Stockwinners Market Radar for January 20, 2022 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

21:08 EST ARK Investment bought 94.2K shares of PagerDuty today

21:03 EST Bitcoin extends decline below $40,000, lowest level since January 10th

19:14 EST Pretium announces shareholder approval of Newcrest arrangement - Pretium Resources Inc. (PVG) announced that the company's Securityholders approved the previously announced acquisition of Pretivm by Newcrest Mining Limited (NCMGY) by way of a plan of arrangement at a special meeting of Securityholders held earlier today. The special resolution approving the Transaction was approved by 95.48% of the votes cast by Pretivm's shareholders and holders of options to acquire shares of the company, present virtually or represented by proxy at the Meeting, voting together as a single class. Under the terms of the Transaction, Pretivm shareholders were able to elect, prior to 5:00 p.m. (Vancouver time) on January 18, 2022, to receive C$18.50 per Pretivm share in cash or 0.8084 Newcrest shares per Pretivm share, representing share consideration of C$18.50 based on the Canadian dollar equivalent of the 5 day volume-weighted-average-price of Newcrest shares on the Australian Securities Exchange ending on November 8, 2021, subject to proration to ensure aggregate cash and Newcrest share consideration each represent 50% of total transaction consideration. Pretivm shareholders who did not make an election will receive the default consideration of C$9.25 per Pretivm share in cash and 0.4042 Newcrest shares per Pretivm share.

19:02 EST Vistas Media Acquisition shareholders approve combination with Anghami - Anghami and Vistas Media Acquisition Company announced that in a special meeting on January 19, 2022, VMAC's shareholders voted to approve its proposed business combination with Anghami. Approximately 98% of the votes cast at the meeting were in favor of the Business Combination. The Business Combination is expected to close upon satisfaction of the closing conditions. Following the closing of the Business Combination, the common stock and warrants of the surviving company are expected to begin trading on the NASDAQ under the tickers "ANGH" and "ANGHW," respectively.

18:24 EST Netflix says it believes lowering prices in India will boost revenue - Says believes lowering prices in India will boost revenue. Says frustrated company hasn't been more successful in India. Says has developed "incredible" team in South Korea. Says "Squid Game" universe has just begun. Says getting better with local content in countries like Mexico and Brazil.

18:04 EST Netflix 'quite pleased' with Q4 despite downbeat acquisition growth - Says "quite pleased" with how quarter played out. Says had two biggest movie releases of all time on the platform in the quarter. Says didn't grow acquisition quite as fast as would have seen. Says retention is strong, churn is down, and viewing is up. Comments taken from Q4 earnings interview.

18:01 EST NSTS Bancorp director Dolan purchases $300K in shares - NSTS Bancorp director Kevin Dolan purchased 30,000 shares of company sock at $10.00 per share, on January 18, for a total transaction amount of $300,000.

17:36 EST Seadrill announces confirmation of pre-packaged financial restructuring - Seadril and the issuer announce that the Issuer has successfully received approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas for its "one-day" chapter 11 restructuring. The Court confirmed the Issuer's chapter 11 plan of reorganization which received nearly unanimous support from existing stakeholders. The Plan provides the Issuer with financial and strategic flexibility and stability by amending and extending the Issuer's secured notes, effectuating a transfer of majority ownership of the Issuer from the wider Seadrill group to the secured noteholders, and facilitating the entry into management agreements with Seadrill for the continued provision of management services and operational support to the Issuer and its subsidiaries. The Plan also provides for the satisfaction of all trade, customer, and other non-funded debt claims in full in the ordinary course of business. Benefitting from both the new ownership structure and the continuity provided by the Seadrill group, the Issuer expects to continue to focus on maximizing value for all stakeholders from its portfolio of investments including the Seabras Sapura JV and the SeaMex group.

17:24 EST General Dynamics awarded $199.71M Navy contract modification - General Dynamics was awarded a $199.71M modification to exercise options on a previously awarded contract for the USS Iwo Jima FY22 docking selected restricted availability. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by June 2023. FY22 other procurement funds in the amount of $176.38M will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. FY22 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $23.32M will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center is the contracting activity.

17:12 EST Smith-Midland Corp names Ashley Smith chairman - Smith-Midland Corporation announced the retirement of Rodney I. Smith and the appointment of Ashley B. Smith to Chairman of the Board of Directors. Ashley will remain in his current role as president and chief executive officer of Smith-Midland. "I am confident in the exceptional leadership of Ashley," said Rodney I. Smith. "In his 37 years with Smith-Midland, he has created an impressive culture of safety, continuous profitable improvement, and historic growth. Ashley has continued the family legacy of innovation and I have no doubt he is well prepared for the Chairman of the Board of Directors position and will continue to work hard to drive long-term shareholder return for Smith-Midland," Rodney continued.

17:07 EST Robinhood debuts crypto Wallets to select customers, ahead of broader rollout - "We're excited to announce that the next phase of our Wallets program, the Beta program, is officially live. Starting today, we'll begin rolling out crypto Wallets to 1,000 customers from the top of the Wallets waitlist (subject to owning an external wallet for testing and some safety checks). By March, we will expand the program to 10,000 customers before rolling out to the rest of the WenWallets waitlist. This is the second major milestone in our Wallets rollout, which will enable Robinhood customers to send and receive their crypto from Robinhood to external crypto wallets, and fully connect Robinhood crypto holders to the greater blockchain ecosystem for the very first time. Beta testers will help us test core functionality and provide critical feedback to inform the final version of the product. Over the duration of the Beta program, we will finalize the send and receive flows, add delightful QR scanning experiences, improve the transaction history interface, and add block explorer support to provide more insights into their on-chain transactions. We will also add the ability for customers to calculate the dollar amount of crypto to send/receive in terms of dollar amounts. Beta testers will have a daily limit of $2999 in total withdrawals and 10 transactions, and will need to enable two-factor authentication," said the company in a blog posting. Reference Link

16:52 EST Intuitive says da Vinci procedures to be significantly adversely impacted in Q1 - Says investing in infrastructure and investments are lumpy. Says focused on general surgery growth in the U.S. Says negatively impacted by Covid-19 hospitalizations in December. Says trend has continued into January. Says in Q4 experienced some constraint on ability to meet customer demand. Says Covid impacts to da Vinci procedures vary by region. Says hospitals are experiencing shortages. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

16:45 EST James Hardie names James Johnson CIO - James Hardie Industries announced the appointment of James Johnson as Chief Information Officer. Most recently James held the role of CIO at Carpenter Technology since 2013. Commenting on the appointment, James Hardie Interim CEO, Harold Wiens said, "I am pleased to announce James' appointment as CIO of James Hardie. James brings a strong track record of IT leadership and of developing effective, leading-edge technology solutions that create business value. James and his team will drive a focused Information Technology vision and strategy which integrates with, and helps enable, the JHX global strategic plan."

16:39 EST Consolidated Edison raises annual dividend to $3.16 from $3.10 per share - Consolidated Edison declared a quarterly dividend of 79c a share on its common stock, payable March 15 to stockholders of record as of February 16, an annualized increase of 6c over the previous annualized dividend of $3.10 a share.

16:35 EST IDT Corp acquires majority stake in Sochitel, terms undisclosed - IDT Corp announced that it has acquired a majority stake in Sochitel. Headquartered in London and Lagos, Sochitel has a footprint across Africa interconnecting mobile network operators, banks, and financial service providers. Sochitel's fintech platform empowers banks to deliver digital services to over 60M customers across Africa and supplies its services to corporate clients worldwide.

16:33 EST Perdoceo Education appoints Andrew Hurst as CEO - Perdoceo Education has named Todd Nelson Executive Chairman effective January 20 and will continue to serve Perdoceo on a full time basis. Andrew Hurst was appointed to succeed Nelson as Perdoceo's President and CEO effective January 20. Hurst joined Perdoceo in 2014 and most recently served as Perdoceo's Senior VP - Colorado Technical University and as the President of Colorado Technical University. Hurst was also appointed to the Perdoceo Board of Directors. Thomas Lally, Perdoceo's former Chairman of the Board, now serves as Lead Director. Elise Baskel succeeds Hurst as Perdoceo's Senior VP - Colorado Technical University and as the President of Colorado Technical University. Baskel has served as COO of Colorado Technical University since 2019.

16:30 EST Snap One acquires Staub Electronics, terms not disclosed - Snap One announced it has acquired long-time Canadian distribution partner Staub Electronics in a move to enhance the Partner experience throughout Canada and expand the company's North American local branch footprint. "This acquisition will strengthen our capabilities across Canada, introducing a wider range of products, providing faster turnaround times on orders, allowing for same-day order pick-ups, and delivering more product choice than ever before for our Canadian Partners," said John Heyman. "By making Staub part of Snap One, we can bring the Snap One local branch experience to Canada. With this transaction now complete, we are excited to continue pursuing our disciplined M&A strategy as part of our broader growth initiatives."

16:26 EST Aslan Pharmaceuticals screens first patient in eblasakimab study - Aslan Pharmaceuticals announced that it has screened the first patient in its Phase 2b dose-ranging clinical study of eblasakimab in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, or AD. Eblasakimab is a monoclonal antibody targeting the IL-13 receptor that has the potential to provide a differentiated treatment option for patients. Aslan expects to report topline findings from the 16-week treatment period in the first half of 2023.

16:22 EST Sonoco Products to implement $50 per ton price increase for URB - Sonoco announced it is implementing a $50 per ton price increase for all grades of uncoated recycled paperboard, or URB, in the United States and Canada, effective with shipments beginning February 18. Sonoco said the price increase was in response to continued demand resulting in extended order backlogs, and inflationary pressures on freight, energy, paper making chemicals, labor and other manufacturing costs.

16:20 EST National Bank increases quarterly cash dividend 4.5% to 23c per share - National Bank announced that its board of directors approved a cash dividend to shareholders. The quarterly cash dividend will increase 4.5% from 22c to 23c per share of common stock. The dividend will be payable on March 15 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 25.

16:16 EST Charter announces leadership retirements and appointments - Charter Communications announced that Tom Adams, Executive VP of Field Operations and Jon Hargis, Executive VP, Chief Marketing Officer, will transition to advisory roles in April and retire later this year. Adams served as EVP, Field Operations since joining Charter in 2012. Since joining Charter in 2012, Hargis has served as Chief Marketing Officer. In anticipation of the upcoming retirements, the company promoted and expanded the roles of a number of Charter executives. Tom Monaghan has been elevated to Executive VP, Field Operations, and Adam Ray takes on the newly created role of Executive VP, Chief Commercial Officer. Sharon Peters and Christian Ruiz have been promoted to Executive VP, Chief Marketing Officer, and Executive VP, Sales, respectively. Since June 2021, Ray served as EVP, Sales Operations and Planning, and prior to that as EVP, Spectrum Community Solutions. Peters joined Charter in 2016 as GVP of Marketing. Ruiz recently served as SVP, Sales & Retention and in 2021 his responsibilities were increased to include all residential and small- and medium-sized business sales and retention functions. Ruiz joined Charter in 2014 as Regional Vice President, Commercial Sales.

16:09 EST Texas Capital names John Cummings EVP, Chief Administrative Officer - Texas Capital Bancshares, announced that John W. Cummings will serve in the newly created role of Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, effective January 21 Mr. Cummings brings nearly 40 years of management and leadership experience in the financial services industry to Texas Capital Bank and will be instrumental in propelling the institution's established strategy forward in a cohesive manner as Chief Administrative Officer. He began his career in the Merrill Lynch & Co. mailroom before serving as an entry-level branch trainee and then advanced to leadership positions across the organization's Operations, Technology, Banking, Finance, Digital Platforms, and Sales segments for 27 years ultimately joining the Executive Committee and reporting directly to the CEO. He left to reengineer Citigroup's U.S. Personal Wealth Management, International Personal Bank, and the U.S. Citigold High-Net-Worth Banking business. Most recently Mr. Cummings served as Citigroup's Head of Wealth Advisory. "As we reflect on the past year, I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished as an organization," said Rob C. Holmes, president and CEO of Texas Capital Bank. "As we look forward, I am pleased to welcome John as a valuable addition to our executive team as Chief Administrative Officer. I am positive the knowledge and extensive experience he brings will elevate the work we are able to do, while providing support and leadership across our markets as we execute further upon our strategy to become the flagship financial services firm headquartered in Texas."

16:07 EST Provention Bio initiates Phase 2a PREVAIL-2 study of PRV-3279 - Provention Bio announced the initiation of the Phase 2a PREVAIL-2 study (PRV-3279 EVAluation In Lupus- Phase 2). PRV-3279 is an investigational humanized bispecific DART molecule targeting the B-cell surface proteins CD32B and CD79B, which has the potential to intercept the pathophysiology of systemic lupus erythematosus and other B cell-mediated autoimmune diseases, as well as to prevent the immunogenicity of biotherapeutic products such as gene therapy. "PRV-3279 offers an elegant mechanism of action designed to intercept and ameliorate the overactive B cell-driven pathology of lupus and other autoimmune diseases," stated Francisco Leon, MD PhD, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Provention Bio. "We believe that PRV-3279 allows for rapid inhibition of activated B cells, while sparing non-activated B cells from depletion or inactivation, which may offer the potential for an alternative to current B cell-targeting therapies with a more favorable safety profile. We look forward to reporting data from PREVAIL-2 in the first half of 2024."

16:06 EST Netflix anticipates being free cash flow positive for FY22 - Netflix said: "Net cash generated by operating activities in Q4 was -$403 million vs. -$138 million in the prior year period. Free cash flow (FCF) for the quarter was -$569 million vs. -$284 million in Q4'20. For the full year 2021, FCF amounted to -$159 million, in-line with our expectation for 'approximately break-even.' We didn't engage in share repurchases in Q4 as we funded our acquisition of the Roald Dahl Story Company from cash on hand during the quarter. We anticipate being free cash flow positive for the full year 2022 and beyond. As a reminder, we prioritize our cash to reinvest in our core business and to fund new growth opportunities like gaming, followed by selective acquisitions. We're also targeting $10-$15 billion of gross debt. We finished Q4 with gross debt of $15.5 billion and we'll pay down $700 million of our senior notes due in Q1'22. After satisfying those uses of cash, excess cash above our minimum cash levels will be returned to shareholders via stock repurchases."

16:05 EST Netflix targeting operating margin of 19%-20% for 2022 - Netflix stated in its quarterly letter: "For 2022, we are currently targeting an operating margin of 19%-20% (assuming no material swings in foreign currency from current levels). Our operating margin outlook is driven by two main factors. First, as seen in the chart below, we delivered above the three percentage point annual linear progression over the past two years (average of four percentage points per year). Second, the US dollar has strengthened meaningfully against most other currencies. With ~60% of our revenue outside of the US due to our international success, we estimate that the US dollar's appreciation over the past six months has cost us roughly $1 billion in expected 2022 revenue (as a reminder, we don't hedge). With the vast majority of our expenses in US dollars, this translates into an estimated two percentage point negative impact on our 2022 operating margin. As we have written in the past, over the medium term we believe we can adjust our pricing and cost structure for a stronger US dollar world. In the near term, we want to continue to invest appropriately in our business and don't want to over-react to F/X fluctuations to the detriment of our long term growth."

16:03 EST Netflix sees Q1 global streaming paid net additions of 2.5M - Netflix said in its quarterly letter to investors: "For Q1'22, we forecast paid net adds of 2.5m vs. 4.0m in the year ago quarter. Our guidance reflects a more back-end weighted content slate in Q1'22 (for example, Bridgerton S2 and our new original film The Adam Project will both be launching in March). In addition, while retention and engagement remain healthy, acquisition growth has not yet re-accelerated to pre-Covid levels. We think this may be due to several factors including the ongoing Covid overhang and macro-economic hardship in several parts of the world like LATAM."

14:44 EST WEC Energy raises quarterly dividend by 7.4% to 72.75c per share - The board of directors of WEC Energy has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 72.75c per share on the company's common stock, an increase of 7.4% over the current quarterly dividend of 67.75c per share. This raises the annual dividend rate to $2.91 per share. The higher dividend is payable March 1, 2022, to stockholders of record on Feb. 14. "With today's action by our board, 2022 will be the nineteenth consecutive year of dividend increases for our stockholders. We continue to target a dividend payout of 65 to 70 percent of earnings," said Gale Klappa, executive chairman.

14:16 EST Rumble CEO says Senate bill targeting Google 'massive news' - Chris Pavlovski, CEO of Rumble Video, tweeted: "MASSIVE NEWS: @JudiciaryDems and @SenJudiciaryGOP are finally taking action on an issue @rumblevideo raised on Jan 11, 2021 by suing Google for billions in damages." Video platform Rumble and CF Acquisition Corp. VI (CFVI), a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by Cantor Fitzgerald, previously announced that they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement that values Rumble at an initial enterprise value of $2.1B. After closing, which is expected in Q2 of 2022, the combined company will be called Rumble Inc. and expects to be publicly listed on Nasdaq. Reference Link

13:58 EST GM sees delivery of electric Cadillac LYRIQ to customers in a 'few months' - General Motors president Mark Reuss said in a LinkedIn post that first pre-production of the all-electric Cadillac LYRIQ has rolled off the line at the company's Spring Hill facility and that the team prepares to ship such vehicles to customers in a "few months." "15 months ago we announced a $2 billion investment into Spring Hill to build fully electric vehicles," Reuss added. "Our teams have worked tirelessly on the LYRIQ, bringing the launch up nine months ahead of schedule and working in parallel to convert the plant and start production. This is an important proof point in our path to EV leadership as we introduce more high-volume EVs across price points and lifestyles. I'm thankful to the Spring Hill and Cadillac teams for all their hard work. Congratulations on this huge milestone!" Reference Link

13:33 EST Kyndryl Holdings working with Amazon as an AWS Select Tier Services Partner - In a blog post, Kyndryl's (KD) Jigar Kapasi and Venkat Reddy, and AWS' (AMZN) Koushik Mohan and Bala Ravilla said that, "Kyndryl is an AWS Select Tier Services Partner and IT infrastructure services provider. The company designs, builds, manages, and modernizes the complex, mission-critical information systems the world depends on every day... Using AWS Security Hub, Kyndryl was able to define a secure, scalable security account architecture for customers, manage multiple customer accounts, consolidate security-related findings, and integrate into the ITSM processes in ServiceNow (NOW)... Security Hub is used to understand the security posture and integrate non-compliance findings into the ITSM system (ServiceNow) via Kyndryl's event management hub (IBM Netcool)." Reference Link

13:27 EST MetLife, Zurich complete $3.5B longevity reinsurance transaction - Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company, a subsidiary of MetLife (MET), announced that it has completed a significant longevity reinsurance transaction involving an unnamed U.K. pension scheme, using an independent U.K. regulated insurer, Zurich Assurance Ltd. (ZURVY) as intermediary. The transaction, which was completed in Q4 2021, was MetLife's first longevity swap of U.K. pension scheme liabilities. Aon was the lead adviser to the scheme for the transaction. Under the terms of the agreement, Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Company will provide reinsurance for longevity risk associated with approximately $3.5B of pension liabilities. "We are pleased MetLife has been selected to reinsure these obligations. As MetLife's first pension scheme longevity swap transaction, this marks an important milestone in the evolution of our U.K. longevity reinsurance business and highlights MetLife's focus on innovation to meet the customers' needs," said Jay Wang, senior vice president and head of Risk Solutions with MetLife's Retirement & Income Solutions business.

13:01 EST Peloton extends losses, shares down 21% to $25.17

12:55 EST Peloton Interactive trading resumes

12:50 EST Peloton Interactive trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:01 EST Zymeworks falls -6.2% - Zymeworks is down -6.2%, or -84c to $12.62.

12:00 EST Casper Sleep rises 14.6% - Casper Sleep is up 14.6%, or 83c to $6.56.

12:00 EST Vertical Aerospace rises 28.8% - Vertical Aerospace is up 28.8%, or $2.12 to $9.48.

11:46 EST TaskUs says short seller report's 'sole purpose' is to benefit Spruce Point - In response to a request to TaskUs for comment, a company spokesperson told The Fly: "We are aware of a recent report by short seller Spruce Point, which we believe is designed for the sole purpose of negatively impacting TaskUs' share price for Spruce Point's own benefit. We are reviewing the report and will take appropriate steps in response to the assertions. We remain confident in our strategy, our value proposition and our ability to create value for our clients, teammates and shareholders. We continue to see a strong growth trajectory and look forward to sharing information on our financial and operational performance during our fourth quarter earnings call."

11:36 EST Integral Ad Science appoints Robert Janecek as CIO - Integral Ad Science announced the appointment of Robert Janecek as Chief Information Officer, as the company continues its global growth. Based in New York, Janecek reports directly to Oleg Bershadsky, COO at IAS. Most recently he was the SVP, Enterprise Systems at IAS.

11:09 EST Portnoy says Business Insider to release 'another make believe hit piece' - Barstool founder Dave Portnoy tweeted "Emergency Press Conference - Julia Black and Business Insider Are Preparing to Drop Another Make Believe Hit Piece on Me Today" along with a video regarding his response. Previously, on November 4 of last year, shares of Penn National Gaming (PENN) fell after Business Insider reported on sexual assault allegations against Portnoy. In Thursday morning trading, Penn National shares are off earlier highs but remain up about 2% at $43.97. Reference Link

11:02 EST United Airlines 'very bullish' on transatlantic travel growth

10:44 EST United Airlines: Omicron has delayed revenue rebound 'a few months' - Expects impact of omicron to be focused on January and February.

10:40 EST United Airlines sees 'small pockets' of labor supply challenges

10:36 EST United Airlines: Bookings continue to be strong for March and beyond

10:31 EST Cerberus Cyber completes acquisition of True Digital Security - Cerberus Cyber Sentinel Corporation announced that with the completion of the latest acquisition of True Digital Security into the company's family of cybersecurity businesses, its revenue for the trailing 12 months ended Sept. 30, 2021, on a proforma basis to reflect all acquired businesses, increased to approximately $45.5M. The previously announced transaction of True Digital Security, a network security company with offices in New York, Florida, and Oklahoma, was subject to the successful listing of Cerberus Sentinel's common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market, which occurred Friday, Jan. 14, followed by the closing of a $10,300,00 offering of the Cerberus Sentinel's common stock underwritten by Boustead Securities, LLC, which included partial exercise of Boustead's over-allotment option. Under the terms of the agreement to acquire True Digital, True Digital is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Cerberus Sentinel. True Digital will continue to be based in New York, Florida, and Oklahoma.

10:05 EST PointsBet awarded sports wagering, interactive gaming operator licenses in PA - PointsBet Holdings Limited (PBTHF) announced that through an exclusive partnership agreement with Penn National Gaming (PENN) and subsequent joint application for licensure, its wholly-owned subsidiary PointsBet Pennsylvania has been awarded sports wagering and interactive gaming operator licenses by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to offer online sports betting and online casino products in Pennsylvania. PointsBet USA CEO Johnny Aitken said: "With Pennsylvania ranking among the top five sports betting states in the nation, PointsBet is thrilled to be able to soon establish its presence in this lucrative market, and we are appreciative of the support we've received from the state of Pennsylvania and the great people at the Gaming Control Board. We ultimately seek to provide customers in Pennsylvania with the best-in-class sports betting and online casino experience."

10:00 EST Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares falls -6.6% - Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares is down -6.6%, or -$2.69 to $38.26.

10:00 EST Casper Sleep rises 11.2% - Casper Sleep is up 11.2%, or 64c to $6.37.

10:00 EST Vertical Aerospace rises 19.3% - Vertical Aerospace is up 19.3%, or $1.42 to $8.78.

09:59 EST Oncology Institute Inc trading resumes

09:48 EST Broadstone Acquisition Corp trading resumes

09:47 EST Sports Entertainment Acquisition falls -5.1% - Sports Entertainment Acquisition is down -5.1%, or -51c to $9.46.

09:47 EST Matson rises 6.8% - Matson is up 6.8%, or $5.83 to $91.75.

09:47 EST Casper Sleep rises 12.0% - Casper Sleep is up 12.0%, or 69c to $6.42.

09:43 EST TaskUs down after short-seller Spruce Point points to up to 50% downside risk - Shares of TaskUs (TASK) are down $6.59, or over 18%, to $29 after short selling research firm Spruce Point Capital Management issued a cautious report on the stock in which it tells investors its sees 25% to 50% long-term downside risk to $17.80-$26.70 per share. The firm alleges that TaskUs has "exaggerated the size of its business and appears to be obfuscating growing financial strains," most notably tied to Meta Platforms (FB, MVRS), which the firm calls out as TaskUs' "single-largest customer." As disclosed, Spruce Point has a short position in TaskUs, and owns derivative securities that stand to net benefit if its share price falls, the firm noted in its report. Furthermore, Spruce Point has long positions in Concentrix (CNXC) and Europe's Majorel Group and owns derivative securities that it says "stand to benefit if each company's respective shares rise." The firm believes investing in Concentrix and Majorel are "better ways to gain exposure to the technology BPO sector," stating that it finds evidence that TaskUs' internal employee referral rate has "declined materially" from 61% in 2018 to 48% in 2019 to 38% in 2020. Reference Link

09:40 EST RR Donnelley and Sons trading resumes

09:35 EST China Finance Online trading resumes

09:31 EST R.R. Donnelley reports takeover bid raised to 11.50 per share - R.R. Donnelley announced the receipt of an update to the unsolicited non-binding "Alternative Acquisition Proposal", received from the strategic party on December 27, 2021. On January 3, the Strategic Party had indicated to RRD that it was targeting January 21, 2022 for a submission of a binding proposal. In lieu of submitting a binding proposal, the Strategic Party delivered the non-binding Updated Strategic Party Proposal, which provides for the following, among other terms and conditions: Increases the offered price to $11.50 per share in cash. Previously, the offered price by the Strategic Party was $11.00 per share in cash. States that the Strategic Party has substantially completed its financial, legal, tax and other due diligence on RRD and its business. Does not include committed debt and equity financing and states that the Strategic Party requires an additional three weeks to obtain committed financing. Removes the previously included conditions to the execution of the proposed Strategic Party merger agreement that required Chatham to release and dismiss Chatham's litigation and claims made against RRD, and to vote its shares of RRD common stock to approve the Strategic Party merger agreement. The Updated Strategic Party Proposal remains non-binding and subject to certain terms and conditions. On December 29, 2021, the board determined, in good faith after consultation with its outside financial advisor and legal counsel, that the Strategic Party Proposal would reasonably be expected to lead to a "Superior Proposal". At this time, the board has not determined that the Updated Strategic Party Proposal constitutes a superior proposal, and there can be no assurances that a transaction will result from the Updated Strategic Party Proposal or that any alternative transaction will be entered into or consummated. Under the terms of the Chatham Merger Agreement, affiliates of Chatham have agreed to acquire the company for $10.85 per share in cash. Under the Chatham Merger Agreement, the company is required to pay a $12M expense reimbursement to Chatham if the company terminates the Chatham Merger Agreement in order to enter into a definitive merger agreement with respect to the Updated Strategic Party Proposal. In addition, the company would be required to reimburse Chatham for the $20M payment previously made by Chatham to cover the termination fee due under the company's now-terminated definitive merger agreement with affiliates of Atlas Holdings. In the Updated Strategic Party Proposal, the Strategic Party has stated it would agree to pay both the expense reimbursement and the Atlas Termination Fee Refund to Chatham on the company's behalf in such event. At this time, the company remains subject to the Chatham Merger Agreement and is complying with the terms and conditions of the Chatham Merger Agreement, which remain in effect unless and until the Chatham Merger Agreement is terminated. Accordingly, subject to and as required by the Chatham Merger Agreement, the board has not made a "Change of Recommendation", reaffirms its recommendation of the Chatham Merger Agreement and rejects all "Alternative Acquisition Agreements". In addition, as required by the Chatham Merger Agreement, the company expects to file a definitive proxy statement in respect of the transactions contemplated by the Chatham Merger Agreement on January 21. RRD expects to schedule the special meeting of stockholders for purposes of voting on the Chatham Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby on February 23. The company does not intend to disclose developments with respect to this process unless and until it determines it is appropriate to do so, subject to the terms of the Chatham Merger Agreement.

09:29 EST DMG Blockchain Solutions releases 2021 annual review - DMG Blockchain Solutions announces the release of their Annual Review for 2021. Further, the Company is expecting to release its audited financials by January 31, 2022 and will conduct an investor conference call shortly after its financial statements are released. DMG has had a strong end to the calendar year with December 2021 results of: Mined Bitcoin: 66.71 BTC; Daily Average: 2.149 BTC; Miners Added: 441 S19J Pros; Hashrate Added: 45 Ph/s; December Max Hashrate: 420 Ph/s. DMG also made its live hashrate publicly available on its website banner, which has hit an all-time high of 464.47 Ph/s since the start of the New Year.

09:19 EST Genius Brands appoints Todd Steinman as CRO, CMO for KC! Kidaverse - Genius Brands International announced the appointment of Todd Steinman to the Kartoon Channel! Executive Team as Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer of the Company's recently announced Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse. Steinman most recently served as Vice President in the Direct to Consumer and International division at The Walt Disney Company, which included Disney+ during its launch.

09:18 EST Matterport continues global expansion of Capture Services On-Demand - Matterport announced global expansion of Matterport Capture Services On-Demand coverage. Matterport has expanded into five countries, adding 21 new cities with services now available in France, Netherlands, Ireland, Canada, and Singapore. With today's announcement, Matterport Capture Services is now available in seven countries and 152 cities. "As demand for Capture Services On-Demand continues to grow we are rapidly expanding our reach for customers all over the globe like Canoa that are putting their trust in the Matterport Capture Services' ecosystem," said Brendan Dowdle, Vice President of Matterport Capture Services. "We constantly strive to surpass the expectations of our customers. We are thrilled to expand this exceptional service standard internationally to conveniently deliver a professionally scanned digital twin of any building or physical space at the touch of a button."

09:16 EST Rockwell announces regulatory approval of Triferic Dialysate in South Korea - Rockwell Medical announced that its partner in South Korea, Jeil Pharmaceutical, has received a second regulatory approval by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety of the Republic of Korea for Triferic Dialysate for maintaining hemoglobin in adult patients with hemodialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease, HDD-CKD. "Chronic kidney disease continues to be a growing problem in South Korea, where Global comparative data shows that it ranks 4th in the world in prevalence of end-stage kidney disease1. This approval of Triferic Dialysate gives nephrologists another option for administration where needed to treat adult patients with HDD-CKD," said Marc Hoffman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Rockwell Medical. "Administration of Triferic ampules via dialysis concentrates has the potential to decrease nursing time needed to administer IV iron and may reduce patient-nurse contact time. This change in workflow may help manage the risk of disease spread in dialysis clinics, including COVID-19."

09:15 EST Elys Game Technology announces expansion of restaurant, sportsbook in D.C. - Elys Game Technology announced that results in the company's first U.S. small business location at Grand Central Restaurant and Sportsbook in Washington D.C. accelerated expansion plans to increase the number of player terminals within the establishment.

09:12 EST Neovasc announces publication on Neovasc Reducer device - Neovasc announced the publication of an article entitled, "The Effectiveness of CS Reducer for the Treatment of Refractory Angina - a Meta-Analysis" in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology. The publication provides a meta-analysis assessing the effects of coronary sinus narrowing in a total of 846 patients across nine prospective studies. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients improving greater than or equal to class in the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, CSS, angina score. Improvement of greater than or equal to CSS class occurred in 76% of patients. Improvement of greater than or equal to CSS classes was observed in 40% of patients. Procedure success was 98%, with no major and 3% minor peri-procedural complications. Patients' walking distances, as measured by the six-minute walk test, also significantly improved. "Publication of this meta-analysis is another meaningful milestone for the Reducer," stated Fred Colen, President & Chief Executive Officer of Neovasc. "From the very beginning, our company has focused on developing high-quality data to support the adoption of the therapy. As the evidence supporting the safety and effectiveness continues to mount, we are seeing continued expansion of the technology in the marketplace. We look forward to sharing our Q4 2021 results and providing further details of our COSIRA-II randomized controlled trial on our upcoming earnings call."

09:10 EST Pushpay launches ParishStaq digital giving, church management software - Pushpay launches ParishStaq, a digital giving, church management software, and mobile application suite to help parishes and dioceses increase generosity and enhance engagement. ParishStaq not only helps nurture discipleship and streamlines administrative workload for parish staff, it's also backed by Pushpay's patented payment technology, which delivers world-class processing protection, data security and reliability. Today's launch reinforces the Company's strategic commitment to deliver industry-leading technology for the Catholic segment, which has traditionally been an underserved market for innovative technology. The Company also announces a new integration and partnership with National Church Solutions, one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of church offering envelopes in the U.S. The partnership enables parishes to manage traditional and online giving with a seamless integration with ParishStaq. The NCS integration streamlines the traditional giving process by pulling parishioner information directly from the church management system for envelope solutions, with the ability to add a QR code to support online giving.

09:08 EST Turning Point announces FDA clearance of IND for elzovantinib/aumolertinib - Turning Point Therapeutics announced that the company has received clearance from the FDA for the company's Investigational New Drug application for the combination of elzovantinib and aumolertinib in EGFR mutant MET-amplified advanced non-small cell lung cancer. The company expects to initiate the Phase 1b/2 SHIELD-2 combination study in mid-2022. Aumolertinib is EQRx's third generation EGFR inhibitor which is approved in China for first line treatment of EGFR mutant NSCLC and second line treatment of T790M+ EGFR mutant NSCLC. The combination of elzovantinib and aumolertinib will be studied in this Phase 1b/2 trial in patients with EGFR mutant MET-amplified advanced NSCLC who have progressed following treatment with osimertinib. The study will evaluate the safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of the combination regimen. Preclinical data suggest the combination of MET and EGFR inhibition has the potential to increase anti-tumor activity based on complementary mechanisms. It is estimated that 15 to 20% of patients who progress on a first-line EGFR inhibitor develop MET amplification as the basis of acquired resistance.

09:08 EST Beyond Meat jumps 9% to $68.60 on report of expanded McPlant test at McDonalds

09:07 EST AvidXchange announces FastPay Political+ platform - AvidXchange Holdings announced FastPay Political+, a major enhancement of the company's industry leading platform FastPay Political, designed to help political agencies and media suppliers nationwide automate the media buying and selling process. FastPay Political+ offers three new critical features within its payment automation platform including: Direct integration with industry-leading media buying system. Automation with check mailing functionality within the continental U.S. that provides digital check copies, embedded tracking numbers, and different shipping method options. Upgraded virtual commercial card management tool that allows customers the ability to create, manage, and reconcile digital virtual commercial credit card payments with enhanced transaction reports.

09:06 EST Latham Group appoints Sanjeev Bahl as Chief Operating Officer - Latham, The Pool Company (SWIM), announced the appointment of Sanjeev Bahl as Chief Operating Officer, effective January 24, 2022. In this role, Bahl will lead Latham's Global operations organization, overseeing all manufacturing, supply chain, EHS, quality, and engineering. Prior to joining Latham, Bahl most recently served as Vice President of Global Operations at Newell Brands (NWL).

09:04 EST Intevac CEO Wendell Blonigan retires, Nigel Hunton succeeds - Intevac announced the appointment of Nigel Hunton as president and chief executive officer, or CEO, and member of the board of directors, effective immediately. Wendell Blonigan, who has served as president and CEO and a director of the company since 2013, has retired from his positions at Intevac, effective immediately. Most recently, Hunton served as CEO of Photon Control, a supplier of fiber optic temperature and position measurement components to the semiconductor equipment industry.

09:03 EST Duck Creek, Hi Marley enter strategic partnership - Duck Creek Technologies announces a strategic partnership with Hi Marley. The partnership aims to enhance carriers' customer experience across current and future aspects of Duck Creek's OnDemand software-as-a-service deployments. Initial integration of the Hi Marley Insurance Cloud will focus on Duck Creek Claims, the comprehensive claims management solution that helps insurers manage the entire claims lifecycle. The companies will initially provide integrations within the US market, with potential to expand in other regions globally. "Customer experience is one of the most important factors insurance carriers wrestle with day-to-day. Timely, relevant and easy-to-send communications between carriers and policyholders is a game-changer," said Eva Harris, Chief Strategy Officer at Duck Creek Technologies. "The Hi Marley Insurance Cloud gives insurers the power to deliver simple and effective messages that further enhance the way carriers and policyholders connect, and Duck Creek is thrilled to welcome them into our rapidly-growing partner ecosystem."

09:03 EST GeoVax Labs announces closing of $10M private placement - GeoVax Labs announced the closing of its previously announced private placement for the issuance and sale of 707,484 shares of common stock, 2,360,000 pre-funded warrants to purchase common stock, and accompanying warrants to purchase an aggregate of up to 3,067,484 shares of common stock. Each share of common stock is being sold together with an accompanying warrant at a combined effective purchase price of $3.26. The warrants are exercisable immediately at an exercise price of $3.26 per share and will expire five years from the date of issuance. Maxim Group LLC acted as the sole placement agent for the private placement. The gross proceeds from this offering were approximately $10.0 million, before deducting placement agent's fees and other offering expenses. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the private placement for clinical trial expenses, working capital and general corporate purposes.

09:02 EST Verizon announces new renewable energy deals - Verizon announces seven new Renewable Energy Purchase Agreements, REPAs, for an aggregate of approximately 910 megawatts, MW, of projected renewable energy capacity. "These agreements position the company to achieve its goal to source or generate renewable energy equivalent to 50 percent of its total annual electrical consumption by 2025, and help support Citizen Verizon, the company's responsible business plan for economic, environmental, and social advancement," the company said. "We are proud to achieve this key milestone in the transition to renewable energy," said Matt Ellis, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Verizon. "These new agreements will be funded by our third $1 billion green bond, which we issued in September 2021, and are fundamental to the company's ongoing efforts to be net zero in its operational emissions by 2035."

09:00 EST Digital Brands Group Inc trading resumes

08:57 EST American Airlines sees reducing debt by $5.4B at end of 2022

08:54 EST StoneCastle reports estimated NAV of $21.69 as of Dec. 31 - StoneCastle Financial announced that the Company's estimated and unaudited Net Asset Value as of December 31, 2021 was $21.69. The NAV was down $0.34 from the prior month. This NAV reflects the regular fourth quarter cash dividend and special cash dividend totaling $0.48 payable on January 5, 2022, to shareholders of record on December 29, 2021.

08:53 EST Sigma Labs announces worldwide partnership with Aconity3D - Sigma Labs announced that its PrintRite3D in-process quality assurance solution will be certified to work with Aconity3D's line of 3D metal printers and available as a standard option via Aconity3D's online configurator. Aconity3D will designate their printers as 'PrintRite3D Ready. As an original equipment manufacturer Aconity3D will sell, install and support PrintRite3D as an integrated solution to its customers. Aconity3D is a machine manufacturer for laser-based 3D printing of metals, with a focus on the buildup of customer specific systems for Laser Powder Bed Fusion , in which metal particles are fused layer upon layer by a laser. The Aconity System Framework allows full customization of each machine for customers' specific applications. Aconity3D's customers and partners include leading industrial, aviation and automotive companies, and world renowned institutes and universities at the forefront of the additive manufacturing landscape.

08:52 EST China Finance Online receives delisting notice from Nasdaq - China Finance Online received a letter dated January 19 from the Nasdaq Hearings Panel informing the company that it has determined to delist the company's ADSs from Nasdaq after applicable appeal periods have lapsed and will suspend trading in its ADSs effective at the open of business on January 21. The company was notified in May 2021 that it was not in compliance with the shareholders' equity requirement and received a delisting notice in August 2021. Following the hearing that took place in September 2021, the Panel granted the company's request to phase down to The Nasdaq Capital Market and an extension until January 14, 2022 to evidence compliance with the minimum $2.5M stockholders' equity requirement, or the alternative compliance standards.

08:50 EST American Airlines expects to make $337M of scheduled debt payments in Q1

08:46 EST American Airlines sees hiring 18,000 people this year

08:44 EST Capitalworks Emerging Markets announces separate trading of shares, warrants - Capitalworks Emerging Markets Acquisition announced that, commencing January 21, 2022, holders of the units sold in the Company's initial public offering may elect to separately trade the Company's Class A ordinary shares and warrants included in the units. Class A ordinary shares and warrants that are separated will trade on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbols "CMCA" and "CMCAW," respectively. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Those units not separated will continue to trade on Nasdaq under the symbol "CMCAU." Holders of units will need to have their brokers contact Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the Company's transfer agent, in order to separate the units into Class A ordinary shares and warrants.

08:43 EST Champions Oncology in pact with Fannin Innovation to develop RDCs for tumors - Champions Oncology announced a therapeutic co-development partnership with Fannin Innovation Studio. The partnership will combine novel therapeutic targets identified within Champions' Lumin platform with Fannin's Therapeutic Raptamer platform to develop next generation Raptamer Drug Conjugates . RDCs engage tumor-specific therapeutic targets at a cell's surface to deliver potent toxic payloads to the tumor, without affecting normal cells. The planned partnership will initiate with a single program focused on a previously unexplored target present in tumor indications such as non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck cancer, and other solid tumors. The partnership will also leverage the unique experimental platforms available at Champions to ensure rapid and efficient development towards clinical evaluation. Under the terms of this agreement, Champions and Fannin will share equal ownership of the developed therapeutic and establish a joint venture after specific development milestones are met. Ronnie Morris, MD, President and CEO of Champions Oncology, said "We're excited to announce another partnership in drug discovery and development. Our experimental and digital research platforms continue to expand our understanding of tumor cell biology. With our AI-driven analytics, and deeply characterized dataset, we can completely reconstruct a tumor at the molecular level and identify differences between a tumor cell and normal cell.

08:40 EST American Air sees return to profitability later this year, says incoming CEO

08:39 EST Ouster in multi-year lidar pact with autonomous delivery firm Serve Robotics - Ouster announced that it has signed a strategic customer agreement with autonomous sidewalk delivery company, Serve Robotics. The agreement includes a binding commitment for OS digital lidar sensors through 2023, along with a non-binding forecast for additional sensors through 2025 as Serve Robotics scales its delivery fleets across U.S. cities and beyond. Serve Robotics plans to outfit each of its next-generation delivery robots with an Ouster OS1 sensor. The digital lidar is fused into the robot's autonomy stack to locate its precise position and simultaneously generate a real-time 3D map of its surrounding environment so that it can navigate more safely and efficiently on city sidewalks alongside pedestrians and other road users. "Ouster's lidar has been instrumental in helping us achieve major technical and commercial milestones. We have been working with Ouster for well over a year and continue to be impressed by the ongoing performance improvements, quality, and reliability of its digital technology," said Serve Robotics' VP of Hardware Engineering, Euan Abraham. "We feel confident that Ouster is the right company to scale with us as we move into this next phase of market expansion with Level 41 autonomy delivering for several new commercial partners."

08:38 EST iPower announces launch of new e-commerce logistics joint venture - iPower has entered into a joint venture with certain individuals and Titanium Plus Autoparts to create a full service e-commerce logistics company, Box Harmony. Under the terms of the agreement, iPower will contribute $50,000 for a 40% equity interest in the JV with an option to purchase up to an additional 20%, for a maximum 60% equity interest. "The e-commerce logistics market is a mature but growing industry that has experienced significant disruption over the past several years," said iPower CEO Lawrence Tan. "We are proud to partner with industry leaders as we expand our reach and capabilities to capitalize on this dynamic market environment. We have often stated that our ability to lead the online hydroponics category is a function of our e-commerce expertise, and we are now leveraging that expertise to bolt on new service offerings to supplement our future growth, while driving further efficiencies in our core business." The joint venture became effective January 14, 2022.

08:34 EST American's Parker to stay on 'as long as Robert, board find that of value' - Robert Isom will become CEO on March 31. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

08:33 EST Digital Brands to acquire Sundry - Digital Brands announces that it has signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire Sundry, a privately-owned global lifestyle apparel brand. The transaction is expected to be completed late in the first half of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions and financing. This acquisition is expected to immediately create significant scale in revenues and internal cash flow due to leveraging of shared expenses in both operations and marketing. Pursuant to the acquisition agreement, the holders of all of the outstanding membership interests of Sundry will exchange all of such membership interests for (i) $7.5M of shares of the company's common stock at the volume-weighted average (rounded to the nearest $0.0001) of the closing price of the company's common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market during the thirty trading day period immediately prior to the closing, but in no event at a price less than $1.59, and (ii) $34M represented by $20M of cash which will be paid at the closing and $14M in promissory notes due December 31, 2022, subject to adjustment.

08:31 EST Bigg Digital Assets provides corporate update on Blockchain Intelligence Group - BIGG Digital Assets is pleased to provide a full corporate update on the business and 2022 outlook. Blockchain Intelligence Group capitalized on cryptocurrency's momentum in 2021. Timely advancements to product and investment in marketing resulted in boosted revenue. Significant wins were recorded across its suite of products and services, especially software sales. In Q4 2021, Blockchain Intelligence Group recorded gross operating revenue of approximately $466,000, with 72% from software sales, 27% from training, and 1% from forensic consulting. Revenues increased 114% year over year, with gross margin of approximately 89%. Blockchain Intelligence Group celebrated a banner year in 2021, reporting gross operating revenue of ~$1.6M, with revenue increasing 62% over the prior fiscal year and gross margin of 88%. Blockchain Intelligence Group is well-positioned to expand its customer base and grow its revenue through 2022. During the last 12 months, dozens of new software clients were added, such as a Fortune 500 bank, US regional banks, VASPs, a global management consultancy, KYC providers, accountants, and independent investigators. New contracts were secured evenly throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, and South America. Training was delivered to dozens of organizations, such as federal agencies in the US and Canada, a Fortune 500 telecom, VASPs, blockchain industry associations, and others. Blockchain Intelligence Group minted dozens of new strategic partnerships and reseller agreements in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Barcelona, Sweden, the UK, and the US. Cryptocurrency price appreciation during 2021, which saw Bitcoin and other coins reach all-time highs, has driven awareness in the digital asset sector. Blockchain Intelligence Group is the third most recognized blockchain analytics company globally by Share of Voice. SoV is a measurement of brand mentions in global media coverage. The top two blockchain analytics companies by SoV are both tech unicorns - startups with valuations above USD $1 billion. Major product enhancements further differentiated Blockchain Intelligence Group from its competition. New graphing capabilities and tools help investigators follow the flow of funds to known entities. Tighter integration between products enhances productivity for compliance and investigation use cases. More customization capability allows clients to adjust tools to their operations. The 2022 roadmap will support increasing market share across industries and geographies. In the first week of January, Blockchain Intelligence Group released a first-of-its-kind Cryptocurrency Compliance Playbook for the US targeting VASPs and financial institutions - available now for free download. In the second week, the team broke the story of the first NFT scam in 2022 as reported in Blockworks and 12 other news outlets to-date. Coverage is pending in tier-one news outlets. The story earned Blockchain Intelligence Group 93% of the media coverage compared to its top competitors.

08:28 EST DTE Energy announces Loyola High School of Detroit enrolls in MIGreenPower - DTE Energy and Loyola High School of Detroit announced the school's enrollment in DTE's MIGreenPower program. "MIGreenPower is among the top three voluntary renewable energy programs in the United States, enabling DTE Electric customers to attribute more of their energy use to the company's wind and solar parks,"the company said. Loyola High School is the first high school to enroll in the program. "MIGreenPower is a flexible program that offers options for all our customers, whether they are schools, small businesses, large companies or private residents," said Brian Calka, director, Renewable Solutions for DTE Energy. "We're excited to have Loyola as our first high school enrolled, and we look forward to working with the teachers to help their students learn more about clean energy and the positive impact associated with enrolling in MIGreenPower."

08:26 EST Femasys announces appointment of Wendy Perrow to board of directors - Femasys announced the appointment of a new board member, Wendy Perrow. Most recently, Perrow was the chief executive officer of AsclepiX Therapeutics. Additionally, Femasys announced that William Witte, a board member since 2017 has resigned.

08:24 EST Aveo presents three posters for Tivozanib/Immunotherapy combinations - AVEO Oncology announced that new efficacy and safety data from the first line of the phase 1b/2 DEDUCTIVE study of FOTIVDA in combination with IMFINZI in previously untreated metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC, are being presented at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal, ASCO GI, Cancers Symposium. In addition, two trials in progress posters are being presented. Topline Efficacy and Safety Data Poster Title: "A Phase 1b/2 Study of Tivozanib in Combination with Durvalumab in Subjects with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Efficacy Results in Previously Untreated Patients." A total of 20 patients with advanced or metastatic HCC were enrolled in cohort A of the Phase 2 portion of the study safety and efficacy of tivozanib plus durvalumab. The combination was well tolerated, with three patients showing Grade 3 TRAEs, and no Grade 4 TRAEs or treatment-related deaths. The combination demonstrated a 27.8% partial response rate and disease control rate 67.8%, with a median PFS of 7.3 months and a 1-year OS of 76%, which positions the tivozanib combination well relative to other VEGF ICI combinations in the setting. Trials in Progress Poster Presentation titled: "A Phase 1b/2 Open Label Study of Tivozanib in Combination with Durvalumab in Subjects with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: DEDUCTIVE." The DEDUCTIVE study is a multicenter, open-label study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of tivozanib in combination with durvalumab in subjects with advanced HCC previously untreated or bevacizumab- and atezolizumab-pretreated HCC. The DEDUCTIVE trial is being conducted as part of a clinical collaboration between AVEO and AstraZeneca. AVEO is serving as the study sponsor. Trials in Progress Poster Presentation titled: "A phase 1b/2 study of atezolizumab plus tivozanib in immunologically cold pancreatic, gallbladder, and biliary cancers" The ongoing IMMCO-1 study is an open-label, non-randomized Phase 1b/2 signal seeking basket study of the combination of the tivozanib and atezolizumab in multiple immunologically cold tumors, including pancreatic, gallbladder and biliary cancers. The co-primary endpoints are safety and efficacy. The Phase 1b portion will assess the safety profile of the combination of tivozanib and atezolizumab with a potential dose de-escalation of tivozanib using a 3+3 study design to yield a recommended Phase 2 dose.

08:22 EST Danimer Scientific appoints Michael Hajost as CFO - Danimer Scientific announced the appointment of Michael Hajost as Chief Financial Officer. Hajost will succeed John A. Dowdy, III, who will assume the new role of Senior Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis. Hajost will join the Company on February 7 as special advisor to Danimer's Chief Executive Officer Stephen E. Croskrey before assuming the CFO position in early March.

08:21 EST H&R Block launches Spruce mobile banking platform - H&R Block announces the launch of the Spruce mobile banking platform to help everyone be good with money. The Spruce solution includes a spending account with a debit card, along with a connected savings account that allows for budgeting for specific goals. Spruce demonstrates how H&R Block continues to expand into key adjacencies, such as fintech, and is one more way in which the company is helping customers achieve year-round financial confidence. As the pandemic continues, and related economic uncertainty has highlighted the value of simple, easy-to-use spending and savings tools, Spruce, built by H&R Block with banking products powered by MetaBank, N.A. Member FDIC, provides the financial know-how that many Americans urgently need. Millions of Americans do not have adequate banking solutions which makes it more difficult for them to maintain financial stability. H&R Block created Spruce to address this gap and bolster financial inclusion by helping people build healthy financial habits every day. This includes the more than 21 million households that already turn to H&R Block for their most significant financial event of the year, their tax return.

08:20 EST Aptorum gets FDA orphan drug status for for SACT-1 drug for neuroblastoma - Aptorum Group announces that the United States Food and Drug Administration Office has granted Orphan Drug Designation to SACT-1, a repurposed small molecule compound for the treatment of patients with Neuroblastoma. Aptorum Group plans to file an Investigational New Drug Application to commence a phase 1b/2a clinical trial for SACT-1 to test the drug in neuroblastoma patients in 2022. Mr. Darren Lui, President and Executive Director of Aptorum Group says, "The granting of orphan drug designation for SACT-1 for the treatment of neuroblastoma is another important step forward in the development of our drug candidate and reflects both the FDA's and Aptorum's commitment to addressing the unmet clinical needs of patients with neuroblastoma." Further to our recently announced completion of Phase 1 clinical trial and patent grant for SACT-1, we are currently focusing on our IND preparation for entering into the exciting Phase Ib/2a clinical trials for SACT-1 in the United States."

08:19 EST F-star Therapeutics announces issuance of US patent on FS118 - F-star Therapeutics announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office, USPTO, has granted a patent protecting the composition of matter of FS118, F-star's tetravalent bispecific antibody which blocks PD-L1 and LAG-3 receptors. U.S. Patent No. 11,214,620 is entitled "Binding Molecules Binding PD-L1 and LAG-3" and is expected to provide F-star with exclusivity for FS118 out to at least August 2038. Neil Brewis, Chief Scientific Officer of F-star Therapeutics, Inc., said: "This newly issued U.S. patent expands our already broad and robust patent portfolio and further supports the commercial potential of FS118. The growth of our IP portfolio surrounding our tetravalent bispecific antibody discovery platform, as well as our proprietary clinical-stage assets is a core strategic focus for F-star that we believe is creating significant value for our shareholders." F-star currently has over 500 granted and pending patents covering its platform technology and product pipeline.

08:18 EST Atlas Air extends long-term agreement with SF Group - Atlas Air, a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide, announced the extension of a long-term aircraft transportation services agreement to operate a Boeing 747-400 Freighter for SF Group, SF, between China and the United States. The agreement, which has been in place since 2018, enhances the operating capability of SF and extends its fast-growing global network. "We are very pleased to extend our strong partnership with SF," said John Dietrich, President and Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Air Worldwide. "SF is a key player in the growing express and e-commerce markets, and we look forward to supporting their rapid global expansion. We value the opportunity to continue providing the superior, reliable service that SF and its customers expect of Atlas."

08:18 EST Fifth Third sees Q1 net interest income down 1% vs. Q4 - Sees Q1 noninterest income down 8%-9% (or down ~3% excl. TRA impact); Noninterest expense up 5%-6% (or down ~2% excl. ~$90M in seasonal 1Q22 expenses); Net charge-off ratio 15-20 bps; Effective tax rate 22% -23%. Avg. loans & leases commercial: up 3 - 4% (up 4 - 5% excl. PPP); consumer: down 1 - 2% (up ~1% excl. GNMA purchases); total: up 1 - 2% (up 3 - 4% excl. PPP and GNMA purchases). All guidance compared to 4Q21.

08:17 EST Exela Technologies expands partnership with global bank - Exela Technologies announced Exela has expanded a contract with a top global bank. Exela has augmented the service offering to the bank which currently includes payment clearing, case management, payment fraud detection and mortgage payments. The expansion includes foreign payment processing, which is subject to complex international rules and regulations.

08:16 EST ElectraMeccanica appoints Kim Brink as Chief Revenue Officer - ElectraMeccanica Vehicles announced the appointment of Kim Brink as Chief Revenue Officer, effective January 24th. Brink brings over two decades of global agency and C-suite expertise to ElectraMeccanica. Most recently, Brink was the Global Chief Operating Officer and Executive Committee Chair at GTB.

08:15 EST KeyCorp sees FY22 net interest income relatively stable - Sees FY22 loans up low-double digit excluding the impact of PPP and indirect auto portfolio sale. Sees FY22 deposits up low-single digit. Sees FY22 noninterest income down low-single digit. Sees FY22 net charge-offs to average loans 20-30 basis points. Sees FY22 tax rate 20%. Says commercial balances reflect lower PPP balances from forgiveness. Says has strong and stable deposit base. Says lower net interest margin also impacted by continued elevated levels of liquidity. Says Q4 reflects final settlement of accelerated share repurchase program. Comments and guidance taken from Q4 investor presentation slides.

08:14 EST Fifth Third sees FY22 net interest income up 4%-5% - Sees FY22: noninterest income up 3%-5%; Noninterest expense up 2%-3% (or up ~1% on a standalone basis); Net charge-off ratio 20-25 bps; Effective tax rate 22%-23%. Sees FY22 average loans and leases: commercial: up 7%- 8% (up 12 - 13% excl. PPP); consumer: up 3 %-4% (up 6 - 7% excl. GNMA purchases); total: up 5%- 6% (up 10%-11% excl. PPP and GNMA purchases). Guidance includes expected impacts from Dividend Finance. Comments taken from slide presentation for Q4 earnings conference call.

08:12 EST Worksport announces global launch of Terravis Green Hydrogen Energy Systems - Worksport has started the countdown to unveil a brand website that will showcase all the products from its wholly owned subsidiary Terravis Energy, Inc. "The Terravis Energy website will provide information pertinent to all that the R&D powerhouse has in the works, answering those burning questions its community has been asking," the company said. "Our website will be a window into the future. We will provide as much information as possible covering Terravis Energy's deliverables, which are deeply focused on transportation decarbonization and the green communities of tomorrow powered by our Terravis Microgrid," said Lorenzo Rossi, CEO Terravis Energy.

08:11 EST authID.ai launches Verified Platform Version 2.4 - authID.ai announced the launch of Verified Platform Version 2.4. The company said, "Designed to meet the demands of today's mobile users for more convenient and seamless identity authentication, the release offers a streamlined user experience, improved speed and enhanced artificial intelligence-backed capabilities. It delivers a sleeker and more convenient user interface and superior quality assessment elements to deliver a consistent, trusted identity authentication process."

08:11 EST AMTD International buys global fashion media group L'Officiel, no terms - AMTD International a NYSE and SGX-ST dual-listed company and a subsidiary of AMTD Group announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the equity interest in L'Officiel . "By integrating L'Officiel into AMTD's SpiderNet, L'Officiel demonstrates AMTD's ability to enable connectivity and positions us as a core player in the global fashion and luxury media sector," said Dr. Calvin Choi, Chairman of AMTD Group and Founder of AMTD International. "AMTD Group is committed to investing into and cementing points of connectivity between peoples' interests, lifestyle, and ESG initiatives, acting as a super-connector. The acquisition is the ideal springboard for L'Officiel to spearhead the adoption of new Web 3.0 practices and technologies coupled with the comprehensive financial services tools and infrastructure set up by AMTD across Asia." Dr. Feridun Hamdullahpur, Chairman of the board of directors of AMTD International stated, "I am delighted with this exciting new acquisition of L'Officiel joining the AMTD family. In our increasingly complex and interconnected world, many strategic synergies are forming enabling much bigger impact and value proposition. Today's announcement clearly exemplifies and amplifies AMTD's overall vision bridging its strong investment footprint and the fashion world together with digital connectivity. Today marks a very important day for the AMTD family as we can look into the future with greater confidence and business resolve," said the company statement on the matter.

08:11 EST DatChat enters LOI to acquire Avila Security Corporation - DatChat announced the Company has signed a Letter of Intent to acquire Avila Security Corporation effectuating the Company to secure four issued patents and two pending applications, subject to customary closing conditions. The transaction terms include $1 million in cash and the greater of 739,650 shares of restricted common stock or $2.5 million of restricted common stock based on the previous 30 day average closing share price at closing. If completed, the transaction will expand DatChat's intellectual property assets to include blockchain based digital rights management and object sharing technology, including encrypted WebRTC real-time video and audio streaming communications. The proposed acquisition follows the appointment of Mark Mathis as Chief Blockchain Architect, demonstrating continued investment and effort toward the implementation of commercially-operational blockchain technology in messaging. Patents to be Acquired: U.S. Patent 11,151,229 - Secure Messaging Service With Digital Rights Management Using Blockchain; U.S. Patent 10,873,852 - POOF: A Secure Mobile Text Message and Object Sharing Application, System, and Method for Same; U.S. Patent # 11,100,197 B1 - Secure WebRTC Real-Time Communications Service for Audio and Video Streaming Communications; U.S. Patent # 11,176,226 B2 - Secure Messaging Service with Digital Rights Management Using Blockchain Technology. The letter of intent is non-binding, and the closing of the transaction contemplated thereby is subject to the satisfaction of numerous conditions, including satisfactory due diligence, the negotiation, and execution of binding definitive agreements. The parties have agreed to an exclusivity period until April 19, 2022, to reach the definitive agreement. There can be no assurance that the terms of a definitive agreement will be agreed to or that the proposed acquisition will be completed as proposed or at all.

08:09 EST Integrated Media Technology enters market of halal certification and foods - Integrated Media Technology signed a subscription agreement for 60% equity interests in World Integrated Supply Ecosystem, or WISE, a Malaysia company engaged in the business of the provision of halal certification to qualified businesses/operations, the establishment halal products supply chain, and sale of halal products. Halal is a process adhering to cleanness in the growing, preparation and delivery of food products. WISE will provide certification working with the JAKIM, a department of the Malaysia government mandated to conduct and manage the Halal certification process. WISE is working towards being appointed by JAKIM Malaysia as an accredited Certification Body to conduct the auditing process and certify the product application. WISE is entering a specialized food market estimated to have a value of about $1.9T in 2020 and expected to continue to increase in the coming years.

08:08 EST Curaleaf to open two new Pennsylvania dispensaries - Curaleaf announced plans to open two new dispensaries in Pennsylvania. Curaleaf's latest locations in Greensburg and Wayne will increase the company's retail footprint to 14 dispensaries statewide and 125 across the country. Two additional locations, Curaleaf Erie (7891 Peach St.) and Curaleaf State College (1248 S Atherton St.), are expected to open by the end of February, pending regulatory approval.

08:06 EST BioDelivery Sciences provides update on Q4, FY21 TRx volumes - During the fourth quarter of 2021, BELBUCA achieved Total Prescription, TRx, market share of 5.0% and volumes were at an all-time high of 122,000 TRx. For the full year 2021, BELBUCA TRx volumes were up a solid 8.8% year-over-year despite headwinds reported earlier this year. Symproic similarly achieved an all-time high 13.0% TRx share and volumes of 19,000 for Q4 2021, an increase of 5.3% year-over-year. "The fourth quarter was transformative for the company on many fronts. Our pain franchise, led by BELBUCA, once again demonstrated resilience in growth and strong cash flow generation, and prevailed in a critical patent case maintaining BELBUCA patent exclusivity against a potential generic competitor through December 2032," stated Jeff Bailey, CEO of BDSI. "We also continue the commercial planning for ELYXYB, an FDA-approved drug with substantial peak revenue potential, which represents our broader entry into the neurology market. Looking ahead, we are excited about launching ELYXYB later this quarter, continuing to grow our current core brands, BELBUCA and Symproic, and potentially benefiting from a growth tailwind as COVID recedes."

08:05 EST First Interstate, Great Western get final regulatory/shareholder merger approval - First Interstate BancSystem(FIBK) parent company of First Interstate Bank, and Great Western Bancorp (GWB) , parent company of Great Western Bank, jointly announced that they have received all required regulatory clearances as well as approvals of the shareholders of FIBK and stockholders of GWB related to the proposed merger of FIBK and GWB and the merger of FIBK's and GWB's respective subsidiary banks, First Interstate Bank and Great Western Bank. The combined holding company will operate under the First Interstate BancSystem name and brand with the combined company's headquarters remaining in Billings, Montana. The merger is expected to be completed on or around February 1 subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. "This is an historic moment for our company," noted FIBK President and CEO Kevin Riley. "Since we started discussions with Great Western, we've known this opportunity would be a tremendous partnership. It's exciting to know our shareholders see the same value and possibilities."

08:05 EST Aspen Group receives approval to open BSN pre-licensure program in Atlanta - Aspen Group announced that Aspen University received the final required state and board of nursing regulatory approvals for their Bachelor of Science in Nursing Pre-Licensure program in Atlanta, Georgia, with permission to commence marketing and begin to enroll first-year pre-requisite students effective immediately. The new Aspen University location in Atlanta will follow the BSN Pre-Licensure structure established initially in Phoenix. Atlanta will operate as a full-time, accelerated three-year program specifically designed for students who do not currently hold a state registered nursing license and/or who have no prior nursing experience. As of February 1, 2022, the 120-credit program at all BSN Pre-Licensure locations in the U.S. will be offered at a total cost of attendance of $52,825, which is a 9% increase from the previous TCA of $48,640. The Atlanta site was formally occupied by the University of Phoenix, located at 859 Mt. Vernon Highway NE, Suite 100, which is situated just off Interstate 285 in the Sandy Springs suburb in the inner ring of Atlanta. Aspen University will begin enrolling first-year Pre-Professional Nursing students in Atlanta starting in February 2022; Nursing Core students in September 2022.

08:03 EST Union Pacific reports Q4 operating ratio 57.4% - Union Pacific's 57.4% operating ratio deteriorated 180 basis points y/y. Higher fuel prices negatively impacted the operating ratio 100 basis points. "The Union Pacific team concluded its most profitable year ever in 2021. We produced double digit fourth quarter revenue growth by leveraging our great rail franchise to generate positive business mix and core pricing gains, despite ongoing global supply chain challenges that impacted volumes," said Lance Fritz, Union Pacific chairman, president and CEO. "For the third consecutive year we improved our fuel consumption rate, taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint and meet the goals of our 2021 Climate Action Plan. While our safety and operational performance in 2021 did not meet expectations, we look to convert recent progress into sustained improvement in 2022. Although uncertainty remains around COVID variants and supply chain disruptions, we see a positive demand environment in 2022 and continued traction from business development efforts driving growth as we deliver value to all our stakeholders."

08:02 EST Motus GI Holdings to host Innovation Day highlighting Pure-Vu EVS system - Motus GI Holdings announced that it will host an Innovation Day focusing on the Pure-Vu EVS System, commercial expansion, future product innovation, and clinical initiatives to support reimbursement and market growth. The event will be held on Tuesday, January 25, 2022, from 12:30 p.m. ET - 2:00 p.m. ET. The event will include a detailed overview of the Pure-Vu EVS System, the third generation of the Pure-Vu platform. The Pure-Vu EVS System is designed to offer significant ease of use advancements over the currently marketed device, including enhanced physician navigation and control, on-demand bedside loading, expanded cleansing capacity, and a smaller workstation footprint. The launch of the Pure-Vu EVS System is expected to accelerate speed of deployment and adoption in the U.S. market. The system is currently being reviewed by the FDA under 510(k) clearance process. In addition to presentations by Motus GI's leadership, the event will feature insights from Key Opinion Leader, Seth A. Gross, MD, Clinical Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at NYU Langone Health and Professor, Department of Medicine at NYU Langone Health, who will discuss his experiences with the Pure-Vu Platform and its applicability in daily practice.

07:40 EST Pipestone Energy announces Equitable Origin certification - Pipestone Energy announced it has achieved independent certification of all its production from its world class Pipestone Wembley asset under the Equitable Origin EO100 Standard for Responsible Energy Development. The certified unit is in the Montney formation, located west of Grande Prairie, Alberta, covering more than 90,000 net acres. The company began the process of seeking independent certification through Equitable Origin in April 2021. The EO100 Standard for Responsible Energy Development is a set of rigorous performance standards for energy development projects that was developed by the non-profit organization Equitable Origin. The EO100 standard represents leading industry practices for site-level ESG performance of energy and is based on a consensus from industry, NGOs, affected communities and government agencies to incentivize excellence in social and environmental performance of energy projects. Specifically, Equitable Origin has certified Pipestone's produced natural gas against the five principles of the EO100 Standard, including corporate governance and ethics; social impacts, human rights and community engagement; Indigenous Peoples' rights; occupational health & safety and fair labor standards; and environmental impacts, biodiversity and climate change. As part of certification, Pipestone has committed to a continuous improvement plan encompassing all five principles. Progress against this plan will be evaluated annually. Keefer Ecological Services Ltd, an approved independent assessment body for the EO100 standard, assessed Pipestone's performance against the EO100 standard.

07:39 EST Brooklyn ImmunoTherapeutics appoints Enright, Redman to board of directors - Brooklyn ImmunoTherapeutics (BTX) announces the appointment of two new members of the Company's Board of Directors. Erin Enright has served on multiple Boards of Directors. She is currently managing partner and co-founder of Prettybrook Partners. Heather Redman serves on the board of organizations such as PPL Corporation (PPL), Beneficial State Bank, Coldstream Holdings, the Washington State University Board of Regents and Foundation, and the Institute for Systems Biology.

07:36 EST Cummins, Isuzu Motors announce battery electric truck collaboration - Cummins and Isuzu Motors Limited announced an agreement to create a prototype medium-duty, battery electric truck to demonstrate in North America. This truck represents the first zero-emissions solution facilitated by the Isuzu Cummins Powertrain Partnership, ICPP, formed in May 2019. Through this arrangement, Cummins will integrate the Cummins PowerDrive6000 into Isuzu's F-Series truck and will pilot the truck with prominent North American fleets beginning in 2022. Following a successful demonstration and pilot phase, Isuzu will explore opportunities to commercialize medium-duty, battery-electric trucks with Cummins-powered systems across North America. "We are excited to be working with Isuzu to accelerate decarbonization within the partnership," said Amy Davis, Vice President and President of New Power at Cummins. "It's through our joint commitment in innovation that we provide our customers with safe, reliable zero-emissions solutions." "As addressed in Isuzu Environmental Vision 2050, we will advance global environmental actions including reducing greenhouse emissions and securing a prosperous and sustainable society. As part of the path to carbon neutrality, it is significant for us to start this joint BEV prototype project in North America. Through our partnership, we commit to continuing to explore further opportunities in the next generation power source, including electric powertrain technologies in addition to the existing powertrain collaboration," said Koichi Seto, Director of the Board, and Senior Executive Officer at Isuzu. Cummins and Isuzu continue to innovate and advance the future of power to support customers in achieving zero-emissions. Benefiting from each other's unique strengths, the companies will seek opportunities to further expand collaborations to drive global growth.

07:34 EST Xilio Therapeutics initiates patient dosing in Phase 1/2 trial of XTX202 - Xilio Therapeutics announced that the first patient has been dosed in the company's Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating XTX202 for the treatment of solid tumors. "We are pleased to begin patient dosing in our Phase 1/2 clinical trial with XTX202, a novel tumor selective IL-2 candidate with the potential to increase the therapeutic benefit of IL-2," said Marty Huber, M.D., president of research and development and chief medical officer of Xilio Therapeutics. "XTX202 has been designed to be active only within the TME, with the goal of reducing dose limiting toxicity and enhancing anti-tumor activity. We look forward to advancing this trial to further our understanding of XTX202 as a potential therapy for the treatment of people living with cancer." The Phase 1/2 clinical trial is a first-in-human, multi-center, open-label trial that will evaluate XTX202 as a monotherapy in patients with advanced solid tumors. Following completion of the Phase 1 portion, Xilio plans to initiate Phase 2 expansion cohorts with XTX202 monotherapy evaluating the objective response rate in patients with renal cell carcinoma or melanoma who previously received an anti-PD-1 treatment regimen.

07:33 EST Webster Financial reports Q4 net interest margin 2.73% vs. 2.83% a year ago

07:32 EST Eleusis to become public through Silver Spike Acquisition II combination - Eleusis and Silver Spike Acquisition II (SPKB) announced today that they have signed a definitive business combination agreement expected to make Eleusis a public company. Upon the close of the transaction, the combined company will be operated through Eleusis, a new holding company, and will apply to have its common stock listed on Nasdaq under the symbol (ELEU). ELE-Psilo, Eleusis's lead drug candidate, is being developed to treat depression and is expected to enter Phase I trials in 2022, subject to regulatory authorization. Eleusis designed ELE-Psilo, if FDA-approved, to be compatible with existing U.S. healthcare infrastructure and insurance coverage and reimbursement requirements. Third-party clinical studies investigating oral psilocybin have reported compelling anti-depressant effects. When administered orally, however, psilocybin may only be "halfway" to a modern medicine. Academic trials of oral psilocybin revealed considerable variability in patients' absorption and metabolism rates at identical doses, which may result in unpredictable pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Combined with the lengthy treatment and observation periods in these trials - up to six hours - oral psilocybin could prove impractical for broad therapeutic use, even if it secured FDA-approval. Eleusis formulated ELE-Psilo to deliver psilocin, the active ingredient in psilocybin, via IV infusion. IV-administered psilocin has the potential to offer more consistent therapeutic effects to patients, more controllable therapies to clinicians, and shorter treatment times - planned to be two hours or less - than orally-administered psilocybin exhibited in third-party clinical studies. Further, Eleusis's subsidiary Andala plans to solve the practical, "last mile" challenges of interventional psychiatric therapy. It is a care delivery management company dedicated to managing clinics that offer patients safe and convenient access to psychiatric drug therapies, potentially covered and reimbursed by insurance. Currently, its managed clinics provide access to FDA-approved drug therapies like SPRAVATO. Andala aims to establish a nationwide care delivery platform that will offer patients access to all psychedelic drug therapies approved by the FDA in the future. Eleusis expects to use the proceeds received from SPKB's trust account in the transaction to support clinical development of ELE-Psilo, early stage drug discovery and translational research, and the nationwide expansion of Andala-managed clinics. Raz will continue to serve as CEO of the combined company, and the combined company's board of directors is expected to include current Eleusis board members and Scott Gordon from SPKB.

07:28 EST Marriott reports adding more than 86,000 rooms in 2021 on a gross basis - Marriott International announces a strong year of rooms growth and signings in 2021. At the end of 2021, Marriott's worldwide system consisted of nearly 8,000 properties and roughly 1.48M rooms in 139 countries and territories. At year-end, the company had the largest global development pipeline, with roughly 485,000 rooms. The company signed 599 agreements during 2021 representing approximately 92,000 rooms of which slightly more than half are located outside of U.S. and Canada. Rooms falling out of the pipeline remain at historically low levels, despite challenges brought on by the pandemic. During 2021, Marriott added more than 86,000 rooms on a gross basis, growing the system 3.9%, including deletions of 2.1%. The deletion rate was 1.2% excluding the exit of 88 Service Properties Trust select service hotels.

07:26 EST Evolution Petroleum acquires non-operated assets in Williston Basin for $25.9M - Evolution Petroleum announced the closing of an acquisition of oil-weighted, non-operated oil and natural gas assets in the Williston Basin. The company acquired 50% of certain interests held by privately-owned Foundation Energy Management in North Dakota in Billings, Golden Valley, and McKenzie counties. The purchase price at closing was $25.9M, net of preliminary purchase price adjustments. The transaction had an effective date of June 1, 2021 and closed on January 14. The acquired assets consist of 50% of Foundation's interest, an approximately 39% working interest net to Evolution, in 73 producing wells in the Williston Basin in Billings, Golden Valley, and McKenzie counties, North Dakota, which was acquired by Foundation from a private seller in October 2021. The acquisition also included approximately 47,500 net acres with associated 400 potential drilling opportunities. The acquired assets consist of producing reserves of approximately 2M barrels of liquids and 1,600 million cubic feet of natural gas, using January 14 strip pricing. The commodity mix of the assets is 80% oil, 11% natural gas, and 9% natural gas liquids. Evolution anticipates a number of the infill upside locations will be designated proved undeveloped during the company's year-end reserves evaluation, as limited by the SEC's five-year PUD rule. Evolution expects the acquired drilling locations, of which more than 40 are already permitted and located on existing pads with infrastructure, will be funded out of future cash flow to support production and the company's dividend. A limited drilling program is not expected to begin until 2023. Foundation, an established operator in the geographic region, will be the operator of the assets. As part of the purchase and sale agreement, Evolution and Foundation have entered into a joint development understanding whereby a working relationship has been established to develop the asset area prudently and in both owners' financial interest. As part of the agreement, Evolution has the ability to both propose and execute drilling locations within the asset footprint. Evolution funded the transaction from cash on hand and borrowings from the company's senior credit facility with MidFirst Bank. Effective November 9, 2021, the company's borrowing base was increased to $50M, with an elected commitment amount of $40M. As of December 31, 2021 and prior to the transaction, the company had approximately $13M in cash on hand and had $4M drawn under the credit facility. The company estimates that net debt after giving effect to the transaction will be well below the company's targeted maximum of one times pro forma adjusted EBITDA. The credit facility agreement requires the company to enter into hedges covering 25% of oil and natural gas production on a rolling twelve-month basis. In order to retain upside with commodity prices, the company expects to utilize primarily costless collars.

07:21 EST Cardiovascular Systems, OrbusNeich announce FDA PMA approval of Scoreflex - Cardiovascular Systems along with OrbusNeich Medical Company announced FDA PMA approval of OrbusNeich's Scoreflex NC Scoring Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty Catheter Scoreflex NC is a focused force PTCA scoring balloon with a dual-wire system which creates a focal stress pattern to facilitate safe and controlled plaque modification at lower resolution pressure. Scoreflex NC is indicated for the dilatation of a de novo stenotic portion of a coronary artery and in-stent restenosis in patients evidencing coronary ischemia for the purpose of improving myocardial perfusion. A pivotal clinical study was performed in the U.S. in twelve investigational sites, with 200 patients being treated. The results of the Scoreflex NC - Scoring PTCA Catheter Clinical Study support the acute safety and device success of the Scoreflex NC - Scoring PTCA Catheter and its intended use as a dilatation catheter in the stenotic portion of a coronary artery stenosis (greater than or equal to 70% diameter stenosis. Dr. David Kandzari, Chief of the Piedmont Heart Institute and Cardiovascular Service Line; Director, Interventional Cardiology of the Piedmont Heart Institute; and Chief Scientific Officer for Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta, Ga., and Principal Investigator of the study, said, "The pivotal study demonstrated the effectiveness of Scoreflex NC to safely modify stenotic coronary arteries, demonstrating excellent deliverability, luminal gain, and a high rate of procedural success. Scoreflex NC will be a welcomed addition to the interventional toolbox to treat complex coronary artery disease."

07:17 EST Dragonfly Energy enters exclusive agreement with Keystone RV - Dragonfly Energy has entered into an exclusive agreement with Keystone RV, a North American RV manufacturer and a subsidiary of Thor Industries. Dragonfly Energy Lithium-ion batteries now come as standard or optional OEM equipment on all Keystone RV travel trailers and fifth wheels. Keystone RV dealers will also be exclusive aftermarket dealers for Dragonfly Energy batteries through Keystone's SolarFlex packages and as stand-alone products.

07:15 EST Blucora president, CEO sends annual letter to stockholders - Blucora released the following letter to stockholders. "Dear Fellow Stockholder... In 2021, we achieved a number of important milestones: We accelerated our top-line growth trajectory while delivering meaningful profit growth... Avantax total client assets reached $87B as of September 30, 2021, up $10.5B from just a year earlier... TaxAct served more than 5.5M end consumers either directly or through our 24,500 tax professional users... Our satisfaction scores continued to improve with net promoter scores for TaxAct consumer up an additional 1.5 points on top of the prior season's historical high... Our employee engagement scores continued to see improvement with an additional 12% increase versus 2020... At TaxAct, our marketing and partnership advancements has led to our improved outlook for the 2021 Tax Season... We have more work to do, both in our execution and in gaining recognition by the stock market for our positive momentum, but we achieved our major 2021 performance milestones, which we believe will position us for success in 2022 and beyond... We believe that through our differentiated strategy, there is significant value to be created by continuing to grow both TaxAct and Avantax and leveraging the crossover benefits between these two businesses. Together, they offer market-leading, tax-focused products and services combining wealth management and tax preparation."

07:14 EST Standard Lithium provides update on several projects - Standard Lithium offered an update on several project and other related developments. The 'SiFT' lithium carbonate plant was installed at the site in Q3 2021 and has been successfully commissioned and used to produce battery quality lithium carbonate at the plant. The lithium carbonate was produced at the SiFT Plant in a single crystallization stage. The crystals were washed twice using hot deionized water to attain battery-quality lithium carbonate. This is the first of its kind demonstration of a continuous Direct Lithium Extraction plant being operated at scale, producing a concentrated lithium chloride intermediate product and directly converting to battery quality lithium carbonate in a single crystallization step. Completion of this phase of work is another important milestone for the Company and its technology-driven approach to development. The current iteration of the Company's proprietary LiSTR DLE demonstration plant in El Dorado, Arkansas also uses a novel osmotically assisted High Pressure Reverse Osmosis unit to concentrate the LiCl solution prior to carbonation. This HPRO unit was successfully integrated into the plant and has been operating according to design criteria since September 2021 and consistently producing LiCl solutions containing approximately 7,000 mg/L lithium. Standard Lithium has expanded its internal team and retained additional consulting services to advance all necessary project definition work for the Company's first commercial lithium plant, intended to be constructed at Lanxess's South Facility. The Company has completed initial site selection work within the available property envelope to determine a suitable location, and initial environmental and permitting screening has been completed with no significant issues noted. The Company has also retained one of North America's largest and most respected engineering and construction organizations to complete a Preliminary Front End Engineering and Design study. The Pre-FEED was commenced in Q4 2021 and is scheduled to be completed in Q2 2022. The study will be used to develop the initial design for the first commercial plant, as well as to provide all supporting engineering and costing data. The findings from the Pre-FEED will be reviewed by the expanded Standard Lithium team and will be directly integrated into and form the basis for the next substantial phase of design work, the FEED study, which is intended to commence in Q2 2022. The FEED study will significantly advance the level of engineering design, constructability and associated costing of the first commercial project, and its main findings will be publicly reported as a NI 43-101 Definitive Feasibility Study. It is also expected that the FEED study will be converted into a lump-sum turnkey estimate that can be used for any future project financing activities that may be required. The Company will provide additional updates once the FEED study is awarded. The Company's LiSTR DLE process uses a bespoke, custom-formulated lithium-selective sorbent based on a titanate architecture. The sorbent that has been successfully running in the demonstration plant for the past 20 months was manufactured outside of North America and represents the first generation of the material. Since Q1 2021, Standard Lithium has been working with one of the world's largest industrial material suppliers, with a specialization in ceramics and catalyst compounds, to optimize the performance of the sorbent, and to develop a scalable commercial manufacturing process in North America. This work has been successfully completed at various R&D facilities in North America and Europe and substantial improvements in the performance of the sorbent have been achieved. The next generation of the material will be produced using a full-scale commercial production process and is expected to arrive at the El Dorado, Arkansas Demonstration Plant during Q2 2022.

07:11 EST CareDx announces partnership with MOTTEP - CareDx announced its partnership with MOTTEP, Minority Organ Tissue Transplant and Education Program, to help advance its mission of increasing the number of minority-donated organs and greater adoption of disease prevention behaviors which reduce the incidence of end-stage disease and the need for organ transplantation in high-risk, underserved communities. "CareDx and MOTTEP share a focused dedication to transplant patient care, and we are honored to partner with them to improve health equity for all transplant patients," said Reg Seeto, CEO and President of CareDx. "We hope our sponsorship will lead to more signups for organ registries and more compatibility matches in minority communities, including African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders. Just as importantly, we hope to make meaningful connections so we can educate those who do undergo a transplant about the importance of medication adherence and post-transplant surveillance to increase their life expectancy and preserve their new organ over the long-term."

07:06 EST Casi Pharmaceuticals partner Bioinvent's BI-1206 given Orphan Drug designation - Casi Pharmaceuticals announced that the FDA has granted Orphan Drug Designation to its partner BioInvent International AB, for BI-1206, an investigational anti-FcyRllB antibody, for the treatment of follicular lymphoma, the most common form of slow-growing Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. BI-1206 is BioInvent's lead drug candidate and is currently being investigated in two Phase 1/2 trials. One is evaluating the BI-1206 combination with rituximab for the treatment of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which includes patients with FL, MCL and marginal zone lymphoma who have relapsed or are refractory to rituximab. A second Phase 1/2 trial is investigating BI-1206 in combination with anti-PD1 therapy Keytruda in solid tumors.

07:04 EST Nuvation Bio's IND application for NUV-868 in solid tumors cleared by FDA - Nuvation Bio announced that the FDA has cleared its investigational new drug application to evaluate NUV-868, a BD2-selective oral small molecule bromodomain and extra-terminal inhibitor, for the treatment of advanced solid tumors, including ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer and triple negative breast cancer. Nuvation expects to advance the program into Phase 1 development in mid-2022. With the clearance of this IND for NUV-868 in advanced solid tumors, Nuvation Bio will be initiating a Phase 1/2 study of NUV-868 as a monotherapy and in combination with olaparib or enzalutamide in multiple tumor types. A Phase 1b study will then be initiated exploring NUV-868 in combination with olaparib in previously treated ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, mCRPC, and TNBC patients and in combination with enzalutamide for mCRPC patients followed by a Phase 2b study to further explore safety and efficacy once the recommended Phase 2 combination dose is determined. A Phase 2 monotherapy study will also be initiated in mCRPC patients as well to further explore safety and efficacy.

07:01 EST Bristol-Myers announces approval for Abecma in Japan - Bristol-Myers Squibb announced that Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has approved Abecma, a B-cell maturation antigen-directed chimeric antigen receptor, or CAR, T cell immunotherapy, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, who have received at least three prior therapies, including an immunomodulatory agent, a proteasome inhibitor and an anti-CD38 antibody, and have either experienced disease progression on the last therapy or relapse after the last therapy. "Abecma is the first CAR T cell therapy approved for the treatment of R/R multiple myeloma in Japan. With this approval, Bristol Myers Squibb is now the only company in Japan with two approved CAR T cell therapies-the CD19-directed Breyanzi, which received approval in March 2021, and the BCMA-directed Abecma," the company said.

06:58 EST Travelers reports Q4 book value per share of $119.77, up 4% from year-end 2020 - Reports adjusted book value per share of $109.76, up 10% from year-end 2020.

06:57 EST Endeavour Silver sees 2022 production 6.7M-7.6M silver eq. oz. - Endeavour Silver announced its consolidated production and cost guidance as well as its capital and exploration budgets for 2022. In 2022, silver production is expected to range from 4.2-4.8 million oz. and gold production is anticipated to be 31,000-35,000 oz. Silver equivalent production is forecasted to total 6.7-7.6 million oz at an 80:1 silver:gold ratio. Consolidated cash costs and all-in sustaining costs in 2022 are estimated to be $9.00-$10.00 per oz silver and $20.00-21.00 per oz silver, respectively. The company's 2022 cost outlook is higher than the prior year as inflation, royalties and mining duties are expected to increase in 2022. In 2022, Endeavour plans to invest $34.3M in sustaining capital, including $32.6M at its two operating mines and $1.7M to maintain exploration concessions and cover corporate infrastructure.

06:54 EST Merck's Keytruda combination featured in published Phase 3 study in carcinoma - Merck (MRK) and Eisai (ESALY) announced the publication of results from the Phase 3 Keynote-775/Study 309 trial in the January 19 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. The pivotal study evaluated the combination of Keytruda, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, plus Lenvima, the orally available multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor discovered by Eisai, versus chemotherapy for patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma following at least one prior platinum-based regimen in any setting. Results showed that the Keytruda plus Lenvima combination demonstrated statistically significant improvements in the dual primary endpoints of overall survival and progression-free survival compared to chemotherapy. Objective response rate data and additional detailed efficacy and safety data, including subgroup analyses, are also featured in the publication. Based on the results from the Phase 3 KEYNOTE-775/Study 309 trial, Keytruda plus Lenvima has been approved in the U.S. for patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma that is not microsatellite instability-high or dMMR, who have disease progression following prior systemic therapy in any setting and are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation. Keytruda plus Lenvima is also approved in the EU and Japan for certain patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma regardless of mismatch repair status. Merck and Eisai are studying the Keytruda plus Lenvima combination through the LEAP clinical program in more than 10 different tumor types across more than 20 clinical trials.

06:52 EST IFF names Frank Clyburn as CEO, separates Chairman, CEO roles - IFF (IFF) announced the appointment of Frank Clyburn to succeed Andreas Fibig as CEO and a member of the IFF Board of Directors, effective February 14. Clyburn joins IFF from Merck & Co. (MRK), where he currently serves as Executive Vice President and President of Human Health and has full P&L responsibility for nearly 90% of Merck's $48B business. He brings extensive experience leading complex global businesses and executing with exceptional operating discipline. Clyburn has an in-depth understanding of R&D, extensive integration and M&A experience and a unique ability to connect with customers and all stakeholders. He has built his career around impactful execution and while at Merck, built one of the leading oncology business in the world and the largest business within Merck. The company also announced its decision to separate the Chairman and CEO roles. Dale Morrison, long-standing IFF Director, will assume the role of non-executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, effective on February 14. Ed will remain on the Board as an Independent Director and the company will no longer have the Lead Independent Director role.

06:47 EST Stellantis completes investment round in Factorial - Stellantis completed an investment round in Factorial Energy as part of Factorial's Series D round of funding, together with other investors. Funding will be used to accelerate commercial production and deployment of Factorial's solid-state battery technology that offers up to 50% greater driving range than current lithium-ion technology. Factorial is constructing a pilot production facility that will enable the company to scale its large format cell output and produce batteries for customer testing. The facility will be located in the New England area and the construction is scheduled to start in early 2022. The company has Joint Development Agreements with Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis and Hyundai to commercialize Factorial's batteries.

06:39 EST ChromaDex signs Niagen supply agreement with Designs for Health - ChromaDex signed a supply agreement with Designs for Health, a U.S.-based manufacturer of premium dietary supplements for healthcare practitioners. ChromaDex's proprietary healthy aging ingredient Niagen, the world's first and only FDA-safety reviewed and patented form of nicotinamide riboside, will be added to multi-ingredient Designs for Health formulas. The new products will be available exclusively through the company's extensive healthcare practitioner network. The Niagen inclusive formulas will be available to healthcare practitioners through the Designs for Health network of customers throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia.

06:37 EST Centogene partners with Insilico Medicine to apply AI to orphan drug development - Centogene and Insilico Medicine, an end-to-end Artificial Intelligence-driven drug discovery company, announced a research and development collaboration to accelerate the discovery of novel therapeutic targets for Niemann-Pick disease type C. The duration of the research collaboration will initially last 20 weeks. As the framework for the collaboration, Centogene will leverage its Bio/Databank with multiomic patient data and NPC cell lines, through the use of Insilico's comprehensive novel target discovery AI platform for the identification of differential metabolites, pathways, and genetic modifiers. Both companies will analyze identified targets before pursuing validation in Centogene's cellular models, and Centogene will retain exclusive rights to any intellectual property generated by the research. If the research demonstrates translational robustness, a further stage of drug development would become accessible.

06:34 EST Insteel CEO says 'our outlook for 2022 remains optimistic' - "Our outlook for 2022 remains optimistic. Private and public non-residential construction markets are robust today and key leading market indicators are signaling sustained growth," commented H.O. Woltz III, Insteel's President and CEO. "In addition, we expect the recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to stimulate demand for our products beginning during the latter part of 2022 and gaining momentum during 2023 - 2025." Woltz continued, "Despite the favorable demand outlook, inadequate availability of domestic hot rolled steel wire rod and persistent labor challenges, both of which were highlighted in recent quarterly reports, are expected to continue impacting our operations during the current quarter. We turned to the international steel market to supplement domestic supplies of steel wire rod and believe our purchasing plan will fill the gaps that caused plant inefficiencies and customer service difficulties over the last three quarters. Our international sourcing strategy going forward will be influenced by the performance of our domestic suppliers during our second and third quarters." "We are pleased to have recently completed agreements in principle with a group of capital equipment suppliers for purchases of nearly $20 million in state-of-the-art technology to expand our capacity, improve quality and reduce the cash cost of production. We are still firming up schedules but expect most of these initiatives to come online during fiscal 2023."

06:18 EST Bunge to acquire 33% stake in Sinagro, terms undisclosed - UPL and other shareholders in Sinagro Produtos Agropecuarios have announced an agreement in which Bunge will acquire a 33% stake in Sinagro to strengthen its grain orientation strategy in Brazil. Sinagro is a reseller of grains and agricultural products with a presence in Brazil's 'Cerrado' savanna region. The deal announced is subject to approval by Brazil's antitrust body, Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Economica, or CADE. For more than 20 years Sinagro's focus has been supporting producers, and with a network of more than 30 stores and warehouses, and a footprint across seven Brazilian states, Sinagro is strategically positioned to support suppliers and final customers alike.

06:16 EST Regions Financial sees linked-quarter NII up 'modestly' in Q1 - Excluding PPP/cash, adjusted NIM expected to increase into the upper-3.30%s. Longer-term NII growth from organic and strategic asset growth; positioned to benefit from rising market rates. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call presentation slides.

06:03 EST Regions Financial reports Q4 adjusted NIM 3.34% vs. 3.4% last year - Compared to 3.3% in Q3.

05:16 EST Hyatt announces plans for two new UK hotels - Hyatt announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into management agreements with Stratford City Hotels, a wholly owned subsidiary of M&L Hospitality, for Hyatt Regency London Stratford and Hyatt House London Stratford. The 225-room Hyatt Regency London Stratford and the 127-room Hyatt House London Stratford are expected to open in Q2 following an extensive refurbishment. Both hotels will be located within one of Europe's largest urban shopping and entertainment complexes, Westfield Stratford City, and a short walk to Stratford Station.

05:08 EST BeiGene announces CDE acceptance of Brukinsa sNDA - BeiGene announced that the Center for Drug Evaluation, or CDE, of the China National Medical Products Administration, or NMPA, has accepted a supplemental new drug application, or sNDA, for BeiGene's BTK inhibitor Brukinsa as a treatment for adult patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia.