Stockwinners Market Radar for February 02, 2024 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:50 EST Volcon Inc trading halted, news pending

19:50 EST GT Biopharma trading halted, news pending

17:33 EST Lockheed Martin awarded $150.56M Navy contract modification - Lockheed Martin was awarded a not-to-exceed $150.56M undefinitized modification to a firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement. This modification adds scope to provide non-recurring engineering and add/delete efforts in support of bringing six MH-60R aircraft from a standard Foreign Military Sales, or FMS, configuration to a unique configuration for the government of Norway. Additionally, this modification adds scope for the production and delivery of four Embedded Global Positioning System Inertial Navigation Systems spares, as well as provides for production spares, field and technical service representative support, and electronic support measures in-country reprogramming hot bench. Work is expected to be completed in February 2027. FMS customer funds in the amount of $49.47M will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.

17:02 EST Stoneridge's MirrorEye CMS renewed for additional five years - Stoneridge announced that its Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association exemption for its MirrorEye Camera Monitor System has been renewed for an additional five years. The exemption, originally granted in 2019, allows owners of MirrorEye-equipped trucks to remove the conventional rear-view mirrors and operate with an integrated system of cameras and digital displays. Stoneridge has received an FMCSA exemption renewal for its MirrorEye Camera Monitor System.

16:31 EST Zscaler COO Dali Rajic resigns, effective February 2 - In a regulatory filing, Zscaler disclosed that on January 29, Dali Rajic resigned as the COO of Zscaler, effective February 2.

16:06 EST CN Energy regains compliance with Nasdaq minimum bid price requirement - CN Energy Group announced that on February 2, 2024, it received notification from the Nasdaq Office of General Counsel stating that the company had regained compliance with the bid price requirement as set forth in Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). As a result, the scheduled hearing before the Hearings Panel on March 26, 2024 had been canceled and the matter was closed. The company's Class A ordinary shares will continue to be listed and traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker "CNEY."

15:57 EST Amazon says Bezos adopted plan allowing sale of up to 50M shares - In the company's 10-K filing, Amazon stated: "On November 8, 2023, Jeffrey Bezos, our founder and Executive Chair, adopted a trading plan intended to satisfy Rule 10b5-1(c) to sell up to 50,000,000 shares of Amazon.com, Inc. common stock over a period ending on January 31, 2025, subject to certain conditions." Reference Link

15:21 EST Zions Bancorp board approves FY24 share repurchase of up to $35M - Zions Bancorporation announced that its board of directors authorized a share repurchase for fiscal year 2024 of up to $35M. The board also declared a regular quarterly dividend of 41c per common share, payable February 22 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 15.

14:00 EST Neximmune Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:55 EST Honeycomb closes combination with Nubia Brand International, renamed Solidion - Honeycomb Battery Company, a battery materials supplier, announced the completion of its previously announced business combination with Nubia Brand International Corp. (NUBI), a special purpose acquisition company. Upon the completion of the business combination, the combined company was renamed Solidion Technology. Beginning on Monday, February 5, Solidion's common stock is expected to begin trading on the NASDAQ Global Market under the new ticker symbol "STI." Dr. Bor Jang, the Executive Chairman of Solidion, commented: "Today represents a momentous achievement for our company. Having developed a cost-effective process for mass-manufacturing green graphite anode materials from sustainable biomass sources, Solidion's years of in-depth R&D and manufacturing experience in graphite and other anode and cathode materials put it in a unique position to capitalize on the rapidly changing EV battery materials market. As a public company with enhanced access to capital, we plan to continue building on our extensive battery IP portfolio to further expand the range of advanced battery materials we offer and help transform the EV battery space into a solid-state battery industry." Jaymes Winters, the Chief Executive Officer of Solidion, added: "We believe Honeycomb's track record of performance and expertise in battery technologies, combined with the investment by Nubia and the continued acceleration of the EV battery market, will allow Solidion to extend its leading industry position, and we are looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish in this new phase of the company's existence."

12:03 EST Synlogic reports publication of prelinical, clinical data for SYNB1353 - Synlogic announced the publication of a manuscript detailing the development and activity of SYNB1353 in preclinical models and demonstrating safety, tolerability, and clinical proof of mechanism in healthy volunteers through the successful lowering of methionine, a precursor to homocysteine, in a dietary model of classical homocystinuria. Among findings outlined in the manuscript, SYNB1353 efficiently degraded both dietary and entero-recirculating methionine to prevent its absorption and subsequent conversion to homocysteine in preclinical models, suggesting that SYNB1353 should result in lowering of plasma homocysteine levels in HCU patients. In addition, in results from the clinical study in healthy volunteers, SYNB1353 was generally well-tolerated and adverse events were mild to moderate, transient, and predominantly gastrointestinal in nature. The proportion of subjects reporting gastrointestinal events were similar for the SYNB1353 and placebo cohorts. "Given the significant disease burden and acute need for new treatment options for those affected by classical HCU, we are pleased to share these findings that highlight the potential of our novel approach, which targets methionine, an amino acid that has long been validated as a therapeutic target in classical HCU through the use of dietary restrictions," said Mylene Perreault, Ph.D., Head of Research at Synlogic. "Importantly, the SYNB1353 program has built on learnings and progress from our other rare metabolic disease programs, including the design of the potential therapeutic, the preclinical research and the advancement in clinical development."

12:00 EST Gaotu Techedu rises 13.5% - Gaotu Techedu is up 13.5%, or 49c to $4.14.

12:00 EST Annovis Bio falls -9.6% - Annovis Bio is down -9.6%, or -$1.05 to $9.93.

12:00 EST WNS Holdings falls -16.5% - WNS Holdings is down -16.5%, or -$11.86 to $60.19.

11:54 EST NOV Inc. shares drop 8.3% to $18.23 as company conducts conference call

11:52 EST NOV Inc. sees Energy Products and Services Q1 revenue up in MSD range y/y - Sees Energy Equipment revenue up 8%-10% y/y in Q1.

11:50 EST NOV Inc.: Strong capital equipment deliveries not expected to repeat in Q1

11:48 EST NOV Inc. sees room for improvement in profitability, return profile

11:46 EST NOV Inc.: 'So many areas look so strong' over the next several years

11:43 EST Commerce Bancshares raises quarterly dividend 5% to 27c per share - Commerce Bancshares announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 27c per share on the company's common stock, which compares to the prior dividend of 25.7c as adjusted for the 5% stock dividend that was paid on December 19, 2023. This represents an increase in the quarterly dividend per share of 5% and marks the 56th consecutive year that the company has increased its regular cash dividend per share, Commerce stated. The dividend is payable on March 25 to stockholders of record at the close of business on March 7.

10:52 EST Calcimedica Inc trading resumes

10:33 EST Greif enters corporate partnership with Columbus Blue Jackets - Greif announced a new corporate partnership with the Columbus Blue Jackets National Hockey League franchise through 2026. The partnership includes a new fundraising platform for the Blue Jackets Foundation, supporting their community initiatives, and contributing to the team's hockey-themed wellness curriculum. This new collaboration introduces the Greif Blocked Shots Platform, aiming to raise funds and support the Blue Jackets Foundation's initiatives in education through literacy, the health and safety of children, pediatric cancer and the growth and development of hockey.

10:21 EST CareMax trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:00 EST Beazer Homes falls -9.9% - Beazer Homes is down -9.9%, or -$3.19 to $29.17.

10:00 EST Gaotu Techedu rises 9.9% - Gaotu Techedu is up 9.9%, or 36c to $4.01.

10:00 EST Deckers Outdoor rises 11.7% - Deckers Outdoor is up 11.7%, or $90.32 to $863.17.

09:47 EST Deckers Outdoor rises 8.7% - Deckers Outdoor is up 8.7%, or $67.15 to $840.00.

09:47 EST Sunnova Energy falls -7.1% - Sunnova Energy is down -7.1%, or -77c to $10.03.

09:47 EST Beazer Homes falls -12.6% - Beazer Homes is down -12.6%, or -$4.07 to $28.29.

09:33 EST NHTSA upgrades probe into Tesla Model 3 and Y steering control - The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration upgraded its investigation into Tesla's steering control to an engineering analysis. The agency's investigation identified 2,388 total complaints regarding alleged loss of steering control in model years 2023 Tesla Model 3 and Y vehicles. The engineering analysis has been opened to characterize the conditions leading to- and stemming from failures with steering rack parts, the NHTSA announced. Reference Link

09:27 EST BeiGene announces Ontario, Quebec publicly list Brukinsa to treat CLL - On Wednesday, BeiGene announced that the Governments of Ontario and Quebec have publicly listed Brukinsa, a second generation inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase, or BTK, for the treatment of adults living with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL, the most common form of leukemia in adults. The Regie de l'assurance maladie du Quebec listing came into effect December 13, 2023, and the Ontario Drug Benefit Program added Brukinsa on January 12.

09:20 EST Agape ATP unveils expansion plans, green initiatives - Agape ATP Corporation announces the Company's move to push forward its Sustainability Green Energy Initiative at the NASDAQ Opening Bell Ringing Ceremony hosted by ATPC at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on 20th January. Dato' Sri Dr. How Kok Choong, Founder and Global Group CEO of ATPC said, 'It is with great honour and immense gratitude that we welcome our distinguished guests, partners from around the globe, and the respected dignitaries of Malaysia to this momentous NASDAQ Opening Bell Ringing Ceremony. Your presence today is a testament to our shared vision for a sustainable future." Central to ATPC's sustainability strategy is a Memorandum of Agreement with Volt Industries Sdn. Bhd. in November 2023, marking a significant milestone in both parties' collaborative efforts. While the acquisition of a 51% stake in VOLT is currently its' final stages, this partnership is expected to play a crucial role in ATPC's Sustainability Green Energy Initiative. This initiative includes the development and installation of 50 Electric Vehicle charging stations in Pahang, Malaysia, which is already in development progress. Meanwhile, following a Memorandum of Agreement signed in November 2023 between ATPC and Oriental Industries Enterprise Sdn. Bhd, a specialist in the EV bike industry, both companies established a Special Purpose Vehicle, with each holding an equal of 50% share, focusing on the distribution and marketing of EV bikes. Highlighting this partnership, the Ceremony featured an impressive showcase of EV bike display which will go to market in key cities, including Kuala Lumpur and Penang, after inspection and obtaining clearance from SIRIM. Further contributing to this wave of sustainable initiatives, VOLT has independently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with KAB Smart Solar Energy Sdn. Bhd. This agreement opens avenues for collaboration in Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Commissioning services specifically for Solar Photovoltaic systems, highlighting the synergy between VOLT's EV charging station expertise and KAB Smart Solar's proficiency in the realm of solar energy.

09:17 EST KalVista shareholder buys 91,804 shares at $14.05 - Last week, in a regulatory filing, KalVista disclosed that shareholder Venrock Healthcare bought 91,804 shares of the company at $14.05 per share in a transaction valued at $1.29M.

09:08 EST Mondelez appoints McNamara to board of directors - Mondelez International (MDLZ) announced the appointment of Brian McNamara to the Company's Board of Directors, effective Feb. 1. McNamara has served as Chief Executive Officer of Haleon (HLN), formerly GSK Consumer Healthcare, since May 2022.

09:05 EST Armada Hoffler announces 45,000 square foot office lease - Armada Hoffler announced a 45,000 square foot corporate office tenant will join the robust tenant lineup at its Southern Post mixed-use development in Roswell, Georgia. The project continues to attract substantial office, retail and residential activity as it moves closer to its expected completion this spring. Armada Hoffler's Southern Post is a 4.27-acre mixed-use development that is transforming the former site of Roswell Plaza into a carefully curated destination with 128 luxury apartments, 90,000 square feet of loft-style, open-concept offices, 40,000 square feet of retail space, and an exclusive offering of nine high-end townhomes with garages. This lease comes shortly after Armada Hoffler finalized a 7,400 square foot office lease with CA South at Southern Post. The construction firm based in Atlanta is relocating its headquarters from The Battery in Cobb County, Georgia to Southern Post.

09:03 EST EnWave signs technology evaluation, license option agreement with cannabis firm - EnWave Corporation has signed a Technology Evaluation and License Option Agreement with a North American multi-state cannabis company, to lease a 10kW Radiant Energy Vacuum dehydration machine to evaluate the value proposition of REV technology over incumbent drying methods. The Cannabis Cultivator's evaluation is expected to complete before the end of June 2024. If the evaluation is deemed successful, EnWave expects to grant a commercial license and sell REV equipment to the Cannabis Cultivator.

09:02 EST Prestige Consumer's Insight voluntarily recalls two lots of TING 1% spray - Insight Pharmaceuticals, a Prestige Consumer Healthcare, is voluntarily recalling two lots of TING 1% Tolnaftate Athlete's Foot Spray Antifungal Spray Liquid to the consumer level. A recent review by its manufacturer and their third-party lab found that samples from two lots of the product contained elevated levels of benzene. While benzene is not an ingredient in any Ting Antifungal Spray products, the review showed that unexpected levels of benzene came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can. Importantly, no other lots of TING 1% Tolnaftate Athlete's Foot Spray Antifungal Spray Liquid and no other Ting Antifungal Spray Liquid products are in the scope of this recall and may continue to be used by consumers safely and as intended.

08:57 EST Lifeist Wellness to sell CannMart for C$5M - Lifeist Wellness has entered into a definitive share purchase agreement with 1463663 B.C., a newly-incorporated affiliate of Tierra Corp., and the Company's Canadian cannabis subsidiaries, collectively referred to as the "CannMart Group", to divest and sell all of the shares of the CannMart Group to the Buyer for total aggregate consideration of C$5M, subject to certain adjustments, plus the adjusted value of inventory at the time of closing. The projected final sale price for CannMart may thus exceed Lifeist's total present market capitalization, resulting in extraordinarily attractive price-to-book and price-to-cash ratios for Lifeist post-closing. This will allow the company to aggressively drive growth in its Mikra Cellular Sciences and Aussie Vapes subsidiaries and to take advantage of additional emerging opportunities as they arise to increase shareholder value in the near- and long-term. Tierra Corp. is a private Canadian corporation led by its principal shareholder, Colin Samples. The Transaction allows Lifeist to complete the strategic pivot launched in 2021 with the formation of its wholly owned subsidiary Mikra Cellular Sciences. The Company can now focus its attention more fully on opportunities in the large and growing nutraceutical space. In Q4 2023 Mikra launched two new natural science-based products and is well positioned to pursue opportunities in the wellness market, taking advantage of the substantially higher margins, lower effective taxation rate, much lower regulatory compliance overhead costs, and far greater freedom to creatively market and advertise innovative products therein as compared to the regulated cannabis space. In addition, Lifeist retains upside exposure to new developments in the regulated cannabis space through purchase warrants in Tierra Corp., and is free to reenter the industry domestically or internationally if and when management so sees fit. Under the terms of the SPA, the Company has agreed to sell all of the issued and outstanding shares of each of the corporations in the CannMart Group for aggregate consideration of $5 million plus the adjusted value of inventory at the time of closing. The purchase price payable to the Company on closing is structured as follows: $500,000 payable in cash upon closing of the Transaction, subject to a working capital adjustment; a $4.5 million senior secured vendor takeback loan with set monthly repayments; and common share purchase warrants to acquire up to 9.9% of the equity of Tierra Corp., parent company of the Buyer. For the purposes of section 301 of the Business Corporations Act, the Transaction constitutes the sale of the majority of the Company's undertaking and accordingly requires the approval of 2/3 of the shareholders of the Company entitled to vote thereon in order to complete the Transaction. In addition to obtaining Shareholder approval, the closing of the Transaction is subject to, among other things, the satisfaction of all regulatory requirements and the fulfilment of certain other conditions, including the granting of final approval of the Transaction by the TSXV. The Company's intention is to complete the Transaction as soon as practicable after the annual and special meeting of the Company's shareholders being held on March 14, 2024.

08:48 EST Mallinckrodt announces Board of Directors and leadership updates - Mallinckrodt appointed Paul Bisaro, Katina Dorton, Abbas Hussain and Wesley Wheeler to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Bisaro has also been reappointed to his previous role as Board Chair. In addition, Siggi Olafsson has entered into a new employment agreement and will continue in his roles as Mallinckrodt's President and CEO and a member of the Board. With the appointment of Bisaro, Hussain, Wheeler and Dorton, Mallinckrodt's Board comprises seven directors. In addition to Olafsson, the other incumbent directors are David Stetson and Jon Zinman, who were appointed in November 2023.

08:40 EST Novavax announces results from Phase 3 trial of R21/Matrix-M malaria - Peer-reviewed results from a Phase 3 efficacy trial of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine were published in The Lancet. The trial was conducted across multiple sites in four African countries with 4,800 children aged 5-36 months. Data from this trial served as the basis for the World Health Organization's, WHO, recent prequalification of the R21/Matrix-M vaccine, paving the way for a global rollout that is expected to commence in mid-2024 by Serum Institute of India. The publication reported: Efficacy of 75% when administered prior to the high transmission season:In areas with highly seasonal malaria transmission, the R21/Matrix-M vaccine was shown to reduce symptomatic cases of malaria by 75% during the 12 months following a three-dose series. Efficacy of 68% when administered in an age-based schedule in regions where malaria is present perenniallyduring the 12 months following the first three doses. The most common adverse events with the vaccine were fever and injection site pain.

08:32 EST Sidus Space included in team awarded $794M NGA contract - Sidus Space announced it is a member of the Solis Applied Science Team which was selected by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's, or NGA, to provide research and development services to NGA's Research and Development directorate. The NGA awarded the Research and Development Contract, or RDC, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity, or IDIQ, contract on January 25 to Solis Applied Science, one of four IDIQ awardees. Task orders will be completed among the IDIQ awardees, with the first task order scheduled for February 2024.

08:24 EST Eton Pharmaceuticals announces availability of Nitisinone Capsules - Eton Pharmaceuticals announced the commercial availability of Nitisinone Capsules for the treatment of hereditary tyrosinemia type 1 in combination with dietary restriction of tyrosine and phenylalanine. Tyrosinemia type 1 is an ultra-rare condition that is estimated to impact fewer than 500 patients in the United States.

08:17 EST Red Cat announces introduction into Middle East market - Red Cat Holdings announces its introduction into the defense and security market in the Middle East, furthering its global expansion efforts among U.S. allies. The Company will be showcasing its Teal 2 drone system at the World Defense Show, a leading defense and security event held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 4-8, 2024. Red Cat will be exhibiting in booth L5.2 in the North American Pavilion and will also be demonstrating the Teal 2 in the event's demonstration program each day.

08:09 EST Revance announces CMS assigns permanent J-code for Daxxify - Revance announced that the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, has assigned a permanent J-code for Daxxify, indicated for the treatment of cervical dystonia in adults. J-Codes are product-specific reimbursement codes used by commercial insurance plans, Medicare, and other government payers and are intended to simplify reimbursement for providers and expand access for patients. The company also announced the publication of results from the ASPEN-1 Pivotal Phase 3 study in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study evaluated the safety, duration of response, and efficacy of two doses of Daxxify for the treatment of cervical dystonia and served as the foundation for FDA approval of Daxxify for the treatment of cervical dystonia in August 2023.

08:05 EST Lipocine to continue commercialization of Tlando through Verity Pharma - Lipocine announced that commercialization of Tlando in the U.S. has been transitioned to its licensee Verity Pharma, effective February 1, enabling the continuity of patient access to Tlando. Tlando is the first and only oral testosterone replacement therapy option approved by the FDA that does not require dose titration. In January, Lipocine and Gordon Silver entered into an exclusive license agreement under which Verity Pharma will market Tlando in the U.S. and, if approved, in Canada. Under the terms of the license agreement, Lipocine has received the second tranche of the $11M license fee, $5M. In addition, per the license agreement, Gordon Silver is to make license fee payments of $2.5M and $1M no later than January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026, respectively.

08:04 EST Grainger sees FY24 daily, organic cc sales growth 4%-7% - Sees FY24: Gross profit margin 39.1%-39.4%; Operating margin 15.3%-15.8%; Operating cash flow $1.9B-$2.1B; CapEx $0.4B-$0.5B; Share buybacks $0.9B-$1.1B; Tax rate ~24%.

08:03 EST TeraWulf self-mines 313 bitcoin in January - January 2024 Highlights: Self-mined 313 bitcoin in January with an average production rate of over 10 bitcoin per day. Power cost averaged $16,737 per bitcoin self-mined, or approximately $0.05/kWh in January, which excludes the benefit of demand response or ancillary services revenue. Building 3 at Lake Mariner was fully deployed at month end, utilizing roughly two thirds of the Company's recently purchased 2.8 EH/s of S19j XPs. The balance of the S19j XP purchase is planned to be installed by early February to consume open infrastructure capacity as it becomes available in connection with the nearing expiration of the Company's only hosting agreement. Strategically deployed performance tuning, including efficiency mode and selective miner curtailment, during the week of elevated energy pricing mid-January, in addition to overclocking to increase hash when energy pricing normalized. "During January, the Company mined 313 bitcoin, a slight decrease from December's bitcoin production, due to increased average difficulty and lower transaction fees month-over-month, as well as opportunistic miner performance tuning, which was done to maximize margins during days with seasonally elevated power prices due to colder than average temperatures in upstate New York. Despite the cold snap, our team worked tirelessly throughout the month to deploy the S19j XP deliveries in line with our February 1 target," said Sean Farrell, SVP of Operations at TeraWulf.

08:02 EST Taysha Gene Therapies announces inducement grant under Nasdaq listing rule - Taysha Gene Therapies announced that, on February 1, 2024, the Compensation Committee of Taysha's Board of Directors granted two new employees, in the aggregate, options to purchase 180,000 shares of the Company's common stock in connection with their employment. The stock options were granted under the Taysha Gene Therapies, Inc. 2023 Inducement Plan as an inducement material to the individuals entering employment with Taysha in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4). The stock options have an exercise price of $1.56 per share, which is equal to the closing price of Taysha's common stock on the date of grant. The stock option has a 10-year term and will vest over four years, with 25% of the option vesting on the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date and the remaining 75% of the option vesting in equal monthly installments over the 36 months thereafter. Vesting of the stock option is subject to such employee's continued service to Taysha on each vesting date.

08:02 EST Imperial Oil increases quarterly dividend 20% to C$0.60 per share

07:39 EST AbbVie reaffirms high single-digit CAGR through 2029 - Raises 2027 combined sales outlook for Skyrizi and Rinvoq to more than $27B; Raises peak sales outlook for Ubrelvy and Qulipta to more than $3B combined.

07:34 EST Jeffs' Brands' Fort secures solar panel protection distribution agreement - Jeffs' Brands announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Fort Products, had signed an exclusive distribution agreement with a leading manufacturer of solar panel protection and related products. According to the agreement, previously announced on January 23, 2023, Fort was granted the exclusive right to sell and market the Products as an independent distributor, with no territorial limitation. Fort has previously achieved great success in selling the Products on the Amazon Marketplace UK. As a result, Fort and the manufacturer decided to expand their partnership and enter into an exclusive distribution agreement. Fort plans to market and sell the Products on the global Amazon Marketplace and as a wholesaler.

07:32 EST SAB Biotherapeutics appoints Samuel Reich as CEO - SAB Biotherapeutics announced Samuel Reich, currently the Executive Chairman of SAB, will expand his role to include that of CEO of SAB, effective February 2, 2024. Eddie Sullivan, Ph.D., Co-Founder of SAB, will continue his role as President, and as a member of the Board of Directors. He will report to the Board and maintain leadership of operational, research, and development functions of the Company. Reich joined SAB in 2021 as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors after its combination with Big Cypress Acquisition Group, where he served as CEO, CFO and a member of the board of directors.

07:24 EST Guardian Capital to acquire Sterling Capital Management from Truist Financial - Guardian Capital Group (GCAAF) has reached an agreement under which Guardian's wholly-owned subsidiary Guardian Capital will acquire Sterling Capital Management from Truist Financial Corporation (TFC). Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Sterling traces its origins as an independent investment manager to 1970. Sterling's rich pedigree has allowed it to expand a successful business that today has approximately $76B in assets under management and advisement. Sterling invests on behalf of a broad range of institutional and individual investors through separate accounts, model portfolios, and commingled vehicles, including mutual funds. The financial terms of the transaction include a payment of $70M on closing to purchase 100% of the equity capital of Sterling, subject to customary purchase price adjustments, and future earn-out incentives. Following the anticipated closing of the transaction in Q2, 2024, Guardian plans to operate Sterling as a standalone entity, led by the current team of management and senior professionals, providing continuity, stability and continued excellence for Sterling clients.

07:10 EST Philip Morris, British American Tobacco announce global patent settlement - Philip Morris (PM) announced that it has reached a global settlement with British American Tobacco (BTI) that resolves all ongoing patent infringement litigation between the parties related to our heated tobacco and vapor products. Patent protection is a critical component of the innovation driving PMI's strategies and the company welcomes this settlement as the best path forward for its business plans. The settlement includes non-monetary provisions between PMI and BAT that resolve all ongoing global patent infringement litigation, encompassing all related injunctions and exclusion orders, and prevents future claims against current heated tobacco and vapor products. The settlement also allows each party to innovate and introduce product iterations. PMI is committed to continued innovation in reduced-risk products to further advance Tobacco Harm Reduction.

07:08 EST Edwards Lifesciences earns FDA approval for Evoque tricuspid valve - Edwards Lifesciences announced the company's Evoque tricuspid valve replacement system is the first transcatheter therapy to receive FDA approval for the treatment of tricuspid regurgitation, or TR. The Evoque system is indicated for the improvement of health status in patients with symptomatic severe TR despite optimal medical therapy, or OMT, for whom tricuspid valve replacement is deemed appropriate by a heart team.

07:04 EST BioCryst reports inducement grants under Nasdaq listing rule - BioCryst Pharmaceuticals announced that the compensation committee of BioCryst's board of directors granted nine newly-hired employees stock options to purchase an aggregate of 32,100 shares, and restricted stock units covering an aggregate of 21,450 shares, of BioCryst common stock. The options and RSUs were granted as of January 31, 2024, as inducements material to each employee entering into employment with BioCryst. The options and RSUs were granted in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

07:04 EST Plug Power sign BEDP contract for 500 MW electrolyzer in Europe - Plug Power has signed a contract to deliver a Basic Engineering and Design Package, BEDP, for a 500 megawatt, MW, electrolyzer project in Europe. The contract, signed on January 29, 2024, increases Plug's total amount of BEDP contracts to 4.1 gigawatts. "Plug's ability to secure BEDP contracts totaling 4.1GW demonstrates that this approach is relevant to the market," said Andy Marsh, CEO of Plug. "Moreover, Plug's conversion rate after providing a BEDP is high. We have already been awarded 1.1GW worth of electrolyzer supply, subject to positive FID, and 100MW are in execution for Galp, an oil & gas company in southern Europe."

07:03 EST Osisko Development announces SVP, Project Development to leave company - Osisko Development announces that Francois Vezina, Senior Vice President, SVP, Project Development, Technical Services and Environment, will be leaving the Company on March 1, 2024, to pursue another opportunity in the mining sector. The Company will evaluate potential external and internal candidates, as it prepares to re-position for and transition toward future growth initiatives. Eric Tremblay, current interim Chief Operating Officer and Director of the Company, will continue to oversee and support the technical services and environmental sustainability groups.

06:59 EST Granite Ridge Resources reports Q4 total prouction 26K BOEPD - Granite Ridge Resources (GRNT) reported oil production for the quarter averaged approximately 12 thousand barrels of oil per day. Reports total proved reserves at quarter end of 27,317 Mbo of oil, 156,928 MMcf of gas and 53,472 Mboe. On December 21, 2023, Granite Ridge closed on the sale of certain of its Permian Basin assets to Vital Energy (VTLE) for consideration of 561,752 shares of Vital Energy's common stock and 541,155 shares of Vital Energy's 2.0% cumulative mandatorily convertible preferred securities. The assets sold consisted of approximately 1,658 net acres and 45 gross producing wells in the Permian Basin.

06:56 EST Sempra Energy subsidiary enters MOU with JBIC - Sempra Infrastructure, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, announced that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, or JBIC, to cooperate on opportunities to advance the energy transition. Through this MOU, Sempra Infrastructure and JBIC aim to further project structuring to improve the global energy supply chain through liquefied natural gas, or LNG, hydrogen and other decarbonization efforts in both the United States and Japan.

06:51 EST Reliance Steel acquires Cooksey Iron & Metal Co., terms not disclosed - Reliance Steel announced that it has acquired all the outstanding equity interests of Cooksey Iron & Metal Co., a metals service center that processes and distributes finished steel products, including tubing, beams, plates and bars. Headquartered in Tifton, Georgia and founded in 1917, Cooksey operates three locations, servicing a diverse range of customers including trailer manufacturers, metal building fabricators, agricultural equipment manufacturers, structural fabricators, machine shops and others in Georgia, Florida, Alabama and South Carolina. Cooksey will operate as a subsidiary of Metals USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance. The current management team will remain in place. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, annual net sales for Cooksey were approximately $90M. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

06:41 EST Hut 8 Corp. concluding managed services at Nebraska and Texas sites in Q2 - Hut 8 Corp. (HUT) has negotiated an agreement with the new owners of two of Hut 8's managed services sites - Charlie in Kearney, Nebraska, and Delta in Granbury, Texas - which includes a $13,568,000 payment made to Hut 8 in connection with the termination of the property management agreements at the two sites. Under the termination agreement signed January 30, 2024 with Marathon Digital (MARA), Hut 8 will continue to provide managed services and conduct self-mining activities at the Charlie and Delta sites through April 30. The termination fee will be paid within 30 days of the termination date.

06:36 EST LyondellBasell sees slow demand, economic uncertainty Q1 - The company said, "In the first quarter of 2024, seasonally slow demand and economic uncertainty are expected to provide continued headwinds for most businesses. Relatively low ethane raw material costs are continuing to benefit North American Olefins & Polyolefins margins while regional demand is showing modest improvement.mThe company expects oxyfuels and refining margins to be within typical winter seasonal ranges. In China, January demand was subdued as buyers managed inventories around Lunar New Year holidays and growth remained uncertain. Spring and summer seasonal demand improvements are expected across global markets. LYB is aligning first quarter operating rates with global demand and expects to operate Olefins & Polyolefins Americas assets at approximately 80%, and both Olefins & Polyolefins EAI assets and Intermediates & Derivatives assets at approximately 75%."

06:34 EST Regeneron sees FY24 CapEx $825M-$950M - Sees FY24 non-GAAP gross margin on net product sales 89%-91%.

06:17 EST Chevron raises quarterly dividend 8% to $1.63 per share - The dividend is payable March 11 to all holders of common stock as shown on the transfer records of the corporation at the close of business on February 16.

06:07 EST AstraZeneca reports 'positive' results from Japan Phase 3 acoramid trial - Positive high-level results from the Japan Phase III trial of acoramidis in adults with transthyretin-mediated amyloid cardiomyopathy, or ATTR-CM, showed consistency to those in the global BridgeBio Pharma (BBIO) ATTRibute-CM Phase III trial, including survival, cardiac-related hospitalisations and other measures of improved functions and quality of life at 30 months, reported AstraZeneca (AZN). This trial in Japan was conducted to support local registration. Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, maintains an exclusive licence with BridgeBio's affiliate, Eidos Therapeutics, Inc. to develop and commercialise acoramidis in Japan. The success criterion in the open-label Phase III trial in Japan was defined as greater estimated survival probability at 30 months than that observed among placebo patients in ATTRibute-CM. Reference Link

05:20 EST Nel, Nikola realign previous agreement - Nel (NLLSF) and Nikola (NKLA) have realigned their previous agreement, and at the same time Nel will become Fortescue's supplier for their 80 MW electrolyser, for a total consideration of about $20M. In 2018, Nel entered into a supply agreement with Nikola, followed by a firm purchase order for 85 MW of electrolyser equipment in 2020 that has been delivered. The two parties have now agreed to cancel the old supply agreement and will agree to a new agreement for 110 alkaline stacks and related Balance of Stack equipment only. As a compensation for the changed scope Nel will receive about $9M.

05:13 EST Hutchmed announces Inmagene licenses two drug candidates from the company - Hutchmed announced that, Inmagene Biopharmaceuticals has exercised options to license two drug candidates discovered by Hutchmed, IMG-007 and IMG-004 pursuant to the terms of the strategic partnership announced on January 11, 2021. Following the exercise of the options and subject to receipt by Hutchmed of ordinary shares representing approximately 7.5% of shares in Inmagene, Inmagene will be granted an exclusive license to further develop, manufacture and commercialize these two drug candidates worldwide.mAs part of the partnership, Hutchmed granted Inmagene exclusive options to multiple drug candidates solely for the treatment of immunological diseases. Since the execution of the option agreement, Inmagene has funded and led two of these candidates, IMG-004 and IMG-007, to clinical development. For each of the drug candidates, IMG-004 and IMG-007, Hutchmed is entitled to receive potential payments subject to the achievement of development milestones of up to $92.5M and subject to the achievement of commercial milestones of up to $135M, as well as royalties upon commercialization. In 2023, Inmagene initiated two global Phase IIa clinical trials in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis and in adults with alopecia areata, with the investigational OX40 antagonistic monoclonal antibody IMG-007. It also completed a Phase I single ascending dose study of IMG-004, a reversible, non-covalent, highly selective oral BTK inhibitor designed to target immunological diseases.

05:07 EST HP Inc. enters technology sponsorship agreement with Real Madrid Football Club - Real Madrid Football Club announced a global technology sponsorship agreement with HP Inc. during a joint signing ceremony at Ciudad Real Madrid. As part of the multi-year deal, HP will be the first brand to have its logo appear on the Real Madrid uniform sleeve in the Club's 121-year history. The sponsorship spans men's and women's teams as well as youth programs. In addition, HP will become the club's newest technology partner. The collaboration aims to accelerate the digital transformation of club spaces and elevate the Real Madrid fan experience as part of the new Santiago Bernabeu complex and beyond, including in-person experiences, gaming and club operations.