Stockwinners Market Radar for March 22, 2023 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:13 EDT Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 194K shares of Teladoc today

19:05 EDT Applied Materials exec sells $3.67M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Applied Materials disclosed that its CTO Omkaram Nalamasu sold 29.4K shares of common stock on March 20th in a total transaction size of $3.67M.

18:20 EDT GM says sixth generation Chevrolet Camaro to retire at conclusion of 2024 - General Motors said that the sixth generation Chevrolet Camaro will retire at the conclusion of model year 2024.The final sixth generation Camaros will come off the assembly line at the Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in Michigan in January 2024. "As we prepare to say goodbye to the current generation Camaro, it is difficult to overstate our gratitude to every Camaro customer, Camaro assembly line employee and race fan," said Scott Bell, vice president, Global Chevrolet. "While we are not announcing an immediate successor today, rest assured, this is not the end of Camaro's story." Reference Link

18:03 EDT Coinbase says 'we are confident in the legality of our assets and services' - In a blog post, Coinbase said, in part, "Today, the SEC gave Coinbase a 'Wells notice' regarding an undefined portion of our listed digital assets, our staking service Coinbase Earn, Coinbase Prime, and Coinbase Wallet after a cursory investigation. We are prepared for this disappointing outcome. We are confident in the legality of our assets and services, and if needed, we welcome a legal process to provide the clarity we have been advocating for and to demonstrate that the SEC simply has not been fair or reasonable when it comes to its engagement on digital assets. Rest assured, Coinbase products and services continue to operate as usual - today's news does not require any changes to our current products or services." Reference Link

17:57 EDT Correction: Tradeweb Markets CEO Hult did not sell $5.6M in company shares

17:55 EDT Best Buy CEO sells $1.99M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Best Buy disclosed that its CEO Corie Barry sold 25.5K shares of common stock on March 21st in a total transaction size of $1.99M.

17:43 EDT Raytheon Technologies awarded $234.07M Navy contract modification - Raytheon was awarded a $234.07M firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract to exercise options for the Over-the-Horizon Weapon System. Work is expected to be completed by March 2027. FY23 procurement funds in the amount of $166.25M; FY23 weapons procurement funds in the amount of $53.91M; FY23 other procurement funds in the amount of $3.07M; FY23 shipbuilding and conversion funds in the amount of $1.07M; FY22 shipbuilding and conversion funds in the amount of $889,400 and FY21 shipbuilding and conversion funds in the amount of $889,400, will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command is the contracting activity.

17:34 EDT Coinbase falls 7% to $71.70 after announcing Wells Notice from SEC

17:32 EDT Coinbase receives Wells Notice from SEC - In a regulatory filing, On March 22, Coinbase Global received a "Wells Notice" from the Staff of the SEC stating that the Staff has advised the company that it made a "preliminary determination" to recommend that the SEC file an enforcement action against the company alleging violations of the federal securities laws, including the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Based on discussions with the Staff, the company believes these potential enforcement actions would relate to aspects of the company's spot market, staking service Coinbase Earn, Coinbase Prime and Coinbase Wallet. The potential civil action may seek injunctive relief, disgorgement, and civil penalties.

17:26 EDT Cidara Therapeutics and Melinta Therapeutics' Rezzayo approved by FDA - Cidara Therapeutics and Melinta Therapeutics announced that the FDA approved Rezzayo for injection for the treatment of candidemia and invasive candidiasis in adults with limited or no alternative treatment options. Rezzayo is the first new treatment option approved for patients with candidemia and invasive candidiasis in over a decade. In clinical studies, Rezzayo , dosed once-weekly, met the FDA and EMA primary endpoints, demonstrating statistical non-inferiority versus caspofungin, a current once-daily standard of care. In addition, overall rates of adverse events and serious adverse events were comparable in patients receiving Rezzayo and caspofungin, while rates of adverse events leading to study drug discontinuation were also similar for Rezzayo and caspofungin. Last year, Melinta had acquired the exclusive rights to commercialize Rezzayo in the U.S. from Cidara. Cidara retains the rights to rezafungin in Japan and has licensed the commercial rights to Melinta Therapeutics in the U.S. and Mundipharma in all other geographies. The EMA accepted the marketing authorization application for rezafungin in August 2022 and it is currently under review.

17:25 EDT KB Home sees Q2 housing revenue at $1.35B-$1.50B

17:17 EDT Chewy says closing two oldest non-automated fulfillment centers - Says the supply chain transformation initiatives that the company began in 2021 have helped expand gross margin. Says made the decision to close two oldest non-automated fulfillment centers. Says this action will enable incremental order volume to flow through automated facilities, which will allow the company to realize approximately 50 basis points of additional SG&A leverage in 2023. Says on track to open fourth automated facility in Nashville in the first half of this year. Says in 2023 expects to continue benefiting from the strategic investments made just a few years ago in warehouse automation. Says actively building the capabilities and team to launch our first international market over the next few quarters. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

17:15 EDT KB Home says encouraged with recent order trends - CEO Jeffrey Mezger says: "Our strategic goal continues to be a monthly absorption pace of between 4 and 5 net orders per community, which we think we will achieve for the second quarter resulting in a projected range of between 3,000 and 3,700 net orders. At the midpoint, this will represent a net order decline of 14% year-over-year. Our backlog at the end of the first quarter stood at over 7,000 homes valued at over $3.3 billion. This position will continue to provide consistency in deliveries and margins and supports our revenue projection for the year. During the quarter, we started 1,500 homes and ended the quarter with roughly 7,400 homes in production, of which 77% are sold. We are ramping up our starts in the second quarter as we continue to balance starts with sales and as we look ahead to year-end deliveries."

17:09 EDT KB Home says demographics are strong underpinnings for demand - CEO Jeffrey Mezger says: "The long-term outlook for the housing market remains favorable. As we have said in the past, the demographics of the millennials and Gen Zs are advantageous for our business as our primary buyer segments are first time and first move-up buyers. While these demographics are a strong underpinning for demand, we are also still facing low levels of inventory especially at our price points. Just yesterday, February resales were reported, representing the first sequential increase in activity in 13 months, leaving resale inventory levels at 2.6 months supply. At the same time, new home inventory continues to be limited. As to our orders, demand in the back half of our first quarter improved significantly with a sequential increase in net orders in both January and February... More stable mortgage rate environment during January and February, where rates have settled into a low to mid-6% range was also beneficial in moving potential homebuyers off the sidelines. Buyers seem to be acknowledging that these higher rates are the new normal as they return to the market." Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

17:06 EDT Acreage requires additional time to complete Q4 and FY22 financial statements - Acreage Holdings announced it requires additional time to complete its financial statements and the disclosures required for its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2022 . As a result, the Company will not release its financial results after market close on March 22, , or host a conference call the following day on March 23. The Company will provide an update regarding its Q4 2022 and FY 2022 financial reporting in due course.

16:53 EDT SQZ Biotechnologies' HPV candidate provokes first complete response in HPV tumor - SQZ Biotechnologies announced that a confirmed complete response was observed in the first patient in the lowest-dose cohort of the Phase 1 SQZ-AAC-HPV-101 clinical trial. The company has decided to continue to enroll patients in the SQZ-AAC-HPV-101 clinical trial. The patient is a 61-year-old male with a history of metastatic HPV16+ rectal squamous cell carcinoma. The patient remains on study and the treatment has been well tolerated to date. The second and third patients have also been enrolled in the trial. The company has completed the dose-limiting toxicity period for the lowest-dose cohort. The Study Safety Committee recommends that the company enroll patients in the highest-dose cohort. The company anticipates initial clinical data from the highest-dose cohort by Q4.

16:49 EDT Phreesia falls 3% to $32.50 after Q4 earnings miss, below-consensus guidance

16:44 EDT Stagwell CEO sells $1.96M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Stagwell disclosed that its CEO Mark Penn sold 304.6K shares of common stock on March 22nd in a total transaction size of $1.96M.

16:41 EDT Genuine Parts announces strategic partnership with Google Cloud - Genuine Parts (GPC) announced that it has selected Google Cloud (GOOGL) as the innovation partner to support its business transformation and further improve the customer experience. GPC will utilize Google Cloud's full spectrum of services to modernize digital, store, supply chain and advanced data and analytics platforms to deliver an enhanced customer experience and increase speed to market of customer facing capabilities. The company expects to leverage Google Cloud offerings to optimize the technology infrastructure supporting over 10,000 stores and fulfillment centers globally. Advanced data and analytics platforms will also enable supply chain modernization around inventory visibility, facility productivity and logistics. "As we invest in technology to modernize our business capabilities and strengthen the foundations for operational excellence and profitable growth, we couldn't be more pleased than to partner with Google Cloud," said Naveen Krishna, Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Digital Officer, GPC. "Google Cloud will play a critical role in accelerating our business transformation and innovation."

16:30 EDT PNC Financial raises prime lending rate to 8.00%, effective March 23

16:30 EDT Regions Bank raises prime lending rate to 8% from 7.75% - Regions Bank announced it is increasing the Regions prime lending rate to 8.00% from 7.75%, effective Thursday, March 23, 2023.

16:27 EDT Steelcase spikes 13% higher after reporting quarterly results and guidance

16:23 EDT Citibank raised its base lending rate to 8% from 7.75% - Citibank, N.A. said it has raised its base lending rate to 8.00% from 7.75%, effective tomorrow, Thursday, March 23, 2023.

16:18 EDT Fitch downgrades First Republic's IDR to 'B' from 'BB' - Fitch Ratings has downgraded First Republic Bank's Long-Term Issuer Default Rating, or IDR, to 'B' from 'BB'. The Rating Watch Negative is maintained on FRC's ratings. This follows Fitch's recent action "Fitch Downgrades First Republic to 'BB'; Places Ratings on Negative Watch" published on fitchratings.com on March 14. "The downgrade reflects the current financial profile and challenges FRC faces from both a funding and earnings perspective. The bank's funding mix has materially altered over the last two weeks as withdrawn deposits have been replaced with costly wholesale borrowings, primarily from the Fed Discount Window," Fitch stated.

16:14 EDT KB Home jumps 8% to $39.70 after Q1 earnings beat

16:14 EDT Cardlytics CFO Andy Christiansen to resign - Cardlytics announced that Andy Christiansen, CFO, informed the company on March 17 that he is resigning from his position effective July 21. Christiansen will remain in his position during the transition period. Christiansen will step down from his role after more than three years as CFO and over eight years in all with the company. Cardlytics has retained an executive search firm to assist in conducting a comprehensive search process to identify Christiansen's successor.

16:11 EDT KB Home board authorizes $500M buyback

16:10 EDT Associated Banc-Corp increases prime rate to 8% - Associated Banc-Corp has increased the bank's prime rate from 7.75% to 8.00%, effective March 22.

16:03 EDT Phreesia names Balaji Gandhi as new CFO - Phreesia "announced the appointment of Balaji Gandhi as Phreesia's CFO. Gandhi will succeed Randy Rasmussen, effective March 24, 2023. Rasmussen will serve as a Strategic Advisor to the Company for a period of time, to facilitate a smooth transition of his responsibilities. Gandhi has over 25 years of experience as an operating executive with healthcare services and technology companies and as an investment research analyst following the space. He joined Phreesia in 2019 in preparation for its initial public offering and most recently served as Senior Vice President, Investor Relations, and a member of the executive leadership team."

16:00 EDT Santander Bank raises prime rate to 8% from 7.75% - Santander Bank, N.A. announced it has raised its prime rate from 7.75% to 8.0%, effective March 22, 2023.

15:42 EDT KeyCorp raises prime lending rate to 8.00% from 7.75%, effective March 23

14:04 EDT Fifth Third to increase prime lending rate to 8.00% - Fifth Third Bank, National Association, announced it will increase its prime lending rate to 8.00%, effective immediately.

13:53 EDT North American rail traffic down 6.9% for the week ending March 18 - The Association of American Railroads, AAR, reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 18. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 453,500 carloads and intermodal units, down 9.4% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending March 18 were 227,454 carloads, down 2.7% compared with the same week in 2022, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 226,046 containers and trailers, down 15.2% compared to 2022. North American rail volume for the week ending March 18, on 12 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 328,408 carloads, up 0% compared with the same week last year, and 300,200 intermodal units, down 13.5% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 628,608 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.9%. North American rail volume for the first 11 weeks of 2023 was 7,013,479 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.3% compared with 2022. Publicly traded companies in the space include CSX (CSX), Canadian National (CNI), Canadian Pacific (CP), Kansas City Southern (KSU), Norfolk Southern (NSC), Union Pacific (UNP), Trinity Industries (TRN), Greenbrier (GBX). FreightCar America (RAIL) and Wabtec (WAB). Reference Link

13:46 EDT Calcimedica Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

13:18 EDT Incyte announces FDA accelerated approval of Zynyz - Incyte announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Zynyz, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting programmed death receptor-1, for the treatment of adults with metastatic or recurrent locally advanced Merkel cell carcinoma, or MCC. The Biologics License Application, or BLA, for Zynyz for this indication has been approved under accelerated approval by the U.S. FDA based on tumor response rate and duration of response, or DOR, the company noted. "Continued approval of Zynyz for this indication may be contingent on verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials," Incyte said. "Zynyz offers patients and healthcare professionals an additional first-line anti-PD-1 option for patients with metastatic or recurrent locally advanced MCC, which can be a challenging and aggressive disease to treat. Incyte is grateful to the investigators and patients around the world who participated in the POD1UM-201 trial. We continue to study the potential of Zynyz in additional tumor types and in combination with other Incyte pipeline compounds," said Herve Hoppenot, Chief Executive Officer, Incyte.

13:14 EDT Major Carvana bondholders reportedly to oppose restructuring plan - Carvana shares, which had jumped as much as 29%, have pared gains to about 9% on Wednesday following a Bloomberg report saying that a group of funds holding most of Carvana's more than $5 billion in bonds will oppose a restructuring plan that the online auto seller wants as a way to rein in its debt load. Carvana said Wednesday it would offer to exchange as much as $1 billion of its unsecured bonds at discount prices in an effort to extend looming repayment deadlines. Bondholders that banded together late last year to negotiate with Carvana see the new proposal as a nonstarter, Bloomberg's Eliza Ronalds-Hannon and Rachel Butt reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Together, the group holds more than 80% of Carvana's debt, putting it in a position to block debt restructuring efforts. Reference Link

13:00 EDT Protagenic Therapeutics to effect 1-for-4 reverse stock split - Protagenic Therapeutics announced that the company's Board of Directors has approved a 1-for-4 reverse stock split of the company's issued and outstanding common stock. The company elaborated that following shareholder approval at the Annual Meeting of the stockholders held on November 23, 2022 granting the Board the authority to effect a reverse split if necessary to comply with Nasdaq Rule 5550(a)(2) regarding minimum bid price, the company's Board of Directors has approved a 1-for-4 reverse stock split of the company's issued and outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share effective upon the related Amendment to the company's Third Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation becoming effective pursuant to Delaware law. Beginning with the opening of trading on or about March 23, 2023, the company's Common Stock will trade on the Nasdaq on a split-adjusted basis under the new CUSIP number 74365N202 and will continue to trade under the symbol "PTIX."

12:21 EDT GE, Svante enter collaboration to develop carbon capture technology - GE Gas Power and Svante announced a joint development agreement to develop and evaluate solid sorbent-based carbon capture technology for natural gas power generation applications. In addition, GE has made an equity investment in Svante as a part of Svante's $318M Series E fundraising round in December 2022.

12:02 EDT Albemarle announces lithium Mega-Flex processing facility in South Carolina - Albemarle Corporation announced plans to locate its previously announced lithium hydroxide Mega-Flex facility in Chester County, South Carolina. Plans for the facility include an initial investment of at least $1.3B to help meet the surging demand for domestic and international electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries. The term Mega-Flex refers to the facility's ability to process diverse lithium feedstock, including lithium from recycled batteries. Albemarle expects the facility to annually produce approximately 50,000 metric tons of battery-grade lithium hydroxide from multiple sources, with the potential to expand up to 100,000 metric tons. Production at the facility would support the manufacturing of an estimated 2.4 million electric vehicles annually. The site also supports the Inflation Reduction Act, a federal law enacted in 2022 to incentivize the localization of critical minerals in North America. Pending permitting approvals, the facility will be located within a nearly 800-acre parcel. Albemarle estimates the facility will create more than 300 new jobs with an average annual wage of approximately $93,000. In addition, the project would create more than 1,500 construction jobs.

12:00 EDT Modiv falls -7.4% - Modiv is down -7.4%, or -83c to $10.37.

12:00 EDT Senators Scott, Warren unveil bipartisan Fed oversight legislation - U.S. Senator Rick Scott and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren introduced bipartisan legislation to require a presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed inspector general to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Following this month's failures of Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB) and Signature Bank (SBNY), and the Federal Reserve's "gross mismanagement and lack of oversight" to prevent the situation, this bill will bring the serious changes and accountability at the Federal Reserve that is clearly overdue and necessary to protect American families and workers, the lawmakers said. Senator Rick Scott said, "After the Federal Reserve's failure to properly identify and prevent the shocking failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, it's clear we can't wait any longer for big change at the Fed. It's outrageous that the Federal Reserve, the world's largest and most powerful central bank, does not have a truly independent inspector general to investigate it - an independent authority to fight for the transparency and accountability our citizens need. Our legislation fixes that by establishing a presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed inspector general at the Fed, like every other major government agency. Consumers and American families must not bear the brunt of the failures of gross mismanagement and greed at their banks or the incompetence and misdeeds of the government regulators who are there to protect them. I want to thank Senator Warren for joining me on this good bill. This is commonsense and should have the bipartisan support of our colleagues so that it can quickly pass and become law." Senator Elizabeth Warren said, "The recent bank collapses and regulatory failures by the Fed have underscored the urgent need for a truly independent Inspector General to hold Fed officials accountable for any lapses or wrongdoing. Last year, during the largest ethics scandal in the history of the Federal Reserve System, I led a bipartisan bill to bolster accountability at the Fed and I appreciate Senator Scott's work to advance this effort." Reference Link

12:00 EDT Carvana rises 23.6% - Carvana is up 23.6%, or $1.87 to $9.80.

11:49 EDT Primo Water says two of Legion's four candidates can be submitted for nomination - Primo Water announced that the Primo Board of Directors has exercised its discretion under Primo's Bylaws to waive some of the deficiencies in the invalid nomination notice submitted by Legion Partners Holdings, with respect to the election of directors at the Company's 2023 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareowners. As a result, two of Legion's four candidates can be submitted for nomination to the Board at the Annual Meeting. The Board met and determined to exercise its discretion on March 21, prior to the initiation of a lawsuit by Legion. The company said, "The Board is not waiving the deficiencies in Legion's Notice relating to its two other candidates. Those deficiencies, as previously described, involve troubling misrepresentations and omissions of material facts by the candidates themselves that simply cannot be ignored." The Board made the following statement: "Primo shareowners have the right to nominate candidates for election to the Company's Board of Directors so long as they fully comply with the clear and simple requirements set forth in the Company's Bylaws. Primo's disclosure requirements are common and safeguard orderly director elections by requiring, in part, that the Company and shareowners are provided with accurate and truthful information about director candidates. These disclosure standards are the same for both the Company's nominees and for shareowner nominees. Legion failed to comply with these simple requirements by neglecting to disclose dozens of data points and, importantly, that one of its nominees, Henrik Jelert, was arrested and tried for bribery multiple times, while another of its nominees is involved in a pending lawsuit alleging that she has committed fraud and securities laws violations. These two nominees represented that they had disclosed all the information requested by the Company, when in fact they had not. Each candidate also agreed that the Company would not have to accept his or her name in nomination if he or she omitted material information or made false representations. The Board, as fiduciaries on behalf of all shareowners, announced last week that it would enforce the requirements in the Company's Bylaws and the contractual commitments made by these candidates. It determined that the Notice was invalid. On March 19, 2023, nearly a week after the deadline for shareowners to submit a valid nomination notice, Legion attempted to correct its egregious errors and omissions by submitting 43 pages of additional information as a self-styled "supplement" to its Notice. The Company's Bylaws do not contain any provision allowing for late corrective supplements to "cure" a deficient Notice. Nevertheless, the Board met on March 21 and, after careful review of these additional disclosures, determined to exercise its discretion and provide a waiver of certain deficiencies in the Notice with respect to two of Legion's nominees, Timothy Hasara and Derek Lewis, who we believe have not made material misrepresentations to Primo. Notably, nothing in the "supplement" exonerates Legion's other two candidates who made these misrepresentations directly to Primo. The Board has determined that those misrepresentations are material and should not be excused. Accordingly, the Company will not recognize Legion's nominations of Henrik Jelert and Lori Marcus at the Annual Meeting."

11:45 EDT Johnson & Johnson issues statement on Third Circuit review petition - In a statement emailed to The Fly, Johnson & Johnson said that, "Our review petition raised significant concerns with the Third Circuit's decision, both in how it applied the law to the facts of Judge Kaplan's ruling, as well as the impracticality of the Third Circuit's new legal standard. We will immediately move for a stay of this opinion so we can seek review directly from the U.S. Supreme Court. Today's ruling ignores the facts established during the Bankruptcy Court's trial regarding the appropriateness of LTL Management's (LTL) formation and filing, as well as the Company's intention to efficiently resolve the cosmetic talc litigation for the benefit of all parties, including current and future claimants. We continue to stand behind the safety of Johnson's Baby Powder, which is safe, does not contain asbestos and does not cause cancer."

11:35 EDT Planet Labs awarded contract for hyperspectral capabilities by NRO - Planet Labs announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Planet Labs Federal, Inc., has been awarded a contract by the National Reconnaissance Office, or NRO, for the agency's Strategic Commercial Enhancements Broad Agency Announcement program, specifically in the Commercial Hyperspectral Capabilities focus area. The multi-phased contract will allow Planet to work directly with the NRO to explore how Planet's hyperspectral capabilities align with the agency's national space security architecture, the company said in a statement, adding that this collaboration will also allow the NRO various options to conduct additional activities including, modeling and simulation, evaluating future Planet capabilities, and demonstrating how Planet data may be integrated into the agency's existing operations.

11:02 EDT Richardson receives third patent for pitch energy system for wind turbines - Richardson Electronics announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 18/184,961. The '961 Patent is the third patent covering the company's Pitch Energy module with additional U.S. and foreign patents still pending. Greg Peloquin, Executive Vice President, and General Manager of Power Microwave and Green Energy Solutions Group, stated, "Richardson continues to innovate in the renewable energy market, devoting substantial engineering expertise and intellectual property in expanding its patent portfolio. RELL will continue to add technology partners, engineered solutions, and key customers to this fast-growing market."

11:01 EDT Rumble says aware of intermittent issues, engineers 'working on it' - Rumble stated via the company's official Twitter account: "UPDATE: We are aware of intermittent issues with Rumble, our engineers are working on it. We will update here." Reference Link

10:47 EDT JATT Acquisition Corp trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:19 EDT Digital World Acquisition terminates Chairman and CEO Patrick Orlando - In a regulatory filing before the open, Digital World Acquisition Corp. disclosed that on March 19 the board of directors of the company terminated Patrick Orlando from his positions as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Orlando remains a director of the company. In connection with Orlando's departure as CEO, the board appointed Eric Swider as Interim Chief Executive Officer. Swider, a director of the company, was previously chair of the company's audit committee and a member of the company's compensation committee. "He remains a director of the company but has resigned from all committee positions in connection with his appointment as Interim Chief Executive Officer. There is no arrangement or understanding between Mr. Swider and any other person pursuant to which he was named Interim Chief Executive Officer of the company," the SPAC's filing stated. In an attached press release, the company stated: "As the Board executes its succession plan, it looks forward to a fully realigned management team to best meet the challenges the Company faces. Mr. Orlando will remain as a Director on the Board... Due to the unprecedented headwinds faced by the Company, the Board agreed it was in the best interest of its shareholders to select a new management team to execute an orderly succession plan and set strategic operating procedures for the Company in this new phase. Mr. Orlando's departure enables the Board to appoint new leadership, which it believes will restore confidence to the shareholders. Mr. Swider was named as Interim CEO while the Board works to complete its succession plan and confirms a new Independent Board member and CFO. In connection with the confirmation of a full slate of officers, Mr. Swider shall be considered for the permanent position of CEO."

10:07 EDT Eguana Technologies expands license agreement with Pineapple Energy - Eguana Technologies (EGTYF) expanded its license agreement with Pineapple Energy (PEGY) to include the E-Gear EMC, the onsite energy management system used in its energy storage product line. Eguana had previously licensed the cloud-based elements of the E-Gear solution. This expanded license provides Eguana with direct control of the connection between the Eguana Cloud and its proprietary PCS, completing the full software stack from user interface and utility APIs all the way through to the embedded power controls and battery management systems.

10:06 EDT Sally Beauty opens Studio by Sally's store concept - The company said, "With its burgeoning shelves of professional-quality products and educational expertise that ignites creativity and a desire to experiment, Sally Beauty has always been a mecca for beauty and hair color DIYers. Fueled by this DIY-centric spirit - and inspired by the increasing number of consumers taking their hair into their own hands - an inspirational, consumer-driven DIY hair salon and concept store was born. Studio By Sally's grand opening is on March 23, 2023, in the retailer's very own backyard of Denton, Texas, one of the nation's fastest-growing cities known for its universities, artsy boutiques, and buzzy creative energy. Studio By Sally's mission: to engage, educate, and empower .At Studio By Sally, consumers can shop for professional-quality hair color and beauty products; and participate in hands-on education through an innovative "teaching salon" concept. Licensed stylist-educators help consumers choose the right product, then teach them how to apply, customize and achieve salon-quality looks that range from all-over color, lightening and root touch-ups, to styling and more. Studio By Sally crafted a robust service menu built on the most popular techniques and styles that consumers want to learn and do at home."

10:02 EDT JPMorgan to acquire Aumni, terms not disclosed - J.P. Morgan entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Aumni, a leading provider of investment analytics software to the venture capital industry. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed and closing is expected in the first half of 2023. Founded in 2018, Aumni's proprietary data analytics engine structures, tracks and analyzes essential legal and economic terms underpinning growth-stage private market transactions, placing critical portfolio investment terms within users' easy reach. With a diverse client base of over 300 institutions ranging from emerging and established venture managers to leading, multinational asset managers, Aumni has evaluated more than $600 billion in invested capital across more than 17,000 private companies. The company said, "The strategic acquisition of Aumni solidifies J.P. Morgan's commitment to building the leading private markets platform for companies, their employees and investors, as well as its confidence in the resilience of the venture-backed ecosystem. Aumni also complements the recent launch of Capital Connect by J.P. Morgan and the acquisition of Global Shares. Through continued investment in Aumni, and its other private market assets, J.P. Morgan is positioned to deliver an industry-leading suite of innovative solutions to the private markets."

10:00 EDT Sendas Distribuidora falls -6.6% - Sendas Distribuidora is down -6.6%, or -$1.01 to $14.39.

10:00 EDT Greenbrier rises 9.9% - Greenbrier is up 9.9%, or $2.81 to $31.20.

10:00 EDT GameStop rises 32.9% - GameStop is up 32.9%, or $5.80 to $23.45.

09:47 EDT Sendas Distribuidora falls -4.5% - Sendas Distribuidora is down -4.5%, or -69c to $14.71.

09:47 EDT Corporacion America Airport falls -5.0% - Corporacion America Airport is down -5.0%, or -47c to $8.96.

09:47 EDT Carvana rises 22.8% - Carvana is up 22.8%, or $1.81 to $9.74.

09:43 EDT CMA investigating anticipated acquisition by Broadcom of VMware - The CMA announced that it has decided, on the evidence currently available to it, "that it is or may be the case that this merger may be expected to result in a substantial lessening of competition within a market or markets in the United Kingdom." "This merger will be referred for an in-depth, Phase 2 investigation unless the parties offer an acceptable undertaking to address these competition concerns," the U.K. regulator announced. Reference Link

09:37 EDT Applied DNA submits validation package to NYSDOH for approval of PGx assay - Applied DNA Sciences announced that its wholly-owned clinical laboratory subsidiary, Applied DNA Clinical Labs, LLC, has submitted a validation package to the New York State Department of Health in support of approval for a pharmacogenomics assay as a NYSDOH laboratory-developed test. If approved by NYSDOH, the LDT test will be used by ADCL to power its population-scale PGx testing services. "PGx testing is a logical first step into the promising field of personalized medicine that brings together ADCL's demonstrated capacity for population-scale testing and PGx's proven benefits to the individual. When applied to large populations, we believe that the combination will generate significant healthcare cost reductions for enterprises and overall wellness benefits to employees," stated Dr. James A. Hayward, president and CEO of Applied DNA Sciences.

09:34 EDT Maxpro Capital Acquisition Corp trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:30 EDT Carvana trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:27 EDT Force Pressure Conrol to go public via Stratim Cloud Acquisition combination - Stratim Cloud Acquisition and Force Pressure Control announced a definitive business combination agreement. The Company generated estimated revenues in excess of $160 million in 2022, which represented an increase of over 80% versus the prior year, and its audited results are expected to reflect 2022 EBITDA over $60 million. Force expects strong growth and profitability in 2023. The transaction values Force at an enterprise value of $240 million, representing under 4x 2022 estimated EBITDA. As part of the proposed transaction, Force's existing equity holders and management will retain a minimum of 50% of their equity interests and will receive up to an additional $120 million in cash proceeds or additional equity interests, at the option of such equity holders. The proposed transaction, assuming no SCAC stockholders exercise their redemption rights and PIPE financing of $120 million, is expected to raise approximately $183 million, resulting in the combined company having approximately $78 million on the balance sheet and no debt following the closing. Under the scenario outlined above, current Force equity holders are expected to own at least 32.9% of the combined company. SCAC's public stockholders will own approximately 17.1% and SCAC's sponsor and related parties will collectively own approximately 17.1%. The remaining shares of the company will be owned by third party financing parties and any existing Force selling stockholders that elect to receive additional equity instead of cash. The proposed transaction has been structured as an "Up-C" where former Force equity holders will retain their equity interests in Force and will receive non-economic voting shares of the combined company at closing. The combined company will also enter into a customary tax receivables arrangement with the current equity holders of Force, which will provide for the sharing of certain tax benefits as realized by the combined company. The Board of Directors of SCAC and all of the members and managers of Force have unanimously approved the proposed transaction. The proposed transaction will require the approval of SCAC's stockholders, and is subject to other customary closing conditions, including the receipt of certain regulatory approvals. The proposed transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2023.

09:24 EDT Adobe, Prada Group announce partnership - Prada Group and Adobe announced a partnership to enable real-time personalization and increase revenue, elevating the global luxury group's customer experiences across all digital and physical retail properties. The partnership spans Prada Group's range of brands, including Prada, Miu Miu, Church's, Car Shoe, Pasticceria Marchesi and Luna Rossa. "At the heart of Prada Group's identity is a passion for innovation, and a focus on the customer experience," said Luc Dammann, president of EMEA at Adobe. "The luxury retail sector is at the forefront of digital innovation, and Adobe's partnership with Prada Group will enable them to expand their distinctive style and storytelling through real-time personalized customer experiences across in-store and digital worlds."

09:23 EDT MicroVision unveils MOSAIK validation suite - MicroVision announced the launch of its MOSAIK validation suite which enables automotive OEM and Tier 1 customers to validate their ADAS and autonomous vehicle platforms in the most advanced way. Following prior engagements with OEMs like BMW and Vinfast, MicroVision has added Jaguar Land Rover as a customer for its MOSAIK software suite to enable enhanced automated driving capabilities and safety features for its fleet of next-generation cars. Following the closing of MicroVision's acquisition of certain assets of Ibeo Automotive Systems, the company is offering a system solution for validating vehicle sensors for ADAS and autonomous vehicle applications. The MOSAIK validation suite offers hardware and software that comprise a complete solution to validate their ADAS and AV systems. In addition to auto-annotation and reference software modules, the validation solution may include MicroVision lidar sensors.

09:22 EDT Nio rise 3% to $9.52 after positive CFO comments on 2023 sales - Shares of Nio are up about 3% in pre-market trading at $9.51. Overnight, the company's CFO Steven Feng gave an interview on Bloomberg television, noting that the company is "very confident" that it could reach its 2023 sales target. Feng also noted that the industry is set for "profound consolidation" as there are "too many automakers" in China.

09:21 EDT ServiceNow launches major platform expansion with Utah Release - ServiceNow announced a major platform expansion with the Now Platform Utah release. Utah is built to help organizations future-proof their businesses and drive outcomes faster in the face of continued economic uncertainty. "Organizations no longer need to choose between speed and innovation, or great experiences and business growth," said CJ Desai, president and chief operating officer at ServiceNow. "ServiceNow's intelligent platform offers fast time to value, continuous net new innovation, and a simplified and seemingly invisible upgrade experience so customers can do more with less and transform their business models. Our latest release is designed for this moment - empowering organizations to maximize efficiency, accelerate ROI on digital spend, and create simplified, connected experiences across their entire value chain."

09:18 EDT Sarcos Technology signs manufacturing services agreement with Jabil - Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation (STRC) is collaborating with Jabil (JBL), a leading manufacturing solutions provider, to expand Sarcos' production capacity for its robotic systems and sub-systems. Under the terms of the agreement, Sarcos will utilize Jabil's broad manufacturing services to produce a variety of leading-edge robotic systems and sub-systems. Sarcos also will be able to leverage Jabil's global footprint, strategic supplier relationships, and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities to accelerate volume production while benefiting from advanced supply chain, procurement, and component-sourcing solutions. "We expect that our relationship with Jabil will advance Sarcos' manufacturing capabilities tremendously, helping to augment our overall production capacity and enabling us to scale much faster than we could without their support," said Kiva Allgood, president and CEO, Sarcos. "We are excited to work with a proven manufacturing services leader that has a long-standing record of success and an established global network of vendors and partners as we begin delivering our robotic systems to our customers."

09:17 EDT Pineapple Energy's E-Gear licenses EMC to Eguana Technologies - Pineapple Energy (PEGY) announced that its technology subsidiary E-Gear will license its proprietary Energy Management Controller to Eguana (EGTYF) for use in their portfolio of battery energy storage systems. Eguana's residential batteries, when paired with the E-Gear EMC, create an energy storage system that controls solar self-consumption, backup power, time-of-use, and grid services. The system consists of three major components: the battery, the power control system, and the energy management system. The E-Gear EMC is part of the energy management system, where it optimizes energy production, usage and export. The EMC offers electrical production and home usage monitoring, Time-of-Use load control, Time-of-Export optimization, and grid support capabilities. E-Gear will license its technology to Eguana, who will have the right to manufacture chipsets based on the E-Gear design and also develop a custom "fork" of the E-Gear firmware going forward. By agreeing to a licensing relationship, E-Gear can go to market with reduced capital needs, while Eguana maintains tighter control over a key system component. Eguana will pay an up-front licensing fee for the right to utilize and customize the E-Gear hardware and firmware, and will additionally pay an ongoing per-device per-month licensing fee, generating high-margin recurring revenue for E-Gear.

09:16 EDT Know Labs announces establishment of SAB - Know Labs (KNW) announced the establishment of a Scientific Advisory Board, SAB. Initial members of the Know Labs SAB are: Benjamin Smarr, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the Haliciolu Data Science Institute and the Department of Bioengineering at the University of California, San Diego. Jessica Zendler, Ph.D., Special Consultant at Rimkus and Adjunct Research Assistant Professor in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan. Carl Johan Sundberg, M.D., Ph.D., a licensed physician and Professor of Exercise Physiology at Karolinska Institute in Sweden and Head of the Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics. Mark Aloia, Ph.D., currently the Head of Sleep and Behavioral Science at Sleep Number (SNBR).

09:12 EDT CCC Intelligent announces Indiana Farmers Insurance to use CCC Estimate - CCC Intelligent Solutions announces Indiana Farmers Insurance is the latest auto insurer to leverage its industry-first AI-powered CCC Estimate - STP solution. Estimate-STP uses advanced AI and insurer-driven rules to automatically initiate and populate detailed and actionable estimates in seconds. "Indiana Farmers Insurance epitomizes the customer-centricity and spirit of innovation that's pulsing across the industry today," said Mike Silva, Chief Commercial and Customer Success Officer, CCC. "Technology has an important role to play in the P&C insurance economy as participants face mounting pressures from macroeconomic trends and consumers, who have high expectations for service and personalization. The CCC cloud and our configurable AI-powered solutions are designed for speed and scale, helping businesses of any size quickly ramp on the latest technologies to meet their business objectives."

09:10 EDT Humana Foundation Board of Directors elects Jones as Chairman - The Humana Foundation, philanthropic arm of Humana for the past 41 years, announced that David Jones Jr. has been elected to serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors, effective as of April 1, 2023. Jones is a current board member with over 26 years of dedicated service to the Humana Foundation. Bruce Broussard, Humana Inc.'s President and Chief Executive Officer, will step down as the Foundation's Chairman, but will continue to serve on the Foundation's Board.

09:09 EDT Children's Hospital Association selects Progyny as partner for fertility - Progyny announced its partnership with Children's Hospital Association CHA a national voice for more than 220 children's hospitals with over two million covered lives. Progyny's selection as CHA's preferred and exclusive partner means all participating member hospitals will be able to vet and contract directly with the benefit provider that delivers best-in-class care that consistently results in happier and healthier families at a lower cost than other family building solutions in the market. "Progyny is honored to partner with CHA to provide its member hospitals with equitable fertility and family building benefits that drive better clinical outcomes and saves healthcare dollars," said Pete Anevski, Progyny's CEO. "Being chosen by CHA, one of the most well-known organizations in healthcare, shows the trust Progyny has garnered within the industry to support our healthcare heroes with their family building dreams."

09:08 EDT CS Disco announces the release of Timelines - CS DISCO announced the release of Timelines in Case Builder, a solution set built on advanced analytics, which allows teams to build stronger cases faster by quickly identifying important documents and testimony that can be used to craft compelling narratives. "Timelines is a critical feature set within DISCO's product portfolio, and its release underscores how we're thinking about the future in terms of developing an end-to-end platform for lawyers and a fully closed ecosystem for sensitive data," said Kevin Smith, DISCO's Chief Product Officer. "Equipping case teams with a searchable repository for organized evidence is critical so that teams are able to collaborate, strategize, and prepare the best possible case faster. This is an exciting step towards expanding DISCO's coverage and support of all other aspects of litigation and investigations."

09:07 EDT Green-X enters collaboration with myESG - Greenpro Capital Corp. announced its wholly owned Green-X Corp signed an agreement with myESG to provide rating modules and guiding platform that assess an entity's ESG progress and orientation. Green-X validates and endorses myESG's platform for potential issuers who intend to list on its Digital Asset Exchange.

09:06 EDT AYRO issued first utility patent on vehicle environmental impact cancellation - AYRO has been issued U.S. Patent No. 11609098 from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for "Systems and Methods for Vehicle Environmental Impact Cancellation."The utility patent represents a significant milestone for AYRO as the Company seeks to develop new processes and innovations as part of the organization's SchlagerNull approach. The awarded utility patent titled "Systems and Methods for Vehicle Environmental Impact Cancellation" is for the invention of a vehicle that may traverse an area with minimal environmental impact. Functionally, the vehicle in the issued patent discusses a "first component" that creates a first environmental impact when the vehicle is traversing in an area. However, a second component describes the vehicle's configuration to "reduce the first environmental impact."

09:03 EDT Altamira: SemaPhore platform shows synergis-tic effects of ZBTB46 mRNA - Altamira Therapeutics announced the release of animal data by a Washington University School of Medicine research group showing restriction of tumor growth with a novel mRNA therapeutic delivered in nanoparticles based on the Company's SemaPhore delivery platform. Expression of the ZBTB46 gene with SemaPhore was associated with an immunostimulatory tumor microenvironment TME , and it was potentiated when combined with anti-PD1 immune checkpoint inhibition. The manuscript describing the study is available on a preprint server1 and has been submitted to a scientific journal for peer-review and potential publication. The research group, led by Professor Kyunghee Choi of the Pathology & Immunology Department of Washington University, was interested in understanding the role that the ZBTB46 gene plays in the microenvironment of tumors. The researchers found that tumor-derived factors frequently downregulate ZBTB46 resulting in a pro-tumor microenvironment, characterized by dysfunctional vasculature and immunosuppressive cell accumulation. In contrast, enforced ZBTB46 expression mitigated the pro-tumor TME features and restricted tumor growth, suggesting ZBTB46 as a potential target for tumor treatment. In a next step, the group tested the systemic delivery of ZBTB46 mRNA with Altamira's peptide-based SemaPhore nanoparticles in mouse models of sarcoma and metastatic breast cancer to boost ZBTB46 expression. The treatment sustained ZBTB46 expression in tumor-dendritic cells and -endothelial cells and resulted in the restriction of tumor growth associated with an immunostimulatory TME.

09:02 EDT Shuttle announces research agreement with Georgetown University for SP-2-225 - Shuttle Pharmaceuticals Holdings announced it has entered a research agreement with Georgetown University focused on the evaluation of the Company's lead HDAC6 inhibitor candidate, SP-2-225, evaluating the anti-tumor effect of the combination of SP-2-225 and RT in a syngeneic breast cancer model. The pre-clinical work outlined in the research agreement with Georgetown will support the Company's IND-enabling studies in 2023 with a goal to submit an investigational new drug application, or IND, for the selective HDAC6 inhibitor and initiation of a Phase I clinical trial in 2024. Shuttle Pharmaceuticals has a longstanding strategic relationship with Georgetown University having been founded by Georgetown University Medical School faculty members. Alejandro Villagra, an associate professor at Georgetown University and member of the Shuttle scientific advisory board, will lead research efforts under the agreement.

08:59 EDT Tenax gets patent covering IV levosimendan use in PH with heart failure - Tenax Therapeutics announced that the Company has been issued a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office USPTO with claims covering the use of IV levosimendan in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension associated with HFpEF. U.S. Patent No. 11,607,412 is titled "Levosimendan For Treating Pulmonary Hypertension With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction or PH-HFpEF ."The patent term expires December 2040 and provides the Company substantial added intellectual property protection for the use of levosimendan. The newly issued patent expands upon the Company's existing IP for levosimendan, which includes U.S. Patent No. 11,213,524, issued in January 2022, covering all medical uses of the subcutaneous formulation of levosimendan in humans. Chris Giordano, Tenax Therapeutics' President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "Tenax is building a solid patent estate surrounding levosimendan. The issuance of U.S. Patent 11,607,412 substantially strengthens this IP foundation and we believe will serve as an important strategic asset as we advance levosimendan through the clinic and also consider select partnering opportunities. The USPTO's decision to grant a patent for the use of IV levosimendan for the specific indication of PH-HFpEF confirms the proprietary nature of the work Tenax is doing and provides precedent for action in our pending U.S. patent application that covers the oral formulation TNX-103 in the same patients."

08:54 EDT Rekor Systems announces settlement of previously disclosed litigation - Rekor Systems filed a United States SEC Form 8k disclosing details of the settlement of previously disclosed litigation. The filing said, "On March 22, 2023, Rekor Systems entered into a settlement agreement with Suzanne Loughlin, Harry Rhulen, James Satterfield, and CrisisRisk Strategies, LLC with regard to a suit captioned Rekor Systems, Inc. v. Loughlin brought by the Company in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, which sought rescission of the contract by which the Company acquired Firestorm Solutions, LLC and Firestorm Franchising, subsidiaries of the Company whose operations have been discontinued. The settlement agreement also covers counter suits brought by the aforementioned parties against the Company and certain of its current or former directors and officers, which have been previously described in the Company's annual and quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Pursuant to the terms of the settlement agreement, the parties have mutually released and discharged all existing and potential actions, causes of action, suits, proceedings, debts, dues, contracts, damages or claims against each other, including certain claims for officer indemnification of Ms. Loughlin and Messrs. Rhulen and Satterfield. In exchange for the mutual releases, the Company will transfer certain Firestorm assets to CrisisRisk Strategies, LLC and make a payment of $175,000, and Ms. Loughlin and Messrs. Rhulen and Satterfield have agreed to the extinguishment of all rights to enforce their claims for payment with respect to principal and interest on the promissory notes issued in connection with the Company's acquisition of Firestorm, and were giving up their rights to exercise the warrants issued in connection with the same. As a result of the settlement agreement, the Company expects to record a reduction to Notes Payable of $1,000,000, the related accrued interest and other assets and liabilities already presented as discontinued operations. The Company will also cancel warrants to purchase 631,254 shares of common stock, which were issued in connection with the acquisition of Firestorm. The settlement also results in there being no litigation pending against the Company at this time."

08:52 EDT Aziyo Biologics, Sientra team on SimpliDerm for soft tissue reconstruction - Aziyo Biologics (AZYO) and Sientra (SIEN) announced they have entered into an agreement to expand the distribution of Aziyo's SimpliDerm product line. Under the agreement terms, Aziyo will grant Sientra certain non-exclusive rights in the United States to market, sell and distribute SimpliDerm for select use in reconstruction surgery. "At Aziyo, our mission is to improve compatibility between medical devices and the patients they serve. With this partnership, we significantly expand women's access to biologic solutions necessary for successful reconstruction procedures," said Randy Mills, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Aziyo Biologics. "We are excited to partner with Sientra, a proven commercial company that brings a highly-specialized commercial team with reach and relationships to help drive growth of the SimpliDerm portfolio in reconstructive surgery. This agreement is intended to help drive meaningful revenue growth and support our strategy of quickly and profitably expanding the reach of our proprietary biologics platforms." SimpliDerm is a pre-hydrated human acellular dermal matrix or hADM, that uses a proprietary process to preserve key growth factors of native dermis that support faster integration and more rapid revascularization while demonstrating a lower risk of inflammatory response. Due to this unique process, SimpliDerm has been able to provide a pliable, conforming matrix in a ready-to-use format and achieve a sterility assurance level of 10-6. "At Sientra, we believe that putting the best products in the hands of the most qualified surgeons leads to the most optimal results. The partnership with Aziyo allows our customer to access the innovative SimpliDerm portfolio to provide the industry's most compelling reconstruction portfolio," said Ron Menezes, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sientra. "The addition of SimpliDerm to our portfolio fits perfectly with our strategy of being the leader in reconstruction, while enhancing our path to profitability." SimpliDerm is to be used for the repair or replacement of damaged or insufficient integumental tissue or for other homologous uses of human integument.

08:51 EDT BioLargo acquires rights to sodium-sulfur battery technology - BioLargoannounced its acquisition of a proprietary sodium-sulfur battery technology. With a strategic focus on advancing technologies that address challenges in the water-energy nexus, the Company has identified this sodium-sulfur battery technology as a high-value solution that has a series of features that set it apart from currently available battery technologies in the market. BioLargo has formed and secured initial seed capital for BioLargo Energy Technologies, a subsidiary designed to address the ongoing shift toward renewable energy production and the growth in global electricity demand, and the consequent drastic expansion in energy storage capacity in the US and world-wide that will be needed to accommodate increased demand and the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources like wind and solar. BETI will lead the manufacturing, scale-up, and operations for the sodium-sulfur battery technology with the help of one of the technology's original developers, who has joined BETI. Batteries built based on the underlying technology a decade ago demonstrated features that far surpass comparable lithium-ion batteries, the dominant incumbent technology in the market: This sodium-sulfur battery technology demonstrates increased safety, no runaway fire risks, and a more sustainable design - with no rare-earth elements - that is capable of being manufactured completely from the domestic supply chain. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, BioLargo's battery can charge and discharge completely, with no degradation of performance, ensuring virtually unlimited charge/discharge cycles. BioLargo's battery technology also demonstrates increased energy efficiency and energy density in comparison to lithium-ion batteries, and a longer useful life expectancy of at least ten years. BioLargo's battery operates at a higher temperature and has relatively heavier casing as compared to lithium-ion batteries, making it well suited for bringing superior performance to stationary applications like electric vehicle charging stations, grid-scale energy storage, and commercial and residential storage.

08:50 EDT Gladstone does not expect cost of California flooding repairs to exceed $1M - Gladstone Land provided the following business update in light of the recent and ongoing flooding occurring in California. California continues to experience one of its wettest winters in recorded history, which has resulted in flood conditions throughout much of the state. As a result of the flooding, one of the Company's farms suffered damage to certain of its structures. The Company is still in the process of assessing the damage, but at this time, it does not believe the cost of the repairs will exceed $1.0 million. In addition, the damage is expected to be fully covered by either insurance or the tenant's obligations pursuant to the lease. None of the Company's other farms in California have been materially impacted by the floods.

08:50 EDT U.S. Gold reports positive results from metallurgical testing at CK Gold Project - U.S. Gold released information regarding gold and copper concentrate quality from its CK Gold Project, located near Cheyenne, Wyoming. Management reported that metallurgical testing at the Project site has produced a gold and copper concentrate desirable to smelter-refinery operators due to the quality of its gold and copper content and absence of some of the common penalty elements. The concentrates will be shipped off-site to a smelter for further processing and blending with other concentrates. Metal extraction that takes place off-site at an established smelter is an indication that very few chemicals are utilized at site. Additionally, there will be no emissions at the site associated with smelting and refining. The Project's mineral processing facility is composed of a jaw crusher, semi-autogenous and ball mill grind with froth floatation and cleaning. The nominal throughput rate for the facility is 20,000 tons per day and on average, approximately 170 tons per day of concentrated product is projected to be generated for sale to North American or overseas customers. During operation, the mine anticipates shipping over 450,000 tons of sulfide concentrate off-site for refining. The filtered sulfide concentrate is anticipated to include less than10% moisture content and solids containing copper, gold and silver-bearing minerals. Final offtake contracts have yet to be settled, but the Project anticipates sales to one of a number of domestic copper smelters, which means that transportation of product by road is viable. The nearest facility is the Kennecott Utah smelter, near Salt Lake City, Utah and this is the most logical destination for the product. Other facilities are located in Arizona and eastern Canada.

08:48 EDT Pacific Western Bank determines not to move forward with capital raise - In addition to these liquidity-enhancing measures, and as part of its proactive approach to capital and liquidity management, the Company has explored a capital raise with potential investors. In light of the current volatility in the market and depressed market prices for regional bank stocks, as well as the availability of other options to enhance capital, the Company determined it would not be prudent to move forward with a transaction at this time. This decision reflects the Company's confidence in its financial strength and commitment to ensuring the long-term stability and profitability of the institution.

08:48 EDT Pacific Western Bank reports $11.4B in available cash as of March 20 - Consistent with its announcement on March 17, 2023, the Bank continues to benefit from solid liquidity and stabilized deposit balances, with over $11.4 billion in available cash as of March 20, 2023, which exceeds total uninsured deposits of $9.5 billion as of March 20, 2023. The Bank also continues to have a diversified deposit base that includes commercial, community banking, homeowners associations, retail, and venture customers. In total, as of March 20, 2023, FDIC-insured deposits exceeded 65% of total deposits, including accounts eligible for pass-through insurance, and FDIC-insured venture-specific deposits accounted for more than 82% of total venture-specific deposits, including accounts eligible for pass-through insurance. The Bank also has $600 million of deposits that are backed by other tradeable securities. The Bank's spot deposit rates reflect a modest increase from year-end, increasing from 1.71% at December 31, 2022 to 2.04% at March 20, 2023. Adding to the stabilized deposit levels, the Bank has proactively taken a number of steps to bolster its liquidity. These steps include having drawn on available federal facilities, including $3.7 billion of borrowings from the FHLB, $10.5 billion of borrowings from the Federal Reserve Discount Window, and $2.1 billion in Bank Term Funding Program borrowings, in each case as of March 20, 2023. The Bank has seen validation from the private sector as well, having secured $1.4 billion in fully funded cash proceeds from ATLAS SP Partners through a new senior asset-backed financing facility, which unlocked liquidity from unencumbered, high-quality assets in an expeditious manner. The Bank has also experienced increased account opening in its Venture Banking business line with approximately 130 new accounts opened since March 9, 2023. Market developments and strategic positioning also have affected the Bank favorably, with the Bank's accumulated other comprehensive loss declining from $791 million at December 31, 2022 to $704 million at March 17, 2023. Through February 28, 2023, the Bank estimates net income of $48.9 million, which includes $8.2 million of pre-tax severance expense primarily related to the previously announced restructuring of Civic Financial Services, a lending subsidiary, and stockholders' equity of $4.0 billion at February 28, 2023. As previously previewed, gross loans have intentionally decreased to $28.6 billion as of March 20, 2023, and asset quality remains excellent with no significant changes since year-end, including classified assets, non-performing assets, and charge-offs.

08:46 EDT WPP announces acquisition of Goat - WPP announces the acquisition of Goat, one of the world's leading influencer marketing agencies. Goat specializes in data-led end-to-end influencer marketing campaigns grounded in performance and measurement and was founded by Arron Shepherd, Nick Cooke, and Harry Hugo in 2015. Goat will join GroupM, WPP's media investment group, and merge with its influencer marketing solution INCA to create the industry's first truly global influencer marketing agency with more than 300 employees in over 30 markets around the world. As part of GroupM Nexus, Goat will support GroupM's strategy to help clients drive growth through performance with the scale and expertise to help global brands activate campaigns anywhere in the world. Mark Read, CEO, WPP, said: "Influencer marketing is a key growth priority for the industry and for WPP. Our clients are increasingly planning budgets at a global scale and require partners that have the global reach to help deliver, whilst driving engagement and impact at a local level. Goat's proven track record in the influencer marketing space paired with GroupM's record of excellence will continue to build on our unparalleled expertise in this area."

08:46 EDT NanoX.AI expands footprint with Ferrum Health partnership - Nano-X Imaging has entered into strategic partnership, with Ferrum Health, "a leading player in the AI platform market." This partnership will broaden the reach of Nanox AI's technology for medical imaging including Nanox.AI's Bone and Cardiac solutions, while complementing existing AI marketplace offerings with these population health solutions that provide a holistic radiology workflow solution that can enhance healthcare professionals by promoting better productivity and, subsequently, outcomes. Ferrum Health, a healthcare AI platform developer, uses advanced machine learning algorithms to analyze medical data, providing doctors with insights and recommendations that can help improve patient care. Ferrum helps health systems overcome challenges in the adoption of AI, providing unprecedented data security along with an extensive catalog of AI applications. Through this partnership, Ferrum is offering Nanox.AI's bone and cardiac solutions to various organizations that can benefit from them.

08:46 EDT Alpine Immune Sciences, Truveta enter strategic partnership - Truveta and Alpine Immune Sciences announced a strategic partnership to help accelerate clinical trial recruitment for povetacicept, Alpine's dual B cell cytokine antagonist being developed for multiple B cell-mediated autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. With this partnership, Alpine and Truveta will work to rapidly identify and recruit participants for Alpine's RUBY clinical trial program for povetacicept, including the RUBY-3 study in autoimmune glomerulonephritis and RUBY-4 study in autoimmune cytopenias.

08:45 EDT Vistagen announces data in fasedienol Phase 3 open-label study - Vistagen announced positive data from its Phase 3 open-label study designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of multiple, as-needed intranasal administrations of fasedienol over time in adults with social anxiety disorder. For the primary endpoint of safety and tolerability, the long-term administration of 3.2 microgram of fasedienol, up to four times a day, as-needed, was safe and well-tolerated, with no new safety findings or trends identified, regardless of the number of doses administered by each subject. Secondary endpoints in the study included evaluation of the change from baseline on the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, which measures SAD patients' response to anxiety-provoking social and performance situations experienced in their daily lives. Analysis of the final data set demonstrates clinically meaningful functional improvement, as measured by the LSAS, and total LSAS scores continued to decline in consecutive months during the study. "The safety profile and potential for fasedienol to achieve overall reduction in symptoms of SAD and improvement in severity of the disorder, as measured by the LSAS, have now been demonstrated in a placebo-controlled Phase 2 study after two weeks of use, as well as in this open-label study over a period of one month and beyond," said Shawn Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Vistagen. "We believe these data suggest that studies involving multiple administrations of fasedienol over time, on an as-needed basis at moments when subjects experience real-life, socially stressful situations, most accurately demonstrate the safety and efficacy potential of fasedienol in patients with SAD and reflect the way we believe fasedienol would be used by SAD patients, if approved. Each SAD patient is unique, and we believe an optimal SAD treatment is one that is individualized and tailored-to-fit by patients, as-needed, to help them engage in the anxiety-provoking situations they encounter in their daily lives with less fear and anxiety."

08:44 EDT Vivakor announces newly constituted board of directors - Vivakor announced its newly constituted Board of Directors, as had been previously disclosed in the Company's 8-K filings. Vivakor Chairman and CEO James Ballengee, commented, "We are extremely excited to welcome our new Board of Directors, who bring a wealth of expertise and knowledge both in our industry and the financial capital markets. Independent directors John R. Harris, Albert Johnson and David Natan, together with our CFO, Tyler Nelson, along with myself, now comprise our Board, strengthening our corporate governance. Our new directors provide a diverse range of experience applicable to oil and gas, operations, technology, public companies and capital markets. We are confident that this newly constructed Board will help us successfully navigate the capital markets."

08:43 EDT Panbela announces new patent in Japan for production of SBP-101 process - Panbela Therapeutics announced an Issue Notification for patent JP 7232845 titled "METHODS FOR PRODUCING -3,8,13,18- TETRAAZAICOSANE-6,15-DIOL". This patent, developed in collaboration with Syngene International , an integrated research, development, and manufacturing services company, claims a novel process with a reduced number of synthetic steps from seventeen to six to produce SBP-101, a lead investigational product. The patent is valid till 2039. Jennifer K. Simpson, PhD, MSN, CRNP, President & Chief Executive Officer of Panbela Therapeutics, commented, "We're excited to have this patent in Japan. Expansion of our patent portfolio further supports our global clinical programs. This patent is the outcome of the dedicated efforts of our valued long-term partner Syngene International Ltd. in helping us achieve this important goal." First issued in the United States in 2021, this patent covers a shorter synthesis of SBP-101, which provides many benefits including: the ability to manufacture product with a reduced lead time quicker access to drug supply facilitating expansion into additional indications and 3 enables a scalable, efficient and cost-effective manufacturing process for future commercialization. Jonathan Hunt, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Syngene International Ltd., said, "We have been partnering with Panbela for the last decade, and I am proud of the work achieved through the successful collaboration. In this case, reducing the number of steps in production and simplifying the manufacturing process means that the drug will reach patients faster. The protection of SBP-101 production through patents in the U.S. and now in Japan are significant milestones." Dr. Simpson added, "The Company expects to continue innovation and patent portfolio building to support our clinical programs. This process in this patent utilizes a pharmaceutical starting material that is widely available, increasing the availability of drug supply moving forward. "

08:42 EDT Robinhood, Capitalize announce new partnership - Capitalize announced a new partnership with Robinhood Markets. Capitalize's partnership with Robinhood Retirement will help customers find and roll over legacy 401(k) accounts into Robinhood's new individual retirement accounts. Additionally, Robinhood will be featured on Capitalize's leading IRA marketplace as a potential destination for users looking to consolidate their legacy 401(k) assets. "Since we launched Robinhood Retirement last year, we've seen close to half a million customers take advantage of our IRA, the only IRA in the market with a 1% annual match. This partnership will make it much simpler and easier for Americans to roll over their funds," said Steve Quirk, Chief Brokerage Officer of Robinhood. "To kick things off, we are giving folks an additional 1% on every dollar they transfer in from external retirement accounts until April 18."

08:39 EDT Verint, Eventus Solutions partner to deliver engagement solutions worldwide - Verint announced its new partnership with Eventus Solutions Group, a subsidiary of Tech Mahindra, to bring Verint Digital-First Engagement solutions to midmarket and enterprise businesses worldwide. As consumers shift to digital channels, brands are facing an increasing number of interactions and skyrocketing expectations. Verint solutions that support this shift to digital comprise conversational AI, engagement channels, engagement orchestration and knowledge management to help organizations successfully meet these challenges and create differentiated experiences. "This new partnership will elevate Verint's long standing relationship with Tech Mahindra to new levels through a global practice around CX consulting and advising provided by Eventus," says Verint's John Bourne, senior vice president, global channels and alliances. "We are pleased to welcome the Eventus team to our growing network of experts in this field and look forward to launching additional Verint solutions through Eventus in the near future."

08:37 EDT Oak Street Health, Interwell Health launch OakWell - Oak Street Health and Interwell Health announced the launch of OakWell, a joint venture that will offer the highest-quality primary care to end-stage kidney disease, ESKD, patients directly in the dialysis center. "There is a significant opportunity to leverage the time spent by dialysis patients in-center to improve their overall quality of life," said Dr. David Buchanan, Chief Clinical Officer at Oak Street Health. "Receiving personalized, preventive primary care from expert care teams can positively impact patient health. We are thrilled to launch this innovative joint venture to remove barriers to comprehensive care for people living with kidney failure." OakWell will initially begin offering care services in Chicago, Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth dialysis centers in Q3 of 2023.

08:36 EDT DarioHealth announces partnership with Amwell - DarioHealth (DRIO) announced a strategic partnership with Amwell (AMWL) to deliver its cardiometabolic solution to Amwell customers. Dario's solution will be available through Amwell beginning in the second half of 2023. The agreement is part of Dario's strategy to partner with market leading strategic partners to accelerate adoption of Dario's solutions by making the Dario solution available to existing Amwell customers. The integration into Amwell will support a more continuous and connected member journey by providing Dario's cardiometabolic solution as part of Amwell's comprehensive portfolio of care solutions and network of affiliated clinicians. Members living with cardiometabolic health concerns such as diabetes, high blood pressure and weight management challenges will have access to Dario's proven and highly personalized digital solution to help better manage their condition and improve outcomes between visits with clinicians practicing on the Amwell platform. Members can access Dario's solutions directly through Amwell's digital care delivery enablement platform to support ease of engagement.

08:35 EDT Inozyme CEO Axel Bolte to retire, Douglas Treco to succeed - The Company announced that founding CEO, Axel Bolte, MSc, MBA, will retire from his current role and that Douglas Treco, Ph.D., chairman of the Company's board of directors, will succeed Mr. Bolte as the CEO of the Company, effective April 1, 2023.

08:34 EDT JanOne to sell all outstanding equity interests of ARCA Recycling to VM7 - JanOne announced that on March 9 they entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement with VM7, a Delaware corporation, under which VM7 agreed to acquire all of the outstanding equity interests of ARCA Recycling, Customer Connexx and ARCA Canada. Virland Johnson, who has served as ARCA Recycling's CFO and COO for several years is the principal of VM7. JanOne's Board of Directors unanimously approved the sale, which reduced its liabilities on their consolidated balance sheets by $17.6M and stipulated that JanOne is to receive not less than $24M in future monthly aggregate payments over the agreement's term. ARCA Recycling recycles household appliances by providing turnkey recycling and replacement services for utilities and other sponsors of energy efficiency programs. Customer Connexx is their Las Vegas based call center business and ARCA Canada is the Canadian arm of their appliance recycling business.

08:32 EDT TC Biopharm announces corporate restructuring, workforce reduction of up to 30% - TC BioPharm announced a corporate restructuring plan to reduce costs and prioritize its pending lead US clinical programs. In connection with the restructuring, the company is reducing its workforce up to 30%, with the majority of the reduction expected to be completed during the first half 2023. The remaining team will support both current and future clinical trials and combination trials of our lead therapeutic TCB-008, as well as the allogeneic CAR modified gamma delta program. In total, these restructuring actions are expected to result in cost savings in excess of $3M on an annual basis. This an initial step the company is taking to reduce its cost structure and to streamline operations in line with an updated corporate strategy, reflecting a focus on combination trials with TCB-008 as well as the company's US clinical trial strategy. TCBP will continue to implement additional cost savings programs and review non-dilutive funding options as well as strategic collaborations and partnerships.

08:28 EDT Pressure BioSciences receives $1.5M contract for UltraShear CBD - Pressure BioSciences and CBD Supply announced the execution and launch of a manufacturing and distribution agreement. Under the terms of the Agreement, PBIO will supply CBD Supply MD with the Company's UltraShear optimized nanoemulsions of CBD in a CBD Topical Spray, formulated for ideal effectiveness and optimal potency, addressing consumer's diverse CBD objectives. The Agreement is expected to generate over $1.5M in revenue for PBIO during 2023, including nearly $250,000 in the second quarter. The Agreement defines four phases of product development and commercialization for a custom-formulated topical spray of hemp-derived, UltraShear nanoemulsified CBD designed for extremely rapid absorption and effectiveness and for efficient high potency delivery of the CBD active material in each dose. All ingredients used in the manufacture of the Company's nano-CBD are sourced from naturally-occurring, plant-based origins. Phase I of the Agreement is underway and provides for an initial shipment of 850 vials of UltraShear-nanoemulsified CBD to CBD Supply MD by mid-April 2023.

08:22 EDT AGF Management increases quarterly dividend 10% to C$0.11 per share - AGF announced a 10% increase to its first quarter dividend to C$0.11 per share payable on April 21, 2023 to shareholders on record as at April 11, 2023.

08:19 EDT Zapp reveals production version of i300 Carbon Launch Edition - Zapp Electric Vehicles revealed the production version of its limited-run i300 Carbon Launch Edition. The i300 Carbon Launch Edition is designed and built with premium specifications, featuring unique carbon fibre fender, diamond cut wheels, a red rear spring, carbon hard carrier and a commemorative plaque with the founder's signature. Just 1,000 units will be built. The company also announced the launch of the new Zapp e-commerce website which features a high-definition 3D configurator for customers to explore and build the i300, as well as order their bike. In combination with Zapp's boutique-style Paris flagship store, the new website marks the rollout of Zapp's innovative drop-ship-direct-to-customer sales model, which offers customers more control over how they build and order their i300, online or in-store. A "Zapper", a franchised and trained technician, in a Zapper van will deliver and service Zapp vehicles at the location of the customer's choice. The Paris store is the first of a global network of Zapp stores which will offer customers the opportunity to test ride the i300 , as well as to learn about the product.

08:19 EDT Cemtrex announces $800K Vicon end-to-end security system order in UK - Cemtrex has received a $800K order through Vicon Industries for a new prison being built in the United Kingdom to install a full end-to-end system of Vicon's surveillance products including hardware and software. The new Category C prison, with cell space for 1,400 prisoners, has been designed to incorporate the latest smart technologies to better protect prisoners, staff and the public. It will also be the first new prison in the U.K. set to operate as zero-carbon in the future, with an all-electric design, solar panels, heat pumps and energy-efficient lighting systems... "We are delighted to garner another major enterprise, mission critical project with this full system order for Vicon's surveillance solutions. From penitentiaries in the U.S. to the U.K., our internationally recognized brand Vicon keeps operations safe for prisoners, workers, and visitors," said Saagar Govil, Chairman and CEO of Cemtrex. "The order also reaffirms our expectation for driving 16% revenue growth to $28 million this year for Vicon. In the U.S and internationally, corrections facilities are increasingly focusing on deploying the latest and greatest technologies and our Valerus system is an example of that. Vicon's full-featured video management systems are engineered to streamline every aspect of the security operation. We expect to see increasing demand as the corrections industry continues to invest into their operations in newer and more efficient technology.

08:16 EDT Xwell launches robot manicure at XpresSpa at JFK International Airport - XWELL, in partnership with Clockwork, launched the use of Clockwork's next generation, fully autonomous, AI-powered express manicure in the XpresSpa location at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. The XpresSpa at JFK's Terminal 4 is the first airport location in the world to feature robot manicures.

08:15 EDT Marker Therapeutics expects cash to fund operations into 3Q23 - At December 31, 2022, Marker had cash and cash equivalents of $11.8 million. The Company believes that its existing cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash will fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the third quarter of 2023.

08:13 EDT Alzamend Neuro announces completion of clinical portion of Phase IIA MAD trial - Alzamend Neuro announced the completion of the clinical portion of its Phase IIA multiple ascending dose, MAD, study for dementia related to Alzheimer's. The MAD study's purpose was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of AL001 under multiple-dose, steady-state conditions and determine the maximum tolerated dose in patients diagnosed with mild to moderate Alzheimer's and healthy subjects. "We strongly believe that AL001's patented ionic cocrystal technology could potentially provide clinicians with a major improvement over current lithium-based treatments and may constitute a means of treating over 40 million American suffering from Alzheimer's, bipolar disorder, MDD and PTSD," said Stephan Jackman, Chief Executive Officer of Alzamend. "We look forward to reporting topline data in June 2023 and further advancing clinical development of this promising potential therapeutic."

08:12 EDT PepGen to hold trials to assess safety and efficacy of repeated PGN-EDO51 doses - PepGen will be presenting nonclinical and clinical data of its Enhanced Oligonucleotide Delivery EDO platform at the Muscular Dystrophy Association MDA Clinical and Scientific Conference in Dallas, Texas.PepGen's preclinical data of PGN-EDO51, the company's lead product candidate for the treatment of people living DMD whose mutations are amenable to an exon 51 skipping approach, showed in the mdx mouse model that a single, 30 mg/kg dose of PGN-EDO23 resulted in 52.5% exon 23 skipping and dystrophin production of 22.5% that was sustained for up to four weeks..."Our preclinical and Phase 1 clinical data that is being presented at MDA highlight the observed ability of PepGen's EDO technology platform to drive encouraging levels of exon 51 skipped transcripts following a single-dose in NHPs and in humans. Our repeat-dose NHP data we will present here further support the potential stacking of exon 51 skipped transcripts with monthly PGN-EDO51 dosing," stated Jaya Goyal, PhD, Executive Vice President, Research and Preclinical Development at PepGen. "We look forward to sharing our PGN-EDO51 clinical development plan in the near future." Based on the encouraging nonclinical data, PepGen is planning to initiate two clinical trials to assess the safety and efficacy of repeat doses of PGN-EDO51 in young men living with DMD. CONNECT1-EDO51 is a Phase 2 open-label MAD clinical trial to be initiated in Canada in the first half of 2023 that is expected to report dystrophin protein data in 2024. Additionally, CONNECT2-EDO51, a Phase 2, global, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial is expected to be initiated in the second half of 2023 to support a potential accelerated approval pathway, subject to alignment with regulators. The corresponding poster presentation and slides referenced during the oral presentations are available on the Events and Presentations page in the Investor Relations section of the company's website.

08:10 EDT Freshworks announces GPT-based conventional enhancements to Freddy - Freshworks announced new GPT-based conversational enhancements to Freshworks' natively-built AI powered assistant, Freddy. Using OpenAI's ChatGPT and underlying large language models, the latest generative AI capabilities of Freddy help a wide range of customer-facing professionals work faster, smarter, and more effectively. Customer service agents respond quickly to customers and employees in the right tone, marketers compose more compelling copy in a fraction of the time, and salespeople craft powerful emails that hook in a prospect.

08:09 EDT Evolv Express security solution to be used at Manassas City Public Schools - Evolv Technology announced its partnership with Manassas City Public Schools in Virginia. The school district will use Evolv's state-of-the-art Evolv Express security solution at its high school, screening over 2,300 students daily as part of a layered approach to school safety. "Evolv is proud to be a part of the safety plan at Manassas City Public Schools," said Peter George, CEO of Evolv Technology. "The students and staff at Osbourn High School have already talked about how glad they are that the district implemented a screening solution. That's a common thread among all the schools we work with. Evolv helps bring peace of mind to a school community, allowing them to focus on learning in a safer environment."

08:08 EDT Ollie's Bargain Outlet jumps 11% to $59.00 after Q4 earnings beat and FY23 guide

08:07 EDT Stratasys up 4.5% at $15.25 as its board rejects Nano Dimension offer

08:05 EDT Shake Shack to make entry into Canada in 2024 - Shake Shack will be making its entry into Canada in 2024. "We have been eyeing this incredible opportunity in Canada for quite some time and are elated to have found exceptional partners to serve Shack classics and bespoke Canada-exclusive items to our sophisticated neighbors to the north," says Michael Kark, Chief Global Licensing Officer of Shake Shack. "Together with Osmington Inc. and Harlo Entertainment, we plan to open 35 Shacks in Canada by 2035 starting with the flagship location in Toronto in 2024. We can't wait to be a part of the city's bustling energy and innovative food scene."

08:02 EDT Sprinklr announces 120 new customer service, 25 new AI innovations - Sprinklr announced the winter release of its unified customer experience management platform for modern enterprises. Release 18.2 includes more than 650 new features and innovations for the four Sprinklr product suites. For this release, Sprinkr is especially focused on continued momentum and innovation in the customer service space with 120 new CCaaS features and 25 new AI features for the Sprinklr Service product suite. "For more than a year, we have been working with leading organizations around the world to disrupt the traditional enterprise CCaaS market and deliver new service strategies for digital-first enterprises," said Sprinklr Chief Technology Officer, Pavitar Singh. "With the ability to engage across 30+ channels, we empower customer service teams to seamlessly work across digital, social, and voice channels. Support from AI-self service tools helps brands deliver faster resolution of customer queries at reduced cost."

07:48 EDT FTI Consulting expands Reveal partnership to data hosting, AI-powered assessment - FTI Consulting announced that the Technology segment has enhanced its existing partnership with Reveal, the global provider of a leading artificial intelligence-powered e-discovery, review and investigations platform. Through this partnership expansion, FTI Technology will now offer the full suite of solutions available on the Reveal 11 platform, which includes global data hosting in Reveal, as well as enhanced early case assessment offerings. "As clients grapple with the impacts that soaring data volumes and complex emerging data sources have on their investigations workflows, they need powerful solutions that can provide reliable insights early in a matter," said Sophie Ross, Global Chief Executive Officer of FTI Technology. "Our consulting and advanced, AI-infused early case assessment platform in Reveal provides clients with unmatched flexibility in their toolbox, allowing them to leverage the strengths of multiple leading platforms in tandem, across all stages of the e-discovery lifecycle." FTI Technology provides clients with a selection of industry-leading and bespoke analytics and e-discovery solutions across a range of software platforms for early case assessment, processing, document review, data breach analysis and other use cases. FTI Technology's experts, including hundreds of consultants who are trained and certified in Reveal, have overseen matters in Reveal involving hundreds of millions of documents and hundreds of data sources. The team helps clients apply Reveal analytics to enrich complex information, bring transparency to the investigative process, accelerate the time to insights and reduce the cost of discovery.

07:48 EDT Chubb announces new underwriting criteria for oil and gas extraction projects - Chubb announced new underwriting criteria for oil and gas extraction projects that will require clients to reduce methane emissions, a byproduct of oil and gas production that are among the most severe greenhouse gases. Chubb also announced that it will not provide insurance coverage for oil and gas projects in government-protected conservation areas in the World Database on Protected Areas that do not allow for sustainable use. The underwriting criteria for oil and gas extraction are part of an ongoing collaboration and consultation with environmental stakeholders and experts. Chubb will continue to provide insurance coverage for clients that implement evidence-based plans to manage methane emissions including, at a minimum, having in place programs for leak detection and repair and the elimination of non-emergency venting. Clients must adopt one or more measures that have been demonstrated to reduce emissions from flaring. These criteria will commence immediately and customers will have a set period of time to develop an action plan based on their individual risk characteristics. Chubb will also create a customer resource center to support oil and gas insureds in identifying and adopting methane emissions reduction technologies. Effective immediately, Chubb will not underwrite oil and gas extraction projects in protected areas designated by state, provincial or national governments.

07:45 EDT Zentek announces antimicrobial testing results for ZenGUARD-coated mask material - Zentek announces that SGS Standard Technical Services recently conducted tests to determine the extent of the antimicrobial properties and the time required to achieve deactivation of bacteria and virus on ZenGUARD-coated mask material. Key Data points: Antibacterial testing completed by SGS following AATCC 100-2019 Test. Method for Antibacterial Finishes on Textile Material: Antiviral testing completed by SGS and followed ISO 18184: 2019 Textiles - Determination of antiviral activity of textile products TCID50 method; The ZenGUARD-coated mask fabric demonstrated over 99.99% antibacterial effectiveness after 1 hour where 260,000 Escherichia Coli Colony Forming Units was reduced to under 100 CFU; The untreated control mask samples saw 120,000 E. coli CFU grow to 2.5 million in 1 hour and 1.1 billion in 8 hours; The ZenGUARD-coated mask fabric demonstrated 86.7% antiviral effectiveness after 1 hour against H1N1 and 99.7% after 8 hours; These meaningful reductions in bacterial and viral load may have an impact in the reduction of infectious disease in high-risk environments.

07:41 EDT Starbox Group unveils A.I. Calculation Engine - Starbox Group unveiled its A.I. Calculation Engine, a powerful system that enables automatic rebate distribution based on comprehensive big data from both in-house and real-time market sources, including sentiment data. The Starbox A.I. Calculation Engine operates dynamically based on the big data as well as prevalent market sentiment, with an aim to maximize rebate earnings for its clients.

07:37 EDT Virgin Orbit confirms incremental resumption of operations - In a regulatory 8-K filing, Virgin Orbit stated: "As previously disclosed, on March 15, 2023, Virgin Orbit announced a Company-wide operational pause beginning on March 16, 2023, in order to conserve capital while the company conducts discussions with potential funding sources and explores strategic opportunities. There can be no assurance that these discussions will result in any transaction. The company does not currently intend to disclose further developments with respect to these discussions, unless and until its Board of Directors approves a specific transaction or other course of action requiring disclosure. On March 21, 2023, the company announced that it will initiate an incremental resumption of its operations beginning on Thursday, March 23, 2023, to work on preparations for its next mission. The operational pause for the remainder of its workforce is expected to continue through March 26, 2023. The company is planning for a further resumption of operations on March 27, 2023."

07:34 EDT Wave Life Sciences expects cash to fund operations into 2025 - As of December 31, 2022, Wave had $88.5 million in cash and cash equivalents, as compared to $150.6 million as of December 31, 2021. As previously disclosed, Wave entered into a strategic collaboration with GSK that became effective in the first quarter of 2023 and provided upfront cash of $170 million to Wave. Accordingly, the Company expects that its current cash and cash equivalents will be sufficient to fund operations into 2025.

07:33 EDT Asahi Kasei, Crystal IS announce new data on Klaran single-chip UVC LED - Asahi Kasei and subsidiary Crystal IS have demonstrated their next-generation Klaran single-chip UVC LED which emits at 160 mW in the ideal germicidal range of 260-270 nm. Setting a new record for single-chip device output in a commercial device, this achievement marks a significant 60% increase over prior Crystal IS devices while retaining the optimal wavelength for germicidal efficiency. "This new high-output and long-life Klaran device is made possible by the strong cooperation between Crystal IS and Asahi Kasei innovation teams," said Eoin Connolly, President and CEO. "With this new device in our portfolio, Klaran UVC LED devices make another significant step forward in replacing low-pressure mercury lamp technology and promoting the transition to non-mercury/non-ozone generating devices."

07:31 EDT Invitae announces partnership with Deerfield Management - Invitae and Deerfield Management Company, a healthcare investment firm, announced a partnership to advance genetics-based drug discovery and development in rare disease. The partnership will leverage genetics and clinical data from millions of patients and Deerfield's broad drug discovery and development expertise. Invitae and Deerfield aim to address notable research gaps by drawing insights from Invitae's data platform, which includes sizable cohorts of rare disease patients. The companies will collaborate to analyze data from the over 3.6M genetic tests delivered by Invitae linked to longitudinal clinical data, strictly in accordance with patients' preferences for sharing of their data. With these data and analytics expertise, together Invitae and Deerfield will be well-suited to uncover insights needed to discover and validate novel rare disease targets.

07:22 EDT View windows chosen for Phase II of Charlotte airport concourse expansion - View announced its Smart Windows have been selected for Phase II of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport CLT Concourse A expansion. This is the company's second project at CLT, following Phase I's installation of View Smart Windows in 2018, which saw the windows featured throughout the Concourse A Connector and Gates A21-29. CLT, one of the nation's busiest airports welcoming nearly 48 million passengers in 2022, is implementing a multi-phase capital improvement plan for Concourse A to reinvent the travel experience for visitors. Designed by C Design and Perkins & Will, Phase II is a 189,000-square-foot expansion that will add ten gates and three levels. All Phase II gates and levels will feature View Smart Windows, optimizing the amount of natural light and reducing heat, glare, and energy consumption throughout the concourse.

07:21 EDT Medexus Pharmaceuticals secures Canadian rghts for topical terbinafine - Medexus Pharmaceuticals secured Canadian rights to commercialize terbinafine hydrochloride nail lacquer supplied by Polichem, an Almirall group company focused on medical dermatological treatments for skin health. The product, which Medexus will submit for Health Canada approval later this year, has been widely used in other markets to treat fungal nail infections. Medexus estimates the total value of the Canadian fungicides market to be C$88M annually. Medexus has agreed to sponsor the new drug submission seeking Health Canada approval of topical terbinafine nail lacquer. If and when approved by Health Canada, Medexus will pay Polichem a quarterly low double-digit percentage royalty on net sales of the product, inclusive of supply price. The long-term license agreement also provides for a low upfront payment and four sales-based milestone payments, which limits Medexus's initial outlay and aligns the parties' interests around product performance.

07:18 EDT Helius Medical and HTC in distribution pact for PoNS device - Helius Medical Technologies and HealthTech Connex, HTC, a health technology company specializing in neurotechnology innovations, announced that they have entered into an exclusive distribution agreement. This agreement, which replaces Helius and HTC's prior clinical research and co-promotion agreement, grants HTC the exclusive right to purchase, market, sell, and distribute Helius's PoNS device throughout the metropolitan Vancouver and Fraser Valley regions of British Columbia, Canada, subject to established minimums. The initial term is for five years, with the possibility to extend to ten years. "HTC has been an important partner for Helius and we are delighted to extend this valuable collaboration. PoNS is the perfect fit for HTC's leading-edge neurorehabilitation clinics and this agreement will allow Helius to establish a strong presence in the greater Vancouver area while continuing to help HTC empower patients who suffer from gait and balance impairment improve their daily lives," said Helius President and Chief Executive Officer Dane Andreeff. "We're thrilled to announce the collaboration with Helius that gives HTC exclusive rights to purchase, market, sell, and distribute Helius's PoNS device throughout the metropolitan Vancouver and Fraser Valley regions of British Columbia. This will allow HTC to continue providing groundbreaking treatment using the PoNS device to make a positive impact in the lives of countless people in British Columbia," stated Kirk Fisher, Chief Executive Officer of HTC.

07:16 EDT Freshpet, Petco announce delivery partnership - Freshpet (FRPT) and Petco Health and Wellness Company (WOOF) announced an innovative partnership to produce and deliver fresh, customized subscription meal plans directly to pet parents' doors. Available exclusively on petco.com, Freshpet Custom Meals are crafted for optimal nutrition by veterinary nutritionists for dogs. After completing a short questionnaire on their dog's attributes, sensitivities and health goals on petco.com, pet parents will receive a personalized meal plan with specific feeding guidelines based on the pet's breed, age, body type, activity level and more. Pet parents can select their preferred delivery window for the food to be sent via Petco's delivery services. The subscription meal plan starts at $3 per day. The offering has launched regionally across 15 states, including California, Texas, Florida and New York, and will be available nationally via petco.com later this year.

07:14 EDT Applied UV comments on CDC's warning of C. auris spreading across facilities - Applied UV announces the Center of Disease Control, CDC, has warned that Candida auris, C. auris, is spreading rapidly through U.S. health care facilities. As the company previously announced, the Sterilumen family of disinfection devices was independently tested by ResInnova Laboratories who confirmed that the Company's devices kill C.auris on sink handles, achieving a log2 kill in just fifteen minutes of operation. Applied UV's recently acquired Puro UV completed independent lab testing commissioned by Violet Defense, the UV technology provider powering Puro's Helo products, and performed at an EPA and FDA GLP-compliant, ISO 17025 Accredited Testing Laboratory. Testing determined that Puro UV disinfecting fixtures are effective at killing the C. auris fungus. Sterilumen's complete family of air and surface disinfection devices including Airocide Air Purification System, a proprietary airborne pathogen killing technology originally developed for use by NASA and listed as a FDA Class II Medical Device that uses a patented combination of UVC and a proprietary, titanium dioxide based photocatalyst, kills the emerging multi-drug resistant fungus, Candida auris as well as its surface disinfection platform Lumicide. Additionally, independent research previously conducted demonstrated that Airocide also kills MRSA. Applied UV's patented LumiCide Surface and Drain UVC Disinfecting Systems is currently installed within the world renowned Mt. Sinai Medical Center Morningside in a trial, the results of which are expected to be published late in Q3 2023 which would further validate the previously obtained independent results conducted by ResInnova Laboratories. This validation could facilitate the adoption of the Company's LumiCide Surface and Drain disinfection solutions throughout healthcare facilities globally.

07:14 EDT Mobilicom to meet U.S. congress members to discuss drone cybersecurity - Mobilicom has been selected to represent the uncrewed autonomous systems industry at the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International's Hill Day in Washington DC on March 22, 2023. Mobilicom is a member of the AUVSI Cybersecurity Working Group. Engaging in face-to-face meetings with policymakers, Mobilicom will present the critical importance of cybersecurity for the drone industry's evolution and for the safety of UAS users including in military and civilian use cases. The aim of these meetings is to support laws and regulations that allow and encourage the deployment of uncrewed and autonomous systems to better serve business, society, and defense.

07:12 EDT Bausch + Lomb, Novaliq announce publication of Phase 3 data on NOV03 - Bausch + Lomb and Novaliq GmbH announced that American Journal of Ophthalmology has published results from MOJAVE, the second pivotal Phase 3 trial for NOV03. NOV03 is being investigated to treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease associated with Meibomian gland dysfunction. Results from the first pivotal Phase 3 trial, GOBI, were published earlier this year in Ophthalmology. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration assigned NOV03 a Prescription Drug User Fee Act action date of June 28, 2023. The two primary endpoints were change from baseline at Week 8 in total corneal fluorescein staining and eye dryness Visual Analog Scale score. Key secondary endpoints included change from baseline in eye dryness VAS score and tCFS at Week 2 (Day 15 +/- 1) and eye burning/stinging VAS score and central corneal fluorescein staining at Week 8. Significant improvements vs. hypotonic saline solution were seen as early as day 15. Data highlights include: Primary endpoints: At Week 8, reduction from baseline in tCFS was statistically greater in the NOV03 arm compared to the control saline group. At Week 8, VAS dryness score was statistically significantly improved in the NOV03 arm compared to control group. Key secondary endpoints: At Week 2, tCFS and VAS dryness score were statistically significant compared to saline, with an LS mean treatment difference for change from baseline in tCFS of -0.6 and VAS score of -7.8. At Week 8 VAS burning/stinging score and cCFS also favored the NOV03 group, with an LS mean treatment difference for change from baseline in VAS burning/stinging score of -7.3.

07:11 EDT Plus Therapeutics initiates Cohort 3 in Phase 1/Part A of ReSPECT-LM trial - Plus Therapeutics announced treatment of the first patient in Cohort 3 of the ReSPECT-LM Phase 1/2a dose escalation clinical trial of rhenium obisbemeda for the treatment of leptomeningeal metastases from solid tumors. This follows successful prior completion of Cohorts 1 and 2 as well as the recommendation of the trial's Data and Safety Monitoring Board to advance into Cohort 3. Thus far, no dose-limiting toxicities have been observed with administered radiation doses of up to 26.4 millicuries. This dose represents a theoretical maximum absorbed radiation dose to the cerebral spinal fluid of approximately 200 gray. At the 2022 Annual Scientific Meeting and Education Day of the Society for Neuro-Oncology, Plus Therapeutics presented Phase 1 data from the ReSPECT-LM trial demonstrating that a single administered dose of rhenium obisbemeda was feasible, safe, and well-tolerated. Across two dosages, the four patients from Cohorts 1 and 2 experienced a decreased cerebrospinal fluid tumor cell count of 46% to 92% at 48 hours following treatment. The ReSPECT-LM trial is a multicenter, sequential cohort, open-label, single dose, dose escalation Phase 1/2a study using a modified Fibonacci 3+3 study design. It will evaluate the maximum tolerated dose, maximum feasible dose, safety and efficacy of a single administration of rhenium obisbemeda via intraventricular catheter for LM following standard surgical, radiation and/or chemotherapy treatment. The primary endpoints of the study are the incidence and severity of adverse events/serious adverse events and dose limiting toxicities. Secondary endpoints include overall response rate, duration of response, progression free survival and overall survival.

07:09 EDT Petco expects to make $100M in principal payments on term loan in FY23 - In light of the current macroeconomic environment, the company is providing one-time commentary on its debt paydown expectations. In Fiscal 2023, the company expects to make a total of $100M in principal payments on its term loan, which is inclusive of the $35M paid in March.

07:07 EDT United Natural Foods announces elevation of two senior leaders at company - United Natural Foods announced the elevation of two senior leaders to better align leadership teams and resources to drive its customer-centric strategy and transformation agenda. Erin Horvath has been appointed to the position of Chief Operating Officer, COO, and Louis Martin has been named President of Wholesale. Horvath, COO, and Martin, President of Wholesale, will join Company President, Chris Testa, who oversees UNFI's Services platform, to leverage the combined knowledge of industry veterans and new leaders, and together form a team of operators with considerable experience with these types of capability improvement programs. Horvath joined UNFI in October 2022. Louis Martin joined UNFI in March 2022.

07:05 EDT Origin Materials, Hyosung Advanced Materials announce partnership - Origin Materials and Hyosung Advanced Materials announced a partnership to industrialize sustainable high-value specialty materials. As part of the partnership, Hyosung Advanced Materials signed a multi-year capacity reservation agreement to purchase sustainable carbon-negative materials from Origin Materials, including PET and a hybrid polymer PET/F for use in tire cord applications, HTC for use in battery materials, as well as furanic derivatives for use in spandex applications in the apparel industry. The partnership will leverage Origin's patented technology platform. "Partnering with Hyosung Advanced Materials is a significant milestone in our mission to transition the world to sustainable materials," said Origin Materials Co-CEO Rich Riley. "The opportunity for working together is remarkably broad, and we are excited to develop high-value products for use in a wide range of end markets and applications including batteries, automotive, and apparel. Together, we can expand the adoption of Origin's technology and help drive the 'once in a planet' shift to sustainable materials taking place around the world."

07:03 EDT KKR names Roberts as Chief Investment Strategist for Private Wealth - KKR announced the appointment of Paula Campbell Roberts as Chief Investment Strategist for Private Wealth. In this newly created role, Roberts will work closely with KKR's Global Macro, Balance Sheet and Risk team to deliver actionable investment insights to KKR's private wealth partners, which include wirehouses, private banks, independent/regional broker-dealers, registered investment advisors and fintech platforms. Roberts was most recently Managing Director and Global Head of Consumer and Real Estate Macro and Thematic Investing at KKR.

06:56 EDT Aecom awarded contract by NEOM International Airport in Saudi Arabia - AECOM announced that it has been awarded a multi-year contract to provide project management consultancy, or PMC, services for NEOM International Airport, or NIA, in the northwestern region of Saudi Arabia. AECOM's scope will include project management for masterplanning, design and construction services, through to testing, commissioning, operational readiness, activation and transition, or ORAT.

06:32 EDT Ares Management, Mubadala Investment form joint venture - Ares Management and Mubadala Investment Company announced the formation of a joint venture to invest in global credit secondaries opportunities. The joint venture, anchored by Mubadala, will initially aim to deploy approximately $1B as it seeks to capitalize on the anticipated growth and substantial demand from General and Limited Partners for customized liquidity solutions for the credit secondaries asset class. The joint venture is anticipated to scale alongside the growing market opportunity. The joint venture represents a key milestone for both organizations and will enhance Mubadala's positioning within the secondaries credit market, while enabling Ares to significantly scale its offering. The newly established strategy is a natural extension of Ares' leading Credit and Secondaries platforms, which respectively had approximately $214B and $22B of assets under management as of December 31, 2022. By leveraging Ares' track record and Mubadala's global footprint, the joint venture will benefit from access to a broader network, differentiated market intelligence, and new transaction opportunities.

06:08 EDT KBR launches SCOREKlean ehylene, propylene process technology - KBR announced the launch of SCOREKlean, a proprietary ethylene and propylene process technology utilizing 100% hydrogen-fueled burners for zero emissions from the ethylene cracking furnaces.

06:04 EDT Greenbrier receives orders for 4,500 railcars with value of $580M in Q2 - The Greenbrier Companies received orders for 4,500 new railcars with an aggregate value of $580M during its fiscal second quarter ended on February 28, 2023. Orders for the quarter included tank cars, automobile-carrying railcars, boxcars and covered hopper cars, and were consistent with Greenbrier's expectations for the period.

06:02 EDT Stratasys board unanimously rejects acquisition proposal from Nano Dimension - Stratasys (SSYS) announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously rejected the unsolicited proposal it received from Nano Dimension (NNDM) to acquire Stratasys for $18.00 per share in cash. Consistent with its fiduciary duties, and in consultation with its independent financial and legal advisors, the Stratasys Board of Directors carefully reviewed and evaluated the proposal. Following the review, the Stratasys Board concluded that Nano's proposal substantially undervalues the company in light of its standalone prospects and is not in the best interests of Stratasys and its shareholders. Stratasys' Board and management team are confident that the company's standalone plan will create significantly greater value for its shareholders than the Nano proposal. Stratasys recently delivered its sixth consecutive quarter of profitability on an adjusted basis despite a challenging economic environment, and the company remains laser focused on executing its strategy and managing its operations to effectively deliver sustained, profitable growth.

05:57 EDT Stellantis, Credit Agricole sign binding agreement for acquisitions in Europe - Stellantis and Credit Agricole Consumer Finance announce that they have signed a binding agreement for the acquisition of ALD and LeasePlan's activities in Portugal and Luxembourg, respectively, following ALD's proposed acquisition of 100% of LeasePlan announced in January 2022. This announcement constitutes an immediate acceleration of the two companies' ambitions in mobility and vehicle long-term leasing. This announcement follows the partnership agreements between Stellantis and Credit Agricole Consumer Finance announced in December 2021 regarding the creation of a common NewCo, a European leader in long-term vehicle leasing, and the takeover by Credit Agricole Consumer Finance of 100% of FCA Bank's capital. Stellantis and Credit Agricole Consumer Finance also announce the signing of an agreement relating to the sale of ALD's activities in Ireland, Norway and Portugal, as well as LeasePlan's activities in the Czech Republic, Finland and Luxembourg. These disposals would take place according to the commitments made by ALD to the European Commission in connection with the proposed acquisition of LeasePlan by ALD. The completion of the transaction, expected in the course of 2023 well after the closing of the creation of the NewCo, is subject to the customary conditions precedent in this area, namely the completion of the acquisition of LeasePlan by ALD and the approval of the competent authorities.

05:53 EDT Inspirato names Robert Kaiden as CFO, effective immediately - Inspirato announced the appointment of Robert Kaiden as CFO, effective immediately. Kaiden was most recently with Twitter, where he served as Chief Accounting Officer from June 2015 to November 2022, helping lead a period of scaling, business model transformation, and international expansion.