Stockwinners Market Radar for January 24, 2023 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:32 EST Stifel Financial raises quarterly dividend by 20% to 36c per share - The dividend is payable March 15, 2023, to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 1, 2023.

20:03 EST Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 51.7K shares of Cerus today

18:53 EST Alphatec sells $2.37M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Alphatec disclosed that its CEO Patrick Miles sold 180K shares of common stock on January 20th in a total transaction size of $2.37M.

18:34 EST Woodside Energy reports Q4 production 51.6 MMBOE, up 0.7% q/q - Reports Q4 sales volume 52.2 MMBOE, down 8.5% q/q. Reports Q4 revenue $5.16B, down 12% q/q. CEO Meg O'Neill says: "The result lifted output for calendar 2022 to 157.7 million boe, surpassing guidance and marking the highest annual production in Woodside's history. Consistent strong operational performance and favourable operating conditions across the combined portfolio was a key driver in achieving record quarterly and full-year production. Reliability at our Australian operated assets was exceptional with Pluto LNG and the North West Shelf (NWS) Project both achieving 98.3% reliability for the quarter. During the quarter, Woodside celebrated a milestone at Pluto LNG, passing 50 million tonnes of LNG production since the facility started up in 2012. Internationally, asset performance was boosted by completion of planned turnaround work. Woodside contributed 29.4 PJ to the east coast Australian gas market in the quarter. Every molecule produced by Woodside's east coast gas business went into the domestic market to support Australian households, businesses and manufacturers. Revenue for the period was $5,160 million, down 12% from the third quarter on the back of lower international crude oil and LNG prices and reduced trading activity. Woodside's average realised price was $98/boe, down from $102/boe in the preceding period. Ongoing production of Pluto gas through the Pluto-KGP Interconnector continues to deliver additional LNG volumes to a market with strong demand. Strong progress was made across our portfolio of growth projects, both in Australia and globally. The teams working on Scarborough and Pluto Train 2 have done an outstanding job over the latter part of the year. The combined projects are now one quarter of the way to completion and are on track for targeted first LNG cargo in 2026, bringing essential volumes into a market demanding more LNG. Most of the major equipment for the Scarborough floating production unit has been ordered and module construction of Pluto Train 2 has commenced. At Sangomar Field Development Phase 1 in Senegal, subsea installation and development drilling has progressed well, with seven of the planned 23 wells now completed. The floating production storage and offloading facility (FPSO) is currently undergoing topsides integration, pre-commissioning and commissioning activities in Singapore. Overall, the project is 77% complete and is on target to start producing oil in late 2023. Progress was also made at the proposed Trion project in Mexico, where we are aiming to be ready for a final investment decision (FID) in 2023. During the quarter competitive tenders were issued for the drilling rig, subsea equipment, and installation scopes for subsea, the floating production unit, and the floating storage and offloading vessel. In our new energy portfolio, front-end engineering design (FEED) has now been completed at H2OK and contracts were awarded for key equipment, putting us on target to be ready for FID in 2023. In Australia, Woodside entered into an Indigenous land use and modern benefits sharing agreement for the Woodside Solar project and is targeting FID readiness in 2023. Elsewhere in new energy, Woodside was selected as the preferred partner to progress to the next stage of the proposed Southern Green Hydrogen project in New Zealand, which would produce ammonia from electrolysis using renewable power. Woodside's production guidance for full-year 2023 remains 180 million to 190 million barrels of oil equivalent."

18:19 EST Irenic Capital Management announces Fox withdrew proposal for combination - Irenic Capital Management, which is the holder of approximately 2.6% of the class B voting shares of News Corporation (NWSA), commented on the Company's announcement that its Board of Directors received a letter from K. Rupert Murdoch that withdrew the proposal to explore a potential combination of News Corp and Fox Corporation (FOXA). Adam Katz, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Irenic, commented: "Irenic is encouraged that Executive Chairman Rupert Murdoch and Co-Chairman Lachlan Murdoch have concluded that a combination with Fox is not in the best interests of News Corp and its shareholders. This is the right decision. Looking ahead, News Corp has an opportunity to create substantial value for its owners."

18:06 EST Microsoft sees Q3 effective tax rate 19%-24%

18:06 EST Microsoft sees Q3 productivity revenue $16.9B-$17.2B - Sees Q3 Office 365 revenue growth sequentially lower by roughly one point. Sees Q3 office consumer revenue growth low single digits. Sees Q3 LinkedIn revenue growth mid single digits. Sees Q3 Dynamics revenue growth in low to mid teens. Sees Q3 intelligent cloud revenue $21.7B-$22B. Sees Q3 Azure revenue growth accelerate roughly four to five points. Sees Q3 on premises revenue decline low single digits. Sees Q3 enterprises revenue down low to mid single digits. Sees Q3 more personal computing revenue $11.9B-$12.3B. Sees Q3 devices revenue declining in mid-40s percentage range. Sees Q3 PC units similar to pre-pandemic levels. Sees Q3 gaming revenue to decline in the high-single digits year-over-year. Sees Q3 Xbox content and services revenue decline in low-single digits. Sees Q3 COGS revenue $15.65B-$15.85B. Sees Q3 operating expense $14.7B-$14.8B. Says seeing customers become more cautious in current economic environment. Says Q3 and FY23 guidance does not include proposed Activision Blizzard (ATVI) deal. Sees Q3 currency lowering sales by 3%. Says LinkedIn and search to be impacted by ad market environment. Says Q3 CapEx to increase compared to Q2.

17:53 EST Herc Holdings discloses investor Carl Icahn sells $16.4M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Herc Holdings announced that Carl Icahn had sold 113.5K shares of its common stock during January 20th to 24th in a total transaction size of $16.4M.

17:48 EST Microsoft says Office 365 evolving to use AI - Says Security business passed $20B in sales over past year. Comments taken from Q2 earnings conference call.

17:32 EST Lockheed Martin awarded $320M Navy contract modification - Lockheed Martin was awarded a not-to exceed $320M cost-plus-fixed-fee undefinitized modification to a previously awarded advanced acquisition contract. This modification adds scope to provide non-recurring engineering in support of the production of one F-35A, one F-35B, and one F-35C new flight science test aircraft to replace aging flight science test aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and non-U.S. Department of Defense, or DOD, participants. Work is expected to be completed in December 2027. FY22 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $11.08M; FY22 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $11.08M and non-U.S. DOD funds in the amount of $4.88M will be obligated at the time of award, $22.17M of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air is the contracting activity.

17:13 EST MDU Resources announces cooperation agreement with Corvex Management - MDU Resources Group announced that it has entered into a cooperation agreement with Corvex Management under which Corvex Partner James H. Gemmel will be appointed to MDU Resources' board of directors, subject to approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, under the Federal Power Act. Initially, Gemmel will be appointed as a non-voting observer of MDU Resources' board of directors. Following the required FERC approval, the size of MDU Resources' board of directors will increase by one director and Gemmel will be appointed to fill the new director position. Under the cooperation agreement, if the FERC approval for Gemmel's appointment as a director is received at least 15 business days prior to the date on which MDU Resources expects to mail its proxy statement relating to its upcoming 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, then Gemmel will be appointed to the board for a term expiring at the 2023 Annual Meeting and MDU Resources will nominate him for re-election at the 2023 Annual Meeting. If the FERC approval is received less than 15 business days prior to the expected mailing date of the proxy statement, Gemmel will be appointed to the board immediately after receipt of the FERC approval or the conclusion of the 2023 Annual Meeting, whichever is later, with a term to expire at the 2024 Annual Meeting. MDU Resources' 2023 Annual Meeting is scheduled for May 9. J.P. Morgan Securities and PJT Partners are serving as financial advisors to MDU Resources and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is serving as its legal advisor.

16:52 EST Stride jumps 13% after Q2 earnings beat, FY23 guidance raise - Shares of Stride are up 13% or $4.10 at $36.10 per share afterhours as the company's Q2 earnings and revenue topped consensus estimates. Stride has also raised its FY23 revenue outlook to $1.775B-$1.815B from $1.71B-$1.79B and narrowed its capex outlook with lower midpoint.

16:41 EST Vera Bradley announces Alison Hiatt joins as Chief Marketing Oficer - Alison Hiatt has joined the Company as Chief Marketing Officer to oversee digital marketing, customer data, and ecommerce. The Vera Bradley brand and creative marketing, retail store, and retail brand experience teams will also report to Hiatt. Ardrey noted, "Alison will be a great addition to VRA with her extensive background as we elevate our focus on branding and continue to deliver a seamless digital and store commerce experience to our customers."

16:37 EST FTAI Infrastructure provides update on Long Ridge Energy Terminal, power plant - FTAI Infrastructure reported its 50.1%-owned Long Ridge Energy Terminal and power plant in Hannibal, Ohio returned to fully-operational status at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022 after an extended outage for maintenance and repair of its gas turbine. The company said, "During a planned maintenance outage in the fourth quarter, Long Ridge discovered damage to its gas turbine, resulting in an extended outage period in order to repair the damage. The damage was caused by construction debris left in the gas turbine's air intake prior to the commissioning of the plant. All repairs were made, and the power plant returned to full operating status by the end of the quarter. Long Ridge expects all repair costs to be covered under warranty. Notwithstanding the natural gas that Long Ridge sold into the market, primarily as a result of the extended outage and related revenue interruption, Long Ridge expects to report an operating loss for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2022."

16:34 EST Rupert Murdoch withdrawing proposal for Fox Corp, News Corp. combination - Fox Corporation (FOX, FOXA) announced that the company's board of directors received a letter from Rupert Murdoch withdrawing the proposal to explore a potential combination of FOX and News Corporation (NWS, NWSA). In withdrawing the proposal, Murdoch indicated that he and Lachlan Murdoch have determined that a combination is not optimal for the shareholders of Fox and News Corp at this time. As a result of this action, the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Fox Corporation has been dissolved. The Board would like to express its appreciation for the Special Committee's efforts on this matter.

16:32 EST Rupert Murdoch withdrawing proposal for Fox Corp, News Corp. combination

16:27 EST Eneti announces two new contracts for Seajacks - Eneti announced that Seajacks UK Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, has signed two new contracts in NW Europe for between 75 and 102 days of employment for one of its NG2500-class vessels that will generate between approximately $5.7M and $7.1M of revenue in 2023. Furthermore, additional extensions were negotiated for another NG2500-class vessel which will generate an additional EUR 2.9M of revenue. In addition, an existing contract for its NG14000X-class vessel has been extended which has generated an additional EUR 2.6M of revenue.

16:21 EST Texas Instruments says Q4 results reflect weaker demand in all end markets - Regarding the company's performance and returns to shareholders, Rich Templeton, TI's chairman, president and CEO, made the following comments: "Revenue decreased 11% sequentially and 3% from the same quarter a year ago. As we expected, our results reflect weaker demand in all end markets with the exception of automotive. Our cash flow from operations of $8.7 billion for the year again underscored the strength of our business model. Free cash flow for the year was $5.9 billion and 30% of revenue. This reflects the quality of our product portfolio, as well as the efficiency of our manufacturing strategy, including the benefit of 300-mm production. Over the past 12 months we invested $3.4 billion in R&D and SG&A, invested $2.8 billion in capital expenditures and returned $7.9 billion to owners. TI's first quarter outlook is for revenue in the range of $4.17 billion to $4.53 billion and earnings per share between $1.64 and $1.90. We now expect our 2023 annual effective tax rate to be about 13% to 14%."

16:19 EST Canadian National boosts dividend 8%, and 32M share repurchase - CN's Board of Directors also approved a first-quarter 2023 dividend on the Company's common shares outstanding. A quarterly dividend of seventy-nine cents per common share will be paid on March 31 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 10. announced today that its Board of Directors has approved the repurchase of its shares under a new normal course issuer bid , as well as an 8% increase in the 2023 dividend on the Company's common shares outstanding. The Bid, in the range of C$4 billion, permits CN to purchase, for cancellation, over a 12-month period up to 32 million common shares, representing 4.8% of the 671,253,977 common shares issued and outstanding of the Company on January 18, 2023. "We are pleased to uphold our track record of consistent dividend growth. Our share repurchase program reflects our prudent approach in returning a significant amount of capital to shareholders despite a softening economy. This is a testament to our confidence in the strong cash flow generation capacity of CN throughout business cycles." Ghislain Houle, Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, CN The Bid will be conducted between February 1, 2023 and January 31, 2024 through a combination of discretionary transactions and automatic repurchase plans at market prices prevailing at the time of purchase, through the facilities of the Toronto and New York stock exchanges, or alternative trading systems in Canada and in the United States, if eligible, and will conform to their regulations. Purchases may also be conducted using derivative-based programs, accelerated share repurchase transactions, or other methods of acquiring shares, subject to any required regulatory approval and on such terms and at such times as shall be permitted by applicable laws. The decisions regarding the timing and size of future purchases of common shares under the Bid are subject to management's discretion and are based on a variety of factors, including market conditions. The new Bid was approved by the Toronto Stock Exchange today. TSX rules permit CN to purchase daily, through TSX facilities, a maximum of 255,460 common shares

16:18 EST Horace Mann sees Q4 Property & Casualty segment loss $25M-$29M - Horace Mann Educators Corporation announced it expects a fourth-quarter Property & Casualty segment loss between $25M and $29M, after tax, including losses related to the severe weather across most of the country in late December. "Winter Storm Elliott, which spanned more than 30 states between December 21-25, resulted in approximately $8 million, pretax, in property losses," said President and CEO Marita Zuraitis. "In addition, the widespread ice and extremely low temperatures in the later part of the quarter were a factor in auto losses. Industry-wide, property and casualty loss trends are emerging that are higher than our previous assumptions. "Social and economic inflation continues to impact new claims, including the claims related to winter weather, as well as those from earlier periods that remain open. As a result, we will also be adding approximately $14 million, pretax, to Property & Casualty prior-year reserves and approximately $5 million to reserves for the first three quarters of 2022. In addition, we are accelerating our already aggressive plan for rate increases in both auto and property, along with implementing additional non-rate underwriting actions, so we can remain on track to our longer-term profitability targets for this business. The external events that impacted results in 2022 do not detract from our unwavering commitment to educators and to the achievement of our long-term financial objectives. Horace Mann continues to leverage its leadership position in the education market. Fourth-quarter results will reflect the ongoing value of our business diversification, along with top-line sales momentum that supports our ability to resume our trajectory to a double-digit return on equity."

16:17 EST TechnipFMC awarded subsea services deal by Petrobras in Brazil - TechnipFMC (FMC) "has been awarded a substantial master services agreement for subsea services with Petrobras (PBR). The three-year contract has an option to extend for a further two years. TechnipFMC will provide life-of-field services to support its installed base offshore Brazil. The contract covers installation, intervention, and maintenance of both equipment and tooling, as well as technical support for subsea umblicals, risers and flowlines. The agreement succeeds a previous MSA and supports Petrobras's increased volume of operations. Services will be supplied from TechnipFMC's base in Macae, Brazil. For TechnipFMC, a "substantial" contract is between $250M and $500M."

16:15 EST Vacasa to cut about 1,300 jobs or 17% of workforce, affirms Q4 guidance - In a regulatory 8-K filing, the company states: "On January 23, 2023, the Board of Directors of the Company approved a workforce reduction plan (the "Plan") designed to align the Company's expected cost base with its 2023 strategic and operating priorities and achieve Adjusted EBITDA profitability in 2023, even against a wide range of macroeconomic outcomes. The Plan includes the elimination of approximately 1,300 positions across the Company, in both its local operations teams and central teams, representing approximately 17% of the workforce. The Company estimates the aggregate pre-tax costs associated with the Plan to be approximately $5 million, primarily consisting of severance payments of approximately $4 million and employee benefits and related costs of approximately $1 million. The Company expects to incur substantially all of these charges in the first and second quarter of 2023. All of these costs will result in future cash expenditures. The Company expects the reduction in force to be substantially complete by the second quarter of 2023. Vacasa also confirmed there have been no changes to its previously issued fourth quarter 2022 Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA guidance ranges issued on November 9, 2022. The Company also reiterated its intention to strike a balance between growth and profitability and to closely manage its discretionary investments to achieve Adjusted EBITDA profitability in 2023, even against a wide range of macroeconomic outcomes."

16:08 EST MPUC sets new rates for Allete's Minnesota Power - The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved a rate increase of approximately $59M, or approximately 9%, that Minnesota Power, a utility division of ALLETE Inc., is allowed to recover through the base rates that it charges to residential and business electric customers. The commission also authorized a return on equity of 9.65% for the company. The decision is subject to a final written order and reconsideration. Under the MPUC decision, rates will increase by approximately 9% for all customer classes. The average residential customer's monthly bill will increase by approximately 2% above the interim rate they currently pay. The 9% increase will also apply to business and industrial customers, whose interim rate was 14%. The applicable difference between final and interim rates will be refunded to business and industrial customers. Final rates are expected to go into effect this summer. As a regulated utility, Minnesota Power must receive approval from the MPUC whenever changes in revenue or expenses require adjusting its rates. In the past 25 years, Minnesota Power has completed only three full rate reviews, and its residential customers' monthly bills are below the national average while they receive the highest percentage of renewable energy in the state. The company's last rate review filed in 2019 was withdrawn in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on customers and the region's economy.

16:07 EST International Paper to sell ownership in Ilim joint venture for $484M - International Paper announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its 50% interest in Ilim SA, the holding company for its Ilim joint venture, to its JV partners for $484M equity value. The sale is subject to regulatory approvals in Russia. This transaction indicates ~$3.5B in total enterprise value for Ilim based on a ~3.1X EBITDA multiple on 2022 full-year results. The company also received an indication of interest from its JV partners to purchase all of the company's shares (constituting a 2.39% stake) in JSC Ilim Group for $24M on terms and conditions to be agreed. The company intends to pursue an agreement to sell the JSC Ilim Group shares, and to divest other non-material residual interests associated with Ilim, to its JV partners.

16:06 EST Microsoft CFO says Cloud revenue up 22%, up 29% in constant currency - "We are focused on operational excellence as we continue to invest to drive growth. Microsoft Cloud revenue was $27.1 billion, up 22% (up 29% in constant currency) year-over-year as our commercial offerings continue to drive value for our customers," said Amy Hood, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Microsoft.

16:05 EST Precigen reports results from Phase 1 PRGN-2012 study - Precigen announces positive Phase 1 dose escalation and expansion cohort data as of the January 12 cutoff for the investigational, potential first-in-class PRGN-2012 off-the-shelf, or OTS, AdenoVerse immunotherapy in patients with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, or RRP. "RRP is a rare disease with no cure. The current standard-of-care is repeated surgery to treat symptoms, which exposes patients to surgical risks, emotional distress and poses a significant economic burden to families and the healthcare system overall. We are thrilled to present these Phase 1 results today as PRGN-2012 has the potential to improve the lives of patients with severe, aggressive RRP through reduced surgeries," said Helen Sabzevari, PhD, President and CEO of Precigen. "Any treatment that reduces the burden of surgeries in RRP is considered meaningful and in the PRGN-2012 Phase 1 study, 50% of patients had a Complete Response, requiring no surgeries as of the data cutoff with a minimum of 12 months following treatment."

16:01 EST Deciphera presents results from ctDNA analysis of INTRIGUE phase 3 stsudy - Deciphera Pharmaceuticals announced the presentation of additional data from the planned exploratory analysis from the INTRIGUE Phase 3 clinical study of QINLOCK using circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) previously treated with imatinib. "We are pleased with the exploratory analysis, which showed that QINLOCK provided clinically meaningful benefit for second-line GIST patients based on the mutational drivers of their disease. QINLOCK's impressive median progression free survival of 14.2 months compared to 1.5 months for sunitinib underscores the potential of QINLOCK to become the standard-of-care for second-line GIST patients with mutations in KIT exon 11 and 17/18 only," said Dr. Bauer. "I look forward to the upcoming INSIGHT pivotal Phase 3 study, which aims to provide more evidence of the potential benefit QINLOCK can offer to these post-imatinib patients."

16:01 EST Luxor Capital comments on Ritchie Bros. restructuring of IAA deal - Luxor Capital, as the manager of funds owning approximately 3.6% of the outstanding shares of Ritchie Bros.(RBA) commented on RBA's purported restructuring of RBA's proposed merger with IAA (IAA). "Luxor is deeply concerned that management and the board of directors of RBA chose to further entrench themselves by entering into a completely unnecessary financing with Starboard Value LP. After announcing a transaction for IAA that was deeply unpopular among shareholders, instead of listening to those concerns and engaging on the merits with its constituents, management and the Board further harmed their common shareholders by transferring, in Luxor's estimation, in excess of $145 million to a third party who does not appear to have ever been invested in the Company. In a collective drive to save face and consummate the ill-conceived IAA Merger, management and the Board issued a valuable security worth 130% of par, per Luxor's estimation, to a non-shareholder. Given RBA's strong financial position and the operating performance of standalone RBA, the only conclusion Luxor can draw is that RBA's management and Board hoped that by issuing the preferred security to Starboard at massively below-market terms, the hollow endorsement that came along with the US$145 million transfer would somehow turn away the tide of shareholder discontent. Luxor is certainly not swayed. Luxor believes that the "revised" IAA Merger has done little to change the financial terms for RBA shareholders. Indeed, the minor change in equity issuance by RBA in the revised deal is overwhelmed by the extravagant terms offered to Starboard. The most glaring and obvious issue with the Starboard Perpetual Preferred is, as its name suggests, its preference in the capital structure to all existing common shareholders of RBA. Convertible structures are not inherently disadvantageous, but in normally functioning companies with good governance, boards don't give out seniority without extracting advantageous terms elsewhere in the security. Typically, this trade-off implies that convertible holders, because of the downside protection provided by their seniority, receive less relative to common holders when the stock price rises significantly and receive more relatively when the stock price rises slowly or falls. In this instance, RBA shareholders receive none of these types of benefits whatsoever. No matter what happens to RBA, Starboard will significantly outperform common shareholders. The nominal coupon on this security is 5.5%, but importantly, the Starboard Perpetual Preferred participates in all common shareholder dividends, thereby creating an effective annual coupon of 6.979% (see Appendix for detailed calculations), which will escalate in-line with any increases in dividends paid to common shareholders. Moreover, as additional proof of misalignment with RBA common shareholders and value transfer by RBA's management and Board to Starboard, the dividend participation by the Starboard Perpetual Preferred is "subject to a floor of US$0.27 per common share". In other words, the Starboard Perpetual Preferred will benefit fully from any growth in the quarterly dividends paid to RBA shareholders from the current level, but will enjoy none of the downside that RBA shareholders will experience if the dividend is ever reduced, for any reason. No matter what happens to the common share dividend, Starboard's dividend materially exceeds common shareholders' dividends. The security is also effectively not callable by RBA for nine years. For nine years Starboard will enjoy a dividend rate at least 5.5% higher than that of common shareholders. Compounded at 5.5% for nine years, Starboard will receive 62% of its capital investment back in excess dividends. This compares to the ~20% conversion premium in the security. No matter what happens to the value of RBA common shares, Starboard materially outperforms common shareholders. As a common shareholder, Luxor takes no comfort whatsoever with the endorsement that comes along with such an off-market security. Luxor takes no comfort whatsoever in Starboard representing common shareholders' interests as their own, as Starboard is overwhelmingly in a different class of stock that has dramatically conflicting priorities to those of the common shareholders. Luxor believes that shareholder representation on the Board is warranted, but qualified director candidates committed to acting in the best interests of ALL shareholders are available without transferring US$145 million of RBA common shareholder money. Luxor continues to believe that the IAA Merger risks the permanent destruction of over US$1.8 billion of shareholder value and that RBA's standalone businesses offer the clearest and most logical path for the Company to deliver the optimal outcome for all of its common shareholders. Luxor looks forward to continuing its opposition to this ill-conceived merger, which has illuminated for all common shareholders RBA's missteps and egregious corporate governance."

15:33 EST Google's Dan Taylor says DOJ lawsuit 'tries to rewrite history' - Dan Taylor, vice president of Global Ads at Google, said in a blog post that the lawsuit from the Department of Justice over the company's advertising business "attempts to pick winners and losers in the highly competitive advertising technology sector." "It largely duplicates an unfounded lawsuit by the Texas Attorney General, much of which was recently dismissed by a federal court," Taylor said. "DOJ is doubling down on a flawed argument that would slow innovation, raise advertising fees and make it harder for thousands of small businesses and publishers to grow. We've already responded in detail to many similar claims made in the complaint led by the Texas Attorney General. The lawsuit tries to rewrite history at the expense of publishers, advertisers and internet users. DOJ is demanding that we unwind two acquisitions that were reviewed by U.S. regulators 12 years ago (AdMeld) and 15 years ago (DoubleClick). In seeking to reverse these two acquisitions, DOJ is attempting to rewrite history at the expense of publishers, advertisers and internet users. Both of these acquisitions enabled us to invest heavily in developing new and innovative advertising technologies. These deals were reviewed by regulators, including by DOJ, and allowed to proceed. Since then, competition in this sector has only increased. Government shouldn't pick winners and losers in a competitive industry. We are one of hundreds of companies that enable the placement of ads across the Internet. And it's been well reported that competition is increasing as more and more companies enter and invest in building their advertising businesses." Later in the blog post, Taylor said that Google's products "expand choice for publishers and advertisers" and that the lawsuit "would reverse years of innovation, harming the broader advertising sector." Reference Link

14:36 EST Lockheed Martin announces successful first flight of F-16 Block 70 aircraft - Lockheed Martin announced the successful first flight of the F-16 Block 70 at its Greenville, South Carolina site. The flight occurred Jan. 24 at 9:17 a.m. ET, with Lockheed Martin test pilots Dwayne "Pro" Opella and Monessa "Siren" Balzhiser at the helm. Total flight time was approximately 50 minutes and included airworthiness checks, such as engine, flight control and fuel system checks, as well as basic aircraft handling. "Today's successful flight is a testament of the hard work, dedication and commitment to our customers and their missions," said OJ Sanchez, vice president, Integrated Fighter Group, which includes the F-16 program. "This milestone demonstrates Lockheed Martin's commitment to advancing this program and getting this much-needed aircraft and its advanced 21st Century Security capabilities to the warfighter."

14:19 EST Zillow introduces feature enabling renters to schedule tours 'instantly, online' - "Zillow announced a convenient feature which enables renters to book an apartment tour online, making the once-cumbersome process as simple as booking a restaurant reservation... Zillow is now allowing apartment shoppers to do just that - scheduling tours instantly, online, without the hassle and delay of having to get in touch with someone directly. With automated tour scheduling, renters are assured that they will see the apartment they're interested in at a time that works in their busy schedule, without needing to wait for a response from a property manager. Renters also receive automated email and text reminders for their appointment time. "Touring is a major milestone in the journey of finding a rental, and it's due for innovation," says Michael Sherman, vice president of Zillow Rentals. "Allowing renters to instantly book a tour removes barriers and delivers a more seamless and convenient experience for renters and property managers. Freeing up the time it takes to coordinate schedules allows renters to focus on finding their perfect place without worrying about when they'll get a chance to see it, and gives property managers valuable time back for other important tasks." Reference Link

14:03 EST Barclays appoints new co-heads of Investment Banking - Barclays (BCS) announces that Taylor Wright and Cathal Deasy have been appointed Co-Heads of Investment Banking, effective March 27 and subject to regulatory approvals. "In their new roles, Mr. Wright and Mr. Deasy will jointly manage the business across coverage and product groups and will be tasked with deepening client relationships and dealmaking efforts around the world. They will report to Paul Compton, Global Head of Barclays' Corporate & Investment Bank and President, Barclays Bank Plc, and will join the CIB Management Team," the company announced. Wright joined Barclays in 2019 as Co-Head of Americas Equity Capital Markets. Deasy was most recently Global Co-Head of M&A, and EMEA Co-Head of Investment Banking and Capital Markets, at Credit Suisse (CS). "In their expanded and new roles, Taylor and Cathal will make a formidable team as we continue to progress building a resilient and diversified Corporate and Investment Banking franchise. Our strategy is fundamentally grounded in delivery for clients, and their leadership will best prepare Barclays for the coming decade of investment banking," commented Paul Compton.

14:00 EST Blink Charging, EdgeEnergy collaborate on ultra-fast EV charging - Blink Charging announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with EdgeEnergy, a provider of power conversion equipment for EV charging solutions, for the distribution, sale, and deployment of EdgeEnergy's proprietary power source, the EdgeEV, that utilizes proprietary technology to convert single-phase power into three-phase power for EV DC fast chargers. "We are excited to continue to expand our relationship with Blink Charging, one of America's leading EV-charging companies," said Greg York, the founder, and CEO of EdgeEnergy. "The need to provide reliable ultra-fast charging in areas without 3-phase power infrastructure continues to grow. Our relationship with Blink offers enormous business for both our companies and serves a critical and growing need for Blink's customers."

12:30 EST Justice Department, eight states file antitrust suit against Google

12:00 EST Forestar Group falls -8.4% - Forestar Group is down -8.4%, or -$1.40 to $15.30.

12:00 EST Nine Energy Service falls -8.4% - Nine Energy Service is down -8.4%, or -$1.12 to $12.26.

12:00 EST MediaAlpha rises 8.5% - MediaAlpha is up 8.5%, or 98c to $12.53.

11:31 EST Huntington Ingalls appoints Chris Soong as EVP, CIO - HII announced that Chris Soong has been promoted to executive vice president and chief information officer. Soong, previously the CIO at HII's Mission Technologies division, will replace Bharat Amin, who will retire on March 31 after nearly a decade of service with the company. In this position, Soong will be responsible for establishing the company's information technology and digital strategic direction with a focus on cyber security capabilities. In collaboration with the business units, Soong will lead corporate IT governance and provide functional oversight. He assumes his new role on April 1 and will report to HII President Chris Kastner.

11:19 EST Lockheed Martin on pace to build 156 F-35 fight jets by 2025

11:15 EST Lockheed Martin expects return to sustained top-line growth in 2024, beyond

11:08 EST Barb MacLean joins Coastal Community Bank as head of technology - Coastal Financial Corporation announced that Barb MacLean has joined the Bank as Senior Vice President, Head of Technology Operations and Implementation. . A graduate of Brandon University, she led Celero Solutions in various capacities - most recently as vice president of Integration and analytics.

11:04 EST MultiPlan appoints Carol Nutter as CPO - MultiPlan is pleased to announce that Carol Nutter has joined the company as Chief People Officer. In her new role, Carol will oversee the people strategy and operations of recruitment, talent management, employee engagement and wellness, DEIB, and building development opportunities for upskilling and reskilling. She reports to Dale White, CEO. Prior to joining MultiPlan, she served as the Senior Vice President of Talent and Culture at Optoro, where she led employee acquisition and retention initiatives that helped the company scale effectively during a time of significant growth.

10:53 EST AnPac Bio Medical Science Company trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:26 EST Scilex Holding Co trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:12 EST Satixfy Communications Ltd trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:00 EST PennantPark Floating Rate falls -7.0% - PennantPark Floating Rate is down -7.0%, or -83c to $10.98.

10:00 EST Magna falls -8.9% - Magna is down -8.9%, or -$5.82 to $59.64.

10:00 EST Nuveen Muni Income rises 8.0% - Nuveen Muni Income is up 8.0%, or 79c to $10.61.

09:49 EST D.R. Horton saw 'slight' improvement in cancellation rate in January

09:49 EST Statera completes application process to uplist to OTCQB Venture Marketplace - Statera Biopharma announced it has completed the application process for moving off the OTC Pink Sheets and uplisting to the OTCQB Venture Marketplace. The application process will not guarantee acceptance of the Company's submission by OTC MARKETS from the PINKS to OTCQB. This is the Company's first step in its pursuit to regain its listing on the NASDAQ exchange.

09:47 EST Palantir falls -16.9% - Palantir is down -16.9%, or -$1.25 to $6.13.

09:47 EST PennantPark Floating Rate falls -17.7% - PennantPark Floating Rate is down -17.7%, or -$2.09 to $9.72.

09:47 EST AT&T rises 13.6% - AT&T is up 13.6%, or $2.60 to $21.70.

09:45 EST Trane Technologies trading resumes

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09:33 EST Verizon trading halted, volatility trading pause

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09:31 EST Nike trading halted, volatility trading pause

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09:30 EST A2Z Smart Technologies establishes Smart Cart maintenance, support division - A2Z Smart Technologies announced the establishment of a Smart Cart maintenance and support division. The maintenance and support division will be established within the Company's wholly owned ISO qualified subsidiary, A2Z MS, which already provides high level maintenance and support services to some of Israel's largest governmental and private organizations. The division will provide all maintenance and support services required by its Cust2mate Smart Carts which have been, and will be, deployed in Israel by Yochananof and all future retailers. In order to enable A2Z MS to concentrate on providing the services, the Company has decided to discontinue the development of military related or derived products. The Company believes that providing these services internally will give the Company invaluable in-depth insights into the day to day practicalities of using the Smart Carts and assist the Company in developing new generations and features of the Smart Cart. The Company has signed an agreement with Yochananof for the provision of maintenance and services for the 1,300 Smart Carts ordered by Yochananof for the first three years.

09:30 EST Arista Networks trading halted, volatility trading pause

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09:30 EST Ocean Biomedical provides corporate update, company summary - Ocean Biomedical and Aesther Healthcare Acquisition shared an update on key company activities. Ocean Biomedical is expected to become a publicly traded company on NASDAQ under the symbols "OCEA" and "OCEAW" following the expected closing of a Business Combination with Aesther Corporation. Ocean Biomedical and Aesther would like to call attention to the following upcoming important dates and events: Shareholder vote: Friday, February 3, 2023; Expected close of business combination between Ocean Biomedical and Aesther Healthcare Acquisition Corp: Tuesday, February 7, 2023; Expected first day of trading on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange for Ocean Biomedical: Wednesday, February 8, 2023. Ocean and Aesther have partnered with some of the premier investment institutions in the health care space. This has led to a secure and growing runway to continue Ocean's important innovations, with funding including: $123.9 million in past and ongoing grants, in use to enable first-in-class drug and vaccine candidates that make up Ocean's initial core portfolio in oncology, fibrosis, and infectious disease, all based on new target discoveries; A $40 million committed backstop by Vellar Opportunity Fund SPV LLC - Series 3; A Common Stock Purchase Agreement with White Lion Capital LLC, which provides that White Lion Capital is committed to purchase the company's Common Stock with an aggregate gross purchase price of up to $75 million; Pro forma enterprise value of the combined company is expected to be approximately $345 million, assuming no redemptions of current Aesther public stockholders. "The scientific and operational progress Ocean Biomedical has had to date, even without access to the public markets, is astounding - the company is at an inflection point, with multiple ways to win. The combination of the company's close ties to innovation coming out of the world's top research institutions with the anticipated advantages of being a publicly-traded company would produce unprecedented value," said Suren Ajjarapu, Chairman and CEO of Aesther. "With a world-class board and leadership team, Ocean's trajectory is unmatched. This is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of company, and from an investment standpoint, is in a category of its own."

09:28 EST Cassava Sciences falls after simufilam data for Alzheimer's disease treatment - Cassava Sciences shares are down 6.70% or $2.44 to $34 per share in pre-market trading afterannouncing positive top-line Phase 2 results for simufilam, its oral drug candidate for Alzheimer's disease dementia. This was an open-label safety study with exploratory efficacy endpoints. The study enrolled over 200 patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease . Study participants were administered open-label simufilam tablets 100mg twice daily for 1 year or more. Endpoints were measured at baseline and month 12.Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease of the brain. Over time, cognition progressively worsens in the mild-to-moderate stages of Alzheimer's as the disease takes its toll. ADAS-Cog scores that change minimally, over 1 year is a highly desirable outcome in a clinical study of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease. Efficacy outcomes were analyzed by an independent, outside biostatistical consulting firm led by Suzanne Hendrix, PhD. The pre-specified primary efficacy endpoint was change in baseline on ADAS-Cog, a cognitive scale widely used in Alzheimer's clinical research. Exploratory endpoints included the Mini-Mental State Examination to assess disease stage by cognitive impairment; the Neuropsychiatric Inventory to assess dementia related behavior; and the Geriatric Depression Scale . The Full Analysis Set population was used for the statistical analysis of efficacy endpoints.

09:25 EST Cassava Sciences announces clinical results in Phase 2 study of simufilam - Cassava Sciences announced positive top-line Phase 2 results for simufilam, its oral drug candidate for Alzheimer's disease dementia. This was an open-label safety study with exploratory efficacy endpoints. The study enrolled over 200 patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease. Study participants were administered open-label simufilam tablets 100mg twice daily for 1 year or more. Endpoints were measured at baseline and month 12. Top-line Results - mean scores, baseline to month 12: ADAS-Cog11 scores changed from 19.1 to 19.6; MMSE scores changed from 21.5 to 20.2; NPI10 scores changed from 3.2 to 2.9; GDS scores changed from 1.8 to 1.4. Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease of the brain. Over time, cognition progressively worsens in the mild-to-moderate stages of Alzheimer's as the disease takes its toll. ADAS-Cog scores that change minimally over 1 year is a highly desirable outcome in a clinical study of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease. Response Analysis - baseline to month 12: ADAS-Cog scores improved in 47% of patients; this group had a mean change of -4.7 points; In an additional 23% of patients, ADAS-Cog declined less than 5 points; this group had a mean change of 2.5 points. Patients with an NPI10 score of zero increased from 42% to 54%, indicating reduced dementia-related neuropsychiatric symptoms. Efficacy outcomes were analyzed by an independent, outside biostatistical consulting firm led by Suzanne Hendrix, PhD. The pre-specified primary efficacy endpoint was change in baseline on ADAS-Cog, a cognitive scale widely used in Alzheimer's clinical research. Exploratory endpoints included the Mini-Mental State Examination to assess disease stage by cognitive impairment; the Neuropsychiatric Inventory to assess dementia related behavior; and the Geriatric Depression Scale. The Full Analysis Set population was used for the statistical analysis of efficacy endpoints. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease. Severity of disease is typically assessed by MMSE score. In this study, mild patients are MMSE 21-26; moderate patients are MMSE 16-20. Mild and moderate sub-groups showed notable differences on changes in ADAS-Cog mean scores, baseline to month 12: In the mild sub-group, ADAS-Cog scores improved, from 15.0 to 12.6; In the moderate sub-group, ADAS-Cog scores worsened, from 25.7 to 30.1. Simufilam 100 mg twice daily was safe and well tolerated. There were no drug-related serious adverse events. Three treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 7% or more of study patients: COVID-19, urinary tract infection and headache. Reported TEAEs are based on all study patients who received at least one dose of drug. The top three reasons for patient discontinuations were withdrawal of informed consent, adverse events and patient non-compliance. 'Research use only', non-safety, exploratory biomarkers were analyzed from cerebrospinal fluid collected from 25 patients in the open-label study who agreed to undergo a lumbar puncture at baseline and again after 6 months of treatment. CSF samples were analyzed blind by our academic collaborator at City University of New York. We previously announced results of this bioanalysis in a press release dated July 29, 2021: CSF biomarkers of disease pathology, t-tau and p-tau181, decreased 38% and 18%, respectively; CSF biomarkers of neurodegeneration, neurogranin and neurofilament light chain decreased 72% and 55%, respectively. CSF biomarkers of neuroinflammation, sTREM2 and YKL-40, decreased 65% and 44%. Of the 25 patients who provided 6-month CSF samples, 24 subsequently completed 1 year of treatment with open-label simufilam. This sub-set of patients improved -4.96 mean points on ADAS-Cog from baseline to month 12.

09:18 EST PlayAGS expands partnership with Caesars for casino online gaming - PlayAGS (AGS) announced a new online game content partnership with Caesars (CZR) Sportsbook & Casino. Through the partnership, AGS will provide Caesars with a variety of its online game content, for its online real-money gaming operations. Caesars Sportsbook & Casino players in New Jersey and Pennsylvania will have access to more than 30 land-based slot games from AGS' interactive content library.

09:16 EST Skyhawk Security appoints Chen Burshan as CEO - Skyhawk Security, a business in cloud threat detection recently spun off from Radware, formally announces the appointment of Chen Burshan as CEO. Before taking the helm at Skyhawk Security, Burshan played an integral role in the creation of the Cloud Security Posture Management category during his time at Dome9, leading to its eventual acquisition by Check Point.

09:14 EST Verizon expects capital spending of $17B in 2024 - Says will not sacrifice financial portfolios. Says believes current promotions are not sustainable for the industry. Says well positioned to accelerate growth. Says de-emphasizing low-margin revenue. Says Verizon Global Services contributing $2B-$3B of annual savings by 2025. Says capital spending to decline more than $5B from 2022 level to $17B in 2024. Says Welcome Unlimited working as intended. Says expects to be agile in the consumer unit. Says expects usual seasonality in business segment in Q1. Says cash taxes will be higher this year. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

09:11 EST Johnson & Johnson sees 'above market growth' in Pharmaceutical segment in FY23 - Expects 1H23 operational sales growth lower than 2H in Pharmaceutical and expects Q2 stronger than Q1. Expects "continued competitive growth" in MedTech segment, with 1H23 sales growth lower than 2H. Expects FX to have negative impact on results in 1H23 and "potentially favorable" in 2H23. Expects to complete Consumer Health separation in 2023.

09:10 EST Goosehead Insurance partners with Association of Independent Mortgage Experts - Goosehead Insurance announced a new partnership with the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts, AIME, to provide its community of over 65,000 independent mortgage brokers with tools that ensure the home insurance selection process is easier and more efficient for homebuyers than ever before. "Here at Goosehead, we understand the power of an independent agent to ensure that consumers get the insurance policy that best meets their needs, and it's clear that AIME values their independent agents too," said Justin Ricketts, Executive Vice President, Technology and Partnerships at Goosehead Insurance. "We're looking forward to supporting independent mortgage brokers across the country and are excited to be a part of AIME's continued success." Through this partnership, independent mortgage brokers at AIME will have access to Goosehead's Digital Agent Platform, a quoting platform powered by deep, integrated technology that provides consumers with a straightforward and efficient way to find the best home insurance coverage at the right price.

09:08 EST Paccar jumps 4% to $106.31 after Q4 beat on earnings and revenue

09:06 EST Nemaura: Patient data from UK Miboko study shows weight loss in 100% of patients - Nemaura Medica announces initial results from patient studies of its metabolic health program Miboko with the National Health Service NHS in the United Kingdom. The initial pilot program recruited 30 individuals that were classified as obese according to their BMI. The first cohort of 10 patients have been enrolled in the program for over 12 weeks. Results from this cohort indicate that these individuals achieved an average weight loss of 3.7 pounds and an average BMI improvement of 0.6 after 10 weeks, with 100% of participants achieving some weight improvement. This level of average weight loss exceeds some of the publicly reported results in studies of other weight loss programs. As the Miboko program is optimized, average weight loss is expected to increase. The program is designed to continue for at least one year, with new patients being enrolled each month. Feedback from participants shows that use of the body-worn sensor led to greater engagement and an element of gamification that is anticipated to lead to sustained use and encourage incremental dietary and lifestyle changes through a combination of personalized data and targeted education modules. Participants expressed their willingness to continue with the program, reporting that they do not see Miboko as a traditional diet plan, which the Company expects will avoid diet fatigue and drop-off rates widely associated with many of the current weight loss programs.

09:05 EST LPL Financial adds two senior client experience executives - LPL Financial LLC announced two executives have joined the firm's expanding Investor and Investment Solutions leadership team. Cory Triolo joins as Executive Vice President, User Experience & Research and Tim Checko joins as Executive Vice President, Advisor Experience. In Triolo's new role, he'll lead the design of web-based and mobile applications used by financial advisors, institutional program managers and end investors with an emphasis on intuitive design, ease of use and accessibility. Checko will guide the development and operational management of technology and investment products and solutions designed to help LPL advisors and institutions more efficiently serve their clients, and setting the strategy for investments in functional enhancements and new capabilities. Triolo most recently headed up the Digital Client Experience at Bank of America and Checko joins LPL from Merrill Lynch, where he served as Managing Director of Advisor Platforms and oversaw the creation of products and experiences.

09:04 EST Florida Peninsula Holdings closes $70M senior credit facilities - The Florida Peninsula Insurance family of companies has closed on $70 million of senior credit facilities. Regions Bank led the transaction, and Synovus was a joint lead arranger. The facilities consisted of a $40 million term loan, a $20 million delayed draw term loan, and a $10 million line of credit. At closing, $40 million was allocated to refinance a previous senior credit facility and subordinated notes. The delayed draw term loan will fund growth in Florida Peninsula and its wholly owned subsidiary Edison Insurance Company.

09:02 EST Skyhawk Security launches Synthesis Security Platform - Skyhawk Security, a business in cloud threat detection recently spun off of Radware, announced the release of its Synthesis Security Platform. The platform provides unique Cloud Threat Detection and Response capabilities, across multi-cloud environments.

09:01 EST Johnson & Johnson says capital allocation strategy 'remains unchanged' - Says investment in R&D "remains a top priority." Expects "at minimum" to maintain dividend.

08:55 EST Cidara Therapeutics trading halted, news pending

08:49 EST AYRO receives U.S. patent for electric vehicle design - AYRO has been issued U.S. Patent No. D975591 from the U.S. Patent Office for the design of the AYRO Vanish. The awarded design patent titled "ELECTRIC VEHICLE" is for the ornamental design of the AYRO Vanish. This is the first patent that has been issued for the AYRO Vanish and is one of several patents that have been applied for as part of the vehicle's design. The other patents that are in the process of filing include a total of two new design patents and six additional U.S. utility patents in sustainability and the science underlying sustainability.

08:45 EST VSE opens new distribution and e-commerce fulfillment center in Memphis - VSE Corporation announced the opening of its new distribution and e-commerce fulfillment center of excellence in the greater Memphis, Tennessee area. The new, state-of-the-art 450,000 square-foot distribution center more than doubles the existing warehouse footprint of VSE's Fleet segment, providing its Wheeler Fleet Solutions subsidiary the capacity required to meet growing demand for aftermarket products across its e-commerce fulfillment and commercial fleet customers. "The addition of our new distribution center is an important strategic milestone for our Wheeler Fleet Solutions subsidiary, one of the leading fleet-focused parts and services companies serving heavy, medium and light duty vehicles in the United States," stated John Cuomo, President and CEO of VSE Corporation. "During the last four years, our commercial fleet sales have grown from approximately 10% to 40% of Fleet Segment revenue, driven by share gains across both commercial fleet and e-commerce fulfillment channels. Looking ahead, we anticipate this distribution center will contribute more than $50 million in new, incremental sales to our Fleet segment in 2023." "Demand remains high for our industry-leading aftermarket parts and services," stated Chad Wheeler, Fleet Segment President. "This investment demonstrates our long-term commitment to e-commerce fulfillment, one that will help to ensure faster response and delivery times by bringing parts closer to our end-users, while positioning us to capitalize on sustained growth in market demand."

08:43 EST Thermo Fisher, AstraZeneca team on CDx test for Tagrisso - As part of a global, multiyear agreement, Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO) announced it is working with AstraZeneca (AZN) to develop a solid tissue and blood-based companion diagnostic CDx test for Tagrisso or osimertinib . The CDx will help identify patients with non-small cell lung cancer NSCLC who may be eligible for treatment with Tagrisso by identifying tumors that exhibit epidermal growth factor receptor ,EGFR,alterations including exon 21 L858R mutations, exon 19 deletions or T790M mutations. The collaboration will leverage the Oncomine Dx Express Test on the Genexus Dx System , a fully-integrated next-generation sequencing platform featuring an automated specimen-to-report workflow that economically delivers results in as little as 24 hours to bring test results to clinicians and patients faster. NGS-based CDx testing offers the ability to detect multiple biomarkers from a single test, helping to match patients with an appropriate targeted therapy more quickly. The need for faster diagnostic turnaround times was reinforced by research presented at ASCO 2022 that found patients with advanced stage NSCLC had better outcomes, including survival rates, when molecular testing results were available early enough to inform initial treatment decisions.

08:42 EST PagerDuty Chief Revenue Officer leaving, Kmet appointed SVP of Global Field Ops - PagerDuty announced Jeremy Kmet, Senior Vice President, North America Sales and Customer Acquisition, is being appointed Senior Vice President of Global Field Operations, reporting into Chair and CEO Jennifer Tejada, effective February 1. Dave Justice, Chief Revenue Officer, is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities after the financial year end. "Jeremy is a capable global leader with a track record of success. As we progress towards our goal of operating as a Rule of 40 company, I am confident in his ability to lead our GTM teams through our next phase of efficient growth. Jeremy is well respected by our customers, partners and employees, has deep product and domain expertise, and has demonstrated his ability to scale our unique go-to market model effectively and profitably. I would like to thank Dave for his partnership and many contributions to the company and our customers. He will ensure a seamless transition through the end of the financial year, and we wish him well in his next endeavor," said Tejada.

08:40 EST GE: Board conversations on capital allocation 'fundamentally different' - CEO Culp says the board's conversations on capital allocation are "fundamentally different" than they were just a few years ago. All options are on the table, Culp said, but completion of breakup remains the top job.

08:39 EST Blue Star Foods highlights sustainability in new ESG report - Blue Star Foods announces the release of its new Environmental, Social, and Governance, ESG, report highlighting its sustainability efforts in regards to seafood and fishery. Highlights include: Social equity by improving lives in rural fishing communities; Land grown sustainable salmon; Enacting fishery improvements projects that improve social and environmental conditions. Blue Star's sustainable endeavors feature: Live crab on demand - RAS; Steelhead Salmon: Taste of BC; Soft Shell Crab feat. Coastal Pride.

08:37 EST Trust Stamp provides update on Orchestration Platform adoption - Trust Stamp provides an update regarding the rapid adoption of its low-code Orchestration Platform, which streamlines delivery and implementation of the Company's proven technologies. Since the platform's launch in February 2022, 24 new customers have contracted to use Trust Stamp's services through the Orchestration Layer, including 22 new financial institutions with over $50B in assets.

08:35 EST Cinemark and EntTelligence extend service agreement - Cinemark and EntTelligence extensded their service agreement. After a comprehensive pilot period, Cinemark has signed a service agreement with EntTelligence utilizing its core measurement and insights system that provides analysis and actionable information on moviegoer impressions from approximately 3,000 theaters. EntTelligence's proprietary approach homogenizes observed information from hundreds of theater chains, parses data by market, and offers many industry first features including daypart analysis.

08:34 EST Allogene Therapeutics announces publication of Phase 1 UNIVERSAL study data - Allogene Therapeutics announced that data from its Phase 1 UNIVERSAL trial of ALLO-715, an anti-BCMA AlloCAR T product candidate for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma has been published in Nature Medicine. "UNIVERSAL is the first and only allogeneic CAR T study to demonstrate that significant responses can be achieved with a single dose in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma. These initial study results published in Nature Medicine reinforce our belief that ALLO-715 can induce deep, clinically meaningful responses in patients with an allogeneic cell therapy. AlloCAR T product candidates may be able to meaningfully reduce the barriers faced by patients with multiple myeloma when seeking to access cell therapy," said David Chang, CEO. The Phase 1 UNIVERSAL study is a dose escalation trial in patients with heavily pretreated r/r MM. The Nature Medicine publication includes data from the first 48 patients enrolled with a data cutoff of October 2021. All patients treated were refractory to their last line of treatment and no bridging therapy was used in this trial. Data demonstrated the ability for an allogeneic CAR T to achieve response rates in line with certain approved autologous CAR T therapies and durable remissions with a manageable safety profile while treating 92% of all enrolled patients and all product manufactured and released as per product specifications. Updated data from the UNIVERSAL study were presented at the Company's R&D Showcase in November 2022 and the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in December 2022.

08:32 EST Dollar Tree announces Witynski stepping down from the Board, leaving company - Dollar Tree announced that Mike Witynski, who has been in leadership positions at Dollar Tree since 2010 and served as CEO since 2020, is stepping down from the Board and leaving the Company. Executive Chairman Rick Dreiling will expand his role to assume the position of Chief Executive Officer, effective January 29. "The opportunity to work with the talented and dedicated team at Dollar Tree has been the most rewarding of my career. During this especially dynamic period, we made the historic and consequential move to 'break the dollar,' and also rose to the historic opportunity to retool the Company's leadership ranks to face the challenges ahead with fresh eyes. As I depart, I have full confidence that this team will continue to move the Company forward through the years ahead," said Mr. Witynski.

08:26 EST American Resources files Form 10 registration statement for planned spin-off - American Resources announced the filing of the Form 10 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for the planned spin-off of its ReElement Technologies division into a standalone public company. The Form 10 includes detailed information about ReElement Technologies, including an overview of its business and strategy, historical information and competitive advantages, among other details. ReElement's goals as a standalone entity are: Ramp up to over 25,000 tons per annum of Lithium from recycled materials and virgin ores; Ramp up to over 2,000 tons per annum of rare earth elements to go into permanent magnets; Continue to deploy our environmentally and socially positive technology both domestically and internationally for rare earth and battery elements purification displacing the toxic method of hydrometallurgical process used today in the industry; Continue to expand internal capabilities both upstream and downstream on the magnet and lithium-ion battery recycling industry; and Continue to expand our upstream and downstream partnerships for both rare earth and critical battery elements. To affect the separation, ReElement will first undertake a series of reorganization transactions including converting from a limited liability company to a corporation, instituting a shared resource arrangement and establishing an independent board of directors and executive officers. American Resources will subsequently distribute a majority of SpinCo's common stock to American Resources' stockholders, and following the share distribution, SpinCo, holding the business, will become an independent public company. The planned spin-off of ReElement Technologies is intended to be tax-free for American Resources and American Resources shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. To effect the separation, American Resources plans to distribute up to 90% of ReElement Technologies' common stock to American Resources' shareholders. Upon the planned spin-off, American Resources will distribute to its stockholders, as a pro rata dividend, 1/2 share of ReElement common stock, for every share of American Resources common stock outstanding.

08:23 EST Altamira CEO 'excited' about 'strong efficacy signals' observed with Bentrio - "We are very excited about the strong efficacy signals observed with Bentrio at the halfway point of the NASAR seasonal allergic rhinitis trial in Australia," commented Thomas Meyer, Altamira Therapeutics' founder, Chairman, and CEO. "These results demonstrate a significant therapeutic benefit with Bentrio under real-life conditions over saline nasal sprays, which are currently the most frequently used drug-free treatment option for allergic rhinitis. Importantly, the improvement of nasal symptoms appears to approach the magnitude achieved with certain medicated nasal sprays, and there was no rebound observed during the week after conclusion of the treatment period. We very much look forward to the data from the completed trial next quarter, which we expect to greatly expand and complement the positive efficacy and safety data from our earlier challenge studies in seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis. We consider the market for over-the-counter allergy remedies as very attractive, as it is estimated to reach close to $4 billion in US sales in 2023 alone and, in our view, offers great opportunities in the segment of non-medicated, preservative-free treatments. At the same time, we are encouraged by the top-line results from the first proof-of-concept trial in viral infection. Although the COVAMID study did not reach the primary efficacy endpoint, we observed a trend for faster and more pronounced reduction in the nasal viral load, which was corroborated by a similar trend in COVID-19 related symptoms. However, in retrospect, given the more benign infection course with Omicron than with previous variants, a larger sample size would have been required to enhance the statistical power of the study. In addition, our research has shown that Bentrio's protective effects are most pronounced when the product is used in prophylaxis - that is when inhaled airborne particles can be prevented from contacting the nasal mucosa and be trapped in the protective gel film formed by the nasal spray. Given Bentrio's mode of action, this applies to acute exposure to various types of potentially harmful particles."

08:20 EST General Electric 'acting with urgency' in Power business - Expects next six months to remain "challenging." Sees Leap engine deliveries up about 50% in 2023.

08:18 EST Amolyt Pharma enters research agreement, licensing option with XOMA - Amolyt Pharma entered into a research agreement and licensing option with XOMA Corporation for the pre-clinical evaluation of a select set of monoclonal antibodies that arose from XOMA's legacy discovery efforts as potential treatments for primary hyperparathyroidism and humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. Amolyt has the option to license one or more of these candidates from XOMA for further clinical development worldwide. Both PHPT and HHM are rare endocrine diseases with high unmet needs and a common target, the parathyroid hormone 1 receptor, and are characterized by the hypersecretion of parathyroid hormone and parathyroid hormone-related peptide, respectively, resulting in continuous stimulation of the PTHR1, leading to bone loss, hypercalcemia and hypophosphatemia. The objective of the research agreement is to test the anti-PTHR1 antibodies in relevant animal disease models with the aim of selecting a candidate that can successfully halt the over-stimulation of the PTHR1 caused by excess PTH and PTHrP and eliminate the debilitating symptoms and serious complications associated with PHPT and HHM.

08:17 EST Capstone Green Energy distributor secures follow-on order for two C200S - Capstone Green Energy announced that E-Finity Distributed Generation, Capstone's long-time distributor for the Mid-Atlantic, Southeastern United States and the Caribbean, has secured a follow-on order for two C200S Microturbines from a leading oil and gas producer. The systems will be deployed in the heart of the Marcellus Shale Play in Appalachia and add to an extensive fleet of microturbine energy systems. The order is scheduled to be commissioned in the summer of 2023.

08:16 EST General Electric CEO: GE, CFM departures close to 90% of 2019 levels - Expects to be back to 2019 levels later this year.

08:14 EST Genetic Technologies presents data on colorectal cancer risk prediction model - Genetic Technologies announces a poster presentation by Dr Erika Spaeth at the prestigious American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastroenterology Cancer Symposium in San Francisco last weekend. The Poster titled "Improvement of a clinical colorectal cancer risk prediction model integrating polygenic risk" was authored by GTG's Science Team including Erika Spaeth, Aviv Gafni, Richard Allman and Gillian Dite. Highlights: The poster demonstrates improved performance, identifying patients at risk of developing colorectal cancer by expanding number of SNPs from 45 to 144. The patients in the top risk category showed a 27% improvement compared with the 45 SNP geneType model. The improved performance was consistent across multiple genetic ancestries, greatly improving the utility of the test leading to increased surveillance in high risk patients. The poster builds on an earlier publication by GTG that validated the geneType model, focusing on its ability to stratify patients at higher risk of developing one of the world's most common cancers. The poster demonstrated a significant improvement in predicting a patient's risk of developing colorectal cancer by expanding the number of genetic markers, commonly called Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms used as an important element of GTG's geneType Risk Assessment Test for colorectal cancer. Simon Morriss, CEO of GTG, added, "The health economics demonstrated by our geneType breast cancer risk assessment test Budget Impact Model provide a pathway to reimbursement for the company's enhanced risk assessment test for colorectal cancer. The team at GTG continue to build a strong, relevant portfolio of risk assessment tests that enable patients, or those individuals with an increased risk of developing disease, to navigate treatment options, implement disease prevention strategies and make lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of disease development."

08:13 EST Cullinan Oncology announces FDA clearance of IND application for CLN-978 - Cullinan Oncology announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, has cleared its Investigational New Drug, IND, application for CLN-978, a CD19/CD3 T-cell engaging antibody construct with a human serum albumin, HSA, binding domain to increase serum half-life. Cullinan Oncology will initially evaluate CLN-978 in a Phase 1 trial for the treatment of relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, B-NHL. "Despite advances for the treatment of B-cell malignancies, substantial unmet need remains for effective treatments. Preclinical evidence has demonstrated a differentiated profile for CLN-978 as it binds with very high affinity to CD19-expressing cells even at barely detectable levels of CD19." said Jeffrey Jones, MD, MPH, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Cullinan Oncology. "Consistent with our mission to create new standards of care for patients with cancer, CLN-978 has the potential to become a best-in-class treatment option for patients with B-cell malignancies by offering a highly potent off-the-shelf treatment that is delivered subcutaneously, resulting in more patient-friendly administration and potentially reduced toxicity. We are proud to advance this program, which came through our internal discovery pipeline and is Cullinan Oncology's fourth clinical-stage asset, and we will be working diligently with investigators to enroll patients in our study." IND submission remains on track for CLN-617 in 1H 2023.

08:12 EST Beam Global receives $847,000 order to power recreational watercraft - Beam Global announced an $847k order for Beam Global's energy storage solutions to power recreational watercraft. The battery packs include Beam's patented PCC thermal management technology for superior safety, higher energy density and longer life. The customer is an American company that designs, assembles and distributes all-electric personal watercraft. "The global market for the electric marine sector is expected to grow over 330% over the next decade. We are confident that marine solutions powered by Beam's advanced battery technology are going to be part of that growth," said Beam Global CEO Desmond Wheatley. "The marine propulsion industry is starting to design seriously for electrification, with an aim to eliminate emissions, reduce water pollution and forge new customer experiences. Tailwinds from the auto industry and increasing government regulations are helping push this market to develop and grow."

08:12 EST Curaleaf expands Grassroots premium cannabis brand to New Jersey - Curaleaf announced the expansion of its Grassroots brand in New Jersey with the launch of premium cannabis flower and pre-rolls. Available now at all Curaleaf locations across the state, New Jersey is the eighth market to offer Grassroots' carefully cultivated products following its strategic national rebrand in November 2022.

08:10 EST Pii congratulates Skye Bioscience for first-in-human Phase 1 trial of SBI-100 - Pharmaceutics International celebrates a first-in-human Phase I clinical study for Skye Bioscience's proprietary, synthetic cannabinoid derivative, SBI-100 Ophthalmic Emulsion, which has been designed to advance a new mechanism of action with potential as a treatment for glaucoma. Increased intraocular pressure is a key risk factor in the progression of glaucoma, an eye disease that leads to blindness. Independent studies have demonstrated that activating the cannabinoid receptor-type 1 in ocular tissue mediates IOP-lowering. Skye's synthetic cannabinoid derivative, a molecule licensed from the University of Mississippi, possesses a novel molecular structure and formulation that was rationally designed to enable effective topical delivery and better penetration of ocular tissue of a CB1R agonist. In preclinical studies involving three different species, a nanoemulsion formulation of Skye's drug applied topically to the eye was effective in lowering IOP and compared favorably to today's standard of care for lowering IOP. Skye initiated its first-in-human Phase 1 clinical study of SBI-100 OE in Australia in November and dosed the first cohort of healthy participants in December. The objective for this randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled, single- and multiple-ascending dose study is to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of SBI-100 OE. Changes in intraocular pressure will also be evaluated. The study will enroll approximately 48 participants. Skye expects to complete enrollment of the study and report data in 2023. Skye is also working to initiate a U.S.-based Phase 2 study in participants with primary open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension in the first half of 2023.

08:09 EST Bowlero CEO sells $2.76M in common stock - In a regulatory filing last night, Bowlero disclosed that its CEO Thomas Shannon sold 200K shares of common stock on January 19th in a total transaction size of $2.76M.

08:09 EST Stevanato teams with Transcoject to provide polymer options for pharma - Stevanato Group announced its latest collaboration with Transcoject , a medical device and pharma packaging solutions company. The collaboration will enable Stevanato Group to add cyclic olefin polymer, COP, and cyclic olefin copolymer, COC,PFS to its existing portfolio of solutions providing added value in the customers' supply chain. By integrating Transcoject's technological know-how with Stevanato Group's capabilities and expertise - in drug containment solutions, manufacturing and market trends - Stevanato Group will be able to offer pre-fillable syringes in glass and in both COP and COC polymers. COP and COC pre-fillable syringes may be usable in a wide range of applications, including sensitive biologics, mRNA vaccines, and hyaluronic acid-based drugs. The products' versatility and customizability can make them ideal for meeting many compliance requirements, and they can be seamlessly integrated into existing fill and finish lines.

08:08 EST Bionano Genomics launches OGM-based LDT for hematological malignancies - Bionano Laboratories announced the launch of OGM-Dx HemeOne, a laboratory developed test based on optical genome mapping analysis of blood or bone marrow samples to detect structural variants of diagnostic and prognostic utility in individuals with a new or an existing diagnosis of a hematological malignancy. Compared to traditional cytogenetic methods, this OGM-based assay offers a streamlined and improved workflow to assess pathogenic SVs relevant to hematological malignancies including Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Acute Myeloid Leukemia, B-Cell Lymphoma, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

08:07 EST Simmons First National increases dividend 5% to 20c per share - Simmons declared a cash dividend on Simmons' Class A common stock for 1Q23 of 20c per share, which represents a 5% increase from the cash dividend paid for the same time period last year. The cash dividend is payable on April 3, 2023, to shareholders of record as of March 15, 2023.

08:07 EST Univar named as distributor for Dow's acrylic emulsion polymer products - Univar Solutions B.V., a subsidiary of Univar Solutions (UNVR), announced the company has been named as a distributor for Dow's (DOW) acrylic emulsion polymer products included in the PRIMAL and UCAR LATEX brand portfolios in the United Kingdom and Ireland. PRIMAL and UCAR LATEX products are used in construction for improving the properties of cementitious as well as non-cementitious applications.

08:06 EST BioAffinity publishes results of trial for non-invasive diagnostic CyPath Lung - bioAffinity Technologies announced publication of "Detection of early-stage lung cancer in sputum using automated flow cytometry and machine learning" detailing results of the Company's clinical trial for its non-invasive diagnostic CyPath Lung in Respiratory Research, one of the leading peer-reviewed open access journals in the field of respiratory medicine. CyPath Lung showed 92% sensitivity and 87% specificity in high-risk patients who had nodules smaller than 20 millimeters or no nodules in the lung, with an area under the ROC curve of 94%. Overall, the test resulted in specificity of 88% and sensitivity of 82%, similar to far more invasive procedures currently used to diagnose lung cancer. More than half of those in the cancer cohort had early Stage I or II lung cancer. CyPath Lung detected multiple forms of cancer including adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and small cell lung cancer.

08:04 EST CymaBay up 11% at $7.32 after pricing stock offering above prior close

08:03 EST Finch Therapeutics to reduce workforce by 95% - As a result of the discontinuation decision, Finch is reducing its workforce by approximately 95%. The majority of impacted roles will end in February 2023, while some roles are expected to be maintained into May 2023 to support the Company's new focus and continued evaluation of opportunities to create value for shareholders.

08:02 EST Kura Oncology jumps 6% to $14.85 as FDA clears its IND application for KO-2806

07:48 EST Union Pacific reports Q4 operating ratio 61% - In Q4: Operating revenue of $6.2B was up 8% driven by higher fuel surcharge revenue, core pricing gains, and volume growth, partially offset by a negative business mix. Business volumes, as measured by total revenue carloads, were up 1%. Union Pacific's 61.0% operating ratio deteriorated 360 basis points. Falling fuel prices late in the quarter positively impacted the operating ratio by 20 basis points. Operating income of $2.4B declined 1%. The company repurchased 3.5M shares in fourth quarter 2022 at an aggregate cost of $0.7B.

07:47 EST Union Pacific expects 2023 carloads to exceed Industrial Production - 2023 Guidance: Full year carloads to exceed Industrial Production; Current Industrial Production forecast: -0.5%; Full year operating ratio improvement; Pricing dollars in excess of inflation dollars; Capital Allocation: Capital spending less than 15% of revenue; Capital plan of $3.6B; Long term dividend payout target of ~45% of earnings; Excess cash to share repurchases.

07:42 EST KemPharm CEO says positioned for 'continued growth' - KemPharm announced that Richard Pascoe, CEO of KemPharm, has issued a Letter to Shareholders. The letter read in part, "This is a very exciting time in the growth of KemPharm and our strategic transformation into a leading rare disease company. The numerous accomplishments in 2022 and prior have set the stage for us to achieve multiple milestones during 2023 as we advance our arimoclomol and KP1077 programs towards key inflection points that have the potential to position us for success in fulfilling our mission to become a commercially-focused rare disease company. Since the beginning of the year, we have made several enhancements to the leadership team that are squarely focused on enhancing shareholder value as we seek to secure regulatory approval for our pipeline assets, build top-tier commercial capabilities, and enhance our pipeline through targeted business development transactions. With the senior team firmly in place and focused on achieving our key objectives, I am confident that we will deliver value in 2023 and beyond...Our goals as a company, and as a leadership team, are two-fold. First, we seek to improve the lives of patients by developing novel therapeutics for rare diseases where there are no treatments, or where current treatment options are insufficient. Second, we must drive value for our shareholders. I believe these are two sides of the same coin. If we are successful in these endeavors, which I firmly believe we will be, and we do so by carefully managing our resources, then we will have delivered on our mission to provide value to both patients and shareholders...For 2023, KemPharm is focused on four key areas for arimoclomol: The resubmission of the NDA to the FDA targeted to be filed as early as the third quarter of 2023; Supporting the continuation of the EAPs in the various countries where it has been available; Identifying a regulatory path forward with the European Medicines Agency; and Building the commercial infrastructure needed to support an ultra-rare disease product...As announced in December 2022, KemPharm initiated the Phase 2 clinical trial investigating KP1077 as a treatment for idiopathic hypersomnia. This was a significant clinical milestone for KemPharm and provides a springboard for several value creating events during the year, including: Interim Phase 2 KP1077 IH efficacy and safety data as early as the third quarter of 2023 and full Phase 2 data by year end 2023; and Potential to advance KP1077 directly into phase 3 studies in narcolepsy as early as prior to year-end 2023 based on previous Phase 1 studies of serdexmethylphenidate, the sole pharmaceutical agent in KP1077, and learnings from the ongoing Phase 2 study in IH...We believe KemPharm is stronger today than it has been at any point since its inception. We possess a diverse product pipeline led by arimoclomol and KP1077, and supported by the ongoing commercialization of AZSTARYS by our partner, Corium, Inc. Supporting our strategic and pipeline development efforts is a strong financial foundation, bolstered by $102.9 million in cash, cash equivalents and long-term investments as of December 31, 2022. Unlike many development-stage biopharmaceutical companies, we believe our balance sheet provides the ability to pursue our strategic and product development objectives while also seeking external business development opportunities aligned with our strategic pivot to a fully integrated commercial company. Given this, and based on our current operating forecast, we expect available capital will allow us to pursue our development plans and extend our cash runway into 2026. In closing, we believe the numerous milestone opportunities anticipated for 2023 and beyond will position KemPharm for continued growth as we focus on bringing much-needed therapies to patients with rare diseases."

07:38 EST PyroGenesis announces approval of NexGen facility by global aerospace client - PyroGenesis Canada announces that, further to its press releases dated September 21, 2022 and November 2, 2022, all of the findings and recommendations made by a leading global aerospace company, as part of their on-site audit of PyroGenesis' NexGen metal powder production facility have been successfully completed and accepted. Now that the Client has approved and accepted PyroGenesis' NexGen manufacturing process, the next and final step is to provide sample titanium metal powder from the newly approved NexGen manufacturing process. "The Client is a very discerning aerospace company with some of the most stringent and demanding standards. As such, we are very proud to have gained their confidence and to be moving forward to the final phase," said Mr. Massimo Dattilo, VP PyroGenesis Additive. "We have methodically completed all steps in the client's on-site quality audit, leaving only the verification of the chemical and mechanical properties of PyroGenesis' plasma atomized metal powders as the last step. We believe the difficult part is now behind us, and we are looking forward to the prospect of becoming a fully-fledged approved supplier of titanium powder to one of the largest potential clients in North America. Once an approved supplier, PyroGenesis Additive could also supply their service centers."

07:35 EST Lockheed Martin CEO says 'stronger than expected finish to the year' - "Lockheed Martin's stronger than expected finish to the year demonstrated the company's reliability and resiliency to meet commitments in challenging environments, while leading the industry's critical security advancements for our nation and allies," said Chairman, President and CEO James Taiclet. "Our ongoing expansion of 21st Century capabilities and commercial partnerships are delivering deterrence solutions and value enhancing growth opportunities across our businesses. As we track toward our objective of growth resumption in 2024, we will continue to execute our dynamic and disciplined capital allocation program, by reinvesting in our business and pursuing growth opportunities, and returning capital to shareholders. We remain confident in our plans to enable our customers to stay ahead of ready and to deliver sustainable economic value."

07:33 EST The Real Brokerage enhances revenue share plan to incentivize growth - The Real Brokerage announced that it is enhancing its revenue share program to give its agents the choice to partner to bring new agents into the company. Real's Co-Sponsored Revenue Share program, which launches February 1, throughout the U.S and Canada, is designed to break down silos and encourage collaboration as the company continues its rapid expansion. It is believed to be the first of its kind in the industry. Until now, an agent joining Real was able to name only one sponsor, an existing Real agent who would receive a portion of the brokerage's share of the agent's commission split on the completion of a real estate transaction. Under the new program, an agent can be sponsored by up to two agents, with each agent sharing equally in a portion of Real's split of the commission. "Our existing agents are our biggest source for attracting new agent talent. They are the reason we more than doubled our agent count in 2022," said Real Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tamir Poleg. "At the same time, we are mindful of our overarching goal of building a culture that rewards both production as well as collaboration. Incentivizing agents to work together to recruit new team members aligns with our core values and will lead to increased teamwork and community-building beyond an individual's established network. We believe that a culture built on economics can be very successful, but a culture based on economics and collaboration grows exponentially."

07:33 EST Lockheed Martin sees FY23 cash from operations greater than, equal to $8.15B - Sees FY23 free cash flow greater than, equal to $6.2B.

07:32 EST Kura Oncology announces FDA clearance of IND application for KO-2806 - Kura Oncology announced the clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, of the Investigational New Drug, IND, application for KO-2806, the Company's next-generation farnesyl transferase inhibitor (FTI), for the treatment of advanced solid tumors. The Company intends to evaluate safety, tolerability and preliminary antitumor activity of KO-2806 in a Phase 1 first-in-human study as a monotherapy and in combination with other targeted therapies. "Although we have seen significant advances in the development of targeted therapies for the treatment of various solid tumors, the reality is that most patients still eventually develop resistance and their cancer progresses on therapy," said Troy Wilson, Ph.D., J.D., President & Chief Executive Officer of Kura Oncology. "Over the past several years, we have pioneered the development of farnesyl transferase inhibitors as combination agents to prevent or delay emergence of resistance to certain classes of targeted therapy. Clearance of the IND for KO-2806 marks an important next step for this program, and we look forward to starting the Phase 1 study later this year." The Company expects to initiate the Phase 1 study in the third quarter of 2023.

07:15 EST HyreCar launches HyreCar Select program - HyreCar announced the launch of HyreCar Select, a program where existing and new owners can list and rent higher-value cars through the platform. Previously, vehicle owners on the HyreCar platform were limited to listing standard vehicle offerings such as the Toyota Prius, Nissan Altima, and Hyundai Elantra.The program is being launched concurrently with new risk-mitigation initiatives that allow the company to better identify and qualify drivers at the point of registration as well as based on platform behavior and rental history. Eligibility for HyreCar Select vehicles will be limited to those drivers who qualify based on set criteria.The program will launch in California and Georgia followed by additional states in the coming weeks.

07:14 EST American Lithium announces royalty buyback at TLC Lithium Project - American Lithium entered into an agreement with Nevada Alaska Mining Co. Inc., an arms-length party, to buy back the remaining one percent gross overriding royalty on the Company's wholly owned TLC Lithium Project located in the Esmerelda lithium district northwest of Tonopah, Nevada. Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, American Lithium will issue 950,000 common shares in the capital of the Company to Nevada Alaska Mining Co. Inc. The Shares will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day in accordance with applicable securities laws. The acquisition of the Royalty, and issuance of the Shares, remains subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

07:12 EST SkyWater Technology announces strategic partnership with Vorago Technologies - SkyWater Technology announced a strategic partnership with VORAGO Technologies, effectively moving VORAGO's fabrication efforts stateside to SkyWater's DMEA-accredited Category 1A Trusted Foundry. The partnership is based on SkyWater implementing VORAGO's patented HARDSIL technology, which is a cost-effective semiconductor processing method that enables devices to operate at higher temperature and radiation levels. With this implementation, HARDSIL will be available to SkyWater customers as a design-enabled processing method for new or existing designs without any impact on die size, specification, and without redesign. HARDSIL will enhance SkyWater's bulk 90 nm CMOS process for commercial use in space, aviation, industrial, and medical applications that require higher levels of radiation tolerance.

07:11 EST Streamline Health signs new contract for Streamline Health eValuator - Streamline Health Solutions announced it has signed a contract with a 450-bed, Epic-EHR based health system based in Virginia. The organization will use eValuator's automated pre-bill coding analysis technology to help improve revenue integrity and financial performance from inpatient and outpatient encounters. "We are thrilled to have another health system entrust us with optimizing their coding integrity prior to billing," said Ben Stilwill, President, Streamline Health. "This is yet another milestone in our mission to help healthcare providers ensure they're paid accurately for all services provided."

07:10 EST Can-Fite says Namodenoson significantly inhibits growth of pancreatic carcinoma - Can-Fite BioPharma announced that its anti-cancer drug Namodenoson significantly inhibits the growth of pancreatic carcinoma as a stand-alone treatment. In combination with the leading chemotherapy used in pancreatic cancer, gemcitabine, Namodenoson demonstrated a significant additive effect. These pre-clinical studies were conducted on advanced pancreatic carcinoma patient cells. Namodenoson's molecular mechanism of action in pancreatic cancer involves the regulation of the NF-B /IB /STAT3-mediated pathway. Namodenoson is currently being evaluated in a pivotal Phase III study in advanced liver cancer and has completely cleared cancer in an advanced liver cancer patient who remains cancer-free 6 years after starting treatment. Based on these findings, Can-Fite has filed a patent application that covers the use of Namodenoson for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

07:07 EST Main Street makes follow-on investment in Gamber-Johnson - Main Street completed a follow-on investment in an existing portfolio company. Main Street, along with its co-investor, made the follow-on investment in Gamber-Johnson to support the company's acquisition of Lind Electronic Design. Founded in 1954 and headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Lind is a manufacturer and supplier of rugged mobile power solutions to the public safety, U.S. Military and warehousing industries. Lind's product offering includes rugged mobile power adapters, battery chargers, USB adapters, shutdown timers and cabling. Main Street, along with its co-investor, facilitated the transaction, with Main Street's follow-on investment consisting of an additional $40.0M first lien, senior secured term debt investment. This follow-on investment represents Main Street's fifth follow-on investment in the company after initially partnering with the company's management team to acquire the company in June 2016.

07:07 EST Verizon reports Q4 wireless postpaid phone net additions of 217,000 - Total wireless service revenue of $18.8 billion, a 5.9 percent increase year over year. Postpaid phone net additions of 217,000, and retail postpaid net additions of 1,434,000, which was the best single quarter performance in seven years. Full-year 2022 retail postpaid net additions were 2,605,000, an increase of 23.2 percent from full-year 2021. This success was driven by strong fixed wireless momentum, tablet and wearables adoption and sequential improvement in phone net additions. Total retail postpaid churn of 1.14 percent, and retail postpaid phone churn3 of 0.89 percent.

07:05 EST Tonix Pharmaceuticals announces publication of paper on TNX-3400 platform - Tonix Pharmaceuticals announced the publication of a paper entitled, "Development of a rapid image-based high-content imaging screening assay to evaluate therapeutic antibodies against the monkeypox virus," in the journal Antiviral Research. The publication describes the development and optimization of two high-content image-based assays that were employed to screen for potential therapeutic antibodies against the monkeypox virus using surrogate poxviruses such as vaccinia virus. The article highlights Tonix's TNX-3400 platform, which includes antibodies to potentially prevent or treat monkeypox and smallpox. "The article describes how we optimized and standardized two high-content high-throughput image-based assays. The first assay was a neutralizing assay which detected viral proteins of vaccinia virus... The second assay specifically detected phenotype changes in cells, called syncytia, after infection" said Sina Bavari, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Tonix Pharmaceuticals and site director of the RDC."The neutralizing assay identified several antibodies with the capacity to protect against vaccinia virus infection. We believe this technology will allow us to identify combination therapies for monkeypox and smallpox viruses which was difficult to achieve before. Furthermore, our data suggest that applying this technology has the potential to increase the throughput of screening novel antivirals to shorten the discovery time for antivirals."

07:05 EST Cambridge Bancorp increases dividend 5% to 67c per share - Cambridge Bancorp declared a quarterly cash dividend of 67c per share, payable on February 23 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 9. This represents an increase of 3c, or 5%, vs. the 64c dividend paid in 4Q22.

07:03 EST PolyPid provides regulatory update for D-PLEX100 - PolyPid provided a positive regulatory update for D-PLEX100 for the prevention of abdominal colorectal surgical site infections, SSIs. Following a recent type D meeting communication with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, on the SHIELD I Phase 3 data, the Company now has clarity regarding the regulatory pathway toward a potential New Drug Application, NDA, submission. PolyPid provided to the FDA currently available data from the SHIELD I study evaluating D-PLEX100 for the prevention of abdominal colorectal SSIs. Based on the data, particularly the 54% reduction observed in the primary endpoint in complex surgeries in a pre-specified subgroup analysis of patients with large incisions compared to standard of care, the FDA acknowledged that the SHIELD I results may provide supportive evidence on this population and recommended that the Company conduct an additional study to support a potential NDA submission. "We are pleased with the outcome of our recent interactions with the FDA and are grateful to the Agency for their supportive feedback," stated Ms. Dikla Czaczkes Akselbrad, PolyPid's Chief Executive Officer. "We now have a clear regulatory pathway for the possible approval of D-PLEX100 in United States, and we remain highly confident in the potential of our promising late-stage product candidate. We are focused on evaluating the most appropriate measures to implement the FDA's recommendations and are also preparing for near-term interactions with the EU regulatory authorities regarding D-PLEX100. We look forward to providing further clinical and regulatory updates on both U.S. and European markets."

07:01 EST Decibel Therapeutics announces approval of CTA by U.K. MHRA for DB-OTO - Decibel Therapeutics announced authorization of its Clinical Trial Application, CTA, by the United Kingdom, U.K., Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, MHRA, to initiate a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in pediatric patients of DB-OTO, its lead gene therapy product candidate. DB-OTO is being developed in collaboration with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and is a cell-selective adeno-associated virus gene therapy designed to provide durable hearing in individuals with profound, congenital hearing loss caused by mutations of the otoferlin gene. "This CTA marks the second regulatory clearance for DB-OTO and what we believe to be the first in Europe for any gene therapy targeting otoferlin. This is an important milestone as we execute our international clinical development strategy, which addresses pediatric patients of diverse ages, including infants two years of age and younger," said Laurence Reid, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at Decibel. "We believe DB-OTO has transformative potential for individuals with otoferlin-related hearing loss, and we intend to initiate the clinical trial in the first half of 2023. We expect to share initial data from the first cohort of patients in the first quarter of 2024."

06:54 EST Avino Silver & Gold Mines sees FY23 production 700,000-750,000 tons - The company said, "For 2023, approximately 700,000-750,000 tons are planned for mill processing and will be sourced from both the Avino Mine and stockpiles from La Preciosa. Based on current metal prices, the Company expects to produce between 2.8M and 3.2M silver equivalent ounces1. In addition, the Company aims to exceed the budgeted plans for 2023 through the integration of La Preciosa into the mill feed mix."

06:46 EST Halliburton raises quarterly dividend 33% to 16c per share - Payable on March 29 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 1.

06:39 EST Largo Inc. sees 2023 vanadium pentoxide equivalent production K-12K tons - Sees 2023 vanadium pentoxide - V205 - sales of 10,300-11,300 tons.

06:38 EST Genmab announces 2022 net sales of DARZALEX $7.98B - Genmab (GMAB) announced that worldwide net trade sales of DARZALEX, including sales of the subcutaneous product, as reported by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) were $7.977B in 2022. Net trade sales were $4.21B in the U.S. and $3.767B in the rest of the world. Genmab receives royalties on the worldwide net sales of DARZALEX, both the intravenous and SC products, under the exclusive worldwide license to Janssen to develop, manufacture and commercialize daratumumab.

06:29 EST General Electric sees FY23 Aerospace organic revenue growth mid to high teens - Sees FY23 Aerospace operating profit $5.3B-$5.7B, with FCF up. For Renewable Energy, sees mid single digit growth in organic revenue, with "significantly better" operating profit, and flat to improving FCF. For Power, sees low single digit growth in organic revenue, with slightly better operating profit and lower FCF.

06:26 EST GE to provide additional details on 2023 outlook at March 9 investor conference

06:20 EST American Strategic Investment Co. commences rights offering for common stock - American Strategic Investment Co. commenced an offering of shares of its Class A common stock, par value 1c per share through a rights offering. The company distributed to all holders of record of its Common Stock on January 12 for each share of the Common Stock held as of the Record Date, one non-transferable subscription right to purchase 0.20130805 of a share of Common Stock, at a subscription price of $12.95 per whole share. Any fractional shares of the common stock that would remain after the exercise of the subscription rights will be rounded down to the nearest whole share, and any excess payments in respect thereof will be returned. Holders of at least five shares of common stock will have the opportunity to participate in the rights offering and subscribe for newly issued shares of common stock. To the extent that not all holders fully exercise their rights, those holders that do fully exercise will also have the option to purchase additional shares through an oversubscription option. The company intends to use the net proceeds from the Rights Offering for general corporate purposes. The rights offering will expire at 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on February 22, unless extended.

05:57 EST AmerisourceBergen plans to change name to Cencora - AmerisourceBergen plans to change its name to Cencora in an effort to expand outside the U.S. and beyond drug distribution, the company announced. It said: "Cencora combines resources for broader equity, sustainablity, and impact in healthcare. The name is inspired by our customers, their patients, and our 44,000+ team members across the globe who are central to everything we do." Reference Link

05:17 EST Hyatt enters management agreement for Hotel Toranomon Hills in Japan - Hyatt Hotels announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered in a management agreement with a Mori Building affiliate for Hotel Toranomon Hills, which will be located at the heart of Tokyo's emerging business center as part of the new Toranomon Hills Station Tower. Slated to open in late 2023, the 205-luxury hotel will debut The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand in Tokyo and will mark the second hotel within The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand in Japan, further demonstrating Hyatt's intentional brand growth in the Asia Pacific region.

05:09 EST Amazon launches RxPass benefit to Prime members for $5 per month subscription - Amazon announced RxPass, a new Prime membership benefit from Amazon Pharmacy that offers patients access to commonly prescribed generic medications that treat more than 80 common health conditions. With RxPass, Prime members can receive all of their eligible medications for one flat, monthly fee of $5, and have them delivered free of charge. There are no hidden fees and no markups to the $5 per month subscription. RxPass is available starting today in most U.S. states. The company said, "Amazon Pharmacy offers choice and convenience, whether customers are paying with insurance or not. When not using insurance, Prime members now have two innovative, affordable options to pay for prescription medications. Prime members who typically take two or more medications per month to manage chronic or ongoing health conditions could save significant time and money with the $5 a month RxPass subscription. Alternately, Prime members can save with the Prime prescription savings benefit-available for no additional fee-to get discounts up to 80% off generic and 40% off brand name medications at more than 60,000 participating pharmacies nationwide, including Amazon Pharmacy and the PillPack by Amazon Pharmacy service. Amazon Pharmacy and PillPack by Amazon Pharmacy also welcome most health insurance plans, and offer low, transparent pricing for customers who use insurance to pay for their prescription medications. In addition, customers may use their HSA or FSA accounts when not paying with RxPass."