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

19:50 EST China Jo-Jo Drugstore trading halted, news pending

19:50 EST Virpax Pharmaceuticals Inc trading halted, news pending

19:50 EST Limelight Networks trading halted, news pending

18:22 EST Hormel Foods CEO: Our success in Q1 was broad-based - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Jim Snee said Hormel is seeing improvement in the supply chain. "We've really hit our stride with Planters," he noted. The company changed its advertising strategy for Planters and it has resonated with consumers, especially younger ones. Hormel is maintaining or gaining market share with most of its brands, he added.

18:07 EST Unicycive Therapeutics' prevention of delayed graft function gets orphan status - According to a post on the FDA's website, Unicycive Therapeutics' prevention of delayed graft function in patients undergoing solid organ transplantation received orphan designation. Reference Link

17:59 EST Unicycive prevention of delayed graft function treatment granted orphan status - The FDA granted orphan designation to Unicycive Therapeutics' treatment for the prevention of delayed graft function in patients undergoing solid organ transplantation, according to a post to the agency's website. Reference Link

17:33 EST Spectral AI appoints Peter Carlson as CEO - Spectral AI has appointed current Peter Carlson as CEO and a member of the Board. He succeeds Wensheng Fan, who, after 14 years with Spectral AI, including nearly four as CEO, is transitioning to Chief Innovation Strategist and Senior Advisor to the CEO. Vincent Capone, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, will assume the additional role of CFO. Carlson joined Spectral AI as CFO in January 2024 following the company's debut on the NASDAQ Global Market.

17:12 EST Boeing awarded $680.07M Navy contract - Boeing was awarded a $680.07M firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to produce, deliver, and install aircrew and maintenance training systems software and hardware configuration upgrades and associated logistics support to include, spares procurement, support equipment, technical manual updates, software discrepancy report correction efforts, the development of new, and updates to, courseware and curriculum and on-site training in support of existing aircrew and maintenance training systems and subsystems including the Tactical Operational Flight Trainers, brief/debrief stations, mission operation centers, advanced development stations, low-cost trainers, Integrated Visual Environment Maintenance Trainers and maintenance trainer set devices in support of the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircrafts for the Navy and Royal Australian Air Force. Work is expected to be completed in February 2029. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(a)(1). Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division is the contracting activity.

17:01 EST BellRing Brands authorizes new $300M share repurchase - BellRing Brands approved a $300M share repurchase authorization over the next two years, with share repurchases under the new authorization beginning on March 11. Subsequent to December 31, 2023 and as of February 29, 2024, BellRing repurchased 0.2 million shares of its common stock for $12.3M at an average price of $53.58 per share. As of February 29, 2024, BellRing had repurchased approximately $79M under its previous $80M share repurchase authorization, which became effective on May 3, 2023 and will be cancelled effective March 11, 2024.

16:57 EST iRhythm partners with Epic for Zio access - iRhythm announced it will use Epic's Aura platform to streamline access to iRhythm's Zio long-term continuous monitoring and ambulatory mobile cardiac telemetry services through improved operational efficiency for clinicians. Through this collaboration, iRhythm and Epic will give healthcare organizations the ability to more efficiently implement Zio services. Through Aura, Epic's specialty diagnostics and devices suite, we estimate that organizations can save up to 75% of the time it typically takes to integrate Zio services into their local instance of Epic software. iRhythm has already surpassed 1.5 million all-time registrations for Zio services received through EHR-integrated customers. The company estimates this has translated to hundreds of thousands of hours and millions of dollars in staff time costs saved by health systems.

16:54 EST General Electric's Board approves spin-off of GE Vernova, launching April 2 - General Electric's Board of Directors has approved the spin-off of GE Vernova. The company is expected to begin trading on the NYSE on April 2, under the ticker symbol "GEV". To effect the separation, GE's Board of Directors approved a distribution to GE shareholders of all shares of GE Vernova's common stock. Holders of GE common stock will be entitled to receive one share of GE Vernova common stock for every four shares of GE common stock held on March 19. The distribution is expected to occur before U.S. market open on April 2. GE shareholders do not need to take any action to receive shares of GE Vernova common stock to which they are entitled as a GE shareholder. Additionally, shareholders do not need to pay any consideration, or surrender or exchange shares of GE common stock, to participate in the separation. Following completion of the planned spin-off, GE will operate as GE Aerospace. GE shareholders will continue to hold their shares of GE common stock with the company name GE Aerospace, and GE Aerospace will continue GE's listing on the NYSE under the ticker symbol "GE." GE anticipates that "when-issued" trading in GE Vernova common stock on the NYSE will begin on or about March 27, under the symbol "GEV WI," and GE Vernova common stock will begin "regular-way" trading on the NYSE on the distribution date, April 2, under the symbol "GEV." Beginning on March 27 and through April 1, it is expected that there will be two markets in GE common stock on the NYSE: a "regular-way" market under the symbol "GE," in which GE shares will trade with the right to receive shares of GE Vernova common stock in the distribution, and an "ex distribution market" under the symbol "GE WI" in which GE shares will trade as GE Aerospace without the right to receive shares of GE Vernova common stock in the distribution.

16:47 EST Willdan Group selected for $46M energy savings contract by school district - Willdan Group announced that Clark County School District, the fifth largest school district in the U.S., has selected Willdan to design, implement, and maintain advanced lighting and controls upgrades. This $46M energy savings contract focuses on energy efficiency projects and is expected to transform Nevada's learning environment over the next 10 years. Combined, these projects are expected to reduce the District's energy costs by over $2M and operational costs by more than $360K annually.

16:45 EST New York Community Bancorp discloses 'internal controls' issue - In a regulatory filing noting the delay in the filing of its Form 10-K, New York Community Bancorp disclosed, as part of management's assessment of the company's internal controls, that management identified material weaknesses in the company's internal controls related to internal loan review, resulting from ineffective oversight, risk assessment and monitoring activities. Although assessment of the company's internal controls is not yet complete, the company expects to disclose in its 2023 Form 10-K that its disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting were not effective as of December 31, 2023. The company's remediation plan with respect to such material weaknesses is expected to be described in the 2023 Form 10-K.

16:42 EST Adtran to delay filing 10-K - The company states: "As disclosed in the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on February 20, 2024, the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of the Company concluded, after considering the recommendations of management, that the results attributable to the non-controlling interest and of the net loss attributable to the Company and, as a consequence, the loss per common share attributable to the Company, were materially misstated in (i) the Company's unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements as of and for the quarter ended March 31, 2023 included in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q/A for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2023, (ii) the Company's unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements as of and for the quarter and six months ended June 30, 2023 included in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2023, and (iii) the Company's unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements as of and for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2023 included the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2023, respectively, and that such financial statements should no longer be relied upon."

16:35 EST Cardiff Oncology provides update on discontinued ONSEMBLE trial data - Cardiff Oncology provided a clinical update on the first release of data from its second-line RAS-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer, or mCRC, ONSEMBLE trial. Although the Phase 2 ONSEMBLE trial was discontinued as part of the company's shift to a first-line mCRC program, it enrolled 23 patients randomized across three arms prior to closing the trial to new enrollment. The 23 enrolled patients continued treatment per protocol. The clinical data repeats the efficacy findings of onvansertib in bev naive patients seen in the company's earlier Phase 1b/2 KRAS-mutated mCRC trial. In August 2023, Cardiff Oncology discontinued enrollment in the second-line ONSEMBLE trial to focus on its new lead program in first-line RAS-mutated mCRC. This decision was driven by the fact that both trials essentially test the same clinical hypothesis, the importance of deploying the company's capital efficiently, and the FDA's suggestion that Cardiff Oncology consider focusing on the first-line RAS-mutated mCRC setting given the lack of any new therapies approved in this large cancer indication in the last 20 years. At the time enrollment was discontinued, the ONSEMBLE trial had randomized 23 patients across three arms including a control arm of standard of care, or SoC, FOLFIRI+bev, an experimental arm with onvansertib added to SoC FOLFIRI+bev, and an experimental arm with onvansertib added to SoC FOLFIRI+bev. The trial included patients with mCRC who had a documented KRAS or NRAS mutation and had previously received one prior chemotherapy regimen with or without bev in the first-line metastatic setting. combination of onvansertib with SoC FOLFIRI/bev was shown to be well-tolerated and no major / unexpected toxicities were seen. Two Grade 4 TEAEs of neutropenia were seen in patients receiving 20 mg Onvansertib + SOC. Both patients recovered within 7 and 10 days after withholding the study treatment and no dose reductions in subsequent treatment cycles were needed. Both patients are still on trial.The patients' median age was 53 years and 54% were male while 68% patients had previously received bev in their first-line treatment. Lastly, 12 of 21 evaluable patients remain on trial at the data cutoff date.

16:31 EST Alvotech chief quality officer Sandra Casaca to depart - Alvotech announced that Christina Siniscalchi will join its corporate leadership team as interim chief quality officer. Christina succeeds Sandra Casaca, who is leaving the company as a part of other organizational changes. Christina Siniscalchi has for over ten years served in senior quality positions for Alvogen and its manufacturing site in Norwich, New York, most recently as Alvogen's chief quality officer.

16:25 EST Dell Technologies jumps 17% after Q4 beat, AI comments - Shares of Dell Technologies are moving higher after the company's Q4 results beat estimates. The company said in the press release, "Our strong AI-optimized server momentum continues, with orders increasing nearly 40% sequentially and backlog nearly doubling, exiting our fiscal year at $2.9 billion. We've just started to touch the AI opportunities ahead of us, and we believe Dell is uniquely positioned with our broad portfolio to help customers build GenAI solutions that meet performance, cost and security requirements." The stock in after-hours trading is up 17%, or $16.14, to $110.80.

16:24 EST Dell Technologies jumps 17% to $111.40 after Q4 results beat estimates

16:22 EST NuZee receives Nasdaq notice of non-compliance - NuZee announced that on February 22, 2024, it received a notice from the Nasdaq Stock Market notifying NuZee that the company is not in compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) because the company did not timely file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 2023 with the SEC. The Notice has no immediate effect on the listing of the company's stock on Nasdaq, and it states that the company is required to submit a plan to regain compliance with Rule 5250(c)(1) within 60 calendar days from the date of the Notice. If the plan is accepted by Nasdaq, then Nasdaq can grant the company up to 180 calendar days from the due date of the Form 10-Q to regain compliance.

16:22 EST New York Community Bancorp appoints Chairman Alessandro DiNello as CEO - New York Community Bancorp appointed Alessandro DiNello, Executive Chairman of the Board, as President and CEO, effective immediately. DiNello succeeds Thomas Cangemi, who has stepped down as President and CEO after 27 years with the company. Cangemi remains on the Board. In addition, Marshall Lux, a financial services industry leader who has served as an independent director since 2022, has been named Presiding Director of the Board, effective immediately, following Hanif Dahya stepping down as the Board's Presiding Director and as a director. Lux has also been named Chair of the Board's Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. DiNello was appointed Executive Chairman of NYCB's Board of Directors on February 6, 2024. Prior to this, Mr. DiNello served as non-executive Chairman of the Board after joining the company following completion of the Flagstar Bank acquisition in December 2022. Before the acquisition, DiNello served as President and CEO of Flagstar. He began his career at Flagstar in 1979.

16:19 EST ICF International awarded $50M in contracts from CMS - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded ICF two contract option-year extensions to implement the next phase of cloud migration and digital modernization of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid systems that monitor and improve healthcare for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. The contracts, which were awarded in the third quarter of 2023, have a combined value of $50M and will allow ICF to bring critical modernized capabilities to nursing homes across the country.

16:18 EST VSE Corp. to explore strategic alternatives involving the Fleet segment - VSE Corporation announced that it has initiated a process to explore and evaluate strategic alternatives involving the Company's Fleet segment with a view to enhance shareholder value. The Strategic Process could include, among other alternatives, a possible sale of the Fleet segment. The Company has not set a definitive timetable for the completion of the Strategic Process, and there can be no assurances that the process will result in a transaction. Any potential strategic alternative will be evaluated by the Board of Directors. The Company does not intend to discuss developments with respect to the evaluation process unless a transaction is approved, or disclosure becomes appropriate. Jefferies LLC has been engaged as the financial advisor in connection with this Strategic Process.

16:17 EST VSE Corp. to acquire Turbine Controls for roughly $120M - VSE Corporation announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Turbine Controls, Inc., a leading provider of aftermarket maintenance, repair and overhaul ("MRO") support services for complex engine components, as well as engine and airframe accessories, across commercial and military applications. TCI has a strong presence across a large installed base of engine platforms, including several key next-generation platforms. Operating from their MRO centers of excellence in Connecticut and Florida, TCI's offering of jet engine component and accessory repair services includes rotating and static engine components; reduction, transfer and accessory gearboxes; and pneumatic, hydraulic, fuel and oil accessories. TCI's 45-year history of customer excellence and strong original equipment manufacturer ("OEM")-focused repair approach aligns with VSE's OEM-partner focused strategy. VSE will acquire TCI for a total consideration of approximately $120 million, comprising $110 million in cash and $10 million of common shares of the Company, subject to working capital adjustments. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2024, subject to customary closing conditions.

16:15 EST Golden Entertainment initiates quarterly dividend of 25c per share - The dividend is payable on April 4, 2024 to shareholders of record as of March 18, 2024.

16:09 EST Department of State concludes $51M settlement with Boeing - The U.S. Department of State has concluded an administrative settlement with The Boeing Company to resolve 199 violations of the Arms Export Control Act, or AECA, 22 U.S.C. Section 2751 et seq., and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR, 22 CFR parts 120-130. The Department of State and Boeing reached this settlement following an extensive compliance review by the Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance in the Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. "All of the alleged violations were voluntarily disclosed, and a considerable majority predate 2020. Boeing cooperated with the Department's review of this matter and has incorporated numerous improvements to its compliance program since the conduct at issue. Under the terms of the 36-month Consent Agreement, Boeing will pay a civil penalty of $51 million. The Department has agreed to suspend $24 million of this amount on the condition that the funds will be used for the Department-approved Consent Agreement remedial compliance measures to strengthen Boeing's compliance program. In addition, for an initial period of at least 24 months, Boeing will engage an external Special Compliance Officer to oversee the Consent Agreement, which will also require two external audits of its ITAR compliance program and implement additional compliance measures," the department stated. Reference Link

16:06 EST Elastic reports net expansion rate 109% - The company states: "Total customer count with Annual Contract Value greater than $100,000 was over 1,270 compared to over 1,220 in Q2 FY24, and over 1,110 in Q3 FY23. Total subscription customer count was approximately 20,800 compared to approximately 20,700 in Q2 FY24, and over 19,900 in Q3 FY23. Net Expansion Rate was approximately 109%."

16:04 EST Polished suspends operations, to file Chapter 7 bankruptcy - Polished.com has suspended its operations. These steps followed a comprehensive review by the Company's Board of Directors of available strategic alternatives, and upon consultation with the members of the Company's management, with the assistance of the Company's legal and financial advisors. The Company anticipates filing a case under the provisions of Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code as soon as practicable.

16:02 EST Axonics responds to ITC action by Medtronic - Axonics "announced that it has received notice that Medtronic has filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission, along with a parallel action in U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The complaint alleges that Axonics infringes two Medtronic patents that purportedly relate to a "patient programmer with automated MRI compatibility verification" for an implantable medical device." "We believe Medtronic's claims are designed to stifle competition, limit patient and physician choice, and protect the incumbent's market position," said Raymond Cohen, CEO. "For over 20 years, Medtronic took advantage of its monopoly position in this category and chose not to innovate, develop full-body MRI compatible sacral neuromodulation devices or invest in creating public awareness of advanced therapies for people with incontinence. Axonics took a different path and created a renaissance in sacral neuromodulation therapy by developing long-lived implantable devices and introducing full-body MRI compatibility in this category for the first time. Axonics refuses to be intimidated by Medtronic and intends to defend itself vigorously. In the meantime, we remain focused on innovation for improving the lives of patients with incontinence and continuing on our path to market leadership."

14:38 EST FMC Corporation CFO 'starting to see signs of a return of visibility' - Asked during the Bank of America Global Agriculture and Materials Conference what the company is seeing so far in Q1, FMC Corp. CFO Andrew Sandifer replied, according to a transcript of the event: "I'd say we're seeing what we expected. We expected a challenging quarter, but we are starting to see the signs of a return of visibility. And that's the first step towards what we think is coming around midyear, sometime in Q2, a real turn in the business that - so what are we - specifically, what are we seeing? I think, one, sales in the first two months of the quarter have been pretty much in line with our internal forecast. That's the first time that's happened in three quarters."

14:01 EST Bill approval would be 'substantial advancement' for industry, Envoy CEO says

14:01 EST Envoy CEO sees 'a lot of open space' ahead, says investors will be rewarded

13:42 EST Correction: Altisource did not announce offering of convertible notes - This note corrects a prior headline that erroneously stated that Altisource announced it had signed a purchase agreement for an offering of convertible notes.

13:21 EST Arisz Acquisition Corp trading resumes

13:13 EST Elanco responds to Ancora board nominations - Elanco Animal Health issued a statement in response to the submission of four nominees to the company's board of directors by Ancora Holdings, stating in part: "The execution of Elanco's Innovation, Portfolio and Productivity strategy, led by CEO Jeff Simmons, is working. Elanco has returned to growth and is progressing a robust and innovative pipeline that will generate further growth. Elanco's commitment to the continued development of a strong and sustainable innovation pipeline is a multi-year process which is key to the company's future success. Importantly, shareholders have been rewarded. Elanco stock is up 39% over the past year, reaching a 52-week high earlier this week and significantly outperforming its peers... Elanco has taken decisive actions to improve performance. Leadership has strengthened the Company's focus through the sale of the aqua business, which will also enable Elanco to reduce leverage, and has announced a resource restructuring to shift investments into more significant value creation areas. Elanco has also taken action to meaningfully enhance our corporate governance and shareholder rights. The leadership team is concentrated on minimizing any distractions and executing actions that we believe are in the best interest of all shareholders."

12:53 EST CareDx turns positive with CMS transplant update seen as positive - Shares of CareDx turned positive after Craig Hallum said the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' announcement today that transplant patients can continue to access blood tests is a positive for the company. The shares are up 31c to $10.03 in afternoon trading after trading lower earlier in the day.

12:38 EST Eversource, Orsted win bid for updated Sunrise Wind project in New York - New York State has selected Orsted (DNNGY) and Eversource (ES) to negotiate a new 25-year contract for their Sunrise Wind offshore wind farm. This conditional award brings the 924-megawatt project one critical step closer to fulfilling its promise to deliver substantial economic benefits across New York and help the state meet its climate goals, the companies said in a statement. Sunrise Wind will now begin the next steps of finalizing agreements with New York's energy agency, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, on the OREC contract. The project is anticipated to be operational in 2026 and will begin the full scope of construction once it has received all federal permits, slated for this summer. The final investment decision on Sunrise Wind is expected to be made in the second quarter of 2024.

12:20 EST Microsoft introduces public preview of Copilot for Finance - Microsoft announced the public preview of Microsoft Copilot for Finance, the newest Copilot offering designed for business functions that extends Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 and revolutionizes how finance teams approach their daily work. Copilot for Finance joins Copilot for Sales and Copilot for Service, now generally available, to provide AI-powered, role-based workflow automation, recommendations and guided actions in the flow of work. "Finance departments are critical partners in strategic decisions impacting the direction of a company," the company said in a blog post. "Eighty percent of finance leaders and teams face challenges to take on more strategic work outside the operational portions of their roles. However, 62% of finance professionals say they are stuck in the drudgery of data entry and review cycles. Copilot for Finance can help free up time for finance to play more of a strategic role in delivering counsel and insights to the business by streamlining financial tasks, automating workflows and providing insights in the flow of work." Copilot for Finance includes Copilot for Microsoft 365, which means it supercharges Excel, Outlook and other widely used productivity apps with workflow and data-specific insights for the finance professional. Copilot for Finance draws on essential context from your existing financial data sources, including traditional Enterprise Resource Planning systems, such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 and SAP, and the Microsoft Graph. Reference Link

12:02 EST Iveco Group to supply 178 sustainable trucks to DHL in Germany - IVECO has received an order for the supply of 178 S-Way CNG trucks to the Post & Parcel Germany division of DHL. The order will expand DHL's sustainable fleet, furthering their commitment to reducing their carbon footprint and contributing to the decarbonisation of road transport. The new trucks will be primarily used for inter-hub transport at DHL parcel centres, customer pick-ups, and urban deliveries to post offices. The IVECO S-Way CNG trucks are equipped with Cursor engines from FPT Industrial - the Iveco Group brand specialised in low-environmental impact powertrains - that can be powered by bio-CNG. Bio-CNG is a sustainable renewable fuel derived from waste and residual materials; its use can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 95% compared to a diesel engine and, if the gas is sourced from manure, could even achieve a negative carbon footprint of up to -120%.

12:00 EST Chemours falls -33.6% - Chemours is down -33.6%, or -$9.64 to $19.08.

12:00 EST Aris Water Solutions rises 20.4% - Aris Water Solutions is up 20.4%, or $2.02 to $11.92.

12:00 EST C3.ai rises 22.8% - C3.ai is up 22.8%, or $6.77 to $36.46.

11:35 EST HCM Acquisition Corp trading halted, volatility trading pause

11:06 EST SolarMax Technology Inc trading resumes

11:03 EST Oshkosh announces investment in Eatron Technologies - Oshkosh announced that it has invested in Eatron Technologies, which it calls "a pioneering developer of Artificial Intelligence powered Battery Management Software." Oshkosh's investment in Eatron supports its vision to leverage advanced analytics and predictive modeling for lithium-ion batteries to manage its wide range of electric vehicles, the company stated. "The investment in Eatron Technologies is part of our broader strategy to collaborate with advanced technology companies to accelerate bringing best in class innovation to our customers. AI-enabled BMS aligns to our electrification and advanced analytics focus areas. It will bring enhanced safety and continuous performance optimization to our EV product line," said John Pfeifer, president and Chief Executive Officer of Oshkosh.

10:53 EST Village Farms 'supports' recommendations for new Cannabis Excise Euty model - Village Farms International "enthusiastically supports" recommendations on changes to the current Cannabis Excise Duty model released this week by the Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance. Those recommendations include adjustment to the excise duty formula for cannabis so that it is limited to a 10% ad valorem rate. When the Cannabis Excise Duty model was first adopted, it envisioned a retail selling price of cannabis much higher than is currently prevalent in today's market, such that the $1 per gram duty would have effectively been aligned to a 10% ad valorem tax rate. The reality of a much lower than anticipated price per gram has resulted in licensed producers reporting effective excise duties 100-250% higher than originally intended. This dynamic has created a cost structure that threatens the industry's long-term viability and achievement of the primary goal of the Cannabis Act - the establishment of a safe, legal industry that keeps profits out the hands of the illicit market. Village Farms strongly believes that the Standing Committee's recommended adjustment to the excise duty would benefit the industry, including enabling licensed producers to invest more in innovation, support the creation of well-paying jobs, and provide better access to capital to further invest in sustainable industry growth. These benefits, together with enforcement, would further the conversion of illicit sales, which some estimates say represent as much as 50% of the current total market.

10:46 EST Bayer proposes three new Supervisory Board members, including Jeffrey Ubben - Bayer AG announced that the Supervisory Board resolved to propose three new independent candidates to the stockholders: biotechnology expert Dr. Nancy Simonian, litigation expert Lori Schechter and the founder of Inclusive Capital Partners, Jeffrey Ubben. Jeffrey Ubben is a founder and the Portfolio Manager and Managing Partner of Inclusive Capital Partners, an investment firm focused on increasing shareholder value and promoting sound environmental, social and governance practices. Previously, Ubben was a founder and the Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager of ValueAct Capital. Reference Link

10:37 EST Canada's Competition Bureau expands investigation into Google ad practices - Canada's Competition Bureau has obtained a court order to gather information and advance an ongoing investigation into Google's online advertising practices in the country. The Bureau is investigating whether Google has engaged in certain practices that harm competition in the online display advertising industry in Canada. When the investigation began in 2020, the Bureau was largely focused on allegations that Google was leveraging its market power in the supply of video advertising into the market for advertiser buying tools. The Bureau has now expanded the scope of its investigation to examine ways that Google may be: leveraging its market power across display advertising technology services in a way that harms competition and using predatory pricing in certain display advertising technology services. The Bureau requires more information to determine whether Google's advertising practices: intend to harm competition; affect the competitive process or success of competitors; or result in higher prices, reduced choices and hindered innovation in the online display advertising services market in Canada. The Bureau is looking to determine if Google's practices raise concerns under the restrictive trade practices provisions of the Competition Act, including the abuse of dominance provision. The order, granted by the Federal Court of Canada, requires Google to produce records and written information that are relevant to the Bureau's investigation. Reference Link

10:18 EST Concord Acquisition Corp III trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:02 EST BeiGene announces new efficacy analysis comparing Brukinsa vs. Acalabrutinib - BeiGene announced a new matching adjusted indirect comparison of the efficacy of BRUKINSA versus acalabrutinib in relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia based on data from the Phase 3 ALPINE and Phase 3 ASCEND trials. The analysis suggests a progression-free survival and complete response advantage for BRUKINSA versus acalabrutinib, as well as potentially improved overall survival. These data will be presented during the 28th Annual International Congress on Hematologic Malignancies in Miami from February 29 - March 3. In this MAIC, individual patient-level data from ALPINE was matched against the aggregate data from ASCEND. An unanchored MAIC was used due to the lack of a common comparator arm between the ALPINE and ASCEND trials. Given the differences in the timing of the studies, with respect to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the analysis adjusted for the impact of COVID-19 in the ALPINE study. In a previously published MAIC of BRUKINSA versus acalabrutinib, there were significant limitations that precluded a robust efficacy comparison, including the exclusion of data from the final analysis of ALPINE, lack of adjustment for the impact of COVID-19 on the outcomes, lack of adjustment for key differences in patient characteristics, the effective sample size, and the exclusion of complete response rate and overall survival from the analysis. The MAIC suggests that investigator-assessed progression-free survival was improved for BRUKINSA versus acalabrutinib in both the unadjusted population, as well as the base case adjusted population.

10:00 EST Endava falls -31.4% - Endava is down -31.4%, or -$20.04 to $43.78.

10:00 EST Pure Storage rises 17.5% - Pure Storage is up 17.5%, or $7.38 to $49.50.

10:00 EST C3.ai rises 21.9% - C3.ai is up 21.9%, or $6.51 to $36.20.

09:47 EST Pure Storage rises 14.9% - Pure Storage is up 14.9%, or $6.27 to $48.39.

09:47 EST C3.ai rises 19.5% - C3.ai is up 19.5%, or $5.78 to $35.47.

09:47 EST Endava falls -29.2% - Endava is down -29.2%, or -$18.63 to $45.19.

09:44 EST Chemours trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:39 EST TFF Pharmaceuticals trading resumes

09:37 EST Solowin Holdings Ltd trading resumes

09:35 EST J-Long Group Ltd trading resumes

09:34 EST Celsius Holdings trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:32 EST Solowin Holdings Ltd trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:30 EST J-Long Group Ltd trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:29 EST AGM Group Holdings unveils strategic upgrade - AGM Group Holdings unveiled its strategic upgrade aimed at accelerating its global expansion. Focused on advancing its Bitcoin mining and data center operations, AGM Group is diversifying its portfolio to include digital technology, cryptocurrency mining, and technology hardware research and development, manufacture, and sales. Leveraging its extensive history of cultivating customer relationships for mining machine purchases and collaborating with energy partners who possess vast energy reserves, AGM Group is poised to extend its reach into the mining industry. The company's expansion strategy is multifaceted, encompassing self-constructed projects, joint mining ventures, and strategic acquisitions. AGM Group is committed to establishing and operating Bitcoin mining data centers, coupled with offering hosting services, in strategically chosen locations including the United States, Canada, and Central Asia. This initiative represents a significant step forward in AGM Group's journey towards becoming a leader in the global mining sector. Zhu Bo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AGM Group, shared his excitement about the company's prospects, stating, "We are currently in the early stages of negotiations with energy providers and bitcoin mining farms that possess established mining sites already utilized by clients, in addition to discussions with our customers who are in immediate need of mining hosting services. We anticipate sharing further details shortly. Our initial phase targets include managing up to 200MW of data centers worldwide, aiming for a hash rate of up to 5 EH/s, and deploying over 50,000 mining machines by the end of 2024."

09:29 EST HealthStream increases quarterly dividend 12% - HealthStream announced that the board of directors has approved a 12% increase in the company's quarterly dividend to 2.8c per share, up from 2.5c per share-and declared a cash dividend for the first quarter of 2024 of 2.8c per share of the company's outstanding common stock. The first quarter dividend will be payable to stockholders of record as of the close of March 11 with a payment date of March 22.

09:24 EST Lithium Corp. appoints Ken Tullar as Exploration Manager - Lithium Corporation recently expanded its internal geological expertise and knowledge with the engagement of Ken Tullar, CPG, in the role of Exploration Manager, Lithium Corporation.

09:21 EST FDA clears Atara's IND application in LN for allogeneic CAR T therapy ATA3219 - Atara Biotherapeutics announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, has cleared an Investigational New Drug, IND ,application for ATA3219, an allogeneic, anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor CAR T-cell monotherapy for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus SLE with kidney involvement lupus nephritis or LN . "Expanding upon an extensive clinical experience encompassing the treatment of over 600 patients using our allogeneic T-cell platform in both oncology and autoimmune diseases, we are excited to clinically evaluate the potential of our differentiated allogeneic CAR T-cell approach. We are eager to address the significant unmet need in lupus nephritis as we initiate our Phase 1 trial," said Pascal Touchon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Atara. "We look forward to bringing the promise and accessibility of a potentially curative off-the-shelf cell therapy option to patients with severe autoimmune diseases, potentially eliminating the burdens of autologous CAR T therapies like costly infrastructure and treatment delays."

09:14 EST RBB Bancorp announces 1M share stock repurchase program - RBB Bancorp announced that its board of directors has authorized a stock repurchase program. Under the repurchase program, the company may buy back up to 1M shares of its common stock, or approximately 5% of its outstanding shares, through March 31, 2026.

09:11 EST Ionis Pharma names Kyle Jenne new Chief Global Product Strategy Officer - Ionis Pharmaceuticals announced that Kyle Jenne has rejoined Ionis as EVP, Chief Global Product Strategy Officer, to lead all aspects of commercialization at the company. Jenne has more than 25 years of biopharmaceutical commercial and executive leadership experience. Onaiza Cadoret-Manier, Chief Global Product Strategy and Operations Officer, is leaving the company to pursue another opportunity. To support the transition, Cadoret-Manier will remain in a full-time capacity through March 15, after which she will serve as an advisor for a period of time. Jenne previously spent five years in commercial leadership roles at Ionis and Akcea, which was fully acquired by Ionis in 2020. His most recent role at Ionis was as EVP & chief commercial officer.

09:09 EST PubMatic selected by Wpromote as preferred partner - PubMatic announced that it has been named as a preferred supply partner by Wpromote, a top independent marketing agency, to drive efficiency and maximize performance across the open internet. Through this partnership, Wpromote's clients will gain transparent access to PubMatic's premium publisher inventory across display, video and connected TV inventory. "Teaming up with PubMatic empowers our clients to make better decisions and achieve their business outcomes by unlocking media transparency and streamlined access to premium inventory," said Skyler McGill, Head of Programmatic & Video at Wpromote. "We're excited to collaborate with the PubMatic team to find new ways to exceed our clients' business growth objectives while delivering innovative experiences across the entire marketing journey for their customers."

09:08 EST MongoDB's MongoDB Atlas data platform available in six additional cloud regions - MongoDB's multi-cloud developer data platform MongoDB Atlas is now available in six additional cloud regions in Canada, Germany, Israel, Italy, and Poland. With this expansion, MongoDB Atlas is now available in 117 cloud regions across Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure.

09:06 EST HUMBL announces purchase of HUMBL financial by Avrio - HUMBL and Avrio announce the acquisition of the HUMBL Financial brand, products and services by Avrio. Partnering with Avrio provides HUMBL Financial with the global market access needed to efficiently execute its strategies and scale rapidly in a competitive and complex market environment across stocks, options, crypto, commodities and digital assets; as well as traditional financial products and services that customers would expect inside digital wallets and web platforms. "We believe HUMBL Financial can scale rapidly when provided with access to the right global trading markets, technology infrastructure and licenses available through Avrio and its ecosystem," said Brian Foote, CEO of HUMBL. "This is the right home for HUMBL Financial to achieve its global scaling goals, while delivering brand recognition, equity and revenue share value for our HUMBL shareholders."

09:05 EST LPL Financial: Endeavor Wealth joins broker-dealer, RIA, custodial platforms - LPL Financial LLC announced that financial advisor Seth Marshall and the team at Endeavor Wealth Strategies have joined LPL Financial's broker-dealer, RIA and custodial platforms, aligned with Exemplar Financial Network. The Endeavor team reported serving approximately $515 million in advisory assets and joins LPL from PNC Private Bank Trust. Marshall, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1995 to 2004, celebrates his 20th year in the financial services industry this year. He built his Fort Wayne, Ind., practice by delivering complex financial solutions and investment strategies for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families, always going the extra mile to provide personalized, white glove services.

09:05 EST NASA awards Tetra Tech $375M environmental restoration contract - Tetra Tech announced that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA has awarded the Company a $375M, multiple-award contract to provide environmental restoration and compliance services at facilities throughout the United States. Under the five-year contract, Tetra Tech will provide technical support services using state-of-the-art technologies and sustainable design elements to assess and restore contaminated sites and improve climate resiliency. Tetra Tech engineers and technical specialists will use our Tetra Tech Delta technology solutions to conduct sampling, prepare risk assessments, develop predictive models, and design remedial strategies for contaminated groundwater and soils.

09:02 EST Medtronic files ITC action against Axonics - Medtronic (MDT) filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission, or ITC, along with a parallel action in U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, to block Axonics (AXNX) from improperly importing and selling products that infringe two Medtronic patents related to the MRI compatibility of implantable medical devices. Medtronic is asking the ITC to investigate and exclude the importation of the infringing Axonics products into the U.S. Medtronic currently has a separate infringement suit pending in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in which it asserts that Axonics has infringed additional technologies developed by and belonging to Medtronic.

08:48 EST AIM ImmunoTech outlines recent progress across development pipeline - AIM ImmunoTech highlighted recent accomplishments and provided a business outlook. AIM's dsRNA product candidate, Ampligen, is being evaluated as a combinational therapy for the treatment of a variety of solid tumor types in multiple clinical trials - both underway and planned - at major cancer research centers around the country. Recent Highlights: AMP-518 Clinical Study: Phase 2 study evaluating Ampligen as a potential therapeutic for people with the Post-COVID condition of fatigue: Completed treatment in study and Reported positive topline results offering preliminary evidence that Ampligen may reduce fatigue in subjects with Post-COVID conditions. Bolstered intellectual property estate with issuance of key U.S. patent for Ampligen in combination with an anti-PD-L1 antibody for the treatment of cancer. DURIPANC Clinical Study: Phase 1b/2 clinical trial combining AIM's Ampligen with AstraZeneca's anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor Imfinzi for the treatment of pancreatic cancer; Opened for enrollment and enrolled first subject at Erasmus Medical Center and First subject dosed at Erasmus MC

08:47 EST Mirum Pharmaceuticals publishes data from Livmarli analysis - Mirum Pharmaceuticals announced that Hepatology published an analysis demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in six-year event-free and transplant-free survival in patients with Alagille syndrome, or ALGS, treated with Livmarli oral solution when compared with a natural history control group. The analysis evaluated time to clinical outcome from the pooled Livmarli clinical studies versus a control cohort from the Global Alagille Alliance, or GALA, clinical database, the largest global ALGS natural history database. The pre-specified statistical analysis was conducted independently and compared time to first clinical event in the Livmarli-treated patients with ALGS versus a well-selected external natural history cohort treated with standard of care from the GALA database. Events were defined as liver transplantation, biliary diversion surgery, manifestations of portal hypertension, or death. The GALA control group was identified based on a pre-specified and blinded selection process to align with eligibility criteria from the Livmarli clinical studies. Multiple sensitivity and subgroup analyses were conducted to ensure statistical robustness of the primary result. Data from the analysis demonstrated a significant improvement in six-year event-free survival translating to a 70% overall reduction for clinical outcomes with Livmarli. The analysis also showed statistically significant improvements in transplant-free survival as compared to the GALA cohort. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses demonstrated overall consistency with the primary results.

08:46 EST 1847 Holdings launches rebranding initiative of 1847 Cabinets - 1847 Holdings announced the launch of its rebranding initiative of its subsidiary 1847 Cabinets Inc., a designer, manufacturer and installer of cabinets, doors and millwork for residential construction. The brand will now be doing business as Signature Home Craft. Signature Home Craft provides a wide variety of construction services including custom design and build of kitchen and bathroom cabinetry. It specializes in all aspects of finished carpentry products and services, including doors, door frames, base boards, crown molding, cabinetry, bathroom sinks and cabinets, bookcases, built-in closets, fireplace mantles, and more. Working primarily with large homebuilders of single-family homes, commercial and multifamily clients.

08:45 EST Yield10 Bioscience reports on proprietary varieties of winter camilina - Yield10 Bioscience reported that its proprietary varieties of winter Camelina sativa in development responded as expected to herbicides in the first field tests conducted in the United States. Yield10 tested winter Camelina engineered with tolerance to glufosinate, an herbicide widely used to manage weeds and protect yields in crop rotations in North America, as well as Camelina with stacked glufosinate and Group 2 tolerance, to provide tolerance to Group 2 herbicide residues in soil persisting from use on prior crops. Yield10 believes that HT and Stacked HT traits in Camelina are critical to enabling grower adoption of the crop and planting on large acreage to produce feedstocks for biofuel and omega-3 oil for the aquafeed and nutrition markets. Yield10 researchers also initiated in the fall of 2023 the first field tests of candidate winter Camelina lines deployed with the trait that provides tolerance to the spray application of glufosinate. Additional spraying of glufosinate on the winter HT Camelina is planned in the spring of 2024.

08:43 EST Orgenesis awarded EUR 2M grant from Walloon Government in Belgium - Orgenesis announced that the Company's consortium was awarded a EUR 2.0M grant from the Walloon Government in Belgium, titled: "Monitoring with AI of Decentralized ATMP Manufacturing". The consortium members include: Orgenesis Services Belgium, Universite catholique de Louvain / TRusted AI Labs and DNAlytics. Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products are among the most innovative and promising biomedicines designed to address unmet medical needs, including cell, gene, exosome and phage therapies. On January 17, 2024, the Walloon government launched a partnership, ATMP-Partenariat d'Innovation Technologique, with an EUR 81 million budget over three years, dedicated to ATMPs, in collaboration with BioWin, the health cluster for Wallonia, and the Public Service of Wallonia. The MAIDAM project is focused on developing AI-based approaches for the monitoring and improvement of decentralized manufacturing processes for ATMPs via federated machine and reinforcement learning utilizing cell therapy processing on small and standardized manufacturing units.

08:42 EST Bigg Digital Assets's TerraZero, FINLITI announce strategic partnership - BIGG Digital Assets reports that Finliti and TerraZero Technologies announce their strategic partnership aimed at revolutionizing financial literacy and access to wealth creation opportunities using the Intraverse tech stack. Together, TerraZero and Finliti are building an immersive virtual experience accessible on mobile, laptop and desktop. Users will be able to learn about their own investor risk profile by building a character and playing through the experience, just like users would by building a fantasy character in an MMORPG. This will present a new way for brokerages and day-trading investor apps within Finliti's network to engage with new audiences.

08:41 EST SpringWorks Therapeutics announces EMA validaion for nirogacestat MAA - SpringWorks Therapeutics announced that the European Medicines Agency has validated the Marketing Authorization Application for nirogacestat, an oral gamma secretase inhibitor, for the treatment of adults with desmoid tumors. If approved, nirogacestat will be the first therapy to receive marketing authorization in the European Union for the treatment of desmoid tumors. Nirogacestat previously received Orphan Drug designation from the European Commission for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma. The MAA submission is based on results from the Phase 3 DeFi trial. In DeFi, nirogacestat met the primary endpoint of improving progression-free survival, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement over placebo with a 71% reduction in the risk of disease progression. Median PFS was not reached in the nirogacestat arm and was 15.1 months in the placebo arm. Confirmed objective response rate based on blinded independent central review of Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors v1.1 was 41% with nirogacestat versus 8% with placebo; the complete response rate was 7% in the nirogacestat arm and 0% in the placebo arm. Nirogacestat also demonstrated early and sustained improvements in patient-reported outcomes measured as of the cycle 10 assessment, including pain. desmoid tumor-specific symptoms, physical/role functioning and overall health-related quality of life. Nirogacestat exhibited a manageable safety and tolerability profile. The most common adverse events reported in patients receiving nirogacestat were diarrhea, ovarian toxicity, rash, nausea, fatigue, stomatitis, headache, abdominal pain, cough, alopecia, upper respiratory tract infection, and dyspnea. The DeFi trial results were published in the March 9, 2023 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine and presented during a Presidential Symposium at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2022

08:39 EST Hoth Therapeutics retains Venable to expand patent portfolio - Hoth Therapeutics will continue its work with Venable to develop and protect its intellectual property. Venable is an American Lawyer Global 100 law firm that serves as primary counsel to a worldwide clientele of large and mid-sized organizations and nonprofits and individuals. Venable advises clients on a range of topics, including the full range of intellectual property disciplines.

08:38 EST MGP Ingredients announces $100M share repurchase program - MGP Ingredients announced that its board of directors has approved the repurchase of up to $100.0 million of the Company's outstanding shares of common stock.

08:37 EST Altisource signs purchase agreement for offering of convertible notes - ASP Isotopes announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Quantum Leap Energy, has entered into a purchase agreement with investors for the issuance of QLE's convertible notes. The offering of QLE Notes was oversubscribed and is expected to result in gross proceeds to QLE of greater than $20 million. The QLE Notes will be unsecured and may be convertible into common equity securities of QLE prior to maturity upon the occurrence of certain events, including an initial public offering, direct listing or a future equity financing, in each case at a price per share equal to the lower of 80% of the per share price in the applicable transaction or the per share value of one share of QLE's common equity based on a set valuation cap. The QLE Notes will mature on the fifth anniversary of the initial closing, unless converted in accordance with their terms prior to such date. QLE may not repay the QLE Notes prior to maturity, unless a change of control transaction occurs. QLE intends to use the net proceeds from the QLE Notes offering for the planning for, building and development of laser enrichment production facilities, as well as general corporate purposes. The closing of the QLE Notes offering is subject to the fulfillment or waiver of certain conditions contained in the purchase agreement.

08:36 EST Bridgeline Digital partners with Moblico - Bridgeline Digital announced its partnership with Moblico, a leader in mobile engagement solutions for wholesale distributors, providing mobile messaging and custom branded mobile apps. Moblico will leverage Bridgeline's HawkSearch to grow revenue for distributors through mobile search. The partnership combines Moblico's mobile engagement solutions with HawkSearch's AI search technology, enabling distributors to interact with customers in real-time, increasing customer retention and revenue. Ari Kahn, CEO of Bridgeline, stated, " Partnering with Moblico, a leader in mobile solutions for distributors, aligns with our commitment to increasing revenue for eCommerce brands within the distribution industry. Together, we are bringing the best of mobile engagement and search technology to the market, helping distributors achieve unparalleled growth."

08:35 EST Kineta to reduce workforce by 64% in corporate restructuring - Kineta has completed a review of its business, including the status of its programs, resources and capabilities. Following this review, Kineta is implementing a significant corporate restructuring to substantially reduce expenses and preserve cash. The restructuring includes a significant workforce reduction and the termination of enrollment of new patients in its ongoing VISTA-101 Phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating KVA12123 in patients with advanced solid tumors. Patients currently enrolled in the trial will be permitted to continue to participate. The company has made this decision, in part, because certain investors have indicated they will not fulfill their funding obligations pursuant the previously disclosed second tranche of the company's contemplated private placement later this year. The company will conduct a comprehensive exploration of strategic alternatives focused on maximizing shareholder value including potential sale of assets of the company, a sale of the company, licensing of assets, a merger, liquidation or other strategic action. There can be no assurance that the exploration of strategic alternatives will result in any agreements or transactions, or that, if completed, any agreements or transactions will be successful or on attractive terms. The company does not expect to disclose or provide an update concerning developments related to this process until the company enters into definitive agreements or arrangements with respect to a transaction or otherwise determines that other disclosure is necessary or appropriate. Kineta is reducing its workforce by approximately 64%, which will result in the elimination of seven positions. This includes Kineta's Chief Executive Officer, Shawn Iadonato, Ph.D., who will continue to serve on the company's Board of Directors, and Kineta's General Counsel and Secretary, Pauline Kenny. Each of Dr. Iadonato and Ms. Kenny will continue to support the company in a consulting capacity until December 31, 2024.

08:33 EST Intercept announces FDA acceptance of sNDA for Ocaliva - Intercept Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted its supplemental New Drug Application for Ocaliva for the treatment of individuals with primary biliary cholangitis. The FDA has assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act target action date of October 15, 2024. In this communication, the agency informed Intercept that they are planning to hold an Advisory Committee meeting to discuss the application. Ocaliva received accelerated approval in 2016 and is indicated for the treatment of adult patients living with primary biliary cholangitis without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis who do not have evidence of portal hypertension, either in combination with ursodeoxycholic acid with an inadequate response to UDCA or as monotherapy in patients unable to tolerate UDCA. The precedent-setting sNDA for Ocaliva is intended to satisfy the post-marketing requirements to confirm a clinical benefit in patients with PBC. The sNDA is supported by data from the Company's post-marketing requirement studies COBALT and Study 401 as well as real-world evidence from a U.S. claims database and international PBC patient registries. Intercept and Alfasigma remain committed to supporting people living with PBC and look forward to advancing discussions with the agency.

08:32 EST LiveOne announces Slakcer radio guidance of $80M in revenue for FY25 - Slacker Radio Added Another 50,000 Memberships in February. Memberships Now Exceed 3.6M with 760,000 New Members Added Year-Over-Year. Memberships have Grown over 800% Since Acquisition. Slacker Radio Revenue has Increased 225% Since Acquiring from $20M to over $65M in Fiscal Year 2024 ending March 31st, 2024. Slacker Radio Adjusted EBITDA is on Pace for $15M in Fiscal Year 2024 Compared to Losing $10M Prior to Acquisition. Increases Current Pipeline to Over 50 Potential B2B Partnerships as Slacker Radio's Lean Back Experience Utilizing AI Technology Continues to Resonate with Fortune 500 Companies

08:31 EST Pfizer announces top-line Abrysvo vaccine efficacy and safety data - Pfizer announced top-line Abrysvo vaccine efficacy and safety data for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, in adults 60 years of age and older following a second season in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres from the ongoing pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial RENOIR. Vaccine efficacy against RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease, defined by three or more symptoms, after disease surveillance in season two was 77.8%; vaccine efficacy following season one was 88.9%, which demonstrates durable efficacy after two seasons. Consistent vaccine efficacy was demonstrated for both RSV A and RSV B after season two with vaccine efficacy against each subtype of greater than or equal to 80% for LRTD with three or more symptoms. Vaccine efficacy was also sustained against less severe LRTD, defined by two or more symptoms, from 65.1% after season one to 55.7% after the end of season two. Vaccine efficacy against RSV-associated LRTD, defined by three or more symptoms, across both seasons after approximately 16.4 months of disease surveillance was 81.5%. No new adverse events were reported through the second RSV season beyond what was reported by subjects in the clinical trial during the first season. Pfizer is conducting post-marketing studies and surveillance programs to inform the safety profile of Abrysvo.

08:29 EST Achieve Life reaches agreement with FDA on cytisinicline data requirements - Achieve Life Sciences announced that it has reached agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, on the adequacy and timing of long-term cytisinicline exposure data requirements for a New Drug Application, NDA. During pre-NDA discussions held in the fourth quarter of 2023, the FDA expressed support for an NDA submission based on adequate data to assess for efficacy from the two completed randomized and controlled Phase 3 trials, ORCA-2 and ORCA-3. In addition, the FDA advised that long-term exposure data to assess for safety beyond 12 weeks would be needed to adequately evaluate safety risks given that the FDA views smoking cessation drugs as products for chronic, repeat, or intermittent use as patients may relapse and require subsequent courses of treatment over a lifetime. Achieve and the FDA have reached agreement that a single, open-label study evaluating for long-term safety exposure of cytisinicline will be sufficient to complete the requirement and enable an NDA submission anticipated in the first half of 2025. Based on FDA agreement, Achieve's NDA submission will include safety data on at least 300 subjects who have received cumulative cytisinicline treatment for six months. Prior to potential approval, Achieve will provide the FDA with safety data from at least 100 subjects treated with cytisinicline for a cumulative duration of one year. Achieve plans to initiate the "ORCA-OL" open label exposure trial in the second quarter of 2024, which will include investigators and sites who have participated in the ORCA clinical trial program .

08:27 EST Sellas Life Sciences to present SLS009 Phase 1 data ay 2024 ESH - SELLAS Life Sciences announced that the date and time for the presentation of data from the acute myeloid leukemia cohort of patients in the Phase 1 dose-escalation study of SLS009 will be presented in an oral presentation at the 2024 European School of Haematology Acute Leukaemias, ESH, Conference: How to Diagnose and Treat Acute Leukaemias, taking place March 1-3, 2024, in Stockholm, Sweden.

08:26 EST Nano-X Imaging, Beilinson Hospital announce collaboration to study Nanox.ARC - NANO-X IMAGING announced their collaboration to conduct a clinical study evaluating the Nanox.ARC 3D imaging system in a clinical outpatient setting at Beilinson Hospital. The study will specifically assess the diagnostic capabilities of the Nanox.ARC's tomographic imaging system compared with conventional two-dimensional radiography for detection of lung and chest disease in adults. Such a study may help determine the clinical utility of the additional information provided by the 3D tomographic imaging, potentially preventing the need for more advanced imaging and exposure to additional radiation. This study evaluating the Nanox.ARC is an addition to the existing collaboration between Nanox AI and Clalit, and the second study conducted with Beilinson Hospital. "This collaboration with Beilinson Hospital will provide further clinical validation of the Nanox.ARC and enable us to develop a truly end-to-end, globally connected medical imaging solution to promote population health for those in greatest need," said Erez Meltzer, CEO of Nanox. "We look forward to continuing our partnership with Beilinson as we initiate a study exploring the use of our innovative 3D Nanox.ARC imaging system to improve patient care."

08:23 EST Arlo Technologies appoints Samir Kapoor CTO - Arlo Technologies announced that it has appointed Samir Kapoor as Arlo's Chief Technology Officer, effective March 11th. Additionally, Kurt Binder, Arlo's Chief Financial Officer, will step into the additional role of Chief Operating Officer to support Arlo's continued growth and focus on operational excellence. Samir is a seasoned C-level technology executive with deep experience leading complex engineering organizations across hardware, software, and SaaS technology companies. With a proven track record of success at companies including Fitbit and Life360, where he also served as Chief Technology Officer, Samir's appointment will further strengthen Arlo's executive leadership team as it focuses on the acceleration of its services-first strategy.

08:19 EST Locafy announces partnership agreement with diDNA - Locafy entered an agreement with diDNA. Under the terms of the Agreement, diDNA will provide advertising technology and services to help Locafy enhance its digital property portfolio. Also, diDNA has agreed to promote Locafy's Article Accelerator technology to its sizeable publisher client network. Pursuant to the Agreement, Locafy will broadly deploy diDNA software within its directory portfolio, maximizing Locafy's revenue-generating opportunities with its directories, including brands such as Hotfrog, Aussieweb, Pink Pages, and SuperPages. Locafy also plans to engage diDNA to monetize its most recent acquisition of Scoop, an iconic luxury media brand representing leading local and global brands and products in the Australian market. As Locafy replicates its strategy of revitalizing underperforming websites through additional acquisition opportunities, especially in niche publishing sectors that have high advertising dollar value, it expects to deploy diDNA technology for these brands as well.

08:17 EST Ancora nominates four director candidates, urges CEO succession at Elanco - Ancora Holdings, which owns approximately 3% of the outstanding common stock of Elanco, issued the below statement regarding its nomination of four independent candidates for election to the company's board of directors at the 2024 annual meeting of shareholders. Ancora has also released a presentation, entitled "Overview: The Case for Change at Elanco's 2024 Annual Meeting." "Ancora has amassed a roughly $250 million stake in Elanco because we believe it is a high-potential business with an admirable mission, strong market opportunity and significant runway for sustained value creation. Based on extensive analysis and good faith engagement with Elanco, it appears that the biggest barriers to success are the Company's insular Board and unaccountable CEO. It is important to stress that we provided Elanco with a detailed analysis of its issues pertaining to corporate governance, finance, operations and product development, while also privately proposing a settlement framework that accounted for a shareholder-driven refreshment of the Board and an orderly succession process in 2025 for long-serving CEO Jeff Simmons. Unfortunately, this framework seemed to be of no interest to the Board, which refused to engage in substantive principal-to-principal negotiations and a real two-way discussion regarding changes that would benefit the Company. We can only assume that the Board feels insulated because of its classified structure and shareholder-unfriendly policies, despite overseeing a more than 50% decline in value since inception. We believe Elanco's Board should be operating with humility and an open mind after presiding over anemic margins, ballooning debt, poor capital allocation and shoddy forecasting. All of this has translated to negative total shareholder returns over every relevant long-term period, including since inflection points such as the Company's 2018 initial public offering, 2020 acquisition of Bayer Animal Health and 2021 announcement of structural changes to simplify the organization. This is why when Elanco once again claims to be at an 'inflection point' due to reactionary governance changes and recent stock price movement, we are compelled to point out that the Company is really just being picked up off the mat by Ancora. Elanco's stock price began rising late last year as we increased our investment and the market became aware of potential shareholder-driven changes at the Company. We anticipate that the Board and Mr. Simmons will try to avoid accountability by suggesting that an orderly management change will disrupt the Company's pipeline. Shareholders, however, should consider a few key points before buying into this. First, a planned departure in 2025 positions Mr. Simmons to remain engaged during upcoming product launches, even as the Board commits to planning for a transition. Second, shareholders are actually de-risked if Mr. Simmons - who has not overseen any value creation at Elanco - is gradually less involved in product strategy and pipeline oversight. Lastly, team members such as EVPs Ellen de Brabander, Ph.D. and Tim Bettington are really the key leaders of upcoming launches. As evidenced by our emphasis on the next generation and willingness to have a principal on the Board, we look forward to being a long-term shareholder of Elanco. We have identified areas in which prior campaigns for change at the Company may have fallen short. Our slate possesses sorely needed experience in capital allocation, corporate governance, pet healthcare, supply chain management and succession planning. Each of our director candidates looks forward to engaging with Elanco shareholders about their constructive and practical ideas for igniting a turnaround at the Company and identifying its next generation of management. If elected by shareholders, rest assured our nominees intend to put this contest in the rearview mirror and support the type of collegial boardroom dialogue that is necessary to unlocking the full potential of Elanco."

08:15 EST NV5 Global awarded $5M infrastructure mapping services contract - NV5 Global has been awarded a three-year, $5 million contract by the City of San Diego to provide land surveying, mapping, and digitizing services to support municipal infrastructure projects throughout the city. NV5 surveyors and geospatial professionals will deliver services for a wide array of infrastructure projects including water, wastewater, storm water pipelines, buildings, bridges, roadways, facilities, and parks. This is the second time NV5 has been awarded this contract by the City of San Diego, and NV5 is currently delivering services under this new agreement.

08:14 EST Charles River Associates announces $35M expansion to share repurchase program - Charles River Associates authorized a $35M expansion of the company's existing share repurchase program, in addition to the $11.4M currently remaining under the program. CRA may repurchase shares of its common stock in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions in accordance with applicable insider trading and other securities laws and regulations. The timing, amount and extent to which CRA repurchases shares will depend upon market conditions and other factors it may consider in its sole discretion.

08:13 EST Spectaire Holdings enhances production to 500 units monthly - In a decisive response to extraordinary market demand, Spectaire has announced a significant expansion of its manufacturing capabilities, aiming to achieve a production rate of 500 AireCore units per month by August 2024. This expansion strategy is in direct reaction to the exceptional demand that resulted in the complete sell-out of its inventory from February to August 2024. In an era where emissions reduction is not just a goal but a necessity, Spectaire's AireCore units, notably in the trucking and the recently expanded Oil & Gas sectors, have been reserved several months ahead. To meet this extraordinary demand and guarantee prompt delivery to its clientele, Spectaire is substantially upgrading its production facilities. The announcement that Spectaire's entire stock from February to August 2024 has been pre-sold highlights the urgent market need for efficient emissions control solutions. This milestone has motivated Spectaire to reopen its pre-order process to accommodate the escalating demand. This production landmark reflects Spectaire's expanding influence across diverse industries and new markets, demonstrating the company's dedication to delivering unparalleled value through its innovative solutions. With flexible subscription plans ranging from $100 monthly to $10000 annually per unit, Spectaire is set to make a significant impact on global emissions reduction efforts.

08:09 EST UiPath, Google Cloud expand strategic partnership to accelerate Gen AI access - UiPath (PATH), a leading enterprise automation and AI software company, and Google Cloud (GOOG) announced an expanded partnership to extend customers' ability to transform their enterprise with AI-powered automation. UiPath, a Premier Level partner of Google Cloud, is now available on Google Cloud Marketplace, making it easier for Google Cloud customers to purchase the industry leading UiPath Business Automation Platform and reliably deploy and scale their automation initiatives on Google Cloud infrastructure. UiPath is expanding its partnership with Google Cloud to help customers facilitate their AI-powered automation journey while integrating with Google Cloud's Vertex AI and Google Workspace business collaboration offerings. "UiPath automation brings AI directly into business processes to help enterprises execute on whatever ideas and innovations they can imagine. Our partnership with Google Cloud is an essential part of our strategy to help joint customers achieve AI-powered automation across the business," said Kelly Ducourty, Chief Customer Officer at UiPath. "This expanded partnership reinforces our shared mission to bring the transformative force of AI to life in the enterprise through advanced technologies that automate all knowledge work, integrate intelligence into everyday operations, and deliver solutions that help people work smarter." "Generative AI and automation are key pillars to business transformation because they allow enterprises to work more productively, whilst also uncovering new insights to fuel growth," said Adaire Fox-Martin, President of Go to Market, Google Cloud. "Our expanding partnership with UiPath will help create new opportunities for businesses to utilize these capabilities to streamline thousands of processes with AI and automation, helping to save costs and unlock new innovation."

08:08 EST NeuroBo Pharmaceuticals receives first site IRB approval for obesity trial - NeuroBo Pharmaceuticals has received first site Institutional Review Board - IRB - approval to proceed with the Phase 1 clinical trial of DA-1726, a novel, dual oxyntomodulin analog agonist that functions as a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor and glucagon receptor for the treatment of obesity. The company expects to randomize the first patient in Q2. The company expects to report top-line data from the single ascending dose Part 1 in the first half of 2025 and the multiple ascending dose Part 2 in the second half of 2025. The Phase 1 trial is designed to be a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, two-part study to investigate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of single and multiple ascending doses of DA-1726 in obese, otherwise healthy subjects. The primary endpoint will assess the safety and tolerability of DA-1726 by monitoring adverse events, serious adverse events, treatment emergent adverse events and AEs leading to treatment discontinuation. Secondary endpoints include the PK of DA-1726.

08:07 EST Tegna sees FY24 capital expenditures $62M-$67M - Sees FY24 effective tax rate 23.5%-24.5%.

08:05 EST Ashford Hospitality sells Hilton Boston Back Bay in Boston for $171M - Ashford Hospitality has signed a definitive agreement to sell the 390-room Hilton Boston Back Bay in Boston, Massachusetts for $171M, or $438K per key. The sale is expected to be completed in March, and is subject to normal closing conditions. The company provides no assurances that the sale will be completed on these terms or at all. For , 2023, the Hotel's net income was $2.3M, its net operating income was $14.9M, and its Hotel EBITDA was $16.7M. When adjusted for the company's anticipated capital expenditures, the sale price represents a 7.3% capitalization rate on 2023 net operating income, or 12.3x 2023 Hotel EBITDA. Excluding the anticipated capital spend, the sale price represents an 8.7% capitalization rate on 2023 net operating income, or 10.2x 2023 Hotel EBITDA. The company expects the net proceeds to be approximately $70M after repayment of the underlying mortgage debt and closing costs. The company expects to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes including the paydown of its strategic financing.

08:03 EST Golden Heaven to expand into Indonesia market - Golden Heaven announced that on February 26, it entered into a Letter of Intent for Strategic Partnership with PT BESTAR JAYA, an Indonesian trading company that services large-scale supermarkets nationwide, to launch a total of 30 to 50 indoor amusement parks in Indonesia. According to the terms of the LOI, BESTAR is expected to open indoor amusement parks in major shopping centers and supermarkets in prime locations across Indonesia, and Golden Heaven will offer planning, layout design, facility procurement, operational management, staff training and other related services to BESTAR. Further details of this partnership will be disclosed as the ongoing negotiation progresses.

07:44 EST Endava to acquire GalaxE Group for $405M - Endava has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% ownership of GalaxE Group, a global IT and business solutions provider headquartered in New Jersey. Founded by Tim Bryan over 30 years ago, GalaxE has been singularly focused on driving digital transformation. When completed, the transaction will add approximately 1,650 employees. Total consideration for the acquisition is up to $405M, primarily in cash with some stock, of which $30M is conditional upon future performance of the GalaxE business. The transaction is expected to close in early April 2024 subject to the completion of customary closing conditions and approvals, including the expiration of the required waiting period under the U.S. Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.

07:41 EST Avant Brands anticipates 'significant growth' from global sales - In the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2023, Avant encountered a temporary decline in sales due to the accumulation of products for large export shipments, all of which were subsequently delivered in the first quarter of 2024. Additionally, declining purchase orders from The Ontario Cannabis Store contributed to this decline. Various factors contributed to the decrease in OCS orders, including inflationary pressures, evolving trends in dried flower consumption, and a heightened demand for larger-format value products. Additionally, the downturn in Avant's market performance with the OCS was compounded by its limited product visibility and support within major Ontario retail chains. Avant's offerings frequently suffer from restricted availability and minimal promotional activities within these chains. This situation arises from Avant's current decision to abstain from engaging in data programs, commonly known as "pay-to-play," which are typically mandatory for most major retail chains to promote and support products. This strategic choice, made by management of the Company, is aimed at preserving the Company's adult-use gross margins while also ensuring full compliance within The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario's inducement policy. Despite the short-term challenges, Avant remains committed to aggressively competing in the Canadian adult-use market while expanding its global distribution channels. The Company anticipates significant growth from global sales, with expected increases in gross revenues ranging between $8.2 million and $8.7 million5 for the first quarter of 2024. This growth trajectory aims to further solidify the position of BLK MKT as a globally recognized ultra-premium cannabis brand.

07:39 EST 908 Devices, Cellares announce integration collaboration - 908 Devices and Cellares announced a development collaboration to integrate in-line monitoring of key cell culture parameters into Cellares' Cell Shuttle system, a fully integrated, scalable, cell therapy manufacturing platform. The collaboration between the two companies aims to further advance the efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness of large-scale cell therapy manufacturing. 908 Devices is integrating its optical in-line analyzer, Maverick, the first turn-key device to utilize Raman spectroscopy for bioprocess control, with no modeling or development required. Maverick's purpose-built de novo models automatically process Raman spectra from a wide variety of culture media types and cell lines, delivering actionable process parameters or direct process control actions. The company is adapting its Maverick device to be integrated into the Cell Shuttle system.

07:38 EST Shyft Group to showcase customer-centric solutions at Work Truck Week - Leveraging a broad spectrum of advanced work truck solutions, The Shyft Group will highlight its industry leadership and integrated brand strengths at Work Truck Week 2024 in Indianapolis, March 6-8. Showcasing the latest in innovations and customer-centric solutions, the company aims to meet the evolving needs of diverse business sectors with cutting-edge vehicle designs and functionalities. "We're highlighting the unique strengths of seven of our nine brands while promoting collaboration and customer-sharing strategies among those brands. This synergy ensures specialized, customer-focused solutions and leans into the collective expertise of our diverse brand portfolio," said Shyft CEO John Dunn. "Our consultative Work-Driven Design approach means that work trucks for every vocation - from construction to carpentry and plumbing to service maintenance - are engineered around customer input and the real needs specific to their business."

07:37 EST TriSalus Life Sciences publishes data on PEDD method with TriNav device - TriSalus Life Sciences announced the publication in Current Medical Research and Opinion a manuscript detailing a real-world study of the use of the pressure-enabled drug delivery method with the TriNav device for trans-arterial chemoembolization and trans-arterial radioembolization in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and liver metastases. The data presented in this study captured real-world safety and clinical outcomes data for TriNav in its launch phase utilizing a large, 300M patient dataset covering 98% of U.S. payers. These data provide valuable insights into the important benefits of this technology that would otherwise take many years to accumulate through alternative approaches using clinical trials. Key findings include that TriNav patients, despite a higher baseline disease burden and clinical complexity, showed overall clinical results comparable to patients with lower disease burden. The study also revealed that: In TACE procedures, interventional radiologists could deliver significantly more chemotherapeutic to the tumor when using TriNav vs. the amount delivered using standard catheters, a critical treatment goal. In a matched cohort comparison, TriNav patients had fewer 30-day inpatient visits post-procedure than non-TriNav patients. TriNav HCC patients were more likely to have a post-procedure liver transplant in a matched cohort comparison. TriNav TARE patients with liver metastases had fewer clinical complications post-procedure vs. non-TriNav patients in a matched cohort comparison. TriNav TARE patients with liver metastases had lower rates of post-procedure fatigue vs. non-TriNav patients. These study data clearly demonstrate that TriNav is preferentially selected to treat patients with a higher burden of disease than patients treated with standard catheters, yet these patients show similar results post-treatment compared to patients with a lower disease burden. TriNav patients showed impressive trends toward better outcomes in matched cohort comparisons, including an increased rate of liver transplants. The results also demonstrate how real-world data complement traditional clinical trials to provide a more robust and timely understanding of the benefits realized by patients. TriSalus is committed to updating this data set continuously and affirming the benefit TriNav and the PEDD approach bring to patients, providers, and payers.

07:36 EST Progyny announces $100M share repurchase program - Progyny announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program to repurchase up to $100 million of its common stock. The program will be funded through available cash balances.

07:35 EST Else Nutrition to showcase RTD kids nutritional shakes at Natural Products expo - ELSE NUTRITION HOLDINGS will be showcasing its whole-food, plant-based, dairy-free and soy-free kids Ready-to-Drink nutritional shakes at Natural Products EXPO WEST 2024 being held March 13 through March 15, 2024 in Anaheim, California. The Company also plans to have a soft launch of its Adult RTD nutritional product at the event with taste testing available. The Else booth is #N239 located in the North Halls of the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Else's kids RTD product is the first of its kind, and only whole food based kids nutrition shake available in the United States. The delicious dairy and soy free vanilla and chocolate flavors will be broadly distributed during the event to the thousands of attendees and influencers, including key opinion leaders, retailers, healthcare providers and reporters.

07:34 EST Ituran increases dividend policy 60% to $8M per quarter - The company increased the quarterly dividend to $8 million from $5 million in the prior quarter and from $3 million in the eight quarters prior to that. This represents a 60% increase in the ongoing quarterly dividend payment compared with that of the prior quarter and a 167% increase over the dividend paid in the quarters prior to that.

07:29 EST Dream Finders Homes sees 8,250 home closings in 2024 - Dream Finders Homes expects approximately 8,250 home closings for the full year 2024, inclusive of those from the Crescent Homes acquisition. Deterioration of general economic conditions, including interest rate increases and mortgage availability, as well as any governmental restrictions on land development, home construction or home sales, or supply chain challenges, could negatively affect the Company's ability to achieve this number of home closings in 2024.

07:29 EST GameSquare announces multiple world-building activations during Q1 - GameSquare announced multiple world-building activations during the 2024 first quarter. Quarter-to-date, GameSquare, and its Moonlight Studios world building division, have created unique and innovative experiences for global leading brands including one of the fastest growing sports drinks, one of the largest payment technology companies, and one of the world's largest QSR chains.

07:27 EST Laser Photonics receives order from Pima Air & Space Museum - Laser Photonics Corporation received an order from Pima Air & Space Museum for its CleanTech LPC-1000-CTHS laser cleaning system.

07:25 EST Chicago Atlantic extends maturity on revolving credit facility to June 2026 - Chicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance announced that Chicago Atlantic Lincoln its wholly-owned financing subsidiary, entered into the Fifth Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement by and among Chicago Atlantic Lincoln and a syndicate of FDIC-insured financial institutions to extend the maturity of its $100.0 million secured revolving credit facility and increase the accordion feature of the Revolving Loan to facilitate additional commitments up to $150.0 million. The Company extended the contractual maturity date from December 16, 2024 to June 30, 2026 and retained the one-year extension option, subject to customary conditions. The Revolving Loan bears interest at the Prime Rate plus an Applicable Margin, based upon Chicago Atlantic Lincoln's leverage ratio. The Applicable Margin ranges from 0% to 1.25% over the Prime Rate, subject to a 3.25% Prime Rate floor.

07:24 EST Green Thumb Industries expands Florida retail footprint - RISE Dispensaries, a rapidly growing cannabis retail chain owned by Green Thumb Industries, announced the opening of its 15th retail location in Florida and 92nd nationwide, RISE Dispensary Dunnellon. "We are thrilled to be the first dispensary to open in the City of Dunnellon, marking our second RISE location in Marion County," said Green Thumb President Anthony Georgiadis. "Located just west of our state-of-the-art cultivation facility in Ocala, RISE Dunnellon shall offer a highly curated product selection and best-in-class service. We are excited to offer our patients the convenient option of roll-through service, which allows them to place their order from home, then pick up their purchase at our drive-thru window."

07:21 EST Applied UV's subsidiary purchased continuing business of Element Designs - Applied UV announced that its subsidiary, MunnWorks, has entered into a multi-year exclusive global licensing agreement with the purchase of the continuing business of Element Designs Collaborative, an established designer and fabricator of custom outdoor systems for commercial and public space property owners. The three-year agreement, which may be extended, is exclusive for the design, production and distribution of Element Design water Feature and fountains, landscape systems, monumental outdoor furnishings, and green-walls. The founding team of Element Designs will join MunnWorks. "We are thrilled to announce this partnership with Element Designs. For more than 10 years, Element Designs has provided creative, elegant design enhancements for commercial and public properties across the globe. Together we look forward to bringing the same beautiful custom furnishings and exquisite details, while incorporating many of our innovative Smart Building technologies, to elevate outdoor space throughout the U.S. and globally," said Max Munn, CEO of Applied UV.

07:18 EST Best Buy increases quarterly dividend 2% to 94c per share - Best Buy announced its board of directors approved a 2% increase in the regular quarterly dividend to 94c per share. The regular quarterly dividend will be payable on April 11 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 21.

07:17 EST Best Buy sees Q1 comparable sales down 5% - Bilunas continued, "For Q1 FY25, we expect comparable sales to decline by approximately 5% and our non-GAAP operating income rate to be approximately 3.4%, which is flat to Q1 FY24."

07:14 EST Montrose Environmental acquires Two Dot Consulting, terms not disclosed - Montrose Environmental Group announced the acquisition of Two Dot Consulting, an environmental consultancy specializing in regulatory services to the oil and gas, and renewables sectors in the Rocky Mountain and adjacent regions. Two Dot's senior leadership team, including founder and CEO Todd Spivey, will join Montrose's Consulting and Engineering division, which reports into the Company's Remediation and Reuse segment. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

07:12 EST Beam Global's EV ARC sustainable EV charging selected by City of Richmond - Beam Global announced that the City of Richmond in California has selected EV ARC sustainable electric vehicle - EV - charging to power their car share program, which offers flexible transportation benefitting underserved communities. Because EV ARC systems generate and store their own clean electricity, there is no utility bill to pay. This initiative is part of the Clean Mobility Options Voucher Pilot Project program, made possible by Richmond Community Foundation, Miocar and funding from the California Air Resources Board. Community members in the Parchester Village area of Richmond are eligible to benefit from this car share program for a small hourly or daily cost.

07:10 EST Gravity says Ragnarok Online received ISBN code by Chinese Government - Gravity announced that Ragnarok Online, MMORPG PC game, received an ISBN code by Chinese government disclosed on February 26. Ragnarok Online is a first-generation MMORPG online game which is famous for a vast universe and unique content in the cartoon Ragnarok. The game initially launched in August 2002 in Korea and has been serviced over 91 countries worldwide, including Japan, North and South America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Taiwan. Gravity previously obtained the ISBNs from Chinese government for Ragnarok Origin and Ragnarok X: Next Generation in August 2023 and in December 2023, respectively.

07:07 EST IBM announces availability of open-source Mistral AI model on watsonx platform - IBM announced the availability of the open-source Mixtral-8x7B large language model - LLM -, developed by Mistral AI, on its watsonx AI and data platform. IBM offers an optimized version of Mixtral-8x7B that, in internal testing, was able to increase throughput - or the amount of data that can be processed in a given time period - by 50% when compared to the regular model. This could potentially cut latency by 35-75%, depending on batch size - speeding time to insights. Mixtral-8x7B was built using a combination of Sparse modeling - a technique that finds and uses only the most essential parts of data to create more efficient models - and the Mixture-of-Experts technique, which combines different models that specialize in and solve different parts of a problem.

06:57 EST Aecom's joint venture awarded contract by FEMA - Aecom announced the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency - FEMA - has awarded an Aecom joint venture with Dewberry a contract to provide public and technical assistance services under the Public Assistance Technical Assistance V contract to support its Public Assistance grant program. Aecom will serve as managing partner of the joint venture, which will partner with FEMA to assist in processing grants that lead to restoration or replacement of public facilities after presidentially declared disasters and emergencies. The contract comprises scope requirements that exclusively support the Atlantic Zone, comprised of eight states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The task orders under this contract support state and local governments and private non-profit organizations that require recovery assistance services for public infrastructure, such as schools, hospitals, government buildings, roads, bridges and utilities.

06:54 EST Tenet Healthcare sells two hospitals, enters partnership with Adventist Heal - Tenet Healthcare has entered into a definitive agreement with Adventist Health for the sale of two Tenet hospitals and related operations in San Luis Obispo County. Tenet's Conifer Health Solutions subsidiary will enter into an agreement to provide revenue cycle services for Adventist Health. The agreement is for approximately $550M, or after-tax proceeds of approximately $450M. For 2023, the two hospitals and related operations included in the sale generated revenues of approximately $337M, pre-tax income of approximately $25M and Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $38M, excluding depreciation and amortization expense of approximately $13M. The company estimates recording a pre-tax book gain of approximately $275M as a result of this anticipated transaction. The transaction is expected to be completed in the spring of 2024, subject to customary regulatory approvals, clearances, and closing conditions. Conifer to provide services for over $3.5B in net revenue and deliver its best-in-class revenue cycle capabilities to enable Adventist Health to optimize cashflow performance and enhance patient engagement.

06:49 EST Scott Ferguson steps down from US Foods Board of Directors - US Foods announced that Scott Ferguson, Founder and Managing Partner, Sachem Head Capital Management LP has stepped down from the company's Board of Directors effective Feb. 28. Ferguson has been a member of the company's Board of Directors since March 2022.

06:47 EST Stantec selected to design GBP 4B battery manufacturing facility - Stantec has been selected to provide integrated design services for Agratas, Tata Group's global battery business, who are building a battery cell manufacturing facility on the Gravity Smart Campus in the United Kingdom. The new advanced manufacturing facility, comprising three separate buildings with associated ancillary structures, will create up to 4,000 jobs on site over the lifespan of the project and thousands more in the supply chain. With innovative technologies and resource efficient processes, the facility will produce high-quality, high-performance, sustainable battery cells. The next generation of batteries will support Britain's energy transition and power hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles. This is one of the most significant manufacturing investments in the UK, and the factory will be one of the largest of its kind in Europe.

06:41 EST Outbrain announces David Kostman as sole CEO - Outbrain announced that David Kostman will assume the role of sole CEO of Outbrain. The company's co-Founder and co-CEO, Yaron Galai, who has shared management responsibility with Kostman since 2017, will step down from his role as co-CEO, effective April 1. Galai will remain the Chairman of the Board and will serve in an advisor role until year-end.

06:34 EST International Game global gaming, PlayDigital businesses to combine with Everi - International Game (IGT) and Everi Holdings (EVRI) announced their entry into definitive agreements pursuant to which IGT will separate its global gaming and PlayDigital businesses by way of a taxable spin-off to IGT shareholders and then immediately combine such businesses with Everi to create a comprehensive and diverse global gaming and fintech enterprise. Under the terms of the agreements, at closing, IGT shareholders are expected to own approximately 54% and Everi stockholders are expected to own approximately 46% of the shares in the combined company. The transaction has been approved unanimously by all voting members of the IGT board of directors and Everi board of directors. The deal values the combined businesses at approximately $6.2B on an enterprise value basis. The transaction will be executed through a series of steps pursuant to which IGT will spin off a subsidiary owning its global gaming and PlayDigital businesses to IGT shareholders. That entity will then combine with Everi, with IGT shareholders receiving shares of Everi common stock and Everi continuing as the parent company. IGT shareholders will receive approximately 103.4M Everi shares, resulting in an approximate 54% ownership interest in the combined company with existing Everi stockholders owning the balance. After closing, Everi will change its name to International Game Technology and will trade on the NYSE under the ticker IGT. In connection with the transaction, IGT will receive approximately $2.6B in cash that will be funded with the proceeds of debt incurred by the combined company. IGT expects to allocate approximately $2B to IGT debt repayment with the remaining amount allocated to separation and divestiture expenses, tax leakage and general corporate purposes. The transaction implies an enterprise value for IGT's global gaming and PlayDigital businesses of approximately $4B, and an enterprise value for Everi of approximately $2.2B. Financing commitments of $3.7B, plus a $500M revolver, are being provided by Deutsche Bank and Macquarie Capital to the combined company. Approximately $1B of the proceeds will be used to refinance Everi's existing debt, approximately $2.6B of the proceeds will be distributed to IGT, and the remainder will be used to pay the combined company's financing fees. The transaction has been approved unanimously by all voting members of the IGT board of directors and Everi board of directors. The transaction is subject to receipt of regulatory approvals, the approval by Everi stockholders and IGT shareholders, and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions, and is expected to close in late 2024 or early 2025. De Agostini S.p.A., which controls approximately 60% of the voting power of IGT shares, has entered into a Voting and Support Agreement in connection with the transaction. The spin-off of IGT's Global Gaming and PlayDigital businesses is expected to be taxable to IGT shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

06:24 EST Titan International acquires Carlstar for $296M in cash, stock - Titan International announced the acquisition of Carlstar for approximately $296M in a transaction consisting of cash and stock, which closed on February 29, subject to completion of the wire transfers under the purchase agreement and the issuance of the stock consideration. The transaction price represents a multiple of approximately 4x Carlstar's FY23 adjusted EBITDA of $73M and is expected to be immediately accretive to earnings per share and operating margins in 2024. Carlstar is a global manufacturer and distributor of specialty tires and wheels for a variety of end-market verticals including outdoor power equipment, power sports, trailers, and small to midsize agricultural and construction equipment. Carlstar operates three manufacturing facilities in the US and one in China. Carlstar also internally manages twelve distribution facilities around the world. Carlstar's global 2023 revenues were approximately $615M. The purchase price was approximately $296M and consisted of $127M of cash and $169M of TWI equity, not inclusive of estimated transaction costs of $7M and subject to certain customary adjustments including a working capital adjustment based on an agreed upon working capital target. In order to fund the cash portion of the transaction, Titan entered into a new domestic credit facility, effective February 29. The new credit facility, with Bank of America as agent, was increased to $225M. The credit facility has a five-year term with terms similar to those contained in the previous credit facility, as well as other enhancements to further improve availability within the borrowing base. The acquisition multiple is approximately 4x Carlstar's FY23 adjusted EBITDA and is lower with expected synergies. Following the closing of the transaction, Titan's proforma net debt to adjusted EBITDA leverage remained at approximately 1.3x of FY 2023 Adjusted EBITDA for the combined company, allowing the Company continued flexibility to pursue its share repurchase program while also prioritizing future debt repayments and growth opportunities. Carlstar is majority owned by investment funds affiliated with American Industrial Partners Capital Fund V, LP and TWI shares owned by affiliates of AIP CF V will be subject to a standard standstill and lock up agreements; in addition one representative from AIP CF V will join our Board of Directors effective as of closing.

06:21 EST ExlService announces $500M share repurchase program - ExlService Holdings announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a $500M common stock repurchase program, effective March 1, for a two-year period, in line with its capital allocation strategy. The current stock repurchase program previously announced on Nov. 2, 2021, for the repurchase of up to $300M of common stock over three years, will be terminated on Feb. 29, 2024. As of Feb. 28, 2024, approximately $213M of common stock has been repurchased under that plan.

06:15 EST Landsea Homes sees FY24 new home deliveries 2,500-2,900 - Sees FY24: New home deliveries anticipated to be in a range of 2,500 to 2,900; Delivery ASPs expected to be in a range of $500,000 to $525,000; Home sales gross margins between 17% and 18% on a GAAP basis and between 21% and 23% on an adjusted basis.

06:10 EST Chemours places CEO Mark Newman, CFO Jonathan Lock on administrative leave - The board of directors of Chemours has appointed Denise Dignam as the interim CEO and Matt Abbott as the interim CFO. Dignam joined Chemours in 2015 and has served as president - Titanium Technologies since March 2023 and previously served as our president - Advanced Performance Materials from 2021 to 2023. Abbott has served as our senior VP and chief enterprise transformation officer, with responsibility for enterprise capital projects and engineering technology, information technology, cyber security, digital and data analytics, and procurement, since June 2023. These management actions follow the decision of the board to place president and CEO Mark Newman, senior VP and CFO Jonathan Lock and VP, controller and principal accounting officer Camela Wisel on administrative leave. Newman's, Lock's and Wisel's leave is pending the completion of an internal review being overseen by the audit committee of the board of directors with the assistance of independent outside counsel, which scope includes the processes for reviewing reports made to the Chemours Ethics Hotline, the company's practices for managing working capital, including the related impact on metrics within the company's incentive plans, certain non-GAAP metrics included in filings made with the SEC or otherwise publicly released, and related disclosures. As a result, the company is evaluating one or more potential material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023 with respect to maintaining effective controls related to the control environment, including the effectiveness of the "tone at the top" set by certain members of senior management and information and communication components of the COSO internal control framework. The audit committee is working with independent outside counsel to complete the review expeditiously, and the company expects to report on any material weaknesses as of December 31, 2023 and its related remediation efforts in its annual report on Form 10-K.

06:06 EST First Advantage to acquire Sterling Check for $2.2B in cash and stock - First Advantage (FA) announced that it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire Sterling Check (STER), a provider of background screening and identity services. First Advantage will issue a combination of cash and stock valuing Sterling at approximately $2.2B, including Sterling's outstanding debt. Building on pro forma combined revenue of $1.5 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, the transaction is expected to deliver at least $50 million in run-rate synergies, implying immediate double-digit EPS accretion on a run-rate synergy basis. The combined company will have greater diversification of revenue across customer segments, industries, and geographies, reducing seasonality and improving resource planning and operational efficiency. Following the transaction, we expect First Advantage to continue compounding EPS at a teens growth rate over time through a combination of topline growth, ongoing synergy capture, and significant deleveraging via strong organic free cash flow generation. First Advantage will share additional forward-looking financial information regarding the transaction's impact at or around the time of closing. Following the closing of the transaction, Scott Staples will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer of First Advantage. Josh Peirez, Sterling's Chief Executive Officer, will be offered a seat on the First Advantage Board of Directors. First Advantage will continue to be headquartered in Atlanta, GA. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies. The transaction is expected to close in approximately the third quarter of 2024, with the closing and timing thereof subject to required regulatory approvals, clearances, and other customary closing conditions.

05:56 EST SoftBank, NEC Corporation and VMware jointly validate RAN modernization - SoftBank (SFTBY), NEC Corporation and VMware, recently acquired by Broadcom (AVGO), have jointly verified the virtualization of the radio access network, or RAN, which is the front end of the mobile network. The companies confirmed the feasibility of RAN modernization by converging O-RAN architecture and Telco Cloud. In this joint verification, a virtualized RAN system consisted of a general-purpose common infrastructure defined by SoftBank, vRAN applications using O-RAN architecture by NEC, and a vRAN platform optimized for VMware's Telco Cloud platform. The vRAN applications were virtualized using container technology by disaggregating the network function of the RAN into Central Units and Distributed Units, which were conventionally handled by the Baseband Unit. By adopting the O-RAN architecture, the vRAN applications were deployed onto the vRAN platform O-Cloud as O-CU and O-DU. In addition, adopting the cloud-native technology for the Telco Cloud-optimized vRAN platform enabled advanced automate of the construction and optimization of RAN applications. As a result of joint verification, the companies confirmed that it is possible to modernize from a traditional RAN system to a vRAN system to unify and improve the efficiency of network operations. Specifically, the companies confirmed that adopting O-RAN architecture achieves open and unified operations from the design and procurement to the construction and operation. They also confirmed that optimizing for the Telco Cloud enables the construction and operation of a scalable RAN system for smart and efficient operations.

05:37 EST Charles River enters pact with Wheeler Bio for Portable CMC platform - Wheeler Bio announced a new strategic agreement with Charles River to offer Wheeler Bio's Portable CMC platform to Charles River Laboratory clients. The collaboration is designed to enable a swift transition from pre-clinical stages directly to human clinical trials.

05:29 EST CRH announces $300M share buyback program - CRH announced that it has completed the latest phase of its share buyback program, returning a further $0.3B of cash to shareholders. Between December 21, 2023 and February 28, 4.2M ordinary shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange were repurchased. This brings total cash returned to shareholders under our ongoing share buyback program to $7.3B since its commencement in May 2018. CRH also announces that it has entered into an arrangement with Barclays to repurchase ordinary shares listed on the New York Stock Exchange on CRH's behalf for an aggregate maximum consideration of up to $300M. The buyback will commence February 29 and will end no later than May 9. Barclays will conduct the Buyback on CRH's behalf and will make trading decisions under the Buyback independently of CRH in accordance with certain pre-set parameters. The maximum number of ordinary shares which may be acquired pursuant to the buyback is 13M. The purpose of the buyback is to reduce the share capital of CRH.