Stockwinners Market Radar for September 25, 2024 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:53 EDT KKR, Skip Essential Infrastructure to buy majority stake in Queensland Airports - KKR and the Skip Essential Infrastructure Fund, announced the signing of definitive agreements under which a consortium of KKR and the Skip Essential Infrastructure Fund - the 'Consortium' - will acquire a 74.25% stake in Queensland Airports Limited from The Infrastructure Fund, managed by Macquarie Asset Management, State Super, and Australian Retirement Trust. The transaction is expected to close in late 2024, subject to customary conditions including regulatory approvals. Financial details were not disclosed.

19:34 EDT Meta Platforms exec sells $5.7M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Meta Platforms disclosed that its Chief Product Officer Christopher Cox sold 10K shares of common stock on September 23rd in a total transaction size of $5.7M.

19:25 EDT Teck Resources updates on Trail Operations' Electrolytic Zinc Plant - The company states: "Teck Resources noted that one of four sections of the Trail Operations' Electrolytic Zinc Plant has been shut down following a localized fire on September 24. There were no injuries and there are no expected environmental impacts as a result of the fire. Production from the other three sections of the Electrolytic Zinc Plant continues at Trail Operations as does production of lead and other specialty metals and by-products. Teck is investigating the cause of the incident and will provide further information once available."

19:20 EDT Crowdstrike CFO sells $3.3M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Crowdstrike disclosed that its CFO Burt Podbere sold 11.2K shares of common stock on September 23rd in a total transaction size of $3.3M.

18:54 EDT Booz Allen CFO Calderone sells 3,865 class A shares - In a regulatory filing, Booz Allen CFO Matthew Calderone disclosed the sale of 3,865 class A common shares of the company on September 23 at a price of $160 per share.

18:31 EDT McDonald's raises quarterly dividend 6% to $1.77 per share - McDonald's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.77 per share of common stock payable on December 16, 2024 to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 2, 2024. "The 6% increase over the company's previous quarterly dividend reflects continued confidence in the Accelerating the Arches growth strategy and our ability to drive long-term profitable growth for all stakeholders."

18:22 EDT Mercer announces downtime at its Peace River mill - Mercer's Peace River mill has taken downtime to complete necessary repairs to the mill's digester after experiencing a mechanical failure. The Company currently expects the repairs and related assessments will be completed in mid-October, and anticipates that NBHK production at the mill will be reduced by approximately 45k tons during such period. The company maintains property and business interruption insurance for the Peace River mill and expects the repairs and business interruption will be covered by such insurance, subject to customary deductibles and limits.

17:50 EDT Capital City Bank appoints Matthew Henderson Chief Information Security Officer - Capital City Bank promoted Matthew Henderson to Chief Information Security Officer, effective October 1. He will succeed LeAnne Staalenburg McCorvey, who will retire on December 31. Henderson began his career with Capital City Bank in September 2022 as an information security officer. In this role, he focused on information security, physical security, vendor management, business continuity and incident response initiatives. With over 15 years of experience in information technology, Henderson also serves on several advisory boards and committees within the financial sector, including the American Bankers Association's Cybersecurity and Operational Resilience Advisory Committee, the Risk and Compliance Conference Board and the Cyber Risk Institute's Joint Standards Committee.

17:01 EDT Pfizer voluntarily withdraws all lots of OXBRYTA from worldwide markets - Pfizer announced that it is voluntarily withdrawing all lots of OXBRYTA for the treatment of sickle cell disease at this time, in all markets where it is approved. Pfizer is also discontinuing all active voxelotor clinical trials and expanded access programs worldwide. Pfizer's decision is based on the totality of clinical data that now indicates the overall benefit of OXBRYTA no longer outweighs the risk in the approved sickle cell patient population. The data suggest an imbalance in vaso-occlusive crises and fatal events which require further assessment. Pfizer has notified regulatory authorities about these findings and its decision to voluntarily withdraw OXBRYTA from the market and discontinue distribution and clinical studies while further reviewing the available data and investigating the findings. "The safety and well-being of patients is of the utmost importance to Pfizer, and we believe this action is in the best interest of patients," said Aida Habtezion, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Worldwide Medical and Safety at Pfizer. "Our primary concern is for patients who suffer from SCD, which remains a very serious and difficult-to-treat disease with limited treatment options. We advise patients to contact their physicians to discuss alternative treatment while we continue to investigate the findings from our review of the data." The company does not anticipate that this event will impact its full-year 2024 financial guidance.

16:44 EDT Micron sees FY25 capital expenditures mid-30s percent range of revenue - Sees Q1 capital expenditures $3.5B. Says growth in both greenfield fab construction and HBM capex investments is projected to make up the overwhelming majority of the year-over-year increase. Says achieved record-high revenues in NAND and in storage business unit. Says entering FY25 with the strongest competitive positioning in Micron's history. Says expects a broadening of demand drivers, complementing demand in the data center. Says looking forward to delivering a substantial revenue record with significantly improved profitability in FY25. Says ramping production of the technology nodes in both DRAM and NAND. Says expects FY25 DRAM front-end cost reductions excluding HBM to be in the mid- to high-single-digit percentage range. Says expects FY25 NAND cost reductions to be in the low- to mid-teens percentage range. Says calendar 2024 DRAM industry demand outlook has improved. Says upgraded expectations for calendar 2024 industry DRAM bit demand growth to now be in the high-teens percentage range. Says expectations for calendar 2024 industry NAND bit demand growth remains in the mid-teens percentage range. Says in calendar 2025, expects both DRAM and NAND industry bit demand growth to be around the mid-teens percentage range. Says expects industry wafer capacity in both DRAM and NAND in 2024 to be below 2022 peak levels, and for NAND, meaningfully so. Comments and guidance taken from Q4 earnings call prepared remarks.

16:31 EDT ZW Data Action Technologies announces 1-for-4 reverse stock split - ZW Data Action Technologies announced that its board of directors has approved a reverse stock split of its common stock, par value $0.001 per share at a ratio of 1-for-4. The reverse stock split will take effect on September 30 and the shares of the company will trade on a post-split basis on Nasdaq under the Company's existing trading symbol.

16:19 EDT Ocean Power signs MOU with Servico Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial in Brazil - Ocean Power announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, with Servico Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial in Brazil to explore collaborating together toward Blue Economy opportunities including deployment of WAM-V autonomous and unmanned surface vehicles and Next Generation PowerBuoys equipped with AI capable Merrows. This agreement follows recent discussions between SENAI and OPT in Brazil.

16:07 EDT Republic Services JV breaks ground on recycled plastics facility - Republic Services, Blue Polymers and the City of Buckeye broke ground on Blue Polymers' latest recycled plastics production facility, which will support sustainable packaging manufacturing throughout the Western U.S. The 162,000-square-foot facility is expected to create more than 60 permanent jobs when it opens in Buckeye in the second half of 2025. The Blue Polymers facility will specialize in recycled polyethylene and polypropylene, used in consumer packaging, such as margarine tubs and yogurt cups. These plastics will be processed and formulated into high-quality, drop-in recycled plastic solutions for the packaging industry. Republic Services, a joint venture partner in Blue Polymers, is developing a network of regional Polymer Center plastics recycling facilities. These centers produce color-sorted recycled plastics directly from Republic's national curbside collection operations. Each Republic Services Polymer Center will be paired with a Blue Polymers facility; the Buckeye facility will process materials from Republic's Las Vegas Polymer Center, which opened in late 2023. Blue Polymers' facilities aim to support true package-to-package circularity, with an annual production target of 300+ million pounds of recycled resins. The Buckeye facility joins the Indianapolis location as part of Blue Polymers' network of four regional facilities.

16:06 EDT American Outdoor Brands announces $10M share repurchase program - American Outdoor Brands announced that its Board of Directors has approved the repurchase of up to $10M of the company's outstanding common stock commencing on October 1, 2024, and ending on September 30, 2025. The program follows the company's prior share repurchase program, which authorized the company to repurchase up to $10M of its common stock, was initiated in 2023 and, as of September 24, 2024, resulted in 412,735 shares, repurchased at an average price of $8.70 per share, or roughly $3.6M in the aggregate.

16:04 EDT NuCana issued new patent by USPTO for NUC-7738 - NuCana announced the issuance of a new patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, covering NUC-7738's composition of matter. This patent is expected to serve as a key component of the intellectual property protection for NUC-7738, which currently consists of over 80 issued patents worldwide. NUC-7738 is a novel anti-cancer agent currently in a Phase 2 clinical study in combination with pembrolizumab in PD-1 inhibitor resistant melanoma patients, for which NuCana presented encouraging data at the ESMO Congress 2024 earlier this month.

15:53 EDT Vertex granted Marketing Authorization in Canada for Casgevy - Vertex Pharmaceuticals announced Health Canada has granted Marketing Authorization for Casgevy, an autologous genome edited hematopoietic stem cell-based therapy, for the treatment of patients 12 years of age and older with sickle cell disease with recurrent vaso-occlusive crises or transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. There are an estimated 2,000 patients eligible for Casgevy in Canada, the company said.

15:33 EDT FDA approves osimertinib for locally advanced, unresectable NSCLC after chemo - The Food and Drug Administration approved osimertinib, or Tagrisso, from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals for adult patients with locally advanced, unresectable non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, whose disease has not progressed during or following concurrent or sequential platinum-based chemoradiation therapy and whose tumors have EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test. Reference Link

15:17 EDT PayPal enables U.S. merchants to buy, hold and sell cryptocurrency - PayPal Holdings announced it is enabling its U.S. merchants to buy, hold and sell cryptocurrency directly from their PayPal business account. At launch, this functionality for Business Accounts will not be available in New York State. Today's announcement is PayPal's latest step to increase cryptocurrency's utility by making increased functionality available to millions of merchants in the U.S. Additionally, PayPal is enabling U.S. merchants to externally transfer cryptocurrency on chain to third-party eligible wallets. PayPal business account holders can now send and receive supported cryptocurrency tokens to and from external blockchain addresses.

14:17 EDT Microsoft to combine Xbox Game Pass app, Xbox mobile app - In a blog post, Microsoft announced that, starting this week, it is streamlining the mobile app experience by moving features from the separate Xbox Game Pass app into the Xbox app. These updates will be available for Xbox beta members on mobile and will be coming to everyone soon. "As part of these changes, we will no longer support new downloads of the Xbox Game Pass app, starting in November," the company said. "Key features - like the ability to explore Game Pass and manage your membership - will now be found in one place with the Xbox app on mobile. You'll be able to browse the full Game Pass catalog to find your favorite games and stay in the loop with alerts for new games coming to the service. If you're a Game Pass Ultimate member, you'll also be able to view and claim your Perks. Game Pass Ultimate members can also stream select games through Xbox Cloud Gaming on their iOS or Android devices using a supported browser at xbox.com/play." Reference Link

14:05 EDT Hennessy Capital Investment Corp VI trading resumes

14:01 EDT Meta adding new AI features to Ray-Ban glasses, advancing partnerships - During Connect 2024, Meta (META) said it is adding new AI features to Ray-Ban Meta glasses to help users remember things like where they parked, translate speech in real time, answer questions about things you're seeing and more. Further, the company said it is advancing partnerships with Spotify (SPOT) and Amazon Music (AMZN) and adding new ones with Audible and iHeart (IHRT) to give you more ways to listen. Users can now ask Meta AI to record and send voice messages on WhatsApp and Messenger. Meta adding video to Meta AI.

13:50 EDT Meta adding new AI features to Ray-Ban glasses, advancing partnerships - During Connect 2024, Meta (META) said it is adding new AI features to Ray-Ban Meta glasses to help users remember things like where they parked, translate speech in real time, answer questions about things you're seeing and more. Further, the company said it is advancing partnerships with Spotify (SHOP) and Amazon Music (AMZN) and adding new ones with Audible and iHeart (IHRT) to give users more ways to listen. Users can now ask Meta AI to record and send voice messages on WhatsApp and Messenger. Meta adding video to Meta AI.

13:39 EDT Lottery.com announces Memorandum of Understanding to acquire CMF Media - Lottery.com announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, to acquire CMF Media, a sports content production house. The acquisition, valued at $1M, will be paid entirely in common stock of Lottery.com to be issued at $3.00 per share. CMF is owned by Charlie Bingham and Miguel Sanchez and will be integrated under the Sports.com brand, which is wholly owned by Lottery.com. Matthew McGahan, Chairman and CEO of Lottery.com and Sports.com, commented: "This acquisition of CMF Media is a fantastic fit for us, as it enhances our ability to produce cutting-edge, original sports content. We believe this will generate significant value for Sports.com, leveraging the talented team at CMF Media to build unique, captivating sports programming for our audience."

12:28 EDT Grifols says CNMW sanction not material at under EUR 1M - Grifols said it has received from the Spanish Securities Market Commission a notification stating that its Executive Committee has decided to initiate an administrative disciplinary proceeding in connection with the report of the conclusions drawn by the CNMV dated March 21, filed by the company as inside information note on the same day. In this regard, Grifols wishes to inform that the penalty proposed to be imposed on the company for the incidents indicated in the aforementioned reCNport of conclusions does not exceed EUR 1M. Grifols also informs that it considers that this sanction is not material and, therefore, it will have no impact on its financial statements. "Furthermore, the Company wishes to confirm that there are no new elements in the document received regarding the initiation of the administrative disciplinary proceeding in addition to those included in the conclusions report from the CNMV dated 21 March 2024."

12:25 EDT CNMV initiates disciplinary proceedings against Grifols, Gotham, GIP - The Executive Committee of the National Securities Market Commission, in its session of September 19, 2024, and as a result of the corresponding investigations initiated in January 2024, has agreed to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Gotham City Research LLC and General Industrial Partners LLP, and against Grifols S.A. in the following terms: To Gotham and GIP for the possible commission of a very serious infraction for the carrying out a market manipulation practice through the concerted use of mechanisms fictitious or any other form of deception or artifice to affect the price of the shares from Grifols, with the report published on January 9, 2024. To Gotham, for the possible commission of a minor infraction for failure to comply with the obligations relating to the objective presentation of recommendations of investment and the effective communication of particular interests or conflicts of interest in the investment recommendation on Grifols shares contained in the aforementioned report. To Grifols for the possible commission of a very serious continuous violation for the provision of financial information to the CNMV regulated with inaccurate or untruthful data or that omits relevant aspects of compliance with IFRS/IAS, and a violation continued serious crime due to the inclusion in the management reports corresponding to the years 2021, 2022 and 2023, and to the corresponding to the first half of 2023, of untrue or misleading information about the method of calculating some alternative performance measures. Additionally, the CNMV has transferred to the Prosecutor's Office all the information regarding the possible manipulative behavior on the part of Gotham and GIP in case there is room for action penalties for possible non-compliance with article 284 of the Penal Code. In case it is initiated a criminal procedure, the administrative sanctioning procedure would be suspended until the existence of a final judicial ruling. Reference Link

12:04 EDT Ubisoft delays 'Assassin's Creed Shadows' to February 14, 2025 - Ubisoft (UBSFY) announced that its upcoming action-adventure title "Assassin's Creed Shadows" has been delayed to February 14, 2025, from its previous release target of November 15, 2024. The company said it needs "more time to polish and refine the experience, pushing further" certain key features. The game will be available on macOS (AAPL), iPadOS, PC, PlayStation 5 (SONY), and Xbox Series X/S (MSFT). Reference Link

12:02 EDT Anheuser-Busch announces $16M investment in Los Angeles brewery - Anheuser-Busch announced a new $16M investment in its Los Angeles brewery. Brendan Whitworth, CEO of Anheuser-Busch, stated, "Investing in the communities where our people live and work is part of who we are. At Anheuser-Busch, we've been producing high quality, great tasting products for generations, and through continued investments in our facilities like our Los Angeles brewery, we're not only improving our capabilities but also contributing to the prosperity of the communities we serve." Key Highlights of the Investment: Expansion of packaging capabilities for the company's "beyond beer" brands like Cutwater and NUTRL, including variety packaging; Increased production capacity for 25-ounce cans to meet increasing consumer demand; Facility upgrades to enhance water conservation and reduce boiler emissions.

12:00 EDT Offerpad Solutions falls -7.7% - Offerpad Solutions is down -7.7%, or -34c to $4.06.

12:00 EDT Hamilton Insurance rises 8.3% - Hamilton Insurance is up 8.3%, or $1.54 to $20.13.

12:00 EDT Markforged rises 70.5% - Markforged is up 70.5%, or $1.93 to $4.66.

11:20 EDT Board of Arbitration rules in favor of U.S. Steel, affirming Nippon Steel deal - United States Steel Corporation (X) announced the Board of Arbitration, which is jointly selected by U. S. Steel and the United Steelworkers to decide disputes between them, ruled that U. S. Steel has satisfied each of the conditions of the successorship clause of its Basic Labor Agreement with the USW and that no further action under the BLA is required to proceed to closing the pending transaction between U. S. Steel and Nippon Steel (NPSCY). the Board of Arbitration determined that the successorship clause has been satisfied and that, as required by the BLA, Nippon Steel has: recognized the USW as the bargaining representative for USW-represented employees at U. S. Steel; provided reasonable assurances that it has both the willingness and financial wherewithal to honor the commitments in the agreements between U. S. Steel and the USW applicable to USW-represented employees; and assumed all USW agreements that are applicable to USW-represented employees at U. S. Steel. In making this decision, the Board of Arbitration recognized the repeated written commitments Nippon Steel made to fulfill the requirements of the successorship clause and that no further actions by Nippon Steel were required. Moreover, the Board of Arbitration cited Nippon Steel's written commitments-including its commitment to invest no less than $1.4B in USW-represented facilities, not to conduct layoffs or plant closings during the term of the BLA, and to protect the best interests of U.S. Steel in trade matters-in support of its decision. With the completion of this arbitration proceeding, all outstanding issues related to the BLA have now been resolved with respect to the Transaction. Following the ruling, Karl Kocsis, Vice President and Chief Labor Relations Officer for U. S. Steel, commented, "We commend the Board of Arbitration for its thorough review of the USW's allegations and are pleased with its decision that U. S. Steel and Nippon Steel have fully complied with the BLA. U. S. Steel always has and always will continue to have the utmost regard for our union-represented employees and the role of the USW." U. S. Steel and Nippon Steel continue to progress through U.S. regulatory reviews of the pending transaction and work toward closing the transaction by the end of this year.

11:06 EDT Celldex trading resumes

10:50 EDT Nano Dimension trading resumes

10:47 EDT USW says board of arbitration 'misses the mark' in U.S. Steel, Nippon Steel deal - The United Steelworkers said in a letter to its members: "We received the board of arbitration's decision over our grievances against U.S. Steel (X), and we strenuously disagree with the result. The arbitrators accepted at face-value Nippon Steel's (NPSCY) statement that it would assume the Basic Labor Agreement, despite the obvious means by which it's using its North American holding company to insulate itself from our contracts. Nippon's commitment to our facilities and jobs remains as uncertain as ever, and executives in Tokyo can still change U.S. Steel's business plans and wipe them away at any moment. We're clearly disappointed with the decision, but it does nothing to change our opposition to the deal or our resolve to fight for our jobs and communities that hang in the balance in this transaction... Unless the owner of USS makes iron-clad, enforceable commitments to maintain blast furnace operations well into the future, our country will lose its capacity to make much of what we need for the automotive industry, bridges and other infrastructure and military operations. As we know, these products cannot be made in electric arc furnaces like Big River. The greedy USS executives driving this deal have the luxury of taking golden parachutes, and shareholders can obviously sell their stock at a huge profit... Our solidarity is as important now as ever. Please watch for further updates as we have more information to share." Reference Link

10:34 EDT Nano Dimension to acquire Markforged for $5.00 per share in cash - Nano Dimension Ltd. (NNDM) and Markforged Holding Corporation (MKFG) jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which Nano Dimension will acquire all outstanding shares of Markforged in an all-cash transaction for $5.00 per share. The combined Nano Dimension-Desktop Metal company would have a revenue based on fiscal year 2023 of $246 million and, as of today's announcement, the combined company - Nano Dimension, Desktop Metal, and now Markforged - would have a combined revenue based on fiscal year 2023 of $340M, along with a clear path to profitability. The aggregate total consideration payable to Markforged's shareholders is $115M. This is based on $5.00 per share, which represents a 71.8% premium to Markforged's September 24th, 2024 VWAP and a 67.8% premium to Markforged's 90 day VWAP as of September 24th, 2024. Subject to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement, Nano Dimension will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Markforged for $5.00 per share in cash. The combined company is expected to have a strong cash position at closing, which should be after the Desktop Metal acquisition also closed, with approximately $475M of projected cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities post-transaction. Completing the transaction is subject to certain closing conditions, including the approval of Markforged's stockholders, and required regulatory approvals. Yoav Stern, CEO, and member of the board of directors of Nano Dimension, said, "In combining with Markforged, Nano Dimension is taking bold action in its journey towards becoming a digital manufacturing leader and being a foundational pillar of Industry 4.0. Markforged is an exceptional company with innovative AM materials and solutions for true production. Their prowess is validated by their more than fifteen thousand installed and connected systems in the field with many leading names across key industry verticals. I am excited to work with Shai Terem and his team, who have done an exceptional job developing their cutting-edge solutions. This is all the more substantial when we think about the anticipated closing of our deal with Desktop Metal. We believe the combination of Nano Dimension, Desktop Metal (DM), and Markforged further strengthens our unique opportunity in creating value for our shareholders, customers, and employees as we work to deliver profitable growth, exceptional services, and notable career development opportunities."

10:24 EDT Amgen says HORIZON Phase 3 achieves 'statistically significant' improvement - Amgen presented topline data from the Phase 3 ROCKET-HORIZON study of focatinlimab for patients with Atopic Dermatitis. The co-primary endpoint for U.S.: ASI-75 and rIGA 0/1 at week 24 and Ex-US: EASI-75 and vIGA-AD 0/1 at week 24, while key secondary endpoints included: vIGA-AD 0/1 at week 16, EASI-75 at week 16, EASI-90 at week 24. Amgen said that there was a statistically significant improvement observed in co-primary endpoints: 32.8% of rocatinlimab treated subjects achieved an EASI-75 response at week 24 vs. 13.7% placebo (19.1% difference, less than 0.001); 19.3% of rocatinlimab treated subjects achieved a vIGA-AD 0/1 response at week 24 vs. 6.6% placebo (12.8% difference, less than 0.001); 16.4% of rocatinlimab treated subjects achieved a rIGA 0/1 response at week 24 vs. 4.9% placebo (11.5% difference, less than 0.001). In addition, the company said all key secondary endpoints met statistical significance and that overall safety results were comparable to the Phase 2b trial. Separately, the company provided an update on Uplinza, saying the first global placebo controlled, randomized controlled trial in IgG4-R met the primary endpoint, demonstrating a clinically meaningful and statistically significant 87% reduction in IgG4-RD flare risk at 52-weeks compared to placebo (HR = 0.13, p less than 0.0001), and all three key secondary endpoints met statistical significance after multiplicity adjustment.

10:10 EDT Work Medical Technology Group Ltd trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:03 EDT LPL Financial enters partnership with Zinnia to streamline insurance fulfillment - Zinnia and LPL Financial announced a strategic relationship providing LPL's network of more than 23,000 financial advisors a simplified way to find, recommend, fulfill, and service life insurance for their clients. Policygenius Pro by Zinnia is a turnkey insurance platform that will help LPL's network of financial advisors and credit unions accelerate life insurance sales and enable their clients to access the wide variety of insurers, coverage types, and policy options. By leveraging these unique quoting tools from Zinnia along with its built-in referral processes, LPL advisors can significantly cut down on time spent on life insurance applications and cut placement times, while providing their clients top-tier customer service. LPL advisors receive support from a team of expert licensed insurance agents from Policygenius for case management, underwriting, and product support.

10:00 EDT KE Holdings falls -6.7% - KE Holdings is down -6.7%, or -$1.14 to $15.79.

10:00 EDT BlackSky falls -20.8% - BlackSky is down -20.8%, or -$1.05 to $3.99.

10:00 EDT HP Enterprise rises 6.1% - HP Enterprise is up 6.1%, or $1.15 to $20.02.

09:50 EDT Sun Communities drops 3% to $135.57 after Blue Orca short report

09:48 EDT HP Enterprise rises 5.2% - HP Enterprise is up 5.2%, or 98c to $19.86.

09:47 EDT a.k.a. Brands falls -5.3% - a.k.a. Brands is down -5.3%, or -$1.40 to $24.87.

09:47 EDT BlackSky falls -22.6% - BlackSky is down -22.6%, or -$1.14 to $3.90.

09:42 EDT Banzai International Inc trading resumes

09:38 EDT A2Z Cust2Mate Solutions, Nayax Capital sign framework agreements - A2Z Cust2Mate Solutions announced it has signed global framework agreements with Nayax Capital whereby Nayax Capital will enable financing for the sale or lease of Cust2Mate smart carts enabled with Nayax's complete solution. This announcement is further to the company's press release on September 10, 2024 announcing the formation of a joint venture with Nayax Ltd. to mutually promote the sales of A2Z Cust2Mate's smart cart solution integrated with Nayax's payment solution for on-cart payments. The joint venture announcement can be read here. Under the terms of the framework agreements, Nayax Capital will enable retailers to pay or lease the Cust2Mate smart carts that are sold as part of a comprehensive solution, which includes Nayax's payment, management and loyalty solution, in monthly installments. The framework agreements cover the A2Z Cust2Mate's smart carts, charging solutions, and IT infrastructure upgrades, as needed, for customers around the world including Europe, North America and Latin America. Any financing extended is subject to individual terms and conditions and approval by Nayax Capital and is non-recourse to A2Z.

09:36 EDT SBC Medical Group Holdings Inc trading resumes

09:34 EDT Neonode enters license agreement for Touch Sensor Module technology - Neonode announced a new license agreement for an evolution of its licensable Touch Sensor Module technology. NEXTY Electronics Corporation has selected Neonode's TSM technology for sensor development and manufacturing of the next-generation amusement machines for a manufacturer in Japan's amusement market. The agreement includes an upfront technology access fee and future royalties and is estimated to have a value of $2M-$3M over the next four to five years.

09:30 EDT Trump Media up 5% as insider filing deadline passes - Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group are up 60c, or 5%, to $13.39 in pre-market trading. Inside shareholders of Trump Media were allowed to start selling their shares this past Friday, the end of the traditional six-month lockup period after the stock's debut in March, and Tuesday marked the end of the two-day requirement for stock sales to be disclosed if any company executive or insiders decided to sell their shares. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, the largest shareholder in Trump Media with a stake that represents nearly 60% of the company's outstanding stock, said earlier this month that he didn't plan to sell any of his shares of the parent of Truth Social.

09:22 EDT Dolphin Entertainment appoints Hilarie Bass to board of directors - Dolphin announced that its shareholders voted to approve Hilarie Bass to serve as an independent director of the Board at Dolphin's 2024 Annual Meeting, which took place yesterday. Hilarie Bass is an esteemed corporate advisor and nationally-renowned litigator.Until December 2018, Bass was President of Greenberg Traurig, a leading global law firm with more than 2000 attorneys and 40 offices worldwide.

09:21 EDT Montana Technologies establishes international office in the UAE - Montana Technologies has established its first international office in the United Arab Emirates to accelerate the deployment of AirJoule in the region. Montana Technologies previously announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with TenX Investment in Energy Enterprises & Management Co. LLC to address water security and energy efficiency opportunities in the UAE.

09:19 EDT Cero Therapeutics requests Type A meeting with FDA on CER-1236 clinical hold - CERo Therapeutics announced that existing investors have committed a financing of $1.25M. With these funds the Company plans to work with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to resolve the remaining IND issue for CER-1236, which is on clinical hold. CERo continues to progress in its work to address the Clinical Hold placed on its Investigational New Drug Application for CER-1236. The company has requested a Type A Meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regarding its open Investigational New Drug Application, which is currently on Clinical Hold. The Company intends to discuss its plans and data collected to date. As announced previously, the clinical hold is related to only two pharmacology and toxicology questions which the Company believes can be addressed. CERo has initiated pre-clinical in vitro studies and experiments, interim data from which constituted the Company's Type A Meeting Request regarding the clinical hold. These experiments will continue into October, as CERo awaits FDA's response to the submitted Type A Meeting Request.

09:16 EDT Rezolve AI responds to Bain & Company's forecast of AI's market growth - Rezolve Ai responded to Bain & Company's forecast of AI's market explosion, predicting annual growth between 40-55% and a market size approaching $1 trillion by 2027. As AI reshapes industries, Rezolve AI is positioned at the forefront, transforming the commerce landscape through its revolutionary AI-powered solutions. Daniel M. Wagner, CEO of Rezolve iI, remarked, "This report is a testament to AI's unparalleled potential. Bain's projections solidify our vision that AI will redefine global commerce, unlocking unprecedented opportunities for businesses to enhance customer engagement and operational efficiency. At Rezolve Ai, we are fully committed to harnessing this momentum, enabling businesses to deliver smarter, faster, and more personalized experiences. With our innovative platforms, we're not just participating in this AI revolution - we're leading it."

09:13 EDT DraftKings up 5% after peer Flutter offers guidance, announces buyback - Shares of DraftKings (DKNG) are up $1.94, or 5%, to $41.08 in pre-market trading after its chief online sports betting peer Flutter Entertainment (FLUT), the parent of FanDuel, introduced medium-term 2027 guidance and the authorization of an up to $5B share repurchase program in conjunction with an an investor event being hosted today.

09:12 EDT Haoxi Health, Global Mofy announce strategic partnership - Haoxi Health Technology (HAO) announced a strategic partnership with an AI platform, Gauss Intelligence Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Global Mofy AI Ltd (GMM). This collaboration aims to leverage the advanced capabilities of Gausspeed, a cutting-edge generative AI platform, alongside HAO's extensive application scenarios to deliver transformative AI marketing solutions. Through this partnership, Global Mofy will provide the powerful AI capabilities of the Gausspeed platform, while HAO will contribute its rich industry knowledge and practical application expertise.

09:10 EDT Standard Foods teams with Rimini Street to fund AI-powered project - Rimini Street announced that Standard Foods Corporation has selected Rimini Support for SAP, enabling it to achieve significant cost savings, improve quality of support for its mission-critical SAP systems, and reallocate IT resources towards projects that will drive stronger profitability and enable growth for the leading Taiwanese food manufacturer and distributor.Jerry Lee, director of IT at Standard Foods shared, "Rimini Street immediately halved our annual support costs and helped our SAP systems run better than ever before. Because of the efficiencies gained, my IT team can focus on using data to improve sales estimations and benefit our partners and distributors. It will be a game-changer for Standard Foods, made possible by Rimini Street." ..."One of the impactful areas for AI in the supply chain is demand forecasting. According to industry analysts, AI-based forecasting techniques that incorporate real-time and multivariate data sources can reduce forecasting errors by up to 50% compared to traditional time-series based methods," said Tyler Munger, vice president of analytics at Rimini Street. "Many of our manufacturing clients partner with Rimini Street to direct resources towards investing in AI-fueled improvements that help with their top and bottom-line goals."

09:10 EDT Vontier's Driivz announces milestone update with Francis Energy - Driivz, an EVolve e-mobility portfolio company of Vontier, announced a milestone update with its partner Francis Energy, the fourth-largest owner and operator of fast-charging stations and largest recipient of Federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, NEVI, funds in the U.S. Through a partnership announced earlier this year, Driivz and Francis Energy have successfully brought 1,100 charging ports online at over 200 locations to support over 20,000 drivers nationwide.

09:08 EDT Fortinet announces progress on mission to tackle cybersecurity skills shortage - Fortinet announced significant progress in its mission to address the cybersecurity skills shortage through its Training Institute programs. As part of the company's commitment to closing the cyber workforce gap, Fortinet pledged to train 1 million people in cybersecurity by the end of 2026 and through the Fortinet Training Institute programs has achieved significant strides toward this goal. With more than half a million people having been trained since the 5-year span pledge was announced, Fortinet is on track to meet this commitment by the end of 2026. As the cybersecurity landscape grows increasingly complex, the demand for skilled professionals continues to grow with an estimated 4.8 million cybersecurity professionals required to address the industry's workforce gap. At the same time, Fortinet's 2024 Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap Report reveals that 70% of organizations believe the shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals is increasing risks to their security. Fortinet is at the forefront of working to address the skills gap by providing award-winning training and certification curriculum designed to equip individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to better mitigate cyber risks

09:07 EDT Ulta teams Universal Pictures' new cinematic event, Wicked for beauty assortment - Ulta Beauty (ULTA) announces its partnership with Universal Pictures' (UVV) new cinematic event, Wicked, for the launch of a multi-branded beauty assortment, available at all stores and ulta.com beginning October 6th. Inspired by the film adaption of the beloved blockbuster stage musical about the untold story of the witches of Oz, arriving in theaters on November 22nd, the Wicked-themed collection defies conventional beauty norms, empowering beauty enthusiasts to embrace their truest selves. As part of the collection, Ulta Beauty will exclusively feature r.e.m. beauty's limited-edition 9-piece makeup set, designed by Grammy award winning global superstar Ariana Grande, who stars as Glinda in the film. "At Ulta Beauty, we believe that beauty is a powerful form of self-expression, and our partnership with Wicked allows us to bring that belief to life in an inspiring way," said Monica Arnaudo, Chief Merchandising Officer at Ulta Beauty. "This collection invites beauty enthusiasts to embrace their confidence, celebrate and support friendship, while discovering the unexpected connections that beauty can create, just as the characters of Wicked do. We're thrilled to offer an expansive range of transformative products that inspire joy, creativity, and the magic of being true to yourself."

09:07 EDT Avantor announces virtual power purchase agreement through Energize program - Avantor has entered into a 10-year virtual power purchase agreement through the Energize program, a first of its kind initiative to increase access to renewable energy for pharmaceutical supply chains. As a participant in the first cohort to come out of the Energize Program, Avantor is supporting the development of three new solar projects in Spain, which will deliver new renewable electricity capacity to the European market. Expected to come online in 2026, the project will cover Avantor's European operations with 25GWh of renewable energy annually for 10 years. This represents an estimated 17,465 metric tons of CO2 avoided, or the equivalent of 2,278 households' annual energy consumption for one year.

09:05 EDT Accenture awarded $90M prime contract from CISA - Accenture has won a $90M prime contract to provide data analytics and vulnerability research and analysis support to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA. The length of the CISA CSD VM Insights contract is a one-year base with four option years. In 2021, Accenture Federal Services was awarded a $112M prime task order from CISA to protect Federal Civilian Executive Branch systems against cyberattacks.

09:04 EDT Greif signs VPPA with Endesa's Enel Green Power Espana - Greif announced today the signing of a virtual power purchase agreement, VPPA, with Endesa's renewal subsidiarity, Enel Green Power Espana, EGPE. The VPPA agreement signifies a critical advancement in Greif's long-term sustainability and climate goals, further reinforcing the company's commitment to reducing its environmental footprint. "At Greif, we're serious about sustainability," said Ole Rosgaard, President and CEO of Greif. "This partnership represents a tangible step in advancing our climate strategy. It demonstrates our dedication to responsible growth while meeting our emissions reduction targets. We are proud to contribute to the development of solar energy infrastructure and to support the renewable energy transition by delivering clean, reliable power to the communities these projects serve."

09:03 EDT Genasys announces international LRAD orders - Genasys announced a new law enforcement LRAD order for a West African country and a follow-on defense order from Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding B.V.. LRAD systems will be mounted on police vehicles and used by law enforcement in the West African country for public safety operations and crowd communication. From an order announced in June, Damen has exercised the option to outfit two more German Navy F-126 frigates with multiple LRAD 950NXT systems.

08:57 EDT Investcorp Europe Acquisition I terminates combination agreement with Zacco - Investcorp Europe Acquisition announced it has terminated the previously announced business combination agreement with Zacco Holdings, as amended pursuant to Section 15.1 thereof. Under the terms of the business combination agreement, the company will receive a $30M termination payment. It is expected that at least $20M of such termination amount would be used to pay expenses incurred by the company. The company is currently considering whether to seek an alternative business combination or dissolve.

08:48 EDT Del Taco to open 13th location in Florida - Del Taco announced the opening of the newest location at 7531 W. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway, marking the brand's second company-owned location in the popular tourist destination of Kissimmee and marks the seventh restaurant in Orlando. A short distance from the main entrance to the Disney World theme park, the new restaurant highlights Del Taco's sleek, contemporary Fresh Flex layout. The bold interior design, and open-layout kitchen emphasizes the brand's commitment to freshness and flavor. For orders on the go, Del Taco guests can swing through the dual drive-thru lanes or take advantage of the contactless delivery pick-up stations for hassle-free third-party to-go orders.

08:44 EDT Enveric announces research on non-hallucinogenic EB-003 for anxiety, depression - Enveric Biosciences announced that research highlighting the company's lead compound, EB-003, is being presented at the 7th Neuropsychiatric Drug Summit. EB-003 is a promising neuroplastogenic and non-hallucinogenic N,N-Dimethyltryptamine DMT analog drug candidate that elicited beneficial outcomes in preclinical models of anxiety and depression. The conference is being held at the Hilton Boston Back Bay in Boston, MA on September 24-26. The presentation titled, "Non-hallucinogenic and neuroplastogenic DMT analog imparts positive behavioral outcomes in mice," addresses the criteria researchers evaluated in the design and development of EB-003 as a non-hallucinogenic derivative of DMT for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety. The poster highlights key preclinical data involving EB-003, including two mouse models demonstrating the effectiveness of EB-003 in reducing anxiety and depression, and research examining head twitch response HTR , a behavioral proxy in rodents for hallucinogenic effects in humans.

08:41 EDT Brenmiller announces JV in Europe to scale bGen technology adoption - Brenmiller Energy announced the formation of a new joint venture JV, Brenmiller Europe a mutually owned Spanish corporation with renowned renewable energy developers Green Enesys and Viridi RE. Brenmiller Europe will capitalize on Green Enesys and Viridi's expertise in developing and deploying large-scale clean energy projects in Europe. The JV aims to rapidly expand the adoption of Brenmiller's bGen technology across Europe, focusing on driving product sales, delivering energy services, and securing project-level financing in high-growth markets, starting in major European countries where Brenmiller Europe has the exclusive rights to distribute bGen systems, subject to certain revenue and performance requirements...Brenmiller will manufacture bGen modules at its gigafactory in Dimona while retaining ownership of its intellectual property. The JV, for which Brenmiller Energy will be a majority shareholder, aims to rapidly expand the adoption of bGen systems throughout Europe, a region renowned for its advanced renewable energy infrastructure. A substantial portion of Brenmiller's current $440M global project pipeline of commercial opportunities originates in Europe, spanning nine industries across eleven European countries. Brenmiller is committed to delivering on this massive opportunity to decarbonize industrial sectors in Europe. .

08:39 EDT Data Storage secures expanded contract with billion-dollar insurance company - Data Storage announced that its subsidiary, CloudFirst, has secured an expanded agreement through its infrastructure partner, servicing a billion-dollar insurance company. The client is currently utilizing the Company's security services for their IBMi system and has now opted to enhance their disaster recovery capabilities by moving to a fully managed hosted target system. Through this agreement, Data Storage Corporation will provide a fully managed hosting solution that includes cloud backup, backup management, and replication management ensuring seamless and reliable data continuity.

08:37 EDT KULR secures expanded U.S. Army battery contract to $2.4M - KULR Technology Group is on track to complete its initial engagement with the United States Army by Q3 2024. Building on the momentum of this ongoing partnership, the Army will expand its battery contract with the Company to $2.4M. This contract includes the development of additional prototypes and comprehensive environmental qualification testing in accordance with MIL-STD-810E standards. This expanded contract underscores KULR's commitment to advancing the performance and reliability of silicon anode lithium-ion battery cells under the most demanding conditions. These prototypes will undergo rigorous testing to ensure that the increased energy density does not compromise safety or reliability in active-duty environments. By maintaining stringent standards, KULR aims to support the Army's mission readiness and operational efficiency. As part of its broader growth strategy, KULR sees this collaboration as a key driver for expanding the deployment of its innovative technologies, such as the KULR ONE platform. This engagement with the U.S. Army enhances product capabilities and lays the groundwork for a growing adoption of KULR ONE, with product sales expected to accelerate in 2025. The Company's forward-looking strategy is centered on delivering solutions that drive both technological advancements and cost efficiencies for its partners.

08:37 EDT Cintas reports Q1 EPS $1.10, consensus 95c - Reports Q1 revenue $2.5B, consensus $2.5B. Todd Schneider, Cintas' president and CEO, stated, "Our first quarter fiscal 2025 results reflect the strength and breadth of Cintas' value proposition for businesses of all types and stellar execution by our employee-partners. Cintas delivered revenue and earnings growth, continued margin expansion and strong cash generation, all of which enabled our balanced approach to capital allocation. Alongside returning capital to shareholders through our 41st consecutive annual dividend increase and significant share repurchase activity in the quarter, Cintas continued to reinvest in our customers and our employee-partners to ensure we are best positioned to deliver long-term value for our shareholders."

08:35 EDT HeartCore's Go IPO client SBC Medical begins Nasdaq trading - HeartCore Enterprises announced its Go IPO client, SBC Medical Group, has commenced trading under the symbol "SBC" on the Nasdaq Global Market exchange. HeartCore was initially compensated through an aggregate $900,000 in initial fees and warrants to acquire 2.7% of SBC's common stock, on a fully diluted basis, which equate to $17M; in total, HeartCore generated $17.9M in revenue from the SBC deal, with $17M to be recognized in Q3 2024. As previously mentioned, of the $17.9M, HeartCore sold $9M worth of warrants to a Japanese financial institution during Q1 2024. The Company generated $5.64M in net sales after paying a referral fee of $3.36M to So Management Inc. for sourcing the lead. With SBC now publicly traded, HeartCore holds in total $8M worth of SBC stock. Pursuant to the initial agreement, the Company assisted SBC throughout the listing process, including the audit and legal firm hiring process, translating requested documents into English, assisting in the preparation of documentation for internal controls required for an initial public offering, providing general support services, assisting in the preparation of the F-1 filing, and more.

08:32 EDT PTC announces Strategic Collaboration Agreement with Amazon.com - PTC (PTC) announced entry into a Strategic Collaboration Agreement, or SCA, with Amazon Web Services, or AWS, to accelerate the growth of its Onshape cloud-native computer-aided design, or CAD, and product data management, or PDM, solution. This collaboration will focus on advancing Onshape product enhancements, customer adoption programs, and artificial intelligence initiatives, all of which are aimed at helping product designers and engineers create new, high-quality products faster and more efficiently. The Onshape Discovery Program allows qualified users to try Onshape Professional at no cost for up to six months. Onshape AI Advisor will allow users to design products faster by cataloguing the vast Onshape resource library of text-based documentation and videos and answering questions or making recommendations during the design process. In response to the growing demand from companies to switch to Onshape, this collaboration will allow the expansion of the capabilities of Onshape intelligent data migration toolsets. Onshape continues to be adopted by companies that need to accelerate their product development timelines and have elevated security requirements.

08:32 EDT RenovoRx increases production of FDA-cleared RenovoCath - RenovoRx announced that it is increasing the production of its FDA-cleared RenovoCath catheter-based delivery system due to increased demand for targeted delivery of diagnostic and/or therapeutic agents from oncologists and interventional radiologists. RenovoRx has signed a new project work order with its principal manufacturing partner, Medical Murray of North Barrington, IL, providing for an expanded relationship and as RenovoRx continues its exploration of commercial opportunities for RenovoCath beyond RenovoRx's currently ongoing clinical programs. To create performance incentives for Medical Murray, RenovoRx will issue Medical Murray a warrant to purchase up to 709,500 shares of RenovoRx common stock. This warrant vests over time and only if Medical Murray achieves certain manufacturing milestones.

08:20 EDT Ainos receives IRB approval from National Taiwan University Hospital - Ainos has received Institutional Review Board approval from the National Taiwan University Hospital for its clinical trial focused on treating oral warts in HIV-positive patients. This trial will evaluate VELDONA, Ainos' low-dose oral interferon formulation, which has received orphan drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as a potential treatment for HIV-related oral warts. The clinical trial, titled "Evaluation of Human Interferon Alpha Administered Oromucosally in the Treatment of Oral Warts in HIV-Seropositive Subjects Receiving Combination Anti-Retroviral Therapy", will be conducted as a single-site study at the National Taiwan University Hospital. The trial was submitted for IRB review on June 27, 2024, and received formal approval on September 18, 2024. The study will enroll 40 HIV-positive participants, who will be randomly assigned in a 1:3 ratio to either the VELDONA group or a placebo group. Participants will take 10 sublingual tablets of VELDONA or placebo daily for 24 weeks. The primary and secondary endpoints of the trial are to evaluate the efficacy of VELDONA in combination with antiretroviral therapy compared to placebo in treating oral warts in HIV-positive patients. Before the trial can officially begin, an approval from Taiwan Food and Drug Administration is required. Ainos has already submitted the application through Bestat Pharmaservices Corporation, a TFDA-certified Contract Research Organization, on August 28, 2024. The Site Initiation Visit is expected to take place in November 2024, with patient enrollment anticipated to last one year. The study is expected to conclude by July 2026.

08:17 EDT FinWise Bancorp announces new strategic lending program with PowerPay - FinWise Bancorp, parent company of FinWise Bank, announced the launch of a new strategic lending program with PowerPay. PowerPay is a leading fintech company specializing in simple and affordable real-time lending and payment solutions to the Home Improvement and Elective HealthCare segments. The FinWise loan product, in partnership with PowerPay offers consumers nationwide, fair and affordable monthly payments through a network of quality contractors and medical providers.

08:17 EDT DOMA Perpetual urges Pacira to accelerate, increase its stock repurchases - DOMA Perpetual Capital Management sent a letter to the Board of Directors of Pacira Biosciences urging the Board to accelerate and increase its stock repurchase. Reference Link

08:16 EDT NLS Pharmaceutics announces 1-for-40 reverse share split - NLS Pharmaceutics announced that a reverse share split of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares, par value CHF 0.02 per share at a ratio of 1-for-40 is expected to be implemented at market open on September 27, 2024. The Company's Common Shares are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on a post-split basis at the market open on September 27, 2024, under the Company's existing trading symbol "NLSP", but will trade under a new CUSIP Number, H57830137. A notice of the reverse split will be filed with the commercial registry of the Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, on September 27, 2024. As a result, the reverse split will become effective in Switzerland on September 27, 2024, before Nasdaq market opening at 9:30 am. Following its effectiveness in Switzerland, the reverse split will be published in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce on October 1, 2024, at 00:01am. The reverse share split was approved by the Company's shareholders at the Company's extraordinary shareholders' meeting held on September 18, 2024. After giving effect to the Reverse Split of the Company's Common Shares, each 40 Common Shares will be combined into one Common Share, such that the Company's 46,880,000 Common Shares outstanding will be reduced to approximately 1,172,000 Common Shares outstanding.

08:14 EDT Avadel Pharmaceuticals announces publication of data on LUMRYZ - Avadel Pharmaceuticals announced the publication of results of a post-hoc analysis from the completed pivotal Phase 3 REST-ON clinical trial. Results demonstrated clinically significant improvements from baseline in wakefulness, overall condition, number of weekly cataplexy episodes, and excessive daytime sleepiness in patients taking LUMRYZ compared to those taking placebo, regardless of concomitant use of alerting agents. The paper, titled "Efficacy of Once-Nightly Sodium Oxybate on Daytime Symptoms in Individuals With Narcolepsy With or Without Concomitant Alerting Agent Use: A Post Hoc Analysis From the Phase 3 REST-ON Trial," was published online in Sleep Medicine. Results of the post-hoc analysis: Significant improvements with LUMRYZ at all doses were seen versus placebo for MWT, CGI-I and number of weekly cataplexy episodes regardless of alerting agent use, which were also clinically meaningful.; Similarly, ESS was significantly improved with LUMRYZ at all doses versus placebo in the group taking alerting agents, with significant improvements for the non-alerting agent group at the 7.5 g and 9 g dose, and directional improvement at Week 3 with the 6 g dose.

08:12 EDT Centogene announces data on novel genetic risk factor for Parkinson's Disease - Centogene announced data from the Company's Rostock International Parkinson's Disease, further supporting the association of a RAB32 gene mutation with Parkinson's disease. The study, published in The Lancet Neurology, builds on research from Emil K. Gustavsson and colleagues, who previously identified the RAB32 c.213Cgreater thanG variant as a novel monogenic cause of PD. In the ROPAD Study, Whole Genome Sequencing data from 3,354 PD patients revealed that nine patients from Germany, Italy, Spain, and Turkiye carried the RAB32 c.213Cgreater thanG mutation. This proportion of variant-positives - 0.3% of the cohort - is significantly higher than the 0.002% found in general population databases such as the Genome Aggregation Database. Key Findings: Nine ROPAD participants were heterozygous for the RAB32 c.213Cgreater thanG mutation, supporting the mutation's causal role in Parkinson's disease; Age at onset in mutation-positives and mutation-negatives did not differ, while gender proportions and certain clinical characteristics did; The RAB32 Ser71Arg-associated haplotype was as in the Gustavsson et al. study, supportive of a single founder mutational event. These findings underscore the importance of RAB32 as an important cause of Parkinson's disease.

08:12 EDT Flutter introduces medium-term 2027 guidance, announces $5B buyback program - Flutter Entertainment announced it will host an investor event today, introducing medium-term 2027 guidance and the authorization of an up to $5B share repurchase program. "Flutter holds unparalleled leadership positions in the US and Rest of World through a diversified portfolio of market-leading brands. These brands enjoy local scale positions and the unique advantages of the Flutter Edge. This key differentiator enables our brands to benefit from, and contribute to, leading global capabilities including product and technology as well as the benefits of our vast expertise and our global scale. This empowers our local brands with the benefits of a global leader, while still retaining their local focus and challenger mindset. With access to a large and growing total addressable market, we believe we are very well positioned to deliver significant profitable growth and value creation for shareholders in the long-term," the company stated. For the Group, the company guides to a "significant 2030 regulated TAM of $368bn, global gross gaming revenue with forecast compound annual growth, or 'CAGR,' of 8%." At the midpoint of "US and ROW 2027 guidance expected to deliver Flutter Group revenue of approximately $21bn, representing three-year CAGR of 14%4,5 and creating path to Flutter Adjusted EBITDA6 in 2027 of over $5bn; Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion of 700 basis points by 2027 to approximately 25%; Free cash flow generation of approximately $2.5bn in 2027, a forecast 36% CAGR," the company stated.

08:09 EDT Tactile Systems announces new clinical study on Flexitouch APCD - Tactile Systems Technology announced the publication of a new clinical study in the Journal of Vascular Surgery, Venous and Lymphatic Disorders. This study assessed outcomes associated with use of the Company's Flexitouch advanced pneumatic compression device, APCD, in Veterans with lower extremity lymphedema. Notably, this 52-week study represents the largest peer-reviewed, prospective, clinical trial investigating PCDs and lymphedema ever published in the United States. The secondary endpoint results demonstrated several statistically significant improvements, baseline to 52 weeks, with reductions in limb girth, cellulitis events, and skin hyperpigmentation. Among these results, the following were observed: Limb girth decreased by 1.4 cm; Cellulitis events decreased from 21.4% to 6.1%; Skin hyperpigmentation decreased from 75% of patients to 40% . There were additional improvements also noted in compliance and limb girth reduction which included: 92% patient compliance with Flexitouch at 8 weeks and 72% patient compliance at 52 weeks; 74% patient compliance with compression garments at 52 weeks, compared to 64% at baseline; 6% limb girth reduction at 12 weeks in patients with moderate and severe lymphedema.

08:08 EDT FactSet says GHG emissions commitment validated by SBTi - FactSet announced that the Science Based Targets initiative has validated its near-term, company-wide sustainability initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to combat the global climate crisis. This validation follows FactSet's 2022 near-term emission reduction commitment, confirming the company's goals have been reviewed by corporate climate experts and are inline and attainable according to SBTi's guidelines. These goals include reducing scope 1, direct and owned company emissions; scope 2, indirect and off-site company emissions; and scope 3, indirect value chain emissions. FactSet's commitment involves: FactSet Research Systems Inc. commits to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 45% by its 2030 fiscal year from its fiscal 2023 base year levels. FactSet Research Systems Inc. commits to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions by 25% by its 2030 fiscal year from its fiscal 2023 base year levels.

08:07 EDT Durect provides update on Pase 3 trial evaluating larsucosterol - DURECT provided details on the design of its upcoming registrational Phase 3 trial which will evaluate larsucosterol for the treatment of patients with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis, or AH. "We are pleased with the collaborative interactions with the FDA, including our recent Type B meeting held under Breakthrough Therapy designation, that allowed us to reach agreement on key elements of the protocol for the upcoming Phase 3 trial," said James E. Brown, President and CEO of DURECT. "We believe the primary endpoint of 90-day survival is clinically meaningful and provides the greatest probability of success based on the AHFIRM data. In the completed AHFIRM trial, larsucosterol showed the ability to reduce mortality in AH patients compared to standard of care, particularly in the U.S., where we observed nearly 60% lower mortality at 90-days in both the 30 mg and 90 mg dose groups. We look forward to initiating the Phase 3 trial as soon as possible, subject to obtaining sufficient funds, which should enable us to report topline data within two years of trial initiation. The FDA also agreed that a single Phase 3 trial would be sufficient to support a New Drug Application. Larsucosterol's Breakthrough Therapy designation for the treatment of AH gives us the opportunity to file an NDA as a rolling submission." The proposed Phase 3 trial design incorporates feedback from the Type B meeting held with the FDA under the Breakthrough Therapy designation. It is designed as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center study conducted in the U.S., which will evaluate the safety and efficacy of larsucosterol for the treatment of patients with severe AH. The primary outcome measure will be a 90-day survival endpoint. The Phase 3 trial is planned to enroll approximately 200 patients randomized in a 1:1 ratio across two arms.

08:06 EDT Erasca to present preliminary SEACRAFT-1 Phase 1 data - Erasca announced an oral presentation of preliminary SEACRAFT-1 Phase 1 data for naporafenib plus trametinib in patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic solid tumor malignancies with RAS Q61X mutations at the 36th EORTC-NCI-AACR, ENA, Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics taking place October 23-25 in Barcelona, Spain. Naporafenib is a potential first-in-class and best-in-class pan-RAF inhibitor.

08:05 EDT Scholastic names Jeffrey Mathews as Chief Growth Officer - Scholastic announced that Jeffrey Mathews has been appointed to the new role of Scholastic's Chief Growth Officer and Executive Vice President, effective immediately. He rejoined Scholastic two years ago, as Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations.

08:05 EDT Seelos Therapeutics announces 1-for-16 reverse stock split - Seelos Therapeutics announced that its Board of Directors approved a 1-for-16 reverse stock split of its outstanding shares of common stock, to be effective as of 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, September 27, 2024. The company's common stock, par value $0.001, will begin trading on a reverse stock split-adjusted basis at the opening of the market on Friday, September 27, 2024. Following the reverse stock split, the company's common stock will continue to trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol "SEEL" with the new CUSIP number, 81577F 406. The reverse stock split is intended for the company to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement of $1.00 per share of common stock for continued listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market. The reverse stock split was approved by the company's Board of Directors pursuant to Section 78.207 of the Nevada Revised Statutes and was effectuated by the filing of a Certificate of Change with office of the Nevada Secretary of State.

08:04 EDT Medtronic announces partnership with Siemens Healthineers - Medtronic announced at the North American Spine Society, or NASS, 39th Annual Meeting in Chicago the commercial launch of several software, hardware, and imaging innovations. These enhancements are designed to advance AiBLE, the Medtronic smart ecosystem of innovative navigation, robotics, data and AI, imaging, software and implants that enable more predictable outcomes in spine and cranial procedures. In line with its commitment to increasing the quality of care for patients with spinal conditions, Medtronic also announced a partnership with Siemens Healthineers to explore opportunities to further expand access to advanced pre- and post-operative imaging technologies for spine care. New advancements in the AiBLE ecosystem include the following: O-arm 4.3 software, which introduces advanced navigation volumes, dose reduction, and enhanced image confirmation; UNiD Adaptive Spine Intelligence, a Medtronic integrated service and software platform that leverages AI and predictive models to help surgeons deliver patient-specific surgical plans and implants, now includes MRI Vision, which integrates with CoLumbo from Smart Soft Healthcare into the UNiD workflow; Mazor robotic guidance system with 5.1 software is the first and only spinal robotic system that integrates AI, bone cutting, and graft delivery; new implant innovation with ModuLeX Spinal System, which offers increased visualization of the surgical area while allowing the operative flexibility to create an optimized construct for the patient. Medtronic also unveiled a global partnership with Siemens Healthineers during the meeting. The two companies anticipate comarketing the Siemens Healthineers Multitom Rax imaging system and integrating the platform into the Medtronic AiBLE ecosystem for spine surgery. The companies also anticipate collaborating across technology development, marketing, and commercial activities to advance clinical outcomes.

08:03 EDT Palisade Bio provides update on Phase 1 trial of PALI-2108 - Palisade Bio provided an update on its progress toward the launch of its Phase 1 human clinical study for PALI-2108 for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. The Company's lead program, PALI-2108, is a locally activated PDE4 inhibitor prodrug in development for treating patients with moderate to severely active UC. Leveraging advanced machine learning, the Company's research has identified a measurable threshold of elevated PDE4B expression across more than 1,600 patients and 10 studies, identifying over-expressing patients in over 70% of cases. This finding supports the potential for an FDA-approved test that uses PDE4B expression as a reliable marker for patient enrichment. The Company believes this will lead to better UC patient selection, thereby increasing the efficacy of Palisade's PDE4-inhibiting prodrug therapeutic. Additionally, the Company is advancing a second approach featuring six PDE4-related biomarkers, which has demonstrated superior performance compared to benchmark tests and is specifically tailored for PDE4 inhibition, providing a targeted solution to improve therapeutic outcomes. The integration of PCR-based assays aimed at potential FDA approval will ensure precision in patient targeting

08:01 EDT HP Inc. acquired Vyopta, strengthen workforce experience platform - HP announced it has acquired Vyopta, an Austin based provider of collaboration management solutions, offering analytics and monitoring for large, unified communications and collaboration networks. Vyopta brings extensive expertise and infrastructure to turbocharge the development of HP's Workforce Experience Platform and provide customers with more insights and capabilities.

07:47 EDT Jacobs selected by New York MTA as consultant for LIRR project - Jacobs (J) was selected by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA, as the program management consultant for the Long Island Rail Road, or LIRR, station improvements project. Jacobs will provide program management services, overseeing construction and commercial management, design compliance and risk identification. The design-build contract includes updating LIRR's Babylon, Forest Hills and Hollis stations to bring them into Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, compliance - increasing the population that can access and enjoy this public amenity. LIRR serves nearly 260,000 customers daily. Improvements are expected to include installation and rehabilitation of ADA compliant elevators, escalators, ramps, platform and canopy replacements as well as architectural and wayfinding upgrades that improve functionality and provide a more comfortable customer experience. MTA estimates the total contract value for this project at $227.5M and final completion is anticipated in 2026.

07:35 EDT 23andMe launches genetic report on likelihood of emotional eating - 23andMe released a new report on the genetics of emotional eating for 23andMe+ Premium members, informing them if they are at a higher likelihood of frequent emotional eating. "Many people experience emotional eating from time to time, but when emotional eating becomes extreme it can be a problem, causing weight gain and potentially contributing to health problems like high cholesterol and diabetes," said Noura Abul-Husn, MD, PhD, Vice President of Genomic Health at 23andMe. "Knowing a person's genetic likelihood for experiencing emotional eating can help them identify new strategies early on, like removing unhealthy foods from their pantries or finding enjoyable alternatives like going on a walk. We hope this report can help provide an added resource for those who may experience emotional eating."

07:33 EDT Vertex Energy files for bankruptcy, explores sales transaction - Vertex Energy announced it entered into a Restructuring Support Agreement with overwhelming support of 100% of the company's term loan lenders. To facilitate the transactions contemplated under the RSA, including exploration of a sale transaction, the company commenced Chapter 11 cases in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Benjamin P. Cowart, President and CEO of Vertex, stated, "As we enter this next phase of our restructuring process through a formal proceeding, we are appreciative of the continued support from our lenders. Their confidence in our business, as demonstrated by this ongoing collaboration, reinforces the critical role Vertex plays in the specialty refinery space. We want to thank our employees for continuing to be fully engaged as we go through this process and prioritizing safety and customer satisfaction above all else. Together with our lenders, we feel confident this decision provides the best pathway toward future success." The company has filed customary first day motions and plans to operate its business in the ordinary course as it explores a holistic restructuring strategy pursuant to the terms of the RSA. To fund this process and continue operating in the ordinary course, the Consenting Term Loan Lenders have agreed to provide the company with an additional $80M Debtor-In-Possession financing facility subject to certain terms and the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent. The company has also filed a Chapter 11 plan and bidding procedures, and anticipates confirming their Chapter 11 plan by the end of the year. Kirkland & Ellis is serving as restructuring counsel, Bracewell LLP is serving as restructuring co-counsel, Perella Weinberg Partners is serving as the investment banker, and Alvarez & Marsal is serving as the Chief Restructuring Officer and financial advisor to the company.

07:32 EDT InflaRx presents e-poster presentation of post hoc analysis of SHINE study - InflaRx announced the e-poster presentation of a post hoc analysis of the SHINE Phase 2b study of its first-in-class anti-C5a antibody, vilobelimab, in hidradenitis suppurativa at the 2024 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, EADV, Congress being held in Amsterdam, September 25 - 28, 2024. Camilla Chong, MD, Chief Medical Officer of InflaRx, commented: "This analysis sheds significant light on the role of C5a/C5aR signaling and vilobelimab's ability to address the underlying inflammation driving hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), including its potential to reduce not only abscesses and nodules, but draining tunnels that remain a significant burden for many patients with this debilitating disease. In addition, we believe exploring additional efficacy parameters for HS in addition to HiSCR (Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinical Response) could lead to a greater understanding of the disease-modifying potential of C5a inhibitors such as vilobelimab and C5aR inhibitors such as INF904, particularly with regard to reducing draining tunnels."

07:27 EDT Adeia unveils new solution to improve online video streaming, gaming - Inventors from Adeia have unveiled a groundbreaking new solution that could dramatically improve the quality of online video streaming and gaming. The paper, titled "Selective Enablement of L4S Transport for Latency-Sensitive Multimedia Delivery" has been accepted for presentation at the prestigious IEEE International Workshop on Multimedia Signal Processing. "This research represents an exciting step towards a smoother, more responsive internet," said Serhad Doken, Adeia's chief technology officer. "We're eager to continue refining and testing our solutions, with the goal of industry adoption for improved user experiences as soon as possible." Adeia's innovative approach centers around the concept of a special "fast lane" for internet traffic. This fast lane, known as "L4S", is designed to prioritize time-sensitive data like live video streams and online gaming traffic, helping it reach its destination more quickly and reliably.

07:18 EDT Cedar Realty Trust announces planned tender offer - Cedar Realty Trust plans to commence on September 25, 2024 a "modified Dutch auction" tender offer to purchase up to an aggregate amount paid of $9 million of shares of its outstanding 6.50% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock at a price per Series C Share of not less than $13.25 and not greater than $15.50. The tender offer will commence upon the filing by the Company of a tender offer statement on Schedule TO, including an offer to purchase, letter of transmittal and related materials, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The Offer is expected to commence on September 25, 2024, and is intended to expire at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Thursday, October 24, 2024, unless the offer is extended. Tenders of Series C Shares must be made prior to the expiration of the Offer and may be withdrawn at any time prior to the expiration time, in each case, in accordance with the procedures described in the tender offer materials. The Company intends to pay for the shares repurchased in the Offer with available cash. The closing price of the Series C Shares on the New York Stock Exchange on September 24, 2024, the last full trading day before the planned commencement of the tender offer, was $13.98 per Series C Share.

07:14 EDT Emergent BioSolutions confirms $400M in orders related to smallpox, Mpox - Emergent BioSolutions has secured approximately $400M in orders in 2024 and 2025 associated with its vaccinia, smallpox and mpox product portfolio. This includes the previously disclosed U.S. government contract modification to procure ACAM2000, as well as CNJ-016 contract options exercised in 2023 and 2024. To date in 2024, customer orders of nearly $210M have been delivered for ACAM2000 and VIGIV. For the remainder of 2024 and into 2025, Emergent is confirmed to deliver an incremental $185M+ in ACAM2000 and VIGIV orders.

07:10 EDT Stingray Group renews normal course issuer bid - Stingray Group announced that the Toronto Stock Exchange has approved the renewal of its normal course issuer bid, authorizing Stingray to repurchase up to an aggregate 3,542,716 subordinate voting shares and variable subordinate voting shares, representing approximately 10% of the "public float" of Subordinate Shares as at September 13, 2024. The net average daily trading volume for the six-month period preceding September 1, 2024 represents 28,459 Subordinate Shares. In accordance with TSX requirements, Stingray is entitled to purchase, on any trading day, up to a total of 7,114 Subordinate Shares representing 25% of this average daily trading volume. Stingray believes that the purchase of up to 3,542,716 Subordinate Shares under the NCIB is an appropriate use of its funds and a desirable investment for Stingray and, therefore, would be in the best interests of Stingray. By making such repurchases, the number of Subordinate Shares in circulation will be reduced and the proportionate interest of all remaining shareholders in the share capital of Stingray will be increased on a pro rata basis. Stingray may repurchase Subordinate Shares on the open market through the facilities of the TSX as well as through other alternative Canadian trading systems, from time to time, over the course of twelve months commencing September 27, 2024 and ending at the latest on September 26, 2025.

07:04 EDT Steakholder Foods signs commercial sales agreement with Bondor Foods - Steakholder Foods announced that it has signed a sales agreement with Bondor Foods to supply its proprietary plant-based premixes for the production of a line of white fish and salmon patties. This agreement marks the first commercial sale of Steakholder Foods' premixes, for the purpose of large-scale manufacturing and distribution. This sales agreement follows the successful completion of a product development phase, announced earlier this year. Arik Kaufman, CEO of Steakholder Foods, said: "We are glad to announce this commercial sale of our proprietary premixes and to move into large-scale production. This agreement is a testament to the successful collaboration between our companies throughout the development phase to create a truly innovative new product line, and validates the market potential for plant-based seafood alternatives. Bondor Foods' strong presence in the wholesale market makes them an ideal partner to bring these products to market at scale."

07:03 EDT AbbVie reports 'positive' results from Measure Up 1, Measure Up 2 Phase 3 trials - AbbVie announced positive results from a new post-hoc analysis from the Measure Up 1 and Measure Up 2 Phase 3 studies. The analysis evaluated the efficacy of upadacitinib (15 mg or 30 mg) in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis stratified by the severity of disease in the head and neck region at baseline compared to placebo across 16 weeks.1 In this analysis, several optimal and stringent treatment targets - including the achievement of near complete skin clearance in the head and neck region, near complete skin clearance, no to little itch and minimal or no impact on quality of life, were assessed with the treatment of upadacitinib across patient subgroups. Patients were stratified by no-to-mild, moderate, or severe head and neck involvement. "These data stratify the severity of atopic dermatitis in the head and neck region, which is a part of the body that has significant impact on patients and is challenging to treat," said Kilian Eyerich, MD, PhD, chair and professor at the Department of Dermatology and Venerology of the University of Freiburg, Germany. "At 16 weeks, RINVOQ showed efficacy in patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis with various degrees of head and neck involvement, achieving optimal treatment targets with combined measures of EASI 90 and WP-NRS 0/1, along with improvement on the patients' quality of life measured by DLQI 0/1 in a substantial number of patients."

07:02 EDT Kymera Therapeutics presents data for KT-621 at EADV Congress - Kymera Therapeutics announced the presentation of preclinical data for KT-621, a potent, selective, oral degrader of STAT6, an essential transcription factor that is a central driver of TH2 inflammation. The featured data highlight the differentiated profile of KT-621 as a potential once daily, oral treatment for TH2 driven allergic and atopic diseases. The data were presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, EADV, Congress being held September 25-28, 2024, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Company has completed IND-enabling studies and intends to initiate Phase 1 testing for KT-621 in the second half of 2024, with data from the Phase 1 trial expected to be reported in the first half of 2025. KT-621 demonstrated strong degradation of STAT6 in human sensory neurons resulting in inhibition of IL-13-induced itch- and pain-related gene transcripts with the potential to alleviate these symptoms in atopic dermatitis patients

06:57 EDT Eli Lilly announces new long-term Ebglyss data - More than 80% of adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis who responded to Ebglyss treatment at Week 16 in the ADvocate 1 and 2 monotherapy trials and continued treatment for up to three years experienced sustained skin clearance with monthly maintenance dosing. Eli Lilly announced these new long-term results from the ADjoin long-term extension study, which will be presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress from Sept. 25-28 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Ebglyss is an interleukin-13 inhibitor that selectively blocks IL-13 signaling with high binding affinity. The cytokine IL-13 is key in atopic dermatitis, driving the type-2 inflammatory cycle in the skin, leading to skin barrier dysfunction, itch, skin thickening and infection. Patients taking Ebglyss who completed 52 weeks in ADvocate 1 or 2 could enroll in ADjoin for an additional 100 weeks of continued treatment. Patients in this analysis of the long-term extension trial received treatment either 250 mg every two weeks or once monthly. The approved maintenance dose of Ebglyss is 250 mg Q4W. These data presented are part of ADjoin, the long-term extension study of the Ebglyss trials, and include participants who responded to Ebglyss treatment at Week 16 from ADvocate 1 and ADvocate 2. In total, 84% of these patients taking Ebglyss once monthly and 83% taking Ebglyss every two weeks maintained clear or almost-clear skin at three years. Overall, 87% of these patients taking Ebglyss once monthly and 79% taking Ebglyss every two weeks achieved or maintained at least 90% improvement in disease extent and severity at three years. In total, 83% of these patients taking Ebglyss once monthly and 91% taking Ebglyss every two weeks did not require either high-potency topical corticosteroids or systemic treatments. The safety profile of these patients taking Ebglyss in ADjoin was consistent with previous Ebglyss studies, and no new safety signals were observed up to three years of treatment. The majority of adverse events were mild or moderate. Less than three percent of patients experienced adverse events leading to treatment discontinuation. The most common side effects of Ebglyss were conjunctivitis, injection site reactions and shingles. Additional data from this clinical study is underway, with results to be presented at future congresses.

06:45 EDT Rentokil Initial rallies after naming Trian's Baldwin to board - Rentokil Initial announced the appointment of Brian Baldwin to its board as a non-executive director with effect from October 1. He will also become a member of the Nomination Committee and Remuneration Committee. Baldwin is the Head of Research of Trian Fund Management. Trian has confirmed to the company that it manages investment vehicles owning approximately 57.1M shares of Rentokil Initial, or approximately 2.26% of the shares outstanding. "We are delighted to welcome Brian to the Board of Rentokil Initial and we look forward to working with him to deliver long-term sustainable value for our shareholders and, in particular, executing our plans to integrate the Terminix business and to increase organic growth in our North America operations. We continue to work towards the substantial structural growth opportunities for our pest control business, enhanced by the benefits of the Terminix transaction," said Richard Solomons, Chairman of Rentokil. Shares of Rentokil Initial are up 4% to $25.50 in premarket trading.

06:32 EDT CGI signs EU Artificial Intelligence Act Pledge - CGI announced that it has signed the European Union's, or EU, Artificial Intelligence, or AI, Act Pledge as part of its engagement with the European Commission's AI Pact.

06:11 EDT Commerzbank names Bettina Orlopp as new CEO, succeeding Manfred Knof - The Supervisory Board of Commerzbank AG has redefined the responsibilities at the Group's top management and appointed Bettina Orlopp as the CEO and successor to Manfred Knof. The Supervisory Board aims for a transition in the near future. Knof had informed the Chairman of the Supervisory Board Jens Weidmann of his decision not to seek a second term as CEO at the beginning of September. Additionally, Michael Kotzbauer, Member of the Board of Managing Directors responsible for Corporate Clients, has been appointed as Deputy CEO. Both will receive a contract for 5 years, when entering their new positions. Regarding the succession of the CFO role the Supervisory Board has started a structured search. In the transitional period after hand-over, Bettina Orlopp will take both functions in a dual role. Jens Weidmann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, commented on the transition: "With Bettina Orlopp, we have found an ideal successor to lead Commerzbank." Reference Link

06:04 EDT 2seventy Bio sees Q3 Abecma U.S. revenue growth ~ 30% vs. Q2 - 2seventy (TSVT) is pleased to report continued positive momentum in Abecma's expected return to growth in the earlier line setting following the FDA's approval in April 2024. The company expects third quarter Abecma U.S. revenue growth of approximately 30% from second quarter revenue of $54M. Demand, as measured by new patients undergoing apheresis in the third quarter, is also expected to reflect double-digit growth when compared to the second quarter of 2024. The company remains committed to driving the continued success of Abecma in 2024 and beyond. 2seventy bio and Bristol Myers (BMY) share equally in all profits and losses related to development, manufacturing, and commercialization of Abecma in the U.S.

06:02 EDT 2seventy Bio to discontinue enrollment in Phase 3 KarMMa-9 study of Abecma - 2seventy bio (TSVT) announced that the company, in partnership with study sponsor Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY), will discontinue enrollment in its ongoing Phase 3 KarMMa-9 study evaluating Abecma with lenalidomide maintenance versus lenalidomide maintenance alone in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who have suboptimal response to autologous stem cell transplant. "With a greatly improved NDMM treatment landscape and following our rigorous review of the business case for the KarMMa-9 study, we have decided to discontinue enrollment in this Phase 3 study," said Chip Baird, chief executive officer, 2seventy bio. "Abecma continues to show encouraging signs of growth with an expanded label in the third line and a differentiated safety profile. Consistent with our focus on capital allocation and creating value for all stakeholders, we anticipate this decision will conserve over $80 million in near-term expenditures and accelerate our path to breakeven in 2025. We will continue to look for ways to optimize our business for growth while remaining true to our mission of delivering more time for patients."

05:24 EDT Southwest issues response to Elliott shareholder letter - Southwest issued a response to Elliott Investment's recent shareholder letter and provided an update on its engagement with Elliott ahead of the company's long-planned investor day set for Thursday, September 26: "Southwest has made every effort to reach a constructive resolution with Elliott, including over a dozen phone calls with Elliott representatives, several in-person meetings and an offer for Elliott to participate in the Company's Board refreshment process and understand its views on Southwest's business and strategy. It's unfortunate that Elliott has not only completely failed to engage constructively, but today has continued its pattern of launching public ambushes and is seeking to disrupt Southwest's upcoming Investor Day. Before even speaking with CEO Bob Jordan or hearing about the Company's plans, Elliott predetermined its position and has remained entrenched in demanding a supermajority of the Board and immediate CEO change. Since June, members of the Board have met with many investors to solicit candid feedback on Southwest's strategy and path forward. It is clear Shareholders desire that Southwest engage and seek a compromise with Elliott that is in all Shareholders' best interests and allows the Company to focus on executing its transformative strategy to move the Southwest forward. The Board has repeatedly sought to do exactly this, but acquiescing to a single Shareholder's demand for absolute control of the Company is not a compromise. Southwest recently announced the next phase of its Board transformation and invited Elliott's participation in that process. The Board's refreshment plans include six retirements in November and Executive Chairman Gary Kelly's retirement at the 2025 Annual Meeting, the anticipated appointment of four new Directors, and the naming of new Committee Chairs and a new Lead Independent Director. Before announcing these significant steps, members of the Board met with Elliott to propose a resolution framework that included giving due consideration to appointing up to three Elliott candidates to the Board. Elliott itself acknowledged that the announced changes are "unprecedented." In response, Elliott has inexplicably refused to allow its candidates to meet with the Board and required them to sign agreements that explicitly prevent them from joining the Board without Elliott's approval. Further, all of Elliott's candidates declined or ignored direct invitations to meet with representatives of Southwest's Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Southwest Board remains willing to consider in good faith Elliott's Director candidates for appointment to the Board, if Elliott will allow the Board to meet them. In the meantime, Southwest will continue its Board refreshment to ensure the Board maintains fresh perspectives and strong oversight. The airline has added or appointed eight highly qualified independent Directors over the past three years, including the Company's newest Directors Rakesh Gangwal, co-founder of India's largest airline, InterGlobe Aviation (IndiGo) and previous executive at US Airways Group and United Airlines, and Lisa Atherton, president and CEO of Bell. The Company continues to cultivate a strong pipeline of potential candidates who would bring relevant experience to the Southwest Board. Southwest is executing a transformational plan including tactical and strategic initiatives that will position the airline to elevate the Customer Experience, improve financial performance and drive sustainable Shareholder value. The Company is hosting its Investor Day in Dallas on Thursday, September 26 when Shareholders will have the opportunity to hear more about these initiatives and Southwest's plan to restore its industry leading performance. Elliott's attempt to disrupt the Investor Day and failure to offer any feedback or suggestions on Southwest's transformational plan reveals that Elliott continues to value public attacks and seizing control of the Company over the airline's future and all of its Shareholders' interests. The Southwest Board strongly believes that CEO Bob Jordan is the right Leader to successfully execute the Company's robust strategy to transform the airline and deliver sustainable Shareholder value. Any Leadership change amid such a significant transformation would be detrimental to all Shareholders, and handing control of the Board to Elliott and its Director candidates - when Elliott has not articulated any ideas for improving Southwest's business plan and operations - would present a catastrophic risk to Shareholders. For months, Elliott has publicly threatened its intention to call a Special Meeting. In response, Southwest has been taking the necessary preliminary steps, including providing notice to the New York Stock Exchange of potential record dates, so that it is well prepared for all scenarios and can fulfill its special meeting obligations, especially considering it takes several weeks to set a record date under SEC rules. Elliott's suggestion that Southwest has set "false record dates" as a defensive strategy is untrue and disingenuous; Elliott is well aware that the use of rolling record dates to facilitate efficient and timely Shareholder action is common practice when the timing of an upcoming meeting (particularly a threatened Special Meeting) is unknown. If Elliott submits a request for a Special Meeting, the Board will fulfill its duties to carefully review the request in good faith. Shareholders need not take action at this time."

05:12 EDT Semtech announces collaboration with Traxmate - Semtech announced its collaboration with Traxmate, a global IoT tracking platform provider, to offer an indoor and outdoor asset tracking solution. Combining Traxmate's precise location and tracking services with Semtech's low-power, location-aware LoRa Edge platform, the hybrid solution provides efficiency for positioning, tracking, and routing of IoT-connected assets.