Stockwinners Market Radar for January 29, 2024 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:22 EST Hollysys reiterates strong support for Ascendent Capital deal

19:50 EST GRI Bio Inc trading halted, news pending

18:21 EST Harmonic says interest for Video business has not yet translated into any deal - The company states: "In our Q3 2023 earnings press release we announced that we had initiated a formal strategic review process for our Video business to better position Harmonic for long-term shareholder value creation. As noted in that press release, we received indications of interest in our Video business from a number of parties. To date, that interest has not yet translated into a definitive agreement with any party. We are continuing the strategic review process, and no specific timetable has been established for the completion of the review. We do not intend to disclose further details with respect to the review process unless and until our board of directors approves a specific transaction or otherwise concludes its review. Since the strategic review may cause some disruption to the business, we are conservatively guiding our Video business for 2024."

18:01 EST IBM, KQC collaborate to bring watsonx, quantum computing to Korea - IBM announced that Korea Quantum Computing has engaged IBM to offer IBM's most advanced AI software and infrastructure, as well as quantum computing services. KQC's ecosystem of users will have access to IBM's full stack solution for AI, including watsonx, an AI and data platform to train, tune and deploy advanced AI models and software for enterprises. KQC is also expanding its quantum computing collaboration with IBM. Having operated as an IBM Quantum Innovation Center since 2022, KQC will continue to offer access to IBM's global fleet of utility-scale quantum systems over the cloud. Additionally, IBM and KQC plan to deploy an IBM Quantum System Two on-site at KQC in Busan, South Korea by 2028. "KQC is providing versatile computing infrastructure in Korea through our collaboration with IBM. Our robust hardware computing resources and core software in quantum and AI are poised not only to meet the growing demand for high performance computing, but also to catalyze industry utilization and ecosystem development. We are working to diligently enhance services and infrastructure through this collaboration as well as with our industry-specific partners," said Ji Hoon Kweon, Chairman of KQC.

17:23 EST Scynexis announces presentation of data from fungerp candidate SCY-247 - SCYNEXIS announced the presentation of preclinical efficacy data on its second generation fungerp candidate SCY-247. Ashraf Ibrahim, PhD, FAAM, FECCM, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and an investigator at the Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, presented a poster entitled, "SCY-247, a novel second-generation IV/oral triterpenoid antifungal, is efficacious in the neutropenic mouse model of pulmonary mucormycosis," at the 11th Advances Against Aspergillosis and Mucormycosis Conference in Milan, Italy from January 25 - 27. Mucormycosis is a life-threatening fungal infection with an associated mortality that ranges from 46% to 96%4, most commonly affecting immunocompromised patients including those with leukemia, patients undergoing bone marrow transplants, and patients affected by severe COVID or uncontrolled diabetes mellitus. In this highly lethal mouse model of mucormycosis, SCY-247 showed very promising in vivo efficacy. Orally administered SCY-247 resulted in 40% and 50% survival at 21 days post infection for the intermediate and high doses, respectively, compared to 0% survival in the placebo group. This is comparable to the 40% survival observed in the control group treated with 10 mg/kg of intravenous standard of care of liposomal amphotericin B. Even more encouraging was a 90% survival observed in the group receiving combination therapy of SCY-247 32 mg/kg plus LAMB 10 mg/kg. The positive survival data correlated with a statistically significant fungal burden reduction in both lung and brain tissue with SCY-247 32 mg/kg dose and 48 mg/kg dose as well as with the active control LAMB. The combination treatment of SCY-247 plus LAMB demonstrated the greatest reduction in fungal burden and was highly statistically significant in both lung and brain tissue. The work reported here utilized the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' (NIAID's) suite of preclinical services for in vivo testing.

17:15 EST Zoom's new app for Apple Vision Pro makes hybrid collaboration more immersive - Zoom (ZM) launches new app for Apple (AAPL)Vision Pro to make hybrid collaboration more immersive... The company said in a release: "Zoom announced a new app designed for Apple Vision Pro, giving users the ability to connect with colleagues and customers in a more real-world, immersive environment, available on February 2. Zoom's app for Apple Vision Pro seamlessly blends video conferencing with users' physical space, blurring the lines of in-person and remote meetings with the infinite canvas on Apple Vision Pro, helping distributed teams feel more connected and included. "Zoom on Apple Vision Pro helps teammates stay connected no matter when and where they work, or how they communicate and collaborate," said Smita Hashim, chief product officer at Zoom. "The integration of Zoom on Apple Vision Pro and visionOS extends our platform promise of allowing participants the ultimate meeting experience from anywhere and delivers on our commitment of seamless collaboration and communication." With people working in-person, remotely, or hybrid, Zoom is helping users facilitate connection, productivity, and collaboration with their colleagues and customers. Zoom's app on Apple Vision Pro provides users with a native experience for meetings, giving them exceptional audio and video quality, as well as the ability to easily start, join, collaborate, and schedule meetings." Reference Link

17:09 EST Webuy receives noncompliance notification from Nasdaq - Webuy announced that on January 26, it received written notification from Nasdaq for failing to maintain a minimum bid price of $1.00 per share for the last 30 consecutive business days, as required by Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2) - bid price. The Nasdaq notification has no immediate effect on the listing of Webuy's shares. Under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), Webuy has 180 calendar days, or until July 24 to regain compliance. If at any time over this period the bid price of Webuy's shares closes at $1.00 per share or more for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days, Nasdaq will provide written confirmation of compliance and the matter will be closed.

17:02 EST Danimer Scientific receives continued listing standard notice from NYSE - Danimer Scientific announced that it received a notice from the New York Stock Exchange on January 23, 2024, that the company is not currently in compliance with the NYSE's continued listing standard requiring listed-company stock to maintain an average closing price of not less than $1.00 per share over a period of thirty consecutive trading days. The Notice does not result in the immediate delisting of the company's Common Stock from the NYSE. On January 26, 2024, the company notified the NYSE that it intends to cure the stock price deficiency and return to compliance with the NYSE's minimum share price standard within the six-month period following receipt of the Notice. The company's Common Stock will continue to be listed and trade on the NYSE during this period, subject to its compliance with other NYSE continued listing standards. The receipt of the Notice does not affect the company's business, operations or reporting requirements with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company intends to consider all available options to cure its non-compliance with the NYSE minimum share price standard. The company can regain compliance with the minimum share price requirement at any time during the six-month cure period if, on the last trading day of any calendar month during the cure period or on the last day of the cure period, the company has (i) a closing share price of at least $1.00, and (ii) an average closing share price of at least $1.00 over the 30 trading-day periods ending on the last trading day of that month.

17:02 EST Levi Strauss announces Michelle Gass assumes role of CEO - Levi Strauss & Co. announced that Michelle Gass has assumed the role of president and CEO, as previously disclosed in December. Gass follows Chip Bergh, who served as the company's president and CEO for the previous 12.5 years. Gass brings extensive retail and omnichannel experience to LS&Co.'s top job and is expected to drive a strategic vision focused on accelerating international growth, positioning the Levi's brand as a head-to-toe denim lifestyle apparel business and transitioning LS&Co.'s operating model to a direct-to-consumer -first organization. Gass announced that LS&Co. is expanding its executive leadership team with two immediate appointments, emphasizing the company's dedication to pivoting fully to a DTC-first, brand-led business model. Levi's Chief Marketing Officer Kenny Mitchell and newly promoted Chief Merchandising Officer Dawn Vitale will join the executive leadership team, which, under Gass' leadership, is responsible for setting the company's overall direction and overseeing all major strategic, financial and operational decisions. In addition, Gass announced the company's plans to hire a president and chief commercial officer who will join the executive leadership team and be responsible for shaping our global commercial strategy and accelerating growth and profitability for the Levi's brand. These changes reflect Gass' commitment to prioritizing growth and a consumer-centric approach throughout LS&Co.

17:01 EST Greenbrook TMS names Peter Willett CFO - Greenbrook TMS announced that the company's Board of Directors has appointed Peter Willett as the company's full-time Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Willett was appointed Interim Chief Financial Officer of the company in October 2023, prior to which he has been a key player on the Greenbrook finance team over the past six years, serving as its Senior Vice President of Finance. Peter brings over 11 years of finance experience, providing a broad base of experience and specialized knowledge about the financial and accounting matters that are unique to the mental health services industry.

16:40 EST Cidara gets $2.8M milestone payment from Mundipharma for MHRA's Rezzayo approval - Cidara Therapeutics announced that the United Kingdom or U.K., Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, MHRA, has approved REZZAYO or rezafungin acetate, for the treatment of invasive candidiasis in adults. "Today's announcement by the MHRA expands treatment options to even more patients suffering from life-threatening invasive candidiasis infections globally," said Taylor Sandison, M.D. M.P.H., Chief Medical Officer at Cidara. "Our team, in partnership with Mundipharma, is proud to help bring the first new treatment option in 15 years to patients with this disease." This approval comes after positive results from the ReSTORE Phase III clinical trial, which demonstrated statistical non-inferiority for weekly-dosed rezafungin compared to the standard of care, daily-dosed caspofungin. Rezafungin's safety and efficacy are further supported by the STRIVE Phase II clinical trials and an extensive nonclinical development program. Rezafungin is already approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration FDA, and European Commission EC. Cidara Therapeutics has partnered with Mundipharma, which has commercial rights to rezafungin outside the U.S. and Japan. The company is entitled to receive a $2.8 M milestone payment from Mundipharma for the MHRA approval.

16:36 EST Leidos awarded contract by ARPA-H - Leidos was recently awarded a prime contract by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H. The hybrid firm fixed price/time and materials contract was awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, and has a one-year base period of performance and two one-year options. ARPA-H supports the development of high-impact transformative biomedical and health research as an independent entity of the National Institutes of Health. Through this contract, Leidos will provide scalable solutions and resilient systems to the agency's mission accelerating better health outcomes for everyone. The company will provide ARPA-H with a full range of IT support, design, development, and implementation.

16:32 EST JetBlue names Warren Christie as new COO - JetBlue "announced the promotion of Warren Christie to chief operating officer effective February 12, 2024, concurrent with the previously announced transition of current president and chief operating officer Joanna Geraghty to the role of chief executive officer effective February 12, 2024. Christie currently serves as head of safety, security, fleet operations, airports and JetBlue University. In his newly expanded role, Christie will lead the airline's day-to-day operational performance assuming responsibility for the airline's safe and reliable operations, overseeing JetBlue's airports, flight ops, inflight experience, safety, security, system operations, and technical operations functions, as well as JetBlue University's training academy."

16:31 EST ePlus acquires certain assets of Peak Resources for undisclosed amount - ePlus announced that it has acquired certain assets of PEAK Resources. Based in Denver, CO, one of the fastest growing metro areas in the U.S., PEAK has built a reputation as one of the top IT Solution Providers in the region. PEAK's customer-centric approach focuses on delivering professional services, data center, networking and cyber security products and solutions. The acquisition will help drive additional growth with enhanced engineering, sales, and services delivery capabilities in the mountain west region. The acquisition of certain assets and liabilities of PEAK Resources closed on January 26. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

16:31 EST Equity Lifestyle raises annual dividend 6.7% to $1.91 per share - The board of Directors has approved setting the annual dividend rate for 2024 at $1.91 per share of Common Stock, an increase of 6.7%, or $0.12, over the current $1.79 per share of Common Stock for 2023. Our Board of Directors, in its sole discretion, will determine the amount of each quarterly dividend in advance of payment.

16:21 EST Helmerich & Payne maintains FY24 capex view of $450M-$500M - In North America Solutions: the company sees: "North America Solutions direct margins to be between $255M-$275M." Backs FY24 depreciation view of approximately $390M. Sees Cash taxes to be paid in FY24 at approximately $150M-$200M.

16:20 EST Hess Midstream LP raises quarterly distribution 2.7% to 63.43c per share - Hess Midstream LP announced that the Board of Directors of its general partner declared a quarterly cash distribution of 63.43c per Class A share for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The distribution represents an approximate 2.7% increase in the quarterly distribution per Class A share for the fourth quarter of 2023 as compared to the third quarter of 2023. This increase consists of an approximate 1.5% increase in Hess Midstream's distribution level per Class A share in addition to the quarterly 1.2% increase per Class A share consistent with its target of at least 5% growth in annual distributions per Class A share through 2025. "We continue to execute on our differentiated financial strategy, prioritizing consistent and ongoing return of capital to our shareholders," said Jonathan Stein, Chief Financial Officer of Hess Midstream. "With today's announcement, we have once again utilized our excess adjusted free cash flow beyond our growing distributions to provide a further return of capital to our shareholders through a 1.5% increase per Class A share in our quarterly distribution level in addition to the quarterly 1.2% increase per Class A share consistent with our target of at least 5% growth in annual distributions per Class A share through 2025. We expect to continue to have more than $1 billion of financial flexibility through 2025 that can be used to support our return of capital framework, including potential additional and ongoing unit repurchases that could support further distribution per share level increases."

16:19 EST Rand Capital board approves reduction of asset coverage requirement - Rand Capital Corporation announced that, on January 24, 2024, its Board of Directors approved a reduction of the company's minimum asset coverage ratio from 200% to 150%, effective January 24, 2025. Daniel P. Penberthy, President and CEO, commented, "By taking this step now, we are better positioning Rand for the long term and more closely aligning the Company with other BDC funds corporate financing structures. This change will provide future flexibility to incur additional leverage within prudent limits that are in the best interests of shareholders and support future portfolio growth." The reduction to Rand's minimum asset coverage ratio is being made pursuant to Section 61(a)(2) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended by the Small Business Credit Availability Act.

16:18 EST Dillard's announces new credit card agreements - Dillard's (DDS), Citi (C) and Mastercard (MA) "announced that the companies have entered into new agreements to provide a credit card program for Dillard's customers. Citi will purchase the existing Dillard's credit card accounts and Mastercard will serve as the exclusive payment network for co-branded cards offered under the new program. The Dillard's credit card program offered by Citi will include a new co-branded Mastercard as well as a private label credit card. The new co-branded Mastercard will replace the existing co-branded card. Additionally, Citi will provide customer service functions and support certain Dillard's marketing and loyalty program activities related to the new program."

16:13 EST Whirlpool falls 4% to $112.70 after weak FY24 guidance

16:11 EST Jack Henry reports Q2 deconversion revenue $4.9M - Jack Henry & Associates announced that deconversion revenue for the fiscal second quarter, ended December 31, 2023, was $4.9M. Based on these results, deconversion revenue estimates remain at $16M for full year fiscal 2024 guidance.

16:10 EST Cleveland-Cliffs sees Q1 adjusted EBITDA 'meaningfully above' that of Q4

16:08 EST Whirlpool CEO expects to 'further reset' cost structure in 2024 - "In 2023, we delivered over a point of North America share gains and approximately $800 million of cost take out as expected" said Marc Bitzer, chairman and CEO of Whirlpool Corporation "Looking forward to 2024 we expect to further reset our cost structure with an additional $300 - $400 million of cost take out, while our portfolio transformation will unlock margin lift with the close of the Europe transaction, expected in April 2024."

16:03 EST Ambow Education announces plan to change the ratio of its ADSs - Ambow Education Holding announced its plan to change the ratio of its American depositary shares, or ADSs, to its Class A ordinary shares from one ADS, representing two Class A ordinary shares, to one ADS representing twenty Class A ordinary shares. The ADS Ratio Change is expected to become effective on or about February 2. The ADS Ratio Change will have the same effect as a one-for-10 reverse ADS split for ADS holders. The ADS Ratio Change will have no impact on the Company's underlying Class A ordinary shares, and no Class A ordinary shares will be issued or canceled in connection with the ADS Ratio Change. The ADSs will continue to be traded on NYSE American under the symbol "AMBO." The Company expects this ratio change will restore the Company's compliance with the NYSE American's continued listing standards, as set forth by the NYSE and disclosed by Ambow on October 10, 2023.

16:01 EST General Motors raises quarterly dividend 33% to 12c per share - General Motors announced that its Board of Directors has declared a first-quarter 2024 cash dividend on the company's outstanding common stock of 12c per share payable March 14 to all common shareholders of record as of the close of trading on March 1. This represents a 33% increase over GM's previous quarterly dividend.

14:48 EST SiriusXM signs new multi-year agreement with Smartless Media - SiriusXM announced a new, multi-year agreement with SmartLess Media and its founders, Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes, that will bring certain exclusive advertising and distribution rights, content, events, and more for their iconic flagship podcast "SmartLess" and select shows from the SmartLess Media slate to the audio entertainment company and its industry-leading SiriusXM Podcast Network. The deal will commence late in the summer. As part of the new agreement, SiriusXM gains access to extensive exclusive content for its subscribers, consisting of early access to new episodes of "SmartLess" and SmartLess Media podcasts "Just Jack & Will," "Bad Dates," and "Owned," as well as the opportunity to be in the live audience for special tapings, and more. Additionally, the majority of the "SmartLess" library will be available exclusively to SiriusXM, making it the only destination for fans to access the podcast's complete catalog. SiriusXM Media, the company's advertising division, gains exclusive global ad sales rights to the "SmartLess" podcast hosted by Arnett, Bateman, and Hayes, as well as select SmartLess Media shows "Just Jack & Will," "Bad Dates," and "Owned." The SiriusXM Podcast Network reaches 1 in 2 podcast listeners in the US each month, and with the addition of these SmartLess Media podcasts, it will be easier than ever for advertisers to tap into the power of podcasting at scale with ease, courtesy of SiriusXM Media.

14:19 EST Nubia Brand International Corp trading resumes

13:44 EST Microsoft names Johanna Faries president of Blizzard Entertainment - Microsoft has named Johanna Faries as the new president of Blizzard Entertainment. Faries previously served as general manager for the "Call of Duty" series at Activision. "Though my official first day with you all is February 5, I want to let you know immediately that it is an honor to join you next week in this new capacity," Faries said. "I do so humbly and in awe of all that Blizzard has stood for and delivered to the world for over thirty years. Today also brings some mixed emotions. The loss of talented teammates in recent days is hard to hold side-by-side with the immense excitement I feel about joining Blizzard - and building on the momentum you've created for Blizzard's next chapter. I want to thank Matt for the introduction, bring some further clarity to today's announcement, and share more about how I see our future together at Blizzard. I understand this is a lot to take in. The news of my appointment may no doubt bring up a range of reactions, questions, even concerns. Activision, Blizzard, and King are decidedly different companies with distinct games, cultures, and communities. It is important to note that Call of Duty's way of waking up in the morning to deliver for players can often differ from the stunning games in Blizzard's realm: each with different gameplay experiences, communities that surround them, and requisite models of success. I've discussed this with the Blizzard leadership team and I'm walking into this role with sensitivity to those dynamics, and deep respect for Blizzard, as we begin to explore taking our universes to even higher heights." Reference Link

13:37 EST Consortium 'committed' to negotiating $29.50 oer share Hollysys offer - The buyer consortium led by Dazheng Group Acquisition said in a statement, "The The independent research reports and recommendations from both leading proxy advisors send a message loud and clear: the Hollysys Board has consistently taken actions that have not been in the best interests of shareholders. With regards to the sales process, it is clear the Board has put forth a questionable effort to maximize price, held the Consortium to unreasonable standards, and has run an opaque and expedited sales process. Despite the above concerns, the Consortium remains committed to negotiating its latest proposal of US$29.50 and determined to acquire Hollysys. Additionally, the Consortium reserves all rights to pursue legal remedies against Hollysys to ensure that public shareholders are not foreclosed from receiving the benefits presented by the Consortium's Superior Proposal, including its US$ 29.5 per share offer price, reemphasizes the importance for public shareholders to defend their legitimate interests by voting against the Ascendent Capital transaction at the EGM on February 8, 2024, and further encourages shareholders to defend their lawful rights by taking legal actions against the Ascendent Capital transaction. The Ascendent Capital transaction, which is substantially inferior to the Consortium's bid, is not the only option for the shareholders and no one will be allowed to cram it down on the shareholders."

13:21 EST Performance Food Group announces partnership with Hershey - Performance Food Group announced it is the first food distribution company to enter a partnership with The Hershey Company to incorporate a variety of Hershey products into its desserts. Select products in PFG's premium line of dessert offerings, Sweet Encore, will now feature Hershey ingredients including chocolate, caramel, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Reese's Pieces and Heath Bar bits.

12:04 EST Meta to share data with researchers studying online well-being - Meta announced that it is partnering with the Center for Open Science on a pilot program to share certain privacy-preserving social media data with a select group of academic researchers to study topics related to well-being. Social media companies, like Meta, have an opportunity to contribute to the public's scientific understanding of how different factors may or may not impact well-being and inform productive conversations about how to help people thrive. This pilot is designed to support that goal, and it will use new types of research processes that have been popularized in the open science movement, such as preregistration and early peer review, Meta said. "At Meta, we want to do our part to contribute to the scientific community's understanding of how different factors may or may not relate to people's well-being. We're committed to doing this in a way that respects the privacy of people who use our apps. COS has a proven track record of supporting scientific rigor and complex open-science projects, and we look forward to partnering with them on this pilot. We also hope it can provide a model for other companies to take similar steps," said Curtiss Cobb, PhD, Vice President of Research at Meta. Reference Link

12:02 EST Kronos Bio treatment of AML granted FDA orphan designation - Kronos Bio's lanraplenib was granted FDA orphan designation as a treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia, or AML, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

12:00 EST TAL Education falls -8.8% - TAL Education is down -8.8%, or -$1.03 to $10.71.

12:00 EST Annovis Bio rises 11.4% - Annovis Bio is up 11.4%, or $1.13 to $11.04.

12:00 EST ADC Therapeutics rises 15.4% - ADC Therapeutics is up 15.4%, or 41c to $3.08.

10:47 EST Insight signs Microsoft strategic partnership framework agreement - Insight Enterprises (NSIT) announced it has entered into a new global agreement with Microsoft (MSFT) that includes a multi-year Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment and a new strategic partnership framework. "We have worked with Microsoft for more than 25 years to provide clients with world-class technology," said Joyce Mullen, CEO, Insight. "Our clients worldwide want to run as efficiently as possible, and the Azure platform is core to our expertise in cloud, data, AI, cybersecurity and edge as we address their critical business needs. The power of Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 productivity tools accelerates their ability to digitally transform."

10:39 EST Czech Republic signs LOA to procure 24 F-35 Lightning II aircraft - The Czech Republic government signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance making official its intent to procure 24 Lockheed Martin 5th Generation F-35 Lightning II aircraft. Through the U.S. government Foreign Military Sale, the Czech Air Force will receive its first aircraft in 2031, which will be in the latest advanced Block 4 configuration. In addition to the aircraft, the procurement also includes personnel training, service and logistical support, and developing other support services ensuring successful deliveries of all 24 F-35s.

10:26 EST Lucid Group jumps after Motley Fool issues buy alert - Shares of Lucid Group are up 59c, or 22%, to $3.24 in early trading after Motley Fool issued a buy alert regarding the stock in a report published before today's open. In the report by Keith Noonan, Motley Fool stated in part: "In other words, a $15,000 investment in Lucid stock could make you a millionaire if its valuation climbed to a little under 70% of Tesla's current $665 billion market cap... As it stands, the odds of the stock turning a $15,000 investment into $1 million are exceedingly slim -- even over a long period of time. In the near term, the company's share price will likely continue to be volatile. With the stock trading at such beaten-down prices, it is possible that the shares will see significant gains above current levels. If growth in vehicle production and deliveries reaccelerates and suggests that the business could be back on the path to achieving profitability, Lucid's valuation could see a substantial rebound. However, investors should approach the stock with the understanding that the company's financial foundations are shaky, and there's a substantial risk the company's stock will move lower on the heels of massive sell-offs." Reference Link

10:16 EST Deep Medicine Acquisition Corp trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:05 EST FDA revises letter of authorization for EUA for Pfizer's Paxlovid - Paxlovid will no longer be authorized for Emergency Use after March 8, 2024, regardless of the labeled or extended expiration date, the FDA announced. "Through March 8, 2024, unexpired EUA-labeled Paxlovid can be dispensed to patients when consistent with terms & conditions of EUA. After March 8, all EUA-labeled Paxlovid remaining in US distribution to be returned to manufacturer or disposed of in accordance with regulations. Paxlovid EUA to continue to authorize emergency use of NDA-labeled Paxlovid for treatment of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in pediatric patients," the FDA announced.

10:01 EST Vuzix announces establishment of ophthalmic advisory board - Vuzix Corporation announced that it has established an Optometry Advisory Board, whose primary purpose will be to provide strategic input, guidance, and recommendations to company management on vision correction issues and how to better build products and services to meet Vuzix' customer vision requirements. The company also announces the appointment of Doctor Shabbir Khambati to this board as the chair and a founding board member. Vuzix intends to add additional members to its OAB going forward, as well as potentially expand the scope of this board to address additional enhancements related to its products and technologies.

10:00 EST Bloom Energy falls -8.5% - Bloom Energy is down -8.5%, or -$1.06 to $11.40.

10:00 EST Horace Mann rises 6.8% - Horace Mann is up 6.8%, or $2.37 to $37.35.

10:00 EST ZIM Integrated rises 8.2% - ZIM Integrated is up 8.2%, or $1.10 to $14.54.

09:54 EST SAB Biotherapeutics Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:48 EST AMREP falls -6.5% - AMREP is down -6.5%, or -$1.38 to $19.72.

09:47 EST Bloom Energy falls -10.3% - Bloom Energy is down -10.3%, or -$1.28 to $11.19.

09:47 EST Rev Group rises 7.4% - Rev Group is up 7.4%, or $1.33 to $19.36.

09:46 EST Evaxion Biotech trading resumes

09:40 EST Knightscope announces contract renewal with Fortune 500 client - Knightscope announces that a Fortune 500 company located in Charlotte, NC renewed its K5 Autonomous Security Robot contract for the 3rd year. One of the largest finance companies in the United States has been using the K5 ASR since 2022 to patrol a newly constructed parking structure to help deter car thieves, loitering and criminal trespassing, providing an even safer environment for its customers and employees.

09:37 EST Revelation Biosciences Inc trading resumes

09:35 EST Baijiayun Group Ltd trading resumes

09:32 EST Revelation Biosciences Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:31 EST Jin Medical International Ltd trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:27 EST Rev Group jumps 8% after strategic actions, $3 special dividend

09:21 EST Toyota says TICO to temporarily suspend shipments of certain engines - Toyota Industries Corporation, or TICO, reported to Toyota Motor Corporation, which had commissioned TICO to develop diesel engines for automobiles, that it received a report from the special investigation committee chaired by Mr. Hiroshi Inoue that was commissioned to investigate potential irregularities of certification regulations related to inappropriate domestic emissions certification of engines for forklifts and construction machinery. "The investigation found that irregularities occurred during the horsepower output testing for the certification of three diesel engine models for automobiles that Toyota had commissioned to TICO... Based on the results of the investigation, TICO decided today to temporarily suspend shipments of the affected engines. Toyota has also decided to temporarily suspend shipments of vehicles equipped with the affected engines. Going forward, we will provide detailed explanations to the authorities and promptly proceed with appropriate measures, including conducting testing in the presence of witnesses if appropriate," the company stated. Reference Link

09:20 EST Mullen Automotive says Mullen THREE receives CARB certification - Mullen Automotive announces the achievement of a key commercial EV milestone with its all-electric Class 3 low cab forward chassis truck, receiving certification from the California Air Resources Board. The certification is awarded to vehicle manufacturers who meet specific emissions standards in compliance with CARB regulations. The District of Columbia and 14 states, including California, have adopted vehicle standards under Section 177 of the Clean Air Act which requires additional approvals beyond EPA regulations. Mullen's Class 1 and Class 3 commercial vehicles are now both in receipt of Environmental Protection Agency and CARB certifications. Both vehicles are also in full compliance with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Having received credentials from CARB and the EPA, Mullen can now sell both the Mullen ONE and THREE in every state throughout the U.S.

09:18 EST Cyclo Therapeutics receives notice of allowance from USPTO - Cyclo Therapeutics announced that the company received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, regarding Cyclo Therapeutics' U.S. Patent Application No. 17/289,137 titled, "Methods for Treating Alzheimer's Disease."

09:17 EST Signing Day Sports announces over five-fold increase in Paid Subscribers in 2023 - Signing Day Sports provided an update on the subscriber growth for its Signing Day Sports app. Richard Symington, President and Chief Technology Officer of Signing Day Sports, commented, "We achieved a greater than five-fold increase in the number of paid subscribers in 2023, which is a testament to our rapid growth and the positive experience we provide for coaches and student-athletes alike. This positive trend has continued into 2024, as we recorded more than 20% sequential monthly growth in paid subscribers in January 2024 compared to December 2023. This growth has occurred in line with our strategy, which has largely centered on nurturing and expanding our ties with key student-athlete recruiting organizations. Collaborations with premier organizations, such as the U.S. Army Bowl and Elite Development Program Soccer, allow us to rapidly and cost-effectively scale our business through bulk registrations on our app. For example, the U.S. Army Bowl National Combine Series, which includes 21 events over the coming five months, will allow over 4,000 student-athletes to experience the unique features and benefits of our app. During these events, every participant will receive a free month of access to the app, allowing them to experience its advantages and the growing ecosystem that supports their recruitment journey. Historically, we have seen that about half of these free trials convert to paid subscriptions, and as we continue to enhance our platform, we expect the conversion ratio will continue to increase. We are off to a strong start in 2024 and we are excited about what the future holds for Signing Day Sports."

09:09 EST CarGurus partners with Chase to expand consumer financing options - CarGurus (CARG) announced the addition of Chase (JPM) to its multi-lender financing platform, expanding options for consumers looking to pre-qualify for auto financing. Available nationwide, Chase joins CarGurus' network of participating lenders to empower consumers with personalized vehicle financing information while enabling dealers to better serve the growing number of shoppers who prefer to arrange financing online. "CarGurus' partnership with Chase demonstrates our shared vision to equip shoppers with the tools needed to make an informed purchase with confidence and ease, while also helping dealers deliver on their goals for a seamless and efficient customer experience," said Gerard Murphy, Vice President of Product, Digital Retail, at CarGurus. "We believe this expansion answers a rising need for finance-based shopping tools that allow consumers to better understand how much they can afford earlier in the shopping journey, ultimately helping connect more informed, high-intent car buyers with dealers."

09:08 EST Inhibikase announces publication Phase 1 studies with risvodetinib - Inhibikase Therapeutics announced a publication of Phase 1 clinical studies with risvodetinib, a potential disease-modifying therapy for Parkinson's disease and related disorders. The publication entitled "A Phase I, Randomized, SAD, MAD, and PK Study of Risvodetinib in Older Adults and Parkinson's Disease" was published online in the peer reviewed Journal of Parkinson's Disease on January 13, 2024. "Parkinson's disease remains one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases worldwide, affecting more than a million people in the U.S. alone. To date, there are no approved therapies to slow or halt disease progression, however, recently published work by us and our collaborators have pointed to the c-Abl kinase as having an important role in the disease process," said Dr. Milton Werner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Inhibikase. "Our publication in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease highlights our early clinical work with risvo, our lead selective inhibitor of c-Abl. In Phase 1 studies, risvo was shown to have a favorable safety profile that was well tolerated by older or elderly healthy subjects and by patients with Parkinson's disease. As we look ahead, we are rapidly advancing our 201 Trial in untreated PD patients and look forward to reporting topline results, possibly as early as the second half of 2024 depending on the enrollment date of the last trial participant." The publication highlights the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of risvo in 94 healthy volunteers and 14 participants with Parkinson's disease. The multi-part study evaluated risvo in both single ascending dose and multiple ascending dose studies. Risvo demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile following both single or multiple doses across all trial participants. Only 11 of the observed adverse events were deemed possibly treatment-related, with none of clinical significance. Single dose pharmacokinetics were approximately linear between 12.5 mg and 200 mg for both Cmax and AUC0-inf with no pharmacokinetic difference between healthy volunteers and participants with PD. Exposures at each dose were high relative to other drugs in the same kinase inhibitor class. Of note, voluntary lumbar puncture was used to measure the concentration of risvo in cerebrospinal fluid in six participants with or without PD. In these participants, risvo was measured in the cerebrospinal fluid just before dosing on the 7th day, when the concentration of risvo would be at steady-state trough.

09:06 EST Allegiant Travel reports December total system passengers down 6.3% y-o-y - Allegiant Travel reported preliminary passenger traffic results for December 2023. Total system passengers were down 6.3% to 1,369,293; available seat miles were down 3.7%. Departures were down 4.1% to 9,529; and average stage length was even at 897. Scheduled service passengers were down 6.5% to 1,356,025; available seat miles were down 4.4%. Departures were down 5.0% to 9,527; and average stage length was up 0.2% to 903.

09:05 EST 180 Degree Capital nominates Matthew McLaughlin for Comscore board - 180 Degree Capital (TURN) announced that on January 25, 2024, it delivered a formal letter to comScore (SCOR) notifying it of its intention to nominate Matthew McLaughlin for election to the Company's board of directors at SCOR's 2024 annual meeting of stockholders. 180 Degree Capital's nominee is: Matthew McLaughlin, 54, is a retired advertising technology executive and Naval officer. Most recently, Mr. McLaughlin served as COO of DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. (DV). As previously announced in November 2023, 180 Degree Capital originally planned to nominate two director nominee candidates for consideration at the Annual Meeting. One of 180 Degree Capital's original nominees was intended as a replacement for Brent Rosenthal. 180 Degree Capital welcomed the announcement by the Company on December 29, 2023, that Mr. Rosenthal would not stand for re-election at the Annual Meeting. 180 Degree Capital thanks the Board for taking incremental steps toward improving the corporate governance of SCOR, but it believes more steps need to be taken. Accordingly, 180 Degree Capital will pursue the nomination of Mr. McLaughlin. Subsequent to the announcement regarding Mr. Rosenthal, 180 Degree Capital communicated to the Board that it believes SCOR still needs to include a new member who will bring fresh perspectives, business knowledge, and additional focus on building value for common stockholders. The Nominating Committee of the Board initially expressed no interest in speaking with Mr. McLaughlin due, we believe, to a decision that it would not nominate him for election at the Annual Meeting regardless of his qualifications and complementary skill sets. Subsequent discussions appear to indicate that the Nominating Committee is willing to meet with Mr. McLaughlin, but we remain unconvinced that the Board will take actions that will lead to Mr. McLaughlin joining the Board at the Annual Meeting. As of the date of this filing, there are no formal discussions planned. 180 Degree Capital realizes that there are only three seats up for election, and it would prefer to not run candidates against Jon Carpenter, William Livek or Leslie Gillin, but it cannot stand idly by while the Board continues to be dysfunctional and operate in manners that are not in the best interest of all stakeholders. Once again, 180 Degree Capital's strong preference is to not engage in a competitive proxy contest. 180 Degree Capital's original filings were meant to initiate discussions to improve the corporate governance of SCOR. Initial steps were made on this front, but the Board only just initiated formal discussions with 180 Degree Capital on this topic in mid-January 2024. 180 Degree Capital is interested in action, the type of action that only is possible with representation on the Board. Given the limited number of director positions that are up for election at the Annual Meeting due to the Company's staggered Board, 180 Degree Capital offers the following potential solutions: The Board expands to 11 members, five of whom would be non-preferred directors, with Mr. McLaughlin being appointed to the new vacancy coincident with the Annual Meeting; One of the current non-preferred appointed members of the Board transitions to a Board Emeritus or other Board Advisory role in conjunction with Mr. McLaughlin's election/appointment to the Board so that person could remain involved with SCOR and its Board, if desired by both parties; or One of the current non-preferred appointed members resigns from the Board in conjunction with Mr. McLaughlin's appointment to the Board that can coincide with the Annual Meeting.

09:04 EST iHeartMedia, Bartesian announce new, strategic multi-year partnership - Bartesian announced a new, strategic multi-year partnership with iHeartMedia. The deal allows Bartesian to leverage iHeartMedia's multi-platform network, reaching a quarter of a billion monthly listeners, and their marquee experiential events to bring the home cocktail maker to new audiences. The news follows record Black Friday & Cyber Monday sales for Bartesian this past holiday season.

09:03 EST SenesTech signs distribution agreement with Poppe Enterprises - SenesTech announces a signed distribution agreement with Poppe Enterprises, a distributor and pest management firm focused on the grain management market, serving Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Kansas, Wyoming, Iowa and Colorado. Poppe Enterprises will be a stocking distributor for Evolve soft bait and has placed its initial stocking order.

09:01 EST Qualys expands partnership with Orange Cyberdefense - Qualys announced that it is expanding its partnership with Orange Cyberdefense. This expansion signifies that Qualys' industry-leading capabilities such as Vulnerability Management, Detection and Response will be included in Orange Cyberdefense's managed Vulnerability Intelligence Service. The expanded collaboration will give global businesses the ability to leverage Orange Cyberdefense's managed service to optimize vulnerability management activities and reduce cyber risk thus enabling customers to focus on their core business.

09:01 EST LPL Financial: Latus Group joins broker-dealer, RIA, custodial platforms - LPL Financial announced that financial advisors David Segarra, AIF, CPFA, and Sean Sullivan of Latus Group, Ltd. have joined LPL Financial's broker-dealer, RIA and custodial platforms. They reported having served approximately $320 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets, and join LPL from Centaurus Financial, Inc. Segarra, who founded Latus Group in 2009 and serves as president, followed an unconventional route to the wealth management industry. Beginning his career as a Seattle police officer and SWAT team member, Segarra developed a passion for trading and investments in the mid-1990s, leading him to pivot and follow this new path. Segarra has since grown his Las Vegas-area practice to serve corporate and private wealth clients nationwide. A testament to the practice he has built, the National Association of Plan Advisors recognized Segarra as one of the Nation's Top 200 401(k) Advisors, and selected him as a delegate to brief the US Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid's Chief Tax and Economic Advisor on retirement plan tax reform and proposed Department of Labor regulations.

08:50 EST iRobot falls 15% to $14.40 after terminating merger with Amazon.com

08:47 EST Ascendis Pharma announces formation, launch with Frazier Life of Eyconis - Ascendis Pharma announced the formation and launch with Frazier Life Sciences of Eyconis, a separate company created to develop, manufacture, and commercialize TransCon ophthalmology assets globally, together with an investor syndicate that includes Frazier, RA Capital Management, venBio, and HealthQuest Capital. Ascendis Pharma has granted Eyconis exclusive rights to develop and commercialize TransCon ophthalmology products globally and received an equity position in the newly formed company. In addition, Ascendis will be eligible to receive development, regulatory, and sales milestone payments of up to $248 million, plus single digit royalties on global net sales of commercialized products, if any. Eyconis will initially be based in Redwood City, California, and certain employees of Ascendis are expected to join the newly formed company. Eyconis is led by ophthalmology industry veteran, Emmett Cunningham, M.D., Ph.D., MPH, Senior Partner at HealthQuest Capital, who joins Eyconis as Executive Chairman, and biopharmaceutical executive Oliver Boris Stauch, who joins Eyconis as Chief Operating Officer after serving previously as Head of Ophthalmology at Ascendis Pharma. In addition to Dr. Cunningham, Daniel Estes, Ph.D., and Anna Chen, Ph.D., from Frazier, Conrad Wang, M.D., from HealthQuest Capital, and Yvonne Yamanaka, Ph.D., from venBio have joined the board in connection with the financing. Ascendis has the right to designate one individual to the board.

08:45 EST 3D Systems announces WeAreAM adds DMP Flex 350 Dual to workflow - 3D Systems announced that WeAreAM has added 3D Systems' DMP Flex 350 Dual to its new Center of Excellence. WeAreAM's services cover additive manufacturing from application engineering and design through production and post-processing for a breadth of industrial markets such as oil & gas, automotive, and aerospace. The addition of 3D Systems' direct metal printing solution will enable WeAreAM to explore an expanded set of applications - allowing the company to become increasingly responsive to its customers' requirements, thus helping accelerate innovation. 3D Systems' newest partner in Italy, Gruppo Grazioli, will work in close collaboration with WeAreAM providing training, support, and other services to ensure manufacturers integrating AM are maximizing the solution and thus their investment.

08:43 EST LiveOne launches 'Splitmind Radio' exclusively on Slacker Radio - LiveOne launches "Splitmind Radio" exclusively on Slacker Radio. Splitmind Music Collective has Over 2B Streams across 100+ Major Label Releases. LiveOne subsidiaries Splitmind and Drumify increased revenues 300% in 2023

08:42 EST Quisitive Technology completes sale of PayiQ - Quisitive Technology Solutions completed the previously announced sale of its LedgerPay subsidiary to Fulcrum IT Partners , which includes the PayiQ cloud-enabled payment processing platform, operations and team, for aggregate consideration of up to $45 million comprised of $27 million of Fulcrum Shares and earn-out payments in cash of up to US$18 million based on PayiQ exceeding revenue growth. The details of the Transaction are set forth in a definitive share purchase agreement between the Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fulcrum. The consideration for the sale of PayiQ consisted of the issuance of 27,000 preferred shares of Fulcrum Payments to Quisitive. The Consideration Shares shall have a right to receive a dividend on an annual basis equal to 4.0% of the value of the Consideration Shares, to be paid in kind. On the third anniversary of the effective date of the Transaction, the Consideration Shares shall be automatically converted into common shares of Fulcrum Payments with a value equal to US$1,000 per Consideration Share, provided that the Fulcrum Shares are listed and posted for trading on a recognized stock exchange in Canada or in the United States. If the Fulcrum Shares are not publicly traded at such time, Quisitive shall have the right to require Fulcrum to purchase all or a portion of the Consideration Shares for a purchase price equal to US$1,000 per Consideration Share, for aggregate consideration of up to US$27 million. Quisitive may also be entitled to additional contingent consideration in the form of performance earn-outs if PayiQ achieves certain financial thresholds during the three-year period following the closing of the Transaction. The amount of the earn-out is a maximum of US$18 million payable in cash based on PayiQ exceeding revenue growth targets. The sale of the PayiQ platform offers several advantages to Quisitive. This move not only reduces the company's annual capital expenditure by approximately $12 million, but also allows Quisitive to redirect its efforts and resources more effectively to key strategic growth areas. The company aims to strengthen its position as a leading global partner of Microsoft, focusing on offering transformative solution services and upholding high standards of customer service. Specifically, Quisitive will intensify its efforts in crucial areas of its Cloud Solutions business. This includes expanding its recurring managed services and Industry Software as a Service offerings, as well as enhancing its capabilities in Microsoft's artificial intelligence solutions including Azure OpenAI, and Microsoft's CoPilot solutions. By strategically allocating investments in these growth-oriented segments of the Cloud Solutions business, Quisitive is set to enhance its customer value proposition, ultimately translating into heightened shareholder value.

08:40 EST Amazon to pay iRobot $94M termination fee under terms of merger agreement - Under the terms of the merger agreement, Amazon (AMZN) will pay iRobot (IRBT) a $94M termination fee. After payment of financial advisor fees of approximately 20% of the termination fee, the company shall apply $35M dollars of the termination fee immediately to repay the term loan, and the remainder of the termination fee will be set aside to be used for future repayments of the term loan subject to limited rights of the company to utilize such amounts for the purchase of inventory. "We are disappointed with the company's 2023 performance - but our focus turns now to the future," said Miller. "Along with the restructuring actions announced today, and with a refreshed turnaround-focused leadership team, we see a clear path to reinvigorating our outstanding brand, product performance and underlying technology. In addition to rightsizing our cost structure, innovation remains our most exciting growth opportunity. We look forward to reigniting growth of the brand with future launches of both new entry and premium floorcare solutions that will provide even smarter and more powerful ways for our customers to clean."

08:38 EST Transcode Therapeutics announces co-research agreement with Debiopharm - TransCode Therapeutics announced a co-research agreement with Debiopharm. The collaboration will explore combining TransCode's proprietary TTX delivery platform with Debiopharm's expertise in targeted drug delivery to co-develop targeted nucleic acid therapeutics for cancer. TransCode's TTX platform will serve as a backbone for development of antigen-selective nucleic acid delivery vehicles for targeted cancer therapeutics. TransCode has developed and tested the TTX platform for the delivery of various nucleic acid therapeutics to cancer cells, including small interfering RNAs, antisense oligonucleotides, immunostimulatory oligonucleotides, mRNA, and genome-editing ribonucleoprotein complexes. TransCode's lead therapeutic candidate, TTX-MC138, designed to use antisense technology to treat metastatic cancer, is being evaluated in an early-stage clinical trial. As part of the collaboration, TransCode will combine its TTX delivery platform with Debiopharm's proprietary technologies to generate constructs designed to provide targeted mRNA delivery to cancer cells. Under the agreement, these constructs will be tested both in cancer cells and in tumor-bearing animals.

08:37 EST Privia Health appoints Fargis as General Counsel - Privia Health Group announced that Edward Fargis has been named Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, effective today. Fargis will serve as the Company's chief legal officer, working with Privia executive leadership to support the Company's long-term direction and growth. Fargis succeeds Thomas Bartrum, who plans to depart after serving as Privia's general counsel since 2015. Edward Fargis was most recently Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategic Transactions, for Zelis Parent, L.P., a market-leading healthcare technology company, and previously held the roles of Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Corporate Secretary for Zelis between September 2017 and January 2022.

08:36 EST iRobot CEO Colin Angle to step down, Glen Weinstein named interim CEO - Concurrent with the implementation of its operational restructuring plan, the company also announced the following leadership changes: Colin Angle has stepped down as Chairman of the Board and CEO. Angle will continue to serve on the iRobot Board of Directors until his current term expires in May 2024, and has agreed to remain with the Company as a senior advisor for up to 12 months, to ensure a smooth transition. Glen Weinstein, iRobot's Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, has been appointed Interim CEO, and the Board has initiated a search process for a permanent CEO supported by a leading executive search firm. Weinstein originally joined iRobot in 2000 as General Counsel and was promoted to General Counsel and Senior Vice President in 2005, prior to being appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer in 2012. Tonya Drake has been promoted to Executive Vice President and General Counsel. The Board has appointed Andrew Miller, lead independent director of the Board, as Chairman of the Board. Miller has served on the iRobot Board since 2016. From 2015 until 2019, Miller was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of PTC, a computer software and services company focused on accelerating transformation through digital technology. From 2008 to 2015, Miller was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cepheid, a global leader in molecular diagnostics. Prior to Cepheid, Miller held a variety of financial leadership roles at Autodesk, MarketFirst Software and Silicon Graphics.

08:35 EST iRobot announces operational restructuring plan - iRobot (IRBT) announced that it will implement an operational restructuring plan designed to position the company for stabilization in the current environment, while focusing on profitability and advancing key growth initiatives to extend its market share in the mid-tier and premium segments. This plan was approved following iRobot's and Amazon's (AMZN) mutual decision to terminate their previously announced merger agreement. Concurrent with the implementation of its operational restructuring plan, the Company today also announced a leadership transition whereby Colin Angle, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO, has stepped down as Chairman and CEO. Glen Weinstein, iRobot's Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, has been appointed Interim CEO, and Andrew Miller, lead independent director of the Board, has been appointed Chairman of the Board. iRobot's immediate priority in undertaking the operational restructuring plan is to more closely align its cost structure with near-term revenue expectations and drive profitability, including through the following financial and strategic initiatives: Achieving margin improvements and generating approximately $80-$100 million in savings on equivalent volumes through the execution of agreements with joint design and contract manufacturing partners on more attractive terms that provide significant reductions in cost of goods sold; Reducing R&D expense by approximately $20 million year-over-year through increased offshoring of non-core engineering functions to lower-cost regions; Centralizing global marketing activities and consolidating agency expenditures to reduce sales and marketing expenses by approximately $30 million year-over-year while seeking efficiencies in demand generation activities to drive sales more cost effectively; Rightsizing the Company's global real estate footprint through additional subleasing at its corporate headquarters and the elimination of offices and facilities in smaller, underperforming geographies; and Focusing iRobot's product roadmap on core value drivers and pausing all work related to non-floorcare innovations, including air purification, robotic lawn mowing and education.These actions will also result in a reduction of approximately 350 employees, which represents 31 percent of the Company's workforce as of December 30, 2023, with the majority of notifications taking place by March 30, 2024. As part of this workforce reduction, iRobot expects to record restructuring charges totaling between $12 million and $13 million, primarily for severance and related costs, over the first two quarters of 2024, with the majority of the restructuring charges anticipated in the first quarter of 2024. Jeff Engel, a highly regarded turnaround expert, has been appointed Chief Restructuring Officer to oversee these initiatives and lead the implementation of the operational restructuring plan and will report directly to the Board and Mr. Weinstein. The Company will continue executing key strategic activities to support iRobot's return to profitability, including increasing its brand recognition, driving product innovation and redesigning its go-to-market strategy. Enhancements to the Company's go-to-market playbook will focus the business on iRobot's most profitable customers, geographies and channels, including its growing direct-to-consumer channel, while rebalancing the Company's spending mix between price, promotion and demand generation to optimize returns.

08:34 EST iRobot CEO Colin Angle to step down, Glen Weinstein named interim CEO

08:32 EST iRobot, Amazon.com agree to terminate pending acquisition - Amazon (AMZN) and iRobot (IRBT) announced that they have entered into a mutual agreement to terminate their previously announced acquisition agreement, originally signed on August 4, 2022, under which Amazon would have acquired iRobot for cash consideration. This deal would have allowed Amazon to invest in continued innovation by iRobot and support iRobot in lowering prices on products customers already love. The companies released the following statements today about the decision: "We're disappointed that Amazon's acquisition of iRobot could not proceed," said David Zapolsky, Amazon SVP and General Counsel. "We're believers in the future of consumer robotics in the home and have always been fans of iRobot's products, which delight consumers and solve problems in ways that improve their lives. Amazon and iRobot were excited to see what our teams could build together, and we're deeply grateful to everyone who worked tirelessly to try and make this collaboration a reality. This outcome will deny consumers faster innovation and more competitive prices, which we're confident would have made their lives easier and more enjoyable. Mergers and acquisitions like this help companies like iRobot better compete in the global marketplace, particularly against companies, and from countries, that aren't subject to the same regulatory requirements in fast-moving technology segments like robotics. Undue and disproportionate regulatory hurdles discourage entrepreneurs, who should be able to see acquisition as one path to success, and that hurts both consumers and competition-the very things that regulators say they're trying to protect." "iRobot is an innovation pioneer with a clear vision to make consumer robots a reality," said Colin Angle, Founder of iRobot. "The termination of the agreement with Amazon is disappointing, but iRobot now turns toward the future with a focus and commitment to continue building thoughtful robots and intelligent home innovations that make life better, and that our customers around the world love." The companies have signed a termination agreement that resolves all outstanding matters from the transaction, including Amazon paying iRobot the previously agreed upon termination fee.

08:31 EST Siyata Mobile provides SD7 handsets for use at 2024 Special Olympics - Siyata Mobile is providing its SD7 handsets for use at the 2024 Special Olympics. The Company has partnered with ESChat, a provider of broadband Push-to-Talk services, to provide secure PTT communications for event personnel and volunteers. The 2024 Special Olympics State Winter Games will be held on and between February 23-24, 2024 in Syracuse, NY.

08:30 EST iRobot, Amazon.com agree to terminate pending acquisition

08:29 EST Tharimmune provides update on TH-3215, TH-1940 non clinical-stage programs - Tharimmune is advancing TH-3215 designed as a bispecific antibody targeting the extracellular domains of HER2 and HER3. These validated targets have been extensively studied and belong to the ERBB receptor tyrosine kinase family and are exploited by cancer cells to promote tumorigenesis and metastasis. HER2, an extensively studied target, has multiple approved therapeutics for solid tumors. Evidence suggests that HER3 plays a central role through interacting with neighboring receptors. While TH-3215 binds to both overlapping and different epitopes on HER2 in contrast to approved therapies, with ligand-blocking and potential complementary fit to HER3, affecting novel conformational epitopes thought to be important in intracellular downstream signaling in tumor cells. Furthermore, the Company also is advancing novel Picobodies, which are antibodies in bovine animals or cows, and derived from ultra-long complementary determining region 3 domains which potentially enable access to epitopes that had previously been hidden or highly inaccessible in traditional antibody development. With a much smaller size compared to traditional antibodies, combined with structural diversity, Picobodies can bind to conformational, linear or discontinuous epitopes in "undruggable" areas of validated targets. Picobodies are derived from bovines, which unlike other species, express ultralong CDR-H3 regions forming an independently folding mini-domain, that protrudes far out from the surface of the antibody and is diverse in both its sequence and disulfide patterns. These atypical antigen binding sites of bovines potentially provide the ability to interact with different antigenic determinants capable of eliciting an immune response, particularly recessed or concave surfaces, compared to traditional antibodies. This conceivable "multi-specific" capacity of Picobodies , which is the basis of developing TH-1940, could more efficiently target multiple cell surface portions compared to known or existing biologics. Tharimmune aims to develop both TH-3215 and TH-1940 using this framework to interchange antigen-recognition sites designed to fit distinct portions of the HER2/HER3 heterodimer complex and other validated cancer targets, such as programmed cell death protein 1 or PD-1 potentially effecting both ligand-dependent and independent signaling pathways into tumor cells. The Company announced in 4Q23 the closing of an $11 million public offering which it believes is sufficient to extend its cash runway into early 2025 for both clinical readouts of its lead program, TH104. Tharimmune plans to advance both its clinical and non-clinical programs and announce an R&D Day in 2Q24 to update stakeholders and patients.

08:28 EST Tharimmune provides update on TH104 clinical-stage program - The Phase 1 clinical trial currently recruiting is a pharmacokinetic bridging study in the U.S. designed as a single-dose, single-center, open-label, randomized 2-way crossover study of TH104 and an intravenous dose of nalmefene administered under fasting conditions, with a 7-day washout period between doses. Sixteen normal healthy volunteers are anticipated to participate and complete the study. The primary objective is to evaluate the absolute bioavailability of TH104 as well as assess safety and tolerability. Topline data is expected in 2Q24 with a full data readout shortly thereafter. The Company plans to engage both U.S. and European Regulatory Authorities to gain agreement on launching a 28-day Phase 2 trial in 2024 which is currently anticipated as a multiple ascending dose study to assess the safety and tolerability of TH104 while also evaluating the change from baseline for moderate-to-severe chronic pruritus or "debilitating itching" using a validated endpoint, in PBC patients. A topline data readout is anticipated in late '24/early '25, post regulatory discussions, anticipated in 2024. The Company believes the Phase 2 program may establish TH104's response for clinical efficacy studies in moderate-to-severe pruritus using this potential endpoint for future registrational trials. Pruritus is a common clinical feature seen in liver diseases but particularly frequent in cholestatic liver disease. A previous open-label study with TH104 in chronic liver disease patients administered a single low-dose of TH104 and assessed itch intensity over a 24-hour period, with topline data showing a decline by 33.3%. Safety and tolerability correlated with previous studies consistent in the literature with nalmefene, the active ingredient in TH104.

08:28 EST Autonomix commences trading on Nasdaq - Autonomix Medical announced its common stock will begin trading on the NASDAQ today, Monday, January 29, 2024 at approximately 10:30 am EST under the ticker symbol "AMIX."

08:26 EST Kaival Brands partner Bidi Vapor to contest FDA denial of PMTA for ENDS - Kaival Brands Innovations Group announced that its licensor and commercial partner, Bidi Vapor, will appeal the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's, FDA, decision to deny Bidi Vapor's premarket tobacco product application, PMTA, for Bidi Vapor's "Classic" tobacco-flavored BIDI Stick ENDS device. Kaival Brands holds the worldwide license to distribute products made by Bidi Vapor. On Monday, January 22, 2024, the FDA issued a marketing denial order, MDO, for Bidi Vapor's "Classic" BIDI Stick PMTA. Importantly, this decision did not involve the ten PMTAs for Bidi Vapor's non-tobacco flavored devices which are still under the FDA's scientific review. Those ten products remain available for sale through Kaival Brands, subject to FDA's enforcement discretion. In response to the MDO, on Friday, January 26, 2024, Bidi Vapor filed a petition requesting that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit review the MDO, which Bidi Vapor believes was, among other things, arbitrary and capricious, in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act. Bidi Vapor will also be seeking a stay of the MDO pending the outcome of the litigation. "While we are disappointed with the FDA's decision, we are in close contact with Bidi Vapor and laser focused on selling the Bidi Vapor products that we are permitted to," said Barry Hopkins, Executive Chairman of Kaival Brands. "Like Bidi Vapor, we are fully committed to the legal and responsible use of our products. Moreover, we are committed to increasing Kaival Brands' revenues by strengthening our existing business and also diversifying our product portfolio, as evidenced by the intellectual property we acquired in May 2023 from GoFire, Inc. We look forward to providing progress updates on our initiatives over the course of 2024."

08:25 EST US Antimony appoints Jeffrey Fink as GM, Bear River Zeolite - United States Antimony Corporation announced the appointment of Jeffrey Fink as Vice President and General Manager of BRZ. Fink most recently worked at Enviva Biomass as Regional Director of Operations where he was responsible for all aspects of manufacturing operations for three pellet manufacturing mills with approximately 300 employees.

08:23 EST Adverum Biotechnologies appoints Corbau as Chief Scientific Officer - Adverum Biotechnologies announced that Romuald "Romu" Corbau, Ph.D., has joined Adverum as the company's chief scientific officer. Dr. Corbau will serve as a member of Adverum's executive committee. Dr. Corbau has over 25 years of industry experience ranging from startups to global pharmaceutical companies in the United States and Europe. Dr. Corbau joins Adverum from GenEdit, where he served as Chief Scientific Officer.

08:22 EST Davis Commodities issues 2024 letter to shareholders - Davis Commodities released the following letter to shareholders from Li Peng Leck, Executive Chairwoman and Executive Director of the Company. "This past year has marked a milestone in our global expansion, highlighted by our successful Nasdaq listing, a culmination of our dedicated efforts and remarkable achievements... We are proud of what we have achieved in 2023. Our financial performance has demonstrated strong resilience against headwinds, such as high market volatility and economic uncertainty. The restructuring of our business at the beginning of 2024 also heralds a year of gathering momentum for future growth. In 2024, we intend to continue to upgrade our business model to deliver greater value and remain committed to offering quality products to our customers... Our Key Strategies and Initiatives in 2024 Strategic Consolidation to Streamline Operation and Bolster Growth. On September 15, 2023, Davis Commodities Pte. Ltd. was established as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Maxwill Pte. Ltd. We are in the process of shifting the current business operations of Maxwill Pte. Ltd., LP Grace Pte. Ltd., and Maxwill Foodlink Pte. Ltd. to Davis Commodities Pte. Ltd. This strategic approach was conducted to enhance the operational efficiency, improve resource utilization, leverage synergies for growth, and increase market competitiveness. As of the date of this letter, our corporate structure is as follows: After the consolidation, the business operations of Maxwill Pte. Ltd., LP Grace Pte. Ltd., and Maxwill Foodlink Pte. Ltd. will be brought into one operating company, Davis Commodities Pte. Ltd. After the consolidation, the business operations of Maxwill Pte. Ltd., LP Grace Pte. Ltd., and Maxwill Foodlink Pte. Ltd. will be brought into one operating company, Davis Commodities Pte. Ltd. The move is initiated to tap into our fully-integrated network and resources, and we expect to gear up for an accelerating growth pattern... Market Opportunities for Potential Growth. According to the industry report prepared by Frost & Sullivan Limited, the market size of sugar in our target markets is expected to grow steadily, driven by the expansion of food processing activities in Indonesia and Malaysia... Going forward, the anticipated expanding demands for sugar, oil and rice are expected to present great opportunities for sales expansion. We believe that the coming year promises great growth opportunities, which we hope to seize upon through dedicated focus on our products and continued upgrades and expansion of our business. We are actively exploring growth opportunities that align closely with our strategic objectives. As part of our expansion initiatives, we plan to enhance the capabilities of our trading team, prioritizing market and product development."

08:20 EST Gildan Activewear sets annual, special meeting of shareholders - Gildan Activewear announces that its board of directors has called an annual and special meeting of shareholders to be held on May 28, 2024 in response to a shareholder requisition submitted by Browning West, LP and its affiliates. Under the Requisition, Browning West is asking Gildan shareholders to vote to remove the majority of Gildan's directors and replace them with Browning West's eight nominees with the intention that those nominees will reinstate Glenn Chamandy as CEO. Following receipt of the Requisition, the Board constituted a Special Committee of directors, consisting of a majority of directors who are not targeted by Browning West for removal, to review and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the Requisition. After careful and extensive deliberation, receiving the advice of professional advisors and several meetings to consider the inputs from shareholders, management and professional advisors, the Committee provided its unanimous recommendation to the Board with respect to the Requisition, which was based on a careful weighing of the following considerations, among others, and with the best interests of the Company and all shareholders and stakeholders of Gildan in mind: the request of Browning West that the meeting be held as soon as possible and its public statements that it feared the meeting would be delayed to the fall; statements made by shareholders expressing support for a meeting to be held in the spring and a desire to limit the disruption to the business; the timing of the Requisition would necessarily involve holding the annual and special meetings within a month or two of each other. Given that the Company's shares are widely-held and traditionally there is a strong shareholder turn-out at its annual meetings, combining the annual and special meetings avoids multiple meetings addressing similar issues and eliminates the substantial potential for shareholder confusion and disengagement;the Requisition seeks a reconstitution of a majority of the Board to gain control of the Company and the importance of providing all shareholders with a reasonable period of time to evaluate Browning West's proposal and understand its proposed plan for Gildan; the selected meeting date will provide shareholders with an opportunity to assess CEO Vince Tyra's leadership of the Company so they can make the most informed decision about whom they assess is the best executive to lead Gildan material concerns regarding the validity of the Requisition given Browning West's violations of the United States Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, a U.S. antitrust law, and, as further described below, allowing sufficient time to seek declaratory relief from the Court. The Board considered the recommendation of the Committee as well as the underlying reasons for its recommendation. The Board unanimously agreed with the Committee's recommendation. Shareholders will receive details about the matters to be presented at the Meeting and about how to vote in a management information circular to be delivered to them in advance of the Meeting. Over the last few weeks, the Company has heard from numerous shareholders, both those who have indicated preliminary support for Browning West and those who have not. The Board and shareholders are aligned in the view that a speedy resolution of this unnecessary proxy contest is in the best interests of the Company and its shareholder owners. The Company also agrees with shareholders who hold the view that a meeting is not required to resolve this matter. To that end, the Company has provided an opportunity for Browning West to meet constructively with Vince Tyra, CEO, and requested to meet with Browning West's nominees to better understand their view points and applicability of skill sets. While Browning West has so far refused to have its nominees engage with the Board, the Company will still provide Browning West with the opportunity to meet with Mr. Tyra. The Company remains ready and willing to engage with Browning West; those who share some but not all of their views; and the majority of shareholders who are not aligned, to identify a responsible resolution that benefits all shareholders, not just some.

08:17 EST ReWalk Robotics rebrands as Lifeward - ReWalk Robotics unveiled its new corporate branding to officially begin doing business as Lifeward, a global market leader delivering life-changing solutions to revolutionize what is possible in rehabilitation, recovery, and the pursuit of life's passions in the face of physical limitation or disability. Starting today, the Company will begin doing business as Lifeward. Additionally, beginning January 30, 2024, the Company's ordinary shares will begin trading under the new Nasdaq stock ticker: LFWD. The new corporate website is available at GoLifeward.com and showcases the full portfolio of life-changing solutions, including the ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton, the AlterG Anti-Gravity systems, the ReStore Exo-Suit, and the MyoCycle FES systems.

08:14 EST Cingulate appoints Jennifer Callahan as CFO - Cingulate has promoted Controller Jennifer Callahan to Chief Financial Officer, succeeding longtime CFO Lou Van Horn who retired from the company in December.

08:13 EST Madrigal Pharmaceuticals announces additions to leadership team - Madrigal Pharmaceuticals (MDGL) announced three new members of its leadership team: Mark Barrett joins Madrigal as Chief Business Officer, Clint Wallace joins as Chief Human Resources Officer and Tina Ventura joins as Chief Investor Relations Officer. Mark Barrett brings more than 25 years of biopharmaceutical leadership and industry experience to Madrigal. He was most recently co-founder, Director, and CEO of Lassen Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on discovery and development of novel antibody therapeutics in immunological diseases and cancer. Clint Wallace joins Madrigal from Kenvue (KVUE), where he served as Senior Vice President Human Resources, Global Functions and Organizations and was responsible for organizational design and talent succession strategy. Tina Ventura brings nearly 25 years of experience in global health care investor relations and communications to Madrigal. Before joining Madrigal, she was Chief Investor Relations Officer at Horizon Therapeutics.

08:12 EST Arcutis announces JAAD published results from trial evaluating ZORYVE - Arcutis Biotherapeutics announced that the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology, JAAD, published positive results from the pivotal Phase 3 STRATUM trial evaluating ZORYVE foam, 0.3% as a once-daily steroid-free treatment for seborrheic dermatitis. The article was published online, and found that treatment with ZORYVE foam was superior to vehicle, with 80% of individuals achieving the primary efficacy endpoint of Investigator Global Assessment, IGA, Success and 51% of individuals reaching complete clearance at Week 8. The STudy of Roflumilast foam Applied Topically for the redUction of seborrheic derMatitis, STRATUM, was a parallel group, double-blind, vehicle-controlled study evaluating the safety and efficacy of ZORYVE foam, 0.3% in seborrheic dermatitis. The trial enrolled 457 adults and adolescents with moderate to severe seborrheic dermatitis affecting up to 20% body surface area, including the scalp, face, trunk, and/or intertriginous areas. The STRATUM study met its primary endpoint, with 80% of roflumilast foam treated individuals reaching IGA Success rate at Week 8. Improvement was seen early, with roflumilast foam demonstrating a statistically significant improvement compared to vehicle on IGA Success at Week 2, the first timepoint assessed in STRATUM. In addition, 50.6% of individuals in the roflumilast foam treated arm reached complete clearance at Week 8. Roflumilast foam also demonstrated statistically significant improvement over vehicle on all secondary endpoints, including itch, scaling, and erythema. More than 60% of individuals achieved a greater than or equal to4-point reduction in itch at Week 8 as measured by Worst Itch-Numerical Rating Score, and significant improvements in itch were also reported at Week 2 and Week 4. Individuals treated with ZORYVE foam reported a 28% improvement in itch from baseline in 48 hours. Treatment with ZORYVE foam demonstrated a significantly larger improvement in patient. ZORYVE foam was well-tolerated with a favorable safety and tolerability profile.

08:09 EST H&R Block introduces Direct Import feature - H&R Block introduced Direct Import, a fast, secure, and convenient way to simplify tax preparation for people who want to switch from TurboTax to H&R Block DIY. Today, nearly 65 million people choose to file their own taxes. This innovative integration accelerates the tax preparation process and minimizes the time spent searching for and manually inputting the information from last year needed to file their taxes. Direct Import pulls in an individual's prior year tax return data from TurboTax directly into H&R Block DIY online products. A tax filer simply inputs the phone number associated with their TurboTax account to make the switch. H&R Block's innovative integration then leverages authenticated data retrieval to import up to 150 data fields, saving tax filers significant time and effort.

08:08 EST Hookipa receives notification from Roche of decision to terminate collaboration - HOOKIPA Pharma (HOOK) announced that it has received notification from Roche (RHHBY) of their decision to terminate the collaboration and licensing agreement for HOOKIPA's HB-700 program in KRAS mutated cancers. To date, HOOKIPA has met all go-forward criteria under the agreement and remains eligible for a final milestone payment associated with IND submission. Effective April 25, 2024, HOOKIPA will regain full control of the associated intellectual property portfolio and have full collaboration and licensing rights for this program. As part of its strategic refocus, HOOKIPA will pause development activities related to HB-300 and most of its preclinical research activities.

08:08 EST Enphase Energy launches IQ8 microinverters in North America - Enphase Energy has started shipping its new IQ8 Microinverters, IQ8HC and IQ8X. With peak output AC power of 384W, IQ8HC and IQ8X Microinverters are designed to seamlessly pair with a full range of solar modules up to 540W DC. IQ8HC Microinverters are available for all of North America and can manage a continuous DC current of 14 amperes, supporting higher powered solar modules through increased energy harvesting. IQ8X Microinverters are available in the United States, supporting solar modules with higher output DC voltage and cell counts, such as 96-cells, 80 half-cut cells and 88 half-cut cells. The high-quality manufacturing process and low failure rates unlock an industry-leading 25-year warranty for all IQ8 Microinverters activated in the United States and Canada, and a 12-year warranty for products activated in Mexico.

08:06 EST Enovis to showcase Foot & Ankle Offerings at ACFAS meeting - Enovis Corporation will showcase the latest technologies from its Global Foot and Ankle business at the American College of Foot & Ankle annual meeting in Tampa, Fla., from February 1-4, 2024. The company will feature products from its recent acquisitions of Novastep and the external fixation assets of D.N.E., LLC, along with the internally developed Evolve34 Lapidus Correction System, and the STAR+ Experience with Patient Specific Instrumentation. Being showcased at ACFAS for the first time will be Evolve34, a bunion solution for Lapidus correction that allows surgeons to dial in deformity correction and select a hardware construct specific for the patient's needs. Additionally, Enovis will be introducing the all new EF1 External Fixation product line, complimenting the flagship DynaNail and DynaClip offerings in the hindfoot segment.

08:05 EST Fresh Vine to acquire Notes Live in all-stock transaction - Fresh Vine Wine has executed a definitive merger agreement to combine with Notes Live, the Colorado-based live entertainment and hospitality company, that currently operates entertainment campuses in both the Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan areas. Notes Live is also in the process of developing its crown-jewel, the Sunset Amphitheater collection, a set of luxury outdoor amphitheaters designed to set a new standard in entertainment. The flagship Sunset amphitheater location in Colorado Springs is in development and scheduled to open in August of 2024. Additional amphitheaters have also been announced by Notes Live in Oklahoma City and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and it has plans to expand into the North Texas market. The transaction contemplated by the Merger Agreement is anticipated to close in June 2024, subject to approval by Fresh Vine's stockholders, and the satisfaction of various additional closing conditions. The Transaction will be an all-stock transaction. Specifically, at the closing of the Transaction, Fresh Vine will issue shares of its common stock to Notes Live shareholders pursuant to a formula intended to allocate existing Fresh Vine stockholders and Notes Live shareholders a percentage of the combined company. The respective percentages will be based on agreed upon relative valuations in which Notes Live is being valued at $350 million, plus the amount of gross proceeds raised by Notes Live in its current equity offering of up to $50 million, and Fresh Vine is being valued at $18.0 million. The percentage of the combined company that Fresh Vine stockholders will own upon the closing of the merger is subject to adjustment based on the amount of Fresh Vine's net cash at the time of closing. Founder Chairman and CEO of Notes Live, JW Roth, will assume the role of Chairman & CEO of the public company at closing. The Merger Agreement contemplates that Fresh Vine will change its name to Notes Live Holdings, Inc., and its NYSE American ticker symbol to "VENU" upon closing. The Merger Agreement sets forth certain conditions precedent to any closing of the Transaction, including among other things, the approval of Fresh Vine's and Notes Live's shareholders, the receipt of regulatory approvals that may be required, including approval by the NYSE American for the continued listing of the combined company's common stock after closing, Fresh Vine satisfying minimum net cash requirements and having no liabilities on its balance sheet or unpaid or unsatisfied obligations that will require a cash expenditure by Fresh Vine after the Effective Time, Fresh Vine completing a sale, license, transfer, disposition, or divestiture, or winding down of Fresh Vine's current wine production business in a manner reasonably acceptable to Notes Live, the absence of dissenting Notes Live shareholders and the entry by Notes Live into lock-up and leak-out arrangements with its shareholders to its satisfaction. There can be no assurance that the proposed Transaction will be completed as currently contemplated on anticipated timelines, or at all.

08:04 EST Visionary Education signs MOU with Algoma University - Visionary Education Technology Holdings announced that on January 17, the company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Visionary Education Group, Shanghai, China, entered into an international collaborative Memorandum of Understanding with Algoma University. The purpose of this MOU is to provide a foundation for promoting international and intercultural understanding and exchange between the parties and to develop and carry out cooperative academic activities.

08:04 EST Papa John's international COO Amanda Clark to depart - Papa John's announced Amanda Clark, COO for International, will depart Papa Johns on March 1 to assume the role of CEO at another company in the franchise industry.

08:03 EST Apollo Medical partners with BASS Medical Group - Apollo Medical Holdings announced a strategic long-term partnership with BASS Medical Group, one of the largest multi-specialty medical groups in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. The partnership will bolster BASS Medical Group's value-based care and operational infrastructure, enabling them to successfully participate in total cost of care arrangements and build more effective care models integrating primary care and multi-specialty care. Together, the two organizations will aim to bring high-quality care via value-based arrangements to patients of all insurance types, including Medicare, Medicaid, ACA Marketplace, and Commercial. BASS Medical Group plans to transition its existing value-based arrangements to this new partnership, and ApolloMed will serve as BASS Medical Group's exclusive partner for all new value-based arrangements. In order to operationalize this partnership, ApolloMed plans to deploy its value-based care platform and care enablement solutions to BASS Medical Group's over 400 providers and almost 200 locations across Northern California over the following several quarters. In addition, ApolloMed plans to partner with BASS Medical Group's extensive multi-specialty group in order to enter several new markets and serve local communities in Santa Clara and Alameda Counties, as well as expand its presence in San Mateo, San Francisco, and Stanislaus Counties.

08:02 EST Roche completes acquisition of Carmot Therapeutics - Carmot Therapeutics announced that its acquisition by the Roche Group has been completed. Having successfully completed its acquisition of Carmot, Roche obtains access to Carmot's current R&D portfolio including all clinical and pre-clinical assets, as well as exclusive access to Carmot's innovative Chemotype Evolution discovery platform in metabolism, further strengthening Roche's R&D efforts and portfolio across cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Carmot and its employees will join the Roche Group as part of Roche's Pharmaceuticals Division. The acquisition gives Roche access to Carmot's differentiated portfolio of incretins including: CT-388, the lead asset, is a Phase-2 ready, dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist for the treatment of obesity in patients with and without type 2 diabetes. Injected subcutaneously once a week, it has potential as a standalone and combination therapy to improve weight loss and to be expanded to other indications. CT-996, a once-daily oral, small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist currently in Phase-1 intended to treat obesity in patients with and without type 2 diabetes. CT-868, a Phase-2, once-daily subcutaneous injectable, dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist intended for the treatment of type 1 diabetes patients with overweight or obesity. Roche has acquired all outstanding shares and options of Carmot at a purchase price of $2.7 billion. Carmot's equity holders are additionally entitled to receive payments of up to $400 million depending on the achievement of certain milestones.

07:57 EST Cardlytics announces resolution of SRS dispute - Cardlytics entered into a settlement agreement with Shareholder Representative Services LLC, or SRS, successfully resolving all disputes between the parties related to the Bridg merger agreement and the earnout payments, and further reported preliminary financial results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2023. With the preliminary financial results, Cardlytics expects to achieve positive adjusted EBITDA for full year 2023, which would allow it to extend the maturity date of its credit facility until April 2025 pursuant to the terms of its credit facility agreement. On January 25, 2024, Cardlytics entered into a settlement agreement with SRS, the entity representing the former shareholders of Bridg. The settlement agreement resolved all disputes between the parties related to the Bridg merger agreement, including the disputes related to the first anniversary earnout payment and the second anniversary earnout payment. In connection with the settlement agreement, Cardlytics agreed to pay SRS $25 million in cash and issue SRS 3.6 million shares of Cardlytics common stock. For the cash payment, Cardlytics has agreed to pay $20 million in January 2024, $3 million in January 2025, and $2 million in June 2025. All shares of Cardlytics stock will be issued in February 2024. Per the terms of the settlement agreement, Cardlytics does not have to make any additional payments in connection with its previous withholding from the first anniversary earnout payment that was the subject of a court proceeding in Delaware.

07:41 EST Flutter Entertainment begins trading on NYSE - Flutter is pleased to announce on January 29, the listing of the company's ordinary shares on the New York Stock Exchange, with trading to commence at 09.30 ET. Flutter also confirms that the cancellation of the secondary listing of the company's ordinary shares on Euronext Dublin took effect at 08.00 GMT. Flutter retains its premium listing on the London Stock Exchange and its ordinary shares continue to trade on the Main Market of the LSE. Flutter's shares will trade on the NYSE under the ticker symbol: "FLUT" (CUSIP No.: G3643J 108) and will trade on the LSE under its existing ticker symbol "FLTR".

07:36 EST BioLargo launches Equipment Solutions & Technologies subsidiary - BioLargo announced the launching of a new subsidiary BioLargo Equipment Solutions & Technologies to capitalize on substantial opportunities for its technologies in the water treatment industry. BEST will enable BioLargo to represent all its water technologies under one roof, better support its sales and distribution network of qualified reps and channel partners, and will initially focus on: the AEC, an effective, sustainable, low-waste technology for removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from water which is combined with a turnkey collection and destruction solution for customers; the AOS, a technology targeted at energy-efficient water disinfection and micropollutant destruction; the AROS, a water recycling technology for use in cooling towers and industrial wastewater that was developed in partnership with Garratt-Callahan; industrial odor control products under the CupriDyne brand offered by sister company ONM Environmental; and water treatment solutions developed by third party technology manufacturers for which BEST is an authorized reseller in order to provide complete solutions for its customers. Tonya Chandler, BioLargo's Director of Technical Commercialization, has agreed to move into the role as president of the new subsidiary.

07:32 EST Broadridge's LTX subsidiary awarded four new trading innovation patents - Broadridge Financial subsidiary LTX has been awarded four new patents on its fixed income trading innovations of bond similarity technology, dealer selection score technology, liquidity aggregation technology, and RFQ+ trading protocol. The newly patented technologies enhance trade workflows, from bond discovery and selection and counterparty selection to e-trading of larger size orders and provide the potential for price improvement due to the participation of multiple responding parties.

07:32 EST Verrica Pharmaceuticals receives permanent J-Code for YCANTH from CMS - Verrica Pharmaceuticals announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMS, has issued a permanent J-Code for YCANTH, which is the only FDA-approved treatment for molluscum contagiosum. Under the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System, HCPCS, process, the J-Code for YCANTH will become fully published April 1, 2024. "By securing a permanent J-Code for YCANTH, we have successfully reached a critical milestone in our commercial strategy that we expect will help us accelerate YCANTH utilization among the U.S. Medicaid and Medicare patient populations," said Ted White, President and Chief Executive Officer of Verrica Pharmaceuticals. "In addition to greater patient access, we also anticipate a permanent J-Code will result in a more streamlined billing and reimbursement process for YCANTH."

07:31 EST Sarepta announces data from Part B of MOMENTUM study - Sarepta announced data from Part B of the MOMENTUM study, a global, Phase 2, multi-ascending dose clinical trial of SRP-5051 that enrolled patients aged 8 to 21 years. SRP-5051 is a next-generation peptide phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer, or PPMO, treatment for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who are amenable to exon 51 skipping. Data from Part B of MOMENTUM found that at the higher, target dose, approximately 30 mg/kg dosed every four weeks, SRP-5051 resulted in mean dystrophin expression of 5.17%, and mean exon skipping of 11.11% at 28 weeks. Consistent dystrophin expression was seen in ambulatory and non-ambulatory participants at 28 weeks. Hypomagnesemia has previously been identified in patients taking SRP-5051 and was managed and monitored through prophylactic magnesium supplementation as part of the study protocol. High dose results at 28 weeks: 5.17% mean dystrophin expression as measured by western blot 4.53% mean change from baseline; Mean exon skipping of 11.11%, as measured by digital drop polymerase chain reaction and a mean change from baseline in exon skipping of 10.07%. The changes from baseline represent a 12.2-fold increase in dystrophin expression and a 24.6-fold increase in exon skipping compared to a weekly 30 mg/kg dose of eteplirsen at 24 weeks. Low dose results at 28 weeks: 2.81% mean dystrophin expression as measured by western blot;1.60% mean change from baseline; Mean exon skipping of 2.47%, as measured by ddPCR, and a mean change from baseline in exon skipping of 2.00%. The changes from baseline represent a 4.3-fold increase in dystrophin expression and a 4.9-fold increase in exon skipping compared to a weekly 30 mg/kg dose of eteplirsen at 24 weeks. There were seven serious, treatment-emergent adverse events in MOMENTUM Part B, four serious events of hypomagnesemia and three serious cases of hypokalemia. Hypomagnesemia has been seen in earlier clinical studies of SRP-5051 and, throughout MOMENTUM Part B, supplemental magnesium was administered prophylactically. No treatment-related discontinuations occurred in the study.

07:24 EST ParaZero announces results of drone safety project with automotive manufacturer - ParaZero Technologies announced recently the completion of a significant drone safety project with a leading Fortune 500 automotive manufacturer for their proprietary drone program. As announced on December 20, 2023, and in line with the project agreement, ParaZero has received full payment for the development of a custom variant of their SafeAir drone safety system. This project involved the development and testing of a custom ParaZero SafeAir system designed and engineered to meet extremely demanding flight conditions and specifications to accommodate the Fortune 500 automotive manufacturer's proprietary aircraft program. This project was initiated from the design stage, ensuring an optimized and seamless integration on the aircraft, at unique flight envelope and operational characteristics. This project reinforces ParaZero's reputation as a provider of advanced safety solutions across a myriad of aerial platforms, including multirotor, single rotor, fixed-wing, VTOL, manned and unmanned, and urban air mobility vehicles. Additionally, this project is a testament to ParaZero's capabilities to develop custom product variants to meet unique requirements and standards across a range of aircraft from around the world. In addition to this achievement, ParaZero has received its second purchase order from the Customer in late 2023. This ongoing project further strengthens ParaZero's position as a leader in the aerospace industry, particularly in the development and integration of aircraft safety systems.

07:22 EST SciSparc initiates patient recruitment for clinical trial with SCI-210 - SciSparc announces the initiation of patient recruitment for its clinical trial in children suffering from autism spectrum disorder at Soroka Medical Center in Israel. The double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled study will be performed using SciSparc's proprietary SCI-210, a combination of cannabidiol and CannAmide, which is designed to alleviate ASD symptoms. SciSparc will enroll 60 subjects between the ages of five and 18, for 20 weeks, with the purpose of assessing how SCI-210 therapy compares to standard CBD treatment in managing symptoms of ASD. The Company's goal is to sell SCI-210 first in Israel and then in other countries, subject to obtaining the requisite regulatory approvals. The trial has three primary efficacy metrics: the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community parent questionnaire; the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement performed by a clinician; and the effective therapeutic dose. The trial was designed in consultation with the National Autism Research Center, the leading research center for autism in Israel.

07:13 EST ParkerVision receives 'favorable' Markman rulings in infringement actions - ParkerVision announced that the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas issued its Markman, or claim construction, rulings in ParkerVision's patent infringement actions against MediaTek Inc. and MediaTek USA Inc. and Realtek Semiconductor Corp. The Court's claim constructions are largely favorable to ParkerVision. The Court held back-to-back Markman hearings on Friday, January 26, 2024, for the MediaTek and Realtek actions. Consistent with its standard practice, the Court issued preliminary rulings on the disputed claim constructions in advance of the Markman hearings. The Markman hearings were then held to allow the parties to present arguments with regard to any of the Court's preliminary rulings that they wished the Court to reconsider and/or fine-tune. In ParkerVision v. MediaTek, the Court adopted ParkerVision's proposed claim constructions for 13 of 16 disputed terms while adopting two proposed terms for MediaTek, and one term the Court construed on its own. In ParkerVision v. Realtek, the Court adopted ParkerVision's proposed claim constructions for nine of 10 disputed terms, with the one remaining term being a combination of the proposals from both parties. These MediaTek and Realtek infringement actions were initially filed in November 2022 and allege infringement against both parties of the same four ParkerVision patents. Both cases are scheduled for jury trial in December 2024. The Company has inter partes review actions pending against one of the patents. In 2023, ParkerVision filed two additional infringement cases against MediaTek and one new infringement case against Realtek alleging infringement of different ParkerVision patents.

07:11 EST Akoustis secures wBMS design win with Tier-1 automotive product supplier - Akoustis Technologies announced that it has secured a Tier-1 design win for a wireless Battery Management System, wBMS, chipset in Electric Vehicles from a leading automotive product supplier directly supplying the OEM. Jeff Shealy, founder and CEO of Akoustis, stated, "As a part of our strategic expansion in the Automotive market in calendar year 2023, Akoustis has achieved a significant milestone through our involvement in the development of our first wBMS design win with a Tier-1 automotive product supplier." Mr. Shealy continued, "Partnering with this supplier emphasizes the high standards and quality our filters provide to the evolving landscape of automotive technology".

07:09 EST Orion Group rebrands TAS Concrete Construction to Orion - Orion Group Holdings announced the rebranding of its subsidiary TAS Concrete Construction as Orion. This move reflects the Company's strategic initiative to integrate its different service offerings under one banner to leverage Orion's brand reputation and to deliver greater value and seamless execution for its customers. "By unifying under the Orion banner, we will have a more recognizable presence in the national market, enhancing our brand and market opportunities. This integration will unlock new potential for growth, foster collaboration across teams, and support our mission to deliver high-quality solutions with predictable excellence," said Travis Boone, Chief Executive Officer of Orion Group Holdings, Inc.

07:08 EST Griid Infrastructure to begin trading on Nasdaq Global Market - GRIID Infrastructure announced that the company will begin trading its common stock and warrants on Nasdaq Global Market. The company's common stock will trade under the ticker symbol "GRDI," and the warrants will trade under the ticker symbol "GRDIW". The Company's common stock will continue to trade on Cboe Canada, formerly known as the NEO Exchange, under the ticker symbol "GRDI."

07:06 EST Cyngn granted new U.S. patenet for AI-powered autonomous vehicle technologies - Cyngn announced the issuance of a new patent for the company's autonomous vehicle and driving solutions. This new patent of System and Methods of Large-Scale Autonomous Driving Validation provides expanded safety features in identifying problems arising from AV driving operations and generating a notification message regarding the problem. Cyngn aims to provide its customers with advanced automation via its DriveMod autonomous vehicle solutions that leverage state-of-the-art sensors and AI to produce humanlike driving capabilities across multiple vehicle types without requiring site infrastructure overhauls.

07:05 EST OTC Markets Group welcomes Cipher Pharmaceuticals to OTCQX - OTC Markets Group announced Cipher Pharmaceuticals, has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. Cipher Pharmaceuticals Inc. upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink market.

07:04 EST DMC Global initiates strategic alternatives review for DynaEnergetics, NobelClad - DMC Global announced its board of directors has initiated a review of strategic alternatives for its DynaEnergetics and NobelClad businesses. The strategic review process formalizes DMC's ongoing efforts over the past several months to consider opportunities for unlocking shareholder value. The Board has retained a financial advisor and may retain other advisors to assist the Board in evaluating DMC's current strategy, operations, and capital structure. The Board will consider various strategic, business, and financial alternatives for DMC's DynaEnergetics and NobelClad businesses. These could include, among other things, a sale, a merger or other business combination of a portion of DMC's business-unit assets, and/or a strategic investment. The Board has not set a timetable to complete the strategic review process. There can be no assurance that the review process will result in any transactions. DMC does not intend to disclose developments with respect to the review process until such time as the Board has approved a specific course of action or the Company otherwise deems disclosure required or appropriate.

07:03 EST TScan Therapeutics appoints Amello as Chief Financial Officer - TScan Therapeutics (TCRX) announced the appointment of Jason Amello as Chief Financial Officer. Amello, a senior finance executive, brings to TScan nearly three decades of expertise in financial strategy, business development, and operations in the biotechnology industry. Amello joins TScan from Candel Therapeutics (CADL) where he served as the Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Secretary, and developed the company's financial strategy and supported its business development initiatives.

06:50 EST Ring Energy sees Q1 average sales 18K-18,500 Boe/d - Ring Energy provided an operational and financial update for 4Q23, as well as production and capital spending guidance for 1Q24. Q4 sales volumes were approximately 19,400 barrels of oil equivalent per day - Boe/d - 70% oil, near the high end of the company's guidance of 18,900-19,500 Boe/d. Reduced debt by $3.0M in Q4, while also funding the $11.9M final payment in December for the Founders Acquisition. Ended 2023 with $425M of borrowings against the company's credit facility. Guiding Q1 average sales 18K-18,500 Boe/d 69% oil. Anticipates Q1 capital spending of $37M-$42M, primarily associated with a phased, two-rig drilling program. Plans to drill four to five horizontal wells and four to six vertical wells.

06:38 EST Biolase reduces workforce by 15% - In January, to improve the company's cost structure, Biolase reduced its total workforce by approximately 15%, resulting in a projected annualized cost savings of approximately $2.5M.

06:31 EST Excelerate Energy signs 15-year LNG supply deal with QatarEnergy - Excelerate Energy announced the execution of a 15-year liquefied natural gas - LNG - Sales and Purchase agreement under which Excelerate has agreed to purchase up to 1.0 million tons per annum - MTPA - of LNG from QatarEnergy on a delivered ex-ship basis in Bangladesh for 15 years, beginning January 2026. Excelerate will purchase 0.85 MTPA of LNG in 2026 and 2027 and 1.0 MTPA from 2028 to 2040.

06:10 EST Tesla sees FY24 CapEx exceeding $10B, $8B-$10B in two following fiscal years

06:04 EST Gamida Cell actively pursuing strategic alternatives - Gamida Cell announced it is actively pursuing strategic alternatives in order to maximize value for all stakeholders, focusing on an asset sale, merger or other strategic transaction. However, there can be no assurance that the company's strategic alternatives process will result in any such transaction. While pursuing strategic alternatives, the company continues to put its focus and resources behind the commercialization of Omisirge, the first and only FDA-approved nicotinamide modified cell therapy donor source for allogeneic stem cell transplant. Moelis & Company LLC is the company's financial advisor for this process.

06:03 EST WillScot Mobile Mini to acquire McGrath RentCorp for $3.8B - WillScot Mobile Mini Holdings (WSC) announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire McGrath RentCorp (MGRC), a business-to-business rental company based in Livermore, California. The acquisition will enhance WillScot Mobile Mini's position as a North American leader in turnkey space solutions with a complementary geographic footprint and a more diversified platform, providing enhanced value across key customer segments. The combined company will have a strengthened financial profile, with combined 2023 revenues of $3.2 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $1.4 billion3, including run-rate operating synergies. The combined company expects to capture additional revenue synergies and fleet efficiencies through its combined commercial and branch operations and by leveraging WillScot Mobile Mini's best-in-class technology platform. WillScot Mobile Mini expects the combined company will generate approximately $700 million of annual free cash flow by end of the first full year following closing, with significant further accretion to free cash flow margins over time. McGrath shareholders will receive for each of their shares either $123.00 in cash or 2.8211 shares of WillScot Mobile Mini common stock, as determined pursuant to the election and allocation procedures in the merger agreement under which 60% of McGrath's outstanding shares will be converted into the cash consideration and 40% of McGrath's outstanding shares will be converted into the stock consideration. The transaction values McGrath at an enterprise value of $3.8 billion, including approximately $800 million of net debt, and the per-share consideration represents a premium of 10.1% to McGrath's closing stock price on January 26, 2024. WillScot Mobile Mini is committed to deleveraging and expects to achieve pro forma net leverage within the Company's target range of 3.0x - 3.5x within 12 months post-closing. All directors for the respective Boards of WillScot Mobile Mini and McGrath adopted and approved the transaction. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2024 and is subject to approval by McGrath shareholders, regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

05:38 EST Philips sees FY24 comparable sales growth 3%-5% - The company said, "Philips reiterates confidence in delivering the plan for 2023-2025, acknowledging that uncertainties remain. For full-year 2024, Philips expects to deliver 3-5% comparable sales growth and an Adjusted EBITA margin of 11-11.5%. The free cash flow from Philips' businesses is expected to amount to EUR 0.8-1 billion. This only excludes the remaining cash-out related to the previously announced resolution of the economic loss class action in the US. The previously stated 2023-2025 Group financial outlook of mid-single-digit comparable sales growth, low-teens Adjusted EBITA margin, and EUR 1.4-1.6 billion free cash flow now takes the consent decree into account and remains unchanged. It excludes the investigation by the US DOJ related to the Respironics field action and the impact of the ongoing litigation."

05:18 EST Takeda announces EC approval of Hyqvia - Takeda announced that the European Commission, or EC, approved Hyqvia as maintenance therapy in patients of all ages with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, or CIDP, after stabilization with intravenous immunoglobulin therapy, or IVIG. Takeda previously announced an opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, on December 15, 2023 and approval as a maintenance therapy for adults with CIDP by the FDA on January 16.

05:13 EST Baker Hughes achieves new hydrogen milestones - Baker Hughes announced Monday several milestones to support the growth of the hydrogen economy, as part of the company's broader strategy in new energy. The milestones were announced during the 24th Baker Hughes Annual Meeting held in Florence, Italy, and included advancements in the company's hydrogen enabling technologies, as well as progress in executing several customers' hydrogen projects and new collaborations in the sector. Baker Hughes unveiled a new Hydrogen Testing Facility for validation of its NovaLT industrial turbines to run blends all the way up to 100% hydrogen. The new facility includes a test bench to allow full load testing, with complete fuel flexibility up to 100% hydrogen and features a 300-bar pressure and 2,450 kg storage capacity. This infrastructure, aligned to the highest standards of safety and security - which are particularly crucial when dealing with hydrogen - allows Baker Hughes to test turbines in all project conditions, providing customers with enhanced operational confidence. The new Hydrogen Testing Facility will then serve as a hub for Baker Hughes' collaboration with customers in the growing hydrogen economy. Baker Hughes recently completed manufacturing and testing of its NovaLT 16 hydrogen turbines for Air Products' Net-Zero Hydrogen Energy Complex in Edmonton, Canada. The NovaLT 16 turbines underwent full load testing at the newly unveiled Hydrogen Testing Facility. This family of turbines can be deployed for a variety of industrial applications, including combined heat and power, as well as for pipeline and gas storage operations. The company also reported progress on another key Air Products' hydrogen project, with the delivery of the first two trains of advanced hydrogen compression solutions for the NEOM project in Saudi Arabia, the largest green hydrogen project in the world through the equal joint venture of ACWA Power, Air Products and NEOM. Baker Hughes recently invested in expanding its manufacturing site in Modon, Saudi Arabia, to further support the delivery of projects in the country, including NEOM, with localized testing and packaging solutions. Both projects are part of the two companies' long-standing collaboration on hydrogen inaugurated in 2021.