Stockwinners Market Radar for December 18, 2023 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:08 EST Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 206K shares of Pinterest

19:50 EST TFF Pharmaceuticals trading halted, news pending

18:13 EST Navient exec sells $2.86M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Navient disclosed that its EVP John Kane sold 150K shares of common stock on December 14th in a total transaction size of $2.86M.

18:02 EST Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting, SQM to buy Azure for A3.70 per share - Azure Minerals is pleased to announce that it has enteredinto a new binding Transaction Implementation Deed with Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A. and Hancock Prospecting under which it is proposed that the Joint Bidders will acquire 100% of the shares in Azure by way of a scheme of arrangement for a cash amount of A$3.70 per Azure share or if the Scheme Proposal is not successful by way of an off-market takeover offer for a cash amount of A$3.65 per Azure share To facilitate the Transaction, SQM and Hancock have entered into a joint bidding agreement governing how the joint bid will be made. The Transaction replaces the existing SQM transaction announced by Azure on 26 October 2023 which comprised a scheme proposal of A$3.52 cash per Azure share and a fall-back takeover offer of A$3.50 cash per Azure share. Highlights * The Scheme Proposal of A$3.70 per Azure share implies a fully-diluted equity value for Azure of ~A$1.70 billion1 and represents a premium of: - 5.1% to the scheme component of the Original SQM Transaction of A$3.52 per Azure share... Reference Link

17:43 EST Keysight Technologies CFO Dougherty sells 14,686 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Keysight Technologies executive VP and CFO Neil Dougherty disclosed the sale of 14,686 common shares of the company on December 15 at a price of $159.35 per share.

17:39 EST Madryn Asset urges SomaLogic holders to vote against Standard BioTools merger - Madryn Asset Management, a holder of approximately 4.2% of the outstanding common stock of SomaLogic (SLGC), issued a presentation detailing why shareholders should reject the company's proposed merger with Standard BioTools (LAB). Reference Link

17:21 EST Mitek Systems receives Staff Listing Determination notice from Nasdaq - Mitek Systems reported that it received a Staff Delisting Determination from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC notifying the company that it was not in compliance with Nasdaq's continued listing requirements under the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c) as a result of its failure to file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023 in a timely manner, which serves as a basis for delisting the company's securities from Nasdaq. As previously disclosed, the company is subject to a Mandatory Panel Monitor until November 6, 2024, which requires the Nasdaq Staff to promptly issue a delisting determination in the event that the company fails to maintain compliance with the Rule. As the company noted in its press release dated December 7, 2023, as a result of delays in filing its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for fiscal 2023, the company was late in starting its year-end audit for fiscal 2023, and therefore is delayed in filing its Form 10-K, which was due December 14, 2023.

17:11 EST Hovnanian director Kangas sells 5,000 class A shares - In a regulatory filing, Hovnanian Enterprises director Edward Kangas disclosed the sale of 5,000 class A common shares of the company on December 15 at a price of $154.51 per share.

17:05 EST Summer Road raises Ocular Therapeutix stake by $5.0M - As previously reported, Summer Road LLC disclosed that it has increased its stake in Ocular Therapeutix by $5.0M, buying 1.5M shares on December 14th. Shares of Ocular Therapeutix are up 5% afterhours at $3.84.

17:02 EST Imperial Oil forecasts 2024 capital spending at $1.7B - Imperial provided an update on its corporate guidance outlook for 2024. The company's strategy remains focused on maximizing value of existing assets and progressing select high-value growth opportunities while continuing to reduce company emissions and delivering industry-leading returns to shareholders. Capital spending is forecast at $1.7 billion. In the Downstream, construction continues on the Strathcona Renewable Diesel facility with production expected to begin in early 2025. In the Upstream, key projects include the SAGD redevelopment of the Leming field and high-value drilling opportunities at Cold Lake, as well as further volume enhancement initiatives, including secondary bitumen recovery technology, and continued progression of work on the in-pit tailings project at Kearl. In the Upstream, production is forecast to be between 420,000 and 442,000 gross oil equivalent barrels per day. This reflects the multi-year volume growth and cost optimization journey at Kearl to profitably deliver annual production of 280,000 total gross barrels per day, as well as the accelerated ramp-up of the first phase of the Grand Rapids project at Cold Lake. The GRP1 project is expected to deliver 15,000 gross barrels per day at full production and is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions intensity by up to 40% compared to current steam technology. In the Downstream, throughput is forecast to be between 385,000 and 400,000 barrels per day with capacity utilization between 89% and 92%. The company is planning to complete turnarounds at all three of its refineries in 2024, which includes scope to enable the co-processing of vegetable oils alongside conventional feedstock at Strathcona refinery. The planned turnarounds are anticipated to have a modestly higher impact on throughput but at a lower cost in comparison to 2023 turnaround activity. Imperial continues to focus on further improving its advantaged Canadian downstream business by leveraging its coast-to-coast logistics network to efficiently move product to high-value markets, maximizing refinery crude and product slate flexibility to improve resiliency and further developing its lower-carbon product offering to meet the needs of customers across Canada.

16:51 EST Applied Industrial Technologies CEO sells $15.9M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Applied Industrial Technologies disclosed that its CEO Neil Schimsher sold 93.8K shares of common stock on December 14th in a total transaction size of $15.9M.

16:49 EST Electromed director buys $302K in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Electromed disclosed that its director Andrew Summers bought 28.8K shares of common stock on December 14th in a total transaction size of $302K. Shares of Electromed are up 2% afterhours at $10.84.

16:34 EST BeyondSpring receives noncompliance notification from Nasdaq - BeyondSpring announced that on December 14, it received a written notification from Nasdaq that the company is not in compliance with the requirement to maintain a minimum closing bid price of $1.00 per share, as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550, because the closing bid price of the company's ordinary shares was below $1.00 per share for 31 consecutive business days. The notification letter does not result in the immediate delisting of the company's ordinary shares and has no current immediate effect on the listing or trading of the company's ordinary shares on Nasdaq. Pursuant to the Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810, the company is provided with a compliance period of 180 calendar days from the date of the notification letter, or until June 11, 2024, to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement. During this period, the company's ordinary shares will continue to trade on Nasdaq.

16:30 EST Markel names Brian Costanzo CFO - Markel Group announced that Brian Costanzo, currently the Chief Financial Officer of its insurance business, Markel, has been appointed Chief Financial Officer of Markel Group, effective today. He replaces Teri Gendron, who will leave the company on December 31, 2023. Costanzo will also maintain his role as Chief Financial Officer of the insurance business. Markel Group made several changes earlier this year to further define the nature and structure of the holding company. Building on Gendron's work, Costanzo will play a key role as the company continues this journey to take full advantage of the three-engine system that it built over the past 20 years with its insurance, investment, and Markel Ventures operations. "Brian is a proven leader who will ensure our financial discipline and help drive long-term profitable growth," said Tom Gayner, Chief Executive Officer. "I want to thank Teri for her contributions in helping us evolve the CFO function at the holding company level."

16:21 EST Rayonier declares special dividend of 20c per share - The dividend is payable on January 12, 2024, to shareholders of record on December 29, 2023.

16:17 EST Rayonier declares special cash dividend of 20c per share

16:16 EST Palatin: NYSE American accepts listing standards compliance plan - Palatin Technologies announced it received a notice from the staff of NYSE American approving Palatin's plan to come into compliance with the Exchange's continued listing standards under Section 1003(a)(i) and (ii) of the NYSE American Company Guide. Section 1003(a)(i) requires a listed company to have stockholders' equity of $2M or more if the listed company has reported losses from continuing operations and/or net losses in two of its three most recent fiscal years, and Section 1003(a)(ii) requires a listed company to have stockholders' equity of $4M or more if the listed company has reported losses from continuing operations and/or net losses in three of its four most recent fiscal years.

16:11 EST Park City Group formalizes corporate name change to ReposiTrak - Park City Group, Inc. d/b/a ReposiTrak, announced that it has filed to change the Company's corporate name from "Park City Group, Inc." to "ReposiTrak, Inc.", to be effective December 21, 2023. Formalizing the name change is another step in the planned rebranding of the Company. The Company's shares continue to be listed for trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "TRAK." The Company's common shares CUSIP number will not change. The name change will be effected by the merger of the wholly-owned subsidiary ReposiTrak, Inc., a Utah corporation, with and into the Company, with the Company as the surviving corporation, expected to be complete on December 21, 2023.

16:09 EST a.k.a. Brands board raises share repurchase program by $3M - a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp. announced that its board of directors has authorized an increase of $3M to its share repurchase program, thereby increasing the total amount authorized for share repurchases to $5M. As of December 18, 2023, the company has used approximately $2M of the total amount authorized for share repurchases. Repurchases by the company are subject to available liquidity, general market and economic conditions, alternate uses for the capital and other factors. Share repurchases may be made from time to time through open market transactions, block trades or in private transactions in accordance with applicable securities laws and regulations and other legal requirements. Repurchases may be made pursuant to a trading plan under Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which would permit shares to be repurchased when the company might otherwise be precluded from doing so because of self-imposed trading blackout periods or other regulatory restrictions. There is no minimum number of shares that the company is required to repurchase and the Share Repurchase Program may be suspended or discontinued at any time without prior notice.

16:08 EST INmune Bio announces Alzheimer's trial remains on hold - INmune Bio received notification by the FDA that the US Phase II trial remains on full clinical hold pending a request for additional information on long-term potency. The request came following the most recent submission to the FDA that showed a possible increase in the long-term potency of XPro. The company will provide clarification to the FDA in a response before the end of the year that it believes will resolve the remaining questions. "We remain discussion with the FDA regarding the clinical hold," said RJ Tesi, CEO of INmune Bio. "The hold will not impact our progress in completing the Phase II AD study on schedule, as our patient recruitment projections are solely reliant on sites outside of the US." The trial is open in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Poland, France, Spain and is expected to open soon in several additional EU countries. To date, the FDA remains the only regulatory agency to put the Phase II clinical trial on hold.

16:06 EST a.k.a. Brands board raises share repurchase program by $3M - a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp. announced that its board of directors has authorized an increase of $3M to its share repurchase program, thereby increasing the total amount authorized for share repurchases to $5M. As of December 18, 2023, the company has used approximately $2M of the total amount authorized for share repurchases. Repurchases by the company are subject to available liquidity, general market and economic conditions, alternate uses for the capital and other factors. Share repurchases may be made from time to time through open market transactions, block trades or in private transactions in accordance with applicable securities laws and regulations and other legal requirements. Repurchases may be made pursuant to a trading plan under Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which would permit shares to be repurchased when the company might otherwise be precluded from doing so because of self-imposed trading blackout periods or other regulatory restrictions. There is no minimum number of shares that the company is required to repurchase and the Share Repurchase Program may be suspended or discontinued at any time without prior notice.

16:06 EST a.k.a. Brands board raises share repurchase program by $3M - a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp. announced that its board of directors has authorized an increase of $3M to its share repurchase program, thereby increasing the total amount authorized for share repurchases to $5M. As of December 18, 2023, the company has used approximately $2M of the total amount authorized for share repurchases. Repurchases by the company are subject to available liquidity, general market and economic conditions, alternate uses for the capital and other factors. Share repurchases may be made from time to time through open market transactions, block trades or in private transactions in accordance with applicable securities laws and regulations and other legal requirements. Repurchases may be made pursuant to a trading plan under Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which would permit shares to be repurchased when the company might otherwise be precluded from doing so because of self-imposed trading blackout periods or other regulatory restrictions. There is no minimum number of shares that the company is required to repurchase and the Share Repurchase Program may be suspended or discontinued at any time without prior notice.

16:02 EST Qorvo to sell assembly and test facilities in Beijing, Dezhou to Luxshare - Qorvo announced that it has reached a definitive agreement with Luxshare Precision, an advanced contract manufacturer, under which Luxshare will acquire Qorvo's assembly and test facilities in Beijing and Dezhou, China. The companies anticipate completing the transaction by the first half of calendar 2024, subject to receipt of regulatory approvals and the satisfaction or waiver of other closing conditions. Upon closing, Luxshare will acquire each facility's operations and assets, which include the property, plant and equipment, as well as the existing workforce, to enable continuity of operations. Qorvo will continue to maintain its sales, engineering and customer support employees in China to continue serving customers. Following the close of the transaction, Luxshare will assemble and test products for Qorvo under a newly established long-term supply agreement. The Beijing and Dezhou facilities primarily support Qorvo's highly integrated advanced cellular products. Luxshare is a trusted supplier to many of the world's leading electronics companies and will provide seamless and flexible access to production capacity while expanding its offerings and capabilities.

14:35 EST Vivos Therapeutics trading resumes

14:28 EST Wix.com receives court approval of up to $300M repurchase program - According to a regulatory filing, on December 18, 2023, Wix.com received court approval of its repurchase program pursuant to which up to $300M of the company's ordinary shares and/or convertible notes may be repurchased, effective until July 30, 2024. The company may file extension requests with the court on an ongoing basis as required and may file for court approval of additional repurchase amounts to align with the board's approval of 50% of projected free cash flow through 2025, excluding costs associated with the company's new headquarters office build out. Under the board authorized repurchase program, company securities may be repurchased from time to time in open market transactions at prevailing market prices, in privately negotiated transactions or by other means in accordance with federal securities laws and regulations. The repurchase program does not obligate the company to acquire any particular amount of securities, and the repurchase program may be suspended or discontinued at any time at the company's discretion. The company may repurchase all or a portion of the authorized repurchase amount pursuant to a plan that is compliant with Rule 10b5-1 under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, that is designed to facilitate these purchases. The actual timing, number and value of securities repurchased depend on a number of factors, including the market price of the company's ordinary shares, general market and economic conditions and other corporate considerations.

14:05 EST Senator Fetterman says U.S. Steel acquisition 'wrong for workers' - U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania John Fetterman said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the acquisition of U.S. Steel (X) by a "foreign company," namely Nippon Steel (NPSCY), is "wrong for workers and wrong for Pennsylvania." "I'm gonna do everything I can to block it," the senator said. Reference Link

13:28 EST TPG acquires 75% of Oxford's GTA industrial portfolio for C$1.3B - TPG and Oxford Properties Group announced a new partnership whereby TPG has acquired a 75% interest in Oxford's two Class-A industrial business parks in the Greater Toronto Area: Brampton Business Park and Vaughan Business Park. Oxford has retained a 25% interest in the assets and will continue to manage the 5.1 million square-foot portfolio. The transaction values the portfolio at C$1.3B. Jacob Muller, Partner at TPG, commented: "We see the GTA as one of the most attractive industrial markets globally, with strong real estate fundamentals and population and employment growth outpacing many major U.S. markets. We have followed the Canadian industrial sector for several years, and believe this joint venture provides a unique opportunity to enter the market at scale through the acquisition of some of the highest quality industrial assets in all of Toronto. We are excited to partner with the Oxford team, which has a distinct track record in the space and deep local expertise, to support the properties and grow a leading industrial portfolio."

13:24 EST Masimo says even Apple 'must abide by the law,' Bloomberg's Gurman reports - In response to news of Apple's decision to halt Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 sales in the U.S. following an ITC ruling as part of a patent dispute between the company and Masimo around the Apple Watch's blood oxygen sensor technology, Masimo said that "The decision to ban certain models of the Apple Watch demonstrates that even the world's most powerful company must abide by the law. The ITC undertook a thorough legal process and its expert judgment in this matter should be respected...," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman shared on X, formerly known as Twitter. Reference Link

12:49 EST Masimo receives FDA clearance for Stork baby monitoring system - Masimo announced FDA clearance of Stork, a baby monitoring system, for prescription use with healthy and sick babies 0-18 months of age. Stork is available at retailers nationwide as a non-medical device for general health and wellness purposes, Masimo said in a statement. With this clearance, Stork is now available for prescription use to continuously monitor babies at home as a medical device for healthy or sick babies.

12:36 EST Cazoo Group trading resumes

12:15 EST Electronic Arts introduces new logo, brand identity for Frostbite engine - Electronic Arts announced a new logo and brand identity for its Frostbite engine, one that's representative of how the engine has "evolved as a platform for collaborative innovation." "Frostbite is EA's state-of-the-art, multi-platform game engine powering many of our biggest franchises," the company said. "It was built to explore, evolve and apply proprietary technology specifically with, and for, our game studios - demonstrating how the intersection of creativity and technology is driving the development of immersive player experiences, and shaping the future of interactive entertainment. Today, we're excited to introduce a new logo and brand identity for Frostbite, one that's representative of how the engine has evolved as a platform for collaborative innovation. This rebrand reflects who we are today and signals not just a visual shift for Frostbite, but a philosophical one, with a renewed focus on partnership with our teams and creators. Over the years, we've been working hand-in-hand with game teams across EA to understand their development and technology needs better, prioritizing changes that create more flexibility for innovation and a positive user experience for developers. Frostbite is developed specifically for EA and we are deeply invested in building the best tools and technology for our games. In this new era, our mission is to unite and amplify the expertise and efforts of every EA game team that uses Frostbite, adapting to their unique needs in the way only we can. EA game teams are free to develop on any engine they choose. It's up to us to make Frostbite the best choice for our games."

12:00 EST Masonite falls -15.1% - Masonite is down -15.1%, or -$15.38 to $86.62.

12:00 EST X Financial rises 8.9% - X Financial is up 8.9%, or 31c to $3.81.

12:00 EST U.S. Steel rises 27.1% - U.S. Steel is up 27.1%, or $10.67 to $50.00.

11:36 EST Coupang to acquire business and assets of Farfetch - Coupang (CPNG) earlier announced plans to acquire the business and assets of Farfetch Holdings (FTCH) online luxury company. This acquisition positions Coupang as a leader in the $400B global personal luxury goods segment, Coupang said in a statement. "Coupang's operational excellence and innovative logistics combined with Farfetch's leading role in the luxury ecosystem will drive exceptional experiences for customers, boutiques, and brands across the world. Coupang is also uniquely positioned to unlock Farfetch's tremendous value for the vast personal luxury goods segment in South Korea, which has the world's highest per-capita spending on personal luxury goods." Today's agreement gives Farfetch access to $500M of capital to continue providing exclusive brands and boutiques. "Farfetch is a landmark of the luxury landscape and has been a transformative force in demonstrating that online luxury is the future of luxury retail," said Bom Kim, Founder & CEO of Coupang. "Farfetch will rededicate itself to providing the most elevated experience for the world's most exclusive brands, while pursuing steady and thoughtful growth as a private company. We also see tremendous opportunities to redefine the customer experience for luxury clients everywhere."

11:19 EST TC Biopharm forms commercial development division - TC BioPharm announced the creation of a new Commercial Development Division, which will be headed by Dr. Lauren Bor, PhD. The new division will focus on optimizing production of TCB-008 in anticipation of ACHIEVE data in 2024 as well as the recent IND clearance for TCB-008 in the US, and preparing a clear regulatory path for commercialization, as well as the research of new and developing technologies for future efficiencies in the manufacturing process. Additionally, TC BioPharm's Commercial Development Division will explore new opportunities with third parties to monetize the company's production capabilities using the GMP licensed facility. Prior to serving as TC BioPharm's Head of Process Development, Dr. Bor completed a Bsc Hons degree in Immunology from the University of Glasgow.

11:12 EST Chavant Capital Acquisition Corp trading resumes

11:07 EST Chavant Capital Acquisition Corp trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:51 EST EG Acquisition Corp trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:43 EST Sportsmap Tech Acquisition Corp trading resumes

10:38 EST Sportsmap Tech Acquisition Corp trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:25 EST Farfetch, Richemont, Symphony Global terminate agreements - "As a result of the contemplated transaction announced by Farfetch on December 18, 2023, the arrangements with Farfetch underpinning the transactions announced in August 2022 cannot complete. Therefore Richemont, Farfetch and Symphony Global, one of the investment vehicles of Mr Mohamed Alabbar, have terminated the agreements for the sale of a majority stake in YNAP to Farfetch and Symphony Global, the adoption of Farfetch Platform Solutions by most Richemont Maisons and YNAP as well as the opening of e-concessions on the Farfetch marketplace by several Richemont Maisons. Following the transaction announced by Farfetch, it is reasonable to expect that the $300M convertible senior notes issued by Farfetch Limited to Richemont in November 2020 will not be repaid. The carrying value of these notes in Richemont's accounts amounted to EUR 218M as at November 30, 2023. As previously stated, Richemont has no financial obligations towards Farfetch and does not envisage lending or investing into Farfetch. Richemont Maisons continue to operate on their own platforms and have neither adopted FPS nor launched e-concessions on the Farfetch marketplace. As a result of the termination of the abovementioned arrangements, Richemont will consider alternative options to pursue the realisation of its Luxury New Retail vision and is confident that its Maisons will benefit from cutting-edge platform technology to best serve the growing omni-channel needs of their discerning clientele. The Group's work on re-platforming planning and solution design carried out to date will be of great value to reach that objective. YNAP similarly has not adopted FPS and continues to operate on its own technology. As a result of the termination of the agreements with Farfetch and Symphony Global, Richemont will re-evaluate options for YNAP to best harness its strengths and potential under new stewardship," Richemont announced.

10:13 EST Cleveland-Cliffs to re-focus capital allocation towards 'aggressive' buybacks - Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) Chairman, President of CEO Lourenco Goncalves issued the following statement earlier regarding the announced proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel (X) by Nippon Steel (NPSCY): "We identified U.S. Steel as an extremely undervalued company with significant synergy potential when combined with Cleveland-Cliffs, creating a union-friendly American champion among the top-10 steelmakers in the world. Even though U.S. Steel's Board of Directors and CEO chose to go a different direction with a foreign buyer, their move validates our view that our sector remains undervalued by the broader market, and that a multiple re-rating for Cleveland-Cliffs is long overdue. We congratulate U.S. Steel on their announcement and wish them luck in closing the transaction with Nippon Steel. As we have been guiding, we have already reached our net debt target of $3.0B this quarter, with no borrowings on our ABL as of today. Given that our CLF shares are still significantly undervalued, we will now re-focus our capital allocation priorities towards more aggressive share buybacks under our existing share repurchase authorization."

10:01 EST Ball Aerospace selected by NASA for ECCCO mission concept study - Ball Aerospace was selected to conduct a Phase A study for NASA's proposed Extreme ultraviolet Coronal Mass Ejection and Coronal Connectivity Observatory, a mission that would provide astronomers with a better understanding of the sun's coronal structure and its relationship with solar wind and eruptive events. In addition to ECCCO, Ball Aerospace was also selected to conduct a concept study for NASA's Chromospheric Magnetism Explorer mission, which seeks to determine the influence of the sun's magnetic field on eruption events. Both the ECCCO and CMEx studies are part of NASA's Small Explorers program.

10:00 EST Beachbody Company falls -8.6% - Beachbody Company is down -8.6%, or -79c to $8.36.

10:00 EST Gaotu Techedu falls -19.5% - Gaotu Techedu is down -19.5%, or -90c to $3.73.

10:00 EST PGT Innovations rises 8.8% - PGT Innovations is up 8.8%, or $3.18 to $39.27.

09:59 EST Janssen treatment of ADPKD granted FDA orphan designation - Janssen Research & Development was granted FDA orphan designation for its selective inhibitor of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 for the treatment of autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease, or ADPKD, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

09:47 EST Masonite falls -10.0% - Masonite is down -10.0%, or -$10.15 to $91.85.

09:47 EST Cleveland-Cliffs rises 9.3% - Cleveland-Cliffs is up 9.3%, or $1.74 to $20.44.

09:47 EST U.S. Steel rises 26.7% - U.S. Steel is up 26.7%, or $10.51 to $49.84.

09:40 EST SHENGFENG DEVELOPMENT Ltd trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:37 EST Aurora Technology Acquisition Corp trading resumes

09:36 EST Global Tech Industries retains Luke Rahbari as management consultant - Global Tech Industries Group announced that its board of directors has approved and authorized management to retain the services of Mr. Luke Rahbari, a managing member of Equity Armor Investments, to assist the Company's board of directors in 2024 with re-focusing its short and long term goals, including a succession plan for its senior management. Mr. Rahbari will also assist management in assessing the status of several of its closed and still pending deals, for compliance and due diligence purposes. Mr. Rahbari will also assist GTII in its capital markets, trading and listing initiatives.

09:32 EST Jin Medical International Ltd trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:31 EST Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals announces interim results from fadraciclib study - Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals announced interim results from its Phase 1, dose escalation 065-101 study of fadraciclib, or fadra, in patients with advanced solid tumors and lymphoma. In the ongoing 065-101 study of oral fadra, a CDK2/9 inhibitor, a total of 29 patients have been treated as monotherapy. The study is enrolling unselected, all comer patients with advanced solid tumors and lymphoma. Six patients have been treated on dose level 6A. The sixth patient on dose level 6A with pancreatic cancer and CDKN2A deletion enrolled on the study experienced dose-limiting toxicity, or DLT, of hyperglycemia. The patient, who has a diabetic profile history and was on metformin treatment, remains on study as blood glucose level was managed. A previous patient on dose level 6A with a pre-diabetic profile had DLT of hyperglycemia which also resolved rapidly. The previous dose level 5 on this schedule accrued six patients with no DLT and per protocol is safe for continued development. Dose level 6B continues accrual with two patients treated, which are ongoing at three and five cycles of treatment. To date single agent activity, including CR, PR and SD, has been observed in patients with advanced endometrial, squamous NSCLC lung cancer and T-cell lymphoma. Encouraging signals of activity were observed in patients with advanced cervical, hepatocellular, ovarian and pancreatic cancers. The company believes that fadra's inhibition of CDK2 and CDK9 may be superior to inhibiting either CDK2 or CDK9 alone. Fadra tablets can be given orally with repeat dosing which has led to transient suppression of anti-apoptosis proteins with generally good tolerability and no Grade 3 or higher hematological toxicity in the first cycle. The Phase 2 part of the 065-101 study is designed to further evaluate fadra safety and efficacy in up to 8 cohorts defined by histology and/or NGS. The study is powered to demonstrate response in the molecular subtype suggested by the Phase 1 data and others that may be sensitive. CDKN2A gene deletions occur in over 40% of several solid tumors, including glioma, head and neck, pancreatic, esophageal, lung, bladder, melanoma, and others. CDKN2B deletions occur in over 30% of several solid tumors, including bladder, glioma, pancreatic, esophageal, lung, head and neck, melanoma, and others. MTAP deletions occur in over 25% of several solid tumors, including glioma, mesothelioma, pancreatic, bladder, esophageal and others.1 MTAP deletion confers dependency on the PRMT5 enzyme in cancer cells which was identified as a synthetic lethal target for MTAP deleted cancers. In the 140-101 study of oral plogosertib, PLK1 inhibitor, as monotherapy, patients are being recruited at dose level 5. The anticancer activity observed at low levels of continuous exposure may be due to plogosertib's novel epigenetic mechanism. To date, 15 patients have been recruited at five dose escalation levels. Encouraging signals of activity were observed in five patients with advanced biliary, ovarian, NSCLC and other cancers. The company expects to announce details of plogosertib's differentiated, epigenetic mechanism and biomarkers which may identify patients with sensitive tumors, after preclinical studies at collaborating laboratories are completed.

09:27 EST Arex Capital:Structural change needed to unlock ODP Corporation value - AREX Capital Management, together with its affiliates, a long-term shareholder of The ODP Corporation issued an open letter to the Company's Board of Directors..That letter said in part : "We have... appreciated our open and candid dialogue with ODP's Board and management team. As we have privately communicated to the Board recently, we believe that the results of the past few years strongly suggest that solid execution and ongoing share repurchases are insufficient to create meaningful and sustainable value for ODP shareholders. To that point, since January 2021, when Sycamore Partners made its unsolicited offer to acquire the Company, ODP's shares are roughly flat. Incredibly, this disappointing performance has come against the backdrop of the Company reducing its share count by over 25% during this period...We are firm believers in ODP's long-term prospects, and particularly in the valuable ODP Business Solutions and Veyer businesses. However, we are also sober about the enormous challenge that ODP's current business mix presents for public market investors as the Company attempts to argue its way to a fair valuation. The steps that we have outlined should generate significant value for shareholders, far greater than what the Company is likely to deliver in any version of the status quo. No more time should be wasted exploring whether the 4-BU framework might ultimately resonate with investors or continuing a very expensive hope-based strategy with Varis. We feel that the Board must act decisively to unlock this value for shareholders, and if it does not, we will consider taking additional steps to hold the Board accountable and ensure that shareholder value is maximized."

09:26 EST Sunrise New Energy announces patent application for particle size control system - Sunrise New Energy announced that the patent application for the invention titled "Multivariable Particle Size Control System for Graphite Micropowder Production" by Sunrise New Energy Materials Co., Ltd has been accepted by the National Intellectual Property Bureau. The application has been assigned the application number 202323405484.1, with acceptance number 2023121400642270. The patent pertains to the field of graphite manufacturing technology. It overcomes the drawbacks of conventional air grinding systems by providing a novel system that allows for adjustable variables, particle size detection, and low failure rates in the production of graphite micropowder.

09:23 EST Equus subsidiary increase net acreage, reserves in Bakken - Equus Total Return announces that Morgan E&P, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Equus, continues to acquire mineral rights in the Bakken/Three Forks formation in the Williston Basin of North Dakota. Morgan has increased its acreage in this area from 4,747.52 net acres to 5,976.84 net acres, an increase of 1,229.32 net acres, or approximately 25.9%. Morgan engaged the petroleum engineering firm of Cawley, Gillespie & Associates to review and provide an updated reserve analysis of the asset using the November 30th, 2023 NYMEX strip pricing. Using a discount rate of 10% the values of proved undeveloped, probable, and possible reserves associated with the project have increased to $13,575,442, $30,841,802, and $71,751,024, respectively. CG&A continues to confirm forty-eight gross drilling locations, although they have increased Morgan's net drilling locations from fifteen to eighteen. As additional net acreage and working interests are acquired, the resulting number of net drilling locations is expected to increase accordingly. Neither CG&A nor Morgan can guarantee any amounts that may be recoverable from these properties. Based on a historical analysis of the geologic strata that are the subject of Morgan's development rights CG&A has noted the estimated ultimate recovery from a single well is expected to be approximately 814,000 barrels of oil equivalent.

09:17 EST Theralink announces publication of RPPA study by George Mason University - Theralink Technologies announced work by George Mason University and the University of California, San Francisco, recently published in Cell Reports Medicine. This effort coming from the ISPY-2 trial assessed the tumors from over 700 breast cancer patients via RPPA and uncovered new therapeutic options for some of the most challenging breast cancers that are missed entirely by current diagnostic approaches. One of the many significant findings of the study is a clinically powerful RPPA-identified protein biomarkers, referred to as HARPS. The investigators found that HARPS can be used to stratify patients with Triple Negative Breast Cancer, the most difficult to treat breast cancer, in order to administer more appropriate treatments and will likely lead to significantly improved responses to therapy. This study highlights the critical need for the availability of the RPPA technology in the clinic, as the currently available methods have various limitations that rely on making predictions about proteins. In contrast, RPPA is a powerful and highly sensitive technology that directly measures a protein. This study highlights the critical need to understand proteins in cancer management, as nearly all FDA-approved targeted therapeutics for breast cancer are designed to target proteins. Patients were treated with targeted therapeutics based on these RPPA HARP signature findings, and the response rate to treatment was an astonishing 80% - an unheard-of number for TNBC patients. Breakthroughs like this will save lives and dramatically reduce the cost of unnecessary and ineffective treatments. In addition to the RPPA discovery of the HARP signature, the investigators analyzed other RPPA-based protein biomarkers that indicate cancer resistance to therapy and revealed many previously unrecognized but druggable protein targets. As the current treatments for patients with TNBC and other breast cancer subtypes are often unsuccessful due to the lack of identifiable targets, the sooner physicians have access to RPPA to measure critical protein biomarkers, the sooner these patients can benefit from effective treatments. The same RPPA technology reported in this study is commercially available through Theralink's Assay for Breast Cancer, with 40% of assays ordered through the lab currently are for these challenging to manage patients with TNBC. With TNBC comprising up to 20% of all breast cancers, the utilization of this assay indicates a current and growing need to use RPPA technology to determine treatment for this population of patients.

09:15 EST Presto Automation appoints Debarag Banerjee as head of voice engineering - Presto Automation announced Debarag Banerjee as Head of Voice Engineering. He was in the past a founder of an algorithm-based startup for wireless audio chipsets, holds 15 issued patents, and has a PhD from Stanford University.

09:14 EST LPL Financial: Best Wealth joins broker-dealer, RIA, custodial platforms - LPL Financial LLC announced that financial advisors Matthew Best and Michael Moore of Best Wealth Management have joined LPL Financial's broker-dealer, RIA and custodial platforms. The team reported having served approximately $130 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets, and joins LPL from Ameriprise.

09:13 EST Fortinet releases new integrated operational technology security platform - Fortinet announced the latest release of new, integrated operational technology security solutions and services. These additions further distance Fortinet's industry-leading OT Security Platform from the rest of the market. The Fortinet OT Security Platform is an integrated portfolio of cybersecurity products, solutions, and security services designed specifically for industrial networks and powered by real-time OT threat intelligence. Because the OT Security Platform is a part of the Fortinet Security Fabric, it empowers customers with deep visibility across their entire environment and securely facilitates IT/OT convergence. The platform also gives organizations the ability to implement a zero-trust model within OT environments, including secure remote access to OT assets and systems for remote employees and contractors.

09:12 EST AREX Capital urges ODP board to relaunch Office Depot separation, sale of Varis - AREX Capital Management, LP, together with its affiliates, a long-term shareholder of The ODP Corporation issued an open letter to the Company's Board of Directors which read in part, "As we have privately communicated to the Board recently, we believe that the results of the past few years strongly suggest that solid execution and ongoing share repurchases are insufficient to create meaningful and sustainable value for ODP shareholders. To that point, since January 2021, when Sycamore Partners made its unsolicited offer to acquire the Company, ODP's shares are roughly flat. Incredibly, this disappointing performance has come against the backdrop of the Company reducing its share count by over 25% during this period. Unfortunately, our most recent conversations with the Company have left us concerned that the Board and management do not feel the appropriate sense of urgency to promptly take the necessary steps to maximize shareholder value. Consequently, we find it necessary to publicly share our views and outline our perspective on the two primary issues adversely affecting ODP's stock, along with the obvious remedial actions. We believe that the primary explanation for ODP's share price challenges and valuation malaise is that the omni-channel, but still majority brick-and-mortar, Office Depot retail business ("Office Depot") creates a consistent deterrent for prospective investors who might otherwise provide higher multiples to ODP's more attractive businesses. As a result, Office Depot ends up anchoring the trading value of the overall enterprise. ODP's multiple should actually be increasing as ODP Business Solutions contributes a growing portion of the Company's EBITDA and as Veyer rapidly expands its third-party logistics business. Instead, ODP's valuation has stubbornly remained below 4x EBITDA, which is unreasonable for a healthy, unlevered company that should be growing its EBITDA over the next several years and enjoys strong free cash flow conversion. Too many investors simply think of ODP as a challenged brick-and-mortar retailer, and this misperception will likely persist for as long as Office Depot contributes a meaningful portion of the Company's EBITDA, regardless of management's efforts to tell its story better. It should be evident to all that structural changes are necessary for ODP's share price and valuation to have a chance to approximate the fair value of its underlying assets. Recent history suggests that the Board understands our thinking and appreciates the need for structural change. In its May 2021 press release announcing its plan to split into two independent, publicly traded companies, ODP eloquently articulated the compelling reasons for separating its enterprise-focused business from its consumer-focused one: distinct investment and growth strategies, increased focus on the unique needs of differing customer bases, attracting talent motivated by the specific mission of each business, and maximizing valuations through better alignment with different shareholder bases. During the separation process, multiple parties expressed interest in acquiring ODP's consumer-focused business, and it is our understanding that a sale announcement was imminent before market volatility in June 2022 scuttled the deal. Fortunately for shareholders, the work that was completed prior to the aborted divestiture was not in vain. As the Company stated in the June 2022 press release announcing the termination of the sale process, "The completion of our internal reorganization will make such a potential separation substantially simpler should the Company determine to resume the separation process following a change of market conditions in the future."2 By almost any conceivable definition, market conditions today are dramatically improved, and the separation benefits that the Company itself previously enumerated are as relevant today as they have ever been. In fact, there is no compelling reason to maintain the existing corporate structure, and the process of executing on a tax-free Office Depot spin-off should begin immediately. Of note, while the spin-off process is progressing, the Company could also explore whether any of the prior bidders for Office Depot remain interested, or if additional prospective buyers may have emerged in the improved M&A environment. Another issue that plagues ODP's shares is Varis. While the Company's initial investment thesis may have been reasonable, Varis' results to date have been unambiguously disappointing, as evidence of commercial progress has been sorely lacking and milestones have continuously been pushed out. Meanwhile, the Company continues to pump shareholders' cash into the venture, and we estimate that between operating losses, capital expenditures, and the acquisition of BuyerQuest, ODP will have invested more than $300 million into Varis by the end of 2023. Varis is currently expected to generate less than $10 million in revenue this year, most of which is subscription revenue that was acquired through BuyerQuest as opposed to new platform revenue. We suspect the 2025 Varis revenue objective of $120 million that was presented little more than a year ago at the Company's Investor Day is now internally acknowledged to be wildly unachievable. It is time to change course. The core of ODP's investment proposition is modest growth and prodigious free cash flow generation. Investors who find that type of opportunity appealing are a very poor audience for a highly speculative, cash-consuming venture capital project-which remains an accurate description of Varis despite three full years of investment and business-building efforts. Nothing in ODP's history or present remotely suggests it is the appropriate home for such a concept. Furthermore, ODP has zero credibility with investors in making large allocations of capital into tangential business areas given its disastrous acquisition of CompuCom...The Company should immediately explore the divestiture of at least a majority stake in Varis. If Varis' prospects are as exciting as ODP has previously articulated, there should be no shortage of third parties eager to invest in or acquire what has already been built. Divesting a majority stake would establish a real-world valuation mark for Varis and should provide the capital needed to bridge it to profitability, while also potentially allowing ODP to recoup some of its historical investment. Alternatively, a full sale of Varis would provide ODP with additional capital for share repurchases, further focus the enterprise, and vastly improve the ODP investment story by completely eliminating an overhang."

09:10 EST SenesTech enters distribution agreement with Fruit Tree - SenesTech announces entry into a Distribution Agreement with Fruit Tree Limited, a pest control service provider, manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Hong Kong. "Fruit Tree Ltd. is a leading company in the pest control industry, supplying products and services throughout the region, directly and through its subsidiaries, with a commitment to quality, innovation and sustainability. As such, that makes them a perfect partner in this vital market, with EvolveTM the perfect addition to their portfolio of solutions," said Joel Fruendt, SenesTech's President and CEO. The agreement with Fruit Tree Limited includes both a substantial initial stocking order and annual minimums.

09:08 EST Choice Hotels reaches major milestone, opens 100th hotel - Choice Hotels International reached a brand milestone with the opening of its 100th Suburban Studios hotel, demonstrating the strength of its go-to-market growth strategy that has driven growth of 45 percent in 18 months. "We are thrilled to have 100 Suburban Studios open, and we look forward to the next 100. Our innovative solutions to accelerate conversions paired with our business strategy have enabled us to see continued growth within the segment," said Ron Burgett, senior vice president, extended stay development at Choice Hotels. "Extended stay conversions are much faster to market than their new construction counterparts, helping developers see returns as soon as possible. With a team of more than 60 dedicated extended stay experts, Choice can seamlessly guide developers through the entire conversion process."

09:07 EST VF Corp. finds unauthorized occurrences on parts of its IT systems - In a regulatory filing, VF Corporation disclosed that on December 13, the company detected unauthorized occurrences on a portion of its information technology systems. "Upon detecting the unauthorized occurrences, the company immediately began taking steps to contain, assess and remediate the incident, including beginning an investigation with leading external cybersecurity experts, activating its incident response plan, and shutting down some systems. The threat actor disrupted the company's business operations by encrypting some IT systems, and stole data from the company, including personal data. The company is working to bring the impacted portions of its IT systems back online and implement workarounds for certain offline operations with the aim of reducing disruption to its ability to serve its retail and brand e-commerce consumers and wholesale customers. VF-operated retail stores globally are open, and consumers can purchase available merchandise, but VF is experiencing certain operational disruptions. Consumers are able to place orders on most of the brand e-commerce sites globally, however, the company's ability to fulfill orders is currently impacted. The company, along with its external cybersecurity experts, continues to work diligently to respond to and mitigate the impact from the incident, and has notified and is cooperating with federal law enforcement. As the investigation of the incident is ongoing, the full scope, nature and impact of the incident are not yet known. As of the date of this filing, the incident has had and is reasonably likely to continue to have a material impact on the company's business operations until recovery efforts are completed. The company has not yet determined whether the incident is reasonably likely to materially impact the company's financial condition or results of operations," the filing stated. Reference Link

09:07 EST Ebix down 47% in premarket trading after filing for bankruptcy -

09:05 EST Gildan Activewear former CEO Chamandy issues statement - Glenn Chamandy, former President and CEO and co-founder of Gildan Activewear issued the following statement: "Contrary to media reports, I gave no ultimatum to Gildan's board with respect to any strategy or potential acquisitions. This is a sideshow to distract from the reaction the shareholders have had with respect to the board's handling of succession planning, in which I was not involved. I did not and could not orchestrate or control the events; the board conducted the process. I do believe, it is essential that a leadership transition be conducted in a manner consistent with Gildan's successful track record. Preserving our talent, culture and expertise - the pillars of our success - is vital. Obviously considering shareholder engagement is integral to the decision-making process."

09:03 EST Avalon engages ChtrBx to launch KetoAir in the U.S. - Avalon GloboCare engaged ChtrBx, a marketing and branding company, to develop a marketing launch plan for KetoAir in North America, South America, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

09:00 EST Skeena Resources closes C$81M financing with Franco-Nevada - Skeena Resources has closed a financing package of C$81 million with Franco-Nevada Corporation to further develop their 100% owned Eskay Creek Gold-Silver Project located in the Golden Triangle of Northwest British Columbia. The C$81 million financing package consists of the sale of a 1.0% Net Smelter Return royalty on Eskay Creek for C$56 million and a C$25 million unsecured Convertible Debenture. With this incremental royalty purchase, Franco-Nevada now holds a 2.5% NSR on all of Skeena's Eskay Creek properties. The Debenture will carry an interest rate of 7% and mature on the earlier of December 19, 2028, or on the completion of a Board approved project financing for Eskay Creek. The Debenture will be convertible into common shares at a conversion price of C$7.70, representing a 35% conversion premium to Skeena's 5-day TSX volume weighted average price. No commissions or financing fees will be paid in respect of this financing and interest payments will be capitalized and deferred until maturity.

08:57 EST Vicinity Motor secures order for eight Vicinity Classic buses - Vicinity Motor announced the receipt of a new purchase order from Autobus La Quebecoise for eight Vicinity Classic buses to service the City of Joliette, Quebec. Per the terms of the supply agreement, Autobus La Quebecoise has ordered eight of the Company's 32-foot Clean-Diesel Vicinity Classic buses for delivery in 2024. Autobus La Quebecoise is part of Groupe La Quebecoise, which consists of approximately twenty companies offering various types of transportation services, including school bus, municipal, paratransit, shuttle, intercity, charter, helicopter, residual materials pick-up, executive aircraft charter, regional airline service and aeromedical evacuation. The business operates primarily in Quebec, but its service extends into other parts of Canada as well as the United States.

08:54 EST SunPower down 28% after disclosing breach of covenant by subsidiary - SunPower shares are down $1.74, or 28%, to $4.40 in pre-market trading following the company's disclosure.

08:51 EST Bausch Health announces DUOBRII availability through Quebec drug plan - Bausch Health announced that DUOBRII, the company's novel topical prescription drug for improving the signs and symptoms of plaque psoriasis in adult patients with moderate to severe disease, is now available to patients enrolled in Quebec's public drug plan operated by the Regie de l'assurance maladie du Quebec.

08:50 EST Neuronetics receives 510(k) clearance for NeuroSite Coil Placement Accessory - Neuronetics announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance of NeuroSite Coil Placement Accessory, a tool that simplifies measurement and coil positioning during NeuroStar transcranial magnetic stimulation treatments. This proprietary accessory, designed with versatility and provider convenience in mind, seamlessly integrates with both legacy and new NeuroStar systems and further enhances efficiency and patient experience.

08:44 EST Medigus says Jeffs' Brands to invest in electric charging tech company - Medigus announced that on December 15, 2023, Jeffs' Brands announced the signing of an additional non-binding letter of intent with Sky Growth Partners, to invest in advanced laser- based wireless charging technology systems, for the remote charging of drones and unmanned aircrafts. Yhe LOI follows Jeffs' Brands' announcement from November 29, 2023, in which the board of directors resolved to identify potential strategic transactions, in the field of advanced technologies, with the goal of maximizing shareholder value. According to the LOI, Sky Growth will establish and transfer all of its rights in the technology to a new Israeli company that will develop, manufacture and market the technology. Following an investment of $2.5 million by Jeffs' Brands, it will hold a 70% equity interest in NewCo. The LOI also includes certain milestone conditions that if achieved by NewCo, will grant the founders, for no additional consideration, additional equity interests in NewCo. NewCo plans on developing a technological system based on a pending patent. The system will enable wireless charging for drones and unmanned aircrafts. Unlike conventional charging methods, that rely on cumbersome cables, robust infrastructure, pads and more, Digital Light Processing wireless charging systems utilizes precision laser to transmit energy wirelessly to infrastructure, drones, unmanned aircraft and other platforms. This technology eliminates the need for physical connectors, making the charging process more efficient, seamless, convenient and enabling new technologies to be developed and adopted, for various uses, such as commercial drone applications. The Investment is subject to the successful completion of due diligence, the execution of binding definitive agreements with respect to the Investment and compliance with any regulatory requirements and approvals.

08:42 EST Nexalin Technology reports benefit of Gen-2, 15 mA device for TRD - Nexalin Technology reported the results of a study in patients with treatment-resistant depression TRD, concerning the potential therapeutic benefits of its second-generation Gen-2, 15 milliampor mA, neurostimulation device, which indicated a substantial and statistically significant benefit in patients. The clinical trial was funded by the Company's joint venture partner, Wider Come Limited, and its related companies, and was conducted at the Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University in Beijing, China. The results were also published in General Psychiatry, an open-source, peer-reviewed scientific journal. The published results of the study concluded that repeated treatment with Nexalin's neurostimulation device suggests an acute effect in reducing depressive symptoms in patients with TRD. In addition, no adverse events were observed during treatment...Mark White, CEO of Nexalin Technology, stated, "We are pleased to report the results of this study in patients with treatment-resistant depression TRD , which have been featured in a leading peer-reviewed journal. These results reinforce the growing body of clinical evidence supporting the potential of Nexalin's new advanced waveform to help combat the ongoing global mental health epidemic. We believe the data provides further evidence of the significant impact of our non-invasive, drug-free device on improving mental healthcare outcomes among patients affected with TRD. No significant adverse effects were reported, which is especially noteworthy given the growing number of patients seeking non-pharmacological treatment options. Overall, we remain committed to our mission of bringing our new, effective, and drug-free therapy to patients with mental health issues in the United States and around the world."

08:41 EST NightHawk Biosciences completes manufacturing run for biopharma company - NightHawk Biosciences announced its Scorpius BioManufacturing subsidiary initiated its first manufacturing run for a premier U.S.-based biopharmaceutical company in the Company's new, state-of-the-art microbial manufacturing facility.

08:39 EST XPeng to launch XPENG X9 Ultra Smart Large seven-seater on January 1 - XPeng will officially launch the XPENG X9 Ultra Smart Large 7-seater, its latest flagship Smart EV model based on SEPA2.0 architecture on Monday, January 1, 2024.

08:38 EST VCI Global to buy 51% stake in a SPV for CAD12.1M - VCI Global Limited announced that it is acquiring a 51% stake in a special purpose vehicle SPV for CAD12.1M. This investment is made in connection with the transfer by Nextech3D.AI Corporation or Nextech3D.AI, of the following assets into the said SPV, namely:Nextech3D.AI's proprietary artificial intelligence AI 3D modeling platform which comes with the technology, patents, know-how, proprietary information, and other intellectual property associated with the various e-commerce applications in connection with Nextech3D.AI's 3D modelling business; and 3D modeling contracts currently owned by Nextech3D.AI associated with its 3D modeling business.Nextech3D.AI's 3D modeling through its proprietary AI has received tremendous demand, and to date it has delivered over 50,000 3D models, and counting, to its customers in various e-commerce industries. This 'over 50,000' 3D models translated to a phenomenal two-fold increase from its end 2022's total of 21,202 3D models delivered. The surge in demand for its 3D modeling services, in no small part, contributed to Nextech3D.AI's 97% revenue growth, year on year, for the first nine months of 2023. Some of Nextech3D.AI's prominent clients include Amazon, Procter & Gamble, Kohls, Kmart, William Wood Mirrors and Dyson, just to name a few. "We are ecstatic with the synergy and potential this acquisition will provide to say the least as this is a game changer for VCI Global. There will literally be infinite contents globally which need to go '3D'. That can only mean massive markets for us to capitalize on," said Dato' Victor Hoo, Group Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of VCI Global.

08:37 EST Nexalin reports results of study of Gen-2 15 mA neurostimulation device - Nexalin Technology reported the results of a study in patients with treatment-resistant depression concerning the potential therapeutic benefits of its second-generation, 15 milliamp neurostimulation device, which indicated a substantial and statistically significant benefit in patients. The clinical trial was funded by the Company's joint venture partner, Wider Come Limited, and its related companies, and was conducted at the Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University in Beijing, China. The results were also published in General Psychiatry, an open-source, peer-reviewed scientific journal. The published results of the study concluded that repeated treatment with Nexalin's neurostimulation device suggests an acute effect in reducing depressive symptoms in patients with TRD. In addition, no adverse events were observed during treatment. As part of the clinical study, 7 migraine patients were treated at the Xuanwu Hospital. Treatment was administered for 4 consecutive weeks via the forehead and both mastoid. Efficacy and adverse reactions were assessed at a 2-week screening/baseline period followed by a 4-week treatment phase. The study concluded that twice daily 15mA tACS, a unique form of non-invasive brain stimulation, offers an acute effective intervention for patients with TRD. The study showed that all patients with TRD had a significant reduction in depression symptoms after the 4-week treatment, and all of them achieved a clinical response. The previous 8-week randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial evaluating 100 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), published in the international journal, Brain, indicated that patients receiving treatment with the Company's Gen-2, 15mA neurostimulation device had better remission and response rates than the sham group. Compared with sham treatment, almost all depressive symptoms among the active treatment showed significant improvement. Moreover, there was no significant statistical difference in adverse events between the two groups.

08:34 EST African Agriculture appoints Osman Ahmed to board of directors - African Agriculture Holdings welcomed Osman Ahmed, Managing Director and Head of Private Equity at 10X Capital to its Board of Directors, in conjunction with the closing of the business combination, previously announced on December 6, 2023.

08:33 EST VCI Global - VCI Global Limited (NASDAQ: VCIG) ("VCI Global", or the "Company") today announced that it is acquiring a 51% stake in a special purpose vehicle ("SPV") for CAD12.1 million. This investment is made in connection with the transfer by Nextech3D.AI Corporation ("Nextech3D.AI") of the following assets into the said SPV, namely:- Nextech3D.AI's proprietary artificial intelligence ("AI") 3D modeling platform which comes with the technology, patents, know-how, proprietary information, and other intellectual property associated with the various e-commerce applications in connection with Nextech3D.AI's 3D modelling business; and 3D modeling contracts currently owned by Nextech3D.AI associated with its 3D modeling business. Nextech3D.AI's 3D modeling through its proprietary AI has received tremendous demand, and to date it has delivered over 50,000 3D models, and counting, to its customers in various e-commerce industries. This 'over 50,000' 3D models translated to a phenomenal two-fold increase from its end 2022's total of 21,202 3D models delivered. The surge in demand for its 3D modeling services, in no small part, contributed to Nextech3D.AI's 97% revenue growth, year on year, for the first nine months of 2023. Some of Nextech3D.AI's prominent clients include Amazon, Procter & Gamble, Kohls, Kmart, William Wood Mirrors and Dyson, just to name a few. Over the years, there has been an exponential increase in transforming 2D graphics into 3D, led by rising demand for 3D animations across mobile applications and games. 2D graphics generally lack the desired depth and are visually flat whilst 3D graphics are able to address the shortfalls of 2D graphics. The increasing demand is not only confined to mobile applications related segments but to other industries as well such as architecture and the vast medical field. 3D graphics provide users with more realistic depth and provide users with a better understanding of what is being shown. 3D models have already proven to be a sales growth driver for e-commerce related businesses, unlike the static 2D models. Nevertheless, the 3D modeling market has yet to experience full growth potential and vastly considered to be in its infancy stage where the market is expected to grow exponentially. Market analysts have projected the global 3D modeling market size at between US$1.3 billion to US$1.4 billion in 2022 while more importantly projected the market to grow by a compound average growth rate of up to 20% until 2030.

08:31 EST NexPoint Residential completes sale of Timber Creek - NexPoint Residential Trust announced the closing of the sale of Timber Creek in Charlotte, NC, a 352-unit property built in 1984. The property was acquired for $22.8 million on September 30, 2014, and the Company completed an extensive repositioning and value-add initiative, improving the common area amenities and a significant portion of the unit interiors. As of December 13, 2023, the property was 95.17% leased with a weighted average effective monthly rent of approximately $1,202. Net proceeds from the sale were approximately $24.5M, delivering a trailing nominal tax and insurance adjusted cap rate of 5.01%, a 25.80% levered internal rate of return and a 4.45x multiple on invested capital, each of which well exceeded expectations. The Company used the net proceeds from the sale to make a $17 million paydown on the Company's corporate credit facility on December 15, 2023. "NXRT is pleased to announce another successful 2023 disposition, furthering our strategic objective to exit lower growth legacy assets in Charlotte, Dallas and Houston, and pay off our most expensive debt capital. NXRT remains committed to unlocking liquidity the Company can use to improve the balance sheet, repurchase shares and/or pay off higher property-level debt that will be accretive to future growth. We will seek to continue this approach heading into 2024," said Matt McGraner, Chief Investment Officer.

08:28 EST Asset Entities expects to launch Ternary V2 in early 2024 - Asset Entities announced the launch of Ternary V2, the next generation of Ternary's Stripe-verified digital community payment processing platform. Upon its launch in early 2024, Ternary V2 will provide additional cutting-edge customer relations management tools allowing community owners the ability to scale, manage, and transact payments all in a single platform. The platform is intended to solve diverse problems in the Creator Economy, the modern economic landscape where creators leverage digital platforms and technology to produce and distribute content that promotes products and services directly to their audience.

08:26 EST Arch Biopartners announces grant of options to directors, officers - Arch Biopartners has granted a total of 350,000 stock options to directors and officers pursuant to the Company's stock option plan and the requirements of the TSX Venture Exchange. The grant of 350,000 stock options to the directors and officers represents remuneration for serving on the board and managing the Company's affairs for the annual period ending April 1, 2024. Each of these stock options is exercisable into one common share of the Company at a price of $1.50 per share for a period of ten years, effective Dec 15, 2023 and will be subject to all necessary regulatory approvals.

08:25 EST Jeffs' Brands announces LOI with Sky Growth to invest in anti-drones market - Jeffs' Brands announced it signed a non-binding letter of intent, or "LOI," with Sky Growth Partners Ltd. to invest in an innovative Digital Light Processing laser-based system for counter-drone solutions, initially for the defense sector. "According to the LOI, as previously announced on December 14, Sky Growth will establish and transfer all of its rights in the technology to a new Israeli company that will develop, manufacture and market the technology. Following an investment of $2M by Jeffs' Brands, it will hold a 70% equity interest in NewCo. In addition, pursuant to the terms of the LOI, the company will establish a credit line of up to $250,000 bearing an annual interest of 8% for the utilization by NewCo for a limited time period, subject to certain conditions as to be approved by the parties. The LOI also includes certain milestone conditions that if achieved by NewCo, will grant the founders, for no additional consideration, additional equity interests in NewCo... The Investment is subject to the successful completion of due diligence, the execution of binding definitive agreements with respect to the Investment and compliance with any regulatory requirements and approvals," Jeffs' Brands stated.

08:24 EST Alteryx trading halted, news pending

08:22 EST Consolidated Communications files letter on benefit of Searchlight-BCI deal - Consolidated Communications Holdings announced that it has filed its definitive proxy statement. The Company has also filed a letter to shareholders in connection with its upcoming special meeting of shareholders urging shareholders to vote "FOR" the proposed acquisition of the Company by affiliates of Searchlight Capital Partners, and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation .. The Special Meeting is scheduled to be held on January 31 and shareholders of record as of December 13 will be entitled to vote at the meeting.

08:20 EST iCAD expands executive sales leadership team - iCAD announced the expansion of its sales leadership with the addition of Peter Graham, as Senior Vice President, North American Sales and a role change for Bill Keyes to Senior Vice President, Global Sales Operations, both effective immediately. Since joining iCAD in December of 2022, Bill Keyes has developed and deployed sales processes and procedures to organize a more streamlined sales operation and provide for a deeper view of iCAD's customers and areas for growth. In his new role, Keyes will continue to provide sales operation guidance in North America and beyond, while building partnerships and business strategies for global growth. Peter Graham is assuming responsibilities for revenue growth across North America, bringing more than 20 years of experience in the breast health, diagnostic, and medical solutions space including roles at Tempus Labs, Arterys, Volpara and Xoft. Under Peter's leadership, iCAD will be adding sales staff to support its growth.

08:19 EST Molina amends terms for acquisition of Bright California Medicare business - Molina Healthcare announced that the company amended its purchase agreement for the acquisition of Bright HealthCare's California Medicare business. The purchase price for the transaction, net of certain tax benefits, is reduced from the previously announced $510M to approximately $425M, and now represents 23% of expected 2023 premium revenue of $1.8B. As previously stated by Molina, the acquisition adds $1.00 per share to new store embedded earnings and is expected to close on or about January 1, 2024.

08:18 EST Pyxis Tankers closes sale of 2015 built tanker - Pyxis Tankers reported that on December 15, 2023, the Company closed on its previously announced sale of the Pyxis Epsilon, a 2015 built 50,295 dwt MR product tanker. After repayment of a loan secured by the vessel and associated transaction costs, the Company received approximately $26.8 million in net cash proceeds.

08:17 EST Nuvectis Pharma enters collaboration with Mayo Clinic to evaluate NXP800 - Nuvectis Pharma announced a collaboration with Mayo Clinic to evaluate NXP800 in an Investigator-sponsored clinical trial in cholangiocarcinoma. Mitesh Borad, M.D., an oncologist at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Arizona, will serve as the principal investigator for the trial.

08:15 EST Ryvyl regains compliance with Nasdaq continued listing rules - RYVYL has received confirmation from The Nasdaq Stock Market that it has regained compliance with Nasdaq's listing requirements by satisfying the minimum stockholders' equity requirement of $2.5 million under Nasdaq Continued Listing Rule 5550(b)(1). On November 29, 2023, RYVYL closed an exchange transaction as reported in a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 4, 2023, which reduced the principal amount on a convertible note held by such large investor by $60,303,000. As a result of the Exchange RYVYL erased a stockholders' deficit of approximately $24.7 million at September 30, 2023, and now satisfies the minimum $2.5 million stockholders' equity listing requirement, bringing RYVYL back into compliance with all applicable requirements for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, as of December 13, 2023. In addition, Nasdaq has confirmed that the matter of the Company's previous notice of non-compliance under Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), Market Value of Listed Securities Standard, has been closed.

08:13 EST Elutia submits 510(k) filing to FDA for CanGarooRM - Elutia submitted a 510(k) premarket notification to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its next-generation drug-eluting biomatrix product, CanGarooRM. Tailored for use with cardiac implantable electronic devices, such as pacemakers and internal defibrillators, CanGarooRM addresses a $600 million market, currently served by only one competitor. The decision to file came after the Company received feedback from a pre-submission meeting with the FDA. The Company anticipates an approval decision in the first half of 2024 and is now preparing for commercial launch.

08:12 EST Bone Biologics announces 1-for-8 reverse stock split - Bone Biologics announced a planned reverse stock split of its shares of common stock at a ratio of 1-for-8. The reverse stock split will take effect as of 12:01 a.m. ET, on Wednesday, December 20 and shares of Bone Biologics are expected to trade on a post-split basis on Nasdaq under the existing trading symbol, (BBLG) at the market open on December 20. At the company's special meeting of stockholders held on December 12, stockholders approved an amendment to the company's amended and restated certificate of incorporation to implement a reverse stock split in a range of 1-for-5 to 1-for-20, and granted the board of directors the authority to implement and determine the exact split ratio within such range, which was subsequently set by the board at 1-for-8. Following the reverse stock split, the new CUSIP number of the common stock will be 098070501, with the par value per share of common stock remaining at $0.001. A proportionate adjustment will be made to the per-share exercise prices and number of shares issuable under all outstanding warrants and equity awards. When the reverse stock split becomes effective, every eight shares of the company's issued and outstanding common stock will be combined into one share of common stock. Each stockholder's percentage ownership interest in Bone Biologics will remain unchanged after the reverse stock split. Any fractional shares resulting from the reverse stock split will be rounded up to the nearest whole share of common stock. The number of authorized shares of common stock of the company will remain the same following the reverse stock split.

08:10 EST ZimVie to sell spine business to H.I.G. Capital for $375M - ZimVie announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its spine business to H.I.G. Capital. ZimVie intends to utilize the after-tax proceeds to reduce debt, consistent with the company's stated capital allocation priorities. The deal is expected to be accretive to ZimVie's revenue growth rate, EBITDA margin, and cash flow conversion rate by allowing the company to streamline operations and sharpen its focus as a well-positioned, pure-play dental company in higher-growth end markets. Under the terms of the agreement, upon the closing of the transaction, ZimVie will receive $375 million in total consideration, comprised of $315 million in cash, subject to certain customary adjustments as set forth in the agreement, and $60 million in the form of a promissory note that will accrue interest at a rate of 10% per annum, compounded semi-annually, payable in kind. The transaction has been approved by ZimVie's Board of Directors, and is expected to close in the first half of 2024, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain closing conditions, including receipt of required regulatory approvals.

08:10 EST Lynk Global to become public through Slam Corp. LOI - Lynk Global and Slam Corp. (SLAM), a special purpose acquisition company, announced that they have signed a non-binding letter of intent, or LOI, for a potential business combination. Under the terms of the LOI, the combined company would operate as Lynk Global and its common stock and warrants are expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol (LYNK). Lynk and Slam intend to finalize their definitive business combination agreement in the coming weeks and will announce additional details at that time. Based on the LOI, the combined company is expected to be valued at no less than $800M upon listing, subject to current market conditions. There can be no assurance that a definitive agreement will be entered into or that the proposed transaction will be consummated on the terms or timeframe currently contemplated, or at all.

08:09 EST Ultragenyx receives EC decision for Evkeeza expanded indication - Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical announced that the European Commission has extended the approval of Evkeeza as an adjunct to diet and other lipid-lowering therapies to treat children aged 5 to 11 years with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Evkeeza is the first angiopoietin-like 3 inhibitor treatment indicated for children as young as 5 years old to control dangerously high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol caused by HoFH. Evkeeza initially received EC decision as an adjunct to diet and other lipid-lowering therapies in adolescents and adults aged 12 years and older with HoFH in June 2021. This EC decision follows the positive recommendation from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use received in November 2023 and is based on the results of a Phase 3 open-label study in patients ages 5-11 years with HoFH.1 Despite treatment with other lipid-lowering therapies, children entered the Phase 3 trial with an average LDL-C level of 264 mg/dL, more than twice the target for paediatric patients with HoFH. With the addition of Evkeeza, children were able to reduce their LDL-C by 48% at week 24 on average. Significant reductions were also observed in other key secondary endpoints including levels of apolipoprotein B, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol. The safety profile of Evkeeza was with the safety profile observed in adults and paediatric patients aged 12 years and older, with the additional adverse reaction of fatigue.

08:07 EST Corbus Pharmaceuticals announces abstract accepted for presentation - Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings announced that the Phase 1, first-in-human clinical data from a dose escalation study being carried out by its partner CSPC in China with CRB-701 has been accepted for presentation at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium, to be held January 25-27, 2024 in San Francisco, CA and online. CRB-701 is a next-generation antibody-drug-conjugate targeting nectin-4, that contains a third generation, site-specific, cleavable linker and a homogenous drug antibody ratio of 2, using MMAE as the payload. Pre-clinical data demonstrating differentiation from enfortumab vedotin was recently presented at the 2023 AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics. The abstract is titled: Phase 1 Dose-Escalation of SYS6002, a next-generation Nectin-4 Targeting Antibody Drug Conjugate. Nectin-4 is a clinically validated, tumor-associated antigen in urothelial cancer. The Nectin-4 ADC PADCEV is approved for use in late metastatic urothelial cancer and recently received an expanded label under an accelerated approval from the Food and Drug Administration for use in combination with KEYTRUDA for patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma who are ineligible for cisplatin-containing chemotherapy.

08:06 EST LPL Financial reports total net new assets of $8.4B for November - LPL Financial released its monthly activity report for November 2023. Total advisory and brokerage assets at the end of November were $1.30 trillion, an increase of $81.0 billion, or 6.6%, compared to the end of October 2023. Total net new assets for November were $8.4 billion, translating to an 8.2% annualized growth rate. Total net new advisory assets were $6.7 billion, translating to a 12.3% annualized growth rate. Total client cash balances at the end of November were $47.3 billion, an increase of $0.4 billion compared to the end of October 2023. Net buying in November was $11.3 billion.

08:06 EST Lineage Cell Therapeutics submits OPC1INDa to FDA - Lineage Cell Therapeutics announced that the company has submitted an investigational new drug amendment, or INDa, to the FDA, for OPC1, its investigational allogeneic oligodendrocyte progenitor cell transplant, for the treatment of spinal cord injury, or SCI. Receipt of FDA clearance of the INDa would enable the company to initiate its DOSED clinical study, to evaluate the safety and utility of a novel spinal cord delivery device in both subacute and chronic SCI patients. The OPC1 cell transplant is designed to replace or support cells that are absent or dysfunctional due to traumatic injury, with a goal to help improve the quality of life and restore or augment functional activity in persons suffering from traumatic cervical or thoracic SCIs.

08:04 EST Eltek placed purchase orders for $4.5M for production capability expansion - Eltek announced the placement of purchase orders totaling $4.5 million for state-of-the-art machines, software, and a comprehensive service contract, with most deliveries scheduled for the first quarter of 2024, in connection with its planned expansion of its production capabilities. These purchase orders are in addition to the three production lines ordered in August 2023. "The capital investments outlined in these purchase orders align with Eltek's strategic vision and commitment to enhancing operational efficiency, expanding technological capabilities, and aligning with future product portfolios. The purchase orders also underscore the Company's dedication to upgrading its engineering capabilities to maintain a competitive edge in the dynamic PCB market. These strategic investments are integral to our broader Company vision. By focusing on operational efficiency and staying at the forefront of technological advancements, we aim to not only meet but exceed the evolving needs of our customers," commented Eli Yaffe, CEO of Eltek.

08:02 EST Adobe agrees to terminate merger agreement with Figma

08:02 EST Adobe, Figma agree to terminate merger agreement - Adobe (ADBE) and Figma announced that they have entered into a mutual agreement to terminate their previously announced merger agreement, originally announced on September 15, 2022, under which Adobe would have acquired Figma for a mix of cash and stock consideration. Adobe and Figma mutually agreed to terminate the transaction based on a joint assessment that there is no clear path to receive necessary regulatory approvals from the European Commission and the UK Competition and Markets Authority. "Adobe and Figma strongly disagree with the recent regulatory findings, but we believe it is in our respective best interests to move forward independently," said Shantanu Narayen, chair and CEO, Adobe. "While Adobe and Figma shared a vision to jointly redefine the future of creativity and productivity, we continue to be well positioned to capitalize on our massive market opportunity and mission to change the world through personalized digital experiences." "Figma has built an incredible product design platform, and I am confident in their continued innovation and growth after spending more than a year with their team and community," said David Wadhwani, president, Digital Media Business, Adobe. "I have been impressed with Dylan and his incredible team at Figma and will look for ways to partner to delight joint customers in the future." "Going through this process with Shantanu, David and the Adobe team has only reinforced my belief in the merits of this deal, but it's become increasingly clear over the past few months that regulators don't see things the same way," said Dylan Field, co-founder and CEO, Figma. "While we're disappointed in the outcome, I am deeply grateful to everyone who has contributed to this effort and excited to find other ways to innovate on behalf of our respective communities with Adobe." The companies have signed a termination agreement that resolves all outstanding matters from the transaction, including Adobe paying Figma the previously agreed upon termination fee.

08:00 EST Adobe, Figma agree to terminate merger agreement

07:58 EST Nextech3D.AI announces investment, partnership with VCI Global - Nextech3D.AI (NEXCF) has entered into a binding letter agreement with VCI Global Limited (VCIG), pursuant to which VCI has been granted the right to earn up to a 51% interest in the Company's proprietary artificial intelligence platform for 3D modelling and associated assets over an approximate nine month term. Evan Gappelberg CEO of Nextech3D.ai commented, "I am excited to enter this partnership with VCI Global Limited, and welcome Victor Hoo who is making a substantial investment in Nextech3D.ai of up to CAD$12.75 million. This capital infusion will be instrumental in advancing our portfolio of businesses and furthering our commitment to the transformative potential of AI." He continued, "As we are now seeing a global surge of investor interest in AI, AR, and 3D, which we have been steadfastly investing in since 2018, this partnership positions us financially to not only enhance our technology but also to scale our operations in 2024. With this growth capital we are poised to continue navigating the evolving landscape of technology, unlock new growth opportunities, and solidify our position as industry leaders. I want to thank our dedicated team, investors, and partners for their continuous support on this exciting journey."

07:55 EST Phoenix Motor, Perrone Robotics deliver autonomous shuttle bus to Houston METRO - Phoenix Motor announced the successful demonstration of the nation's first autonomous cutaway shuttle bus with Houston METRO, in partnership with Perrone Robotics, STV and AECOM. This is the first Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, Americans with Disabilities Act, and Buy America-compliant mid-size autonomous bus in the United States. Built on Phoenix's medium-duty ZEUS electric shuttle bus, the autonomous capability is enabled by equipping the vehicle with the TONY AV from Perrone Robotics, utilizing the Federal Transit Administration Accelerating Innovative Mobility grant awarded to Houston. The autonomous bus will serve TSU and the third ward community.

07:52 EST reAlpha signs LOI to acquire IT consultancy USG for combo of cash and stock - reAlpha Tech announced that it has signed a letter of intent the LOI to acquire United Software Group or USG, an Ohio-based privately-held, multi-industry information technology IT" consulting company operating on a global scale. Acquiring USG will serve to advance reAlpha's strategy to propel the digitization of the real estate industry through the development and deployment of innovative AI solutions. Under the terms of the LOI, reAlpha intends to acquire USG through a combination of common stock and cash, some of which cash payments are subject to performance-based earn-out measures. The Acquisition is anticipated to close in the first quarter of 2024 and closing will be subject to the negotiation of the definitive agreement to be entered into in connection with the Acquisition, foreign regulatory approval, other customary closing conditions and potential stockholder approval to the extent required by the Nasdaq Listing Rules. Upon the close of the Acquisition, it is expected that USG will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of reAlpha with Vallabhaneni to continue serving as USG's CEO. For additional details concerning the terms of the LOI, please reference the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on December 18.

07:51 EST Base Carbon, STX Group partner to launch carbon investment vehicle - STX Group and Base Carbon announce the execution of a Letter of Intent to jointly launch a new investment vehicle to develop innovative carbon removal projects. The new vehicle will focus on bringing integrity and scale to global markets seeking durable, high-quality carbon removals based on scientific pathways and asset-backed solutions. The new vehicle, expected to be the first in a continued series, aims to bring global market participants an innovative way to access and participate in the surging demand for high-quality carbon removals associated with the "net-zero" climate commitments from corporations, financial institutions, and governments. The vehicle's primary investment focus, driven by buyer demand will emphasize capital allocation to greenfield carbon solutions that include robust quantification, scientific durability, strong community engagement, sustainable development co-benefits, and governance practices in accordance with leading industry standards, local regulation, and the UNFCCC Paris Agreement. Leveraging its reputable, global team of market professionals and access to environmental markets, corporate buyers, implementation partners and policy makers, STX Commodities will provide project origination and development services to the investment vehicle, as well as marketing and distribution of carbon removals and project by-products. As manager of the fund, Base Carbon will leverage its existing investment platform, team expertise and corporate infrastructure, endeavoring to develop new, ancillary revenue streams without further dilution to its shareholders. STX Group and Base Carbon are thrilled to be collaborating on this new initiative, viewed as a positive catalyst in their collective agenda to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Investor marketing and project off-taker discussions are anticipated to commence in early 2024.

07:47 EST Sigma Lithium provides update on final stage of strategic review - Sigma Lithium Corporation is continuing its Strategic Review Process into the new year. The Board of Directors remains encouraged by the direction of negotiations between Sigma Lithium and the finalists in the Process. These parties are committed to the Process and are actively engaged in drafting contractual documentation. As part of this Process, the Company is announcing its intention to initiate the procedures to list the shares of Sigma Brazil at both Nasdaq and Singapore Stock Exchange. The dual listing of Sigma Brazil is solely contemplated for the purpose of closing the strategic transaction, maximizing shareholder value. All shareholders, whether holding shares of Sigma Lithium or Sigma Brazil, would ultimately be taken out in the event of an acquisition. Ana Cabral, CEO commented: "We are delighted with the overwhelming interest in our business from some of the most admired companies in the battery materials and electric vehicles industries globally, including automakers and battery manufacturers. We are also honored with the direct engagement of C-level executives and board members from the consortiums with our leadership during this strategic process, significantly strengthening our relationships with global leaders and key decision makers of our industry."

07:45 EST Structure Therapeutics provides GSBR-1290 program update - Structure Therapeutics provided a comprehensive development program update for its highly selective oral GLP-1 receptor agonist, GSBR-1290. Phase 2a Study in Diabetes and Obesity: The randomized, double-blind, 12-week placebo-controlled Phase 2a clinical trial has enrolled a total of 94 participants to date, including 60 participants randomized to GSBR-1290. The T2DM cohort enrolled 54 participants, randomized to GSBR-1290 45 mg or 90 mg or placebo, dosed once daily. The obesity cohort initially enrolled 40 individuals randomized to GSBR-1290 120 mg or placebo, once-daily. An additional 24 participants are currently being enrolled in the obesity arm as previously announced and will also be randomized 3:2 to GSBR-1290 or placebo. The primary endpoint of the Phase 2a study is safety and tolerability of GSBR-1290. Key secondary endpoints include reduction in weight for both cohorts, as well as reduction in HbA1c for the T2DM cohort. Safety and Tolerability Results GSBR-1290 demonstrated encouraging safety and tolerability following repeated, daily dosing for all doses studied in the obesity and T2DM cohorts. The majority of adverse events reported were mild to moderate. There were no serious adverse events related to study drug. As expected for this mechanism of action, leading AEs were gastrointestinal-related. The two most common AEs were nausea and vomiting. There were no cases of elevated liver enzymes in the obesity cohort. One participant in the T2DM treatment group experienced an event of elevated liver enzymes without an increase in bilirubin initially at day 8 while receiving 5 mg of study drug. This participant was diagnosed with fatty liver disease while in the study. Of the 60 participants dosed with GSBR-1290, only one participant discontinued the study due to AEs related to study drug. Efficacy Results: GSBR-1290 demonstrated clinically meaningful activity in both T2DM and obesity cohorts. In the T2DM cohort, there was a statistically significant HbA1c reduction at Week 12. The study demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful reduction in weight at Week 12. Weight loss continued to decrease through Week 12. Results of the interim analysis in the obesity cohort, showed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful decrease in weight at Week 8. Weight loss continued to decrease throughout the eight weeks of treatment. Results from Phase 1 Japanese Bridging Study: The 4-week Phase 1 Japanese ethnobridging study included healthy lean Japanese participants randomized to GSBR-1290 and placebo, and healthy lean non-Japanese participants receiving GSBR-1290. GSBR-1290 demonstrated a substantial weight reduction in Japanese participants and in non-Japanese participants, with no discontinuations or dose reductions, and no SAEs. These data will be used for regulatory interactions in Japan in preparation for potential future global studies of GSBR-1290. Results from 6- and 9-Month Toxicology Studies In preparation for Phase 2b development with longer durations of treatment, Structure has completed 6-month and 9-month toxicology studies to evaluate the safety of GSBR-1290. No major findings were observed in either study, with no test article-related changes observed in the liver, including ALT/AST, at all doses, and a greater than100 fold safety window at the 120 mg therapeutic dose. GSBR-1290 Next Steps Full 12-week results from the Phase 2a obesity cohort including data from the additional 24 participants currently being enrolled, are expected in the second quarter of 2024. Structure plans to initiate a Phase 2b obesity study of GSBR-1290 in the second half of 2024. The study is planned to include at least 275 individuals across the United States and Europe and will include multiple modified dose titration regimens to optimize efficacy and tolerability. An additional Phase 2 study in T2DM is also planned for the second half of 2024 to optimize the efficacy and tolerability of GSBR-1290 in this patient population. The ongoing formulation bridging and titration optimization study is evaluating capsule versus tablet pharmacokinetics and exploring different titration regimens. This study has completed enrollment and data are expected in the second quarter of 2024. Pending supportive data from this bridging study, the tablet formulation would be used in future GSBR-1290 studies starting with the Phase 2b studies.

07:39 EST Marimed's Betty's Eddies introduces limited-edition Betty's Bubbly chew - The company said, "Betty's Eddies hits a milestone in 2024 that few cannabis edible brands can claim: 10 years of helping people feel their best." To celebrate the occasion, this month the brand is launching Betty's Bubbly, a new, limited-edition batch of sparkling champagne chews. Available starting this month at MariMed's six owned and operated dispensaries and hundreds of other cannabis retailers throughout Massachusetts, Maryland, and Delaware, each Betty's Bubbly is infused with fast-acting, full-spectrum cannabis and THCV for a boost of energy.

07:36 EST Venus Concept expands international distributor network - Venus Concept announced the expansion of its international distributor network with the signing of two new exclusive partnerships: Core Aesthetics Skin & Laser Limited in the United Kingdom and Spectra Medical Systems in India. Both regions are high growth markets for the Company. The execution of these agreements represents an important step towards Venus Concept's focus of driving international growth through strong distributor partnerships.

07:35 EST Exxon Mobil to build CCS pilot plant with FuelCell Energy - ExxonMobil's (XOM) affiliate Esso Nederland BV plans to build a pilot plant at its Rotterdam Manufacturing Complex to test a breakthrough technology that could significantly reduce CO2 emissions from key industries. The pilot plant aims to obtain data on performance and operability of the carbonate fuel cell technology, jointly developed with FuelCell Energy (FCEL). Additionally, the pilot aims to address potential technical issues that may occur in a commercial environment and better understand the costs of installing and operating a CFC plant for carbon capture. Esso's Rotterdam integrated manufacturing site will be the first place in the world to pilot this technology. Pending a successful demonstration, ExxonMobil could deploy this technology at its manufacturing sites around the world.

07:34 EST PyroGenesis receives new patent for NexGen plasma atomization powder - PyroGenesis Canada announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued to the Company a new U.S. Patent No. US 11839918 encompassing the Company's NexGen plasma atomization powder. This U.S. Patent, entitled, "Method and Apparatus for Producing High Purity Spherical Metallic Powders at High Production Rates From One or Two Wires", describes the Company's NexGen plasma atomization technology for producing metal powder for use in additive manufacturing and 3D printing. In particular, the patent describes the innovative aspects of the NexGen system that create the potential for higher and more efficient production rates, including a two-wire simultaneous feedstock approach where the wires themselves are electrically charged prior to reaching the plasma atomization step.

07:33 EST BioCardia announces expected CardiAMP heart failure Japan approval timeline - BioCardia announced that Japan Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Agency minutes support the Company's understanding that CardiAMP autologous cell therapy may be approved for the treatment of patients with ischemic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction based on follow-up data from the patients currently enrolled in the CardiAMP Heart Failure Trial that will be available in Q4 2024. BioCardia has previously reported that although the primary endpoint of CardiAMP HF would most likely not have been met at one year; there was both reduced mortality and reduced major adverse cardiovascular events in treated patients compared to controls at two years follow-up. PMDA and its medical advisors have seen these and additional results that will be presented and published in the appropriate peer reviewed scientific forums. The FDA reviewed this data and recently approved the CardiAMP Heart Failure II Study protocol. BioCardia will follow PMDA's process to confirm the regulatory pathway ahead. This is expected to include a clinical consultation with PMDA in the second or third quarter of 2024 on clinical data from its three sponsored trials: TABMMI, TAC-HFT, and CardiAMP HF. These studies include almost two hundred patients followed-up for an average of 1.9 years and each has shown benefit to patients with no treatment emergent safety concerns. With PMDA confirmation, BioCardia expects to submit for approval in Japan based on the data available in late Q4 2024.

07:32 EST IntelGenx enters development, license agreement for VetaFilm - IntelGenx has entered into development and license agreements with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Covenant Animal Health Partners. Under the terms of the development agreement, Covenant Animal Health will fund development and manufacturing of a VetaFilm-based drug. The license agreement will give Covenant Animal Health exclusive rights to exploit the Product in the field for non-human applications. In return, IntelGenx will receive royalties on worldwide net sales of the Product. IntelGenx will manufacture the Product on worldwide basis for clinical development, and the parties anticipate entering into a subsequent commercial supply agreement, pursuant to which IntelGenx will supply the Product to Covenant Animal Health.

07:30 EST FMC Corporation elects Patrick Day as Vice President - FMC Corporation announced that its board of directors has elected Patrick Day as vice president, Financial Planning & Analysis, effective January 1, 2024. He will join the company's senior management Operating Committee and will continue to report to Andrew Sandifer, executive vice president and CFO. Day joined FMC in 2013 as director, Finance Transformation, a role in which he served as a leader of the company's One Finance program.

07:28 EST Cipher Mining purchases 7.1 EH/s of Antminer T21 miners - Cipher Mining entered into an agreement with Bitmain to purchase 37,396 units of the latest generation Antminer T21 miners, representing 7.1 EH/s of self-mining capacity to be delivered in the first half of 2025. Cipher has also purchased the option to acquire an additional 45,706 miners representing 8.7 EH/s in 2024. Tyler Page, CEO of Cipher, commented, "We are very excited to continue our track record of investing opportunistically during lulls in the bitcoin mining cycle. By acquiring 7.1 EH/s of Bitmain's T21 mining rigs, we can build out the first 135 MW at our newly acquired Black Pearl site. We also have an option to acquire up to an additional 8.7 EH/s of T21s in 2024. Cipher's custom software and operations stack, combined with the attractive pricing dynamics in the ERCOT market, will allow us to fully utilize the unique qualities of the T21's energy modes to maximize profits at Black Pearl. Furthermore, by locking in our price for mining rigs at a very attractive $14/TH, we are controlling our biggest potential capital expense and locking in favorable terms ahead of what we believe will be a bull market for bitcoin. If we choose to exercise our full purchase option, we will have enough mining rigs for another 165MW of infrastructure. We are considering many near-term attractive opportunities for expansion with these rigs at sites in 2024, as well as the continued buildout of Black Pearl in 2025. By securing favorable pricing on rigs, we have now built the foundation for our massive upcoming expansion," added Mr. Page.

07:24 EST Cara Therapeutics expects to end 2023 with $100M in cash - Cara expects to end 2023 with approximately $100 million in cash. This amount includes the $17.5 million already received from HealthCare Royalty, less certain expenses, and the first milestone payment of $20 million, which was triggered by the achievement of the milestone this month and is expected to be received by year-end 2023.

07:22 EST Applied UV announces integration of PURO, Airocide businesses into Sterilumen - Applied UV announced the integration of its PURO and Airocide businesses into its Sterilumen subsidiary to optimize its portfolio, reduce costs, deliver margin expansion and drive sustainable shareholder value creation. The Company believes the PURO and Airocide integration and other cost saving initiatives previously completed are expected to reduce ongoing operating expenses annually by approximately $1 million beginning in fiscal 2024. This integration allows us to gain from the natural synergies between these two businesses resulting in a unique market-facing business that provides optimal leverage and benefits. These benefits include: Expanded Sales & Marketing Capabilities: Significantly expands the portfolio of air and surface disinfection solutions available to customers on a global basis; Access to SteriLumen's global distribution footprint with 89 dealers/distributors in 52 Countries; Enhanced 'cross selling' revenue opportunities; Combination of management organizations, marketing, and "go-to-market" sales teams, expected to lower operating costs and improve margins; and Recent trade show in Dubai of ground-breaking solutions with technologies aimed at revolutionizing food safety and preservation standards that address the region's unique climate challenges confirmed the significant interest in both the Airocide Pro and PURO's patented Fighter Flex HVAC disinfection system. Improved Operating Performance: Singular improved focus on quality and lean strategies to improve customer satisfaction, reduce costs, and ensure long-term competitiveness. Elimination of overlapping administrative, management and operations-related employee positions; and Facility optimization and rationalization of certain real estate leases, as a result of the Company's shifting substantially all SteriLumen disinfection-related product manufacturing to Canon, Virginia, a subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc. In addition to sales growth, this integration is expected to create significant cost reduction in an ongoing process of expense reduction. A major step in this direction is the consolidation of warehouse and manufacturing operations at our Airocide facility in Kennesaw, GA. This move will optimize our production capabilities and enhance our supply chain efficiency, allowing us to serve our customers better and faster.

07:21 EST Masonite to acquire PGT Innovations in $3B transaction - Masonite (DOOR) and PGT Innovations (PGTI), a designer and manufacturer of patio door and premium window solutions, and recognized leader in technically advanced products for impact rated glass applications, announced a definitive agreement under which Masonite will acquire PGT Innovations for a combination of cash and Masonite shares with a total transaction value of $3B. Under the terms of the agreement, PGT Innovations shareholders will receive $41.00 per each PGT Innovations share they own, comprised of $33.50 in cash and $7.50 in common shares of Masonite. The per share consideration represents a premium of approximately 24% to PGT Innovations' 30-day volume weighted average share price. Upon completion of the transaction, Masonite shareholders will own approximately 84% of the combined company, with PGT Innovations shareholders owning approximately 16%. The acquisition is expected to deliver earnings per share, or EPS, accretion and significant synergies with minimal investment required to integrate the two businesses. Howard Heckes will continue to serve as CEO of Masonite. At the closing, Jeff Jackson, PGT Innovations CEO, and one additional PGT Innovations director will join the Masonite board of directors. The boards of directors of both Masonite and PGT Innovations have each unanimously approved the transaction. The transaction is currently anticipated to close in the middle of 2024 subject to approval by the PGT Innovations shareholders, as well as the receipt of required regulatory approvals, and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. Masonite intends to fund the cash portion of the merger consideration with a combination of cash on hand, borrowings under existing credit facilities and the proceeds from new debt and/or equity financing. Masonite has received $1.8B in senior secured term loan commitments and $980 million in bridge loan commitments from Jefferies Finance and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation in connection with the transaction. At closing, Masonite estimates that its pro forma net leverage will be approximately 4.1x. Masonite intends to reduce its leverage to below 3.0x in approximately two years post-close.

07:18 EST Smart for Life adds two executives to senior management team - Smart for Life has expanded its management team in anticipation of increased capital markets and M&A activity. The additions include Mark Beychok, who joins the team as Executive Vice President, and Jessica Walters, Senior Vice President of Marketing. Beychok's primary responsibilities will be organizing the attendant financings for the Company's current and future prospective acquisitions. Prior to Smart for Life Walters was the Founder and CEO of Tropic Like its H

07:16 EST Akoustis receives Wi-Fi 6E design win from Consumer AP customer - Akoustis Technologies announced that its patented XBAW filters are designed into a new tri-band Wi-Fi 6E consumer access point platform. The new design will use multiple Akoustis 5 GHz and 6 GHz XBAW coexistence filters in a 2X4 multi-user, multiple-in-multiple-out, tri-band Wi-Fi 6E AP router. The 5 GHz filter module covers the U-NII-1 to U-NII-3 bands of the Wi-Fi 6E standards, while the 6 GHz filter covers the entire U-NII-5 thru U-NII-8 bands. Both filters exhibit high-performance, high-power handling, ultra-wide bandpass, and coexistence capabilities. Akoustis has received high-volume orders from the customer to support the production ramp in the March quarter of calendar year 2024.

07:14 EST SRAX says focus on growing SEQUIRE platform, expanding client base - In a letter to shareholders, CEO Christopher Miglino wrote, in part, "Our delisting from the NASDAQ market was a moment for serious introspection. Looking back, there were areas where we should have been more proactive, especially as it relates to our accounting team's leadership and the complexities of the accounting for our business. Bringing in new experts was a turning point for the Company, providing clarity and direction that we were previously missing. Restructuring for a Stronger Tomorrow This change in leadership has provided new insights that enabled us to improve our business model and become more efficient. We've streamlined our operations, focusing on what we do best while also reducing our workforce resulting in a team that's more productive and effective. Our sales approach has also evolved, now powered by technology that enhances our ability to connect with and serve our clients effectively with a smaller sales and marketing team. We have reduced our team over the past year, from close to 160 people to just over 20, and our operations are currently more efficient than ever. Financial Health and Transparency The audit for our 2022 results is currently being completed and I am optimistic about the results. 2022 was a challenging year from a cash flow perspective, as we transitioned from customers paying with stock to only accepting cash as payment for our services, magnified by our inability to quickly sell our marketable securities. The financials during 2022 had significant non-cash adjustments to goodwill and the value of the securities held on our balance sheet. However, I encourage you to review our operating income - a metric that reflects the true operating performance of our business. We expect it to be positive in 2022 and positive for the first 9 months of 2023. The Road Ahead for Marketable Securities The market's volatility has indeed impacted our securities portfolio. We're taking proactive steps to manage and maximize the value of these assets. While it's a complex and time-intensive process, we are committed to maximizing shareholder value. The current value of our rights related to our contracts is more than $35M. While we realize that it will take time to realize this value, we are working to maximize the value of these assets. Refocusing Our Core Business Our focus now is on growing our SEQUIRE platform and expanding our client base. We have a clear goal of reaching 300 cash-paying clients in the next few years. Also, our upcoming investor conference in Puerto Rico is an excellent opportunity for us to connect and discuss our plans. I hope to see many of you there, you can sign up here: puertorico.srax.com Navigating Stock Trading Challenges The shift to the OTC Expert Market has brought its own set of challenges, particularly in stock trading. We're working hard to address these issues and appreciate your patience and support as we work through this phase. Once the audits are completed and current, the company will transition to the regular OTC, and investors will be able to buy the stock again, something that not many have been able to do. I understand how frustrating the decline in the value of your position is but your support during these times has been invaluable. It's this support that drives us to improve and build a stronger, more stable SRAX and I appreciate the calls for advice and input. I am confident that our current path will lead us to a more valuable company and I look forward to keeping you updated on our progress."

07:12 EST Lexeo Therapeutics granted Fast Track, Orphan Drug Designations for LX2020 - Lexeo Therapeutics announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Fast Track designation and Orphan Drug designation to LX2020, the company's AAVrh10-based gene therapy candidate designed to intravenously deliver a functional PKP2 gene to cardiac muscle for the treatment of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy caused by mutations in the PKP2 gene. The planned Phase 1/2 trial, HEROIC-PKP2, is a first in human, 52-week open-label, dose-escalating, multicenter trial to determine the safety and tolerability of LX2020 in adult patients with PKP2-ACM. Preliminary efficacy measures will evaluate myocardial protein expression, biomarkers measuring cardiac structure and function, and arrhythmia burden. LX2020 will be administered as a one-time intravenous infusion to patients in two ascending-dose cohorts, evaluating the 2.0x1013 vg/kg and 6.0x1013 vg/kg dose levels with three patients in each cohort, and the potential for cohort expansion. Long-term safety and efficacy will be evaluated for an additional four years following completion of the initial trial.

07:11 EST Invivyd announces initial results from Phase 3 trial of VYD222 - Invivyd announced initial results from the ongoing CANOPY Phase 3 pivotal clinical trial of VYD222, a broadly neutralizing, half-life extended monoclonal antibody candidate, for the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19. Results showed that the safety and tolerability profile of VYD222 remains favorable with no study drug related serious adverse events reported to date. Adverse events attributed to VYD222 were Grade 1 or 2 in severity. The company also reported that in vitro pseudovirus testing shows VYD222 has potency against various SARS-CoV-2 variants currently circulating, such as HV.1, BA.2.86, XBB.1.5.10/EG.5, and HK.3. Importantly, VYD222 continues to show neutralizing activity against variants with the F456L mutation that is found in the majority of variants in the U.S. currently. "We are pleased to share positive initial topline results from CANOPY which bolster our belief that VYD222 holds the potential to provide vulnerable people, particularly the immunocompromised, with meaningful protection from COVID-19," said Dave Hering, Chief Executive Officer of Invivyd. "VYD222 produced high serum virus neutralizing antibody titer levels against XBB.1.5 in the IC cohort, essentially replicating the titer levels observed in our Phase 1 clinical trial of VYD222 in healthy volunteers. We are also encouraged by the potential early signal of strong clinical protection from symptomatic COVID-19 in the CANOPY clinical trial to date, which would be expected given the high VYD222 sVNA titer levels and dose selected. We look forward to continued engagement with the FDA on these promising results, and we intend to submit a request for Emergency Use Authorization as soon as practicable."

07:09 EST Plus Therapeutics expects cash to fund operations to 2H25 - Plus Therapeutics announced financial updates and guidance for 2024. Plus is currently in the second year of a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas award totaling $17.8 million. The grant funds are advances on future spend and received based on hitting certain milestones. The $3.3 million payment is the first advance for the second year of the award. The Company forecasts an additional $6.9 million in grant revenue during the 2024 calendar year. Furthermore, the Company currently has a debt facility with Oxford Finance LLC. The remaining balance of the facility is $0.7 million as of YE 2023 with a $3.3 million deferred interest payment due in June 2024. The new facility carries a lower interest rate and principal payment flexibility allowing for principal payments to be deferred into 2025 and beyond and is expected to close in January 2024. To date, the Company has received $7 million from CPRIT and, in 2024, anticipates receiving an additional $6.9 million, $3.3 million in Q2 and $3.6 million in Q4, as part of the planned cadence of award payments. The Company reported $11.0 million in cash as of September 30, 2023. The Company believes that the award payment together with its cash on hand provide sufficient runway to fund operations to the second half of 2025. Plus' grant from CPRIT provides for funding over the three-year grant period which began on August 31, 2022, and covers the majority of the development costs of the Company's lead investigational targeted radiotherapeutic, rhenium obisbemeda, for the treatment of patients with leptomeningeal metastases.

07:07 EST EyePoint reports inducement grants under Nasdaq listing rule - EyePoint Pharmaceuticals announced that the Company granted non-statutory stock options to new employees as inducement awards outside the Company's 2023 Long-Term Incentive Plan in accordance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The Company granted stock options to purchase up to an aggregate of 13,000 shares of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals common stock to two new employees. The stock options were granted on December 15, 2023. The grants were approved by the Compensation Committee and made as an inducement material to each employee entering into employment with EyePoint Pharmaceuticals in accordance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The option awards have an exercise price of $19.55 per share, the closing price of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals' common stock on December 15, 2023. The options have a ten-year term and vest over four years, with 25% of the original number of shares vesting on the first anniversary of the applicable employee's date of grant and the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments over the following three years. Vesting of the options is subject to the employee's continued service with EyePoint Pharmaceuticals through the applicable vesting dates.

07:06 EST Achilles announces publication on neoantigen immunogenicity prediction - Achilles Therapeutics announced publication of a 'Comment' in Nature Cancer that outlines the vast potential of neoantigen immunogenicity prediction, discusses current limitations in the field that limit performance, and proposes a path forward. The article, entitled Breaking the performance ceiling for neoantigen immunogenicity prediction, makes the case that the efficient and accurate selection of immunogenic neoantigens is a critical determinant in neoantigen-based personalized tumor therapies. Selecting which neoantigens to use in drug development based on their immunogenicity is crucial for efficacy of personalized treatments as only a few neoantigens will be clinically relevant. The authors of the 'Comment' are all researchers affiliated with the DECOD-Ag consortium of which Achilles Therapeutics is a member. They note recent improvements in computational immunogenicity-prediction models and suggest that the performance of currently available artificial intelligence methods for immunogenicity ranking will be surpassed by robust prediction algorithms built from larger datasets with lower bias. Achilles has built a world-leading, AI-powered PELEUS bioinformatics platform to identify clonal neoantigens from each patient's unique tumor profile. The proprietary PELEUS platform was developed and validated with sequence data from the landmark TRACERx study led by Achilles co-founder Professor Charles Swanton of the Crick Institute. Achilles has exclusive commercial rights to the TRACERx study, which has generated one of the largest data sets ever collected to analyze tumor evolution.

07:04 EST ViaSat works with Safran Data to bring InRange to market - Viasat is working with Safran Data Systems to jointly bring InRange to market so launch providers and spaceports can relay launch vehicles' telemetry in flight throughout their trajectory - and without having to rely on ground networks. InRange uses Viasat's global L-band satellite fleet - which Viasat now operates following the acquisition of Inmarsat in May - to provide real-time telemetry data for launch missions. By using space-based communications, InRange will allow launch mission controllers to monitor the performance of missions beyond the line of sight, without the need for ground communications infrastructure. A global satellite communications network can also prevent so-called 'blackout zones' when a launch vehicle moves into an area not covered by Earth-based connectivity. Under the MoU, Safran Data Systems will provide its telemetry antennas, onboard transmitters, and Cortex modems to support the InRange system for commercial launch systems virtually anywhere in the world. The companies will also explore different commercial models to allow launchers to purchase and use the InRange system 'off the shelf'.

07:04 EST Can-Fite BioPharma gets positive response from FDA to psoriasis pediatric plan - Can-Fite BioPharma announced that it received a positive response from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration FDA on the Pediatric Study Plan for the treatment of children suffering from psoriasis with Piclidenoson. The plan has been submitted to allow enrollment of children with psoriasis to Can-Fite's upcoming Phase 3 pivotal clinical psoriasis studies, aiming at registration of Piclidenoson with both the FDA and the European Medicines Agency EMA for the treatment of plaque psoriasis.

07:02 EST MagnaChip commences mass production of 30V MXT LV MOSFETs - Magnachip announced that the company has begun full-scale mass production of its new 30V MXT LV Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors, or MOSFETs, used in Electronic Control Units, or ECUs, of Electric Power Steering, or EPS, systems. This MOSFET product is being used by a global automaker.

06:59 EST Eli Lilly extends expiration of tender offer to acquire Point Biopharma - Eli Lilly (LLY) announced the extension of the expiration of the tender offer to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Point Biopharma (PNT), for a purchase price of $12.50 per share in cash, without interest and less any applicable tax withholding. The tender offer, which was previously scheduled to expire at 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on December 15, has been extended until 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on December 22, unless the tender offer is further extended or earlier terminated, in order for the parties to satisfy the minimum tender condition. All regulatory approvals necessary for the consummation of the transaction have been obtained.

06:55 EST CRH submits offer to acquire Adbri for A$3.20 per share in cash - CRH, together with the Barro Group, have entered into an agreement with Adbri in relation to a potential transaction to acquire Adbri that is recommended by the Independent Board Committee, or IBC, of Adbri. The partners have submitted a non-binding offer to acquire 100% of the ordinary shares of the company for a cash price of A$3.20 per share. Adbri recently announced that its 2023 underlying EBITDA is expected to be in a range of A$310M-A$315M and the offer represents a multiple of approximately 9x enterprise value to expected 2023 underlying EBITDA. Under the proposal, CRH would partner with Barro, an Australian family-owned business and approximately 43% shareholder of Adbri. CRH currently has a 4.6% interest in the company via a cash settled derivative and would acquire the remaining approximately 57% of Adbri's shares not owned by Barro with the intention to delist Adbri from the ASX. The partners' proposal is non-binding and subject to satisfactory completion of due diligence, entry into binding transaction documentation, Adbri shareholder approval through a scheme of arrangement and customary legal requirements, including relevant regulatory approvals. As separately announced by Adbri, the Adbri IBC has agreed to provide CRH exclusive due diligence access to progress the proposal and intends to recommend that Adbri shareholders vote in favor of the proposed transaction, subject to entering into a binding scheme implementation deed and other customary conditions. The agreed cash consideration of A$3.20 per share values Adbri at an equity valuation of A$2.1B on a 100% basis and values the approximately 53% of issued share capital that the partners do not currently have an interest in and which CRH has agreed to acquire at A$1.1B.

06:52 EST Chemours works with Chinese authorities to shut down counterfeit Viton FreeFlow - Law enforcement agencies in northern China have shut down large-scale manufacturing of counterfeit Viton FreeFlow fluoroelastomer, a product falsely bearing Chemours' trademarks, at a local chemical plant. During an investigation at the facility, authorities discovered a substantial quantity of the fake fluoroelastomer, including 4.7 tons of finished products and 9 tons of raw materials as well as packaging materials and related business documents. The value of the counterfeit products was reported to be in the millions of dollars. The plant and its affiliated entities reportedly purchased genuine Viton FreeFlow fluoroelastomer from Chemours local subsidiaries to help mask their counterfeiting operations. Local police, in collaboration with Chemours' local counsel and a subsidiary, have so far apprehended two individuals who now face charges related to the illegal production and distribution of counterfeit goods. The suspects' identities are being withheld pending further investigation.

06:50 EST NRx Pharmaceuticals announces FDA clearance of NRX-101 IND - NRx Pharmaceuticals announced that its Investigational new drug application, or IND, for the use of NRX-101, the company's patented combination of D-cycloserine and lurasidone, for the treatment of complicated Urinary Tract infections, or cUTI, received clearance from the FDA.

06:48 EST Dundee Precious Metals to acquire Osino Resources in C$287M transaction - Dundee Precious Metals (DPMLF) and Osino Resources Corp. (OSIIF) are pleased to announce that they have entered into a definitive agreement whereby DPM will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Osino pursuant to a plan of arrangement. The Transaction adds Osino's high-quality, long-life Twin Hills open pit gold project as well as an extensive exploration portfolio in Namibia to DPM's existing portfolio of assets. As a result of the Transaction, DPM will acquire a 100% interest1 in Osino's advanced stage, multi-million ounce Twin Hills gold project located in Namibia, a mining-friendly jurisdiction where DPM has successfully operated since 2010. A June 2023 feasibility study completed by Osino outlined an open-pit project with a 13-year mine life and average annual production of 175,000 ounces of gold over the first five years, with first production targeted in the second half of 2026.2 Pursuant to the terms of the Arrangement Agreement, DPM will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Osino or a consideration consisting of C$0.775 in cash per Osino Share and 0.0801 of a DPM common share per Osino Share. The Consideration implies a value of C$1.553 per Osino Share and a total equity value of C$287 million on a fully-diluted in-the-money basis. This Consideration represents a premium of 37.2% and 44.3% based on the closing price and 30-day volume weighted average price of Osino Shares as of December 15, 2023, on the TSX Venture Exchange, respectively. Upon completion of the Transaction, DPM will issue 13,766,364 shares to Osino shareholders and existing Osino shareholders will own approximately 7% of the combined company. DPM intends to advance all remaining engineering activities for Twins Hills to reach a construction decision by the third quarter 2024. Over this period, DPM will pursue opportunities to refine and optimize the mining, construction and execution aspects of the project, given DPM's experience in the development and operation of its existing portfolio. In parallel, DPM will also be reviewing the construction timeline, which is currently targeting first production in the second half of 2026. Subject to certain conditions, including the parties obtaining the requisite regulatory approvals, the Transaction is expected to close in H1 2024, subject to timing of the approvals under the Namibia Competition Act. Upon closing of the Transaction, the Osino Shares are expected to be concurrently delisted.

06:44 EST Oculis reports first patient visit in Phase 3 DIAMOND-1 trial of OCS-01 - Oculis Holding announces First Patient First Visit in Stage 2 of its Phase 3 DIAMOND-1 trial evaluating Oculis' lead product candidate OCS-01 for the treatment of DME, a leading cause of preventable blindness in working-age adults affecting approximately 37 million people worldwide. DIAMOND-1 is a Phase 3, two-stage, double-masked, randomized, multi-center trial to assess the efficacy and safety of OCS-01 eye drops in DME patients. The primary objective of the 3-month Stage 1 was to select the optimal dosing regimen. OCS-01 achieved the primary endpoint with robust statistical significance showing improvement in Best Corrected Visual Acuity vs. vehicle at Week 6 following the induction phase. The effect was sustained to Week 12 with the maintenance dose. Furthermore, 27.4% of patients in the OCS-01 group achieved greater than or equal to15-letter improvement in BCVA from baseline vs. 7.5% in the vehicle group at Week 12. A statistically significant decrease in Central Subfield Thickness was also observed. In Stage 1, OCS-01 was well-tolerated with no unexpected adverse events observed. Stage 2 of the trial aims to enroll 350-400 patients who will be randomized 1:1 to receive OCS-01 or vehicle six times daily for a 6-week induction phase and then three times daily for a subsequent 46-week maintenance phase. The endpoints for Stage 2 will be the same as in Stage 1 and evaluated at Week 52.

06:41 EST Catalyst Pharmaceuticals announces submission of FIRDAPSE NDA in Japan - Catalyst Pharmaceuticals announced that its collaboration partner, DyDo Pharma reported that it has submitted a New Drug Application to Japan's Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency seeking marketing approval for FIRDAPSE Tablets 10 mg, for the treatment of Lambert Eaton myasthenic syndrome in Japan. The submission is based on preliminary favorable analysis results of interim data after six months into the safety phase of the registration study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of FIRDAPSE for the treatment of LEMS. The review period is expected to be approximately a minimum of nine months from the submission date.

06:39 EST GSK announces RUBY Part 2 Phase III trial met primary endpoint of PFS - GSK announced positive headline results from a planned analysis of Part 2 of the RUBY/ENGOT-EN6/GOG3031/NSGO phase III trial investigating Jemperli plus standard-of-care chemotherapy, followed by dostarlimab plus Zejula as maintenance therapy, in adult patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer. The trial, which evaluated this combination against placebo plus chemotherapy followed by placebo, met its primary endpoint of progression-free survival, PFS, with a statistically significant and clinically meaningful benefit observed in both the overall patient population and in a subpopulation of patients with mismatch repair proficient/microsatellite stable tumours. Analysis of the full trial data, including the key secondary endpoint of overall survival, is ongoing. OS data is immature and will continue to be followed. The safety profile of dostarlimab plus carboplatin and paclitaxel, followed by dostarlimab plus niraparib, was generally consistent with the known safety profiles of the individual agents.

06:37 EST Denison Mines appoints Elizabeth Sidle to CFO - Denison Mines announced the appointment of Elizabeth Sidle to the position of CFO, in addition to her current position as VP finance, and the addition of Geoff Smith to the position of VP corporate development and commercial.

06:34 EST Wolverine World Wide reports new operating model for Merrell and Saucony JV - Strategic actions announced include evolving and optimizing the Company's Merrell and Saucony joint venture in China by entering into agreements for a total amount of $61 million to accelerate an existing option to sell a minority ownership interest in the entity that owns the Saucony intellectual property in China to Xtep, its joint venture partner, and sell the Company's equity interest in the Merrell and Saucony joint venture entities to Xtep. Wolverine Worldwide formed a joint venture with Xtep in 2019 to launch the Merrell and Saucony brands in China. Xtep is a powerful vertical player in the fast-growing sportswear market, with over 8,200 stores in Asia-Pacific, North America, and EMEA, and a strong network of distributors and shopping mall operators. Under the joint venture agreement, Xtep held the option to purchase a 40% minority ownership interest in the entity that owns the Saucony intellectual property in China if the business met certain financial targets. Due to the early success and profitability of Saucony in China, the Company and Xtep have agreed to accelerate the exercise of this purchase option. The Company and Xtep have also agreed for the Company to sell its equity interest in the Merrell and Saucony joint venture entities to a wholly-owned subsidiary of Xtep, transitioning the business from a joint venture model to a license and distribution rights model under which Xtep will exclusively carry out the development, marketing and distribution of footwear, apparel and accessories for the Saucony and Merrell brands in China. This evolution underscores the growth prospects of these two brands in China, and is the result of the early success and maturity of the joint venture. The new operating model is expected to further leverage Xtep's expertise and significant resources in China, unleashing the brands' full potential in this key market while allowing Wolverine Worldwide to focus on brand-building by developing awesome products and telling amazing stories across its global footprint.

06:27 EST Wyndham board recommends shareholders reject Choice Hotels exchange offer - Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (WH) announced that its board of directors, following a review with its outside financial and legal advisors, has unanimously determined the unsolicited exchange offer from Choice Hotels (CHH) to acquire all outstanding shares of Wyndham is not in the best interests of Wyndham and its shareholders. The Wyndham board of directors unanimously recommends that shareholders not tender any of their shares into the Offer.

06:20 EST First Wave BioPharma enters term sheet for combination with ImmunogenX - First Wave BioPharma announced that the company has signed a non-binding term sheet for a business combination with ImmunogenX, a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company developing Phase 3-ready latiglutenase, a targeted, oral biotherapeutic for celiac disease. Pursuant to the term sheet, First Wave BioPharma will acquire ImmunogenX in an all-stock transaction with the combined company focused on advancing a GI pipeline comprised of multiple late-stage clinical assets, including latiglutenase and capeserod, which First Wave BioPharma recently in-licensed from Sanofi. Following consummation of the transaction, First Wave BioPharma will continue to trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "FWBI". The transaction, which has been approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, is subject to the negotiation and execution of definitive documentation, approval of the stockholders of both First Wave BioPharma and ImmunogenX and other customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the first half of 2024. Following the closing, James Sapirstein will continue to serve as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First Wave BioPharma with Jack Syage, Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder of ImmunogenX, assuming the role of President and COO. Operational and financial leadership positions will be comprised of current First Wave BioPharma executives, while clinical, regulatory affairs, and scientific positions will be led by executives of ImmunogenX. First Wave BioPharma anticipates a significant non-dilutive financial investment from a strategic global pharmaceutical company for commercial rights to latiglutenase in the United States, in addition to financing commitments from several institutional investors to fund development, will be completed post-closing. Latiglutenase is an orally administered mixture of two minimally systemically absorbed gluten-specific recombinant proteases being developed as an oral biotherapeutic for celiac disease. In Phase 2a and 2b clinical trials, latiglutenase was shown to mitigate gluten-induced intestinal mucosal injury as well as reduce the severity and frequency of symptoms in celiac disease patients. The Phase 3 clinical development plan for latiglutenase has been reviewed by the GI Division of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration at the End of Phase 2 meeting with an agreed plan forward, with initiation of the Phase 3 trials expected in the second half of 2024.

06:15 EST Greenland Resources receives renewable energy report from COWI - Greenland Resources received a positive renewable energy report from COWI A/S, on wind and solar power generation to further decarbonize the Malmbjerg Molybdenum Project. Utilization of renewable energy at the Project will also help the country with jobs and critical infrastructure and is aligned with the recently signed agreement between Greenland and the European Union on developing strategic sustainable raw materials projects and deploying infrastructure required to develop them. Currently, approximately 50% of the total power consumption and decarbonization in the Project is solved with the use of the aerial rope conveyor. The conveyor transports 35,000 tonnes of ore per day from the mine site to the processing facilities using gravity that requires no energy input and therefore generates no carbon emissions and generates electricity from braking. The COWI Report concludes that a mix of onshore wind and solar energy production near the mine site can decarbonize some 35% of total power consumption giving an approximately 33MW of peak power, similar to the existing wind farm operating in comparable arctic conditions and latitude on Havoygavlen island in the north of Norway. The remaining 15% of the total power consumption has the potential to be decarbonized with carbon capture technologies or alternative green fuel. The Report also estimates economics and investigates the owned and leased model.

06:14 EST Freyr Battery receives invitation from DOE to submit Part II loan application - FREYR Battery announced that the U.S. Department of Energy has invited the Company to submit the Part II loan application under the DOE Title 17 program for FREYR's Giga America project. As previously indicated, the DOE loan application process is a key element of FREYR's capital formation strategy to fund construction of the Giga America project. FREYR also continues to engage with potential investors in project-level equity to finance the equity component of anticipated capital expenditures and organizational development associated with the project. FREYR will continue to work on advancing the DOE Title 17 process during 2024 and will provide further updates as appropriate.

06:12 EST Anaergia announces C$40.8M equity investment by Marny - Anaergia announces a C$40.8 million equity investment by Marny Investissement by way of an arm's-length, three-tranche, non-brokered private placement. Marny, through a wholly owned subsidiary has agreed to subscribe for an aggregate of 102,000,000 units of the Company at a price of C$0.40 per Unit with each Unit consisting of one subordinate voting share of the Company and 1/5 of one Subordinate Voting Share purchase warrant of the Company. Each Warrant will entitle Marny to purchase one additional Subordinate Voting Share at an exercise price of C$0.80 for a period of three years following the closing of the first tranche. The Unit subscription price of C$0.40 represents a 57% premium to the 10-day volume weighted average price of the Subordinate Voting Shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange as of December 15, 2023. The Strategic Investment will close in three tranches of 34,000,000 Units for gross proceeds of C$13.6M each. The first, second and third tranches may close no later than January 15, 2024, February 15, 2024, and March 15, 2024, respectively. The Strategic Investment is subject to, among other things, the timely fulfillment of the payment obligations under the subscription by Marny and, the delivery by Marny of guarantees in respect of the payment obligations, acceptable to Anaergia, acting reasonably, on or about December 22, 2023. The closing of the first, second and third tranches are subject to a limited number of customary conditions. Anaergia intends to use the proceeds from the Strategic Investment to pay accounts payable and to fund its ongoing activities. Piper Sandler & Co. is acting as financial advisor to the Company in connection with the Strategic Investment.

06:09 EST Camtek receives order for 25 systems from OSAT - Camtek announced that it has received an order of 25 systems from a Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test, or OSAT, for various Advanced Packaging applications. Delivery of the systems to the customer is expected in 2024.

06:05 EST KBR awarded contract to aid military neuroscience research - KBR joined forces with The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, or HJF, on a contract to support neuroscience research for service members. This new award will specifically focus on those affected by traumatic brain injuries. Research will be done in collaboration with the Uniformed Services University and the University of California San Francisco, or UCSF. Under the terms of the Service Personnel Advancing Research in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or SPARC, contract, KBR will provide outreach, education and data analytics to support critical neuroscience research for the prevention and treatment of military members with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. The cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, with the potential for a term of 52 months, will also assist in the development of therapeutics to treat this serious illness.

06:01 EST Nippon Steel to acquire U.S. Steel for $55.00 per share in cash

05:17 EST Logitech Sight camera certified for Microsoft Teams, Zoom Rooms - Logitech (LOGI) announced that Logitech Sight, the AI-powered, sustainably-built tabletop companion camera with intelligent multi-participant framing, is the first intelligent camera to be certified by Microsoft Teams (MSFT) as a center-of-table camera that works in tandem with the front-of-room video bars and is the first Panoramic Camera to be certified for use with Zoom Rooms (ZM).

05:12 EST Elbit Systems awarded series of contracts from Israel Ministry of Defense - Elbit Systems announced, in furtherance of the company's report from November 28, that since the beginning of the Swords of Iron War, it has been awarded a series of contracts by the Israel Ministry of Defense, or IMOD, in an aggregate amount that is material to the company. As reported by the company on November, 28, since the beginning of the Swords of Iron War, Elbit Systems has experienced a considerable increased demand for its solutions from the IMOD compared to the routine levels of demand. The developments related to the war are difficult to predict. Subject to future developments, the IMOD's increased demand for the company's products and solutions may continue and could generate material additional orders to the company.