Stockwinners Market Radar for January 27, 2022 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:35 EST Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 859K shares of Genius Sports today

20:33 EST Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 33.5K shares of Tesla today

20:18 EST HomeStreet announces $75M buyback expansion

19:05 EST Biogen confirms agreement with Samsung Biologics to sell JV stake for $2.3B - Biogen confirmed that they have entered into an agreement whereby Samsung Biologics will acquire Biogen's equity stake in the Samsung Bioepis joint venture for an aggregate consideration of up to $2.3B. Upon the acquisition of Biogen's stake, the companies will continue with their exclusive agreements, including commercialization of their current portfolio. This includes marketed products BENEPALI, a biosimilar referencing ENBREL, IMRALDITM, a biosimilar referencing Humira, and FLIXABI, a biosimilar referencing Remicade. Additionally, Biogen will also retain commercial rights for BYOOVIZTM, an approved biosimilar referencing LUCENTIS, as well as an investigational biosimilar candidate in development, SB15, a proposed biosimilar referencing EYLEA. Under the terms of this agreement, Biogen will receive $1B in cash at closing and $1.25B to be deferred over two payments of $812.5M due at the first anniversary and $437.5M due at the second anniversary of the closing of the transaction. Biogen is eligible to receive up to $50M contingent upon achievement of certain commercial milestones. Closing of the transaction is contingent on the effectiveness of a securities registration statement filed by Samsung Biologics and satisfaction of certain regulatory and other customary closing conditions.

19:04 EST Correction: Apple says install base now at 1.8B active devices - A previous version of the story incorrectly said 1.8M.

18:47 EST Nucor CEO: We are the first to produce net zero steel at scale - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Leon Topalian said Nucor is very diversified as a company. Every end market it tracks is showing improvement, which means good returns ahead, he noted. Nucor's value proposition is unlike any competitor, he added.

17:55 EST Cybin announces additional Adelia milestone achievement - Cybin is "pleased to announce that Adelia Therapeutics, a wholly-controlled subsidiary of Cybin, has achieved the milestones identified as Y1, Q4 , Y1, Q4 and Y2, Q1 as contemplated by the terms of a contribution agreement dated December 4, 2020 among Cybin, Cybin Corp., Cybin US Holdings Inc., a wholly-controlled subsidiary of Cybin, and all of the previous shareholders of Adelia. Pursuant to the terms of the Transaction Agreement, Class B common shares in the capital of the Acquiror shall be issued to the Adelia Shareholders, in satisfaction of the $551,171.99 due to them on meeting a portion of the relevant milestones, at an effective issue price determined in accordance with the Transaction Agreement and applicable securities law."

17:49 EST Global Partners expands portfolio with acquisition of Connecticut stores - Global Partners LP "announced that it has completed the previously announced purchase of retail fuel and convenience store assets from Consumers Petroleum of Connecticut, Inc. The deal demonstrates the Partnership's strategy of growing in part through acquisitions designed to create new sources of income and increase overall earnings power. The transaction includes 26 company-operated "Wheels" branded convenience stores in Connecticut, as well as fuel supply agreements with 22 sites in Connecticut and New York. As part of a Federal Trade Commission consent order, Global has divested seven select retail sites in Connecticut."

17:33 EST Algoma Steel awards gas turbines contract to GE supporting power requirements - The company states: "Algoma Steel (ASTL) announced that it has awarded GE Gas Power (GE) a contract for an upgrade to the company's natural gas combined cycle power plant, including the installation of two gas turbine packages. The upgrade is expected to supply Algoma Steel with sufficient internal generation capability to power phase one of its transition to electric arc furnace steelmaking. Under the terms of the contract, GE will provide two LM6000 aero derivative gas turbines complete with new control systems as well as a new control system for the existing GE steam turbine. In addition, GE will also complete a full rewind on the No. 2 Generator. Local contractors from Sault Ste. Marie and area will be engaged for the equipment installation. Algoma Steel expects the project to be completed in the spring of 2023, a full year before the scheduled commissioning of the new electric arc furnaces. At full capacity, the refurbished cogeneration facility is designed to have the ability to generate 110 MW of electricity, up from its current capacity of 34 MW."

17:28 EST Apple sees services growth decelerating in Q2 from Q1

17:23 EST Apple expects to achieve Q2 revenue record - Says paid subscriptions topped 785M across platforms in Q1. Says achieved new records for cloud, music, video, payment, and ads services. Sees achieving Q2 revenue record. Sees "solid" year-over-year revenue growth for Q2. Sees foreign exchange being headwind for Q2. Sees Q2 revenue growth rate to decelerate from Q1.

17:16 EST Franco-Nevada raises quarterly dividend 6.7% to 32c per share - Franco-Nevada Corporation announced that its Board of Directors has raised its quarterly dividend and declared a quarterly dividend of 32c per share payable on March 31, 2022 to shareholders of record on March 17, 2022. This is a 6.7% increase from the previous 30c per share quarterly dividend and marks the 15th consecutive annual increase for Franco-Nevada shareholders. Canadian investors in Franco-Nevada's IPO in December 2007 are now receiving an effective 10.7% yield on their cost base. The Board of Directors has determined to move its annual dividend reviews earlier in the year than prior practice starting with 2022. The dividend policy will now be reviewed at the beginning of the fiscal year so that any increases to the dividend will be effective for the full fiscal year rather than commencing in Q2 as in prior years. The dividend has been declared in U.S. dollars and the Canadian dollar equivalent will be determined based on the daily average rate posted by the Bank of Canada on the Record Date. Under Canadian tax legislation, Canadian resident individuals who receive "eligible dividends" are entitled to an enhanced gross-up and dividend tax credit on such dividends.

17:07 EST Robert Half sees FY22 capex, capitalized cloud computing costs $95M-$105M - Sees $20M-$25M of capital expenditures in Q1.

17:03 EST Primis Financial reports Q4 EPS 31c, consensus 26c - Reports Q4 tangible book value per share $12.43. Reports Q4 CET1 capital ratio 13.89%. Dennis Zember president and CEO of the company commented, "Our efforts for a couple years now have been centered on building momentum in certain strategies that can grow both sides of our balance sheet with a noticeable bent towards quality customers and asset classes. Our current position with our core lending teams and our lines of business give us substantial confidence in future growth of earning assets. Our digital bank and its unique offerings will augment the deposit side of our balance sheet and the combination of these strategies should produce industry-oriented spreads with faster growth rates. Ending the year with two quarters of outsized growth in loans and a successful "friends and family" launch of the digital bank gives us confidence that our vision is taking shape and close to producing the results we expected."

16:56 EST Credicorp names Francesca Raffo as chief innovation officer, effective Feb. 1 - Credicorp Ltd. announces that the Board of Directors, in its session held on January 27, appointed Francesca Raffo as Chief Innovation Officer of Credicorp, effective February 1. This position, which was recently created, "will ensure that all LOBs are aligned with Credicorp's strategy to act as force of disruption and innovation in the financial services industry," the company said in a statement. Raffo will continue in her role as Deputy CEO Retail Banking at BCP, which she assumed in June 2020.

16:49 EST Robinhood drops 8% to $10.69 after Q1 revenue guidance misses estimates

16:46 EST Home Depot names Ted Decker CEO - Home Depot announced that Edward "Ted" Decker has been named CEO and president, and has been elected to the company's board of directors, all effective March 1, 2022. Craig Menear, currently chairman and CEO, will continue to serve as Chair of the Board. "As a 22-year associate of The Home Depot, Ted has nurtured our culture by living our values and demonstrating servant leadership throughout his career," said Menear. "Ted has grown with the company by taking on expanded roles of leadership from his time in Strategic Business Development, Finance and Merchandising to leading our day-to-day interconnected operations in his role as President and COO. His ability to blend the art and science of retail is exactly what is needed in the next phase of growth for The Home Depot. I have tremendous confidence that he will guide our company to new heights." Decker joined The Home Depot in 2000 and was named president and chief operating officer in October 2020.

16:39 EST Robert Half CEO says 'we achieved record annual results' - "2021 was an extraordinary year, and we achieved record annual results. Fourth quarter revenues grew 36% and net income grew 78%, exceeding the high end of our guidance and reflecting sustained, broad-based demand across our staffing and business consulting businesses," said Keith Waddell, president and CEO of Robert Half. "Our permanent placement and Protiviti operations continued to show very strong results, growing year-over-year revenues by 73% and 37%, respectively. Our temporary and consultant staffing operations also performed well and had year-over-year revenue growth of 31%, with particular strength in Management Resources, which grew 56%. Compared with the pre-pandemic fourth quarter of 2019, 2021 revenues were higher by 15% and net income was higher by 49%. Return on invested capital for the company was 50% in the fourth quarter."

16:35 EST Apple rallies 2% to $162.33 following Q1 beat

16:34 EST Apple reports Q1 Services revenue $19.52B vs. $15.76B last year

16:34 EST Apple reports Q1 iPad revenue $7.25B vs. $8.44B last year

16:33 EST Matson adds 3M shares to existing share repurchase plan - The Board approved adding 3M shares, or approximately 7% of outstanding common shares, to the existing 3M share repurchase program, to be effective after the announcement of Matson's fourth quarter 2021 financial results on or about February 17. As of January 26, the existing share repurchase program had approximately 0.3M shares remaining.

16:33 EST MVB Financial names Donald T. Robinson president - The Board of Directors of MVB Financial Corp. has announced changes to the structure of MVB's Executive Team. "To fully execute our strategic plan and to move MVB forward on the financial frontier, we need to ensure that we are set up for success. As our needs as an organization evolve, so must the organizational structure in place to support MVB's key initiatives," said Larry F. Mazza, CEO of MVBF and MVB Bank. Donald T. Robinson will transition to the role of President of MVBF and MVB Bank. He will maintain his corporate development responsibilities in his new role and will remain as Chief Financial Officer of MVBF in the interim as MVB conducts a national search for the CFO position. Larry F. Mazza will remain as CEO of MVBF and MVB Bank. Additional changes within the Executive Team include the following: John Marion, currently Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Officer, will become Chief Operating Officer; James (Jamie) R. Nalls, currently Executive Vice President, Regional President for CoRe Banking, will move into the new role of President of CoRe Banking; Brad Greathouse, currently, Executive Vice President, Chief People and Culture Officer, will have a change in title to Chief Administration Officer. All three leaders will assume additional responsibilities.

16:32 EST Omega Healthcare authorizes new three-year $500M buyback program - Omega's board has authorized the repurchase of up to $500M of Omega's outstanding common stock, from time to time, through March 2025.

16:32 EST NiSource CEO Joe Hamrock to retire, Lloyd Yates to succeed - NiSource (NI) announced that, as a result of a long-planned succession process, its Board of Directors has appointed Lloyd Yates as the company's next President and CEO, effective February 14. At that time, Joe Hamrock will facilitate the CEO transition for a short time in a non-executive role, after which time he will retire to pursue various personal and philanthropic interests. Yates, who joined the company's Board in 2020, will continue to serve as a director. In addition to serving on the NiSource Board since March of 2020, Yates is a seasoned executive in the regulated energy industry, having most recently served as Executive Vice President, Customer and Delivery Operations, and President, Carolinas Region for Duke Energy (DUK).

16:31 EST Apple CEO highlights 'most innovative lineup of products and services ever' - Apple CEO Tim COok said in the earnings release: "This quarter's record results were made possible by our most innovative lineup of products and services ever. We are gratified to see the response from customers around the world at a time when staying connected has never been more important. We are doing all we can to help build a better world - making progress toward our goal of becoming carbon neutral across our supply chain and products by 2030, and pushing forward with our work in education and racial equity and justice."

16:29 EST Olin sees sequentially higher raw material and operating costs in early 2022 - Scott Sutton, Chairman, President and CEO, said, "Our team's performance in 2021 demonstrated the success of our unique winning model, which prioritizes value, and highlights the potential still to be unlocked across our Chemicals and Winchester businesses. Our fourth quarter performance demonstrated how our model can adapt in real-time to emphasize 'value first' versus our historical sales volume maximization approach, as our Chemical businesses reduced operating rates and increased product purchases to fulfill our participation level. As a result, our fourth quarter 2021 adjusted EBITDA delivered our forecasted guidance. Our Electrochemical Unit Profit Contribution Index continued to move higher, as Olin drove sequential pricing improvement in the fourth quarter 2021 for chlorine, chlorine derivatives, including epoxy resins, and caustic soda. Winchester continued to deliver on both commercial and military fronts, as we launched our Shoot United initiative during the quarter to promote recreational sport shooting. We enter 2022 with our model of focusing on system value fully effective and ready to incorporate organic and inorganic growth initiatives. In early 2022, we expect sequentially higher raw material and operating costs, mainly increased natural gas and electrical power costs. As a result, we expect the first quarter 2022 results from our Chemical businesses to be similar to fourth quarter 2021 levels. We expect our Winchester business first quarter 2022 results to increase sequentially from fourth quarter 2021."

16:26 EST Toll co-Founder Robert Toll to transition to Chairman Emeritus role - Toll Brothers announced that co-founder Robert I. Toll has chosen not to stand for re-election to the Board of Directors at the Company's March 8 meeting of stockholders. He will continue to serve the Company as Chairman Emeritus and, in that role, will be invited to attend board meetings and continue to provide support and advice to the Company. In 1967, at the age of 26, Bob Toll along with his brother Bruce founded Toll Brothers, Inc. From the Company's inception through 2010, he led the Company as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and has overseen its growth from its roots as a local southeastern Pennsylvania builder to its current position as America's leading luxury home builder and a Fortune 500 company, with operations in over 60 markets across 24 states.

16:24 EST Mercury Systems awarded $17M contract for ruggedized RF microelectronics - Mercury Systems announced it was awarded a $17M contract to provide crucial RF microelectronics supporting missile capabilities of the U.S. and its allies in ensuring 21st-century air dominance. These multi-channel digital RF assemblies will help provide real-time signals intelligence data, speeding information to the warfighter. The award was received in the company's fiscal 2022 first quarter and is expected to be shipped over the next several quarters.

16:17 EST First Interstate names Scott Erkonen chief information officer - First Interstate BancSystem announced that it expects Scott Erkonen and Karlyn Knieriem to join the FIBK executive team upon the closing of the previously announced merger of Great Western Bancorp, Inc. into FIBK. At the effective time of the merger, Mr. Erkonen will serve as the Chief Information Officer and Ms. Knieriem will serve as the Chief Risk Officer. "I look forward to working alongside Scott, Karlyn, and the rest of the Executive Team as we establish First Interstate as one of the country's premier community banking franchises," said FIBK President and CEO Kevin Riley.

16:16 EST Provention Bio resubmitting teplizumab BLA after meeting with FDA - Provention Bio intends to resubmit the teplizumab Biologics License Application - BLA - for the delay of clinical type 1 diabetes in at-risk individuals following its Type B pre-BLA resubmission meeting with the FDA. The purpose of the Type B pre-BLA resubmission meeting was to discuss FDA feedback and obtain agreement on Provention's proposed clinical pharmacology data package, including data and analysis from the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic substudy completed by the company to address the FDA's PK comparability considerations contained in the complete response letter issued last July. The FDA proposed, and the company agreed, to use PK modeling to adjust the 14-day dosing regimen for the planned commercial product to match the exposure of clinical material used in prior clinical trials by ensuring that the 90% confidence intervals for relevant PK parameters fall within the target 80-125% range. On this basis, the FDA agreed that Provention could proceed to resubmit the BLA. The company believes it will be in a position to resubmit the BLA in Q1. The FDA has 30 days to review the BLA resubmission, determine whether it is complete and acceptable for review, and provide the due date for action.

16:13 EST CalAmp names Mark Gaydos as chief marketing officer - CalAmp announced the appointment of Mark Gaydos as its chief marketing officer. Gaydos will lead CalAmp's worldwide marketing strategy, go-to-market execution, branding and demand creation to help promote CalAmp's mission to automate and optimize transportation and logistics operations with its wide array of leading connected intelligence solutions. Gaydos previously served as the CMO at Nlyte Software where he was responsible for global corporate marketing, sales development, branding and lead generation, as well as digital and product marketing.

16:13 EST VMware recommends rejection of below-market mini-tender by TRC Capital - VMware "announced that it received notice of an unsolicited "mini-tender" offer by TRC Capital Corporation to purchase up to 1 million shares of VMware's Class A common stock at a price of $118.50 per share in cash. TRC's offering price is 4.23% less than the closing price of $123.74 per share of VMware's common stock on January 21, 2022, the last trading day before TRC commenced its mini-tender offer. If all shares are acquired, TRC's ownership would represent approximately 0.24% of VMware's outstanding common stock. VMware recommends that VMware stockholders do not tender their shares in response to the TRC offer. VMware recommends that stockholders who have not responded to TRC's offer take no action."

16:11 EST Canadian Pacific reports Q4 operating ratio 59.2%

16:10 EST Visa reports Q1 payments volume up 20% y/y - Reports Q1 Cross-Border Volume Total up 40% and Processed Transactions up 21%

16:09 EST Clearfield reinstates repurchase pact - "We remain very optimistic about Clearfield's growth potential as the demand for high-speed broadband, especially fiber-led broadband, continues to be very robust, and we continue to make meaningful progress on our 'Now of Age' plan objectives. With the current visibility we have into our substantial order backlog as well as the pipeline behind it, we expect to deliver projected annual net sales of $176 million to $183 million in fiscal year 2022, representing growth of 25% to 30% over fiscal year 2021 revenues." Lastly, the Company is reinstating its stock repurchase program that had been suspended due to Covid uncertainty in April 2020. In addition, the Company's board of directors increased the share repurchase program by an additional $10 million to $22 million, from the previous $12 million. The Company has approximately $15 million remaining authorized in the program as of January 27, 2022.

16:06 EST PCB Bancorp raises quarterly dividend to 15c from 12c per share - The dividend will be paid on or about February 18, 2022, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 11, 2022.

16:04 EST Western Digital names Wissam Jabre as new CFO effective February 7 - Western Digital announced that Wissam Jabre will assume the role of Western Digital's Executive Vice President and CFO effective the week of February 7, 2022. Prior to joining Dialog Semiconductor in 2016, Jabre served as Corporate Vice President of Finance at Advanced Micro Devices. Current CFO, Robert Eulau, will remain with the company during an advisory period to ensure a seamless transition.

16:00 EST Penn National approved to offer mobile, online Barstool sportsbook in Louisiana - Penn National Gaming, Inc. announced it has received approval from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board to offer online sports betting in the state. Penn National expects to launch its Barstool Sportsbook mobile app and desktop product tomorrow morning, January 28th, at 8:00am CST, pending any final regulatory approvals. "We are thrilled to be launching our Barstool Sportsbook online sports betting product in Louisiana, which will provide our retail casino customers and mychoice loyalty program members another exciting way to enjoy our unique entertainment offerings," said Jay Snowden, President and CEO of Penn National. "Louisiana marks the twelfth state where we operate the Barstool Sportsbook mobile app, and as in the other states, I'm confident that customers will enjoy engaging with Dave Portnoy, Dan 'Big Cat' Katz and other Barstool fan favorites, and we're offering a number of promotional wagers on the app to help celebrate the launch." Penn National operates five gaming facilities in Louisiana - Boomtown Bossier City, Boomtown New Orleans, L'Auberge Baton Rouge, L'Auberge Lake Charles and Margaritiville Resort is Bossier City.

15:31 EST Astra awarded NASA contract worth up to $300M - Astra Space announced the award of the Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare Launch Services Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for future task orders, which have not yet been issued. This contract has a five-year ordering period with a maximum total value of $300M and will be managed by the Launch Services Program at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This new contract is in addition to the four launches NASA has already contracted with Astra for delivery this year.

14:57 EST Relay Therapeutics treatment of cholangiocarcinoma granted orphan designation - Relay Therapeutics' treatment of cholangiocarcinoma was granted FDA orphan designation, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

14:27 EST Microsoft updates Xbox subscription flexibility following CMA scrutiny - The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority said it has secured improvements for Xbox online players, following concerns about Microsoft's use of auto-renewing subscriptions for online gaming services. The changes relate to Microsoft's practices in relation to the automatic renewal of contracts for online gaming services. Microsoft's Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass products allow people to access a library of games and play together online. They are offered as memberships which are often entered into on an auto-renewal basis. This means that membership is automatically rolled over at the end of each contract period and the customer charged unless they actively take steps to stop the subscription. As part of an investigation into the online console video gaming sector the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) identified concerns about certain features of Microsoft's auto-renewing subscriptions, in particular: whether it was clear upfront that contracts would automatically renew; how easy it was to turn off automatic renewal; and whether people may not have realised they were still paying for services they no longer used. The CMA has secured undertakings with Microsoft which are designed to address these concerns. The improvements include: Better upfront information: Microsoft will provide more transparent, upfront information to help customers understand their Xbox membership - making clear, for example, that the subscription will auto-renew unless the customer turns off auto-renewal; when the subscription will auto-renew; how much it will cost; and how the customer can receive a refund after an accidental renewal. Refunds: Microsoft will contact existing customers on recurring 12-month contracts and give them the option to end their contract and claim a pro-rata refund. Inactive memberships: Microsoft will also contact existing customers who haven't used their memberships for a long time but are still paying. These customers will be reminded how to stop payments, and if they continue not to use their memberships, Microsoft will ultimately stop taking further payments. Better information about price increases: Microsoft will give clearer notifications of any future price rises, and will ensure people know how to turn off auto-renewal if they don't want to pay the higher price. Reference Link

14:08 EST TicketSmarter, Sinclair Sports Group enter into multi-year agreement - TicketSmarter and Sinclair Sports Group, a sales division of Sinclair Broadcast Group (SBGI), announced a new, multi-year agreement for TicketSmarter to become the official ticket provider of the non-linear digital platforms for Bally Sports and Tennis Channel, and the Sinclair Broadcast Group station websites. The partnership will include TicketSmarter's live event ticket offerings being featured across Sinclair-owned websites, enabling fans to seamlessly purchase tickets for sporting events, concerts, theater shows and more. TicketSmarter branding and a branded content series will also be integrated into the websites, and within the non-linear, digital platforms for Bally Sports, Tennis Channel and Stadium. TicketSmarter is a proud member of the Digital Ally Companies (DGLY).

13:40 EST Kroger to add spoke facility in Louisville, Kentucky powered by the Ocado - The Kroger announced it will offer more Americans delivery through the addition of a spoke facility in Louisville, Kentucky powered by the Ocado Group and combining vertical integration, machine learning, and robotics to provide an affordable, friendly, and fast fresh food delivery service as part of the company's seamless ecosystem.

13:33 EST SPRC Stock trading resumes

13:28 EST PyroGenesis says 'no undisclosed events to warrant' decline in stock price - PyroGenesis Canada issued a press release in response to today's trading activity, and the sudden decline in its stock price. "The company wishes to reassure investors that all projects are all on track and that there are no undisclosed events to warrant the recent decline. The company prefers not to opine on stock price and trading activity, however, given the recent decline, and inquiries from investors, the company confirms the following: Everything material has been disclosed by the Company in either its press releases or financial reports. PyroGenesis further confirms that none of the contracts previously disclosed are at risk. Last, but not least, the company wishes to reassure PyroGenesis' investors that the company remains on track with current and prospective projects," PyroGenesis stated. "We just want to take the time to reassure investors that the recent decline in stock price cannot be explained by any undisclosed events taking place within the company. The Board is of the opinion that the Company continues to strengthen its position and has never been better placed," said P. Peter Pascali, CEO and Chair of PyroGenesis.

13:08 EST Urban One trading resumes

13:03 EST Urban One trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:48 EST Southwest sees 2022 capacity down roughly 4% vs 2019 - Previous view flat vs 2019. Says reevaluating capacity plans following omicron variant. Says raising starting wage rates to $15 an hour form $17 hour, estimated to have roughly $20M impact this year. Says has contemplated labor inflation into guidance as much as possible.

12:39 EST Southwest says staffing has stabilized over last few weeks - Says 2022 had a "challenging start," but goals for the year haven't changed. Says employee omicron cases nearly double that of delta variant. Says over last few weeks staffing has stabilized. Says further moderating 1H22 capacity plans. Says encouraged by recent improvement in bookings. Says "hopeful" business travel will resume 2021 trend.

12:02 EST Inotiv acquires Orient BioResource Center for $51.3M - Inotiv announced that the company has completed the purchase of Orient BioResource Center from Orient Bio. Orient BioResource Center is a primate quarantine and holding facility located near Alice, Texas. Transaction consideration totaled $51.3M, consisting of $28.3M in cash, which includes an adjustment for net working capital and cash balances as provided in the merger agreement, and 677,339 Inotiv common shares having a value of $23M based on the volume weighted average closing price of Company shares as reported by NASDAQ for the twenty trading-day period ending on January 24, 2022. OBRC's Alice, Texas, operations span 500 acres and consist of primate holding, veterinary care, diagnostic and maintenance facilities, and earned revenue of $23M in fiscal year 2021.

12:01 EST Ivanhoe Capital Acquisition Corp. falls -16.6% - Ivanhoe Capital Acquisition Corp. is down -16.6%, or -$1.66 to $8.32.

12:01 EST Flex LNG rises 11.4% - Flex LNG is up 11.4%, or $2.19 to $21.37.

12:00 EST Direxion Daily Russia Bull 3X Shares rises 13.4% - Direxion Daily Russia Bull 3X Shares is up 13.4%, or $2.42 to $20.46.

11:56 EST LVMH CEO calls 2021 performance 'remarkable' - Bernard Arnault, Chairman and CEO of LVMH, said: "LVMH enjoyed a remarkable performance in 2021 against the backdrop of a gradual recovery from the health crisis. The Group's record results could not have been achieved without the efficiency and exceptional ability of our teams to adapt and notably to remain connected to our customers, continuing to inspire dreams, despite the crisis. 2021 was also a year in which LVMH was deeply moved by the tragic passing of Virgil Abloh, whose creative genius I would like to applaud. His immense visionary talent and his great wisdom will forever be embedded within the history of our Group. Our objective to strive for solid financial performance and our relentless quest for excellence remind us of our daily commitment to act in such a way as to make the world a better place. The Group and its Maisons carried out numerous actions in 2021 to promote biodiversity, protect nature and to preserve skills and craftsmanship, and will continue to do so in the years to come. Despite the uncertainties that remain at the start of this new year, which continues to be disrupted by health concerns, we approach 2022 with confidence and are convinced that LVMH is in an excellent position to further strengthen its lead in the global luxury market."

11:25 EST Genprex reports 'positive' preclinical data on use of ONCOPREX in colon cancer - Genprex announced that its collaborators published "positive" preclinical data for the use of Genprex's ONCOPREX Nanoparticle Delivery System for delivery of a FAS DNA plasmid to treat metastatic colorectal cancer. "Published in the journal Cancers, the preclinical study found that tumor selective ONCOPREX nanoparticles carrying FAS DNA plasmids suppress human colon tumor growth in vivo in mouse models, indicating that this may be an effective therapy for human colorectal cancer," the company stated. "These positive preclinical data validate that the ONCOPREX Nanoparticle Delivery System can be used to deliver tumor suppressor genes other than TUSC2, which we are using in lung cancer studies with REQORSA, to address multiple types of cancer. The data also provide early support for FAS as a tumor suppressor gene in colorectal cancer. With this compelling data, Genprex is positioned to expand its oncology programs in the future and to further explore use of its delivery system for other therapeutic genes, alone or in combination with other approved cancer therapies, to provide new therapeutic approaches for patients with serious medical conditions and unmet medical needs. We will continue to evaluate FAS using our ONCOPREX delivery platform as a potential pipeline addition within our oncology program," added Mark Berger, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Genprex.

10:54 EST Virgin Orbit trading resumes

10:45 EST NASA selects Virgin Orbit to provide future launch services - Virgin Orbit announced its selection by NASA's Launch Services Program to provide launch services for the agency's Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated Rideshare missions. The fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract will leverage commercial satellite launch practices, and together with the flexibility afforded by Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne system enables more efficient launch timelines, mission-tailored orbits, and competitive costs. The contract has a five-year ordering period with a maximum total value of $300M and will be managed by the Launch Services Program at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

10:30 EST Arrow Financial board increases quarterly dividend to 27c per share - The Board of Directors of Arrow Financial Corporation on January 26, 2022, declared a quarterly cash dividend of 27c per share payable March 15, 2022, to shareholders of record on March 1, 2022. This represents a 1c increase over the December 2021 cash dividend paid to shareholders and is a 3.8% increase over the cash dividend paid in the fourth quarter of 2021, as a result of the 3% stock dividend distributed on September 24, 2021.

10:26 EST TG Therapeutics trading resumes

10:21 EST TG Therapeutics trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:19 EST JetBlue sees business travel accelerating in Q2 and beyond, says COO

10:17 EST JetBlue in early innings of loyalty 'evolution,' says CFO

10:16 EST Sports Entertainment Acquisition, Super Group announce closing of combination - SGHC Limited, or "Super Group," the parent company of Betway, an online sports betting and gaming business, and Spin, the multi-brand online casino, and Sports Entertainment Acquisition Corporation (SEAH), a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, announced the closing of their business combination. SEAH has merged with and into Super Group, with Super Group as the surviving corporation. Beginning on January 28, Super Group's ordinary shares and public warrants are expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "SGHC" and "SGHC WS", respectively. "Today marks a major milestone for our company, our employees and our shareholders. Now as a public company, we plan to continue to strengthen our brand among the worldwide online betting and gaming community by growing our customer base, expanding into new markets and developing strategic partnerships with major sports franchises," said Neal Menashe, CEO of Super Group.

10:13 EST TG Therapeutics discloses clinical hold on select studies of U2 - TG Therapeutics disclosed that during a webcast fireside chat with B. Riley, its CEO Michael Weiss shared a data and regulatory update. Weiss noted that the company was nearing completion of a submission to the Food and Drug Administration of updated overall survival analyses from the UNITY-CLL Phase 3 study evaluating the investigational U2 combination compared to the control arm of obinutuzumab plus chlorambucil and that the FDA imposed a partial clinical hold on select studies of U2 and its components for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. With regard to the data update, Weiss noted that the updated overall survival results from the UNITY-CLL study, showed an improvement from the preliminary data originally shared with the FDA, and previously disclosed on November 30, 2021, which was at that time an OS hazard ratio of 1.23 and when censoring for COVID-19 related deaths a hazard ratio of 1.04. An OS hazard ratio above 1.00 implies potential risk that the investigational therapy is causing harm and below 1.00 implies the possibility the drug is improving survival, TG explained. With regard to the partial clinical hold, Weiss noted that no new patients may be enrolled to the select CLL/NHL studies identified by FDA, however patients on these studies who are deriving clinical benefit can continue on therapy once they have been reconsented. Weiss also noted that the partial clinical hold was not based on any new information provided by the company to the FDA but appears to be based on the same data and concerns that gave rise to the previously announced Oncologic Drug Advisory Committee meeting, which is set to take place in the March/April 2022 timeframe. Most studies included in the partial clinical hold were previously closed to new enrollment or were on company administrative hold to new enrollment.

10:09 EST JetBlue sees sequential m/m improvement throughout the quarter

10:07 EST JetBlue expects March to be 'much stronger' than January and February

10:06 EST Chorus Aviation issues statement in response to press speculation - The company said, "Chorus Aviation has been made aware of press speculation regarding Chorus' involvement in a process for the potential acquisition of a European-based aircraft lessor. While Chorus routinely explores acquisition opportunities, there can be no assurance that a transaction will result from any such opportunities. Chorus does not intend to make any further comment on any such speculation."

10:04 EST Charlotte's Web appoints Jade Proudman as global brand ambassador - Charlotte's Web Holdings has named Jade Proudman, the CEO of Savage Cabbage, one of the oldest and most trusted CBD companies in the UK, as a Global Brand Ambassador for Charlotte's Web. As the founder and CEO of London-based Savage Cabbage, Jade Proudman has become one of the UK's leading CBD advocates, serving an established customer base of over 9,000 wellness seekers in over 44 countries around the world, recently expanding further within Europe.

10:01 EST Save Foods extends range of applications after berries trial - Save Foods is extending the range of applications of its eco crop protection treatment after successfully applying it to fresh berries in a recent trial. The results showed a significant reduction in produce waste while maintaining freshness over time. While both healthy and popular with consumers, fresh berries present a major problem for growers, packers and retailers; they have a propensity for rapid bacterial growth, which leads to decay and waste. This translates to a very short shelf life, for example around five days for raspberries, resulting in excessive waste at the retail and consumer levels. As consumer demand and industry supply grows, the search for a solution to reduce waste in the fresh berry industry has intensified. Conventional methods for reducing waste and maintaining freshness include refrigeration, special packaging and limiting supply to local markets. Maximizing the already substantial value in the berry industry relies in part on introducing new and unique methods. In 2020, the global berry and grape market was worth around US $826 billion and is expected to grow from 2022 to 2027 at a CAGR of 6.8% to approximately US $1,205 billion by 2026. In the trial performed at Trabelsi farm, raspberries treated with Save Foods' product retained their freshness, color, and volume, compared to the industry standard which became discolored and dehydrated in appearance. The trial exceeded the typical shelf life for berries, with ten days of cold storage and three more days at room temperature. As a result, Trabelsi farm had three times as many berries to sell, and fresher looking, longer lasting produce.

10:00 EST Watts Water falls -9.6% - Watts Water is down -9.6%, or -$16.35 to $153.65.

10:00 EST Torrid rises 13.2% - Torrid is up 13.2%, or $1.10 to $9.41.

10:00 EST Levi Strauss rises 14.4% - Levi Strauss is up 14.4%, or $2.93 to $23.25.

09:58 EST Lexaria Bioscience CEO says on track to deliver great results in 2022 - Lexaria reports an annual letter from CEO Chris Bunka, which read in part, "Management of Lexaria feels we are on track, on schedule, and on budget to deliver what we hope and expect will be great results in 2022. If we generate sufficient positive data in ANY of our three major studies this year, we feel that positivity could be sufficient to enable our "graduation" to either the next logical regulatory step, or to a commercial relationship with one or more major industry partners. We will continue working to advance our shorter-term business interests and meaningfully increase the modest revenue streams currently being generated. But we caution against applying undue reliance on those operations at this early stage in the Company's life. If we do not deliver higher revenue numbers, that is not particularly relevant to our primary business focus. If we do deliver higher revenue numbers, let's celebrate! Before 2022 ends, we expect to have at least one major regulatory advancement such as an IND program approval, or one major new industry partner. We believe either of those will support what could be significantly higher valuations. If we are able to achieve more than one of these advancements.....so much the better. Hundreds of you know me. You know I can't tell the future or forecast things outside of my control. But you also know that I and the Lexaria team are dedicated, and we believe in the Company and in the potential we have to make the world a better place. Your support has been so helpful in assisting us to achieve our mutually beneficial goals. We continue down this path, together."

09:54 EST Atossa Therapeutics says well positioned to execute on programs in 2022 - Atossa Therapeutics issued the following letter from President and CEO Dr. Steven Quay to Atossa stockholders: "The last two years have changed the face of public health and uncovered the urgency to develop products not only to prevent widely spread infectious diseases, but to treat them with the same level of focus and dedication applied to prevention. Despite the launch of highly efficacious vaccines during 2021, the toll that COVID-19 was taking on public health was not reduced. The rise of the Omicron variant toward the end of the year, and emerging long-term impact of long COVID, remain an important public health priority, and one that Atossa is dedicated to addressing. A key feature of the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, and that is retained in both the Delta and Omicron variants, is the furin cleavage site found on the Spike protein which facilitates viral infection. Our COVID-19 programs under development are designed to interact with this cleavage site so they are expected to be effective against both current and future COVID-19 variants that continue to contain a furin cleavage site. In the meantime, we are also very excited about the ongoing development of our breast health programs with our proprietary drug Endoxifen, with one Phase 2 study underway and another expected to commence in the next quarter. We raised over $110 million in capital in 2021 and we are well positioned to execute on our programs in 2022. For all of our programs, our longer-term development strategy is to complete clinical studies as rapidly as possible and then to partner with leading research institutions or pharmaceutical companies for later-stage development and commercialization. We are also actively evaluating potential acquisition/in-licensing opportunities of new programs to further drive stockholder value...Moving forward in 2022, we will continue to pursue our mission with vigor and dedication and we have set the following goals and milestones: Endoxifen to Treat Breast Cancer in the Neoadjuvant Setting. Our current plan is to continue developing our proprietary Endoxifen for the treatment of pre-menopausal women with ER+/HER2- breast cancer in the neoadjuvant setting. Atossa plans to apply to the FDA for an IND to conduct a Phase 2 study in the U.S. to compare Endoxifen to standard of care. Atossa also plans to conduct a pharmacokinetic run-in study as a part of the Phase 2 study to further define potential dose levels. We plan to retain a leading U.S. research institution and CRO to work with us on the study. We look forward to opening an IND in the second quarter of 2022. We will then promptly commence a Phase 2 study in this neoadjuvant setting. Endoxifen for Women with Increased Mammographic Breast Density. We will continue to enroll participants in our Endoxifen Phase 2 clinical study in Stockholm. COVID-19 Therapies. We plan to complete enrollment in the second part of our ongoing AT-H201 Phase 1/2a clinical study by the end of the second quarter 2022. In 2022, we plan to continue the additional pre-clinical testing we are conducting on our nasal spray AT-301 and then to further characterize the API in AT-301 starting in the third quarter 2022."

09:47 EST Edwards Lifesciences falls -8.3% - Edwards Lifesciences is down -8.3%, or -$9.01 to $99.62.

09:47 EST LendingClub falls -23.4% - LendingClub is down -23.4%, or -$5.27 to $17.23.

09:47 EST Torrid rises 12.8% - Torrid is up 12.8%, or $1.06 to $9.37.

09:43 EST Natuzzi trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:33 EST Nevada reports December statewide gaming win up 68.2% to $1.15B - Nevada reports December Las Vegas Strip gaming win up 122.86% compared to 2020 to $650.78M. Publicly traded companies in the casino and gambling space include Boyd Gaming (BYD), Caesars (CZR), Churchill Downs (CHDN), DraftKings (DKNG), Flutter Entertainment (PDYPY), Gan Limited (GAN), Las Vegas Sands (LVS), MGM Resorts (MGM), Penn National (PENN), William Hill (WIMHY) and Wynn Resorts (WYNN).

09:30 EST MasterCard sees FY22 revenue at high end of high-teens rate, consensus $22.55B - Sees FY22 operating expense at low end of low double-digit rate.

09:27 EST Northrop Grumman says portfolio 'strongly aligned' with threat environment - Says making "substantial progress" in ESG journey. Says Space Systems expected to be fastest growing segment in FY22. Says backlog currently over $76B. Expects Q1 sales less than 25% of FY. Sees FY22 free cash flow $2.5B-$2.8B. Sees FY22 CapEx "roughly consistent" with FY21. Sees FY22 tax rate 17%. Expects to return at least $1.5B to shareholders in FY22 via share repurchases. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

09:20 EST E2open, PayCargo team to expedite freight payment process, to ease bottlenecks - E2open Parent Holdings announced a strategic partnership with PayCargo, a logistics payment solution, to simplify and speed up the freight payment process for carriers, fowarders, and shippers that move the world's goods. "The E2open platform will embed payment processes to facilitate faster release of cargo at ports via PayCargo's secure, cost-efficient solution thereby eliminating the traditional, resource-intensive system of requesting, printing, mailing, and delivering checks, wire transfers or cash. This combined capability will allow shippers, forwarders and carriers a seamless process for booking, confirming, tracking, settling, and releasing cargo, facilitating more efficient and seamless movement of goods from origin to destination," noted the company. "Our partnership with PayCargo not only improves our clients' experience, it also continues to make E2open the leading end-to-end supply chain platform and network provider to now include payment and settlement capabilities across modes. We are committed to growing our strategic partner ecosystem with high-value technology solutions that improve our clients' ability to do business," said Michael Farlekas, chief executive officer of E2open. "With PayCargo, we extend our payment and settlement capabilities to additional modes, and have the opportunity to further streamline more than a quarter of the world's cargo processes. This has a tremendous impact on the efficiency of freight movements and reduction of congestions, which positively impacts environmental sustainability."

09:18 EST NextPlay's Longroot selected by Ample Health to lead security token offering - NextPlay Technologies reported that its licensed Longroot digital token offering platform will serve as the financial advisor and underwriter for Ample Health's proposed security token offering. Longroot will be responsible for structuring the offering and raising the initial capital to fund the STO. It intends to lead Ample through the entire regulatory approval process, and then assist in the pricing and launching the STO through the Longroot portal. "This Ample Health STO represents a tremendous opportunity for us to represent a major client in the fast-growing global cannabis space," commented Todd Bonner, director of Longroot Limited and chairman of NextPlay Technologies. "Once complete, we believe it will represent the first of many successful STOs for Longroot that we are currently advancing in our pipeline."

09:16 EST LiveOne expands PodcastOne content into Tesla vehicles - LiveOne (LVO) announced that several hit podcasts from its subsidiary, PodcastOne, are now available across Tesla (TSLA) cars via LiveOne's LiveXLive streaming platform. Fan-favorite series Carolla Classics with Adam Carolla, The Jordan Harbinger Show, Off The Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe, LadyGang and many more will now be readily available in the "Podcast" section for Tesla-driving fans on the go, adding even more great content for LiveXLive users on mobile and browser.

09:15 EST AvePoint expands FedRAMP authorization to include additional cloud solutions - AvePoint announced the expansion of its FedRAMP authorization, an indication that its security controls have been rigorously evaluated and its SaaS solutions verified for use within all federal agencies. The addition of new FedRAMP authorized products, as well as its corporate status as an ISO and SOC 2 Type II certified vendor, "signal the AvePoint commitment to upholding the highest security standards for its customers, including public sector and federal organizations," the company said. "As organizations expand digital operations to multiple SaaS platforms, they need the confidence that the accumulated data is carefully managed, and only used for its intended purposes," said John Peluso, Chief Product Officer, AvePoint. "That's why, since our initial FedRAMP authorization last year, we invested in the authorization of solutions that go beyond our Microsoft 365 offerings. Our goal is to enable as many public sector and federal organizations to collaborate with confidence across all the platforms they use, knowing they have the highest security standards behind them."

09:13 EST BayFirst Financial increases quarterly cash dividend 14% to 8c per share - BayFirst Financial announced its Board of Directors increased its quarterly cash dividend by 14% to $0.08 per common share. The dividend will be payable March 15, 2022 to common shareholders of record as of March 1, 2022. This dividend marks the 23rd consecutive quarterly cash dividend paid since BayFirst initiated cash dividends in 2016, and represents a 240% increase over the 23-quarter period.

09:11 EST General Mills announces Richard Allendorf will retire as general counsel - General Mills announced that Richard Allendorf will retire as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of General Mills, effective August 2022. Allendorf joined General Mills in 1998. "Richard's leadership throughout his tenure has helped position General Mills for success," said Jeff Harmening, Chairman and CEO of General Mills. "He has provided thoughtful, strategic and practical counsel that has better positioned our company for growth. He has served as a trusted voice on our leadership team, been a valued liaison to our board of directors, and helped support our culture of inclusion. I'm grateful for his contributions to General Mills during his 23 years and wish him well in his retirement."

09:08 EST Hanmi Financial raises cash divend 10% to 22c per share - Hanmi Financial announced that its Board of Directors declared a cash dividend on its common stock for the 2022 first quarter of $0.22 per share, up 10% from $0.20 per share in the prior quarter. The dividend will be paid on February 24, 2022, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 7, 2022.

09:07 EST Confluent announces collaboration Amazon Web Services - Confluent (CFLT) announced a strategic collaboration agreement with Amazon Web Services (AMZN). Under this five-year agreement, Confluent and AWS have committed to joint go-to-market initiatives to help organizations accelerate their cloud adoption journey with real-time data.

09:06 EST Bally Sports, BetMGM to launch sports betting program - Bally Sports, a division of Sinclair Broadcast Group (SBGI), announced a partnership with BetMGM (MGM), to launch its networks' first sports betting program, Live on the Line, Powered by BetMGM. Airing weekdays at 12:00 PM ET across Bally Sports' 19 regional sports network brands, the Bally Sports app and Stadium, Live on the Line, Powered by BetMGM delivers up-to-date information for the betting audience, while also offering content for casual fans. Stadium, Sinclair's 24/7 multi-platform sports network, is producing the hour-long show in coordination with Bally Sports out of its Chicago-based studio. Custom BetMGM graphics, set integrations and interactive elements serve as visual cornerstones of the weekday program.

09:05 EST 180 Degree Capital provides update on potential $6.8M Petra milestone payment - 180 Degree Capital Corp (TURN) provided an update on the potential timing of a $6.8 million milestone payment from the acquisition of Petra Pharma Corporation by Eli Lilly and Company (LLY). In a presentation to investors in December 2021, Lilly noted that it expected to start human studies of the mutant-selective PI3Kalpha inhibitor developed by Petra in the first half of 2022. Although 180 cannot assure our investors when such an event may occur, if at all, such an event would trigger a contractual payment to former Petra shareholders, including 180. The $6.8 million payment, if received, would increase cash per share by $0.66, or 9% of our closing price on January 26, 2022. Lilly also noted in its Q3 2021 Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that a subsequent milestone payment could be due in 2023 upon achieving clinical proof of concept from this program. Should that milestone be achieved, 180 would receive an additional approximately $5.5 million. "We are encouraged by the presentation from Lilly that our former holding of Petra could yield a material amount of cash to 180 in the near term," said Daniel Wolfe, President of 180. "While the exact timing of achievement of the milestone Lilly discusses in its presentation remains uncertain, and there is always risk that it might not ultimately be achieved, Lilly's comments make us cautiously optimistic that we will ultimately receive this first milestone payment. Should this payment be received, it would open the door to additional contractual milestone payments of up to $80 million, to the extent Petra's technology achieves these further milestones in the future."

09:01 EST Fair Isaac announces new $500M stock repurchase program - FICO announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program to acquire up to $500M of the company's outstanding common stock. This new program was approved following completion of FICO's previous stock repurchase program, which was in effect from November 2021 through January 2022.

08:57 EST McDonald's feels 'really bullish' on U.S. momentum

08:51 EST McDonald's sees net new restaurant growth of about 3.5% this year - Sees "significant" commodity and labor inflation in the near-term.

08:50 EST McDonald's sees FY22 interest expense relatively flat vs. FY21 - Sees effective tax rate 20%-22%. Expects currency to negatively impact Q1 EPS by 5c-7c and 18c-20c for FY. Sees FY22 CapEx $2.2B-$2.4B.

08:50 EST SmileDirectClub announces expansion of whitening portfolio - SmileDirectClub announced the expansion of its oral care product offerings with its new Pro Whitening System Plus, featuring a Wireless LED Whitening Light. Putting advanced technology directly in the hands of consumers, the Pro Whitening System Plus is the brand's most complete teeth whitening system available, offering even more convenience and value. This new extension to SmileDirectClub's Pro Whitening System, the Pro Whitening System Plus features two 1-week treatments and a rechargeable, patented Wireless LED Whitening Light. "As we continue to expand our world-class line of bestselling oral care products at SmileDirectClub, we are constantly looking for ways to address our customer's needs," said Amy Keith, General Manager of Global Oral Care at SmileDirectClub. "The new Wireless LED Whitening Light in the Pro Whitening System Plus utilizes advanced technology to bring even more convenience to our customer's teeth whitening routine."

08:48 EST ZIM Integrated, 2M alliance partners extend operational collaboration pact - ZIM Integrated Shipping Services provided an update on the status of its discussions with its 2M alliance partners in connection with their operational cooperation agreement. ZIM and the 2M alliance partners have agreed, in principle, to extend their existing operational collaboration agreement on the Asia - US East Coast and Asia - US Gulf Coast trades based on a full slot exchange and vessel sharing agreement. The new agreement is expected to be concluded by the beginning of February and become effective on April 1. In addition, ZIM will launch ZIM Med Pacific, an independent pendulum service designed to address its customers' needs on the Asia to Mediterranean and Pacific North-West trades, and the current collaboration with the 2M partners on these trades will be terminated, effective April 1.

08:47 EST McDonald's: McPlant available across all restaurants in U.K., Ireland

08:46 EST Vital Farms appoints Kathryn McKeon as CMO - Vital Farms announced the appointment of Kathryn McKeon to CMO effective January 27, 2022. As CMO, McKeon will oversee the Brand, Content, Community Management, Shopper Marketing, Consumer Insights, Communications and Creative Design marketing functions. McKeon joined Vital Farms in 2016 as one of the first marketing leaders.

08:44 EST Assure Holdings performs approximately 17,400 procedures in 2021 - Assure Holdings announced an annual, quarterly and monthly record for managed cases in the full-year period, the fourth quarter and the month of December 2021. John Farlinger, executive chairman and CEO said, "The Company reported our highest number of managed cases in the full-year period, the fourth quarter and the month of December 2021. In 2021, Assure performed approximately 17,400 managed cases, exceeding our full-year forecast. This total included more than 5,000 managed cases in the fourth quarter of 2021 and over 1,900 in the month of December. Comparatively, in 2020, we performed over 9,900 managed cases during the full year, including more than 3,000 in the fourth quarter and nearly 1,100 in December 2020. Although we continue to experience a limited impact on our managed case volume as a result of COVID-19 and acknowledge that the pandemic has slowed our expansion efforts in certain markets, Assure is pleased to have grown its total managed cases by more than 75% in 2021. Looking forward, we continue to expect to grow our managed case volume to more than 25,000 managed cases in 2022 despite the lingering impact of COVID-19, representing a potential increase of more than 40%."

08:42 EST Ensysce Biosciences announces results of special meeting of stockholders - Ensysce Biosciences announced the results of the special meeting of stockholders held January 26, 2022. This meeting was held virtually, and the following resolutions were submitted and adopted by the stockholders: For purposes of complying with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(d), the issuance of shares of common stock issuable upon the conversion of certain convertible notes and the exercise of certain warrants. The approval of the Company's Amended and Restated 2021 Omnibus Incentive Plan and certain conditional grants thereunder.

08:42 EST Stifel Financial announces alliance with LFE Capital - Stifel Financial announced an alliance with LFE Capital, a growth equity firm dedicated to providing capital to women-owned and managed health and wellness businesses. As part of this partnership, Stifel is making a minority investment in LFE Capital and becoming an LP in its fourth fund. This investment is an extension of Stifel's initiative to develop relationships with the capacity to provide principal solutions. "We are committed to LFE Capital's ongoing mission to expand access to capital and networks to facilitate the continued success of the women's business community," said Victor Nesi, Co-President of Stifel and Head of Stifel's Institutional Group. "Through this collaboration, we can generate more unique and meaningful opportunities for Stifel employees and clients. We admire Leslie's foresight and tenacity in building LFE Capital and we are thrilled to take the next step of the journey with her and her team."

08:39 EST McDonald's: Operating conditions still challenging in Germany and France

08:39 EST AcelRx's sufentanil tablet shows pain medicine efficacy in publication - AcelRx announced the publication of an article reviewing the use of sufentanil sublingual tablet for pain medicine procedures in Current Pain and Headache Reports. Dr. Koushik's article discusses the challenges presented by patients suffering from chronic pain who are undergoing pain medicine procedures. In addition to SST having a non-invasive route of administration, the review article lists additional characteristics of SST, including "high bioavailability with avoidance of first-pass hepatic metabolism, rapid drug equilibration between central and peripheral compartments, the lack of active metabolites and a high therapeutic index." The article provides a detailed discussion of 23 published studies on SST assessing its safety and effectiveness in various medically supervised clinical settings. Lastly, the subject of SST as an option offering analgesia without the need for IV access or IV analgesics is discussed in the context of COVID-19-related social distancing requirements and drug shortages, as many IV sedatives and analgesics are on the FDA drug shortage list.

08:38 EST Taoping signs cooperation agreements to expand 3D iGallery, 'Smart Station' - Taoping announced that it has entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with three other companies to cooperate on naked-eye 3D iGallery and "Smart Station" projects. The three companies are BOE Yiyun Technology, Sichuan Lvfa Environmental Technology, and Wuxi Centennial Ronghua Technology Development. Pursuant to the agreement, which has a term of five years, TAOP is responsible for the market development of naked-eye 3D iGallery and "Smart Station" projects through its Taoping Alliance network and the overall operation of the new media advertising of Smart Station. The three partners are responsible to integrate and leverage their respective resources in brand, technology, channel, content, and operation to promote the development of naked-eye 3D iGallery and "Smart Station" projects in the market. "Naked-eye 3D iGallery and Smart Station are both smart projects that serve the common need and bring great experience to the public, We are excited to be involved in this project and we are confident by utilizing our advantage into the market development and the integration of all partners' resources", said Jianghuai Lin, Chairman and CEO of TAOP. "We will also work with the three partners to accelerate the implementation of the projects to allow more people to have access to the service and create value for the communities and the Company."

08:36 EST MeiraGTx receives clinical development milestone payment of $30M from Janssen - MeiraGTx (MGTX) announced that it has received a $30M payment from Janssen Pharmaceuticals (JNJ) part of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, for a clinical milestone in the Phase 3 Lumeos trial of botaretigene sparoparvovec, an investigational gene therapy for the treatment of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa. The Phase 3 Lumeos trial is a global study of botaretigene sparoparvovec which is now dosing participants. MeiraGTx and Janssen are jointly developing botaretigene sparoparvovec as part of a broader collaboration to develop and commercialize gene therapies for the treatment of inherited retinal diseases. MeiraGTx remains eligible to receive additional development and commercial milestones for botaretigene sparoparvovec as well as for other programs as part of the collaboration agreement. "XLRP is one of the most common and severe forms of retinitis pigmentosa, with no approved treatment options, and with most patients completely losing sight by the fourth decade of their lives," said Alexandria Forbes, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of MeiraGTx. "We are very pleased with the progress made in the Lumeos study and are working closely with our collaboration partner Janssen, the regulatory agencies, and patient and clinical communities to advance botaretigene sparoparvovec toward regulatory approval."

08:35 EST NeuroSense extends collaborative biomarker study with MA General Hospital - NeuroSense announced the initiation of the third stage of a collaborative biomarker study with Massachusetts General Hospital. The extension of this collaborative effort follows two prior successful studies conducted with the novel neuron derived exosomes platform, also completed in collaboration with MGH. The new study, building upon the success of the first two studies, is intended to expand the insight into these biomarkers and their correlation to the progression of ALS symptoms by evaluating the same biomarkers longitudinally in patients who have not been treated with PrimeC. This enhanced understanding of the mechanism of action for PrimeC and its impact on disease progression is intended to provide support regarding the effectiveness of PrimeC in treating ALS and assist NeuroSense in optimizing the clinical trials that are planned for FDA approval and commercialization.

08:34 EST McDonald's CEO sees 2022 as a year of progress, but with 'enduring' challenges - Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

08:31 EST Northrop Grumman says Q4 operating income was down 15% - The company states that Q4 segment operating income "decreased $171M, or 15%, primarily due to lower operating income at Aeronautics Systems, principally due to a $93M unfavorable estimate-at-completion adjustment on F-35. Defense Systems operating income also declined in the fourth quarter of 2021 due to the impact of the IT services divestiture. Fourth quarter 2020 segment operating income from the IT services business was $67M. Fourth quarter 2021 segment operating margin rate of 11.2% was consistent with the prior year period." The company further notes that "sales were reduced by approximately 6% at each of the sectors due to four less working days when compared to the fourth quarter of 2020. Sector operations also were affected by the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the broader economic environment, including a tight labor market, elevated levels of employee leave, and supply chain challenges."

08:30 EST ABRI SPAC I Inc (Units) trading resumes

08:26 EST Pennant Group announces strategic senior living transactions - The Pennant Group (PNTG) announced a series of strategic transactions that better positions its senior living portfolio for success in the short and long term. The Company announced that it has entered into definitive agreements to transfer the operations of five senior living communities to affiliates of The Ensign Group (ENSG). These five communities are located in Washington, Arizona and California and are co-located with skilled nursing facilities operated by affiliates of Ensign. The transaction is anticipated to occur across separate closings in the first half of 2022, subject to receipt of third party approvals and other customary closing conditions. On the same day, the Company announced that it has entered into a letter of intent to lease the operations of a Class A senior living community in a key market for Pennant. It is anticipated that the commencement date of this long-term, triple net lease will begin in the second quarter of 2022. Danny Walker, Pennant's Chief Executive Officer, commented, "As we continue to build a strong operating foundation in our senior living segment, the combination of these transactions provides immediate benefits that will positively impact our 2022 segment bottom-line results while creating additional long-term upside opportunity through a high-quality asset in a market where we have deep home health and hospice presence." Upon closing of these transactions, Pennant affiliates will operate 50 senior living communities across six states.

08:23 EST Magna announces secondary eDrive systems on Volkswagen MEB platform - Magna (MGA) continues its growth in electrification with secondary eDrive systems hitting the market in Asia, Europe and North America on Volkswagen's (VWAGY) MEB platform. The HASCO Magna Electric Drive Systems team in China has started high-volume serial production of secondary eDrive systems for the Volkswagen ID.4 electric crossover, one of the automaker's vehicles on the MEB platform. "We take a lot of pride in being the global supplier for all secondary eDrives for Volkswagen's MEB platform and seeing the initial vehicles hit the market," said Tom Rucker, President of Magna Powertrain. "This is Magna's most recent, high-voltage eDrive system to be industrialized for serial production, and we are excited to make it available to the global market."

08:20 EST Santa Clara VTA partners with Proterra for electric bus charging - The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority will install an innovative clean energy microgrid and EV fleet charging system with Proterra and Scale Microgrid Solutions to help power the agency's transition to a 100% zero-emission bus fleet, following a grant that was awarded for the project by the California Energy Commission this week. In the event of an extended power outage, such as a public safety power shutoff, electricity stored in the microgrid's battery storage system can provide back-up power at VTA's Cerone bus yard to allow the agency to continue operating battery-electric buses, serving riders and providing emergency transport if needed. The solar PV and battery energy storage system will give VTA operational flexibility on when to purchase the utility power needed to charge its vehicle fleet, saving the agency on its electricity costs and further reducing its total operating costs compared to continued diesel bus operations. Expected to come online in late 2023, the project showcases how clean energy paired with fleet-scale EV charging can enable the adoption of fully-electric vehicle fleets and further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

08:19 EST HomeTrust raises quarterly dividend 12.5% to 9c per share - The Company also announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.09 per common share, reflecting a $0.01, or 12.5% increase over the previous quarter's dividend. This is the third increase of the quarterly dividend since the Company initiated cash dividends in November 2018. The dividend is payable on December 2, 2021 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 18, 2021.

08:15 EST Westport joins World Hydrogen Council - Westport Fuel Systems announced that it has joined the Hydrogen Council as a supporting member. The Hydrogen Council is a global CEO-level advisory body providing a long-term vision for the important role of hydrogen technologies in an energy transition for cleaner transportation solutions. "We are thrilled to join the Hydrogen Council as a supporting member," said David M. Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Westport Fuel Systems. "The Hydrogen Council continues to boost global collaboration and work within the industry to scale up hydrogen solutions for cleaner transportation. We believe that green hydrogen in internal combustion engines and fuel cell vehicles will be key in decarbonizing transport. As a global leader in gaseous fuel solutions, we look forward to working with the Hydrogen Council to advance hydrogen's role in the clean energy transition."

08:13 EST Albertsons selects Afresh Technologies AI Platform - Albertsons will enhance its fresh offering with Afresh Technologies' AI-powered predictive ordering and inventory solutions to reduce waste and offer fresh product for customers. Afresh will help Albertsons Cos.' optimize fresh forecasting, inventory, ordering, merchandising and operations. Afresh Technologies enables Albertsons Cos. to deploy AI technology platform in all its stores while helping to reduce food waste, ultimately reducing greenhouse gas emissions and saving water.

08:12 EST Volt Information Sciences names Craig Lewis Chief Revenue Officer - Volt Information Sciences announced that Craig Lewis has been appointed Chief Revenue Officer of the Company, effective January 24 . Mr. Lewis has overall leadership responsibility for Volt's nationwide commercial and technical branch network, as well as the Company's enterprise sales organization. . .

08:11 EST Capstone Green Energy enters 10-year FPP contract for two systems - Capstone Green Energy announced that Servelect, Capstone's exclusive distributor for Romania, entered into a new 10-year Parts and Labor Factory Protection Plan, or FPP, service contract for two Capstone Signature Series C600S natural gas-fueled systems installed in Eastern Europe.

08:11 EST Truist Financial announces goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 - Truist Financial announced plans to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. To further advance the progress towards the net zero goal, Truist will continue to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG emissions from its operations - including investing in energy efficiency projects at corporate offices and bank branches. Truist also will work to measure and report on enhanced Scope 3 categories. Truist will broadly support clients and the economy in these important and beneficial transitions and continue to share progress in its upcoming CSR and ESG Report and in the second issuance of its Task Force for Climate-Related Financial Disclosures Report.

08:10 EST JetBlue: Reduced Q1 capacity plan by 5 points due to omicron impact - Expects demand to accelerate throughout 2022.

08:10 EST Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment enters 10-year agreement with Genesis Global - Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment announced it has signed a 10-year agreement with Genesis Global, a mobile-first global gaming operator. Per terms of the agreement, Genesis will become the official mobile sports-betting partner of the company, operating its platform in partnership with HOFV, and handle all aspects of those operations, subject to the procurement of necessary licenses. The new agreement also includes a sponsorship component-which includes support of the Hall of Fantasy League-adding Genesis to HOFV's family of world-class sponsors, and a future limited equity interest in Genesis. The agreement will provide ample opportunities for cross-marketing, branding and direct engagement with consumers for both entities.

08:10 EST Comscore announces renewal, expansion of Gray Television partnership - Comscore (SCOR) announced a renewed and expanded agreement to provide Gray Television (GTN) with the full suite of Comscore's local market currency tools, including Comscore's Advanced Automotive Demographics segments. Gray TV will now be using Comscore's audience data as primary selling currency across 199 stations in 96 markets including its largest, Atlanta, and will serve as Gray's exclusive currency in 95 of those markets.

08:09 EST JetBlue sees 1Q22 capacity down 1% to up 2% vs. 1Q19 - Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call presentation slides.

08:08 EST Cocrystal selects two antiviral drug candidates for COVID-19 oral drug program - Cocrystal Pharma has selected two investigational novel antiviral drug candidates for further development as oral treatments for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. CDI-988 and CDI-873 target a highly conserved region in the active site of SARS-CoV-2 main (3CL) protease required for viral RNA replication. Cocrystal plans to initiate a first-in-human trial with one selected candidate as soon as possible this year. "We are excited to have discovered two lead COVID-19 oral antiviral candidates that both demonstrate highly encouraging preclinical efficacy and safety data," said Sam Lee, Cocrystal's President and interim co-CEO. "We plan to continue evaluating both CDI-988 and CDI-873 for clinical development, while we are also rapidly advancing our inhalation/pulmonary SARS-CoV-2 lead candidate CDI-45205 toward clinical development. The objective of our multipronged strategy is to offer highly potent and safe antiviral therapeutics for hospitalized patients, as well as for those not requiring hospitalization, including for prophylactic use to provide protection to uninfected individuals who may become exposed. We expect one oral candidate in addition to our inhalation/pulmonary candidate to advance into clinical trials this year."

08:08 EST Charles River expands strategic partnership with Samdi Tech - Charles River announced the expansion of their strategic partnership with Chicago, Illinois-based Samdi Tech. Under the existing partnership, established in 2018, Samdi Tech clients have access to Charles River's collection of lead-like compounds for high-throughput screening. The expanded agreement establishes Charles River as the exclusive partner for the promotion of Samdi Tech's technology. This partnership will provide Charles River's clients seamless access to the premiere, label-free high-throughput screening mass spectrometry platform in drug discovery. The Samdi technology combines self-assembled monolayers and MALDI MS, and addresses the throughput and sample preparation limitations of traditional MS screening methods. The combination of Charles River's end-to-end portfolio and scientific bench with Samdi Tech's innovative technology and expertise in assay solutions has the potential to significantly accelerate and augment clients' discovery efforts by measuring biochemical activities and binding events for virtually any target.

08:06 EST Simmons First National board autrhorizes new $175M share repurchase program - The Company announced that its board of directors has authorized a new stock repurchase program under which the Company may repurchase up to $175,000,000 of its Class A common stock currently issued and outstanding. The New Program replaces the 2019 Program.

08:05 EST Honeywell to form joint venture with Avangard Innovative - Honeywell announced its intent to form a joint venture with Avangard Innovative to build an advanced recycling plant in Texas. The facility will use Honeywell's recently announced UpCycle Process Technology to transform end-of-life plastic waste into recycled polymer feedstock that can be used to create new plastics. Avangard Innovative is the largest plastics recycler in the Americas and will be the first to deploy the UpCycle Process Technology in the United States. Honeywell and Avangard intend to form a joint venture to co-own and operate a facility within Avangard's NaturaPCR complex in Waller, Texas. The planned advanced recycling plant is expected to have the capacity to transform 30,000 metric tons of mixed waste plastics into Honeywell Recycled Polymer Feedstock per year. Production is anticipated to begin in 2023.

08:05 EST Simmons First National declares quarterly cash dividend 19c per share - As a result of the Company's strong capital position and ability to organically generate capital, the Company's board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend on the Company's Class A common stock of $0.19 per share, which is payable on April 4, 2022, to shareholders of record as of March 15, 2022. The cash dividend rate represents an increase of $0.01 per share, or 6 percent, from the dividend paid for the same time period last year.

08:03 EST MasterCard CEO: Q4 cross-border spending above pre-pandemic levels - "We had a strong fourth quarter as spending trends continued to improve, with Q4 cross-border spending now above pre-pandemic levels. We are optimistic about the coming year as consumers, businesses and governments have become more adaptable to the changing environment," said Michael Miebach, Mastercard CEO. "We are executing on our strategic priorities and making good progress in scaling new products, strengthening partner relationships and winning new deals. Further, we are adding to our unique services capabilities with the planned acquisition of Dynamic Yield, which creates individually tailored experiences for consumers across digital channels."

08:03 EST Lipocine's Tlando Phase 3 results featured in peer-reviewed publication - Lipocine announced the peer-reviewed publication of positive Phase 3 clinical data from the Dosing Validation study which evaluated the fixed-dose oral testosterone undecanoate, Tlando, for the treatment of hypogonadism. As previously disclosed, the DV study met its primary endpoint, with Tlando restoring testosterone levels to the normal range in hypogonadal males. The FDA previously granted tentative approval to Tlando in adult males indicated for conditions associated with a deficiency or absence of endogenous testosterone: primary hypogonadism and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.

07:59 EST Lilium arrives at ATLAS flight test center, hires Chief Test Pilot - Lilium (LILM) announced that one of its 5th generation technology demonstrators has arrived at the ATLAS Flight Test Center in Villacarrillo, Spain where Lilium plans to continue its flight test campaign at higher speeds and over longer distances, thereby expanding the testing capabilities beyond Germany. The campaign is bolstered by newly appointed Chief Test Pilot, Andrew Strachan. Prior to joining Lilium, Strachan served in the Royal Air Force and then had a career as a test pilot and later Chief Test Pilot at Leonardo Helicopters (FINMY)

07:53 EST MSCI sees FY22 free cash flow $1.05B-$1.1B - Sees FY22: Net cash from operating activities $1.12B-$1.16B; CapEx $60M-$70M; Effective tax rate 15.5%-18.5%.

07:52 EST ReNew Energy Global sells roftop portfolio for $90M - ReNew has sold 117 MW/138 MWp of its distributed rooftop solar portfolio to Fourth Partner Energy, one of India's leading rooftop solar energy companies, for approximately $89.9M. Fourth Partner is an investee company of TPG and Norfund. After accounting for an outstanding debt of $18.3M, the cash proceeds from the sale are $71.6M. ReNew expects to record a gain from the deal. With the sale, the run-rate-adjusted EBITDA for ReNew's total portfolio will be reduced by $9.35M-$9.55M.

07:42 EST DocGo to acquire three ambulance licenses, assets - DocGo announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire three ambulance licenses and additional assets from Mid Atlantic Care, a medical transportation provider with operations in Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania. This expansion enables DocGo to provide basic life support, advanced life support and specialty care transport services to the residents of Delaware through its mobility platform, Ambulnz by DocGo, with plans to expand to Maryland and Pennsylvania soon after.

07:39 EST Orgenesis reaches milestone in collaboration with Hospital Infantil - Orgenesis announces it has achieved its latest milestone in the second phase of its collaboration with the Hospital Infantil Universitario Nino Jesus in Madrid, Spain. The milestone has been achieved by completing the placement of an Orgenesis Mobile Processing Unit and Lab on site. This OMPUL is the first in Europe that has been designed specifically to process Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes and Mesenchymal Stem Cells. OMPULs are multi-purpose mobile autonomous good manufacturing practice facilities intended to develop, optimize and process cell and gene therapies at the point of care. Orgenesis first signed a research and development collaboration with Hospital Infantil Universitario Nino Jesus in May 2020, which was established to create a point-of-care center. The OMPUL was delivered in January 2022 and is expected to be operational following certification by the Spanish health authorities and regulatory bodies, which is anticipated in Q2, 2022. The manufacture and processing of TILs at the point of care is expected to lead to significant development and manufacturing cost reductions for the Hospital. In turn, the OMPUL is also expected to contribute to a significant reduction in the cost of goods of other cell therapies, including the Celyvir therapy, an MSCs based therapy which was licensed from the Hospital in March 2021. The cost of goods has been a major industry barrier to delivering TILs and other cell therapies to patients, many of whom have few alternative therapeutic options.

07:37 EST Biogen, Eisai provide update on Phase 4 ENVISION study of ADUHELM - Biogen Inc. (BIIB) and Eisai (ESALY) announced additional details about the Phase 4 post-marketing confirmatory study, ENVISION, of ADUHELM 100 mg/mL injection for intravenous use in early Alzheimer's disease, including details of the study's goal for diverse enrollment and primary endpoint. Biogen aims to enroll 18 percent of U.S. participants in ENVISION from Black/African American and Latinx populations. This goal is reflective of Biogen's ongoing commitment to increase diversity in clinical trials. Biogen will implement multiple strategies to help overcome barriers to diverse patient enrollment in Alzheimer's disease trials, such as, lack of access to medical centers, familiarity with benefit/risk profile of treatment, and financial or logistical burdens. The companies also announced hat the primary endpoint for the global, placebo-controlled ENVISION trial will be measured by the Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes at 18 months after treatment initiation with ADUHELM. The CDR-SB endpoint is a validated measure of both cognition and function that is widely used in clinical trials of patients with early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease, is consistent with ADUHELM's Phase 3 EMERGE and ENGAGE studies, and capable of generating robust outcomes. The update also includes an increase in the previously announced enrollment, from 1,300 to 1,500 people with early Alzheimer's disease, with confirmation of amyloid beta pathology, to further strengthen the data provided by the study. Although ENVISION and other ADUHELM clinical trials are already planned or underway, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently released a draft National Coverage Determination, which would restrict Medicare coverage of ADUHELM and other amyloid-targeting therapies to patients enrolled in an additional clinical trial. Biogen is committed to engaging with CMS to avoid unnecessary duplication of clinical trials and work towards finding a path to offer immediate access to patients to the first FDA approved treatment for Alzheimer's disease since 2003. In addition to the primary endpoint, CDR-SB, secondary endpoints include Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale, Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study - Activities of Daily Living Inventory - Mild Cognitive Impairment Version, Integrated Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination and Neuropsychiatric Inventory. The initiation of patient screening for ENVISION is planned for May 2022. Based on enrollment rates from the previous Phase 3 trials with ADUHELM, the primary completion date is expected to be approximately four years after the study begins. The companies are grateful to the healthcare professionals, medical centers, patients and families who will participate in this trial. Previously, in July 2021, the companies set another substantial diversity goal in the observational Phase 4 ICARE AD trial, which aims to enroll a total of approximately 6,000 patients.

07:36 EST The Real Brokerage Inc. launches operations in Ontario - The Real Brokerage has launched operations in Ontario, Canada. This is the second Canadian province Real is operating in, in addition to 40 states and the District of Columbia in the U.S. As part of the launch, broker Scott Benson has been named Real's Canada Growth Leader. Real also appointed real estate broker Melissa Puklicz as Broker of Record for Ontario. Puklicz began her career in real estate in 2006, working for numerous brokerages including Royal LePage, Sutton Group Quantum and Century 21.

07:33 EST Sharecare awarded three-year NCQA Population Health Program Accreditation - Sharecare has received three-year accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance for its population health management platform, including programs for coronary artery disease, heart failure, asthma, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. NCQA Accreditation standards are developed with input from various stakeholders and resources: health plans, population health management industry leaders and organizations, an expert panel and standing committees.

07:32 EST BridgeBio doses first patient in Phase 1/2 trial of BBP-631 - BridgeBio Pharma announced that the first patient has been dosed in ADventure, its Phase 1/2 clinical trial of BBP-631, an investigational adeno-associated virus 5 gene therapy for the treatment of classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia. CAH is one of the most prevalent genetic diseases, with more than 75,000 cases estimated in the United States and European Union. The Phase 1/2 open-label study is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacodynamic activity of the company's AAV5 gene therapy, BBP-631, in adults with classic CAH. In the initial dose-finding phase of the study, each subject will receive a single intravenous infusion. The primary outcomes of the study are safety, as well as change from baseline in endogenous cortisol levels which BBP-631 has the unique potential to restore. Change from baseline in steroid biomarkers for hydroxyprogesterone levels and androstenedione levels will also be measured. Preclinical proof-of-concept data have shown the approach provides efficient and persistent delivery of functional 21-hydroxylase enzyme to the adrenal gland. BridgeBio's investigational AAV5 gene therapy for CAH is one of the Company's 14 programs that are in the clinic or commercial setting for patients living with genetic diseases and cancers. Initial Phase 1/2 data readouts of the Company's AAV5 gene therapy for CAH and the Company's AAV9 gene therapy for Canavan disease are expected in the second half of 2022.

07:28 EST Cactus increases quarterly cash dividend to 11c per share - Cactus announced that its board of directors approved an increase in the quarterly cash dividend to 11c per share of Class A common stock with payment to occur on March 17 to holders of record of Class A common stock at the close of business on February 28. A corresponding distribution of up to 11c per CW Unit has also been approved for holders of CW Units of Cactus Wellhead.

07:26 EST 4D pharma announces additional data from Part A of MRx-4DP0004 trial - 4D pharma announced additional clinical data from Part A of its Phase I/II trial of MRx-4DP0004, an orally-delivered single strain Live Biotherapeutic being developed for the treatment of asthma. The company previously reported topline safety and efficacy data from Part A, and announced additional details of these results. The Phase I/II trial is a multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in patients with partly controlled asthma taking long-term medication. The primary endpoint of Part A was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of MRx-4DP0004. Secondary endpoints evaluating clinical activity include Asthma Control Questionnaire, use of short-acting beta agonist rescue medication, Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire, lung function, and exacerbations. As previously announced, Part A met the primary endpoint and the safety profile of MRx-4DP0004 was comparable to placebo. In addition, MRx-4DP0004 showed activity across multiple secondary endpoints compared to placebo, generating promising preliminary signals of clinical activity which support progression into Part B of the Phase I/II study. Part B is expected to enroll up to 90 patients and will assess clinical efficacy in addition to exploratory immune and microbiome biomarkers. Part A of the Phase I/II clinical trial enrolled 34 patients, randomized 1:1 to receive oral MRx-4DP0004 or placebo twice daily for 12 weeks, in addition to their usual maintenance therapy of inhaled corticosteroids with or without long-acting beta agonist. MRx-4DP0004 achieved the primary endpoint of safety and tolerability in combination with ICS and LABA. Overall, 61.1% of patients receiving MRx-4DP0004 experienced any adverse event compared to 75% of patients receiving placebo, of which only two were possibly related to MRx-4DP0004. All AEs were mild or moderate in severity. No serious adverse events related to treatment were reported. At all timepoints throughout the treatment period, a significantly greater proportion of MRx-4DP0004 treated patients experienced reductions from baseline in Asthma Control Questionnaire score, as compared to placebo. At end of treatment, 83.3% of patients receiving MRx-4DP0004 experienced reductions in ACQ-6 score, compared to 56.3% in the placebo arm. The proportion of patients with reductions in ACQ-6 score at end of treatment will be the primary endpoint for Part B of the Phase I/II trial. Moreover, at end of treatment, 50% of patients receiving MRx-4DP0004 experienced reductions from baseline in ACQ-6 scores of 0.5 or more, compared to 37.5% in the placebo arm. At the end of treatment, 50% of patients receiving MRx-4DP0004 reduced their use of SABA, compared to 18.8% of patients receiving placebo. Overreliance on SABA rescue medication is associated with a greater risk of exacerbations, hospitalizations and mortality, and reduced SABA use is a key indicator of improved asthma control. Overall, 50% of patients receiving MRx-4DP0004 experienced a clinically meaningful increase in Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire scores of 0.5 at end of treatment, compared to 31.3% receiving placebo. MRx-4DP0004-treated patients' quality of life continued to improve over the treatment period. Mean measures of lung function including forced expiratory volume in the first second, peak expiratory flow and ratio of FEV1 to forced vital capacity for both MRx-4DP0004 and placebo treatment arms generally remained within normal ranges from baseline to end of treatment. One of 18 patients randomized to MRx-4DP0004 experienced an asthma exacerbation, compared to two of 16 patients randomized to placebo.

07:22 EST EVgo, CBL & Associates announce retail partnership - EVgo (EVGO) and CBL Properties (CBL) announced a partnership to add EVgo fast charging to select retail locations, including the first EVgo station in Kansas. The partnership supports EVgo's plans to expand its public network in response to increased demand for EV charging in new markets and the growing segment of EV drivers that rely on public charging. Visitors to the EVgo stations at CBL Properties can charge up to 80% in 15-45 minutes.

07:21 EST MediciNova receives Notice of Intention to grant for a new patent from EPO - MediciNova announced that it has received a Notice of Intention to Grant from the European Patent Office for a pending patent application which covers MN-166 for the treatment of alcohol use disorder. Once issued, the patent maturing from this allowed patent application is expected to expire no earlier than May 2037. The allowed claims cover a method of treating a patient diagnosed with alcohol use disorder in which the patient also exhibits symptoms of depression with MN-166. The allowed claims cover a wide range of dosage strengths and dosing regimens of MN-166. The allowed claims also cover combination therapies of MN-166 and one or more other therapeutic agents.

07:19 EST Extreme Networks designated Super Bowl LVI official wi-fi analytics provider - Extreme Networks is again the Official Wi-Fi Analytics Provider of Super Bowl LVI, set to take place on February 13 in Inglewood, California. This marks Extreme's ninth consecutive Super Bowl as an official provider of Wi-Fi analytics. ExtremeAnalytics is deployed at 29 of 30 NFL stadiums. SoFi is one of nine NFL stadiums using Extreme Venue Analytics 2.0, a custom solution designed for the NFL. Based on Extreme insights, NFL teams, on average, saw a 22 percent increase in peak throughput of data and a 31 percent increase in transfer speed of data during games this season in comparison to the 2019 season. ExtremeWireless access points are currently deployed at 12 NFL stadiums.

07:17 EST Alliance Data sees FY22 revenue growth aligned with receivables growth - Sees FY22 net interest margin steady on full year basis vs. 2021.

07:16 EST Atai Life Sciences to partner with Dalriada - Dalriada Drug Discovery is pleased to announce a strategic collaboration with atai Life Sciences' newly launched platform company Invyxis, focused on developing next-generation small molecule therapies based on psychedelics and related compounds for mental health disorders. The goal of the partnership is to establish a diversified pipeline of new chemical entities designed to improve upon current compounds in clinical and preclinical development to treat these disorders. Initial work will focus on designing novel compounds aimed at the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor with other central nervous system targets to follow. In addition to the creation of the pipeline, the collaboration critically includes the creation of a substantial pharmacology platform that will enable deep interrogation of known and novel compounds at a target level. As part of the collaboration, Dalriada assumes responsibility for the discovery R&D programs, including the hit identification, hit to lead, and lead optimization stages up to the nomination of the development candidate. atai will be responsible for the preclinical and clinical development.

07:15 EST Extreme Networks and National Hockey League enter multiyear partnership - Extreme Networks and the National Hockey League announced a new multiyear partnership, naming Extreme the Official Wi-Fi Analytics Provider and an Official Wi-Fi Partner of the NHL in the U.S. through 2026. As part of the partnership, Extreme will deploy ExtremeAnalytics across select NHL arenas for visibility into Wi-Fi network performance at cloud speed. The NHL and Extreme also create more personalized, fluid and memorable gameday experiences such as mobile ticketing, cash free concessions, video streaming and playback and in-arena apps.

07:12 EST Paramount Gold Nevada reports results of metallurgical tests at Sleeper Gold - Paramount Gold Nevada announced the results of metallurgical tests designed to recover gold from sulphide mineralization, which is not included in the current mine plan for its 100% owned Sleeper Gold Project in northern Nevada. As part of Paramount's strategic plan to advance the former high-grade producing Sleeper gold mine towards a production decision, last year the Company initiated metallurgical testing of Atmospheric Alkaline Oxidation for treatment of sulphide mineralization. The objective was to increase "mineable material" to the projected conventional heap leach operation outlined in the existing Preliminary Economic Assessment by evaluating an alternative process to oxidize gold rich, sulphide material. The current PEA, completed in 2015, envisioned a 30,000 tonnes per day heap leach operation that would process oxide and transitional ores only. The PEA anticipated processing over 77 million tonnes of ore containing over 1 million ounces of gold and over 5 million ounces of silver, with a pretax NPV5% of $201.8 million. These figures assumed a gold price of $1,250 per ounce reflecting market conditions at the time the PEA was completed. Recent testing concentrated on the gold rich, sulphide bearing mineralized material not included in the PEA from the West Wood Zone, with composites from core samples grading between 0.32 and 3.35g/t of gold. A total of 14 composite samples were evaluated in various lab conditions at McClelland Laboratories, Inc. in Reno, Nevada. Following successful oxidation of the sulfide material that occurred within 48 hours, initial gold recoveries in lab conditions were excellent, reaching up to 83.4%. The next step in the metallurgical testing is to identify the optimal parameters for the AAO process including but not limited to oxidation time, temperatures, and crush size to emulate heap oxidation. Once the AAO metallurgical testing is complete, Paramount will compare the results with cyanide column leaching tests and results from bio-oxidation testing completed in 2015 that averaged gold recoveries of 76% and up to 81%. Paramount and MDA, a division of RESPEC, will then evaluate various mining and processing scenarios with the intent of completing a new Preliminary Economic Assessment that complies with new SEC SK 1300 disclosure regulations and updates the economic analysis with current gold and silver prices. The PEA will include gold recoveries using conventional heap leaching of the oxide and transitional ore, plus the selected oxidation method to process the remaining higher grade sulphide gold mineralization. The Sleeper restart initiative is one of four value-enhancing programs now in progress at Paramount including final permitting of the high-grade gold Grassy Mountain Project, drilling on the high priority Frost Project and target identification at the Bald Peak Project where drilling is expected later this year.

07:10 EST JetBlue sees Q1 CASM ex-fuel will increase 13%-15% YoY - "For the first quarter of 2022, we estimate CASM ex-fuel will increase between 13% to 15% year over three. For the full-year 2022, we expect CASM ex-fuel(2) to increase in the range of 1% to 5% versus 2019. We expect elevated unit costs in the first half, followed by a meaningful improvement in the second half of the year as we plan for our network, operation, and aircraft utilization to settle into a 'new normal' with optimal staffing levels, along with the ramp of our planned cost initiatives. For the full-year, we have repaid a total of approximately $1.9 billion of debt. Our balance sheet continues to be among the strongest in the industry, and we'll continue our balanced approach to capital allocation to drive shareholder value."

07:09 EST International Paper sees 2022 free cash flow $1.3B-$1.5B

07:07 EST Rogers Communications: Shaw transaction remains on track to close in 1H22

07:05 EST International Paper expects to grow earnings in 2022

07:03 EST McDonald's reports Q4 system-wide sales up 13%, 14% in constant currencies

07:02 EST Sandy Spring Bancorp board increases quarterly dividend 2c to 34c per share - Sandy Spring Bancorp announced that the board of directors declared a quarterly common stock dividend of 34c per share payable on February 28, 2022 to shareholders of record on February 18, 2022. This dividend is $0.02 more than the previous linked quarter and the first quarter of 2021.

06:52 EST Southwest says reducing Q1 capacity - The company said, "Based on current cost trends and recently reduced capacity plans, first quarter 2022 operating expenses, excluding fuel and oil expense, special items, and profitsharing, are expected to increase in the range of 20 percent to 24 percent on a unit basis5 as compared with first quarter 2019, an increase from the Company's previous guidance of 10 percent to 14 percent. The Company continues to experience cost pressure due to inflation in labor rates and airport costs, as well as unit cost headwinds from operating at suboptimal productivity levels. Additionally, the Company has temporarily extended incentive pay to its Operations Employees through early February 2022, which is expected to result in an additional $150 million of salaries, wages, and benefits expense in first quarter 2022. Furthermore, the Company is reducing its first quarter 2022 capacity to provide additional stability during this challenging environment. Compared with the Company's previous first quarter 2022 unit cost guidance, excluding fuel and oil expense, special items, and profitsharing, approximately half of the estimated unit cost increase is attributable to the temporary incentive pay offered to Operations Employees, and the remaining half is driven by reduced capacity. The Company now expects its first quarter and full year 2022 interest expense to be $90 million and $360 million, respectively, a decrease from its previous expectation of $110 million and $440 million, respectively, due to the Company's adoption of a new accounting standard related to convertible debt. Effective January 1, 2022, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2020-06, Debt-Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging-Contracts in Entity's Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity's Own Equity. As a result of this new standard, the Company will no longer record amortization of the debt discount associated with its convertible notes to interest expense."

06:47 EST Northrop Grumman authorizes additional buyback for $2.0B

06:44 EST Valero: Startup of Diamond Green Diesel project expected in 1Q23 - The DGD 2 expansion project at Valero's St. Charles refinery commenced operations in the fourth quarter, on-budget and ahead of schedule. DGD 2's annual renewable diesel production capacity has been increased as a result of process improvement and optimization and now stands at 410 million gallons per year, compared to the 400 million gallons per year design capacity. Total DGD renewable diesel production capacity is now 700 million gallons per year. The DGD project at Valero's Port Arthur refinery, which is expected to have a renewable diesel production capacity of 470 million gallons per year, is progressing ahead of schedule and is now expected to commence operations in the first quarter of 2023, increasing DGD's total annual production capacity to approximately 1.2 billion gallons of renewable diesel and 50 million gallons of renewable naphtha. BlackRock and Navigator's large-scale carbon sequestration project is also progressing on schedule and is still expected to begin startup activities in late 2024. Valero is expected to be the anchor shipper with eight of Valero's ethanol plants connected to this system, producing a lower carbon intensity ethanol product to be marketed in low-carbon fuel markets that is expected to result in a higher product margin. Refinery optimization projects that are expected to reduce cost and improve margin capture are progressing on schedule. The Port Arthur Coker project, which is expected to increase the refinery's utilization rate and improve turnaround efficiency, is expected to be completed in the first half of 2023.

06:34 EST D-Orbit to become public through Breeze Holdings Acquisition combination - D-Orbit S.p.A. announced that it will become publicly listed through a business combination with Breeze Holdings Acquisition. The transaction values the company at an enterprise value of approximately $1.28B post-money. In connection with the transaction and to help drive D-Orbit's next phase of growth, Breeze Holdings and D-Orbit are partnering with The Charles F. Bolden Group, a consortium of leaders with space and aerospace experience. Following the closing of the transaction, D-Orbit will continue to be led by its founders Luca Rossettini, CEO and Renato Panesi, chief commercial officer. Under the terms of the business combination agreement with Breeze Holdings, D-Orbit S.A., a newly formed joint stock company governed by the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg will become the parent company of both D-Orbit and Breeze Holdings and will issue ordinary shares to the shareholders of D-Orbit and Breeze Holdings. Upon closing, Holdco's common stock is expected to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol (DOBT). The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both D-Orbit and Breeze Holdings. It is expected to close in Q2 or Q3, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including certain governmental approvals and the approval of the shareholders of Breeze Holdings and the contribution of the D-Orbit shares by the D-Orbit shareholders. The transaction is expected to deliver up to $185M in cash at closing, which includes a $29 M binding convertible debt financing provided by ATW Partners. D-Orbit intends to use the proceeds from the transaction to accelerate investments in its ION Satellite Carrier, Advanced Services and space cloud infrastructure capabilities and In-Orbit Servicing solutions, build out its bench of talent to support the development of new technologies and drive expansion into new space segments.

06:08 EST Tractor Supply announces $2B increase to share repurchase plan - The Board also authorized a $2B increase to its existing share repurchase program, bringing the total amount authorized to date under the program to $6.5B. As of December 25, 2021, the company had repurchased 74.2M shares of common stock for approximately $4.16B since the inception of its share repurchase program in 2007.

06:07 EST Tractor Supply raises quarterly dividend 77% to 92c per share - The dividend will be paid on March 8 to shareholders of record of the company's common stock as of the close of business on February.

06:05 EST FS Bancorp raises quarterly dividend to 20c from 15c per share - To be paid on February 24 to shareholders of record as of February 10.

05:58 EST Murphy Oil increases quarterly cash dividend 20% to 15c per share - The board of directors of Murphy Oil declared a quarterly cash dividend on the common stock of Murphy Oil of 15c per share. The increase represents a 20% increase from the previous quarter. The dividend is payable on March 1 to stockholders of record as of February 14.

05:31 EST SAP to acquire majority stake in Taulia, terms undisclosed - SAP announced its intent to acquire a majority stake of Taulia, a provider of working capital management solutions. The move is aimed at giving companies better access to liquidity and improving their cash flows. The acquisition further expands SAP's business network. Taulia will operate as an independent company with its own brand in the SAP Group; Cedric Bru will remain CEO of Taulia, SAP CFO Luka Mucic will become chairman of the board. SAP and Taulia agreed not to disclose financial details of the transaction.

05:21 EST Puxin Limited changes effective date for reverse ADS split - Puxin Limited announced that it will change the effective date of its change to the ratio of its American depositary shares, or ADSs. On January 21, Puxin announced that it intended to change the ratio of its ADSs representing ordinary shares from one ADS representing two ordinary shares to one ADS representing 20 ordinary shares effective on or about February 1. In light of current market conditions, Puxin will instead change the ratio of its ADSs effective January 31. For Puxin's ADS holders, the change in the ADS ratio will have the same effect as a one-for-ten reverse ADS split.

05:16 EST Nokia, Nordic Semiconductor announce new patent licensing approach - Nokia and Nordic Semiconductor announced a new approach to licensing the use of cellular IoT Standard Essential Patents. Companies purchasing IoT hardware from Nordic will now be given the opportunity to acquire licenses to Nokia's industry leading portfolio of cellular patents. This new agreement, which is the first of its kind, will simplify and speed up the Standard Essential Patent licensing process and provide greater transparency and predictability to companies delivering IoT products and services. Licenses will be available at the end device level and companies will continue to have the option to license direct with Nokia.

05:11 EST Vertical Aerospace appoints Domhnal Slattery as non-executive chairman - Vertical Aerospace announced the appointment of aviation industry veteran Domhnal Slattery, as non-executive chairman of Vertical's board of directors. Slattery succeeds Stephen Fitzpatrick as chairman, who has held the combined role of chairman and CEO since Vertical listed on the New York Stock Exchange in December 2021. Slattery has over 30 years' experience in the global aviation finance industry. He is currently the founding CEO of Avolon, the world's second largest aircraft leasing company.