Stockwinners Market Radar for October 13, 2022 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:10 EDT Mueller Water enters cooperation agreement with Ancora Catalyst Institutional - In an 8-K filing, the company states: "On October 11, 2022, Mueller Water Products entered into a Cooperation Agreement with Ancora Catalyst Institutional, LP and certain of its affiliates regarding the membership and composition of the Company's board of directors and related matters. Pursuant to the Cooperation Agreement, the Company has agreed to: (i) temporarily increase the size of the Board from 10 to 11 directors; (ii) appoint Brian Slobodow to serve as a director of the Company with a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders of the Company to be held in 2023; and (iii) appoint Niclas Ytterdahl as an observer of the Board. No later than five business days following the 2023 Annual Meeting, the Board will appoint the Observer to serve as a director of the Company with a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders of the Company to be held in 2024. Mr. Ytterdahl was designated the Observer, effective on October 13, 2022. The appointment of the Observer was, and is, conditioned on the execution of an Observer Undertaking, and the appointment of the Ancora Appointees as directors on the Board was, and is, conditioned on the execution of an irrevocable, conditional director resignation letter."

18:33 EDT McDonald's increases quarterly dividend by 10% to $1.52 - McDonald's declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.52 per share of common stock payable on December 15 to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 1, an increase of 10% over the previous quarterly dividend.

17:56 EDT FinWise chairman Healey to retire - FinWise Bancorp and FinWise Bank announced the retirement of Chairman of the Board of Directors, Russell "Fred" Healey, Jr. effective as of 10/6/22. Healey steps down after nearly two decades of service to the bank, and 12 years as Chairman. Kent Landvatter, CEO and President, has been named as Chairman of both FinWise Bancorp and FinWise Bank. "Fred's knowledge and experience in banking, finance and general business strengthened our board of directors' collective qualifications, skills and experience and his leadership and impact on the bank have been immeasurable - he will be missed," said Kent Landvatter, CEO of FinWise Bank. "On a personal note, one of the most satisfying and rewarding aspects of my own career has been the opportunity to work with Fred as a colleague, a partner and mentor."

17:32 EDT VW to invest EUR 2.4B in autonomous driving JV with China's Horizon Robotics - The Volkswagen Group (VWAGY) is strengthening its development competence "in China, for China" to accelerate the pace of innovation, promote technological localization and further strengthen its customer focus in this important market. A new partnership between its software company CARIAD and Horizon Robotics, one of the leading providers of computing solutions for smart vehicles in China, will accelerate the regional development of Advanced Driver Assistance System, ADAS, and Autonomous Driving or AD systems for the Chinese market. As part of the cooperation, CARIAD and Horizon Robotics plan to also establish a joint venture, with CARIAD being majority shareholder. Volkswagen Group willoverall invest approximately EUR 2.4B in the cooperation with Horizon Robotics. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first half of 2023. Together CARIAD and Horizon Robotics plan to develop cutting-edge, highly optimized full stack ADAS/AD solutions for China to drive forward the integration of numerous functions on one chip, increasing the stability of the system, saving costs, and reducing energy consumption. The fully integrated software/hardware technology offers differentiation and provides scalable as well as cost efficient ADAS/AD solutions for the Group's BEV or Battery Electric Vehicles models in China. The closing of the transaction is subject to the final signing of transaction documents between the parties involved and customary government approval, as well as, in particular, the approval of merger control and foreign investment authorities. The Fly notes that EV maker Tesla (TSLA) is in the autonomous driving space. Reference Link

17:22 EDT MillerKnoll to replace Covetrus in the S&P 600 at open on 10/18 - Westlake (WLK) will replace MillerKnoll (MLKN) in the S&P MidCap 400, and MillerKnoll will replace Covetrus (CVET) in the S&P SmallCap 600 effective prior to the opening of trading on Tuesday, October 18. Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and TPG Capital acquired Covetrus in a deal that closed today. MillerKnoll is more representative of the small-cap market space.

17:03 EDT OceanTech Acquisitions I, Captura Biopharma terminate merger agreement - OceanTech Acquisitions I announced that its previously announced agreement and plan of merger with Captura Biopharma, Inc. has been terminated by mutual agreement of all relevant parties. As a result, OceanTech will seek an alternative business combination.

17:00 EDT Four Corners Property Trust acquires Advance Auto Parts property for $$715,000 - Four Corners Property Trust announced the acquisition of an Advance Auto Parts property for $715,000. The property is located in a highly trafficked corridor in Michigan and is occupied under a net lease to the corporate entity with approximately three years of term remaining. The transaction was priced at a 7.9% capitalization rate, exclusive of transaction costs.

16:55 EDT Oceantech Acquisitions I Corp trading halted, news pending

16:51 EDT Ring Energy backs Q4 sales volume estimate, reduces Q4 CapEx view 15% - Ring Energy provided an operational update for Q3, revised guidance for Q4, and an initial outlook for the 2023 full year that reflects the previously announced completion of its acquisition of the assets of privately held Stronghold Energy II. Drilled eight horizontal wells during Q3 bringing the total number of horizontal wells drilled in 2022 to 23; completed and placed on production nine Hz wells of which four were drilled in Q2 and five were drilled in Q3. Lowers Q4 capital expenditures view to $42M-$46M, down about 15% from $50M-$54M; complete and place on production the remaining three wells drilled in Q3 2022; dill and complete eight to nine new wells. Reiterates Q4 sales volumes estimate of 18,000-19,000 Boepd, approximately 70% oil, 17% natural gas and 13% natural gas liquids, despite the reduction in estimated fourth quarter capital expenditures.

16:45 EDT NextEra Energy appoints Nicole Arnaboldi to its board - NextEra Energy announced the appointment of Nicole S. Arnaboldi to its board of directors."We're extremely pleased to welcome Nicole to the NextEra Energy board," said John Ketchum, chairman, president and chief executive officer of NextEra Energy. "Nicole brings to our board a wealth of finance and business expertise, along with a proven track record as an experienced leader and strategist in investment banking and private equity for more than three decades. We look forward to benefitting from her valuable insight and counsel as we continue to grow NextEra Energy and position the company to lead the decarbonization of the U.S. economy."

16:41 EDT Imara to combine with Enliven Therapeutics in all-stock transaction - Enliven Therapeutics, a clinical-stage precision oncology company focused on the discovery and development of next-generation small molecule kinase inhibitors, and Imara announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement to combine the companies in an all-stock transaction. "Following an extensive and thoughtful review of several strategic alternatives, it became clear that the proposed merger with Enliven was a compelling option for our stockholders. Enliven has a differentiated pipeline, an experienced team and we expect the combined company to be well financed by top-tier investors to execute on its clinical mission. We look forward to the company's continued progress in the clinic," said Rahul Ballal, Ph.D., President and CEO of Imara. The combined company will focus on advancing Enliven's pipeline of precision oncology product candidates. Enliven is advancing two parallel lead product candidates: ELVN-001, a highly selective small molecule BCR-ABL inhibitor designed to address the challenges that limit the efficacy, tolerability and convenience of currently available adenosine triphosphate-competitive tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia, and ELVN-002, a potent, selective and irreversible HER2 and pan-HER2 mutant kinase inhibitor for the treatment of HER2 mutant lung cancer and other HER2-driven tumor types. Upon completion of the merger, which is subject to approval by Imara's and Enliven's stockholders, the combined company is expected to operate under the name Enliven Therapeutics, Inc. and trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol "ELVN." In support of the merger, Enliven also intends to raise approximately $165M in a concurrent private financing co-led by new investors Fairmount and Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners, with participation from additional new investors, which include Fidelity Management & Research Company, RA Capital Management, Frazier Life Sciences and Commodore Capital. All of Enliven's existing investors will participate in the financing, including OrbiMed, 5AM Ventures, Surveyor Capital, Cormorant Asset Management, Roche Venture Fund, Sheatree Capital, Boxer Capital, Logos Capital and Janus Henderson Investors. The financing was oversubscribed and new investor allocations account for over 60% of the total size of the financing, which is expected to close immediately prior to the completion of the merger. With the cash expected from both companies at closing and the proceeds of the planned concurrent financing, the combined company is currently expected to have approximately $300M of cash and cash equivalents at closing, after transaction expenses. The cash resources are expected to be used to advance Enliven's pipeline through multiple clinical milestones and provide runway into early 2026. The merger and financing are expected to close in the first quarter of 2023, subject to stockholder approval of both companies, the effectiveness of a registration statement to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to register the shares of Imara common stock to be issued in connection with the merger, and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

16:35 EDT NN, Inc. to close Irvine CA factory amid shift in focus to organic growth - NN announced that it will close its manufacturing facility in Irvine, California. The decision is part of NN's strategic shift to focus on organic growth opportunities in the rapidly growing electric vehicle and electric infrastructure markets, and its ongoing efforts to optimize the Company's manufacturing footprint and improve profitability and cash flow generation. NN has initiated a total of five plant closures in 2022 and expects to complete all closures by March 2023.The closure of the Irvine facility follows the closure of the Company's Taunton, Massachusetts facility announced in February 2022. Both the Irvine and Taunton facilities served the Aerospace, Defense and Medical markets. NN expects to relocate the production of most of its medical related business to other NN facilities. "As we continue our ongoing initiatives to improve our overall cost structure and optimize our operational footprint, NN thoroughly evaluated a number of potential alternatives to address the under-utilization of our AD&M facilities and their respective impact to our profitability and free cash flow. After a thorough review, consistent with our assessment of the Taunton facility, we concluded that the rationalization of the Irvine facility represents the best option to achieve our long-term strategic objectives. With this decision, we expect to complete the closure by the first quarter of 2023," said Warren Veltman, President and Chief Executive Officer of NN.

16:32 EDT Edgewise Therapeutics announces 6-month interim results from EDG-5506 study - Edgewise Therapeutics "announced positive 6-month interim results from the ongoing ARCH study, an open label, single-center study assessing the safety, tolerability, impact on muscle damage biomarkers, and pharmacokinetics of EDG-5506 in adults with BMD. EDG-5506 is an investigational orally administered small molecule myosin modulator designed to protect injury-susceptible fast skeletal muscle fibers in dystrophinopathies such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, DMD, and BMD. The twelve adults with BMD enrolled in the ARCH study initially received a 10 mg dose of EDG-5506 during the first 2 months, followed by a 15 mg dose during the subsequent 4 months of the study. The Company is reporting data at the end of 6 months of treatment with EDG-5506. Plasma PK levels reached target exposures and EDG-5506 continues to be well-tolerated in all participants with no discontinuations or dose reductions. The most common adverse events observed to date were dizziness, drowsiness, and headache. All participants have now been dose escalated to daily 20 mg oral doses of EDG-5506. Consistent with prior observations, treatment with EDG-5506 led to a significant decrease in key biomarkers of muscle damage when assessed by laboratory assays. Importantly, CK and fast skeletal muscle troponin I were reduced by an average of 39% and 75%, respectively, after the participants most recent visit. After 6 months of EDG-5506 dosing, NSAA scores continued to trend in a positive direction. Of note, a similar trend was observed with the North Star Assessment for Limb Girdle Type Muscular Dystrophies scores, an expanded functional outcome scale developed for adult populations which includes higher difficulty tasks. Eight of the twelve participants showed either a functional improvement or exhibited no decline on NSAA relative to their baselines. As seen in Figure 1, NSAA scores show a consistent positive trend that diverges from trajectories observed in the natural history study reported by Bello et al. in which the yearly decline was 1.22 NSAA points."

16:31 EDT Avient announces dividend increase - The board of Avient Corporation has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 24.75c per share on the common stock outstanding, representing the twelfth consecutive annual increase. The dividend will be paid on January 6, 2023, to stockholders of record on December 16, 2022. On an annualized basis, the dividend will increase to 99c per share from 95c per share on the common stock outstanding.

16:30 EDT Sandstorm Gold provides update on royalty portfolio - Sandstorm Gold (SAND) provided an update of recent developments from the company's royalty portfolio. The majority owner and operator of the Hod Maden project in Turkey has been advancing the project as all major permits have been received. The Lidya has commenced two out of four planned early works projects at site. All four early works projects are expected to be underway or completed by the start of Q4. Sandstorm has a gold stream on the Hod Maden project allowing the company to purchase 20% of gold produced for ongoing payments at a price equal to 50% of the gold spot price until 405,000 ounces of gold are delivered and to purchase 12% of gold produced for the life of the mine after the threshold has been reached, at a price equal to 60% of the gold spot price. Sandstorm also holds a 2.0% net smelter returns royalty on the Hod Maden project. Equinox Gold (EQX) provided an update on progress at the Greenstone Project in Ontario, Canada. The overall project is approximately 46% complete and on track to pour gold in the first half of 2024. Greenstone is anticipated to produce more than 400K ounces of gold annually for the first five years and more than 5 million ounces of gold over its initial 14-year mine life. Sandstorm has a gold stream agreement to purchase 2.375% of the gold produced at Greenstone up to a maximum of 120,333 ounces delivered, then 1.583% of the gold thereafter. Lundin Gold (LUNMF) provided updates on the exploration programs at the 6,000 m Fruta del Norte project in Nevada. For the first half of 2022, Lundin reported production of 233,555 ounces and sold 215,573 ounces of gold at AISC of $771 per ounce. Lundin has increased its 2022 production guidance to 430K-460K ounces. In October, Lundin announced gold production of 121,635 ounces in 3Q22, which is on track with the latest production guidance. has a 0.9% NSR royalty on the precious metals produced from the Fruta del Norte project.

16:23 EDT Pool Corp. boosts board size to eleven members with Jim Hope appointment - Pool Corporation announced that its Board of Directors appointed James "Jim" D. Hope to serve as a director upon recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Board appointed him to serve effective October 10, until the 2023 annual meeting of shareholders, at which time he will stand for election by Pool Corporation's shareholders. With this appointment, the Board increased its size from ten to eleven members.

16:20 EDT Caterpillar CEO Jim Umpleby to continue beyond 65th birthday - Caterpillar has waived the policy requiring Caterpillar's Chairman and CEO, Jim Umpleby, to retire at age 65. Umpleby has agreed to remain in his position beyond February 2023, when he turns 65.

16:17 EDT Redwood Trust reports preliminary Q3 book value per share $10.15-$10.25 - Says total margin call activity in the third quarter resulted in a net return of cash to Redwood from financing and hedging counterparties.

16:15 EDT SciPlay names Jim Bombassei as CFO - SciPlay "announced the appointment of Jim Bombassei as Executive Vice President, CFO and Secretary, effective December 1, 2022. As CFO, Mr. Bombassei will oversee the Company's financial operations and partner with the leadership team and the business units on strategy and driving growth and value creation."

16:12 EDT Invivyd appoints Fred Driscoll interim CFO amid 'resource reallocation' - Invivyd announced the appointment of Fred Driscoll as interim CFO as well as headcount changes to align resources to its key programs. The changes are designed to improve capital efficiency by reallocating resources to programs and functions to support our key activities on an accelerated timeline. As part of the resource realignment, the company is building out additional discovery and early development positions and has eliminated several corporate and commercial positions, among others, to execute efficiently on the company's corporate strategy, maximize the potential of Invivyd's integrated discovery platform, and advance its pipeline programs, including NVD200 for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Jane Pritchett Henderson, chief financial and business officer, and Eric Kimble, chief commercial officer, are transitioning from the company to pursue other opportunities. The company has appointed industry veteran Fred Driscoll as interim chief financial officer. Fred has decades of experience in the successful financial leadership of biotechnology companies, including tenures as chief financial officer at companies including Renovacor, Flexion Therapeutics and Novavax.

16:09 EDT IO Biotech appoints Amy Sullivan CFO - IO Biotech announced the appointment of Amy Sullivan as the company's new Chief Financial Officer. "We are pleased to welcome Amy to the executive team," said Mai-Britt Zocca, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of IO Biotech. "Her financial prowess and successful track record guiding biotechnology companies through significant organizational growth will be an invaluable addition to IO Biotech. On behalf of the entire leadership team, I look forward to Amy's many contributions as we continue to mature our business and advance our promising pipeline of novel cancer immunotherapies."

16:06 EDT Rocky Brands names Tom Robertson COO - Rocky Brands announced that Chief Financial Officer Tom Robertson has been promoted to the newly-created position of Chief Operating Officer. As Chief Operating Officer, Robertson will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day business operations of the Company. "Establishing the role of Chief Operating Officer is an important milestone for Rocky Brands as we take the next step forward in driving profitable growth through operational efficiency," said Jason Brooks, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. "Tom's contributions since he joined our organization have played a key role in our many successes, and I know he is well-equipped to help us maximize our opportunities in his new role in the years ahead." Robertson, a Certified Public Accountant, has served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer since May 2018 and as Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer from March 2017 to May 2018. He previously served as Senior Financial Analyst since joining the Company in October 2016. A search for a new Chief Financial Officer will begin immediately. Robertson will continue to serve in the role of CFO until the Company identifies his replacement. The company also announced today that David Dixon, President, Manufacturing/Sourcing Operations, has stepped down from his role effective immediately.

16:02 EDT Investor group calls Pasithea's AlloMek deal 'ill-timed' - Camac Partners, LLC, affiliates of Concord Investment Partners Ltd., and Leonite Capital LLC, who are collectively the largest stockholder of Pasithea Therapeutics Corp., issued a statement regarding the company's recently announced dilutive acquisition of AlloMek Therapeutics, LLC. "We are disgusted that less than two weeks after acknowledging stockholders' request to call a Special Meeting that is intended to decide the fate of the current Board, Pasithea's incumbent directors decided to proceed with a second highly dilutive acquisition within the last six months," the investor group said. "In our view, the Company's stockholders should consider this a clear sign that investor feedback is being dismissed and urgent change is needed in the boardroom. Once the Special Meeting is held and stockholders' voices are finally heard, we intend to commence extensive due diligence on Pasithea's recent acquisitions, including the related-party transaction of Alpha-5 announced in June. We do not believe that these serially dilutive acquisitions have been pursued to advance stockholders' best interests. Indeed, Pasithea's public statements have done nothing to convince us otherwise. Between now and the Special Meeting, we urge our fellow stockholders to remind the Board members of their fiduciary duties and reinforce all of their concerns pertaining to these seemingly defensive and ill-timed deals. We intend to pursue all avenues available to us to investigate the actions of the Board. A robust investigation focused on the nature of how these transactions came about and their true purpose is clearly required. We further note that at the Company's last annual meeting, fewer than 6 million shares were voted "For" each of the incumbent directors. By contrast, we received support for the call of a Special Meeting from over 6.5 million shares. This is clear evidence of investor dissatisfaction with the Board. We call on the Board to move expeditiously to schedule the Special Meeting, as required by the Company's corporate documents. The Board should not use any improper or questionable tactics to delay the Special Meeting further. We remain firm in our position that removing all sitting directors will best position Pasithea to enhance its corporate governance and Board composition, ultimately leading to improved capital allocation and enhanced value for all stockholders."

14:45 EDT Coinbase says investigating degraded performance for Coinbase.com - Coinbase stated in a status message: "We're currently experiencing degraded performance for Coinbase.com on both web and app. We are currently investigating this issue." Reference Link

14:04 EDT Google Fiber to launch 5 Gig, 8 Gig plans in early 2023 - Google said in a blog post that Google Fiber will launch 5 Gig and 8 Gig offerings beginning in early 2023. Both products will offer symmetrical upload and download speeds with a Wi-Fi 6 router, up to two mesh extenders and professional installation, all priced for everyday use - $125/month for 5 Gig and $150/month for 8 Gig. "We believe that customers should also have access to these fast speeds and increased bandwidth at accessible prices without contracts, data caps or installation fees, and we're committed to making that happen," the company said. Reference Link

13:06 EDT Netflix to launch ad-supported tier on November 3 at $6.99 per month - Netflix stated on its corporate site: "We're excited to launch Basic with Ads - Netflix's lower priced ad-supported plan - in November. Unmissable entertainment at unbeatable value: Basic with Ads will cost just $6.99 a month in the US and launch on November 3 at 9 am PT. Available in 12 countries: Basic with Ads will be available in Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, the UK and the US. A plan for every fan: Our current plans and members will not be impacted.Basic with Ads complements our existing ad-free Basic, Standard and Premium plans... In short, Basic with Ads is everything people love about Netflix, at a lower price, with a few ads in-between. Starting in November, signing up will be easy - visit Netflix.com, and register with your email, date of birth, and gender to get started." The company added: "Basic with Ads will launch just six months after we first announced the option of a lower priced ads tier. None of this would have been possible without our team's hard work or Microsoft's extraordinary partnership. The switch from linear is happening at an ever increasing speed, with streaming now surpassing broadcast and cable in the US. We're confident that with Netflix starting at $6.99 a month, we now have a price and plan for every fan. While it's still very early days, we're pleased with the interest from both consumers and the advertising community - and couldn't be more excited about what's ahead. As we learn from and improve the experience, we expect to launch in more countries over time." Reference Link

13:03 EDT Netflix to launch ad-supported tier on November 3 at $6.99 per month

13:01 EDT DoubleVerify announces media quality authentication partnership with Netflix - DoubleVerify (DV) announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with Netflix (NFLX) to enable media verification and maximize advertiser performance across its platform. The partnership will leverage DV's technology and data to help Netflix advertisers ensure their video ads are fully viewed, by real people and safe from Fraud/Invalid Traffic. "Over the past decade, the team at Netflix has done a tremendous job building one of the most popular streaming services in the world," said Mark Zagorski, CEO, DoubleVerify. "As we continue to expand our coverage across premium video and CTV environments, DV is thrilled to extend our third-party verification solutions across their platform, ensuring campaigns meet key quality criteria while maximizing performance and outcomes for advertisers."

12:13 EDT Conx in talks to combine with Dish retail wireless business - Conx (CONX) encouraged stockholders last night to vote in favor of the proposal to amend its articles of incorporation to extend the date by which the company must complete a business combination from November 3, 2022 to June 3, 2023. The extension will provide Conx with additional time to complete a business combination. The company said it has begun preliminary discussions with Dish D(SH) regarding a potential business combination involving Dish's retail wireless business. Conx expects to announce additional details regarding the potential business combination "if and when a definitive agreement is executed." Conx is Charlie Ergen's special purpose acquisition company. In a statement to Bloomberg, Dish said, ""We are in regular dialog with interested parties who may assist us in accomplishing our goals, including recently preliminary conversations with Conx. There can be no assurance that these preliminary discussions will lead to a transaction nor as to the structure or terms of any such transaction."

12:00 EDT Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares falls -10.5% - Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares is down -10.5%, or -$8.14 to $69.58.

12:00 EDT Angel Oak Mortgage falls -19.2% - Angel Oak Mortgage is down -19.2%, or -$2.24 to $9.40.

12:00 EDT Albertsons rises 11.5% - Albertsons is up 11.5%, or $2.94 to $28.61.

11:57 EDT Borr Drilling announces deal to sell jack-up drilling rig 'Gyme' for $120M - Borr Drilling announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell the jack-up drilling rig "Gyme" for a price of $120M to an unrelated third party. The "Gyme" is a 2018 PPL Pacific Class 400 located in Singapore and has not been activated or contracted since its delivery. "The sale of the rig is an undertaking by the company under its most recent refinancing with PPL Shipyard which was completed early October 2022. The proceeds from the sale will be applied to all outstanding amounts owed on the rig, and excess amounts will be applied to the capitalized interest for the eight other rigs financed by PPL. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter 2022," Borr stated.

11:16 EDT Amazon says 'tens of millions' of Prime members shopped in Early Access Sale - Amazon announced it "kicked off holiday celebrations earlier than ever during Prime Early Access Sale" and that Prime members around the world purchased items across toys, home, beauty and personal care, apparel, and electronics. "Some of the best sellers from the Top 100 deals list were Macbook Air M1; Peloton Bike; Bose earbuds and headphones; Casper pillows and toppers; and Shark hair dryers, vacuums, and air purifiers. Prime member favorites also included deals from must-have brands like Apple, Drybar, and Laneige, and from Amazon devices," the company announced in a press release. "Our Prime Early Access Sale was a great kickoff to the holidays, and the best part is that it's only the beginning. Customers will find millions of must-have deals throughout the season that will help them continue to save money on gifts for loved ones. We know our employees, vendors, and selling partners show incredible dedication to delivering a great experience during the holidays, and we are grateful for their continued commitment to serving customers during this special time of the year," added Doug Herrington, CEO of Amazon Worldwide Stores. Amazon noted that "some of the best-selling categories worldwide were Apparel, Home, Toys, and Amazon devices" and that Prime members "ordered more than 100 million items from Amazon's selling partners, most of which are small businesses and medium-sized businesses."

11:03 EDT Albertsons up 10% as reports continue on talks with Kroger - Shares of Albertsons (ACI) are up $2.45, or 10%, to $28.12 after both CNBC and Bloomberg said the grocer is in talks to merge with industry peer Kroger (KR), whose shares are down about 1% to $45.53 near 11 am ET.

10:34 EDT Teck Resources, SAAM Towage to deploy electric tugs at Neptune Terminal - Teck Resources and SAAM Towage announced an agreement to deploy two electric tug boats at Neptune Terminal in Vancouver, British Columbia in support of Teck's climate goals, which will mark the first electric tugs operating in Canada as a full tugboat package for harbour assist and tug services. Under the agreement, SAAM will furnish two ElectRA 2300 SX tugs commencing operation during the second half of 2023 which are expected to eliminate over 2,400 tonnes of GHG emissions each year. In addition to emissions reductions, using electric tugs will also reduce underwater noise, benefitting marine life in the harbour.

10:27 EDT Alterity reports approval in Australia to launch ATH434 Phase 2 trial - Alterity Therapeutics announced that it has received approval in Australia from the St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne Human Research Ethics Committee to conduct the Phase 2 clinical trial of ATH434 for the treatment of individuals with Multiple System Atrophy, or MSA. Alterity has also opened enrolment at its first clinical trial site in Sydney. David Stamler, M.D., CEO, Alterity, said: "ATH434 is designed to slow the progression of MSA and we are eager to increase access to our study of this potential disease modifying treatment. Our Phase 2 program has now received regulatory authorization in five countries with three locations actively recruiting participants in the trial."

10:19 EDT Delta Air Lines: October metrics pacing ahead of September

10:08 EDT Delta to provide details on 2023 outlook, LT targets at December 14 meeting

10:06 EDT Delta sees 'meaningful' step up in cash flow, profitability next year

10:03 EDT Ally Financial enters parternship with Detroit Pistons - In advance of the 2022-2023 professional basketball season Ally Financial officially announced a new partnership with the Detroit Pistons and a renewed partnership with the Charlotte Hornets.

10:00 EDT Asana falls -12.0% - Asana is down -12.0%, or -$2.52 to $18.50.

10:00 EDT Direxion Daily Jr Gld Mnrs Bull 3X Shrs falls -12.6% - Direxion Daily Jr Gld Mnrs Bull 3X Shrs is down -12.6%, or -$3.36 to $23.21.

10:00 EDT Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares rises 12.6% - Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares is up 12.6%, or $1.73 to $15.48.

09:57 EDT Albertsons trading resumes

09:52 EDT Albertsons trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:47 EDT XPeng falls -10.6% - XPeng is down -10.6%, or -$1.01 to $8.54.

09:47 EDT AMTD Digital falls -11.6% - AMTD Digital is down -11.6%, or -$4.50 to $34.29.

09:47 EDT Web Street, Inc. rises 11.5% - Web Street, Inc. is up 11.5%, or $5.05 to $48.94.

09:44 EDT Digital World Acquisition Corp trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:29 EDT ADT Inc. announces closing of $1.2B investment by State Farm - ADT Inc. announced that it has issued and sold in a private placement to State Farm 133.3 million shares of ADT common stock for a gross purchase price of $1.2 billion. In September, ADT announced a new partnership with State Farm to revolutionize the homeownership experience through innovation in the detection and mitigation of property losses. In addition to the equity investment, State Farm has committed up to $300 million to fund product and technology innovation, customer growth and marketing activities in connection with the partnership. State Farm has funded the first $100 million and the two companies will collaborate to approve initiatives utilizing the funds. As part of the equity investment, State Farm obtained a seat on ADT's Board of Directors. State Farm has designated Paul Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, as their representative. Smith has joined the ADT Board of Directors as a Class II director with a term expiring at the 2025 annual meeting.

09:27 EDT Crypto names down in pre-market as bitcoin falls to 4-month low - Stocks levered to bitcoin prices are plunging in pre-market trading as the cryptocurrency had fallen below $18,200 - its lowest level since mid-June - following the release of hotter than expected CPI data in the U.S. Bit Digital (BTBT) is down 6.5% at $1.01, Riot Blockchain (RIOT) is down 7.0% at $5.71, Marathon Digital (MARA) is down 8.5% at $9.53, MicroStrategy (MSTR) is down 8.5% at $199.80 and Coinbase Global (COIN) is down 9.6% at $63.25.

09:27 EDT Volcon enters co-branding, distribution partnership with Torrot Electric Europe - Volcon signed an exclusive co-branding and distribution agreement with Torrot Electric Europa, S.A. Volcon will be granted exclusive rights to sell the new range of youth motorcycles throughout the United States, Caribbean Community countries and dependencies, as well as Central and South America. The motorcycles will be built by Torrot at their facility near Barcelona, Spain. The three year agreement will provide Volcon with an immediate entry into the growing youth powersports market, bringing with it the possibility to increase revenues and profitability. The companies plan on introducing additional versions of the current lineup over the next two years, offering a wide range of youth electric motorcycles, allowing anyone from ages 3 to 16 to enjoy the electric motorcycle experience.

09:25 EDT Entravision says Africa-based digital unit now authorized sales partner of Meta - Entravision EVC) announced that its Africa-based digital business unit, Entravision 365 Digital in Ghana, has become the authorized sales partner of Meta (META), the company that owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Entravision 365 Digital will provide support, training, lines of credit and local billing to advertisers in the Ghanaian market, thereby enabling them to meet their business objectives.

09:21 EDT Stellantis signs framework agreement with Algerian Ministry of Industry - A framework agreement was signed in Algiers between Samir Cherfan, COO of Middle East & Africa region of Stellantis, and Mr. Boussoussa Zineddine, Director of Cooperation of the Algerian Ministry of Industry. This framework agreement covers a project for the development in Algeria of industrial, after-sales and spare parts activities for Fiat as well as the development of the automotive sector in Algeria.

09:19 EDT Pineapple Energy reports inducement grant to CFO Eric Ingvaldson - Pineapple Energy announced today, as required by Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4), that in connection with the appointment of Eric Ingvaldson as the Company's Chief Financial Officer effective October 10, 2022, Mr. Ingvaldson received a grant of an inducement award on October 11, 2022 As an inducement for Mr. Ingvaldson to enter into employment with the Company in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4), Pineapple's compensation committee approved the grant to Mr. Ingvaldson of 82,278 restricted stock units. This award was made outside of the Company's 2022 Equity Incentive Plan, but is subject to the same terms and conditions as if it was granted under the 2022 Equity Incentive Plan. Each RSU will entitle Mr. Ingvaldson to receive one share of the Company's common stock for each RSU that vests. The RSUs will vest in thirds on each of the first three anniversaries of the grant date, with accelerated vesting upon death, disability, or upon Mr. Ingvaldson's involuntary termination without cause by Pineapple within 24 months after a change in control. The RSU award is subject to Mr. Ingvaldson's continuous service through the applicable vesting dates.

09:18 EDT Mace Security adds Dollar General to customer portfolio - Mace Security International (MACE) announced a new partnership with Dollar General (DG), the fourth large retailer to be added to the company's portfolio in 2022. Dollar General operates nearly 19,000 locations across the United States with a goal to serve their customer base through high-quality, convenient items, at great prices. Mace Brand is excited to contribute to that goal by offering Dollar General's customers an affordable, name-brand personal security pepper spray. Mace Brand is in the process of being set up as a vendor and its products will be in stores in the spring of 2023. In addition to the everyday assortment, Dollar General will be promoting Mace Brand for their Back-to-School program in 2023.

09:17 EDT Cassava Sciences initiates open-label extension simufilam study - Cassava Sciences announced the initiation of an open-label extension study designed to provide no-cost access to simufilam, an investigational drug, to patients with Alzheimer's disease who complete either one of Cassava Sciences' on-going Phase 3 studies, which are double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. Patient enrollment for this study is expected to begin early November.

09:15 EDT Micron launches new OCP-compliant firmware for SSD - Micron announced new firmware for its 7450 NVMe SSD that supports the "Open Compute Project Datacenter NVMe SSD 2.0", or OCP SSD 2.0, specification. The 7450 SSD, coupled with this new firmware, aims to offer flexible deployment options, including U.2/U.3, E1.S and M.2 form factors, as well as superior latency and quality-of-service.

09:14 EDT DuPont Delrin announces progress towards achieving climate goals - DuPont announced that its global Delrin production facilities have achieved an estimated 10 percent reduction in total scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas, GHG, emissions from 2019 to 2021. The reduction is principally due to Delrin plant modernization efforts which are part of the business's overall commitment to sustainability. "The Delrin business is committed to improving the sustainability of our manufacturing assets in order to deliver increasingly sustainable product offerings to our customers," says Delrin Global Business Manager, Brian Ammons. "The 10 percent reduction in scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions is a result of the innovation and sustainability culture embedded in our organization." The Delrin Washington Works facility in West Virginia completed three substantial energy efficiency projects aimed at reducing the plant's steam and electricity consumption. Since 2020, the facility has received the American Chemistry Council Responsible Care Energy Efficiency award three years running. The Washington Works Delrin plant also recently completed a transition from coal to natural gas steam generation, further reducing Delrin scope 2 emissions.

09:13 EDT Remitly Global to sponsor Technica 2022 Hackathon - Remitly Global announced it is a Gold sponsor of Technica, the world's largest hackathon for underrepresented genders. During the hackathon, Remitly will be providing a workshop, "Building better products through Continuous Integration, Continuous Delivery, Continuous Deployment, Test Driven Development, and Empathy," featuring techniques for students to improve the quality of their projects. Remitly also created the hackathon prize category of "Best Hack Project That Benefits Immigrants Or International Students."

09:13 EDT Patterson Companies CEO Mark Walchirk resigns, Don Zurbay succeeds - Patterson Companies announced that its board of directors has appointed Don Zurbay, most recently CFO, as president and CEO. Zurbay succeeds Mark Walchirk who resigned following the board's investigation and determination that he violated company policy and demonstrated poor judgment regarding an encounter with an employee. The conduct did not relate to the company's operations or the integrity of the company's financial statements. Zurbay has also been elected to the board. Kevin Barry, currently VP, finance and corporate controller, has been appointed interim CFO.

09:11 EDT Wrap Technologies launches new module for law enforcement training platform - Wrap Technologies announced the launch of an upgrade to its Wrap Reality virtual training software platform, called Wrap Reality ADAPT. Wrap Reality ADAPT delivers a customizable, instructional module with over 6,000 possible scenario variations in immersive training for law enforcement.

09:11 EDT Enerflex completes acquisition of Exterran - Enerflex announced that it has completed its acquisition of Exterran Corporation. Enerflex's common shares will continue to trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "EFX", and the Company will commence trading on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") under the symbol "EFXT" on October 13, 2022. Enerflex is a premier integrated global provider of energy infrastructure and energy transition solutions. With enhanced scale and capabilities, Enerflex is optimally positioned to serve customers in key natural gas, energy transition, and produced water markets, which will enhance long-term shareholder value through sustainable improvements in efficiency, profitability, and cash flow generation. In accordance with the merger agreement, Exterran stockholders will receive 1.021 common shares of Enerflex for each share of Exterran common stock held. The trading of Exterran common stock is expected to be suspended today. Immediately following the close of the Transaction, Enerflex will be focused on successfully integrating the two companies to become a more resilient, profitable, and efficient business, which includes delivering on expected cost savings and synergies of approximately U.S.$60 million annually. Discretionary cash flow will initially be directed at strengthening the Company's financial position, with Enerflex targeting its bank-adjusted net debt to EBITDA ratio to be below 2.5 times within 12 to 18 months.

09:09 EDT Nuvei selected by Lottomatica as exclusive payment partner - Nuvei is exclusively supplying payment technology for Lottomatica, an operator offering online sports betting, casino and poker in the regulated Italian iGaming market, as it re-platforms its digital services. Nuvei is enabling Lottomatica to offer a leading payment experience to its players for deposits and withdrawals via Nuvei's integrated cashier technology and local acquiring solutions. These alternative payment methods are available to players through the same single integration with Nuvei.

09:08 EDT NCS Multistage appoints Michael Morrison as CFO - NCS Multistage has appointed Michael Morrison as CFO and Treasurer. The current CFO, Ryan Hummer, has been appointed as CEO, effective November 1. Morrison served as Executive VP and CFO at ION Geophysical from February 2020 to September 2022 and VP of Finance and Treasurer from April 2016 to February 2020. Morrison also served in various other finance and accounting positions at ION Geophysical Corporation since 2002. Prior to 2002, Mr. Morrison was a Director of Accounting providing transaction support for an energy trading company.

09:06 EDT Micro Focus' application delivery management portfolio joins AWS ISV - Micro Focus (MFGP) announced that its Application Delivery Management, ADM, portfolio has joined the Amazon (AMZN) Web Services, AWS, Independent Software Vendor, ISV, Workload Migration Program, thereby expanding its existing work with AWS. The AWS ISV Workload Migration Program supports software vendors that have a software-as-a-service offering on AWS to drive and deliver workload migrations via a repeatable migration process. "Our on-prem customers now have an additional migration path to the cloud," said Tal Levi Joseph, VP Product Management for ADM. "They can migrate to the SaaS version of their systems or to the relevant module of the ValueEdge value stream management platform, and now they can also choose to migrate their on-prem instances to the cloud." Micro Focus has a complete set of industry-leading ADM products that are included in this program. These include Micro Focus PPM, ALM Octane, the LoadRunner family, ALM QC and the UFT family.

09:06 EDT Remitly Global makes Visa Direct platform available in Canada - Remitly Global announced the expansion of its relationship with Visa by making Visa Direct, Visa's real-time push payments platform, available to Remitly customers in Canada. According to the World Bank, more than $6.5 billion in personal remittances are sent annually from Canada. Now, Remitly customers in Canada will be able to send funds to eligible recipients in more than 100 countries around the world with a broader array of payout options that will now include Visa cards, in addition to the pre-existing bank account, digital wallet, and cash payout options.

09:05 EDT Synchrony expands partnership wit Sycle - Synchrony announced the availability of Allegro Credit, a point of sale consumer financing solution for the hearing industry, on Sycle's practice management platform. Sycle is expanding its relationship with Synchrony to include both the CareCredit healthcare credit card and Allegro Credit installment loan financing solutions. With the new integration, audiology providers can more quickly and easily deploy a comprehensive set of financing options - from a healthcare credit card to an installment loan. "Synchrony is committed to delivering the right financial product to the right patient, at the right time, through the right channel," said Greg Pierce, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Specialty, Synchrony. "Technology partnerships with leading organizations like Sycle are key to help providers ensure they can meet the demands of today's changing consumer behaviors. With this offering, patients can get the right financing solution for them and obtain the hearing technology they want and need to live connected lives."

09:03 EDT T2 Biosystems to commercialize diagnostic test for early Lyme disease - T2 Biosystems plans to complete development of, and commercialize, a diagnostic test for the detection of early Lyme disease, with the goal of initiating marketing and sales in the United States as a Laboratory Developed Test in 2023. The T2Lyme Panel is a direct-from-blood molecular diagnostic test designed to run on the FDA-cleared T2Dx Instrument and to detect Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. The T2Lyme Panel is intended to test individuals with signs and symptoms of Lyme disease and aid in the diagnosis of early Lyme disease. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the genes Borrelia and is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks. Approximately 476,000 Americans may get Lyme disease each year in the United States.

08:57 EDT Abiomed announces Impella heart pump analysis published - An analysis of more than 2,000 patients from a large U.S. real-world database finds that patients who underwent a non-emergent high-risk PCI with the Impella heart pump had significantly improved survival, reduced myocardial infarction, reduced cardiogenic shock after PCI and shorter length of stay than matched patients treated with an intra-aortic balloon pump, or IABP,. The study's findings are consistent with and reinforce the results of other peer-reviewed studies over the past 10 years. The study published October 7 in The American Journal of Cardiology. It was conducted by a group of expert physician-researchers, led by Alexandra Lansky, professor of medicine at the Yale School of Medicine and a practicing cardiologist at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Dr. Lansky is also the director of the Yale Heart and Vascular Clinical Research Program and the Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, which specializes in the evaluation of interventional devices. The study examined patients in the Premier Healthcare Database treated between 2016 and 2019 with Impella or IABP for non-emergent high-risk PCI. Patients were matched using propensity-score methods to control for baseline, procedure and post-PCI medical treatment differences between the groups. The study found: In-hospital survival was significantly higher with Impella compared to IABP. Myocardial infarction was significantly reduced with Impella compared to IABP. Cardiogenic shock after PCI was significantly reduced with Impella compared to IABP. A shorter length of stay for Impella patients compared to IABP patients. Furthermore, the safety profile for bleeding and stroke were the same between the Impella and IABP groups. This is consistent with data demonstrating improvements in bleeding over time for large-bore devices, with the adoption of contemporary practices such as ultrasound-guided vascular access and optimal use of closure devices. The authors of Lansky et al. analyzed contemporary payer data from the years after Impella's FDA approval for high-risk PCI, an era when best practices for Impella use had been established. Additionally, they used a more straightforward propensity-matched methodology than prior studies from similar datasets.

08:54 EDT CordovaCann says five of 14 Star Buds stores posted record revenue in Sept. - CordovaCann provides an update on its Star Buds Cannabis Co. retail operations in Canada as well as its cultivation, extraction and manufacturing operations in the United States. Star Buds Cannabis Co. retail stores in Canada continue to achieve strong performance after a record summer for the Company. The stores continue to benefit from market share gains and gross margin expansion despite a difficult economic environment. In the month of September, five of the fourteen Star Buds Cannabis Co. stores posted record revenues. The fourteen stores collectively generated revenues of $1.24 million with a gross margin of 25.7%. This is a record for daily revenues generated by the retail chain. This is a remarkable feat given that the stores have historically been seasonally strongest in the summer, and these results are a testament to the hard work of the employees of Star Buds Cannabis Co. Management is working on expanding the Star Buds Cannabis Co. footprint in Canada through both organic store growth and acquisitions. Cordova is also generating stronger revenue from its US operations. Both Washington and California should contribute material revenue for the Company in the December quarter, and Cordova is currently expanding its Oregon cultivation facility to increase customer count and revenue in the state. As the Company gains traction in these markets management believes Cordova has the infrastructure in place to expand materially in the United States, in both the current markets it serves as well as by entering new states.

08:51 EDT Siyata Mobile closes $4M registered direct offering - Siyata Mobile announced the closing of its previously announced $4.0 million registered direct offering. The Company previously entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain institutional investors to purchase approximately $4.0 million of its common shares in a registered direct offering and warrants to purchase common shares in a concurrent private placement. The combined effective purchase price for one common share and one warrant was $0.23. Under the terms of the securities purchase agreement, Siyata sold 15,810,000 common shares and 1,590,000 pre-funded warrants. In a private placement, which was consummated concurrently with the offering, Siyata issued warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 17,400,000 common shares. The warrants are immediately exercisable, expire 5 years from the date of issuance and have an exercise price of $0.23 per common share. The gross proceeds from the offering were approximately $4.0 million. The net proceeds from this offering will be used for general corporate and working capital purposes.

08:49 EDT Emerita Resources reports assay results from drilling at Romanera deposit - Emerita Resources is pleased to announce additional assay results from the 2022 delineation drilling at La Romanera Deposit at its wholly owned Iberian Belt West project. The Company continues to have 13 drilling rigs on site on a 24-hour rotation. Assay results have been received from 4 drill holes, LR028, LR024, LR020 and LR018. All intercepted significant mineralization except LR018, which intercepted primarily massive pyrite. Holes LR028, LR024 and LR020 are aligned along a similar elevation of approximately 225 meters vertically below surface and extend across a horizontal distance of approximately 450 meters. Massive sulphide mineralization occurs in both the Upper and Lower lenses in holes LR024 and LR028. Hole LR024 occurs within the zone explored by previous companies in the 1970s and 1980s, and drillholes LR028 and LR020 are equidistant to the west and east from LR024 and occur outside the historic drilled zone. This demonstrates massive sulphide mineralization extends along strike for at least 450 m at this elevation. From east to west, the order of the drill holes presented is: Drill Hole LR020: Drill hole LR020 intercepted massive sulphide mineralization only in the Lower Lens. The Lower Lens was intercepted from 281.7 m and encountered 16.6 m grading 0.3 % Cu; 0.5 % Pb; 0.9 % Zn; 1.2 g/t Au and 58.6 g/t Ag including 2.1 m grading 0.1 % Cu; 0.6 % Pb; 2.5 % Zn; 2.4 g/t Au and 105.6 g/t Ag. This drill hole represents a step out of 50 m east of LR007. Drill Hole LR024: Drillhole LR024 intercepted both the Lower and Upper massive sulfide lenses. The Upper Lens occurs from 285.2 m and intercepted 10.7 m grading 0.9 % Cu; 3.8 % Pb; 6.6 % Zn; 1.2 g/t Au and 129.7 g/t Ag. The interval between the two lenses is 22.4 m and is characterized by disseminated sulfide mineralization. The Lower Lens consists of 30.0 m grading 0.5 % Cu; 0.6 % Pb; 0.5 % Zn; 3.0 g/t Au and 67.6 g/t Ag, including 7.5 m grading 0.3 % Cu; 0.9 % Pb; 0.1 % Zn; 7.2 g/t Au and 41.6 g/t Ag. Drill Hole LR028: Drill hole LR028 intercepted two lenses of massive sulphides. The Upper Lens occurs from 299.3 m with 4.4 m grading 0.3 % Cu; 2.0 % Pb; 7.3 % Zn; 1.1 g/t Au and 94.9 g/t Ag. The Lower Lens occurs 12.1 m below the Upper Lens and intercepted lower grade massive sulfides consisting of 2.8 m grading 0.5 % Cu; 0.1 % Pb; 0.1 % Zn; 0.3 g/t Au and 6.9 g/t Ag. According to Joaquin Merino, P.Geo., President of Emerita, "Drilling to date carried out by the Company shows the existence of two semi-parallel massive sulphide lenses, which appear to merge to the west, and importantly appear to continue at depth below the present drilling. The strike extent also remains to be fully tested. At depth below approximately 500 m below surface both lenses remain open for further expansion potential with additional drilling."

08:45 EDT RDE's Restaurant.com launches partnership with Advertise Purple - RDEannounce a partnership with Advertise Purple. The goal of this partnership is to grow Restaurant.com's Affiliate channel by utilizing Advertise Purples' expertise. Advertise Purple is an affiliate management agency with over 3,000 brands in 23 business verticals served. Its technology leverages big data to deliver better outcomes in partnership marketing.

08:43 EDT Standard BioTools partner Ascendas Genomics receives systems approval in China - Standard BioTools announced that Ascendas Genomics has received approval from the National Medical Products Administration of China for use of the company's Biomark family of systems and its Juno system in NMPA molecular diagnostics services. Ascendas Genomics is a molecular diagnostics company with experience in developing assays for disease risk screening. This builds upon a strategic partnership between Standard BioTools and Ascendas Genomics, by which Ascendas Genomics has developed and commercialized molecular diagnostic systems and assays in China using microfluidics technologies included in the Standard BioTools Biomark real-time PCR and Juno systems.

08:42 EDT Mercurity Fintech Holding appoints new directors to board - Mercurity Fintech Holding announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Alan Curtis, Daniel Kelly Kennedy, Zheng Cui, Qian Sun and Hui Cheng as new directors of the Company effective as of October 9, 2022, among whom Alan Curtis, Zheng Cui and Hui Cheng are deemed independent under Nasdaq Rule 5605(a)(2). Alan Curtis, age 79, is an American public policy expert. Mr. Curtis served as a public safety advisor to Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson and Jimmy Carter. S Daniel Kelly Kennedy, age 38, is an educator, writer and inspirational leader in international business and entrepreneurship. From August 2020 to July 2022, Mr. Kennedy worked as an Academic English Professor at Campus Education in New York City. From June 2021 to the present, Mr. Kennedy has been a Columnist for "Entrepreneur Magazine" in New York City. Mr. Zheng Cui, age 36, is a sales and marketing professional, advisor, and entrepreneur. In 2020, Mr. Cui joined in Mont Bleu Web3 Investment and Advisory as a Partner to provide investment and advisory services to support portfolio and client services for Web3. Ms. Qian Sun, age 34, has more than 10 years of experience in corporate management and industrial investment. From 2020 to 2022, Ms. Sun worked at Consensus Labs, a leading blockchain investment and research firm, as a Partner responsible for industry research and post-investment management. Mr. Hui Cheng, age 30, is an entrepreneur in the Internet and financial technology industry. From 2019 to 2022, Mr. Cheng worked for Kuaishou Technology.

08:41 EDT BK Technologies gets $1.6M purchase order for BKR 5000 from Cal Fire - BK Technologies announced that it has received a purchase order valued at $1.6M from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for its BKR 5000 portable communications technology. John Suzuki, CEO of BK Technologies commented, "CAL FIRE is a longstanding customer and we're pleased to expand our partnership with this significant order, as they upgrade their portable communications platform. In recent years, California has seen increased frequency and heightened intensity in wildfire activity and CAL FIRE professionals are critical to keeping residents and property safe. The BKR 5000 provides robust and reliable portable communications technology ideally suited to promote effective and safe field operations with its ability to connect emergency response professionals across large geographic areas. We look forward to continuing to support CAL FIRE in their important mission to protect California's wildlands from devastating fires."

08:38 EDT Afya in share deal to acquire UNIT Alagoas and FITS Jaboatao for R$825M - Afya announced that it has entered into a share purchase agreement for the acquisition, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Afya Participacoes, of 100% of the total share capital of Sociedade Educacional e Cultural Sergipe DelRey , that encompasses the operations of Centro Universitario Tiradentes Alagoas and Faculdade Tiradentes Jaboatao dos Guararapes. The transaction does not enclose the "UNIT" and "FITS" brands, which will be licensed for Afya during the first year of operation. The aggregate purchase price is R$825M before the deduction of Net Debt that will be calculated at the closing date. It will be paid as follows: R$575M in cash on the transaction closing date and R$250M in three annual installments, respectively, of R$150M, R$50M, and R$50M, adjusted by the Brazilian interest rate . We expected an EV/EBITDA of 5.8x at maturity and post synergie, 2024. The acquisition will contribute 340 medical school seats to Afya, increasing Afya's total medical school seats to 3,099. This translates to 22,313 medical students at maturity. With the acquisition, Afya further consolidates its presence in the Brazilian Northeast, entering a new state in the region. 2024 projected Net Revenue for UNIT Alagoas and FITS Jaboatao dos Guararapes is expected to be R$ 261 million at full maturity, with medical courses representing 87% of this amount.

08:37 EDT Digital Ally announces pricing of $15M private placement - Digital Ally announced that it has entered into a securities purchase agreement with certain institutional investors to purchase 1,400,000 shares of Series A convertible redeemable preferred stock and 100,000 shares of Series B convertible redeemable preferred stock. Each share of Series A and Series B preferred stock has a purchase price of $9.50, representing an original issue discount of 5% of the $10.00 stated value of each share. Each share of Series A and Series B preferred stock is convertible into shares of the Company's common stock at an initial conversion price of $1.00 per share. Shares of the Series A and Series B preferred stock are convertible at the option of the holder at any time following the Company's receipt of stockholder approval of an amendment to the Company articles of incorporation to increase the number of shares of common stock that the Company is authorized to issue. The Company and the holders of the Series A and Series B preferred stock also entered into a registration rights agreement to register the resale of the shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the Series A and Series B preferred stock. Total gross proceeds from the offerings, before deducting discounts, placement agent's fees and other estimated offering expenses, is $15.0 million.

08:36 EDT Albireo Pharma presents data from Phase 3 PEDFIC 1, PEDFIC 2 trials - Albireo Pharma announced the presentation of new data at the NASPGHAN Annual Meeting being held in Orlando, Florida from October 12-15, 2022. A new analysis of pooled data from the landmark Phase 3 PEDFIC 1 and PEDFIC 2 trials demonstrates that Bylvay reduces serum bile acids and pruritus in children with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis who have varying levels of baseline hepatic impairment. Importantly, the analysis shows that significantly more patients with mild hepatic impairment at baseline had a serum bile acid response, suggesting children may benefit from earlier treatment with Bylvay. Additional data analyses presented at the meeting show that Bylvay reduced pruritus in patients regardless of their baseline pruritus scores. Further, pruritus reductions were associated with improvements in serum bile acids, hepatic parameters, growth, and disease aspects related to sleep, with greater reductions in pruritus associated, in general, with greater improvements across these additional measures. Oral Presentation: Hepatic Impairment Classifications at Baseline in Responders to Odevixibat Therapy in Children with Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis: Pooled data analysis showed that treatment with Bylvay is associated with improvements in serum bile acids and pruritus and suggests greater efficacy when treatment with Bylvay occurs earlier in the disease. Significantly more patients with mild hepatic impairment at baseline, according to Child-Pugh scores, had a serum bile acid response than patients with more severe hepatic impairment at baseline. Among patients with mild and moderate hepatic impairment at baseline, 45% and 24% were Bylvay responders, respectively. No patients had Child-Pugh scores of severe hepatic impairment at baseline. Across baseline hepatic impairment levels, pruritus response rates were comparable and Bylvay was generally well tolerated. Poster Abstract #301: Outcomes with Odevixibat in Patients with Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis by Level of Pruritus Reduction: Pooled Analysis from the PEDFIC Trials: An analysis of pooled data from 77 patients treated with Bylvay showed that pruritus reductions were associated with improvements in serum bile acids, hepatic parameters, growth, and disease aspects related to sleep and, in general, patients who had larger-magnitude pruritus reductions had larger-magnitude improvements in other outcomes. The median percentage change from baseline to weeks 70-72 in serum bile acid level was -12% in patients who had pruritus reductions of less than1, -54% in patients who had reductions of greater than or equal to1 to less than2, -94% in patients who had reductions of greater than or equal to2 to less than3,-96% in patients who had reductions of greater than or equal to3 to less than4, and -94% in patients who achieved a pruritus score of 0 or 1. Bylvay was generally well tolerated regardless of the level of pruritus reduction. Poster Abstract #547: Outcomes in Patients with Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis Treated with Odevixibat who had Medium or Lower Pruritus Severity at Baseline: Pooled Analysis from the PEDFIC 1 and PEDFIC 2 Studies: A pooled data analysis of 16 patients who had medium or lower pruritus severity at baseline showed that treatment with Bylvay was associated with improvement in serum bile acids, pruritus, hepatic parameters, growth, sleep, and quality of life, suggesting even patients with lower baseline pruritus severity may benefit from Bylvay treatment. Treatment with Bylvay led to a serum bile acid response in 31% of patients; improvements in mean percentage of days needing help falling asleep, falling from baseline of 41% to 18%; needing soothing falling from 37% to 19%; and sleeping with a caregiver falling from 36% to 16%; but not in percentage of days with scratching associated with bleeding, which was 9% at baseline and 30% at weeks 61-72. Bylvay was generally well tolerated. Poster Abstract #70: Stability of Odevixibat Oral Capsule Contents in Liquids: An in vitro study showed that when Bylvay is mixed in a range of liquids often used to administer medicines to young infants, it is stable and provides children with an adequate dose. As the symptoms of PFIC often begin in infancy, when a child is not yet eating solid food, it is important that parents have an option to mix Bylvay in a liquid to give to their young children.

08:34 EDT E-Home Household Service awarded RMB20M maintenance contracts - E-Home Household's subsidiary Putian YouYou Cleaning has been awarded RMB20M, or $2.8M, property cleaning and residential green belt maintenance contracts since the second quarter of this year. Pursuant to the contracts signed, YouYou will provide property cleaning services at 20 residencies that cover an area of more than 3 million square meters for service periods ranging from one to two years. YouYou is also in charge of maintaining the tidiness of green belt landscape at the residential areas, as per the contracts.

08:32 EDT Nokia partners with ESnet to launch IP network - Nokia today announced its technology partnership with ESnet and unveiled ESnet6, the U.S. Department of Energy's high performance network dedicated to collaborative scientific research. ESnet has deployed Nokia's market-leading 7750 Service Router platforms to provide high-speed 100Gbps and 400 Gbps services over an IP/MPLS network designed to support over 46 Tbps of capacity. ESnet6 is designed to address the growing challenge within the United States and international allied research community to flexibly, rapidly, and reliably exchange vast volumes of research data between the facilities and instruments that produce it and the supercomputers and researchers who consume it.

08:26 EDT Avid Technology announces amended credit facility - Avid announced that it has entered into an amended secured credit facility with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. and a syndicate of banks, including $186.7 million in senior secured term loans and a $120 million unfunded revolving line of credit. The new facility increases the revolving credit facility from $70 million to $120 million and adds a $20 million incremental term loan to the existing $166.7 million term loan. The new facility, which replaces Avid's existing secured credit facility, includes more favorable terms and does not result in any changes to financial covenants, pricing or the February 2027 maturity.

08:24 EDT Splash Beverage makes Copa di Vino wine available in Texas locations - Splash Beverage announced that Copa Di Vino, a producer of single-serve premium wine, will now be available in all 70 Texas located Love's Travel Centers. Oklahoma-based Love's Travel Centers has more than 590 locations in 42 states providing motorists and consumers with 24-hour access to a variety of services, including restaurants, shopping, and convenience items.

08:21 EDT Incannex completes dosing in Phase 1 trial of IHL-675A - Incannex Healthcare announced that it has completed dosing of trial participants in the phase 1 clinical trial undertaken to assess pharmacokinetics and safety of the anti-inflammatory drug IHL-675A. IHL-675A is a combination cannabinoid drug comprising cannabidiol and hydroxychloroquine in a fixed dose combination. IHL-675A was observed to outperform either CBD and HCQ in various pre-clinical models of inflammation, including in vivo models of rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and lung inflammation. Synergistic anti-inflammatory activity of CBD and HCQ was observed in these distinct pre-clinical studies and was evidence to support the Company's international patent application over the drug. The Phase 1 trial measured the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic profiles of IHL-675A compared to the reference listed drugs, Epidiolex and Plaquenil. Three cohorts of 12 participants received either IHL-675A, CBD or HCQ and the clinical assessments were identical across the three arms of the trial. The trial was conducted by CMAX Clinical Research in Adelaide, South Australia and managed by Avance Clinical. IHL-675A has been well tolerated, with no adverse events of concern reported to date. No serious adverse events have been reported. Participants will continue to be monitored until the end of October, after which blood samples collected during the study will be assessed for levels of CBD, HCQ and major metabolites to characterise the pharmacokinetics of each active pharmaceutical ingredient. The full clinical study report will be available to Incannex in Q1 2023 following complete analysis by the contract research organisation, however, the absence of adverse events of concern reasonably permits Incannex to plan and arrange Phase 2 studies, initially in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Initial reports of drug tolerability afford Incannex the opportunity to proceed with the next stage of development for IHL-675A. As HCQ is already approved for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis is the first indication for which IHL-675A will be assessed in a Phase 2 clinical trial of more than 100 trial participants. Incannex is arranging a clinical trial to assess IHL-675A in arthritis patients in Australia and will update the ASX and Nasdaq once this study has formally commenced. Planning of Phase 2 studies in patients with inflammatory bowel disease and lung inflammation is underway. The treatment of these three indications has a combined global annual market size exceeding US$125B per annum. Additionally, Incannex is preparing for a pre-IND meeting with FDA on the development of IHL-675A specifically for the treatment of patients with arthritis. Following the pre-IND meeting, the Company intends to open an IND in parallel with the Australian Phase 2 study, allowing for the conduct of trials in the US if the Australian study continues to support the therapeutic potential of IHL-675A in patients with arthritis.

08:20 EDT Invesco expands QQQ Innovation Suite to include small-cap ETF - Invesco announced the expansion of the Invesco QQQ Innovation Suite to include a new exchange-traded fund that will access smaller-cap companies screened by a key marker of innovation - high quality patents. The Invesco NASDAQ Future Gen 200 ETF will add an efficient overlay to small-cap and micro-cap companies listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market that are not included in the Nasdaq 100 Index or Nasdaq Next Generation 100 Index. High quality and high value patents may be an indicator of future innovation potential in a smaller-cap company. "Companies included in the Invesco QQQ Innovation Suite have always spent considerably more on research and development1 and Invesco wanted to capture that same commitment to innovation on a smaller cap-tier," said John Hoffman, Americas Head of ETFs and Index Strategies, Invesco. "By applying a high quality patent screen, the QQQS portfolio will focus on smaller-cap companies with a competitive advantage on certain inventions. This will allow investors to customize their market capitalization exposure to companies who are pioneering the future."

08:19 EDT JinkoSolar achieves breakthrough for its N-type monocrystalline solar cell - JinkoSolar announced that it has achieved a major technical breakthrough for its 182 mm high-efficiency N-type monocrystalline silicon solar cell. "JinkoSolar has set a new record with the maximum solar conversion efficiency of 26.1% for its 182 mm and above large-size monocrystalline silicon TOPCon solar cell," the company said. Dr. Jin Hao, CTO of Jinko Solar commented, "We are proud to achieve a major breakthrough in the conversion efficiency of N-type TOPCon cells in less than half a year, breaking the record we have previously set for N-type monocrystalline silicon solar cells. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our talented R&D team for creating this important milestone in the innovation of the company's products and solutions. We will continue to invest in R&D innovation and mass production capabilities, and to accelerate the pace of industry upgrading for advanced N-type product. We are confident to provide better returns to our customers with our cutting-edge technology and reliable supply chain."

08:16 EDT Summit Therapeutics to present results of ridinilazole in CDI at symposium - Summit Therapeutics and its product candidate, ridinilazole, will have an oral podium presentation and a poster presentation at IDWeek 2022. The oral presentation will provide details of the results of the Ri-CoDIFy trial for the investigational, first-in-class antibiotic, ridinilazole, for the treatment of Clostridioides difficile infection, or CDI. In the Ri-CoDIFy study, ridinilazole resulted in a meaningful reduction in the rate of recurrence of C. diff. infection - 8.1% vs 17.3% - and achieved a numerically higher sustained clinical response1 rate - 73.0% vs 70.7% - than vancomycin. This will be the first in-depth presentation of the large and comprehensive assessment of the microbiome-sparing effects of ridinilazole as compared to the effects of vancomycin when treating patients with C. diff. infection. Ridinilazole is not currently approved for use by any regulatory authority.

08:15 EDT Nextech AR Solutions say 700,000 3D model order to be delivered in Q4 - Several quotes have been issued for large RFPs, which could close in Q4 2022; Ramp up of 3D model production to meet the growing demand from the largest Prime ecommerce marketplace as well as re-orders, sets the stage for a substantial increase in 3D model production in Q4, 2022; ARway spin-out received shareholder approval at the AGM on October 12th. Trading in ARway is expected to happen in October, 2022. Nextech AR will retain a majority share ownership in ARway after the spinout, and Nextech AR shareholders of record will receive a total of 4 million new shares in ARway on a pro-rata basis

08:12 EDT Mayfair Gold announces results from Fenn-Gib drill program - Mayfair Gold is pleased to announce the sixth set of results for 2022 from the Fenn-Gib drill program, which is mainly focused outside the current conceptual pit-constrained resource. Results from the seven new drill holes reported today confirm strong strike and depth expansion of the Fenn-Gib gold mineralization, which remains open in most directions. Mayfair's 100% controlled Fenn-Gib Project, located in the Timmins region of Northeast Ontario, hosts a NI43-101 Indicated Resource of 2.08M ounces with disseminated gold mineralization striking east-west on the Pipestone Fault over 1.25 kilometers and up to 300 meters wide at the west end. Based on assay results up to July 31, 2022, the Company is planning to provide a resource update before the end of October 2022. A further resource update is planned for Q2 2023 which will incorporate all the drill results since July 31. Mayfair Gold President and CEO Patrick Evans commented: "Fenn-Gib has tremendous upside for growth based on the remarkably consistent assay results from our expansion drill program. The broadly disseminated gold mineralization continues from near-surface to depths below 600m. Although we have already completed approximately 96,000m of our planned 110,000m drill program, it's apparent that the mineralization remains open in most directions." Highlight drill results include: 1. FG22-242 intersected 1.40 grams/tonne gold over 65.0m, including 1.79 g/t Au over 44.6m; 2. FG22-250 intersected 0.87 g/t Au over 311.0m, including 1.08 g/t Au over 57.0m, including 1.10 g/t Au over 99.0m and 1.36 g/t Au over 33.6m; 3. FG22-251 intersected 0.69 g/t Au over 158.0m, including 1.05 g/t Au over 85.0m; 4. FG22-254 intersected 1.12 g/t Au over 102.0m, including 2.66 g/t Au over 25.3m; 5. FG22-257B intersected 0.87 g/t Au over 68.3m, including 1.08 g/t Au over 38.6m.

08:11 EDT Crinetics completes enrollment in Phase 3 study of acromegaly candidate - Crinetics announced the completion of enrollment in the Phase 3 PATHFNDR-1 study, one of two ongoing Phase 3 studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of once-daily oral paltusotine in acromegaly patients. Topline results from the PATHFNDR-1 study are expected in 3Q23. The Phase 3 PATHFNDR-2 study's enrollment is ongoing and topline results are expected in 4Q23. If successful, Crinetics plans to submit data from the two studies to regulatory authorities in support of applications seeking approval for the use of paltusotine for all acromegaly patients who require pharmacotherapy, including untreated patients and those switching from other therapies. The primary endpoint of the study is a responder analysis based on the proportion of patients with mean IGF-1 values less than or equal to 1.0x ULN at weeks 34 and 36 of the treatment period.

08:10 EDT Sema4 Holdings presents research on autism spectrum disorders - Sema4 is presenting research on autism spectrum disorders at the Child Neurology Society Annual Meeting. The research underscores the positive outcomes of exome analysis for individuals with ASD, supporting the use of a broader genetic testing approach to reach a faster diagnosis. This study of almost 19,000 individuals is one of the few to examine the genetic basis of autism and current guidelines around screening and testing. The study evaluated exome analysis for individuals with ASD against current testing methods and provided proof points that exome sequencing should be a first-tier test for ASD. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screening for ASD between the ages of 18-24 months. The median ages at testing in this analysis were 6.4 and 8.4 years for both isolated and syndromic ASD; exome sequencing provided higher diagnostic rates of 7.9-21%. Step-wise testing likely contributed to a delayed molecular diagnosis, as nearly 90% of the 18,911 individuals in the study with ASD had at least one prior negative test. The study also suggests completing exome sequencing early on in a child's life can help identify other disorders that a child with ASD may be at risk for, including epilepsy, as that affects up to a third of people with autism, but only 1-2% of the general population. Overall, this genetic testing approach helps break down an individual's genetic etiology, leading to better, more informed health interventions and outcomes. Additionally, this study revealed a high number of emerging genes not previously connected to autism. Initial analysis identified 1,337 emerging genes, 113 of which were upgraded to disease-causing starting in 2015. Moreover, 60% of genes identified in this study as associated with ASD were not found in the Simon Foundation Autism Research Initiative Gene online database - an evolving resource for the autism research community centered on genes implicated in autism susceptibility.

08:09 EDT Jowell Global enters into cooperative partnership with U.K.'s STADA - Jowell Global has entered into a cooperative partnership with STADA to promote its Zoflora disinfectant products in China. Under the terms of the cooperation agreement, STADA licensed Jowell as its exclusive distributor to sell its Zoflora products on Jowell's e-commerce platform. As the fourth-largest consumer healthcare products company in Europe, STADA offers consumers, pharmacists and retail partners a broad and rapidly growing portfolio of strong local brands across multiple therapeutic categories. Its disinfectant brand Zoflora is a home hygiene product in the United Kingdom. In recent years, capitalizing on digital distribution channels and the growing local demand, Zoflora has been actively deployed into the Chinese market.

08:08 EDT ABM initiates EPC program for Abbeville County School District - ABM announced the initiation of an Energy Performance Contracting program for the Abbeville County School District in South Carolina. Projected to generate $4.9 million in energy and operating cost savings over a 15-year period, ABM's custom solution modernizes facility infrastructure in every ACSD school. The project enables ACSD leadership to improve its learning environments and protect air quality for students while providing general fund relief needed to sustain investments in learning initiatives.

08:05 EDT Alector promotes Clare Hunt to Chief People Officer - Alector promoted Clare Hunt to Chief People Officer. Hunt has led the People function since joining the company in 2017. Prior to joining Alector, Hunt spent seven years as a strategy consultant at Bain & Company and worked in the Boston, London, Manhattan, and San Francisco offices.

08:04 EDT Solid Biosciences' SGT-001 shows improvement in ambulatory function - Solid Biosciences reported additional positive one-year data from the IGNITE DMD Phase I/II clinical trial of its microdystrophin gene therapy, SGT-001, for the functional endpoint of stride velocity 95th centile. SV95C is an objective assessment of peak ambulatory performance accepted as a qualified secondary endpoint for Duchenne patients five years of age and older by the European Medicines Agency. Patients receiving SGT-001 improved from baseline in SV95C at one year, whereas a control patient included in the study and natural history data both demonstrated declines over the same period. IGNITE DMD patients demonstrated average improvements in SV95C of 8.8%-9.5% compared to baseline, 23.9%-24.6% compared to natural history and 26.0%-26.7% compared to the control patient. Solid intends to include SV95C as an endpoint in the clinical evaluation of SGT-003, its Duchenne gene therapy, which is expected to commence in late-2023.

08:00 EDT Vectivbio jumps 23% to $8.01 after pricing share offering - Shares of Vectivbio are up 23% or $1.51 at $8.01 in pre-market trading after the company announced the pricing of $125M underwritten offering of ordinary shares at $7.50 per share - above the $6.79 prior close.

07:46 EDT Lexagene Holdings receives quote to purchase MiQLab system - LexaGene Holdings is pleased to announce that it has received an indication that a major biopharma company intends to purchase its technology.

07:40 EDT Accuray, C-Rad unveil automated breast cancer treatment package for Radixact - Accuray announced the company, in partnership with C-RAD, will showcase an important new option for improving the care of people diagnosed with breast cancer during the 2022 ASTRO Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, October 23 - 26, 2022. Meeting attendees are invited to attend the U.S. unveiling of a new breast cancer treatment package for the Radixact System at the Accuray booth. The breast cancer treatment package is designed to enable medical care teams to provide an integrated and automated Deep Inspiration Breath Hold solution using Surface Guided Radiation Therapy that delivers ultra-precise treatments that enhance safety and speed. "ASTRO 2022 marks an important milestone for our organization as we launch, with C-RAD, a new option for the Radixact System for treating the wide range of breast cancer patients. Breast cancer remains a significant women's health issue that with early detection and more precise treatment technology can have a major impact on extending and improving the quality of patients' lives. It seems appropriate to make this announcement during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time when people worldwide join together to raise awareness of improving early diagnosis and treatment options for this disease. This introduction is the result of our strong investment in R&D to deliver robust and differentiated products that are intended to improve lives," said Suzanne Winter, president and chief executive officer of Accuray.

07:38 EDT Domino's Pizza reported Q3 global net store growth of 225 - Domino's Pizza reported Q3 U.S. same store sales growth of 2.0%, International same store sales decline of 1.8%, and Global net store growth of 225. The decline in international same store sales was driven in part by a value added tax holiday in the United Kingdom in the third quarter of 2021 that did not recur in the third quarter of 2022. The Company had third quarter global net store growth of 225 stores, comprised of 24 net U.S. store openings and 201 net international store openings.

07:36 EDT Aehr Test Systems receives orders for new customer - Aehr Test Systems has received purchase orders from a new customer for a FOX-NPTM multi-wafer test and burn-in system, multiple WaferPak Contactors and a FOX WaferPak Aligner to be used for qualification of their silicon carbide devices for electric vehicles. This company is a multibillion-dollar annual revenue global manufacturer of semiconductors that is currently supplying silicon based MOSFETs for the automotive industry. The FOX system, WaferPaks, and WaferPak Aligner are scheduled to ship within the next six months.

07:34 EDT Otonomy's OTO-413 did not improve hearing loss in higher doses - Otonomy announced that the clinical evaluation of higher doses for OTO-413 - 0.75 mg and 1.50 mg - in patients with hearing loss demonstrated no clinically meaningful improvement for patients from baseline across multiple speech-in-noise - SIN - hearing tests. These results are in contrast to the positive clinical signal observed with 0.3 mg OTO-413 versus placebo in the previous Phase 1/2 and Phase 2a trial cohorts using the same study design and endpoints. "However, our ex vivo studies as well as data in the neurotrophin literature suggest the possibility of a complex dose-response relationship for BDNF with declining activity observed at higher dose levels, which might explain these results," said Chief Scientific Officer Alan Foster. "We have previously demonstrated in two separate study cohorts that a single, unilateral injection of 0.3 mg OTO-413 provides a clinically meaningful improvement for patients from their baseline hearing level compared to placebo." CEO David Weber said, "In light of the challenging financing environment, we intend to explore strategic options to advance and realize value from our pipeline including both OTO-413 and OTO-825, our gene therapy program for congenital hearing loss."

07:24 EDT Vectivbio prices $125M underwritten offering of ordinary shares - VectivBio Holding announced the pricing of an underwritten offering of 16,700,000 ordinary shares at an offering price of $7.50 per share. Investors who have agreed to purchase shares in the offering include Cowen Healthcare Investments, Driehaus Capital Management, Eventide Asset Management, LLC, Forbion's Growth Opportunities Fund, Frazier Life Sciences, Marshall Wace, OrbiMed, Surveyor Capital, TCG X, Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners and Vivo Capital, among other specialist biotech investors. Before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses, VectivBio expects to receive total gross proceeds of approximately $125 million. The offering is expected to close on or about October 17, 2022, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. VectivBio intends to use the net proceeds from the offering, together with its existing cash and cash equivalents: to fund clinical development and pre-commercialization activities for its lead product candidate and general corporate purposes, including general and administrative expenses and working capital. Jefferies, SVB Securities and Piper Sandler are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.

07:22 EDT Laser Photonics announces implementation of CleanTech Handheld Laser Blasting - Laser Photonics Corporation (LASE) announced that the Coca-Cola Company (KO) recently completed the implementation of its first CleanTech Handheld Laser Blasting system in its manufacturing facilities.

07:19 EDT United Natural Foods names Erin Horvath to new role of CSCTO - United Natural Foods announced that Erin Horvath has been appointed to the position of Chief Supply Chain Transformation Officer , a new role which will collaborate across functions to help build UNFI's transformation agenda and future capabilities, drive value creation for shareholders, and create an improving experience for customers and suppliers. She begins her role on October 17, 2022, and will report to Sandy Douglas, UNFI's Chief Executive Officer.

07:17 EDT Barrick Gold reports preliminary Q3 production 0.99M oz gold, 123M lbs. copper - Barrick Gold reported preliminary Q3 sales of 1.00 million ounces of gold and 120 million pounds of copper, as well as preliminary Q3 production of 0.99 million ounces of gold and 123 million pounds of copper. Access to high grade ore that was previously expected in late Q3 at Nevada Gold Mines is now scheduled for Q4, which should drive a strong finish to the year. Barrick remains on track to achieve 2022 production guidance1, with gold expected to be at the low end of the range and copper expected to be at the midpoint. The average market price for gold in Q3 was $1,729 per ounce and the closing price at the end of the quarter was $1,672 per ounce. The average market price for copper in Q3 was $3.51 per pound. The Company's third quarter realized copper price2 is expected to be 7 to 9% below the third quarter average market price for copper, primarily as a result of provisional pricing adjustments3 that reflect the decrease in the copper price near the end of Q3.

07:16 EDT Marimaca Copper reports 98% increase in M&I mineral resources - Marimaca Copper announced an updated Mineral Resource Estimate for the Marimaca Oxide Deposit in the Antofagasta region of northern Chile. The 2022 MRE demonstrates significant resource growth over the 2019 MRE and marks an important step-change in the scale of the Project, supporting a potential production rate higher than proposed in the Preliminary Economic Assessment. The 2022 MRE incorporates a total of over 110,000m of drilling completed since 2016. The Definitive Feasibility Study is planned for 2023. Highlights include 98% growth in Measured and Indicated Resource tonnage to 139.6Mt at 0.48% CuT for ~665,000 tons of contained Cu metal; 92% growth in Inferred Resource tonnage to 82.7Mt at 0.39% CuT for ~323,000 tons of contained Cu; 50kt and 60kt per annum copper cathode production cases will be assessed for DFS; high grade core which comprises the first six years of the 2019 PEA mine life is expected to remain intact and accessible in a scaled-up development scenario. Low pre-strip and LOM strip ratio drive significant cost advantages. Clear opportunities remain for additional resource expansion with further exploration. Potential for new higher-grade green oxide zone identified in the shallow north and north- eastern areas of MOD to have positive grade implications for final MRE in early 2023.

07:16 EDT Helius Medical supports physical therapists in National Physical Therapy Month - National Physical Therapy Month comes every October, but this one is particularly meaningful to Helius Medical Technologies: This year, the company has trained a large and growing community of physical therapists to use its innovative Portable Neuromodulation Stimulator device to help improve the gait of people with multiple sclerosis. And given the critical role physical therapists play in PoNS Therapy, Helius is making its free, online training available to even more of them nationwide.

07:14 EDT Else Nutrition Kids Shakes launch in Walmart stores - ELSE NUTRITION HOLDINGS announces that Else Nutrition Kids Shakes are being put on the shelf in Walmart stores in 35 states including California, Florida, and Texas, in the best-selling Chocolate and Vanilla flavors, with other products to follow soon. Else products have been available on Walmart.com since the start of 2022 and will now expand in-store.

07:12 EDT Solaris Resources reports assay results from Warintza Project - Solaris Resources reports assay results from the first series of holes following up on the discovery of Warintza West within its Warintza Project in southeastern Ecuador. Warintza West is one of four discoveries made to date within the Warintza porphyry cluster and is located 1km west of the Warintza Central Mineral Resource Estimate reported in April. The discovery was reported with the results of SLSW-01 - these follow-up holes fan out in all directions, outlining a broad porphyry deposit of at least 900m x 600m and still open and lies adjacent to and not included within the MRE. Follow-up drilling to test the further extent of the deposit is planned after priority drilling at Warintza Central aimed at expanding the starter pit and higher-grade resource expansion potential at Warintza East. SLSW-07 returned 686m of 0.46% CuEq within a broader interval of 912m of 0.41% CuEq from near surface; SLSW-02 returned 246m of 0.47% CuEq from near surface; SLSW-09 returned 202m of 0.45% CuEq within a broader interval of 444m of 0.36% CuEq from near surface; SLSW-08 returned 78m of 0.56% CuEq within a broader interval of 812m of 0.32% CuEq from near surface; SLSW-04returned 264m of 0.44% CuEq from near surface; SLSW-10 returned 220m of 0.41% CuEq from near surface; SLSW-03 returned 102m of 0.39% CuEq within a broader interval of 911m of 0.24% CuEq from near surface; SLSW-05 returned 272m of 0.38% CuEq within a broader interval of 570m of 0.30% CuEq from near surface; SLSW-06 returned 732m of 0.32% CuEq from near surface. Drilling at Warintza West confirms the interpretation of a broad porphyry deposit that remains open in all directions, with assays pending from a series of three additional holes testing the zone further to the west, east and south; Step-out drilling is planned targeting high-grade surface sampling. Mr. Jorge Fierro, Vice President, Exploration, commented: "We're pleased to be able to report the results of follow-up drilling on our Warintza West discovery which outlines a significant new deposit that remains open within the Warintza porphyry cluster, adjacent to the MRE published in April. Ongoing drilling is targeting growth of the high-grade starter pit at Warintza Central and expanding our Warintza East discovery with results expected in the coming weeks, while further drilling is planned for Warintza West."

07:10 EDT Macellum Advisors sends letter to Kohl's shareholders on need for Board refresh - Macellum Advisor a long-term holder of nearly 5% of the outstanding common shares of Kohl's Corporation ssued the below open letter to its fellow shareholders regarding the need for an immediate and targeted refresh of the Company's Board of Directors as opposed to waiting for a vote at next year's Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Fellow Shareholders: Kohl's is having one of the worst years in its long history. Despite a challenging macroeconomic backdrop, Kohl's results are the worst among its Direct Peers across almost every relevant measure.1 The Board has also overseen the termination of what we argue was a deeply flawed sale process, the departures of three key executive officers and the downgrade of the Company's long-term credit rating to "junk" by S&P Global Ratings. In our view, the operational problems at Kohl's transcend macroeconomic variables and stem from self-inflicted execution issues that we conveyed to the Board and leadership two years ago, first privately then publicly, but which have gone unaddressed. We believe this is a function of an ineffective Board, led by Chairman Peter Boneparth, and the other longest tenured members of the Executive Committee that we contend represents a "Shadow Board." In our view, the Board and, more specifically, the Shadow Board is failing to adequately support Kohl's senior management, which has resulted in the destruction of billions of dollars of shareholder value recently and perpetual stagnation over the long-term."

07:09 EDT Lizhi launches short audio clips feature on audio platform - LIZHI has recently rolled out a new short audio clips feature on its audio platform. Short audio clips create an even more immersive and engaging audio and listening experience for the platform's vibrant and growing online communities and encourage users to explore innovative interactions through "short audio + social audio". Through the platform, users can click into the short audio clips space with a single touch and access a wide range of high-quality audio content, and at the same time also share short audio content with fellow users through likes, recommendations and reviews. Within the short audio clips space, users can also take advantage of an audio clips library and audio clip templates to create their own segments, whether to create content around current hot topics or ongoing challenges.

07:07 EDT Green Flash launches new beers across the U.S. - Green Flash Brewing Company celebrates 20 years of brewing world-class beers and announces the release of its new WEST COAST IPA lineup, which includes the iconic WEST COAST IPA beer and two all-new beers, Imperial West Coast IPA and Hazy West Coast IPA. This year-round lineup is available now in 12-ounce cans, nationally. Green Flash's new lineup of core beers celebrates its WEST COAST IPA roots, which helped define West Coast-style IPAs and put the San Diego-founded brand on the map. The brand's iconic West Coast IPA beer is brewed with six different hops featuring complex layers of pine, floral, and ripe citrus tropical aromas. The new Green Flash IPA lineup includes: Imperial West Coast IPA, an amplified version of the classic WEST COAST IPA beer, featuring an epic wave of hops, delivering grapefruit zest bitterness supported by notes of dark caramel and finishing easy with floral and dry woodsy hop notes. Imperial West Coast IPA is also available in 19.2-ounce cans nationally. Hazy West Coast IPA, brewed with Citra, Motueka, and El Dorado hops, delivers a wave of tropical flavors and aromas of pineapple, stone fruit, and lime with a bright, hazy appearance.

07:06 EDT Wabtec signs services contract with European rolling stock leasing firm Akiem - Wabtec signed a services contract with Akiem, a European rolling stock leasing company, to provide maintenance of critical equipment for locomotive fleets in Europe. The deal will improve safety, reliability, and availability of rolling stock for Akiem's customers. The agreement, which runs for the next five years, covers brake components, pantographs, and HVAC for the company's PRIMA and TRAXX fleets in France and Germany. The objective for Wabtec and Akiem is to maximize asset availability for the operator's customers. "This crucial equipment maintenance partnership with Akiem sees Wabtec working directly with the owner of the rolling stock," said Sameer Gaur, President of Wabtec Transit Services Group. "Akiem's key role in this value chain means it fully measures the value of robust and reliable equipment. We share their commitment to maximize train safety and reliability and are looking forward to supporting this major actor in European rail to achieve its goals."

07:04 EDT ObsEva licensee Yuyuan's IND application for Phase 1 nolasiban trial approved - ObsEva announced that Yuyuan Bioscience's IND application for a Phase 1 clinical trial of nolasiban has been approved by the Center for Drug Evaluation at the Chinese National Medical Products Administration. Nolasiban is a novel, oral oxytocin receptor antagonist being developed to improve clinical pregnancy and live birth rates in women undergoing in vitro fertilization. Yuyuan plans to initiate a single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1 clinical trial in China to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic characteristics of nolasiban in healthy adult female subjects in China. ObsEva has sublicensed the exclusive rights to develop and commercialize nolasiban in the Peoples Republic of China to Yuyuan. Under the sublicense agreement with Yuyuan, ObsEva is entitled to receive aggregate milestone payments of up to $17M upon the achievement of specified development, regulatory, and first sales milestones, and aggregate milestone payments of up to $115M upon the achievement of additional, tiered sales milestones. In addition, Yuyuan has agreed to pay tiered royalties on net sales at percentages ranging from high-single digit to low-second digits, subject to specified reductions, until the later of the expiration of the last valid claim covering the product in China and ten years from the first commercial sale of the product in China.

06:58 EDT China Index Holdings announces receipt of revised non-binding proposal - China Index Holdings announced that its special committee of the board of directors has received a revised preliminary non-binding proposal letter, dated October 13, 2022, from Fang Holdings Mr. Tianquan Mo and his affiliates, True Knight Limited, a company wholly owned by Mr. Jiangong Dai, the chairman of the board of directors of the Company, Digital Link Investments Limited and General Atlantic Singapore Fund to acquire all outstanding Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares of the Company, including Class A Shares represented by American depositary shares, that are not currently owned by the Consortium in a going-private transaction, for a purchase price of US$0.84 in cash per Share or ADS. The Revised Proposal updates the previously announced preliminary non-binding proposal letter submitted by Fang to the Company dated August 23, 2022. The Revised Proposal states, among others, that the members of the Consortium have agreed to work exclusively with each other in pursuing the Proposed Transaction and the Consortium currently owns in aggregate approximately 61.0% of all the issued and outstanding Class A Shares and approximately 100% of all the issued and outstanding Class B Shares, which in aggregate represent approximately 91.4% of the total voting power of the Company. The Company also announced that the Special Committee, which was formed to evaluate and consider the Proposed Transaction as well as other potential strategic alternatives that the Company may pursue, has retained Roth Capital Partners, LLC as its independent financial advisor. As previously announced, the Special Committee has retained Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP as its U.S. legal counsel.

06:54 EDT Ferguson increases liquidity by $800M - Ferguson announced a series of financing transactions to increase its liquidity by $800 million. The additional liquidity will be used for general corporate purposes. The financing transactions include: A new $500 million syndicated three-year bank Term Loan Credit Facility, which matures in October 2025. Increasing our existing Receivables Securitization Facility by $300 million, from $0.8 billion to $1.1 billion, and extending the Facility through October 2025. Increasing our existing Revolving Credit Facility by $250 million, from $1.1 billion to $1.35 billion, which matures in March 2026. Reducing our existing 364-day bilateral Revolving Facility by $250 million, from $500 million to $250 million, which matures in March 2023.

06:49 EDT Pfizer, BioNTech announce data from Omicron BA.4/BA.5 adapted bivalent booster - Pfizer Inc. (PFE) and BioNTech SE (BNTX) announced early data from a Phase 2/3 clinical trial evaluating the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of the companies' Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent COVID-19 vaccine. A 30-microgram booster dose of the Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent vaccine demonstrated a substantial increase in the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 neutralizing antibody response above pre-booster levels based on sera taken 7 days after administration, with similar responses seen across individuals aged 18 to 55 years of age and those older than 55 years of age. When comparing responses in individuals older than 55 years of age who received either the bivalent vaccine, or the original vaccine, a 30-microgram booster dose of the Original Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine elicited more limited increases in the neutralizing antibody response against the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 variants. COVID-19 vaccine responses to date have reliably shown consistent trends across age groups and are further supported by these early data on the bivalent vaccine. Together, these data suggest a 30-microgram booster dose of the Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent vaccine is anticipated to provide better protection against the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 variants than the original vaccine for younger and older adults. The Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent vaccine was well tolerated with early data indicating a favorable safety profile, similar to that of the original vaccine. Immunogenicity was evaluated using a SARS-CoV-2 live virus fluorescent focus reduction neutralization test assay. Sera were collected 7 days post second booster dose from participants aged older than 55 and compared to 7-day post sera from 40 participants older than 55 years of age that had received three prior doses of BNT162b2 encoding the wild-type spike-protein of SARS-CoV-2 and a second booster with BNT162b2 Wild-Type. Sera were also collected at 7 days post second booster dose from participants 18 to 55 years of age who received the Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent booster to compare bivalent vaccine responses in younger and older adults. The time between third and fourth doses for the bivalent vaccine recipients was approximately 11 months compared to approximately 6 months for the original vaccine. Despite this difference, baseline neutralizing antibody response was generally similar across groups. Among the participants, samples were equally stratified at baseline in each group between those who had a prior or current history of SARS-CoV-2 and those with no prior or current history of SARS-CoV-2. Additional data measuring responses at one-month post-administration of the Omicron BA.4/BA.5 bivalent vaccine booster are expected in the coming weeks. These data will be used to support potential full licensure and global registration of the companies' Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent COVID-19 vaccine. Additionally, the companies have initiated a similar Phase 1/2/3 trial investigating the Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent vaccine among children 6 months through 11 years of age. A 30-microgram booster dose of the Omicron BA.4/BA.5-adapted bivalent vaccine has been authorized for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for ages 12 years and older and has also been granted marketing authorization in the EU by the European Medicines Agency for the same age group.

06:43 EDT Navios Maritime extends $20M tender offer for Series G, Series H shaares - Navios Maritime Holdings announced today that it is extending the expiration date of its tender offer to purchase an aggregate of approximately $20M of the outstanding Series H and Series G American Depositary Shares for cash, until midnight, New York City time, on October 21, 2022. The terms of the Offer remain the same. The Company is offering to purchase, for cash, Series H ADSs for $15.28 and Series G ADSs for $15.73, in each case less any applicable withholding taxes. The consideration offered is equal to: a $0.24 premium to the volume weighted average price for the Series H ADSs and a $0.03 discount to the VWAP for the Series G ADSs for the initial period of the Offer ending on October 12, 2022; a 10% premium to the last trading price of each of the Series H ADSs and the Series G ADSs as of September 13, 2022; and 111.6% of the 30-day VWAP for the Series H ADSs as consolidated and reported by Bloomberg, and 113% of the 30-day VWAP of the Series G ADSs, in each case for the thirty consecutive calendar days immediately preceding the date on which the Offer was commenced. The Offer is being made exclusively to existing holders of 1,768,102 Series H ADSs and 534,905 Series G ADSs, offering them immediate liquidity in a relatively illiquid market. We anticipate that upon the conclusion of this Offer that the liquidity of the Series H ADSs and Series G ADSs likely will be further reduced given the fewer number of Series H ADSs and Series G ADSs outstanding. As further discussed below, approximately 31.5% of the outstanding Series H ADSs and 7.1% of the outstanding Series G ADSs have been tendered into the Offer.

06:39 EDT Envirotech Vehicles delivers three vans to NJ customers - Envirotech Vehicles announced that it has recently delivered 3 additional vans to customers in New Jersey, bringing the cumulative total of vehicles sold in New Jersey to Envirotech customers who are recipients of New Jersey Zero Emission Incentive Program vouchers to fifty-three thus far. Thirty six of the deliveries have taken place since the end of June, 2022.

06:38 EDT BlackRock reports Q3 long-term net flows of $65B - $65B of quarterly long-term net inflows driven by continued momentum in strategic ETFs and significant outsourcing mandates, with total net inflows of $17B reflecting outflows from cash management and advisory AUM.

06:33 EDT BitNile launching Bitcoin marketplace platform - BitNile (NILE) has begun development of a Bitcoin-(BTC) based marketplace platform which expects to leverage blockchain and other emerging technologies. BNI believes that the Marketplace will reduce the complexity of transacting in Bitcoin and result in lower transaction fees than traditional e-commerce. The Marketplace, planned for release in the first half of 2023, will be a multi-vendor e-commerce platform supporting an array of business sectors, including retail, real estate, commodities, and other consumer-driven offerings. The Marketplace will be accessible through all modern web browsers and is expected to include native iOS and Android mobile applications that will be available for download on the Apple and Google Play Stores. BNI has appointed developer Douglas Gintz as its President and Chief Product Officer to lead the effort. Gintz is a strategist, programmer, and marketer with experience delivering technology and content solutions to a wide audience for over 30 years.

06:24 EDT BlackRock reports Q3 AUM $7.96T, down 16% y/y

06:19 EDT Envirotech Vehicles delivers three vans to customers in New Jersey - Envirotech Vehicles announced that it has recently delivered three additional vans to customers in New Jersey, bringing the cumulative total of vehicles sold in New Jersey to Envirotech customers who are recipients of New Jersey Zero Emission Incentive Program vouchers to fifty-three thus far. Thirty six of the deliveries have taken place since the end of June, 2022.

06:14 EDT Immuron signs investment, option agreement with Ateria Health - Immuron is pleased to announce that it has signed a strategic investment and option agreement with Ateria Health Limited, a U.K. based company that has developed ground-breaking product for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. The company said, "The strategic investment advances Immuron's objective to enter the broader IBS market with leading products and strengthen the distribution of Immuron's Travelan products through B2C online platforms and pharmacy and retail channels in target markets. The strategic investment aligns with Immuron's growth strategy and complements its existing travel diarrhea products also focused on "gut health" as follows: Establishes Immuron's position in the large and fast-growing IBS market: Ateria Health has developed market leading technology ERME for the development of products for the treatment of IBS and other products that improve the gut microbiome; Global market for digestive health products is forecast to grow from US $38 billion to $72 billion from 2019-27, at a CAGR of 7.9%; Ateria own ERME intellectual property and has commercialised its first product JUVIA; Immuron's upfront investment and future investment linked to forecast financial performance and board seat; Potential complementary reciprocal distribution agreement where significant synergies and cost savings could be achieved versus Immuron developing its own direct to the consumer platform and entry into the U.K. and Europe; Utilise joint R&D capability for the development of future products." Key terms of the subscription and option agreement include: Upfront cash investment of GBP 1.48m funded from Immuron's existing cash reserves. Completion will occur upon satisfaction of conditions including completion of Immuron confirmatory due diligence items and Ateria shareholder meeting to be held on or about 28th October 2022; Potential adjustment to share percentage for Immuron dependant on Ateria's performance during its CY2023; Immuron offered one Ateria board seat upon completion; Net proceeds will be used by Ateria for the following: Product launch and ongoing product marketing of JUVIA; R&D for the JUVIA products; Working capital; Investment includes pre-emptive rights to maintain percentage holding in Ateria; Immuron has an option to invest a further GBP 1.47m: This option expires on 31 July 2023; Immuron offered a second Ateria board seat upon exercise of this option. While there are no binding obligations on either party, Immuron and Ateria intend to explore possible arrangements for: introduction of Ateria's JUVIA product into the Australian market; expanding Ateria's JUVIA product into the USA and Canada; and possible expansion of Immuron's Travelan product sales into the U.K. and Europe markets; Both management teams recognise the value of collaboration and partnership.

06:09 EDT NanoString, Visiopharm to co-develop integrated drug targetting platform - NanoString and Visiopharm, a provider of AI-driven digital pathology software, announced a collaboration to accelerate the discovery of novel biomarkers and drug targets using the latest spatial imaging and machine learning technologies. Together, NanoString and Visiopharm are developing integrated workflows leveraging the multiplexing capability of the GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler and the AI-driven image analysis capabilities of Visiopharm. NanoString's new cloud informatics platform, the AtoMx Spatial Informatics Platform, will enhance the integration by providing scalable computing power with worldwide access. Integrating Visiopharm's Oncotopix Discovery software into the GeoMx DSP workflow will enhance and simplify sample processing for translational research applications. The combination of these technologies is expected to accelerate biomarker discovery and validation with in situ whole transcriptome and high-plex protein analysis.

06:07 EDT Astra Space announces spacecraft engine contract with Astroscale - Astra Spaceannounced that it has reached an agreement with Astroscale Holdings to provide Astra Spacecraft Engines for its space sustainability spacecraft platform, ELSA-M, that can safely and responsibly capture and retire multiple client satellites in a single mission. The ELSA-M satellite servicer will be designed and optimised to remove multiple pieces of debris from LEO in a single orbital mission. The development of the ELSA-M commercial service is supported by the UK Space Agency and European Space Agency as part of the ESA Sunrise program.

06:05 EDT Li-Cycle opens lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Alabama - Li-Cycle's Alabama Spoke in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, has started commercial operations. The Alabama Spoke utilizes Li-Cycle's patented and environmentally friendly technology to recycle and directly process full EV battery packs without any dismantling through a submerged shredding process that produces no wastewater. Li-Cycle's full pack processing capability is fit to process the variety of EV battery architectures. Li-Cycle's Alabama Spoke is more than 100,000 square feet in size, with an additional approximately 120,000 square feet in warehousing capacity. The Alabama Spoke has created approximately 45 new jobs. The Alabama Spoke has a total input processing capacity of 10,000 tons of lithium-ion battery materials per year, and has the flexibility to expand processing capacity in the future. Across its four operating Spokes in North America, Li-Cycle now has a total input processing capacity of 30,000 toes per year, or the equivalent of batteries from approximately 60,000 EVs. By the end of 2023, the company expects to have a total of 65,000 tons per year of lithium-ion battery material processing capacity across its Spoke network in North America and Europe.

05:48 EDT Microsoft announces Office will become Microsoft 365 - Microsoft Office is being renamed "Microsoft 365" to mark the company's collection of growing productivity apps. While Office apps like Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint aren't going away, Microsoft will now mostly refer to these apps as part of Microsoft 365 instead of Microsoft Office, the company said. "In the coming months, Office.com, the Office mobile app, and the Office app for Windows will become the Microsoft 365 app, with a new icon, a new look, and even more features," explains a FAQ from Microsoft. Microsoft will continue to offer one-time purchases of its Office bundle of apps to consumers and businesses through Office 2021 and Office LTSC plans. Reference Link

05:14 EDT Expro awarded funding for two carbon-reduction projects - Expro has been awarded funding for two carbon-reduction projects as part of an innovation program to accelerate clean energy production and close the gap in net zero technologies. The Aberdeen-based Net Zero Technology Centre, or NZTC, has awarded a total of GBP 8M to fund net zero technologies as part of their 2022 Open Innovation Program. The 20 winning technologies were selected from 154 qualified entries and fall into seven focus areas. The technologies faced a selection process, ensuring each supports the transition towards net zero, with an obligation of trialing and deploying the technology within the UK Continental Shelf. Expro secured both projects awarded in the Venting and Flaring category. Expro's two winning projects focus on: real-time flare emissions measurement and control, and a unique technological solution to enable well testing to be conducted without the need for flaring. The NZTC believes the 20 successful technology projects will deliver GBP 7.8B gross value added along with an impact of 3.1Mt CO2e annually.

05:06 EDT Bunge, Olleco announce 50/50 edible oils joint venture - Bunge and Olleco, the renewables division for ABP Food Group, announced an agreement to form a 50/50 joint venture to create a business that encompasses the full life-cycle of edible oils. The joint venture is expected to work with foodservice and food manufacturing customers in Europe - excluding UK and Ireland - to supply oils and ensure the used cooking oil is efficiently collected and used as a feedstock in the production of renewable fuels. The solutions and services to be offered will help address environmental and energy security challenges from markets in Europe. The partnership, headquartered in Amsterdam, is expected to leverage Bunge's customer relationships, footprint and global expertise in vegetable oil production and Olleco's model in the supply, collection and conversion of cooking oils.