Stockwinners Market Radar for March 04, 2024 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:05 EST Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 5.8M shares of Ginkgo Bioworks today

19:50 EST Immuron trading halted, news pending

18:27 EST ATI exec Davis sells 45,351 common shares - In a regulatory filing, ATI Inc. chief legal and compliance officer Elliot Davis disclosed the sale of 45,351 common shares of the company on February 29 at a price of $49.12 per share.

17:37 EST Supermicro director sells $4.37M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Supermicro disclosed that its director Sherman Tuan sold 5K shares of common stock on February 29th in a total transaction size of $4.37M.

17:30 EST SLM senior VP Boyles sells 94,078 common shares - In a regulatory filing, SLM senior VP and Controller Jonathan Boyles disclosed the sale of 94,078 common shares of the company on February 29 at a price of $20.7171 per share.

17:20 EST Hartford Financial EVP Tooker sells 8,206 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Hartford Financial executive VP Adin Tooker disclosed the sale of 8,206 common shares of the company on February 29 at a price of $95.60 per share.

17:10 EST GitLab says Q4 was record quarter with $100K, $1M ARR net adds - The company states: "In comparing Q4 with Q3 of FY 2024, we have seen improved buying behavior across all customer sizes. In particular, performance with our enterprise customers exceeded expectations. We had a record quarter for $100,000 ARR and $1 million ARR customer net adds. While the spending environment remains cautious, we believe we are starting to see buying behavior normalize with accelerated adoption of our DevSecOps platform. Churning contraction during Q4 also improved for the fourth consecutive quarter and is even better than levels we saw six quarters ago. And finally, we continue to see strong growth in Ultimate, our top tier. Ultimate represent over 50% of Q4 ARR bookings driven by customer wins for security and compliance use cases... Turning to guidance, I'd like to make a couple of comments. First, we're entering our third year as a public company. As I mentioned, we're seeing normalization in buying behavior as a result, I expect our guidance philosophy to be less conservative this year than in our first two years. We want to communicate the right expectations and are sharing guidance accounting for the current environment." Comments taken from Q4 earnings conference call.

16:53 EST GitLab falls 16% to $62.50 after Q4 results, below-consensus guidance

16:48 EST Berkshire Hills Bancorp to sell 10 upstate, eastern New York branches - Berkshire Hills Bancorp announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Berkshire Bank has entered into definitive agreements with three buyers to sell 10 of its upstate and eastern New York branches, consisting of eight offices in Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady and Columbia counties, one office in Whitehall and one office in East Syracuse. The sales include approximately $485.5M in deposits, $60.5M of related residential mortgage and consumer loans along with all branch premises and equipment. The transactions exclude Berkshire's commercial banking business. Hudson Valley Credit Union is purchasing eight locations in Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, and Columbia counties, Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Company is purchasing one location in Whitehall and Pathfinder Bank is purchasing one location in East Syracuse. The buyers intend to offer employment to all associated staff. The sales are targeted for completion by the end of the third quarter of 2024 subject to customary regulatory approvals and associated system conversions. They reduce Berkshire's overall branch footprint from 96 to 86 locations. Berkshire clients at its remaining locations will continue to work with the same bankers as they did prior to the announcement.

16:41 EST Chefs' Warehouse reaches cooperation agreement with Legion Partners - The Chefs' Warehouse announced that it entered into an agreement with Legion Partners Asset Management and certain of its affiliates. Legion Partners beneficially owns approximately 3.3% of the Company's outstanding common stock. As contemplated by the Cooperation Agreement, on March 4 the Company temporarily increased the size of the Company's Board of Directors to fourteen members and appointed two new independent directors, Richard N. Peretz and Wendy M. Weinstein, to the Board. The Company has agreed to nominate Mr. Peretz and Ms. Weinstein for election at the Company's 2024 annual meeting of stockholders . Further, as provided in the Cooperation Agreement, a third new independent director, Lester Owens, was appointed to the Board on March 4 and will be nominated for election at the Company's 2024 Annual Meeting. The Cooperation Agreement will be extended for a second year if the Company achieves certain financial metrics, including if the Company achieves an Adjusted EBITDA margin percentage of no less than 5.7% for fiscal year 2024 and if the mid-point of the Company's guidance for fiscal 2025 includes an Adjusted EBITDA margin percentage of no less than 6.2%. The parties have also agreed to certain mutual non-disparagement obligations.

16:37 EST German American Bancorp appoints Scott Powell as chief credit officer - German American Bancorp announced that Scott Powell has been appointed executive VP, chief credit officer, effective April 1. Powell will succeed current executive VP and chief credit officer, Keith Leinenbach, who will be retiring.

16:33 EST Saia provides Q1 LTL shipment, tonnage data - Saia is providing LTL shipment and tonnage data for the first two months of the first quarter. In January, LTL shipments per workday increased 11.8%, LTL tonnage per workday increased 3.3% and LTL weight per shipment declined 7.5% to 1,334 pounds. In February, LTL shipments per workday increased 19%, LTL tonnage per workday increased 11% and LTL weight per shipment declined 6.7% to 1,311 pounds.

16:29 EST Rocket Lab, Momentus among 15 companies awarded NASA contracts - NASA has selected 15 companies to provide flight and payload integration services to advance technologies and procedures for operating in space, including testing in high-altitude, reduced gravity, or other relevant environments, the agency announced. The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity base contract awards are firm-fixed-price with a total combined value of $45M and a performance period of five years. The flights and other services covered by these contracts are for use by NASA and other government agencies. The types of platforms that will be used for testing include suborbital rockets, high-altitude balloons, orbital spacecraft and satellites, and, in some instances, suborbital rockets that can accommodate carry people. NASA said the following companies have been awarded contracts to provide services through demonstrated commercial capabilities: Aerostar International; Angstrom Designs; Astrobotic Technology; Astro Digital US; Blue Origin Texas; Galactic Enterprises; Loft Orbital Federal; Momentus Space; Near Space; Rocket Lab USA; Space Exploration Technologies; Spire Global Subsidiary; Tyvak Nano-Satellite Systems; Varda Space Industries; World View Enterprises. Reference Link

16:21 EST Akoya Biosciences sees operating cash flow breakeven by year end - The Company, based on its current plans and initiatives, expects full-year 2024 revenue guidance range of $114M-118M and projects operating cash flow breakeven by year-end.

16:18 EST Third Coast Bancshares announces two executive promotions - Third Coast Bancshares announced two executive promotions to strategically align its operational, risk, and legal functions. The new leadership roles for Vicki Alexander and Liz Eber reflect Third Coast's strategic focus on operational excellence and prudent risk management as foundations for sustainable, profitable growth. Both Alexander and Eber will report directly to Bart Caraway, the Company's Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. Alexander, who joined the Company as Chief Compliance and Risk Officer in September 2022, has been designated as the Chief Risk and Operations Officer, effective March 1, 2024. In this new capacity, Alexander will oversee Third Coast's operations, including the Company's risk and compliance functions. Eber, who joined the Company as Head of Legal in January 2023, has been named the Chief Legal Officer, effective March 1, 2024. In addition to the legal department, Eber will also supervise communications and marketing.

16:16 EST Avangrid breaks ground on national training center - Avangrid "announced that it has begun construction on its National Training Center. Located near Moro, Ore., close to several wind farms owned and operated by the company, the NTC will be a world-class facility capable of training and upskilling Avangrid technicians across a variety of wind and solar technologies."

16:13 EST Vicarious Surgical sees FY24 cash burn of $50M

16:09 EST Cara Therapeutics: Cash and cash equivalents sufficient for operations into 2026 - "Cara expects that our current unrestricted cash and cash equivalents and available-for-sale marketable securities will be sufficient to fund our currently anticipated operating plan into 2026. Our current operating plan reflects the impact of our prioritization announcement in January 2024 which includes costs related to our pivotal program in NP."

16:07 EST Prothena names David Ford chief people officer - Prothena announced that it has named David Ford to a newly created position of Chief People Officer, reporting to Prothena President and Chief Executive Officer Gene Kinney, PhD. In this role, Mr. Ford will be responsible for people, culture, and human resources strategy to drive the company's vision and overall growth strategy. "As we continue to advance our late-stage clinical pipeline in protein dysregulation addressing both neurodegenerative and rare peripheral amyloid diseases, we are expanding our human resources capabilities and adding the newly created position of Chief People Officer to our leadership team. We're thrilled to welcome David as a new Prothenian as he brings an exceptional level of expertise to help lead us through this exciting time," said Gene Kinney, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Prothena. "David brings incredible experience and will help transition Prothena from a clinical stage company to a commercially successful company."

16:05 EST Churchill Downs announces Exacta expansion in new Hampshire - Churchill Downs announced that Exacta Systems has completed the installation of 175 Exacta-technology driven terminals at The Brook in Seabrook, New Hampshire. Exacta, acquired by CDI in August 2023, is a leading provider of central determinate system technology for historical racing machines, or HRMs. The Brook is a casino-entertainment destination located in the easternmost part of the state next to the Massachusetts border. The new Exacta-powered terminals feature top HRM gaming titles from leading manufacturers including Everi, AGS, Light & Wonder, IGT, and Incredible Technologies.

15:41 EST Avadel Pharmaceuticals 'pleased' with ruling in patent litigation with Jazz Pharmaceuticals - Avadel Pharmaceuticals (AVDL) issued a statement in response to a jury ruling from the United States District Court for the District of Delaware in a patent suit brought by Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ) regarding LUMRYZ. "Avadel is pleased with the jury's decision ruling in favor of Avadel with respect to one of the contested patents. As it relates to the jury's decision against Avadel regarding the additional contested patent, the company is disappointed in the outcome. Avadel will vigorously defend its position with the pursuit of all options, including an appeal, to overturn the unfavorable aspect of the jury's decision upon final entry of the decision by the Court. Avadel does not expect the jury's decision to impact the ongoing commercial launch or potential for LUMRYZ(TM) to transform the lives of people living with narcolepsy."

15:12 EST Avadel volatility attributed to ruling in patent fight with Jazz Pharmaceuticals - Shares of Avadel (AVDL) are up $2.97, or 22%, to $16.69 near 3:10 pm ET, which is being attributed by traders to a ruling related to the company's patent fight with Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ).

14:51 EST Teradata CFO says one slipped deal closed in Q1 to-date - Teradata CFO Claire Bramley, asked during the JMP Securities Technology Conference if any slipped deals had closed, replied: "We have. Yeah, we closed one of them in Q1 already. Obviously, Q1 ends at the end of March. So we still got another month to go. But one of those handful of deals have already closed. We do -- we're trying to be prudent as we as I gave my 2024 outlook. So we've assumed that the majority closed through throughout the year, but it was good to see one of them closing Q1."

14:20 EST Epic Games CEO accuses Apple of 'bitter griping' over EU fine - Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said in a post on X, formerly Twi[tter, that Apple's (AAPL) "bitter griping" about the European Commission fine "simply describes their historic, pre-monopoly relationship with app makers: the device provides great APIs, and apps provide great features to attract users." Investors in Epic include Tencent (TCEHY), KKR (KKR), Disney (DIS), and Sony (SONY). Reference Link

13:48 EST FAA identified non-compliance issues in Boeing manufacturing process control - The FAA issued an update on the agency's ongoing investigation of Boeing (BA) 737-9 MAX aircraft, stating in part: "The Federal Aviation Administration's six-week audit of Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, prompted by the January 5 incident involving a new, Boeing 737-9 MAX aircraft, found multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements. The FAA identified non-compliance issues in Boeing's manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and product control. The FAA is providing these details to the public as an update to the agency's ongoing investigation... To hold Boeing accountable for its production quality issues, the FAA has halted production expansion of the Boeing 737 MAX, is exploring the use of a third party to conduct independent reviews of quality systems, and will continue its increased onsite presence at Boeing's facility in Renton, Washington, and Spirit AeroSystems' facility in Wichita, Kansas. The FAA will thoroughly review all of Boeing's corrective actions to determine if they fully address the FAA's findings. The FAA provided both companies with a summary of the audit findings." Reference Link

13:07 EST Fox Chairman doesn't have regulatory approval concerns for sports JV - Lachlan Murdoch, Chairman of the Board of Fox Corp. (FOXA), stated when asked at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference about thoughts or concerns about regulatory approval for the company's recent sports streaming joint venture with Disney's (DIS) ESPN and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD): "Look, I think this is a -- the answer is no. I don't think -- we don't have any concerns from a regulatory approval perspective. When you look at the service, it's pro consumer, it's pro competition. It's focused on a cohort of people on a segment that is not just -- it's not just underserved, it's not served at all with sports content. And that's quite incredible because if you think about the sports universe in this country, obviously, the U.S. is different from other countries. It's probably the most complex sports rights market in the world because you have national sports packages, you have regional sports packages, you've got cable packages, and you've got -- you've got paper you obviously, you've got broadcast packages. But all of those, at the very top of that, you've got Sunday Ticket, a very premium service. So all segments at the top end, right, the top 50% of households are served incredibly well. But this 50% of households at the bottom that aren't served at all. And I just don't believe that they're not sports fans or there aren't a lot of sports fans in that cohort. So we want to serve that part of the market that's not served today. There's no competition in that market today, and we want to do it in a very pro-consumer, consumer-first manner. And so we think for all those reasons, we -- I'm not overly concerned about the regulatory environment."

12:41 EST Coinbase says small subset of users seeing zero balance - Coinbase said on its website: "A small subset of users may see intermittent zero balance across their Coinbase accounts and latency across pages. Trading is not impacted at this time. Our team is investigating this issue and will provide an update shortly. Your assets are safe."

12:08 EST Crown Castle co-founder says board 'acted unlawfully' with Elliott pact - Ted Miller, co-founder of Crown Castle and his investment vehicle Boots Capital Management issued the following statement: "Today's rewrite of Crown Castle's cooperation agreement with Elliott Management is a clear admission that the Board of Directors' process was tainted and that it acted unlawfully. Just two days ago, the Crown Castle Board declared our litigation to be without merit. By now recutting the fundamentally flawed cooperation agreement and conceding the opposite, these faithless fiduciaries have shredded any remaining credibility. Nor does the amended agreement solve anything. It is a half-measure that still does not require Elliott to maintain an equity position in the Company and does nothing to address the tainted process undertaken to nominate and elect directors. Shareholders have been abused by the Board's actions, which continue to waste shareholder resources amid a disastrous era that has seen tens of billions of shareholder value destroyed. Shareholders should demand the Board immediately work with Boots Capital to reconstitute itself with our nominees who have the unrivaled 50+ years of industry expertise and an actionable forward-looking plan that will restore Crown Castle's value. It is time for change with new independent directors and a fresh start."

12:00 EST Spirit Airlines falls -14.9% - Spirit Airlines is down -14.9%, or -96c to $5.50.

12:00 EST Macy's rises 16.5% - Macy's is up 16.5%, or $2.97 to $20.98.

12:00 EST BigBear.ai rises 30.9% - BigBear.ai is up 30.9%, or $1.07 to $4.53.

11:11 EST Boeing says American Airlines orders 85 737 MAX jets - Boeing (BA) and American Airlines (AAL) announced the carrier will further modernize its global fleet with its first order for the largest 737 MAX airplane. American is committing to 115 of the 737-10 model, which includes a new order for 85 jets and a conversion of a previous order for 30 of the smaller 737-8 variant. The airline is also announcing options to purchase 75 additional 737-10 jets in the future. "Over the past decade, we have invested heavily to modernize and simplify our fleet, which is the largest and youngest among U.S. network carriers," said American's CEO Robert Isom. "These orders will continue to fuel our fleet with newer, more efficient aircraft so we can continue to deliver the best network and record-setting operational reliability for our customers." With this agreement, American will more than double its 737 MAX order book from about 70 airplanes to more than 150.

11:05 EST Walgreens CEO says no plans to sell Shields Health - Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO said at a conference on Monday that, "Shields is a terrific asset, and I love the fact that we've got it. And so, from that standpoint, whatever you may have read, don't believe it. We are not announcing we're selling Shields. We are looking at Shields to make sure we think about the best way to get the most value for the marketplace and for ourselves by owning that."

11:02 EST Alaska Communication appoints Jeff Vogt as COO - Alaska Communications announces Jeff Vogt as chief operating officer. Vogt will report to President and CEO Matt McConnell and will be responsible for the company's cross-functional operations, strategic direction, and transformation initiatives, with particular focus on delivering a best-in-class customer experience, driving enterprise innovation and continuing to upgrade and expand the company's fiber network. He most recently served as executive vice president and general manager at Actif.AI,

10:37 EST WD-40 acquires current Brazilian marketing distributor - WD-40 Company announced that a definitive agreement has been entered into acquiring the company's current Brazilian marketing distributor and long-time business partner, Theron Marketing Ltda. Pursuant to the terms of the transaction, WD-40 Holding Company Brasil Ltda., a wholly owned subsidiary of WD-40 Company, acquires all outstanding shares of common stock of Theron Marketing Ltda., a wholly owned subsidiary of M12 Participacoes Empresarias S.A., in an all-cash offer. With this transaction, WD-40 Company will begin direct distribution within the country of Brazil immediately. M12 Participacoes Empresarias S.A will continue to act as WD-40 Holding Company Brasil's logistics operator, the company said in a statement. "This transaction directly supports our first Must-Win Battle which is to lead geographic expansion of WD-40 Multi-Use Product," said Steve Brass, president and chief executive officer of WD-40 Company. The anticipated impact of this acquisition was included in WD-40 Company's outlook for fiscal year 2024.

10:00 EST Macy's rises 16.5% - Macy's is up 16.5%, or $2.98 to $20.99.

10:00 EST BigBear.ai rises 24.3% - BigBear.ai is up 24.3%, or 84c to $4.30.

10:00 EST ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Natural Gas falls -10.9% - ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Natural Gas is down -10.9%, or -$13.85 to $113.50.

10:00 EST Perspective Therapeutics Inc trading resumes

09:47 EST Macy's rises 15.8% - Macy's is up 15.8%, or $2.85 to $20.86.

09:47 EST BigBear.ai rises 29.2% - BigBear.ai is up 29.2%, or $1.01 to $4.47.

09:47 EST ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Natural Gas falls -10.5% - ProShares UltraShort Bloomberg Natural Gas is down -10.5%, or -$13.36 to $113.99.

09:46 EST Aurora Cannabis reports availability of medical cannabis pastilles in Australia - Aurora Cannabis, together with subsidiary company, MedReleaf Australia, have announced the availability of medical cannabis pastilles for doctors to prescribe to patients in Australia. The novel product is produced by Aurora and distributed by MedReleaf Australia. The 30-pack pastilles are available now in three formats including: Aurora THC Pastilles in Watermelon flavour; Aurora CBD Pastilles in Peach flavourl Aurora Balanced Pastilles in Yuzu Lemon flavour. The new pastille products are available under the Aurora brand, exclusive to MedReleaf Australia. This initial pastille launch will soon be followed by additional options in terms of pack size and potency, as well as future pastille offerings under the IndiMed brand.

09:43 EST Eiger BioPharmaceuticals trading resumes

09:42 EST COCH Stock trading resumes

09:38 EST Phunware trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:33 EST Arisz Acquisition Corp trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:32 EST Hyster to provide APM Terminals with 10 electric terminal tractors - Hyster Company announces an agreement to provide APM Terminals with 10 battery-powered terminal tractors for their location at the Port of Mobile in Alabama. The electric terminal tractors, which are scheduled to be delivered in 2024, are part of a $60M investment in port equipment electrification pilots by APM Terminals.

09:29 EST Perspective Therapeutics Inc trading halted, news pending

09:22 EST Envoy Medical closes $10M debt financing - Envoy Medical announced the closing of up to a $10 million, five-year lending facility provided by existing investor and billionaire entrepreneur Glen Taylor. The facility is unsecured and does not provide for conversion into equity. Envoy Medical drew $5 million on the facility at its origination. Funds will be available as needed and bear interest at 8% over the term of the loan.

09:21 EST SEALSQ Corp. intends to establish OSAT Center in Saudi Arabia - SEALSQ Corp announced an initiative to establish an Open Semiconductors Assembly and Test Center in Saudi Arabia, at LEAP, the world's premier technology event, which will take place from March 4-7 at the Riyadh Exhibition and Convention Center in the capital's Malham district, in Saudi Arabia. LEAP, celebrated as Saudi Arabia's "Digital Davos," has attracted over 172,000 participants, and is highlighting Generative AI and its transformative impact on industries globally, with a keen focus on developments in Saudi Arabia. OSAT is designed to offer a comprehensive array of testing services, including wafer and final tests, as well as assembly services for various semiconductor packages such as QFN, BGA, WLCSP, and others. This initiative is a key component of a larger strategy aimed at developing Semiconductor Personalization Centers through Public-Private Partnerships. SEALSQ is currently in active discussions to launch three major projects across Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East. These OSAT centers will employ RISC-V technology for chip design, focusing on local manufacturing to meet the highest standards of security and certification from authoritative bodies like Common Criteria and NIST.

09:19 EST Fiserv unveils new headquarters in downtown Milwaukee - Fiserv announced a move to its new global headquarters in downtown Milwaukee. The new location, at 600 Vel R. Phillips Ave., is designed to bring together Fiserv associates, clients and prospects in a modern digital-first workplace.

09:15 EST Immersion signs license deal with Nintendo, no terms - Immersion (IMMR), a provider of patents for haptics, announced that it has renewed a license with Nintendo (NTDOY) to continue to make Immersion's patents available to Nintendo and its affiliates. "We are delighted to continue to grant Nintendo a license to our patents for haptic technologies," said Eric Singer, Immersion's President and CEO.

09:11 EST Bark regains compliance with NYSE - Bark announced that it received a notice from the NYSE stating that the company has regained compliance with the continued listing standards set forth in Section 802.01C and will be removed from the NYSE's noncompliant issuers list.

09:07 EST Quanterix gets Breakthrough Device designation by FDA for Simoa phospho-Tau 217 - Quanterix announced that its Simoa phospho-Tau 217 blood test has been granted Breakthrough Device designation by the FDA as an aid in diagnostic evaluation of Alzheimer's Disease, or AD. The FDA's Breakthrough Device designation is granted to products that have the potential to offer more effective diagnosis of life-threatening diseases with an unmet medical need.

09:07 EST Aptevo Therapeutics announces 1-for-44 reverse stock split - Aptevo Therapeutics will conduct a reverse stock split of its outstanding shares of common stock at a ratio of 1-for-44. The Reverse Stock Split is expected to become effective on March 5, 2024 at 5:01 p.m. Eastern Time, with shares expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market, on a split-adjusted, at market open on March 6, 2024. In connection with the Reverse Stock Split, every 44 shares of the Company's common stock issued and outstanding as of the Effective Time will be automatically converted into one share of the Company's common stock. No change will be made to the trading symbol for the Company's shares of common stock or public warrants, "APVO" and "APVTW", respectively, in connection with the reverse split. The Reverse Stock Split is part of the Company's plan to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement of $1.00 per share required to maintain continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, among other benefits. The Reverse Stock Split was approved by the Company's stockholders at the Company's Special Meeting of Stockholders held on February 5, 2024 to be effected in the Board's discretion within approved parameters. Following the Special Meeting, the final ratio was approved by the Company's Board on February 27, 2024. The Reverse Stock Split will reduce the number of shares of the Company's outstanding common stock from approximately 23.5 million shares to approximately 0.53 million shares,

09:05 EST LPL Financial: RFS Financial joins broker-dealer, RIA, custodial platforms - LPL Financial announced that RFS Financial Securities has joined LPL Financial's broker-dealer, RIA and custodial platforms. The team reported serving approximately $140 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets* and joins LPL from Lincoln Financial Advisors. The Lubbock, Texas-based practice was initially founded as a life insurance firm but has evolved over the years into a full-service wealth management business led by President and Managing Director David Miller. With more than three decades of experience as a financial advisor, Miller served as an OSJ prior to revamping his business to focus more on client care. Fellow advisor and business partner Mike Ivey has nearly 20 years of industry experience with a focus on holistic planning and financial education.

09:04 EST Scilex launches new website to showcase growing portfolio - Scilex Holding Company announced the launch of its redesigned website showcasing the Company's growing portfolio of non-opioid pain management therapeutics. "Scilex has strategically expanded to fulfill its mission of advancing non-opioid medicines for the benefit of human life and health through powerful platform technologies and partnerships. We are thrilled to launch our new website to reflect this exciting stage of our growth," said Jaisim Shah, Chief Executive Officer and President of Scilex. "The new website conveys how we're translating our technologies into meaningful non-opioid products and pipeline to address the opioid crisis with significant real-world impact. We invite potential global collaborators, investors, and partners who are interested in exploring the benefits of opioid sparing therapeutics that re-define the standards of safety in pain management."

09:03 EST Neuraxis announces Blue Cross, Blue Shield of Kansas City policy coverage - NeurAxis announced receipt of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City policy coverage for approximately one million lives. BCBSKC provides coverage in the Kansas City, Missouri metropolitan areas including Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas. "We are happy to announce new policy coverage from BCBSKC, expanding our total covered lives to now approximately 9.25 million individuals," said Brian Carrico, President and Chief Executive Officer of NeurAxis. "We remain focused on executing on our commercial strategy, leveraging clinical evidence supporting IB-Stim to obtain payer coverage and then driving market adoption of our technology. As we close in on all data being published, we look forward to receiving positive responses from payers on a national level."

09:02 EST MingZhu Logistics signs LOI to acquire driverless IP portfolio - MingZhu Logistics announced it has signed a non-binding letter of intent to acquire driverless auto technologies and intellectual property portfolio valued between $80M-$90M. The sellers are The Carbonomi Trust and CYF Limited. The company plans to conduct further due diligence on the IP portfolio and negotiate a definitive agreement. However, neither party is under any obligation to enter into or continue negotiations regarding a definitive agreement relating to the transaction. The potential acquisition is part of Mingzhu's previously announced strategic plan, under which the company announced its intention to expand and diversify its transportation and logistics business as part of a long-term growth strategy. This includes working to accelerate growth through its organic operating businesses and through the addition of complementary businesses that it believes can be leveraged to further accelerate growth and increase overall operating efficiencies. Upon completion of the contemplated acquisition, the company is planning on further expanding its business focus to include 1) Generative AI Large Language Model based copilot software for drivers and its operating platform, 2) Artificial General Intelligence based driverless technology and related operating platforms for off road closed scenarios, including mines, ports, agriculture, construction, forklifts, engineering equipment, robots and more. The development efforts for these technologies and execution of the go-to-market strategy is expected to be led by qualified project managers and engineers mainly from the UK, Japan and the U.S.

08:51 EST Norfolk Southern corrects 'false and misleading claims' - Norfolk Southern is focused on executing its strategy, competing on operational excellence by balancing safe, reliable, resilient service with continuous productivity improvement and smart, sustainable growth. With recent mischaracterizations of the facts, it is necessary for Norfolk Southern to correct the record. The company issued the following statement Monday, highlighting its safety achievements and the board's efforts to align management with shareholders' interests: "It is unfortunate that a serious situation is being used to mislead stakeholders and to advance a proxy fight narrative. On March 2, Norfolk Southern quickly responded to a derailment in Lower Saucon Township, PA. The derailment resulted in no harm to the community and no hazardous material concerns from the railcars. We take this incident seriously and work hard to avoid all accidents. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating this incident, and we will work closely with them to understand how it happened and prevent others like it. Norfolk Southern is leading the industry when it comes to safety. As a result of our robust safety initiatives, Norfolk Southern achieved a 42% reduction in our mainline accident rate year-over-year in 2023. Today, the company's mainline accident rate is the lowest it has been in years and is among the best of the North American Class I rails. We are actively building on these achievements and helping the industry become even safer. We are committed to building on our safety track record and setting the gold standard for rail safety. We know there is no single solution when it comes to safety. Last year, we initiated a six-point safety plan and made necessary investments to accelerate enhancements to our safety culture and operational transformation. This included installing cutting-edge digital train inspection portals, implementing enhanced employee training, and being the first Class I railroad to join the Federal Railroad Administration's Confidential Close Call reporting system. We are incorporating feedback from our labor leaders and partnering on new safety initiatives. We also hired Atkins Nuclear Secured as an independent safety consultant. With significant project management and Nuclear Navy experience, they have conducted a comprehensive safety assessment, and we are implementing changes based on their recommendations. Similarly, the facts about the compensation of Norfolk Southern's management team have been distorted. The Norfolk Southern Board took clear and decisive action in its 2023 compensation decisions, including exercising discretion to eliminate annual performance-based incentive payouts for 2023. The board is committed to best-in-class corporate governance practices. Contrary to Ancora's claims, the board did not "raise CEO pay 37%". The board's purposeful efforts to maintain alignment between management and shareholders' interests though our compensation program are clear: Compared to his target compensation, in 2023 CEO Alan Shaw saw a 33% reduction in his realizable compensation at year end. The difference in his compensation for 2023 compared to 2022 reflects the fact that 2023 was his first full year as CEO. The board used its discretionary authority to eliminate the 2023 annual incentive awards for the CEO and all the company's executive vice presidents. This decisive action reflects the board's focus on ensuring alignment between executive pay outcomes and the outcomes experienced by our shareholders and other stakeholders during 2023. 92% of Shaw's target compensation was provided in the form of at-risk or performance-based incentives with value tied to the achievement of preset, rigorous performance goals or our stock price performance. Specifically, 60% of Shaw's equity awards issued in 2023 are performance-based and will only be earned if certain metrics and targets are met in the future, at the end of the three-year performance period. The remaining 40% is delivered in a mix of restricted stock units and stock options that vest over four years with value directly tied to our stock price performance. Adjustments related to East Palestine were implemented to establish a precedent that would ensure that sizable future recoveries from insurance and third parties would not create a windfall in future years. We have engaged constructively, and in good faith, with Ancora in an effort to understand their views and avoid a proxy contest. The Norfolk Southern Board remains open to any opportunity to find a reasonable resolution, as outlined in our preliminary proxy materials. However, it was after thoughtful consideration that we determined Ancora's proposed changes to the Norfolk Southern Board, management team, and strategy would undermine the important progress we have made to protect and enhance our business and franchise, and would lead to the deterioration of shareholder value. Norfolk Southern's definitive proxy materials will soon be mailed out to all shareholders and include a WHITE card with voting instructions. Shareholders' votes FOR only the 13 Norfolk Southern director nominees on the WHITE card will be critical. In the interim, Norfolk Southern strongly urges shareholders to simply discard and NOT vote using any blue proxy card sent by Ancora."

08:49 EST HII completes acceptance trials on Richard M. McCool Jr. - HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding division announced the successful completion of acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico for amphibious transport dock Richard M. McCool Jr., the final Flight I transition ship before Ingalls moves into serial production of the LPD Flight II line. "We have had a successful trial and it is only through the efforts of our shipbuilders and our dedicated Navy and industry partners that we now move solely into the Flight II ships," Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. "Our team remains fully committed to delivering these important assets to the Navy-Marine Corps team." The Ingalls' Test and Trials team spent several days with the U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey running the ship at full power and through steering maneuvers. The team will now complete final finish work on the San Antonio-class ship in preparation for delivery to the U.S. Navy in weeks ahead.

08:46 EST Gray Television completes renewals of retransmission content agreements - Gray Television completed renewals of retransmission consent agreements representing more than 70 percent of its total subscriber footprint among cable, satellite, and telco multichannel video programming distributors in its current three-year retransmission renewal cycle that began with the successful renewal of agreements with three of the largest traditional MVPDs in the first quarter of 2023. Based on the successful negotiations with traditional MVPDs to date, Gray currently anticipates that it will complete its current renewal cycle by reaching new deals with a small number of cable operators serving less than thirty percent of our remaining traditional MVPD subscriber base, primarily during the second half of this year. Thereafter, Gray's next renewal cycle will begin in the first quarter of 2026.

08:44 EST Safety Shot announces Chairman Wilson stepped down, Gulyas to succeed - Safety Shot announced that Glynn Wilson PhD. has stepped down as Chairman of the Board and in his place the Company has appointed John Gulyas. Gulyas was the Founder and President of GBB Drink Lab, and co-founder of the Safety Shot beverage, the world's first rapid blood alcohol detoxification drink.

08:42 EST MasterCraft Boat announces CEO Brightbill to retire, Nelson to succeed - MasterCraft Boat Holdings (MCFT) announced that Brad Nelson will become the Company's new Chief Executive Officer and will be appointed to the Board of Directors, effective March 18, 2024. Nelson succeeds Fred Brightbill , who intends to retire as Chief Executive Officer on March 18, 2024, and as Chairman and a member of the MasterCraft Board of Directors, effective June 30, 2024. Following his retirement from the Board, Brightbill will serve as a consultant to the Company for a one-year period. Roch Lambert, currently Lead Independent Director of the Board, will be appointed Chairman, effective July 1, 2024. Lambert joined the Company's Board in 2016, becoming Lead Independent Director in 2019. Nelson recently, he served as Executive Vice President and President, Commercial Segment of Oshkosh Corporation (OSK).

08:41 EST Spirit Airlines trading resumes

08:40 EST Hyliion Holdings regains compliance with NYSE - Hyliion Holdings announced that it received formal notice from the NYSE, confirming that it has successfully regained compliance with continued listing minimum price criteria outlined in Section 802.01C of the NYSE Listed company manual. As a result, Hyliion will be removed from the NYSE's noncompliant issuers list and will continue to be traded on the NYSE.

08:39 EST GRI Bio receives MRHA authorization to conduct Phase 2a study of GRI-0621 - GRI Bio announced the authorization of its Clinical Trial Application by the United Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to initiate a Phase 2a biomarker study evaluating GRI-0621 for the treatment of IPF in the UK. The Phase 2a, randomized, double-blind, multi-center, placebo-controlled, parallel-design, 2-arm study will enroll approximately 36 subjects with IPF whom will be randomized in a 2:1 ratio for GRI-0621 4.5mg or a placebo. GRI-0621 dose of 4.5mg will be compared with a dose of placebo following once daily oral administration for 12 weeks. Concurrently, a sub-study will examine the number and activity of NKT cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for up to 12 eligible subjects. An interim analysis will be performed when 24 subjects complete 6 weeks of treatment. The primary endpoint for the study is safety and tolerability of oral GRI-0621 as assessed by clinical labs, vital signs and adverse events after 12 weeks of treatment. Secondary endpoints are baseline changes in serum biomarkers collected at week 6 and week 12; an assessment of the pharmacokinetics of GRI-0621 at the week 12 visit of treatment; and a determination of the pharmacodynamic activity of oral GRI-0621 as measured by inhibition of iNKT cell activation in blood after 6 weeks and 12 weeks, and from BAL fluid after 12 weeks of treatment in a sub-study. An additional exploratory endpoint for the study is to assess the effect of GRI-0621 on pulmonary function at baseline and after 6 weeks and 12 weeks of treatment.

08:39 EST BlackSky wins multi-million dollar contract in support of DoD - BlackSky won a multi-million dollar contract in support of the U.S. Department of Defense to collect and annotate thousands of BlackSky multi-frame burst images to train moving target artificial intelligence models for commercial motion imagery. BlackSky multi-frame burst images are collected in rapid succession during a single satellite pass over an area of interest. With multiple view angles captured within a matter of seconds, burst imagery can be used to generate 3D volumetric products and very accurate movement-oriented detection analytics. Burst imagery, along with all BlackSky offerings, can uniquely be captured from early in the day to late in the evening. The contract provides subscription-based access to the BlackSky Spectra tasking and analytics platform. The customer expects to use BlackSky's high-cadence, low-latency imagery and automated analytics to support customer-approved exercises, technology demonstrations and operations.

08:38 EST Lumentum announces Jae Kim as SVP, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary - Lumentum Holdings announced the appointment of Jae Kim as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, reporting to Alan Lowe, President and Chief Executive Officer. In this role, Kim will be responsible for leading Lumentum's Legal department, including Corporate Affairs, Commercial Transactions, Trade Compliance, and Intellectual Property. He will also be responsible for Facilities, Real Estate and Security...Kim has over 25 years of experience in corporate law, most recently serving as Chief Administrative and Legal Officer at GlobalLogic, Inc., a Hitachi Group Company. In this role, he oversaw all corporate legal matters, as well as Governance, Enterprise Risk Management and Insurance, Compliance, and Facilities and Employee Services. Prior to GlobalLogic, he was SVP, General Counsel at Rambus, Inc., responsible for all legal matters, including Litigation, IP development, M&A, Corporate Governance and Compliance.

08:37 EST Lantheus announces FDA approval of DEFINITY for pediatric patients - Lantheus Holdings announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, has approved the supplemental new drug application, sNDA, for DEFINITY as an ultrasound enhancing agent for use in pediatric patients with suboptimal echocardiograms. This approval represents a significant step forward in pediatric medicine, providing healthcare professionals with a valuable tool to opacify the left ventricular chamber and better identify the left ventricular endocardial border. The FDA decision was based on usage data from three pediatric clinical trials conducted with DEFINITY: the Golding study; the Fine study, which evaluated 36 patients, ranging from 10 to 21 years of age, who had previously undergone a heart transplant; and the Kutty study.

08:37 EST Element Fleet announces private offering of senior notes - Element Fleet Management intends to sell senior unsecured notes in a proposed private offering that will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, subject to market and other conditions. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Notes Offering for working capital and general corporate purposes, which may include the repayment of existing indebtedness.

08:36 EST Trio Petroleum provides update on Monterey County operations - Trio Petroleum Corp provided an update on its operations in Monterey County, California, including at the McCool Ranch Oilfield and at the South Salinas Project. TPET announced on Oct. 18, 2023, the acquisition of working interest in McCool Ranch, located in Monterey County seven miles north of the Company's South Salinas Project. After a several week delay due mainly to atmospheric rivers of heavy rainfall, the Company has successfully restarted field operations including the restarting of oil production at the 58X and HH-1 wells. These two wells were restarted on February 22nd and collectively have been pumping approximately 400 barrels of fluid per day, both oil and associated water, with an apparent favorable oil cut by visual estimate. It will be possible operationally to accurately measure oil and water production rates in about one week. Water will be disposed in the on-site water disposal well. Given the successful restart of overall field operations and of the first two wells, with good gross production rates and apparent favorable oil-cut, the Company has funded the startup of a third well, the 35X well, which is expected to produce similarly to the 58X well. It is anticipated that the 35X well will be producing in the next two to three weeks.

08:35 EST JetBlue to pay $69M in termination of Spirit Airlines merger agreement - JetBlue (JBLU) announced that it has reached an agreement with Spirit Airlines (SAVE) to terminate their July 2022 merger agreement. JetBlue and Spirit mutually agreed that terminating is the best path forward for both companies as required closing conditions, including receiving necessary legal and regulatory approvals, were unlikely to be met by the merger agreement's outside date of July 24. "We believed this merger was worth pursuing because it would have unleashed a national low-fare, high-value competitor to the Big Four airlines," said Joanna Geraghty, chief executive officer, JetBlue. "We are proud of the work we did with Spirit to lay out a vision to challenge the status quo, but given the hurdles to closing that remain, we decided together that both airlines' interests are better served by moving forward independently. We wish the very best going forward to the entire Spirit team." Under the agreement, JetBlue will pay Spirit $69M and the termination resolves all outstanding matters related to the transaction and under which any claims between them will be mutually released. JetBlue also remains on track to deliver $175M-$200M in cost savings from its structural cost program and $75M in maintenance savings from its fleet modernization, as well as incremental savings from targeted fixed cost base reductions, positioning the company to approach breakeven operating margins in 2024. These initiatives are just the starting point as JetBlue rebuilds its long-term organic strategy with a renewed focus on driving sustained profitability for its crewmembers and investors. JetBlue will hold an investor day on Thursday, May 30 to provide additional detail on its long-term strategy and ongoing revenue and cost initiatives. Further information regarding Investor Day will be shared with analysts and investors in the coming weeks.

08:34 EST Q.E.P. Company completes sale of Australia, New Zealand business - Q.E.P. CO. has completed the previously announced sale of its Australia and New Zealand business to QEP Australasia Pty. Ltd. led by Bruce Maclaren and Tony Lei, in a transaction valued at AUD 14.05M. Bruce Maclaren has served as the Managing Director of the ANZ Business for 20 years including a period of three years as CEO European Operations for QEP based in the UK. Tony Lei has also been involved with QEP for over 20 years as a valued supplier to the ANZ Business and QEP's other businesses around the world. In connection with this transaction, the Company has entered into Amendment No. 6 to the Fifth Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement, Waiver, Consent and Release dated February 15, 2021 with its lending institution, Bank of America, N.A. The Amendment waives certain covenants and restrictions relating to this sale of assets, agrees to release all liens covering the purchased assets, and consents to this transaction. The Amendment also provides the Company with additional flexibility with respect to certain financial covenants as well as permitted acquisitions and distributions. As part of its consideration in approving the transaction, QEP's Board of Directors appointed a Special Committee of independent and disinterested directors, to consider and recommend the transaction for approval by the Board of Directors. In recommending the transaction to the Board of Directors for approval, the Special Committee considered the financial advice from its financial advisor, Cassel Salpeter & Co. LLC, a third party investment banking firm.

08:32 EST Spirit Airlines, JetBlue merger mutually terminated - Spirit Airlines (SAVE) announced that its merger agreement with JetBlue (JBLU) has been terminated by mutual agreement. "After discussing our options with our advisors and JetBlue, we concluded that current regulatory obstacles will not permit us to close this transaction in a timely fashion under the merger agreement," said Ted Christie, Spirit's President and CEO. "We are disappointed we cannot move forward with a deal that would save hundreds of millions for consumers and create a real challenger to the dominant "Big 4" U.S. airlines. However, we remain confident in our future as a successful independent airline. We wish the JetBlue team well." Christie continued, "Throughout the transaction process, given the regulatory uncertainty, we have always considered the possibility of continuing to operate as a standalone business and have been evaluating and implementing several initiatives that will enable us to bolster profitability and elevate the Guest experience. As we go forward, I am certain our fantastic Spirit team will continue delivering affordable fares and great experiences to our Guests." Spirit is confident in its strengths and is focused on returning to profitability. The company has been taking, and will continue to take, prudent steps to ensure the strength of its balance sheet and ongoing operations, including assessing options to refinance upcoming debt maturities. In that regard, Spirit has retained Perella Weinberg & Partners L.P. and Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP as advisors. As part of the termination, JetBlue will pay Spirit $69M. While the merger agreement was in effect, Spirit stockholders received approximately $425M in total prepayments.

08:30 EST Spirit Airlines, JetBlue merger mutually terminated

08:24 EST Echo Lake calls for liquidation of NeuroMetrix - On February 27, 2024, Ephraim Fields of Echo Lake Capital filed a Schedule 13D which included a letter to the Board of Directors of Neurometrix. The letter described his belief that the company should immediately liquidate because its stock price is trading significantly below net cash and because Mr. Fields sees no reason why the company should remain public. The letter said, "As of December 31, 2023, NeuroMetrix had approximately $18.0 million of net cash and approximately 1.5 million shares outstanding, which equates to approximately $12.00 of net cash per share. Despite having all this net cash, plus assets that have some value and no significant liabilities, NURO's stock trades at only $3.50 per share or at a 70% discount to its net cash. We believe the stock's dramatic undervaluation is largely attributable to the perception that you are not acting in the best interests of shareholders. Your incentives do not appear to be aligned with those of all shareholders because you personally own very few shares. We believe investors' concerns about your motivations have been recently heightened because:You continue to permit NURO to issue shares via an ATM offering even though the stock is trading at a massive discount to its net cash and the company appears overcapitalized, not undercapitalized. We wonder why you think it is smart to issue equity at these prices? You initiated a strategic review process to "promote growth and maximize shareholder value." To be clear, we have never, ever, seen such a dual mandate review process like the one you have initiated. We believe your primary fiduciary responsibility is to maximize shareholder. Therefore, we are surprised that the review process is not limited to only maximizing shareholder value and that it also includes a mandate to "promote growth". It is abundantly clear to us that it would be in shareholders' best interests if you were to immediately liquidate the company. We see no reason for NURO to remain public because the company is too small, its products have questionable growth prospects, corporate overhead is ridiculously high and the investment community has little confidence in your ability and/or desire to create shareholder value. Liquidating the company today would return the greatest amount of capital to shareholders in the shortest amount of time while exposing shareholders to the least amount of risk. We believe you may be tempted to merge NURO with another company; However, we believe that would be a terrible mistake because it would be highly risky and would return no capital to your long-suffering shareholders. Considering how much money shareholders have lost under your leadership and how much money you have personally made while shareholders have suffered greatly, we doubt many shareholders would be supportive of NURO remaining public and making an acquisition. We believe shareholders would overwhelmingly support our suggestion to immediately liquidate the company and return all proceeds to shareholders. We hope you will accept our advice and immediately announce a liquidation plan without us having to take additional public action."

08:21 EST Cerence appoints Daniel Tempesta as Chief Financial Officer - Cerence announced that it has appointed Daniel Tempesta as its new Chief Financial Officer, CFO, effective March 18, 2024. Tempesta brings more than 30 years of financial and operational excellence, as well as extensive knowledge of Cerence from his previous role as CFO of Nuance Communications. Tempesta replaces Tom Beaudoin, who has served on Cerence's Board of Directors since October 2019 and as Cerence's CFO since May 2022. Beaudoin will remain an employee through April 30, 2024 to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities to the new CFO. Beaudoin will retain his seat on Cerence's Board of Directors.

08:19 EST Molecular Templates provides interim update on its programs - Molecular Templates provided an update on its programs. MT-6402: The Part A dose escalation of the phase I study for MT-6402 has been completed with no Grade 4 or Grade 5 drug-related adverse events observed to date. 1 patient with a PD-L1 TPS of 2% who had progressed after chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and pembrolizumab had a confirmed PR with 70% tumor reduction and remains on study in cycle 18. 1 patient with a PD-L1 CPS of 10% who had progressed after three previous lines of therapy, including progression on Ipi/Nivo within 4 months, showed deepening tumor reduction over time of 3%, 9%, and 15% at the end of cycles 2, 4, and 6, respectively. At the end of cycle 8, the patient had an unconfirmed PR with a 37% reduction in tumor size. The patient remains on study in cycle 9. 1 patient with a PD-L1 CPS of 5% who had progressed after six prior lines of therapy and was refractory to pembrolizumab received 2 doses of MT-6402 before coming off treatment due to the treating physician's concerns around an asymptomatic grade 1 high sensitivity troponin elevation and hyponatremia related to excessive alcohol intake. The patient discontinued treatment, but a subsequent CT scan assessed by an external radiology review showed that the patient had a 36% tumor reduction. 1 patient with a PD-L1 CPS of 10% with pre-existing cardiac risk factors of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hypercholesterolemia received three doses of MT-6402 before presenting with asymptomatic grade 1 high sensitivity troponin elevation and dosing was held. A CT scan showed a 13% reduction in tumor size, but disease progression occurred during treatment interruption and patient discontinued at the end of cycle 6. MT-8421: MT-8421 is designed to potently destroy CTLA4+ Tregs via enzymatic ribosome destruction but does not have activity against low CTLA-4 expressing peripheral Tregs. Three patients were dosed in the first cohort of the phase I study at 32 mcg/kg. No grade 3 or grade 4 drug-related adverse events were observed. Two patients have stable disease and remain on study at cycle 4 and cycle 2, respectively. One patient had disease progression at the end of cycle 2. Enrollment is on-going in the second cohort of 48 mcg/kg for the phase I study of MT-8421. MT-0169: A phase 1 study in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma was closed on Dec 2023 due to slow patient enrollment in the wake of multiple new approvals in myeloma. MTEM plans on initiating an investigator sponsored trial with MD Anderson Cancer Center to evaluate MT-0169 in relapsed or refractory CD38+ AML patients.

08:16 EST Perrigo commences shipments of Opill - Perrigo announced that Opill has shipped to major retailers and pharmacies and will be available on shelves nationwide and online later this month. Approved by the U.S. FDA for OTC use for all ages in July 2023, Opill is the first-ever daily birth control pill available without a prescription in the U.S.

08:14 EST Syra Health awarded $660,000 contract with a national healthcare organization - Syra Health announced a one-year, $660,000 contract with a national healthcare organization. As per the agreement, Syra Health will provide Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set outreach and support services essential for fostering positive health outcomes and reducing costs. Developed and maintained by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, HEDIS plays a critical role in healthcare quality measurement and improvement initiatives. Syra Health will leverage its team of population health experts to collect data and acquire information from the Indiana population, including Medicaid members, hospitals, and physicians.

08:13 EST DZS announces RTA deploys fiber-to-the-premises with the company - DZS announced that Rural Telecommunications America, RTA, has deployed key products from the DZS Velocity fiber access and Helix subscriber edge portfolios complemented by the award-winning CloudCheck and Expresse software solutions to deliver "gigFAST" internet, voice and video services to RTA's residential and business customers in Texas' Bolivar Peninsula. Jeff Liening, SVP Americas Sales, DZS, said, "We are proud that RTA selected our Velocity, Helix, CloudCheck and Expresse solutions to support their mission after what was an extremely comprehensive evaluation process. Winning projects like this is the ultimate validation of the value our award-winning solutions can deliver, and with rural fiber deployments ramping up across the country we are extremely well-positioned with our comprehensive set of market-leading solutions to help leading service providers like RTA in their ongoing efforts to close the digital divide and make high-speed communications services accessible to all Americans."

08:12 EST Laureate Education names Leslie Brush as Chief Legal Officer - Laureate Education announced the appointment of Leslie Brush as Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Secretary, effective April 1. Brush previously served as Laureate's Deputy General Counsel and Secretary, and prior to that as Vice President, Assistant General Counsel, and Secretary. Brush joined Laureate in 2019, overseeing corporate governance, securities law compliance and reporting requirements, equity and executive compensation matters, and has been a member of the company's Executive Leadership Team since 2023.

08:11 EST Apple announces new MacBook Air with M3 chip - Apple announced the new MacBook Air with the M3 chip. With M3, MacBook Air is up to 60% faster than the model with the M1 chip and up to 13x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air. The 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air both feature a thin and light design, up to 18 hours of battery life, a Liquid Retina display, and new capabilities, including support for up to two external displays and up to 2x faster Wi-Fi than the previous generation. Customers can order starting today, with availability beginning Friday, March 8.

08:11 EST Ormat Technologies signs PPA for geothermal power plant in Guadeloupe - Ormat Technologies has signed a 30-year Power Purchase Agreement with Electricite de France for the development of a new 10MW geothermal power plant on the Island of Guadeloupe, in which we own a 63.75% equity interest. The new plant development will be added to Ormat's existing 15MW Bouillante geothermal power plant. The project's field development is completed with resource secured and is expected to be operational by the end of 2025. The new power plant will be a sea water-cooled binary system using state-of-the-art Ormat Energy Converters. The system will be positioned approximately 100 meters above sea level and will incorporate an intermediate cooling loop, which will optimize energy efficiency. This milestone reflects Ormat's commitment to pushing the boundaries of clean energy development and cutting-edge clean energy technology, while continuing to set the stage for a more sustainable future through the ongoing energy transition.

08:10 EST CymaBay announces European Medicine accepts for review the MAA for seladelpar - CymaBay Therapeutics announced that the Marketing Authorization Application, MAA, for seladelpar, for the treatment of primary biliary cholangitis, PBC, including pruritus in adults without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis who are inadequate responders or intolerant to ursodeoxycholic acid, has been validated and will now be reviewed by the European Medicines Agency. Seladelpar is an investigational, potent, selective peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta agonist or delpar, in development for PBC treatment. The MAA application includes data from across the seladelpar PBC clinical development program in over 500 people with PBC, including from the pivotal, double blind, placebo-controlled, global Phase 3 RESPONSE study, recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study's primary endpoint measure reflects registrational studies of the current second line PBC treatment authorized by the EMA. In this study seladelpar demonstrated statistically significant improvements in biochemical markers of disease progression and PBC-related pruritus pre-specified endpoints. The number of adverse events was similar in the groups treated with seladelpar and placebo. The application is further supported by data from the Phase 3 ENHANCE study, the long-term open label ASSURE study, Phase 2 studies, pre-clinical studies and includes chemistry, manufacturing, and controls data. Under the European centralized licensing procedure, the EMA Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use will review the application for all 27 Member States of the European Union, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

08:10 EST Nikola names Thomas Okray as CFO - Nikola (NKLA) announced the appointment of an accomplished and highly regarded financial executive, Thomas Okray, who has joined the company's executive team as CFO. This marks Okray's fourth tenure as CFO of a public company. Previously Okray served as Executive Vice President and CFO at Eaton Corporation (ETN), Senior Vice President and CFO at Grainger (GWW), and EVP and CFO at Advance Auto Parts (AAP). Okray also held various executive and CFO roles at General Motors (GM) over a 14 plus year period, including extensive time in product development. His expansive career has taken him around the world, with stints in Germany, Italy, Poland, and Korea, and considerable time spent in China, India, and Brazil.

08:06 EST Procaps Group forms strategic committee to explore strategic alternatives - Procaps Group announced that it is conducting a process to explore strategic alternatives to maximize shareholder value. As part of this process, the company plans to consider a wide range of options, all to accelerate growth and optimize shareholder value. As previously communicated, Jose Vieira, Procaps newly appointed CEO, will continue to develop a detailed strategic plan, working closely with Ruben Minski, executive chairman, and the company's board of directors. The company has retained BTG Pactual, a Latin American Investment Bank, to explore these alternatives over the next few quarters and it has also formed a two-person strategic committee, led by Jose Minski and Alejandro Weinstein, both shareholders of Procaps. This committee was formed in order to create total alignment and common objectives between majority and minority shareholders and will have full authority to make recommendations to the board for their approval. There can be no assurance regarding the results or outcome of this strategic review. Procaps does not intend to comment further on this strategic review process, and it will make further announcements in accordance with its ongoing disclosure obligations and pursuant to applicable laws and regulations.

08:05 EST Synchrony sees Ally Lending acquisition accretive to FY24 EPS - Synchrony (SYF) announced it completed its acquisition of Ally Lending, the point of sale financing business for Ally Financial (ALLY) that includes $2.2 billion of loan receivables. Synchrony expects this acquisition to be accretive to full year 2024 earnings per share, excluding the impact of the initial reserve build for credit losses at acquisition. The acquisition is expected to realize an attractive internal rate of return for Synchrony with an approximate three-and-a-half-year tangible book value earnback.

08:05 EST Kidpik announces 1-for-5 reverse stock split efective March 7 - Kidpik announced that it will conduct a reverse stock split of its outstanding shares of common stock at a ratio of 1-for-5. The Reverse Stock Split is expected to become effective on March 7, 2024 at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time with shares expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market, on a split-adjusted basis, at market open on March 7, 2024. In connection with the Reverse Stock Split, every five shares of the Company's common stock issued and outstanding as of the Effective Time will be automatically converted into one share of the Company's common stock. No change will be made to the trading symbol for the Company's shares of common stock, "PIK", in connection with the reverse split. The Reverse Stock Split is part of the Company's plan to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement of $1.00 per share required to maintain continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, among other benefits.

08:04 EST vTv Therapeutics announces FDA submission for Phase 3 study of cadisegliatin - vTv Therapeutics announced the submission of the study protocol to the FDA for the Company's first Phase 3 trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of its lead candidate, cadisegliatin, in adults diagnosed with T1D. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is expected to enroll approximately 150 patients at up to 20 sites in the United States, with the first patient expected to be enrolled in the second quarter of 2024. The Phase 3 study will assess two doses of orally administered cadisegliatin versus placebo in patients currently being treated with multiple daily insulin injections and continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion, who use a continuous glucose monitor. The primary efficacy endpoint of the study will compare the incidence of Level 2 or Level 3 hypoglycemic events between cadisegliatin-treated subjects and those in the placebo group. This trial further expands vTv's research into cadisegliatin as an adjunctive therapy to insulin, which also includes a planned Phase 2 trial in patients with type 2 diabetes expected to start in Middle Eastern countries in 2024 in collaboration with vTv's partner G42 Healthcare Research Technology Projects LLC and its clinical research organization IROS, a UAE-based health technology group.

08:04 EST BlackBerry announces three-year co-operative agreement with Max-Atlas - BlackBerry announced a three-year co-operative agreement with intermodal container chassis manufacturer, Max-Atlas. The deal between the two Canadian industry leaders will make BlackBerry Radar asset tracking and monitoring technologies available for installation during manufacture of Max-Atlas' range of products. The combination will help supply chain logistics organizations derive lasting return on investment in Max-Atlas' high performance container chassis with BlackBerry Radar data on operational performance.

08:03 EST NeuroBo Pharmaceuticals names Marshall Woodworth as CFO - NeuroBo Pharmaceuticals announced the appointment of Marshall Woodworth as CFO, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer, effective March 1, following his tenure as Acting CFO since October 27, 2023. Prior to joining NeuroBo Pharmaceuticals, from May 2017 through May 2023, Woodworth served as the CFO at Nevakar.

08:02 EST Quoin Pharmaceuticals announces FDA clearance to recruit teen subjects - Quoin Pharmaceuticals announced clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, to recruit teen subjects aged 14 years and older into its two ongoing clinical trials for QRX003, which is being developed as a potential treatment for Netherton Syndrome. Both trials are being conducted under Quoin's open Investigational New Drug Application for QRX003. Dr. Michael Myers, Chief Executive Officer of Quoin, said, "We are very pleased to announce this exciting development, not just for Quoin's clinical program, but for the Netherton community as a whole. We are frequently petitioned by parents and caregivers that teen subjects be allowed to participate in our clinical studies, given the severity of the disease and the absolute dearth of viable treatment options. Today, it is our privilege to announce that we have FDA clearance to do just that."

07:40 EST Avant Brands appoints Tyson Macdonald to board of directors - Avant Brands announces that Tyson Macdonald has joined the Company's Board of Directors effective March 1, 2024. As CEO of Nova Net Lease REIT, Tyson remains committed to actively investing in the US cannabis market.

07:37 EST Bitdeer announces new 4nm bitcoin mining chip SEAL01 - Bitdeer Technologies announced the successful testing of its first Bitcoin mining chip, the SEAL01. Powerfully efficient, SEAL01 is designed for integration into Bitdeer's new SEALMINER A1 mining machines. Jihan Wu, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Bitdeer, commented, "With the successful testing of our new mining chip, I am very excited to formally announce the introduction of both the SEAL01 chip and the SEALMINER A1 as core to our new mining machines business. These products showcase our technology excellence and position us well for the future."

07:36 EST CME Group reports February ADV of 29.6M contracts - CME Group reported its February 2024 market statistics, including an average daily volume of 29.6M contracts, an increase of 5% year-over-year and the second highest ADV on record for the month. The company's interest rate ADV reached a new all-time record, driven by trading of U.S. Treasury contracts. ADV also increased by double-digits in energy and agricultural products. Reference Link

07:35 EST Marimed's Betty's Eddies introduces Ache Away Eddies PM - Betty's Eddies has launched a new flavor for consumers who want a pain-free, deep sleep: Ache Away Eddies PM. Ache Away Eddies PM may help ease inflammation and provide a restful night's sleep by combining full spectrum cannabis with the most effective supporting cannabinoids and herbal supplements found in two of Betty's Eddies best-selling fruit chews, Bedtime Betty's and Ache Away Eddies.

07:34 EST Generac names Talal Butt as Chief Information Officer - Generac Power Systems (GNRC) announced the appointment of Talal Butt as chief information officer, effective March 4. In this role, Butt will report to Generac president and CEO Aaron Jagdfeld. Butt most recently served as Global Vice President - Enterprise Transformation and Architecture at Rockwell Automation (ROK), a provider of industrial automation and digital transformation technologies.

07:34 EST Neurogene expands ongoing Phase 1/2 gene therapy trial for NGN-401 - Neurogene announced the expansion of its ongoing Phase 1/2 gene therapy clinical trial for NGN-401 for female pediatric patients with Rett syndrome and updates to enable more rapid enrollment in the trial. "We are excited to share that we have met our first 2024 program milestones, including dosing the third patient in the NGN-401 Phase 1/2 trial for Rett syndrome and expansion of the trial to include more patients in the current dosing cohort and the addition of a high dose cohort," said Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Rachel McMinn, Ph.D. "Our clinical development strategy has been to build flexibility and optionality early in the program with two concurrent dose cohorts designed to generate a more complete data package, which we expect will inform future registration discussions with global health authorities. We expect that expansion of the clinical trial and the removal of staggered dosing in Cohort 1 will enable us to treat more patients in a shorter period of time. Based on this update, we expect to complete enrollment of Cohort 1 in the second half of 2024."

07:33 EST Dragonfly Energy, Velociti enter partnership for Velociti Instant ROI, VeloCare - Velociti and Dragonfly Energy Holdings announced at American Trucking Associations Technology Maintenance Council's Annual Meeting & Transportation Technology Exhibition, a partnership to provide Dragonfly Energy customers with access to the Velociti Instant ROI and VeloCare programs. Successfully used by fleets for a variety of technologies and solutions, the Instant ROI program allows fleets to advance the use of their savings to pay for the technology, installation, and support services for the life of the solution.

07:32 EST FTI Consulting acquires Madison Consulting Group - FTI Consulting announced that it has acquired Madison Consulting Group. The addition of Madison Consulting Group expands the firm's property and casualty actuarial and compliance offerings within the Global Insurance Services practice in the Forensic and Litigation Consulting segment. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. As part of the transaction, Madison Consulting Group President Mark Crawshaw joins FTI Consulting as a Senior Managing Director, and Tina Knight, Leslie Marlo and John Gleba join as Managing Directors.

07:29 EST Tata Motors to demerge businesses into two separate listed companies - The board of directors of Tata Motors Limited, at its meeting today, has approved the proposal of demerger of Tata Motors Ltd into two separate listed companies housing the Commercial Vehicles business and its related investments in one entity and the Passenger Vehicles businesses including PV, EV, JLR and its related investments in another entity, the company announced. The demerger will be implemented through an NCLT scheme of arrangement and all shareholders of TML shall continue to have the identical shareholding in both the listed entities. "Over the past few years, the Commercial Vehicles, CV, Passenger Vehicles, PV+EV, and Jaguar Land Rover, JLR, businesses of Tata Motors have delivered a strong performance by successfully implementing distinct strategies. Since 2021, these businesses have been operating independently under their respective CEOs. The demerger is a logical progression of the subsidiarisation of PV and EV businesses done earlier in 2022 and shall further empower the respective businesses to pursue their respective strategies to deliver higher growths with greater agility while reinforcing accountability. Furthermore, while there are limited synergies between Commercial Vehicles, CV, and Passenger Vehicles, PV, businesses, there are considerable synergies to be harnessed across PV, EV and JLR particularly in the areas of EVs, autonomous vehicles, and vehicle software which the demerger will help secure," the company stated. The NCLT scheme of arrangement for the demerger shall be placed before the TML Board of Directors for approval in the coming months and will be subject to all necessary shareholder, creditor and regulatory approvals which could take a further 12-15 months to complete. The demerger will have no adverse impact on employees, customers, and our business partners, the company added. Reference Link

07:24 EST GameSquare completes sale of Complexity Gaming - GameSquare Holdings announced that it has received TSXV approval to complete the previously announced sale of NextGen Tech, LLC d/b/a Complexity Gaming to Global Esports Properties for total consideration of $10.36 million. Additional details of the transaction can be found in a press release that was issued on March 1, 2024.

07:21 EST D-Wave Quantum regains compliance with NYSE - D-Wave Quantum announced it has regained compliance with the NYSE continued listing standard for minimum share price under Section 802.01C of the NYSE Listed Company Manual. D-Wave will continue to be traded on the NYSE, subject to its continued compliance with all applicable listing standards.

07:17 EST Ecarx's global expansion driven by strong R&D, accreditations - ECARX Holdings highlighted how it is driving its global expansion through its robust research and development capabilities and its expanding catalog of international accreditations. This approach has led to the deployment of ECARX solutions in over 6 million vehicles worldwide from 16 global automotive OEMs and 25 brands to date. ECARX has consistently prioritized international certifications. This strategic approach is supported by a comprehensive global framework for R&D with a presence in key markets like Malaysia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Germany, allowing the Company to work with partners across the globe to deliver innovative and customized solutions for specific markets. Peter Cirino, Chief Operating Officer of ECARX, emphasized the importance of certifications: "Possessing internationally recognized certifications is crucial for global expansion. We actively meet stringent standards across technology, quality, safety, and compliance, allowing us to intelligently deploy our solutions in a growing number of vehicles globally."

07:14 EST Skye Bioscience appoints Jenkins to board of directors - Skye Bioscience announcea the appointment of Dr. Annalisa Jenkins, MBBS, FRCP, to the Company's Board of Directors. Dr. Jenkins currently provides board level and consulting services to organizations across the life science and healthcare industry. She previously served as President and CEO of Plaquetec Therapeutics and of Dimension Therapeutics.

07:14 EST Save Foods' Plantify Foods secures new retailer chain to sell products - Save Foods announced that Plantify Foods has secured a new retailer, expanding Plantify's footprint within its local market of Israel. Plantify Foods is a subsidiary which is owned 23% by Save Foods. "The Company continues to secure new retail partners within its local market," said Suzette Ramcharan, Chief Executive Officer of Plantify Foods. "While we push sales and marketing efforts in new and larger markets such as Europe and the United States, we are pleased to see growth within our local market, further solidifying our Clean Label brand. We are pleased with the growth we continue to see within our local market, a small country in size, but one that carries a lot of demand for our high-quality, healthy, and forward-thinking products."

07:12 EST Helius Medical secures HCPCS codes for PoNS - Helius Medical Technologies announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMS, has assigned Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System, HCPCS, Level II codes A4593, "Neuromodulation stimulator system, adjunct to rehabilitation therapy regime" to describe the PoNS controller and A4594, "Neuromodulation stimulator system, adjunct to rehabilitation therapy regime, mouthpiece each" to describe the PoNS mouthpiece. The new HCPCS codes will be effective April 1, 2024. "PoNS Therapy is life-changing for people who suffer gait impairment due to MS and we're pleased that CMS understood the benefits of this innovative treatment by establishing HCPCS codes for both the PoNS mouthpiece and controller. This marks a critical reimbursement and access milestone and provides Helius the ability to begin negotiating reimbursement with third-party payers using these unique HCPCS codes. We believe there is a reasonable likelihood that at the public meetings this summer CMS will determine a reimbursement amount for each of the PoNS controller and mouthpiece to take effect on October 1, 2024," stated Helius' President and Chief Executive Officer, Dane Andreeff.

07:11 EST Lantronix announces notice of inducement grants - Lantronix announced that in connection with the commencement of the employment of Kurt Hoff, vice president, Worldwide Sales, effective March 4, 2024, the Company has agreed to issue Hoff inducement awards consisting of 62,404 restricted share units and 43,203 performance-based share units, with the number of PSUs assuming target level of performance. The RSU award is scheduled to vest over three years as follows: one-third of the award is scheduled to vest on March 1, 2025, and the remaining RSUs are scheduled to vest ratably each quarter thereafter over a period of two years. The PSU award is scheduled to vest based on the company's relative total stockholder return over a three-year period beginning on the employment commencement date. Each award is subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable award agreement. The inducement RSUs and PSUs are granted as employment inducement awards in accordance with NASDAQ Listing Rule 5635(c)(4).

07:10 EST EyePoint appoints Ribeiro as Chief Medical Officer - EyePoint Pharmaceuticals (EYPT) announced the appointment of Ramiro Ribeiro, M.D., Ph.D. as Chief Medical Officer to succeed Dario Paggiarino, M.D. who has served as EyePoint's Chief Medical Officer since 2016. Dr. Ribeiro joins EyePoint from Apellis Pharmaceuticals (APLS), where he served as Vice President and Head of Clinical Development.

07:09 EST Apple to appeal European Commission decision, says not supported by facts - Apple (AAPL) issued a statement, stating in part: "The European Commission announced a decision claiming the App Store has been a barrier to competition in the digital music market. The decision was reached despite the Commission's failure to uncover any credible evidence of consumer harm, and ignores the realities of a market that is thriving, competitive, and growing fast. The primary advocate for this decision - and the biggest beneficiary - is Spotify, a company based in Stockholm, Sweden. Spotify has the largest music streaming app in the world, and has met with the European Commission more than 65 times during this investigation. Today, Spotify has a 56 percent share of Europe's music streaming market - more than double their closest competitor's - and pays Apple nothing for the services that have helped make them one of the most recognizable brands in the world. A large part of their success is due to the App Store, along with all the tools and technology that Spotify uses to build, update, and share their app with Apple users around the world... Apple has been a part of Europe for over 40 years, and today, we support more than 2.5 million jobs across the continent. We've helped markets thrive, promoting competition and innovation at every turn - and the App Store is an important part of that story. So while we respect the European Commission, the facts simply don't support this decision. And as a result, Apple will appeal." Reference Link

07:08 EST Apple to appeal European Commission decision, says not supported by facts - Apple (AAPL) issued a statement, stating in part: "The European Commission announced a decision claiming the App Store has been a barrier to competition in the digital music market. The decision was reached despite the Commission's failure to uncover any credible evidence of consumer harm, and ignores the realities of a market that is thriving, competitive, and growing fast. The primary advocate for this decision - and the biggest beneficiary - is Spotify, a company based in Stockholm, Sweden. Spotify has the largest music streaming app in the world, and has met with the European Commission more than 65 times during this investigation. Today, Spotify has a 56 percent share of Europe's music streaming market - more than double their closest competitor's - and pays Apple nothing for the services that have helped make them one of the most recognizable brands in the world. A large part of their success is due to the App Store, along with all the tools and technology that Spotify uses to build, update, and share their app with Apple users around the world... Apple has been a part of Europe for over 40 years, and today, we support more than 2.5 million jobs across the continent. We've helped markets thrive, promoting competition and innovation at every turn - and the App Store is an important part of that story. So while we respect the European Commission, the facts simply don't support this decision. And as a result, Apple will appeal." Reference Link

07:07 EST Apollomics appoints Plunkett as CFO - Apollomics announced that Matthew Plunkett, Ph.D., has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer, CFO, of Apollomics. Dr. Plunkett brings to Apollomics over 25 years of diverse strategic and financial experience within the biopharmaceutical sector, most recently as Chief Financial Officer at Aeovian Pharmaceuticals.

07:05 EST C4 Therapeutics announces research collaboration with Merck KGaA - C4 Therapeutics (CCCC) announced it has entered into a license and collaboration agreement with Merck KGaA (MKKGY), to exclusively discover two targeted protein degraders against critical oncogenic proteins that C4T has progressed within its internal discovery pipeline. Under the terms of the agreement, C4T and Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, will collaborate to discover two targeted protein degraders against critical oncogenic proteins. C4T will receive an upfront payment of $16 million. Merck KGaA Darmstadt, Germany, will fund C4T's discovery research efforts. C4T has the potential to receive up to approximately $740 million in discovery, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments across the collaboration. In addition, C4T is eligible for mid-single to low-double digit tiered royalties on future sales for each program.

07:05 EST AT&T sees 2024 capital investment in $21B-$22B range - COO Jeff McElfresh will update shareholders at the 2024 Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference. Key takeaways: AT&T is executing well on its sustainable, long-term growth strategy. The company remains on track to meet all of its financial guidance. The company continues to see healthy demand for world-class connectivity through 5G and fiber. As one of the largest investors in the United States, the company remains focused on building vital, high-performance network infrastructure for both mobile and fiber networks. To support these efforts, the company continues to expect 2024 capital investment in the $21B-$22B range. AT&T is making critical investments in its wireless and fiber future. This includes accelerating the transition to Open Radio Access Networks, which will enable a more robust supplier ecosystem, and drive efficiencies and longer-term cost savings. Additionally, based on fiber returns better than initial assumptions, AT&T sees an opportunity to potentially pass an incremental 10 to 15 million consumer and business fiber locations within its existing footprint - assuming similar build parameters and a regulatory environment that incentivizes investing in America's robust connectivity needs. The company remains on track to hit its target of 30 million+ fiber locations passed by the end of 2025. The company remains confident in its ability to deliver on all of the financial guidance provided with its earnings report in January 2024. AT&T also remains focused on driving incremental efficiencies with an additional $2B+ in run-rate cost savings by mid-2026. The company is on track to reduce net debt and to achieve net-debt to adjusted EBITDA in the 2.5x range in the first half of 2025. It also plans to continue addressing short-term financing obligations as it shapes an even more sustainable and ratable free cash flow cadence.

07:04 EST PepGen announces clearance of CTA by U.K. MHRA to begin CONNECT2-EDO51 - PepGen announced that the UK Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, MHRA, has authorized its Clinical Trial Application, CTA, to initiate the CONNECT2-EDO51 Phase 2 clinical trial of PGN-EDO51 in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, DMD, amenable to an exon 51-skipping approach. "We are excited to take the next step forward in our development of PGN-EDO51, which we believe to be a potentially transformative investigational candidate for people living with DMD and are pleased the MHRA authorized our CTA. We believe this study, together with the data generated in our ongoing CONNECT1-EDO51 trial, could potentially support accelerated approval of EDO51, subject to alignment with regulators," said James McArthur, Ph.D., President and CEO of PepGen. "We are grateful to continue our work with the DMD community to develop this therapy."

07:03 EST Avidity Biosciences announces 'positive' data from MARINA-OLE trial - Avidity Biosciences announced new positive long-term AOC 1001 data from the MARINA open-label extension trial showing reversal of disease progression in people living with myotonic dystrophy type 1 across multiple endpoints including vHOT, muscle strength and activities of daily living when compared to END-DM1 natural history data. These endpoints are the same key endpoints that will be used in the global Phase 3 HARBOR trial for people living with DM1. The primary endpoint in the Phase 3 HARBOR trial is video hand opening time, and key secondary endpoints include muscle strength as measured by hand grip strength and quantitative muscle testing total score, and activities of daily living as measured by DM1-Activ. Avidity is accelerating the global Phase 3 HARBOR trial initiation to the second quarter of 2024. "The long-term data from the MARINA-OLE study demonstrating that del-desiran improved measures of disease progression in DM1 patients compared to natural history data is remarkable," said John W. Day, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics, and Director, Division of Neuromuscular Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, an investigator of the MARINA and MARINA-OLE trials. "The favorable long-term safety data and consistent, durable improvement in myotonia, muscle strength and patient-reported outcomes measures show the potential of del-desiran to make a meaningful difference in the lives of DM1 patients. I am very encouraged by the prospect of del-desiran as a potential treatment for DM1."

07:02 EST AT&T on track to meet all financial guidance

06:56 EST Becton Dickinson enrolls first patient in IDE study AGILITY - Becton Dickinson announced the enrollment of the first patient in the investigational device exemption, or IDE, study, AGILITY, which will assess the safety and effectiveness of the BD Vascular Covered Stent for the treatment of Peripheral Arterial Disease, or PAD.

06:52 EST Telus International announces partnership with Local Measure - Telus International announced a strategic partnership with Local Measure, a global tech company pioneering the future of customer service technology. The partnership serves to design, build and deliver more intuitive, personalized, secure and scalable customer experiences on Amazon Connect.

06:47 EST Vista Outdoor rejects unsolicited indication of interest from MNC Capital - Vista Outdoor announced that its Board of Directors, following consultation with its financial and legal advisors, has rejected an unsolicited indication of interest received on February 19, 2024 from MNC Capital pursuant to which MNC expressed interest in acquiring Vista Outdoor in an all-cash transaction for $35.00 per Vista share. The Vista Outdoor Board also issued a letter to MNC which is reproduced below. The Vista Outdoor Board continues to recommend the acquisition of the Sporting Products business by Czechoslovak Group a.s. and remains committed to the strategy of standing up the Outdoor Products business as a standalone public company to drive the greatest value for our stockholders. The acquisition of the Sporting Products business by CSG is expected to close in calendar year 2024, subject to approval of Vista Outdoor's stockholders, receipt of necessary regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. We have been actively engaged with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and our team is working with CFIUS to obtain its clearance. As previously stated, we remain confident in our ability to receive all necessary regulatory approvals, including with respect to CFIUS, and to satisfy all closing conditions. Michael Callahan, Chairman of the Board of Directors, said "Following careful review with our experienced team of financial and legal advisors, the Board determined that the transaction contemplated by MNC Capital's indication of interest significantly undervalues the Company and is not in the best interest of our stockholders. In particular, the indication of interest significantly undervalues the Revelyst business, which we expect to double standalone adjusted EBITDA in FY25 and achieve mid-teens adjusted EBITDA margin in the long term.1 The indication also lacks evidence of procured committed financing and is not reasonably capable of being completed. We take our fiduciary responsibilities seriously and are always open to opportunities that maximize stockholder value. We continue to firmly believe that our pending transaction with CSG and the separation of Revelyst as a standalone public company will drive significantly greater value for our stockholders. CSG is fully committed to Sporting Products' iconic American brands and expanding our legacy of U.S. manufacturing, support for military and law enforcement customers, and investments in conservation and our hunting and shooting heritage. At the same time, Revelyst is poised to leverage meticulous craftsmanship and cross-collaboration across its portfolio of category-defining brands as a standalone public company. We are confident that this is the best path to unlock value for our stockholders."

06:45 EST Bridger Aerospace deploys two CL-415EAF to Texas - Bridger Aerospace announced the deployment of two CL-415EAF "Super Scooper" aircraft to Texas, in addition to its Multi-Mission Aircraft already supporting the effort. This is the earliest seasonal Scooper deployment in company history. The deployment was the result of a Task Order from the US Forest Service at the request of the State of Texas, which is battling the largest wildfire in state history.

06:43 EST Cellectar Biosciences reports results from Phase 1 study of iopofosine I 131 - Cellectar Biosciences announced that iopofosine I 131 in combination with external beam radiation therapy was safe and tolerated in a SPORE Grant supported investigator-initiated Phase 1 clinical trial. The twelve patients treated for locoregionally recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma previously received chemoradiation alone (42%), surgery (58%) or surgery combined with radiation or chemoradiation (92%). The data were presented in a poster at the 2024 Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Cancers Symposium held February 29-March 2, 2024, in Phoenix, AZ. Complete remission was achieved in 64% of patients, with an ORR of 73%. Prior to treatment with iopofosine I 131, six patients had multiple recurrence and one had metastatic disease both of which are indicative of poor outcomes. Additionally, the study demonstrated durability of tumor control with an overall survival of 67% and progression free survival of 42% at 12 months. "The study results underscore an important quality of iopofosine to safely combine with external beam radiotherapy and enhance therapeutic effect without significantly increasing toxicity of treatment," commented Andrei Shustov, SVP Medical. "The durability of responses demonstrated by impressive progression free and overall survival in this patient population suggests that the combination of iopofosine and EBRT may target the primary tumor as well as micrometastatic disease beyond the conventional radiation field. This might result in synergistic therapeutic benefit applicable to a variety of solid tumors."

06:38 EST Iovance Biotherapeutics: FDA lifts partial clinical hold on IOV-LUN-202 trial - Iovance Biotherapeutics announced that the U.S. FDA lifted a partial clinical hold placed on the registrational IOV-LUN-202 trial investigating LN-145 TIL cell therapy in non-small cell lung cancer. In collaboration with the FDA and an independent data monitoring committee, Iovance developed additional safety measures and monitoring. Upon reviewing this proposal, the FDA has cleared Iovance to resume patient enrollment in IOV-LUN-202. The IOV-LUN-202 trial is investigating LN-145 in patients with advanced NSCLC without EGFR, ROS or ALK genomic mutations who were previously treated with chemotherapy and anti-PD-1 therapy and at least one line of an approved targeted therapy if indicated by other actionable tumor mutations. Iovance expects to complete enrollment of approximately 120 patients in the IOV-LUN-202 registrational cohorts in 2025. Preliminary data from the IOV-LUN-202 trial support the potential benefit of one-time TIL therapy, including the opportunity for more durable responses than available second line chemotherapies. Initial preliminary data were reported in July of 2023. An updated analysis in November of 2023 showed additional ongoing responses and duration of response greater than six months for 71% of the confirmed responders in the trial.

06:34 EST Novartis presets new data on Zolgensma - Novartis presented new data that continue to support the clinical benefits of Zolgensma. Final data from the SMART study highlight the safety and efficacy profile of Zolgensma in children with SMA weighing greater than or equal to 8.5 kg to less than or equal to 21 kg, with a mean age of 4.69 years, most of whomhad discontinued use of another disease modifying therapy at the time of treatment. The primary study objective was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of Zolgensma in older and heavier patients than were treated in previous clinical studies. The majority of patients in the study experienced increases in transaminases and transient thrombocytopenia; all cases were asymptomatic and managed with appropriate monitoring and treatment, as described in the product labeling. No new safety signals were observed in the study. Most patients in the SMART study maintained motor milestones observed at baseline throughout the one-year study. The mean increase in total Revised Upper Limb Module score was 2 points and a mean increase in total Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale - Expanded score was 3.7 points. Four patients demonstrated new development milestones at week 52.

06:30 EST United Rentals to acquire Yak Access for $1.1B

06:09 EST Carlyle Secured Lending names Justin Plouffe as CEO - Carlyle Secured Lending announced that Justin Plouffe has been named President, CEO, and member of the Board of Directors, effective immediately. This appointment follows the resignation of Aren LeeKong from the company to pursue other opportunities professionally. Plouffe is a Managing Director and the Deputy Chief Investment Officer for Global Credit at Carlyle. He focuses on investing across Carlyle's credit strategies, capital formation as well as managing the overall Global Credit platform.

06:06 EST Ensign Group acquires skilled nursing facility in Kansas - The Ensign Group announced that it acquired the real estate and operations of Atchison Senior Village Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, a 45-bed skilled nursing facility located in Atchison, Kansas. The real estate was acquired by a subsidiary of Standard Bearer Healthcare REIT, Inc., Ensign's captive real estate company, and the acquisition was effective March 1, 2024.

06:05 EST Ensign Group acquires two skilled nursing facilities in Colorado - The Ensign Group announced that it acquired the operations of Park Post Acute, a 135-bed skilled nursing facility located in Parker, Colorado and Oakwood Care and Rehabilitation, a 170-bed skilled nursing facility located in Lakewood, Colorado. These acquisitions were effective March 1, 2024 and are subject to a long-term, triple net master lease with CareTrust REIT, Inc.

05:35 EST Galiano Gold reports incident at AGM joint venture with Gold Fields - Galiano Gold (GAU) reported that an incident occurred on Saturday March 2 at the Asanko Gold Mine, or AGM, a 50:50 joint venture with Gold Fields (GFI), which is managed and operated by Galiano. The incident occurred following an interaction between a group of illegal miners and contracted security officers on AGM's mining lease near the township of Tontokrom. Two security officers and a civilian were killed in the attack by illegal miners. Given the distance between the processing plant and the mining leases to the south, operations at the AGM remain unaffected. Further investigations are ongoing and Galiano will continue to work closely with the local law enforcement agencies and relevant authorities to ensure the safety of our employees and community members.

05:26 EST Kyndryl Holdings announces expanded pact with Stellantis - Kyndryl (KD) announced an expanded, multi-year agreement with Stellantis (STLA) to manage and operate select essential business operations such as networking, data center support and local IT services support in Europe, North America and South America. Building on the agreement announced in February 2023, Kyndryl will contribute to modernizing Stellantis' IT infrastructure, enabling the automaker to access a wider range of technical resources and rebalance internal skills to enhance its focus on digital, cyber security, new business models and customer-centric solutions.

05:20 EST ING Groep starts EUR 50M share repurchase program - ING announced the start of a share repurchase program under which it plans to repurchase ordinary shares of ING Groep, for a maximum total amount of EUR 50M. The purpose of the share repurchase program is to meet obligations under the share-based compensation plans. The share repurchase will commence on March 4 and is expected to end no later than March 8. The ECB has approved the repurchase, which will be executed in compliance with the Market Abuse Regulation and within the limitations of the existing authority to acquire a maximum of 10% of the issued shares as granted by the general meeting of shareholders on April 24.

05:12 EST Cytomed enters research collaboration agreement with Sengkang General Hospital - CytoMed Therapeutics announced that it has entered into a research collaboration agreement, or RCA, with Sengkang General Hospital, a public hospital in Singapore and a member of the SingHealth group to establish proof-of-concept use of an injectable cartilage regeneration therapy that has been developed with donor-sourced, umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells, or UC-MSCs, to treat cartilage injury. This injectable therapy will be implemented in vivo to support the application and commencement of a proposed Phase 1 clinical trial in Singapore, and is anticipated to complete within two years. The use of MSC as a potential treatment for tissue regeneration, inflammatory and regenerative diseases has been the subject of increasing interest in the global scientific community. Osteoarthritis of the knee is a debilitating disease affecting Singapore's aging population and the clinical trial will pioneer stem cell use for regenerative medicine in Singapore. Under the RCA, CytoMed will provide the allogeneic UC-MSC, processed and expanded in its own state-of-the-art GMP laboratory while SKH will provide the infrastructure, manpower and scientific data analysis.

05:06 EST EQT Corporation to curtail 1 Bcf per day of gross production - EQT Corporation announced it made the strategic decision to curtail approximately 1 Bcf per day of gross production beginning in late February in response to the current low natural gas price environment resulting from warm winter weather and consequent elevated storage inventories. The company expects to maintain this curtailment through the month of March and will reassess market conditions thereafter. Curtailments are expected to total approximately 30 to 40 Bcf of net production during the first quarter.