Stockwinners Market Radar for March 04, 2022 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

18:43 EST Rockwell Automation names Nicole Darden Ford Chief Information Security Officer - Rockwell Automation (ROK) announced that Nicole Darden Ford is joining the company as vice president and Chief Information Security Officer on March 21. She will report to Chris Nardecchia, senior vice president and Chief Information Officer at Rockwell Automation. Darden Ford succeeds Dawn Cappelli, who retired in February. Darden Ford joins Rockwell from Carrier (CARR), where she was global vice president and Chief Information Security Officer, overseeing global Information Security, Compliance and Product Cybersecurity through the company's spin-off from parent company United Technologies.

17:58 EST M&T Bank receives Federal Reserve approval for People's United deal - M&T Bank Corporation (MTB) announced receipt of regulatory approval from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to complete the previously announced acquisition of People's United Financial, Inc. (PBCT). The transaction has also received approval from both the New York State Department of Financial Services and the Connecticut Department of Banking. No further regulatory approvals are required. The merger is expected to be completed in accordance with the law and the agreement. The merger was unanimously approved by the board of directors of each company. Shareholders at both M&T and People's United approved the transaction on May 25, 2021 at their respective special meetings.

17:33 EST Walmart EVP Biggs sells 22,133 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Walmart executive VP M. Brett Biggs disclosed the sale of 22,133 common shares of the company on March 3 at a price of $140.024 per share.

17:21 EST Cerence to replace Cooper-Standard in S&P 600 at open on 3/14

17:18 EST Charles Schwab to replace Biogen in S&P 100 at open on 3/21 - The move is to coincide with the quarterly rebalance. Biogen will remain in the S&P 500.

17:17 EST Commvault CRO Di Blasio sells 15,079 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Commvault Systems chief revenue officer Riccardo Di Blasio disclosed the sale of 15,079 common shares of the company on March 2 at a price of $64.57 per share.

17:12 EST Lockheed Martin awarded $166.64M Navy contract modification - Lockheed Martin was awarded a not-to-exceed $166.64M, fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract. This modification adds scope for the procurement, delivery, installation, and configuration of 22 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter training devices. The total quantity of training devices includes full mission simulators, multispectral database, and interactive courseware. Additionally, this modification provides non-recurring engineering to identify and integrate a replacement rechargeable battery module to be installed within the blade server system of pilot training devices in support of the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, non-U.S. Department of Defense, or DOD, participants and Foreign Military Sales, or FMS, customers. Work is expected to be completed in December 2027. FY21 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $45.18M; FY21 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $142,020; FMS customer funds in the amount of $5.55M; and non-U.S. DOD partner funds in the amount of $32,45M will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.

16:58 EST Globus Medical expands share repurchase authorization by $200M - Globus Medical announced that its Board of Directors has expanded the company's share repurchase program by authorizing the repurchase of an additional $200M of the company's common stock. The new authorization, plus the approximate $95.3M currently available under its existing share repurchase program, approved in March 2020, provides the company with over $295M available for future share repurchases.

16:40 EST Femsa announces ordinary dividend proposal for 2022 - Fomento Economico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V. announces that its Board of Directors has proposed an ordinary dividend in the amount of Ps. 11,358 million, to be paid during 2022. This proposal represents an increase of 48% and 10% compared to the dividends paid during 2021 and 2020, respectively. After deviating from historical trends in 2021, this amount is more in line with the encouraging long-term performance of our business, and it highlights FEMSA's robust cash generation profile. The dividend is subject to approval at the Annual Shareholders' meeting to be held on April 8.

16:33 EST FoxWayne Enterprises Acquisition Corp., Aerami Therapeutics terminate merger - Aerami Therapeutics and FoxWayne Enterprises Acquisition Corp., announced that they have mutually agreed to terminate their previously announced business combination agreement, effective immediately. In light of current unfavorable market conditions, Aerami and FoxWayne believe that terminating the business combination agreement is the best path forward for the parties and their respective stockholders. FoxWayne has until April 22 to complete an initial business combination

16:21 EST Redwood Trust files automatic mixed securities shelf

16:17 EST AvalonBay reports QTD same store residential rental revenue up 7.3% y/y - AvalonBay Communities announced that Same Store Residential rental revenue for the two months ended February 28, 2022, increased 7.3% over the prior year period. This is approximately 60 basis points above what the company's expectation was for Same Store Residential rental revenue growth for this two-month period when the company published its outlook for full year 2022 Same Store Residential rental revenue growth on February 2, 2022.

16:16 EST Silgan Holdings announces $300M share repurchase program - Silgan Holdings announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the company to repurchase up to an aggregate of $300M of its common stock through December 31, 2026.

16:12 EST First Business Financial announces $5M repurchase program - The company's board of directors authorized the repurchase by the company of shares of its common stock with a maximum aggregate purchase price of $5M, in such quantities, at such prices and on such other terms and conditions as the company's CEO or CFO determine in their discretion to be in the best interests of the company and its shareholders, any time from the effective date through March 4, 2023.

16:09 EST WeWork says 'no plans to issue additional equity at this time' - WeWork issued the below statement regarding reports of exploring inbound interest for an additional equity investment: "The company has no plans to issue additional equity at this time. Our liquidity at the end of the third quarter stands at $2.3 billion."

16:07 EST Activision Blizzard CEO Kotick to leave Coca-Cola board of directors - The Coca-Cola Company (KO) announced that Activision Blizzard (ATVI) CEO Bobby Kotick has informed the company he will not stand for reelection to the board of directors. "We appreciate Bobby's decade of service to our company," said James Quincey, Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. "We wish him all the best." "I have decided not to stand for re-election to The Coca-Cola Company board in order to focus my full attention on Activision Blizzard at this pivotal time as we prepare for our merger with Microsoft (MSFT)," Kotick said. "It has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve on the Coca-Cola board for the past 10 years."

15:07 EST Bombardier suspends all activities with Russian clients - The company stated, "The entire Bombardier team continues to be deeply saddened by the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and Europe. As a company with deep roots in communities around the world, we are first and foremost concerned with the loss of human life and the toll this conflict is taking on families. We would like to reiterate our condolences to everyone who has suffered loss over the past days. We will do our part, in any way possible, to help the governments around the world pursue an end to this horrific conflict. Bombardier has suspended all activities with Russian clients, including all forms of technical assistance. We will continue to adhere to international laws, regulations and sanctions, as they evolve. Furthermore, Bombardier and the J. Armand Bombardier Foundation have jointly pledged $150,000 to the Canadian Red Cross, and we encourage our team members on all continents to also donate to worthy humanitarian causes supporting victims of this conflict around the world. Bombardier is first and foremost a people-centric company, built around upholding our collective morals and values, and we will continue to seek opportunities to further address the humanitarian crisis as well as promote peace."

13:26 EST Peloton complains to ITC, requesting block on iFIT imports - The U.S. International Trade Commission gave notice that it has received a complaint entitled "Certain Interactive Fitness Products Including Stationary Exercise Bikes, Treadmills, Elliptical Machines, and Rowing Machines and Components Thereof, DN 3608" and that the Commission is soliciting comments on any public interest issues raised by the complaint or complainant's filing. The complaint, filed on behalf of Peloton Interactive, alleges violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the United States, the sale for importation, and the sale within the United States after importation of certain interactive fitness products including stationary exercise bikes, treadmills, elliptical machines, and rowing machines and components and names as respondents: ICON Fitness Corp. of Logan, UT; IHF Holdings Inc. of Logan, UT; iFIT Inc. of Logan, UT; NordicTrack, Inc. of Logan, UT; Free Motion Fitness, Inc. of Logan, UT. Reference Link

13:04 EST Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count unchanged at 650 rigs - Baker Hughes reports the U.S. rig count is unchanged from last week at 650, with oil rigs down 3 to 519, gas up 3 to 130, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 1. The U.S. rig count is up 247 rigs from last year's count of 403 with oil rigs up 209 gas rigs up 38 and miscellaneous unchanged at 1. The U.S. offshore rig count is unchanged at 12, down 2 year-over-year.

12:49 EST IXHL Stock trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:30 EST WW settles FTC complaint over child data use for $1.5M - In a complaint, filed by the Department of Justice on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission, the agency alleged that WW International, formerly known as Weight Watchers, and a subsidiary called Kurbo, marketed a weight loss app for use by children as young as eight and then collected their personal information without parental permission. The settlement order requires WW International and Kurbo to delete personal information illegally collected from children under 13, destroy any algorithms derived from the data, and pay a $1.5M penalty. Reference Link

12:00 EST Vicarious Surgical falls -14.6% - Vicarious Surgical is down -14.6%, or -86c to $5.02.

12:00 EST DB Gold Double Long rises 17.6% - DB Gold Double Long is up 17.6%, or $7.78 to $51.87.

12:00 EST CVR Energy rises 51.2% - CVR Energy is up 51.2%, or $6.10 to $18.01.

11:38 EST Electronic Arts halts sales of games and content in Russia, Belarus - Electronic Arts released the following statement: "We continue to be shocked at the conflict that is unfolding in Ukraine, and join so many voices around the world in calling for peace and an end to the invasion. We stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Our primary concern is the ongoing safety of those in the region, particularly colleagues and partners, and we are seeking to understand how we might best help them further beyond our programs that are already in place. We have made the decision to stop sales of our games and content, including virtual currency bundles, in Russia and Belarus while this conflict continues. As a result, our games and content will no longer be available for purchase in our Russian region storefront on Origin or the EA app, including through in-game stores. We are also working with our platform partners to remove our titles from their stores and stop the sale of new in-game content in the region. As this deeply troubling situation evolves, we're continually reviewing the steps we can take. In addition to changes to our EA SPORTS FIFA and NHL games, we are actively evaluating other areas of our games and operations, and will update with any further actions." Reference Link

10:42 EST Ericsson says certain officers named as defendants in New York case - Ericsson said in a statement: "After the annual report was finalized on March 3, 2022, Ericsson learned that Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson and certain officers of Ericsson were named as defendants in a putative class action filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The complaint alleges violations of United States securities laws, in connection with allegedly false and misleading statements principally concerning the Company's adherence with its compliance and disclosure policies and obligations and the conduct of its business in Iraq." Reference Link

10:01 EST Vuzix receives follow-on order for Vuzix Smart Glasses from online retailer - Vuzix announced that a Fortune 50 Online Retailer has placed a $200,000 follow-on order for Vuzix smart glasses to support the expanding usage of these glasses for training and remote maintenance within its warehouses. This order follows the completion of a proof-of-concept earlier last year in one warehouse and the initial deployment of Vuzix smart glasses in 40 warehouses several months ago. This follow-on order will support the further deployment of glasses to these 40 warehouses as well as initial deployment to additional locations.

10:00 EST Renren falls -11.8% - Renren is down -11.8%, or -$2.49 to $18.64.

10:00 EST MultiPlan rises 11.2% - MultiPlan is up 11.2%, or 42c to $4.21.

10:00 EST CVR Energy rises 45.4% - CVR Energy is up 45.4%, or $5.41 to $17.32.

09:52 EST Kroger expands Fulfillment Network to Austin, San Antonio, Birmingham - The Kroger Co. (KR) announced at its 2022 Business Update in Orlando it will offer more Americans delivery through the addition of spoke facilities in Austin and San Antonio, TX and Birmingham, AL powered by the Kroger Fulfillment Network and Ocado Group (OCDGF). As a continuation of Kroger's entry into Florida in 2021 without physical stores, the new Texas and Alabama facilities will serve as new geographies for the organization. Austin, TexasL The 70,000-square-foot spoke facility in northeast Austin, pending finalization of lease negotiation, will collaborate with the hub in Dallas, TX, serving as a last-mile cross-dock location that efficiently expands Kroger's grocery delivery services. The facility is expected to become operational later this year and will create up to 161 job opportunities. San Antonio, Texas: The 67,000-square-foot spoke facility in northeast San Antonio, pending finalization of lease negotiation, will also collaborate with the hub in Dallas, TX, serving as a last-mile cross-dock location that efficiently expands Kroger's grocery delivery services. The facility is expected to become operational later this year and will create up to 161 job opportunities. Birmingham, Alabama: The 50,000-square-foot spoke facility, located at 30 West Oxmoor Road in Birmingham, AL, will also collaborate with the hub in Forest Park, GA, serving as a last-mile cross-dock location that efficiently expands Kroger's grocery delivery services. The facility is expected to become operational later this year and will create up to 161 job opportunities.

09:47 EST Vicarious Surgical falls -9.4% - Vicarious Surgical is down -9.4%, or -55c to $5.33.

09:47 EST Gap rises 11.0% - Gap is up 11.0%, or $1.57 to $15.82.

09:47 EST CVR Energy rises 44.6% - CVR Energy is up 44.6%, or $5.32 to $17.23.

09:30 EST Great Elm Capital launches JV with Utica Leaseco - Great Elm Capital announced that it has launched Great Elm Utica, a joint venture between GECC and Utica Leaseco, to co-invest in proprietary equipment financing transactions sourced by Utica. Founded in 2005, Utica provides customized equipment loan and lease options for businesses of all sizes throughout the continental U.S. With unique knowledge of equipment values and creative structuring, Utica specializes in helping credit-challenged companies unlock the equity in their equipment. Utica's management team has over 100 years of combined experience in lending, financial services, and equipment finance. The transaction remains subject to the approval of Utica's senior lender.

09:28 EST Great Elm Capital appoints Matthew Drapkin as board chairman - Great Elm Capital announced various enhancements to its leadership with the appointment of two new members to its board of directors, including a new Board chairman, who will each help support the Company's growth objectives. GECC expects to name an additional independent director shortly. The new board members are: Matthew Drapkin, who will serve as Chairman of the Board and will not receive any compensation for his service on the Board. Mr. Drapkin is Chief Executive Officer & Portfolio Manager at Northern Right Capital, an alternative asset manager focused on small and mid-cap public companies, which is one of GECC's largest shareholders. Richard Cohen will serve as a Board Member, Audit Committee Chair, and a Member of the Nominating and Governance and Compensation Committees. Richard Cohen has been president of Richard M. Cohen Consultants since 1996, a company providing financial consulting services to both public and private companies.

09:23 EST Altamira Therapeutics, Nuance Pharma enter licensing, distribution agreement - Altamira Therapeutics announced today that it has entered into an exclusive licensing and distribution agreement for Bentrio, its nasal spray for protection against airborne viruses and allergens, with Nuance Pharma in Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea. Under the terms of the Agreement, Altamira will initially supply Bentrio to Nuance. Nuance will make an upfront payment of $1M and pay to Altamira development and commercial milestones of up to $3M and up to $19.5M, respectively. Nuance will have the right to register and commercialize Bentrio in the Territory. In a second stage, Nuance will assume local production of the product for the Territory upon certain milestones. Once Nuance assumes local production of Bentrio, it will pay to Altamira a staggered royalty on net sales in the Territory at a high-single to low-double-digit percentage.

09:22 EST Dolphin Entertainment partners with The Flower Girls NFT collection - Dolphin Entertainment announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with The Flower Girls, the fine art female-led Non-Fungible Token collection of 10,000 unique Flower Girls by revered artist Varvara Alay. Launched in December of 2021, The Flower Girls has surpassed over $15 million in sales to-date and is donating 20% of profits from both primary and secondary NFT sales to a variety of children's charities voted on by the community. In February, more than $400,000 was donated across children's charities including $200,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a client that is also on Dolphin Entertainment's extensive roster. The Flower Girls also give an additional 5% of profits towards collecting children's NFT art, supporting and empowering the next generation of artists. In partnership, Dolphin is activating its entire network of leading marketing and promotional agencies to amplify The Flower Girls' charitable initiatives, as well as expand community benefits and increase value for its holders. Dolphin will also leverage its unique position to generate meaningful and exciting new opportunities for brand growth across all lifestyle and entertainment verticals; including, but not limited to, scripted and unscripted television series, digital and traditional publishing, consumer products, music, gaming and events.

09:19 EST H-CYTE announces proceeds of $1.05M from warrant exercise - H-CYTE announced that it has received $1,053,605 from the exercise of 75,257,511 previously issued warrants. The funds received will be used to fund the Company's transition to a hybrid-biopharmaceutical company through strategic acquisitions, as well as for general working capital purposes. In connection with the exercise, the holders received from the Company immediately exercisable inducement warrants, providing for a five-year term and an exercise price of $0.014, on a one-to-one basis with the Warrants that were exercised.

09:16 EST Durect CFO Michael Arenberg to step down - Durect announced last night that Michael Arenberg will step down from his role as the company's Chief Financial Officer, effective March 17, to pursue another opportunity in an operating role. Durect has initiated a search to identify a new CFO. Matt Hogan, the company's former CFO from 2006-2018, who has continued to serve as a corporate finance advisor since 2018, will support the company while the conducts the search. Until a permanent replacement for Arenberg has been named, Jian Li will serve as the company's interim Principal Accounting Officer. Li has served as the company's Vice President, Finance and Corporate Controller since December 2003.

09:11 EST Sidus Space enters partnership with Aitech Systems - Sidus Space announced a strategic partnership with Aitech Systems to support LizzieSat Constellation. Through this partnership, Aitech Systems is developing and delivering custom LizzieSat Command and Data Handling flight computers and peripherals.

09:09 EST Microsoft completes acquisition of Nuance - Microsoft (MSFT) announced the completion of its acquisition of Nuance Communications (NUAN). Mark Benjamin will remain CEO of Nuance and report to Microsoft Cloud + AI group Executive Vice President Scott Guthrie.

09:07 EST Olo announces integration with Radar - Olo announced an integration with Radar, a geofencing platform. The integration and strategic partnership will enable trip tracking functionality to improve the digital order fulfillment process and off-premise experience for Olo and Radar's marquee restaurant brands and their consumers.

09:06 EST Hagerty announces partnership with Sony Entertainment's Gran Turismo 7 - Hagerty (HGTY) announces a global gaming partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment's (SONY) Gran Turismo 7 available on PS4 and PS5 consoles from March 4. The partnership is an exciting first for Hagerty, which continues its reach into the entertainment world by embedding automotive history, knowledge and access within the game to foster car love for players and Hagerty members. The new Gran Turismo 7 "Legend Cars Dealer" feature will house the Hagerty Collection, a suite of 70+ enthusiast vehicles of all forms, eras and performance capabilities. Hagerty CEO McKeel Hagerty will appear as an avatar within the game as the collection's advisor, guiding players through the lineup and providing historical and educational insights on each model.

09:04 EST Nuvve Holding, Swell Energy announce partnership - Nuvve Holding and Swell Energy, a renewable energy and advanced grid services company, announced they are launching a strategic engagement to advance opportunities for electric vehicle participation in Swell's virtual power plant network. Together, the companies aim to advance distributed energy resource management technology in both residential and commercial markets. This collaboration will expand opportunities for residential customers to combine battery storage, solar, and smart EV charging into a comprehensive home energy system. These advanced optimization capabilities cater to both residential consumer energy use and EV transportation needs. As an initial target of the strategic engagement, 2 MW of capacity from existing Swell utility contracts will be made available for Nuvve to access in 2022 with opportunities for significant growth in the near future. Integrating Nuvve EV resources with Swell's VPPs will provide the grid with much-needed flexibility and allows Nuvve to earn valuable grid service revenue.

09:02 EST Verra Mobility names Craig Conti as CFO, succeeding Patricia Chiodo - Verra Mobility (VRRM) announced the appointment of Craig Conti as Executive Vice President and CFO, effective April 11. He previously served as the executive vice president and CFO of Century Aluminum (CENX), a global producer of primary aluminum. Conti will replace Patricia Chiodo who is retiring after seven years as Verra Mobility's CFO. Chiodo has agreed to remain on in an advisory role for up to 90 days to assist with transition matters.

08:57 EST Epam Systems to discontinue its services to customers located in Russia - EPAM Systems announced its full support of Ukraine and calls for the immediate end to the unlawful and unconscionable attack on the people of Ukraine. "What is happening in Ukraine is deeply personal for us. Our colleagues around the world are united in support for our 14,000 fellow team members in Ukraine and their families. We are doing everything possible to support our Ukrainian colleagues and friends. We thank our global team members, who are working tirelessly to ensure consistent service, and our global customers for their support and continuous trust in us," said Arkadiy Dobkin, CEO & President, EPAM. The company also announced several related developments: EPAM will discontinue its services to customers located in Russia. EPAM is committed to providing transition support for customers in this market. EPAM does not do work for the government in Russia and is and will continue to be in full compliance with all sanctions. The company is also actively evaluating its other operations in the region. EPAM is announcing an incremental $100M humanitarian commitment to support its employees in Ukraine and their families. EPAM is executing business continuity plans. As previously announced, the company is executing business continuity plans and accelerating hiring across multiple locations in Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and India. EPAM continues to operate productively in more than 40 countries and continues to provide consistent high-quality delivery in all geographies around the world. The company's global delivery centers have ample resources, including infrastructure and capital to support and grow operations.

08:34 EST Duck Creek Technologies, Glia form strategic alliance - Duck Creek Technologies announced a partnership with Glia, a provider of Digital Customer Service, DCS. Duck Creek will offer Glia's DCS platform as part of the Duck Creek Suite under a new reselling agreement. This will allow insurers to engage digitally with policyholders and agents in real time. With this strategic alliance, Glia's DCS platform will be embedded into the Duck Creek Suite and be directly available to Duck Creek customers. "Insurance carriers face mounting pressure to evolve their service strategies, making engagement more proactive and personalized," said Dan Michaeli, CEO and Co-Founder of Glia. "By embracing a digital-first approach to customer service, carriers can meet their policyholders and agents where they are within the digital journey to more seamlessly complete online, self-service functions."

08:31 EST System1 acquires CouponFollow for up to $115M - System1 announced that it has acquired NextGen Shopping's CouponFollow, one of the largest coupon destinations for online shoppers, for up to $115M, with the total consideration consisting of a combination of cash and stock, inclusive of earnout payments earned and payable over three years upon the achievement of certain financial objectives. The acquisition of the growing and profitable digital coupon company accelerates System1's e-commerce efforts and provides a suite of shopping-related products to integrate across System1's product lines. System1 will use its RAMP platform to further grow CouponFollow's user base, whose customer acquisition efforts to date have primarily been organic. In addition to its coupon code search engine, CouponFollow has millions of subscribers to its email newsletter and works with over 5,000 brand partners, including many of the top online retailers in the fashion, travel and electronics categories.

08:08 EST Marathon Digital produces 360.3 bitcoins in February - Marathon Digital published unaudited bitcoin production and miner installation updates for February 2022. Corporate Highlights as of March 1, 2022: Produced 360.3 self-mined bitcoin during February 2022, a 729% increase from 43.4 self-mined bitcoin in February 2021; Increased total bitcoin holdings to approximately 8,956 BTC with a fair market value of approximately $386.8 million; Cash on hand was approximately $106.4 million and total liquidity, defined as cash and bitcoin holdings, was approximately $493.2 million; Increased hash rate 8% from the prior month after successfully deploying and energizing 2,800 miners in the month of February; Received approximately 7,600 top-tier ASIC miners from BITMAIN during the month of February; Existing mining fleet consists of 35,510 active miners producing approximately 3.8 EH/s; After successfully breaking the mold on deploying behind the meter at scale, deployments are expected to continue to accelerate throughout the rest of 2022; The Company continues to expect its mining operations to be 100% carbon neutral by the end of 2022.

08:07 EST Macellum announces concerns with Kohl's strategy - Macellum, a long-term holder of nearly 5% of the outstanding common shares of Kohl's, highlighted concerns with the company's strategy ahead of its analyst day on March 7, 2022. Macellum said, "Why were sales uniquely hampered by supply chain issues compared to many other retail peers? Kohl's posted the worst full-year sales growth compared to its retail peer group, down 2.2% from 2019 levels with the gap growing in the fourth quarter fiscal year 2021 as the Company significantly lagged Macy's and Dillard's. We find it particularly worrisome that even Nordstrom - which is struggling with its own turnaround efforts - was able to post better sales results in the fourth quarter fiscal year 2021 than Kohl's. How does Kohl's expect to increase gross margins over time, particularly when inventories are increasing? We have speculated that Kohl's' gross margin gains were largely the result of lower markdowns caused by the pandemic's inventory disruptions rather than systematic changes in the merchandising process. Given that the gross margin change versus 2019 in the fourth quarter fiscal year 2021 sequentially declined ~310 basis points from the third quarter fiscal year 2021 - one of the largest declines among companies in its retail peer group that have reported so far - we believe shareholders' concerns are warranted. When and how will Kohl's see meaningful margin expansion in the absence of sales growth? While Kohl's was able to leverage SG&A for the first three quarters of 2021 versus 2019 levels, that trend ended in the fourth quarter fiscal year 2021 with SG&A deleveraging by 50 basis points versus 2019. Although we acknowledge that inflationary cost pressures exist today, we believe the Company needs to do more to offset them through higher gross margins or by cutting costs in other areas. What assumptions are necessary to make the Sephora investment accretive? We are supportive of the addition of Sephora shops and believe they can drive traffic to Kohl's stores, but we remain concerned about the Company spending excessively and the ultimate accretion to the bottom line. It would appear from the increase in capital expenditures necessary to build out the Sephora shops that each shop is costing close to $1 million ($200 million of additional capital expenditures above their historic maintenance capital expenditure levels for 200 additional doors versus 2021). With an average store generating $16 million in sales, a mid-single-digit lift from Sephora shops should equate to $800K of sales. At a 50% margin (we assume a higher-than-average gross margin for cosmetics), that equates to $400K of gross margin that management disclosed the Company split 50/50 with Sephora. The result is $200K gross margin for Kohl's. With additional staffing necessary to support the Sephora experience (part of the Company's rationale for the increase in SG&A of ~$150-200 million implied in guidance), it is possible each shop only generates $100K or less of incremental profit. That would imply almost a 10-year payback. Also, assuming five to 10 years for amortization of the capital expenditures, it is difficult to envision these shops being accretive to EBIT - or just breaking even. Further, we observe that most companies' remodel benefits peak early - not grow over time. Given that the Company disclosed its plan to build inventories, what, if any, plan is in place to increase inventory turns? We believe Kohl's' slow inventory turn rate has been a root cause of high markdowns, cluttered stores and lack of fresh offerings. Why has Kohl's failed to address its significant real estate opportunity? None of the Company's announced initiatives have addressed the more than $8 billion in real estate sitting idle on the balance sheet. We view this as a substantial missed opportunity, especially given that very few retailers own their real estate. Not only does Kohl's trade at one of the lowest valuations in the sector, but it currently receives no credit for the value of its owned real estate. We believe the opportunity to monetize these assets will not exist forever, particularly in what is likely a rising rate environment. What are the Company's new margin targets? With lower gross margins, increasing inventory, rising SG&A and increasing depreciation and amortization costs, we struggle to see a path to higher margins without meaningful sales growth. Unfortunately, the current Board and management team have not been able to deliver top-line growth. Over the last decade, Kohl's has had zero same-store sales growth in an industry that has grown 33%.2 Even if every Kohl's store had a Sephora during the fourth quarter fiscal year 2021, and those shops fueled a mid-single-digit lift as the Company just reiterated, overall sales would have been flat versus 2019 and still trailed Macy's, Dillard's and the vast majority of peers. We fear Kohl's' guidance for 2022 leaves little margin for error and could result in meaningfully lower EBIT if sales don't materialize. We believe the Company's disappointing fourth quarter fiscal year 2021 results and plan to increase capital expenditures only serve to erode investors' confidence in the ability of the current Board and management team to establish a credible plan to create meaningful shareholder value. We believe a properly refreshed Board can develop a superior strategic, financial and operating plan that targets stronger earnings and value creation, while also running a fair and robust strategic alternatives process that would determine what is the best risk-adjusted return for shareholders. We hope shareholders join us in calling on the Company to hit pause on increasing expenses and capital expenditures while it should be objectively evaluating credible sale offers from well-capitalized buyers."

08:06 EST TeraWulf commences mining operations at Lake Mariner facility in New York - TeraWulf announced the commencement of mining operations at its Lake Mariner facility in upstate New York using more than 90% zero-carbon energy. The Lake Mariner facility is expected to reach over 500 megawatts of capacity once complete. The company also continues to expect to begin mining at its Nautilus Cryptomine facility in Pennsylvania early in the third quarter of 2022 where it aims to have 300 megawatts of gross mining capacity using 100% zero-carbon energy once complete.

08:05 EST Equillium initiates EQUATOR study - Equillium announced the initiation of the EQUATOR study, a pivotal Phase 3 clinical study of itolizumab in patients with acute graft-versus-host disease, or aGVHD. The randomized, double-blind study will assess the efficacy and safety of itolizumab versus placebo as a first-line therapy for aGVHD in combination with corticosteroids. The primary objective of the study is to achieve early disease response, with key secondary objectives to evaluate durability of response, corticosteroid use, survival outcomes, and chronic GVHD incidence. The primary endpoint assessment is complete response, or CR, rate at Day 29, with key secondary endpoints of overall response rate (ORR) at Day 29 and durability of CR rate from Day 29 through Day 99.

08:04 EST Junshi, Coherus announces results from Phase 3 study of toripalimab - Shanghai Junshi Biosciences and Coherus BioSciences announced the online publication in Cancer Cell of Toripalimab plus chemotherapy in treatment-naive, advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: a multi-center randomized phase 3 trial. The manuscript publication was accompanied by a Cancer Cell editorial preview entitled Jupiter-06 establishes immune checkpoint inhibitors as essential first-line drugs for the treatment of advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. JUPITER-06 achieved the co-primary endpoints of progression free survival and overall survival with statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements for patients treated with the toripalimab and chemotherapy combination compared to chemotherapy alone. The study results were first presented in a mini-oral session during the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2021. A total of 514 treatment-naive advanced or metastatic patients were randomized to receive toripalimab in combination with paclitaxel plus cisplatin chemotherapy or placebo in combination with TP chemotherapy, followed by toripalimab or placebo maintenance. The co-primary endpoints were PFS as assessed by a blinded independent central review and OS. A statistically significant improvement in OS was detected in the toripalimab arm: Median OS in the toripalimab and placebo arms were 17 vs. 11 months respectively. An interim analysis of OS revealed that, by the cutoff date of March 22, 2021, there were 70 deaths in the toripalimab arm vs. 103 deaths in the placebo arm. One-year OS rates were 66.0% vs. 43.7% for the toripalimab arm vs. the placebo arm, respectively. A statistically significant improvement in PFS was detected in the toripalimab arm: Median PFS in the toripalimab arm and placebo arm were 5.7 vs 5.5 months, respectively. One-year PFS rates were 27.8% vs. 6.1% for the toripalimab arm vs. the placebo arm, respectively. Treatment effects generally favored the toripalimab arm across subgroup analyses, including among patients with low/negative PD-L1 tumor expression: The OS and PFS benefits were observed across key subgroups, including all PD-L1 expression subgroups. Specifically, the HRs for PFS between the toripalimab and placebo arms were 0.58, 0.66, and 0.56 in the PD-L1 CPS greater than or equal to 1, CPS less than 1, and CPSless than10 subgroups respectively. The HRs for OS between the toripalimab and placebo arms were 0.61, 0.61, and 0.61 in the CPS greater than or equal to 1, CPS less than 1, and CPSless than10 subgroups respectively. The Combined Positive Score equals the total number of PD-L1 staining cells divided by the total number of viable tumor cells, multiplied by 100. The addition of toripalimab to TP did not lead to an unacceptable increase in toxicity: Incidence of grade greater than3 treatment emergent adverse events was similar between the two arms. By the cutoff date, 99.2% of patients in each arm experienced at least one TEAE. Of those, 8.2% in each arm were fatal, though only 0.4% and 1.2% were deemed to be related to treatment. No new safety signals were observed.

08:03 EST Ads-Tec Energy names GenZ EV Solutions as distributor for EV charging solutions - ADS-TEC Energy announced that GenZ EV Solutions has been designated distributor of its electric vehicle charging solutions to the automotive market in North America and South America. GenZ EV, a new company founded by automotive industry veterans with deep expertise, will be distributing ADS-TEC Energy charging technology to automotive OEMs, automotive dealerships and automotive fleet companies. There are over 18,000 automotive dealers in the U.S. alone, representing a multi-billion dollar market opportunity.

07:54 EST Acreage Holdings appoints Steve Strom to board of directors - Acreage Holdings announced the appointment of Steve Strom to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Mr. Strom is the ninth member of Acreage's Board of Directors and will serve as the Chair of the Audit Committee. Currently, Mr. Strom serves as CEO and Founder of Odinbrook Global Advisors, an independent advisory firm focused on restructuring distressed companies.

07:45 EST Nordic American Tankers announces sale of 2002 built vessel - The company said, "In our message of July 28, 2021, we advised you of our strategic moves to adjust our fleet. The "Nordic Sirius" was sold in October 2021 and the "Nordic Mistral" in February 2022. In this message, we announce that we now have agreed the sale of another 2002 built vessel to a first class reputable buyer. The vessel will be delivered to its new owners before the end of March. The sales reduce the NAT debt. The Wall Street listed NAT has a strong balance sheet. Through the sale of the third vessel, the solidity and maneuverability of NAT is enhanced. In the present volatile times, we have improved our position through the above mentioned transactions. The net price for NAT is about USD 15 mill per vessel, in total USD 45 mill. The position of NAT has been further enhanced through two valuable long-term contracts for our two newbuildings for delivery by mid-2022. The value of these contracts are well in excess of USD 100 million, improving the NAT cash flow, profitability and solidity. As highlighted in an interview with the undersigned on the US based CNBC a few days ago, uncertain geopolitical events often increase the need for alternative sourcing of oil. The concept of "hoarding" comes into play. The tanker industry is key to solving these challenges, providing for expanded transportation work for our ships. As in the past, we focus solely on Suezmax vessels, which can load one million barrels each. This message illustrates a busy NAT period: Financing of our two newbuildings are in place; A strategic and important transaction involving Oman has been agreed. Scope: More than USD 100 mill. Sales of three vessels have been concluded. Proceeds USD 45 mill. The elements above are strengthening NAT substantially."

07:32 EST E-Home Household Service announces $8M share repurchase program - E-Home Household Service Holdings announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program under which the Company may within the next 9 months, repurchase up to $8 million of its outstanding ordinary shares in the open market in accordance with all applicable securities laws and regulations, including Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

07:14 EST Goodbody Health announces NCIB, restricted share unit plans - Goodbody Health is pleased to announce: its intention to initiate a normal course issuer bid through the facilities of the Canadian Securities Exchange; and the adoption of a restricted share unit plan. Under the NCIB, the Company intends to acquire up to approximately 18,248,107 common shares in the capital of the Company, representing 5% of its issued and outstanding common shares. The NCIB will commence on March 11, 2022, and end no later than March 10, 2023, unless terminated earlier by the Company. NCIB does not obligate the Company to purchase any Shares. The Company intends to appoint Canaccord Genuity Corp. to conduct the NCIB in Canada. The actual number of Shares purchased, timing of purchases and purchase price will depend upon the prevailing market conditions, subject to applicable securities law requirements. All Shares acquired by the Company pursuant to the NCIB will be returned to treasury and cancelled. The Company is commencing the NCIB because it believes that the current market price of its Shares may not fully reflect the underlying value of the Company's business and future prospects. In order to further align the interests of the Company's senior executives, key employees, directors, and consultants to those of the shareholders of the Company, the board of directors has approved the implementation of the RSU Plan. Pursuant to the RSU Plan, the Board may grant restricted share units to eligible persons, with vesting provisions also to be determined by the Board. Pursuant to the RSU Plan, the maximum number of RSUs that may be granted is 10% of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares as of the time of grant.

07:09 EST Eyenovia announces $15M investment from Armistice Capital Master Fund - Eyenovia announced that the company has entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement with Armistice Capital Master Fund Ltd., a leading health care investor, in an offering of 3,000,000 shares of its common stock pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 1,870,130 shares of its common stock, and common warrants to purchase up to 4,870,130 shares of its common stock. The shares of common stock and the pre-funded warrants are each being sold in combination with corresponding common warrants. The aggregate offering price for each share of common stock or each pre-funded warrant and, in each case, the accompanying common warrant is $3.08, which was the market price of the common stock as of the close of trading on March 3, 2022. The pre-funded warrants will have an exercise price of $0.01 per share of common stock, and the common warrants will have an exercise price of $3.54 per share of common stock. The pre-funded warrants will be immediately exercisable and remain exercisable until exercised, while the common warrants will not be exercisable until six months after the date of issuance and will have a term of five years from the first date on which they may be exercised. All securities to be sold in the Offering were sold by the Company. The closing of the offering is expected to occur on or about March 7, 2022, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The gross proceeds to Eyenovia, before deducting offering expenses, are expected to be approximately $15 million. Eyenovia expects to use the proceeds from this offering to advance its MydCombi program, including the ramp-up of its manufacturing capabilities, as well as the continued advancement of the MicroLine clinical program and working capital and general corporate purposes.

07:06 EST Digihost establishes $250M at-the-market equity program - Digihost Technology announces that it has entered into an at-the-market offering agreement, ATM agreement, with H.C. Wainwright & Co. Pursuant to the ATM Agreement, the Company and the Agent will implement an "at-the-market" equity offering program, under which the Agent may issue and sell from time to time such number of subordinate voting shares of the Company having an aggregate offering price of up to $250M. A cash commission of 3.0% on the aggregate gross proceeds raised under the ATM Equity Program will be paid to the Agent in connection with its services. Sales of SV Shares, if any, under the ATM Equity Program are anticipated to be made in transactions that are deemed to be "at-the-market distributions" as defined in National Instrument 44-102 Shelf Distributions, as sales made directly on the Nasdaq Capital Market or another trading market for the shares in the United Stated at the market price prevailing at the time of each sale. The offer and sale of the SV Shares under the ATM Equity Program will be made by means of a prospectus supplement dated March 4, 2022 to the Company's short form base shelf prospectus dated February 23, 2022 and U.S. registration statement on Form F-10, which includes the Base Shelf Prospectus. The Registration Statement was declared effective by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on March 3, 2022.

07:04 EST Ocugen announces FDA has declined to issue an EUA for COVAXIN - Ocugen announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, at this time, has declined to issue an Emergency Use Authorization, EUA, for COVAXIN for active immunization to prevent COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 in individuals 2 to 18 years of age. Ocugen intends to continue working with FDA to evaluate the regulatory pathway for the pediatric use of COVAXIN.

07:02 EST Anavex announces change of auditor to Grant Thornton - Anavex Life Sciences announced that it has changed its auditors from BDO USA to Grant Thornton. The change in independent auditor was not related to any disagreement between the Company and BDO. The Company is thankful to BDO USA LLP for its 9 years of service as the Company's independent auditor. "We would like to thank BDO USA LLP for the services they provided for almost a decade. We are pleased to announce that Grant Thornton LLP will be our new auditors in the evolution of Anavex as we embark upon the next stages of our Company's growth plans," stated Christopher U Missling, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Anavex.

06:56 EST Dollar General to create 10,000 net new career opportunities in FY22 - Dollar General announced plans to create approximately 10,000 net new career opportunities in fiscal 2022 through expected new store, distribution center and private fleet growth. The new career opportunities represent an estimated 6% overall increase to its current workforce. Dollar General recently announced the planned addition of 1,110 new store openings, which includes approximately 100 new pOpshelf store openings. The company also plans to add new traditional and DG Fresh distribution centers and further expand its DG Private Fleet network.

06:49 EST Evofem completes enrollment in EVOGUARD trial - Evofem announced that it has completed enrollment in EVOGUARD, the registrational Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating EVO100 for two potential new indications: the prevention of chlamydia infection in women and the prevention of urogenital gonorrhea infection in women.

06:41 EST Hibbett sees FY23 CapEx $60M-$70M - The company said, "As a result of ongoing supply chain challenges, a higher mix of e-commerce sales, an increased promotional environment, inflationary pressures and some deleverage of store occupancy costs, gross margin as a percent of net sales is anticipated to decline by approximately 130 to 160 basis points compared to Fiscal 2022 results. This expected full year gross margin range of 36.6% to 36.9% as a percent of net sales is above pre-pandemic levels. We expect gross margin results in comparison to the prior year will become more favorable as the year progresses. SG&A as a percent of net sales is expected to increase by 70 to 100 basis points in comparison to Fiscal 2022 results due to wage inflation, deleverage of fixed costs driven by relatively flat sales expectations and annualization of back-office infrastructure investments in Fiscal 2022. The expected full year SG&A expense range of 23.3% to 23.6% as a percent of net sales is below pre-pandemic levels. We expect the year-over-year quarterly SG&A comparisons will become less challenging in the back half of the year due to an expectation of an improving inventory and sales environment. Operating profit is expected to be in the low double-digit range as a percent of sales, also above pre-pandemic levels. Capital expenditures are anticipated to be in the range of $60 to $70 million dollars with a focus on new store growth, remodels and additional technology and infrastructure investments. Our capital allocation strategy continues to include share repurchases and recurring quarterly dividends in addition to the capital expenditures noted above."

06:35 EST Hellman & Friedman's 7.5% activist stake in Splunk confirmed by filing - In a regulatory 13D filing, Splunk disclosed that Hellman & Friedman has taken a 7.5% stake in the company, which represents over 11.9M shares. The filing allows for activism.

06:06 EST High Tide opens new Canna Cabana store in Edmonton, Alberta - High Tide announced that its Canna Cabana retail cannabis store located at 8927 82 (Whyte) Avenue in Edmonton, Alberta, has begun selling recreational cannabis products for adult use. This opening represents High Tide's 112th branded retail location across Canada, and 61st in Alberta, selling recreational cannabis products and consumption accessories. This store will also be High Tide's eighth to open in Edmonton, Alberta's capital and second-largest city with a metropolitan population of 1.4M people.

06:04 EST Airbnb suspending operations in Russia, Belarus, CEO tweets - Airbnb is suspending all operations in Russia and Belarus, CEO Brian Chesky said in a tweet on Thursday. Earlier this week, the company said it would offer free, temporary housing for people fleeing Ukraine. Reference Link

05:30 EST Analog Devices to invest EUR 100M in Europe operations with ADI Catalyst - Analog Devices announced it will invest EUR 100M over the next three years in ADI Catalyst, a 100,000 square foot custom-built facility for innovation and collaboration located at its campus in the Raheen Business Park in Limerick, Ireland. This latest phase of expansion will also see the creation of 250 new jobs in the Irish market by 2025 as a reflection of ADI's continued commitment to expansion in Europe. ADI Catalyst is a collaboration accelerator where ecosystems of customers, business partners, and suppliers engage with ADI to develop solutions. The newly created jobs at ADI Catalyst will primarily focus on the development of software-enabled solutions and artificial intelligence innovations in areas such as Industry 4.0, sustainable energy, automotive electrification, and next generation connectivity.

05:15 EST 111, Inc. enters supply agreement with Xi'an Beilin Pharmaceutical - 111 signed a strategic cooperation agreement on direct supply with Xi'an Beilin Pharmaceutical. The cooperation agreement will allow the two sides to fully leverage their respective advantages, explore the digital marketing of Chinese patent medicines, and tap into the resources and broad potential of the market. 111 and Beilin Pharmaceutical will work together to capitalize on the digital, intelligent and efficient capabilities of the Internet to expand the market coverage of Chinese patent medicines and enhance their accessibility to benefit more users. The cooperation will see 111 proactively integrate its resources and combine them with Beilin Pharmaceutical's strengths to assist in quickly bringing its high-quality products to the broader market beyond hospitals. The two sides will also engage in the digital marketing of Chinese patent medicines, big data application and brand co-building.

05:12 EST Qudian to downsize WLM KIDS business - Qudian announced that it plans to significantly downsize its WLM KIDS business. The company launched WLM KIDS to provide one-stop, extra-curricular enrichment services for children in China. The first WLM KIDS center opened in Xiamen in January 2021 and as of the end of February, the company operated six centers nationwide. "Amid the challenging backdrop of recurrent pandemic outbreaks and the evolving regulations concerning the education industry, the Company re-evaluated the situation, taking a prudent view, and decided to significantly downsize its WLM KIDS business," said Min Luo, founder, chairman and CEO of Qudian. "We believe this decision is in the best interest of our Company and aligned with our commitment to achieve sustainable growth and create shareholder value. We may keep only one center in operation to continue services for our loyal customers as an interim measure, and will update on progress in due course."