Stockwinners Market Radar for March 07, 2022 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:13 EST Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 52K shares of Block today

19:07 EST Discover suspends actions to pursue registration in Russia - The company states: "Discover and Diners Club International do not have any active partners in Belarus and Russia. There is no acceptance of Discover, Diners Club, Network Alliance Partners and PULSE in these countries and no cards are being issued there. Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Discover/Diners Club International was in the process of establishing a Russian branch office and registering it with the Central Bank of Russia as a foreign payment system operator. We have suspended all actions to pursue the registration in Russia at this time. In addition to having already halted all transactions by sanctioned Russian Banks on our network, we are suspending acceptance of cards issued by all Russian and Belarusian banks that run on the Discover Global Network, including through its partner networks."

18:21 EST M&T Bank, People's United merger expected to close on or about April 1 - M&T Bank (MTB) and People's United Financial (PBCT) jointly announced the closing of the previously announced merger between the two companies is expected to occur on or about April 1, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining customary closing conditions set forth in the merger agreement. Customers will continue to be served through their respective M&T and People's United branches, websites, mobile apps, financial advisors, and relationship managers until systems conversion is complete, which is expected to occur in the third quarter. M&T Bank received final regulatory approval from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for the acquisition of People's United on March 4. The transaction previously received approval from both the New York State Department of Financial Services and the Connecticut Department of Banking. No further regulatory approvals are required.

17:43 EST IXHL Stock trading halted, news pending

17:21 EST IBM suspends all business in Russia - Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO, IBM said, "I've heard from many of you in response to last week's announcement regarding the war in Ukraine, and I appreciate your feedback. First, let me be very clear -- we have suspended all business in Russia. In addition, I want to give you an update on a few of the efforts underway to support our colleagues in the region." Reference Link

17:15 EST Skechers director buys $3.85M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Skechers disclosed that its President Michael Greenberg bought 103K shares of common stock on March 4th in a total transaction size of $3.85M.

17:05 EST ThredUP falls 10% to $6.80 per share after Q4 earnings miss

17:01 EST Liminal BioSciences receives Nasdaq deficiency notice over bid price - Liminal BioSciences announced that on March 4, 2022, it received a written notice from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market indicating that the company is not in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement of $1.00 per share under the Nasdaq Listing Rules. Based on the closing bid price of the company's listed securities for the last 30 consecutive business days from January 20, 2022 to March 3, 2022, the company has failed to meet the minimum bid price requirement set forth in Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) during that period. The Notice is only a notification of deficiency, It is not a notice of imminent delisting, and it has no current immediate effect on the listing or trading of the company's securities on the Nasdaq Capital Market. The Notice states that under Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A) the company is provided with a period of 180 calendar days, or August 31, 2022, to regain compliance with the Listing Rules. To regain compliance with the Listing Rules, the company's listed securities price must be at least $1.00 for a minimum of ten consecutive business days. In the event the company does not regain compliance by August 31, 2022, the company may be eligible for additional time to regain compliance or may face delisting. The company intends to continue to monitor the closing bid price of its ordinary shares between now and August 31, 2022, and to evaluate its available options to regain compliance within the compliance period.

16:58 EST Leidos director Miriam John sells 5,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Leidos Holdings director Miriam John disclosed the sale of 5,000 common shares of the company on March 3 at a price of $104.0749 per share.

16:55 EST Brown & Brown to acquire Global Risk Partners Limited, terms not disclosed - J. Scott Penny, chief acquisitions officer of Brown & Brown, Searchlight and the management ownership team of Global Risk Partners Limited, announced that the parties have entered into an agreement to acquire the GRP insurance operations. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2022, subject to certain closing conditions, including the receipt of required regulatory approvals for the acquisition. GRP will operate within the Brown & Brown Retail segment and will continue to be led by Mike Bruce, global CEO of GRP.

16:46 EST Core & Main to acquire Dodson Engineered Products, terms not disclosed - Core & Main has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Dodson Engineered Products, a full-service distributor of water, wastewater, storm drainage, agricultural and irrigation products, based in Colorado.

16:43 EST The Oncology Institute promotes Matt Miller to COO - The Oncology Institute announced the promotions of Daniel Virnich to president and Matt Miller to COO, effective March 15. Under Miller's leadership, TOI has improved the reliability, efficiency, and transparency of centralized teams, and implemented new tools and infrastructure in preparation for TOI's rapid growth.

16:34 EST ADMA Biologics receives FDA approval for fifth ADMA BioCenters plasma collection - ADMA Biologics announced that it has received FDA approval for its fifth ADMA BioCenters plasma collection facility located in Conyers, Georgia. This plasma collection facility commenced operations and initiated source plasma collection in Q3. With the approval announced, this facility is now FDA-approved to collect and introduce into interstate commerce, human source plasma for further manufacturing in the U.S.

16:31 EST Asur reports February 2022 passenger traffic up 7% from February 2019 - Grupo Aeroportuario del Sureste, S.A.B. de C.V., or Asur, announced that passenger traffic for February 2022 reached a total of 4.5 million passengers, 7.0% above the levels reported in February 2019, reflecting a continued overall recovery in travel demand and the rollout of vaccination campaigns in the US and gradual advances in Mexico, despite restrictions and requirements in certain countries of the world to contain the spread of the effects of the new Omicron variant, which mainly impacted Mexico and Puerto Rico. Compared to February 2019, passenger traffic increased by 23.3% in Colombia, 2.2% in Mexico and 6.3% in Puerto Rico. Passenger traffic growth in all three regions was driven by domestic and international traffic. This announcement reflects comparisons between February 1 through February 28, 2022, from February 1 through February 28, 2021, and February 1 through February 28, 2019, and 2020. Note that in 2020 the month of February had 29 days, compared with 28 days in 2019 and 2022. Transit and general aviation passengers are excluded for Mexico and Colombia.

16:28 EST APA Corp., LongPath Technologies expand methane emissions monitoring pact - Apache Corp. and LongPath Technologies are announcing an expansion of their partnership for continuous methane emissions monitoring in the Permian Basin of southeast New Mexico and west Texas. Methane emissions from oil and gas operations are a focal point for global greenhouse gas mitigation initiatives. Apache adopted the LongPath system in Fall of 2021 with the commissioning of several dozen sites, leading to reductions in emissions.

16:25 EST Ranger Oil sees Q1 total sales volumes 36.5K-38K boe/d - Sees Q1 oil sales volumes 25.8K-27K bbl/d.

16:24 EST Gulf Island Fabrication chairman Michael Flick to retire - Gulf Island Fabrication announced that its chairman of the board of directors, Michael Flick, will retire effective upon the expiration of his current director term in connection with the company's 2022 annual meeting of shareholders. With Flick's retirement in connection with the 2022 annual meeting, the board will be reduced to six members. Flick has served as a director of the company for 15 years and as chairman of the board since 2020. He also has served, at various times, as a member of the audit committee, member and chairman of the compensation committee, and member and chairman of the corporate governance and nominating committee. The board unanimously elected William Chiles as chairman of the board to succeed Flick following the 2022 annual meeting. Chiles has been a board member since 2014 and is currently the chairman of its compensation committee and a member of the audit committee.

16:20 EST Rover Group announces Charlie Wickers to succeed Tracy Knox as CFO - Rover Group announced that its board of directors, as part of its CFO succession planning, has identified Charlie Wickers, Rover's VP of finance, as successor CFO to Tracy Knox. Knox will continue as CFO through August, by which time she will have served as Rover's CFO for nearly five years, and will remain on staff as an advisor through her retirement at the end of the year.

16:16 EST SeaSpine promotes Frank Vizesi to chief scientific officer - SeaSpine announced the elevation of Frank Vizesi to chief scientific officer and Shaeffer Bannigan to VP, product development, spinal implants. With his promotion, Bannigan joins the SeaSpine senior leadership team. Vizesi joined SeaSpine in 2015 as director, research and development, orthobiologics.

16:11 EST Construction Partners acquires Southern Asphalt - Construction Partners announced that it has acquired Southern Asphalt, an asphalt paving contractor based in Burgaw, North Carolina, that primarily serves the Wilmington, North Carolina metro area.

16:08 EST Alamo Group targets 50% GHG emissions reduction by 2030 - Alamo Group announced a 2030 target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50% as compared to its 2019 base year. This target covers Scope 1 & 2 emissions as defined in The Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standards published by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and World Resources Institute.

16:02 EST Biodesix announces stock buyback for up to $50M with Lincoln Park Capital - Biodesix "announced it has entered into a purchase agreement for the issuance and sale of its common stock, from time to time, of up to $50 million with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC, a Chicago-based institutional investor. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, Biodesix will have the right at its sole discretion, but not the obligation, to sell to LPC up to $50 million worth of common stock over the 36-month term of the agreement, subject to certain conditions. There are no upper limits to the price per common stock LPC may pay to purchase the common stock, and the purchase price of the common stock will be based on the prevailing market prices at the time of each sale to LPC. Biodesix controls the timing and amount of any future sales of its common stock to LPC."

16:01 EST Amgen breaks ground on new biomanufacturing facility in North Carolina - Amgen announced the groundbreaking of its newest biomanufacturing facility, located in Holly Springs, North Carolina. The facility, expected to be operational by 2025, will support the growing demand for Amgen's medicines that treat serious illnesses such as cancer and heart disease. Amgen's facility will utilize new technologies that maximize efficiency and help ensure the ability to produce a broad range of medicines that Amgen offers to patients. The new facility will also be built to exacting environmental standards, consistent with the company's goal of reducing water usage and waste and achieving carbon neutrality by 2027. Construction management and design services for this new state-of-the-art facility are being led by Integrated Project Services, LLC.

15:44 EST Mandiant trading resumes

15:37 EST Hawaiian Airlines to resume daily Oakland-Kona summer service - Hawaiian Airlines is offering Bay Area travelers more convenient options to visit Hawai'i this summer by bringing back nonstop service between Oakland and Kona on the Island of Hawai'i, and adding a second daily flight between San Francisco and Honolulu. Hawaiian's Oakland-Kona service, which the carrier last operated in the summer of 2016, will be available June 15 through Sept. 6. HA66 will depart KOA at 11:55 a.m. and arrive at OAK at 8:10 p.m. HA65 departs OAK at 8:10 a.m. with a 10:40 a.m. arrival at KOA, giving travelers ample time to settle in and start enjoying the island. The seasonal route will become Hawaiian's fourth daily flight connecting Oakland and the islands, joining existing nonstop service between OAK and Honolulu, Kahului on Maui, and Lhu'e on Kaua'i.

15:21 EST Opthea Ltd (ADR) trading halted, volatility trading pause

15:13 EST AMC Entertainment reports over 4M tickets sold for 'The Batman' opening weekend - AMC Theatres announced that the company experienced its third-highest attended weekend since movie theatres reopened in the summer of 2020. More than 4M tickets were sold globally at AMC locations Thursday through Sunday, based on the strength of the opening weekend of "The Batman" from Warner Bros. and DC. This outpaces the year-over-year attendance for the same weekend in both 2019 and 2020. In the United States, AMC recorded a greater than 29% market share of "The Batman" box office in the United States. The top three theatres in the U. S. based on "The Batman" box office were all AMCs.

14:47 EST Ubisoft suspends sales in Russia - Ubisoft said that, in light of the "ongoing tragedy" in Ukraine, it has decided to suspend its sales in Russia. Reference Link

14:06 EST Southwest Gas responds to Icahn, sees 'optimal time' for Centuri separation - Southwest Gas issued the following statement in response to a publicly released letter from Carl C. Icahn: "We are moving forward expeditiously to complete the separation of Centuri within 9 to 12 months because we believe that this is the optimal time to create two strong independent companies. Centuri is expected to achieve a premium valuation among peers due to its attractive, investment-grade utility customer base and track record of significant EBITDA growth. Upon fully separating Centuri, our company will be a pure-play, fully regulated natural gas business with strong regulatory relationships that underpinned near-record growth in revenues and rate base in 2021. The recently acquired regulated pipeline business, MountainWest, provides a complementary and compelling suite of high-return assets to generate substantial cashflows and earnings accretion. Our regulated natural gas operations enjoy unique strength and stability and we are confident in our ability to obtain permanent financing on attractive terms and to lower our future borrowing costs as a pure-play regulated entity."

14:01 EST Walgreens, Labcorp offer at-home COVID PCR test collection kits at no cost - Walgreens (WBA) and Labcorp (LH) announced the nationwide availability of Pixel by Labcorp COVID-19 at-home collection kit, a PCR test available through Labcorp OnDemand at no cost to individuals who meet clinical guidelines. Walgreens addition of the kits, which are provided in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will enable more communities to access reliable, convenient testing services when, where and how they need them. "Walgreens is focused on reducing barriers to health care, including cost and transportation," said John Standley, president, Walgreens. "Through our continued partnership with Labcorp and HHS, communities will have better access to convenient COVID-19 PCR testing. This is particularly important for uninsured, socially vulnerable and medically underserved populations, who continue to be among those most impacted by COVID."

13:48 EST Group 1 Automotive announces acquisition of Charles Maund Toyota in Texas - Group 1 Automotive announced the acquisition of Charles Maund Toyota in Austin, Texas. "The dealership, which will be renamed Toyota of North Austin, is ranked in the top 20 nationally in Toyota new vehicle volume, and adds to the company's strong portfolio of 13 franchises in the fast-growing Central Texas market area consisting of Austin and San Antonio. This dealership is expected to generate $435M in annual revenues and represents the 16th Toyota store in the company's U.S. portfolio," Group 1 stated. Earl Hesterberg, Group 1's President and CEO, added, "The combination of the Toyota brand and the Austin market represents a positive growth opportunity for Group 1. Additionally, our current financial position allows us to continue to return capital to shareholders, as evidenced by our year-to-date repurchase of 390,201 shares at an average price of $177.53, for a total of $69.3M, which represents over 2% of our beginning of the year outstanding share count."

13:34 EST Upwork CEO says suspending business in Russia 'a very difficult decision' - Upwork CEO Hayden Brown said the company focused "first and foremost" on teams in Ukraine and Russia. Says suspending business "a very difficult decision" for the company. Comments taken from JMP Technology conference.

13:00 EST Technology, multifunction and HD capability set NeuroOne apart, CEO says

12:12 EST Square Enix's 'Forspoken' delayed to October 11, 2022 - Luminous Productions said that its upcoming role-playing game "Forspoken," which is being published by Square Enix (SQNXF), will be delayed from May 2022 to October 11, 2022. "Our vision for this exciting new IP is to deliver a game world and hero that gamers across the globe will want to experience for years to come, so getting it right is extremely important to us," the developer said. The Fly notes that "Forspoken" will be a PlayStation 5 (SONY) console exclusive. Reference Link

12:01 EST Colliers International discontinues operations in Russia, Belarus - The company said, "Colliers stands with the people of Ukraine, an independent country, and strongly condemns the invasion by the Russian military. These actions are indefensible and in complete contrast to the principles of democracy and freedom. We fully support all appropriate sanctions enacted by the international community and, in response to the gravity of Russia's aggression, Colliers has discontinued its business in Russia and Belarus, effective immediately, after more than 28 years of operations. We thank our former colleagues and partners for their work over the years and wish them well as they navigate the future. Colliers continues to prioritize the safety and welfare of our people and clients in Ukraine, as well as in the broader Central & Eastern European region. As a result of this crisis, our affiliate office in Kyiv is closed and all business operations there have been suspended. We are focused on supporting our Ukrainian colleagues who remain in country, those who are seeking refuge, and the families of our people who have been affected. Our operations in neighbouring countries are actively providing temporary accommodation, monetary support and other necessities. We are moved by the outpouring of support from Colliers people around the world who have reached out to help in every possible way. The company and members of senior leadership have made significant donations to the Ukraine Crisis Appeal via the International Committee of the Red Cross and other humanitarian charities. Colliers is also matching donations from our people through the Colliers Crisis Fund to maximize support toward humanitarian relief."

12:00 EST Azul falls -13.2% - Azul is down -13.2%, or -$1.71 to $11.27.

12:00 EST Activision Blizzard suspends new sales in Russia - Activision Blizzard said on Friday that it will be suspending new sales of and in its games in Russia while this conflict with Ukraine continues. "We will continue to look at ways to support the Ukrainian people," said president and COO Daniel Alegre. "I want to reassure you that the safety of our employees is our leadership team's top priority. We are doing everything possible to assist employees, and their families, who are being directly affected by this tragedy. If you or a colleague needs support, please don't hesitate to reach out to your manager or local HR leaders. I'd also like to remind you that our Employee Assistance Program is available to those who need emotional support during this difficult time. I also want to take a moment to recognize the incredible work of our teams to support the Ukrainian people. The company is matching employee donations 2:1 to organizations providing immediate relief in the region. Together we have raised over $300,000 in this effort. Next week we plan to add additional charities to choose from for consideration and also will raise the company matching limit from $1,000 to $10,000."

12:00 EST Oil States rises 26.5% - Oil States is up 26.5%, or $1.56 to $7.44.

12:00 EST Innovid rises 38.8% - Innovid is up 38.8%, or $1.66 to $5.94.

11:41 EST Stryker sees Q1 EPS 'deleveraged' from operating expense standpoint - Combined with gross margin pressures, overall EPS will be negatively impacted during the quarter, Stryker stated at the 42nd Annual Cowen Health Care Conference. This impact and this pacing of earnings throughout the four quarters of this year was fully baked into EPS guidance, which remains intact, Stryker added.

11:21 EST Yandex says ad hoc group of holders of convertible bonds formed - Yandex provided an update on its $1.25B, 0.75% convertible notes due 2025, referring back to its public announcement of March 3, in which it provided an update on the impact of current developments on its business. "On February 28, 2022, Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange suspended the trading in securities of a number of companies with material operations in Russia, including Yandex N.V. Under the terms and conditions of the Notes, in the event of a suspension of trading of our Class A shares on Nasdaq for a period of five dealing days or more, the holders of the Notes will have the right to require us to redeem their Notes at par plus accrued interest. Trading in our Class A shares on Nasdaq remained suspended at the end of March 4, 2022. Therefore, the conditions for the holders of the Notes to be able to require redemption of their Notes have been satisfied. In this connection, an ad hoc group of holders of the Notes has formed and has appointed Houlihan Lokey, as its financial adviser, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, as its legal adviser, to advise on those matters. Based on the information provided by Houlihan, the Ad Hoc Committee represents approx. 72% of the outstanding principal amount of the Notes. To date, we have started engaging with Houlihan and we ask other holders of the Notes to make themselves known to Houlihan so that orderly discussions between Yandex N.V. and holders of the Notes can take place with a view to finding a fair and sustainable solution for all parties," the company stated.

11:17 EST Wave Life announces publication on RNA base editing in non-human primates - Wave Life Sciences announced the publication of preclinical proof-of-concept data for the company's novel ADAR-mediated RNA base editing modality in the journal Nature Biotechnology. Data reported include an in vivo study where Wave's GalNAc-conjugated A-to-I RNA base editing oligonucleotides yielded up to 50% editing of ACTB transcript in the liver of non-human primates, with editing levels persisting as high as 40% for more than one month. This is the first scientific publication to report that RNA base editing in NHPs can be achieved with a simplified oligonucleotide approach. The paper, titled "Endogenous ADAR-mediated RNA editing in non-human primates using stereopure chemically modified oligonucleotides," is available online. AIMers are designed to correct single base mutations in an RNA transcript, thereby avoiding permanent changes to the genome that occur with DNA-targeting approaches. Rather than using an exogenous editing enzyme, AIMers recruit proteins that exist in the body, called ADAR enzymes, which naturally possess the ability to change an adenine to an inosine, which cells read as guanine. This approach enables simplified delivery and avoids the risk of irreversible off-target effects of DNA-targeting approaches. AIMers are short in length, fully chemically modified, and use novel chemistry, including proprietary PN backbone modifications and chiral control, that make them distinct from other ADAR-mediated editing approaches. As outlined in the Nature Biotechnology paper, AIMers can be taken up by several cell types with high editing efficiency under gymnotic conditions in vitro and are amenable to GalNAc conjugation, a validated ligand for clinical delivery to the liver. Wave has also demonstrated in a multitude of preclinical studies that AIMers do not need complex delivery vehicles such as viral vectors or lipid nanoparticles to achieve durable editing in the liver, central nervous system, and other tissues, providing versatility in therapeutic applications. Beyond targeting the transcriptome to correct point mutations, Wave is also exploring the use of AIMers to treat non-genetic diseases through modulation of protein-protein interactions and recently provided proof-of-concept in vitro at the Deaminet 2022 conference. In addition to reporting up to 50% editing of ACTB transcript in NHPs with subcutaneous administration, additional advances from the Nature Biotechnology publication include: AIMers are highly specific in vitro and in vivo based on transcriptome-wide analyses. In the NHP in vivo study there were no signs of hepatoxicity at 2-days post-dose when AIMer levels in the liver were high, with all animals exhibiting ALT and AST levels within or below the historical data range. There is an ample reservoir of ADAR activity in cells to support therapeutic use without disrupting the natural functions of ADAR enzymes in the body. Early-generation AIMers designed to correct the Z mutation in SERPINA1 transcript, which is the most common cause of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, supported high levels of RNA editing, and this editing increased the amount of functional alpha-1 antitrypsin protein secreted from primary hepatocytes in vitro. Wave has separately shared in vivo data for its AATD program, where AIMer treatment in a transgenic mouse model resulted in approximately 60% editing of SERPINA1 transcript and circulating AAT serum levels approximately five-fold greater than PBS-treated controls at 19 weeks. Wave has also shared histological analyses that indicate reduction of liver aggregates in a transgenic mouse model at 19 weeks with AIMer treatment. Several guiding principles for the design of AIMers were revealed through analysis of the relationship between chemical modifications and editing activity. These include that controlling backbone stereochemistry and the use of judiciously placed PN backbone modifications can improve editing activity, which are both features of Wave's proprietary PRISM platform.

11:04 EST DocuSign appoints Iesha Berry as first CDEO - DocuSign announced the appointment of Iesha Berry as its first Chief Diversity and Engagement Officer. Iesha will focus on accelerating DocuSign's DIBs strategy and continuing to evolve DocuSign's IMPACT and sustainability efforts. Iesha and her team will also be responsible for enhancing the employee experience at DocuSign, working to develop a more diverse and inclusive culture through supporting the impact of employee resource groups and overseeing inclusive talent development along with diverse pipeline sourcing and outreach. She will report directly to DocuSign chief people officer, Joan Burke. Iesha began her career at Pfizer as an HR Rotational Associate, and has since held global roles across various companies and industries including Chief Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Officer at Slalom, Senior Vice President of Market and Site Human Resources at Bank of America and Senior Director, Head of Global Diversity & Inclusion Business Management and Client Engagement at Microsoft.

10:23 EST CKX Lands, Inc trading resumes

10:09 EST Morgan Stanley names Leylah Fernandez as brand ambassador - Morgan Stanley announced a new partnership with women's tennis professional Leylah Fernandez to expand the reach of the Morgan Stanley brand to tennis fans around the world. Fernandez will serve as a brand ambassador for Morgan Stanley and will support the Firm's giving back initiatives.

10:00 EST Cooper-Standard falls -10.4% - Cooper-Standard is down -10.4%, or -$1.10 to $9.53.

10:00 EST Peabody Energy falls -12.6% - Peabody Energy is down -12.6%, or -$3.33 to $23.02.

10:00 EST Transocean rises 11.4% - Transocean is up 11.4%, or 48c to $4.72.

09:52 EST Canadian Pacific rallies 2% to $79.18 after Pershing Square takes stake

09:47 EST Mexco Energy trading resumes

09:47 EST Cooper-Standard falls -11.2% - Cooper-Standard is down -11.2%, or -$1.19 to $9.44.

09:47 EST Alpha Metallurgical rises 9.1% - Alpha Metallurgical is up 9.1%, or $10.54 to $126.69.

09:47 EST Cornerstone Building Brands rises 13.4% - Cornerstone Building Brands is up 13.4%, or $2.86 to $24.17.

09:42 EST Mexco Energy trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:40 EST Indonesia Energy Corporation Limited trading resumes

09:39 EST Republic Bank selects SEI Sphere for cybersecurity - SEI announced that Republic Bank selected SEI Sphere to manage its cybersecurity operations. A Philadelphia-based bank with 33 stores and more than $5B in assets, Republic Bank will leverage SEI Sphere's cybersecurity solutions as it seeks to continue to expand its footprint throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.

09:35 EST Indonesia Energy Corporation Limited trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:31 EST Genenta Science SpA(ADR) trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:26 EST Merit receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation for Embosphere Microspheres - Merit Medical Systems announced that it has received "breakthrough device designation" from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for Embosphere Microspheres for the Genicular Artery Embolization indication. GAE is a procedure intended toreduce pain and disabilitycaused by knee osteoarthritis by reducing blood flow to the knee, minimizing the inflammatory process. As a market-leading solution in embolotherapy, Embosphere Microspheres are the most clinically utilized and clinically studied spherical embolic. With more than 20 years of clinical experience, Embosphere Microspheres have been used in more than 250,000 procedures and featured in more than 200 clinical articles.

09:21 EST Bluebird Bio announces resignation of CFO Gina Consylman - Bluebird Bio disclosed that on March 4, Gina Consylman, its Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and the principal financial officer, provided notice of her resignation, effective April 3. The company expects to appoint Jason Cole, its Chief Business Officer, to serve as principal financial officer.

09:17 EST TC Energy announces closing of $800M subordinated notes offering by TransCanada - TC Energy Corporation announced that TransCanada Trust has closed an offering of U.S. $800 million of 5.600% subordinated Trust Notes, Series 2022-A due March 7, 2082 guaranteed on a subordinated basis by TCPL. The Trust Notes were offered through a syndicate of underwriters, co-led by Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and MUFG Securities Americas Inc., under the Trust's short form base shelf prospectus dated Feb. 26, 2021, as supplemented by a prospectus supplement dated March 2, 2022. The Company intends to use the proceeds to redeem its issued and outstanding Cumulative Redeemable Minimum Rate Reset First Preferred Shares, Series 15 pursuant to their terms, and pending such redemption, to reduce short-term indebtedness as well as for general corporate purposes.

09:13 EST Missfresh enters standby equity purchase agreement for up to $300M - Missfresh announced it entered into a Standby Equity Purchase Agreement, SEPA, with YA II PN, a Cayman Islands exempt limited partnership managed by Yorkville Advisor Global, dated as of March 4, 2022, to sell up to $300M of the Company's Class B ordinary shares, in the Company's sole discretion and at its request based on its funding requirement at any time during the 36 months following the date of the SEPA, following the effectiveness of a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission registering Class B ordinary shares issuable pursuant to the SEPA and other customary closing conditions. Zheng Xu, CEO of the Company, commented, "We are pleased to announce this financing facility. The additional fundings will give us robust operational and strategic flexibility as we drive forward to further implement our strategy and achieve our commercial milestones. We will remain committed to strengthening our end-to-end supply chain capabilities and enhancing our product offerings, including private-label selections and Ready-to-Cook products, to better serve high-value customers' needs, while improving unit economics through continuous technology empowerment and ultimately maximizing shareholder value."

09:12 EST Sprout, Salesforce partner to manage full social media presence - Sprout Social (SPT) and Salesforce (CRM) announced a global partnership to make it easy for Salesforce customers to manage their full social media presence - engagement, publishing & scheduling, analytics, listening, advocacy and platform integrations - through Sprout's social suite. "We're honored to work even more closely with Salesforce and to help our joint customers reimagine the role of social in their businesses," said Ryan Barretto, President of Sprout Social. "Salesforce is the global CRM leader with a global footprint across sales, service, marketing, commerce and data intelligence. Powerful, elegant integrations from Sprout into Salesforce will give our joint customers an unprecedented ability to build closer connections with customers and operationalize social at scale."

09:10 EST Kayne Anderson Infrastructure Fund completes merger with Fiduciary/Claymore fund - Kayne Anderson Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. (KYN) announced today the completion of the merger with Fiduciary/Claymore Energy Infrastructure Fund (FMO) with and into KYN. FMO was merged with and into KYN, and FMO shareholders received newly issued common shares of KYN common stock in exchange for their shares of FMO, the aggregate net asset value of which equal the aggregate NAV of FMO common shares, as determined at the close of business on March 4, 2022. KYN's post-merger total assets and NAV were approximately $2.0 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively. Its NAV per share was $10.53, with approximately 136.1 million shares outstanding.

09:08 EST Chart receives additional limited notice to proceed for Cheniere project - Chart Industries has received additional limited notice to proceed or their IPMSR process and equipment activities to be used in Cheniere's Corpus Christi Stage Three liquefied natural gas export terminal project. In conjunction with the LNTP, Chart booked an order of $47.5 million for the project from Bechtel. Chart will begin recognizing revenue on this project in 2022 with a multi-year staggered delivery schedule.

09:07 EST Hostess Brands to add new bakery in Arkadelphia, Arkansas - Hostess Brands has announced that it will convert an idled factory in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, into a state-of-the-art bakery. The bakery is expected to be operational in the second half of 2023 and bring approximately 150 new jobs to the community over the next three years.

09:06 EST Rogers 5G expands to 10 new communities amid Eastern Ontario project - Rogers Communications, together with the Eastern Ontario Regional Network, announced it has extended its 5G network to reach more residents and businesses across 10 new communities throughout Eastern Ontario. Rogers 5G is now available in the following areas: Elizabethtown-Kitley; Petawawa; Greater Napanee; Russell; Hawkesbury; Selwyn; Mississippi Mills; South Glengarry; Pembroke; South Stormont. Today's announcement is part of a $300 million partnership between the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, EORN and Rogers to bridge the digital divide and bring reliable wireless connectivity across Eastern Ontario. Earlier this year, Rogers lit up 5G in eight communities as part of this partnership. When the project is complete, Rogers will deliver mobile connectivity to 113 municipalities and Indigenous communities, building more than 300 new cellular towers and upgrading over 300 pre-existing sites through the partnership.

09:04 EST C3.ai, LyondellBasell expand strategic pact for acceleration of enterprise AI - C3 AI (AI) and LyondellBasell (LYB) announced a five-year expansion of their strategic agreement to accelerate the deployment of enterprise, data-driven AI and machine-learning applications on the C3 AI Suite across LyondellBasell. Since the start of their collaboration in 2020, LyondellBasell and C3 AI have accelerated value creation by developing solutions to improve asset optimization, supply chain optimization, and plant reliability for the company. "LyondellBasell is a global showcase success story in large-scale enterprise digital transformation," said C3 AI CEO Thomas M. Siebel. "Our work with LyondellBasell is extraordinarily innovative in the digital space. We believe our close collaboration will shape the global market for enterprise AI applications in the chemicals industry." Building on a strong culture of operational excellence, LyondellBasell will utilize C3 AI's cutting-edge technology and real-time data management platform to transform the company's operations, generate value for its shareholders and customers, and advance competitiveness. The synergistic alliance will enable LyondellBasell to achieve the next level of performance and on its path to become the enterprise of the future. "C3 AI is at the core of LyondellBasell's digital transformation," said Anup Sharma, SVP Global Business Services, LyondellBasell. "Through an industry leading approach, we will leverage strategic relationships to accelerate our journey and continue to unlock trapped value, improve the safety and reliability of our assets, and increase efficiency across the entire value chain."

09:03 EST Upwork announces suspension of business in Russia, Belarus - Upwork announced the suspension of all business operations in Russia and Belarus, taking full effect by May 1, 2022 and starting with shutting down support for new business generation in each country. Over the coming days, customers in Russia and Belarus will no longer be able to sign up for new accounts, initiate new contracts, or be visible in search. Existing contracts with talent and clients in the region will remain open, with final billing due by May 1, 2022.

09:02 EST GeoVax names Jeffrey Welch head, process development, manufacturing operations - GeoVax Labsannounced recent key staff appointments and changes Jeffrey Welch has been appointed to serve as Head, Process Development and Manufacturing Operations. In this role, Jeff will provide oversight and direction to enhance GeoVax's manufacturing capacity of MVA-related products, a key element in advancing the Company's current and upcoming clinical development programs. Erica Raiden has been appointed to serve as Director, Clinical Operations. In this role, Erica will work closely with our CRO partners and engage with clinical sites to facilitate advancing our clinical trials, ensuring that our clinical development programs are aligned with corporate objectives and priorities and proceeding in a timely manner. The Company also announced that Mark Newman, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, is now serving in a full-time capacity, having previously worked on a part-time basis.

09:01 EST BetMGM launches mobile sports betting in Illinois - BetMGM launched its mobile app in Illinois over the weekend. Customers in Illinois now can access BetMGM's state-of-the-art online sports wagering platform, providing a wide variety of betting options as well as access to earn experiences at MGM Resorts' premier destinations across the country.

08:54 EST Global Crossing Airlines selects PacSim A320 FTD - Global Crossing Airlines Group announces that it has selected New Zealand based Pacific Simulators to provide them with an FAA Level 5, NextGen Airbus A320 Flight Training Device. GlobalX, headquartered in Miami, FL, has chosen the PacSim FTD to improve their training outcomes and to provide a seamless transition for pilots when moving to the Full Flight Simulator. The PacSim FTD is a fully enclosed cockpit which incorporates original Airbus parts for durability, reliability, and that 'real aircraft feel'.

08:50 EST Cadence Design teams with GlobalFoundries to advance silicon photonics IC design - Cadence Design Systems announced a collaboration with GlobalFoundries "aimed at speeding silicon photonics IC development for 5G communications, hyperscale computing, healthcare, automotive, IoT and aerospace systems," said the company. Through this collaboration, the Cadence photonics solution, an integrated electronic/photonic design automation environment, has been optimized for the new GF Fotonix platform, its next-generation, widely disruptive, monolithic platform that is the first in the industry to combine its differentiated 300mm photonics and RF-CMOS features on a silicon wafer, delivering best-in-class performance at scale. The comprehensive Cadence photonics solution, which supports the GF Fotonix platform, consists of the Cadence Virtuoso(R) IC Design Platform, the Virtuoso Photonics Platform, the Spectre Simulation Platform and the Voltus(TM)-Fi Custom Power Integrity Solution, which seamlessly integrate with other Cadence products and solutions. The solution offers mutual customers a production-proven design platform for electronic/photonic design, simulation and analysis, and includes a robust set of features and APIs for generating and editing complex curvilinear shapes, waveguides and other photonics components.

08:46 EST Origin Agritech establishes new subsidiary to expand corn production - Origin Agritech announced that the company established a new subsidiary in Hainan island to expand the capacity of nutrition enhanced corn production. The new wholly owned subsidiary in Hainan province will focus on nutrition enhanced corn research, seed production and feed corn production by taking advantage of the three corn growing seasons per year on Hainan island. Over 50,000 Mu contract growing of feed corn has been initiated for the 2022 growing season, and significant growth is expected for next growing season.

08:45 EST Vicinity Motor receives order for five VMC Optimal E1 Chassis - Vicinity Motor announced that it has received orders from two additional paratransit bus manufacturers, Diamond Coach and Coach & Equipment, for the VMC Optimal E1 Electric Chassis. Olathe Fleet Solutions, a commercial truck dealership and fleet management company in Kansas, facilitated the orders for the five VMC Optimal E1 Electric Chassis. The chassis will expand VMC Optimal's reach in the paratransit bus market that serves elderly and disabled federal transit programs and other critical passenger transportation market segments. Diamond Coach is headquartered in Oswego, KS and since 1989 has built a reputation of offering rust-free, impact resistant, ADA accessible commercial buses. Since 1948 Coach and Equipment, based in Penn Yan, NY has provided specialized transportation solutions and provides paratransit buses to many major transit agencies in America. The dedicated electric vehicle chassis will begin to be delivered in the first quarter of 2022 and continue through the second quarter.

08:44 EST Ciena sees 'strong' 2H performance

08:41 EST Reneo Pharmaceuticals announces senior leadership promotions - Reneo Pharmaceuticals announced the appointments of Michael Cruse to the role of Chief Operating Officer and Jennifer Lam to the role of Principal Financial and Accounting Officer. Cruse has over 20 years of operational experience. Cruse most recently served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Operations at Reneo Pharmaceuticals. Lam has over 25 years of experience. Lam currently serves as Vice President of Finance and Accounting at Reneo Pharmaceuticals.

08:40 EST Cheniere Energy in EPC deal with Bechtel in for CCL Stage III project - Cheniere Energy announced today that its subsidiary, Cheniere Corpus Christi Liquefaction Stage has entered into a lump sum, turnkey, engineering, procurement and construction contract with Bechtel for the Corpus Christi Stage III Project. In addition, CCL Stage III has released Bechtel to commence early engineering, procurement and other site work at the Corpus Christi Stage III Project under a limited notice to proceed . The Corpus Christi Stage III Project is a fully permitted project consisting of up to seven midscale trains, each with an expected liquefaction capacity of approximately 1.49 million tonnes per annum with a total production capacity of more than 10 mtpa. The project is commercially underpinned by long-term agreements with creditworthy counterparties. "We are pleased to once again partner with Bechtel on the Corpus Christi Stage III Project, and we look forward to building upon the unmatched track record for execution excellence the Cheniere and Bechtel relationship has established while successfully building our LNG platform. The signing of this EPC contract and the issuance of LNTP mark important steps towards a Final Investment Decision on the project, which we expect to occur this summer. We are excited to have the project underway and are focused on the remaining steps required in order to reach FID," said Jack Fusco, Cheniere's President and Chief Executive Officer. "The Corpus Christi Stage III Project commences as global LNG market fundamentals highlight the criticality of natural gas in the global energy mix. We look forward to providing our customers with reliable and flexible LNG from the Corpus Christi Stage III Project starting in 2025." "Cheniere's award of the EPC contract for the third phase of the LNG development at the Corpus Christi complex is another important step in our long-term partnership to deliver affordable cleaner energy to the world," said Brendan Bechtel, Chairman and CEO of Bechtel. "The industry leading results we have helped Cheniere achieve over the last nine years are a testament to the power of a 'One Team' approach built upon shared goals and trust."

08:39 EST II-VI accelerates investment in SiC substrate, epitaxial water manufacturing - II-VI announced that it is accelerating its investment in 150 mm and 200 mm silicon carbide, SiC, substrate and epitaxial wafer manufacturing with large-scale factory expansions in Easton, Pennsylvania, and Kista, Sweden. This is part of the Company's previously announced $1B investment in SiC over the next 10 years. To meet the accelerating global demand for SiC power electronics, II-VI will significantly build out its nearly 300,000 square foot factory in Easton, to scale up the production of its state-of-the-art 150 mm and 200 mm SiC substrates and epitaxial wafers. Easton's 150 mm and 200 mm SiC substrate output is expected to reach the equivalent of 1 million 150 mm substrates annually by 2027, with the proportion of 200 mm substrates growing over time. "Our customers are accelerating their plans to intersect the anticipated tidal wave of demand for SiC power electronics in electric vehicles that we expect will come right behind the current adoption cycle in industrial, renewable energy, datacenters, and more," said Sohail Khan, Executive Vice President, New Ventures & Wide-Bandgap Electronics Technologies. "The Easton factory will increase II-VI's production of SiC substrates by at least a factor of six over the next five years, and it will also become II-VI's flagship manufacturing center for 200 mm SiC epitaxial wafers, one of the largest in the world."

08:37 EST Ideal Power completes Phase I project commitments under SBIR grant - Ideal Power announced that it has delivered on its Phase I project commitments under the Small Business Innovation Research grant awarded in collaboration with Diversified Technologies, from the Department of Energy to develop the conceptual design for a B-TRAN-driven low-loss 50MW, 13.8 kV alternating current solid-state circuit breaker. The SSCB is intended to be used in medium voltage power distribution and renewable energy / microgrid connection to the United States main power grid. Under the Phase I project, Ideal Power conducted a comprehensive semiconductor device optimization, completed the B-TRAN device design and wafer layout for potential fabrication in Phase II, leveraging its existing design to accommodate a multi-die packaging design, and, with the assistance of a world-class packaging firm, completed the conceptual multi-die packaging design with double-sided cooling, modeling both the thermal performance and inductance. These designs demonstrate the ability of B-TRAN switch modules to interrupt AC power and confirm the efficiency and speed of B-TRAN devices in AC operation. The B-TRAN-based SSCB is expected to limit fault energy by orders of magnitude compared to conventional mechanical circuit breakers. DTI and Ideal Power plan to collaborate on a grant application for a Phase II project. If awarded a Phase II grant by the DOE, DTI will build and test a full 50 MW AC SSCB using Ideal Power B-TRAN devices.

08:36 EST Ciena: Long-term secular demand 'very strong'

08:35 EST HUMBL acquires Latin America technology firm Ixaya in stock, cash transaction - HUMBL announced the acquisition of Ixaya Business SA de CV, a Mexico-based firm with over fifteen years of experience in developing software and IT solutions for the automotive, banking, payments, financial services, oil and gas, real estate, and cybersecurity sectors. With this acquisition, HUMBL obtains direct access to more than thirty-five Ixaya technology team members specializing in product design, front-end engineering, back-end engineering, dev ops and blockchain development. Ixaya will continue to operate as a standalone business and service its existing clients in Latin America. As part of the transaction, HUMBL also acquired several ready-built Latin America software offerings that can be selectively rebranded and marketed under the HUMBL family of products. These software products include: yoPago; Cook + Serve; Atenda; PetroControl. "Latin America is our key regional focus outside of the United States coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Brian Foote, CEO of HUMBL. "We are finding that there is not only strong interest in Web 3 and blockchain throughout Latin America, but that there is also high quality, low cost and fast-paced engineering talent as well. We welcome the team at Ixaya to the HUMBL family and look forward to working alongside them." HUMBL acquired all outstanding shares of Ixaya in exchange for 8,962,306 shares of HUMBL common stock and $150,000 in cash.

08:35 EST Ciena immediately suspending business operations in Russia - Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

08:34 EST Latin Metals provides update on Barrick earn-in agreement - Latin Metals provides an update on its previously announced earn-in agreement with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corporation, whereby Latin Metals granted to Barrick the option to earn-up to an 85% interest in the Cerro Bayo, Cerro Bayo Sur and Flora Este properties, located in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. Latin Metals announces that it and Barrick have entered into an agreement with the underlying owner of the Properties as of February 25, 2022. Under the terms of the agreement, the underlying owner of the Properties has acknowledged Barrick's rights under the Earn-In Agreement and authorized Barrick to conduct operations on the Properties. Under the terms of the Earn-In Agreement, Barrick is now obligated to incur at least USD $1,000,000 in exploration expenditures on the Properties by the second anniversary of the Effective Date. Latin Metals has now also received the US$150,000 cash payment from Barrick that was due on the Effective Date. Under the terms of the Earn-In Agreement, Barrick has the right to acquire up to an 85% interest in the Properties. Barrick's earn-in right consists of an initial option to acquire a 70% interest in the Properties and a second option to acquire an additional 15% interest. The Properties are currently subject to an underlying option agreement dated February 7, 2019, as amended, pursuant to which Latin Metals has the right to acquire a 100% interest in the Properties.

08:33 EST Ross Stores to open 100 new locations in 2022 - Ross Stores opened 22 Ross Dress for Less and eight dd's DISCOUNTS stores in 15 different states and Guam in February and March. These new locations are part of the company's plans to add approximately 100 new stores - 75 Ross and 25 dd's DISCOUNTS - during fiscal 2022.

08:32 EST Global Ship Lease announces partial redemption of Senior Notes due 2024 - Global Ship Lease announced that it has delivered notice of partial redemption of its 8.00% Senior Notes due 2024 to Wilmington Savings Fund Society, as trustee, registrar, and paying agent. The Company has elected to effect a redemption of $28,500,000 aggregate principal amount of the Notes at a redemption price equal to 102.00% of the principal amount thereof plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the redemption date of April 5, 2022. The Redeemed Notes will be selected by the Trustee in accordance with the applicable rules and procedures of The Depository Trust Company. Notes and portions of Notes selected for redemption will be in principal amounts of $25.00 or integral multiples of $25.00 in excess of thereof. Interest on the Redeemed Notes will cease to accrue on and after the Redemption Date. All Redeemed Notes must be surrendered to the Trustee to collect the Redemption Price plus accrued interest. A Notice of Partial Redemption has been sent on March 4, 2022 to the registered holders of the Notes, pursuant to the requirements of the indenture governing the Notes. Upon completion of the Redemption, approximately $89,020,500 aggregate principal amount of the Notes will remain outstanding.

08:27 EST Moderna enters MOU with Government of Republic of Kenya for mRNA facility - Moderna announced that with the assistance of the U.S. Government, it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of the Republic of Kenya to establish Kenya as the location for the Company's mRNA manufacturing facility. Moderna is building this mRNA facility in Africa with the goal of producing up to 500 million doses of vaccines each year. The Company anticipates investing up to $500M in this new facility which will focus on drug substance manufacturing on the continent of Africa for the continent of Africa, and could also be expanded to include fill/finish and packaging capabilities at the site. In parallel, Moderna is also working on plans to allow it to fill doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in Africa as early as 2023, subject to demand.

08:21 EST Priority Technology awarded purchasing cards and electronic payables agreement - Priority Technology Holdings has been awarded a group purchasing agreement for purchasing cards and electronic payables with Premier, Inc. Effective January 15 , the new agreement allows Premier members, at their discretion, to take advantage of special pricing and terms pre-negotiated by Premier for purchasing cards and electronic payables. "The agreement with Premier demonstrates their commitment to bringing the best payments solutions to their members, allowing them to make smart, data-driven decisions," said Stephen Tackett, Executive Vice President and head of the B2B division for Priority. "We are thrilled to have the opportunity to support their members with best-in-class accounts payable solutions that maximize automation and efficiency while achieving revenue growth." Priority's CPX solution minimizes inefficient, manual processes while accelerating payments and managing transaction costs for suppliers. The diverse product suite of payment solutions includes virtual card, ACH and check, and offers seamless integration into any accounting software or ERP. CPX enables users to pay all of their suppliers with a single payment instruction file regardless of payment method they accept. Premier is a leading healthcare improvement company, uniting an alliance of more than 4,400 U.S. hospitals and 225,000 other providers and organizations to transform healthcare. With integrated data and analytics, collaboratives, supply chain solutions, and consulting and other services, Premier enables better care and outcomes at a lower cost.

08:20 EST Alpine Immune Sciences announces clinical hold placed on NEON-2 trial by FDA - Alpine Immune Sciences announced that the FDA has placed a partial clinical hold on its NEON-2 trial evaluating davoceticept, or ALPN-202, in combination with pembrolizumab in adults with advanced malignancies. The partial clinical hold was prompted by Alpine's report of a Grade 5 serious adverse event in the NEON-2 trial. The participant had choroidal melanoma previously treated with nivolumab and ipilimumab, and had received a single dose each of davoceticept and pembrolizumab. The participant's death was attributed to cardiogenic shock, considered by the treating physicians as likely related to immune-mediated myocarditis, or possibly infection.

08:18 EST ElectraMeccanica announces new global headquarters in British Columbia - ElectraMeccanica Vehicles announced the new site of its global corporate headquarters in Burnaby, British Columbia - part of the greater Vancouver area. The new headquarters provides an expanded 14,000 square foot area for the Company's Engineering, Accounting, Finance, HR, Logistics and Operations Departments to operate under a single roof for the first time. "These are exciting times at ElectraMeccanica as we welcome our Canadian based employees to their new home in Burnaby," said Kevin Pavlov, Chief Executive Officer of ElectraMeccanica. "The new headquarters will serve as the epicenter for our growth initiatives as we focus on the infrastructure that will support a global production ramp, ensuring the success of the overall Company. Importantly, at the core of everything we do is our focus on sustainability, embedded in our culture, and it is essential that our new Canadian headquarters embodies these efforts. To this point, the new building includes LED environmentally friendly lighting, motion light shutoff, an energy-efficient heating and cooling system, as well as ergonomic furniture to create a welcoming environment for our employees and visitors alike."

08:16 EST Brooklyn ImmunoTherapeutics announces $12M private placement - Brooklyn ImmunoTherapeutics announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell securities in a private placement with a leading healthcare investor. The gross proceeds to Brooklyn from the private placement, before deducting the placement agent's fees and other estimated fees and expenses related to the offering payable by Brooklyn, are expected to be approximately $12 million. Brooklyn intends to use the net proceeds from the private placement for general working capital purposes. Pursuant to the terms of the securities purchase agreement, Brooklyn will issue 6,857,142 units at a price of $1.75 per unit to the investor. Each unit consists of one share of common stock, and a warrant to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $1.91 per share. The warrants will become exercisable six months following the closing and have a five and a half year term. The private placement is expected to close on or about March 9, 2022, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. is acting as placement agent for the private placement.

08:15 EST Vinci Partners announces investment in Evino - Vinci Partners Investments announced that "Vinci Capital Partners III", or "VCP III", the family of funds managed by Vinci Partners' Private Equity strategy, has entered into a definite agreement for a new investment round in Evino, the largest omnichannel specialty wine retailer in Brazil. This transaction marks VCP III's seventh and final investment. The Company currently operates under two of the most relevant brands in the space - Evino and Grand Cru. Evino, which directs most of the Company's digital B2C strategy through its online platform and mobile application. Gabriel Felzenszwalb, partner and co-head of Private Equity for Vinci Partners, said, "With the acquisition of Grand Cru, Evino combined two of the most relevant and highly complementary players in the wine market, with best-in-class operations in each vertical they specialized. Through VCP III's investment we have the opportunity to help create the industry leader in a large and growing market. Vinci and the other shareholders of Evino mapped organic and inorganic paths to consolidate the segment, benefiting from scale, an integrated omnichannel offering and synergies between B2C and B2B channels."

08:14 EST Horizon Therapeutics announces FDA grants priority review for Krystexxa sBLA - Horizon Therapeutics announced that the FDA granted priority review of the supplemental biologics license application, or sBLA, to expand the label for Krystexxa plus methotrexate, an immunomodulator commonly prescribed by rheumatologists. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date is July 7.

08:13 EST Imax announces $22.3M opening for 'The Batman' - IMAX delivered $22.3M on 725 IMAX screens across 76 markets with the debut of Warner Bros. "The Batman." The film notched IMAX's biggest March global opening since 2019 and third biggest March global opening of all time, even without China, where the film debuts on March 18. North America led the way, with IMAX earning $15.5M across 405 screens in the U.S. and Canada, good for an impressive 12% of the film's domestic take.

08:12 EST AFC Gamma expands existing senior secured credit facilities - AFC Gamma (AFCG) announced it has expanded its senior credit facilities with three different borrowers: Verano Holdings Corp. (VRNOF), Devi Holdings Inc., doing business as Nature's Medicines; and Natrabis, doing business as SocietyC. AFC Gamma has committed an additional $26.6 million under the expansion to Verano's credit facility, and now holds $86.6 million in total of the expanded credit facility, and an additional $15 million of the expansion was syndicated to an affiliate. AFC Gamma has committed an additional $15.3 million under the expansion to Nature's Medicines credit facility, and now holds $77.8 million in total of the expanded credit facility, and an additional $1.0 million of the expansion was syndicated. AFC Gamma has committed an additional $5.0 million under the expansion to Natrabis' facility, and now holds the entire $15.5 million expanded credit facility.

08:11 EST Capri Holdings announces John Idol to remain CEO, Joshua Schulman to depart - Capri Holdings announced that John Idol will remain as chairman and CEO of Capri Holdings. In addition, Joshua Schulman, CEO of Michael Kors, will leave the company. Idol said, "At Capri Holdings, we are executing against our clear strategic vision for growing our three powerful fashion luxury brands and seeing strong results. We remain well-positioned to achieve meaningful long-term revenue and earnings growth as well as deliver increased value for our shareholders. I am fully committed to continuing to lead Capri Holdings and driving our future success."

08:10 EST Reservoir Media extends deal with songwriter Tamposi - Reservoir Media announced a new deal with award-winning hit songwriter, Ali Tamposi, who has been represented by the Company since 2017. Under the extended partnership, Reservoir will continue to publish Tamposi's hit-driven catalog, as well as her future works. To date, Tamposi's smash collaborations have amassed over 50 billion global streams. Reservoir Founder and CEO Golnar Khosrowshahi said, "We have built a fantastic relationship with Ali since welcoming her into the Reservoir family five years ago. All she has accomplished demonstrates the value of investing in our songwriters. We are thrilled to enter this new chapter in our partnership with Ali and continue to invest in her future success."

08:09 EST Absolute Software CFO Steven Gatoff departs, Ron Fior named interim CFO - Absolute Software announced a transition of its chief financial officer role, effective immediately. Current CFO, Steven Gatoff, is departing to pursue other opportunities. Ron Fior will serve as interim CFO while the company conducts a search for a permanent replacement. Fior is also a partner at FLG Partners, a leading CFO services firm in Silicon Valley. He has more than 30 years of hands-on CFO experience, in all aspects of corporate finance and operations, in both public and private companies.

08:08 EST Whirlpool updates progress on net zero targets - In 2021, Whirlpool Corp.:Drove a 27% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions globally for all Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions compared to a 2016 baseline, accelerating the company's progress to meet its Net-Zero target by 2030. Achieved 14% Scope 3 Category 11 emissions reduction, in line with its target reduction of 20% by 2030, compared to 2016 levels. Issued its first Sustainability Bond, with the proceeds allocated to drive positive environmental and social impacts. Continued to develop innovative technologies and products that reduce its environmental impact. The company is on track to achieve its Zero Waste to Landfill goal for all manufacturing sites by the end of the year. Currently, 90% of its sites have achieved Gold or Platinum ratings using the UL ECVP 2799 Zero Waste to Landfill standard. The company has also recently joined the U.S. Department of Energy's Better Climate Challenge, targeting a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 50% within 10 years and collaborating with the DOE and other organizations to cut carbon and save energy. Over the past five years, it has also achieved a 34% reduction in water consumption in its operations globally.

08:07 EST Enphase Energy expands battery storage in Belgium - Enphase Energy announced that Enphase installers in Belgium have seen a growing number of deployments of the Enphase Energy System, powered by IQ Microinverters and IQ Batteries, following the launch of the IQ Battery in Belgium last year. "We're pleased to see the uptick in Enphase Energy System deployments across Belgium, thanks to an excellent network of installers," said Dave Ranhoff, chief commercial officer at Enphase. "Homeowners are looking for more energy independence. The Enphase Energy System, powered by IQ Batteries and IQ Microinverters, enables homeowners to power their lives with their own clean energy from the sun, day or night."

08:06 EST Bionano Genomics appoints Rajkovic to board of directors - Bionano Genomics announced the appointment of Aleks Rajkovic, MD, PhD, to its board of directors. Dr. Rajkovic is currently the Chief Genomics Officer at the University of California, San Francisco and Medical Director and Chief of the Center for Genetic and Genomic Medicine at UCSF Health.

08:05 EST Air Products, SARGAS to build new ASU at facility in Oman - Air Products, together with their regional partner Saudi Arabian Refrigerant Gases Company of Saudi Arabia, an affiliated company of Abdullah Hashim Gases and Equipment, Air Products' long standing industrial gas joint venture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, announced that it has signed an agreement to build a new air separation unit at Jindal Shadeed Iron & Steel facility in Sohar, Oman. The new unit will produce a total of over 400 T/D of oxygen and nitrogen to the facility. The project, undertaken by Ajwaa Gases LLC - a joint venture between Air Products and SARGAS - represents the third ASU installed by Air Products at Jindal Shadeed Iron & Steel's facility in Sohar. The addition of the new ASU will increase capacity of gaseous oxygen and gaseous nitrogen by 50%; together with an increased production capability of liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen, in Oman.

08:03 EST AutoWeb expands vehicle acquisition business into Houston, Texas market - AutoWeb has expanded its CarZeus vehicle acquisition business into the Houston, Texas market. The expansion comes three months after the company's expansion into the Austin community and marks its third major market presence for AutoWeb's vehicle acquisition operations in the state. "AutoWeb's approach of leveraging our consumer audience for vehicle acquisition has had a consequential impact on the unit economics of the business in the markets where we offer this service, which is why we are excited to push ahead with another market for our vehicle acquisition business in Texas," said Jared Rowe, president and CEO of AutoWeb. "This expansion not only allows us to cater to the needs of consumers in another important community for CarZeus, but it also reflects what we believe is our highly efficient and scalable ability to engage and curate an audience of those intent on selling their vehicles." In addition to impacting new vehicle production and inventory, COVID-19 has changed many consumer preferences, with a growing trend of unbundling vehicle trade-ins from the car shopping process. "This structural change in the industry aligns well with AutoWeb's growing vehicle acquisition business, which offers sellers a customer-centric service that caters to these evolving behaviors while serving the needs of retail dealers," the company said.

08:02 EST Baudax Bio regains compliance with NASDAQ listing requirements - Baudax Bio announced that the Company received a letter on March 3, 2022 from The Nasdaq Stock Market noting the Company has regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement under Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), which requires the Company to maintain a minimum closing bid price of $1.00 per share. Nasdaq staff made this determination of compliance after the Company's bid price closed above $1.00 per share for 10 consecutive business days from February 16, 2022 to March 2, 2022, and has now deemed the matter closed

08:00 EST Alpine Immune Sciences trading halted, news pending

07:52 EST VS Digital Health launches virtual pharmacy, digital health platform - Victory Square Technologies is pleased to provide an update on wholly owned subsidiary VS Digital Health. The company said, "VSDH has launched a white-label digital health platform powering consumer health experiences for a wide range of health service providers on a business to business subscription model, which consists of a fixed annual rate and revenue sharing. The launch of VSDH provides Victory Square the opportunity to expand into different health and wellness verticals. VSDH provides a unique, custom built proprietary digital health service that allows users to book confidential health & wellness and/or medical services in their home, hotel, office or wherever they may need assistance. This service also includes the setup of a virtual pharmacy facilitating online ordering, payment and processing all in one spot. The business model leverages decentralized healthcare to bring quality digital health to all 50 states in the U.S., in an efficient, scalable and cost-effective way."

07:50 EST OptiNose trading halted, news pending

07:50 EST Limelight Networks trading halted, news pending

07:48 EST Innovation Pharmaceuticals reports results from Phase 2 trial of brilacidin - Innovation reported findings from data review of the Company's Brilacidin Phase 2 COVID-19 study and compassionate use of Brilacidin in critically-ill COVID-19 patients. The Phase 2 trial was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Brilacidin treatment in addition to current standard-of-care compared to SoC alone, in 120 hospitalized patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19. Study treatment, Brilacidin IV or saline IV, was administered as 3 doses or 5 doses. For efficacy analyses, the main comparison was between the Brilacidin 5-dose group and the pooled placebo group. Even with randomization--stratified by age and severity--patients allocated to the Brilacidin treatment groups exhibited a greater degree of disease burden at baseline, as reflected by higher, on average, elevated biomarker levels, in contrast to the pooled placebo group. As previously released, Brilacidin did not show a difference compared to placebo in reducing Time to Sustained Recovery Through Day 29, the study's primary endpoint based on clinical status. There was also no difference in mortality between active and placebo, with both groups experiencing low mortality rates compared to other studies that evaluated patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19. Beneficial Brilacidin treatment effects, however, were observed in NEWS2 secondary endpoints, as well as on the primary endpoint in patient subgroups. Pharmacokinetic analysis provided comparable estimations to those seen previously in the Brilacidin IV program, although exposure was generally greater than observed prior. These new PK data will help inform any future Brilacidin IV dosing strategies. Brilacidin was generally well-tolerated by patients, with an overall safety profile in COVID-19 patients consistent with previous clinical studies. The incidence of patients with at least one treatment-emergent adverse event was higher for Brilacidin treatment compared to placebo. However, the proportion of patients with TEAEs is similar across groups after excluding the Brilacidin-related adverse events of tingling and hypoesthesia, which are known, transient, mostly mild, non-serious adverse events related to Brilacidin IV treatment. The incidence of serious adverse events was the same, and no serious adverse events were reported as related to study treatment. More patients in the Brilacidin 5-dose group achieved and maintained, for at least 24 hours, a National Early Warning Score 2 of less than=2. By 10 days, 97 percent of the Brilacidin 5-dose group had achieved this NEWS2 endpoint compared to 84 percent of patients in the pooled placebo group. A NEWS2 score of 2 or less is clinically meaningful as an aggregate score of 4 or less translates to low clinical risk, per NEWS2 criteria. The mean change from baseline in NEWS2 was greater for the Brilacidin treatment groups than for the pooled placebo group, at all assessment timepoints. Inflammatory Biomarkers: Patient Subgroup with Highest Quartile Baseline Values: For those patients with baseline values for C-Reactive Protein in the highest quartile, all patients in the Brilacidin 5-dose subgroup achieved sustained recovery through Day 29, compared to 77 percent of patients in the pooled placebo subgroup. Time to sustained recovery was on average shorter in the Brilacidin 5-dose subgroup compared to placebo. Additionally, for those patients with baseline values for Interleukin-6 in the highest quartile, more patients in the Brilacidin 5-dose subgroup achieved sustained recovery through Day 29. Time to sustained recovery also was on average shorter in the Brilacidin 5-dose subgroup compared to placebo for this quartile of patients. Both CRP and IL-6 levels, when elevated at baseline, have been shown to predict worse outcomes in COVID-19 patients and our data was consistent with this. These two biomarkers have been used by other pharmaceutical companies as enrollment criteria to target COVID-19 patient populations most likely to benefit from treatment. The NIH-sponsored clinical evaluation of Humanigen's drug, lenzilumab, was updated to include, as the trial's primary endpoint, survival without ventilation by 28 days in patients with baseline CRP levels under 150mg/l. Viral Load Biomarker: Patient Subgroup with Highest Quartile Baseline Values: For those patients with baseline values for viral load in the highest quartile, more patients in the Brilacidin 5-dose subgroup achieved sustained recovery through Day 29. Time to sustained recovery was also on average shorter in the Brilacidin 5-dose subgroup compared to placebo for this quartile of patients. This is notable given median time from symptom onset to treatment randomization averaged 9.53 days in the Brilacidin COVID-19 trial, and thus likely occurred after peak viral load in most patients. Time from Onset of Symptoms to Randomization. If a patient started study treatment within fewer than 7 days of onset of COVID-19 symptoms, patients in the Brilacidin 5-dose group achieved sustained recovery more quickly compared to the pooled placebo group. For this patient population, early treatment with Brilacidin from onset of symptoms appeared to have a potential positive impact on time to sustained recovery, suggesting cases that can be treated close to initial onset of disease may be an attractive population to target for Brilacidin treatment. Standard-of-Care: Review of Brilacidin Phase 2 COVID-19 trial data showed most patients received treatment with systemic corticosteroids, and treatment with mucolytics, antivirals, analgesics, immunosuppressants, anti-thrombotic agents, and other supportive medications as SoC for COVID-19. These seemingly aggressive SoC treatment strategies are likely attributable to the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, which became prevalent during trial enrollment and has been associated with significantly higher in-hospital mortality compared to earlier SARS-CoV-2 variants. Such implementation of a more aggressive COVID-19 SOC, as has been reported by other companies evaluating COVID-19 trial results, may have contributed to an overall lessening of observable Brilacidin treatment effects. Noticeable treatment effects attributed to the compassionate use of Brilacidin were reported by investigators. Patients receiving compassionate use of Brilacidin were at extremely advanced stages of disease and had exhausted other conventional treatment options. Compassionate use cases comprised Brilacidin being administered to critically-ill COVID-19 patients over a longer duration than in the Phase 2 COVID-19 clinical trial, with some patients also receiving higher and more frequent dosing. There appeared to be a potentially favorable treatment response based on increased Brilacidin dosing. For the Brilacidin compassionate use cases, in general, investigators observed more stable disease with initial improvements evident on chest x-rays and in COVID-19 disease biomarkers. While nearly all of these critically-ill patients ultimately succumbed to severe hypoxic respiratory failure and expired, survival time for these patients who initially were not expected to live beyond a few days was appreciably extended.

07:44 EST TherapeuticsMD divests vitaCare to GoodRx for $150M in cash at closing - TherapeuticsMD (TXMD) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to divest its vitaCare Prescription Services business to GoodRx (GDRX), a consumer-focused digital healthcare platform. VitaCare is a technology and services platform that helps patients navigate key access and adherence barriers for brand medications. Under the terms of the agreement, TXMD will receive $150M in cash at closing, subject to customary adjustments, with up to an additional $7M in cash consideration contingent upon vitaCare's financial performance through 2023. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. TXMD will also enter into a long-term services agreement with vitaCare to continue to utilize the vitaCare platform. "We are pleased to find a fitting home for vitaCare and are confident that GoodRx will expand on vitaCare's track record of increasing patient access," said Hugh O'Dowd, Chief Executive Officer of TherapeuticsMD. "This transaction will allow TherapeuticsMD to focus on our core women's health business and mission of empowering women of all ages through better healthcare, while at the same time delivering value for our stakeholders."

07:43 EST Avinger announces expansion of first case experience with Lightbox 3 - Avinger announced the expansion of first case experience with its new Lightbox 3 imaging console to four additional hospitals in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Patients were treated at the four sites over three days using a single Lightbox 3 in a portable system configuration designed for easy transport and set-up by Avinger's clinical sales team. The portable system configuration includes the Lightbox 3 console in a lightweight, protective roller case similar in size to a carry-on suitcase and a collapsible stand that can be set-up in minutes with no tools required. The Lightbox 3 received 510(k) pre-marketing clearance from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in January. First cases in the U.S. were completed at two hospitals in Chicago and Arkansas during the week of February 21. Avinger is expanding availability of the Lightbox 3 to additional sites on a limited basis and anticipates progressing to full commercial availability early in the second quarter of 2022.

07:41 EST OverActive Media promotes Rikesh Shah to CFO - OverActive Media announced the promotion of three team members who have been instrumental to the Company's success to date. Rikesh Shah has been promoted from Interim CFO to CFO, Tyler Keenan from VP of Global Partnerships to the newly created role of SVP of Partnerships and Revenue, and Amy Williams from Director of Global Partnerships to VP of Partnerships.

07:39 EST Centessa expands management team with two new appointments - Centessa Pharmaceuticals (CNTA) announced that Antoine Yver, MD, MSc, has been appointed Executive Vice President and Chairman of Development. In this newly created role reporting to the CEO, Dr. Yver will be accountable for the Company's overall development strategy. As a result of Dr. Yver taking on this elevated role, Javad Shahidi, MD, MSc, has joined the Company as Chief Medical Officer reporting to the CEO. Dr. Shahidi will oversee the clinical development teams and will be directly responsible for the overall design, delivery and management of clinical development, regulatory and medical affairs across Centessa. Dr. Shahidi brings significant industry experience, most recently as Vice President - Global R&D at Daiichi Sankyo (DSNKY).

07:37 EST SL Green Realty appoints Carol Brown as independent director - SL Green Realty announced that Carol Brown has been appointed as an Independent Director to the company's Board of Directors. Brown is a long tenured real estate law professor at the University of Richmond School of Law, where she teaches and writes in the areas of property, land use planning, real estate transactions and housing law. Ms. Brown is also a fellow with the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and has served as the chair of the Association of American Law Schools Section on Real Estate Transactions and Section on Property Law.

07:36 EST SL Green Realty signs leases totaling over 452,000 sq. ft. during Jan., Feb. - SL Green Realty announced that it has signed 26 leases totaling 452,433 square feet during just the first two months of 2022. Notable leases include: A global information services company signed a new 10-year, 236,026 square foot headquarters lease covering floors 9-14 at 100 Park Avenue. Robert Lowe, Gary Ceder, Nicholas Dysenchuk and Jon Herman of Cushman & Wakefield represented the tenant. UN Women, a UN organization delivering programs, policies and standards that uphold women's human rights, signed a 10-year, 85,522 square foot renewal lease covering floors 17-20 at 220 East 42nd Street, also known as the News Building. Jodi Pulice and Greg Smith of JRT Realty together with Chris Helgesen of Cushman & Wakefield represented UN Women. Tara Stacom, Harry Blair, Barry Zeller, Justin Royce, and Anthony LoPresti of Cushman & Wakefield represented the landlord for this lease and the lease at 100 Park Avenue. Two new leases were signed at 885 Third Avenue, also known as the Lipstick Building: EC Mergers & Acquisitions, an independent, globally active, investment banking firm specializing in mergers, acquisitions, company sales and corporate divestitures, signed a 10-year, 13,884 square foot lease covering the entire 34th floor. Joseph Grotto of Cushman & Wakefield represented EuroConsult. Aurora Health Network, LLC, a premier healthcare-focused investment firm managing high-performing facilities throughout the U.S., signed a 7-year, 13,884 square foot lease covering the entire 29th floor. John Cilmi and Harry Singer of Newmark represented the tenant. Brian Waterman, Scott Klau, Eric Harris, Cole Gendels and Zach Weil of Newmark represented the landlord on both transactions. Two new leases covering 16,395 square feet were signed at One Vanderbilt Avenue, which increases leased occupancy at the property to 96.4%.

07:35 EST Applied Materials appoints Brice Hill as CFO - Applied Materials announced that Brice Hill has joined the company as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Hill was most recently as CFO of Xilinx. Hill succeeds interim CFO Bob Halliday who will remain with Applied Materials to support a smooth transition and resume his role as a corporate vice president and advisor.

07:34 EST Ituran approves distribution of 14c per share cash dividend - Ituran Location and Control announced that the Board of Directors approved the distribution of a cash dividend in the amount of 14c per share, totaling approximately $3M. The dividend will be paid to shareholders of record as of March 23. The company will pay the dividend out on April 6, net of taxes at the rate of 25%.

07:34 EST Day One Biopharmaceuticals announces program highlights - Initial data from FIREFLY-1, a pivotal Phase 2 clinical trial of DAY101 in pediatric low-grade glioma, is expected in June 2022. FIREFLY-1 has reached targeted enrollment across approximately 30 sites globally. Day One anticipates releasing topline results from the study in the first quarter of 2023. Pending positive results from FIREFLY-1, Day One anticipates filing a new drug application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2023. The first patient has been dosed with a pediatric formulation in the FIREFLY-1 study. The Company plans to initiate a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating DAY101 as a first-line therapy in pLGG in the second quarter of 2022. Day One is enrolling patients in the Phase 2 FIRELIGHT-1 trial evaluating DAY101 monotherapy in adults with recurrent, progressive, or refractory solid tumors harboring MAPK pathway aberrations, with 8 sites activated. Day One plans to expand FIRELIGHT-1 to include a Phase 1b/2 portion to evaluate DAY101 in combination with pimasertib, the Company's MEK Inhibitor. The Company expects to initiate the combination portion of the study in March of 2022.

07:33 EST Day One Biopharmaceuticals expects cash to fund operations into 2024 - Cash and cash equivalents totaled $284.3 million on December 31, 2021. Based on Day One's current operating plan, management believes it has sufficient capital resources to fund anticipated operations into 2024.

07:32 EST Alpha Metallurgical announces $150M share repurchase program - The share repurchase program is effective immediately and repurchases may begin as soon as March 9th.

07:27 EST Whiting Petroleum, Oasis Petroleum to combine in $6B merger of equals - Whiting Petroleum (WLL) and Oasis Petroleum (OAS) announced they have entered into an agreement to combine in a merger of equals transaction. The combined company will have a premier Williston Basin position with top tier assets across approximately 972,000 net acres, combined production of 167.8 thousand boepd, significant scale and enhanced free cash flow generation to return capital to shareholders. Under the terms of the agreement, Whiting shareholders will receive 0.5774 shares of Oasis common stock and $6.25 in cash for each share of Whiting common stock owned. In connection with the closing of the transaction, Oasis shareholders will receive a special dividend of $15.00 per share. The combined company will have an enterprise value of $6B based on the exchange ratio and the closing share prices for Whiting and Oasis as of March 4. Upon completion of the transaction, Whiting shareholders will own approximately 53% and Oasis shareholders will own approximately 47% of the combined company on a fully diluted basis. Upon closing, Whiting's president and CEO, Lynn Peterson, will serve as executive chair of the board of directors of the combined company. Oasis' CEO, Danny Brown, will serve as president and CEO and as a member of the board. The combined company will be headquartered in Houston upon closing but will retain the Denver office for the foreseeable future. The combined company will operate under a new name and is expected to trade on the Nasdaq under a new ticker to be announced prior to closing. Upon closing, the board of directors of the combined company will consist of ten directors, comprising four independent directors from the current Whiting Board, as well as Peterson, and four independent directors from the current Oasis Board, along with Brown. The remainder of the company's leadership team includes Michael Lou, Oasis' CFO, Chip Rimer, Whiting's COO and Scott Regan, Whiting's GC, who will serve in their respective capacities in the combined company. The transaction, which is expected to close in the second half of 2022, has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies. The closing of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including, among others, approval by Whiting and Oasis shareholders.

07:21 EST Verizon announces increase to waterfall cap, early results for tender offers - Verizon Communications announced that, in connection with the Offers, all Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn at or prior to the Early Participation Date will be accepted for purchase, in accordance with the terms of the Offer to Purchase. As a result, the Waterfall Cap will be increased from a total cash amount of up to $4.0 billion to a total cash amount sufficient to accept for purchase all notes tendered prior to the Early Participation Date. Verizon also announced the early participation results, as of 5:00 pm on March 4, 2022, of its previously announced 30 separate offers to purchase for its own account and on behalf of certain of its wholly-owned subsidiaries the outstanding series of debt securities for a total cash amount of up to the Waterfall Cap. We refer to each offer to purchase a series of Notes for cash as an "Offer" and, collectively, as the "Offers." The Offers are made on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase dated February 16, 2022, as amended by supplement no. 1 to the Original Offer to Purchase dated February 25, 2022. Withdrawal rights for the Offers expired at 5:00 p.m. on March 4, 2022. The Offers will each expire at 5:00 p.m. on March 21, 2022, unless extended by Verizon. Verizon's obligation to accept Notes tendered in the Offers is subject to the terms and conditions described in the Offer to Purchase, including, among other things, the Acceptance Priority Procedures, a cap of originally $4.0 billion, which has now been increased to an amount sufficient to accept for purchase all notes tendered prior to the Early Participation Date, on the Total Consideration and/or Tender Consideration to be paid in all of the Offers, and a separate cap of $1.0 billion on the aggregate Total Consideration and/or Tender Consideration to be paid for the 2.987% Notes due 2056 issued by Verizon Communications Inc. The Accrued Coupon Payment is excluded from the Waterfall Cap. The Offers are not conditioned on any minimum amount of Notes being tendered, and none of the Offers is conditioned on the consummation of any of the other Offers. All conditions to the Offers were deemed satisfied by Verizon by the Early Participation Date, or timely waived by Verizon. Accordingly, Verizon will settle all Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Participation Date and accepted for purchase, on March 9, 2022. Because the Total Consideration to be paid for Notes validly tendered at or prior to the Early Participation Date will be equal to the increased Waterfall Cap, there will be no Final Settlement Date, and no Notes tendered after the Early Participation Date will be accepted for purchase.

07:19 EST IBI Group takes minority equity position in Ecosystem Informatics - IBI Group announced it has taken a minor equity position in Ecosystem Informatics Inc., a private company specializing in environmental monitoring, diagnostics and pollution abatement solutions designed to help clients protect the environment and enhance business performance. The company said, "Similar to IBI Group's investment in SWTCH, an electric vehicle charging and energy management solutions provider, this investment is reflective of the firm's commitment to taking action against climate change and improving the environment. The partnership will enable ESI to expand its reach to urban municipalities and businesses around the world mandated to make the changes needed now for a cleaner, more sustainable future." In 2017, ESI began a two-year collaboration with the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, which resulted in the development of a device to measure environmental pollutants. Since then, ESI has made advancements to its proprietary AI-powered mobile solution that have increased its capacity to accurately capture data across a larger area in real-time. In practice, ESI's offering allows stakeholders in the oil and gas, agriculture, mining, transportation and civic infrastructure sectors to assess air quality remotely and make informed decisions on operational changes that will affect positive change. Similarly, the sensor technology's diagnostic capabilities can provide feedback on current climate action initiatives, informing their effectiveness.

07:17 EST Ashland increases global focus on STEM education - Ashland Global announced a new program called Responsible Solvers that "brings together the company's global philanthropic commitment to science, technology, engineering, and math education, with additional STEM funding and a paid employee volunteer program," the company said.. The Responsible Solvers program is designed to put the power of Ashland people and products in the hands of the communities where employees work, live and play. "The increased funding is not just a philanthropic investment," said Guillermo Novo, chair and chief executive officer, Ashland. "It is a strategic part of our business model. Ashland's transformation shows why leading on environment, social and governance issues is vital for our company's long-term future. We are problem-solvers and integrating issues like climate change, inclusion and diversity, and corporate transparency into our business model allow us to play a critical role in some of the greatest challenges on the planet - challenges that are reshaping our markets as we speak where our solutions expertise and the Responsible Solvers(TM) program add real value."

07:15 EST Universal Stainless & Alloy increases nickel premium surcharge - Universal Stainless & Alloy Products announced that it will be increasing the nickel premium used in its raw material surcharge calculation from $0.38/lb to $1.70/lb for AOD grades and to $2.70/lb for VIM grades. The change will go into effect for May surcharges, which reflect March raw material costs. Chris Zimmer, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, commented, "There are recent driving forces that have caused the escalation of the market pricing of nickel beyond the published LME price. The market has tightened as a result of the recent sanctions on Russia, and the ramping production of electric vehicles. The increased nickel premium within our surcharge calculation enables us to pass through the higher prices that we are now having to pay for nickel. We have agreements in place to ensure that we can secure all of the nickel that we will need to support our demand."

07:14 EST Bunker Hill signs asset purchase agreement with Teck Resources - Bunker Hill Mining is pleased to announce the signing of an Asset Purchase Agreement for the purchase of the Pend Oreille process plant from a subsidiary of Teck Resources Limited. Closing of the transaction remains subject to certain conditions, including payment of the remaining purchase price by May 15, 2022 The key commercial terms in the Asset Purchase agreement, including the remaining purchase price of approximately $2-3 million, are unchanged from the MOU as announced in the Company's news release dated January 25, 2022. With the APA signed, the Company is in the process of agreeing detailed plans for the demolition of certain structures at the Pend Oreille site and dismantling of mill equipment, including a Health & Safety plan. Commercial discussions with contractors to execute these plans are well underway. The Company expects to commence demobilization activities prior to May 2022, with completion by September 2022. Concurrent with the completion of the Prefeasibility Study, which remains on track for Q2 2022, the Company is evaluating potential capital cost savings by locating the process plant in an existing surface building

07:11 EST PetVivo announces launch of two new websites - PetVivo Holdings announced the launch of two new websites; the first exhibiting the Company and the second exhibiting PetVivo's current product Spryng with OsteoCushion Technology. Each website went live on March 4, 2022. The company said, "The purpose behind the new look and feel of the PetVivo company website is to better provide innovative resources and information to veterinarians, companion animal owners, as well as existing and potential investors, covering product information, news releases, product information and other general company information. The website will highlight all of the tools and resources available at the click of a button and make evident that PetVivo is at the forefront of industry trends and technology. The new PetVivo company website can be accessed at www.petvivo.com Additionally, the purpose behind the launch of the Spryng product website is to better provide educational product information directed to veterinarians as well as companion animal owners. The website will highlight comprehensive information regarding product composition and use of Spryng, case studies and scientific information demonstrating the benefits of the product, as well as a portal for ordering and purchase of Spryng. The Spryng product website can be accessed at www.sprynghealth.com."

07:10 EST Bone Biologics enters supply agreement with MTF Biologics for DBM - Bone Biologics announced it has entered into a supply agreement with MTF Biologics for demineralized bone matrix, or DBM. MTF Biologics is a global nonprofit organization that provides one of the orthopedic industry's largest portfolios of allograft tissue. Bone Biologics is developing a bone graft substitute product consisting of rhNELL-1 and a carrier, to be supplied by MTF Biologics, for the initiation and improvement of bone formation. This supply agreement provides material for the company's planned 30-patient pilot study, and later for its planned U.S. pivotal study in spine fusion patients.

07:10 EST James River Group CEO buys $253K in common stock - In a regulatory filing, James River Group disclosed that its CEO Richard Schmitzer bought 12.5K shares of common stock on March 4th in a total transaction size of $252.9K.

07:09 EST Bed Bath & Beyond surges after Ryan Cohen takes stake, pushes for sale - In a regulatory filing, RC Ventures, the investment company of Chewy (CHWY) co-founder and GameStop (GME) chairman Ryan Cohen, confirmed it holds a 9.8% stake in Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY). The firm purchased the shares based on the belief that the shares, when purchased, were "undervalued and represented an attractive investment opportunity," the filing stated. "The firm intends to engage in communications with the Issuer's Board of Directors and management team regarding opportunities to enhance shareholder value and improve corporate governance. On March 6, 2022, the [firm] delivered a letter to the Board encouraging the Board to adjust the [company's] strategy and explore alternative paths to value creation. Specifically, the [firm] expressed their belief that the [company] should narrow its focus to fortify operations and maintain the right inventory mix to meet demand, while simultaneously exploring strategic alternatives that include separating buybuy Baby, Inc. and a full sale of the [company]," the filing noted. In pre-market trading, shares of Bed Bath & Beyond are up $11.15, or 69%, to $27.33.

07:08 EST Builders FirstSource hires Messersmith as Chief People Officer - Builders FirstSource announced that Amy Messersmith will be joining Builders FirstSource as its Chief People Officer, effective March 14, 2022. In this role, Messersmith will be a member of the Builders FirstSource executive leadership team, overseeing all aspects of human resources. Messersmith formerly held the role of Chief Human Resources Officer for U.S. Anesthesia Partners.

07:07 EST Agenus, Targovax announce clinical collaboration - Agenus and Targovax announce that they have entered into a clinical collaboration and supply agreement to combine Targovax's TG mutant KRAS cancer vaccines with Agenus's clinically validated and FDA approved QS-21 STIMULON adjuvant. Under the collaboration with Targovax, Agenus will supply QS-21 STIMULON and scientific support for up to three initial TG01 clinical trials in different cancer indications. If the clinical results meet certain pre-specified performance targets, the collaboration will be extended into an exclusive pivotal development and commercialization agreement where Agenus will be entitled to tiered double-digit royalties on future TG vaccine sales. Dr. Garo Armen, Chief Executive Officer of Agenus, said: "We look forward to collaborating with Targovax to extend the benefit of QS-21 STIMULON to new patient populations such as those harboring KRAS-mutated cancers. It highlights the broad applicability of our QS-21 STIMULON technology and could unlock a sizeable commercial opportunity in KRAS-mutated cancers."

07:05 EST Welltower to implement holding company reorganization - Welltower announced that it intends to implement a holding company reorganization that would structure Welltower as an Umbrella Partnership Real Estate Investment Trust, or UPREIT. In the Reorganization, a new holding company will become the publicly traded parent company and will inherit the name "Welltower Inc." The current real estate investment trust will exist as a wholly owned subsidiary of New Welltower initially called "Welltower OP Inc." and, subject to approval of New Welltower's shareholders, convert to a Delaware limited liability company, "Welltower OP LLC. The Reorganization is not anticipated to have any impact on the financial position of Welltower and will not result in any changes to the combined financial statements of the Company, its outstanding debt securities, or business operations. The Reorganization will not impact the payment of the dividend declared by the company's board and payable to shareholders of record in accordance with previously announced dividend payment dates. New Welltower will replace Old Welltower as the public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange and New Welltower common stock will trade on the NYSE on an uninterrupted basis under the existing symbol "WELL" and will retain the CUSIP number of 95040Q104.

07:04 EST View Inc. expects to improve cash burn through 2022 - View, Inc. announced its cash balance of $281M as of December 31, 2021 with no substantial debt on the balance sheet. View expects to improve cash burn through 2022 on higher volumes and revenues combined with associated improvements in operational efficiencies.

07:02 EST Limelight Networks to acquire Yahoo's Edgecast for $300M - Limelight Networks (LLNW) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Yahoo's Edgecast, a provider of edge security, content delivery and video services, in an all-stock transaction. The transaction values Edgecast at approximately $300M or about 1x 2021 revenue. Edgecast is a business unit of Yahoo, which is owned by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo (APO) and Verizon Communications (VZ). Yahoo will receive approximately 72.2M shares of Limelight common stock, subject to customary closing adjustments, and will own approximately 31.9% of the combined company at closing. The combination will create a globally scaled, edge enabled software solutions provider with pro forma 2021 revenue of more than $500M across cloud security and web applications, content delivery and edge video platform. In anticipation of the transaction, Limelight will rebrand as Edgio, with the combined company continuing to operate as Edgio following close. With global scale, a leading distributed edge platform and increased focus on security and connectivity, Edgio will be a leading solutions provider of choice for outcome-oriented businesses and clients looking to deliver a fast, secure and frictionless digital experience to end-users. Under the terms of the agreement, Yahoo will initially receive approximately 72.2 million shares of Limelight common stock, subject to customary closing adjustments, valuing Edgecast at approximately $300 million based on the 30-day trailing VWAP of $4.12. The purchase price also includes a $30 million investment in the combined company by Apollo and their co-investors, through their ownership of Yahoo. Yahoo can also receive up to an additional 12.7M shares of Limelight, representing up to an additional $100M in deal consideration, over the period ending on the third anniversary of the closing of the transaction, subject to the achievement of certain share-price targets. Upon closing of the transaction, current Limelight stockholders will own approximately 68.1% of the combined company, or approximately 64.5% under the assumption that Limelight achieves all share price targets under the conditional consideration agreement, while Yahoo will own approximately 31.9% or 35.5%, respectively. The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of both companies, is currently expected to close in the second half of 2022, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

07:02 EST Pine Technology Acquisition, Tomorrow.io agree to terminate merger agreement - Pine Technology Acquisition and The Tomorrow Companies announced that they have agreed to terminate the previously announced agreement and plan of merger due to market conditions and will not complete their previously announced business combination. Pine Technology intends to continue to pursue the consummation of a business combination with an appropriate target.

06:59 EST Uber now sees Q1 adjusted EBITDA $130M-$150M, up from $100M-$130M - Based on quarter to date trends, Uber is updating its Q1 2022 outlook previously provided on the Q4 2021 earnings call. The company now expects for Q1 2022: Adjusted EBITDA between $130M-$150M, up from $100M-$130M; Sequential improvement in both Mobility and Delivery segment Adjusted EBITDA (Q1 2022 over Q4 2021). Mobility demand improved significantly through the month of February, with trips 90% recovered and Gross Bookings 95% recovered vs. February 2019. Additionally, Delivery annualized run rate Gross Bookings reached an all-time high in February. "Our Mobility business is bouncing back from Omicron much faster than we expected," said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO. "Whether for travel, commuting, or going out at night, we're seeing healthy and growing demand across all use cases, highlighting just how eager consumers are to get moving again. In fact, airport Gross Bookings exiting February were up over 50% month-on-month, and we're preparing for the upcoming travel season to be one of the strongest ever."

06:56 EST Aecom to exit Russia operations, reiterates FY22 guidance - AECOM announced it is immediately exiting its business operations in Russia. "We support the people of Ukraine who are facing tremendous suffering as a result of Russia's unlawful invasion," said Troy Rudd, AECOM's chief executive officer. "Russia's actions are inconsistent with AECOM's values and have compromised the business environment for AECOM, our clients and our joint activities in Russia. For AECOM, the impact of these actions is particularly unfortunate for our colleagues from our Russia business, and we have taken steps to provide them support during this transition. As always, our priority continues to be ensuring the safety, security and well-being of our teams throughout the region." The financial contribution to AECOM from its business related to Russia is not material. As a result, the company reiterated its guidance for all financial metrics for fiscal 2022 and its long-term fiscal 2024 financial targets as provided on its first quarter fiscal 2022 earnings call. AECOM will impair the assets of its Russia-related business and expects to incur a one-time pre-tax expense of $40M-$50M in the fiscal second quarter. This impact will be excluded from adjusted earnings. The cash impact from this action is expected to approximate $10M.

06:54 EST Eagle Pharmaceuticals sees FY22 adjusted non-GAAP R&D expense $46M-$50M - FY22 adjusted non-GAAP SG&A expense is expected to be in the range of $54M-$58M.

06:46 EST Merck: Phase 3 KEYNOTE-716 trial of KEYTRUDA met key secondary endpoint - Merck announced that the Phase 3 KEYNOTE-716 trial investigating KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, as adjuvant treatment for patients with resected stage IIB and IIC melanoma met its key secondary endpoint of distant metastasis-free survival at a pre-specified interim analysis. In the trial, adjuvant treatment with KEYTRUDA demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the endpoint of DMFS compared to placebo in these patients. No new safety signals were observed. At this interim analysis, treatment with KEYTRUDA also continued to show an improvement in recurrence-free survival compared to placebo. As previously reported, KEYNOTE-716 met the primary endpoint of RFS at the first interim analysis, which supported U.S. FDA approval for this indication in December 2021. Full results from this analysis of KEYNOTE-716 will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting.

06:41 EST Ideanomics secures 93.63% of Energica's shares through voluntary tender offer - Ideanomics announced that it has provisionally passed the 90% threshold securing 93.63% of Energica's shares through the voluntary tender offer of Energica Motor Company shares, a manufacturer and distributor of high-performance 100% battery-powered electric motorcycles. The company expects the acquisition of Energica to close by the end of this quarter. Manufactured in the heart of the Italian Motor Valley in historic Modena, Energica motorcycles are the ultimate expression of Italian exclusivity, performance, and design. On the track or on the road, Energica motorcycles embody the evolution of emissions-free excellence.

06:37 EST BitNile to expand power capacity at Michigan data center to 300 MW - BitNile Holdings announced that it plans to expand the power capacity at its Michigan data center to 300 megawatts which would enable Bitcoin mining operations at the Facility to operate approximately 90,000 Bitcoin miners. Upon the installation of the entirety of the approximately 90,000 Bitcoin miners, the company's Bitcoin mining production capacity is anticipated to be approximately 12 exahash per second, representing an estimated annualized Bitcoin mining production capacity of approximately 19,600 Bitcoin, or $779M based on a Bitcoin market price of $41,000 and current market conditions, including a mining difficulty level of 27.55T. The planned expansion of power capacity, if accomplished, would support the company's goal to become one of the top ten publicly traded Bitcoin mining companies in the country.

06:34 EST KVH Industries CEO Martin Kits to retire, Brent Bruun named interim CEO - KVH Industries announced that its longstanding President and CEO, Martin Kits van Heyningen, is retiring from his executive and Board roles after more than 40 years at the company. The Board has engaged a nationally recognized executive search firm to identify a new CEO. During this process, current COO Brent Bruun will assume the role of Interim CEO. Bruun has been with KVH since 2008 and has played a critical role in the growth of the company's industry-leading Mobile Connectivity business.

06:18 EST KBR announces GAO to uphold up to $20B contract award - KBR announced the General Accounting Office, or GAO, decision to uphold the award of the US Transportation Commands Global Household Goods Contract. The contract ceiling value is approximately $20B with a potential nine year term, inclusive of all options periods. HomeSafe Alliance will be the exclusive household goods move management service provider for the U.S. Armed Forces, Department of Defense civilians and their families. Under this contract, HomeSafe Alliance, a joint venture between KBR and Tier One Relocation, will modernize and infuse technology to improve the domestic and international relocation experience for all military personnel and their families. KBR expects to begin start up activities in mid-2022 with full contract performance during 2023.

06:10 EST Indus Realty Trust to sell remaining office/flex buildings - Indus Realty Trust announced that it intends to sell its remaining office/flex buildings and fully exit its legacy investment in office properties. The Office/Flex Portfolio is comprised of seven buildings located in Windsor and Bloomfield Connecticut totaling approximately 175,200 square feet. The Office/Flex Portfolio is currently approximately 70% leased and includes certain space occupied by INDUS. Additionally, INDUS intends to sell an approximately 18,000 square foot building that is located adjacent to the Office/Flex Portfolio and is principally used for storage by INDUS' property management group. Following the sale of the Office/Flex Portfolio, INDUS is expected to be a pure-play industrial/logistics REIT with a modern portfolio located in select high-growth markets.

06:08 EST Indus Realty Trust to acquire industrial building in Greenville-Spartanburg - Indus Realty Trust announced that it recently entered into a purchase agreement to acquire a to-be-constructed, approximately 280,000 square foot industrial/logistics building in Greenville-Spartanburg which is being developed on speculation by the seller. The Forward Acquisition is expected to be completed in the 2023 first quarter.

06:04 EST DexCom: Ontario government to provide coverage for Dexcom G6 CGM System - Dexcom is pleased to announce that effective March 14, the Ontario government will provide coverage for the Dexcom G6 CGM System through Ontario's Assistive Devices Program for people in the province living with type 1 diabetes who are over 2 years of age and meet coverage criteria.

06:01 EST Tesla secures approval in Germany for Berlin gigafactory - Tesla said via Twitter that it has received approval to open its $5.5B gigafactory near Berlin. Reference Link

05:40 EST Welltower to purchase three senior living portfolios operated by StoryPoint - Welltower announced that it plans to expand its strategic partnership with StoryPoint Senior Living, a senior living operator based in Brighton, Michigan. The company has agreed to purchase three distinct senior living portfolios, subject to customary closing conditions, where StoryPoint will be the operating partner under an aligned RIDEA 3.0 contract, expanding its pre-existing local footprint in these markets. The portfolios comprise 2,787 units across 33 communities throughout Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee. Assisted living and memory care account for approximately three-quarters of the units, and independent living represent the remainder. The total investment will be approximately $548M or $197,000 per unit. The transaction is anticipated to be funded through the issuance of operating partnership units, assumed debt, and cash on hand. With a median vintage of 2016, the communities were largely in lease-up at the onset of the pandemic and, similar to the rest of the industry, were significantly impacted by COVID-related operational challenges. With 63% current average occupancy, these properties are anticipated to generate significant occupancy, margin, and cash flow growth in 2023 and beyond under StoryPoint's enhanced operating platform. Existing owners will be able to participate in this expected growth through the ownership of the operating partnership units. The execution of these transactions, which are expected to generate high-single-digit unlevered IRRs, will bring the company's total pro-rata gross investments to $6.8B since October 2020 and YTD transactions to $1.2B , including Welltower's previously announced Q1 investments.

05:34 EST Hutchmed receives $15M milestone payment from AstraZeneca - Hutchmed (HCM) announced that it has received a $15M milestone payment from AstraZeneca (AZN). This milestone has been triggered by the initiation of start-up activities for Saffron, the first global Phase III study for Orpathys in combination with Tagrisso in epidermal growth factor receptor, or EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer patients with mesenchymal epithelial transition receptor driven tumors following progression after Tagrisso. Saffron, which is expected to commence enrolling patients in mid-2022, follows important lessons learned from the SAVANNAH study, which is targeted to be presented at an upcoming scientific conference in the second half of 2022. To date, AstraZeneca has now paid Hutchmed $85M of the total $140M in upfront payments, development and first-sale milestones due under the license and collaboration agreement between Hutchmed and AstraZeneca.

05:27 EST Sylvamo to suspend operations in Russia - Sylvamo announces it is beginning an orderly suspension of operations in Russia. The suspension will focus on employee and contractor safety and environmental stewardship. It will be conducted in a manner to allow a resumption of full operations in an environment consistent with the company's values. "We are suspending operations in Russia," said Jean-Michel Ribieras, chairman and chief executive officer. "We are appalled by the suffering and loss of lives in Ukraine, and we continue to hope for an immediate cease-fire agreement and diplomatic resolution." Sylvamo will continue to assess various options for its operations in Russia, which could include a sale or exit. The company will continue adhering to imposed legal restrictions and government sanctions. The announcement does not imply that Sylvamo is initiating any bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings in Russia.

05:21 EST Bifinity to advance loan to Eqonex, appoint three executives and two directors - Eqonex announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Bifinity UAB, a payments technology company that is part of the wider Binance Group and the official fiat-to-crypto payments provider for Binance. Bifinity was established in 2021 but officially launched to the market today and has been powering Binance's fiat-to-crypto on and off-ramps, processing millions in transactions globally for Binance.com users. Under the terms of the strategic partnership, Bifinity will advance a $36M convertible loan to Eqonex and will work together to maximize business synergies created by this new strategic relationship and capitalize on opportunities to cooperate and further expand their businesses. In addition, Bifinity will have the right to appoint, from within Bifinity, the CEO, CFO, and chief legal officer of Eqonex as well as nominate two seats on Eqonex's board of directors. Both companies will continue to engage in non-binding discussions to explore potential merger opportunities, subject to regulatory approval. The strategic partnership will initially focus on leveraging Digivault as an FCA regulated custodian, strengthening the technology supporting the Eqonex Exchange, and expanding Bifinity's geographical footprint through Eqonex's licensing framework. Both parties will also explore opportunities to grow Eqonex's digital asset investment solutions business.