Stockwinners Market Radar for December 21, 2023 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:57 EST EnCore Energy CFO Carrie Mierkey resigns - enCore Energy "announced the resignation of Ms. Mierkey, Chief Financial Officer effective December 23, 2023. Dr. Dennis Stover has agreed to act as Interim CFO until the conclusion of a CFO search. A CFO search committee consisting of Chief Executive Officer Paul Goranson, Executive Chairman William Sheriff and Audit Committee Chair William Harris has been formed and is well advanced in the efforts to select a new CFO. "

19:46 EST Berkshire Hathaway buys another 5.2M shares of Occidental Petroleum - In a regulatory filing, Berkshire Hathaway (BRK) disclosed that it purchased another 5.2M shares of common stock of Occidental Petroleum (OXY) as part of option exercise on December 19th in a total transaction size of $312.1M.

19:25 EST Meta Platforms exec sells $3.5M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Meta Platforms disclosed that its Chief Product Officer Christopher Cox sold 10K shares of common stock on December 19th in a total transaction size of $3.5M.

18:56 EST Ionis' Wainua granted regulatory approval in U.S. for treatment of hATTR-PN - Ionis Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Ionis and AstraZeneca's WAINUA for the treatment of the polyneuropathy of hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis in adults, commonly referred to as hATTR-PN or ATTRv-PN. WAINUA is the only approved medicine for the treatment of ATTRv-PN that can be self-administered via an auto-injector. The approval was based on the positive 35-week interim analysis from the Phase 3 NEURO-TTRansform study which showed patients treated with WAINUA demonstrated consistent and sustained benefit on the co-primary endpoints of serum transthyretin concentration and neuropathy impairment measured by modified Neuropathy Impairment Score +7, and key secondary endpoint of quality of life on the Norfolk Quality of Life Questionnaire-Diabetic Neuropathy. Positive results from the Phase 3 NEURO-TTRansform study were published in The Journal of the American Medical Association further demonstrating the benefit of WAINUA across the spectrum of ATTRv-PN at 35, 66 and 85-weeks. "Many people living with hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloid polyneuropathy are unable to fully enjoy their lives because of the relentless, progressive and debilitating effects of the disease," said Michael J. Polydefkis, M.D., professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and an investigator in the NEURO-TTRansform study. "Approval of WAINUA represents a meaningful advancement in treatment, one that gives those who are living with transthyretin-mediated amyloid polyneuropathy help managing the disease."

18:02 EST MediciNova announces abstract regarding MN-166 or ibudilast - The company states: "MediciNova announced that an abstract regarding results of a nonclinical study of MN-166 (ibudilast) in chlorine gas-induced acute lung injury has been selected for a poster presentation at the Society of Toxicology (SOT) 63rd Annual Meeting and ToxExpo to be held March 10 - 14, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The poster will be presented by MediciNova's collaborator, Perenlei Enkhbaatar, MD, PhD, FAHA, Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Director, Translational Intensive Care Unit, Charles Robert Allen Professor in Anesthesiology at The University of Texas Medical Branch."

17:44 EST RTX awarded $407.6M Air Force contract modification - RTX has been awarded a $407.6M cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded task order for Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile-Southern Cross Integrated Flight Research Experiment. Work is expected to be completed by December 31, 2028. FY23 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $27.11M are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is the contracting activity.

17:30 EST NSTS Bancorp authorizes new stock repurchase program - NSTS Bancorp has approved a new stock repurchase program that authorizes the company to repurchase up to an aggregate of 265,763 shares of the company's outstanding common stock. The shares authorized to be repurchased represent approximately 5.0% of the company's currently outstanding common stock. The program will be in effect until December 31, 2024, unless earlier terminated.

17:14 EST Alphabet CEO sells $3.18M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Alphabet disclosed that its CEO Sundar Pichai sold 22.5K shares of common stock on December 20th in a total transaction size of $3.18M.

17:03 EST Vital Energy acquires additional working interests in Permian Basin deals - Vital Energy announced the acquisition of additional working interests in producing assets associated with the recent asset acquisition from Henry Energy, Moriah Henry Partners and Henry, collectively "Henry, for total consideration of $55M. The purchase will increase Vital Energy's working interest in 45 wells by an average of 24%, increasing the company's estimated 2024 production by approximately 1,400 BOE/d. The transaction is expected to increase Vital Energy's 2024 free cash flow by approximately $20M, furthering Vital Energy's deleveraging goals. The transaction is associated with the exercise of tag-along rights by owners of certain assets in the Henry acquisition that enable Vital Energy to purchase and finance the assets on the same terms as the Henry purchase and sale agreement, in which the company's shares were issued at $54.96. Vital Energy funded the transaction through the issuance of 627,000 shares of its common stock and 595,000 shares of its 2.0% cumulative mandatorily convertible preferred securities.

17:01 EST Fastly appoints Kip Compton as Chief Product Officer - Fastly added Kip Compton as Chief Product Officer, effective January 2, 2024. Most recently, Compton served as the senior vice president of strategy of the Cisco Networking business at Cisco where he led teams responsible for strategy, portfolio management, investments and acquisitions. Compton also holds multiple patents in digital video, security and networking.

16:50 EST Ultragenyx agrees to pay $6M to resolve DOJ allegations of false claims - The U.S. Department of Justice said that Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical has agreed to pay $6 million to resolve allegations that it caused the submission of false claims to Medicare and Medicaid, in violation of the False Claims Act, by paying for free genetic tests, plus a separate fee to receive test result information for marketing purposes, to collectively induce prescriptions of its drug Crysvita and referrals of health care providers (HCPs) to Ultragenyx for the furnishing or arranging for the furnishing of Crysvita. Ultragenyx is a pharmaceutical manufacturer with a principal place of business in California that manufactures Crysvita. Crysvita is an FDA-approved drug to treat X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) in adult and pediatric patients six months of age and older. XLH is a rare inherited disorder characterized by low levels of phosphate in the blood, which can lead to weak bones and, in many instances, may require a genetic test to definitively diagnose. Ultragenyx understood that, in some cases, a positive genetic test for a genetic mutation consistent with XLH would be required for an insurer (including Medicare or Medicaid) to pay for a patient's prescription for Crysvita, or for a healthcare provider (HCP) to make a definitive diagnosis of XLH and prescribe Crysvita. Thus, Ultragenyx entered into an arrangement with a genetic testing laboratory (Laboratory), whereby Ultragenyx paid the Laboratory to conduct genetic tests - at no cost to HCPs or patients - and provide the results to the HCP. Ultragenyx referred to this program as its "sponsored" XLH testing program and Ultragenyx sales personnel discussed the XLH testing program with HCPs and delivered order forms for the tests to HCP offices. As part of the settlement, Ultragenyx admitted and accepted responsibility for certain facts providing the basis of the settlement.

16:44 EST Dick's Sporting, Foot Locker down 2% afterhours following Nike results - Shares of sporting goods chain Dick's Sporting (DKS) and athletic footwear chain Foot Locker (FL) are both down 2% afterhours following Q2 earnings results from Nike (NKE), which saw a revenue shortfall and an announcement of cost saving initiatives primarily associated with employee severance costs. Shares of Nike are extending afterhours decline, down 6% at $115.61.

16:41 EST Powerbridge requests hearing before Nasdaq panel after delisting determination - Powerbridge has requested a hearing before the Nasdaq Hearings Panel as the next step in the process in seeking an extension to satisfy the minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq listing rules for continued listing on Nasdaq. Reference is made to the form 6-K of the company filed with the SEC on June 30, 2023 in relation to a panel monitor imposed on the company, for a period of one year from June 27, 2023, of the company's ongoing compliance, after the company has regained compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a). On November 30, the company received the notice notifying that the company's securities had a closing bid price less than $1.00 for 30 consecutive trading days. On December 15, the company received notification that the one-year Panel Monitor was imposed on the company from June 27, 2023. If, within that one-year monitoring period, the Staff finds the company again out of compliance with the requirement, the Staff will issue a delist determination letter and the company will have an opportunity to request a hearing with the Nasdaq Hearings Panel. The company submitted the request for a hearing to appeal Nasdaq's delisting determination on December 20, and was notified that the hearing is scheduled to be held on March 14, 2024. This request will ordinarily stay any further action made by the Staff and the company's securities are expected to continue to be eligible to trade on Nasdaq at least pending the ultimate conclusion of the hearing process. The company plans to appeal on the basis that it has regained compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a) as the closing bid price of its ordinary shares has been at $1.00 per share or greater 10 consecutive trading days, as of December 20, 2023. The company will continue to monitor the closing bid price of its ordinary shares and evaluate various alternative courses of action to regain compliance with the continued listing requirement under the Nasdaq Listing Rules.

16:30 EST C.H. Robinson CFO Zechmeister to step down - C.H. Robinson Worldwide announced that Mike Zechmeister will be departing from his position as Chief Financial Officer. The company has commenced a formal search for his successor, and Zechmeister will remain with the company until a successor is named or no later than May 31, 2024, at which time Zechmeister plans to retire. "We greatly appreciate Mike's dedication and contributions to Robinson over the past four years to ensure the company's continued success," said Dave Bozeman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "During his tenure as CFO, Mike built a strong Finance organization that will continue to serve Robinson well. I am also personally grateful for Mike's support, partnership and counsel as I stepped into this role this summer. We thank Mike for his leadership and wish him the best in his next chapter."

16:25 EST Presidio Property Trust regains compliance with Nasdaq - Presidio Property Trust announced that it has received formal notice from Nasdaq stating that the company has regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550. As previously disclosed, the company received a written notice from Nasdaq on June 6 notifying the company that it had failed to meet the $1.00 per share minimum bid price requirement for continued inclusion on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

16:23 EST Rocket Lab reports contract with U.S. government customer valued at $515M - In a regulatory filing, Rocket Lab USA reported that on December 21, the company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Rocket Lab National Security, entered into an agreement with a United States government customer to design, manufacture, deliver, and operate 18 space vehicles. "The contract with the customer has a total value of $515M, which includes a base amount of $489M and incentives and options totaling $26M. Work under the agreement will begin immediately with the delivery of the space vehicles to the customer for launch slated for 2027, operation of the satellites through 2030, and an option to operate the satellites through 2033. The agreement contains customary default and termination provisions. In addition, either party may elect to terminate the agreement for convenience at any time as provided in the agreement, subject to certain termination conditions," the company stated.

16:20 EST Mineralys Therapeutics doses first subject in Launch-HTN pivotal trial - Mineralys Therapeutics announced that the first subject has been dosed in the Launch-HTN pivotal trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of lorundrostat for the treatment of uncontrolled hypertension, or uHTN, or resistant hypertension, or rHTN, when used as an add-on therapy to prescribed background treatment.

16:19 EST MPLX names C. Kristopher Hagedorn as CFO, succeeding John Quaid - Michael Hennigan, chairman, president and CEO of the general partner of MPLX LP (MPLX), announced that C. Kristopher Hagedorn has been appointed executive vice president and CFO of the general partner of MPLX, effective January 1, 2024. As MPLX CFO, Hagedorn will succeed John Quaid, who has been named executive vice president and CFO of Marathon Petroleum (MPC). Hagedorn brings more than 25 years of financial accounting and audit expertise to his new role, including nearly 10 years of financial leadership experience in the midstream sector.

16:19 EST Marathon Petroleum names Maryann Mannen President, John Quaid CFO - Marathon Petroleum (MPC) President and CEO Michael Hennigan announced changes to the executive management team of MPC, effective January 1, 2024. Maryann Mannen, Executive VP and CFO of MPC, has been appointed president of MPC. Hennigan will continue to serve as MPC's CEO, as well as the chairman, president and CEO of the general partner of MPLX (MPLX). As MPC president, Mannen will have oversight responsibility for the nation's largest refining business, commercial performance, and the health, environment, safety and security function. She also will continue to serve as a member of the board of directors of the general partner of MPLX. Prior to joining MPC in 2021, Mannen had a 35-year career in the energy sector, holding positions of increasing responsibility at TechnipFMC and predecessor companies, including executive vice president and chief financial officer. Succeeding Mannen, John Quaid, EVP and CFO of the general partner of MPLX, has been appointed EVP and CFO of MPC. He also will continue to serve as a member of the board of directors of the general partner of MPLX. Quaid joined MPC in 2014 as vice president and controller and became EVP and CFO of the general partner of MPLX in 2021.

16:18 EST Nike reports Q2 gross margin 44.6% vs. 42.9% last year - Reports Q2 Inventories $8.0B, down 14% from last year

16:17 EST Credicorp appoints Cesar Rios Briceno as CRO, Alejandro Perez-Reyes Zarak as CFO - Credicorp announced senior leadership changes. The board appointed at its meeting, Cesar Rios Briceno as chief risk officer, or CRO, of Credicorp and BCP and Alejandro Perez-Reyes Zarak as CFO of Credicorp and BCP. In addition, Andre Rezende, chief technology officer, or CTO, will now report to the CEO. To facilitate a transition, the management shift will commence on March 1, 2024, and the new appointments will officially take effect on July 1, 2024. Moreover, Michelle Labarthe Wiese, joins Credicorp as chief strategy officer, or CSO, a newly created position that will oversee the Sustainability, Strategy & Corporate Development, and M&A functions, effective January 2nd, 2024.

16:16 EST HASI announces conversion to C-Corporation - Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously approved a plan to revoke its Real Estate Investment Trust election and become a taxable C-Corporation, effective January 1, 2024. The Board's decision was made after careful consideration of all relevant implications and is not expected to have any material impact on the company's business or operations. The company expects its existing net operating losses and other tax attributes will enable HASI to continue to operate in a tax efficient manner. "We've concluded that our optimal tax structure moving forward is to cease electing REIT status in 2024," said Jeffrey A. Lipson, President and CEO of HASI. "This change leaves our investment strategy intact and provides greater flexibility to capitalize on the tremendous growth opportunities associated with the clean energy transition."

16:12 EST Galecto announces topline results from GB2064 trial - Galecto announced topline results from a Phase 2a trial of GB2064 for the treatment of myelofibrosis. The MYLOX-1 trial dosed a total of 18 myelofibrosis patients, of which 11 patients had previously received janus kinase inhibitor, or JAKi, therapy with ruxolitinib, with eight of those patients being refractory and three being intolerant to JAKi therapy. Six out of ten evaluable myelofibrosis patients who received GB2064 monotherapy for at least six months experienced a greater than or equal to one-grade reduction in collagen fibrosis of the bone marrow, an improvement suggesting that GB2064 could impact the progression of the disease and be disease-modifying. Fibrosis is a key disease mechanism of myelofibrosis that destroys bone marrow function. Reducing fibrosis is required to slow the progression of the disease. Bone marrow biopsies taken during the study showed that GB2064 penetrated the bone marrow and could exert its anti-fibrotic effect directly in the disease compartment. Furthermore, GB2064 demonstrated target engagement systemically by binding to LOXL2 in plasma. All six patients who experienced a greater than 1-grade reduction in bone marrow fibrosis score also showed stable hematological parameters, including hemoglobin, white blood cell count and platelets. At six months of treatment, one patient obtained a greater than or equal to 35% reduction in spleen volume, two patients reduced their Total Symptom Score, or TSS, by more than 50% and one patient had an anemia response. Four of these patients have entered the extension phase of the study due to the clinical benefit derived from GB2064 as evaluated by the treating physician, with one patient receiving treatment for more than 30 months. GB2064 showed a generally acceptable tolerability profile in the MYLOX-1 trial. Eighteen patients were dosed with GB2064 monotherapy in the MYLOX-1 trial. Eight patients completed treatment in the core phase of the MYLOX-1 trial and ten patients discontinued treatment due to an adverse event or disease progression. The most commonly observed treatment-related adverse events were gastrointestinal in nature and were manageable in most patients with standard therapy. The only treatment-related serious adverse event was a case of fall, which was assessed as possibly related to GB2064 by the investigator.

16:08 EST Ryan Specialty to acquire Castel Underwriting Agencies, terms not disclosed - Ryan Specialty announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Castel Underwriting Agencies Limited, a Managing General Underwriting platform, from Arch Financial Holdings Limited and minority shareholders. Castel is headquartered in London, England with additional offices in the Netherlands and Belgium and was founded in 2014. Castel consists of thirteen unique MGUs, each of which has expertise in a specific product niche. Together, the MGUs represent a distinctive and diverse portfolio of underwriting expertise including Transactional Liability, Renewable Energy, Construction, and Marine, among other specialty lines of business. The breadth of Castel's offerings and its geographic concentration in the UK and Europe add significant capabilities to Ryan Specialty's robust managing general underwriter portfolio. Commenting on this acquisition, Patrick G. Ryan, Founder, Chairman & CEO of Ryan Specialty, said, "Castel is a first-class organization with a history of exceptional performance on all metrics, including underwriting profit and growth. Bringing Castel into Ryan Specialty expands our UK and European footprint in delegated authority, and the lines of business underwritten by these MGUs are both complementary and accretive to our firm. We are very much looking forward to further expanding with this very talented team." Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The acquisition is expected to close during the first half of 2024, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

16:07 EST Cepton receives indication of interest from Koito Manufacturing - Cepton announced that it has received a non-binding indication of interest from Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd. to acquire 100% of the outstanding shares of the Company not already owned by Koito or certain other potential rollover participants including Dr. Jun Pei, Cepton's President and Chief Executive Officer. Koito has stated in the indication of interest that the terms of any potential agreement between Cepton and Koito would be contingent on certain conditions, including, in particular, satisfactory completion of due diligence review, rollover by the Rollover Participants, retention of key employees, negotiation and agreement of transaction structure and transaction documents, approval of the Proposed Transaction by the board of directors of Koito, and approval by a simple majority vote of the outstanding shares of Cepton. Cepton's Board of Directors, through a special committee thereof, will carefully evaluate Koito's indication of interest within the context of the ongoing review of various alternatives and in consultation with any financial and legal advisors it may retain.

16:06 EST American Outdoor Brands appoints James Tayon as Chief Product Officer - American Outdoor Brands announced that James Tayon, Vice President of Marketing & Product Development, has been named to the role of Chief Product Officer, under which he will continue to lead the company's strategic product direction, including product innovation, design, development, and marketing. Prior to American Outdoor Brands, Tayon served as a Product Engineer for J2 Scientific, a laboratory automation equipment designer and manufacturer. In 2012, he joined Battenfeld Technologies, a provider of hunting and shooting accessories, as a Product Development Engineer, and later, Engineering Supervisor. He joined American Outdoor Brands in 2017 upon its acquisition of Battenfield Technologies.

16:06 EST Limoneira sees FY24 fresh lemon volumes 5M-5.5M cartons - The Company's food service business and industry logistics continue to experience slowdown due to supply chain and inflationary pressures on a global basis. The Company expects fresh lemon volumes to be in the range of 5.0 million to 5.5 million cartons for fiscal year 2024. Avocado volumes are expected to be in the range of 7.0 million to 8.0 million pounds for fiscal year 2024. The Company now expects to receive a 14% increase in total proceeds of $131 million from Harvest at Limoneira, LLCB II and East Area II spread out over nine fiscal years, with approximately $8 million received in fiscal year 2022.

16:01 EST Takeda announces China NMPA Approval of LIVTENCITY in CMV - Takeda "announced that LIVTENCITY has been approved by the National Medical Products Administration of China for the treatment of adult patients with post-hematopoietic stem cell transplant or solid organ transplant cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection/disease that is refractory to treatment (with or without genotypic resistance) with ganciclovir, valganciclovir, cidofovir or foscarnet. LIVTENCITY is the first and only inhibitor of CMV-specific UL97 protein kinase in China for this indication. LIVTENCITY was granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by China Center for Drug Evaluation in 2021. The NMPA approval is based on the results of the Phase 3 SOLSTICE trial, which evaluated the safety and efficacy of maribavir versus conventional antiviral therapies - ganciclovir, valganciclovir, cidofovir or foscarnet - for the treatment of patients with CMV infection/disease refractory* to prior therapies. In the SOLSTICE trial, LIVTENCITY was superior to conventional therapies at Week 8 for the primary endpoint of confirmed CMV viremia clearancea in post-transplant adults with refractory* CMV infection."

15:39 EST Container Store announces two leadership promotions - Container Store Group has elevated Executive Vice President of eCommerce and Digital Marketing, Lindy Rawlinson to Chief Digital Officer, and Vice President of Stores, Jennifer Pape to Senior Vice President of Stores. "By bringing eCommerce and marketing together under Lindy, we will be able to tell a more cohesive brand story, specifically our differentiated offering of Custom Spaces and general merchandise. Jen has done a fantastic job leading our store fleet and I am proud of the work she has already done to improve our Custom Spaces conversion rates. I'm confident in the executive leadership team we have in place as we continue to make progress on our path to $2 billion in revenue," said CEO and President of The Container Store, Satish Malhotra.

15:07 EST Chavant Capital Acquisition Corp trading halted, volatility trading pause

14:00 EST ASP Isotopes CEO expects 'a lot of exciting milestones' in 2024

14:00 EST Lack of competitors in isotope enrichment positions ASP favorably, CEO says

13:58 EST Xbox game 'Starfield' achives 13M players since September 2023 launch - Yesterday, Microsoft's Bethesda said that "Starfield," its latest role-playing game that released in September 2023 for PC and Xbox Series X/S, has already achieved 13M players, who have collectively visited 2B in-game planets and played an average of 40 hours each. The company added that it is targeting updates for the game roughly every six weeks starting in February 2023. "These updates will include everything from quality-of-life improvements to content and feature updates," Bethesda said. "Join our Steam Beta branch to be the first to try these updates as they begin rolling out." Reference Link

13:30 EST Dune Acquisition Corp trading halted, news pending

13:11 EST NGM Biopharmaceuticals' aldafermin granted orphan status - NGM Biopharmaceuticals' aldafermin was granted FDA orphan status as a treatment of primary sclerosing cholangitis, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

13:01 EST Baker Hughes reports U.S. rig count down 3 to 620 rigs

12:08 EST First American says some systems taken offline due to cybersecurity incident - First American Financial announced it has experienced a cybersecurity incident. "In response, the company has temporarily taken certain systems offline and is working to return to normal business operations as soon as possible. Please visit FirstAmUpdate.com for the latest information," First American stated. Reference Link

12:00 EST Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares falls -8.4% - Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares is down -8.4%, or -56c to $6.07.

12:00 EST Suburban Propane rises 13.8% - Suburban Propane is up 13.8%, or $2.49 to $20.59.

12:00 EST Triumph Group rises 31.1% - Triumph Group is up 31.1%, or $3.82 to $16.09.

11:39 EST LeddarTech becomes publicly traded company, completes business combination - LeddarTech announced the completion of its business combination, previously announced on June 13, 2023 with Prospector Capital Corp. Commencing at the open of trading on December 22, 2023, LeddarTech common shares will be listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbols "LDTC."

11:10 EST Mullen Automotive trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:00 EST Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares falls -7.0% - Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares is down -7.0%, or -86c to $11.51.

10:00 EST BlackBerry falls -9.0% - BlackBerry is down -9.0%, or -37c to $3.73.

10:00 EST BIT Mining rises 12.0% - BIT Mining is up 12.0%, or 64c to $5.97.

09:59 EST Jin Medical International Ltd trading resumes

09:47 EST Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares falls -7.8% - Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares is down -7.8%, or -52c to $6.11.

09:47 EST Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares falls -8.2% - Daily S&P Biotech Bear 3x Shares is down -8.2%, or -$1.02 to $11.35.

09:47 EST BIT Mining rises 10.5% - BIT Mining is up 10.5%, or 56c to $5.89.

09:45 EST Midwest Holding completes acquisition by Antarctica Capital - Midwest Holding announced the completion of the acquisition of Midwest by an affiliate of Antarctica. Midwest will continue to be led by its current leadership team and will maintain its name, personnel, headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska, and operational hubs in New York and Vermont. Pursuant to the terms of the transaction, Midwest shareholders are entitled to receive $27.00 in cash per share of common stock owned immediately prior to completion of the transaction. With the completion of the transaction, Midwest shares have ceased trading and will no longer be listed on the Nasdaq.

09:38 EST Northwest Biotherapeutics submits MAA to MHRA for DCVax-L - Northwest Biotherapeutics announced that a Marketing Authorization Application was submitted yesterday to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in the UK for DCVax-L for glioblastoma brain cancer. The MAA seeks approval for commercialization of DCVax-L for both newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma. The application also requests to be considered under the MHRA's rapid 150-day review pathway, which the agency has established for new medicines for serious unmet medical needs.

09:35 EST Luna Innovations announces $50M strategic investment from White Hat Capital - Luna Innovations announced a $50M investment by investment firm White Hat Capital Partners. Proceeds from this strategic investment were partially used to fund the acquisition of Silixa and related transaction costs in the aggregate amount of approximately $25M. Remaining proceeds were used to repay the company's outstanding $17M term loan with PNC Bank and strengthen the company's balance sheet. In conjunction with the strategic investment, David Chanley joined Luna's Board of Directors. Chanley is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of White Hat.

09:30 EST Performance Shipping secures two year time charter contract - Performance Shipping (PSHG) announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with Marathon Maritime Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC), for the M/T P. Long Beach. The gross charter rate will be US$37,200 per day for a period of twenty-four months +/- 40 days at the option of the Charterer and is expected to commence at the end of December. This charter will generate approximately US$25.7 million of gross revenue for the minimum duration of the charter. The M/T P. Long Beach is a 105,408 dwt Aframax tanker vessel built in 2013 by Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.

09:26 EST Sunrise New Energy secures Japanese patent for anode material preparation method - Sunrise New Energy announced that its patent application for the invention titled "Method for Preparing Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries" has been approved by the Japanese Patent Office. The patent, with the number "Invention 2022-170556," was granted on December 20, 2023, and is valid for 20 years. The patent was issued by a Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry official. This invention provides a method for preparing lithium-ion battery anode material that enhances the initial efficiency and power of graphite composite materials. The method not only meets the requirements for high energy density in lithium-ion battery anode materials but also improves the fast-charging capabilities. It effectively enhances the rate, safety, and cycling of graphite anode materials while overcoming the limitations of low initial efficiency and insignificant power performance seen in existing preparation methods.

09:22 EST Carnival sees FY24 CapEx $4.2B - Sees FY25 CapEx $2.8B; FY26 CapEx $1.8B.

09:17 EST Crescent Point Energy plans to increase quarterly base dividend 15% to 11.5c - This base dividend increase is subject to approval from Crescent Point's Board of Directors and is expected to be effective in connection with the Q1 dividend, which is anticipated to be declared in early 2024.

09:15 EST Crescent Point Energy sees 2023 total average production 198K-206K Boe/d - Sees 2024 development capital expenditures of $1.4B-$1.5B, demonstrating an improvement in production and capital expenditures compared to the company's preliminary guidance. Expects this program to generate C$750M-C$950M of excess cash flow in 2024, at $70-$75/bbl WTI and $2.75/Mcf AECO, and to be fully funded at approximately $55/bbl WTI, including the planned increase to its base dividend. Plans to allocate 45% of its 2024 budget to the Alberta Montney which is expected to generate annual average production of 97K boe/d, 50% oil and liquids. Plans to allocate 35% of its 2024 budget to the Kaybob Duvernay, which is expected to generate annual average production of 50K boe/d, 60% oil and liquids. Crescent Point's annual production is forecast to grow to approximately 260,000 boe/d in 2028 under its five-year plan, driven by the company's Alberta Montney and Kaybob Duvernay assets, with cumulative after-tax excess cash flow of approximately C$4.7B at US$70/bbl WTI and $3.35/Mcf AECO. Under this five-year plan, the company expects to generate excess cash flow per share growth of 7% on a compounded annual basis, or 15% including the benefit from expected share repurchases.

09:11 EST Crescent Point Energy sees 2023 total average production 156K-161K Boe/d - Sees 2023 CapEx $1.09B-$1.19B. Expects to generate approximately $950M of excess cash flow for the full year, based on average WTI price of approximately $77.50/bbl for 2023.

09:07 EST FingerMotion shareholder Lind Partners issues statement - Fingermotion shareholder Lind Partners issued a statement. Highlights include: "Over the course of the last 15 months, Lind Partners has been the target of a small group of nefarious individuals spreading misinformation about our position with FingerMotion...On March 23, 2023, Lind Global Fund II disclosed a beneficial ownership of 3,215,296 shares of FingerMotion, including 2,495,916 shares of Common Stock and 719,380 shares of Common Stock issuable upon the conversion of a convertible note held by Lind Global Fund II LP, representing 6.8% stake in FingerMotion on a diluted basis. As of today, Lind Global Fund II and all its affiliates hold a total of 1,000 common shares of FingerMotion, with no other warrants, options, shorts, derivative or other instruments relating to FingerMotion. This position will be shown in our exit filing that will be filed with the SEC in the next quarter...Anonymous individuals alleging that Lind Partners has taken naked short positions in FingerMotion are disseminating false information....We can only assume that the bad actors making these statements are doing so for personal gain and/or are part of a broader promotion intended for their own financial benefit or the ultimate beneficiaries of a paid promotion campaign. We are pleased that since Lind Global Fund's investment, FingerMotion's share price increased from $1.08 on the date of the announcement of our initial investment to a high of $9.79 to the current price of approximately $3.80. It has been a profitable relationship".

09:04 EST Stellantis executes successful first employee share purchase plan - Stellantis has been committed to involving its employees in the Company's success as part of the "Care" pillar outlined in its Dare Forward 2030 plan. In November, the Company launched 'Shares to Win', its first employee share purchase plan, an incentive program that enables employees to become shareholders in the Company on preferential terms. Initially launched to 85,000 employees in France and Italy between November 13 and November 30, Shares to Win was met with great success, with a total investment of around EUR 65 million, including EUR 47 million from individual investment and EUR 18 million matched by the Company, representing around 4.4 million additional shares held by employees. A total of 22% of eligible employees subscribed to Shares to Win this year, with an individual investment of around EUR 2,470. In France, 31% of eligible Stellantis employees subscribed to Shares to Win. In Italy, the rate was 13%, a remarkable result given that this was the very first employee share purchase offered to ex-FCA employees in the country. On November 10, the subscription price for Shares to Win 2023 was set at EUR 14.52 in France and Italy. The reference share price is equal to the average closing price of Stellantis shares on the Milano stock exchange between October 12 and November 8, 2023. This employee share purchase plan should be extended worldwide, starting in the first half of 2024 to 242,000 eligible employees in 18 countries, according to equivalent incentive guiding principles.

09:03 EST Syra Health awarded contract with MDHS - Syra Health announced that it has been awarded a contract with the Mississippi Department of Human Services to provide behavioral and mental health services for the Oakley Youth Development Center and other locations as directed by MDHS. Under the terms of the contract, Syra Health will implement and oversee a comprehensive evaluation and treatment program for children at the Oakley Youth Development Center. This program will include the participation of licensed psychologists as members of the Individual Education Plan and/or Individual Treatment Plan committees, who will provide directives for students with identified psychological and behavioral challenges. The scope of services includes testing special education students, determining their special education eligibility, providing psychological interviewing and screening, and conducting assessments based on the Mississippi Department of Education Policies and the Individuals with Disabilities Act regulations.

09:02 EST SEI Investments acquires alternative investment platform Altigo - SEI acquired Altigo, a cloud-based technology platform that provides inventory, e-subscription, and reporting capabilities for alternative investments. While not a material capital transaction, SEI expects the acquisition of Altigo to drive growth and expand its strategic opportunity in the alternatives space. The company intends to provide the distribution of and access to a selection of alternative investment products in a Software-as-a-Service model to its existing investment manager, advisor, and banking clients in the first half of 2024.

09:01 EST Cisco to acquire Isovalent, terms not disclosed - Cisco announced the intent to acquire Isovalent, a company in open source cloud native networking and security, to bolster its secure networking capabilities across public clouds. The acquisition of Isovalent will build on the Cisco Security Cloud vision, an AI-driven, cloud delivered, integrated security platform for organizations of any shape and size. The Cisco Security Cloud enables customers to abstract security controls from multicloud infrastructure to provide advanced protection against emerging threats across any cloud, application or workload. The Isovalent team will join the Cisco Security Business Group once the acquisition closes, which is expected in the third quarter of fiscal year 2024.

08:50 EST RenovoRx engages Oklahoma University as clinical site for CouGar trial - RenovoRx announced the expansion of their clinical development pipeline in preparation for the commencement of a second Phase III trial. The CouGar Trial will evaluate RenovoGem in bile duct cancer, specifically unresectable locally advanced extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, or eCCA. The pivotal Phase III CouGar study is a randomized study designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of unresectable, locally advanced eCCA using intravenous cisplatin, gemcitabine, and durvalumab versus Trans-Arterial Micro-Perfusion via RenovoGem with intravenous durvalumab. Oklahoma University Health is the first clinical site for the CouGar study.

08:48 EST Hamilton Thorne CEO David Wolf retires, Ekaterina Torchilin to succeed - Hamilton Thorne (HTLZF) announced the appointment, of Dr. Ekaterina Torchilin as its new President and CEO, effective January 15, 2024. Dr. Torchilin is succeeding David Wolf, who is retiring as President and CEO. Mr. Wolf will continue to serve the Company as Executive Chairman. Dr. Torchilin will also join the Hamilton Thorne Board of Directors upon assuming the CEO role. Dr. Torchilin is currently the President of the Biologicals and Chemicals Division at Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO).

08:41 EST Canada approves FET's 'acceretive' acquisition of Variperm for $150M plus stock - Forum Energy Technologies announced that it has received approval from the Canadian Competition Bureau to proceed with its planned acquisition of Variperm Energy Services. FET announced on November 2 its agreement to acquire Variperm Energy Services for consideration of $150M of cash and 2M shares of FET's common stock, reflecting a valuation of approximately 3.7x Variperm's trailing twelve months EBITDA as of September 30 . The acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to FET's margins and cash flow. At closing, FET's net leverage ratio is expected to be 1.9x with liquidity of $142 M. Closing is expected to occur in January 2024, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

08:37 EST Cintas increases aggregate quarterly cash dividend 17.1% - Cintas paid an aggregate quarterly cash dividend of $137.5M to shareholders, an increase of 17.1% from the amount paid last December.

08:37 EST Complete Solaria announces equity investment from chairman - Complete Solaria announced that T.J. Rodgers, Complete Solaria's chairman, had invested $5 million in the company at the market price via private placement.

08:36 EST NightHawk Biosciences completes demonstration run for top-tier university - NightHawk Biosciences announced its Scorpius BioManufacturing subsidiary completed a demonstration run in the Company's process development lab for a microbial vaccine program developed by a top-tier research university that is NIH and DTRA funded. Jeff Wolf, CEO of NightHawk, commented, "This first phase of a multi-million-dollar project was particularly noteworthy, as we achieved a successful demonstration run following a prior failed attempt by a competitor CDMO. The complexity of the project led this top-tier university to choose Scorpius, drawn by our more engaged management approach and accelerated development timeline. The successful completion of this demonstration run showcases our team's dedication and expertise, and represents an important step in advancing our relationship with this nationally renowned university. The next phase of this project will include scaling up to cGMP manufacturing to support a phase 1 infectious disease trial. Our CDMO services continue to attract considerable interest, thanks to our extraordinary team, state-of-the-art facilities, and the industry-wide scarcity of capacity for large molecule manufacturing."

08:35 EST Workhorse Group highlights achievements in 2023 year-end letter to shareholders - Workhorse Group issued a letter to its shareholders highlighting the important milestones the Company has reached throughout 2023 and opportunities ahead to enhance shareholder value and advance Workhorse's mission. "We don't expect the transition to commercial EV powered vehicles to occur overnight. It will likely take years or even decades to happen. The path to commercial vehicle production, especially within the electric vehicle space, has experienced a number of ups and downs and we've certainly faced our fair share of each this year.... We have final vehicle assembly up and running for four new product lines, the W4CC cab chassis, the W750, and the W56 stripped chassis and step van. We continue to expand our regional dealer network with a focus on those regions where CARB Clean Fleet and Clean Truck mandates will be adopted in 2024-27. In the last couple of weeks alone, we have made real progress, including: Receiving our first fleet purchase order for W56 step-vans in California; Stabilizing W750 step van production at 4 units/week and deploying 3 additional units to FedEx Ground routes in OH and CA; Using several W4CC vehicles with multiple back-end configurations to perform demos with potential customers interested in a range of packages including reefers, flatbeds, utility truck and cargo box packages; Completing the final FMVSS certification of the W56, enabling us to ship completed units to dealers; Receiving approval for all of our CL4-6 products under the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program with voucher amounts ranging from $100,000 - $125,000 for eligible vehicles. Advancing our Aero business, including selling our drones and continuing to add additional governmental grants, while evaluating a range of alternatives to capture new growth opportunities for this business; Continuing to successfully deliver last mile packages for FedEx, while organically gaining new route assignments as we electrify the fleet in our Stables initiative; Implementing new back-office IT/Operating systems across product development, supply chain, manufacturing, quality, HRM and Finance/Accounting operations, and Entering into agreements for up to $40 million in green convertible notes and a $50 million forward purchase contract facility.

08:33 EST HUMBL launches new HUMBL.com platform, verification features - HUMBL has launched an updated HUMBL.com platform with enhanced features for consumers, corporations and governments to communicate, interact and transact with each other on a verified platform. The HUMBL platform is built on fully verified profiles, and is connected to a digital wallet and web platform, with search, marketplace and social media functionality. A core goal of the platform is to improve the authenticity and quality of interactions and transactions on the web. HUMBL allows fully verified users to discover, pay, chat, communicate and transact with each other in safer and more authenticated ways than traditional Web 2 platforms.

08:32 EST Clubhouse Media terminates JV agreement with The Reiman Agency - Clubhouse Media Group has terminated its joint venture agreement with The Reiman Agency so that the company can dedicate its time and resources to the development and continued growth of HoneyDrip.com. Honeydrip.com is a digital platform designed and wholly owned by CMGR with a focus on the empowerment of creators. The site allows creators to connect and engage with fans and monetize exclusive content.

08:18 EST Sonnet BioTherapeutics announces publication of preclinical data on SON-1210 - Sonnet BioTherapeutics Holdings announced the publication of extensive preclinical data on SON-1210 in Frontiers in Immunology. SON-1210, Sonnet's lead proprietary bifunctional compound, combines the company's FHAB construct with a novel single-chain IL-12 and fully human Interleukin 15. The paper, entitled "SON-1210 - a novel bifunctional IL-12 / IL-15 fusion protein that improves cytokine half-life, targets tumors, and enhances therapeutic efficacy", demonstrated the robust binding affinity of SON-1210 to albumin and the anticipated in vitro activity and tumor model efficacy that might be expected from the body of research on native IL-12 and IL-15. In the B16F10 melanoma model, a single dose resulted in a marked reduction of tumor growth that was concomitant with increased IFNg and augmented immune cell numbers and activity in the tumor microenvironment. Repeat doses in non-human primates displayed excellent safety and tolerability and were similarly accompanied by increased IFNgamma levels.

08:17 EST DMK Pharmaceuticals regains full rights to commercialize ZIMHI - DMK Pharmaceuticals announces that it has regained the full rights to commercialize ZIMHI after the termination of an exclusive commercialization and distribution with US WorldMeds, LLC. Eboo Versi, M.D., Ph.D., DMK's CEO commented, "I believe that ZIMHI is the ideal product for first responders because it acts so quickly to get patients breathing again to prevent death or prolonged hospitalization especially when faced with a fentanyl overdose. DMK is excited to engage with partners in the United States and abroad to drive long-term growth through new commercialization pathways. We will continue to execute an ambitious operating plan in the United States and expand our business relationships outside of the United States to maximize benefits to patients and DMK's stakeholders, providing optimal shareholder value."

08:16 EST NFT Gaming launches Jigsaw Puzzle AI game - The NFT Gaming Company has launched its fourth game, Jigsaw Puzzle AI for Android and iOS. The game is available to download in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

08:15 EST Microbix expects to generate 'meaningful' net earnings growth across 2024 - Microbix will continue to drive sales growth across all of its businesses, and work to keep improving percentage gross margins and driving bottom-line results. Management currently expects Microbix to generate meaningful sales and net earnings growth across full-year fiscal 2024.

08:13 EST Vertex announces appointment of three new leaders - Vertex (VERX) announced the appointment of three experienced leaders: Mindy Cunningham as SVP, Customer Success and Services; Jessica Nowlin, VP, Tax Research; and Angela Travagline VP, Global Talent and Organizational Effectiveness. Vertex welcomes Mindy Cunningham as Senior Vice President of Customer Success and Services. Prior to her position at Vertex, she held senior leadership positions with industry-leading companies including Thomson Reuters (TRI), Ellucian, Citrix Systems and KPMG Consulting. Vertex is proud to appoint Jessica Nowlin as Vice President, Tax Research. Previously, she has held leadership roles at Best Buy (BBY). Furthermore, Angela Travagline assumes the role of Vice President of Global Talent and Organizational Effectiveness. In her most recent position at GSK (GSK), she devised and executed a comprehensive talent management strategy that recognized key competencies for future growth and fostered a diverse leadership talent pipeline aligned with those capabilities.

08:10 EST Mullen Automotive delivers 38 class 3 vehicles to Randy Marion Authomotive - Mullen Automotive announces 38 additional Class 3 vehicles have been delivered to Randy Marion Automotive Group with the Company invoicing RMA for $2.5 million. In total, Randy Marion has committed to 1,000 Class 3 vehicles for a total of $63 million with the majority of the vehicles to be delivered in calendar year 2024. As previously reported, Class 3 production at the Tunica, Mississippi, facility is planned for 150 vehicles for 2023, with total capacity for Class 3 planned at 3,000 vehicles annually per shift. "I am pleased to see additional Class 3s are on their way to Randy Marion," said David Michery, CEO and chairman of Mullen Automotive. "Class 3 production has ramped up significantly and I am confident we will achieve our 2023 production volumes."

08:10 EST Natera begins study on benefits of Signatera's method for ctDNA quantification - Natera announced a new study published in Molecular Oncology comparing the performance of mean tumor molecules per milliliter, MTM/mL, against mean variant allele frequencyor mVAF for measuring circulating tumor DNA or ctDNA, using Signatera Natera's personalized and tumor-informed molecular residual disease, MRD, test. The full study can be found here. To date, mVAF and MTM/mL are the two main metrics that have been used to quantify ctDNA levels in the blood. Unlike mVAF, which is a fraction that can be confounded by changes in total background cfDNA, MTM/mL takes into account total cfDNA as well as plasma volume. The premise is that MTM/mL is therefore more representative of a patient's true disease burden, a hypothesis that was validated in this study. The study analyzed ctDNA data generated in 55,183 ctDNA-positive samples from 23,543 patients who underwent testing with Signatera for various cancer diagnoses, and it reported the correlation between MTM/mL and mVAF, as well as the correlations of each with patient outcomes..."We are pleased to see the publication of these important findings, in which MTM/mL provided a more accurate measure of ctDNA than mVAF, particularly for patients undergoing active therapy which can impact the levels of background cfDNA," said Minetta Liu, M.D., chief medical officer of oncology at Natera. "Clinicians need tools to enable reliable predictions of therapy response and clinical outcomes. As the only MRD test that uses MTM/mL, this study supports the utility of Signatera for ctDNA quantification, to measure treatment response at critical time points and inform decisions on how patients are managed."

08:08 EST Immutep receives constructive feedback on TACTI-004 trial - Immutep announces constructive feedback has been received from the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, a German regulatory authority and part of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, CHMP,, regarding the planned TACTI-004 Phase III trial of eftilagimod alpha for first line treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC. Among the other items discussed at the meeting were general aspects of the trial design, including selection of the control arm and the potential patient population as defined by level of PD-L1 expression. Immutep CEO, Marc Voigt, commented: "We appreciate the valuable feedback from the PEI and look forward to additional discussions with other regulatory agencies in the coming months. Immutep is uniquely positioned to address multiple patient populations within non-small cell lung cancer as defined by their level of PD-L1 expression, including high, low, and negative expressors, with either efti combined with anti-PD-1 therapy or a triple combination approach including chemotherapy. Our confidence in efti's ability in this important indication stems from the mature data in the large TACTI-002 Phase II trial, and the emerging data from the triple combination INSIGHT-003 study."

08:08 EST Arcturus Therapeutics and CSL' ARCT-154 shows superior immunogenicity - Arcturus Therapeutics (ARCT) and CSL (CSLLY) announced the publication in Lancet Infectious Diseases of a Phase 3 study showing that a booster dose of ARCT-154, a novel, self-amplifying messenger RNA vaccine, elicited a numerically higher immune response against the original Wuhan-Hu-1 virus strain, and a superior immune response against Omicron BA.4/5 subvariant of SARS-CoV-2 virus compared to a booster dose of the conventional mRNA vaccine Comirnaty. ARCT-154 results were achieved with one-sixth the dose of Comirnaty. Both vaccines were well-tolerated, with no causally associated severe or serious adverse events. The study was conducted in partnership with Meiji Seika Pharma, a global health company based in Japan. The phase 3 study results with ARCT-154 were used to support the approval of ARCT-154 for primary immunization and as a booster dose in Japan in November of this year. The ARCT-154 study is ongoing and will continue to collect safety data and assess durability of the immune response in participants at 3-, 6- and 12-months post-vaccination.

08:06 EST Vaxart announces last subject dosed in Phase 1 trial of norovirus vaccine - Vaxart announced that it has completed enrollment and dosing in the Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating Vaxart's oral pill bivalent norovirus vaccine candidate focused on lactating mothers. "This is an important step forward as we drive toward a vaccine candidate that may make it possible for mothers to protect their children against this highly contagious - and potentially lethal -- virus. We look forward to announcing topline data from this study by the end of 2024," said Dr. James Cummings, Vaxart's Chief Medical Officer. "We are very proud of our clinical team for completing enrollment of this trial within our planned timeline."

08:05 EST Clover Health announces departure of CFO Leffler - Clover Health Investments announced that Scott Leffler, its Chief Financial Officer, will be leaving the Company on January 26, 2024 in order to pursue another professional opportunity. Leffler noted to the Company that his departure does not reflect any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company's operations, policies or practices. In addition, the Company reiterates its most recently issued financial guidance for the full fiscal year 2023, which was updated as part of its earnings release on November 6, 2023. The Company has initiated a search to identify a successor Chief Financial Officer, and has created a search committee to oversee the process to replace Leffler. The Company has engaged a leading executive search firm to assist the search committee in finding a Chief Financial Officer for the next stage of the Company's growth.

08:04 EST Triumph Group sells product support business to AAR Corp. - Triumph Group (TGI) has entered into a definitive agreement with AAR Corp. (AIR) to sell its Product Support business. The transaction is valued at $725M, representing a 14.5x trailing 12 months Adjusted EBITDAP multiple as of September 30. The primary intended use of proceeds from the transaction is debt reduction. The net after-tax proceeds are expected to be approximately $700M, resulting in pro forma net leverage of approximately 4.0x net debt to Adjusted EBITDAP as of March 2024. The business generated revenues of approximately $268M for the trailing 12 months ended September 30, 2023. Upon completion of the transaction, Triumph will advance in aerospace and its adjacent markets as a value-added and IP-based business consisting of four pure play engineered systems components and aftermarket companies focused on Actuation Products and Services, Systems Electronics and Controls, Geared Solutions and Interiors. The transaction is expected to close in Q1 2024 calendar year, subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of certain regulatory approvals.

08:02 EST Maxeon Solar expands patent dispute against Aiko - Maxeon Solar Technologies announced that its subsidiary Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd. has filed a request to initiate preliminary injunction proceedings concerning patent infringement claims against Eironn Netherlands B.V. (Aiko Energy) and its wholesalers VDH Solar Groothandel B.V. and Libra Energy B.V. in the Hague District Court, Netherlands. The patent infringement claims concern Maxeon's European Patent No. EP2297788B1. This patent relates to proprietary and fundamental solar cell architectures for rear or back contact solar cells, also known as All-Back Contact solar cells or Interdigitated Back Contact solar cells. In addition to the Dutch proceedings, Maxeon has a patent dispute pending against Aiko with respect to Maxeon's European Patent No. EP2297788B1, which Maxeon initiated in Germany in November 2023. Maxeon has also issued a cease-and-desist letter to Shanghai Aiko Energy Co., Ltd. and Aiko Energy Germany GmbH related to the "Aiko statement on patent infringement claims noticed by the company," issued on the aikosolar.com website on November 16, 2023. In that Statement, Aiko made legally incorrect and misleading claims about Aiko's own patents "forming a complete protection system for [Aiko] products." In the Letter, Maxeon has demanded Aiko retract and refrain from making this claim. "Aiko's own patents do not preclude Aiko from infringing patents held by third parties, including Maxeon's patents," said Marc Robinson, Maxeon's Associate General Counsel, Products & Technology. "The Statement made by Aiko is misleading and perpetuates a misunderstanding of the rights afforded to patent holders. Aiko and its downstream partners do not have rights to practice Maxeon's patents, and Maxeon will continue to vigorously pursue patent enforcement in Europe and other regions against Aiko and its partners." "Maxeon expects Aiko, VDH, and Libra to immediately stop their ongoing use of Maxeon's patented technology," said Lindsey Wiedmann, Maxeon's Chief Legal & Sustainability Officer. "Technology innovation depends not only on a reliable patent system, but also fair competition. We are hopeful Aiko will correct its misleading claims regarding its patent rights."

08:02 EST Compass Diversified receives $75.2M equity investment - Compass Diversified has completed a private placement of approximately 3.6 million of its common shares to a mutual fund managed by Allspring Global Investments for $21.18 per share, or an aggregate sale price of approximately $75.2 million. The use of proceeds from the sale will be for general corporate purposes. The sale of common shares was made pursuant to a Subscription Agreement dated as of December 15, 2023, by and among CODI and the mutual fund managed by Allspring.

07:40 EST Arrowhead applies for clearance to begin Phase 1/2a trial of RNAi therapeutic - Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals announced that it has filed an application for clearance to initiate a Phase 1/2a clinical trial of ARO-CFB, the company's investigational RNA interference, RNAi, therapeutic being developed as a potential treatment for complement mediated renal disease, such as immunoglobulin A nephropathy IgAN , which is the most common glomerular disease worldwide and carries a high lifetime risk of progression to end-stage renal disease. Additionally, ARO-CFB may have clinical applications in non-renal diseases involving complement activation. ARO-CFB is designed to reduce hepatic expression of complement factor B CFB , which plays an important regulatory role in amplifying complement alternative pathway activation and has been identified as a promising therapeutic target. James Hamilton, M.D., MBA, Chief of Discovery and Translational Medicine at Arrowhead, said: "IgAN is the most common glomerular disease worldwide, accounting for up to 40% of all cases of glomerulonephritis. ...we believe ARO-CFB has the potential to be a powerful treatment option for complement mediated renal disease." An application for approval of the clinical trial was submitted to a local Ethics Committee and to the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority for review by the Standing Committee on Therapeutic Trials.

07:36 EST Madryn issues letter to holders correcting SomaLogic statements in presentation - Madryn Asset Management, a holder of approximately 4.2% of the outstanding common stock of SomaLogic (SLGC), issued a letter to shareholders to point out the numerous false and misleading statements in the investor presentation issued on December 19th by the Company in support of its proposed merger with Standard BioTools (SLAB). Madryn also highlights additional SomaLogic shareholder opposition to the Proposed Merger as well as a recently filed complaint that should give investors serious pause about the motivations behind, and process undertaken to reach the agreement for the Proposed Merger. Madryn strongly urges shareholders to vote "AGAINST" the Proposed Merger. Shareholders should visit www.NoSomaLogicMerger.com for additional information and to learn how to cast their votes. "SomaLogic's recently issued presentation attempting to gain your support for its Proposed Merger with Standard BioTools contains numerous misleading statements and false assertions that should be highlighted for shareholders of SLGC First, let us reiterate that we believe the Proposed Merger is deeply problematic for three key reasons: The Proposed Merger drastically undervalues SomaLogic-in fact, the current merger consideration is worth less than the Company's cash."

07:36 EST Revival Gold announces grant of incentive stock options - Revival Gold announces that pursuant to the Company's stock option plan, Revival Gold has granted 1,855,000 incentive stock options to directors, officers, and consultants of the Company as part of its annual compensation plan. The Options are exercisable at a price of $0.50 per share for a period of five years and are subject to vesting provisions.

07:35 EST Ascent Solar achieves spaceflight heritage for space PV array products - Ascent Solar Technologies announced that the Company has achieved spaceflight heritage for its space PV array products manifested on the Momentus Vigoride-6 mission. The assembly flown was composed of ASTI's Plug & Fly solar panels, consisting of thin-film modules that were integrated into Momentus's Tape Spring Solar Array, which recently completed initial in-space testing.

07:34 EST Pacira appoints Frank Lee as CEO - Pacira BioSciences announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Frank Lee as CEO and a member of the Board, effective January 2, 2024. As previously announced in September 2023, David Stack will retire from his roles as CEO and Chairman of the Board, effective January 1, 2024, and will remain with the company through August 2025 in an advisory capacity to help ensure a smooth transition. In connection with Mr. Stack's retirement, the Board has elected Paul Hastings, Lead Independent Director, as Chair of the Board, also effective January 2, 2024. Most recently Lee served as CEO and member of the board of directors of Forma Therapeutics from March 2019 through its acquisition by Novo Nordisk in October 2022. On December 20, 2023, in connection with Mr. Lee's appointment as CEO, the Board approved the grant of inducement awards to Mr. Lee. The awards were made pursuant to the Pacira BioSciences, Inc. Amended and Restated 2014 Inducement Plan, which was approved by the Board without stockholder approval pursuant to, and in compliance with, Rule 5635(c)(4) of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. Mr. Lee's inducement awards included a non-qualified stock option to purchase an aggregate of 692,512 shares of Pacira's common stock with an exercise price per share equal to the closing price of Pacira's common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on January 3, 2024, and, subject to continued service with Pacira as of each vesting date, such option will vest and become exercisable as to 25% of the option shares on January 3, 2025, and vest as to the remaining shares in successive equal quarterly installments over the subsequent three years, and a restricted stock unit award for 99,520 shares of Pacira's common stock, subject to continued service with Pacira as of each vesting date, to vest in four equal annual installments beginning on January 2, 2025, in each case, pursuant to the terms and provisions of the Inducement Plan.

07:32 EST Alcoa appoints Matt Reed as COO - Alcoa announced that it has appointed Matt Reed as Alcoa's executive VP and COO, effective January 1, 2024. Reed, who will be based in Western Australia, will lead Alcoa's global operations, including bauxite mines, alumina refineries, and aluminum smelters. Reed is currently the VP of operations for Australia and serves concurrently as president, Alcoa of Australia. He joined Alcoa in June of 2023.

07:31 EST Matinas BioPharma provides update to MAT2203 regulatory, development pathway - Matinas BioPharma announces receipt of written feedback from U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, on its proposed revised protocol for a Phase 3 study of MAT2203 in patients with invasive aspergillosis with limited or no treatment options. The preliminary written comments move the Company closer to alignment with FDA on the design of a single Phase 3 registration trial for the approval of MAT2203. At the FDA's invitation, Matinas is planning a meeting early in the first quarter of 2024 to discuss and finalize the Phase 3 protocol and position MAT2203 to commence Phase 3 as soon as possible thereafter. "We remain grateful to FDA for the ongoing constructive dialogue around the Phase 3 program for MAT2203 and we believe we share the common goal of positioning MAT2203 for review and approval while minimizing regulatory risk," said Jerome D. Jabbour, Chief Executive Officer of Matinas. "The latest feedback from FDA has moved us closer to agreement, and we believe accepting the FDA's invitation for a meeting in early 2024 will be the final step in achieving full alignment with FDA.

07:24 EST ParaZero appoints Nir Ben Moshe as specialist advisor - ParaZero Technologies announced the appointment of Nir Ben Moshe, former senior director in the Israeli Ministry of Defense as a specialist advisor to advance the Company's technology in the global defense market. In his role as a specialist advisor, Mr. Ben Moshe will utilize his network to tap into defense and homeland security unmanned aerial platforms, loitering munitions, and other cutting-edge military applications that can benefit from ParaZero's technologies.

07:19 EST Laser Photonics receives order from Fluor for MarkStar Pro system - Laser Photonics Corporation (LASE) received an order for its MarkStar Pro laser marking system fromthe construction purchasing division of Fluor Corporation (FLR). The laser marking system will be used on a Rosenberg, Texas, project for an internationally recognized company that manufactures, markets and sells snack foods.

07:14 EST Emerita Resources announces additional assay results from La Romanera - Emerita Resources announces additional assay results from the ongoing drilling program at La Romanera deposit, part of Emerita's wholly owned Iberian Belt West project. IBW hosts three previously identified massive sulphide deposits: La Infanta, La Romanera and El Cura. Results contained in this release are from La Romanera. All deposits are open for expansion. Drilling at La Romanera continues to test the depth extent of the deposit, down-plunge to the west-northwest. Assay results reported here are for the recently completed drill holes LR158 and LR159. The drill holes used for the Company's maiden NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate delineated the deposit to a vertical depth of about 450m. Since then, the Company has completed 20 additional drill holes, which have extended the deposit approximately an additional 300 m in depth below the resource estimate. Drill hole LR158 return no significant results. Hole LR158 was a 100m step-out to the west from the LR155 impact at -430 RL, designed to probe for the western extents of the deposit at mid-levels. However, the hole passed through a 1.6m shear zone indicating the possible offset of the Lower Lens along the western extremity of the deposit at this elevation. Hole LR159 was designed to probe the down-plunge continuity of the deposit to the west-northwest. Stepping down and to the west of the previously reported LR157 intercept. LR159 cut a 44.1m mineralized interval from 748.05m to 792.15m, grading 0.6% Cu, 0.9% Pb, 0.7% Zn, 0.96 g/t Au and 17.7 g/t Ag in massive sulfide and minor mineralized accessory volcanics. This intercept includes 10.0 meters grading 1.2% Cu; 1.6% Pb; 0.12 g/t Au and 14.0 g/t and a second including of 10.4 meters grading 0.7% Cu; 0.8% Pb; 1.5% Zn, 1.87 g/t Au and 23.0 g/t. Of the 44.1m interval, 2.9m of the core was unrecovered in a faulted zone and a grade of 0 value has been applied to this interval. True thickness is approximately 80-75% of core width. Drillholes LR163 and LR165 are in progress, and LR161 awaiting assay results, are located below LR159, at a separation of 100 - 150 m. The vertical depth reached in the current campaign is 750m approximately. The drill campaign is winding down in advance of the Christmas break until mid-late January.

07:12 EST AppTech engages CORE IR for investor relations, shareholder communication - AppTech Payments announces it has retained CORE IR to assist the Company with investor relations and shareholder communications services. AppTech CEO Luke D'Angelo commented, "We believe CORE IR's integrated approach to communications and investor engagement will help AppTech to expand our breadth of both institutional and retail investors while clearly articulating our story to the public at large. We believe we have the potential to revolutionize the mobile commerce industry with Specialty Payments and look forward to collaborating with CORE to help investors understand the opportunities we represent as we continue on our growth trajectory."

07:11 EST Arko Corp. appoints Giammatteo as Chief Financial Officer - ARKO announced that the Company has appointed Robert Giammatteo as its Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective January 2, 2024. Giammatteo will also serve as Chief Financial Officer of ARKO subsidiary GPM Investments. Giammatteo's appointment is the culmination of a process to identify a successor for Don Bassell, the Company's current Chief Financial Officer, who at the beginning of 2023 announced his intention to retire by the end of the year. Giammatteo joins ARKO as an experienced financial leader of both public and private companies, most recently serving as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Transformation Officer for Giant Eagle.

07:11 EST Save Foods' Nitrousink commences trial for reduction of greenhouse gas emission - Save Foods announced that its majority-owned subsidiary, Nitrousink, a research and development company using technologies developed at the Volcani Institute, under the leadership of Dr. Dror Minz, commenced a controlled trial to examine its solution for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, with a specific focus on nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas and contributor to ozone depletion. Under the guidance of Dr. Dror Minz, PhD, Nitrousink aims to penetrate the sustainable agriculture market with its innovative solution. The controlled trial is taking place under greenhouse conditions and aims to investigate several options to optimize the effectiveness of Nitrousink's solution in reducing the greenhouse gas N2O emissions during wheat growth. Dr. Dror Minz, leader of the trial, commented "Our mission at Nitrousink, in alignment with Save Foods' vision, is about reducing greenhouse gas emissions and reshaping agriculture into a more sustainable, environmentally friendly practice. The trial marks a pivotal moment in our journey, bringing years of research to the forefront of real-world application."

07:10 EST Exscientia expands Sanofi deal, eligible for $45M in milestones plus incentives - Exscientia (EXAI) announced that Sanofi (SNY) is adding a new discovery stage programme identified and initially advanced by Exscientia into the current collaboration. In this programme, Exscientia has designed a novel lead series with a potential best in class profile, with preliminary data showing good potency and selectivity towards the target and differentiated molecular properties. "Sanofi adding an Exscientia discovery stage programme into the collaboration speaks to the strengths of our AI-driven platform to solve complex drug discovery problems," said Professor Andrew Hopkins FRS FMedSci, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Exscientia. "The growth of our collaboration is a testament to our strong relationship with Sanofi and our shared vision for AI-enabled drug discovery. As we enter 2024, we expect to continue working with partners to apply our platform capabilities across therapeutic areas while maintaining our internal pipeline focus on high value oncology targets." Under the terms of the amended agreement, Exscientia is eligible for up to $45M in upfront and preclinical milestone payments. Exscientia will also be eligible for additional development, regulatory and sales-based milestone payments of over $300M and tiered royalties on product sales ranging from high-single-digits to mid-teens, as described in the original collaboration agreement. The upfront payment is expected to be reflected in the first quarter 2024 results for Exscientia as cash inflows from collaborations and recognised as revenue over the duration of the agreement.

07:08 EST NextCure announces publication of non-clinical data on Anti-Siglec-15 treatment - NextCure announced the publication of a manuscript titled "Anti-Siglec-15 Antibody Prevents Marked Bone Loss after Acute Spinal Cord Injury-Induced Immobilization in Rats" in JMBR Plus, a journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. The data demonstrated that NC605, a novel anti-Siglec-15 antibody, prevented bone loss, but more importantly preserved bone strength in animal models of severe immobilization resulting from acute spinal cord injury. Following spinal cord injury, patients typically suffer rapid and extensive bone loss. While anti-resorptive therapies have shown some efficacy in inhibiting bone loss, these agents also inhibit bone formation. In preclinical testing, NC605 has been shown to prevent bone loss by inhibiting osteoclast maturation and bone resorption by binding S15, which is expressed on the cell surface of immature osteoclasts and upregulated in differentiated osteoclasts. Unlike anti-resorptive therapies, NC605 enhances osteoblast recruitment, resulting in overall enhanced bone quality. In the animal model of spinal cord injury, bone mineral density was assessed and compared to control animals. Key findings from the study include: Treatment with anti-S15 antibody completely prevented loss of BMD in the femur and tibia. High-resolution imaging analysis revealed almost complete prevention of trabecular bone volume loss. Blood and bone structure analyses revealed that the anti-S15 antibody was able to greatly inhibit bone resorption while maintaining bone formation and quality. Ex vivo analysis showed increased numbers of osteoblasts as well as increased levels of mRNA encoding osteocalcin and bone sialoprotein, markers of bone formation and integrity, demonstrating a unique ability of the antibody to reduce osteoclast formation and bone resorption while promoting osteoblast recruitment to maintain bone integrity.

07:06 EST Timken acquires Lagersmit, terms undisclosed - Timken has acquired Lagersmit, a Netherlands-based manufacturer of highly engineered sealing solutions for demanding marine, dredging, water, tidal energy and other industrial applications. Lagersmit was founded in 1856 and employs approximately 90 people. The business is expected to generate around $40M in revenue in calendar year 2023. Results for the business will be included in the Industrial Motion segment. Timken funded the transaction with cash on hand and its existing revolving credit facility. Other terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

07:05 EST GMS Inc. to acquire Kamco Supply, no terms - GMS announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Kamco Supply Corporation and affiliates . The transaction is expected to close during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024 for GMS, which ends on April 30, 2024. Founded in 1939 by the Swerdlick family, and headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, Kamco is a leading supplier of ceilings, wallboard, steel, lumber, and other related construction products. The Company operates five distribution facilities in the Greater New York City area and services the New York metro and tri-state area. For the 12 months ended June 30, 2023, Kamco recorded revenues of approximately $245M. John C. Turner, Jr., President, and Chief Executive Officer of GMS, said, "Kamco is a long-established leader in the building materials industry with an experienced and successful team. They are known for exceptional service and have outstanding customer relationships and an impressive suite of products from numerous leading brands, including Armstrong, CertainTeed, National Gypsum, USG, Owens Corning and others."

07:05 EST MeiraGTx announces asset purchase agreement with Janssen for bota-vec - MeiraGTx Holdings (MGTX) announced an asset purchase agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals (JNJ) for the remaining interests in bota-vec for the treatment of XLRP, as well as a commercial supply agreement and a technology transfer agreement for bota-vec manufacturing. Agreements related to bota-vec: MeiraGTx to monetize potential future royalties and milestones related to bota-vec with J&J acquiring remaining rights for development, manufacturing, and commercialization of bota-vec. MeiraGTx to receive $130 million in upfront and near-term milestone payments, including $65 million at signing, an additional $50 million anticipated in the first quarter of 2024, with the remaining $15 million in milestone payments expected later in 2024. The Company will receive up to an additional $285 million in cash payments upon first commercial sales of bota-vec in the U.S. and EU and for manufacturing technology transfer. J&J will be responsible for any royalty or milestone amounts that become payable on bota-vec to UCL Business. MeiraGTx has also entered into a commercial supply agreement with J&J for bota-vec manufacturing.

07:02 EST BioLineRx doses first patient in Phase 1 clinical trial of motixafortide - BioLineRx has dosed the first patient in the Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating motixafortide as monotherapy and in combination with natalizumab for CD34+ hematopoietic stem cell mobilization for gene therapies in sickle cell disease - SCD -. The proof-of-concept trial plans to enroll five patients diagnosed with SCD. Initial data from this study is expected in the second half of 2024. Motixafortide, BioLineRx's lead therapeutic candidate, was approved by the FDA in September 2023, in combination with filgrastim, to mobilize hematopoietic stem cells for collection and subsequent autologous transplantation in patients with multiple myeloma, under the brand name Aphexda.

06:57 EST Alamos Gold renews normal course issuer bid - Alamos Gold has filed with, and received acceptance from the Toronto Stock Exchange of, a Notice of Intention to make a Normal Course Issuer Bid permitting Alamos to purchase for cancellation up to 34,485,405 Class A Common Shares, representing 10% of the company's public float of the common shares as at December 14, being 344,854,056 Common Shares. Alamos may purchase Common Shares under the Normal Course Issuer Bid over the twelve-month period beginning December 24, 2023 and ending December 23, 2024. The maximum number of Common Shares that Alamos may purchase on the TSX on a daily basis, other than pursuant to block purchase exceptions, is 151,045 Common Shares. Under its previous Normal Course Issuer Bid which commenced on December 24, 2022 and will terminate on December 23, 2023, Alamos sought the purchase of up to 34,670,378 Common Shares and no purchases were made.

06:49 EST Energy Fuels commences uranium production at three mines in Arizona, Utah - Energy Fuels announced that, in response to strong uranium market conditions, it has commenced uranium production at three of its permitted and developed uranium mines located in Arizona and Utah. In addition, the company is preparing two additional mines in Colorado and Wyoming for expected production within one year and advancing permitting on several other large-scale U.S. mine projects in order to increase uranium production in the coming years. Energy Fuels is in an exceptional position to ramp up U.S. uranium production to take advantage of today's highly favorable market conditions, where spot prices have reached a 16-year high at nearly $90.00 per pound of U3O8. Energy Fuels has more licensed uranium production capacity than any other U.S. company, the only operable conventional uranium mill in the U.S., an in situ recovery, or ISR, facility, several permitted mines in various stages of production, development and standby, and one of the largest in-ground uranium resource portfolios in the U.S. Energy Fuels has accounted for roughly two-thirds of all U.S. uranium production over the past five years. Once production is fully ramped up at three mines by mid- to late-2024, the company expects to be producing uranium at a run-rate of 1.1M to 1.4M pounds per year. Ore mined from the three mines during 2024 will be stockpiled at the company's White Mesa Mill in Utah for processing in 2025, subject to market conditions, contract requirements and/or Mill schedule. The company is also preparing two mines to commence uranium production within one year, which would increase Energy Fuels' uranium production to over two million pounds of U3O8 per year starting in 2025, if strong market conditions continue as expected. At the same time, Energy Fuels will continue to produce uranium from its alternate feed recycling program, while the company stockpiles ore as raw materials from its conventional mines pending the upcoming Mill run. The company also expects to commence an ore buying program from third-party miners in 2024, which is expected to increase the Company's short-term uranium production profile even further. In 2024, the company also plans to advance permitting and development on the Roca Honda, Sheep Mountain and Bullfrog projects, which could expand the company's uranium production to up to five million pounds of U3O8 per year in the coming years. Energy Fuels also expects to produce 1M-2M pounds of vanadium per year, which could be held as in-process inventory or processed into finished V2O5 available for sale into improving markets. The company's decision to ramp-up uranium production at this time was driven by several favorable market and policy factors, including strengthening spot and long-term uranium prices, increased buying interest from U.S. nuclear utilities, U.S. and global government policies supporting nuclear energy to address global climate change, and the need to reduce U.S. reliance on Russian and Russian-controlled uranium and nuclear fuel. Underscoring these positive trends, attendees at the recently concluded World Climate Action Summit of the 28th Conference of the Parties of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change Summit hosted in Dubai, UAE from November 30 to December 12, emphasized the need for more nuclear energy, fueled by uranium, to lower global carbon emissions and help address climate change. According to a December 1, U.S. Department of Energy news release, more than 20 countries on four continents, including the U.S., pledged to triple nuclear energy by 2050, recognizing "the key role of nuclear energy in achieving global net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and keeping the 1.5-degree goal within reach." During 2024, Energy Fuels expects to sell 200,000 pounds of uranium into its existing portfolio of long-term contracts, which is expected to occur in Q1. In addition, a utility customer has the option to purchase an additional 100,000 pounds of uranium from Energy Fuels in 2024. The company holds uncommitted inventory and, with the benefit of future production, will continue to evaluate additional spot and/or long-term uranium sales opportunities during 2024 and beyond. In addition to the company's uranium business, the company will also continue to advance its REE program at the Mill in 2024 to fully capitalize on the Mill's capabilities. As previously announced, the Mill is in the process of installing the capacity to produce up to 1,000 tonnes of neodymium-praseodymium oxide per year, subject to receipt of sufficient monazite feed. This capacity is expected to be completed in Q1. This quantity of NdPr oxide could power up to 1M electric vehicles per year. At the current time, the company expects to produce roughly 60-80 tons of NdPr oxide in 2024, as it ramps-up and optimizes the newly installed circuit. The Mill's REE production capacity is complementary to its uranium operating capacity and is not intended to diminish the Mill's future uranium production profile in any way. The company expects to provide additional updates on future monazite supply in the coming weeks/months.

06:34 EST Wolverine World Wide names Bishu Jayaram as Chief Supply Chain Officer - Wolverine World Wide (WWW) announced that it has appointed Bishu Jayaram to serve in the newly-created role of Chief Supply Chain Officer. This position will be responsible for global sourcing, distribution, logistics, and integrated planning - a critical role in driving the company's ongoing transformation into a consumer-obsessed growth company. Jayaram, a seasoned executive with over 20 years in supply chain and sourcing roles, has served as Wolverine Worldwide's Senior Vice President of Global Sourcing for the past two years, leading sourcing activities for all product categories across the Company's portfolio of brands. Before joining Wolverine, he spent six years with VF Corporation (VFC) in a variety of supply chain capacities.

06:16 EST Emeren sells 53.6 MWp solar project portfolio in Hungary - Emeren announced the sale of a 53.6 MWp solar project portfolio in Hungary, to Kronospan / Douglas Renewables, the world's leading manufacturer of wood-based panels. This diverse portfolio encompasses six projects at various stages of advanced development. Four of them are already operational. One more power plants is scheduled to commence operations end Q4, with the final project expected to come on stream by mid 2024. All the projects are located in the municipalities of Torokszentmiklos, Bekesszentandras, Meztur, Szolnok, in the eastern part of Hungary. Combined, the power plants will be able to provide energy to about 9,500 households. The transaction was completed by the end of November, after securing the final government approval.

06:04 EST ChipMOS board approves $137.1M sale of Unimos Microelectronics interests - ChipMOS announced the company's board has approved the proposed $137.1M sale of the equity interests in Unimos Microelectronics by the company's wholly-owned subsidiary, ChipMOS BVI. Under the proposed agreement, ChipMOS BVI will sell its entire remaining 45.0242% equity interests in Unimos Shanghai to Suzhou Oriza PuHua ZhiXin Equity Investment Partnership and 10 other local Chinese investment management companies. Total consideration under the proposed all-cash sale of RMB 979.3M will be paid to ChipMOS BVI in two installments, with the second installment to be paid six months after the first installment. The estimated loss upon disposal is expected to be approximately NT$41.8M, but the actual profit and loss figure will vary according to the reported amount of the actual trading day and the exchange rate.

06:02 EST Comstock Mining executes orders for end-of-life solar panel recycling - Comstock has secured sufficient supplier commitments to begin commissioning the company's first photovoltaic recycling facility upon receipt of the necessary permits. Comstock Metals is currently deploying a demonstration system that commercializes technologies for crushing, conditioning, extracting, and ultimately recycling metal and mineral concentrates from photovoltaics and other electronic devices. Comstock Metals previously received a storage permit and expects to receive the remaining permits shortly to commence receiving, commissioning and then processing these end-of-life panels as scheduled in early 2024. Comstock Metals objectives for 2024 include receiving the final permits early in the new year, completing commissioning of photovoltaic material recycling, commencing production, expanding our existing revenue generating supply commitments, and then finalizing the design and site selection for its first "industry-scale" production facility.

05:26 EST Sanofi discontinuing tusamitamab ravtansine after trial did not meet endpoint - Sanofi is discontinuing the global clinical development program of tusamitamab ravtansine, the company announced. The decision is based on the outcome of a prespecified interim analysis of the Phase 3 CARMEN-LC03 trial evaluating tusamitamab ravtansine as monotherapy compared to docetaxel in previously treated patients with metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, whose tumors express high levels of carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 5. An Independent Data Monitoring Committee found that tusamitamab ravtansine as a monotherapy did not meet its dual primary endpoint of progression-free survival, or PFS, compared to docetaxel. Despite an improved overall survival, or OS, trend, termination of the program was based on non-improvement in PFS at the final analysis. Tusamitamab ravtansine had a similar safety profile as previously presented with a lower incidence of various important clinical categories of adverse events versus docetaxel. Trial participants will have the option to stay on their current therapy if they are benefitting, as deemed by their provider, or to transition to an appropriate standard-of-care therapy. Sanofi will continue exploring the potential of antibody tusamitamab-based ADCs and CEACAM5 research in several types of cancer. Dietmar Berger, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Development, said: "Our team is grateful to the patients, families and healthcare professionals involved in the tusamitamab ravtansine development program. Although the results are not what we hoped for, our research and work to advance potentially transformative therapies in areas of high unmet need for people living with cancer will not stop. We will continue to explore the potential of CEACAM5 as a biomarker in cancer types where it is highly expressed."

05:20 EST WISeKey enters integration agreement with Port of Algeciras - WISeKey has signed an agreement with the Port of Algeciras, integrating it into the Digital Transformation Consortium of the container and port logistics sector. This step follows the agreement with DP World in Dubai, extending the influence of the WISeSmartContainers Consortium to Algeciras, initially launched in Dubai.

05:12 EST TH International partners with DiDi Chuxing as part of brand-building campaign - TH International has partnered with ride-hailing company DiDi Chuxing as part of a brand-building campaign. This new partnership focuses on cross-brand and cross-channel marketing, leveraging Didi's large customer base to bolster awareness of the Tims China brand. DiDi app users who hailed rides between November 27 and December 10 accumulated points toward a free Tims bagel or coffee. Tims China customers who purchased an item in its Orange Aroma series, such as the Orange Cinnamon Latte, received a co-branded Tims-DiDi sticker and cup sleeve. Tims China also set up DiDi-themed stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, and Chengdu as part of the cross-brand promotion. As a result of the campaign, Tims China acquired around 20,000 new loyalty club members and generated approximately 1.7M yuan in incremental sales. Furthermore, the campaign garnered significant attention on Xiaohongshu, China's popular social network, with over 11M views.