Stockwinners Market Radar for May 22, 2024 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

19:50 EDT Akanda Corp trading halted, news pending

19:12 EDT First Solar exec Stockdale sells 12,406 common shares - In a regulatory filing, First Solar chief people and communications officer Caroline Stockdale disclosed the sale of 12,406 common shares of the company on May 21 at a price of $205 per share.

18:45 EDT Live Nation falls 8% to $93.00 after Bloomberg report of pending DOJ suit

18:39 EDT US Foods announces passing of Board Chair - US Foods Holding announced that Board Chair, Robert "Bob" Dutkowsky unexpectedly passed away today in his home in Florida at the age of 69. The US Foods Board has appointed David Tehle as Board Chair effective immediately.

18:33 EDT Novonix CFO Nick Liveris to retire - NOVONIX "announced that CFO, Nick Liveris, will retire from his executive role and transition to a non-executive role on NOVONIX's Board of Directors, effective on the appointment of a new CFO. The Company has begun the process of recruiting a new CFO who will work closely with Mr. Liveris to ensure a successful transition of the role. Mr. Liveris has decided to retire from the executive role at NOVONIX to work full time with the Liveris Family Office, through which he will continue to support NOVONIX. Mr. Liveris becoming a Non-Executive Director will allow NOVONIX to retain his experience and knowledge of the Company to support its continued growth."

18:22 EDT Williams-Sonoma CEO: We can perform in any environment - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Laura Alber said Williams-Sonoma is not just a furniture brand. Its customers are shopping because of housing vs. just furniture. "We design our own products which gives us better quality than our competition," she added The company has leaned into "easy updates," she noted.

17:46 EDT Cencora to repurchase $400M in shares from Walgreens Boots Alliance - Cencora (COR) announced that it has agreed to repurchase shares of its common stock from Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) in the amount of approximately $400M in a private transaction.

17:40 EDT Walgreens Boots Alliance sells shares of Cencora for $400M - Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) announced that it has sold shares of Cencora (COR) pursuant to a share repurchase by Cencora in the amount of approximately $400M. With the transaction, Walgreens Boots Alliance's ownership of Cencora's common stock has decreased from approximately 13% to approximately 12%. Proceeds to Walgreens Boots Alliance will be used primarily for debt paydown and general corporate purposes, as the company continues to build out a more capital-efficient health services strategy rooted in its retail pharmacy footprint, to deliver care for communities and create value for partners. The sale has no impact to the long-term partnership between the two companies. Walgreens Boots Alliance remains fully committed to the strategic, mutually beneficial relationship with Cencora, which has been a strong and trusted partner since 2013. COO, International of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Ornella Barra, will continue to serve on Cencora's Board of Directors.

17:31 EDT Jiuzi Holdings receives Nasdaq notification letters - Jiuzi Holdings announced that on May 16, 2024, the Company received a notification letter from the Nasdaq Listing Qualifications Staff of The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC notifying the Company that the minimum bid price per share for its Class A ordinary shares has been below $1.00 for a period of 30 consecutive business days and the Company therefore no longer meets the minimum bid price requirements set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). The notification received has no immediate effect on the listing of the Company's ordinary shares on Nasdaq. Under the Nasdaq Listing Rules, the Company has until November 12, 2024 to regain compliance. If at any time during such 180-day period the closing bid price of the Company's Class A ordinary shares is at least $1 for a minimum of 10 consecutive business days, Nasdaq will provide the Company written confirmation of compliance. If the Company does not regain compliance during such 180-day period, the Company may be eligible for an additional 180 calendar days, provided that the Company meets the continued listing requirement for market value of publicly held shares and all other initial listing standards for Nasdaq except for Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(a)(2), and provide a written notice of its intention to cure this deficiency during the second compliance period, by effecting a reverse stock split, if necessary.

17:13 EDT TNT Sports to sublicense College Football Playoff games from ESPN - ESPN (DIS) and TNT Sports (WBD) have reached a five-year agreement for TNT Sports to sublicense select College Football Playoff , CFP, games from ESPN, beginning with the upcoming college football season. TNT Sports will present two first-round College Football Playoff games during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. In addition to the first-round games, TNT Sports will add two quarterfinal games each year -beginning with the 2026 season through the 2028 season. TNT will be the primary network televising the sublicensed CFP games, among additional TNT Sports distribution platforms. ESPN will present all other College Football Playoff games on its networks including the annual CFP National Championship Game. ESPN will also continue to manage the sponsorship program for the presentation of the CFP. "We're delighted to reach this agreement with ESPN, providing TNT Sports the opportunity to showcase these College Football Playoff games on our platforms for years to come," said Luis Silberwasser, Chairman and CEO, TNT Sports. "TNT Sports aims to delight fans and drive maximum reach and engagement for these marquee games.""ESPN is pleased to sublicense to TNT Sports a select number of early round games of the College Football Playoff, an event we've helped to grow - alongside the CFP - into one of the preeminent championships," said Rosalyn Durant, ESPN executive vice president, programming & acquisitions. "We're confident in the reach and promotion that this new agreement will provide as we enter the new, expanded playoff era." Reference Link

17:12 EDT Profire Energy authorizes $2M share buyback program - Profire Energy approved a share buyback program under which Profire Energy is authorized to repurchase up to $2M of the company's common stock between now and June 30, 2025.

17:01 EDT Progyny approves $100M share repurchase program - Progyny has approved a share repurchase program to repurchase up to $100M of its common stock. This follows the program that was previously announced on February 29. The program will be funded through available cash balances. The program may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

16:56 EDT Sable Offshore CEO buys $1.37M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Sable Offshore disclosed that its CEO James Flores bought 100K shares of common stock on May 20th in a total transaction size of $1.37M. Shares ofSable Offshore are up 1% at $12.87 after-hours.

16:53 EDT Kinder Morgan exec Sanders sells 50,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Kinder Morgan VP Dax Sanders disclosed the sale of 50,000 class P common shares of the company on May 21 at a price of $19.7503 per share.

16:49 EDT DuPont to separate into three independent publicly-traded companies - DuPont announced a plan to separate into three distinct, publicly traded companies. Under the plan, DuPont would execute the proposed separations of its Electronics and Water businesses in a tax-free manner to its shareholders with New DuPont continuing as a premier diversified industrial company following completion of the separations. As independent entities, both Electronics and Water will benefit from increased focus and agility in their respective industries. At separation, each of the three companies will have strong balance sheets, attractive financial profiles and compelling growth opportunities. The overview of the 3 standalone companies is as follows: "New DuPont" will be a premier diversified industrial company powered by deep materials science and application engineering expertise, industry-leading innovation, top-tier manufacturing capabilities, and iconic brands such as Tyvek(R), Kevlar(R) and Nomex(R). New DuPont will have a strong presence in fast-growing healthcare end-markets including applications for biopharma consumables, medical devices, and medical packaging. The company will also be a leading provider of key technologies enabling advanced mobility particularly within electric vehicles. Finally, New DuPont will remain a provider of advanced solutions serving safety, construction, aerospace and other industrial-based end-markets. "Electronics" will be a leading global provider of differentiated electronics materials including key consumables used in semiconductor chip manufacturing, as well as advanced electronic materials enabling reliable signal integrity, power management and thermal management. The company will be well positioned to capture growth in the semiconductor industry, driven by high-performance computing demands from AI, high speed connectivity, smart and autonomous vehicles and the Internet of Things, among other mega-trend growth drivers. "Water" will be a global technology leader with a comprehensive portfolio of water filtration and purification solutions with leading technologies in reverse osmosis, ion exchange and ultrafiltration. Its solutions provide critical components and systems that generate clean and fit-for-purpose water across a variety of market segments including industrial water and energy, life sciences and specialties, municipal and desalination, and residential and commercial.

16:46 EDT Brera Holdings receives noncompliance notice from Nasdaq - Brera Holdings announced that it received a written notification, dated May 16 from Nasdaq notifying the company that it is not in compliance with the periodic financial report filing requirement set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250(c)(1) for continued listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market tier of Nasdaq since the Company had not yet filed its Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023.

16:34 EDT Gulf Resources announces receipt of Nasdaq non-compliance notice - Gulf Resources announced that it received a notice from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market notifying the Company that due to the Company's failure to timely file its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31 with the Securities and Exchange Commission , the Company is not in compliance with Nasdaq's continued listing requirements under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5250 c 1 , which requires the timely filing of all required periodic reports with the SEC.

16:32 EDT Sysco provides three-year targets at investor day - Sysco hosted its 2024 Investor Day at the NYSE to present an update on the company's growth strategy and highlight initiatives. "Today we outlined plans to improve core performance and advance our Recipe for Growth initiatives, helping fuel consistent growth as the leader in the large and growing food-away-from-home market," said Hourican. "These plans include financial growth targets with significant top and bottom-line growth over the next three years to create sustainable long-term value for Sysco stakeholders. No one else can match the breadth and depth of our product range, nor our ability to meet customers' needs through our portfolio of specialty companies, our international market growth and our investments in salesforce and supply chain." Sysco also provided a financial outlook for the next three fiscal years based on the company's new growth algorithm which focuses on delivering sustainable growth, operational excellence and balanced capital return, including: sales growth of 4-6% per year through both organic and inorganic initiatives; adjusted operating income growth of 6-8% per year which includes positive operating leverage; adjusted earnings per share growth of 6%-8% per year and total return to shareholders of 9-11% per year through a growing dividend. The company also announced at the event the launch of Sysco Marketplace, a new offering that enables third-party suppliers to sell products on Sysco's digital shopping platform, Shop, and ship products directly to Sysco customers.

16:30 EDT Verint wins $4M contract to increase CX automation for top five U.S. bank - Verint announced that a top five U.S. bank chose the Verint Open Platform to increase CX automation in their contact center. Verint was awarded a multi-year contract for $4M for multiple Verint Open Platform applications across 5,000 agents. The bank has 40,000 agents overall in their contact centers across multiple business units, and the awarded contract covers one-eighth of their workforce, with a fully negotiated option in the contract to expand. In addition, Verint and the bank are discussing potential deployment of several AI-powered bots which are not included in the existing contract scope. "We are pleased to be selected by one of the top five U.S. banks to modernize their contact centers. We are uniquely positioned to help large brands increase CX automation at their own pace with our differentiated open platform," says Verint's Dan Bodner, chairman and chief executive officer. "We look forward to working with the bank to increase adoption across their workforce and expand the use of the Verint Platform with AI-powered bots to drive significant AI business outcomes."

16:23 EDT Nvidia cash dividend raised 150%, announces ten-for-one forward stock split - NVIDIA announced a ten-for-one forward stock split of NVIDIA's issued common stock to make stock ownership more accessible to employees and investors. The split will be effected through an amendment to NVIDIA's Restated Certificate of Incorporation, which will result in a proportionate increase in the number of shares of authorized common stock. Each record holder of common stock as of the close of market on Thursday, June 6, 2024, will receive nine additional shares of common stock, to be distributed after the close of market on Friday, June 7. Trading is expected to commence on a split-adjusted basis at market open on Monday, June 10. NVIDIA is increasing its quarterly cash dividend by 150% from 4c per share to 10c per share of common stock. The increased dividend is equivalent to 1c per share on a post-split basis and will be paid on Friday, June 28 to all shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 11.

16:22 EDT Crescent Energy receives 'positive' ratings from S&P, Fitch on SilverBow deal - Crescent Energy (CRGY) announced that S&P Global Ratings and Fitch Ratings, Inc. have taken positive ratings actions on Crescent, pending the closing of the previously announced acquisition of SilverBow Resources (SBOW) on May 16, 2024. In addition, Moody's Ratings reaffirmed its stable outlook. In their releases, the agencies recognized the transaction's compelling strategic and financial rationale, citing potential for improved scale with complementary Eagle Ford assets, stable free cash flow generation and balance sheet strength, Crescent said.

16:20 EDT Morningstar names Rod Diefendorf as COO of PitchBook - Morningstar announced that Rod Diefendorf will be appointed the next leader of PitchBook as President and Chief Operating Officer, reporting to Morningstar CEO Kunal Kapoor. This appointment comes after PitchBook founder John Gabbert announced his plans to depart. Diefendorf has been COO of PitchBook since 2016 and has nearly 30 years of experience driving growth and increasing shareholder value at startups and large corporations in the technology sector.

16:18 EDT Equitable Holdings raises quarterly dividend by 9% to 24c per share - The dividend on the common stock will be payable June 10, 2024, to shareholders of record at the close of business on June 3, 2024.

16:17 EDT Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin receives NoI to award Region 5 contract - Molina Healthcare announced that the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) intends to make an award for the purchase of services in its Geographic Service Region 5 to Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin. The go-live date is expected to be January 1, 2025, and the contract is expected to have a duration of two years, with an option for three, two-year extensions. Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin will offer the program benefits under the brand name, My Choice Wisconsin, and currently serves approximately 5,600 members in both the Family Care and Family Care Partnership program. Wisconsin currently has approximately 55,000 total members enrolled in the Family Care and Family Care Partnership program.

16:16 EDT Western New England Bancorp announces new 1M shares repurchase p[lan - Western New England Bancorp announced that on May 21, the Board of Directors authorized a new stock repurchase plan pursuant to which the company may repurchase up to 1M shares, or approximately 4.6%, of the company's outstanding shares of common stock, upon the completion of the 2022 Plan.

16:15 EDT Heritage Insurance announces approved 3.3% decrease for Florida insurance - Heritage Insurance announced that the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has approved a 3.3% rate decrease for its Florida homeowner's business. This new rate will become effective for both new and renewal policies starting August 20. This rate decrease is reflective of the impacts of the Florida legislative changes which eliminated one-way attorney fees and reduced other abusive claims practices, improving loss trends, and the stabilization of the reinsurance market.

16:14 EDT News Corp, OpenAI sign multi-year global partnership pact - News Corp (NWS) and Microsoft-backed (MSFT) OpenAI announced a historic, multi-year agreement to bring News Corp news content to OpenAI. Through this partnership, OpenAI has permission to display content from News Corp mastheads in response to user questions and to enhance its products, with the ultimate objective of providing people the ability to make informed choices based on reliable information and news sources. OpenAI will receive access to current and archived content from News Corp's major news and information publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, MarketWatch, Investor's Business Daily, FN, and New York Post; The Times, The Sunday Times and The Sun; The Australian, news.com.au, The Daily Telegraph, The Courier Mail, The Advertiser, and Herald Sun; and others. The partnership does not include access to content from any of News Corp's other businesses. In addition to providing content, News Corp will share journalistic expertise to help ensure the highest journalism standards are present across OpenAI's offering. "We believe an historic agreement will set new standards for veracity, for virtue and for value in the digital age," said Robert Thomson, Chief Executive of News Corp. "We are delighted to have found principled partners in Sam Altman and his trusty, talented team who understand the commercial and social significance of journalists and journalism. This landmark accord is not an end, but the beginning of a beautiful friendship in which we are jointly committed to creating and delivering insight and integrity instantaneously."

16:13 EDT Snowflake jumps 8% to $175.99 after Q1 results

16:12 EDT Cohu announces multi-year $100M win for test automation, inspection systems - Cohu announced that a leading European electronics and semiconductor manufacturer selected Cohu's test and inspection automation systems representing an estimated $100 million revenue opportunity over the next 5 years. In this benchmark award, certain Cohu products were requalified while Cohu also secured a first design-win for its Krypton next generation semiconductor inspection platform. Krypton is Cohu's new inspection and metrology platform targeting the growing quality demands for automotive and industrial markets. Based on its unique racetrack architecture combined with Cohu's sophisticated NV-Core vision technology, it delivers state-of-the-art inspection with up to 30% higher throughput and uptime compared to existing solutions. "We are excited to continue to evolve and expand in semiconductor test and inspection, and this latest win reinforces the company's leading position and commitment to our customers," commented Luis Muller, Cohu President and CEO. "We are happy to introduce Cohu's new Krypton inspection platform, expanding our portfolio in a key strategic growth area."

16:11 EDT Snowflake falls 9% to $141.71 after Q1 earnings miss and guidance

16:10 EDT Amneal starts supplying OTC Naloxone HCI Nasal Spray to U.S. retail, California - Amneal Pharmaceuticals announced that it has begun supplying its over-the-counter Naloxone Hydrochloride Nasal Spray, USP, 4mg to U.S. retail pharmacies and the State of California. The product is now available for direct distribution to states and municipalities across the U.S. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Amneal's Naloxone HCI Nasal Spray in April 2024. Amneal's Naloxone HCI Nasal Spray is a generic equivalent to OTC NARCAN HCI Nasal Spray, a medication widely used to help treat opioid drug overdoses. The Company also entered into a distribution agreement with California to provide Naloxone HCI Nasal Spray through the CalRx Naloxone Access Initiative. Amneal expects to have capacity to produce approximately ten million two-packs annually at its New Jersey manufacturing facility, starting in 2025. "Amneal is an industry leader in complex generics with the ability to develop, manufacture and commercialize high-quality medicines that are affordable and accessible. The widespread availability of OTC naloxone will be a critical tool in the fight against the ongoing opioid epidemic. Amneal is proud to be part of the solution," said Andy Boyer, Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer - Generics.

16:09 EDT VF Corp. names Paul Vogel CFO - VF Corporation announced the appointment of Paul Vogel as Chief Financial Officer, effective July 8, 2024. He will succeed Matt Puckett, who as previously announced, will be stepping down. "We're excited to welcome Paul to VF and look forward to his contributions to our leadership team as we reset the VF business and ignite growth across our brand portfolio," said Bracken Darrell, VF's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Paul's extensive operational and financial expertise at a global, consumer-oriented company, and his deep knowledge of finance and the capital markets, will be valuable as we continue to strengthen VF's financial positioning and drive the Company's return to profitable growth."

16:06 EDT Cytokinetics and Royalty Pharma expand funding deal up to $575M - Cytokinetics (CYTK) and Royalty Pharma (RPRX) announced they have entered into a strategic funding collaboration providing capital to support the commercialization of aficamten and advance the company's expanding cardiovascular pipeline while diversifying access to capital as the company advances its muscle biology-directed specialty cardiology business."We have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Royalty Pharma and this expanded strategic collaboration reinforces our shared conviction in the value of our cardiac myosin focused pipeline of drug candidates," said Robert I. Blum, Cytokinetics' President and Chief Executive Officer. "This diversified access to capital from a trusted partner supports our launch of aficamten while also fortifying our capital structure and lowering our cost of capital as we become a sustainable company. We believe this deal delivers on stated objectives of advancing our later-stage portfolio of potential medicines alongside our goal of increasing shareholder value." The transaction includes funding for planned commercialization, development funding, royalty restructuring and revenue sharing and the purchase of Cytokinetics equity, together, affording Cytokinetics $250M closing and up to a total of $575M to support the company's further maturation and corporate development.

15:33 EDT Google Pay debuts features for security, conveniences, 'smart spending tools' - Google (GOOG,GOOGL) is adding a feature that allow users to see shopping rewards and savings options saved credit cards as you check out using Google Pay. According to Shonan Shah, Group Product Manager, Google Pay: "Shoppers tell us the three things they care about most when checking out online are security, convenience and access to smart spending tools... we're introducing three new Google Pay features that tick those boxes, giving you a safer and more helpful checkout experience.Easily see your card benefits Many credit cards offer shopping rewards and savings...Google Pay will show your card benefits at checkout to make that decision much easier. Starting on Wednesday, American Express (AXP), and Capital One (COF) cardholders checking out on Chrome desktop will see select benefits for specific cards in the autofill drop-down, helping you pick the card that'll get you the most value. We plan to expand this to more cards in the future....Buy now, pay later" is becoming an increasingly popular payment option. Earlier in 2024 the company "started piloting a way to show buy now, pay later options, including Affirm (AFRM) and Zip - when checking out online with Google Pay...Buy now, pay later" is becoming an increasingly popular payment option. Other publicly traded companies in the space Masterpass - Mastercard (MA), Apple Pay (AAPL) and Coinbase Wallet (COIN). Reference Link

14:01 EDT North American rail traffic up 1.6% for the week ending May 18 - The Association of American Railroads or AAR, reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending May 18. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 474,886 carloads and intermodal units, up 0.9% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending May 18 were 214,092 carloads, down 4.8% compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 260,794 containers and trailers, up 6.2% compared to 2023. Five of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included grain, up 2,004 carloads, to 19,917; petroleum and petroleum products, up 1,007 carloads, to 10,330; and chemicals, up 714 carloads, to 32,294. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 12,113 carloads, to 50,520; metallic ores and metals, down 1,872 carloads, to 20,570; and nonmetallic minerals, down 1,137 carloads, to 31,798....North American rail volume for the week ending May 18, on 10 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 323,396 carloads, down 1.4% compared with the same week last year, and 346,036 intermodal units, up 4.5% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 669,432 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.6% North American rail volume for the first 20 weeks of 2024 was 13,150,619 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.1% compared with 2023. Publicly traded companies in the space include CSX (CSX), Canadian National (CNI), Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP), Norfolk Southern (NSC), Union Pacific (UNP), Rail Vision (RVSN), Greenbrier (GBX), FreightCar America (RAIL) and Trinity Industries (TRN). Reference Link

13:44 EDT Petrobras to end more refinery sales under deal with CADE - Petrobras, in continuity to the Material Fact disclosed on May 20, 2024, informs that the Administrative Council for Economic Defense, or CADE, decided in favor of renegotiating the Term of Cessation Commitment, or TCC, for Gas, signed on July 8, 2019, which was also approved today by the company's board of directors. Petrobras stated in a notice to the market: "In summary, through TCC Gas, Petrobras singed a commitment with CADE to sell, by means of a competitive process governed by Petrobras' Asset and Company Divestment System, its entire equity stake in companies Nova Transportadora do Sudeste S/A- NTS, Transportadora Associada de Gas S.A. - TAG, Transportadora Brasileira Gasoduto Bolivia-Brasil S.A - TBG, as well as its indirect equity stake in Petrobras Gas S.A. - GASPETRO. Petrobras had been complying with the commitments agreed in TCC Gas, which was only pending the sale of company TBG, a divestment that faced obstacles during its execution... Since the signing of TCC Gas, no significant economic, legal and regulatory changes have occurred in the domestic natural gas market to justify the need for Petrobras to re-assess the business model of the projects to be divested in the Natural Gas segment. The New Gas Law, which came into effect after the TCC was signed, exempts companies that were already vertically integrated prior to its enactment, which applies to TBG, from the obligation to de-verticalize, so long as these companies comply with the independence and autonomy requirements to be regulated by the ANP... In view of the above, the Executive Board of Petrobras removed TBG from the divestment portfolio. The validity of the terms agreed in the Addendum to TCC Gas coincides with the independence certificate issued for TBG, or until March 4, 2039, the deadline established in article 5, paragraph 4, of the New Gas Law, which set this deadline as the limit for the deverticalization of transport companies. The amendment reflects Petrobras' respect for the antitrust authority and the agreements signed, thus preserving the country's business environment. Any facts deemed relevant to this matter will be timely disclosed to the market." Reference Link

13:25 EDT LVMH announces extended partnership in China with Alibaba - LVMH Group (LVMH) announced an extended partnership to push further the boundary of luxury experience in China, leveraging Alibaba's (BABA) cloud technologies, through AI-powered innovations in retail and on-line with Tmall. The deepened partnership is a strong commitment to the shared dedication of the two companies to pioneering retail innovation and delivering exceptional, tech-driven luxury experiences, that will enable LVMH to increase its Omnichannel, Data and Tech presence in China, LVMH said in a statement. Stephane Bianchi, Group Managing Director of LVMH, said: "Alibaba is already a key partner for our Maisons and for the Group.The reinforcement of our partnership will help us to further accelerate our omni-channel business growth, and to keep on leveraging the transformative capabilities of cloud and AI technologies, along with Alibaba's world-leading expertise in ecommerce operations. Our forward-looking collaboration will deliver unparalleled experiences to our clients throughout their high-end shopping journey." In its pursuit of relentless innovation, LVMH has begun integrating Alibaba Cloud's generative AI capabilities, including Qwen, Alibaba's proprietary large language model, and Model Studio, a comprehensive AI model building platform.

13:20 EDT Petrobras trading resumes

12:40 EDT Ecopetrol reports opening of probe by Superintendency of Industry and Commerce - Ecopetrol S.A. reports that between May 3, 2024 and May 9, 2024, the company and its subsidiaries, Cenit Transporte y Logistica de Hidrocarburos S.A.S. and Oleoducto Central S.A. were notified of Resolution No. 20884 of April 26, 2024, through which the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce opened an investigation and formulated charges to determine alleged infringements to the laws on protection of free economic competition. Prior to compliance with this obligation, Ecopetrol and its subsidiaries will respond to the charges in accordance with due process, during the time established for such purposes.

12:07 EDT Bentley Systems down 7% after Schneider Electric announces deal talks ended - Earlier, Schneider Electric (SBGSY) announced that, as stated in its press release dated April 19, the company was holding discussions with Bentley Systems (BSY) with regards to a potential strategic transaction. "Those discussions are now mutually terminated and no transaction was agreed upon. Schneider Electric remains focused on its consistent capital allocation priorities. Regarding inorganic development, the Group maintains that it will remain agile and opportunistic. However, the Group reiterates the need for a disciplined approach to value creation for stakeholders in any potential strategic transaction. The Group will not provide further details regarding the preliminary discussions or proposed transaction," the company stated. In midday trading following the announcement, Bentley shares have fallen $3.97, or 7%, to $52.75. Reference Link

12:03 EDT Bloom Energy rises 17.0% - Bloom Energy is up 17.0%, or $2.56 to $17.70.

12:01 EDT Hovnanian falls -13.4% - Hovnanian is down -13.4%, or -$22.60 to $146.50.

12:00 EDT Euronav NV falls -21.9% - Euronav NV is down -21.9%, or -$4.55 to $16.25.

11:26 EDT Park Aerospace reports storm damage to Newton, Kansas manufacturing plant - Park Aerospace reported that, on Sunday, May 19, at approximately 8:00 pm local time, the company's Newton, Kansas manufacturing facilities were damaged by a strong storm which transitioned the area. "None of the company's manufacturing lines or equipment were damaged by the storm. Although the building structures are secure, it is likely that the roofs on all three buildings in the company's Newton, Kansas campus will ultimately need to be replaced. Also, multiple specialty HVAC units were damaged or destroyed. These specialty HVAC units are necessary to control the temperature and humidity in certain of the manufacturing rooms and the production and R&D laboratories, which is required by certain specifications and certifications the company is subject to. The company is currently working with multiple contractors on site in order to fully assess the damage and the remediation options. Although the company is still in the process of assessing the situation, the company believes the film and tape lines located in the recently completed factory expansion will be brought back on line this week, the film and tape lines in the original factory will be brought back on line next week and the 'solution' treater lines will be returned to service the following week, at which point all manufacturing lines will have fully returned to service. The company plans to employ certain temporary measures in order to return its manufacturing lines to full service as soon as possible, including the use of temporary HVAC equipment, but it will take the company a number of months to permanently repair or replace all of the damaged facilities and infrastructure equipment. At this time, the company does not have an estimate of the costs of the repairs and final remediation. The company does not expect to lose any business or sales as a result of the storm damage, but an unknown amount of sales will slip from the company's FY2025 Q1, which ends June 2, 2024, to the company's FY2025 Q2. The company may be able to provide additional information about the amount of sales which will slip from FY2025 Q1 to FY2025 Q2 during the company's FY2024 Q4 investor call next week," Park stated. Brian Shore, Park's Chairman and CEO, said, "For those of you who know Park and our People, you will not be surprised to hear that our People are doing an outstanding job of dealing with this unexpected challenge. No complaining. No whining. Just sucking it up and relentlessly attacking the challenges as our People always do. That is how our People do it. Also, the most important thing I am very pleased to tell you is that none of our Park employees or their family members were injured by the storm."

11:19 EDT Jacobs selected by UK Atomic Energy Authority for EDS framework - Jacobs was selected by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority for its multi-supplier Engineering Design Services framework. Jacobs has been appointed to all capability areas on the four-year framework, valued at up to $11.25M, which supports the development of a U.K. industrial supply chain capability by allowing the companies to work closely with UKAEA as it undertakes fusion energy research.

11:15 EDT TJX still sees FY25 gross margin 30%-30.1%

11:06 EDT SunPower adds Tesla Powerwall 3 to portfolio - SunPower (SPWR) earlier today announced it will now be offering Tesla (TSLA) Powerwall 3 as part of its portfolio of solar and storage products. "Homeowners are increasingly turning to battery storage to protect themselves against ongoing utility rate hikes and grid outages. We witnessed record-breaking battery storage sales in 2024 and see a future where almost all solar systems are paired with storage. Pairing Tesla Powerwall 3 with our industry-leading SunPower Equinox solar system was a natural progression in offering homeowners the best products on the market," said Shawn Fitzgerald, SVP Corporate Development and Product Strategy at SunPower.

11:03 EDT Hyundai Motor, Plus collaborate on autonomous fuel cell electric truck - Hyundai Motor Company and Plus unveiled the first Level 4 autonomous Class 8 hydrogen fuel cell electric truck in the U.S. at the Advanced Clean Transportation Expo, the largest advanced clean transportation technology and fleet event in North America. A result of the collaboration between Hyundai Motor and Plus, Hyundai Motor's XCIENT Fuel Cell truck, equipped with Plus SuperDrive Level 4 autonomous driving technology, is on display at the Plus ACT Expo booth. The Level 4 autonomous XCIENT Fuel Cell truck is undergoing initial autonomous driving assessments in the U.S., making it the first-ever Level 4 self-driving test on a Class 8 fuel cell electric truck to take place in the country. The collaboration seeks to show that autonomous hydrogen fuel cell trucks can help make trucking safer, more efficient, and more sustainable.

10:14 EDT Crown Castle says shareholders have elected all 12 of the company's nominees - Crown Castle announced that, based on preliminary information from the Company's proxy solicitor, Crown Castle's entire slate of 12 nominees has been elected to the Company's Board of Directors at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The Company issued the following statement: "We thank our shareholders for the trust they have placed in our highly qualified board members as they oversee the creation of a stronger, more valuable Crown Castle. Along with our new CEO, Steven Moskowitz, the board continues to take action, including conducting the strategic and operational review of our fiber and small cell business already underway, to improve performance and unlock shareholder value."

10:08 EDT Charter: Buybacks 'last item' in capital allocation equation - Says that while shares are very attractive at current levels, buybacks are currently the "last item" in the capital allocation equation. Comments taken from JPMorgan Global Technology, Media, and Communications Conference.

10:03 EDT Euronav NV falls -21.0% - Euronav NV is down -21.0%, or -$4.37 to $16.45.

10:02 EDT Williams-Sonoma rises 9.1% - Williams-Sonoma is up 9.1%, or $28.68 to $343.06.

10:01 EDT Bloom Energy rises 10.5% - Bloom Energy is up 10.5%, or $1.59 to $16.72.

09:54 EDT Philip Morris acquires 14.7% stake in Egypt-based Eastern Company - Philip Morris announced the acquisition of a minority indirect 14.7% stake in Egypt-based Eastern Company, Egypt's largest cigarette manufacturer. s part of this acquisition, Philip Morris and Eastern seek to explore, on a non-exclusive basis, "potential strategic areas for mutual long-term collaboration, in the fields of technology, manufacturing, and innovation, including heated tobacco products, paving the way to a path towards a smoke free future in Egypt."

09:51 EDT Modine Manufacturing falls -11.2% - Modine Manufacturing is down -11.2%, or -$11.37 to $90.10.

09:49 EDT Daqo New Energy rises 7.1% - Daqo New Energy is up 7.1%, or $1.36 to $20.47.

09:47 EDT Topgolf Callaway names Maryam Morse as Chief People Officer - Topgolf announced that Maryam Morse has been named its new Chief People Officer beginning May 27. Morse joins the company from Andrews Distributing where she served as the Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Communications since 2018. In her new role, Morse will oversee recruitment and retention, leadership development, training and compliance, the Playmaker experience and Topgolf's internal mental well-being platform. She will be a part of the Executive Leadership Team reporting to Topgolf CEO Artie Starrs.

09:42 EDT Neonode signs first license agreement for TSM technology - Neonode is pleased to announce the first license agreement for its Touch Sensor Module technology following the decision in December 2023 to transform its TSM business to a licensing business model. YesAR has selected the Neonode TSM technology for the development and manufacturing of holographic infotainment solutions. The agreement includes an upfront technology access fee and future royalties. To further strengthen its offering, YesAR, a Chinese pioneer in the development of holographic display technology and a provider of a new generation of intelligent display and interactive systems, will license the Neonode Touch Sensor Module technology to develop and build holographic infotainment solutions for its customers in the automotive and elevator sectors, as well as in other market segments.

09:30 EDT Vicinity Motor announces VMC 1200 truck completes safety standards testing - Vicinity Motor announced the VMC 1200 all-electric truck has completed and met all applicable United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards testing required for United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration self-certification, which permits sales in the US. In the United States, the NHTSA issues and enforces FMVSS for vehicles that are manufactured domestically or imported. FMVSS identifies mandatory safety performance requirements for vehicles and motor vehicle equipment. The Vehicle Safety Act requires that vehicles be certified to comply and requires the manufacturer to certify the vehicle as compliant . In addition, the Class 3 VMC 1200 has also completed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Vehicle Certification and Compliance Testing to confirm compliance with the EPA's emissions standards to verify the accuracy of fuel economy test results. The all electric VMC 1200 was documented by the EPA with 57 MPGe in urban duty cycle testing. Vicinity also expects to receive certification from the California Air Resources Board as a zero-emission vehicle in the state of California, The certification is awarded to vehicle manufacturers who meet specific emissions standards in compliance with CARB regulations. Once CARB certification is secured, Vicinity will initiate measures to participate in California's HVIP incentive program which provides incentives reducing the purchase cost of commercial electric vehicles.

09:25 EDT BHP announces 'increased and final' offer ratio for Anglo American - BHP Group Ltd (BHP) notes the announcement by Anglo American plc (NGLOY) regarding the extension of the deadline for a BHP proposal. In a notice to the London Stock Exchange, BHP stated: "As stated in Anglo American's announcement of 24 April 2024, BHP was required to either announce a firm intention to make an offer for Anglo American or announce that it does not intend to make an offer by 5.00 p.m. (BST) on 22 May 2024. As set out in the Extension Announcement, the Board of Anglo American requested an extension of the deadline under Rule 2.6(c) of the UK Code with the consent of the UK Panel on Takeovers and Mergers. BHP confirms that on 20 May 2024 it submitted an increased and final offer ratio to the Board of Directors of Anglo American as part of its proposal for a potential combination with Anglo American to be effected by way of a scheme of arrangement. In putting forward the Final1 Offer Ratio, BHP has been guided by its capital allocation framework and its view of the fundamental value of Anglo American and BHP... Under the terms of the revised proposal, ordinary shareholders of Anglo American would receive: 0.8860 BHP shares for each ordinary share they own in Anglo American (BHP Share Consideration), which represents Anglo American shareholders owning, in aggregate, approximately 17.8% of the combined BHP and Anglo American group on completion of the potential combination (the Final1 Offer Ratio); and ordinary shares in Anglo Platinum and Kumba (which would be distributed by Anglo American to its shareholders in direct proportion to each shareholder's effective interest in Anglo Platinum and Kumba). The Final Offer Ratio represents a total value of GBP 31.11 per Anglo American share based on the closing share prices of BHP as at 22 May 2024 and Anglo Platinum and Kumba as at 21 May 2024. The Final Offer Ratio will not be increased, except that BHP reserves the right to increase and/or otherwise improve the Final Offer Ratio if (i) there is an announcement on or after the date of this announcement of an offer or possible offer (including a partial offer) for Anglo American by a third party offeror(s) or potential offeror(s) (whether identified or not), (ii) the Board of Anglo American announces that it recommends or is minded to recommend an offer on better terms than the Final Offer Ratio or (iii) the Takeover Panel otherwise provides its consent... BHP is committed to a combination that leverages the best of both BHP and Anglo American and intends to offer Anglo American up to two positions on the Board of the combined entity. BHP will work closely and constructively with competition regulators and provide the information they need to assess the potential transaction. BHP is confident that it can obtain all required regulatory approvals and consummate a transaction that benefits customers globally. The revised proposal is non-binding and subject to customary conditions including completion of due diligence to the satisfaction of BHP. Anglo American has been offered reciprocal due diligence on BHP."

09:20 EDT CFPB says buy now, pay later lenders must provide legal protections - The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued an interpretive rule that confirms that buy now, pay later lenders are credit card providers. Accordingly, such lenders must provide consumers some key legal protections and rights that apply to conventional credit cards, the agency said in a statement. These include a right to dispute charges and demand a refund from the lender after returning a product purchased with a buy now, pay later loan. Publicly traded buy now, pay later providers include Affirm (AFRM), Block's (SQ) Afterpay and PayPal (PYPL). Reference Link

09:13 EDT Protagenic announces safety data set from single-dose portion of Phase 1 trial - Protagenic Therapeutics announced the complete safety data set from the single dose portion of its Phase 1 trial involving PT00114, its synthesized version of a natural stress-regulating brain peptide. The trial, which included 30 subjects across five cohorts receiving doses up to 1,000 micrograms, reported zero clinically-relevant adverse events. PT00114 targets stress reduction, which is increasingly recognized as the root cause of major psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and addiction. Emerging evidence also suggests that stress may be a significant contributor to obesity. By addressing the stress-chemical cascade, PT00114 has the potential to offer a novel approach to treating these conditions. "The exceptional safety results from the single dose portion of the Phase I trial are highly encouraging," commented Dr. Robert B. Stein, Chief Medical Officer. "We are eager to begin the multiple ascending dose portion later this year, since PT00114 shows promise to revolutionize treatment for a wide range of stress-related disorders."

09:11 EDT Diana Shipping announces results of 2024 Annual Meeting - Diana Shipping announced that the Company's Annual Meeting of Shareholders was duly held on May 21, 2024, in a virtual format only via the Internet. Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. acted as inspector of the Meeting. At the Meeting, each of the following proposals, which are set forth in more detail in the Notice of Annual Meeting of Shareholders and the Company's Proxy Statement sent to shareholders on or around April 10, 2024, was approved and adopted: The election of four Class I Directors of the Company, to serve until the Company's 2027 Annual Meeting of Shareholders; and The appointment of Deloitte Certified Public Accountants S.A. as the Company's independent auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024.

09:10 EDT Sage Group confirms net-zero targets validated by SBTi - Sage confirmed its net-zero targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. Sage's net-zero targets span all three emission scopes, aiming to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by 2040. As of the issuing of this press release, there were just over 3100 companies globally with an approved net-zero target, making Sage an early responder in business' fight against climate change. To achieve its net-zero goals, Sage has already committed to a 50% reduction in Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 2030 against a 2019 baseline, in line with the goals of the Paris agreement of 2015 - these near-term targets were approved by SBTi in 2023.

09:09 EDT Volkswagen delaying introduction of ID.7 sedan in U.S. and Canada - Volkswagen stated in a media advisory: "Volkswagen is committed to making market-driven choices while listening to our customers. As market dynamics continue to change, Volkswagen is delaying the introduction of the ID.7 sedan in the U.S. and Canada. In Europe, the ID.7 has been on sale since 2023 and has become an industry standard, winning various international awards and comparison tests. After the introduction of the ID.7 Tourer, customer demand for the models is higher than expected, especially in Germany. In North America, the brand experienced strong sales in Q1, with 27.5% growth, driven by its SUV segment. We remain committed to electric mobility-this year we have enhanced the range and performance on our all-electric 2024 ID.4 SUV, and we are thrilled to welcome the iconic Microbus back into our lineup with the arrival of the 2025 ID. Buzz in Q4." Reference Link

09:07 EDT Samsara, Carahsoft partner to bring public fleet solutions to public sector - Samsara and Carahsoft Technology announced a partnership. Under the agreement, Carahsoft will serve as Samsara's Master Government Aggregator, making Samsara's technology solutions available to the Public Sector through Carahsoft's reseller partners and National Association of State Procurement Officials, NASPO, ValuePoint and OMNIA Partners contracts. "Public Sector fleet managers are responsible for keeping our streets clean, public transportation running and our communities safe. Digital transformation through AI and real-time data has become critical for these organizations to elevate citizen services and maximize taxpayer dollars," said Lara Caimi, President of Worldwide Field Operations at Samsara. "Partnering with Carahsoft will bring Samsara's Public Sector distribution to the next level and extend the reach of our Connected Operations Cloud across Government agencies. We're looking forward to maximizing value and enhancing operational efficiency for our customers."

09:05 EDT LegalZoom announces increase to its existing share repurchase authorization - LegalZoom.com announced that its Board of Directors has authorized an increase of $75M to the Company's existing stock repurchase program, bringing the aggregate amount authorized to $175M. As of May 21, 2024, the Company has repurchased approximately 5.9 million shares of its common stock under the program at an average price of $10.10 per share for approximately $59M, leaving approximately $116M available under the repurchase authorization.

09:05 EDT SEC charges IntercontinentalExchange with failing to inform of cyber intrusion - The Securities and Exchange Commission announced that The Intercontinental Exchange agreed to pay a $10M penalty to settle charges that it caused the failure of nine wholly-owned subsidiaries, including the New York Stock Exchange, to timely inform the SEC of a cyber intrusion as required by Regulation Systems Compliance and Integrity. "The respondents in today's enforcement action include the world's largest stock exchange and a number of other prominent intermediaries that, given their roles in our markets, are subject to strict reporting requirements when they experience cyber events. Under Reg SCI, they have to immediately notify the SEC of cyber intrusions into relevant systems that they cannot reasonably estimate to be de miminis events right away. The reasoning behind the rule is simple: if the SEC receives multiple reports across a number of these types of entities, then it can take swift steps to protect markets and investors. Here, the respondents subject to Reg SCI failed to notify the SEC of the intrusion at issue as required. Rather, it was Commission staff that contacted the respondents in the process of assessing reports of similar cyber vulnerabilities. As alleged in the order, they instead took four days to assess its impact and internally conclude it was a de minimis event. When it comes to cybersecurity, especially events at critical market intermediaries, every second counts and four days can be an eternity. Today's order and penalty not only reflect the seriousness of the respondents' violations, but also that several of them have been the subject of a number of prior SEC enforcement actions, including for violations of Reg SCI," said Gurbir Grewal, Director of the SEC's Division of Enforcement. Reference Link

09:05 EDT T2 Biosystems regains compliance with Nasdaq continued listing rules - T2 Biosystems received written notice from the Nasdaq Stock Market on May 21, 2024 informing the Company that it has regained compliance with the market value of listed securities requirement, as set forth in Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(2) for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. On November 22, 2023, the Company received written notice from Nasdaq informing the Company that Nasdaq had determined to delist the Company, as it was not in compliance with the Nasdaq's MVLS requirement because it failed to maintain a MVLS of at least $35 million for a period of 30 consecutive business days. On February 15, 2024, the Company appealed to the Nasdaq Hearings Panel for an exception to the MVLS requirement through May 20, 2024. On March 11, 2024, the Company received notice from the Nasdaq Hearings Panel that it had granted the Company an exception to the Nasdaq requirements, subject to the Company demonstrating compliance with the Rule on or before May 20, 2024. To regain compliance with the Rule, the Company was required to maintain a MVLS of at least $35 million for at least 10 consecutive trading days on or before May 20, 2024. This requirement was met on May 16, 2024, the tenth consecutive trading day when the MVLS was at least $35 million. The Company is currently in full compliance with NASDAQ continued listing requirements.

09:03 EDT LPL Financial: Pilot Financial joins broker-dealer, RIA, custodial platforms - LPL Financial announced that Pilot Financial, a large network of 105 advisors nationwide, has joined LPL Financial's broker-dealer, RIA and custodial platforms. The advisors reported serving approximately $4.6 billion in advisory and brokerage assets and join LPL from Lincoln Financial. After a series of mergers, Pilot Financial was founded in 2001 to support entrepreneurial-minded independent advisors with strategic planning, coaching, compliance and administrative assistance to help them succeed. In addition to Roney, the firm is led by Partners Greg Smith, Daryl E. King and Bill Harnden.

09:02 EDT Hollysys CEO says recent share sales for 'personal financial planning needs' - Hollysys has been informed by its CEO, Dr. Changli Wang, that his recent sale of company shares was made solely for his own personal financial planning needs. Dr. Wang has informed the company that following the sale, he holds approximately 80% of his pre-sale holdings in the company. As the share sale was a personal decision, it does not affect the company's going private transaction or operational plans. Dr. Wang has informed the company that he does not intend to sell any further shares in the company before the closing of the going private transaction with Ascendent Capital Partners. The company's management, including Dr. Wang, is committed to work towards the satisfaction of the closing conditions of the going private transaction by the parties in accordance with the merger agreement.

09:02 EDT Notified joins Middle East Investor Relations Association - Notified has joined the Middle East Investor Relations Association as an industry partner, aiming to advance the IR profession and empower AI enablement across the Middle East and globally. Notified, in collaboration with MEIRA, will equip the organization's members and IR practitioners with valuable industry insights and best practices for leveraging AI and emerging technology - including educational resources and content, professional development opportunities, webinars and more.

08:49 EDT Arteris, Andes Technology partner to accelerate RISC-V SoC adoption - Arteris and Andes Technology announced their partnership to advance innovation for RISC-V based SoC designs for AI, 5G, networking, mobile, storage, AIoT and space applications. The Andes QiLai RISC-V platform is a development board with a QiLai SoC featuring the Andes' RISC-V processor IPs along with Arteris FlexNoC interconnect IP used for on-chip connectivity. The QiLai SoC integrates the Andes 64-bit AX45MP multiprocessor running at 2.2 GHz and the NX27V vector processor running at 1.5 GHz, using Arteris network-on-chip nterconnect IP with subsystems for PCIe, DDR, SRAM and General Purpose IO using the AMBA AXI protocol. The supporting software includes the OpenSUSE Linux distribution, AndeSight toolchains, AndeSoft software stacks and AndesAIRE NN SDK to convert AI/ML models to executables.

08:46 EDT Electra Battery announces priority to recommission refinery - The company's cash balance at the end of the quarter was C$5.6M. "Over the course of the quarter we have remained committed to pursuing non-dilutive opportunities to resume and complete the construction of our cobalt sulfate refinery in Ontario, and to engage with funding agencies and strategic partners in support of this goal," said Electra CEO, Trent Mell. "At the same time, we continue to carefully manage our financial resources." Mr. Mell added, "We also continue to evaluate future growth opportunities as well. We are working with Three Fires Group on a black mass primary recycling facility, exploring the potential of a second cobalt refinery in Quebec and assessing how to support the need for domestically sourced nickel sulfate within North America. It is encouraging to see U.S. policy announcements designed to level the playing field and increased cooperation from North American governments, recognizing the importance of diversifying the EV materials supply chain away from heavy reliance on China."

08:43 EDT Target says may have ability to resume share repurchase activity later this year - Says has seen sustained improvement in multiple business drivers. Says business trends continue to stabilize. Says planning additional price cuts to thousands of more items. Says facing continued uncertainty in the near term Says will recommend board approve a small increase in quarterly dividend. Says may have ability to resume share repurchase activity later this year. Says not satisfied with results in Q1. Says wont be satisfied until the company sees positive comps. Says feels good about initial reaction from guests regarding Target Circle. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

08:39 EDT Grom Social says redesigned app to feature updated version of DCL course - Grom Social Enterprises announced that its redesigned Grom Social app, for kids under the age of 13, brand-safe and debuting this summer, will feature a new, updated version of Grom Educational's proprietary Digital Citizenship License course, offered to schools nationwide, as part of the app's new offerings. The DCL mini-lessons will be delivered by custom avatars - which Grom calls Gromatars - that underscore how responsible behavior on social media and the internet is so vital to one's safety and security. The DCL Gromatars were announced by Grom's Founder, Zach Marks. Designed for kids under 13, who are typically barred from social media without parental consent, the new Grom app prompts users to create their own original social media profile avatar after a parent or caregiver signs a child up. Once parental consent is confirmed, the new user will be directed to create an original, custom social media profile avatar or "Gromatar". Each user can create their own profile image using the app's deep library of personalized assets including hairstyles, apparel, footwear, and other accessories.

08:38 EDT NanoVibronix: U-M begins pilot phase of its clinical trial of UroShield - NanoVibronix announced that the University of Michigan will begin the pilot phase of its clinical trial of UroShield this week. The "pilot" phase of the study is the first component of the broader study. As previously announced on November 28 the company signed a Research Agreement with the Regents of the University of Michigan for a Randomized Control Trial or RCT study of UroShield to further advance clinical evidence of the efficacy of UroShield. This link will take you to the company's previous press release.

08:37 EDT KULR Technology awarded engineering contract with BRP Inc. - KULR Technology (KULR) announce it has been awarded an engineering contract with Bombardier Recreational Products (DOOO) for the Company's Fractional Thermal Runaway Calorimetry, FTRC, testing services. This milestone underscores KULR's expanding influence and commitment to advancing battery safety in the rapidly growing electric recreational products sector. With an already established presence in space and military safe battery designs, KULR looks to continue discussions and market expansion with potential customers from major electric aviation, electric maritime, EV, and recreational off-road vehicle manufacturers.

08:36 EDT iPower partners with Western Post to elevate SuperSuite platform capabilities - iPower announced a strategic partnership with Western Post, a leading provider of comprehensive logistics solutions. Through this collaboration, Western Post will integrate its fulfillment center network and real-time tracking and monitoring systems into iPower's SuperSuite supply chain business, enhancing the platform's operational efficiencies and technological capabilities. Western Post's clients will gain direct access to iPower's sales channels, enabling them to accelerate their growth and market presence in the U.S. By leveraging Western Post's network of customers, iPower expects to unlock a wealth of potential supply chain and brand partners, a crucial step in the Company's strategy to diversify and bolster its offerings in both the online and offline retail channels.

08:34 EDT Lead Real Estate announces sale of condominium in Tokyo - Lead Real Estate announced that on May 9, 2024, it completed the sale and delivery of a newly built single luxury income-producing condominium. The 14-unit property, Excelsior Yoyogi Koenmae, located in Shibuya, Tokyo, is made from reinforced concrete and has four floors above ground. It has a building area of 7,533 square feet and land area of 3,600 square feet. Due to a confidentiality agreement with the seller, the seller and the sale price are not disclosed. There are no capital, personal, or business relationships between the Company and the seller, and there are no special interests between the Company and the seller.

08:34 EDT Biodexa Pharmaceuticals announces $7M of gross proceeds from warrant exercises - Biodexa Pharmaceuticals announces $7 million of gross proceeds from the exercise of previously issued warrants and an agreement between the Company and several accredited investors to exercise certain existing Series E warrants and Series F warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 4,358,322 of the Company's American Depositary Shares. Stephen Stamp, CEO and CFO, commented, "These funds will more than cover our first year obligation under the eRapa Phase 3 trial in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis and, because the $17 million CPRIT grant includes a one-for-two match, will unlock twice that amount in non-dilutive funding. We were delighted with the data announced yesterday for eRapa in FAP, a rare orphan disease, which showed a statistically significant decrease in overall mean polyp burden and an overall non-progression rate of 83% at six months. Our scientific collaborators look forward to presenting polyp burden data in FAP at 12 months compared with baseline at the InSIGHT scientific conference in Barcelona on June 19-22, 2024." Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. acted as the exclusive placement agent for the warrant exercise transaction.

08:33 EDT Blue Hat announces it entered into a LOT to acquire GTC Multi Trading DMCC - Blue Hat Interactive Entertainment Technology announced that it has entered into a Letter of Intent, LoI, to acquire GTC Multi Trading DMCC, a financial technology company registered in the United Arab Emirates. According to the LOI, BHAT plans to acquire, through multiple rounds, an aggregate of 60% of the shares of GTCM through the issuance of ordinary shares. The transaction represents a significant milestone for BHAT in the global fintech sector, especially in the innovative realm of artificial intelligence-assisted trading of gold and other precious metals and financial derivatives. Chen Xiaodong, Chief Executive Officer of BHAT, commented, "This partnership signifies a pivotal shift in our company's strategy towards the fintech sector and represents a significant milestone in our integration of AI technology innovation with financial services. The acquisition of GTCM marks the initial phase of our collaboration following the framework cooperation agreement with GTC Group LLC. We remain committed to further exploring AI applications in the financial industry, propelling our services and products towards an AI-driven future."

08:31 EDT Visionary Holdings unit signs cooperation agreement with CICC - Visionary Holdings announced the company's subordinate, Farvision Career Education Group, signed a cooperation agreement with Canadian International Career College to explore the market in Asia on May 9,2024.

08:30 EDT Coya completes of Phase 2 study of LD IL-2 to treat moderate AD - Coya Therapeutics announces the completion of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 2 study of LD IL-2 in patients with mild-to-moderate AD. The study is being conducted by Drs. Stanley Appel and Alireza Faridar at Houston Methodist Hospital and is funded by the Gates Foundation and the Alzheimer's Association. Topline results of the study are still anticipated to be reported in summer of 2024. This controlled Phase 2 study will evaluate the safety, tolerability, and biological activity of LD IL-2 in patients with AD compared to placebo at pre-specified intervals. Additionally, blood and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, neuroimaging results, and changes in cognitive function will be evaluated across the different patient populations. Fred Grossman D.O., President and CMO of Coya Therapeutics, stated, "This is an important study that will help advance our expanding pipeline in dementia. We look forward to unblinding the data from this controlled study in Alzheimer's Disease and releasing the top-line results this summer...

08:25 EDT Soluna signs PPA for Project Kati with EDF Renewables - Soluna Holdings announced that it has signed a definitive Power Purchase Agreement PPA for Project Kati with EDF Renewables and Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company Masdar marking a significant milestone in the company's growth trajectory. Project Kati is Soluna's second Renewable Computing data center project in Texas. It will be co-located at a wind facility owned by EDF Renewables and Masdar. Project Kati will be executed in two phases, with each phase delivering 83 MW of renewable energy capacity to power high-performance computing applications including AI....With the signing of the PPA, Soluna solidifies its ownership of the project, positioning it strategically in the renewable energy market...."This milestone demonstrates our growth and momentum in shovel-ready projects and highlights our commitment to sustainable energy solutions," said John Belizaire, CEO of Soluna Holdings. "We are excited about the opportunities this project presents, not only in expanding our Assets Under Management but also in contributing to advancements in AI technology."

08:21 EDT Allstate and Donut Media announces new partnership - Donut Media announces its new insurance partnership with Allstate. As the official partner of Donut, Allstate will exclusively sponsor the upcoming season of the tentpole series "HiLow," and integrate custom content across Donut's YouTube channels, podcasts, and social media platforms..."We're ecstatic to welcome Allstate to the Donut universe as our exclusive insurance partner," said Aaron Godfred, general manager of Donut. "For nearly 100 years, Allstate has delivered affordable and reliable protection for people's most prized possessions. At Donut, we know how much our audience loves the cars we build, take to the track, and test on the streets as well as how much pride they have in their personal vehicles. There's no doubt that our flagship show, fleet of vehicles, and viewers are in good hands with Allstate."

08:20 EDT Sealsq announces incorporation of SEALSQ USA in Phoenix, Arizona - SEALSQ announced the incorporation of SEALSQ USA in Phoenix, Arizona as part of its plan to create an Open Semiconductors Assembly and Test, OSAT, Center in the U.S. by end of 2025. The U.S.-based OSAT center would provide testing services such as the wafer test and final test, in addition to assembly services such as QFN, BGA, WLCSP, and more. Arizona is leading the nation in supporting the U.S. CHIPS Act's economic and national security objectives. To maximize opportunities under the CHIPS Act, Arizona has launched an unprecedented collaborative effort. This initiative brings together stakeholders from state and local governments, industry, trade groups, economic development organizations, universities, community colleges, workforce partners, and more.

08:18 EDT Redwire gets ESA contract to develop robotic arm for Argonaut Lunar Lander - Redwire announced that it has been awarded a contract by the European Space Agency ESA to develop a robotic arm prototype for the agency's Argonaut Lunar Lander, which will establish the capability for Europe to land 1,500-1,800 kg of cargo, infrastructure, and scientific instruments on the lunar surface. "Redwire is proud to be leveraging its significant heritage in space robotics technology for ESA's Argonaut mission, ensuring that it meets the highest standards of performance, reliability, and safety," said Jaroslaw Jaworski Managing Director of Redwire Space's Luxembourg Facility. "As a leader in robotic arm development and with a proven track record of delivering innovative solutions for ambitious space exploration missions, Redwire's robotic capabilities are poised to play a crucial role in future European space missions, contributing to lunar exploration and paving the way for advancements in space exploration technology."

08:17 EDT Microchip releases verison 2.4 of TimeProvider 4100 grandmaster firmware - To continue to provide critical infrastructure operators with a secure timing solution, Microchip Technology announces the release of version 2.4 of the TimeProvider 4100 grandmaster firmware with an embedded BlueSky firewall function to detect potential threats and validate GNSS before using the signal as a time reference. The TimeProvider 4100 series v2.4 also implements IEEE 1588 power profiles, which enables gateway capabilities between PTP telecom and power profiles. With this device, utility companies can connect the communication and substation networks to support the convergence of Information Technology and Operational Technology networks as operators continue to modernize.

08:15 EDT Nasdaq grants Alzamend Neuro request to continue listing subject to compliance - Alzamend Neuro announced that the Nasdaq Hearings Panel granted Alzamend's request to continue its listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market subject to Alzamend demonstrating compliance, on or before September 23 with Listing Rule 5550b1, which requires stockholder equity of at least $2.5M and satisfying all applicable requirements for continued listing on Nasdaq. "We appreciate the Panel carefully considering our appeal and its decision granting Alzamend an extension to achieve compliance with the Stockholder Equity Rule," said Stephan Jackman, the Chief Executive Officer of Alzamend. "We continue to implement the compliance plan that we presented to the Panel and are excited to remain listed on Nasdaq."

08:13 EDT Lenders One launches L1 Insurance - Lenders One Cooperative, managed by a subsidiary of Altisource Portfolio Solutions, announces the availability of Lenders One Insurance, a homeowners and automobile insurance solution offered to Lenders One members. L1 Insurance is a new member benefit that provides borrowers with multiple competitive quotes which may help to lower the total cost of homeownership, streamline the loan-closing process and create a better borrower experience. Through a collaboration between CastleLine Risk and Insurance Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Altisource, and Policygenius, the insurance marketplace of Insurtech leader Zinnia, members can help their borrowers quickly receive quotes for homeowners and automobile insurance in all 50 states.

08:12 EDT Esperion, Daiichi announce EC approved label update for NILEMDO, NUSTENDI - Daiichi Sankyo Europe (DSNKY) and Esperion Therapeutics (ESPR) jointly announced that the European Commission, EC, has approved the label update of both NILEMDO and NUSTENDI, as treatments for hypercholesterolemia and to reduce the risk of adverse cardiovascular events. The EC's decisions to update the labels of bempedoic acid and bempedoic acid / ezetimibe FDC are based on the positive CLEAR Outcomes trial results and makes them the first and only LDL-C lowering treatments indicated for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events. The EC decisions follow the previous CHMP opinions received in March this year, and approved bempedoic acid and its fixed-dose combination for use in adults with established or at high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease to reduce cardiovascular risk by lowering LDL-C levels, as an adjunct to correction of other risk factors.

08:10 EDT Crinetics announces early release of ENDO 2024 abstracts - Crinetics Pharmaceuticals announced that the late-breaking abstracts accepted for presentation at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting were released earlier than the previously announced embargoed date. The abstract for the Phase 2, open-label study of atumelnant in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia contained summary data for four subjects at the time of submission. We plan to present additional data from a total of six subjects in cohort 1 and additional subjects in cohort 2 at ENDO 2024.

08:09 EDT Heartland BancCorp appoints Diana Turoff to board - Heartland BancCorp announced that at the company's annual meeting, Diana Turoff was duly elected as director of the company, effective May 21, 2024. She was also elected to the Board of Directors of Heartland Bank in March of 2024. In 2016, Diana was elected to serve as Finance Fund's President and CEO.

08:08 EDT Virgin Red announces agreement with Synchrony and MasterCard - Virgin Red announced it has entered into a multi-year agreement with Synchrony (SYF) and Mastercard (MA) for the new Virgin Red Rewards World Elite Mastercard credit card program. Synchrony will become the exclusive U.S. issuer of a multi-category travel credit card program for Virgin Red. As part of the partnership, Mastercard will become the exclusive payments network for the new card that will launch in the second half of 2024. The new Virgin Red Rewards Mastercard will allow cardholders to earn Virgin Points on hotels, flights, cruises or experiences, as well as purchases outside Virgin companies. Virgin Points can be spent across a huge variety of rewards on Virgin Red from movie tickets and charity donations to hotel stays, flights and extraordinary experiences with Virgin Experience Gifts. Through the partnership with Synchrony, cardholders will have access to new and improved digital experiences including streamlined digital application and servicing.

08:07 EDT Avadel Pharmaceuticals shares new data on LUMRYZ - Avadel Pharmaceuticals announced it will present 11 posters, and one oral presentation, supporting the use of LUMRYZ as a narcolepsy treatment option at SLEEP 2024, the 38th annual joint meeting of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society on June 1-5, 2024, in Houston. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, in 2023, LUMRYZ is the first and only extended-release formulation of sodium oxybate and indicated to be taken once at bedtime for the treatment of cataplexy or excessive daytime sleepiness, EDS, in adults with narcolepsy. Highlights from the presentations of new data presented at the meeting include: End-of-study survey data from the RESTORE open-label/switch study demonstrating that patients experienced a high level of satisfaction with once-at-bedtime LUMRYZ. Findings from a human factor study revealing that individuals with narcolepsy, regardless of their prior experience with oxybate treatment, can successfully follow the label instructions for safe use of LUMRYZ. Data showing consistent and acceptable dissolution of LUMRYZ at prescribed doses in various flavored liquids, which may be preferred by some patients as alternatives to water. Post hoc analysis from Avadel's completed pivotal REST-ON clinical trial that showed treatment with LUMRYZ improved symptoms of EDS and cataplexy in people with narcolepsy regardless of gender. A poster comparing baseline narcolepsy characteristics among three age groups of participants from the REST-ON clinical trial which indicated that baseline measures of EDS were similar among age groups. Findings from a social listening analysis of content posted on MyNarcolepsyTeam, a social network for people with narcolepsy, which concluded that gaining a better understanding of patient experiences and self-management strategies enables sleep specialists to more effectively identify challenges and needs of patients, leading to quicker diagnoses and tailored treatments

08:06 EDT Kimmeridge withdraws its independent nominees to SilverBow's board - Kimmeridge, the largest shareholder of SilverBow Resources, announced the withdrawal of its independent nominees to SilverBow's Board of Directors in light of the Company's pending sale to Crescent Energy. Ben Dell, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Kimmeridge, said, "While we are disappointed that SilverBow's Board does not appear to have run a comprehensive sales process, our campaign was always underpinned by a strong belief that consolidation is in the best interests of shareholders. That's why we took the time in February to privately outline to the Board eight potential strategic transactions the Company should consider to drive value creation."

08:04 EDT NeuroBo to report pre-clinical data on DA-1241 at EASL Congress 2024 - NeuroBo Pharmaceuticals announced that pre-clinical data suggests that DA-1241, a novel G-Protein-Coupled Receptor 119 agonist, in combination with semaglutide improves liver fibrosis and demonstrates additive hepatoprotective effects in pre-clinical metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, models compared to either treatment alone. Members of the Dong-A ST Research Center and Contract Research Organization, Gubra, will present the data in two poster presentations at the EASL Congress 2024, taking place June 5-8, in Milan, Italy, as well as virtually. "The data being presented at EASL further strengthen the pre-clinical evidence that DA-1241's activation of GPR119 has therapeutic potential for the reduction of hepatic steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and improved glucose control," stated Hyung Heon Kim, President and CEO of NeuroBo. "In April, we completed enrollment for Part 1 of our Phase 2a clinical trial of DA-1241 in MASH and continue to enroll patients in Part 2, exploring the efficacy of DA-1241 in combination with sitagliptin, a DPP-4 inhibitor, which we believe will show synergistic effects compared to DA-1241, alone. The new data being presented at the EASL Congress explored DA-1241 in combination with semaglutide, a GLP1R agonist. Importantly, the data suggests, for the first time, a beneficial combination effect of DA-1241 and semaglutide in the treatment of liver fibrosis, which may be attributed to augmented inhibition of fibrogenesis and inflammation in the liver. The data also demonstrates more than additive effects on metabolic, biochemical, and histological endpoints in GAN DIO-MASH mice, highlighting the therapeutic potential of dual targeting GPR119 and GLP1R function in MASH with liver fibrosis. We eagerly anticipate reporting top-line data from both parts of the ongoing Phase 2a clinical trial in MASH in the fourth quarter of this year. We continue to believe the unique mechanism of DA-1241, targeting the inflammation associated with MASH, will translate into a safe and effective treatment for this disease."

08:04 EDT Adlai Nortye announces first patient dosed in Phase II trial of palupiprant - Adlai Nortye announced that the first patient was dosed in the Phase II clinical trial known as ARTEMIS. This clinical study evaluates palupiprant, a small molecule prostaglandin E receptor 4 antagonist, with chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy for the treatment of rectal cancer. The study has been developed and is being led by the Cancer Research Clinical Trials Unit at the University of Leeds, with clinical leadership teams from consultant oncologists Prof Simon Gollins and Prof Mark Saunders. Building upon the encouraging Phase Ib results of the immune modulator AN0025 in combination with chemoradiation in rectal cancer, ARTEMIS is a randomized, Phase II, multi-center, open-label study that compares TNT with or without AN0025 in patients with moderate to high-risk rectal cancer. One hundred and forty patients will receive either long-course chemoradiation or short-course radiotherap followed by chemotherapy, or a combination of AN0025 and LCCRT/SCRT followed by chemotherapy. The primary endpoint of this study is clinical complete response rate at six months post the start of radiotherapy.

08:03 EDT Indaptus announces successful advancement of Phase 1 trial for Decoy20 - Indaptus Therapeutics announced the successful advancement of its Phase 1 trial for Decoy20, an investigational novel package of broad immune agonists for cancer immunotherapy that has first-in-class potential across a diverse range of cancers including liver, pancreatic, colorectal and non-small cell lung. Following review by a Safety Review Committee of the company's initial clinical data, which will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Company has successfully dosed the first patient in the multi-dose portion of the trial with Decoy20. The primary goal of this stage of the trial is to determine the safety of Decoy20 when administered multiple times to the same patient, and to begin to examine efficacy across multiple types of cancer.

07:53 EDT Vision Marine Technologies files patent for high-voltage marine battery pack - Vision Marine Technologies announces the filing of its fourth patent on May 15, 2024, for a dedicated high-voltage marine battery pack. This battery pack is a key element of the E-Motion Marine Powertrain Technology and will also be available as a standalone product for future recreational electric powerboats. Over a five-year development period, Vision Marine tested and evaluated various batteries to power the E-Motion Electric Powertrain. Vision Marine engineered a bespoke solution prioritizing security, performance, and user-friendly installation.

07:45 EDT Tharimmune announces 1-for-15 reverse stock split - Tharimmune will effect a 1-for-15 reverse stock split of its issued and outstanding shares of common stock after the close of trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market on May 24, 2024. Tharimmune's common stock will trade on a post-split basis when the market opens on May 28, 2024 under the existing trading symbol "THAR" and the new CUSIP number 432705309. The reverse stock split was approved by Tharimmune stockholders at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on May 14, 2024, with the final ratio determined by the Company's Board of Directors. As a result of the reverse stock split, every 15 shares of issued and outstanding common stock will be exchanged for 1 share of common stock, with any fractional shares being rounded up to the next higher whole share. Immediately after the reverse stock split becomes effective, the Company will have approximately 785,978 shares of common stock issued and outstanding. In addition, a proportionate adjustment will be made to outstanding equity-based awards and other equity rights. The reverse stock split is primarily intended to bring the Company into compliance with Nasdaq's $1.00 per share minimum bid price requirement for continued listing; however, no assurance can be given that such reverse stock split will enable the Company to regain compliance with the Nasdaq minimum bid price requirement.

07:39 EDT American Lithium receives assay results from sampling at Buckley Flat Graphite - American Lithium Minerals has received assay results from initial sampling at its Buckley Flat Graphite property. AMLM's Buckley Flat Graphite project is located near Hawthorne, in Mineral County, Nevada. The property is comprised of four unpatented lode mining claims on land administered by the US Bureau of Land Management. The property is about midway between Reno and Tonopah, Nevada, and is accessed by Nevada State Route 839 from US Hwy 50 or US Hwy 95. It is about 110 miles from the Tesla Gigafactory. Buckley Flat is one of a small handful of documented Nevada Graphite occurrences. AMLM acquired the property by staking in 2022. There are a number of historical mine shafts and prospect pits. A composite grab sample of several pieces of mineralized rock was taken from the dumps of the Main Shaft by AMLM personnel. The sample was submitted to the ALS Reno office, where the sample was crushed, split, pulverized and analyzed for Carbon by IR Spectroscopy. Quality Control procedures were followed using both a blank sample and a duplicate sample. The sample assayed 1.52% Carbon. AMLM views this result as very encouraging. It is highly anomalous as the average crustal abundance of Carbon is only 0.02%. The 1.52% Buckley Flat assay result is also in the same order of magnitude as the reported 5.1% average grade for an advanced Graphite exploration project of another company in Alaska. AMLM believes that Buckley Flat deserves rigorous geochemical work, to be carried out over the 12 months

07:38 EDT Else Nutrition products now available at Marche Tau in Quebec - Else Nutrition announces its partnership with Marche Tau, one of Canada's most esteemed natural and organic food retailers. Else Nutrition's full range of products, including Toddler, Kids, Baby Cereals, and Ready-to-Drink Kids shakes, are now available at all Marche Tau locations across the Greater Montreal Area and online. This collaboration is a significant milestone for Else Nutrition, underscoring its commitment to bringing clean, plant-based nutrition to families across Canada.

07:35 EDT Agrify announces $13.8M debt-to-equity conversion - Agrify Corporation announced an approximately $13.8M debt-to-equity conversion by CP Acquisitions and GIC Acquisitions. As a result of the conversion, the Company is expected to regain compliance with Nasdaq's Listing Rule, achieving stockholder's equity of at least $2.5 million as of the date of conversion. In connection with the conversions, CP Acquisitions, an entity affiliated with and controlled by Raymond Chang, the Chairman and CEO of the Company, and I-Tseng Jenny Chan, a member of Agrify's Board of Directors, converted $11.5 million of its senior convertible note into a Pre-Funded Warrant exercisable at issuance for up to 8,561,644 shares of common stock. GIC Acquisitions, an entity affiliate with and controlled by Mr. Chang, converted approximately $2.29 million of its junior secured note into a Pre-Funded Warrant exercisable at issuance for up to 3,225,807 shares of common stock. Each Pre-Funded Warrant includes adjustment provisions in the event that Agrify conducts any equity financing during the twelve month period following conversion, subject to shareholder approval. As a result of the conversions, the Company believes that its shareholders' equity exceeds $2.5 million, which would allow the Company to regain compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1).

07:33 EDT MiNK Therapeutics presents data on agenT-797 at ATS meeting - MiNK Therapeutics announced presentation of clinical data on agenT-797 in a complex case of severe acute respiratory distress, ARDS, at the American Thoracic Society, ATS, Annual Meeting. These translational and mechanistic insights build on an expanding dataset of clinical activity for patients with severe ARDS. Clinical Findings: Patient: A 26-year-old chronically immunosuppressed patient post-renal transplant contracted COVID-19 and progressed to severe hypoxemic respiratory failure, requiring veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Treatment: A single dose of 1x10^9 allogeneic iNKT cells on hospital day 13. Outcomes: Clinical changes showed a rapid decrease in inflammatory cytokines, including IL-18 following agenT-797 administration, consistent with the data observed in the Phase 1 trial of agenT-797 in COVID-19 ARDS. The patient was extubated on day 37 and discharged home from the hospital on day 60, weaned off hemodialysis and returned to normal activities of daily living within 6 months of dosing.

07:33 EDT Shyft Group signs agreement with Amerit Fleet Solutions - The Shyft Group has signed an agreement with Amerit Fleet Solutions to provide 24/7 maintenance and support services for Blue Arc EV trucks across the U.S. Blue Arc EVs will soon be available through a select network of dealerships, each staffed by technicians trained and certified by Shyft's Blue Arc engineering team, ensuring customers can conveniently service their vehicles at dealership garages. Complementing this dealer network, Shyft's dedicated in-house tech support team-comprising over 30 certified technicians and engineers-specializes in vehicle development, validation, and testing to maintain high service standards at all touchpoints. Moreover, Shyft's integrated service and parts solution ensures that high-quality parts are readily available, simplifying maintenance and repairs. Together with Amerit Fleet Solutions' network of mobile technicians, the Shyft Group's comprehensive support network helps facilitate continuous fleet operation and maximum vehicle uptime.

07:31 EDT TransDigm completes acquisition of SEI Industries LTD - TransDigm Group announced that it has completed the acquisition of SEI Industries LTD. SEI Industries, headquartered in Delta, British Columbia, is a leading provider of highly engineered products for aerial firefighting and other liquid transportation solutions, such as remote refueling. Their innovative and world renowned Bambi Bucket, is a proprietary collapsible firefighting bucket used across the globe to combat forest fires, among other applications. SEI provides exceptional aftermarket support of the Bambi Bucket through its 12 international repair facilities. SEI's revenues are derived from both the commercial and defense aerospace end markets, with about 85% of the revenues coming from the aftermarket. The Company employs approximately 80 people and is expected to generate approximately $30M in revenue for the calendar year ending December 31, 2024. The acquisition was financed through existing cash on hand.

07:18 EDT AstraZeneca to present 'more than' 100 abstracts regarding SCLC and MBV at ASCO - AstraZeneca advances its ambition to redefine cancer care with new data across its industry-leading portfolio and pipeline at the American Society of Clinical Oncology ASCO Annual Meeting, May 31 to June 4. "More than 100 abstracts will feature 25 approved and potential new medicines across the Company's diverse oncology portfolio and pipeline, including two late-breaking plenary presentations, a special late-breaking abstract session presentation and 15 oral presentations. Highlights include: LAURA Phase III trial of TAGRISSO or osimertinib, in unresectable, Stage III epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated or EGFRm, non-small cell lung cancer NSCLC after chemoradiotherapy CRT, Plenary LBA4.

07:13 EDT Aura Minerals acquires Pe Quente, Pezao projects - Aura Minerals recently acquired, through its subsidiary Aura Matupa, the right to explore the Pe Quente and Pezao Projects in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The Projects consist of a total of 6 Mineral Rights and are located in the geological setting of Alta Floresta Gold Province and are within a 50 km radius of Aura's Matupa Project and the X1 deposit, with a feasibility study published in November 18, 2022. The Projects have the same type of mineralization, representing important potential for increasing Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves of the Matupa Project. Aura made an initial payment of $500,000 and, if the results meet its expectations, Aura has the right, but not the obligation, to complete the acquisition in up to 12 months for $9.5M Aura intends to invest approximately $1.6M in 13,000 meters of drilling over the next 12 months. The program will focus on infill drilling and possible extensions aiming to confirm and validate the mineralization continuity and grades. The Pe Quente Project is located approximately 34km from the X1 deposit and is made up of 4 Mineral Rights, totaling 19,592.78 hectares, which includes gold mineralization targets. Historical surface sampling, geophysical surveys and drilling were completed, with 97 holes drilled, totaling 11,781.60 meters. A historical mineral resource was calculated for Pe Quente in 2011 by Graben Mineracao SA. The historical mineral resource derived from four separate mineralized zones indicating in situ resource potential 6,257,734 Tonnesgold at 1.28 g/t gold. The final exploration report including historical mineral resources was presented to Agencia Nacional de Mineracao in 2018. Historical mineral resources do not have any classification criteria and are not estimated following NI43-101 guidelines and therefore do not have any economic viability for further economic assumptions. The Pezao Project is located approximately 50km from the X1 deposit and consists of 2 Mineral Rights, totaling 9,131.62 hectares, which also includes gold mineralization targets. Similar to Pe Quente Project, historical surface sampling, geophysical surveys and drilling were done by Graben Mineracao SA. The company also drilled 8 holes, totaling 1,100 meters in the property. The project claims to contain 370Koz as potential in situ mineral resources in the final report presented to Agencia Nacional de Mineracao in 2018. The project claims to contain 370Koz. gold as potential in situ mineral resources in the final report presented to Agencia Nacional de Mineracao in 2018. Historical mineral resources do not have any classification criteria and are not estimated following NI43-101 guidelines and therefore do not have any economic viability for further economic assumptions. The potential in situ mineral resources presented in the Brazillian technical reports are prepared internally and not compatible with NI43-101 guidelines. QP has not done any work to validate historical data and historical estimates and did not review or have any opinion about the accuracy of underlying data or any parameters used to estimate or calculate the historical estimates.

07:10 EDT Invivyd elects two new independent members to board of directors - Invivyd announced that two new independent directors, Dr. Srishti Gupta and Kevin McLaughlin, were elected to its Board of Directors at the annual meeting of stockholders on May 21, 2024. Dr. Gupta will serve as the Chairperson of the Compensation Committee and McLaughlin will serve as the Chairperson of the Audit Committee.

07:09 EDT OTC Markets Group welcomes Warpaint London to OTCQX - OTC Markets Group announced Warpaint London has qualified to trade on the OTCQX Best Market. Warpaint London PLC upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink market. Warpaint London PLC begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol "WPNTF."

07:07 EDT Akoustis completes rollout of its XBAW design updates - Akoustis Technologies (AKTS) has announced the final release to manufacturing of design updates across its product portfolio. Akoustis developed the updates to its XBAW manufacturing process to remove any patented features claimed by Qorvo (QRVO) in U.S. Patent Nos. 7,522,018 and 9,735,755. Qorvo asserted the patents against certain XBAW RF filters in Qorvo, Inc. vs. Akoustis Technologies, Inc., No. 1:21-cv-01417-JPM. These updates have been incorporated into both new XBAW RF filters and many earlier XBAW filter designs since the Fall of 2022. Effective immediately, the Company has released these design updates to manufacturing for the remainder of its filter products that remain in production and distribution as needed to remove any potential infringement.

07:06 EDT Pitney Bowes announces new strategic initiatives - Building on previously announced efficiency measures that totaled approximately $85M, Pitney Bowes has retained a nationally recognized consultant to support a cost rationalization review. Initial analysis has identified an additional $60M to $100M in potential annualized savings across the organization, apart from the Global Ecommerce business. Pitney Bowes is working to expeditiously conclude a strategic review of the segment. The board is increasing its involvement in the review to drive the near-term completion of a review that is intended to enhance shareholder value. Pitney Bowes is working to reduce its go-forward required cash needs by approximately $200M. The company intends to achieve this goal by improving its liquidity forecasting and management at all levels, taking action on GEC and optimizing the balance sheet of Pitney Bowes Bank. In addition to freeing up cash for the company, the Bank optimization work will improve its return on equity. Pitney Bowes is taking required actions to capitalize on the benefits linked to the three aforementioned initiatives. In the near-term, leadership intends to deleverage the corporate balance sheet and prioritize the paydown of high-cost debt.

07:05 EDT Petco reaffirms FY24 net interest expense view $145M - Reaffirms FY24 Capital Expenditures view $140M.

07:04 EDT Pitney Bowes interim CEO Jason Dies steps down, Lance Rosenzweig succeeds - Pitney Bowes announced the appointment of Lance Rosenzweig as the company's interim CEO, effective immediately. Rosenzweig will continue to serve as a member of the board of directors. In connection with the appointment, Jason Dies has stepped down from the role of interim CEO and retired from the company following years of service in various executive roles. In addition, the board has converted its Finance Committee into a Value Enhancement Committee, which is tasked with overseeing financial, operational and strategic efforts.

07:03 EDT Cartesian receives FDA RMAT designation for Descartes-08 for treatment of MG - Cartesian Therapeutics announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, has granted Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy, RMAT, designation for Descartes-08 for the treatment of myasthenia gravis, MG. Descartes-08, the Company's lead product candidate, is an autologous mRNA CAR-T directed against the B cell maturation antigen initially being developed for the treatment of MG. "Receipt of RMAT designation underscores our belief that Descartes-08, our potential first-in-class mRNA CAR-T cell therapy, could serve as a meaningful addition to the MG treatment landscape," said Carsten Brunn, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Cartesian. "We look forward to working closely with the FDA to efficiently advance the development of Descartes-08 for this underserved population. Looking ahead, we remain on track to report topline data from our ongoing Phase 2b study in patients with MG in the middle of this year."

06:56 EDT Aecom selected by the Regional Municipality of Peel - AECOM announced it has been selected by the Regional Municipality of Peel to provide design and engineering services for the expansion of the Clarkson Water Resource Recovery Facility, or WRRF, in Ontario's Peel Region. AECOM will be responsible for the design and implementation of the expansion, providing increased capacity and flexibility to accommodate the growing population within the Greater Toronto Area. This will be the third major expansion of the Clarkson WRRF facility and the next stage to bring its capacity to 500 MLD by 2029. AECOM also served as the original designers of the Clarkson WRRF Phase I and II expansions, where its digital capabilities were instrumental in expanding the facility's SCADA system for automated process control, enabling the client to optimize their operations throughout the entire 20+ year lifecycle. In addition to the expansion, Phase III will include a new standby power energy center to protect the critical infrastructure of the plant and help maintain treatment during power outages.

06:48 EDT Telus International and eGain announce partnership - TELUS International (TIXT) has partnered with eGain (EGAN). TELUS International offers the eGain Knowledge Hub as an integrated solution as part of its Contact Center as a Service, or CCaaS, offering, or as a standalone customer self-serve option, proactively delivering trusted answers and personalized guidance. Modern knowledge management plays a vital role in supporting consistent experiences across live and self-service customer experience channels. The eGain Knowledge Hub for TELUS International unifies and orchestrates all the building blocks needed for modern knowledge management-content management, profiled content access, generative and conversational AI, search methods, and knowledge analytics-to deliver trusted answers. A key component of the Knowledge Hub is eGain AssistGPT, which delivers consumable, correct, and compliant answers to agents in their customer conversations and customers in their self-service journeys. The eGain Knowledge Hub for TELUS International supports consistent, positive experiences across live and self-service customer experience channels. The modular architecture facilitates customizations tailored to each brand's unique requirements, including driving improvements in agent efficiency, optimizing self-service options, or both.

06:35 EDT Parsons chosen for LAWA's Capital Improvement Program MATOC - Parsons announced that the company was one of 15 lead consultants selected by Los Angeles World Airports for a Multiple Award Task Order Contract to perform on-call, task order-based, professional services for LAWA's Capital Improvement Program. The Program Services MATOC represents nearly $1B in contracting value over a term of five years and will serve both Los Angeles International Airport and Van Nuys Airport

06:32 EDT Sandoz receives EC approval for Wyost, Jubbonti in Europe - Sandoz announced that the European Commission, EC, has granted marketing authorization for Wyost and Jubbonti, the first and only biosimilar versions of reference medicines Xgeva and Prolia in Europe. Wyost is approved for the treatment of cancer-related bone disease. Jubbonti is approved to treat osteoporosis. These are key biosimilar value drivers for the company over the mid-term and their approval is a major step in advancing the Sandoz growth strategy. We expect to launch from November 2025 onwards. Claire D'Abreu-Hayling, Sandoz Chief Scientific Officer, said: "Primary and secondary bone loss, as well as cancer-related bone events, represent an immense disease burden for patients, the economy and society as a whole. The approval of the first European denosumab biosimilars is a crucial recognition of the need for increased access to these potentially life-changing medicines and demonstrates our continued commitment to delivering more sustainable treatment options for patients, in Europe and beyond."

06:08 EDT Citigroup Global Markets fined total of GBP62M by FCA, PRA - The FCA has fined Citigroup Global Markets Limited GBP 27,766,200. Failures in the firm's systems and controls led to $1.4B of equities being sold in European markets when they should not have been, the FCA said in a statement. The FCA said: "On 2 May 2022, a CGML trader had intended to sell a basket of equities to the value of US$58m. The trader made an inputting error while entering the basket in an order management system. This resulted in a basket to the value of US$444bn being created. CGML controls blocked US$255bn of the basket progressing, but not the remaining US$189bn which was sent to a trading algorithm. The algorithm selected was designed to place portions of this total order to be sold in the market over the rest of the day. In total US$1.4bn of equities were sold across European exchanges, before the trader cancelled the order. This coincided with a material short-term drop in some European indices which lasted a few minutes." The FCA noted that the Prudential Regulation Authority also imposed a financial penalty of GBP 33,880,000 on CGML following its own investigation into related matters.

06:06 EDT Dorian LPG provides market look update - The company said, "The largest change in the LPG market in the Q1 occurred in the U.S., where cold weather in January and February increased domestic demand for propane and, at one point, also limited production growth. As a result, propane prices rose from an average of 36% of West Texas Intermediate in the Q4 of FY23 to nearly 50% in February 2024. U.S. LPG exports remained above 5 million metric tons per month, leading inventory levels to fall from above the 5-year average levels to around the average level seen over the last 5 years. This rise in U.S. Mt Belvieu prices, at the same time as limited change in Far Eastern prices due to milder winter conditions and continued subdued petrochemical demand, as reported by industry consultants NGLStrategy, in Q1, led to a narrowing of the U.S.-Asia arbitrage. Freight rates were consequently squeezed, with the average Baltic Freight rate falling from over $132 per metric ton in Q4 2023 to $68 per metric ton in Q1. At times, the AG-Japan rate fell below $60 per metric ton. With the rising temperatures seen towards the second half of the quarter in the U.S., production levels have continued to grow, with NGLs remaining optimized for U.S. producers where possible. Subsiding domestic demand as a result of the milder temperatures, afforded higher availability of product for export and inventory levels to build. As a result, Mt Belvieu propane prices have fallen from the high seen in February 2024 where prices reached an average of $473 per metric ton, to an average of 41% of WTI in March 2024, or $419 per metric ton. Unrest in the Middle East, including Suez Canal limitations, maintained the strength in crude oil prices along with the continuation of additional voluntary production cuts in Saudi Arabia. Brent crude oil averaged $85 per metric ton in Q1 202, similar to the level seen in the third quarter of calendar year 2023 and Q4 2023. Petrochemical demand remained subdued globally, however, naphtha margins in Europe finally returned to positive territory in February after remaining under pressure and at times heavily negative for most of 2023. Naphtha margins in Asia also improved but remained at an average of ($121) per metric ton in Q1 compared to ($143) per metric ton in Q4 2023. Propane continued to be advantageous as a feedstock in flexible steam crackers for the production of ethylene in both the East and West. The propane-naphtha spread in NW Europe widened to ($146) per metric ton encouraging higher consumption of propane in steam crackers. LPG imports for steam cracking in Asia reached 2.8 MM MT in Q1 according to NGLStrategy models, an increase of nearly 200,000 tons from the previous quarter, and nearly 1 MM MT higher than seen in the first quarter of calendar 2023. LPG imports for steam cracking in NW Europe also rose in Q1 by around 300,000 tons from the previous quarter. According to NGLStrategy, supply chain logistics at times saw some ethylene producers utilizing naphtha over LPG in NW Europe. PDH margins remained under pressure with over-capacity and sluggish growth in China for olefins and polyolefins. A further two new PDH plants started operating in China in Q1, however, propane demand for PDH operations in China decreased from 3.4 MM MT in Q4 2023 to 3.1 MM MT in Q1. Although a further 10 new VLGCs were added during Q1 2024, which initially exacerbated the freight market weakness caused by the narrower East West arb as note above. After declining steadily through February, VLGC rates steadily increased from March through April and May to today's healthy levels. The average age of the global fleet is now approximately 10.7 years old. Currently the VLGC orderbook stands at approximately 45 VLGCs or 12% of the global fleet, excluding the VLAC (Very Large Ammonia Carriers) and VLEC (Very Large Ethane Carriers) orderbook which totals 84 vessels with potential capability to carry LPG as a product."

06:04 EDT ChargePoint, Airbnb artner to enable seamless EV charging - ChargePoint (CHPT) and Airbnb (ABNB) announced a partnership to meet a growing demand in EV charging from Airbnb guests. The partnership aims to make it easier for Airbnb hosts in the United States to install EV chargers at their listings and expand access to EV chargers across the U.S. Effective immediately, ChargePoint will enable Airbnb hosts in the U.S. to purchase and install EV charging in a hassle-free, affordable manner. The package, exclusively offered to Airbnb hosts, includes a dedicated website offering ChargePoint hardware, charger management software, installation, and support services. For Airbnb guests, the arrangement will allow them to seamlessly charge their vehicle using the ChargePoint app, while staying at an Airbnb listing with a ChargePoint charger or at any of the more than 917,000 places to charge accessible through the ChargePoint network and roaming partners.

05:14 EDT ArcelorMittal, BHP Group and others begin pilot carbon capture unit operations - ArcelorMittal (MT) and partners Mitsubishi Heavy, BHP (BHP), along with Mitsubishi Development have started operating a pilot carbon capture unit on the blast furnace off-gas at ArcelorMittal Gent in Belgium. The pilot carbon capture unit will operate for one to two years at Gent, to test the feasibility of progress to full-scale deployment of the technology, which would be able to capture a sizeable portion of the Gent site emissions, if successful. Engineers have been working on site since January to assemble and commission the unit. In October 2022, the four parties announced their collaboration on a multi-year trial of MHI's carbon capture technology at multiple carbon dioxide emission points, starting at the Gent steelmaking site. The pilot carbon capture unit will be testing initially with blast furnace and reheating furnace gas and has the potential to be trialed to capture other important steelmaking gases such as reformer flue gas from a Direct Reduced Iron plant. The development of the carbon capture solution at Gent could feed into multiple CO2 transport and storage projects under development in the North Sea region and contribute to global technological solutions required for decarbonization of steel production. The EU has an objective to achieve an annual CO2 storage capacity of 50 million tons by 2030, proposed under the Net-Zero Industry Act. To further understand how MHI's carbon capture technology can be incorporated into existing steel plants, ArcelorMittal is facilitating the trial in Gent, Belgium, with MHI supplying its proprietary carbon capture technology and supporting the engineering studies.