Stockwinners Market Radar for January 16, 2024 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:05 EST Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 413K shares of Recursion Pharmaceuticals

18:10 EST EyePoint director sells $37.2M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, EyePoint disclosed that its director Ye Liu sold 1.91M shares of common stock on January 11th in a total transaction size of $37.2M.

17:35 EST Vision Sensing Acquisition announces plan of merger with Mediforum - Vision Sensing Acquisition Corp. announced that it has entered into a definitive Agreement and Plan of Merger with Mediforum Co., Ltd, a prominent biotechnology company based in Korea, specializing in the research and development of ethical drugs, diagnostic reagents, and strategic application products, providing for a proposed business combination that, if consummated, will result in Mediforum becoming a publicly listed company. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, upon the closing of the transactions, the combined company will be listed on NASDAQ under a new ticker symbol. Mediforum's current management team is expected to continue running the combined company after the transaction. Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, a new company will be formed in British Virgin Islands for the purpose of participating in the transactions contemplated in the Merger Agreement and becoming the publicly traded holding company upon the closing of the business combination. Prior to the closing, (i) Mediforum will restructure and redomesticate to the British Virgin Islands; (ii) Merger Sub 1, a British Virgin Islands business company and wholly owned subsidiary of PubCo, will be formed for the purpose merging with and into the BVI Company, the separate existence of Merger Sub 1 will cease and the BVI Company will be the surviving corporation of the Initial Merger; (iii) Merger Sub 2, a Delaware company and wholly owned subsidiary of PubCo, will be formed for the purpose merging with and into VSAC, the separate existence of Merger Sub 2 will cease and VSAC will be the surviving corporation of the SPAC Merger. Both the surviving corporations of Initial Merger and SPAC Merger will be direct wholly owned subsidiaries of PubCo. The consideration for the transaction shall be $250,000,000. Upon the closing, the shareholders of the BVI Company will receive 25,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares of PubCo, valued at $10.00 per share, as the Merger Consideration.

17:32 EST Prosperity Bancshares announces 4.7M share repurchase program - Prosperity Bancshares announced that its Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase program under which the company may repurchase up to 5%, or approximately 4.7M shares, of its outstanding common stock over a one-year period expiring on January 16, 2025, at the discretion of management.

17:06 EST EnLink Midstream lowers long-term leverage target to 3.5-times debt-to-EBITDA - EnLink "lowered its long-term leverage target to 3.5x debt-to-EBITDA. EnLink's previous target was below 4.0x. The updated policy reflects progress made on deleveraging and strengthening the balance sheet, EnLink's solid financial and operational performance, and management's confidence in the long-term outlook of the business. At the end of the third quarter of 2023, EnLink's leverage stood at 3.4x."

17:04 EST EnLink Midstream authorizes new $200M buyback plan - EnLink Midstream "announced that the EnLink Board of Directors completed its expanded 2023 common unit repurchase authorization of $250 million, authorized a 2024 common unit repurchase plan, increased its quarterly distribution for the fourth quarter of 2023 by approximately 6%, and updated EnLink's financial policy to reflect a long-term leverage target of 3.5x debt-to-EBITDA. The Board authorized a new $200 million unit repurchase plan for 2024. This marks the third consecutive year that the Board has authorized a significant unit repurchase plan. Following consistent repurchase execution since early 2022, EnLink has repurchased approximately 42 million units, which represents approximately 9% of total outstanding units at the end of 2021. GIP will also participate in the 2024 unit repurchases through its execution of a Unit Repurchase Agreement for 2024."

17:03 EST Safehold CIO Marcos Alvarado to step down, Tim Doherty to succeed - Safehold announced updates to its executive management team. Tim Doherty, EVP, head of investments, has been appointed chief investment officer, or CIO, and Steve Wylder, EVP, Investments, has been appointed EVP, head of investments, effective January 26. The company's current president and chief investment officer, Marcos Alvarado, will step down from the company to pursue a professional opportunity at a private investment firm. Alvarado will remain with Safehold through January 26, 2024 to ensure a smooth transition of his responsibilities. In connection with his departure from the company, Alvarado will also step down from his position as a member of the company's board of directors.

17:01 EST Energous appoints Mallorie Burak as CFO - Energous announced that the board of directors appointed Mallorie Burak as Energous' CFO effective January 15. Susan Kim van-Dongen, the Company's prior Interim Chief Financial Officer, stepped down on January 15. Burak has over 17 years of experience in chief financial executive roles for private, NASDAQ, and OTCQX-listed technology companies. Before joining Energous, Burak served as President and CFO of Knightscope, an advanced public safety technology company, CFO of ThinFilm Electronics ASA, a solid-state lithium battery start-up, and CFO of Alta Devices, a GaAs thin-film solar technology start-up. Ms. Burak's experience extends to advisory roles at Locale, SSG Capital Advisors LLC, and SIM-X Tactical Solutions, as well as President and CFO at FriendFinder Networks Inc., and CFO positions at Rainmaker Systems, Inc., FoodLink, and Vice President, Finance and Acting CFO at Southwall Technologies.

16:48 EST Kentucky First Federal suspends payment of quarterly dividend indefinitely - Kentucky First Federal Bancorp, the holding company for First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Hazard, Kentucky and First Federal Savings Bank of Kentucky, Frankfort, Kentucky, announced that the Company's Board of Directors has voted to suspend the payment of the quarterly cash dividend on the Company's common stock indefinitely. Emphasizing that the Banks are both well-capitalized under all applicable regulatory requirements and that asset quality remains good, Don Jennings, President and CEO, stated, "While the suspension of our quarterly dividend is very disappointing, as previously disclosed, we have experienced historical increases in short-term market interest rates as well as a persistent inversion of the yield curve that has resulted in compressed net interest margins and much lower earnings at the bank level. As designed, our loans are repricing in response to the higher rate environment, but due to contractual terms of those loans, increases are restricted as to time and amount, resulting in a slower pace of increase than that of liabilities."

16:46 EST Dorian LPG CEO buys $213K in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Dorian LPG disclosed that its CEO John Hadjipateras bought 5.0K shares of common stock on January 12th in a total transaction size of $213K. Shares of Dorian LPG are up 2% afterhours at $41.70.

16:30 EST Compass Minerals names Edward Dowling CEO - Compass Minerals announced that its board of directors has named Edward C. Dowling Jr. as the company's new president and chief executive officer, effective Jan. 18, 2024. Dowling will continue to serve on the company's board, which he joined in March 2022. Dowling succeeds Kevin S. Crutchfield, who will step down from his position as the company's president, CEO and member of the board, effective end-of-day Jan. 17, 2024. Crutchfield will continue to serve in a consulting capacity through the end of the fiscal year to help ensure a smooth transition. "Through Kevin's leadership over the past several years, Compass Minerals has made meaningful strides in safety and achieved a number of strategic milestones, particularly with the emergence of our next-generation Fire Retardant business. Our entire board appreciates the lasting contributions Kevin has made in preparing our company for future growth," said Joe Reece, non-executive chairman of the board. "As Compass Minerals enters its next chapter, our board looks forward to leveraging Ed's deep leadership experience and perspectives as we renew our focus on reducing costs, driving positive free cash flow and generating sustained value through our unique set of advantaged assets."

16:24 EST Plexus announces new $50M share repurchase program - Todd Kelsey, Chief Executive Officer, commented, "I remain confident in my expectations that, over the long-term, Plexus' strategy will continue to deliver industry-leading revenue growth and superior returns for our shareholders. In the near term, Plexus is focused on continuing to deliver customer service excellence, tightly managing costs and generating cash. In support of our commitment to return any excess cash to shareholders, I am pleased to announce that our Board of Directors approved a new $50 million share repurchase program. We believe repurchasing our common stock at current market prices is an attractive use of our capital and creates an additional opportunity to create long-term shareholder value."

16:17 EST TechnipFMC awarded significant subsea contract by BP in Gulf of Mexico - TechnipFMC (FTI) has been awarded a significant contract by BP (BP) for its Argos Southwest Extension project in the Mad Dog field. TechnipFMC will install pipe and an umbilical, tying back three new wells to the Argos platform in the Gulf of Mexico. Jonathan Landes, President, Subsea at TechnipFMC, commented: "We have a long-standing relationship with bp, underpinned by close collaboration. This partnership, combined with our robust installation and execution capabilities, enables us to meet bp's schedule to extend the production in the Mad Dog field." Under the contract, TechnipFMC will also manufacture and install pipeline end terminations. For TechnipFMC, a "significant" contract is between $75M and $250M. This award was included in fourth quarter 2023 Subsea inbound orders.

16:16 EST Universal Technical names Carolyn Frank as chief human resource officer - Universal Technical Institute announced the appointment of Carolyn Frank as chief human resource officer, effective immediately. Frank brings more than 20 years of experience in building and managing human resource organizations across industries. Prior to UTI, Inc., Frank held executive leadership positions at Finance of America and Guild Mortgage Company.

16:14 EST Merit Medical enrolls first patient in Motion study - Merit Medical Systems announced the successful enrollment of the first patient in its multicenter, prospective, randomized, controlled trial comparing genicular artery embolization or GAE, using Embosphere Microspheres to corticosteroid injections for the treatment of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.. MOTION, study. In 2022, the United States Food and Drug Administration FDA granted Merit's Embosphere Microspheres "breakthrough device designation" for GAE. Under this designation, Embosphere Microspheres received priority review by the FDA, which allowed for accelerated review and development of the MOTION study protocol. "We look forward to the results of this study, as we feel it can offer another solution to the millions of people globally who suffer from arthritic knee pain every year," said Craig J. McAsey, MD, Co-Global Principal Investigator of the MOTION study, and paid consultant of Merit. "In orthopedics, we are still searching for an effective alternative to surgery when possible; I am hopeful that this will actually bring us closer to that goal."

16:11 EST SunPower adopts restructuring plan to reflect slower sales - In a regulatory filing, the company stated: "On January 12, 2024, SunPower adopted a restructuring plan to further advance efforts reducing operating costs due to slower sales driven, in part, by higher interest rates. The plan is intended to improve the economics of the business. The Company expects to incur restructuring charges totaling approximately $12.8 million, consisting of approximately $8.2 million in severance benefits, and expects to write down approximately $4.7 million in right of use assets. The Company plans to execute the restructuring plan by the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2024, with a substantial portion of the restructuring charges expected to be incurred in the first quarter of fiscal 2024. The actual timing and costs of the plan may differ from the Company's current expectations and estimates."

16:10 EST Definitive Healthcare CEO Robert Musslewhite steps down - Definitive Healthcare announced that Robert Musslewhite has stepped down as CEO and as a member of the board of directors to transition to a new phase of leadership for the company. Jason Krantz, founder and executive chairman of Definitive Healthcare, has been appointed interim CEO. The board has engaged a leading global executive search firm to commence a process to identify a permanent CEO.

16:08 EST Vaxcyte appoints Whitney Jones as Chief People Officer - Vaxcyte announced the appointment of Whitney Jones as Chief People Officer. Ms. Jones will lead Vaxcyte's human resources strategy and operations, including people and culture, talent acquisition and management, learning and development, total rewards and employee engagement. "At Vaxcyte, we are proud to cultivate a culture that values collaboration, innovation and a shared commitment to our mission," said Grant Pickering, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Vaxcyte. "We have built an extraordinary team, and we recognize that our success is intricately tied to the strength and well-being of our people. Whitney's role as our Chief People Officer will be instrumental in championing our people-first approach and ensuring that our workforce continues to grow and thrive."

16:07 EST Faro Technologies says Matthew Horwath to succeed Allen Muhich as CFO - Faro announced that Matthew Horwath has been promoted to SVP & CFO from his current position as Vice President of Finance at FARO, effective immediately. Matthew succeeds Allen Muhich, the company's current CFO, who will provide transition services to the company through April 1. Before joining Faro, Horwath's background included public accounting at Ernst & Young LLP and corporate accounting positions at Winn-Dixie Stores.

16:06 EST GoPro to acquire Forcite Helmet Systems - GoPro announced an agreement to acquire Forcite Helmet Systems, a pioneer in embedding technology into helmets. GoPro intends to accelerate Forcite's vision to provide a safer, more dynamic motorcycling experience through tech-enabled motorcycle helmets with the long-term goal of tech-enabling other categories of helmets over time. GoPro's acquisition of Forcite is expected to close in Q1, subject to customary closing conditions. GoPro will share more details on the deal at its Q4 and 2023 earnings conference call on February 7.

16:03 EST Interactive Brokers down 2% at $85.50 after Q4 earnings miss

15:19 EST L3Harris announces contract with potential value of up to $919M for satellites - L3Harris Technologies announces it received a contract with a potential value of up to $919M to design and build 18 infrared space vehicles for the Space Development Agency's Tranche 2 Tracking Layer program that will provide near-global missile warning and tracking coverage. "Space remains a growth engine, and we are well positioned to provide innovative solutions after having made significant investments in technology for space vehicles, payloads and ground software. The SDA's latest decision is another example of L3Harris listening to customers, knowing the threats and delivering value for stakeholders while supporting our country," said Christopher Kubasik, Chair and CEO, L3Harris.

14:51 EST Regenxbio reports 'positive' interim data from AAVIATE trial - Regenxbio announced positive interim data from the Phase II AAVIATE trial of ABBV-RGX-314 for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) using suprachoroidal delivery. Wet AMD is a chronic, life-long disease with available anti-VEGF treatment options that may reduce the risk of blindness, but require frequent injections. Investigational ABBV-RGX-314 using suprachoroidal delivery is designed to be a one-time, in office treatment that has the potential to sustain constant anti-VEGF therapy and stabilize or improve vision long-term for wet AMD patients. The new data presented at the Hawaiian Eye and Retina meeting in Maui, HI by John Pitcher, M.D., Eye Associates of New Mexico, includes 6-month results from two additional dose level 3 cohorts (Cohorts 5 and 6). ABBV-RGX-314, being developed in collaboration with AbbVie, is also being investigated as a potential one-time gene therapy for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy and other chronic retinal conditions. AAVIATE is a Phase II, multi-center, open-label, randomized, active-controlled, dose-escalation trial that is evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of suprachoroidal delivery of ABBV-RGX-314 in patients with wet AMD. The primary endpoint of the trial is mean change in vision in patients dosed with ABBV-RGX-314, as measured by best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at Week 40 from baseline, compared to patients receiving monthly injections of ranibizumab. Other endpoints include mean change in central retinal thickness (CRT) and number of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) intravitreal injections received following administration of ABBV-RGX-314. As of November 6, 2023, ABBV-RGX-314 suprachoroidal delivery was well tolerated across 106 patients from three dose levels. No drug-related SAEs were reported. All treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) through 6 months in the study eye were mild or moderate and included conjunctival hemorrhage, increased intraocular pressure, episcleritis, and conjunctival hyperemia. Mild intraocular inflammation was reported at similar incidence rate in the first and second dose levels, with mild to moderate intraocular inflammation seen at the third dose level in Cohort 4 and 5. All intraocular inflammation resolved with topical corticosteroids. Notably, there were zero cases of intraocular inflammation in dose level 3, Cohort 6 (n=21), in which patients received a short-course of prophylactic topical steroids following administration of ABBV-RGX-314.

14:32 EST Canopy Growth shares higher after saying subscription pact terminated - Shares of North American cannabis and consumer packaged goods Canopy Growth jumped as high as 20% on Tuesday morning after the company terminated the Subscription Agreements on January 12 . As a result of such termination, no securities will be sold pursuant to the Private Placement. The Company expects to be in position to complete customary closing requirements in the next few weeks, and the Company continues to have sufficient liquidity, including through its cash on hand, debt facilities, and other expected sources of financing. The Company expects to report its fiscal third quarter financial results on February 9. Shares are currently trading up 7% or approximately 33c per share at $4.85.

14:28 EST Vertex reports FDA approves Casgevy for transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia - Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Casgevy, a CRISPR/Cas9 gene-edited cell therapy, for the treatment of transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia in patients 12 years and older. "On the heels of the historic FDA approval of CASGEVY for sickle cell disease, it is exciting to now secure approval for TDT well ahead of the PDUFA date. TDT patients deserve new, potentially curative treatment options, and we look forward to bringing CASGEVY to eligible patients who are waiting," said Reshma Kewalramani, M.D., Chief Executive Officer and President of Vertex.

14:13 EST Core Scientific reorganization plan confirmed by bankruptcy court - Core Scientific (CORZQ) announced the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas has confirmed the company's Chapter 11 plan of reorganization. The Bankruptcy Court's approval of the Plan clears the way for Core Scientific to emerge and re-list on Nasdaq by the end of January 2024. Under the terms of the Plan, shareholders as of the anticipated record date of January 23, 2024 will receive shares of the company's new common stock and warrants, constituting approximately 60% of the company's new equity following exercise of the warrants issued to existing shareholders and including new shares issued as part of the equity rights offering. Assuming the cash exercise of all applicable warrants, and the cash is used to pay down debt, the company's existing debt would be paid in full, a reduction of approximately $1B from its debt balance prior to the Plan. Plan approval comes shortly after the company announced it had fully paid off its DIP financing and successfully completed an oversubscribed $55M Equity Rights Offering. "Today's plan confirmation is a defining moment in our reorganization; we're poised to emerge by the end of this month as an even stronger company, with a highly motivated team that is aligned for success. With demand for Bitcoin and high-value compute continuing to rise, we look forward to creating value for our shareholders as we execute our growth plan, de-lever our balance sheet and deliver superior efficiency at scale," said Adam Sullivan, Core Scientific Chief Executive Officer.

13:14 EST JetBlue up 5%, Spirit down 55% after judge rules against proposed merger

13:10 EST Judge rules JetBlue, Spirit Airlines enjoined from executing proposed merger - A judge in the United States District Court of Massachusetts stated in a ruled that the proposed acquisition of Spirit Airlines (SAVE) by JetBlue (JBLU) violates Section 7 of the Clayton Act. The ruling posted to the site of the court stated in part: "Spirit is a small airline. But there are those who love it. To those dedicated customers of Spirit, this one's for you. Why? Because the Clayton Act, a 109-year-old statute requires this result -- a statute that continues to deliver for the American people. In light of the foregoing Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, it is hereby ORDERED that the Defendant Airlines, their agents, servants, employees, and all persons acting in concert with either of them, are PERMANENTLY ENJOINED from executing the proposed merger as agreed on July 28, 2022." Reference Link

13:04 EST Spirit Airlines drops over 46% after judge blocks JetBlue deal

12:54 EST Spirit Airlines trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:31 EST PG&E names Kaled Awada as chief people officer - Kaled Awada has been named Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer of PG&E Corporation and its subsidiary, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, effective today. Awada will lead PG&E's People organization, responsible for attracting and retaining the right workforce and fostering the right culture to meet the needs of PG&E's customers and build a clean, climate-resilient energy system for the future, the company said in a statement.

12:00 EST Owlet rises 8.0% - Owlet is up 8.0%, or 53c to $7.12.

12:00 EST ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Natural Gas rises 10.8% - ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Natural Gas is up 10.8%, or $7.87 to $80.72.

12:00 EST OppFi falls -11.5% - OppFi is down -11.5%, or -52c to $4.00.

11:49 EST GSK announces plans to sell 300M shares of Haleon - GSK (GSK) announced that it intends to sell approximately 300M ordinary shares in Haleon (HLN), equivalent to approximately 3.2% of Haleon's issued share capital. As a result of the disposals announced on May 12, 2023 and October 6, 2023, GSK has since sold a total of 510M ordinary shares in Haleon, reducing its stake in Haleon to approximately 7.4%. The disposal announced today will be conducted through a placing of ordinary shares in Haleon to institutional investors. GSK has entered into a secondary block trade agreement with BofA and Citigroup under which BofA and Citi have been appointed to act as the joint global coordinators of the offering. GSK and Pfizer (PFE), which holds a 32% stake in Haleon, have each undertaken to BofA and Citi not to dispose of any shares in Haleon for a period of 60 days after the date of settlement of the offering.

11:46 EST Haleon drops 2% to $8.43 after GSK announces share sale plan

11:41 EST GSK announces intention to sell 300M shares of Haleon

10:08 EST Goldman Sachs sees continuing to grow financing activity

10:00 EST Goldman Sachs continuing to work with Apple on credit card partnership, says CEO

10:00 EST Azul falls -9.7% - Azul is down -9.7%, or -83c to $7.73.

10:00 EST Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares rises 6.6% - Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares is up 6.6%, or 39c to $6.34.

10:00 EST ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Natural Gas rises 12.5% - ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Natural Gas is up 12.5%, or $9.09 to $81.94.

09:56 EST Ault Inc. trading halted, news pending

09:52 EST Goldman Sachs sees remaining nimble with respect to returning cash

09:47 EST Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares rises 6.1% - Direxion Daily Junior Gold Miners Index Bear 3x Shares is up 6.1%, or 36c to $6.31.

09:47 EST Deep Medicine Acquisition Corp trading resumes

09:47 EST XPeng falls -8.3% - XPeng is down -8.3%, or -97c to $10.79.

09:47 EST United States Natural Gas Fund falls -12.0% - United States Natural Gas Fund is down -12.0%, or -82c to $6.00.

09:44 EST Goldman Sachs says platform for 2024 much stronger

09:40 EST Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp IV trading resumes

09:34 EST Morgan Stanley sees Q1 NII 'roughly in line' with Q4 - Says "encouraged" by signs in NII. Says continues to see growth in fee-based assets. Generating new client growth, new corporate relationships. Says IPO market "beginning to build momentum." Says investment banking pipeline "diversified."

09:33 EST Goldman Sachs CEO says 2023 was a 'dynamic year' - Says U.S. economy "more resilient than expected." Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

09:30 EST Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp IV trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:27 EST Diana Shipping announces time charter contract for m/v DSI Aquarius - Diana Shipping announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with Stone Shipping Ltd, for one of its Ultramax dry bulk vessels, the m/v DSI Aquarius. The gross charter rate is US$14,500, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period until minimum December 1, 2024 up to maximum February 1, 2025. The charter is expected to commence on January 19, 2024. The "DSI Aquarius" is a 60,309 dwt Ultramax dry bulk vessel built in 2016. The employment of "DSI Aquarius" is anticipated to generate approximately US$4.52 million of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter.

09:18 EST Lexaria Bioscience unveils planned 2024 GLP-1 study program - Lexaria Bioscience announces a comprehensive planned applied research program to thoroughly evaluate DehydraTECH for the improved delivery of GLP-1 drugs, designed to support prospective commercial partnering with the global pharmaceutical companies. In a recent human pilot study with 7 volunteers, Lexaria demonstrated superior pharmacokinetic oral delivery performance of the DehydraTECH-enhanced glucagon-like peptide-1 drug semaglutide available commercially in the branded product Rybelsus. The results were sufficiently positive to encourage much more thorough and expanded investigation. The objective of the new planned studies is to help determine the commercial applicability of DehydraTECH to at least three GLP-1 drugs which together produced billions of dollars of revenue to their owners, as reported in their most recent financial statements. The new planned studies to be undertaken are as follows: Chronic Dosing Animal Study: Targeted start March/April, 2024. This will be an obese rat diabetic-conditioned study similar to a previous Lexaria study, with approximately 12 study arms and 6-10 animals per arm. The study is expected to run for 12 weeks to allow time to study weight loss, PK, and blood sugar control over time, followed by full data analysis and reporting. Varied DehydraTECH formulations of semaglutide and liraglutide, alone and together with DehydraTECH-CBD, will be evaluated. We also expect to be evaluating DehydraTECH-processed semaglutide with and without the salcaprozate sodium "SNAC" technology currently found within Rybelsus tablets. We will be collecting and reporting interim results prior to the end of the study. Human Pilot Study #2: Targeted start March/April, 2024. This human pilot study in up to 8 healthy volunteers, will study a single dose of oral ingested DehydraTECH-semaglutide capsules in a similar design to Human Pilot Study #1. We also intend to study an oral dissolvable DehydraTECH-semaglutide tablet formulation to determine whether GLP-1 drug absorption via this route is effective and well tolerated as an alternative to the conventional oral ingestible route which often presents with gastrointestinal side effect issues. Tolerability, PK, and blood sugar control will all be evaluated. The DehydraTECH compositions for this study will be compound-formulated using commercially available Rybelsus tablets as the semaglutide input material. Human Pilot Study #3: Targeted start in May/June, 2024. This human pilot study in up to 8 healthy human volunteers will study a single dose of oral ingested DehydraTECH-tirzepatide capsules to evaluate tolerability, PK, and blood sugar. Zepbound is currently administered by injection only and will be used as the tirzepatide input material for production of the DehydraTECH-tirzepatide capsules to be studied. Importantly, this study will evaluate DehydraTECH effectiveness in humans with a dual action GLP-1 + glucose-dependent insulintropic peptide drug while also doing so without the SNAC ingredient found in the Rybelsus semaglutide composition from Human Pilot Studies 1 and 2. Chronic Dosing Human Study: Targeted start Q3, 2024. This chronic human study in 70 to 90 pre-diabetic and type-2 diabetic human patients will dose daily using oral DehydraTECH capsules for 12 weeks and will evaluate tolerability, PK, weight loss, blood sugar levels and more. The primary goal of this study will be to compare DehydraTECH-processed semaglutide capsules to DehydraTECH-CBD capsules alone - and together in combination - relative to a placebo control over an extended period of time. Inclusion of DehydraTECH-CBD in this study will be undertaken to determine if the improvements in glycemic control and weight loss witnessed in Lexaria's previous animal study are evidenced in humans. Long Term Stability Testing: Lexaria plans to study the chemical and microbiological purity and stability of select DehydraTECH compositions that it prepares for the above planned upcoming animal and human studies over an extended duration of 6-12 months. Along with improved tolerability, PK and efficacy performance, long term stability is crucial if oral variants of GLP-1 drugs are to be seriously considered as replacements for currently injectable versions of these drugs. All the programs described above are subject to change or substitution; dates are targets only; and some are subject to raising sufficient funds. All human studies will be investigator-initiated non-registrational studies and will require certain approvals before beginning. All studies will utilize third-party laboratories.

09:11 EST Gladstone Land announces gain on sale of Florida farm - Gladstone Land has completed the sale of a farm in Florida for approximately $65.7 million. The investment in this farm provided a 60% return on equity, and the sale price reflected a 22% increase over the original purchase price.

09:10 EST Taoping reports FY23 contract revenue value up 80% to $37.94M - Taoping reported an 80% increase in the Company's contract revenue value for the FY23, as compared with the FY22. The Company entered into contracts totaling RMB 270M, or approximately $37.94M, during 2023, with the majority of the revenue expected to be recognized within FY23 and the balance in FY24. Taoping achieved strong growth throughout 2023, with demand led by the Company's city partner ecosystem and comprehensive portfolio of core high-value, high-traffic area software development and advertising business solutions. The Company continued to invest in its impressive new product pipeline and R&D efforts into powerful new AI-driven solutions, which the Company expects will make significant contributions during FY24.

09:09 EST TPG announces $228M strategic growth investment in intelligence firm Sayari - "Sayari, a counterparty and supply chain risk intelligence provider trusted by government agencies, multinational corporations, and financial institutions, and TPG , a global alternative asset management firm, today announced that they have signed a definitive agreement for TPG Growth, the firm's middle market and growth equity platform, to make an up to $228M strategic majority investment in Sayari. Sayari's founders, employees, and existing investors will retain a significant stake in the company. Founded in 2015, the Sayari platform integrates global corporate and supply chain data to surface risk insights for investigations, analytics, and supply chain risk management. Today, Sayari's platform is trusted by users from across global regulators, law enforcement, and national security agencies, as well as over 100 of the world's largest public and private companies. Sayari has seen explosive growth since the release of its platform in 2020 with consecutive rankings by Deloitte and Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing technology companies in North America. The partnership with TPG will accelerate Sayari's global expansion in 2024 and support the launch of a new supply chain illumination platform leveraging responsible AI to extract deeper insights from Sayari's industry-leading and authoritative supply chain data.

09:08 EST Future FinTech's board establishes committee to investigate SEC allegations - Future Fintech Group announced its Board of Directors held a meeting on January 15, to respond to allegations made to its CEO by the SEC. The Board agreed to establish an independent committee to review and investigate the allegations made by SEC. The Board also imposed restrictions on the CEO to trade in the Company's stock during the pendency of the litigation. In addition, the Board decided to provide training to Company officers, directors and employees as to appropriate trading practices under the insider trading policy of the Company. AOn January 11 the SEC filed a civil lawsuit alleging civil violations of the federal securities laws against Shanchun Huang, the Company's CEO throughout the period at issue in the Complaint, for manipulative trading in the Company's stock shortly before he became its CEO in 2020. The SEC also charged Hung with failing to disclose his beneficial ownership of the Company stock as well as transactions in such stock. Huang, through his attorney, Jacob Frenkel, Chair of the Securities Enforcement and Government Investigations Practice at the law firm, Dickinson Wright, PLLC, has responded to these allegations and has asserted Mr. Huang's innocence.

09:08 EST Wrap Technologies appoints Cohen as CEO - Wrap Technologies announced the appointment of Scot Cohen as its new Chief Executive Officer, CEO. Cohen, a co-founder of the Company, the largest shareholder, and Executive Chairman of the Company, is recognized for his deep commitment to the Company's mission and extensive experience in various industries. Since its founding in 2016, Cohen has been a cornerstone of Wrap, leading all rounds of financing, totaling $90M, and playing a crucial role in shaping the Company's strategic direction. The Company also announces the appointment of Kevin Mullins as President.

09:06 EST Toro Corp. announces sale of M/T Wonder Sirius for $33.8M - Toro announces that on January 8, 2024, the Company entered into an agreement with an unaffiliated third-party for the sale of the M/T Wonder Sirius, a 2005-built Aframax/LR2 tanker, for a price of $33.8 million. The vessel is expected to be delivered to its new owner during the first quarter of 2024. The Company expects to record during the first quarter of 2024 a net gain of approximately $20.9 million from the above-mentioned sale, excluding any transaction-related costs.

09:06 EST Goosehead Insurance appoints Lakamp as new Chief Service Officer - Goosehead Insurance announced the appointment of David Lakamp as Chief Service Officer. Lakamp brings more than 14 years of extensive insurance and service experience to Goosehead and 11 years of military leadership in the US Navy. Lakamp joins Goosehead Insurance from USAA where he had a proven track record of driving strategy and execution to help accelerate business growth in a wide range of service functions.

09:05 EST Rover Group announces expiration of Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period - Rover Group announced that the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended expired at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on January 12, 2024. The expiration of the waiting period under the HSR Act was one of the conditions to the closing of the pending acquisition of Rover by private equity funds managed by Blackstone contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of November 29, 2023, between Rover, Biscuit Parent, LLC and Biscuit Merger Sub. The transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement remain subject to other customary closing conditions, including the adoption of the Merger Agreement and the approval of the Merger by Rover stockholders.

09:04 EST Johnson Controls appoints Marc Vandiepenbeeck as CFO - Johnson Controls announced the appointment of Marc Vandiepenbeeck as executive vice president and CFO. Vandiepenbeeck succeeds Olivier Leonetti who will depart Johnson Controls for a role outside of the company. Leonetti's last day will be January 30. Vandiepenbeeck and Leonetti will work closely together to ensure a smooth transition and handover. Vandiepenbeeck joined Johnson Controls nearly 20 years ago and has held roles of increasing responsibility across the company's finance and treasury teams. Prior to his most recent operations role as vice president and president, EMEALA, he was chief financial officer for the Building Solutions North America business.

09:04 EST Edible achieves over 50% y/y increase in preliminary produce sales for holiday - Edible Garden AG announced that the Company experienced a more than 50% year-over-year increase in preliminary Produce sales results for the key holiday time period. Jim Kras, Chief Executive Officer of Edible Garden, commented, "We are extremely proud of Edible Garden's performance this holiday season, marked by an outstanding year-over-year increase in Produce sales of more than 50%. This comes on the heels of a record-breaking Thanksgiving holiday period when the Company experienced a more than 45% year-over-year increase in preliminary sales results. Once again, the Company's high fulfillment rate of 98%, which ranks among the industry's best, was a driving factor in the Company's success. It is rates like these that we believe appeal to our distribution partners as they view Edible Garden as a supplier they can count on."

09:03 EST Arthur J. Gallagher acquires MGB Re - Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. announced that its reinsurance division, Gallagher Re, has acquired Toronto, Ontario-based MGB Re. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. MGB provides reinsurance solutions to health maintenance organizations, or HMOs, managing general underwriters, or MGUs, and insurance companies in the U.S. medical sector. The MGB leadership team of Andrew Barth, Jacqueline Greer and Thomas McGrath will operate under the direction of Jim Fallon, Gallagher Re's Eastern Region Manager in North America and Rob Fast, Life, Accident and Health Segment Leader in North America.

09:03 EST Syla Technologies sells four SYFORME brand condiminiums - SYLA Technologies (SYT) announced that SYLA, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, sold four buildings from its condominium brand, the SYFORME series, to a private fund managed by BlackRock's (BLK) Real Estate business. In December 2023, SYLA entered into an agreement on business collaboration with a private fund managed by BlackRock's Real Estate business. This condominium sale represents a tangible milestone based on the agreement. Taking this opportunity, SYLA is committed to further strengthening the mutual collaboration, such as providing opportunities for the private fund managed by BlackRock's Real Estate business to invest in SYLA's real estate projects in Japan, particularly centered around its SYFORME condominium brand series.

09:02 EST DatChat announces planned spin-off of its Habytat platform business - DatChat announced the proposed spin-off of its Habytat platform business into a new standalone public company pursuant to a distribution as further discussed below. This marks a significant step forward in DatChat's corporate strategy to reposition as a pureplay social media ecosystem centered around its My Family Museum assets. DatChat currently owns approximately 75% of SmarterVerse, the entity that owns and operates the Habytat AI Gaming platform and metaverse. Subject to board approval, DatChat will distribute its shares of SmarterVerse to its shareholders. Upon consummation of the distribution, it is expected that SmarterVerse will become a standalone public company with plans for a public listing on a national stock exchange. DatChat CEO, Darin Myman commented, "Today's announcement reflects a pivotal moment in our corporate evolution. The decision to spin off our Habytat business into a new standalone publicly traded company is significant in several ways: first, we can now focus on our core business for My Family Museum, and second, this move aligns with our commitment to unlocking shareholder value and creating substantial growth and revenue opportunities. The potential for My Family Museum is driven by the evolving landscape of digital memories. In an era where our visual stories have multiplied, there's an increasing need for a secure platform. With the successful patent that we acquired last October, we are now uniquely positioned to focus our efforts on the preservation of data, encompassing storage, sharing, and secure control across social media technology platforms and digital archives."

09:01 EST Verizon Frontline launches innovation program - Verizon Frontline recently launched an innovation program designed to help foster new ideas and develop cutting-edge, 5G-enabled solutions to support first responders on the front lines. The Verizon Frontline Innovation Program aims to explore new technologies while collaborating with first responders and industry partners to identify, test and develop communications solutions in four main public safety focus areas: Preparation, Response, Recovery and Mitigation.

08:53 EST PureCycle provides Ironton purification facility production update - PureCycle Technologies announced an update on the status of activities at the company's flagship purification facility located in Ironton, Ohio. PureCycle restarted operations in late December and has since been ramping up operations. PureCycle CEO Dustin Olson said, "We've experienced substantial progress over the past month. We repaired the mechanica seal failure from December, which was caused by a minor component malfunction. Plus, the installation of the automatic screen changer and the other improvements we recently made are proving to be effective and helping us run more continuously." Olson added, "The adsorbent bead debris has largely been flushed from the system and the recent longer periods of operation will allow our team to optimize the process for both cost and process efficiencies." In the last two weeks, PureCycle produced 183,000 pounds of pellets. That is nearly the same amount produced during the fourth quarter of 2023. This includes six different 24-hour periods, where the team produced levels that have increased from 10,000 pounds to 72,000 pounds. All the pellets made since coming back online have been produced from post-consumer recycled material. "We have run a wide variety of feedstock that includes recycled curbside material, woven polypropylene, and agglomerated agricultural twine," Olson said. "We have purposefully run challenging feeds to test our technology, define the boundaries of our technology, and to set us up for long-term feedstock flexibility. Each of these feedstocks have different levels of contaminants and different physical properties. We are seeing those contaminants successfully come out in the process with the increased production of co-product one and co-product two." As the team in Ironton works to continue increasing run rates, a primary focus will be on the co-product recovery system. During the November outage, our team implemented several improvements to simplify the removal of co-product one from the system. Co-product one is a waxy, low-molecular weight polypropylene material that is pulled out of the extraction column. Co-product one removal was originally a challenging operation and a plant limitation, but since the November upgrades, it is operating reliably, consistently and is no longer a constraint to our production.

08:52 EST Pressure BioSciences announces filling order with partner for Uncle Bud's - Pressure BioSciences announced on January 11, 2024 the execution of a definitive agreement to acquire renowned natural health and wellness leader Uncle Bud's. Today, the Company announced the beginning of summer season order filling with one of the globe's leading retailers and a long-standing partner for Uncle Bud's, with the shipment of a significant $252,000 order for its popular Sunburn Soother. Upon transaction closing, the combined company plans to become a leading provider of topicals and other consumer products containing oil-based active ingredients. The Company plans to leverage PBIO's patented UltraShear technology platform for nanoemulsification processing to improve many of these products, delivering unparalleled speed of action and effective payload bioavailability, in "green label" preservative-free products with unprecedented long-term stability. Ric Schumacher, President and CEO of PBIO, added: "As mentioned in the January 11th press release, we believe the integration of Uncle Bud's into PBIO will be immediately accretive and a major accelerator to revenue growth, as evidenced by this $252,000 shipment only days after executing the APA. We expect dramatic growth in orders from our newly-formed Consumer Products Business Unit in the coming weeks and months, some far larger than the one just announced, concomitant with an equally impressive growth in orders from the core PBIO product line, specifically from UltraShear."

08:51 EST Sigma Additive Solutions completes asset sale to Divergent Technologies - Sigma Additive Solutions has closed the sale of intellectual property assets related to its additive quality assurance product to Divergent Technologies, Inc. in conjunction with its recent acquisition of NextTrip Holdings. On October 6, 2023, Sigma entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Divergent Technologies to sell certain Sigma assets, consisting primarily of patents, software code and other intellectual property, to Divergent Technologies for a purchase price of $1.6 million with the closing expected subsequent to the acquisition of NextTrip. The acquisition, which was first announced in October 2023, closed on December 29, 2023, at which time NextTrip became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The combination of the acquisition and sale of assets was targeted to maximize shareholder value, using the proceeds to eliminate legacy debt and contingent liabilities associated with the wind-down of Sigma's historical business. This leaves the Company with no debt other than zero interest loans from the Company's current Chairman and CEO, thus giving the Company a clean path moving forward.

08:50 EST JPMorgan to pay $18M for violating whistleblower protection rule - The Securities and Exchange Commission announced settled charges against J.P. Morgan Securities LLC for impeding hundreds of advisory clients and brokerage customers from reporting potential securities law violations to the SEC. JPMS agreed to pay an $18M civil penalty to settle the charges. According to the SEC's order, from March 2020 through July 2023, JPMS regularly asked retail clients to sign confidential release agreements if they had been issued a credit or settlement from the firm of more than $1,000. The agreements required the clients to keep confidential the settlement, all underlying facts relating to the settlement, and all information relating to the account at issue. In addition, even though the agreements permitted clients to respond to SEC inquiries, they did not permit clients to voluntarily contact the SEC.

08:50 EST Mynaric selected for Phase 2 of DARPA Space-BACN program - Mynaric has been selected as a key development partner of Phase 2 of the Space-based adaptive communications node program of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. DARPA's Space-BACN program envisions a low-cost, scalable optical communications terminal that could be reconfigured to work with various optical intersatellite link standards allowing seamless communication among government and commercial LEO satellite constellations.

08:48 EST Milestone Scientific CEO provides letter to shareholders - Milestone Scientific provided the following letter to shareholders from the Company's CEO, Arjan Haverhals, including updates regarding commercialization of the CompuFlo technology and initial reimbursements of CompuFlo by commercial payors and Medicare: "While we recognize commercializing a new medical device takes time, we believe we are gaining positive traction and have developed a truly transformative technology that has the potential to become the standard of care, given the patient safety and economic benefits of the CompuFlo Epidural System. As with any new medical technology, we have had to navigate a number of significant hurdles to position the technology for market adoption. These include the successful completion of clinical studies, FDA regulatory market clearance, and the AMA assignment of a new CompuFlo procedure CPT code for use by providers and payors. I am proud to report we are making steady progress in advancing commercialization of the CompuFlo technology... Several advisory sites were established across the US that implemented the CompuFlo technology in their practice. These providers deemed the CompuFlo technology clinically appropriate and medically necessary for many of their patients by including the use of CompuFlo in their epidural steroid injection procedures. The medical decision by physicians to use CompuFlo demonstrates the clinical utility and benefit of the technology in patient care... More importantly, advisory physicians reported 100% success rate for each of their patients using CompuFlo, with zero dural punctures. This is particularly noteworthy, as 50% of these procedures were conducted in the thoracic and thoracic cervical junction of the spine, confirming the importance of the new indication... Given that we started our reimbursement project execution in the beginning of the second quarter of 2023, and being respectful of the time that is required for going through this process, which can take up to 6-9 months, we are now able to share the data provided from the preliminary analysis.. Overall, I could not be more pleased with the commercialization progress we have made, including the positive clinical feedback we have received from the physicians and medical institutions... In summary, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all of our shareholders that have stood by as we pushed through these monumental hurdles. We have not reached the end of the road yet, but the achievement of our vision is in sight. Moving into 2024, Milestone is focused on increasing the number of CompuFlo providers in the US to further advance clinical utilization of the CompuFlo technology. In addition, we remain committed to accelerating patient access to this technology through ongoing education and engagement with payors to attain consistent coverage and reimbursement for this clinically valuable procedure. We look forward to a number of exciting developments in the months and years ahead and plan to keep investors fully apprised of our progress."

08:47 EST Morgan Stanley says capital position is strong, remains 'committed' to dividend - Says continuation of dividend is "paramount." Says base case for coming year is "constructive." Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

08:46 EST Heico's Sunshine Avionics acquires assets from Honeywell, terms not disclosed - HEICO Corporation (HEI) announced its Sunshine Avionics subsidiary entered into an exclusive license and acquired key assets from Honeywell International (HON) that will provide the capability to support the Boeing 737NG/777 Cockpit Displays and Legacy Displays product lines. The transaction was structured as an exclusive perpetual license and asset purchase. Sunshine Avionics is part of HEICO's Flight Support Group. Transaction terms and financial details were not disclosed. HEICO stated that it expects the exclusive license and asset acquisition to be accretive to its earnings in the year following closing. Honeywell has been one of the commercial aviation industry's leading cockpit display providers. Honeywell's latest Display Unit Phase 3 upgrade for the Boeing 737NG/777 is equipped with the latest glass and LED backlight technology to provide a clear picture of critical airplane systems, allowing pilots to safely navigate their passengers to millions of destinations a year. The DU Phase 3 upgrade addresses obsolescence and avoids failures on older discontinued Phase 1 or 2 displays, while also providing lighter weight, higher reliability, and lower operating costs. This exclusive transaction will provide Sunshine Avionics with the capability to produce, sell, and repair Boeing 737NG/777 Cockpit Displays as well as other Legacy Displays for Boeing 717, ATR, and select business and general aviation aircraft. Following a transition period, Sunshine Avionics, from its recently expanded Miramar, FL facility, will be responsible for the activities formerly performed by Honeywell.

08:44 EST First Citizens appoints Gregory Smith as Chief Information & Operations Officer - First Citizens BancShares announced that Gregory L. Smith has joined the company as an executive officer and Chief Information & Operations Officer for BancShares and its subsidiary, First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company. In this newly created position on the bank's executive leadership team, Smith will be responsible for the strategic enablement of technology, operations, cyber and data functions across the enterprise. He will report to Chairman and CEO Frank B. Holding, Jr. Smith joins First Citizens from TD Bank Financial Group in Toronto, Canada, where he worked from 2019 to 2023. Most recently, he served as head of Transformation and Corporate Operations. In this leadership role, he set the vision and built key capabilities to drive end-to-end transformational change. He also was responsible for managing corporate projects and technology platforms. Prior to that role, Smith served as head of North American Contact Centers & ATM Channels and as head of North American Customer Operations for TD Bank Financial Group.

08:42 EST Actelis announces U.S. DoD JITC labs approval of its networking solutions - Actelis Networks announced that its cyber-hardened, hybrid-fiber networking solutions have been placed on the Department of Defense, DoD, Information Network Approved Products List following certification from the Joint Interoperability Test Command, JITC. The Actelis solution is the only technology of its kind found on the APL, giving the military a cost-effective way to rapidly implement and connect IoT devices and applications at fiber-grade, utilizing any existing wires, fiber or coax, in just hours compared to weeks or months. "We continue to prove that our solution works very well for the federal government," said Tuvia Barlev, Chairman and CEO of Actelis. "We look forward to utilizing our placement on the APL to help military bases accelerate the completion of their base modernization and IoT applications through the deployment of Actelis' secure networking technology."

08:39 EST LM Funding to purchase 300 Bitmain S21 Antminer machines for $1.1M - LM Funding America announced that it has entered into an agreement to purchase 300 Bitmain S21 Antminer machines for approximately $1.1 million. The S21 is a high efficiency, high hash rate machine mining SHA-256 algorithm manufactured by Bitmain that generates a hash rate of 200 TH/s with a power consumption of 3,500 W. The delivery of the machines is expected during the second quarter of 2024, and once operational, will bring the Company's mining capacity to 674 PH. Bruce Rodgers, Chairman and CEO of LM Funding, commented, "We remain committed to investing our resources, including the proceeds of our Bitcoin mining operations, into the most efficient Bitcoin mining equipment available. Our S21s will be leading producers through this year's halving event, and we believe this model will continue to be revenue-producing through the subsequent halving event expected to occur in 2028."

08:35 EST Mirum Pharmaceuticals appoints Joanne Quan CMO, Peter Radovich COO - Mirum Pharmaceuticals announced the appointment of Joanne Quan as chief medical officer, or CMO. Quan will lead the global clinical development, clinical operations, and safety programs for Mirum's pipeline of programs addressing rare diseases. Quan was most recently Chief Medical Officer at Nuvig Therapeutics. In tandem with Quan's appointment, Mirum announced the promotion of Peter Radovich to president and COO. Radovich oversees commercial, corporate development and supply chain functions for Mirum.

08:34 EST NetSol Technologies appoints Hurwitz as Sales Director of Europe - NETSOL Technologies announced the appointment of Jason Hurwitz as Sales Director of Europe. In this pivotal role, he will be responsible for driving the sales strategy and fostering growth across NETSOL's innovative portfolio of products and services for the European region. Most recently, Hurwitz worked with Aldermore Bank for nearly six years, where he was the product lead for a large group wide transformation program.

08:34 EST NetSol Technologies appoints Jason Hurwitz as sales director, Europe - NETSOL Technologies announced the appointment of Jason Hurwitz as Sales Director of Europe. In this pivotal role, he will be responsible for driving the sales strategy and fostering growth across NETSOL's innovative portfolio of products and services for the European region. Hurwitz worked with Aldermore Bank for nearly six years, where he was the product lead for a large group wide transformation program.

08:33 EST Cellebrite announces Case-to-Closure platform - Cellebrite DI announced Case-to-Closure , an expanded end-to-end platform for examiners and investigators to solve cases faster and more defensibly to accelerate justice around the world. "Cellebrite C2C is our mission in action. This platform provides law enforcement with a new industry standard for excellence in examination and investigation and will equip professionals with a broader range of capabilities to clear backlogged cases like never before," said Lisa Cole, Chief Marketing Officer at Cellebrite. "This platform will enable both public and private sector customers around the globe to accelerate their investigations, protect and save more lives across global communities. Building on our rich history for game-changing innovation, we are proud to be both the first, and the most tried and tested technology leaders in the Digital Investigation space."

08:33 EST Digital Brands signs LoI to open first retail store in March - Digital Brands Group announces that is has signed a Letter of Intent, or LoI, to open its first retail store in March. The Company forecasts the store to generate over $1.5M in annual revenue and over $500,000 in annual cash flow based on the historical metrics and performance of this store, and excess Sundry inventory prior to the acquisition. DBG will use this store to clear excess inventory at a meaningfully higher margin than selling into the off-price channel. Importantly, DBG received a significant amount of excess inventory with its Sundry acquisition. Therefore, there will be no additional costs to make these excess units, as they have already been paid for and are at our warehouse. Given this, we expect this store to generate significant annual cash flow of over $500,000 a year.

08:32 EST SandRidge declares one-time $1.50 dividend and announces dividend increase - SandRidge Energy announced that its Board of Directors has declared a one-time dividend of $1.50 per share, for a total payout of approximately $55M, and planned an on-going quarterly dividend increase to 11 per share, increased from the current 10c per share starting with the next quarterly payout. The one-time $1.50 per share dividend will be payable on February 20 to shareholders of record on February 5. The Board also announced that it currently plans to increase its on-going quarterly dividend to 11c per share starting with the next quarterly payout, estimated to be first paid in March, continuing every quarter thereafter until noticed.

08:29 EST CLS Holdings repays $3.9M in principal debenture obligations - This Debt Retirement eliminates a total of $4,340,101 in Principal and Interest Repayment Obligations of the Company. This debt reduction was achieved through the repurchase of $3,875,094 in Principal Amount of 8% Debentures at a discount amounting to 60% of Principal, with interest forgiven in the amount of $465,007. The Retirement of the Debentures also resulted in the cancellation of 5,076,371 in warrant rights otherwise available under those Debentures. In conjunction with this significant debt reduction and previous debt cancellation the total debt obligations have been reduced in the past 16 months from $23.5 million to approximately $7.2 million. CLSH also restructured its remaining debt obligations totaling approximately $7.2 million, by extending terms of repayment on all of the debt, and with respect to $3,639,343, of that total, extending repayment of the debt to January of 2028, with monthly payments made in the interim. The retirement of the debt was financed through the issuance of a total of 64,132,135 RESTRICTED shares of CLSH common stock at per share prices of 0.0333 and 0.0345.

08:27 EST Peraso launches platform for dense urban mmWave fixed wireless access - Peraso announced commercial availability of its dense urban network environment platform for Fixed Wireless Access. DUNE addresses the network access problems experienced in sprawling urban neighborhoods where conventional connectivity solutions are too costly, physically impractical, or saturated. Peraso expects to leverage the DUNE platform to expand its market opportunity and increase sales of its Perspectus family of mmWave modules for FWA. Since the introduction of 60 GHz mmWave in the FWA market, it has found acceptance in sub-urban and rural applications where its ability to provide multi-gigabit connectivity at ranges up to 8km has proven advantages over cable, fiber and other FWA solutions. With the introduction of DUNE, Peraso is expanding the capabilities of its Perspectus 60 GHz mmWave hardware and the IEEE 802.11ad based platform to address high population density environments.

08:26 EST Horizon Aircraft completes business combination with Pono Capital - Robinson Aircraft, doing business as Horizon Aircraft, and Pono Capital Three (PTHR) announced the completion of the previously announced business combination. Beginning Tuesday, January 16, 2024, the combined company will operate as New Horizon Aircraft and the common shares and warrants will trade on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange under the ticker symbols "HOVR" and "HOVRW", respectively. Brandon Robinson, Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Horizon Aircraft, and the current management team including Jason O'Neill, Chief Operating Officer, Brian Robinson, Chief Engineer, and Brian Merker, Chief Financial Officer, will continue to lead Horizon Aircraft. Davin Kazama, CEO of Pono, added, "The Pono team is excited to have successfully completed this business combination with Horizon Aircraft. We are eager to see Brandon and the Horizon Aircraft team successfully execute their long-term operational and strategic objectives, building value for shareholders and stakeholders alike as they continue to develop a differentiated aircraft that will become dominant in the advanced air mobility space."

08:24 EST Microchip announces Lan969x Ethernet switches - To provide designers with a reliable and robust network solution with deterministic communication, Microchip Technology announces its next-generation of LAN969x Ethernet switches with Time Sensitive Networking, scalable bandwidths from 46 Gbps to 102 Gbps and a powerful 1 GHz single-core Arm Cortex-A53 CPU. For applications that require greater redundancy, the LAN969x Ethernet switches can be configured with High-availability Seamless Redundancy and Parallel Redundancy Protocol. HSR and PRP are hardware protocols that provide zero-loss redundancy in Ethernet networks. The LAN969x Ethernet switches support multiple HSR and PRP Redundancy Box instances that can operate in parallel and in series, as well as at Ethernet port speeds from 10 Mbps to 10 Gbps.

08:24 EST Ageagle Aerial Systems appoints Begley as interim CEO - AgEagle Aerial Systems announced the appointment of Company Chairman Grant Begley to Interim Chief Executive Officer position, effective January 1, 2024. Grant has served as a member of the Board since June 2016 and was elected Chairman in October 2023.

08:23 EST Biora Therapeutics announces 2023 anticipated milestones - "In 2023, we completed the transformation of the company, focusing on strong execution which laid the foundation for significant value inflection in the coming months," said Adi Mohanty, CEO. "We begin 2024 in the clinic with our phase 1 study for BT-600, which will be a major de-risking step in the development of our NaviCap platform. We already have data on the device alone in humans, and tofacitinib is already used to treat UC. In this study, we combine the two. Based on our previous work, we know that increased colon tissue concentration correlates with endoscopic healing in UC patients, and we observed the NaviCap platform achieve increased colon tissue concentration in animals. This clinical study should provide critical data to help prove our treatment hypothesis, setting the stage for a possible new treatment paradigm for the treatment of GI-related diseases. The BioJet platform continues to exceed its performance targets and shows outstanding promise to solve the challenges of oral delivery of large molecules-the holy grail of drug delivery. We are seeing increased interest in the platform as we generate additional performance data with multiple molecules from collaborators, including AstraZeneca and other large pharma companies, and we expect to progress these relationships toward broad partnership structures later this year, which could provide non-dilutive funding for further development," said Mr. Mohanty. 2024 Anticipated Milestones: NaviCap Targeted Oral Delivery Platform and BT-600 program in ulcerative colitis: Phase 1 SAD/MAD study data for BT-600 in healthy volunteers. Initial data from the SAD arm expected in 2-3 months, followed by MAD results including tissue data. Potential phase 1B study in UC patients. Developing study protocol with a goal to generate data for BT-600 in ulcerative colitis patients ahead of future phase 2 study. 56-day GLP tox study with BT-600. Planned to begin in 2H 2024; enabling requirement for larger and longer duration clinical studies. BioJet Systemic Oral Delivery Platform development: Progress with pharma collaborations. Ongoing preclinical data generation through animal studies with multiple collaborators' molecules anticipated throughout 2024. Anticipate expanding research collaborations into development partnerships.

08:22 EST ClearPoint Neuro announces FDA clearance for SmartFrame OR system - ClearPoint Neuro announced it has received 510(k) clearance for its SmartFrame OR Stereotactic System. "Expanding ClearPoint's portfolio beyond the MRI into the operating room is of key strategic significance to the Company in 2024 and beyond," stated Joe Burnett, President and CEO at ClearPoint Neuro. "More than 95% of all stereotactic neuro-navigation procedures take place in the OR, supporting DBS, Laser Ablation, Biopsy, sEEG, and more. This product is the first in ClearPoint's history that does not require the use of MRI during the procedure, allowing us to access more hospitals, and to support an order of magnitude more patients than our legacy portfolio. Importantly, the SmartFrame OR is compatible with capital hardware and software already present in many neurosurgical operating rooms and should not require the approval by hospital capital committees for surgeons to try this new product."

08:20 EST Salarius issued U.S. patent for next-gen targeted protein degraders - Salarius Pharmaceuticals announces that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, USPTO, has issued U.S. Patent No. 11,773,080, titled "Deuterium-enriched isoindolinonyl-azepanediones and related compounds and methods of treating medical disorders using same." This patent covers the composition of matter for novel molecular glue degraders and expires in mid-2039. As reported on August 8, 2023, Salarius retained Canaccord Genuity, LLC to lead a comprehensive review of strategic alternatives focusing on maximizing shareholder value. While these efforts are ongoing, the company continues to support its current programs, as appropriate. David Arthur, President and CEO of Salarius, said, "We are delighted to continue building our TPD portfolio using our deuterium-enabled chiral switching platform to identify and develop new therapeutics. The granting of this patent, the 17th issued to Salarius in TPDs across six patent families, demonstrates the ability of the DECS platform to develop novel protein degraders."

08:19 EST Cerence, Skoda elevate in-vehicle experience with Cerence Chat Pro - Cerence (CRNC) announced it will provide generative AI features for Skoda, a Volkswagen Group (VWAGY) brand. Skoda will launch a new in-car assistant experience leveraging Cerence Chat Pro, providing a seamless and intelligent companion for their everyday journeys. The integration of Cerence Chat Pro into Skoda's voice assistant, Laura, will empower drivers and passengers to engage in general knowledge chit-chat beyond Laura's already existing voice-control features such as navigation and air conditioning control - completely hands-free for improved drive safety. "At Cerence, we're on a mission to redefine the in-vehicle experience for drivers and passengers by helping automakers leverage AI to make each journey more intelligent, enjoyable, and safe," said Stefan Ortmanns, CEO, Cerence. "We're excited to collaborate with Skoda so their drivers can be amongst the first in the world to benefit from the sophisticated, connected mobility experience of Cerence Chat Pro."

08:17 EST Marathon Digital announces closing of acquisition of bitcoin mining sites - Marathon Digital has closed its previously announced acquisition of two operational Bitcoin mining sites, totaling 390 megawatts of operational capacity, from Generate Capital. "With the closing of this acquisition, we have officially made the transition to a more sophisticated organization with a diversified portfolio of Bitcoin mining assets," said Fred Thiel, Marathon's chairman and CEO. "Our mining portfolio now consists of approximately 910 megawatts of capacity, 45% of which resides on sites we directly own, and 55% of which is hosted by third parties. We look forward to integrating these assets into our portfolio, where we can leverage our cutting-edge technologies to improve efficiencies, and, over the next 18-24 months, scaling our operations to 50 exahashes of capacity."

08:17 EST Bullfrog AI announces issuance of Australian patent protecting prodrugs - BullFrog AI Holdings announced that the Australian Patent Office has issued Patent No. 2019216757 protecting the Company's novel prodrugs derived from mebendazole and their use in treating cancers and other diseases. This follows the July 2023 announcement of the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 11,712,435 for this invention, with issuance of patents expected in additional territories in the future. The patented compounds exhibit improved solubility and oral bioavailability relative to the parent drug, thereby addressing a key difficulty associated with the potential use of mebendazole for oncology indications, and include BF-223, a key asset in the Company's pipeline of in-licensed drugs. The Company previously announced positive results from a preclinical study demonstrating that BF-223 has anticancer activity in an animal model for glioblastoma.

08:16 EST LyondellBasell to acquire 35% interest in NATPET from Alujain for $500M - LyondellBasell announced it entered into an agreement to acquire a 35% interest in Saudi Arabia-based National Petrochemical Industrial Company, or NATPET, from Alujain for approximately $500M. Enabled by its Spheripol polypropylene technology, the joint venture positions LYB to grow and upgrade its core PP business through access to advantaged feedstocks, plus additional product marketing capacity, in a strategic region. Closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory and other customary closing conditions. Alujain and LYB are also assessing together potential construction of a new propylene via propane dehydrogenation and PP facility at the NATPET site, subject to a final investment decision. The project is being studied with a shared goal to implement solutions that align with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's 2060 carbon reduction strategy.

08:15 EST CPI Aerostructures appoints Ross Johnson as VP, program management - CPI Aerostructures has appointed Ross Johnson to the position of Vice President, Program Management. Most recently, he served as Director, Program Management at Sikorsky Aircraft, Inc. responsible for aircraft deliveries, customer management, contract execution and leadership of the aircraft build integrated product teams. He was further promoted to Director, Business Development for Sikorsky's commercial helicopter aftermarket.

08:14 EST Enphase Energy launches IQ8 microinverters in Belgium - Enphase Energy has started shipping IQ Microinverters in Belgium, with peak output AC power of 384 W, to support newer, high-powered solar modules. IQ8 Microinverters are designed to maximize energy production and can manage a continuous DC current of 14 amperes, supporting higher powered solar modules through increased energy harvesting. The three new microinverters - IQ8MC, IQ8AC, and IQ8HC - feature a peak output power of 330 W, 366 W, and 384 W, respectively, and are designed to seamlessly pair with a full range of solar modules up to 560 W DC. These IQ8 Microinverters activated in Belgium come with a 25-year limited warranty from Enphase.

08:13 EST Kratos Defense receives $50M in awards for CUAS, Air Defense systems - Kratos Defense & Security Solutions announced that it has recently received approximately $50 million in awards for Products and Hardware, including for and in support of Counter Unmanned Aerial System, CUAS, Air Defense and Radar Systems. The $50 million total includes contracts and programs that were awarded to Kratos on a single award or sole source basis. Kratos is an industry leader in systems, hardware and microwave electronics, including for and in support of CUAS, unmanned aerial drone, missile, radar and air defense related systems. At Kratos, affordability is a technology, with Kratos offerings envisioned and designed up front, for rapid, low-cost manufacturing and production, at scale and in large quantities. Work under these recently received awards will be performed at secure Kratos manufacturing facilities and customer locations. Due to security related, competitive and other considerations, no additional information will be provided. Eric DeMarco, President and CEO of Kratos, said, "Kratos' technology, products, software and systems are supporting the U.S. warfighter and our allies defense and security related needs and requirements, including in current contested and high intensity conflict areas globally. Kratos' ability to rapidly develop, produce and provide relevant, affordable solutions at scale and in quantity, we believe, is a competitive differentiator for our Company, customers, teammates and partners, and an important element of today's global security and defense environment."

08:13 EST WiMi Hologram Cloud working on mixed byzantine fault tolerance - WiMi Hologram Cloud announced working on a novel mixed byzantine fault tolerance. MBFT has its origins in the PBFT algorithm, the first consensus algorithm used in the Union Blockchain, but in many ways, MBFT has improved and innovated. MBFT improves scalability while ensuring fault tolerance. It combines sharding and layering to improve the performance of the blockchain. Layering effectively separates the functions of nodes, and by assigning the entire verification function and demodulation process to different nodes, layering reduces the load on a single node and improves consistency efficiency. Sharding can assign transactions to different groups of nodes, and when the number of transactions increases significantly, the system can dynamically increase the number of nodes and shards, thus improving processing capacity and reducing latency. Through functional node division, MBFT improves the efficiency of the blockchain without sacrificing security. In addition, MBFT introduces a random node selection mechanism and a credit mechanism to further enhance its security and fault tolerance. In MBFT, we assign nodes to different consensus groups and design new transaction verification and fault tolerance algorithms for each consensus group. Each consensus group verifies only a part of the transaction. At the same time, the blockchain system can still maintain 1/3 fault tolerance. MBFT algorithm can reduce blockchain forks while ensuring high fault tolerance and speed.

08:12 EST Renovaro BioSciences issues letter to shareholders - Renovaro Biosciences CEO, The Hon. Mark Dybul issued letter to shareholders. "I write to update you on our key developments towards precision medicine for healthy longevity - starting with cancer - powered by mutually reinforcing AI and biotechnology platforms for early diagnosis, better-targeted treatments, and drug discovery towards our vision of a world with effective cancer treatments free from toxic chemotherapy... 2024 is off to a promising start: - The Company filed its definitive proxy statement for its shareholder meeting scheduled for January 25, 2024, in order to vote on matters related to the combination with GEDi Cube. GEDi Cube has Promising AI advancements toward commercialization in 2024... In addition, since the last CEO letter, we have been advised by GEDi Cube that its team has substantially accelerated its multi-omic health technology while aggressively pursuing key partnerships to contribute to the commercialization of potential products and lay a solid foundation for a client base for rapid uptake when products become available. In that regard, GEDi Cube became a formal Inception Partner of NVIDIA. This partnership gives GEDi access to their resources for infrastructure and scaling, and specific advice and guidance from their Inception Team to progress towards moving from a multi-omic to a multi-modal approach by incorporating imaging technology... Renovaro Biosciences has expanded the pre-clinical validation of the effectiveness of the cancer vaccine RENB-DC11. Dr. Jewett dubbed the results "the holy grail of cancer research" based on the highly reproducible results obtained in 4 experiments of pancreatic cancer in humanized mice conducted by UCLA... Recently, a leading contract research organization conducted an additional animal study that was designed to examine the effects of RENB-DC11 in a more advanced stage of pancreatic cancer. In the treated group, there were no metastases, and there was a significant reduction in tumor size - down to an undetectable level. Compared with previous studies, half the dose and a non-matched pancreas tumor line lysate, rather than matching it to the specific cancer tissue biopsy, were used. In addition, Dr. Jewett conducted a preliminary study in liver cancer with promising results, showing a reduction in cancer progression, including metastases, and apparently improved survival in mice treated with the vaccine compared to the untreated group of animals... Finally, we have finalized the design of the clinical protocol and have identified the principal investigator from the Department of Oncology at UCLA to conduct the first-in-human studies, which is projected to be at the end of 2024...We firmly believe the winning combination of cutting-edge Health Tech and Biotech offers an opportunity for an end-to-end approach to cancer - from early diagnosis and detection of recurrence to prediction of treatment effectiveness to the discovery of new therapies while advancing our existing therapeutic vaccine towards our vision for living a long, healthy life free from toxic chemotherapy."

08:10 EST Synopsys, Ansys deal seen accretive to adjusted EPS within year two post close - Synopsys' total addressable market is expected to increase by 1.5x to approximately $28B. This combined TAM is expected to grow at roughly an 11% CAGR, driven by megatrends accelerating the need for the fusion of electronics and physics across industries. The combination is expected to strengthen Synopsys' financial profile. The combined company expects to continue its industry-leading, double-digit growth, which is expected to outpace TAM growth. The combination is expected to expand Synopsys' non-GAAP operating margin by approximately 125 basis points and unlevered free cash flow margins by approximately 75 basis points the first full year post-closing. The combination is expected to be accretive to non-GAAP EPS within the second full year post-closing and substantially accretive thereafter. The combined company is expected to generate substantial and sustained free cash flow, which will enable rapid de-leveraging to less than 2x debt to Adjusted EBITDA within two years post-closing, with a long-term leverage target of less than 1x. Synopsys expects to maintain investment grade credit ratings given its strong cash flow generation and commitment to rapidly de-lever. The combined company expects to achieve approximately $400M of run-rate cost synergies by year three post-closing and approximately $400M of run-rate revenue synergies by year four post-closing, growing to more than approximately $1B annually in the longer-term.

08:10 EST Musk says 'uncomfortable' making Tesla AI leader without 25% control - Tesla CEO Elon Musk said via Twitter: "I am uncomfortable growing Tesla to be a leader in AI & robotics without having ~25% voting control. Enough to be influential, but not so much that I can't be overturned. Unless that is the case, I would prefer to build products outside of Tesla. You don't seem to understand that Tesla is not one startup, but a dozen. Simply look at the delta between what Tesla does and GM. As for stock ownership itself being enough motivation, Fidelity and other own similar stakes to me. Why don't they show up for work?" Reference Link

08:07 EST Stellantis, SIXT reach agreement for purchase of up to 250,000 vehicles - SIXT and Stellantis announce they have come to a multi-billion euro agreement under which SIXT could buy up to 250,000 vehicles for its rental fleet in its corporate countries across Europe and North America over the next three years. First significant delivery volumes will take place as early as the first quarter of 2024 and will continue throughout the year. SIXT rental customers will benefit from an attractive choice of vehicles of Stellantis award-winning brands. The deliveries to SIXT will include a variety of classes from city cars to SUVs to vans and trucks as well as a full range of propulsion types featuring the latest software and infotainment tech features. Specific order quantities, order compositions and delivery dates beyond the volumes that have already been planned for 2024 can be flexibly agreed between both companies considering fleet requirements and demand. Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis: "With today's amazing announcement with SIXT, we deliver on our commitments to offer the customer clean, safe and affordable mobility seen now in breakthrough vehicles and technology. Within our iconic brands, we offer a vehicle that fits practically every need, price point, and lifestyle. This partnership with SIXT enables current and potential Stellantis brand customers to immerse themselves in our newest offerings with the most advanced propulsion, vehicle connectivity and thoughtful comfort. It's the ultimate test drive and a critical checkpoint for us in the upcoming years as Stellantis transforms into a sustainable mobility tech company."

08:06 EST Delcath Systems announces first commercial use of HEPZATO KIT for mUM - Delcath Systems announced the first commercial use of HEPZATO KIT for the treatment of metastatic uveal melanoma, or mUM. The procedure took place at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida by Dr. Jonathan S. Zager, Chief Academic Officer; Senior Member, Department of Cutaneous, Oncology; Director of Regional Therapies, Moffitt Cancer Center. Dr. Zager was the global Lead Investigator for the FOCUS Phase 3 trial. The company is working with numerous other leading cancer centers across the U.S. which have indicated interest in HEPZATO KIT to ensure patients nationwide have access to this important treatment. In conjunction with the first commercial treatment, Delcath also launched websites relating to the HEPZATO KIT, including HEPZATO KIT, HEPZATO KIT REMS, and HEPZATO KIT Access, to support the commercial launch.

08:04 EST Solid Biosciences granted FDA ODD for SGT-003 - Solid Biosciences announced that it has been granted orphan drug designation, ODD, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, for SGT-003, the company's next-generation Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy candidate. "Obtaining ODD status for SGT-003, along with Fast Track Designation granted last month, furthers our efforts to meet the ongoing challenge of treating this devastating disease as expeditiously as possible," said Bo Cumbo, President and Chief Executive Officer at Solid Biosciences. "These designations are important milestones for Solid, supporting the continued development of next-generation therapies for Duchenne." The company is currently in the process of securing approvals from the institutional review boards at the clinical trial sites for the planned Phase 1/2 clinical trial of SGT-003 and expects to commence patient screening shortly thereafter. Patient dosing in the trial is expected to commence in mid-to-late first quarter of 2024.

08:03 EST Synopsys to acquire Ansys for cash and stock in $35B deal - Synopsys (SNPS) and Ansys (ANSS) announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Synopsys will acquire Ansys. Under the terms of the agreement, Ansys shareholders will receive $197.00 in cash and 0.3450 shares of Synopsys common stock for each Ansys share, representing an enterprise value of approximately $35B based on the closing price of Synopsys common stock on December 21, 20233. Bringing together Synopsys' pioneering semiconductor electronic design automation with Ansys' broad simulation and analysis portfolio will create a leader in silicon to systems design solutions. The implied per share consideration of $390.19, based on the closing price of Synopsys common stock of $559.96 as of December 21, 2023, represents a premium of approximately 29% over Ansys' closing stock price on December 21, 20235 and a premium of approximately 35% to Ansys' 60-day volume-weighted average price for the period ending on the same date. Under the terms of the agreement, Ansys shareholders are expected to own approximately 16.5% of the combined company on a pro forma basis. Synopsys intends to fund the $19B of cash consideration through a combination of its cash on hand and debt financing. Synopsys has obtained $16B of fully committed debt financing. The transaction is anticipated to close in the first half of 2025, subject to approval by Ansys shareholders, the receipt of required regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

08:01 EST Synopsys to acquire Ansys for cash and stock in $35B deal

07:59 EST Vox Royalty announces up to $25M revolving credit facility - Vox Royalty entered into a definitive credit agreement with the Bank of Montreal providing for a $15 million secured revolving credit facility. The Facility includes an accordion feature which provides for an additional $10 million of availability subject to certain conditions. The Company has not drawn on the Facility as of the date hereof. The key terms of the new Facility are: $15 million senior secured Facility; Additional $10 million Accordion; Secured against the assets of the Company; Interest rate of Secured Overnight Financing Rate plus 2.50% to 3.50%, contingent upon the Company's leverage ratio; Facility has flexibility to be drawn and repaid, with the undrawn portion subject to a standby fee of 0.5625% to 0.7875% per annum based on the undrawn amount; One-time arrangement fee of 0.50% and two-year upfront fee of 0.25% per annum on the total Facility amount, being $150,000 in the aggregate; The Facility will be available for general corporate purposes, acquisitions and investments; and Matures on December 31, 2025 with annual one-year extension option.

07:39 EST DocGo provides additional information pertaining to short seller report - The company said, "As previously disclosed in our press release dated January 10, 2024, DocGo Inc. ("DocGo" or the "Company") categorically rejects "Fuzzy Panda Research's" (FP) January 10th assessment of DocGo's business practices. As we previously advised our shareholders, this short seller mischaracterizes and misrepresents facts that are already known to the public, and uses unsubstantiated claims to intentionally present an overall picture of DocGo, our leadership and our business that is deliberately false, misleading and defamatory. The Company believes this short seller's allegations are motivated solely by its own financial gain at the expense of DocGo's shareholders, employees, patients, customers, and stakeholders. The Company has already sent FP a cease-and-desist letter, and continues to explore other means of legal recourse against FP and its associates. DocGo has no intention to provide a point-for-point response on unsubstantiated claims from disgruntled former staff members, dated and previously disclosed information, and the absurd litany of conjecture and factual distortions outlined in FP's so called "research report." With that said, the Company wishes to further refute several of the most egregious misrepresentations, mischaracterizations, inaccuracies and lies that have resulted in questions from our investors. Specifically: Regarding the Suggestion of Medicare Fraud, the Company is routinely reviewed by regulatory agencies and has not had adverse material financial findings against us. DocGo has a robust compliance department that reviews our billing claims for medical necessity and other billing compliance issues. Our Billing Compliance Department is staffed by Certified Ambulance Coders and/or Certified Evaluation and Management Coders. The Company engages independent third-party audit firms to audit our claims, and independent parties to perform compliance effectiveness reviews... Regarding the mischaracterization of DocGo's use of Variable Interest Entities or "VIEs," this is a commonly used structure within the industry and is used to comply with corporate practice of medicine requirements in many jurisdictions. The Company has publicly disclosed that it holds a variable interest in Mobile Medical Healthcare P.C. and previously disclosed that our Company held a variable interest in its predecessor, MD1 Medical Care P.C. Mobile Medical Healthcare P.C. contracts with physicians and other health professionals to provide services to our customers. Mobile Medical Healthcare P.C. is considered a variable interest entity ("VIE") under applicable accounting rules. However, contrary to FP's speculation, not only is this VIE not designed to "hide" losses or liabilities, but its results are consolidated into DocGo's financial statements. As such, DocGo bears the full weight of the financial condition of this VIE. Any comparison of this structure to the fraud perpetrated by Enron is a gross mischaracterization... Regarding the "ABC" liquidation and the incorrect allegation of greater than $100 million liabilities at a DocGo subsidiary, we previously disclosed that DocGo chose to conclude its medical transportation business in California in February 2023 to reallocate our resources to more attractive opportunities. The Company made the decision to implement the liquidation of our California medical transport entity, Ambulnz Health, LLC, through an assignment for the benefit of creditors ("ABC"), in accordance with California law... Regarding DocGo's independent auditor, Urish Popek is an established accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and founded in 1976. It has been engaged by public companies for over three decades, and has been a service provider to DocGo since April 2021. As with many other public companies, the Company also works with a Big Four accounting firm on our internal controls. As DocGo continues to grow in scale and complexity, we will continue to assess our auditing needs and ensure we have the right professionals in place..."

07:37 EST PyroGenesis receives $667k non-refundable downpayment under master agreement - PyroGenesis Canada announces that, further to the Company's previous disclosure in the Q3 2023 financial outlook dated November 9, 2023 regarding ongoing negotiations for a contract valued at over $10 million, PyroGenesis has now received a non-refundable down payment totaling $667,252, US$500,000, from a US-based technology company. The Client's name shall remain anonymous for competitive and confidential reasons. This non-refundable down payment is made pursuant to a recently signed Master Agreement between PyroGenesis and the Client and provides for a period of exclusivity until February 15, 2024, during which the Client expects to secure financing and complete a first statement of work with PyroGenesis. "This nonrefundable down payment is a significant step towards concluding the first SOW under the Master Agreement, a contract which anticipates many more SOWs to come," said Mr. P. Peter Pascali, President and CEO of PyroGenesis. "Provided the Client receives adequate financing, this contract has the potential to be a springboard from which PyroGenesis introduces a significant number of plasma torches into the marketplace. These direct sales would have an obvious impact on revenues and profitability, but they would also speak to our strategy to develop ongoing revenue streams from activities such as maintenance and spare parts sales. As industries increasingly seek efficient alternatives to fossil fuel-based systems, PyroGenesis' electric and carbon-free plasma torches continue to be proven as not just a highly suitable alternative, but also a potentially faster and more cost-effective solution."

07:34 EST Else Nutrition's Kids Shakes available via Ontario retail chain - ELSE NUTRITION announced that its Ready-to-Drink Kids Shakes are now available on shelves of a well-known retail chain across Ontario, expanding on the Else product line available at the retailer and marking an important entrance into the Canadian retail market. As previously announced, this prominent Ontario retailer, known for its quality and customer-centric approach, is the first brick-and-mortar retail partner in Canada to feature both the Vanilla and Chocolate flavors of Else's plant-based RTD Kids Shakes. Else's RTD Kids Shakes will be available in over 100 stores of the retailer and we anticipate several Canadian accounts to follow in its wake.

07:33 EST Ocugen appoints Bob Smith to business advisory board - Ocugen (OCGN) announced that Bob Smith, former Senior Vice President, Global Gene Therapy Business at Pfizer (PFE), has joined the Company's Business Advisory Board. The BAB was established in June 2023 to assist in driving public/private partnerships with governments around the world; pursuing business collaborations, partnerships, and licensing opportunities; creating awareness of the Company's differentiated capabilities; and promoting access to the Company's therapies around the world.

07:32 EST Anavex announces U.S phase 2 trial of ANAVEX 3-71 - Anavex Life Sciences announced the initiation of the U.S. FDA cleared placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial of ANAVEX3-71 for the treatment of schizophrenia, which is expected to begin in Q2 2024. ANAVEX3-71 positive initial Phase 1 results in healthy volunteers were previously reported. The placebo-controlled Phase 2 ANAVEX3-71-SZ-001 study, will consist of two-parts to explore multiple ascending doses in individuals with schizophrenia followed by a 28-day treatment period in a larger cohort. The study will utilize standard clinical outcome measures for schizophrenia including the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale and novel electrophysiological biomarkers identified by the ERP Biomarker Qualification Consortium for use in schizophrenia clinical trials. "Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness affecting 24 million people worldwide. While current antipsychotic therapies can be effective in managing positive symptoms, like hallucinations and delusions, they may not fully address persistent negative symptoms or cognitive difficulties. Often, available treatments are limited by side effects, e.g., movement disorders, sedation, weight gain, and other metabolic side effects," said Christopher Missling, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Anavex. "We are excited to build on our diverse Precision Medicine Platform, which advanced blarcamesine onto a regulatory pathway for potential treatment of Alzheimer's disease and to now also study ANAVEX3-71, another small molecule from our drug portfolio with selective SIGMAR1 receptor activity as a novel pharmacological approach to potentially provide a new schizophrenia treatment option for patients and their physicians."

07:29 EST HUB Security appoints Nachman Geva as CTO - HUB Cyber Security announces the strategic appointment of Nachman Geva as its Chief Technology Officer. Geva, a distinguished entrepreneur with over two decades of leadership in high-tech data analytics, now assumes the pivotal role of Chief Technology Officer at HUB Security. His extensive experience encompasses steering efficient teams, launching successful software products, and excelling in Big Data applications, Analytics, Search, Data Warehousing, IoT, and Data Integration.

07:28 EST Goldman Sachs reports Q4 FICC revenue $2.03B

07:25 EST Apollo Silver terminates Arizona Silver District Option to Purchase Agreement - Apollo Silver provides the following operational and corporate update. As part of the 2022 Metallurgical Test Program for the Calico Silver Project, an initial assessment of the quality of barite in the deposit was completed. This initial test work illustrated that a high quality barite concentrate could be produced, warranting a follow up investigation. As a follow-up to these positive results, and in anticipation of adding barite to the mineral resource inventory at Waterloo, further samples have been selected for assay to characterize the distribution of barite in the deposit. HIGHLIGHTS: Concentrate with up to 94.6% barite produced via flotation; Barite concentrate meets or exceeds the standards for chemical and physical specifications for drilling fluids for use in the petroleum industry as defined by the American Petroleum Institute; Further testing now underway includes barite analysis of 79 samples using various assay techniques; and Barite is on the U.S. Geological Survey Critical Minerals List, as it is critical for domestic metallurgical applications in the energy industry. In the 2022 Final List of Critical Minerals, published by the USGS, barite was identified as one of many minerals which "...play a significant role in our national security, economy, renewable energy development and infrastructure." Barite is critical for domestic metallurgical applications in the energy industry, with 90% of the barite sold in the U.S. used as a weighting agent in petroleum drilling. According to the USGS 2022 Mineral Commodity Report, the U.S. has a net import reliance of more than 75% as a percentage of consumption and over half of that total is imported from China/ In 2023, the Company completed two important steps towards including barite in an updated mineral resource estimate for Calico, expected in 2024. As reported on May 2, 2023, results from initial metallurgical test work showed that barite concentrates of up to 94% barite were achieved. In addition, barite quality analysis was completed and confirmed that the barite concentrate produced meets or exceeds the quality requirements for us in the U.S. as set by the API. As a follow up to these positive results and as the next step to adding barite to the mineral resource inventory at Waterloo, the Company has begun a test program designed to determine the optimal assay technique for barite. Using 79 samples distributed across the deposit, barite concentration will be analyzed to determine the best method to use to assay for barite in future test work. Typically, multi-element analytic assay methods under report barium; this program aims to determine the best analytical method for barium in order to then be able to ensure we are reporting the maximum concentration in each sample. Once results of this test work have been completed and the best method is identified, a comprehensive re-assay program of select drilling pulps will be completed, with the goal of then updated the Waterloo mineral resource estimate with the addition of barite. In 1979 ASARCO calculated an estimate of barite in the Waterloo deposit. The estimate reported a total of 33.9 million tonnes of mineralized rock in the deposit at a grade of 13.4% barite for a total of 4.5 million tonnes of barite at a grade of 93%. ASARCO assumed a 50% recovery and a cost of $70 per short ton of barite concentrate. While the junior mining market has remained volatile for some time, Apollo has focused on ensuring it remains well positioned to advance its Calico Silver-Barite asset. The Company has continued to carefully evaluate all capital allocations to ensure it is well positioned to benefit from a rebound in market conditions. With this overriding objective the Company has made the decision to terminate the Arizona Silver District Option to Purchase Agreement, with an effective date of January 15, 2024. Notice has been served to the vendor to this effect. In order to maintain the option to purchase the Langtry portion of the Calico project, the Company has made the required annual option payments of US$25,000 and US$100,000 to Athena Minerals Inc., and Bruce D. Strachan and Elizabeth Strachan Trust, respectively.

07:22 EST MetaWorks Platforms signs agreement to create series of metaverse classes - MetaWorks Platforms announces the signing of a groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding with a New Jersey-based charter school opening for the 2024/2025 academic year. MetaWorks also announced the nomination of Dr. LeRoi Jones to its advisory board as its senior education advisor. The agreement calls for MetaWorks Platforms and the New Jersey-based charter school to collaborate on the development of a series of classes that leverage AI-powered avatars and chatbots with the Metaverse. Students immersed in AI-powered Metaverse classes will develop critical skills essential for success in the 21st century. These skills include problem-solving, critical thinking, digital literacy, and adaptability-preparing students for the challenges and opportunities of this evolving landscape.

07:20 EST Tilray's SweetWater Brewing launches two additions to 'Gummies' line - SweetWater Brewing Company announced the release of two bold additions to the SweetWater Gummies line of brews, its latest run on fruit-flavored, high-alcohol beers. Prepare to ditch the winter blues with Sour Watermelon India Pale Ale and Cherry Limeaid IPA, which are both brewed with real fruit and clock in at 9.5% alcohol-by-volume. SweetWater's progressive brews push the boundaries of flavor with Sour Watermelon IPA features a watermelon candy aroma, a crisp fruity body with a hint of tartness, and a slightly sweet finish. Cherry Limeaid IPA leads with a lime-forward profile, a subtle maraschino cherry aroma, a sweet citrus body, and a hint of candy cherry flavor with a clean, sweet finish.

07:17 EST EyePoint reports inducement grants under Nasdaq listing rule - EyePoint Pharmaceuticals announced that the Company granted non-statutory stock options to a new employee as an inducement award outside the Company's 2023 Long-Term Incentive Plan in accordance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The Company granted stock options to purchase up to 10,000 shares of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals common stock to one new employee. The stock options were granted on January 12, 2023. The grant was approved by the Compensation Committee and made as an inducement material to the employee entering into employment with EyePoint Pharmaceuticals in accordance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The option award has an exercise price of $22.76 per share, the closing price of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals' common stock on January 12, 2024. The options have a ten-year term and vest over four years, with 25% of the original number of shares vesting on the first anniversary of the applicable employee's date of grant and the remainder vesting in equal monthly installments over the following three years. Vesting of the options is subject to the employee's continued service with EyePoint Pharmaceuticals through the applicable vesting dates.

07:16 EST Revive Therapeutics provides update on bucillamine for nerve agent exposure - Revive Therapeutics announced an update on the Company's project evaluating Bucillamine as a potential treatment for nerve agent exposure with Defence R&D Canada - Suffield Research Centre, an agency of the Canadian Department of National Defence. The Company and the DRDC have finalized the research protocol and expect the project to be completed by the end of Q2-2024. RDC is investigating pharmacological compounds that can mitigate nerve agent induced brain injury. Recent studies have shown that antioxidant compounds such as n-acetylcysteine could be beneficial in limiting seizure activity and improving the anticonvulsant efficacy of GABA-mediating drugs such as diazepam. Bucillamine is a significantly more effective antioxidant than NAC and has the potential to provide increased efficacy against seizure activity while limiting the anticoagulant and bleeding event liability observed with NAC. The overall objective of the research project is to investigate pharmacological means for neuroprotection of GABA receptors, which are required for the effectiveness of currently fielded anticonvulsant therapies. Bucillamine and NAC will be evaluated to determine the effect on GABA receptor endocytosis and the effect on diazepam effectiveness in terminating seizures. Any additional antioxidant effects on seizure activity and survival will also be assessed. The results from this research, if promising, will determine further studies to facilitate Health Canada approval for the use of Bucillamine in nerve agents or organophosphate pesticide poisoning and potentially begin initial studies for efficacy against mild traumatic brain injury caused by concussive or explosive forces. In addition, the Company and the DRDC may determine developing novel formulations of Bucillamine and potentially support the development of the Company's next-generation lyophilized formulation of Bucillamine that was successfully completed at the University of Waterloo.

07:14 EST Aclaris Therapeutics conducting strategic review of business - Aclaris announced that it is conducting a strategic review of its business to determine how to optimally deploy its capital to maximize shareholder return. On a preliminary unaudited basis, as of December 31, 2023, Aclaris' aggregate cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities was approximately $182 million. Aclaris also reiterates the following business plans: ATI-1777: Aclaris is seeking a development and commercialization partner for ATI-1777, its investigational topical "soft" JAK 1/3 inhibitor. Aclaris recently reported positive top-line results from its Phase 2b trial in atopic dermatitis. ATI-2138: Aclaris is assessing the most effective pathway including the lead indication for ATI-2138, its Phase 2 ready investigational oral covalent ITK/JAK3 inhibitor. Aclaris announced positive results from its Phase 1 MAD trial of ATI-2138 in 2023. Discovery: Aclaris plans to continue to advance discovery programs through KINect, its proprietary drug discovery platform.

07:13 EST Aclaris Therapeutics CEO Douglas Manion to step down - Aclaris Therapeutics announced leadership changes and that it is undertaking a strategic review of its business. Aclaris and Douglas Manion, M.D. have mutually agreed that Dr. Manion will step down as Aclaris' CEO and President and member of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. In connection with his departure, the Board has appointed Dr. Neal Walker, Aclaris' Chairman of the Board of Directors, as Interim CEO Dr. Walker is a co-founder of Aclaris, has served as a member of the Board of Directors since its inception, and previously served as Aclaris' CEO until 2022.

07:12 EST Hookipa Pharma appoints WInderlich as Chief Development Officer - HOOKIPA Pharma (HOOK) announced the appointment of Mark Winderlich, PhD, as Chief Development Officer, effective April 1, 2024. Dr. Winderlich has rich experience leading multiple candidates through the drug development process to product approval in the United States and in Europe. Dr. Winderlich joins HOOKIPA from Evotec SE (EVO), where he has served as Executive Vice President, Head of Global Scientific Operations. Dr. Malte Peters will continue to serve as ad interim Senior Clinical Advisor until the effective date. At such time, Dr. Peters will remain on the Company's board of directors as an independent director.

07:10 EST Vivid Seats announces partnership with Stockperks - Vivid Seats announced a strategic partnership with Stockperks, the innovative multi-channel marketplace for retail investors. This collaboration aims to amplify retail ownership of Vivid Seats' stock while offering exclusive perks and rewards through the Stockperks platform. "We are excited to continue building our retail investor base through this partnership with Stockperks," said Lawrence Fey, CFO of Vivid Seats. "At Vivid Seats, we already reward loyal fans through our industry leading rewards program. With this partnership, we are excited to reward loyal retail shareholders so they can "Experience it Live" as both shareholders and fans."

07:09 EST Freightos reports record 286,900 transactions in Q4 - Freightos reported preliminary Q4 key performance indicators. With 286.9 thousand transactions, Q4 was the 16th consecutive quarter of record #Transactions booked on Freightos' platform, bringing full year transactions to surpass the significant one million transaction milestone, exceeding management expectations for the year. The 36% #Transactions growth from Q4 2022 reflects the ongoing digitalization and platformification of the global freight industry. In 2023, Freightos confirmed itself as a leading platform by powering over a million real-time global freight-rate comparison, booking, and shipment management transactions. Gross Booking Value exceeded management expectations, increasing in the fourth quarter 10% year-on-year as strong #Transactions growth compensated for the reduced freight rates that prevailed in the market for most of the quarter. While disruption to shipping in the Red Sea did drive a rate increase, this only came in the final days of the year. The sustained #Transactions growth is fueled by the marketplace flywheel dynamics, as buyer and seller growth bring additional supply and demand which in turn attract additional buyers and sellers.

07:09 EST Allakos expects restructuring activities to extend cash runway into mid-2026 - The Company ended the fourth quarter of 2023 with approximately $171 million in cash, cash equivalents and investments. The company estimated cash, cash equivalents and investments at year end 2024 $81M-$86M.

07:08 EST Neurogene appoints Julie Jordan M.D CMO - Neurogen announced the appointment of Julie Jordan, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Jordan brings to Neurogene over 20 years of industry and clinical expertise involving the design and execution of global clinical trials across multiple development areas, including gene therapy and central nervous system disorders. She most recently served as Chief Medical Officer of Homology Medicines, a clinical-stage company advancing gene therapies for the treatment of rare diseases.

07:07 EST Ecovyst names Kara Thornton as Chief Human Resources Officer - Ecovyst announced that Kara Thornton has been appointed Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. Thornton most recently service as Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Neuronetics, a medical device company based in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

07:06 EST Eyenovia re-acquires development, commercialization rights to MicroPine - Eyenovia announced that it has re-acquired the rights to MicroPine in the U.S. and Canada. The re-acquisition of MicroPine greatly expands Eyenovia's phase III pipeline and commercial opportunities, as follows: As Eyenovia accelerates its commercial capabilities in 2024 with the expanded launch of MydCombi and the anticipated introduction of APP-13007, MicroPine adds a major late-stage asset in a large market with high unmet medical need; Based upon the Company's internal forecast, by acquiring back the MicroPine rights, the overall asset value of the MicroPine program to Eyenovia more than doubles compared to what the Company would have been eligible to receive under the original license agreement; Eyenovia will work to accelerate the ongoing CHAPERONE phase III trial and engage with FDA to explore options to expedite development and registration of MicroPine; Expands the territories in which the CHAPERONE study may be conducted to support registration as well as the field of potential collaborators to engage for future partnering or strategic discussions. "With the FDA approval of MydCombi for in-office mydriasis, together with our recent announcement that we in-licensed the U.S. commercial rights to APP13007 for post-ocular surgical pain and inflammation from Formosa Pharmaceuticals, our commercialization strategy is accelerating," stated Michael Rowe, chief executive officer of Eyenovia. "We believe the addition of MicroPine, if approved, would be highly complementary to these products." In connection with this transaction, Eyenovia will pay Bausch + Lomb Ireland Limited an upfront payment consisting of $2 million in cash and $3 million in shares of common stock, as well as a low single-digit royalty on Eyenovia's net sales of MicroPine in the United States and Canada.

07:05 EST Restaurant Brands to acquire Carrols Restaurant for $9.55 per share in cash - Restaurant Brands International (QSR) and Carrols Restaurant Group (TAST) announced that they have reached an agreement for RBI to acquire all of Carrols issued and outstanding shares that are not already held by RBI or its affiliates for $9.55 per share in an all cash transaction, or an aggregate total enterprise value of approximately $1B, representing a 23.1% premium to Carrols 30-day volume-weighted average price as of January 12, 2024 and a 13.4% premium to the January 12, 2024 closing price. A special transaction committee of Carrols' Board of Directors comprised of independent directors unaffiliated with RBI, advised by independent legal and financial advisors, was formed to conduct a deliberate and thoughtful process to evaluate this proposal. Transaction negotiations were led by the Special Committee and following its unanimous recommendation, the Carrols Board of Directors unanimously approved the merger agreement with RBI and agreed to recommend that Carrols stockholders vote to adopt the merger agreement. The definitive merger agreement includes a 30-day "go shop" period that will allow the company to affirmatively solicit alternative proposals from interested parties. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2024 and is subject to expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as well as other customary closing conditions, including approval by the holders of a majority of common stock held by Carrols stockholders excluding shares held by RBI and its affiliates and officers of Carrols in addition to approval by holders of a majority of outstanding common stock of Carrols. The transaction is not subject to a financing contingency and is expected to be financed with cash on hand and term loan debt for which RBI has received a financing commitment. RBI expects the transaction to be approximately neutral to Adjusted Earnings per Share. Net leverage giving effect to the transaction will increase minimally and the Company will remain on track to reach its previously stated net leverage target of mid-four times by the end of 2024. Affiliates of Cambridge Franchise Holdings, LLC, who in aggregate own or control approximately 17% of outstanding Carrols shares and approximately 20% of outstanding Carrols shares held by stockholders unaffiliated with RBI, have entered into a voting agreement pursuant to which they have agreed, among other things, to vote their shares of common stock of Carrols in favor of the transaction.

07:04 EST Allakos announces restructuring to focus on AK006, to reduce staff by 50% - Allakos announced a restructuring to reduce costs and to focus on AK006 clinical development and additional preclinical programs. As a result, the Company's cash runway is expected to extend into mid-2026. The Company will halt lirentelimab-related activities across clinical, manufacturing, research and administrative functions. As a result, the Company will reduce its workforce by approximately 50%.

07:02 EST Restaurant Brands to acquire Carrols Restaurant for $9.55 per share in cash

06:56 EST Asensus Surgical: Nagoya University Hospital to use Senhance Surgery System - Asensus Surgical announced that Nagoya University Hospital in Japan has entered into an agreement to lease and utilize a Senhance Surgical System in their Pediatric Surgery Department, at the end of December 2023. This is the first pediatric installation in Japan and the fourth globally for 2023.

06:51 EST NRx Pharmaceuticals receives QIDP, fast track designation from FDA for NRX-101 - NRx Pharmaceuticals announced that it has received Qualified Infectious Disease Product, or QIDP, and fast track designation from the FDA for NRX-101 in the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections, or cUTI, and pyelonephritis. Receipt of QIDP designation confers priority review, and five additional years of data-exclusivity to NRX-101's intellectual property position.

06:47 EST Vista Gold to undertake several activities in 2024 - Vista plans to undertake the following activities which believes will further add value and minimize risk for shareholders. The Company plans to commence a drill program totaling 6,000-7,000 meters, with the focus to add shallow gold resources at the north end of the Batman deposit. This drilling program is a condition of our previously announced royalty transaction. Management believes that if we are able to convert gold resources to gold reserves this would add substantial value to Mt Todd by improving cash flow as a result of a more constant production profile, reduced stripping, and increased mine life for all development scenarios. Mobilization of the first drill rig is in process and drilling is expected to begin in late January or early February. The proposed drilling is expected to have an all-in cost of approximately $2M and to be completed by year end. Vista plans to leverage the results of the drilling program and prior technical studies by advancing evaluations of staged development scenarios for Mt Todd. The Company's recent $20M royalty transaction provides a solid foundation for our efforts to best realize value for shareholders. It was achieved without equity dilution and places us in a strong financial position as we continue our work with CIBC. Royalty proceeds in December 2023 were $3M. The remaining royalty proceeds totaling $17M are expected to be received by the end of the Q2 . Management plans to maintain similar spending levels for costs of a recurring nature, continue to pursue cost reductions where possible, and leverage prior technical studies for the staged development evaluation. The company plans to publish our first ESG report in the Q1.

06:41 EST Cellectar announces preclinical data for CLR 121225 - Cellectar Biosciences announced promising preclinical data for its proprietary novel alpha-emitting phospholipid radiotherapeutic conjugate, CLR 121225 an actinium-labeled phospholipid ether, in pancreatic cancer models. The development of this compound will expand the company's clinical pipeline of PLE cancer targeting compounds to include targeted alpha therapies, complementing its beta-emitting phospholipid radiotherapeutic conjugate, iopofosine I 131, which achieved its primary endpoint in the CLOVER WaM pivotal study in highly refractory Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia patients. Cellectar's PLE platform may provide unique advantages which overcome the issues experienced by existing TAT delivery platforms. While current TAT platforms, such as antibodies and peptides, possess the potential to be effective for treating cancers with low tumor volume, they are challenged to treat higher volume or bulky tumors due to insufficient penetration and the need for high quantities of the target epitope. Cellectar's PLE's possess biochemical properties that enable penetration of the TAT payload deep into the tumor mass and the abundance of lipid rafts on tumor cells provides near universal delivery and enhanced outcomes. In preclinical studies, CLR 121225 demonstrated potent anti-tumor activity in refractory pancreatic cancer mouse xenograft models.

06:36 EST FirstSun Capital Bancorp and HomeStreet enter into a definitive merger agreement - FirstSun Capital Bancorp, the holding company of Dallas-based Sunflower Bank, and Seattle-based HomeStreet, the holding company of HomeStreet Bank, jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement, which was unanimously approved by the board of directors of both companies. Under the terms of the agreement, HomeStreet and HomeStreet Bank will merge with and into FirstSun and Sunflower Bank, respectively, with HomeStreet Bank continuing to operate under its tradename in its current markets. Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will combine in an all-stock transaction in which HomeStreet shareholders will receive 0.4345 of a share of FirstSun common stock for each share of HomeStreet common stock which represents a value of $14.75 per share representing a 37% premium to the closing price per share of HomeStreet Shares on January 12. The combined entity is expected to be listed on the NASDAQ upon closing. FirstSun also announced that it has entered into investment agreements with investors to raise capital to support the merger, led by Wellington Management. In aggregate, $175M of common stock will be issued to those Investors: $80M of which will be issued to Wellington immediately following today's merger announcement, and (b) the remaining $95M of which will be issued concurrently with, and subject to, closing of the merger. The proceeds of this capital are expected to support the pro forma company's balance sheet, resulting in CET1 of 9%+ pro forma at the consolidated BHC level and 10%+ at the bank level. Upon completion of the merger, the shares issued to HomeStreet shareholders are expected to comprise 22% of the outstanding shares of the combined company, the shares issued to Investors in the common stock issuance are expected to represent 14% of the combined company, and the expected remaining ownership of 64% will be held by legacy FirstSun common shareholders. In the equity capital raise transaction, FirstSun will sell approximately 2.46 million shares of its common stock at an issuance price of $32.50 per share at the announcement of the merger and 2.92 million shares of its common stock at an issuance price of $32.50 per share at the closing of the merger. The parties expect the closing of the merger to occur in the middle of 2024. Stephens served as financial advisor and rendered a fairness opinion to FirstSun's board of directors and Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP served as legal counsel to FirstSun. Keefe Bruyette and Woods, A Stifel Company, served as financial advisor and rendered a fairness opinion to HomeStreet's board of directors and Sullivan and Cromwell served as legal counsel to HomeStreet. Schulte, Roth & Zabel served as legal advisor to Wellington Management. Latham & Watkins served as legal advisor to Keefe Bruyette and Woods, A Stifel Company.

06:32 EST Uranium Energy restarts uranium production at Christensen Ranch in Wyoming - Uranium Energy announced that the company's board of directors has approved restarting uranium production at its fully permitted, and past producing, Christensen Ranch In-Situ Recovery, or ISR, operations in Wyoming. The recovered uranium will be processed at the fully operational Irigaray Central Processing Plant, or CPP, with a current licensed capacity of 2.5M pounds U3O8 per year. The Irigaray CPP is the hub central to four fully permitted ISR projects in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming, including Christensen Ranch. The first production is expected during August of this year and will be funded with existing cash on the company's balance sheet. As UEC's strategy has been to remain 100% unhedged, produced uranium will be sold at prevailing spot market prices which was $106 per pound U3O8 as of January 15 as reported by UxC. In the coming months, the company will provide additional information on the expected volumes for the first year of production. The key focus in the final pre-production phase before the August restart is hiring and training of additional operations personnel to augment UEC's experienced operations team to ensure a successful ramp-up of uranium production. New personnel are anticipated to be hired from local communities such as Buffalo, Gillette, Casper, Kaycee and Wright.

06:31 EST Scorpio Tankers to sell an MR Tanker and excercise purchase options on 5 tankers - Scorpio Tankers announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell an MR product tanker, and has exercised the purchase options on five ships. The Company has entered into an agreement to sell the 2015 built MR product tanker, STI Tribeca, for $39.1M. The sale of this vessel is expected to close within the Q1. The Company has given notice to exercise its purchase options on one 2015 built MR product tanker and four 2014 built Handymax product tankers. The purchases, which are expected to occur in the first half of 2024, will result in a debt reduction of $61.1M for the Company.

06:07 EST WiSA Association announces third display licensee of WiSA E software - WiSA Association, a subsidiary of WiSA Technologies, announces its third display licensee of WiSA E software. The licensee, an international TV brand and a top three in global HDTV shipments for 2023, will now be able to provide its consumers with a range of wireless immersive audio options, including full interoperability with any of the WiSA E-enabled speakers offered by the many WiSA Association speaker brands. The 5-year license enables the licensee to incorporate WiSA E wireless immersive audio transmitter technology across all or any of its HDPTV platforms.

06:07 EST Enerflex sees FY24 CapEx $90M-$110M - Enerflex is targeting a disciplined capital program in 2024, with total capital expenditures of $90M-$110M. This includes a total of approximately $70M for maintenance and PP&E capital expenditures. Investing to expand our Energy Infrastructure business in 2024 is discretionary and will be allocated to customer supported opportunities that are expected to generate attractive returns and deliver value to Enerflex shareholders.

06:04 EST TH International opens first seven Tims China stores in Shanghai Metro stations - TH International announced the opening of the first seven Tims China stores in Shanghai Metro stations. The partnership will be expanded to include more Tims coffee shops in "Line 14" stations.

06:03 EST General Motors, EV Connect expand collaboration - Expanding its collaboration with General Motors, EV Connect announced the availability of Plug and Charge on the EV Connect network through GM vehicle brand apps. GM drivers can now simply plug in and charge their vehicles on the EV Connect network without swiping a payment card or scanning an RFID tag at nearly 200 compatible DC fast chargers nationwide. More Plug and Charge capable charging stations are expected to be added regularly for GM drivers throughout 2024.

06:01 EST SSR Mining reports Q4 production 211,100 gold equivalent ounces - SSR Mining reported Q4 consolidated production of approximately 211,100 gold equivalent ounces, delivering FY23 consolidated production of approximately 706,900 gold equivalent ounces and meeting the Company's 2023 production guidance. With these results SSR Mining continues to extend its operational track record, delivering on production guidance targets in 11 of the last 12 years.

05:57 EST Vodafone to invest $1.5B over 10 years in AI services with Microsoft - Vodafone (VOD) and Microsoft (MSFT) on Tuesday announced a new,10-year strategic partnership that leverages their respective strengths in offering scaled digital platforms to more than 300M businesses, public sector organizations, and consumers across Europe and Africa. Through the partnership, the companies will collaborate to transform Vodafone's customer experience using Microsoft's generative AI; hyperscale Vodafone's managed IoT connectivity platform; develop new digital and financial services for businesses, particularly SMEs across Europe and Africa; and overhaul its global data center cloud strategy. Vodafone will invest $1.5B over the next 10 years in cloud and customer-focused AI services developed in conjunction with Microsoft. Additionally, Microsoft will use Vodafone's fixed and mobile connectivity services. Microsoft also intends to invest in Vodafone's managed IoT connectivity platform, which will become a separate, standalone business by April.

05:50 EST Stellantis appoints Carlos Zarlenga as North America COO - Effective February 1, Carlos Zarlenga will replace Mark Stewart as North America COO to leverage further improvements in Stellantis' performance in North America and unleash the iconic American brands portfolio potential in close cooperation with their CEOs. Carlos Zarlenga is a leader with more than a decade of automotive experience in EMEA, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Since he joined Stellantis in 2022 as president of Stellantis Mexico, he has delivered a year-on-year improvement in sales performance, market share and AOI, leading to the best profit level ever recorded in Mexico. Carlos Zarlenga graduated from Universidad de Belgrano - Buenos Aires, Argentina.

05:36 EST IHS Holding, Wendel Group agree on corporate government matters - IHS Holding and Wendel Group announced IHS Towers has finalized a settlement agreement with Wendel in relation to ongoing litigation and proposed changes to the company's Articles of Association. As part of the settlement agreement, certain changes to the company's Articles of Association will be proposed for shareholders' approval at the company's annual general meeting, or AGM, for FY24, which the company supports. The proposed changes to the articles include, among other things, a proposed declassification of the company's board in two phases, with the periods extending through AGMs for FY24 and FY25. Following the AGM for fiscal year FY25, all directors will be elected on an annual basis. Additional proposals to be tabled include reducing the threshold for shareholders to nominate directors from 30% currently to 10%, on an individual shareholder basis following the AGM for FY24, and on an aggregate basis following the fiscal year AGM for 2025; reducing the threshold for shareholders to bring business before a general meeting from 30% currently to 10%, on an individual shareholder basis following the AGM for fiscal year 2024 and on an aggregate basis following the AGM for 2025; introducing a new right for holders owning at least 25% of shares to requisition a general meeting following the AGM for fiscal year 2025; and reducing the threshold to remove directors from a special resolution currently to an ordinary resolution, in each case as set out pursuant to the settlement agreement.

05:31 EST Jefferies Financial Group, Sumitomo Mitsui expand strategic alliance to EMEA - Jefferies Financial Group (JEF) and Sumitomo Mitsui (SMFG) announced that they have signed a memorandum of understanding to further expand their global strategic alliance to now include enhanced collaboration across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, or EMEA, on future corporate and investment banking business opportunities. In support of the initial strategic alliance in 2021, SMBC provided $2.25B in financing to Jefferies and purchased approximately 4.5% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Jefferies. In April 2023 the alliance was further bolstered by SMBC announcing its intention to raise its economic ownership to up to 15% on an as converted and fully diluted basis, which would result in SMBC becoming one of Jefferies' most significant shareholders.

05:22 EST Aurora Mobile partners with Star Charge to promote new energy industry - Aurora Mobile announced that it has signed a strategic agreement with Star Charge, Asia's leading digital energy unicorn. Leveraging its powerful customer engagement platform and multi-channel messaging solution, Aurora Mobile will help Star Charge execute a more precise user outreach strategy and achieve a more efficient message delivery rate.

05:16 EST Mercantile Bank increases quarterly cash dividend to 35c per share - Mercantile Bank announced that on its board of directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 35c per common share, payable on March 13 to holders of record as of March 1. The 35c cash dividend is approximately 3% and 6% higher than the cash dividends paid during the fourth quarter and first quarter of 2023, respectively.