Stockwinners Market Radar for February 07, 2024 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:11 EST Virtu Financial CEO buys $810K in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Virtu Financial disclosed that its CEO Douglas Cifu bought 50K shares of common stock on February 7th in a total transaction size of $810K. Shares of Virtu Financial are up 2% afterhours at $16.61.

20:09 EST Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 120K shares of Robinhood today

20:04 EST Getaround announces workforce reduction impacting 30% of North America staff - Getaround "announced the Company will restructure its workforce and operations to reduce costs and align with the globalization of the Company's carsharing business, as it strives to lengthen its cash runway and accelerate its path to profitability. This new plan includes a workforce reduction, effective immediately, that impacts approximately 30% of the Company's North American staff. The Company anticipates that this cost reduction program will result in savings of approximately $7 million on an annualized run-rate basis. The Company expects to incur up to $1 million in restructuring costs in connection with the workforce reductions."

18:57 EST Avista raises quarterly dividend 3.3% to 47.5c per share - Avista's board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend of 47.5c per share on the company's common stock, an increase of 1.5c per share, yielding an annualized dividend of $1.90. The common stock dividend is payable March 15, 2024, to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 23, 2024. "The dividend increase approved by the board of directors marks the twenty-second consecutive year the board has raised the dividend for our shareholders. I believe it demonstrates the board's commitment to maximizing shareholder value," said Avista Chief Executive Officer Dennis Vermillion.

18:48 EST Mattel authorizes $1B share repurchase program - Following $203M of repurchases in 2023.

18:38 EST Robinhood CEO Tenev sells 250,000 class A shares - In a regulatory filing, Robinhood CEO Vladimir Tenev disclosed the sale of 250,000 class A common shares of the company on February 5 at a price of $10.6075 per share.

18:28 EST Cencora announces common share repurchase from Walgreens Boots Alliance - Cencora (COR) has agreed to repurchase shares of its common stock from Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) in the amount of approximately $50M in concurrence with Walgreens Boots Alliance's sale of Cencora shares pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Cencora intends to repurchase shares from Walgreens Boots Alliance at the price per share equal to the price in the Rule 144 sale. The concurrent share repurchase will be made under Cencora's share repurchase program and the repurchased shares will be held in treasury.

17:57 EST Qualys sees heavier investment in sales, marketing in 2H24 - Expects U.S./foreign revenue mix to remain at 60/40, respectively, in 2024.

17:46 EST PayPal plans to move away from providing annual revenue guidance - Says will instead provide guidance for upcoming quarter. Says it believes it is "prudent" to guide revenue one quarter ahead and provide "some updates" as the year progresses. Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

17:26 EST Qualys sees FY24 CapEx $15M-$20M; Q1 CapEx $3M-$5M - Says most of CapEx will be devoted to sales and marketing with a modest amount to engineering. The company quantified the Microsoft 'sunsetting' impact by stating, "This guidance includes an estimated 1% reduction to revenue growth in 2024 from sunsetting our embedded solution for Microsoft Defender effective May 1st. Earlier this year, Microsoft Defender for cloud users using product solutions were notified that we will be retiring our integration of Microsoft Defender and transitioning to be while our model. With this change, these customers will be able to leverage Qualys total costena to effectively manage their security risk for cloud and container. Although this strategic shift is estimated to result in a short term negative impact to revenues, we believe it will be key to delivering long term value to customers. Normalized for this change our revenue guidance for the full year 2024 would have been 9% to 11%." Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

17:18 EST Alaska Air, Hawaiian get request for additional information from DOJ over deal - As previously disclosed, on December 2, Hawaiian Holdings (HA) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with Alaska Air Group (ALK)... On February 7, Hawaiian and Alaska each received a request for additional for additional information from DOJ over deal and documentary material from the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice in connection with the DOJ's review of the Merger. The issuance of the Second Request extends the waiting period under the HSR Act until 30 days after both Hawaiian and Alaska have substantially complied with the Second Request, unless the waiting period is earlier terminated by the DOJ. Hawaiian and Alaska expect to promptly respond to the Second Request and to continue working cooperatively with the DOJ as it conducts its review of the Merger. This information is taken from a corportate 8K filing. Reference Link

17:07 EST Mattel sees FY24 revenue 'comparable to 2023' - Note that the company reported FY23 revenue of $5.44B and consensus for FY24 is $5.54B. Says "we are well positioned competitively and will continue to outpace the industry and gain share". The company's "new, three-year efficiency and cost savings program" targets savings of $200M and cash expenditures of $130M-$170M. Comments taken from investor presentation slides. Reference Link

17:01 EST Disney sees Q2 Disney+ net additions 5.5M-6M - Says expects Disney+ core average revenue per unit to increase in Q2 with continued benefit of price increases. Says still expects to reach profitability in combined streaming business in FY24. Says seeing healthy demand in advertising for sports. Says on track to meet $7.5B annualized cost target by end of 2024 and generating $8B in cash flow.

16:55 EST Murphy Oil promotes Eric Hambly to COO - Murphy Oil "announced the following promotions, effective February 1, 2024. The Board of Directors has appointed Eric M. Hambly to the role of President and Chief Operating Officer and E. Ted Botner to Executive Vice President. Mr. Hambly and Mr. Botner will continue to report to Roger W. Jenkins, Chief Executive Officer. Over his 18-year career with Murphy, Mr. Hambly has played a vital role in the success of Murphy's global exploration and production operations. He has earned roles with increasing responsibilities primarily focusing on offshore operations in the Gulf of Mexico and Malaysia, as well as onshore operations in the US and Canada. He was promoted to his current position as Executive Vice President, Operations in 2020."

16:49 EST Ellington Financial reports estimated book value per share $13.83 on Dec. 31

16:46 EST Jeld-Wen appoints Matt Meier joins as Chief Digital and Information Officer - Jeld-Wen appointed Matt Meier as EVP, Chief Digital and Information Officer. Meier was most recently EVP, chief digital and data officer at Driven Brand Holdings. The company also announced three new leaders who will join the Jeld-Wen senior leadership team, reporting to Christensen: Gustavo Vianna, named EVP and President, Jeld-Wen Europe; Dan Valenti, appointed EVP, North America doors & distribution; Dan Jacobs, who is currently VP and general manager, North America windows. Peggie Bolan, currently VP and general manager, North America building products and fiber.

16:40 EST GoPro sees FY24 gross margin improving to 35%-36% - "Looking ahead, we expect to improve gross margin of 32% we posted in 2023 to a range of 35% to 36% in 2024," the company said. "In addition, we continue to expect gross margin to improve throughout the year to 35% in the second and third quarters and to improve further in the fourth quarter to between 37% and 38%... We expect to grow subscribers in 2024 adding to the substantial ARR we are already generating. We expect to end the year with between 2.5 and 2.6 million subscribers, or 4% growth year-over-year at the high-end of the range. This assumes renewal rates consistent with what we've described earlier."

16:36 EST Qualys raises share repurchase program by $200M

16:33 EST Euroseas takes delivery of containership newbuilding M/V Tender Soul - Euroseas announced that on February 6 it has taken delivery of its M/V Tender Soul, an Eco EEDI Phase 3, 2,800 teu feeder containership newbuilding from Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. in South Korea. The vessel is equipped with a Tier III engine and other sustainability linked features including installation of AMP ...The vessel is financed via a sale and leaseback agreement with a Japanese owner and bank. Following its delivery, M/V Tender Soul commenced an eight to ten months charter at a rate of $17,000/day.Aristides Pittas, Chairman and CEO of Euroseas commented: "We are very pleased to have taken delivery of M/V Tender Soul, the third vessel from our nine-vessel newbuilding program which includes three additional 2,800 teu and three 1,800 teu units, all modern fuel-efficient eco-design vessels with Tier III engines. It should be noted that M/V Tender Soul and the rest of our newbuildings are 40%+ more efficient than previous generation similar size non-eco ships."Thus, we look forward to the delivery of the remaining of our newbuildings that will help us reduce our carbon footprint. At the same time, we expect that the recent recovery in charter rates would benefit our vessels that are to be chartered or re-chartered in the next several months including the next scheduled deliveries from our newbuilding program. As always, we continue to monitor the secondhand and resale markets to identify accretive investment opportunities."

16:28 EST ICF International awarded subcontracts worth $24M - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration expanded its longstanding partnership with ICF with five new subcontracts to support mental health programs, including evaluation and communications support for the agency's 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The agreements have a combined value of $24M.

16:26 EST Disney CEO says ESPN to launch flagship DTC service in fall 2025 - Disney CEO Bob Iger said in an interview on CNBC ahead of the company's earnings call that ESPN plans to launch its flagship direct-to-consumer service in the fall of 2025.

16:22 EST Molina Healthcare reports FY23 MCR 88.1% - The company states: "The consolidated MCR for the full year 2023 was 88.1%, consistent with expectation and in line with the Company's long-term target range. The Medicaid MCR for the full year 2023 was 88.7%, in line with the Company's expectation and long-term target range. The full year MCR includes the moderate impact from the net effect of redetermination acuity shifts and risk corridors, as well as the impact of new store additions which typically run above portfolio average in the first year. The Medicare MCR for the full year 2023 was 90.7%, above the Company's long-term target range, reflecting higher utilization of supplemental benefits, in-home services, and high-cost drugs throughout the year. The Marketplace MCR for the full year 2023 was 75.3%, below the Company's long-term target range, reflecting the success of the Company's product and pricing strategy to return the business to target margins. "

16:19 EST EnerSys sees FY24 CapEx $80M-$100M

16:18 EST Costco reports January comparable sales up 2.7% - Costco reported net sales of $22.08B for the retail month of January, the five weeks ended February 4, an increase of 4.5% from $21.13B last year. For the 22 weeks ended February 4, the company reported net sales of $104.94B, an increase of 6% from $99B for the 22 weeks of FY23 ended January 29, 2023.

16:16 EST Disney to partner with Epic Games to on universe connected to Fortnite - The Walt Disney Company and Epic Games will collaborate on an all-new games and entertainment universe that will further expand the reach of beloved Disney stories and experiences. Disney will also invest $1.5 billion to acquire an equity stake in Epic Games alongside the multiyear project. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. addition to being a world-class games experience and interoperating with Fortnite, the new persistent universe will offer a multitude of opportunities for consumers to play, watch, shop and engage with content, characters and stories from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar and more. Players, gamers and fans will be able to create their own stories and experiences, express their fandom in a distinctly Disney way, and share content with each other in ways that they love. This will all be powered by Unreal Engine.

16:15 EST ZimVie launches TSX Implant in Japan - ZimVie announced the launch of the TSX Implant in Japan. As ZimVie's largest dental implant market in APAC and fifth largest market globally, Japan is of great strategic importance to ZimVie. The launch of TSX in Japan allows the company to compete head-to-head with premium market leaders in the dental implant space.

16:13 EST Fleetcor increases share repurchase program by $1B - Fleetcor expects to enter into a 10b5-1 plan, which supports the company's plan to repurchase up to $800M of shares during 2024. On January 25, the board authorized an increase to the aggregate size of the company's share repurchase program by $1.0B, with approximately $1.6B remaining, and extended the program through February 4, 2025.

16:11 EST Disney sees Disney+ Core subscriber net additions of between 5.5M-6M in Q2 - Disney said: "Hulu subscribers increased by 1.2 million from the prior quarter. Disney+ Core subscribers decreased sequentially by 1.3 million, in line with prior guidance and reflecting a substantial price increase in the quarter as well as the end of the global summer promotion. Disney+ Core ARPU increased sequentially by 14c versus the fourth quarter. We expect Disney+ Core subscriber net additions of between 5.5 and 6 million and ongoing positive momentum in ARPU in the second quarter. ESPN's domestic business grew both revenue and operating income year over year in the first quarter, and we continue to build ESPN into the world's preeminent digital sports platform."

16:09 EST Allison Transmission, Volare partner over school buses with auto transmissions - In partnership with Volare, Brazil's leading minibus manufacturer, Allison Transmission will equip South America's first school buses with fully automatic transmissions. Brazil's National Fund for Educational Development (FNDE), a federal agency connected to the Ministry of Education, recently announced grants to finance 320 new buses equipped with Allison Torqmatic(TM) Series transmissions as part of its School Path Program, which aims to provide public school students with access to safer and more reliable transportation. Allison's entry into the Brazilian school bus market is representative of the strong growth Allison is experiencing outside of North America as a result of our strategic growth initiatives.

16:08 EST Monolithic Power acquires Axign B.V. - Monolithic Power Systems announced the acquisition of Axign B.V., a Netherlands-based fabless semiconductor startup that specializes in programmable multicore DSP. MPS plans to expand its presence in the Netherlands, leveraging Axign's established local presence with universities.

16:07 EST Monolithic Power increases quarterly dividend to $1.25 per share - MPS announced that its board has approved an increase in the quarterly cash dividend to $1.25 per share from $1.00 per share. The Q1 dividend of $1.25 per share will be paid on April 15 to all stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 29.

16:06 EST Paycom names Chris Thomas co-CEO - Paycom Software announced the promotion of Chris Thomas, former Chief Operating Officer, to the role of Co-CEO, effective today. Thomas will serve as Co-CEO with Paycom's founder, President and Chairman, Richison, whose innovative leadership propelled the organization into the S&P 500 within less than six years of becoming a publicly traded company. Thomas has served as Paycom's COO since September 2023, following his time as Senior Executive Vice President of Operations. Thomas joined Paycom in 2018, and has served in a variety of leadership roles where he has led over 10 departments across Paycom, including client service, learning, banking, human capital management, new client implementation and tax, to name a few. Prior to Paycom, Thomas held numerous senior leadership positions at Love's, one of the 10 largest privately held companies in the U.S. with $26.5 billion in revenue in 2023, according to Forbes. "Chris is a leader who has been instrumental in helping build Paycom into the world-class HR and payroll software company it is today. We have so much opportunity ahead of us, and I have extreme confidence in Chris as a leader I can share responsibilities with going forward," said Richison. "This announcement is a natural progression for the company, and further illustrates the trust I have in our leadership team. I'm committed to Paycom and am excited to see the value this creates."

16:02 EST CSG Systems raises quarterly dividend 7% to 30c per share - CSG Systems announced that its Board of Directors approved a 7% increase in the Company's quarterly cash dividend payment. The new quarterly payment amount has been increased to $0.30 per share of common stock to be paid on March 28, 2024 for shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 15, 2024.

14:50 EST Fibrobiologics Inc. trading halted, volatility trading pause

14:25 EST Phoenix Biotech Acquisition Corp trading resumes

14:06 EST Oxus Acquisition Corp trading resumes

13:55 EST Lottery.com says court granted the motions to dismiss - Lottery.com said the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted the motions to dismiss filed by Lottery.com. The company's motions to dismiss sought dismissal of the amended class action complaint and the complaint filed by plaintiff Harold Hoffman. The court's ruling is based on the pleadings alone and is not a determination on the merits of the case. The court granted the class action plaintiffs and plaintiff Harold Hoffman leave to amend their complaints within twenty-one days of the ruling. "The Company will continue to vigorously defend this matter, if necessary. Lottery.com remains steadfast in its commitment to transparency, integrity, and responsible corporate governance," it said.

12:50 EST Pershing Square exits Lowe's position - In Annual Investor Presentation slides to be presented on February 8 by Pershing Square Holdings, the firm says it exited Lowe's "after a highly successful, nearly six-year holding period, freeing up capital for new opportunities." The firm also updated on positions including Universal Music Group (UMGNF), Google (GOOGL), Chipotle (CMG), Restaurant Brands (QSR), Hilton (HLT) Howard Hughes (HHH), Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP). Reference Link

12:16 EST HH&L Acquisition Co trading resumes

12:02 EST Akerna sees closing Gryphon Digital Mining transaction on February 9 - Akerna (KERN) announced that the closing of its previously announced merger with Gryphon Digital Mining is expected to take place before markets open on Friday, February 9. Prior to closing the merger, Akerna anticipates completing a reverse stock split of its common stock at a ratio of one share for twenty shares. Following completion of the merger, the combined company is expected to begin trading at market open on February 9, on The Nasdaq Capital Market on a reverse stock split basis, under the new name "Gryphon Digital Mining, Inc." and under the symbol "GRYP". The estimated exchange ratio of shares of Akerna's common stock for Gryphon common stock and Gryphon preferred stock will be approximately 1.5561 shares of Akerna common stock for each one share of Gryphon Common Stock and Preferred Stock based on estimated aggregate merger consideration of 31,539,011 shares of Akerna common stock, on a post-reverse stock split basis. Concurrently with the closing of the Merger, Akerna anticipates closing the sale of all of the membership interests of its wholly-owned subsidiary, MJ Freeway LLC to MJ Acquisition Corp. pursuant to that certain Securities Purchase Agreement by and between Akerna and MJ Acquisition Corp. dated April 28, 2023 for gross aggregate cash proceeds of approximately $1.22M and the conversion of $1.85M in notes held by MJ Acquisition Corp. into shares of Akerna common stock.

12:00 EST O-I Glass rises 13.8% - O-I Glass is up 13.8%, or $1.99 to $16.36.

12:00 EST Soho House falls -15.9% - Soho House is down -15.9%, or -98c to $5.20.

12:00 EST Snap falls -35.4% - Snap is down -35.4%, or -$6.18 to $11.27.

11:35 EST HH&L Acquisition Co trading halted, news pending

11:04 EST Mattel adds Julius Genachowski and Dawn Ostroff to board - Mattel (MAT) announced that Julius Genachowski and Dawn Ostroff have joined the company's board of directors, effective February 5. Directors Todd Bradley and Ann Lewnes stepped down from the Mattel board of directors, effective February 1, the company noted. Genachowski is a Senior Advisor at Carlyle (CG), a global investment firm, following a decade as Partner and Managing Director. Prior to that, he served as Chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, or FCC. Ostroff most recently served as Chief Content & Advertising Business Officer at Spotify (SPOT).

10:09 EST Netflix greenlights two Boston Red Sox projects with MLB - Netflix announced two new projects with Major League Baseball featuring "one of the league's most storied franchises, the Boston Red Sox," the company announced. "For the first time, Netflix will follow an MLB team over the course of a full season. This docuseries will feature one of sports' most historic teams, the Boston Red Sox, and provide viewers a window into what it takes to compete across a season's ups and downs in one of the most rabid sports environments. Netflix will have unprecedented access to players, coaches and executives throughout the 2024 season and the docuseries will debut in 2025," the streaming company stated. The second project- coming to Netflix later this year- is an untitled documentary looking back at the "extraordinary and historic" 2004 Red Sox season, the company added. Reference Link

10:01 EST Pixie Dust Technologies Inc(ADR) trading resumes

10:00 EST MeridianLink falls -14.9% - MeridianLink is down -14.9%, or -$3.30 to $18.79.

10:00 EST XPO, Inc rises 11.9% - XPO, Inc is up 11.9%, or $11.68 to $109.73.

10:00 EST Similarweb rises 17.7% - Similarweb is up 17.7%, or $1.04 to $6.90.

09:47 EST XPO, Inc rises 11.1% - XPO, Inc is up 11.1%, or $10.93 to $108.98.

09:47 EST IHS Holding rises 25.3% - IHS Holding is up 25.3%, or 73c to $3.62.

09:47 EST MeridianLink falls -15.4% - MeridianLink is down -15.4%, or -$3.40 to $18.68.

09:46 EST Knightscope announces FDNY upgrades fire boxes to Knightscope E-Phones - Knightscope announces that Fire Department New York issued a purchase order to upgrade 10 fire boxes at various schools from outdated analog wirelines to Knightscope's solar, 4G wireless technologies.

09:40 EST Neurocrine trading resumes

09:37 EST Mercury Systems trading resumes

09:35 EST Neurocrine trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:31 EST Tenax Therapeutics trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:24 EST TOP Ships announces vessel refinancings, redemption of preferred shares - TOP Ships has entered into five sale and leaseback financing agreements with three major Chinese financiers for the refinancing of two 157,000 dwt Suezmax tankers, the M/Ts Eco West Coast and Eco Malibu, two 300,000 dwt VLCC tankers, the M/Ts Julius Caesar and Legio X Equestris and one 50,000 dwt MR product tanker, the M/T Eco Marina Del Ray. The proceeds after repayment of previous debt of the already-concluded financings amounted to $47.9 million, $43.9 million of which was used to fully redeem the Company's outstanding Series F perpetual preferred shares, held by a related party, pursuant to their terms. The Company expects significant cashflow savings following the full redemption of the Series F perpetual preferred shares that carried a dividend of 13.5% per annum and 36,596,274 votes. The redemption of the Series F perpetual preferred shares was approved by the independent members of the board of directors.

09:18 EST Motorola Solutions teams with Google Cloud to advance safety and security - Motorola Solutions (MSI) and Google (GOOG) Cloud announced a strategic, multi-year agreement that will focus on innovating cloud solutions across Motorola Solutions' safety and security technologies. With Google Cloud's infrastructure, Motorola Solutions will prioritize the advancement of assistive intelligence, including highly accurate and reliable video content delivery, mapping and AI capabilities, to help address real-world safety challenges. "From communities to businesses, our customers rely on us to help create a safer future," said Mahesh Saptharishi, executive vice president and chief technology officer of Motorola Solutions. "This collaboration will leverage the power of sensors, data and AI to help make safety and security more accessible and actionable." Motorola Solutions expects to deploy the newly developed capabilities across its rapidly growing cloud security solutions, including Avigilon Alta, an entirely cloud-native video suite that enables enterprise security for organizations of all sizes.

09:16 EST Archer Aviation announces three conforming, piloted aircraft under construction - Archer Aviation announced that they are well underway in constructing the company's first three conforming Midnight aircraft, with the first aircraft set to begin final assembly in the coming weeks. Archer's initial fleet of piloted aircraft will begin piloted flight testing later this year, and subsequently be used in "for credit" flight testing with the FAA as the company progresses towards commercialization.

09:10 EST Cassava Sciences reports results of two-year study of simufilam - Cassava Sciences reported top-line results of a two-year clinical safety study of simufilam, an investigational oral drug for the proposed treatment of Alzheimer's disease dementia. The study enrolled over 200 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's and consisted of two open-label treatment phases and a randomized, placebo-controlled withdrawal phase. Average changes in ADAS-Cog scores, baseline to month 24, indicate the following: Patients with mild Alzheimer's disease who received simufilam treatment continuously for two years had no decline in ADAS-Cog scores as a group. Patients with mild Alzheimer's who received simufilam treatment non-continuously declined 1 point on ADAS-Cog as a group. Non-continuous treatment consisted of one year on open-label drug, six months on placebo and six months back on open-label drug. In patients with mild Alzheimer's, the largest separation between the continuous and non-continuous treatment groups occurred at the end of the 6-month randomized, placebo-controlled withdrawal phase. Patients with moderate Alzheimer's who received simufilam treatment continuously for two years declined 11.05 points on ADAS-Cog as a group. This was a 24-month safety study. The safety study was conducted in three continuous phases: a 12-month, open-label treatment phase, followed by a 6-month randomized, placebo-controlled withdrawal phase1, followed by 6 additional months of open-label treatment.

09:08 EST LPL Financial: Blair Waller joins broker-dealer, RIA, custodial platforms - LPL Financial LLC announced that financial advisor Blair Waller, has joined LPL Financial's broker-dealer, RIA and custodial platforms. He reported having served approximately $150 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets, and joins LPL from Corebridge Financial, formerly Valic, a subsidiary of AIG. With the move, he launches Waller Creek Wealth Management, an independent financial practice based in Austin, Texas. The name of the firm - which is coincidental - is a nod to Waller Creek, a stream that runs through the University of Texas at Austin and is named after the first mayor of the city. Waller, who started in the financial services industry nearly a decade ago, said his goal for the new boutique practice is to cultivate and maintain close relationships with his clients to fully understand their unique financial needs and fiscal objectives.

09:07 EST Prudential assumes $4.9B in pension obligationsfor 21,500 Shell retirees - Prudential Financial (PRU) closed a pension risk transfer transaction with Shell USA, (SHEL) for $4.9B in pension obligations covering a block of about 21,500 of the company's U.S. retirees. "Prudential is honored to help continue meeting the retirement security needs of Shell's retirees," said Alexandra Hyten, head of Institutional Retirement Strategies at Prudential. "We are confident that our commitment to flawless execution - from the transaction itself to participant onboarding and service delivery - will serve Shell retirees well, protecting the lifetime income they've worked hard to earn."

09:04 EST Ahold Delhaize USA announces partnerships with DoorDash - Ahold Delhaize USA (ADRNY) has announced a new agreement with local commerce platform DoorDash (DASH) to make an additional on-demand grocery delivery marketplace available to customers at each of its local omnichannel brands - Food Lion, Hannaford, Giant Food, The GIANT Company and Stop & Shop. Delivery from DoorDash is expected to be available to customers of all brands by March. "From day one DoorDash has been focused on creating opportunities for our merchant partners to compete, succeed, and flourish in every environment," said Tony Xu, CEO and Co-founder at DoorDash. "We're excited to partner with Ahold Delhaize USA brands to support the growth of their digital channels and help them engage consumers in new ways. As consumers' favorite local commerce platform, we look forward to expanding our East Coast selection and giving consumers more access to everything in their neighborhoods, including groceries, retail, flowers, food, and more."

09:02 EST Edible Garden receives U.S. patent for self-watering in-store display - Edible Garden announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent related to its in-store, Self-Watering Display. The USPTO has issued U.S. Patent No. D1,010,365 S, titled, "Plant Display Apparatus" to Edible Garden AG Incorporated. The patent encompasses methods and systems designed for the Company's proprietary in-store, Self-Watering Display, which is designed to increase plant shelf life and provide an enhanced in-store plant display experience.

08:56 EST Roblox CFO clarifies adjusted EBITDA vs. Street estimates - On the Q4 earnings conference call, Roblox CFO Michael Guthrie clarified the company's guidance, particularly the adjusted EBITDA guidance vs. Street estimates. Guthrie said that this quarter, Roblox is guiding to adjusted EBITDA of and that calculation differs from "covenant adjusted EBITDA, what most of you are referring to." The executive added that "Many of you in your margin expectations for Q4, we're at about 18%. We generated about 23%. And for us, that compares to 20.3% last year. So it was about a 270 basis point increase in the fourth quarter."

08:52 EST Yum! Brands sees FY24 tax rate 21%-23% - Sees FY24 G&A flat. Sees FY24 operating profit growth 8%. Says confident Taco Bell will be a brand icon for years to come. Says confident 2024 will be another banner year. Says FY23 SSS grew 6%. Says kiosks remain an important priority for KFC. Says confident in pace of development. Says expects sequential improvement in SSS throughout the year. Says in more challenging operating environment. Comments and guidance taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

08:48 EST Altamira Therapeutics announces publication on peptide-based delivery platform - Altamira Therapeutics announced the publication of a peer-reviewed article in the Journal of Integrative Medicine titled, "Melittin analog p5RHH enhances recombinant adeno-associated virus transduction efficiency". This work evaluates the use of various peptides to enhance adeno-associated virus cell transduction and was conducted by an independent research group.1 Recombinant AAVs are commonly used as carriers to introduce nucleic acids in cells for gene therapy; several AAV-based gene therapy drugs have already been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The study sought to find ways of increasing the endosomal release of AAV-based therapeutics by using peptides derived from melittin, a component of bee venom known for its ability to permeabilize biological membranes. The research group evaluated 76 melittin derivatives, including p5RHH, the peptide underlying Altamira's OligoPhore/ SemaPhore nanoparticle platform for RNA delivery. The scientists discovered that insertion of p5RHH into the AAV vector not only enhanced cell transduction, but also succeeded in transducing cell lines typically considered resistant to AAVs. Further, an in vivo study in mice showed that the addition of p5RHH to the AAV capsid of several AAV serotypes significantly enhanced liver transduction compared to non-modified AAV vectors, observed up to the last time point four weeks after systemic administration.

08:46 EST Orbit International reports bookings for January in excess of $1.5M - Orbit International announced that its Electronics Group reported bookings for the month of January 2024 in excess of $1,500,000. Deliveries for the January 2024 orders have already commenced and are expected to continue through the first quarter of 2026. In addition, the OEG also reported that it received a more than $1.6 million order in February 2024 from a large defense contractor. The order is for a product used on a significant aircraft program for the U.S. Navy. Deliveries for this award will commence in the fourth quarter of 2024 and continue through the third quarter of 2025. Mitchell Binder, President and CEO of Orbit International commented, "We are pleased to report that bookings for our OEG for the month of January 2024 were in excess of $1,500,000 with the majority of our bookings for the month coming from our Simulator Products Solutions subsidiary. Bookings for SPS were slightly in excess of $1,100,000 for the month of January and come on the heels of a record booking year in 2023 of approximately $10,800,000. Additional orders received during the month for the OEG were for switch panels and displays."

08:44 EST Beamr Imaging schedules launch of new cloud service - Beamr Imaging announced that it is scheduled to launch on February 20, 2024 a new cloud service that will simplify video processing and make it accessible and affordable to everyone. Beamr's video cloud solution is operating over Amazon's AWS and powered by Nvidia hardware that has been collaborating with Beamr for the past 2 years. CEO Sharon Carmel said: "Video is everywhere and its usage is growing at a faster pace than ever, thanks to the emerging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning markets, and on top of the massive expansion of Streaming and User-Generated-Content. Having our solution as a part of the Nvidia platform makes it natural to the new rising market of AI and Generative AI. We believe that our cloud service can disrupt this booming market".

08:42 EST Atossa announces full enrollment of Z-endoxifen arm of I-SPY 2 trial - Atossa Therapeutics announced that the (Z)-endoxifen arm of the ongoing Phase 2 I-SPY 2 clinical trial has fully enrolled. In the study, (Z)-endoxifen, Atossa's proprietary Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator, is being evaluated as a neoadjuvant treatment for newly diagnosed estrogen receptor-positive invasive breast cancer. "We are excited that the (Z)-endoxifen arm of the I-SPY 2 study has fully enrolled and look forward to seeing data from this study in the second half of 2024," said Steven Quay, MD, PhD, Atossa's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Estrogen receptor positive breast cancer accounts for over 80% of all breast cancer diagnoses and unfortunately, the current neoadjuvant treatment options for these patients are sub-optimal. Treatment with (Z)-endoxifen has the potential to down-stage the tumor, improve tumor resectability and reduce the incidence of breast cancer recurrence, all while demonstrating a far superior safety and tolerability profile compared to aromatase inhibitors and systemic chemotherapy. This would transform the treatment paradigm for the hundreds of thousands of women diagnosed with ER-positive breast cancer every year."

08:41 EST Trinity announces application for Early Sjogrens Syndrome Test Panel PLA - Trinity Biotech announced that its New York based reference laboratory, Immco Diagnostics, has applied for a Proprietary Laboratory Analyses, PLA, code for its Early Sjogrens Syndrome Test Panel, to allow for an optimized market access strategy to deliver broader patient access and improved profitability. Subject to approval, Trinity expects the PLA code for the Early Sjogrens Syndrome Test Panel to become effective in Q3 2024, which should allow Immco Diagnostics to implement a further optimised market access strategy, aimed at delivering better patient access, while affording improved profitability for both Immco Diagnostics and our commercialization partners.

08:40 EST Bitcoin Depot enters retail partnership with conveniece store operator - Bitcoin Depot announced a retail partnership with a leading operator of convenience stores in the U.S. Bitcoin Depot plans to install its BTMs in an additional 63 stores across multiple metropolitan areas, strengthening Bitcoin Depot's retail footprint. This partnership augments Bitcoin Depot's comprehensive growth plan, which focuses on increasing its BTM network and continuing to build a robust pipeline of major regional and national retail partners. Last month, the Company announced an additional partnership that includes a deployment of nearly 1,000 BTMs nationally.

08:39 EST LiveOne appoints Sullivan as CFO - LiveOne announced the appointment of Aaron Sullivan as CFO. Sullivan previously served as Vice President, Corporate Controller, and as LiveOne's Interim Chief Financial Officer.

08:38 EST Cardio Diagnostics teams with FMS to deploy tests to certain Walmart locations - Cardio Diagnostics Holdings (CDIO) announced that the Company's AI-driven epigenetic-genetic blood tests, Epi+Gen CHD and PrecisionCHD, will be available beginning Q2 2024 in a retail healthcare setting inside the Walmart (WMT) Supercenter in Round Lake Beach, Illinois. Round Lake Beach, a northern suburb of Chicago in Lake County, has been chosen as the strategic starting point for this retail healthcare initiative. "Our partnership with FMS to bring our tests to their Walmart locations is a game-changer in the field of cardiovascular health management. By integrating Cardio Diagnostics' state-of-the-art clinical tests within FMS's expansive retail network, we are shifting the paradigm from a model that relies on specialty care infrastructure to one that meets American communities in their backyard.' With the deployment of Cardio Diagnostics' advanced blood tests across select Walmart locations in partnership with FMS, the Company aims to help alleviate the critical issue of increasing wait times for specialty care. Cardio Diagnostics' expanded collaboration with FMS at select Walmart locations, beginning with the Round Lake Beach location, is a key opportunity to reduce wait times for cardiac assessments and care, and expand community-based access to heart disease solutions. The company intends to continue to identify and partner with provider organizations with a strong retail healthcare presence who are keen to enhance their existing heart disease-related services with precision cardiovascular diagnostic and risk assessment technologies

08:36 EST Reborn Coffee partners with TOUS les JOURS bakery - Reborn Coffee announced a special distribution partnership with TOUS les JOURS, a franchise French-Asian bakery cafe chain, to bring an exclusive Valentine's Day coffee blend to TOUS les JOURS' Cerritos, California flagship location and through ecommerce. "This initiative celebrates the season of love and marks a significant milestone in Reborn Coffee's mission to enhance coffee experiences for TOUS les JOURS consumers in the region," said Jay Kim, CEO of Reborn Coffee. "This Valentine's Day, we are pouring our hearts into every cup, bringing a special blend of our premium beans to the TOUS les JOURS flagship location in Cerritos. We expect the collaboration will be an effective cross selling program, introducing our exclusive coffee to its bakery customers."

08:32 EST Clean Energy Technologies affiliate announces favorable order from Maine PUC - Clean Energy Technologies announced that Vermont Renewable Gas, VRG, an affiliate limited liability company, has received a favorable order from the State of Maine Public Utilities Commission, PUC. The order grants New Renewable Resource Certification status for VRG - Lyndon, a 2.2 MW biogas generator facility under development in Lyndonville, Vermont. Kam Mahdi, CEO of CETY, stated "This decision issued by the Maine PUC is one of several positive announcements CETY has made concerning VRG - Lyndon. With a $53 million, 20-year power purchase agreement in-hand and now this decision from the Maine PUC, CETY looks forward to completing final permitting for the facility and commencing construction. VRG will serve as a model for developing new projects that capture market share in this highly profitable and growing industry. By vertically integrating biomass into our business, we are also able to grow our heat recovery business horizontally. We hope that our future projects will be large by orders of magnitude and have a profound impact on the environment while bringing CETY new sources of income. Our new renewable energy biomass projects are expected to further expand our goal of becoming a complete solution for industrial and municipal scale projects in the strategic markets we are targeting."

08:27 EST CVS Health says liquidity, capital position 'remain excellent' - Expects "at least" 800,000 new Medicare Advantage members in 2024.

08:23 EST Intrusion announces customer wins in the Philippines - Intrusion announced the expansion of Intrusion Shield SaaS services in the Philippines. The recent first quarter customer agreements are with new customers who operate in different sectors of the Philippines economy, including natural gas exploration and development, water utilities, and the government sector. After successful proof of concepts, the new agreements allow for the expansion of Intrusion Shield protection and broader use within these organizations.

08:20 EST Roblox sees compounding top line by $20%+ per year through 2027 - Targeting margin expansion of 100-300bps each year. Comments taken from slides being presented on the Q4 earnings conference call.

08:19 EST BriaCell announces clinical data from its Phase 2 trial with Bria-IMT regimen - BriaCell Therapeutics report preliminary disease control rate of 61% in evaluable Phase 2 advanced breast cancer patients treated with BriaCell's Bria-IMT regimen - the same formulation being used in BriaCell's open pivotal Phase 3 study. Additionally, a disease control rate of 50% was reported in similarly treated evaluable patients who had failed prior antibody-drug conjugate, ADC, therapy. "We are beyond excited by the clinically significant disease control data we are seeing in this group of very difficult-to-treat patients," stated Dr. William V. Williams, BriaCell's President and CEO. "This data provides further encouragement to us as we continue our pivotal Phase 3 study enrollment. Our highest priority is to provide both survival and quality of life benefits to patients fighting a very deadly disease in a cohort with typically only a few months to live. Bria-IMT checks both boxes as no patients have discontinued our therapy due to treatment related serious side effects. We are closely monitoring the data and feedback we receive from our expert clinical team and the study participants, and look forward to sharing additional clinical data in the coming months."

08:18 EST Cheetah Net Supply Chain Service completes Edward acquisition - Cheetah Net Supply Chain Service announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Edward Transit Express Group. The Acquisition marks a pivotal achievement in Cheetah's strategic expansion plans. Tony Liu, Chairman and CEO, commented, "(t)he Acquisition positions us as a more visible competitor in our industry. This strategic move aligns seamlessly with our broader goals, strengthens our logistical capabilities, and enables us to provide end-to-end supply chain solutions. We are committed to leveraging the Acquisition by reducing transaction costs, creating new revenue streams, and becoming a one-stop-shop for traders within the global supply chain sector." Total consideration for the Acquisition was $1.5 million. The Company paid Edward's sole shareholder $300,000 in cash and issued 1,272,329 shares of the Company's unregistered Class A common stock having a market value of $1.2 million. Edward will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cheetah and Franky Zhang, the current general manager of Edward, will become a Cheetah employee and assume the position of chief executive officer of Edward.

08:16 EST Pacira awarded Brand Pharmaceuticals agreement with Premier - Pacira BioSciences has been awarded a national group purchasing agreement for Brand Pharmaceuticals with Premier. Effective January 1, 2024, the new agreement allows Premier members, at their discretion, to take advantage of special pricing and terms pre-negotiated by Premier for EXPAREL. This collaboration is aimed at improving patient care and optimizing cost savings to healthcare organizations and will allow Premier members to access EXPAREL, a single-dose local and regional analgesic that provides prolonged postsurgical pain control while reducing reliance on opioids. "Premier has an impressive network of U.S. hospitals and health systems, and this collaboration provides Pacira an excellent opportunity to expand reach while improving patient safety and care," said Frank Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Pacira BioSciences. "We are proud to collaborate with organizations like Premier as we continue to advance our mission to provide a non-opioid pain management option to as many patients as possible."

08:15 EST Theriva says IDMC recommends continuation of enrollment as planned in VIRAGE - Theriva Biologics announced that the Independent Data Monitoring Committee recommended the continuation of enrollment as planned into VIRAGE, a multinational, Phase 2b, randomized, open-label, controlled clinical trial evaluating VCN-01 in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy as a first-line therapy for patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. According to the IDMC's comprehensive assessment of clinical data from patients enrolled across 6 sites open in the U.S. and 9 sites open in Spain, the ongoing Phase 2b trial will continue without any changes to the protocol. No safety concerns were raised based on the evaluation of data presented at the IDMC meeting. Intravenous VCN-01 has been well tolerated and demonstrated a safety profile consistent with prior clinical trials. Importantly, no additional toxicities were observed in patients receiving a second dose of VCN-01, providing the first clinical evidence of the feasibility of repeated systemic dosing. VIRAGE remains on track to complete enrollment in the first half of 2024.

08:14 EST Nuburu hires financial advisor to evaluate strategic alternatives - Nuburu announced that it has engaged Northland Capital Markets as its financial advisor in connection with its evaluation of strategic alternatives. With assistance from Northland and its other advisors, the Company will assess a full range of strategic alternatives, including a sale, merger, divestiture, recapitalization, going private transaction, additional financing, and other significant transactions. The Company has not set a timetable for the conclusion of its evaluation of strategic alternatives and has not made any decisions related to strategic alternatives at this time. There can be no assurance that this evaluation will result in any definitive documentation to consummate one or more transactions, or other strategic changes or outcomes, or, that the terms of any such transactions, changes, or outcomes will be favorable. Even if the Company enters into a definitive agreement, the Company may not be successful in completing a transaction, change or outcome, or, if it completes such a transaction, change or outcome, it may not ultimately enhance value or deliver expected benefits. The Company does not expect to comment further with respect to this evaluation unless or until it has approved a specific course of action or has otherwise concluded that further disclosure is appropriate or legally required

08:13 EST Enlivex Therapeutics issued U.S. patent covering Allocetra cells - Enlivex Therapeutics announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a new patent, number US 11,883,429, covering Allocetra, the Company's immunotherapy product candidate. The new patent is expected to provide added intellectual property protection in the United States for the product's composition and manufacturing method.

08:12 EST PetVivo announces release of study results involving feline tolerance of Spryng - PetVivo Holdings announced that the Company has released the results of a clinical study conducted by Inotiv, an independent clinical research organization, which examined the safety of intra-articular injections of collagen-elastin hydrogel microparticulates into the joints of cats. "We are pleased to have the release of the final results of this Spryng tolerance study as this data demonstrates the safety of our veterinary medical device, Spryng, when injected into the joints of cats," said John Lai, Chief Executive Officer of PetVivo Holdings, Inc. "We continue to strive to provide data demonstrating that Spryng is a viable tool to use in the management of joint related afflictions found in companion animals, such as cats."

08:10 EST Duos Technologies Group granted AI patent - Duos Technologies through its operating subsidiary Duos Technologies, announces the award of a patent, "Use of Artificial Intelligence to Detect Defects in Trains and Method to Use". This AI patent reinforces Duos' strong commitment to improving rail safety through technology. "The timely delivery of actionable intelligence is a key objective of Duos inspection technology," said Jeff Necciai, CTO of Duos. "This patent covers technology that seamlessly integrates supervised Machine Learning into the inspection process and introduces the "human in the loop" feature, which empowers rail industry professionals to conduct focused, accurate and efficient inspections. I believe the patent was awarded due to our ability to perform real-time analysis of high-resolution image data and metadata, making it ideal for identifying defects, preventing hazards, and ensuring safety."

08:08 EST Denali announces data, expansion of BBB-crossing enzyme replacement therapy - Denali Therapeutics announced new data presentations highlighting the broad potential of its BBB-crossing enzyme replacement therapies in development for the treatment of mucopolysaccharidoses. New clinical data on tividenofusp alfa in MPS II and mouse model data on DNL126 in MPS IIIA are being presented this week at the 20th Annual WORLDSymposium in San Diego, California. In addition, new data on somatic outcomes from the same study of tividenofusp alfa will be presented for the first time by Barbara Burton, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics, Genetics, Genomics and Metabolism at Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. The Phase 1/2 results demonstrate normalization of enlarged liver and spleen volumes and maintenance of normal growth compared to healthy boys in almost all participants. New two-year peripheral biomarker data demonstrate high magnitude and sustained reduction of urine heparan sulfate and dermatan sulfate, including in participants who switched from standard-of-care enzyme replacement therapy to tividenofusp alfa, suggesting enhanced peripheral activity. Tividenofusp alfa treatment continued to be generally well tolerated. New MPS IIIA mouse model data on DNL126 will also be presented at the conference showing improvements in lysosomal and microglial morphology, neurodegeneration, and cognitive function. Treatment with DNL126 resulted in lowered heparan sulfate accumulation in the brain and in cerebrospinal fluid and improved cognitive function in adult MPS IIIA mice. A correlation between the levels of heparan sulfate and cognitive behavioral performance was observed. Denali also announced that dosing has begun in the Phase 1/2 study of DNL126 for the potential treatment of MPS IIIA.

08:06 EST LifeVantage expands LV360 into Canada, Mexico and European markets - LifeVantage Corporation announces the expansion of LV360 into Canada, Mexico, and its European markets including the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands. The Company's Evolve Compensation Plan and Rewards Circle customer loyalty program went into effect February 1 in these markets after a successful launch in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, in March of last year.

08:05 EST Frontier Group announces promotions among executive leadership - Frontier Airlines, a subsidiary of Frontier Group Holdings, announced several promotions among its executive leadership team. Howard Diamond has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs; Steve Schuller has been named Senior Vice President, Human Resources; and Jeffrey Moore has been promoted to Vice President, Technical Operations. Diamond and Schuller's promotions became effective February 1, 2024 and Moore's promotion becomes effective March 15, 2024. Diamond has served as the company's Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since 2014. Schuller joined Frontier in September 2018 as Vice President, Human Resources. Jeffrey Moore has nearly 25 years of aviation maintenance experience and joined Frontier in 2012 as Director, Technical Services, rebuilding the Engineering, Programs, Planning and Reliability organizations.

08:03 EST Sixteen Oracle Cloud Infrastructure services attain FedRAMP approval - More than 16 new Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, or OCI, services and features have attained FedRAMP approval, bringing enhanced AI, DevOps, and security capabilities to federal agencies and partners. In total, customers can now benefit from 93 FedRAMP authorized services available in Oracle's U.S. government regions. The newly approved services include: OCI DevOps Service, OCI Data Labeling, OCI AI Vision, OCI AI Forecasting, OCI AI Speech to Text, OCI AI Language, OCI Web Application Firewall, OCI Network Firewall, Oracle Data Safe, Oracle NoSQL Database Cloud Service, Oracle Content Management, Visual Builder Cloud Service, Application Performance Monitoring, Ksplice, License Manager, and Oracle Big Data Service.

07:58 EST Glatfelter soars 115% on plan to merge with Berry Global unit - Shares of Glatfelter (GLT) are soaring after the company and Berry Global (BERY) announced plans for Berry to spin-off and merge the majority of its Health, Hygiene and Specialties segment to include its Global Nonwovens and Films business with Glatfelter. The new combined company will become a global leader in the growing specialty materials industry, the companies said in a statement. Together, the Berry unit and Glatfelter generated pro forma revenue of approximately $3.6B and adjusted EBITDA of $455M based on combined results for the last twelve months period ended December 2023. In presentation slides, the companies said the equity value of the new company, with Berry representing 90% and Glatfelter 10%, is $1.8B, assuming eight-times adjusted EBITDA. Shares of Glatfelter are up 115% to $2.75 in premarket trading while Berry is down 2% to $63.00.

07:43 EST New York Community turns positive, up 8% after liquidity update - The shares, after declining 16% in the premarket, are now up 8% to $4.53.

07:41 EST BridgeBio, Kyowa Kirin announces partnership - BridgeBio Pharma (BBIO) and Kyowa Kirin (KYKOF) announced a partnership wherein BridgeBio's affiliate, QED Therapeutics, grants Kyowa Kirin an exclusive license to develop and commercialize infigratinib for achondroplasia, hypochondroplasia, and other skeletal dysplasias in Japan. In exchange, BridgeBio will receive an upfront payment of USD 100 million as well as royalties up to the high-twenties percent on sales of infigratinib in Japan, with the potential for additional milestone-based payments. Infigratinib is an oral small molecule designed to inhibit FGFR3 and thus target FGFR3-driven skeletal dysplasias at their source, including achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia. "We are pleased to partner with Kyowa Kirin given their community-oriented core mission to bring smiles to faces by providing innovative medicines with life-changing value, which has seen success with their commercialization of Crysvita and other rare disease drugs. The BridgeBio vision is to help bring people access to novel treatments and trials, and so we are pleased that this collaboration will ensure the development of infigratinib for children living with achondroplasia, and eventually for other skeletal dysplasias in Japan," said Neil Kumar, Ph.D., BridgeBio's CEO and founder.

07:38 EST Ascent Solar appoints Kassouf as Strategic Advisor - Ascent Solar Technologies announced the appointment of former founding member of SpaceX Philippe Kassouf to the Company's Strategic Advisory Board in the role of Strategic Advisor. In addition to his advisory role at Ascent, Kassouf currently serves as the Founder and CEO of QED Engineering Inc., a startup aimed at new product development for the space and military aerospace markets.

07:36 EST Surge Copper announces 2023 surface exploration results on Berg Property - Surge Copper announced exploration results from 2023 surface work on the Berg Property in west-central British Columbia. Highlights: 3149 soil samples and 87 rock chip and grab samples were collected and analysed as part of the 2023 Berg exploration program; Two priority exploration targets with porphyry copper potential are highlighted; A large exploration target immediately adjacent to the Berg deposit has been identified and termed the SW Berg Target. This target contains a similar geophysical and geologic expression as the Berg deposit, contains leached and iron oxide stained surface exposures, and is partially outlined by a 600 metre by 300 metre copper in soil anomaly. Given its location and large geophysical and geochemical expression the SW Berg Target has become the highest priority new exploration target on the Berg Property; The NE Sibola Target has been expanded and contains a copper in soil anomaly 1200 by 800 metres within a flat till-covered valley, and the anomaly remains open to the north. This target is a strong candidate for ground geophysics and if warranted drill testing Leif Nilsson, CEO, commented: "In parallel with the 2023 deep drilling campaign at the Berg deposit, Surge's field team conducted regional reconnaissance surface exploration across the northern portion of the Berg-Huckleberry-Ootsa district on our 100% owned Berg Property. This work represents a systematic follow-up on the significant district-wide regional program conducted in 2022, which itself built upon the 2021 deep-penetrating ZTEM geophysical survey across the district. These programs have delivered multiple new early-stage discoveries and built out an impressive exploration pipeline within this large, critical minerals district. We are particularly excited about the new SW Berg Target. Given its proximity to the Berg deposit, it is straightforward to see how any future exploration success at this target could quickly have a positive impact on the Berg Project."

07:36 EST Virpax announces preliminary results of Probudur study with U.S. Army - Virpax Pharmaceuticals announced the initial results from the pilot study for Probudur performed by the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research USAISR under an existing Cooperative Research and Development Agreement CRADA . The USAISR is the U.S. Department of Defense's premier research organization for developing solutions for trauma and critical care challenges in combat casualties. This study was designed to determine if Probudur reduces pain behaviors in a rat model of incisional pain. Two concentrations of Probudur were injected into the tissue around the incision site as well as a saline solution for the control group. Both doses of Probudur showed reduction in incision-induced pain behaviors. Probudur is being developed by Virpax to significantly reduce or eliminate the need for opioids after surgery or trauma in approved indications. In pre-clinical trials, Probudur has shown long duration pain control for at least 96 hours.

07:29 EST Bruker announces the acquisition of Japan-based Nanophoton, no terms - Bruker Corporation announced the acquisition of Nanophoton Corporation, a pioneer focused on advanced research Raman microscopy systems. Headquartered in Osaka, Nanophoton offers a broad portfolio of advanced Raman microscopes, serving academic and industrial research customers, primarily in Japan. This acquisition fills a gap in Bruker's molecular microscopy portfolio, and Bruker is looking forward to offering fast, flexible and sensitive Nanophoton Raman microscopy systems worldwide for research and development in the life sciences, biopharma, advanced materials, semiconductors and polymers. "We warmly welcome the Nanophoton team to Bruker, and acknowledge their outstanding track record and expertise in innovating in Raman microscopy. We are look forward to this new opportunity to bring the differentiated Nanophoton Raman imaging systems to our research customers worldwide with global support." Nanophoton augments the molecular microscopy portfolio of the Bruker Optics division with a broad range of state-of-the-art Raman microscopy systems, which offer exceptional speed, sensitivity and spatial resolution, combined with user-friendly workflows designed for outstanding user experience. The applications include inspecting advanced semiconductor and nanomaterials, batteries, organic and liquid-crystal displays, nanocarbon materials, identifying organic components, mapping the distribution of active pharmaceutical ingredients and excipients in tablets, and clinical research on disease patterns in tissues.

07:27 EST Berry Global to spin off, merge the majority of HH&S segment with Glatfelter - Berry Global (BERY) and Glatfelter (GLT) announced they have entered into definitive agreements for Berry to spin-off and merge the majority of its Health, Hygiene and Specialties segment to include its Global Nonwovens and Films business, or HHNF, with Glatfelter, to create a publicly-traded company in the specialty materials industry. The boards of directors of Berry and Glatfelter have unanimously approved the transaction. In September, Berry announced a review of strategic alternatives for its Health, Hygiene & Specialties segment. This announcement is the culmination of a review of strategic alternatives to determine the value-maximizing path forward for Berry shareholders. The remaining HH&S businesses, including Berry's tapes business, will be retained by Berry. Pro forma for the separation transaction, Berry generated approximately $10.2B of revenue and $1.8B in adjusted EBITDA for the last twelve months period end December 30, 2023. Furthermore, in conjunction with this announcement, Berry will change the name of its Engineered Materials segment to Flexibles to showcase the continued evolution of this segment towards high-value products and solutions. Together, HHNF and Glatfelter generated pro forma revenue of approximately $3.6B and Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $455M based on combined results for the last twelve months period ended December 2023 for Berry and the LTM period ended September 2023 for Glatfelter, along with expected cost synergies of $50M and combined pro forma adjustments of $25M to be realized by year three. The new, publicly-traded company, which will be renamed and rebranded by transaction close, will be led by Curt Begle, Berry's current president of HH&S, who will serve as CEO. Additional members of the combined company's senior management team will be announced at a later date. The board of directors of the combined company will initially be comprised of nine total members, consisting of six designated by Berry and three designated by Glatfelter. The chairman will be designated by Glatfelter, and all directors will be named at a future date. The transaction is being structured as a Reverse Morris Trust transaction and is intended to be tax-free to Berry, Glatfelter and their respective shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Berry shareholders will own 90% of the combined company's common shares upon consummation of the transaction. Glatfelter shareholders will own the remaining 10% of the combined company. Berry is expected to receive net cash proceeds of approximately $1B at close and intends to use these proceeds to repay existing debt. Berry expects to maintain its existing capital allocation priorities following this transaction. Closing of the transaction is expected to occur in the second half of calendar 2024, subject to various customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and Glatfelter shareholder approval. No vote of Berry's shareholders is required for the transaction. The transaction is expected to be leverage neutral to Berry. Additionally, prior to closing of the transaction, Glatfelter will complete a reverse stock split of all of its issued and outstanding common stock. The reverse stock split ratio will be determined by Glatfelter and Berry, closer to the closing date of the transaction, and additional information will be provided prior to the effective time of the reverse stock split.

07:25 EST Signal Gold outlines near-term 2024 priorities - In 2024, the Company is focused on those activities that will continue to add value to the Goldboro Project, including continued growth exploration along strike of the Goldboro Deposit and regionally, while aggressively pursuing all final project permits. Growth Exploration - In 2023, the Company undertook its largest ever growth exploration program, comprising 11,435 metres from 61 drill holes. The Company intersected significant mineralization to the west of its current Mineral Resource, indicating the potential to delineate additional Mineral Resources. Select intersections include: 26.09 g/t gold over 8.9 metres in hole BR-23-393 including 79.18 g/t gold over 0.5 metres and 371.59 g/t gold over 0.5 metres; 21.16 g/t gold over 0.7 metres in hole BR-23-397. 11.79 g/t gold over 4.1 metres in hole BR-23-386 including 47.23 g/t gold over 1.0 metres; 20.59 g/t gold over 3.0 metres in hole BR-23-383 including 113.90 g/t gold over 0.5 metres; 9.46 g/t gold over 2.0 metres in hole BR-23-381 including 15.40 g/t gold over 0.5 metres; 7.29 g/t gold over 2.5 metres in hole BR-23-382; 19.15 g/t gold over 1.2 metres in hole BR-23-388; 10.85 g/t gold over 1.3 metres in hole BR-23-395; and Drill results in 2023 conclusively demonstrate continuous gold mineralization between western extent of the Goldboro Deposit and the past producing Dolliver Mountain Mine, bringing the total strike length of known mineralization to 3.4 kilometres. The drilling west of the Mineral Resource may represent the up-plunge extension of mineralization beneath the existing planned pits at depth offering the potential for further underground resource growth in the future, as the Company has never drilled deeper than 550 vertical metres. In 2024, the Company is focused on the discovery of additional gold deposits and expanding Mineral Resources at Goldboro. The Company plans to continue drill testing exploration targets along strike from the Goldboro Deposit based on recent drill results, and to test regional exploration targets within the consolidated Goldboro Gold District to identify potential Mineral Resources that could leverage planned mine and mill infrastructure. The Company will begin in-house resource modelling of recent drill results, west of the existing Goldboro Mineral Resource. This will also help to guide further drilling. Advancing Towards Final Project Permits - In 2023, the Company has also achieved several key permitting milestones to advance the Project, including: Mineral Lease Application submission on July 27, 2023; Industrial Approval Application submission on August 28, 2023; Fisheries Act Authorization submission on August 28, 2023. On August 3, 2022, the Goldboro Project received its Environmental Assessment Approval from the Nova Scotia Minister of Environment and Climate Change. The Company also submitted a Schedule 2 Amendment Application in December 2022 as well as a Crown Land Lease Application in mid-2022. In early 2024, the Company will participate in the regulatory Consultation process as directed by Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and will continue to engage with all regulators, stakeholders and Rightsholders as we progress towards final permitting. In November 2023, the Company was notified that the documentation required for the Schedule 2 Amendment had been reviewed and were recommended for Indigenous and public Consultations by both ECCC and the DFO. The Company continues to progress permitting activities through regulator, Indigenous, and public engagement, with the objective of obtaining all key project permits in 2024. Consolidation of the Goldboro Gold District - In 2023, the Company significantly consolidated the majority of the Goldboro Gold District in Nova Scotia, increasing its exploration license area to approximately 19,450 hectares.The significantly expanded prospective land position, contiguous to the Goldboro Project, encompasses a 28-kilometre strike length along the Goldboro Trend and a 23-kilometre strike length along the Seal Harbour Trend. Already in 2024, the Company has increased its exploration license area to over 27,200 hectares surrounding Goldboro, acquiring prospective land immediately north of, and contiguous with, the Project which covers gold, antimony and tungsten glacial till anomalies which have not been previously drill tested and represent additional discovery potential in the Goldboro Gold District. Maintaining an Exceptional Social License - The Company continued to actively engage and support surrounding local and indigenous communities throughout 2023, including detailed engagement with Rightsholders and stakeholders on provincial and federal authorizations and permits, potential impacts to fish and fish habitat and related compensation plans, through public open house sessions and targeted meetings, such as meetings with the Goldboro Community Liaison Committee. The Company supported and attended multiple community events, In 2024, the Company will continue to progress an impact benefits agreement with the Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia and considers finalization of this agreement to be a high priority for 2024. The Company actively engages with Mi'kmaqw organizations and individual Mi'kmaq communities on all aspects of the Project, and supports important events such as the Paqtnkek Pow Wow and the North American Indigenous Games. The Company was recently proud to collaborate with the Ministry of Human Resources Council on a 12-week training program for Mining Essentials, providing recognized training for mining skills to local indigenous community members. Signal Gold remains committed to advancing the Goldboro Project to become the next fully permitted, construction ready, gold project in Canada.

07:22 EST New York Community says Moody's downgrade to not have material impact - New York Community Bancorp President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas Cangemi stated in last night's press release, "We took decisive actions to fortify our balance sheet and strengthen our risk management processes during the fourth quarter. Our actions are an investment in enhancing a risk management framework commensurate with the size and complexity of our bank and providing a solid foundation going forward. Despite the Moody's ratings downgrade, our deposit ratings from Moody's, Fitch and DBRS remain investment grade. The Moody's downgrade is not expected to have a material impact on our contractual arrangements. Finally, as part of the bank's enhancements to its risk management processes we have been engaged in an orderly process of bringing in a new chief risk officer and chief audit executive with large bank experience and we currently have qualified personnel filling those positions on an interim basis."

07:19 EST OneMain 'confident' in medium-term strategic priorities - Medium-term strategic priorities include: $30B managed receivables, 6%-7% net charge-offs, and 5% capital generation RoR.

07:16 EST DMC Global closes $300M senior secured credit facility - DMC Global closed a $300 million, five-year senior secured credit facility consisting of a $200 million revolving credit facility, a $50 million term loan and a $50 million delayed draw term loan. The facility replaces DMC's prior $200 million credit facility. In December 2021, DMC acquired a 60% controlling interest in Arcadia Products LLC, a leading provider of architectural building products to the commercial and ultra-high-end residential construction industries. A put/call option on the remaining 40% stake in Arcadia becomes exercisable on December 23, 2024. The current estimated value of the put/call option, net of a tax bridge loan, is approximately $163 million. The $50 million term loan and approximately $70 million of the $200 million revolving credit facility will be used to refinance DMC's existing bank debt. The $50 million delayed draw term loan and unused capacity on the revolving credit facility will be available to support the purchase of the remaining 40% of Arcadia.

07:13 EST Tilray's Manitoba Harvest, Brightseed launch bioactive fiber - Manitoba Harvest, the global leader in hemp foods and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tilray Brands, is partnering with Bioactives company Brightseed to update the functional fiber market with a breakthrough product: Manitoba Harvest Bioactive Fiber. This multi-benefit fiber solution, powered by Brightseed Bio Gut Fiber, is now exclusively available at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide. Jared Simon, President of Manitoba Harvest and Tilray Wellness, expressed excitement about the launch, stating, "With the debut of Manitoba Harvest Bioactive Fiber, we're not just introducing a product; we're rediscovering the nutritional capacity of hemp after nearly 70 years in the dark. Bioactives are gaining huge strides in nutrition science but are largely undiscovered and remain underutilized in health foods. At Manitoba Harvest, we're on a mission to harness the wellness potential of hemp with simple health solutions that contribute to a sustainable future."

07:11 EST Regenxbio provides update from Phase I/II AFFINITY DUCHENNE trial of RGX-202 - Regenxbio announced that enrollment has completed at dose level 2 and reported additional interim safety and efficacy in the Phase I/II AFFINITY DUCHENNE trial of RGX-202 in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy ages 4 to11 years old. As of February 6, 2024, RGX-202 has been well tolerated with no drug-related serious adverse events in five patients, aged 4.4 to 12.1 at dose level 1 and dose level 2. Time of post-administration follow up ranges from approximately three weeks to over nine months. All patients who reached three-month follow-up have completed the immunosuppression regimen per study protocol. In new data from the third patient, aged 6.6 years, who received RGX-202 at dose level 1, RGX-202 microdystrophin expression was measured to be 83.4% compared to control at three months. A reduction from baseline in serum creatinine kinase (CK) levels of 93% was observed at ten weeks. All three patients, at dose level 1, who completed three-month trial assessments indicate encouraging increases in expression of RGX-202 microdystrophin and reduction from baseline in serum CK levels, supporting evidence of clinical improvement. REGENXIO expects to make a pivotal dose determination in mid-2024. The Company also expects to share initial strength and functional assessment data for both dose levels and the initiation of a pivotal trial in the second half of 2024. The Company plans to use RGX-202 microdystrophin expression as a surrogate endpoint to support a Biologics License Application filing using the accelerated approval pathway.

07:08 EST Alector, GSK announce FDA granted BTD to latozinemab - Alector (ALEC) and GSK plc (GSK) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation, BTD, to latozinemab, an investigational human monoclonal antibody designed to block sortilin to elevate progranulin, PGRN, levels for the potential treatment of frontotemporal dementia with a progranulin gene mutation, FTD-GRN. "In partnership with GSK, we are encouraged and excited by this FDA Breakthrough Designation. FTD-GRN is a rare and rapidly progressing neurodegenerative disease and one of the most common causes of early onset dementia," said Arnon Rosenthal, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Alector. "With this designation, we look forward to continued productive conversations with the FDA, recognizing the unmet need for people living with FTD-GRN, a serious condition for which there are no FDA-approved treatment options available. Latozinemab, the most advanced progranulin-elevating candidate in clinical development for FTD-GRN, is currently being studied in the pivotal INFRONT-3 Phase 3 study, which achieved target enrollment in October 2023."

07:06 EST Uber reports Q4 gross bookings up 22% y/y - Q4 Gross Bookings grew 22% year-over-year to $37.6 billion, or 21% on a constant currency basis, with Mobility Gross Bookings of $19.3 billion (+29% YoY or +28% YoY constant currency) and Delivery Gross Bookings of $17.0 billion (+19% YoY or +17% YoY constant currency). Trips during the quarter grew 24% YoY to 2.6 billion, or approximately 28 million trips per day on average. Revenue grew 15% YoY to $9.9 billion, or 13% on a constant currency basis. Combined Mobility and Delivery revenue grew 22% YoY to $8.7 billion, or 20% on a constant currency basis.

07:03 EST Criteo sees FY24 Adjusted EBITDA margin 29%-30% of Contribution ex-TAC - Sees FY24 mid-single-digit growth in Contribution ex-TAC at constant currency.

07:01 EST Bristol Myers announces to regulatory acceptances for Opdivo - Bristol Myers Squibb announced two regulatory acceptances for applications for neoadjuvant Opdivo with chemotherapy followed by surgery and adjuvant Opdivo for the perioperative treatment of resectable stage IIA to IIIB non-small cell lung cancer. The FDA accepted the supplemental Biologics Application, or sBLA, and assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, goal date of October 8. In late January, the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, validated the type II variation application which confirms the submission is complete and begins the start of the EMA's centralized review process. "Between 30% to 55% of non-small cell lung cancer patients who undergo surgery will experience disease recurrence. We are working to expand options that improve outcomes for patients with resectable disease, as part of our comprehensive approach to the treatment of multiple types of cancer, including and especially in earlier stages," said Abderrahim Oukessou, vice president, thoracic cancers global program lead, Bristol Myers Squibb. The submissions were based on results from the Phase 3 CheckMate -77T trial, which represents the company's second positive Phase 3 randomized trial with an immunotherapy-based combination for the treatment of resectable NSCLC, showing statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in event-free survival, the study's primary endpoint. The study also showed benefits in key secondary endpoints including pathologic complete response and major pathologic response. Additionally, the perioperative regimen had a safety profile consistent with previously reported studies in NSCLC and no new safety signals were identified.

06:49 EST Rithm Capital approves $200M new stock repurchase program - The Company announced that its Board of Directors authorized new stock repurchase programs of up to $200M of shares of the Company's common stock and up to $100M of shares of the Company's preferred stock through December 31. The new repurchase programs replace the Company's previous $200M common stock repurchase program and $100M preferred stock repurchase program, which expired on December 31, 2023.

06:33 EST Nxu signs MoU with Lynx Motors - Nxu has signed a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, with Lynx Motors to negotiate and execute an agreement to create a partnership whereby Lynx will purchase three years of unlimited Nxu EV charging for its Lynx classic vehicle customers. Lynx is reimagining classic vehicles with a vision toward modernization and electrification, allowing owners to enjoy the original character and design of a classic car with modern amenities and powertrains. The definitive agreements, once finalized, would allow Lynx to provide its customers with unlimited access to the NxuOne charging network, allowing them to focus more on enjoying their vehicles and less about how to charge them.

06:31 EST Ault decides not to pursue new acquisition during 2024 - Ault Alliance announced it has determined not to pursue new acquisitions during 2024, though it may continue to make strategic investments. Given the Company's concentration on maximizing the value of its existing assets, it has taken proactive steps to reduce its total headcount, which are expected to save more than $2M in payroll expenses for 2024. This strategic shift underscores Ault Alliance's commitment to maximizing the value of its existing assets, which include a robust data center operation, a thriving crane rental business, and its lending company. The Company is steadfast in its focus on optimizing these key assets and anticipates this will improve bottom-line results and efficiency.

06:22 EST I-Mab to divest assets, business operations in China fo $80M - I-Mab announced that as part of its strategy to become a U.S.-based biotech, its Chinese subsidiaries have entered into definitive agreements with I-Mab Biopharma, an unconsolidated affiliate of the company, and a group of China-based investors to divest the company's assets and business operations in China. Pursuant to the definitive agreements, the company will transfer 100% of the outstanding equity interest in I-Mab Shanghai, a wholly owned subsidiary of the company that operates the company's business in China, on a cash-free and debt-free basis, to the Hangzhou Company for an aggregate consideration of the RMB equivalent of up to $80M, contingent on the Hangzhou Company group's achievement of certain future regulatory and sales-based milestone events. The company also retains a right of first negotiation outside of Greater China related to three future investigational new drug candidates. The definitive agreements also provide that the company's wholly owned subsidiary, I-Mab Biopharma Hong Kong, will transfer the equity interests it holds in the Hangzhou company to certain participating shareholders of the Hangzhou Company in exchange for extinguishment of the existing repurchase obligations owed by I-Mab Hong Kong to those shareholders in the amount of approximately $183M. The total amount of potential repurchase obligations owed by I-Mab Hong Kong and the company to the non-participating shareholders of the Hangzhou Company upon the closing of the transaction is expected to range from $30M to $35M, an amount that includes actual or potential claims in legal proceedings by the non-participating shareholders against I-Mab Hong Kong and the company in connection with the aforementioned transaction. The board, acting upon the unanimous recommendation of the special committee, resolved that the proposed transaction is in the best interest of I-Mab and is fair from a financial point of view to the company and approved the transaction. The transaction is subject to closing conditions and is expected to close by the end of March. Once the transaction is completed, the Hangzhou company will acquire I-Mab drug assets in China, including the Greater China rights for eftansomatropin alfa, felzartamab, uliledlimab, givastomig, and lemzoparlimab; bear all future development costs of these assets; and be responsible for the operations of the research & development center of I-Mab Shanghai and the manufacturing facility of the Hangzhou Company. Concurrent with the entry into definitive agreements and to support the ongoing strategic partnership, the company participated in the Series C fundraising of the Hangzhou Company for an equity interest subscription of $19M in cash. Immediately after the closing of the transaction, the company will directly and through I-Mab Hong Kong own a total of less than 10% of the Hangzhou company's registered capital. To further its transition to a U.S.-based biotech company, I-Mab announced certain management and personnel changes. Pamela Klein, M.D., has accepted the appointment as the interim chairperson of the company, as Jingwu Zang, steps down from the Board, effective February 10 to lead the Hangzhou Company. Andrew Zhu will step down from the board and resign from his executive position with the company, effective February 10. Furthermore, Joseph Skelton has been appointed by the board to serve as the company's CFO, effective February 5, succeeding Richard Yeh, who resigned from the board and his executive positions with the company.

06:16 EST Iris Energy reports January production 341 Bitcoin - Iris Energy published a monthly investor update for January, containing its results from operations as well as business updates. Key Highlights for Jan-24 include: average operating hashrate, or PH/s, 5,642; Bitcoin mined 341; Mining revenue $14.466M; electricity costs $6.376M; revenue per Bitcoin $42,436; electricity costs per Bitcoin 18,705.

06:12 EST Freyr Battery provides update on progress at CQP in Norway - FREYR Battery has provided an update on the Company's operational progress at the Customer Qualification Plant, or CQP, in Mo i Rana, Norway; and a financial update on FREYR's cash position at year-end 2023. FREYR's team at the CQP reached a key milestone by producing automatically casted electrodes with active electrolyte slurry in a dry room environment starting on January 31. The introduction of active electrolyte slurry and the safe commencement of dry room operations was one of the most significant remaining milestones before completing the Casting and Unit Cell Assembly commissioning packages and the anticipated start of automated CQP production on the 24M Technologies SemiSolidTM platform. Following the successful electrode casting trials with active electrolyte slurry, FREYR has completed handovers of 363, or 94%, of the 388 discrete production line equipment commissioning and testing packages at the CQP. The final technical milestones to commence automated cell production at the CQP are: Successfully conducting production trials on the anode casting system with solvent slurry before proceeding to casting with active anode slurry, Integrating the casting webs across the cathode, anode, and merge units of the Casting and Unit Cell Assembly equipment using the highly complex Multi-Carrier Systems. FREYR's team continues to process Part 2 of its Title 17 application to the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office. The Company expects to submit the completed Part 2 application to the DOE during Q1. FREYR ended 2023 with $275.7M of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash, or $1.97 per common share, compared with previous guidance of $250M.

06:05 EST Hilton partners with Small Luxury Hotels of the World - Hilton and Small Luxury Hotels of the World announced an exclusive strategic partnership that will welcome Hilton guests to hundreds of independently minded luxury hotels in the most sought-after destinations around the world. The partnership will dramatically expand the luxury experiences offered by Hilton as unique SLH properties join the unparalleled hotels of the growing Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts and LXR Hotels & Resorts brands. Through this exclusive partnership, which will ramp up in the months ahead, all of Hilton's customers, including the more than 180 million members of Hilton Honors, will soon be able to dream, book and earn and redeem Points for stays at participating properties in the SLH community of 560 luxury boutique hotels spanning 90 countries. These locations are highly complementary to Hilton's vast network of hotels and will give guests access to additional luxury accommodations in hundreds of new destinations.

05:49 EST YouTube CEO says YouTube TV now has over 8M subscribers - YouTube CEO Neal Mohan wrote in a blog post that YouTube TV now more than has 8M subscribers, up from over 5M in mid-2022, and that the YouTube Partner Program has over 3M channels receiving ad revenue share. Shorts is averaging over 70 billion daily views, and the number of channels uploading Shorts has grown 50% year over year, he added. "This year, we'll continue to ensure AI is in service of creativity through our work with creative industries, in the rollout of AI-powered features, and as we unlock opportunities while building out appropriate protections," Mohan wrote. Reference Link

05:17 EST Cool Company announces new time charter agreement for TFDE vessel - Cool Company announced that it has entered into a new time charter agreement for one of its TFDE vessels. The 12-month time charter is with Santos Shipping Singapore and is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2024. In the third quarter, the vessel is expected to undergo its scheduled drydock, at which time the company also intends to upgrade the vessel to LNGe specifications. LNGe specification upgrades include the addition of reliquefaction capability via sub-coolers, as well as air lubrication systems and a range of optimizations and upgrades intended to enhance efficiency and reduce emissions. In line with the anticipated enhanced performance profile of the vessel following the LNGe specification upgrades, the charter includes a commercial mechanism to reward both the charterer and CoolCo.