Stockwinners Market Radar for April 18, 2022 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:12 EDT Rollins settles SEC investigation, to pay $8M civil penalty - Rollins announced it has reached a settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to fully resolve an investigation into the impact of certain adjustments to accruals and reserves on reported earnings per share in the first quarter of 2016 and the second quarter of 2017. Under terms of the settlement, Rollins neither admits nor denies the SEC's findings and will pay an $8 million civil penalty, which was fully accrued in the third and fourth quarters of 2021.

19:10 EDT Annexon CEO buys $147K in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Annexon disclosed that its CEO Douglas Love bought 60K shares of common stock on April 14th in a total transaction size of $146.8K.

18:24 EDT System1 registration to sell stock filed on February 9th becomes effective - In a regulatory 8-K filing, the company states: "On April 18, 2022, the registration statement on Form S-1, as amended initially filed with the SEC on February 9, 2022, was declared effective as of April 18, 2022 at 4:05 PM EST." Shares of System1 are down 26.7% afterhours.

17:45 EDT Tempo Automation, ACE Convergence combination declared effective by SEC - ACE Convergence Acquisition and Tempo Automation "announced that the registration statement on Form S-4 in connection with ACE's and Tempo's previously announced proposed business combination has been declared effective by the SEC. ACE also announced that it will hold an Extraordinary General Meeting at 10 a.m., Eastern Time, on May 5, 2022. The Business Combination is expected to close shortly after the Meeting, subject to shareholder approvals and the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions in the agreement and plan of merger and other customary closing conditions. Upon closing of the Business Combination, the post-closing company will be renamed "Tempo Automation Holdings, Inc." and its common stock and warrants are expected to trade on The Nasdaq under the ticker symbols "TMPO" and "TMPOW", respectively."

17:02 EDT Planet Labs enters Canadian Boreal Forest research partnership with universities - Planet Labs announced a new partnership with a group of interconnected research programs at the University of Alberta, Yukon University, Universite Laval, and the University of Calgary, researching biodiversity, regeneration, and human impact in the Canadian Boreal Forest. Leveraging Planet's satellite data, these research programs, including the Boreal Avian Modeling Project, the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, the Boreal Ecosystem Analysis for Conservation Networks and the Boreal Ecosystem Recovery and Assessment project, will evaluate spatial and temporal dynamics of human disturbance activity on the vegetation and biodiversity in the region and use these insights to generate simulations of future forest scenarios.

17:00 EDT Koru Medical names Brian Case CTO - Koru Medical Systems announced the appointment of Brian Case, a veteran medical technology R&D leader with over 20 years of experience, as the Company's new Chief Technology Officer. Mr. Case will lead product development and innovation as the Company defines and executes a technology strategy to support a global drug delivery portfolio. "With his proven track record of value creation through R&D technology development, deployment of product development strategy, and merger and acquisition experience, we are confident Brian will be a catalyst to the KORU team," said Linda Tharby, President and CEO. "Brian is a great fit, with his value system, large and small company background, experiences and passion for the patient. He will be instrumental as we continue to define and execute KORU Medical's product and technology strategy. His experience with global product and process development from the definition of customer needs to global market commercialization will pave the way for the Company as we strengthen our technology roadmap to serve more patients, partners, and customers."

16:47 EDT Beneficial owner of Sensient, Winder Investment purchased $1.95M in shares - Beneficial owner of Sensient, Winder Investment, purchased 23,600 shares of company stock at $82.74 per share on April 14, for a total transaction amount of $1,952,652.

16:43 EDT Bristol-Myers to begin including R&D charges with Q1, sees 10c impact from IPRD - In an 8-K filing, the company states: "Beginning with the first quarter of 2022, Bristol-Myers will modify its presentation of non-GAAP results and no longer exclude from non-GAAP results significant R&D charges or other income resulting from upfront or contingent milestone payments in connection with asset acquisitions or licensing of third-party intellectual property rights. These specified R&D charges that were previously excluded from non-GAAP results, as well as similar but less material charges that were previously included in non-GAAP results, will also be presented in a new financial statement line item labeled Acquired IPRD, or in-process research and development. The Company is making these changes to its presentation of non-GAAP financial measures following comments from, and discussions with the SEC. GAAP and non-GAAP earnings per share is expected to include the net negative impact of approximately $0.10 per share during the first quarter of 2022 for Acquired IPRD charges and licensing income resulting from upfront and contingent milestone payments in connection with asset acquisitions or licensing of third party intellectual property rights."

16:36 EDT National Bank to acquire Community Bancorporation for $136M in cash, shares - National Bank announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement to acquire Community Bancorporation, the holding company for Rock Canyon Bank, headquartered in Provo, Utah and operating in the greater Salt Lake City region. Upon completion of the exclusively negotiated transaction, NBHC will have approximately $9.6B in pro forma assets, including $6B in total loans, and $8.4B in total deposits when combined with the previously announced acquisition of Bancshares of Jackson Hole Incorporated. Under the terms of the agreement, CB shareholders will receive approximately $16.1M of cash consideration and approximately 3.1M shares of NBHC common stock, subject to certain potential adjustments. The transaction has a value of $136M in the aggregate, based on NBHC's closing price of $38.69 on April 14.

16:31 EDT Yum China names Johnson Huang chief customer officer - Yum China Holdings Company's strategic initiatives to integrate customer centricity into the company's brand-driven culture. Warton Wang, currently the company's Chief Development Officer, will succeed Mr. Huang as General Manager, KFC. These appointments will be effective on May 1, 2022. Huang, who currently serves as General Manager, KFC, joined the Company in 2006 and has held a variety of leadership roles. Warton Wang, currently the Company's Chief Development Officer, will become the General Manager, KFC.

16:28 EDT Netgear falls over 12% to $20.21 after cutting Q1 revenue guidance

16:17 EDT Everest Re announces passing of chief risk officer Don Mango - Everest Re Group announced the passing of Don Mango, the company's Chief Risk Officer and Chief Actuary. Ari Moskowitz, Everest Reinsurance Chief Operations Officer and Chief Pricing Actuary has been appointed Everest Group Chief Risk Officer to lead the risk function and carry Don's legacy forward. "With Don's passing, we lost a beloved colleague and friend. Don was a legend in our industry and had an immeasurable impact on Everest's business and culture," said Juan C. Andrade, Everest President and CEO. "He was deeply committed to supporting the next generation of risk management leaders. To honor his legacy, Everest is establishing the Don Mango Scholarship at the Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science at St. John's University. Additionally, we are creating the Don Mango Award for Innovation to recognize Everest colleagues who demonstrate excellence within our company."

16:10 EDT Columbia Financial receives regulatory approvals for acquisition of RSI Bank - Columbia Bank MHC, Columbia Financial and Columbia Bank announced that Columbia and RSI Bancorp M.H.C., RSI Bancorp, Inc. and RSI Bank have received the requisite regulatory approvals from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance necessary to complete Columbia's acquisition of RSI. The transaction is expected to close on May 1 and is subject to customary closing conditions.

16:09 EDT Griffon to sell Telephonics to TTM Technologies for $330M - Griffon Corporation (GFF) has entered into a definitive agreement to sell Telephonics Corporation to TTM Technologies, Inc. (TTMI) for $330M in cash. The transaction is expected to close within the second calendar quarter of 2022, subject to certain closing conditions and regulatory approvals. "We are pleased to announce the sale of Telephonics. This transaction will increase long-term value for our shareholders by strengthening our balance sheet and allowing us to focus our resources on our core businesses," said Ronald J. Kramer, Griffon's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Telephonics is a well-regarded and trusted provider of defense electronics for the United States and its allies, with a seasoned leadership team and outstanding employees. We appreciate Telephonics' long heritage as a part of Griffon, and we are confident the business will flourish as part of TTM."

16:06 EDT Fulgent Genetics to acquire Inform Diagnostics for roughly $170M - Fulgent Genetics announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Inform Diagnostics, a national independent pathology laboratory based in Irving, Texas, and a portfolio company of Avista Capital Partners. Under the terms of the agreement, Fulgent will acquire Inform Diagnostics for a total purchase price of approximately $170M, subject to adjustments, to be paid from cash on hand. The acquisition is expected to close during the second quarter of 2022, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals.

16:02 EDT Navidea announces regulatory approval of Lymphoaim in India - Navidea Biopharmaceuticals announced the regulatory approval of Lymphoaim by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation, India. Tc99m tilmanocept is approved for imaging and intraoperative detection of sentinel lymph nodes draining a primary tumor in adult patients with breast cancer, melanoma, or localized squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity. External imaging and intraoperative evaluation may be performed using a gamma detection device. Tc99m tilmanocept is designed for the precise identification of lymph nodes that drain from a primary tumor, which have the highest probability of harboring cancer. Sayre Therapeutics will lead Lymphoaim commercialization efforts in India through a previously announced exclusive license and distribution agreement with Navidea. Sayre Therapeutics specializes in innovative treatment and medical device commercialization in South Asia. Michael Rosol, Chief Medical Officer for Navidea, said, "We are delighted that Lymphoaim has received regulatory approval in India and will be available to patients in need." Dr. Rosol continued, "This will also bring a new revenue stream to the Company to help us advance other pipeline products."

15:01 EDT Amazon says conducting racial equity audit - In a regulatory filing on Thursday, Amazon stated: "We serve diverse customers, operate in diverse communities, and rely on a diverse workforce. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are cornerstones of our continued success and critical components of our culture. As part of our existing commitment to human and civil rights, racial equity, diversity and inclusion, and nondiscrimination, we are conducting a racial equity audit. The focus of the audit will be to evaluate any disparate racial impacts on our nearly one million U.S. hourly employees resulting from our policies, programs, and practices. The audit will be conducted by attorneys at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, and led by Loretta Lynch, the former Attorney General of the United States. We will publicly release the results from the audit once it is completed. In addition, we have initiated numerous programs to assess and address concerns that have been raised regarding diversity and racial equality within our operations... We know that diversity, equity, and inclusion matter and recognize that the advancement of diverse employees begins with proactive recruitment, retention, and development. We seek individuals from all backgrounds to join our teams, and we encourage people to bring their authentic, original, and best selves to work. We are committed to increasing gender and racial diversity, including among our leadership ranks."

14:14 EDT Land & Buildings says ISS reached wrong conclusion in Ventas report - Land & Buildings Investment Management, a significant shareholder of Ventas (VTR), issued the following statement in response to a report issued by Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. regarding the election of directors to the company's Board of Directors at the upcoming 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders: "We believe that ISS reached the wrong conclusion by failing to recommend shareholders vote for change in the Ventas boardroom. The Company has long suffered from operational underperformance, capital allocation failures, poor communication efforts and poor corporate governance practices that have led Ventas to trade a significant discount to peers - and we believe a true shareholder representative is immediately needed on the Board to instill accountability and drive improved performance. In spite of not agreeing with ISS's recommendation, we think it is notable that ISS agreed with many of our core arguments and concerns regarding Ventas' performance under the incumbent Board, highlighting that shareholders would have the 'potential solution' of 'supporting more substantive changes' next year should the multiple gap to Welltower Inc. (WELL) not be closed. We continue to believe Jonathan Litt would bring the necessary real estate industry expertise and shareholder-aligned perspectives to the boardroom and urge shareholders to vote on the BLUE proxy card FOR the election of Jonathan Litt to the Ventas Board."

12:33 EDT Blizzard president Ybarra says company won't launch NFTs - Over the weekend, in response to a VideoGamesChronicle report saying that Activision Blizzard's (ATVI) Blizzard unit is polling players on their interest in non-fungible tokens and "play to earn" games, Blizzard Entertainment president Mike Ybarra said that "no one is doing NFTs." The Fly notes that Activision Blizzard agreed to be acquired by Microsoft (MSFT) earlier this year. Reference Link

12:30 EDT EVgo teases partnership with Mullen Automotive in tweet - EVgo (EVGO) teased a partnership with Mullen Automotive (MULN) on Twitter, saying: "We're looking forward to seeing the Mullen FIVE hit the streets in 2024. With an estimated range of 325 miles, the FIVE can charge 0-80% in 21 minutes - and we've got the network to keep future Mullen drivers going!" Reference Link

12:09 EDT Alta Fox urges Hasbro to address questions on Q1 earnings call - Alta Fox Capital Management, the beneficial owner of approximately 2.5% of the outstanding shares of Hasbro, urged the Company to address the following questions when it reports Q1 financial results tomorrow: "Why has the Company pushed back the record date for the 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders? Given that the Board of Directors appears to be more focused on entrenchment than value creation, we are forced to question the motivation behind moving the record date to May 9th. We fear the Board is hoping that the delay will provide time to court friendly shareholders, who are likely to support the incumbents. In our view, this seemingly self-serving maneuver has parallels to the defensive PIPE transactions recently initiated by other underperforming companies facing election contests. Why is the Company forcing a costly election contest instead of accepting a modest Board refresh and a capital allocation review committee in response to shareholders' concerns regarding Hasbro's chronic underperformance? In our view, investors have reason to question whether the Board is acting in shareholders' best interest or engaging in further entrenchment to maintain the Hassenfeld family's influence. Why did the Company expand its Board to 13 members instead of carrying out a viable director refresh? We contend the decision to expand the Board from 11 members to 13 members following our nomination reflects an unacceptable level of dysfunction and entrenchment in the boardroom. Why did the Company feel it was appropriate for Cynthia W. Williams, the newly appointed President of Wizards of the Coast, to join another public company's board within two months of being appointed to her new role? We question why Williams would want to join the board of Aterian, a company whose stock is down almost 70% from its IPO in 2019 and which has been accused of serious wrongdoings. We find it surprising that Hasbro's Board allowed Ms. Williams to dilute her attention so early in her tenure at Wizards of the Coast and was comfortable associating Hasbro's senior leadership with Aterian. How did the Board determine so quickly that a spin-off of Wizards of the Coast was ill-advised, and why will it not share this analysis with shareholders? We believe spinning off Wizards of the Coast could help enhance Hasbro's corporate structure and unlock the full value of the division, which has a completely different growth, margin and valuation profile than the Consumer Products and Entertainment segments. In light of the Board's apparent credibility issues, we find it hard to believe the Company comprehensively and objectively evaluated strategic alternatives for the unit. We believe shareholders deserve a detailed explanation of the Board's purported evaluation, and that the analysis should be re-examined with shareholder-appointed directors focused on creating shareholder value rather than preserving the Hassenfeld family legacy. To date, the Company has provided little evidence of business unit "synergies" that could not be accomplished through a partnership arrangement. Why is the Board resistant to forming a capital allocation committee when investments, such as the Entertainment One deal, have been value destructive? It is confounding to us that Hasbro continues to assume no accountability for poor capital allocation when organic and inorganic investments have failed to produce meaningful shareholder value over many years." Alta Fox has filed a preliminary proxy statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with its nomination of five candidates for election to the Company's Board at this year's Annual Meeting.

12:00 EDT ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Natural Gas falls -16.5% - ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Natural Gas is down -16.5%, or -$1.49 to $7.57.

12:00 EDT Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares rises 11.8% - Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares is up 11.8%, or $4.27 to $40.46.

12:00 EDT Ultrapetrol rises 0.1% - Ultrapetrol is up 0.1%, or 03c to $48.09.

11:55 EDT Ventas says ISS recommends shareholders vote for all directors - Ventas announced that Institutional Shareholder Services has recommended that shareholders vote "FOR ALL" of Ventas's 11 directors on the WHITE proxy card in advance of the upcoming Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on April 27, 2022. In its April 18, 2022 report, ISS noted, "As the dissident has not made a compelling case for change, shareholders are advised to vote on the white management card for all management nominees." Commenting on the ISS report, Ventas issued the following statement: "Ventas appreciates the feedback it has received from its shareholders. The recommendation from ISS to support ALL of Ventas's highly qualified and experienced directors reaffirms the strength and commitment of the Ventas Board. With diverse backgrounds, fresh perspectives and relevant industry experience, the Ventas Board has the right expertise and skillsets to oversee the execution of the Company's strategy to drive value creation. The Ventas Board remains committed to continue creating long term value and acting in and advancing the best interests of the Company and all Ventas shareholders."

11:15 EDT Instagram expanding product tagging in Feed to everyone - Instagram said in a blog post on Monday: "We're expanding the ability to add product tags in Feed posts to everyone in the U.S. Creators and brands have been sharing how they use and style their favorite products on Instagram and inspiring their communities. Now we're giving access to everyone to inspire those closest to them by enabling product tagging in posts. From supporting brands you love to helping your friends and family discover new products they may like, sharing products on Instagram just got easier. When creating a post, use the tagging feature to tag a brand then specify a product. When someone taps on your product tag on your published Feed post, they'll be able to get detailed information about the product through a product detail page on Instagram and then can purchase the product directly in app or through the brand's product detail page... We're also working on ways for you to tag products in Stories, so stay tuned!" Reference Link

11:01 EDT NBT Bancorp appoints Randy Sparks as general counsel - NBT Bancorp announced that M. Randolph "Randy" Sparks has joined NBT as Executive Vice President and General Counsel. In this position, Sparks will coordinate NBT's legal activities, manage external legal counsel and assist in the oversight of relations with regulatory agencies. A member of NBT's Executive Management Team, Sparks will also be appointed Corporate Secretary by NBT's Board of Directors. He will be based at the company's headquarters in Norwich, NY. Most recently, he served as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for MidFirst Bank.

10:02 EDT Blackbaud achieves carbon neutrality across operations - Blackbaud announced it has achieved carbon neutrality across its operations and data centers for 2021, and that it will engage with the Taskforce and Climate Financial Disclosure and CDP to ensure transparent sustainability reporting and progress. With a multi-pronged climate strategy, Blackbaud is focused on reducing its emissions, using energy efficiently and investing in environmental projects for a more sustainable future. As a next step, Blackbaud will adopt the TCFD framework in its reporting this year and will also report climate data to CDP to continue enhancing transparency around its sustainable operations, and to continue working toward its climate goals. These disclosures help companies outline climate-related risks and their plans to minimize those risks through governance, and by setting targets and measuring against them.

10:00 EDT Charles Schwab falls -9.0% - Charles Schwab is down -9.0%, or -$7.41 to $75.34.

10:00 EDT Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares rises 7.6% - Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares is up 7.6%, or $2.74 to $38.93.

10:00 EDT Ultrapetrol rises 96080.0% - Ultrapetrol is up 96080.0%, or $48.04 to $48.09.

09:48 EDT Qumu CEO TJ Kennedy leaving to pursue another opportunity

09:47 EDT KE Holdings falls -7.4% - KE Holdings is down -7.4%, or -$1.04 to $13.00.

09:47 EDT Charles Schwab falls -8.4% - Charles Schwab is down -8.4%, or -$6.97 to $75.78.

09:47 EDT Southwest Gas rises 4.9% - Southwest Gas is up 4.9%, or $4.08 to $87.58.

09:36 EDT Twitter's former CEO Dorsey criticizes company's board in series of tweets - Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey posted a series of tweets criticizing Twitter's board on Sunday. One user wrote "What I do know for sure is that this old Silicon Valley proverb is grounded in age-old wisdom that still applies today: Good boards don't create good companies, but a bad board will kill a company every time," to which Dorsey responded "big facts." In the same thread, Dorsey later wrote about Twitter that "it's consistently been the dysfunction of the company."

09:23 EDT Fatburger rolls out first theme park location at Six Flags - FAT Brands Inc., parent company of Fatburger, is pleased to announce that Fatburger has officially opened its first theme park location to date at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. The restaurant marks the second Fatburger in the state and will provide parkgoers with the chain's famous cooked to order burgers, fries, and milkshakes.

09:20 EDT Bank of America sees expenses 'relatively flat' for 2022 vs. 2021

09:17 EDT AMD appoints Hasmukh Ranjan as CIO - AMD announced the appointment of Hasmukh Ranjan to AMD senior vice president and Chief Information Officer, effective immediately. Ranjan previously served as CIO at Xilinx. Ranjan leads the global IT organization, responsible for providing strategic oversight of corporate IT infrastructure; maintaining critical technology applications and systems; and delivering advanced solutions to enable more secure and productive business operations. Based in Santa Clara, California, Ranjan leads IT teams responsible for global infrastructure services, enterprise architecture, information security and IT compliance, compute platform engineering, business operations, vendor management and employee experience.

09:14 EDT G Medical Innovations announces $7.5M private placement - G Medical Innovations Holdings announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with a single healthcare-focused institutional investor to purchase 5,000,000 ordinary shares in a private placement. The Company will also issue to the investor warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 6,250,000 ordinary shares. The purchase price for one ordinary share and one warrant to purchase one ordinary share is $1.50. The warrants have an exercise price of $1.50 per ordinary share, will be immediately exercisable, and will expire five years from issuance. A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners is acting as the sole placement agent for offering. The gross proceeds from the private placement are expected to be $7.5 million before deducting placement agent fees and other offering expenses. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for the repayment of existing debt and working capital purposes. The private placement is expected to close on or about April 20, 2022, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The Company also has agreed that certain warrants to purchase an aggregate of 2,400,000 ordinary shares of the Company that were issued to the investor in February 2022 will be amended to have a reduced exercise price of $1.50 per ordinary share.

09:13 EDT Bank of America sees FY22 effective tax rate 10%-12%

09:10 EDT HUMBL appoints 'BLUE' as Web3 chief experience officer - HUMBL announced the addition of its newest team member 'BLUE' from the Bored Ape Yacht Club. As part of the BAYC, owners of BAYC NFTs are conferred the intellectual property of their Bored Ape for creative use cases around licensing, syndication and partnership activations. To land his role at HUMBL, BLUE used a "Fresh Ape Kit" to shave and quit smoking on the job, although his contract stipulates that he is still allowed to do so on certain holiday weekends. BLUE will serve in a variety of brand ambassador roles for HUMBL, including as its 'Hey BLUE' voice product for Search3, as the Web3 Chief Experience Officer for HUMBL products, and a focal point of company marketing initiatives, including: "The Big Search" an upcoming campaign for the launch of Search3 in May 2022, which will feature images of BLUE in strategic locations around the world. The original NFT of BLUE will be "Verified by BLOCKS," to showcase how HUMBL is addressing the market problems of fraud, forgery and on-chain provenance in the NFT space. This same "Verified by BLOCKS" service will be made available free of charge to all interested BAYC owners for a limited time. BLUE is slated to appear in his first partnership activation event on July 9, 2022 where he will be featured as the #5 BAYC jersey during the "State College Diamond Dawgs vs. Williamsport Bored Apes" baseball game held at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park in Pennsylvania. BLUE is also in the process of being animated for a series of Web3 short films at HUMBL, featuring other Bored Apes that are being contributed by other members of the BAYC community. As part of BLUE's kickoff celebration, all HUMBL employees and brand ambassadors will receive one collectible, fully customized version of BLUE, with novel features and characteristics at their personalized request. These NFTs are not for resale and do not constitute an officially licensed version or derivative of the BAYC collection. HUMBL customers and shareholders may also request a customized, one-of-one version of BLUE, which are also not intended for resale, and for which legal terms and conditions must be accepted. Quantities are limited and fulfillment is not guaranteed. BLUE will be recorded as a digital asset on the HUMBL balance sheet at the NFT purchase price of $406,046. The full purchase amount for BLUE will be paid for as a personal capital contribution to the company by HUMBL CEO, Brian Foote.

09:08 EDT Progress Software moves headquarters - Progress announced that it has sold its Bedford, MA headquarters, located at 14 Oak Park Drive. With the sale, the company headquarters moves to 15 Wayside Rd., Burlington, MA, a location attained in May 2019 via acquisition. The move further aligns the Progress office footprint around its "Future of Work," FOW, approach, which enables employees to choose how often they come into an office environment to work. The move to Burlington enables Progress to reduce the business' overall physical footprint in alignment with its sustainability practices. "Since I began my tenure as CEO at Progress, it has been a goal of mine to find an alternative headquarters space that better meets our needs and our evolving workplace practices," said Yogesh Gupta, CEO, Progress. "This is an incredible opportunity for us as we look to the future of Progress, one that we believe will better equip us to meet our goals."

09:06 EDT Genius Brands expands Kartoon Channel! on Roku - Genius Brands International announced that it will offer a dedicated Kartoon Channel! on The Roku Channel, further expanding the channel's presence on Roku. The Roku Channel reached U.S. households with an estimated 80M people in Q4 2021. Users now have access to Kartoon Channel!'s full content slate of original programming and children's brands. "As we begin rolling out the new Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse, we're excited to share that in less than two years we are fully distributed in the U.S., reaching millions of viewers across multiple platforms! We are now further enhancing our offering to consumers by bringing The Roku Channel on board as a media partner, significantly expanding our presence in the digital marketplace," commented Genius Brands' Jon Ollwerther, President, Kartoon Channel!.

09:05 EDT Save Foods generates interest at Fruit Logistica Trade Fair - Save Foods is pleased to announce that its participation at this year's Fruit Logistica Trade Fair led to strong interest from packers and distributors serving the European market. The Fruit Logistica in Berlin is a leading trade fair for the global market of fresh fruit and vegetables. Save Foods used the opportunity to show off its eco crop protection treatment, which has proven successful in fighting food waste across the food supply chain. European countries are among the strictest in terms of pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables. Depending on the final destination and end client, the residue limits are often lower than the legal limits. Most European supermarkets require products to comply with a residue level of 50% or less of the legal limit. During Fruit Logistica, Save Foods received twenty-five concrete requests from prospective customers to initiate trials of the Company's eco crop protection treatment in the coming weeks, and five of such requests have already materialized into new trials that will commence in the coming weeks.

09:04 EDT Stem Holdings closes agreements to sell Massachussetts license for $1.65M - Stem Holdings is pleased to announce the closing of a stock purchase and note purchase agreement to sell its minority equity ownership interest in its Massachusetts cannabis license for a total of $1.65M in cash on April 13, 2022.

09:03 EDT Meritage Homes names Malissia Clinton EVP, General Counsel, Secretary - Meritage Homes announced the hiring of Malissia Clinton as its executive vice president, EVP, general counsel and secretary. Clinton joins Meritage after 12 years at The Aerospace Corporation, where she most recently served as the senior vice president, general counsel and secretary. Clinton replaces C. Timothy White who retired in December 2021.

09:02 EDT WaveDancer appoints Linda Singh to board of directors - WaveDancer announced the appointment of Major General Linda Singh to its Board of Directors. Singh served as a Major General in the Maryland National Guard. As the Adjutant General, a Cabinet-level Secretary, she was responsible for the Maryland Military Department and all matters affecting Maryland's National Guard service members. In this capacity she reported directly to the Governor of Maryland.

09:02 EDT Castor Maritime announces new charter agreements - Castor Maritime announces that: The M/V Magic Moon, a 2005 built Panamax dry bulk carrier, has been fixed on a time charter contract at a gross daily charter rate of $25,500. The charter commenced on April 7, 2022, and has a duration of about 25 days. The M/V Magic Rainbow, a 2007 built Panamax dry bulk carrier, has been fixed on a time charter contract at a gross daily charter rate of $16,500. The charter commenced on April 12, 2022, and has a duration of about 60 days. The M/V Magic Horizon, a 2010 built Panamax dry bulk carrier, has been fixed on a time charter contract at a gross daily charter rate of $17,500. The charter commenced on April 15, 2022, and has a duration of about 55 days. Upon completion of the contract, the vessel will commence a time charter contract, as previously announced on April 1, 2022, at a gross daily charter rate equal to 103% of the average of Baltic Panamax Index 4TC routes, with a minimum duration of 12 months and a maximum duration of 15 months, at the charterer's option.

08:55 EDT Verizon raises minimum wage to $20 an hour - The company said, "In recognition of the hard work and dedication of its V Teamers, Verizon is raising the minimum wage for new employees to $20 an hour for Customer Service and $20 an hour for its Retail and Inside Sales employees. Existing employees on any of these teams who currently receive less than $20 an hour will be raised to this new rate automatically. And it's adding premium pay differentials for assistant managers who work on holidays, Sundays and for those who are bilingual. In addition to the increase in starting wage, in many markets around the country, Verizon is also offering a sign-on bonus for retail specialist and assistant manager positions."

08:50 EDT Charles Schwab says Q1 GAAP expenses rose 3% year-over-year to $2.8B - CFO Peter Crawford noted, "Our first quarter 2022 financial results reflected our ongoing success with clients while contending with the effects of a challenging environment. Total revenues of $4.7B were just under the record level set in the year-ago quarter amidst that extraordinary surge in client activity, with increases in net interest revenue and asset management and administration fees essentially offsetting the effects of trading activity returning to more moderate levels. First quarter 2022 NIR and AMAF were strengthened by growing balances and modestly improved - but still low - short-term interest rates. The lift from these increases, however, was muted somewhat by recent equity market weakness and volatility, which affected margin loan balances and securities lending activity as well as client asset valuations." Mr. Crawford continued, "Our GAAP expenses rose 3% year-over-year to $2.8B, including $96M in acquisition and integration-related costs and $154M in amortization of acquired intangibles. Exclusive of these items, adjusted total expenses(1) were up 4% versus the first quarter of 2021, consistent with our expectations as we invest in our people and our ability to support current and ongoing growth in our client base. Our diversified revenue model, along with disciplined expense management that aims to balance near-term profitability and long-term investment, enabled us to achieve a pre-tax profit margin of 39.4% - 44.7% on an adjusted basis(1). We believe the relative resiliency of our first quarter revenues and profitability represents solid performance in the face of significant environmental headwinds." As we move deeper into 2022, we remain confident that Schwab has the financial strength and flexibility necessary to stay focused on serving our clients however conditions evolve."

08:46 EDT Bank of America continuing to monitor sanctions, impact on loans

08:42 EDT Bank of America sees better NII with interest rate increases, says CEO

08:41 EDT Jupiter Wellness appoints marketing team for health, wellness portfolio - Jupiter Wellness,announced that it has appointed three sales and marketing executives to its team to drive sales of its science-backed proprietary brands and products. Mohammed Ahmed was Marketing Manager for Namco USA, where he directed marketing and advertising for $40 million in annual revenues by optimizing user experience through market research, competitive analysis, consumer segmentation studies, and pricing tests. Jennifer Canon is a research, development, and marketing specialist in the personal care, over-the-counter, prescription pharmaceuticals, and topical care products industries at companies including Hydron Technologies and Greyson International which she co-founded. Guy Shapira managed multi-million-dollar campaigns on platforms including Google Ads, Bing Ads, and Facebook pay-per-click.

08:39 EDT Celsius Holdings CFO Carballo to retire; Jarrod Langhans named CFO - Celsius Holdings (CELH) announced that CFO Edwin Negron Carballo has decided to retire from the company. He joined Celsius as CFO in 2018 and has played a significant role in the design and execution of the company's strategy. Jarrod Langhans has joined the company as CFO, effective April 18. Jarrod joins Celsius with broad experience, most recently with Primo Water (PRMW), serving as CFO of the European and Israel operating segments. Jarrod will succeed Edwin Negron Carballo, who will continue to serve Celsius in an executive capacity to ensure a smooth transition until he begins his retirement on January 31, 2023.

08:38 EDT TOP Ships files 2021 Annual Report on Form 20-F - TOP Ships announced that its annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021 has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

08:37 EDT Bank of America digital sales now twice pre-pandemic levels, says CEO

08:37 EDT Bank of America saw no days of trading losses despite volatility, CEO says - Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

08:32 EDT Celsius Holdings CFO Carballo to retire; Jarrod Langhans named CFO - Celsius Holdings (CELH), announced that CFO Edwin Negron Carballo has decided to retire from the company. He joined Celsius as CFO in 2018 and has played a significant role in the design and execution of the company's strategy. Jarrod Langhans has joined the company as CFO, effective April 18. Jarrod joins Celsius with broad experience, most recently with Primo Water (PRMW), serving as CFO of the European and Israel operating segments. Jarrod will succeed Edwin Negron Carballo, who will continue to serve Celsius in an executive capacity to ensure a smooth transition until he begins his retirement on January 31, 2023.

08:31 EDT Navient, Sherborne Investors enter cooperation agreement - Navient Corporation and Sherborne Investors announced an agreement under which Navient's Board of Directors will nominate Edward Bramson, a partner in Sherborne Investors, for election to Navient's Board of Directors at Navient's upcoming annual meeting, scheduled for June 2, 2022. Mr. Bramson is a partner in and co-founded Sherborne Investors, which manages equity investments in public and private companies. He has also served as chairman or chief executive officer of seven publicly traded companies in various commercial and financial sectors.

08:11 EDT Corporacion America Airport reports March traffic up 138.9% - Corporacion America Airports reported a 138.9% year-over-year increase in passenger traffic in March, reaching 68.6% of pre-pandemic levels of March 2019. Total passenger traffic in March 2022 grew 138.9% compared to the same period of last year, driven by increases across all countries of operations, particularly in Argentina, where traffic demand continued to recover following the full re-opening of borders on November 1, 2021 and the gradual relaxation of travel requirements. When compared to March 2019, overall passenger traffic declined 31.4%, improving from the 35% decline posted in February. International and domestic passenger traffic improved sequentially reaching 58.9% and 75.1% of pre-pandemic levels of March 2019, respectively.

08:09 EDT Booking Holdings announces Omri Morgenshtern named CEO of Agoda - Booking Holdings announced that Omri Morgenshtern has been named CEO of Agoda effective July 1. Omri Morgenshtern has served as Agoda's COO since July 2018, working closely with current CEO John Brown. After ten years at Agoda and serving as CEO since 2018, John Brown has been named Chair, Agoda.

08:08 EDT Itafos appoints Stephen Shapiro, Isaiah Toback to board of directors - Itafos announced the appointment of Stephen Shapiro and Isaiah Toback to its Board of Directors, effective April 14, 2022. Mr. Toback replaces Rory O'Neill as a nominee to the Company's Board of Directors by its principal shareholder, CL Fertilizers Holding, pursuant to an investor rights agreement between the Company and CLF. Shapiro is CFO at Cellview Imaging Inc., an emerging medical device company. Toback is a partner at Castlelake and is deputy co-chief investment officer.

08:07 EDT Dave & Buster's appoints Mandel to board of directors - Dave & Buster's Entertainment announced the appointment of Gail Mandel to the Company's Board of Directors, effective April 18, 2022. The Company previously announced the retirement of Patricia Mueller, who has served on the Board since 2015, effective as of the Company's Annual Meeting in June.

08:06 EDT Clear Secure reaches 12M total cumulative enrollments across its platform - Clear Secure announced that as of April 15, it has reached 12M total cumulative enrollments across its platform.

08:05 EDT Kaival Brands expands distribution for Bidi Vapor - Kaival Brands, the exclusive global distributor of all products manufactured by Bidi Vapor, announced the expansion of additional wholesaler and retailer accounts, which, together, are expected to reach approximately 28,000 additional stores.

08:04 EDT Dune Acquisition files lawsuit against TradeZero - Dune Acquisition announced that, on April 6, 2022, Dune publicly filed a complaint in Delaware court, which alleges, among other things, that TradeZero and the other defendants named therein fraudulently induced Dune to enter into the Agreement and Plan of Merger among Dune, TradeZero and the other parties thereto and that TradeZero has materially breached the Merger Agreement. On April 14, 2022, TradeZero and the other defendants accepted service of the complaint. TradeZero's material breach of the Merger Agreement has and will cause irreparable injury to Dune, and Dune intends to take all necessary steps to protect Dune and its investors, including by pursuing remedies through litigation. Dune is continuing to work with TradeZero under the terms of the Merger Agreement to finalize the proxy statement and intends to call a special meeting of Dune's stockholders to vote on the business combination with TradeZero as promptly as practicable. If the Business Combination is approved by Dune's stockholders, there remains a risk that one or more conditions to closing in the Merger Agreement will not be satisfied. Dune reserves its rights to assert that those or other conditions to closing cannot be satisfied, as well as other rights under the Merger Agreement

08:03 EDT Fifth Third to raise minimum wage to $20 per hour beginning July 4 - Fifth Third Bancorp announced it will raise its minimum wage to $20 per hour beginning July 4. Concurrently, the Bank will provide a wage adjustment for its first four job levels that are above the Bank's new minimum wage. In total, more than 40% of the Bank's workforce will receive a midyear compensation increase. "This wage increase is simply the right thing to do. It will make a meaningful difference in the lives of our team members, who are the face of Fifth Third and who are impacted disproportionately by rising costs of living," said Tim Spence, president of Fifth Third Bancorp and the recently announced CEO effective July 5 . "Under the leadership of Greg Carmichael, our CEO, Fifth Third has been a leader in increasing our employees' wages. Fifth Third led the industry in 2018 by increasing to $15 and was among the first to increase to $18. We are carrying our leadership forward with this additional wage and midyear pay increase. We are incredibly proud to be among the top quartile of our peers for employee retention according to leading research, and we believe our competitive compensation and benefits are essential to our ability to continue to attract and retain the best and brightest talent to serve and support our valued customers." In January 2018, the Bank raised its minimum hourly rate from $12 to $15. That was followed in October 2019 by an increase from $15 to $18 per hour. Notably, the new $20 minimum hourly wage will benefit nearly 95% of employees in retail branches and operations support functions, including customer contact centers.

08:03 EDT Remington Hotels acquires Chesapeake Hospitality for $15.75M - Ashford announced that Remington Hotels, an independent hotel management company with over 40 years of experience in the hospitality business and a wholly-owned portfolio company of Ashford, has acquired privately held Chesapeake Hospitality, a premier third-party hotel management company. Ashford is acquiring Chesapeake for an initial consideration of $15.75M, payable with $6.3M in cash and $9.45M of a new Series CHP Convertible Preferred Unit, which will pay a 7.28% annual dividend and have a $117.50 conversion price per share. Chesapeake will also have the ability to earn up to $10.25M of additional consideration based on its base management fee contribution for the trailing 12-month periods ending March 2024 and March 2025 for a total potential consideration of $26M. Should Chesapeake's performance result in the full earnout for the seller, Ashford expects $5.3M of EBITDA contribution for the full year of 2024, which would represent an acquisition multiple of 4.9x EBITDA. The combined company will operate under the Remington brand. As a result of the acquisition, Remington's mix of third party hotels will increase from approximately 20% to approximately 40%.

08:02 EDT Kinnate Biopharma announces first patient dosed in Phase 1 trial of KIN-3248 - Kinnate Biopharma announced that the first patient has commenced treatment in its Phase 1 KN-4802 clinical trial evaluating its lead Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor, FGFR, product candidate, KIN-3248. KIN-3248 is a next-generation pan-FGFR inhibitor being developed for the treatment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and urothelial carcinoma, as well as other solid tumors. "With the dosing of the first patient in our Phase 1 trial of KIN-3248, we are excited to further advance the development of this next-generation therapy which we believe is unique among FGFR inhibitors and has the potential to offer a new targeted therapy option for cancer patients with FGFR-altered tumors," said Richard Williams, MBBS, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of Kinnate. "We are grateful for the contribution of all the participants in this multi-center trial and for the support of our clinical collaborators at each trial site."

07:35 EDT Natus Medical trading resumes

07:33 EDT Algoma Steel announces appointment of new CEO upon McQuade's retirement - Algoma Steel Group (ASTL) announced the appointment of Michael Garcia as Chief Executive Officer, CEO, effective June 1st, 2022 upon the retirement of current CEO Michael McQuade. McQuade will continue to serve on the Company's board of directors and Garcia will also join the board concurrent with his appointment as CEO. "Garcia is a successful industrial business leader, experienced public company CEO, and board member," the company said. His career spans senior executive roles in numerous companies including Alcoa (AA), Gerdau Ameristeel (GGB), and more

07:31 EDT Synchrony announces $2.8B share repurchase program, to increase dividend 5% - Synchrony Financial announced that its Board of Directors has approved an incremental share repurchase program of up to $2.8B, commencing this quarter through June 30, 2023, and intends to increase the quarterly cash dividend from 22c to 23c per share of common stock, commencing in the third quarter of 2022. The company had approximately $250M remaining under its prior share repurchase program as of March 31, 2022, so this increase will bring the total amount of share repurchase authorization to approximately $3.1B through June 30, 2023.

07:22 EDT Gran Colombia Gold reports Q1 gold production 49,951 ounces - GCM Mining announced that it produced a total of 16,293 ounces of gold in March 2022 at its Segovia Operations bringing the total for the first quarter of 2022 to 49,951 ounces compared with 49,058 ounces from Segovia in the first quarter of 2021. In the first quarter of 2022, the Company also produced 89,782 ounces of silver at Segovia, up from 57,315 ounces of silver in the first quarter last year, together with approximately 252,000 pounds of zinc and 338,000 pounds of lead. Consolidated gold production of 51,486 ounces in the first quarter last year also included 2,428 ounces from Marmato up to February 4, 2021, the date of the loss of control of Aris Gold Corporation. GCM Mining's trailing 12-months' total gold production at the end of March 2022 was 207,282 ounces, up about 0.4% over last year. The Company remains on track to meet its 2022 annual production guidance of 210,000 to 225,000 ounces of gold. GCM Mining processed a total of 52,292 tonnes in March 2022 at its Maria Dama plant at Segovia, representing a daily processing rate of 1,687 tonnes per day, compared with 48,518 tonnes and 1,565 tpd in March 2021. Segovia's head grades averaged 10.8 g/t in March 2022 compared with 13.3 g/t in March last year. For the first quarter of 2022, a total of 142,819 tonnes, equivalent to 1,587 tpd, were processed at Segovia at an average head grade of 12.1 g/t compared with a total of 132,289 tonnes, equivalent to 1,470 tpd, at an average head grade of 12.8 g/t in the first quarter last year. The Company's polymetallic plant at Segovia operated for 86 days in the first quarter of 2022 processing an average of approximately 103 tpd of tailings resulting in the production of approximately 307 tonnes of zinc concentrate and approximately 279 tonnes of lead concentrate. The concentrate production is being stockpiled as the Company finalizes discussions currently in process for offtake contracts. Payable production from the concentrates in the first quarter of 2022 is estimated to total approximately 252,000 pounds of zinc, 338,000 pounds of lead, approximately 27,800 ounces of silver and less than 100 ounces of gold. Actual payable quantities are subject to change and will be finalized once the concentrates are shipped.

07:17 EDT Toronto's TTC awards contracts for up to 565 buses to NFI - NFI Group announced that its subsidiary New Flyer Industries Canada ULC has received new firm orders from the Toronto Transit Commission for 134 Xcelsior forty-foot hybrid-electric heavy-duty transit buses, and 68 Xcelsior sixty-foot hybrid-electric buses for a total of 270 EUs. The two four-year contracts include options for up to an additional 263 forty-foot hybrid-electric buses and 100 sixty-foot buses, respectively. In total, NFI will add 733 EUs to its backlog from firm and option orders.

07:15 EDT EyePoint reports inducement grants under Nasdaq listing rule - EyePoint Pharmaceuticals announced that the Company granted non-statutory stock options to new employees as inducement awards outside the Company's 2016 Long-Term Incentive Plan in accordance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The Company granted stock options to purchase up to an aggregate of 56,500 shares of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals common stock to four new employees. The stock options were granted on April 14, 2022. The grants were approved by the Compensation Committee and made as an inducement material to each employee entering into employment with EyePoint Pharmaceuticals in accordance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The option awards have an exercise price of $12.69 per share, the closing price of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals' common stock on April 14, 2022. The options have a ten-year term and vest over four years, with 25% of the original number of shares vesting on the first anniversary of the applicable employee's date of grant and the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments over the following three years. Vesting of the options is subject to the employee's continued service with EyePoint Pharmaceuticals through the applicable vesting dates.

07:12 EDT Ocugen to commercialize COVAXIN in Mexico - Ocugen and Bharat Biotech announced that they have entered into an amendment to their Co-development, Supply and Commercialization Agreement to expand Ocugen's exclusive territory to include commercialization of COVAXIN in Mexico. This gives Ocugen COVAXIN commercialization rights for all of North America. The license extension between Ocugen and Bharat Biotech with respect to commercialization in Mexico includes the same profit share structure as in the United States.

07:10 EDT XPO Logistics opens two LTL terminals in California, Georgia - XPO Logistics announced the further expansion of its North American LTL network with the upcoming openings of two less-than-truckload terminals: The Adelanto, California terminal will expand XPO's footprint in San Bernardino County, where an influx of business development is driving demand for LTL services. The 51,500 sq. ft. facility includes 99 doors and a freight assembly center, and is expected to open this month. The Conley, Georgia terminal will be a sister site to XPO's existing terminal and freight assembly center in Atlanta, adding pickup-and-delivery capacity in a high-volume metropolitan area. The 55,000 sq. ft. facility has 97 doors and is expected to open in May. The announcement marks XPO's latest progress with its five-point LTL action plan introduced in October 2021. The main components are to continuously improve network efficiencies to best serve customers; continue to deploy proprietary pricing technology; increase the annual graduate count in the company's national truck driver training network; increase production at the company's trailer manufacturing facility in Arkansas; and add 900 net new doors to the network by the end of 2023. With the two new openings, the company will have added 345 cumulative net new doors under the plan.

07:09 EDT Trevena receives $15M tranche in $40M ex-U.S. royalty-based financing - Trevena announced receipt of the first $15M tranche from its royalty-based financing agreement with an affiliate of R-Bridge Healthcare Fund. The R-Bridge Financing calls for an initial $15M tranche within 15 days of the closing of the deal. Trevena will receive an additional $15M upon the first commercial sale of OLINVYK in China and $10M upon achievement of either a financing or commercial milestone. R-Bridge Healthcare Fund is an affiliate of CBC Group. The R-Bridge Financing will be repaid through assignment to R-Bridge of all royalties from the Company's license with its partner in China, Jiangsu Nhwa Pharmaceutical and through a 4% net revenue interest in the Company's US net sales of OLINVYK. This US revenue interest will be capped at $10M if Chinese approval of OLINVYK occurs by year-end 2023. In the event Chinese approval does not occur by that time, the US revenue interest will increase to 7% and will continue until certain combined totals of US revenue interest and Chinese royalties are paid. The Company retains all milestones from its partnership with Nhwa, including a $3M milestone on Chinese approval of OLINVYK.

07:01 EDT NuZee announces co-packing and manufacturing agreement with Wild Society Coffee - NuZee announced that it has entered a new co-packing category, single-serve instant coffee, through a non-exclusive co-packing and manufacturing agreement with Wild Society Coffee, a coffee roaster crafting gourmet coffee focused on active conservation efforts in North America. Through its partnership with NuZee, Wild Society Coffee will now offer a new single-serve instant coffee format online.

06:57 EDT Bank of America reports Q1 FICC trading revenue ex. DVA $2.65B

06:55 EDT Bank of America reports Q1 Global Banking revenue $5.19B - Reports Global Wealth and Investment Management revenue $5.48B. Reports Consumer Banking revenue $8.81B.

06:53 EDT Bank of America's Moynihan says Q1 results were 'solid' - Chairman and CEO Brian Moynihan said: "We achieved solid first-quarter results earning $7.1 billion, continuing the momentum from record net income in 2021. Across our businesses, ongoing organic growth combined with good expense management drove operating leverage for the third consecutive quarter. Year over year we grew loans $70 billion and deposits by $240 billion. Our teammates supported our clients while managing through the impacts of the pandemic, war in Ukraine, and an evolving rate environment. Our strong first quarter client activity drove results that allow us to deliver for shareholders while continuing to invest in our people, businesses, and communities."

06:33 EDT BitNile Executive Chairman: 'We expect to triple our top-line results in 2022' - The company's CFO, Kenneth Cragun, said, "The financial results for 2021 reflected expansion of our business. We more than doubled our top-line, with revenue up 120% over the prior year period and grew assets by 548% compared to the prior year end. During 2021, we were able to make significant investments in our subsidiary BitNile, Inc., investing $86.0 million in Bitcoin mining equipment and upgrades to our Michigan data center, which we strongly believe will contribute to both revenue growth and improved profitability in future periods. We also further diversified our holdings by investing $86.9 million in our real estate portfolio." The company's Founder and Executive Chairman, Milton "Todd" Ault, III said, "As we report on our 2021 financial results, I remind our team, partners and investors that we have just completed year four of a ten-year plan to scale our diversified holding company to $1.0 billion in assets. The team is executing on this plan while overcoming many obstacles, including a global pandemic, supply chain challenges and volatile equity markets. Despite these challenges, the goal remains the same. In 2022, we expect that a few of our subsidiaries will become publicly traded companies themselves. As we enter the fifth year of our ten-year plan, we expect to achieve positive cash flow from operations as we grow margins and achieve scale. At scale, we expect to fund our growth initiatives from internally generated free cash flow and become far less reliant on raising capital. Further, we expect to triple our top-line results in 2022, growing revenue to more than $155 million. We have planted a garden of opportunities over the last four years and we expect to be able to harvest those crops while continuing to sow more seeds during the next few years."

06:13 EDT Southwest Gas announces review of strategic alternatives - Southwest Gas announced that as a result of the receipt of an indication of interest well in excess of Carl Icahn's $82.50 per share offer, the Southwest Gas board has authorized the review of a full range of strategic alternatives to maximize stockholder value. As part of this process, the company will evaluate a sale of the company, as well as a range of alternatives, including, but not limited to, a separate sale of its business units and/or pursuing the previously disclosed spin-off of Centuri. A board committee, comprised solely of independent directors, is overseeing the process. Icahn is invited to participate in the sale process.

06:08 EDT Hercules Capital receives BBB reaffirmed investment grade rating from DBRS Inc. - Hercules Capital announced that DBRS, Inc. has reaffirmed Hercules' investment grade corporate rating of BBB. DBRS Morningstar issued a statement announcing the reaffirmation of the rating and revision of the trend on the rating to a positive outlook from stable, as well as its underlying analysis.

06:07 EDT Iveda Solutions signs partnership with IP Dream and receives $1.3M order - Iveda announced the signing of a strategic partnership agreement with IP Dream. A $1.3M purchase order for 50 units of Iveda's Utilus smart pole is IP Dream's initial order. IP Dream is a worldwide provider of IT and communications technology in Japan since 2004, whose customers include Hitachi, Canon, Toyota, Secom, NTT Group and Softbank. Utilus consists of a smart power management and wireless mesh communications network with WiFi, 4G and 5G small cell capabilities and other wireless protocols that provide distributed video surveillance with AI video search technology and remote management of local devices such as trackers, water meters, electrical meters, valves, circuit breakers and sensors. IP Dream will supply Utilus to its farming customers that produce high-end fruit in Japan. They will use Utilus' video surveillance system with IvedaAI intelligent video search to protect orchards from theft and threats from birds and other animals. The system will be able to detect aberrant behavior such as human or animal encroachment and notify proper personnel within seconds. Utilus will also be used in large solar farms to prevent copper theft.

06:05 EDT US Foods urges shareholders to vote on the WHITE proxy card - US Foods sent a letter to shareholders in connection with its May 18 Annual Meeting of Shareholders which stated, in part, "Your vote at US Foods' upcoming 2022 Annual Meeting of Shareholders is critical, as Sachem Head Capital Management LP is conducting an unnecessary proxy contest in an attempt to remove members of your Board of Directors. We urge you to support your Board by voting the WHITE proxy card today 'FOR' all US Foods director nominees."

06:02 EDT Tritium announces contract with BP for supply of chargers - Tritium DCFC (DCFC) has entered into a multi-year contract with BP (BP) for the supply of chargers and related services to support bp's global EV charging network. This forms a step change in the strategic nature of the relationship between both companies, with an initial order for the UK and Australian & New Zealand markets of just under 1,000 chargers.

05:07 EDT Tuniu receives noncompliance letter from Nasdaq - Tuniu announced that it has received written notification from the staff of the Listing Qualifications Department of Nasdaq, indicating that for the last 30 consecutive business days, the closing bid price for the company's American depositary shares was below the minimum bid price of $1.00 per share requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450. The Nasdaq notification letter has no current effect on the listing or trading of the company's securities on Nasdaq.