Stockwinners Market Radar for March 21, 2024 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:47 EDT Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 241K shares of 10x Genomics today

20:46 EDT Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 10K shares of Reddit today

20:45 EDT Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 154K shares of Unity today

19:50 EDT MicroAlgo Inc trading halted, news pending

19:50 EDT BYND Cannasoft Enterprises Inc trading halted, news pending

19:38 EDT Cardlytics director Sosin buys $5.0M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Cardlytics disclosed that its director Clifford Sosin bought 350K shares of common stock on March 19th in a total transaction size of $5.0M.

18:42 EDT FedEx CEO says especially pleased with results of Ground segment - CEO Rajesh Subramaniam says: "At the segment level, I'm particularly pleased with the results of ground, where adjusted operating income increased 14% on 1% revenue growth and adjusted operating margin improved to over 11% in the quarter. This reflects continued progress controlling expenses and effective yield management including the ramping benefits from DRIVE. At Freight, the team's continued focus on profitable growth and cost management delivered strong margins and mitigated year-over-year volume challenges. Service levels remain exceptionally high, demonstrating our differentiated execution capabilities. We're also making progress at Express, where adjusted operating income increased enabled by our ability to remove structural costs... As I look across the business and these financial results there are clear signs of progress on our transformation. Our strategy is generating results, and we are well placed to maintain our leadership position while delivering improving financial outcomes." Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

18:33 EDT Five Below CEO: It was a great quarter for us - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Joel Anderson said, "Our customers still like what they see. We may have disappointed investors, but not our customers." He noted that the company needs to dial back self-checkout and will now shift to assisted check out to combat shrink. The plan is to get shrink back to pre-pandemic levels. He expects Five Below to open 225-235 stores in 2024. "I'm not concerned about top end growth," he added.

17:59 EDT Assured Guaranty CEO sells $5.08M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Assured Guaranty disclosed that its CEO Dominic Frederico sold 55K shares of common stock on March 20th in a total transaction size of $5.08M.

17:43 EDT Nexstar comments on FCC ruling regarding relationship with WPIX-TV - Nexstar Chairman and CEO Perry Sook released a statement about the FCC's action regarding the company's relationship with WPIX-TV in New York City: "We are extremely disappointed in today's action by the Federal Communication Commission regarding our relationship with WPIX-TV and we intend to dispute it vigorously. We believe the FCC has been misled by the often distracting noise in the media ecosphere and that it has completely misjudged the facts. The facts are that Nexstar has always complied with FCC regulations and that its relationship with WPIX-TV under a Local Marketing Agreement was approved by the FCC in 2020, when WPIX-TV was purchased by Mission Broadcasting, Inc. Nexstar believes that joint operating, shared service, and local marketing agreements like those in which it is engaged are vitally important to maintain a competitive media marketplace and to enable broadcasters to continue investing in local news, investigative journalism, and other services that they uniquely provide to the communities in which they are located."

17:27 EDT ETAO International authorizes 1 for 20 reverse share split and share increase - ETAO International announced that a 1 for 20 reverse split of its ordinary shares, an increase of authorized shares and the alteration to the share capital of the company were approved by the company's shareholders on February 16 and is expected to become effective on or around March 26. Upon the effectiveness of the reverse share split,ETAO shareholders will receive one new ordinary share of ETAO for every 20 shares they hold. ETAO's ordinary shares are expected to begin trading on a split-adjusted basis when the market opens on March 26. Following the 1-for-20 reverse split, the increase of authorized shares, and the alteration of the share capital, the company's authorized issued share capital consists of 200M ordinary shares, par value 0.2c each, designated as 150M Class A ordinary shares, par value 0.2c each and 50M Class B ordinary shares, par value 0.2 each; and 50M preferred shares par value 0.2c each. Each outstanding ordinary shares of ETAO will be re-designated into one Class A Ordinary Shares. Each Class A ordinary share is entitled to one vote, and each Class B Ordinary Share is entitled to 30 votes. Following the re-designation, Mr. Liu will have 86.7% of the total voting power. The Class A Ordinary Shares of ETAO will continue to trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol "ETAO".

17:13 EDT Starboard Value nominates three candidates for Algonquin Power board - Starboard Value is the largest shareholder of Algonquin Power with an ownership stake of approximately 9%. Starboard announced that it has nominated three candidates for election to the company's board of directors at the 2024 annual general meeting of shareholders, which has been scheduled for June 4. The Starboard nominees are Brett Carter, Chris Lopez and Rob Schriesheim. In connection with its nominations, Starboard sent the following letter to the members of the board: "As you know, Starboard Value LP (together with its affiliates, "Starboard") is the largest shareholder of Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. ("Algonquin" or the "Company"), with an ownership stake of approximately 9.0%. We have spent a significant amount of time with certain members of the Board of Directors (the "Board") and management over the past year. After substantial work on our part, the Company has made several important changes, such as a Chief Executive Officer change and initiating a strategic review that has not yet yielded a positive result. However, this has not been an easy engagement, with certain influential members of the Board impeding progress and the majority of the Board either passive or complicit. Algonquin is at a critical juncture - it is currently in the process of selecting its next CEO and is exploring a sale of its Renewable Energy Group (the "Unregulated Renewables" business). It is therefore essential that Algonquin have directors with the expertise, fresh perspective and shareholder-focused mindset to properly evaluate what may be a wide range of strategic options. Unfortunately, the current Board has a long history of making value-destructive decisions. This is most clearly evidenced by the Board's poor succession planning around former CEO Ian Robertson's departure, the pursuit of the Kentucky Power acquisition (which, thankfully, was terminated because it could not receive regulatory approval), and careless management of the Company's balance sheet, which led to a material reduction in the dividend. As a result, Algonquin's stock has drastically underperformed its peers. Given the critical decisions and processes currently underway to recruit the next CEO and explore a sale of the Unregulated Renewables business, we have urged Board leadership for the better part of a year to work with us to refresh the Board with highly credentialed directors, including shareholder representatives and directors with relevant expertise unburdened by the poor decisions of the past. Unfortunately, these conversations with the Board have only confirmed our strong view that substantial change is necessary. Therefore, we delivered a notice to the Company nominating highly-qualified director candidates for election at the upcoming Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, which the Company recently scheduled for June 4, 2024. At the meeting, we will be seeking to remove several long-serving directors with a history of presiding over some of the Company's most value-destructive decisions and replace them with new highly-qualified directors who we believe would add substantial experience in best-in-class utility operations and complex financial and business transformations, and who bring a shareholder-focused mindset. Importantly, our proposed nominees would be acutely focused on smooth execution of the Unregulated Renewables and Atlantica processes, and would not, in any way, interfere with a value accretive transaction. To be clear, we are NOT looking to remove interim-CEO Chris Huskilson from his position as interim-CEO or from the Board. We remain open to a constructive resolution, but our engagement with the Company over the past year has proven to us that new Board leadership is urgently required. We look forward to working with the Board and management to renew and strengthen the Board to oversee the Company's exciting transformation."

16:55 EDT Axonics provides update on inter partes review proceedings - Axonics announced that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board - PTAB - of the USPTO has issued written decisions on two Medtronic patents that Axonics is contesting. Medtronic has asserted these patents, which expired in 2021 and 2022, against Axonics' proprietary tined lead design. Today, the PTAB invalidated 10 of the 15 challenged claims in Medtronic's '314 patent and declined to invalidate the challenged claims in the '756 patent over one Administrative Patent Judge's dissenting opinion. The district court case where Medtronic has asserted these patents is currently stayed based on these IPRs as well as pending IPRs on other Medtronic asserted patents. Axonics plans to seek review of the PTAB's finding that the remaining claims were not unpatentable.

16:47 EDT MicroStrategy Chairman Michael Saylor sells $1.6M in company sharers - Microstrategy Chairman Michael Saylor disclosed the sale of 1,012 shares of company stock at $1,537.02 per share on March 20 for a total transaction amount of $1,555,466.

16:43 EDT Marathon Oil Chairman Tillman sells $2.2M in company shares - Chairman of Marathon Oi,l Lee Tillman, disclosed the sale of 80,647 shares of company stock at $26.94 on March 19, for a total transactin amount of $2,172,719.

16:38 EDT Chijet Motor gets Nasdaq deficiency notice after independent director leaves - Chijet Motor Company announced it received a Nasdaq deficiency citing by Nasdaq was due to the resignation Simon Pang, an independent director of the Company, from the board of directors and the audit committee of the Board . As a result of the Resignation of Mr. Pang, the Company is no longer in compliance with Nasdaq's audit committee requirements as set forth in Listing Rule 5605. The Notice states that, consistent with Listing Rule 5605c4, Nasdaq will provide the Company a cure period until the earlier of the Company's next annual shareholders' meeting or March 15, 2025, to regain compliance; provided that if the next annual shareholders' meeting is held before September 11 then the Company must evidence compliance no later than September 11. If the Company does not regain compliance by the expiration of the cure period, the Company's securities will be subject to delisting. At that time, the Company may appeal the delisting determination to a Hearings Panel. The Company plans to search for candidates and fill in the vacancy on the Audit Committee within the cure period provided by Nasdaq. The Notice has no immediate impact on the listing of the Company's ordinary shares on Nasdaq.

16:34 EDT SunPower receives listing deficiency notification from Nasdaq - SunPower received a notice from Nasdaq indicating that the company is not in compliance with the Nasdaq Listing Rule which requires timely filing of all required periodic financial reports with the SEC, as a result of not having timely filed the Form 10-K with the SEC. The Notice has no immediate effect on the listing or trading of the Company's common stock on the Nasdaq. The company must submit a plan to regain compliance with the Listing Rule within 60 calendar days and, following receipt of such plan, Nasdaq may grant an extension of up to 180 calendar days from the Form 10-K due date, or until September 11, 2024, for the company to regain compliance. The company plans to file the Form 10-K as soon as practicable to regain compliance with the Listing Rule.

16:31 EDT Clear Secure declares 32c special cash dividend - Clear Secure declared a special cash dividend in the amount of 32c per share payable on April 8 to holders of record of the Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock as of the close of business on April 1. The company is funding the payment of the special cash dividend with cash received from pro rata cash distributions made by Alclear Holdings, LLC to all of its members, including the company. The distributions consist of a mandatory tax distribution as well as a discretionary distribution.

16:22 EDT Evoke Pharma CEO David Gonyer to depart, Matthew D'Onofrio to succeed - Evoke Pharma announced that Matthew D'Onofrio will be succeeding David Gonyer as CEO as of March 31, upon Gonyer's departure for personal reasons. D'Onofrio currently serves as president and COO. In tandem with his new executive responsibilities, D'Onofrio will assume Gonyer's board seat as of March 31.

16:16 EDT Friedman Industries increases quarterly cash dividend to 4c per share - The board of Friedman Industries declared on March 20, 2024, a cash dividend of 4c per share on the common stock of the company. The company will pay the cash dividend on May 24 to shareholders of record at the close of business on April 26. This dividend marks the company's 209th consecutive quarterly cash dividend since becoming publicly traded in 1972.

16:13 EDT Independent Bank raises quarterly dividend 4% to 57c per share - The dividend will be payable on April 5, 2024, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on April 1, 2024.

16:09 EDT FedEx board authorizes new $5B buyback - The FedEx Corp. Board of Directors has also authorized a new $5 billion share repurchase program, in addition to the existing $0.6 billion that remains available for repurchase under the 2021 authorization.

16:07 EDT Lululemon down 7% at $445.61 after below-consensus guidance

16:05 EDT Southport Acquisition Corp trading halted, news pending

15:35 EDT Rush Street Interactive trading resumes

15:30 EDT Rush Street Interactive trading halted, volatility trading pause

15:00 EDT Medtronic moves for patent infringement litigation with Axonics to resume - Medtronic (MDT) announced that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, or PTAB, of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has affirmed the validity of claims in two of its patents in an ongoing patent infringement lawsuit filed by Medtronic against Axonics (AXNX) over sacral neuromodulation,or SNM, technologies. "Cumulatively, the PTAB has now upheld the validity of five of the Medtronic patents at issue in this lawsuit," the company stated. Medtronic will now ask the federal court in the Central District of California, where Medtronic's patent infringement lawsuit is pending, to lift its stay on the lawsuit and proceed to trial on the five valid and affirmed patents so Medtronic can present its case in front of a jury. Medtronic also filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission or ITC, along with a parallel action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware to block Axonics from improperly importing and selling products that infringe two additional Medtronic patents related to the MRI compatibility of implantable medical devices. "It's now past time for Axonics to stand up in a court of law and take responsibility for its unauthorized use and infringement of Medtronic's intellectual property. We respect the intellectual property of innovators, and our patent system exists to benefit society by encouraging the kind of innovation that Medtronic invests in. We are pleased with the PTAB's decision, and we are confident that the evidence at trial will show that Axonics improperly used and profited from Medtronic's patented technology," said Mira Sahney, president of the pelvic health business in the neuroscience portfolio at Medtronic.

14:50 EDT Southwest announces TWU 555 employees ratified collective bargaining agreement - Southwest Airlines announced a ratified collective bargaining agreement for nearly 18,000 Southwest Airlines Ramp, Operations, Provisioning, and Cargo Agents. The contract covers the second-highest number of employees, represented by the Transport Workers Union Local 555, of the airline's 12 labor agreements, the company stated. "Along with compensation increases and a bonus, the new contract includes provisions allowing Southwest to continue investing in areas that drive efficiency and provides for Company-paid maternity and parental leaves. The agreement with TWU 555 becomes amendable on March 21, 2029. Since October 2022, 10 union-represented workgroups have ratified new agreements, covering more than 41,000 Southwest Employees," the company said.

13:55 EDT Eastman Chemical trading resumes

13:30 EDT Eastman Chemical trading halted, news pending

13:19 EDT Miller Industries says Advisory Research operating 'based on faulty assumptions' - Miller Industries responded to a public statement issued by Advisory Research calling on the Miller Industries Board of Directors to form a special committee and conduct a strategic review process. Ted Ashford, Lead Independent Director commented, "Our Board routinely reviews our corporate strategy and is willing to discuss and challenge management's plans for value creation. At this time, the Board believes that the execution of our current plan and growth strategy, which has driven 48.4% in total shareholder return over the past year, is the best means to maximize long-term shareholder value and drive continued positive change. We're disappointed, but perhaps not surprised that after months of earnest engagement, Advisory Research has concluded that it is not willing to put its thesis to a vote to shareholders, but has instead decided to make a self-serving and short-sighted public complaint, with spurious allegations and no credible path for long-term value creation. We welcome engagement with our shareholders and are always looking for ways to maximize value at Miller Industries. Thus far, Advisory Research's interactions with the Company have been consistently focused on near-term issues and share price performance. We are surprised by the persistent urgency in which they have insisted we move, particularly in light of the Company's share price performance over the past year. It appears that Advisory Research is operating based on faulty assumptions about the Company's fundamentals." The Miller Industries management team and Board have been in regular dialogue with Advisory Research since it initiated its position in August 2022. The management team has regularly made themselves available both in person at conferences, as well as virtually, scheduling calls with the Advisory Research team following quarterly earnings. In an effort to continue to engage in good faith, the Company also facilitated multiple Board-level meetings between Advisory Research and Miller Industries' Lead Independent Director, Ted Ashford, and Chair of the Nominating & Governance Committee, Leigh Walton. During these interactions, Advisory Research provided numerous and shifting critiques about Miller Industries, including ideas on strategy, margin expansion and leadership changes. Ultimately, Advisory Research plainly stated that its desire was for the Company to be sold. After the meetings, the two directors shared Advisory Research's perspectives with the entire Board for consideration. Additionally, Advisory Research put forward two names for the Company to consider as potential additions to the Board. The Company thoroughly considered the candidates and conducted formal evaluations consisting of issuing and reviewing questionnaires, facilitating site visits with management and holding interviews with multiple Board members. Following the completion of that process, the Nominating & Governance Committee, as well as the full Board, determined the two candidates that Advisory Research put forth did not add any incremental value or skills beyond those the company already has on its recently refreshed Board of Directors. Ashford concluded, "We are proud of the current state of our business. Our backlog remains at near-record levels and our management team has been able to drive full year records for both net income and EPS in 2023, with high single digit growth expected on the horizon in 2024. We believe the Company and this management team, led by CEO William Miller, II., is well positioned to continue delivering excellent financial results, particularly given the strong macroeconomic backdrop ahead and the oversight of a highly effective Board of Directors."

12:36 EDT ISS recommends Disney shareholders vote for Nelson Peltz at annual meeting - The Trian Group, which beneficially owns over $3.5B of common stock in The Walt Disney Company, announced that proxy advisory firm ISS recommends that Disney shareholders vote "FOR" Nelson Peltz and "WITHHOLD" on Maria Elena Lagomasino on Trian's BLUE proxy card in connection with Disney's annual meeting on April 3, 2024. ISS recognizes that Disney has a record of "multi-year underperformance" and emphasizes the need for change on the Disney Board, Trian says, adding that ISS also states that Nelson Peltz, with his "considerable experience on other boards and fiduciary duties owed to a large shareholding group, appears best positioned to bring a shareholder perspective to the Board." Trian says ISS notes that Rasulo's "knowledge of [Disney's] operations... still appears to serve as a solid basis for understanding the company's current situation." In addition to Disney's significant operational deterioration and stock underperformance, ISS noted Disney has failed to adequately address succession and that the Board would benefit from a shareholder representative to hold management to account and to "provide the catalyst that this board apparently needs to improve its effectiveness." ISS also recommends that shareholders "WITHHOLD" on Maria Elena Lagomasino, stating that she "bears more accountability than most for the failed succession process prior to Iger's decision to step down in 2020," and stating that "multi-year concerns surrounding Lagomasino's role as a compensation committee member strengthen the case that Peltz's addition, on balance, would appear a net positive."

12:08 EDT Redwire: Lilly investigation yields 'exciting' results for drug discovery - Redwire (RDW) said in a statement: In November 2023, Redwire and Eli Lilly and Company (LLY) teamed up for the first spaceflight investigation using Redwire's PIL-BOX, a unique platform that offers pharmaceutical companies and biomedical researchers novel and flexible services to study small-batch crystal growth of proteins. The investigation, named PIL-01, launched to the ISS on SpaceX's 29th cargo resupply mission for NASA and included experiments focused on developing advanced treatments for chronic diseases. Following successful on-orbit operations and return to Earth for analysis by the Lilly team, this first space mission demonstrated value in continued missions to conduct further microgravity research in the name of speeding discovery & development of potential medicines for patients. Initial findings from the PIL-01 investigation have demonstrated that insulin crystals grown on the ISS using the PIL-BOX FC system are larger and more highly ordered than crystals grown on Earth. Following the success of PIL-01, a second spaceflight investigation with Redwire and Lilly, PIL-02, is in the works. Set to launch onboard SpX-30 to the ISS, the PIL-02 investigation will hopefully add a deeper understanding of crystal growth that can benefit pharmaceutical companies." Reference Link

12:00 EDT Designer Brands falls -12.8% - Designer Brands is down -12.8%, or -$1.48 to $10.04.

12:00 EDT Sunnova Energy rises 12.3% - Sunnova Energy is up 12.3%, or 58c to $5.34.

12:00 EDT Lufax rises 37.1% - Lufax is up 37.1%, or $1.25 to $4.62.

11:08 EDT Mira Pharmaceuticals appoints Dr. Itzchak Angel as Chief Scientific Advisor - Mira Pharmaceuticals announces the appointment of pharmaceutical executive Dr. Itzchak Angel as its new Chief Scientific Advisor. "Notably, at Synthelabo, later acquired by Sanofi-Aventis, Dr. Angel played a pivotal role in advancing several drugs, including Litoxetine for depression and Deriglidole for Type-II diabetes, from conception to Investigational New Drug applications and clinical trials. Additionally, his activities contributed to the development and marketing of Mizollen, Xatral and Ambien," Mira stated. Dr. Angel stated, "I am thrilled to contribute to MIRA's pioneering efforts in addressing the challenges in neurologic and neuropsychiatric disorders. I look forward to applying my experience and insights to help advance MIRA."

11:00 EDT Warner Bros. Discovery to launch Max in Europe beginning May 21 - Warner Bros. Discovery announced that Max will launch in the first European countries beginning May 21. "On May 21, Max will become available across the Nordics, Iberia, and Central and Eastern Europe. Launches will follow closely after in Poland, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium*. France and Belgium are the first new countries where WBD has launched its streaming service in over two years. These launches mean Max will be available in 25 countries in Europe and 65 countries and territories worldwide after launching in the U.S. in May 2023, and launching in Latin America and the Caribbean earlier this year," the company stated.

10:58 EDT Lixiang Education Holding Co Ltd - ADR trading resumes

10:35 EDT Eledon announces use of tegoprubart in transplant of genetically modified kidney - Eledon Pharmaceuticals announced that tegoprubart, the company's investigational anti-CD40L antibody, was used as a component of the immunosuppressive treatment regimen following the first-ever transplant of a kidney from a genetically modified pig to a human. The procedure was completed on March 16, 2024, at Massachusetts General Hospital on a 62-year-old man living with end-stage kidney disease. Tegoprubart is being administered to the patient investigationally as part of a regimen designed to suppress the immune system and prevent the body from rejecting the transplanted pig organ. Tegoprubart has been observed to be safe and well-tolerated in multiple studies and in multiple indications, including for the prevention of rejection following kidney transplantation.

10:30 EDT Justice Department to make antitrust announcement at 11 am ET - The Justice Department announced it will make an antitrust announcement at 11 am ET. Bloomberg reported last night that the Department of Justice is poised to sue Apple, citing antitrust violations, as soon as today. Reference Link

10:13 EDT Alibaba.com reports 14% increase in U.S. active B2B buyers over March 1-18 - Alibaba.com announced it has recorded a 14% increase in the number of active business-to-business, or B2B, buyers across the U.S. between March 1 and March 18 during this year's March Expo. "March Expo is Alibaba.com's annual online trade fair that connects buyers and sellers from around the world to help them discover new products, services and possibilities to grow their business. Along with the increase in active buyers in 2024, Alibaba.com has seen 10% year-over-year growth in the average daily transaction volume for the U.S. market for the same period of March 1-18 versus last year. The year-over-year increase in active buyers and average daily transaction volume comes as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) explore opportunities to source more efficiently and cost-effectively while navigating macroeconomic uncertainty, supply chain pressures and a consumer market that prioritizes delivery speed," the company stated in a press release.

10:04 EDT SolarMax Technology Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:03 EDT RTX's Raytheon awarded $1.2B contract for Patriot air and missile defense system - Raytheon, an RTX business, was awarded a $1.2B contract to supply Germany with Patriot air and missile defense systems. These systems will augment Germany's existing air defense infrastructure with additional Patriot equipment. The scope of the contract includes the most current Patriot Configuration 3+ radars, launchers, command and control stations, associated spares, and support. "This contract reflects the global emphasis on advanced air and missile defense capabilities and the steadfast confidence in Patriot," said Tom Laliberty, president of Land and Air Defense Systems at Raytheon.

10:00 EDT Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares falls -8.5% - Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X Shares is down -8.5%, or -29c to $3.17.

10:00 EDT Spire Global falls -20.4% - Spire Global is down -20.4%, or -$3.57 to $13.90.

10:00 EDT Guess rises 21.3% - Guess is up 21.3%, or $5.54 to $31.49.

09:48 EDT Lixiang Education Holding Co Ltd - ADR trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:47 EDT Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X Shares rises 9.1% - Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X Shares is up 9.1%, or $3.96 to $47.36.

09:47 EDT Lufax rises 42.7% - Lufax is up 42.7%, or $1.44 to $4.81.

09:47 EDT Spire Global falls -14.0% - Spire Global is down -14.0%, or -$2.45 to $15.02.

09:44 EDT SWVL Holdings Corp trading resumes

09:39 EDT Scilex announces new out-of-pocket costs for commercially insured patients - Scilex Holding Company announced that the out-of-pocket costs for its product portfolio for commercially insured patients is expected to be capped at $25 monthly, with certain eligible patients paying as low as $0. This applies to the Company's postherpetic neuralgia pain product, ZTlido, migraine product, ELYXYB, and gout flare prophylaxis product, Gloperba, which is expected to launch in the first half of 2024. Scilex has made significant investments to improve patient affordability and access to its products and continues to build on the Company's commitment to provide non-opioid pain management products to patients. Scilex has been working with its co-pay savings card adjudicators to resolve the recent breakdown of processing of insurance claims by Change Healthcare, following a cyber-attack on Change Healthcare. Scilex is aware of the impact this disruption has had on its patients and customers and has worked diligently to resolve the issue. Starting today, co-pay savings card processing for ZTlido is expected to be restored to normal operations.

09:37 EDT Edoc Acquisition Corp trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:35 EDT Co-Diagnostics CEO Dwight Egan delivers manufacturing, commercialization update - Co-Diagnostics announced that in his keynote address at the 5th Annual MarketsandMarkets conference in London, Company CEO Dwight Egan shared an update on the new manufacturing facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah and in Ranoli, India, including announcing the grand opening of the new Utah facility next month. Both Co-Dx and CoSara Diagnostics, the Company's joint venture for manufacturing in India, will be manufacturing the Co-Dx PCR Pro instrument and Co-Dx PCR test cups that run on the Company's new PCR platform. Mr. Egan shared that the CoSara facility is in the process of being expanded to allow for greater capacity, and that both facilities would also be manufacturing the Company's patented Co-Primers oligonucleotides, a key reagent component in all Co-Dx and CoSara test products both for clinical laboratories and the new platform, and which had previously been outsourced to 3rd party manufacturers. In-house manufacturing of the reagents as well as equipment and consumables is anticipated to play an important role as the Company prepares for commercialization of its new platform. In addition to the Co-Dx PCR COVID-19 test on the platform, which is currently pending FDA review, Mr. Egan discussed other forthcoming platform products, including tuberculosis which caused an estimated 1.3 million deaths out of an estimated 10.6 million infections in 2022 despite being highly treatable. The estimated TB incidence rate in India alone was 2.82 million, leading to nearly 350,000 deaths for the year. The ribbon cutting ceremony of the Company's Salt Lake City production facility is scheduled for April 11, 2024, for Company employees and invitees.

09:34 EDT SWVL Holdings Corp trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:29 EDT Atossa Therapeutics provides five-year (Z)-endoxifen update - Atossa Therapeutics announced on Tuesday that the pre-menopausal, Estrogen Receptor positive, or ER+ / Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 negative, breast cancer patient who received neoadjuvant and adjuvant-endoxifen therapy under an FDA-approved "expanded access" program has completed five years of treatment. As of the date of this press release, the patient remains cancer-free and has reported no significant safety or tolerability issues over the course of her treatment. Atossa is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative medicines in areas of significant unmet medical need in oncology with a focus on breast cancer. In late 2018, a 51-year-old premenopausal woman was diagnosed with a moderately differentiated invasive ductal breast carcinoma with the most frequently reported subtype: ER+, PR+, and HER2-. The initial diagnostic biopsy demonstrated that 90% of the tumor cells were ER+ and 20% expressed Ki-67, a tumor proliferation antigen. Pharmacogenomics analysis showed a CYP2D6 genotype of CYP2D6*4/*4, a nonfunctioning variant, suggesting tamoxifen would be a poor treatment option. Other than breast cancer, the patient had no comorbidities and took no medications. Her family history was strong for osteoporosis, a contraindication for aromatase inhibitor treatment. Neoadjuvant treatment is given in the window of time between the diagnosis and the primary treatment, which in the case of locally advanced breast cancer is surgery. The intent of neoadjuvant therapy is to slow the growth of the cancer or even shrink the cancer prior to surgery. The goal of this treatment is to help increase the effectiveness of surgery, and it has also been shown to reduce the likelihood that the cancer returns. The FDA authorized a single-patient study under its Expanded Access or compassionate use program for this woman to receive 4 mg/day oral (Z)-endoxifen for 20 days before surgery. Following surgery, her physician recommended adjuvant therapy but, like many women, she was not a candidate for tamoxifen due to her low liver enzyme activity. She also did not want to take drugs to suppress her ovarian function and go into early menopause, which meant aromatase inhibitors were not an option. Given the strong and rapid response to (Z)-endoxifen, it was recommended that she continue taking (Z)-endoxifen. This led to an additional compassionate use authorization by the FDA to allow this patient to continue taking 4 mg/day (Z)-endoxifen in the adjuvant setting. She has now completed five years of daily (Z)-endoxifen. As of the date of this press release, she has not had a recurrence of breast cancer or a new cancer in the contralateral breast, as assessed by clinical examination and mammography. Additionally, the treatment has been well tolerated, and there were no vasomotor symptoms commonly associated with tamoxifen. Under the FDA Expanded Access IND program, the use of Atossa's proprietary (Z)-endoxifen is restricted to this patient only.

09:25 EDT Mogo to resume share repurchases under NASDAQ buyback program - Mogo announced that it intends to resume share repurchases under its share buyback program on NASDAQ following the release of its Q4 & FY 2023 financial results. In 2023, the Company repurchased and cancelled 474,353 common shares under its share buyback program on NASDAQ and its normal course issuer bid on the Toronto Stock Exchange at an average price of $2.36 per share. Including the 600,000 common shares repurchased in 2022 under the NASDAQ buyback program, the Company has repurchased 1,074,353 common shares to date, representing 4.4% of the Company's current outstanding common shares. The Company currently has 24.5M common shares issued and outstanding...We expect to remain active with our NASDAQ buyback program given we continue to believe our shares are undervalued, especially considering the recent progress, results and growth outlook in our core business, in addition to our 13% ownership in WonderFi, Canada's only fully regulated crypto exchange," said Greg Feller, President & CFO.

09:22 EDT Biotricity partners with Health Aid Africa - Biotricity announces it partnership with Health Aid Africa, a charity concert for healthcare access and awareness. The company said, "Experience the rhythm of life like never before at the Health Aid Africa charity concert, where the thrill of music meets the heart of wellness, thanks to a pioneering partnership with Biotricity Inc. Set against the backdrop of the world's most renowned stadium, this event offers more than just spectacular musical acts-it presents a life-saving opportunity. Engage with Biotricity's cutting-edge wearable heart monitors and state-of-the-art diagnostic tools to receive invaluable heart health insights."

09:07 EDT FB Financial announces $100M stock repurchase authorization - FB Financial announced that its board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $100M of the Company's outstanding common stock. The repurchase authorization will be in place until January 31, 2026, and replaces the Company's previous authorization, which expired on January 31. Christopher T. Holmes, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "This repurchase authorization reflects the Company's financial strength and strong profitability. Our management team is keenly focused on deploying capital to deliver superior returns and to create long-term value. This program provides another arrow in our quiver to achieve those objectives."

09:06 EDT Euroseas announces completion of retrofits of its intermediate containership - Euroseas announced it has successfully completed the installation of a number of "energy saving devices" on its 6,350 teu intermediate containership, M/V Marcos V, aiming to improve her consumption in the commercial speed range by about 25%. The investment was done in conjunction with the vessel's scheduled dry docking and special survey and was funded by the charterer of the vessel, who contemporaneously declared their option to extend the charter by an additional minimum seven months to August 2025. Aristides Pittas, Chairman and CEO of Euroseas commented: "We are pleased to announce the completion of retrofits for our M/V Marcos V, continuing our retrofitting program, as part of our efforts to minimize the carbon footprint of our fleet. As in the case of the recent retrofit of M/V Synergy Busan, we cooperated closely with the charterer to specify and fund the modifications of the vessel and share the economic benefit from the improved performance."

09:05 EDT ITT announces $11M investment for pump testing capabilities at three IP sites - ITT announced an approximately $11M investment to expand testing capabilities at three of its Industrial Process, IP sites to enhance capacity for large project awards in its flow business, reinforcing the company's commitment to an exceptional customer experience. The investments at IP facilities in Obernkirchen, Germany, Vadodara, India and Dammam, Saudi Arabia will increase ITT's power capacity in pump, motor and control systems testing, enabling the company to locally test larger, more complicated pump packages. The investments are expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2024. At ITT's Goulds Pumps sites in Saudi Arabia and India, the investments will support future growth as part of ITT's 'in region, for region' strategy. At ITT's Bornemann pumps site in Obernkirchen, Germany, the company will have the unique ability to replicate field conditions through complete unit multiphase fluid testing once the investments are completed, including a special focus on pump packages deployed in carbon capture and decarbonization applications globally.

09:04 EDT SciSparc announces MitoCareX Bio virtually screened molecules using platform - SciSparc announced that MitoCareX Bio, the Company's venture with Dr. Alon Silberman that focuses on drug discovery and the development of cancer therapeutics by targeting the mitochondrial SLC25 protein family, had virtually screened millions of small molecules by using its computationally advanced drug discovery platform, which resulted in the identification of several molecules that could be used for potential anti-cancer treatments. Additionally, by utilizing the extensive virtual data generated, MitoCareX is working towards creating a predictive AI model. This model is expected to enable MitoCareX to navigate broader chemical spaces more efficiently, with the goal of uncovering more novel anti-cancer scaffolds that target its SLC25 protein of interest.

09:03 EDT NextCure restructures operations, reduces workforce by 37% - The company said, "Implemented a restructuring plan to reduce operating costs and better align our workforce with the needs of our business. Under the plan, we paused our internal manufacturing operations and reduced our workforce by approximately 37%. We estimate that we will incur one-time restructuring charges of approximately $0.8 million including employee severance, benefits and related termination costs, the majority of which we expect to pay in the second quarter of 2024."

09:03 EDT Sandoz opens new antibiotic production facility in Austria - Sandoz announced that it opened a new production facility in Kundl, Austria, to "serve more patients with affordable life-saving drugs produced entirely in Europe." The new facility and automated production lines will increase production capacity by 20% compared to the current capacity of 200 million packages per year. The expansion in finished dosage forms means that Kundl now has a production capacity of 240 million packages per year, more than a doubling from 2021 output levels. Gilbert Ghostine, Chairman Sandoz, said: "Antibiotics are the backbone of modern medicine and Kundl is a testament to the resilience of European manufacturing. We are proud to further strengthen our manufacturing capabilities in Austria. This allows us to address growing demand and further strengthens our commitment to our unique European-based antibiotic production network."

09:01 EDT NextCure to prioritize NC410 combo, LNCB74 in 2024 - NC410: The multi-center, multi-arm, first-in-human Phase 1b combination trial is evaluating the efficacy of NC410 in combination with pembrolizumab. Indications include: ICI Naive and refractory ovarian cancer and immune checkpoint inhibitor Naive and refractory colorectal cancer. The combination has been shown to be well tolerated up to 200 mg of NC410 with Grade 3 or higher Treatment Related Adverse Events of 3.7%. NC410 for Ovarian Cancer: Evidence of early clinical activity and biomarker observations support the proposed mechanism of action for NC410 in relapsed/refractory ICI Naive ovarian cancer, with/without active liver metastasis for subjects in the 100 mg and 200 mg cohorts. Additional observations from the initial 7-patient data set as of February 23, 2024, include: 3 partial responses were observed at the initial 9-week scan. 1 confirmed PR observed in the 200 mg cohort continues on study beyond 6 months. The 2 PRs at the 100 mg cohort are pending confirmatory scans at week 18. Biomarker data on blood samples drawn from patients in both the prior NC410 monotherapy trial and, the current NC410 combo trial support our hypothesis regarding the mechanism of action and activity in PR patients as follows: Decrease in peripheral Granzyme B-expressing CD8+ T cells, which supports our mechanism of action that NC410 remodels the extracellular matrix allowing activated immune cells to infiltrate into the tumor microenvironment. Generation of collagen-derived product 4GZ fragments is mediated by Granzyme B-expressing T cells and provides direct evidence of ECM remodeling and correlates with responses. Decrease in peripheral myeloid-derived suppressor cells reduces suppressive effects and enhances activation of immune cells and anti-tumor activity. Decrease in peripheral CCR7+ DC+ T cells which is consistent with chemokine guided migration of immune cells to the TME. Taken together, the data demonstrate that NC410 mediates activation of immune cells and migration into the TME through remodeling of the ECM. We believe NC410 combo results in anti-tumor activity and clinical responses in patients that have been shown to respond poorly to or are resistant to checkpoint inhibitors. In March 2024, we commenced enrolling an additional 18 patients among the 100 mg and 200 mg cohorts. We plan to present the data from the ovarian cancer patients in the second half of 2024. NC410 Colorectal Cancer: Preliminary evidence of clinical activity in the 100 mg cohort of patients with MSS/ MSI-L ICI naive CRC without active liver metastasis . Additional observations from the 19-patient data set as of February 23, 2024: Both responses were observed at the initial 9-week scan in the 100 mg cohort. Subjects enrolled had a median of 5 lines of prior treatment. The 2 responders remain as PRs, and continue on study for over 10 months and 5 months, respectively. Completed enrollment in January 2024 of an additional 20 patients in the 100 mg cohort. We plan to present the data of the CRC patients at a scientific conference within the second quarter of 2024. LNCB74: Selected our first antibody drug conjugate candidate of a potential of three from our collaboration with LegoChem Biosciences. Under the terms of the Agreement, both parties equally share the costs of developing the molecules and profits on commercialized products. Commenced development of LNCB74 utilizing a NextCure B7-H4 antibody and LegoChem's ConjuAll ADC technology. Differentiated approach leveraging: B7-H4 specific antibody with an Fc modification that protects immune cells to improve safety; Use of a glucuronidase cleavable linker that offers cancer-selective payload release to minimize toxicity in non-tumor cells, and; Use of a monomethyl auristatin E payload with a drug-to-antibody ratio of 4, that has the advantage of bystander killing of surrounding tumor cells. Pre-clinical experiments in vitro and in vivo demonstrating potent tumor killing and pilot toxicology studies have been completed. Pre-filing feedback from the FDA supports moving forward to planned submission of an IND application by this year-end. Ongoing activities associated with GLP toxicity studies, GMP manufacturing, and clinical development planning are in progress.

08:55 EDT Australia selects BAE Systems, ASC to build nuclear powered submarines - The Australian Government has selected BAE Systems and ASC Pty to build Australia's new fleet of nuclear powered submarines in the latest significant development in the AUKUS trilateral security pact between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

08:55 EDT Maris-Tech expects resources to fund operations for next 12 months - The company said, "We expect that our existing cash and cash equivalents and our short-term bank deposits as of December 31, 2023, together with anticipated revenue from existing customers pursuant to existing purchase orders, as well as projected revenue from new customers, will be sufficient to fund our current operations and satisfy our obligations for the next twelve months."

08:47 EDT Calian Group wins contract with Canadian Space Agency - Calian Group has won a contract with the Canadian Space Agency to develop a spectrum interference simulation solution. Calian's spectrum interference simulation software will help the CSA coordinate frequency for the ongoing shared use of valuable Radio Frequency spectrum. This support will sustain the CSA's continuous missions, emphasizing current and future Earth observation endeavours. As the number of satellite constellations in Earth's orbit continues to increase, the accompanying surge in contention for spectrum use and potential interference scenarios becomes increasingly pronounced, potentially impacting CSA's Earth observation and scientific missions. Calian's simulation technology will equip the CSA with vital insights, enabling efficient planning and preparation to navigate the challenges presented by heightened spectral congestion.

08:46 EDT SaverOne 2014 engages with global consultancy firm for VRU solution - SaverOne 2014 announced that it has signed an agreement, partnering with a top-tier global consultancy firm, to support the development of a business model around SaverOne's Vulnerable Road User, VRU, solution. Ori Gilboa, CEO of SaverOne, stated, "Leveraging our technology, our VRU sensor brings new and unique safety capabilities to the large and significant ADAS market. We believe this important initiative will enable us to further develop the business around our VRU sensor, enabling us to take well- considered strategic steps. We are committed to developing a robust business for our VRU protection solution and would like to cooperate with strategic partners and investors to implement it."

08:44 EDT Xometry Europe expands finishing options on its AI-driven marketplace - Xometry announced expanded finishing options on its xometry.eu marketplace, as well as the introduction of a new Knowledge Hub called xometry.pro, built specifically for engineers and designers to share their manufacturing knowledge. Additionally, Xometry announced the launch of its Czech Marketplace, xometry.eu/cs, marking the company's 15th local-language marketplace. "Xometry's AI-driven marketplace and suite of cloud-based solutions help our customers increase efficiency, improve decision-making and create locally resilient supply chains," said Dmitry Kafidov, the General Manager of Xometry Europe. "Adding 200 classic RAL colors to our finishing options is just the latest example of our ability to deliver enhanced menu options for our customers across Europe while also expanding our vast network of local-language marketplaces for the benefit of our buyers and suppliers alike."

08:43 EDT Alliance Entertainment begins installation of Sure Sort X at Kentucky facility - Alliance Entertainment Holding Corporation has commenced installation at its Kentucky facility of Sure Sort X, a cost-saving sortation technology system from warehouse automation solutions provider OPEX, to be completed April 1st, 2024. Utilizing this new Sure Sort X technology will result in annual labor savings of nearly $400,000 for Alliance Entertainment, along with an immediate savings of $460,000 from avoiding retrofitting older sorting technology set to be retired.

08:42 EDT Netcoins Canada launches Solana, Cosmos staking - BIGG Digital Assets' Netcoins will be expanding its staking services in Canada with the launch of Solana and ATOM on April 2nd. Netcoins has leveraged its partnership with BitGo Trust Company to enable customers to stake their assets directly from segregated cold storage wallets on the Netcoins mobile app. With the launch of Solana & Cosmos staking, Netcoins customers now have an opportunity to earn yield on their crypto holdings. This service is available to individual, corporate and institutional clients, ensuring that all our customers can benefit from the growing trend of earning through Proof of Stake blockchains.

08:41 EDT United Health Products submits full Premarket Approval application - United Health Products provided an update on the company's FDA Premarket Approval application process. The company confirms that it has submitted via the FDA eSTAR portal its Premarket Approval application for its absorbable hemostatic gauze, which will now be reviewed by the FDA and Health Canada.

08:40 EDT Ostin Technology announces Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign - Ostin Technology Group announces that Pintura.Life LLC, the Company's wholly owned subsidiary in the United States entered into a strategy campaign agreement with Indiegogo, a Delaware corporation on February 26, 2024. The Company plans to launch an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign by the end of March 2024, aiming to raise $300,000. This campaign is set to elevate upgrade of its flagship photo-sharing product, Pintura, and to expand the Company's global sales channels, thereby boosting brand recognition and market penetration. "We are eager to embark on this crowdfunding journey to elevate our Pintura photo-sharing product to new heights," said Tao Ling, CEO of Chairman and CEO of the Company. "With its cutting-edge multi-functional canvas, customizable frames, and smooth integration into any living environment, Pintura empowers users to narrate their life's story in an elegant and personalized way. Through the Indiegogo campaign, we invite backers to join us in bringing this transformative product to the market and expanding its global presence."

08:39 EDT Wallbox and Bidirectional Energy awarded $2.2M funding from CEC - Wallbox announced Phase 1 of their Bidirectional Residential V2X Demonstration Project had been awarded $2.2M in funding from the California Energy Commission CEC REDWDS grant. The project will install and operate Wallbox's bidirectional charger, Quasar 2, in 120 residential locations across California. The bidirectional chargers will be managed by Bidirectional Energy's virtual power plant VPP platform to provide home energy backup, utility bill reduction, and additional financial rewards. Bidirectional Energy and Wallbox estimate that Quasar 2 together with the Bidirectional Energy VPP platform can potentially earn users over $1,000 every year when combined with utility Demand Response programs and time-of-use utility rates. By taking advantage of time-of-use utility rates in the U.S., users can enhance the impact of V2X technology by scheduling charging sessions when energy prices are low and discharging their cars to power their homes when prices are high. Users with solar panel installations can also store excess solar energy in their EV during low usage periods and then harness this energy at another time, including usage peak periods, to reduce their reliance on the grid and accelerate the uptake of renewable energy.

08:37 EDT NetSol Technologies achieves Advanced Tier Partner status with AWS - NETSOL Technologies (NTWK) has achieved the Advanced Tier Services Partner status within the Amazon Web Services (AMZN) Partner Network. Partners who demonstrate exceptional prominence, emerge as industry leaders in their respective markets and have a highly proficient workforce receive this status. This milestone reinforces the robust alliance between NETSOL and AWS, showcasing NETSOL's expertise and success in guiding clients through the design, architecture, migration, modernization and management of their AWS workloads, thereby optimizing their cloud investments.

08:36 EDT Lixte Biotechnology provides update on progress with LB-100 - LIXTE Biotechnology provided an update on the Company's progress with its proprietary compound, LB-100. "Clinical trials are underway at leading cancer centers in the United States and Spain using LB-100 in combination with chemotherapy and immunotherapy that we are hopeful will provide new and effective treatment options for patients with lung, ovarian and sarcoma cancers," said Bas van der Baan, LIXTE's President and Chief Executive Officer. LIXTE recently announced the following significant developments: The dosing of the first patient in a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial to assess whether adding LB-100 to GSK's dostarlimab-gxly will enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapy in the treatment of ovarian clear cell carcinoma. The signing of an exclusive patent license agreement with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Cancer Institute, each an Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

08:35 EDT SAITECH announces expansion of SAI NODE Marietta - SAI.TECH Global announces a major scale-up of its SAI NODE Marietta facility starting December 2023 and ongoing. This expansion demonstrates the company's dedication to enhancing the SAI NODE Marietta1, the Company's US R&D center that focused on advancing technology for high-performance computing liquid cooling and industrial-scale computing heat recycling. The expansion involves the strategic addition of 190 units of Bitmain S19 Pro+ Hydro bitcoin mining machines and 288 units of Bitmain S19 K Pro bitcoin mining machines. The deployment of the 478 bitcoin mining machines and the underlying investment of approximately $0.9 million increased the hash rate capacity of SAI NODE Marietta by approximately 68 PH/s. With the Company's additional deployment of bitcoin mining machines, it currently has approximately 150 PH/s operational hash rate for its self-mining operation, with an overall self-mining efficiency of approximately 27.3 J/TH.

08:33 EDT Connexa Sports announces entry into agreement to acquire stake in Yuanyu - Connexa Sports Technologies announced that, subject to shareholder approval, it has signed definitive share purchase and share exchange agreements to acquire a 70% stake in Yuanyu Enterprise Management for a combined value of $56 million. The transaction will be carried out in two steps, with an initial 20% stake having been completed against payment of $16.5 million in cash, and the residual 50% stake completing on the closing date through the issuance of common stock. "Over the past year, the Connexa board and management have been reviewing the company's potential to directly create meaningful enhancements in shareholder value, especially considering the on-going challenges and costs faced by the company while operating on Nasdaq and, as a result, the Board concluded that this acquisition represented a clear short-term opportunity to deliver shareholder value and, as such, it was clearly in the interest of all shareholders to conclude this acquisition of a majority stake in YYEM, accept a change-in-control of Connexa, as well as divest the Slinger Bag business to a newly established entity," commented Mike Ballardie, CEO of Connexa.

08:32 EDT Yield10 announces USDA-APHIS determined camelina can be grown, bred in U.S. - Yield10 Bioscience announced that USDA-APHIS's Biotechnology Regulatory Services has determined that Yield10's Camelina sativa varieties developed using genetic engineering to produce omega-3 fatty acids are not subject to the regulations under 7 CFR part 340, and may be grown and bred in the United States. "This regulatory milestone represents a critical step for enabling the ramp-up of Camelina planting to commercial scale in the U.S for producing omega-3 oil for key markets including aquafeed and human nutrition," said Kristi Snell, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer of Yield10 Bioscience. "In 2024, we plan to focus on executing our development program, building seed inventory in anticipation of commercial scale planting, and engaging with potential commercial partners to enable commercial sale of omega-3 oil and meal in target markets. Use of omega-3 oil in target markets may still be subject to regulation from other regulatory authorities in target geographies."

08:31 EDT M&T Bank appoints Sarah Knakmuhs as Chief Communications Officer - M&T Bank has appointed Sarah Knakmuhs as Chief Communications Officer. Knakmuhs previously served as senior counselor at global advisory group H/Advisors Abernathy. Before this role, Knakmuhs spent over 14 years at a Fortune 200 company.

08:28 EDT Allstate: February estimated catastrophe losses below $150M reporting threshold - The Allstate Corporation announced that estimated catastrophe losses were below the $150M reporting threshold for February 2024. Rate increases for Allstate brand auto insurance resulted in a premium impact of 0.1% for the month of February and 1.5% year-to-date. Rate increases for Allstate brand homeowners insurance have resulted in a premium impact of 2.4% for the month of February and 2.7% year-to-date. Implemented rate increases and inflation in insured home replacement costs resulted in a 12.4% increase in homeowners insurance average gross written premium in February 2024 compared to the prior year.

08:18 EDT ARIA Cybersecurity joins Rockwell Automation PartnerNetwork - ARIA Cybersecurity Solutions has joined Rockwell Automation's PartnerNetwork as a Technology Partner. Through PartnerNetwork, customers can quickly locate complementary products that best solve application challenges. AZT PROTECT is a solution for protecting operational technology environments, extending and enhancing Rockwell Automation offerings. The agreement means Rockwell Automation customers can now take advantage of ARIA Cybersecurity's AZT PROTECT. This award-winning advanced AI-driven endpoint protection solution protects devices running critical applications in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, transportation, energy, utilities, and smart manufacturing.

08:16 EDT Snail celebrates launch of ARK: The Animated Series on Paramount+ - Snail (SNAL) celebrates the announcement by Paramount+ (PARA) that the first six episodes of ARK: THE ANIMATED SERIES, an all-new original series based on the hit adventure video game ARK: Survival Evolved, are available to stream now exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and Canada. The series will debut in all other Paramount+ international markets starting Friday, April 19. Part two of the season will debut with seven new episodes at a later date. "The launch of ARK: The Animated Series and the accompanying in-game skins mark a pivotal moment for the ARK franchise," said Jim Tsai, CEO of Snail, Inc. "Expanding the ARK experience beyond gaming into mainstream media not only boosts our game's appeal but also establishes ARK universe as a multidimensional brand in entertainment. This strategic move is a testament to our dedication to growing and diversifying the ARK experience for both our dedicated community and newcomers. As we continue to explore new opportunities for growth and expansion for our ARK universe and other game titles, our commitment remains to providing engaging, innovative gaming experiences that exceed player expectations."

08:15 EDT WSP Global completes acquisition of Communica Public Affairs - WSP Global has completed the acquisition of Communica Public Affairs, one of Canada's leading Indigenous and stakeholder engagement and information management consulting firms. Founded in 2002, Communica is recognized for its collaborative approach and its ability to deliver authentic, open, and transparent stakeholder and wider community engagement, including with Indigenous communities. This acquisition reinforces WSP's commitment to delivering impactful projects for communities and enhances its ability to respond to the increasing demand for stakeholder engagement and information management services. These services are integral to the success of projects in all sectors and markets across Canada and to supporting clients in their ESG journey.

08:13 EDT ETFS Capital releases letter to fellow WisdomTree shareholders - ETFS Capital Limited, the largest combined owner of common stock, $0.01 par value, and Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock of WisdomTree, with ownership of approximately 10.2% of the outstanding Common Stock, which together with its Series A Preferred Stock would represent approximately 18.3% of the Company's outstanding Common Stock on an as-converted basis, today released a letter to its fellow WisdomTree shareholders, responding to a public letter from WisdomTree board of director's to ETFS Capital's Chairman, Graham Tuckwell. "For many years now WisdomTree has embarked on an ill-advised strategy of trying to transform the Company from an ETF business to a DeFi business, which has resulted in the core ETF business being poorly managed and all of its DeFi efforts ending in failure... As a result of this misguided 'transformation' strategy, WisdomTree lost focus on the core ETF business, which despite record AUM, suffers from poor profitability. Consequently, WisdomTree trades at a significant discount to its intrinsic value if it were a well-run pure-play ETF business. We believe the intrinsic value is $15.50 per share compared to the current market price of $9.00 per share... Fellow stockholders, over the past three years, we have attempted to address operational and governance failures through proxy campaigns. Unfortunately, the resulting change to WisdomTree's Board has been insufficient to overcome the influence that management and long-tenured directors exert in maintaining the status quo. Instead, as a referendum on the Company's failed diversification strategy and its refusal to unlock value through a strategic review process, we intend to Withhold our votes from members of the Board at the upcoming shareholder meeting. We invite other shareholders to do the same. It is time to send a clear and resounding message to the Board. Hire a reputable banker and evaluate all options to unlock value."

08:12 EDT Immunovant rallies after Chugai myasthenia gravis study failure - Shares of Immunovant (IMVT) after rallying after Roche's (RHHBY) Chugai Pharmaceutical announced results from its Phase III LUMINESCE study of Enspryng, an investigational treatment for generalized myasthenia gravis. Statistically significant data was observed in its primary endpoint, however the results did not reach expectations on the degree of clinical benefit, the company in a statement. Shares of Immunovant are up 18%, or $5.53, to $37.10 in premarket trading. Argenx (ARGX) shares are also moving higher.

08:11 EDT Tourmaline Bio sinks after Chugai myasthenia gravis study failure - Shares of Tourmaline Bio (TRML) after sinking after Roche's (RHHBY) Chugai Pharmaceutical announced results from its Phase III LUMINESCE study of Enspryng, an investigational treatment for generalized myasthenia gravis. Statistically significant data was observed in its primary endpoint, however the results did not reach expectations on the degree of clinical benefit, the company in a statement. Shares of Tourmaline Bio are down 31%, or $13.95, to $30.72 in premarket trading.

08:10 EDT CytomX Therapeutics appoints Zhen Su to board of directors - CytomX Therapeutics announced the appointment of Zhen Su, M.D., M.B.A. to the company's board of directors. Su is an accomplished physician executive with nearly three decades of experience leading oncology research and development and commercial organizations. Dr. Su is currently chief executive officer of Marengo Therapeutics

08:10 EDT Asset Entities enters into agreement with Zendrop - Asset Entities announces that it has entered into an agreement with Zendrop, an industry leader in dropshipping and ecommerce. "We are excited about our new partnership with Zendrop and this incredible opportunity. Zendrop is at the forefront of dropshipping and e-commerce. We believe that the synergies that exist between our two companies are a game-changer," says Asset Entities' Chief Executive Officer, Arshia Sarkhani.

08:08 EDT Banzai signs 200 customers in February - Banzai International celebrates the Company's successful and continuous customer acquisitions efforts with the addition of 133 new and 67 reactivating customers during February 2024. Banzai's newly added customers include Enovis, Fluence, Onsi, Applied Value Group, Nsight, Quickparts, and ComboCurve. "Following our great January, we continue to see strong growth in customer wins," said Joe Davy, CEO and Founder of Banzai. "This demonstrates our strong continued vertical market execution across healthcare, consulting, and financial services."

08:06 EDT Charles River extends gene therapy manufacturing alliance with NUS Medicine - Charles River Laboratories International, nd National University of Singapore's NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine NUS Medicine, a medical education institution with a world-renowned medical research field of stem cell biology and therapy, announced a High Quality HQ plasmid DNA development and manufacturing agreement. NUS Medicine will utilize Charles River's market leading contract development and manufacturing organization CDMO expertise in HQ and GMP- compliant plasmid DNA, which serves as a critical starting material for its engineered stem cell cancer therapy and builds on a historic provision of research grade plasmid..."We are thrilled to continue our work with NUS Medicine and support their important work developing engineered stem cells for cancer therapy. Charles River has had decades of success manufacturing, and reliably delivering plasmid DNA as both a critical starting material and drug product, helping to safeguard our customer programs." - Kerstin Dolph, Corporate Senior Vice President, Biologics Solutions, Charles River

08:06 EDT SilverBow Resources shareholder Riposte Capital supports Kimmeridge combination - SilverBow Resources shareholder Riposte Capital, which owns approximately 9.9% of the company's outstanding common stock, issued a statement in support of Kimmeridge's proposal to combine Kimmeridge Texas Gas with SilverBow Resources. Highlights of the statement include: "Riposte Capital has thoroughly analyzed Kimmeridge's proposal, published on March 13, 2024, to combine Kimmeridge Texas Gas with SilverBow Resources and finds it to be highly compelling...The benefits of the transaction are clear: the combined entity would be positioned to lead further consolidation in the region and would be instantly attractive to the public markets given its scale, modest leverage, inventory depth, and projected 2025 EBITDA in line with peers. This is in stark contrast to SilverBow today, which trades at a significant discount to peers and is too levered to pursue growth or return cash to shareholders...management and the Board have pursued their own agenda at the expense of shareholders. Most notable is the introduction of the shareholder rights plan or "Poison Pill" 18 months ago which has...deterred prospective shareholders from investing...Riposte believes the overwhelming majority of shareholders want the Board to seize this opportunity to transform SilverBow for the benefit of all the company's stakeholders".

08:04 EDT Vertex Pharmaceuticals announces FDA clearance of VX-407 IND - Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced that the FDA has cleared the investigational new drug application, or IND, for VX-407, an investigational first-in-class small molecule corrector that targets the underlying cause of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease in patients with a subset of PKD1 genetic variants. ADPKD is the most common inherited kidney disease, with an estimated 250,000 people in the U.S. and Europe living with ADPKD; however, there are no treatments currently available that address the underlying causal biology of the disease.

08:03 EDT Academy Sports board increases quarterly dividend 22% to 11c per share - Subsequent to the end of fiscal 2023, on March 7, 2024, Academy announced its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend with respect to the quarter ended February 3, 2024, of $0.11 per share of common stock. This is a 22% increase from the previous dividend payment. The dividend is payable on April 18, 2024, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 26, 2024. In addition, on March 8, 2024, the Company amended and extended its $1.0 billion ABL credit facility through March 8, 2029.

07:48 EDT Amesite enters five-year partnership with Volunteer State Community College - Amesite announces a five-year partnership with Volunteer State Community College to deliver non degreed AI and technical training programs for industry certification and workforce development.

07:44 EDT Papa John's backs FY24 adjusted operating income view $153M-$163M - The company said, "Papa Johns announced its Back to Better 2.0 growth strategy and international transformation initiatives earlier this year, which include a focus on deepened marketing investments, new franchisee incentives to accelerate North America development and optimizations to transform the brand's international presence. As the Company continues to execute on these initiatives, it remains on track to achieve Adjusted Operating Income1 in 2024 between $153 million and $163 million. Additionally, the Company expects net unit growth for North America to increase more than 20% relative to 2023 net unit openings and anticipates International gross openings to be between 100 and 140 new International restaurants."

07:42 EDT CTO Realty Growth announces acquisition of retail power center in Florida - CTO Realty Growth announced the acquisition of Marketplace at Seminole Towne Center, a 318,000 square foot multi-tenant retail power center in the Sanford submarket of Orlando, Florida for a purchase price of $68.7 million. The purchase price represents a going-in cap rate within the range of the Company's current guidance for initial cash yields."We are pleased to announce the acquisition of Marketplace at Seminole Towne Center, a premier retail destination near our headquarters in Orlando, Florida," said John P. Albright, President and Chief Executive Officer of CTO Realty Growth, Inc. "This dominant, Target shadow-anchored center allows us to increase our exposure to the high-growth Orlando market and existing top tenants such as Ross Dress for Less, TJX Companies, and Burlington. Seminole Towne Center provides a stable income stream and growth potential, and due to its prime location and strong community ties, we see attractive potential upside from below-market rents. We believe we acquired the property below replacement cost and this acquisition aligns with our commitment to expanding our footprint in high-quality, dynamic markets and underscores our dedication to delivering long-term value to our shareholders."

07:40 EDT Smith Douglas Homes sees Q1 new orders at or above 750 homes vs. 664 last year - The company states: "We are currently operating out of 68 active selling communities. We expect our first quarter 2024 net new orders to finish at or above 750 homes compared to 664 in first quarter of 2023 and home closings to finish between 540 and 560 homes compared to 500 closings in the first quarter of 2023. For the full year 2024, we are projecting total home closings between 2,600 and 2,800 homes. We expect our average selling price to range between $340,000 to $345,000 and home closing gross margin to finish between 25.25% to 26.25%, including an approximate 50 basis point impact from purchase accounting related to our Houston acquisition." Comments taken from the company's earnings conference call yesterday.

07:39 EDT nCino's single platform selected by Desjardins - nCino announced that the largest cooperative financial group in North America, Desjardins Group, will implement nCino's Automated Spreading Solution, powered by nCino IQ, expanding their partnership with nCino to further realize the benefits of a single platform. "Desjardins is continuously working to minimize delays and wait times for our members and clients and increase value added interactions by offering innovative digital solutions that meet their needs. Our partnership with nCino has already helped us accelerate the funding process to small businesses. With nCino's spreading solution, we will be able to remain a leader and continue to offer members and clients a seamless user experience," said Jean-Yves Bourgeois, Executive Vice-President of Business Services.

07:38 EDT Theratechnologies starts increased dose level in Phase 1 trial of sudocetaxel - Theratechnologies announced moving to the next dose level in Part 3 of its Phase 1 clinical trial of sudocetaxel zendusortide in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. The study's Medical Review Committee has deemed the dose level in the first cohort of patients safe and has approved initiation of the next cohort with an increased dose, in accordance with the updated dose optimization protocol. Study centers are now actively recruiting patients for the second cohort, with one patient already enrolled and treated with the higher dose. "We are encouraged by the safety and tolerability of the sudocetaxel zendusortide regimen in the first cohort of six patients in Part 3 of the Phase 1 trial," said trial investigator Ira Winer, M.D., Ph.D., FACOG, a member of the Gynecologic Oncology and Phase 1 Clinical Trials Multidisciplinary Teams at Karmanos Cancer Center and Associate Professor of Oncology at Wayne State University. "We will continue to enroll and monitor patients as we further investigate this novel peptide-drug conjugate in individuals with advanced, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, a population with high unmet medical need."

07:33 EDT Absci expects cash to fund operations into 1H27 - Absci expects a gross use of cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments of approximately $80 million for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024. This amount includes the expected costs associated with completing the IND-enabling studies for ABS-101 with a third-party CRO. Absci continues to focus its investments and operations on advancing its internal pipeline of programs, alongside current and future partnered programs, while achieving ongoing platform improvements and operational efficiencies. Based on the company's current plans, Absci believes its existing cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments, including the net proceeds from the recent underwritten offering of common stock, will be sufficient to fund its operations into the first half of 2027.

07:22 EDT Signal Gold initiates strategic process to advance Goldboro Project - Signal Gold has initiated a process with BMO Capital Markets as its financial advisor to evaluate potential strategic alternatives to advance the Goldboro Project. Signal Gold has successfully progressed Goldboro through several technical studies and permitting milestones while significantly growing the mineral resource and demonstrating the growth upside of the Project. The Company received the environmental assessment approval for Goldboro in August 2022. The Company has now submitted all key remaining permit applications, including the Industrial Approval, Fisheries Act Authorization and Schedule 2 Amendment, and the Mining and Crown Land Leases, and remains committed to working to obtain all remaining key Project permits within the next 12 months. As outlined in the Feasibility Study dated January 11, 2022, Goldboro is a robust, high-grade project with significant leverage in an increasing gold price environment. However, in this challenging market environment in which management believes Goldboro's intrinsic value is being substantially discounted, the Company is focused on being capital efficient, with an emphasis on minimizing shareholder dilution and maximizing value. Signal Gold recognizes that a larger, better capitalized, or cash flow generating company could be better positioned to advance or assist in the advancement of Goldboro over the development timeline. The strategic alternatives review could include, among other things, a joint venture transaction, a sale of the Company, the Project, or all the assets of the Company, a merger or other business combination, or another form of strategic transaction. The Company has not made any decisions related to any strategic alternatives at this time and there can be no assurance that the exploration of strategic alternatives will lead to any transaction or any other change or outcome. The Company does not intend to provide announcements or updates unless or until it determines that further disclosure is appropriate or necessary. During this time the Company will continue to focus on value creation through exploration initiatives on the expanded land package and ongoing work to obtain all remaining key Project permits. The Company has engaged BMO Capital Markets to assist in its review of strategic alternatives.

07:21 EDT Tilray announces expansion of Redecan's product portfolio - Tilray Brands announced the expansion of Redecan's product portfolio with the launch of its latest genetics featuring Space Age Cake available in whole flower and its 'Hemp'd' pre-roll collection. Later this Spring, Redecan will debut its new Redees Hemp'd Taster Series and additional new flower.

07:19 EDT U.S. Energy announces extension of $5M share repurchase program - U.S. Energy announced that its Board of Directors has authorized the extension of the previously announced share repurchase program under which the Company may purchase up to $5.0 million of its outstanding shares of common stock in the open market, in accordance with all applicable securities laws and regulations, including Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The repurchase program was originally approved in April 2023, and was to expire on June 30, 2024, which expiration date has now been extended until June 30, 2025. A total of up to approximately $4.2 million remains available under the repurchase program for future repurchases.

07:18 EDT Gyre Therapeutics expands board of directors with appointment of Nussbaum - Gyre Therapeutics announced the appointment of Rodney Nussbaum to the Company's Board of Directors and as a member of its Audit Committee. Nussbaum currently serves as a Managing Executive at Atago Advisory

07:17 EDT DMG Blockchain Solutions provides operational update - DMG Blockchain Solutions announces an operational update: New Mining Capacity: DMG is continuing to progress towards energizing 54 mining containers on its Christina Lake mining facility property. The Company has energized its first four containers and expects to be fully operational in the June quarter to support its new T21 fleet deployment. Miner Deployment Plan: DMG continues to expect that it will be able to deploy all of its ordered 4,550 units of new Bitmain T21 miners in the June 2024 quarter. However, the Company now plans to operate its T21 mining fleet in standard energy mode. As a result, its 4,550 unit T21 fleet is expected to generate 0.86 EH/s with an efficiency of 19 J/TH . This change enables a migration of more of the Company's overall mining fleet to containerized mining, which should result in more consistent hashrate generation, especially through the summer months. New Data Center Site: Regarding DMG's development of a new data center site with access to low-cost reliable renewable energy located in Canada in a province outside of British Columbia, the Company has made its first site visit, has progressed with its deployment plan and continues to work towards executing a binding agreement. Further information will be provided if and when the definitive agreement and regulatory approvals are obtained for this new data center site. DMG also announces it has granted 1,184,430 stock options to employees and directors of the Company. The Options are exercisable for a period of five years at a price of $0.58 per share and will vest as to 25% on each of the six-, 12-, 18- and 24-month anniversaries of the grant date.

07:14 EDT Destination XL announces future growth strategy - The company said, "Our long-range plan is grounded in multiple initiatives designed to meaningfully accelerate the growth trajectory of DXL. There is a substantial opportunity to drive brand awareness, take a greater share of the addressable market, and grow our top line by focusing on the following four growth objectives: Marketing & Brand Building: We have selected new creative and media agencies to develop, build, and execute a campaign that will drive an emotional connection to the DXL brand and drive brand awareness. We are planning a multi-channel campaign and are targeting an early summer multi-market test-launch. We are prepared to invest cautiously in this initiative, with total marketing costs increasing to approximately 7.0%-7.5% of sales in fiscal 2024. With favorable results, we plan to fund our marketing and brand building initiative at greater levels over time. Store Development: While we have stores in every major metro market across the United States, there are geographic voids in certain markets where big + tall consumers are not being served by a DXL store. Our consumer research indicates that 44% of big + tall men reported they do not shop with DXL because a store is not near them, while 35% self-reported that they do not shop with us because a store location is not conveniently near them. This past year we opened three new DXL stores, our first store openings since fiscal 2019. We plan to open an additional eight stores in fiscal 2024, with 15 new stores per year in fiscal 2025 through 2027. We also converted 11 Casual Male stores to DXL this year and expect to convert another five by the end of fiscal 2024. All new store and conversion investments are subject to rigorous ROIC hurdles that are informed by our prior experience. New Website Platform: We are upgrading our website from our legacy infrastructure to a new, modern commerce platform, with various features and functionality launching in the second half of fiscal 2024. We believe this upgrade will provide immediate performance improvements and customer experience benefits by eliminating friction points, optimizing search capability, and enhancing speed and response times. The new platform is engineered by a leading eCommerce technology provider and will position us to respond faster and more effectively to make changes in the future. Alliances & Collaborations: This past year we launched a new collaboration with UNTUCKit and added two more iconic brands to our assortment with Faherty and Hugo Boss, with door expansions planned for all three in fiscal 2024. We believe our heritage of providing a world-class consumer shopping experience makes DXL an ideal partner for collaborations and alliances. We are in the final stages of an agreement with another retailer that will allow us to sell our product through a new retail distribution channel that is aligned with DXL's leading retail consumer experience."

07:13 EDT TELA Bio announces U.S. commercial launch of LIQUIFIX - TELA Bio announced the U.S. launch of LIQUIFIX FIX8 Laparoscopic and LIQUIFIX Precision Open Hernia Mesh Fixation Devices. LIQUIFIX FIX8 is indicated for minimally invasive femoral and inguinal hernia repairs; and LIQUIFIX Precision is indicated for open femoral and inguinal hernia repairs. "Aligned with our mission to prioritize the preservation and restoration of the patient's own anatomy, this novel device is a natural addition to our fast-growing commercial portfolio," said Antony Koblish, President and Chief Executive Officer of TELA Bio. "We're excited to help surgeons across the U.S. advance the future of hernia repair fixation in robotic, laparoscopic, and open cases with this atraumatic approach."

07:11 EDT Immatics sees cash runway into 2027 - Cash and cash equivalents as well as other financial assets total EUR 425.9 million as of December 31, 2023, compared to EUR 362.2 million as of December 31, 2022. The increase is mainly due to upfront payments for collaborations, partly offset by our ongoing research and development activities. This does not include the net proceeds received in January 2024 from the public offering. Adding these proceeds, the company currently projects a cash runway into 2027.

07:09 EDT Laser Photonics in distribution pact with ISL, no terms - Laser Photonics announced that it has entered into a distribution agreement with Incredible Supply & Logistics ISL , an award-winning product distribution, mission kitting, and third-party logistics 3PL company specializing in supporting federal government customers and defense contractors as well as serving the maritime & space communities. "This partnership will increase our customer base and expand our distributor network while equipping an industry-leading supplier with the cutting-edge industrial laser solutions that Government and Defense clients have been demanding," said Wayne Tupuola, CEO of Laser Photonics. "What underlies ISL's success with these demanding, high-dollar niche markets is their uncanny ability to source an entire bill of materials from top to bottom more cost effectively than their competition. No items are too small, too big, too unusual, or too next-generation for them. We are excited to have a new partner working to provide world-class laser systems to a large, critical audience."

07:08 EDT InflaRx announces INF904 development plans - InflaRx has chosen two initial immuno-dermatology indications that it intends to pursue with INF904 via the initiation of a Phase IIa "basket study". These indications initially include CSU and HS, two chronic inflammatory skin conditions in which C5a has been suggested to play a significant role and where a high unmet need exists. In addition, with INF904 being an oral drug with a mechanism of action currently not addressed by other drugs in development for these indications, the company sees a unique opportunity to improve standard of care for patients with these conditions. InflaRx estimates significant market potential for INF904 in these two indications, both estimated as multi-billion-dollar markets. InflaRx is currently conducting additional pre-clinical studies, including chronic toxicology studies, to enable longer-term dosing of INF904. Consistent with previous communications, InflaRx anticipates initiating a Phase IIa study with INF904 before the end of 2024. This open-label Phase IIa study is expected to explore at least three different doses of INF904 for a duration of 4 weeks and to assess pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters in patients, as well as provide safety data and certain early efficacy readouts. Data from this Phase IIa study is expected to be released in 2025. InflaRx expects to initiate a larger and longer-term Phase IIb study in 2025 as well. INF904 for CSU CSU is a debilitating and unpredictable skin disease characterized by intensely itchy hives / wheals and angioedema. The burden of this chronic disease is high and impacts sleep, mental health, quality of life and productivity due to absences from school and work. CSU is estimated to affect around 40 million people worldwide. CSU patients have been reported to show elevated C5a levels, a major activator of mast cells and basophils, which are thought to be significant contributors to CSU pathogenesis. In addition, studies suggest that complement activation (including C5a) in CSU can lead to histamine release. Current treatments are limited, and a significant unmet need exists in a sizable proportion of patients. As an orally available agent with a favorable PK / PD profile that could drive a broad dose range for systemic exposure, INF904 could find a differentiated position in the CSU market. INF904 for HS HS is a chronic, recurrent, debilitating neutrophil-driven inflammatory disease that can persist for years and tremendously impacts quality of life; it is characterized by abscesses, nodules and draining tunnels which can flare and cause scarring. INF904 inhibits the known C5a-induced effects on neutrophil activation and tissue accumulation of immune cells, including generation of tissue damaging mechanisms (enzyme release and oxidative radical formation) as well as induction of NETosis - mechanisms thought to be involved in HS progression and draining tunnel formation. Clinical evidence with existing C5a/C5aR products also supports that blocking this pathway reduces lesion counts. Patients' responses to treatment with approved anti-TNF-alpha or anti-IL17 drugs are known to wane over time in a significant number of cases, and treatments with new mechanisms are needed for these patients. As an orally available agent with a favorable PK / PD profile that could drive a broad dose range for systemic exposure, INF904 could find a differentiated and commercially advantageous place in HS treatment. INF904 as a "pipeline-in-a-product" Given the potential of INF904 to have a broad commercial footprint, InflaRx believes it could address meaningful markets in immuno-dermatology and in immuno-inflammation, including in neurology, nephrology and hematology. While InflaRx intends to focus its resources on its immediate goals with CSU and HS, it also assesses pursuit of these additional areas via potential future collaborations with partners. Immuno-dermatology pipeline focus: Vilobelimab for PG InflaRx's strategy and planning for vilobelimab in PG remain unchanged and its development is currently on track. InflaRx is conducting a multi-national, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pivotal Phase III study with vilobelimab for the treatment of ulcerative PG, a rare, chronic inflammatory form of neutrophilic dermatosis characterized by accumulation of neutrophils in the affected skin areas. The trial study has two arms: vilobelimab plus a low dose of corticosteroids and placebo plus the same low dose of corticosteroids. The primary endpoint of the study is complete closure of the target ulcer at any time up to 26 weeks after initiation of treatment. The study has an adaptive design with an interim analysis blinded for the sponsor and investigators planned upon enrollment of approximately 30 patients. Depending on the results of the interim analysis, the trial sample size will be adapted, or the trial will be terminated due to futility. The enrollment period is projected to be at least two years, depending on the total trial size after sample size adaptation. Vilobelimab has been granted orphan drug designation for the treatment of PG by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the United States and the European Medicines Agency in Europe, as well as fast track designation by the FDA.

07:06 EDT Darden backs FY24 CapEx view approximately $600M - Sees FY24: Total inflation of ~3.0%; An effective tax rate of approximately 12% to 12.5%; New restaurant openings of 50 to 55.

07:04 EDT Darden reports Q3 blended same-restaurant sales decrease of 1% - Q3 same-restaurant sales by segment: Olive Garden (1.8%); LongHorn Steakhouse 2.3%; Fine Dining (2.3%); Other Business (2.6%).

06:54 EDT Kolibri Global Energy updates proved reserves of $483M - Kolibri Global Energy provided results of its December 31, 2023, independent reserves evaluation. Proved Developed Producing reserves grew by 33% as a result of wells drilled and completed last year. Net Present Value of the PDP reserves increased by 11% even as the forecast pricing used in the reserve report decreased compared to the prior year. Proved Reserves of $482.6M decreased by 6% from the December 2022 independent reserves evaluation. This is attributed to the lower forecast pricing as well as the 1 million BOE the company produced in 2023. Proved plus Probable Reserves were $719.2M, a decrease of 1% from the December 31, 2022, estimate. Total Proved Reserves were 32.4 million BOE, a decrease of 3% from the December 31, 2022, estimate. Proved plus Probable Reserves were 54.1 million BOEs, representing no change from the December 31, 2022, estimate.

06:46 EDT Merck: Phase 3 KEYLYNK-006 trial did not meet dual primary endpoints - Merck announced that the Phase 3 KEYLYNK-006 trial evaluating KEYTRUDA, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, in combination with maintenance LYNPARZA, a PARP inhibitor, did not meet its dual primary endpoints of overall survival and progression-free survival for the first-line treatment of certain patients with metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer. In the KEYLYNK-006 trial, KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy followed by KEYTRUDA plus maintenance LYNPARZA did not meet the study's pre-specified statistical criteria for OS or PFS compared to KEYTRUDA in combination with chemotherapy (pemetrexed plus carboplatin or cisplatin) followed by KEYTRUDA plus maintenance chemotherapy. The safety profiles of KEYTRUDA and LYNPARZA in this trial were consistent with those observed in previously reported studies for the individual therapies. A full evaluation of the data from this study is ongoing. Merck will work with investigators to share the results with the scientific community.

06:43 EDT Accenture backs FY24 operating cash flow view $9.3B-$9.9B - For fiscal 2024, the company continues to expect operating cash flow to be in the range of $9.3 billion to $9.9 billion; property and equipment additions to be $600 million; and free cash flow to be in the range of $8.7 billion to $9.3 billion. The company continues to expect to return at least $7.7 billion in cash to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases.

06:13 EDT EU new car registrations up 10.1% in February - In February, the EU car market surged by 10.1% compared to the same month last year, reaching 883,608 units, the ACEA said. Among the four major EU markets, France and Italy grew by double-digits, with Spain and Germany following. In the first two months of this year, car registrations grew by 11.2% to 1.7 million units, the group said. Publicly traded companies in the space include Ford (F), General Motors (GM), Honda (HMC), Mercedes-Benz Group (DDAIF), Nissan (NSANY), Stellantis (STLA), Tesla (TSLA), Toyota (TM) and Volkswagen (VWAGY). Reference Link

05:45 EDT Rocket Lab launches dedicated mission for NRO from Virginia - Rocket Lab launched a dedicated mission for the National Reconnaissance Office, or NRO, from Launch Complex 2 in Wallops, Virginia. The NROL-123 mission, called 'Live and Let Fly', was launched on a Rocket Lab Electron launch vehicle at 03:25 EDT on March 21. The mission was Rocket Lab's first launch for the NRO from the United States after previously launching four NRO missions from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand's Mahia Peninsula. It was also Rocket Lab's fouth mission from Launch Complex 2 within Virginia Spaceport Authority's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport and the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.

05:34 EDT Cognizant, Google Cloud expand partnership - Cognizant (CTSH) and Google Cloud (GOOGL) announced an expansion of their partnership to enhance the software delivery lifecycle and accelerate developer productivity. Cognizant will adopt Gemini for Google Cloud in two ways: first, by training Cognizant associates to use Gemini for software development assistance; and second, Cognizant is integrating Gemini's advanced capabilities within its internal operations and platforms. Using Gemini for Google Cloud, Cognizant's developers will be equipped to write, test, and deploy code faster and more effectively with the help of AI-powered tools, improving the reliability and cost efficiency of building and managing client applications.

05:24 EDT Clarivate to acquire MotionHall, terms undisclosed - Clarivate has announced an agreement to acquire the substantial majority of assets of MotionHall, a Silicon Valley technology start-up company serving the life sciences with industry vertical artificial intelligence, or AI, solutions. The acquisition of the full intellectual property, clients and team from MotionHall enables acceleration of multiple roadmaps, including targeted enhancements to Clarivate Cortellis, market assessments, as well as a new Business Development & Licensing Enterprise Workbench. In the near-term, Clarivate will leverage MotionHall IP to further enhance Cortellis search, as well as scope of data quality and coverage.

05:20 EDT Li Auto cuts Q1 delivery view to 76,000-78,000 vehicles - Li Auto provided an updated delivery outlook for the first quarter. Due to lower-than-expected order intake, the company now expects its vehicle deliveries for Q1 to be between 76,000 and 78,000 vehicles, revised from the previous vehicle delivery outlook of between 100,000 and 103,000 vehicles. "I want to reflect on a couple of the key issues that we faced in March and provide some insights and solutions. First, we want to acknowledge that the operating strategy of Li MEGA was mis-paced. We planned operations of Li MEGA as if the model had already entered the 1-to-10 scaling phase, while in fact, we were still in the nascent 0-to-1 business validation period. Similar to Li ONE and our EREV technologies, Li MEGA and our BEV technologies will also need to undergo this 0-to-1 validation process. Next, we will first focus on our core user group and target cities with stronger purchasing power, recalibrating the Li MEGA strategy back to the 0-to-1 phase. After that, we will expand our reach to a broader user base and more cities. Second, we put excessive emphasis on sales volume and competition, distracting us from what we excel at - creating value for our users and driving operating efficiency. We will lower our delivery expectations and restore sustainable growth by refocusing on enhancing user value instead of competition, while maintaining operating efficiency," commented Xiang Li, chairman and chief executive officer of Li Auto.

05:15 EDT Lufax sees FY24 new loan sales RMB190B-RMB220M - The company said, "For the full year of 2024, the Company expects the new loan sales to be in the range of RMB190 billion to RMB220 billion and the year-end loan balance to be in the range of RMB200 billion to RMB230 billion. These forecasts reflect the Company's current and preliminary views on the market and operational conditions, which are subject to changes."