Stockwinners Market Radar for November 15, 2022 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:35 EST Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 105K shares of XPeng

19:55 EST Harmony Biosciences director sells $9.12M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Harmony Biosciences disclosed that its director Jack Nielsen sold 158.4K shares of common stock on November 11th in a total transaction size of $9.12M.

19:44 EST AirSculpt Technologies CEO buys $466.5K in common stock - In a regulatory filing, AirSculpt Technologies disclosed that its CEO Aaron Rollins bought 150K shares of common stock on November 15 in a total transaction size of $466.5K.

18:03 EST Chairman of Element Solutions Franklin buys over $17M in company shares - Chairman of Element Solutions, Martin Franklin, disclosed in a regulatory filing that he had purchased 902,000 shares of company stock at $19.07 per share between November 11 and November 15 for a total transaction amount of $17,202,403.

17:53 EST New Relic director sells $11.8M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, New Relic disclosed that its director RK Mahendran sold 200K shares of common stock on November 11th in a total transaction size of $11.8M.

17:50 EST Twist Bioscience addresses 'misleading' short-seller report - Twist Bioscience "addressed a misleading short-seller report issued by Scorpion Capital. Twist believes that the short-seller report issued by Scorpion Capital is highly misleading, with many distortions and inaccuracies. Unlike the author of the short-seller report, Twist is a public company, and is committed to communicating truthfully, creating value for all shareholders, and being good stewards of capital. In addition, Twist's inaugural ESG report details the company's environmental, social and governance practices at length, which Twist fully stands behind. Twist remains focused on its mission to improve health and sustainability by manufacturing DNA at scale and on growing its business, including shipping product from the Factory of the Future in January 2023."

17:49 EST Amerco transfers listing to NYSE and changes name to U-Haul Holding - AMERCO, parent of U-Haul International, Oxford Life Insurance Company, Repwest Insurance Company and Amerco Real Estate Company, announced it will transfer the listing of both series of the Company's common stock to the NYSE from The Nasdaq Global Select Market effective December 19. On that day, trading of both series of stock will begin on NYSE, and AMERCO will officially change its name to U-Haul Holding Company. An Independent Special Committee of the Board of Directors approved these actions to increase the marketability of the stock. The Company's Voting-Common Stock "UHAL" and Non-Voting Common Stock "UHALB" are expected to continue trading on Nasdaq until December 16.

17:48 EST Archer Aviation enters into agreement with Garmin on avionics systems supply - Archer Aviation (ACHR) and Garmin (GRMN) "announced they have entered into an agreement for Garmin to supply the G3000(R) integrated flight deck for Midnight. The Garmin G3000 integrated flight deck offers an ideal solution for the Midnight cockpit. The compact and lightweight system offers both an extensive certification pedigree and the configurability needed for Archer to bring its aircraft to market. The large format displays and intuitive controls will provide pilots with the situational awareness needed to operate Midnight. The extensive reach of Garmin avionics will make the Midnight aircraft familiar to a large swath of pilots."

17:32 EST International Seaways director Stevenson sells 50,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, International Seaways director Craig Stevenson, Jr. disclosed the sale of 50,000 common shares of the company on November 14 at a price of $45.112 per share.

17:03 EST Director of Dorian LPG Thomas Coleman sells over $900K in company stock - Director of Dorian LPG Thomas Coleman dislosed in a regulatory filing that he had sold 50,000 shares of company stock at $18.05 per share on November 10 for a total transaction amount of $902,500.

17:00 EST Advance Auto Parts falls 10% after Q3 results miss estimates, FY22 EPS view cut - In after-hours trading, shares are down about 10% to $166.00.

17:00 EST Cintas expands cleanroom footprint with new facility in New York - Cintas held a grand-opening ceremony to officially open its newest Cleanroom facility in the Syracuse, New York, area. The facility in Marcy, New York, creates additional capacity to Cintas' national cleanroom footprint around the United States. The new cleanroom facility in the Syracuse area expands Cintas' east coast cleanroom operations to support industries in the region, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical device manufacturing, compounding pharmacies, electronics manufacturing, aerospace and defense, nanotechnology, semiconductor, automotive and optics. The Syracuse-area Cleanroom facility has immediate openings for 25 new jobs and expects to add an additional 40 employees over the next 12 to 18 months. The facility already employs 85 people.

16:51 EST OncoSec announces early clinical data from Tavo investigator-sponsored trial - OncoSec announced early clinical data from an investigator-sponsored trial, or IST, conducted by Ahmad Tarhini at the H. Lee Moffit Cancer Center & Research Institute. This IST is evaluating Tavo, OncoSec's proprietary interleukin 12 encoding plasmid delivered by intratumoral electroporation, in combination with intravenous nivolumab. Interim data were presented as a poster at the 37th Annual Meeting of the Society of Immunotherapy of Cancer, or SITC, in Boston, Massachusetts on November 10. The poster entitled, "Neoadjuvant Immunotherapy with intratumoral tavokinogene telseplasmid plus electroporation in combination with intravenous nivolumab in patients with operable locoregionally advanced melanoma", is available on OncoSec's website. The trial enrolled patients with high-risk operable locoregional advanced stage IIIB-D or stage IVA melanoma. By the time of data cutoff, 10 of 12 patients had completed the neoadjuvant phase of up to three 4-week cycles of TAVO-EP on days 1 and 8 concurrently with 480 mg nivolumab administered every 4 weeks. Following the neoadjuvant treatment period, surgery was performed and adjuvant nivolumab was continued for up to 1 year. A preoperative overall response rate by RECIST v1.1 was observed in 7 of 10 patients consisting of four patients with complete response and three patients with partial response. Two patients had stable disease and one patient showed progressive disease, or PD. One patient with a RECIST v1.1 PR declined surgery due to significant response after neoadjuvant treatment. At time of surgery, 8 of 9 evaluated patients had a major pathologic response, 6 of 9 patients had a pathological CR. No disease recurrence has been observed at a median follow up of seven months from the date of surgery. Tumor-relevant immune biomarkers, analyzed pre-treatment for six patients, included CD8+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, or TILs, PD-L1 expression levels and tumor inflammation signature, or TIS, in the tumor lesions. This analysis identified four patients with low CD8+ TIL, low PD-L1 and low TIS; a biomarker signature that is negative predictive for response to immunotherapy. Of note, all four of these patients achieved pCR. Among the 12 patients with safety data, there were no grade 4/5 treatment-related adverse events; 1 patient experienced a grade three event of hyponatremia. Overall, the combination treatment was well tolerated, and no patient discontinued neoadjuvant treatment due to toxicity. Patients continue to enroll.

16:47 EST Estee Lauder to acquire TOM FORD brand - The Estee Lauder Companies announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire the TOM FORD brand, a global leader in luxury. The transformational deal will establish its longstanding partner, The Estee Lauder Companies, as the sole owner of the TOM FORD brand and all its intellectual property. Under the stewardship of ELC, the purchase of the TOM FORD brand and the extension of its current licensing partners will allow for continuity and the further evolution of the TOM FORD brand as one of the preeminent global luxury brands of the twenty-first century. The deal values the total enterprise at $2.8B. The amount to be paid by ELC for the acquisition is approximately $2.3B, net of a $250M payment to ELC at closing from Marcolin S.p.A. ELC expects to fund this transaction through a combination of cash, debt and $300M in deferred payments to the sellers that become due beginning in July 2025. ELC's benefits include securing the long-term cash flow from owning the fast-growing TOM FORD BEAUTY brand beyond the existing license expiration in 2030 and the elimination of royalty payments on beauty upon closing, as well as new licensing revenue streams and other anticipated synergies. These synergies include creative oversight, increased speed and agility, and opportunities for further online penetration. ELC expects this transaction to be dilutive to adjusted diluted earnings per share in FY23 by (15c)-(5c), primarily from one time acquisition-related costs. For FY24, the transaction is anticipated to be roughly neutral to adjusted diluted EPS. The acquisition is subject to certain conditions, including regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the first half of calendar 2023. Under the agreement, Tom Ford, Founder and CEO of Tom Ford International, will continue to serve as the brand's creative visionary after closing and through the end of calendar 2023. Domenico De Sole, Chairman of Tom Ford International, will stay on as a consultant until that same time.

16:43 EST NYSE suspends G&P Acquisition trading, commences delist process - The New York Stock Exchange announced that the staff of NYSE Regulation has determined to commence proceedings to delist the two securities of G&P Acquisition from the exchange. Trading in the company's securities will be suspended immediately. The company failed to consummate a business combination within the shorter of the time period specified by its constitutive documents or by contract or three years, the NYSE said in a statement. Reference Link

16:40 EST Carnival falls 11% to $9.95 after $1B convertible senior notes offering

16:34 EST Civeo announces 5-year services contract renewal in Australia - The company states: "Civeo announced that it was awarded a five-year contract with a leading resources player to provide integrated services at six villages in Western Australia. Civeo was previously contracted to provide integrated services at four of the villages. The new contract took effect October 01, 2022 and includes options to extend the agreement by up to two years. The new contract will incorporate accommodation, catering, and retail services; village, mine, and port site cleaning services; facilities maintenance; and the provision of health and wellbeing solutions. It is anticipated the initial five-year commitment will generate approximately A$600m in revenues over 2022-2027. This contract was already contemplated in Civeo's full year 2022 consolidated, adjusted EBITDA guidance of $110M - $115M communicated on its third quarter 2022 earnings conference call."

16:33 EST NextCure and LegoChem team to develop antibody drug conjugates - NextCure nd LegoChem Bioscience announced a collaboration and co-development agreement focused on generating a B7-H4 antibody drug conjugate, ADC, and options for two additional targets. The B7-H4 ADC will utilize NextCure's B7-H4 antibody and LCB's ConjuAllTM ADC technology. Under the terms of the agreement, both parties will equally share the costs to develop the molecules and profits on commercialized products. The parties will utilize their respective product development capabilities to generate the B7-H4 ADC and advance it to the clinic. In addition, there are options for the parties to nominate two additional targets for ADC development beyond B7-H4. "We are excited to work with LCB, and apply ConjuAllTM, a leading ADC technology, to add a new treatment modality to our B7-H4 program," said Timothy Mayer, NextCure's Chief Operating Officer. "We remain committed to developing novel immunomedicines using multiple modalities to address the significant unmet needs of cancer patients not adequately addressed by available therapies." "The initiation of this collaboration with NextCure represents another important milestone for LCB as we continue to build our ADC pipeline and seek to demonstrate the potential of our ADC platform in a wide range of different tumors," said Yong-Zu Kim, LCB's Chief Executive Officer. "B7-H4 ADC would potentially offer a first-in-class opportunity for a target expressed on a broad range of tumor types, and I look forward to progress in early stage studies."

16:32 EST Sempra subsidiary enters into a HOA with Williams - Sempra Infrastructure, a subsidiary of Sempra (SRE), announced it has entered into a heads of agreement, or HOA, with Williams (WMB) for the offtake of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, and development of associated natural gas pipeline projects to further connect abundant U.S. natural gas supplies in the Gulf Coast region to markets around the world. The HOA contemplates negotiation and finalization of two 20-year long-term sale and purchase agreements for approximately 3 million tonnes per annum of LNG in the aggregate from the Port Arthur LNG project under development in Jefferson County, Texas, and the Cameron LNG Phase 2 project under development in Hackberry, Louisiana. The HOA also contemplates the negotiation of a separate natural gas sales agreement for approximately 0.5 billion cubic feet per day to be delivered in the Gillis, Louisiana area, as feed gas supply for the referenced LNG projects. In addition, Sempra Infrastructure and Williams anticipate forming a strategic joint venture to own, expand and operate the existing 2.35 Bcfd Cameron Interstate Pipeline that is expected to deliver natural gas to the Cameron LNG Phase 2 project under development, as well as the proposed Port Arthur Pipeline Louisiana Connector that is expected to deliver natural gas to the proposed Port Arthur LNG facility.

16:26 EST Aeglea BioTherapeutics appoints Linda Neuman as Chief Medical Officer - Aeglea BioTherapeutics announced that Linda Neuman, has been appointed Chief Medical Officer. Neuman's appointment is an internal promotion from her previous role as Aeglea's senior vice president of clinical development. Prior to joining Aeglea in 2021, Neuman served as vice president, clinical development at Catalyst Biosciences where she led the clinical development of their late-stage development program for a novel hemophilia treatment. Before Catalyst, she served as the interim chief medical officer at Adverum Biotechnologies, where she directed the early phase development for three gene therapy programs, including two Investigational New Drug Applications in rare disease and ophthalmology indications. She previously worked at Sunesis Pharmaceuticals where she led the filing of an Investigational New Drug application and initiated a Phase 1b/2 clinical study and Puma Biotechnology, Inc., where she contributed to the successful New Drug Application and Market Authorization Application for neratininb. She began her career as an internist and practiced medicine for 10 years prior to joining industry.

16:22 EST Pennant Group initiates search for new CFO - Pennant Group announced it would seek to enhance its leadership and finance team by initiating a search for a new CFO. Pennant's current CFO, Jennifer Freeman, will serve as interim CFO during the search process, after which the organization and Freeman intend for her to continue to play a leadership role on the Pennant finance team.

16:18 EST Amkor Technology raises quarterly dividend 50% to 7.5c per share - Amkor Technology announced that its Board of Directors has approved a 50% increase in the company's quarterly cash dividend, from 5c per share to 7.5c per share, on the company's common stock. This increase will be effective with the dividend payment to be distributed on December 27, 2022 to shareholders of record on December 6, 2022. Additionally, the company announced its intention to return 40 percent to 50 percent of cumulative free cash flow generated over time, beginning 2022, subject to a variety of factors, including strategic investments, other capital allocation priorities and Board of Directors' approval. The company defines free cash flow as net cash provided by operating activities less purchases of property, plant and equipment. The company's capital allocation priorities remain investing in the business, maintaining a strong balance sheet, strategic investments, and shareholder returns.

16:16 EST Steel Partners, steel Connect terminate merger - Steel Connect (STCN), a holding company, "announced that Steel Partners Holdings (SPLP) has terminated the merger agreement among Company, Parent and SP Merger Sub, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent, dated June 12, 2022, pursuant to which Steel Partners would have acquired all of the common stock of Steel Connect not already owned by the Parent Parties. The Merger Agreement was terminated by Parent following the failure to approve the Merger by a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Company not owned, directly or indirectly, by the Parent Parties, any other officers or directors of the Company or any other person having any equity interest in, or any right to acquire any equity interest in, Merger Sub or any person of which Merger Sub is a direct or indirect subsidiary, as required pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement."

16:14 EST Navigator Holdings announces $50M share repurchase plan - The company announced that its board of directors has authorized a new share repurchase plan enabling the company to repurchase up to an aggregate of $50M of the company's common stock.

16:07 EST Lulu's Fashion Lounge appoints Crystal Landsem as CEO - Lulu's Fashion Lounge proudly announced that Crystal Landsem, currently co-president and CFO, has been appointed CEO, effective March 6, 2023. David McCreight, currently CEO, will become executive chairman of the board, also effective March 6, 2023. These executive team changes represent a planned transition to the next generation of leadership. Mark Vos, currently co-president and chief information officer, will become president and chief information officer. Lulus plans to announce its new CFO in early 2023. Landsem has served as Lulus' co-president since July 2020 and CFO since September 2015.

16:06 EST Magyar Bancorp declares special cash dividend of 8c per share - Payable December 13 to shareholders of record on November 29.

16:05 EST Evolv launches Evolv Express 3.0/5.0 - Evolv Technology "announced the launch of the next evolution of its advanced AI-based software platform and capabilities with Evolv Express(R) 3.0/5.0. This is an important advancement in security screening as it now provides security professionals with the ability to implement open integration across most security technologies that venues use to mitigate threats. The new update also includes enhancements to Evolv Express' analytics and outdoor capabilities. Evolv Express is the only free-flow screening technology that is digitally transforming security screening, making it seamless to connect it to the layers of venue security technologies, both helping to improve detection and prevention of a potential risk."

16:03 EST Evelo Biosciences announces publication of peer-reviewed article - Evelo Biosciences announced the publication of a peer-reviewed article explaining the scientific basis of the Small Intestinal Axis1 and that it will hold a Science Symposium on Wednesday, November 30, including discussion of how this science enables the broad inflammation resolving potential of SINTAX medicines.

15:07 EST Director of Atlantic Union Frank Ellett buys almost $700K in company shares - Director of Atlantic Union Frank Ellett disclosed in a regulatory filing, that he had purchased 20,000 shares of company stock, between November 10 and November 14, at $34.88 per share for a total transaction amount of $697,608.

14:26 EST Rep. Ocasio-Cortez calls for breakup of LiveNation, Ticketmaster - In a Tweet, U.S. Representative from New York Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said that Ticketmaster is a "monopoly," and its merger with Live Nation "should never have been approved, and they need to be reigned in." "Break them up," she added. Reference Link

14:21 EST Perfumania Holdings, Inc. trading halted, volatility trading pause

13:40 EST Defense stocks rise following reports of Russian missiles landing in Poland - Shares of several defense contractors are rising following reports that the Prime Minister of Poland has called an emergency meeting after two people were killed following two stray rockets having landed in the NATO state near the border with Ukraine. Poland's Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, convened the Committee of the Council of Ministers for National Security and Defense Affairs "as a matter of urgency", a government spokesman Piotr Muller confirmed, according to the Express. Publicly traded defense companies include BAE Systems (BAESY), Boeing (BA), General Dynamics (GD), Lockheed Martin (LMT), Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Raytheon Technologies (RTX). Reference Link

13:05 EST Lucid Group announces new details about Gravity luxury electric SUV - Lucid Group announced new details about Gravity, which it calls "the first luxury electric SUV from Lucid." The company stated: "Gravity will land in 2024, with reservations opening in early 2023. Lucid is currently finalizing the vehicle design and specifications, in parallel with continuing the expansion of its AMP-1 factory in Casa Grande, AZ... Further information about the full Lucid Gravity lineup will be released in early 2023 when reservations open. Availability and timing for markets outside the U.S. and Canada will be announced at a future date."

12:34 EST Foxo Technologies Inc trading halted, news pending

12:12 EST AutoNation acquires 6.1% ownership stake in TrueCar - AutoNation (AN) announced earlier its acquisition of an approximately 6.1% minority ownership stake in TrueCar (TRUE). "We are excited by this announcement from AutoNation, America's leading automotive retailer, as we see their commitment to a great Customer experience as fully aligned with the values of TrueCar and our offerings," said Mike Darrow, TrueCar's President and CEO. "We believe that TrueCar, with its leading digital marketplace, is well positioned to enhance the digital car buying experience and provide personal transportation solutions that are easy, transparent, and Customer-centric," said Mike Manley, AutoNation CEO.

12:00 EST Getty Images falls -14.8% - Getty Images is down -14.8%, or -$1.03 to $5.94.

12:00 EST Tencent Music rises 25.6% - Tencent Music is up 25.6%, or $1.14 to $5.59.

12:00 EST Sea Limited rises 36.9% - Sea Limited is up 36.9%, or $16.89 to $62.69.

11:35 EST Cowen stockholders approve acquisition by TD Bank Group - Cowen (COWN) announced that at a special meeting of stockholders held earlier today, its stockholders approved the previously announced definitive agreement for Cowen to be acquired by TD Bank Group (TD) in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.3B, or $39 for each share of Cowen common stock. The transaction, which is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2023, remains subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of certain regulatory approvals.

11:33 EST Frazier Lifesciences Acquisition holders approve combination with NewAmsterdam - Frazier Lifesciences Acquisition Corporation (FLAC), a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by an affiliate of Frazier Healthcare Partners, announced that its shareholders voted to approve the proposed business combination with NewAmsterdam Pharma Holding B.V., a late clinical-stage company focused on the research and development of oral therapies for major cardiometabolic diseases. In connection with the business combination, the holders of approximately 32% of FLAC Class A ordinary shares exercised their right to redeem their shares for cash. The business combination is expected to close on November 22, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions. Upon closing, the ordinary shares and redeemable warrants of the combined company, NewAmsterdam Pharma Company N.V., will be listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbols "NAMS" and "NAMSW" respectively, and are anticipated to begin trading on November 23. Any FLAC units will automatically separate into the equivalent Class A ordinary shares and warrants upon the consummation of the business combination.

10:58 EST Amazon announces 'Amazon Clinic' virtual health service - Dr. Nworah Ayogu, Chief Medical Officer and General Manager, Amazon Clinic, stated in a post to the Amazon (AMZN) blog: "At Amazon, we want to make it dramatically easier for people to get and stay healthy. We've begun that journey with Amazon Pharmacy-where customers can get their medication delivered to their door conveniently-in just two days for Prime Members. We've also entered into an agreement to acquire One Medical, a human-centered and technology-powered provider of primary care. One Medical members benefit from a dedicated relationship with their provider, a friendly and convenient in-office experience, and ongoing engagement via a dedicated app. Amazon Pharmacy and One Medical (once the deal closes) are two key ways we're working to make care more convenient and accessible. But we also know that sometimes you just need a quick interaction with a clinician for a common health concern that can be easily addressed virtually. We've thought hard about how to improve this part of the experience as well. That's why today we're also introducing Amazon Clinic, a message-based virtual care service that connects customers with affordable virtual care options when and how they need it-at home, after dinner, at the grocery store, or on the go-for more than 20 common health conditions, such as allergies, acne, and hair loss. We believe that improving both the occasional and ongoing engagement experience is necessary to making care dramatically better. We also believe that customers should have the agency to choose what works best for them. Amazon Clinic is just one of the ways we're working to empower people to take control of their health by providing access to convenient, affordable care in partnership with trusted providers." Other companies offering telehealth services include Teladoc (TDOC), Amwell (AMWL), and Hims & Hers (HIMS). Reference Link

10:13 EST RMR Group: Wage inflation will continue to be a headwind - Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

10:00 EST Cadre falls -14.8% - Cadre is down -14.8%, or -$4.38 to $25.11.

10:00 EST Youdao rises 15.7% - Youdao is up 15.7%, or 53c to $3.91.

10:00 EST Sea Limited rises 29.5% - Sea Limited is up 29.5%, or $13.49 to $59.30.

09:53 EST AGBA Acquisition Ltd trading resumes

09:47 EST Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares falls -12.4% - Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares is down -12.4%, or -$4.36 to $30.71.

09:47 EST PlayAGS falls -16.5% - PlayAGS is down -16.5%, or -$1.05 to $5.30.

09:47 EST Nu Holdings rises 15.3% - Nu Holdings is up 15.3%, or 67c to $5.01.

09:44 EST Treace Medical down 9% after Culper publishes short report - Shares of Treace Medical are down $2.19, or 9%, to $21.92 in early trading following the short-seller's report.

09:27 EST Home Depot says core customer 'still healthy' - Says core customers have remained "resilient and engaged." Says Q4 comps will be positive, but "lowest for the year."

09:19 EST Home Depot expects positive comp sales in Q4

09:13 EST Home Depot says each of 19 U.S. regions delivered positive comps in Q3 - Says had y/y growth in DIY and Pro customers in Q3, with Pro outpacing DIY. Seeing "solid demand" for home improvement projects. Says big ticket transactions up 10.1% y/y. Says well-positioned for holiday season. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

09:12 EST Nucor joining the UN's 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Global Compact - Nucor is joining the United Nations 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Global Compact. Nucor stated that it is the first major industrial company to join this global effort, aimed at accelerating the decarbonization of the world's electricity systems to mitigate climate change and ensure access to clean and affordable electricity. Nucor is working with its electricity suppliers to access 24/7 clean energy at the company's steel mills. The Compact was formed in response to the need to drive rapid decarbonization across the global economy. The Compact is a set of principles and actions that stakeholders across the energy ecosystem can commit to in order to drive systemic change.

09:10 EST United Airlines investing in biofuel refinery - United Airlines' United Airlines Ventures, or UAV, announced a strategic investment in NEXT Renewable Fuels, which is permitting a flagship biofuel refinery in Port Westward, Oregon, with expected production beginning in 2026. NEXT is a Houston-based company developing the biorefinery which, at full production, could produce up to 50,000 barrels per day of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, renewable diesel, and other renewable fuels. UAV could invest as much as $37.5M into NEXT, as long as the company meets certain milestone targets. NEXT's biorefinery offers benefits including access to a deep-water port, an existing industrial-grade dock, and multi-modal logistics options, which facilitates access to feedstock options and SAF offtake markets on the west coast. Once all the necessary approvals and permits are obtained and the biorefinery is operational, it has the potential to be used as a platform to scale SAF and deploy additional future technologies. Launched in 2021, UAV is a sustainability-focused ventures fund that targets startups, upcoming technologies, and concepts that will complement United's goal of net zero emissions by 2050 without relying on traditional carbon offsets such as voluntary offsets or planting trees.

09:09 EST Verisk Analytics new AI-powered solution cuts medical records review time - Insurance claims professionals can now extract critical insights from lengthy medical records - in minutes rather than hours - with the help of artificial intelligence and deep clinical expertise of Verisk. Verisk's new Discovery Navigator helps increase the speed and accuracy of the medical record review process, driving cost savings, accuracy and allowing adjusters to focus on improving customer experience. Verisk's new solution represents time savings up to 90% and reduces manual errors. "The powerful AI and automation in Discovery Navigator can enable insurers to dramatically reduce the noise, significantly increase efficiency, and optimize their talent and experience," said Maroun Mourad, president of claims solutions at Verisk. "

09:07 EST Okta debuts 'Okta for US Military' purpose-built identity environment for DoD - Okta announced Okta for US Military - a new IL4 identity environment built exclusively for the DoD and approved mission partners. Hosted on the .mil domain , it is a modern, cloud-native identity solution for DoD identity data categorized as Controlled Unclassified Information CUI that requires IL4-level protection. Okta for US Military is designed to support the DoD's software modernization, cloud adoption, and Zero Trust security capabilities and partnerships by moving mission-critical, sensitive data to Okta solutions. Built on Amazon Web Services GovCloud , the environment now connects through a Boundary Cloud Access Point to protect the Defense Information Systems Network. Okta and AWS have a long-term collaboration to secure and modernize the U.S. federal government's IT infrastructure and services by leveraging the advantages of a cloud-based approach.

09:05 EST Tetra Tech awarded $38M USAID contract - Tetra Tech announced that the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, awarded the company a single-award contract with a $38M ceiling, to support the expansion of strategic climate adaptation and resilience programming worldwide. Under the five-year flagship global Climate Adaptation Support Activity, or CASA, Tetra Tech will support USAID to achieve its Climate Strategy goals by designing forward-looking and inclusive adaptation and resilience programs worldwide.

09:03 EST Overseas Shipholding to buy 5M shares from Cyrus Capital for $2.86 per share - Overseas Shipholding announced that it has agreed to purchase five million shares of the company's common stock from Cyrus Capital at a price of $2.86 per share for a total of $14.3M. The purchase price for the shares was determined based on the trailing three day volume weighted average price at the market closing on November 10. The closing price of OSG common stock on November 14 was $2.85. The purchase is expected to be completed today, and will be paid out of OSG's excess cash.

09:03 EST Precision Optics approved to list on Nasdaq Capital Market - Precision Optics (POCI) announced that the company has been approved to list on the Nasdaq Capital Market, and that trading on the Nasdaq is expected to begin on Wednesday, November 16, under the symbol "POCI." The company's shares will continue to trade on the OTCQB until trading on Nasdaq commences. The "PEYED" ticker used for Precision Optics shares traded on the OTCQB will seamlessly transition to the new ticker symbol "POCI" on the first day of trading on Nasdaq.

09:00 EST WM Technology appoints Randa McMinn as chief marketing officer - WM Technology announced that Randa McMinn has been hired and will join the company's executive leadership team as its new chief marketing officer. Before joining Weedmaps, McMinn spent three years as chief marketing officer at Reali, a real estate and fintech startup that developed an online platform for the homeownership journey.

08:57 EST Johnson Controls collaborates with Clemson University on 2030 net zero goals - Johnson Controls has expanded its 25-year partnership with Clemson University under a new $45M net zero campus initiative that will generate savings to fund the entire project. Through the campus-wide improvements, Clemson University is projected to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2025, a milestone toward its 2030 carbon neutrality goal. The updates will generate estimated savings of more than $3M annually throughout the 15-year contract. Johnson Controls will install comprehensive energy conservation solutions, including LED lighting, laboratory controls, HVAC and building envelope improvements.

08:49 EST Large retailers, discount stores, Amazon jump on Q3 earnings beat by Walmart - Shares of Walmart (WMT) are up 7% at $148.43 in pre-market trading after the company beat on its Q3 earnings announcement, raised FY23 guidance, and disclosed a new $20B share buyback. Shares of other large retailers and discount stores are also higher on the announcement. Target (TGT) is up 4.5%, Costco (COST) is up 2.7%, BJ's Wholesale (BJ) is up 3.0%, Dollar General (DG) is up 3.0%, Dollar Tree (DLTR) is up 3.3%. Shares of Amazon (AMZN) are also higher, with a 4.5% pre-market gain to $102.95.

08:46 EST Atlis Motor Vehicles enters mass production trial of AMV battery technology - Atlis Motor Vehicles announces it has begun trial mass production of its battery technology. The mass production trial is designed to ensure the Company's manufacturing process is executed efficiently to run at rate and confirm quality as they work to scale battery manufacturing in Mesa, AZ. This trial is the final stage of battery cell manufacturing process development for the Company. "This mass production trial is an essential part of our manufacturing development and ramp up process. This process allows Atlis to establish confidence in our ability to meet the needs of our customers at the scale they require," stated David Apps, Atlis Motor Vehicles' VP of Operations. "We look forward to keeping our shareholders updated on relevant developments with regard to this manufacturing run and future order fulfilment." Following a successful mass production trial, the Company will complete its quality confirmation to ensure consistency and rapidly ramp up to complete its first manufacturing run for delivery to customers.

08:43 EST SP Plus announces 2023 leadership changes - SP Plus announced several leadership changes intended to best position the Company to benefit from the growth opportunities on the horizon. These changes, which will take effect on January 1, 2023, are in line with the Company's strategy to accelerate its growth by leveraging its robust parking and transportation operations, expanding its software and technology services, and building its global footprint. Chris Sherman will become President of the Commercial Division. Sherman joined the Company as an Operations Manager in 2001 and rose steadily through the ranks to become Senior Vice President of East Operations. In his new role, Sherman will continue to lead strategic planning for the Commercial Division while day-to-day operations will continue to be led by Jim Buczek, Chief Operations Officer of the Commercial Division, who will report to Sherman. Rob Toy will assume the role of Executive Advisor to the Commercial Division. Toy joined the Company in 1998 and has served in various leadership positions. Ritu Vig will become President of the Aviation Division. Vig joined SP+ in 2018 as Senior Vice President. In her new role, Vig will oversee a group of senior leaders, including Bob Miles, Bob Reiser and Jason Finch. Jack Ricchiuto will assume the role of Executive Advisor to the Aviation Division. Ricchiuto joined the Company in 1980 and served in several leadership roles. Wenyu Blanchard will become the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary. Blanchard joined SP+ as Vice President, Associate General Counsel in 2021.

08:41 EST Kaival Brands reaches three-year extension agreement with QuikfillRx - Kaival Brands Innovations announced it has reached a three-year extension agreement with QuikfillRx, the third party vendor responsible for executing Kaival Brands' marketing and sales strategies. As part of the agreement, QuikfillRx will be rebranded as Kaival Marketing Services to more properly reflect the commitment of KMS to the success of Kaival Brands. The three-year extension with KMS was executed in preparation to support the anticipated improved sales volumes arising from this decision and the increase of BIDI Stick sales and marketing activities. In addition to monthly cash payments, which will be lower than during the initial term of the agreement, and a one-time upfront vested common stock option award, KMS will be eligible to receive performance-based common stock option awards from Kaival Brands that can vest annually based on total net revenues and profit margins achieved by Kaival Brands from KMS's efforts over the term of the agreement, with a maximum vesting to occur upon achievement of $180,000,000 in total net revenues reported within the 3-year term.

08:39 EST Capital Returns urges Argo Group shareholders to vote to change board - Capital Returns Management, one of the largest shareholders among actively managed funds of Argo Group, released a presentation highlighting the compelling reasons that shareholders should vote to change the composition of Argo's Board of Directors. The presentation highlights Argo's significant underperformance and the Board's repeated errors in judgment, in addition to describing the relevant backgrounds of Ron Bobman and Dave Michelson, the two candidates nominated by Capital Returns. Reference Link

08:38 EST Getty Images, BBC Studios renew five year global representation partnership - Getty Images announced the renewal of its longstanding partnership with BBC Studios, the commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group. The five-year deal sees Getty Images continue in its role as the exclusive global distribution partner of BBC Motion Gallery, the global content company's video clip sales business. "We pride ourselves on being the partner of choice for the representation and distribution of global video archives, and the BBC Motion Gallery really is one of the jewels in the crown," said Ken Mainardis, Senior Vice President of Content at Getty Images. "We are very excited to once again renew this partnership and continue to serve the content needs of our customers in almost every country around the world."

08:35 EST Lightwave Logic issued U.S. patent for new hybrid photonics - Lightwave Logic announced the issuance of a U.S. patent, the application of which was announced in April 2022, on a new invention that will simplify polymer modulator fabrication when integrated with silicon photonics for high-volume foundry manufacturing applications. This patent issuance illustrates the design of a simpler to fabricate, lower cost hybrid integrated photonics chip using electro-optic polymers which are more advantageous for high-volume production. The simplified fabrication approach enables streamlined production of very high speed, low power proprietary polymer modulators that will enable significantly faster data rates in the internet environment.

08:33 EST TotalEnergies completes acquisition of Hess 8.16% interest Waha concession - TotalEnergies (TTE) has completed the joint acquisition with ConocoPhillips (COP) of the 8.16% interest held by Hess (HES) in the Waha concessions, in Libya. As a result of this transaction, TotalEnergies' interest in these concessions is increased from 16.33% to 20.41%.This acquisition reflects TotalEnergies' commitment to support Libya's National Oil Corporation in its efforts to restore and increase the country's oil production, together with reducing gas flaring to increase supply to power plants for additional electricity supply. TotalEnergies and the NOC are also studying the development of dedicated solar projects to supply electricity to Waha production sites. In parallel, and in order to increase the country's renewable electricity supply, TotalEnergies has finalized with its partner Gecol the location and commercial terms to launch a 500 MWp solar plant project South of Misrata. "With nearly 70 years of presence in the country, TotalEnergies is firmly committed to working alongside Libya's National Oil Corporation to develop the Waha fields, provide its expertise in reducing gas flaring and support the country in its energy transition with the development of solar energy projects," said Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TotalEnergies.

08:33 EST TripAdvisor names John Boris as Chief Marketing Officer - Tripadvisor announced the appointment of tech, travel and hospitality veteran, John Boris, as its Chief Marketing Officer. John, who will directly report to CEO Matt Goldberg, has served in several C-suite and executive leadership roles during his career. As the Chief Marketing Officer of Shutterfly, he helped grow and transform the company into the industry leader. As Senior Vice President of Marketing at Zagat, John successfully led the company's digital transformation, enabling it to become the omni-channel leader in restaurant reviews and ratings.

08:32 EST Beam Global receives $5.3M order from New York City - Beam Global announced that New York City has placed an order for an additional 71 Beam EV ARC solar-powered EV charging systems. This is the seventh order placed by the City and expands the City's fleet of sustainable EV AR EV charging systems to 160. The new units are flood-proof to 9.5 feet, wind-rated to 125 mph and feature an emergency power panel to serve as emergency preparedness equipment for fleet operators and first responders during grid failures and extreme weather events. "New York City is our largest municipal customer and they continue to lead in sustainable and resilient EV charging infrastructure for their growing fleet of zero-emissions vehicles. Their EV ARC systems are rapidly deployed without digging up city streets and parking areas, without expensive upgrades to city electrical circuitry, and without concern for high utility costs, saving on City budgets," said Beam Global CEO Desmond Wheatley. "Resiliency is very important to New York City and the EV ARC(TM) system's ability to provide EV charging during grid outages and emergency power when needed by first responders is another great benefit for the city and their tax payers. Two birds with one stone."

08:30 EST Arcutis Biotherapeutics announces resulst from INTEGUMENT-1 Phase 3 trial - Arcutis Biotherapeutics announced positive topline results from its INTEGUMENT-1 pivotal Phase 3 trial of roflumilast cream 0.15%, a once-daily, non-steroidal topical phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor, in adults and children six years and older with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis. The study met its primary endpoint with 32.0% of individuals treated with roflumilast cream 0.15% achieving IGA Success, defined as a validated Investigator Global Assessment - Atopic Dermatitis score of 'clear' or 'almost clear' plus a 2-grade improvement from baseline at Week 4, compared to 15.2% of individuals treated with vehicle. Roflumilast cream also demonstrated rapid and statistically significant improvements compared to vehicle on all secondary endpoints, including 43.2% of individuals treated with roflumilast cream 0.15% achieving a 75% reduction in Eczema Area and Severity Index at Week 4 compared to 22.0% treated with vehicle. In addition, the study measured reduction in itch in individuals 12 years of age and older, with 33.6% of individuals treated with roflumilast cream achieving a four-point reduction in Worst Itch Numeric Scale at Week 4. Roflumilast cream was well-tolerated. The incidence of Treatment Emergent Adverse Events was low and similar between active treatment and vehicle, with most TEAEs assessed as mild to moderate severity. There were no treatment-related Serious Adverse Events. The Company is anticipating topline results from the identically designed pivotal Phase 3 trial INTEGUMENT-2 by the end of 2022, and is planning to host an investor call to discuss both trials at that time. If successful, the Company intends to submit a supplemental New Drug Application in 2023 for roflumilast cream 0.15% for the treatment of mild to moderate AD in individuals aged six years and older.

08:28 EST Walmart: Guidance assumes consumer could slow spending

08:26 EST Enlivex announces dosing of first patient in Phase I/II trial of Allocetra - Enlivex Therapeutics announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase I/II clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of Allocetra alone, and in combination with a PD1 checkpoint inhibitor, in patients with advanced solid tumors. Oren Hershkovitz, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Enlivex, stated "Our team is continuing to focus on execution of our strategic and operating plan across our various clinical development verticals, with an ongoing sepsis Phase II clinical trial and two ongoing oncology Phase I/II clinical trials. We believe that AllocetraTM has the potential to provide a paradigm shift in treatment of advanced solid tumors, and we look forward to observing safety and potential indication of effect in patients, who we expect to enroll in our open-label oncology trials during 2023."

08:22 EST Mainz Biomed announces U.S. extension of ColoFuture study - Mainz Biomed announced the initiation of eAArly DETECT, its U.S. extension of ColoFuture, the Company's European feasibility study evaluating the integration of a portfolio of novel gene expression biomarkers into ColoAlert, Mainz's highly efficacious, and easy-to-use detection test for colorectal cancer being commercialized across Europe and in select international territories. ColoFuture/eAArly DETECT are multi-center studies assessing the potential of these biomarkers to identify advanced adenomas, a type of pre-cancerous polyp often attributed to CRC. "We are excited by the opportunity to expand the ColoFuture study to the U.S. as it enables us to accelerate the timeline to evaluate the potential of these biomarkers to be incorporated into our U.S. pivotal study, which is on track to initiate later this year," commented Guido Baechler, Chief Executive Officer of Mainz Biomed. "The combinatory U.S. and European studies represent groundbreaking work in the field, as the potential inclusion of advanced adenomas in ColoAlert's technical profile will represent a transformational advancement in self-administered CRC screening." The Company expects to complete enrollment in Q1 2023 and targets reporting topline results in 1H 2023. Based on the study's outcome, Mainz Biomed will determine if any biomarkers are eligible for inclusion in the Company's U.S. pivotal study, which is on track to initiate in Q4 2022.

08:19 EST Fluence Energy expands network of global product testing facilities - Fluence Energy announced that the company has expanded its network of product testing facilities by opening a new product testing lab in Pennsylvania. Now with three product testing labs located across the globe, Fluence is uniquely equipped to accelerate product development and support energy storage customers with increased speed, expertise, and flexible support throughout the product lifecycle. The new facility will serve as the primary location for system-level testing of various configurations of the company's energy storage products. System-level testing supports quality assurance and is crucial for the rapid iteration, testing, and launching of new Fluence energy storage technology and products. "Fluence's new systems test lab expands our global lab presence and is our second lab within the United States, with a third lab located in Germany. We believe this facility will be critical to fully testing our products leading up to product launch, as well as supporting product commissioning and field teams in providing world-class support to customers," said Fluence SVP & Chief Product Officer Rebecca Boll. "We look forward to using this lab to best serve our customers."

08:18 EST Otonomo Technologies partners with Ramboll to improve traffic management - Otonomo Technologies announced a new partnership with Ramboll. As a result of the new partnership, Ramboll will utilize historical connected vehicle data available through the Otonomo Smart Mobility Data Platform to enhance its consultancy reports and transport models. Ramboll will also offer streaming vehicle data to road authorities for traffic management and road safety applications. The new partnership will enable Ramboll to utilize connected vehicle data available through the Otonomo Smart Mobility Data Platform, including geo-enhanced floating car data that is curated, normalized and blurred for privacy, as well as high-quality extended vehicle sensors including, weather events, road friction and road sign placement to enhance Ramboll's transport models. "As a major global player in the smart mobility and urban transportation sector, Ramboll is well-aligned with Otonomo's mission to make mobility more accessible, equitable, sustainable and safe," said Ben Volkow, CEO and co-founder at Otonomo. "Through our work together, we'll be able to support a wide range of cities, companies and transport authorities to help solve modern mobility challenges."

08:16 EST Grom Social Enterprises, Dynamite to release PAW Patrol activity book - Grom Social Enterprises' Curiosity Ink Media announced that its first activity book based on the popular PAW Patrol preschool franchise, PAWsome PUPpets!, will debut in the new year, hitting bookshelves everywhere in January 2023. The softcover activity book, brimming with colorful pages featuring the popular team of brave rescue pups, produced and packaged by Curiosity Books, will be published with Dynamite Entertainment as part of an ongoing partnership to bring both licensed properties and original stories to readers of all ages. The book release was announced jointly by Darren Marks, Chairman and CEO of Grom Social Enterprises, Inc. and Nick Barrucci, Dynamite CEO and Publisher.

08:14 EST NanoXplore announces nomination of Loubier to board of directors - NanoXplore announces the nomination of Catherine Loubier to its Board of Directors. The nomination of Loubier followed a search process by the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board. The Board will continue to ensure its composition is well aligned to support senior management with the execution of its new five-year strategic growth plan and with the next phase of the Company's growth.

08:09 EST Walmart CEO: Inflation being 'especially stubborn' in some categories - CEO Doug McMillon said inflation is being "especially stubborn" in some categories, like dry grocery.

08:08 EST Commercial Metals acquires Texas metal recycling facility - Commercial Metals completed the acquisition of a Galveston area metals recycling facility and related assets from Kodiak Resources and Kodiak Properties. The acquired operation annually processes approximately 55,000 tons of ferrous and non-ferrous materials, with the majority of volumes related to obsolete ferrous scrap grades consumed by CMC's long product mills. The transaction is expected to enhance the security and supply of competitively priced inputs to CMC's steelmaking operations.

08:04 EST DigitalOcean announces new data center in Sydney - DigitalOcean Holdings announced it is expanding its global presence with a new data center in Sydney, Australia SYD1. This new facility will better support DigitalOcean's current and prospective customers who are based in or have end-users in Australia and New Zealand. Sydney is the ninth global region to house a DigitalOcean data center and the fifteenth facility overall. The SYD1 data center features the most up-to-date network architecture and is connected to DigitalOcean's private internet edge and backbone network, providing 400 Gbps of on-net access to Asia, North America, and Europe. This reduces dependency on public internet and, as a result, mitigates jitter, latency and packet loss for users. All equipment has redundant network and power connections that can route traffic smartly in case of unexpected failures, making for a reliable and secure experience. "With hundreds of thousands of current customers using our global network today, we're excited to expand the breadth and capability of our infrastructure to better serve small and medium-sized business SMB customers in Australia, New Zealand and the surrounding region," said DigitalOcean CEO, Yancey Spruill. "This state-of-the-art data center will provide low-latency connectivity and our IaaS and PaaS productivity tools for startup businesses and SMBs in these important, rapidly growing markets."

07:54 EST Bread Financial reports October credit card and loans $20M vs $16M last year - Reported October net loss rate 6.1% vs. 4.1% last year.

07:44 EST Cryptyde to 'aggressively' pursue e-commerce market - With Cryptyde's acquisition of Forever 8 Fund now complete, the company intends to aggressively pursue the $5T dollar e-commerce market, approximately $600 billion of which represents Amazon Global and its third-party sellers, Forever 8's primary sales channel. Brian McFadden, CEO of Cryptyde, said, "Forever 8 has proven to be a disruptor in traditional e-commerce financing by identifying and solving supply chain inefficiencies through innovative technology. By supporting Forever 8 with financial backing and product development led by our combined team of experts, we believe our offering will have a meaningful impact on the millions of potential clients unable to further grow their business due to capital constraints. Equally important, this model offers our clients a scalable end-to-end solution while lessening the capital risk normally seen with options offered by many of our competitors who leverage traditional credit-based financing."

07:42 EST Scorpion Capital says Twist 'operating an unsustainable Ponzi-like scheme' - In a recently publish report, Scorpion Capital says it is short Twist Bioscience. "Twist is a ticking time bomb, a commodity synthetic DNA manufacturer and glorified CMO, operating an unsustainable Ponzi-like scheme based on price dumping and customer subsidies to buy revenue and create the illusion of 'growth'," the short seller's report reads. "Twist's 'DNA chip' narrative - 10,000X higher throughput and lower cost - is fraudulent, covering up a manual, labor-intensive, and fatally-flawed manufacturing process crippled by errors, bottlenecks, and pitiful yields - thereby driving gross margins we estimate to be negative, not unlike Theranos which claimed to run blood tests on its 'chip' but wasn't. In order to conceal the spiraling losses from its manufacturing meltdown and pricing scheme - and to prevent its Ponzi-like nature from becoming obvious - we believe that Twist has resorted to Worldcom-esque accounting fraud, fabricating a 45% gross margin that it promotes will rise to 60%. Negative gross margins would have shut off its access to ongoing capital raises years ago - its only lifeline - and already thrown it into Chapter 7 liquidation," Scorpion Capital claims.Reference Link

07:39 EST Hexo, Entourage Health sign long-term supply agreement - HEXO (HEXO) announced the execution of a long-term supply agreement with Entourage Health (ETRGF), a Canadian producer and distributor of award-winning cannabis products. Under the Supply Agreement, HEXO will provide Entourage with bulk dried cannabis and soft gel capsules, to be marketed to patients and consumers under Entourage's family of brands. HEXO-branded products will also expand Entourage's premium product offerings available to respective patients of Starseed Medicinal and Syndicate Cannabis medical marketplaces. This strategic relationship will allow HEXO to better address the needs of Canadian medical patients through Entourage's medical channels. At the same time, Entourage will benefit from HEXO's cultivation and processing capabilities by obtaining a consistent supply of cannabis and soft gel capsules to meet Entourage's anticipated short-term demand. "We are thrilled to partner with a like-minded company that has an unparalleled understanding and dedication to delivering the highest quality cannabis products to Canadians," said Charlie Bowman, CEO of HEXO Corp. "This relationship with Entourage not only complements our growing health and wellness portfolio, but also accelerates our ability to grow the business and deliver premium cannabis products to more Canadians. Collaborating with Entourage marks a significant milestone for HEXO in the Canadian medical market and highlights our commitment to addressing the range of consumer needs and market demand. We see increasing opportunity in medicinal and therapeutic products and believe the market fits well with our high-quality products," added Bowman.

07:37 EST Patriot One Technologies selected by Acrisure Arena to secure entrances - Patriot One Technologies announced its SmartGateway patron screening solution was selected by the new Acrisure Arena in the greater Palm Springs area to secure entrances for hockey games, musical events and more. Acrisure Arena is owned and operated by OVG360, a full-service venue management and hospitality division of Oak View Group that helps client-partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries. "Technologically advanced arenas are looking for the most reliable, accurate and flexible physical security technology to protect patrons and staff, which is why they're turning to Patriot One," said Peter Evans, CEO of Patriot One. "Whether it's setting up our system in a new destination like Acrisure Arena, or updating older, historic facilities with modern technology, SmartGateway is the right choice for either."

07:34 EST Zynerba announces EC has granted orphan drug designation to Zygel - Zynerba Pharmaceuticals announced that the European Commission, EC, has granted orphan drug designation to cannabidiol, the active ingredient in its transdermal gel, Zygel, for the treatment of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. "We are pleased to have been granted orphan drug designation in the U.S. and now the EU, which we believe reflects the unmet medical need for new therapies to treat 22q," said Armando Anido, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Zynerba. "Orphan drug designation is another important step forward in advancing Zygel as a potential new treatment option for patients with 22q."

07:26 EST GXO Logistics deploying most technology in a quarter - GXO Logistics announced that it's deploying more robotics innovation and technology to support customer start-ups and the holiday peak season than in any other quarter in its history. By the end of the year, GXO will have approximately 7,600 pieces of technology operational in customer sites around the globe, including cobots and robots, vision scanners, automated guided vehicles and goods-to-person robots - up more than 50% over the previous year. "GXO is deploying more automation and robotics than ever because the benefits they deliver are game-changing for our customers and our team members," said Sandeep Sakharkar, Chief Information Officer, GXO. "The technology we're deploying makes warehouse operations safer, more productive, more efficient and, in a time of high inflation, more cost-effective while upskilling the workforce." Sakharkar added, "Across our business, we're working with more and more customers to apply technology that enables greater precision in inventory management and improves speed and accuracy in order fulfilment because we see the potential to realize substantial cost-savings through automation and gain a competitive edge through the customization GXO provides."

07:25 EST Walmart announces new $20B share repurchase authorization - The company approved a new $20B share repurchase authorization replacing its existing authorization, which had approximately $1.9B remaining at the end of Q3, Walmart said in a statement.

07:19 EST Walmart agrees to $3.1B nationwide opioid settlement framework - Walmart announced it has agreed to a $3.1B nationwide opioid settlement framework designed to resolve substantially all opioid lawsuits and potential lawsuits by state, local, and tribal governments, if all conditions are satisfied. Walmart believes the settlement framework is in the best interest of all parties and will provide significant aid to communities across the country in the fight against the opioid crisis, with aid reaching state and local governments faster than any other nationwide opioid settlement to date, subject to satisfying all settlement requirements. The company said, "Walmart strongly disputes the allegations in these matters, and this settlement framework does not include any admission of liability. Walmart will continue to vigorously defend the company against any lawsuit not resolved through this settlement framework."

07:18 EST React Gaming's Parabellum partners with Viral Nation - React Gaming Group announce that its subsidiary, Parabellum Esports, has partnered with Viral Nation with the purpose of helping Parabellum scale by securing global partnership and sponsorship opportunities, as well as representing its business interests within the esports ecosystem. "This partnership is part of our strategy to grow Parabellum's business by leveraging Viral Nation's expertise in building brand awareness and securing global partnerships to increase revenue," said Leigh Hughes, CEO of React Gaming. "Viral Nation's outstanding track record and impressive list of clients show their capacity to get the job done." Viral Nation will serve as the Parabellum Esports agency of record and provide the organization with its expertise in esports talent management, team sponsorships, brand development and consulting services.

07:17 EST Walmart sees FY23 adjusted operating income down 6.5%-7.5% - Previous guidance was for a decline of 9%-11%.

07:15 EST Verizon, Higi to extend community healthcare access, services - Verizon (VZ) and Higi, a subsidiary of Babylon (BBLN), announced their plans to provide digital health solutions and services that will extend care access for communities and help support preventative health, drive literacy, and identify high risk consumers eligible to be managed via home-based monitoring. The collaboration will prioritize solution delivery in service of community healthcare stakeholders seeking to scale digital and virtual care delivery offerings. Through a combination of Higi's home monitoring services and integrating the HIPAA-ready BlueJeans Telehealth virtual care platform with the Higi Smart Health Station, historically underserved populations, such as those living in rural communities and seniors with limited access to transportation, will have greater access to care-powered by the Verizon 4G LTE and 5G Ultra Wideband networks.

07:12 EST Alkami partnering with Finboa for compliance process automation - Alkami announced a strategic partnership with Finboa, a provider of intelligent process automation for regulatory compliance in financial institutions, to deliver Finboa's payment dispute management software to Alkami clients. The partnership aims to provide banks and credit unions with self-service options for account holders to more easily report and track disputes. Finboa services over 140 financial institutions nationwide with assets up to $30B.

07:09 EST Bio-Techne opens new immunoassay manufacturing facility - Bio-Techne announced the opening of its new 52,000 square foot product innovation and manufacturing facility. The expansion more than doubles the operational footprint at Bio-Techne's Wallingford, Connecticut site and provides a five-fold increase in Ella immunoassay cartridge production capacity. Ella is an automated multiplexing immunoassay system, that enables rapid and hands-free precision biomarker detection. The new facility increases production capacity to 500,000 cartridges per year. This enables Bio-Techne to meet growing global demand for its reproducible immunoassays.

07:01 EST Maverix Metals sees FY22 attributable GEOs 28,000-31,000 - The company said, "Given the ongoing uncertainty relating to the Company's Omolon royalty, Maverix is continuing to exclude attributable Omolon GEOs from its outlook for the second half of 2022. Excluding any contribution from the Omolon royalty in the second half, we continue to expect 28,000 to 31,000 attributable GEOs for 2022."

06:53 EST Piedmont Lithium: Sayona Quebec enters acquisition, earn-in pact with Jourdan - Piedmont Lithium announced that Sayona Quebec, owned 75% by Sayona Mining and 25% by Piedmont, has entered into a strategic acquisition and earn-in agreement with Jourdan Resources for 48 claims of the Vallee Lithium Project. The move will increase the land position for Sayona Quebec's adjacent North American Lithium project operation. Under the agreement, Sayona Quebec will acquire 20 claims of Vallee outright, which will be added to NAL's existing 19 claims on the adjacent property. Sayona Quebec can earn into a 51% equity interest in the remaining 28 claims of Vallee by making a series of staged investments, including: A 25% earned interest by spending C$4M on exploration within 12 months, A 25% earned interest by spending another C$6M on exploration within 24 months, and A 1% earned interest if Sayona Quebec arranges funding for the development of a mine at Vallee. In addition to the equity ownership and earn-in rights in Vallee, Sayona Quebec also acquired an approximately 9.99% ownership interest in Jourdan Resources, including a right to a seat on Jourdan's board of directors. The agreement is subject to completion of due diligence and receipt of any necessary regulatory and exchange approvals. Commercial shipments of spodumene concentrate from NAL could begin as early as Q3 2023, providing Piedmont with revenue generation from the operation as well as product sales through Piedmont's offtake agreement. The company holds an offtake agreement for the greater of 113,000 tons per year or 50% of spodumene concentrate production at a ceiling price of $900 per metric ton on a life-of-mine basis.

06:42 EST Trane commits to low-carbon steel purchases from Nucor, U.S. Steel - Trane (TT) will further reduce the carbon impact of its HVAC solutions by purchasing low-carbon steel from primary supplier Nucor (NUE), Econiq, with an additional allotment from U. S. Steel (X), verdeX. The steel will be used in U.S. manufacturing operations to build Trane heat pumps and air conditioners for homes, and thermal management systems for commercial buildings such as schools and data centers. Representing 20% of Trane Technologies' annual steel purchase, the low-carbon steel is nearly 80% less carbon intensive than traditional blast furnace steel. With this purchase, the company expects to reduce nearly 16,000 metric tons of carbon annually with a reduction of 120,000 metric tons by 2030. The steel industry today accounts for approximately 8% of global carbon emissions. Trane pledges to procure, specify or stock 50% net-zero steel by 2030 and 100% net-zero steel by 2050 as a member of SteelZer

06:36 EST TRX Gold declares commercial production of processing plant in Tanzania - TRX Gold reported the declaration of commercial production of the 1,000+ ton per day processing plant at the Buckreef Gold Mine in Tanzania, effective November. The processing plant has now been running consistently at or above nameplate capacity since October 2022 with gold recoveries exceeding 90%. All major construction activities have been completed and Buckreef Gold has demonstrated its ability to sustain ongoing production levels.

06:16 EST Roche enters second collaboration, license agreement with Jnana - Jnana Therapeutics announced the company has entered into a second collaboration and license agreement with Roche for the discovery of small molecule drugs for the treatment of cancer, immune-mediated and neurological diseases. The collaboration covers multiple targets from a diverse range of target classes to address diseases with high unmet need. Under the terms of the agreement, Jnana will receive an upfront payment of $50M, significant near-term milestone payments, and additional potential future payments that could exceed $2B, as well as tiered royalties. Jnana will conduct discovery and preclinical activities against multiple cancer, immune-mediated and neurological disease targets, and Roche will be responsible for development and commercialization of any resulting products.

06:05 EST Oaktree Specialty Lending declares special distribution of 14c per share - A special distribution was declared of 14c per share payable in cash on December 30 to stockholders of record on December 15.

05:37 EST WISeKey, Italpreziosi and Kaufmann & Partners sign MOU for Gold NFT JV - WISeKey announced that it has signed an MoU with Italpreziosi to offer Trusted NFTs that are backed by gold and have offsets carbon attached using WISeKey technologies. Both parties together with Kaufmann & Partners will create a joint venture in Switzerland of which WISeKey will have 51% of the capital allowing gold investment via NFT in total safety, without having to physically handle the products, opting to insert them directly into the Italpreziosi insured deposit. The gold products, equipped with a NFT based digital identity, are tracked numerically and always covered by insurance for the entire duration of the deposit service, which is carried out in a third-party deposit, in order to be totally excluded from Italpreziosi's assets. The TrustedNFT Gold tokens represent ownership over physical gold bars that are stored in a vault in Switzerland and Italy. Each TrustedNFT Gold represents an underlying bar of gold, with both the token and the physical bar of gold sharing a unique digital identity, which uses a patented method for digital certification of authenticity of a physical object of value.

05:32 EST FOXO Technologies chief product officer Erin Sharoni resigns - FOXO Technologies announced that as of November 9, Erin Sharoni resigned as chief product officer of the company.

05:27 EST Calliditas Therapeutics announces China NMPA acceptance of Nefecon NDA - Calliditas Therapeutics announced that the Chinese regulatory authority National Medical Products Administration, or NMPA, has accepted Everest Medicines' new drug application, or NDA, for Nefecon. The acceptance brings Nefecon, approved and marketed in the U.S. under the name Tarpeyo and in the E.U. as Kinpeygo, an important step closer to potentially becoming the first-ever approved therapeutic option indicated for primary IgAN treatment in China. In December 2020, the NMPA recommended breakthrough therapy designation, or BTD, for Nefecon for the treatment of IgAN. Chronic kidney disease is one of the most serious public health problems in China, where IgAN is estimated by Everest to affect around five million people.

05:13 EST Paysafe launches paysafecard as alternative payment on Microsoft.com, Xbox.com - Paysafe (PSFE) has further strengthened its relationship with Microsoft (MSFT), launching paysafecard as a new alternative payment option on Microsoft.com and Xbox.com in the United States and eight additional European countries. The ongoing collaboration between the two companies now spans 31 countries. This latest development means that millions of new customers in the U.S. and Europe who don't have access to traditional online payment solutions or who prefer not to share their credit card information online can now make cash-based purchases on Microsoft.com and Xbox.com. In 22 European countries, this service is also available on the Xbox game console. The prepaid payment solution paysafecard, available in 50 countries through a distribution network of 700,000 retail stores, enables consumers to use cash to pay for services online. Using a 16-digit code, payment transactions are completed simply and reliably. Bank account or credit card details are not required. The expanded cooperation between Paysafe and Microsoft is the newest extension of a collaboration between the two companies which first saw paysafecard offered as a payment method on Microsoft.com and Xbox.com in December 2020 and includes a multi-year, global deal for Microsoft to support Paysafe's cloud-based transaction services using Microsoft Azure.