "At Ikena, we are committed to redefining the oncology landscape by developing precise targeted therapies that address cancer's underlying driver mechanisms. The acceptance of our IND for IK-930 by the FDA represents an important step in this ambitious mission and will allow us to evaluate how our promising preclinical data with TEAD inhibition translates into clinical benefit in patients," said Sergio Santillana, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Ikena. "We will initially focus our efforts on tumors with frequent genetic alterations in the Hippo pathway, high unmet need, and a potential for meaningful clinical impact. Our biomarker-driven approach will be key in determining which patient populations stand to benefit most from IK-930. We look forward to sharing updates as this clinical program progresses."

08:05 EDT MorphoSys reports Q3 Monjuvi U.S. sales of $22M - MorphoSys (MOR) announced that revenues from product sales of Monjuvi in the U.S. amount to $22M for Q3 and $55.5M for the first nine months of 2021. Monjuvi is being co-commercialized by Incyte (INCY) and MorphoSys in the United States.

08:04 EDT Icahn Enterprises reports Q3 EPS (55c), one estimate 11c - Reports Q3 revenue $2.6B, one estimate $2.33B.

07:58 EDT CI Financial to acquire majority interest in Bluestein, terms undisclosed - CI Financial and R.H. Bluestein & Co. announced an agreement under which CI will acquire a majority interest in Bluestein, a Birmingham, Michigan and New York-based private client firm overseeing $4.1B in assets. Founded in 1990, Bluestein is led by Robert Bluestein and Jeffrey Bluestein and serves families throughout the country from offices in Birmingham and New York City. The wealth and investment management firm specializes in delivering tailored services to individuals, trusts and multigenerational families. Bluestein will be CI's first registered investment advisor, or RIA, in the Metro Detroit area and in Michigan, strengthening CI's substantial presence in the Midwest, where CI RIAs currently manage approximately $35B from offices in Chicago, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio. With the closing of this and other recently announced transactions, CI's assets in its U.S. wealth management business are expected to reach $87.5B and CI's total assets globally are expected to reach $264B. This transaction is expected to close later this quarter, subject to regulatory and other customary closing conditions. All asset amounts are as at September 30.

07:50 EDT NFI's New Flyer awarded contract for 130 CNG buses by RTC of Southern Nevada - NFI Group announced that the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, RTC, has awarded its subsidiary New Flyer of America a new contract for 30 Xcelsior compressed natural gas, CNG, sixty-foot, heavy-duty transit buses, with options to purchase up to 100 additional buses. RTC has since exercised 32 options. The new five-year contract is supported by Federal Transit Administration, FTA, funds. "This new order with future potential option orders for up to 100 additional high-capacity CNG buses demonstrates RTC's commitment to more sustainable and efficient transportation, and provides a transition point toward zero-emission mobility," said Paul Soubry, President and Chief Executive Officer, NFI. "With over 13,000 CNG buses on the roads across North America, NFI is a CNG technology leader in mass mobility." The new CNG buses will replace end-of-life diesel vehicles with cleaner, more efficient, low-emission mobility options, and deliver on RTC's Access 2040 Regional Transportation Plan, focused on improving air quality and enhancing multimodal connectivity.

07:49 EDT Vitalhub says NHS announces GBP2.1B budget increase across England - VitalHub is pleased to share news of a recently announced increase in National Health Service funding across England. The new budget was released on October 27th, 2021 and included a GBP2.1B capital allocation earmarked to improve IT and digital technology infrastructure across the NHS. NHS England announced GBP2.1B novel funding to improve IT and digital technology infrastructure across the NHS. COVID-19 has exacerbated existing patient flow issues across NHS; Five million currently waiting to be treated Through acquisitions of the Oak Group, Intouch with Health Inc., and Transforming Systems, VitalHub well positioned to address newly funded needs. COVID-19 has exacerbated existing patient flow issues across the NHS. As a result, the government is taking further measures to help reduce the backlog of patients awaiting tests and scans. With more than five million people waiting to be treated by the NHS in England, with hundreds of thousands waiting over a year, a solution is direly needed. This budget increase is intended to improve Trust infrastructure across the NHS in England. In turn, increased infrastructure and resources is supposed to help with patient flow. VitalHub's patient flow and other products solutions are well-positioned for continued expansion across the NHS, offering solutions in-line with the intended use of this increased funding to improve IT and digital technologies across trusts. The goal of this funding is to assist in reducing patient backlog by increasing broadband speed, increasing productivity and efficiency, modernizing technologies. Through the acquisitions of the Oak Group, Intouch with Health Inc., and Transforming Systems, VitalHub has established a broad portfolio of best-in-class IT and digital health products that effectively address these needs.

07:47 EDT NexPoint Residential raises quarterly dividend 11.4% to 38c per share - Payable on December 30 to stockholders of record on December 15.

07:46 EDT Equifax targets net-zero GHG emissions by 2040 - Equifax is expanding its commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance issues and announced that the company will make new quantitative ESG disclosures available annually on Equifax.com. These disclosures are being made in accordance with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board framework and include initial SASB-aligned reporting as well as public disclosure of the company's Equal Employment Opportunity report. Equifax also announced a commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, a market leading sustainability commitment enabled by the company's Equifax Cloud transformation.

07:45 EDT Auxly Cannabis appoints Murray McGowan to board of directorsImperial Brands - Auxly Cannabis Group (CBWTF) announce that, in connection with its strategic partnership with Imperial Brands (IMBBY), the Company has appointed Murray McGowan, Chief Strategy and Development Officer for Imperial, to its Board of Directors, effective November 1, 2021. Mr. McGowan will join the Auxly Board of Directors as Imperial's director designee, replacing previous Imperial nominee Conrad Tate. Mr. Tate has left Imperial but, at the request of the Company, has agreed to remain on Auxly's Board as an independent director and will also continue to serve on Auxly's Audit Committee and Compensation Committee. Mr. McGowan has also been appointed to the Company's Audit Committee. Following the appointment of Mr. McGowan, the Board will comprise of six directors.

07:44 EDT Northrop Grumman announces new $500M accelerated share repurchase program - Northrop Grumman (NOC) announced that it has entered into an accelerated share repurchase agreement with Goldman Sachs & Co. (GS) to repurchase $500M of Northrop Grumman's common stock. The ASR is in addition to previously planned repurchases, including open market share repurchases, and, as a result, the company is now targeting greater than $3.5B of repurchases in 2021. Under the ASR agreement, Northrop Grumman expects to receive initial deliveries of approximately 1.2M shares on Nov. 3, representing approximately 85% of the expected share repurchases under the ASR agreement, based on the company's closing price of $354.85 on Nov. 1, 2021. The final number of shares to be repurchased through the ASR will be based on Northrop Grumman's volume-weighted average price during the term of the transaction, less a discount, and is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2022. The ASR will be completed under the company's current share repurchase authorization, which currently has $3B in authorization remaining.

07:44 EDT NFI Group says world leaders at COP26 transported in NFI electric buses - NFI Group announced that dignitaries from around the world, including UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, were transported in BYD ADL Enviro400EV electric double deck buses during the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties in Glasgow, Scotland. Dignitaries from around the world rode on the buses, including state leaders, negotiators and COP26 stakeholders, travelling from the core COP26 campus in the conference's secure Blue Zone-where a BYD ADL Enviro400EV electric double-deck bus is the only bus on display-to an evening reception at Glasgow's iconic Kelvingrove Art Gallery.

07:43 EDT CNH Industrial announces organizational structure for future Iveco Group - CNH Industrial announces the organizational structure of the future Iveco Group. As previously communicated, designated CEO Gerrit Marx will lead this new, to be listed, company with its commercial vehicles, powertrain, specialty vehicles and financial services businesses into independent operation in early 2022. Under Marx's leadership, the Iveco Group structure is designed to be customer-centric, accountable and performance driven. Its delineation stems from the Business Units, which encompass the following businesses with their respective brands: Truck, Bus, Powertrain, Defence Vehicles & ASTRA, Firefighting and Financial Services. The Support & Industrial Functions, Finance, Operations, Technology & Digital and Human Resources & ICT will deliver streamlined solutions enabling the Business Units to execute swiftly and effectively. "With this structure in place, we are ready to embark on our exciting future. It provides clarity from the start and from the top, placing customer-centricity at its core and setting forth a high-performing team with well-defined roles and accountabilities that mutually complement each other. Its design will generate a positive ripple effect down to the further layers of the organization, driving our sharp focus on key business goals and identifying the best means for serving our customers, cooperating with our partners and rewarding our shareholders," said Gerrit Marx, designated CEO, Iveco Group. This newly announced organization sees the following individuals appointed to the Senior Leadership Team: Business Units: Truck - Luca Sra, President; Bus - Domenico Nucera, President; Powertrain - Sylvain Blaise, President; Defence Vehicles & ASTRA - Claudio Catalano, President; Firefighting - Thomas Hilse, President; and Financial Services - Simone Olivati, President. Support & Industrial Functions: Finance - Francesco Tanzi, Chief Financial Officer; Operations - Annalisa Stupenengo, Chief Operations Officer; Technology & Digital - Marco Liccardo, Chief Technology & Digital Officer; and Human Resources & ICT - Francesco Tutino, Chief Human Resources & ICT Officer. Corporate Functions: Institutional Relations & Sustainability - Michele Ziosi, Senior Vice President and Communications - Francesco Polsinelli, Senior Vice President. The Legal & Compliance and Internal Audit appointments will be announced at a later date.

07:40 EDT Pathway Development Consortium releases draft white paper - The Pathway Development Consortium, PDC, a new public-private collaboration founded by REGENXBIO (RGNX) and Solid Biosciences (SLDB), announced the publication of a draft white paper, Draft Framework for AAV Gene Therapy Development, which proposes a framework that can be applied to AAV gene therapies to facilitate the use of the accelerated approval pathway at the US Food and Drug Administration. The white paper identifies different categories of AAV gene therapies that target the underlying monogenetic changes that cause disease and proposes generalized approaches that would clarify the evidence needed to support FDA approval. The publication of the white paper coincides with the formal launch of the PDC, a multistakeholder initiative which aims to identify, develop, expand and maintain pathways to effective therapies for patients diagnosed early in life with rare diseases. "The Pathway Development Consortium has the unique potential to bring together the diverse perspectives in the rare disease community with the interest of the patient at the forefront," said Kenneth Mills, President and Chief Executive Officer of REGENXBIO and co-founder of the PDC, in partnership with Ilan Ganot, Co-Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Solid Biosciences. "We founded the PDC together because we share the vision that this collaboration can meaningfully guide how AAV-based gene therapy treatments can be more rapidly made available to patients. The ability to regularly dialogue with the FDA is critical and we are grateful for their support of this endeavor," said Ganot.

07:39 EDT CME Group reached ADV of 20.4M contracts in October - CME Group reported its October market statistics, showing average daily volume increased 32% to 20.4M contracts during the month.

07:37 EDT GlaxoSmithKline, Ivy Brain Tumor Center collaborate on Phase 0 trial - The Ivy Brain Tumor Center at Barrow Neurological Institute and UC San Francisco announced the opening of a Phase 0 clinical trial to evaluate niraparib, an oral, once-daily poly polymerase inhibitor from GSK, for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma and recurrent glioma. The Phase 0 clinical trial will enroll up to 42 participants divided into two groups, Arm A for newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients, and Arm B for recurrent glioma patients with IDH mutation and ATRX loss. The Ivy Brain Tumor Center will accrue patients in both Arms; and UCSF will accrue patients only in Arm B. The initial launch of the Phase 0 clinical trial with niraparib will begin by enrolling six Arm A participants to determine the Optimal Time Interval - the time interval between the last dose of the drug and the tumor resection that can detect maximum unbound drug concentration in the gadolinium nonenhancing region of the tumor. After OTI is determined, the remaining 18 participants will enroll in Arm A and up to 18 participants will enroll in Arm B. In both Arms, participants will receive niraparib once a day for four days before their scheduled surgery to test how much of the investigational drug is present in tumor, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid . Arm A participants with tumors with a positive pharmacokinetics response will advance to a therapeutic expansion phase that combines therapeutic dosing of niraparib plus standard-of-care fractionated radiotherapy; Arm B participants with positive pharmacodynamics response will advance to a therapeutic expansion phase of niraparib monotherapy until progression of the disease. GSK's niraparib has good bioavailability and shows strong synergy with temozolomide, as well as radiation in various preclinical studies.

07:35 EDT Lindblad Expeditions is not provinding FY21 outlook - The company said, "The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and will continue to have, a significant impact on the Company's financial position and results of operation. Given the continued uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company is not providing a full year outlook regarding results of operations at this time and will update its expectations when it has more clarity around the timing of and extent of future operations."

07:33 EDT Mechanical Technology completes Soluna Computing acquisition - Mechanical Technology announced that it has completed the acquisition of Soluna Computing, which now becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of EcoChain. The combination allows SCI to more easily access capital and resources necessary to scale its renewable energy-powered data center solution more quickly and efficiently. MTI will shortly change its name to "Soluna Holdings, Inc." With the closing of the transaction, MTI gains access to all of SCI's assets, including its 300MW pipeline that is currently under letters of intent, bringing EcoChain's combined total to 350MW, with over 200MW more under active development. Additionally, EcoChain has now directly employed or retained SCI's top-tier technical and management team, bringing expertise in project development, energy markets, project finance and computing technology. Additionally, the Board of Directors of MTI elected John Belizaire, who served as Chief Executive Officer and a director of SCI until its acquisition by EcoChain, and who now serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of EcoChain, and John Bottomley, a director of SCI until the acquisition, to the MTI Board. MTI continues to develop its business in a capital-efficient fashion with the acquisition of SCI. MTI is issuing consideration to SCI as value is received to prevent any earnings dilution. Certain terms of the transaction are summarized below: 92% of total consideration is contingent upon projects coming online; Up to 2,970,000 shares of MTI common stock to be issued based on building out an additional 150MW: Contingent shares are not issued, escrowed or outstanding at closing; For earnings per share calculations, the number of shares outstanding only changes when revenues are about to increase from a project coming online; In addition, as the result of the approval by MTI's stockholders of the issuance of such shares at its special meeting of stockholders, discussed below, pursuant to the Termination Agreement dated as of August 11, 2021, by and among MTI, EcoChain, and Harmattan Energy, Ltd. ("HEL"), on November 5, 2021, MTI will issue to HEL 150,000 shares of its common stock and EcoChain will pay HEL $725,000 and reimburse HEL $75,000 for transaction-related fees and expenses, and the existing Operating and Management Agreements between HEL and EcoChain will be terminated. On October 29, 2021, MTI held a special meeting of its stockholders. There were 9,235,589 shares of MTI common stock represented in person or by proxy at the special meeting, constituting approximately 72.72% of the outstanding shares of MTI common stock on August 30, 2021, the record date for the special meeting, establishing a quorum.

07:31 EDT Moody's acquires Bogard AB, terms undisclosed - Moody's announced that it has acquired Bogard AB, a provider of data and information on politically exposed persons, or PEPs, in the Nordic region. Bogard covers over 17,000 PEPs, relatives, and close associates across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland. The company collects, refines, and updates its data using various sources, including tax authorities, business and real estate registries, and other directories in the Nordic region. Moody's will integrate Bogard into its KYC business within Moody's Analytics, and will combine Bogard's data with its existing PEP, sanction, and adverse media data. The acquisition was funded with cash on hand and is not expected to have a material impact on Moody's 2021 financial results.

07:30 EDT Paramount Gold Nevada announces assay results from Bald Peak - Paramount Gold Nevada announced assay results from 44 new surface samples collected by the company primarily from silicic outcrops at its recently acquired Bald Peak Project in Mineral County, Nevada. The samples averaged 2.62 g/T gold and 4.2 g/T silver, with more than half assaying above 2 g/T gold and running as high as 10.85 g/T gold. Paramount President and COO Glen Van Treek commented: "We are extremely excited about these results. The samples align with a large, intense CSAMT-derived resistivity anomaly about 300 feet below. Resistivity indicates silicification and we know that gold at Bald Peak is found in association with silica. It is also exceedingly rare to find these surface grades in a Nevada project which has never been drilled." The best surface values are clustered in close proximity to the most intense area of the geophysical anomaly which measures about 600 meters by 1,400 meters. "These assay results suggest the potential for an open pit deposit. The alignment of surface samples and CSAMT anomalies are exactly what we were looking for when we acquired Bald Peak. This work will define our initial drill program at Bald Peak which is targeted for next year," added Van Treek.

07:29 EDT Sacred Heart University selects View Smart Windows for hockey arena - View announced its Smart Windows are being installed at the brand-new Martire Family Arena at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. The state-of-the-art facility will be the future home of Sacred Heart's men's and women's NCAA Division I hockey programs, club hockey programs and the university's nationally ranked figure skating team

07:28 EDT Teladoc to host Investor Day on November 18 - Teladoc Health announced that it will host its Investor Day on Thursday, November 18, 2021. Members of Teladoc Health's senior management team will join Jason Gorevic, chief executive officer and Mala Murthy, chief financial officer, for the half day program which will offer key insights about the industry's evolution and rapid growth as well as the company's vision, strategy, and outlook.

07:26 EDT Clene says RESCUE-ALS Phase 2 trial did not meet primary, secondary endpoints - Clene announced top-line data from RESCUE-ALS, a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating CNM-Au8 as a disease modifying treatment for people with early amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, The trial did not meet the primary or secondary endpoints - Motor Unit Number Index and forced vital capacity - at week 36. However, an efficacy signal was observed for the MUNIX endpoint at week 12. Furthermore, in a pre-specified analysis in the subset of limb onset ALS, CNM-Au8 demonstrated a significant treatment effect in MUNIX at week 12 and a trend for improvement at week 36. Limb onset ALS accounts for approximately 70% of the ALS population. MUNIX is a neurophysiological biomarker that estimates the number of functioning lower motor neurons serving selected muscles. Clinically relevant exploratory endpoints through trial week 36 demonstrated significant benefits with CNM-Au8 treatment, including slowing ALS disease progression, decreasing the proportion of participants with an ALS Functional Rating Scale Revised 6-point decline, and improving quality of life as measured by the ALS Specific Quality of Life. In addition, RESCUE-ALS showed evidence for a potential long-term survival benefit when comparing the survival of the trial population to the validated ENCALS predictive model. RESCUE-ALS was a 36-week randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical trial that enrolled 45 patients with early ALS, randomized 1:1 to treatment with CNM-Au8 at 30 mg daily or matching placebo on top of standard of care. The primary endpoint of the trial was the percent change of the sum of MUNIX from baseline to week 36. Secondary endpoints were the change in FVC and the absolute change in MUNIX values to week 36. Exploratory endpoints included multiple clinically relevant measures of ALS: disease progression, ALSFRS-R decline, and ALSSQOL-SF. CNM-Au8 was found to be well-tolerated through 36 weeks of oral daily dosing. There were no reported serious adverse events related to CNM-Au8 treatment. Treatment-emergent adverse events were predominantly mild-to-moderate in severity. The most frequently reported adverse events associated with CNM-Au8 treatment included aspiration pneumonia and transient gastrointestinal distress. Topline results from RESCUE-ALS are expected to be presented at the upcoming International Symposium on ALS/MND, which will take place Dec. 8-10, 2021.

07:24 EDT Dorman Products appoints J. Darrell Thomas to board of directors - Dorman Products (DORM) announced that J. Darrell Thomas has been appointed as an independent director to the Company's Board of Directors, effective October 30, 2021. Mr. Thomas' appointment expands the Board to nine directors, seven of whom are independent directors. Mr. Thomas will be a member of the Company's Audit, Compensation and Corporate Governance and Nominating committees. Mr. Thomas currently serves as Vice President and Treasurer for Harley-Davidson (HOG), which he joined in June 2010.

07:22 EDT uniQure gets positive recommendation from DSMB in Phase I/II trial of AMT-130 - uniQure announced the positive recommendation by the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board following a review of safety data from the four patient procedures in the higher-dose cohort of the Phase I/II clinical trial of AMT-130 for the treatment of Huntington's disease. With the positive recommendation, the final 12 patients in this second cohort are now cleared for enrollment. A total of 14 blinded administration procedures have been completed as of August 2021. In the study to date, eight patients have been treated with AMT-130, and six patients have received imitation surgery. Full enrollment of the second, higher-dose cohort is expected to be completed in mid-2022. "The AMT-130 program continues to advance at a steady pace, and with this positive recommendation from the DSMB, we are eager to enroll the final 12 patients in the higher-dose cohort," said David Cooper, M.D., vice president of clinical development at uniQure. "We also look forward to expanding our efforts with the initiation of a separate open-label study of AMT-130 in Europe and to sharing preliminary imaging and biomarker data from the initial four patients in the U.S. clinical trial before the end of the year."

07:20 EDT Ionis Pharmaceuticals initiates Phase 3 clinical study of olezarsen - Ionis Pharmaceuticals announced the initiation of CORE, the second Phase 3 clinical study of olezarsen, formerly known as IONIS-APOCIII-LRx. The CORE study is evaluating olezarsen in people with severe hypertriglyceridemia. Severe hypertriglyceridemia is a life-threatening condition associated with high levels of apoC-III and chylomicronemia, which lead to higher rates of acute pancreatitis, higher risk of cardiovascular disease, and has a high morbidity rate.

07:20 EDT International Game signs multi-year iGaming agreement with Yggdrasil Gaming - International Game announced that it signed a multi-year iGaming content distribution agreement with online gaming content creators, Yggdrasil Gaming. The agreement grants IGT exclusive access to a selected number of Yggdrasil Gaming's online games for distribution in the U.S. and Canada where iGaming is permitted. IGT expects to feature the first Yggdrasil game on its platform in December.

07:18 EDT SAGA Diagnostics enters into an assay development agreement with AstraZeneca - SAGA Diagnostics AB, a cancer liquid biopsy and genomic testing company focused on precision oncology and non-invasive ultrasensitive monitoring of cancer patients, has entered into an assay development agreement with AstraZeneca. SAGA Diagnostics will in the course of this agreement develop unique SAGAsafe dPCR assays towards undisclosed methylated targets for analyses of tissue samples and liquid biopsies.

07:18 EDT Rhythm Pharmaceuticals continues to expect cash to fund into at least 2H23 - Based on its current operating plans, Rhythm expects that its existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments as of September 30, 2021, will be sufficient to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into at least the second half of 2023.

07:16 EDT Eli Lilly to supply U.S. additional 614,000 doses of bamlanivimab, etesevimab - Eli Lilly announced an additional purchase by the U.S. government for bamlanivimab with etesevimab for administration together. This neutralizing antibody therapy is authorized for emergency use for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 or for post-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 in certain individuals. As part of the agreement, Lilly will supply 614,000 doses of bamlanivimab with etesevimab no later than January 31, 2022 for a total of $1.29B. A minimum of 400,000 doses will be supplied no later than December 31. The estimated impact of the new purchase to the 2021 guidance provided in Lilly's earnings release dated October 26, 2021 is $840M of additional revenue and approximately 25c of additional earnings per share. The expected impact in 2022 will be reflected in the company's financial guidance to be provided in December.

07:13 EDT Harsco to explore strategic alternatives for Rail business - Harsco announced it will explore strategic alternatives for the Rail business beginning in the first half of 2022, with the intention to sell the business. As a result, the Company will report Rail as discontinued operations beginning in the fourth quarter of 2021.

07:10 EDT Aclaris Therapeutics expects cash to fund operations through end of 2024 - As of September 30, 2021, Aclaris had aggregate cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $243.6 million compared to $54.1 million as of December 31, 2020.

07:03 EDT Utz Brands to acquire RW Garcia for $56M - Utz Brands announced that its subsidiaries have entered into a definitive agreement with R.W. Garcia Holdings, and related entities, to acquire the equity and certain real estate assets related to the operation of RW Garcia. Founded in 1982, RW Garcia is a family-owned and operated artisan maker of organic tortilla chips, crackers, and corn chips. All RW Garcia products are non-GMO verified, certified gluten-free, low sodium, kosher, and free of artificial additives or preservatives. "With manufacturing facilities located in Nevada and North Carolina, RW Garcia has significant production capacity to support the continued growth of the Utz portfolio of brands. RW Garcia is complementary to Utz's June 2021 acquisition of Michigan-based Festida Foods, providing Utz with strategically well-placed production capabilities in the North, East, and West regions of the United States. RW Garcia also has strong capabilities in Better-For-You tortilla chips, crackers, and corn chips, which will benefit from Utz's distribution capabilities and customer relationships across the United States," the company said. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, RW Garcia generated net sales and Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $66.2M and $5.8M, respectively. The transaction represents an acquisition multiple of approximately 9.6x RW Garcia Adjusted EBITDA of $5.8M excluding synergies, and an acquisition multiple of 5.7x including expected run-rate cost synergies of approximately $4.0M. Utz expects the transaction to be accretive to earnings in fiscal 2022 and beyond. Under the terms of the definitive agreement, the equity and certain real estate of RW Garcia will be acquired by subsidiaries of Utz. The company expects to use balance sheet cash and its revolving credit facility to fund the $56.0M cash purchase price. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021.

06:53 EDT KBR receives three-year extension for monitoring, advisory services by PT PAU - KBR announced that it has received a three-year extension for KBR Insite monitoring and advisory services by PT Panca Amara Utama, or PAU, for its Banggai ammonia plant in Luwuk, Indonesia. Banggai was the first ammonia plant in Indonesia commissioned using KBR's first PurifierPlus technology. Under the terms of the contract, KBR will continue to provide its cloud-based INSITE services to proactively and remotely monitor plant operations, diagnose probable root causes for abnormal events, and recommend corrective actions based on deep-domain expertise to prevent events from progressing to unplanned shutdowns or undesired emissions.

06:48 EDT Estee Lauder says pandemic continued to disrupt environment - The company states: "The COVID-19 pandemic continued to disrupt the Company's operating environment, impacting retail traffic and consumer preferences in the first quarter of fiscal 2022. The resurgence of COVID-19 cases and the rapid spread of the Delta variant in most parts of the world led to government restrictions to prevent further spread of the virus. These restrictions included the intermittent closure of businesses deemed non-essential, curtailment of travel, social distancing and quarantines. While most brick-and-mortar retail stores globally that sell the Company's products, whether operated by the Company or its customers, were open during much of the first quarter of fiscal 2022, there were intermittent closures throughout the world. More specifically, in Continental Europe, much of Latin America and most of the Asia/Pacific region, many retail stores were temporarily closed for some period during the quarter due to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases. In much of Continental Europe and parts of the Asia/Pacific region, retail locations gradually reopened later in the quarter with capacity and other safety restrictions in place. Globally, in areas where stores were open, consumer traffic has not recovered to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to global transportation delays due to port congestion, labor and container shortages, and shipment delays. As a result, higher transportation and logistics costs are expected to negatively impact cost of sales and operating expenses in the remainder of fiscal 2022. The Company expects to mitigate most of the impact to its business and costs through strategic price increases, product mix, timing of shipments, use of air freight and less congested ports, and cost savings in other areas."

06:41 EDT BP sees FY21 divestment proceeds of $6B-$7B - BP said: "We now expect divestment and other proceeds for the year of $6-7 billion. Our target of $25 billion of divestment and other proceeds between the second half of 2020 and 2025 is now underpinned by agreed or completed transactions of around $15.2 billion with over $10 billion of proceeds received. The underlying ETR for 2021 is now expected to be below 35% but is sensitive to the impact that volatility in the current price environment may have on the geographical mix of the group's profits and losses. For full year 2021 we continue to expect reported upstream production to be lower than 2020 due to the impact of the ongoing divestment program. However, we expect upstream underlying production to be slightly higher than 2020 with the ramp-up of major projects, primarily in gas regions, partly offset by the impacts of reduced capital investment and decline in lower-margin gas assets."

06:40 EDT BP sees Q4 upstream production higher vs. Q3 - BP said: "Looking ahead, we expect fourth quarter reported upstream production to be higher than the third quarter reflecting major project ramp-up, mainly in gas regions, recovery from seasonal maintenance activity and continuing impacts from Hurricane Ida on our non-operated production in the US Gulf of Mexico. Within this, we expect production from both oil production & operations and gas & low carbon to be higher. In our customer businesses, we expect lower product demand due to seasonal impacts and continued base oil tightness and additive supply shortages in Castrol. In products, refining margins are expected to be lower in the fourth quarter driven by seasonal demand and we expect energy prices to remain under pressure and maintenance activity to remain high."

06:34 EDT BP plans further $1.25B share buyback - BP said that taking into account the cumulative level of and outlook for surplus cash flow and subject to maintaining a strong investment grade credit rating, the board remains committed to using 60% of 2021 surplus cash flow for share buybacks and plans to allocate the remaining 40% to continue strengthening the balance sheet. "Recognizing third quarter surplus cash flow of $0.9B and reflecting confidence in the outlook bp intends to execute a further buyback of $1.25B prior to announcing its fourth quarter 2021 results. bp expects to outline plans for the final tranche of buybacks from 2021 surplus cash flow at the time of such results."

06:23 EDT Kennedy Wilson, Goldman Sachs AM acquire apartment community in Denver for $95M - Kennedy Wilson (KW) and the Real Estate business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GS) have acquired Arista Uptown, a 272-unit garden-style apartment community in Broomfield, Colorado for $95M, excluding closing costs. Completed in 2012, the property is spread across seven acres equidistant to Boulder and Denver and offers residents access to significant community amenities including a resort-style-pool, clubhouse, fitness center and dog park. Kennedy Wilson has a 20% ownership in the acquisition that included a total $44M equity investment and a $53M loan. Beginning immediately, the team will roll out a value-add asset management plan that includes investing $4M to renovate unit interiors, refresh common areas and enhance amenities to improve the renter experience.

06:22 EDT Louisiana-Pacific sees FY21 capital expenditures $250M - The company said, "Given our current outlook, we expect capital expenditures for 2021 to be approximately $250 million, including $95 million for the previously announced Houlton mill conversion, $20 million for the previously announced Sagola conversion, $25 million for other strategic growth projects, and $110 million for sustaining maintenance."

06:21 EDT Easterly Government Properties acquires VA Outpatient Clinic in Midwest U.S. - Easterly Government Properties announced that it has acquired an 80,000 leased square foot Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic located in the Midwest United States. This state-of-the-art, build-to-suit outpatient clinic was completed in 2021 and recently achieved a Two Green Globes certification. This facility is leased to the VA for an initial, non-cancelable lease term of 20 years that does not expire until May 2041. The facility provides a wide range of medical and ancillary services including, but not limited to primary care, mental health, audiology, optometry, dermatology, radiology, and prosthetics.

06:12 EDT Qiwi names Alexey Mashchenkov as CFO, effective November 8 - Qiwi announced the appointment of Alexey Mashchenkov as CFO effective November 8. Alexey will take over the responsibilities of interim CFO, Elena Nikonova and report directly to CEO of the Group, Andrey Protopopov. Elena will continue to serve as Deputy CFO for Corporate Finance. Prior to joining Qiwi, Alexey served as Deputy CEO of Russian Fishery and earlier worked as Group CFO of Russian Standard Corporation, a holding company with investments in banking and insurance.

06:10 EDT ExlService announces $300M stock repurchase program - ExlService announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a $300M common stock repurchase program, effective as of January 1, 2022. The current buyback program previously announced on December 13, 2019, for the repurchase of up to $200M of common stock, will be terminated as of December 31, 2021. As of September 30, 2021, approximately $162M has been repurchased under that plan.

06:05 EDT DuPont to acquire Rogers Corporation in all-cash transaction valued at $5.2B - Rogers Corporation (ROG) announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by DuPont (DD) in an all-cash transaction that values Rogers at approximately $5.2B. The transaction delivers substantial value to Rogers' shareholders, who will receive $277 in cash per share, representing a 33% premium over Rogers' closing share price on November 1, 2021, and a 46% premium to the 1-month volume weighted average share price. Following the closing of the transaction, Rogers will be integrated into DuPont's Electronics & Industrial business unit. Rogers significant applications engineering, design expertise, and deep customer relationships form a strong strategic fit with DuPont's innovation capabilities and collaborative approach to solving the most complex customer challenges. The Board of Directors of Rogers has unanimously approved the agreement with DuPont and recommends that the Rogers' shareholders vote in favor of the transaction at the Special Meeting of Shareholders to be called in connection with the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by Rogers' shareholders and receipt of regulatory approvals.

06:03 EDT Generac reaffirms FY21 net sales growth view 47%-50% from last year - The Company is maintaining its FY21 net sales growth guidance of 47%-50% compared to the prior year, which includes approximately 5% of favorable impact from acquisitions and foreign currency. While the Company continues to experience an exceptional demand environment, additional supply chain constraints, escalating logistics challenges, and rising input costs are increasingly impacting the business leading to further margin pressures. As a result of these factors and the impact of recent acquisitions, net income margin, before deducting for non-controlling interests, is now expected to be approximately 15.0% for the FY21 as compared to the prior expectation of between 15.5%-16.0%. The corresponding adjusted EBITDA margin is now expected to be approximately 23.5%, as compared to the previous guidance range of approximately 24.5%-25.0%.

06:01 EDT DuPont to acquire Rogers Corporation for $5.2B - DuPont (DD) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Rogers Corporation (ROG) for $5.2B. The transaction is expected to close in Q2 of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by Rogers shareholders and receipt of applicable regulatory approvals. DuPont expects to realize approximately $115M in pre-tax run-rate cost synergies by the end of 2023. The cost synergies associated with both the Laird Performance Materials acquisition and the intended Rogers acquisition represent approximately 6% of the combined revenue, including DuPont Interconnect Solutions. The estimated one-time cost to achieve these synergies is approximately $75M. DuPont expects the deal to be accretive to its top-line growth, operating EBITDA, free cash flow, and adjusted EPS upon closing. The enterprise value multiple of the transaction is approximately 19x estimated fiscal 2022 EBITDA on a stand-alone basis and approximately 14x including cost synergies. DuPont has committed financing in place for the acquisition of Rogers. DuPont plans on using a portion of the proceeds from the planned divestiture of a substantial portion of the Mobility & Materials segment to repay all acquisition financing related to Rogers and pursue additional growth opportunities in its remaining key pillars as part of its balanced capital deployment plan.

05:08 EDT AP Moller Maersk places order for two Boeing 777 Freighters - Boeing (BA) and A.P. Moller Maersk (AMKBY) announced the provider of container logistics has placed an order for two 777 Freighters. The freighters will be operated by Star Air, Maersk's in-house aircraft operator and is the company's first 777 order. Star Air currently operates an all-Boeing 767 Freighter fleet. With a range of 9,200 kilometers, the 777 Freighter can carry a maximum revenue payload of 102,000 kilograms.