Stockwinners Market Radar for October 09, 2024 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:35 EDT Cathie Wood's ARK Investment buys 62K shares of Blade Air Mobility today

20:01 EDT Arista Networks exec sells $15.8M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Arista Networks disclosed that its CTO Kenneth Duda sold 40K shares of common stock on October 7th in a total transaction size of $15.8M.

19:50 EDT Inno Holdings Inc trading halted, news pending

18:01 EDT Franklin Resources reports preliminary AUM $1.68T at September 30 - Franklin Resources reported preliminary month-end assets under management of $1.68T at September 30, 2024, compared to $1.68T at August 31, 2024. Long-term net outflows of $22.4B, inclusive of $27.9B of long-term net outflows at Western Asset Management, were partially offset by the impact of positive markets.

17:49 EDT Dana names Seth Metzger as Chief Technology Officer - Dana Incorporated announced that Seth Metzger has been appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, succeeding Christophe Dominiak who is retiring from Dana. Metzger has been with Dana for more than two decades and has extensive experience in engineering and technology development. He most recently served as Senior Vice President of Electrification, as well as President of the Dana TM4 joint venture.

17:12 EDT Broadcom exec sells $3.59M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Broadcom disclosed that its Chief Legal Officer Mark Brazeal sold 20.3K shares of common stock on October 7th in a total transaction size of $3.59M.

17:06 EDT Beacon exec Taylor sells 2,600 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Beacon West Division president Jason Taylor disclosed the sale of 2,600 common shares of the company on October 7 at a price of $90 per share.

16:51 EDT Core & Main to acquire ARGCO Northeast LLC, terms not disclosed - Core & Main has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all the assets of ARGCO Northeast LLC, a distributor of fire protection products with a single location in Saddle Brook, New Jersey.

16:48 EDT M-Tron Industries appoints Cameron Pforr as CFO - M-tron Industries appointed Cameron Pforr as CFO, effective October 3. Pforr has executed the business strategy for a number of technology firms and has experience working with government entities and federal contracting. Pforr joins MtronPTI from IronNet, where he held the position of President and CFO. Prior to IronNet, Pforr served as President and CFO of Fidelis Cybersecurity, a network detection and response company serving the enterprise and federal sectors. Previous positions include VP- Strategy & Corporate Development at education software provider Jenzabar, Inc. and President and CFO of WhipTail Technologies, a flash storage array pioneer acquired by Cisco.

16:31 EDT BAE Systems receives $184M contract modification from U.S. Army - BAE Systems has received a $184 million contract modification to produce an additional 48 Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles for the U.S. Army. The order is in addition to the existing full-rate production contract.

16:30 EDT DHT Holdings: Q3 time charter equivalent earnings for fleet at $42,400 p/d - DHT Holdings provides the following business update: For the third quarter of 2024, the company estimates time charter equivalent earnings for its fleet at $42,400 per day, comprising of $43,700 per day for the Company's VLCCs operating in the spot market and $38,800 per day for the Company's VLCCs on time-charter. The estimated time charter equivalent earnings are based on 2,184 revenue days for the third quarter, of which 1,622 days are spot days. Thus far in the fourth quarter of 2024, 32% of the available spot days have been booked at an average rate of $37,000 per day on a discharge-to-discharge basis. 50% of the available revenue days, spot and time-charter days combined, have been booked at an average rate of $39,200 per day. In the third quarter of 2024, the Company entered into a one-year time charter contract for DHT Lion, built 2016. The time charter contract has a rate of $55,000 per day.

16:28 EDT T-Mobile Go5G Next upgraded for connected devices - The company states: "T-Mobile announced its most value-packed plans are getting even better. Starting Oct. 17, new and existing customers can connect their devices - smartwatches, tablets and even laptops - for just $5/month per device with Go5G Next and Go5G Business Next. Gone are the days of choosing between the complicated, costly process that requires a $10 to $30 rate plan for each device or resorting to rolling the dice with insecure, public Wi-Fi or begging for Wi-Fi passwords. T-Mobile's network delivers a highly-secure 5G connection with speeds as fast as Wi-Fi... and now, the Un-carrier is making it easier and more affordable to stay connected."

16:20 EDT E2open sees Q3 subscription revenue $130M-$133M

16:19 EDT Costco reports September comparable sales up 6.7% - Reports September revenue $24.62B, up 9%.

16:17 EDT PropertyGuru announces shareholders' approval of merger pact - PropertyGuru Group Limited announced that at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders held today, the shareholders of PropertyGuru voted in favor of the proposal to, among other things, approve and authorize (i) the previously announced Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of August 16, 2024, by and among PropertyGuru, Hedychium Group Limited, an exempted company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, and Hedychium Limited, an exempted company with limited liability incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Merger Agreement, upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth therein and (ii) the Plan of Merger made in accordance with Part XVI of the Companies Act of the Cayman Islands. Pursuant to and subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement and Plan of Merger, Merger Sub will, at the effective time, merge with and into PropertyGuru, with PropertyGuru continuing as the surviving company and as a wholly owned subsidiary of Parent.

16:16 EDT Horizon Technology originated $93.1M of loans in Q3 - Horizon Technology Finance, an affiliate of Monroe Capital, provided its portfolio update for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024 and an update on the lending platform of Horizon Technology Finance Management LLC, its investment adviser. "We made excellent progress in the third quarter with respect to originating new, high-quality investments, as the venture environment continues to show improvement," said Gerald A. Michaud, President of Horizon and HTFM. "For the quarter, we originated $93.1 million of loans, as our venture debt portfolio returned to meaningful growth. We also significantly increased our committed backlog to $189.9 million of debt investments, providing Horizon with a solid foundation for future lending opportunities. We continue to believe Horizon remains well positioned to deliver additional value to its shareholders."

16:06 EDT AllianceBernstein reports preliminary AUM $806B as of September 30 - AllianceBernstein announced that preliminary assets under management increased to $806B during September 2024 from $791B at the end of August. The 2% increase in month-end AUM was driven by market appreciation and net inflows into all three distribution channels - Retail, Institutions and Private Wealth. For the quarter-ended September 2024, preliminary firmwide net inflows totaled $0.9B.

15:54 EDT Zoom Video updates long-term operating profit view to 33%-36% of revenue - In slides for its Zoomtopia presentation, Zoom offered an updated long-term non-GAAP long-term model, pointing to long-term gross profit of about 80% of revenue and operating profit of about 33%-36% of revenue. The previous long-term profile called for gross profit of about 80% of revenue and operating profit of about 28%-32% of revenue, according to the presentation.

14:46 EDT Illumina introduces MiSeq i100 Series of sequencing systems - Illumina unveiled its MiSeq i100 Series of sequencing systems, delivering "unparalleled benchtop speed and simplicity to advance next-generation sequencing for labs." The two new benchtop instruments, MiSeq i100 and MiSeq i100 Plus Systems, will empower customers to unlock powerful insights through an affordable, comprehensive solution that is simple to understand and use, even for those with limited NGS expertise. Room-temperature storage and shipping enable labs to sequence on demand, with no delays for thaw time, and same-day sample-to-analysis. "Our customers told us they need a faster, smaller, and easy-to-use instrument, and that's what we're delivering with the MiSeq i100," said Jacob Thaysen, PhD, CEO of Illumina. "Whether you are an established next-generation sequencing lab, or looking to start sequencing for the first time, our latest benchtop instrument adds the plug-and-play flexibility that today's labs are seeking."

14:22 EDT CDC confirms third human case of H5 bird flu in California - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a third human case of H5 bird flu in California. "Like the two cases in that state confirmed last week, the person reported occupational exposure to infected dairy cows. To date, all three California cases occurred in dairy workers from three different affected farms with no known contact with each another, suggesting animal-to-human spread," the agency said in a statement. Reference Link

13:58 EDT PSEG reports NJ BPU approved settlement agreement - The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, or BPU, approved a settlement agreement that PSE&G had reached with BPU staff, the New Jersey Division of Rate Counsel and other parties to PSE&G's electric and gas distribution base rate case filed in December 2023, the company announced. "The settlement advances PSE&G's ability to continue providing customers with affordable, award-winning service and customer care while also providing the financial strength necessary to maintain a reliable and resilient energy grid. This rate case filing was required by an earlier settlement and sought recovery of prior investments made to our distribution systems, and recognition of increasing costs over time including wages and benefits. Over the last six years, PSE&G has made significant investments in strengthening our distribution system, modernizing our infrastructure to meet customer needs and other previously authorized capital expenditures that were not reflected in current rates... This base rate increase approved by the BPU will be PSE&G's first since 2018 and represents less than half the rate of inflation during that time. The settlement will result in a typical combined residential electric and gas customer bill increase of 7%, or $15 per month. Of note, this settlement follows the BPU's approval of certain rate changes that just went into effect October 1, 2024, primarily a 5% reduction in PSE&G gas bills. The combined effect of the October 1 changes would reduce the bill impact from this settlement for a typical combined residential electric and gas customer to about 5%, or $11 per month. New rates will go into effect Oct. 15," the company stated.

13:45 EDT Lockheed names Chauncey McIntosh general manager of F-35 Lightning II Program - Lockheed Martin announced Chauncey McIntosh has been named vice president and general manager of the F-35 Lightning II Program, effective Dec. 1. McIntosh succeeds Bridget Lauderdale, who will be retiring at the end of the year following a 38-year career with the company. McIntosh, who most recently served as the vice president and deputy of the F-35 program, is an exceptional leader with more than 20 years of business, program management, engineering and customer engagement experience. As the vice president and general manager for the F-35 program, McIntosh will be responsible for further strengthening positive customer experiences by reinforcing and continually growing the capability and reliability of the F-35; showcasing significant program progress; and ensuring the F-35 program meets the speed, agility, quality and affordability requirements deserved and expected by U.S. and international customers.

13:22 EDT GSK up nearly 7% in New York trading after Zantac settlement - Shares of GSK are up $2.56, or 6.7%, to $40.58 in New York trading after the company announced that it has reached agreements with 10 plaintiff firms who together represent 93%, or approximately 80,000, of the Zantac state court product liability cases pending against GSK in the United States and that GSK will make an aggregate payment of up to $2.2B to resolve all U.S. state court product liability cases handled by those plaintiff firms that meet agreed criteria.

12:53 EDT GSK pays $2.2B to settle 93% of Zantac liability cases - GSK announced that it has reached agreements with 10 plaintiff firms who together represent 93%, or approximately 80,000, of the Zantac state court product liability cases pending against GSK in the United States. Under these agreements, GSK will make an aggregate payment of up to $2.2B to resolve all U.S. state court product liability cases handled by those plaintiff firms that meet agreed eligibility and participation criteria. "The participating plaintiff firms are unanimously recommending to their clients that they accept the terms of the State Courts Settlement, which is expected to be fully implemented by the end of H1 2025. Terms of the agreements are confidential," the company said in a statement. GSK expects to recognize an incremental charge in its Q3 results for 2024 of $2.3B relation to the settlement, the Qui Tam settlement, and the remaining 7% of pending state court product liability cases, partially offset by expected reduced future legal costs. "There are no changes to GSK's growth agenda or investment plans for R&D as a result of these settlements.," it added.

12:35 EDT Nintendo unveils interactive alarm clock Alarmo - Nintendo announced the Nintendo Sound Clock: Alarmo, an interactive alarm clock designed to "add some Nintendo charm to your home and your daily routine." Alarmo will be available at retail starting in early 2025 at a suggested price of $99.99. "In the morning you'll experience immersive sounds and music from the scene you picked," the company said. "Rise to sounds of the Mushroom Kingdom with Mario and friends, begin your day's adventure with Link and Princess Zelda, or start fresh with the Inklings from Splatoon 3. And those are just some of the experiences you can wake up to!" Reference Link

12:22 EDT Cracker Barrel urges shareholders to vote for 10 recommended nominees - Cracker Barrel Old Country Store filed definitive proxy materials with the SEC in connection with the company's upcoming Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on November 21, 2024. Shareholders of record as of September 27, 2024 will be entitled to vote at the meeting. In connection with the filing of the definitive proxy, the Cracker Barrel Board of Directors also mailed a letter to the company's shareholders. The letter "underscores the actions taken by Cracker Barrel's refreshed and strengthened Board and leadership team to develop a long-term strategic transformation plan to drive growth and create sustainable, long-term value for shareholders, as well as the significant risk of shareholder value destruction if Sardar Biglari and Milena Alberti-Perez were elected to the Board." The Board urges shareholders to vote the white card "FOR ONLY" Cracker Barrel's 10 recommended nominees. The letter says, in part: "Despite our long history with Mr. Biglari and in keeping with our track record of superior corporate governance, our Board interviewed all four of his initial independent nominees, carefully considering their qualifications and our needs. We then made multiple settlement offers to Mr. Biglari that included appointing two of his qualified original nominees to the Board so as to avoid the cost and distraction of another proxy contest. However, he rejected each of our settlement offers outright, and made it clear to us that his goal was to personally join the Board. We refused to agree to appoint Mr. Biglari to the Board, because we firmly believe this result would be destructive for shareholders... The Board did, however, conclude that one of Mr. Biglari's nominees, Michael Goodwin, has the skills, experience, and knowledge about the retail, restaurant, and hospitality industries and about Cracker Barrel to make him an outstanding Cracker Barrel director. The Board concluded that Milena Alberti-Perez and Mr. Biglari did not. As evidence of how carefully and fairly we reviewed the candidates nominated by Mr. Biglari and how strongly we believe in our conclusions, one of our existing directors whom Mr. Biglari originally challenged, Tom Barr, has decided not to stand for reelection and we are taking the highly unusual step of recommending that he be replaced by Mr. Goodwin. But despite this, Mr. Biglari continues to push his unnecessary proxy contest."

12:04 EDT Marriott to pay $52M to settle FTC data security allegations - The Federal Trade Commission will require Marriott International, Inc. and its subsidiary Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide LLC to implement a robust information security program to settle charges that the companies' failure to implement reasonable data security led to three large data breaches from 2014 to 2020 impacting more than 344 million customers worldwide. In a proposed settlement order with the FTC announced Wednesday, Marriott and Starwood also agreed to provide all its U.S. customers with a way to request deletion of personal information associated with their email address or loyalty rewards account number. In addition, the proposed settlement requires Marriott to review loyalty rewards accounts upon customer request and restore stolen loyalty points. Under a separate settlement also announced today, Marriott also agreed to pay a $52M penalty to 49 states and the District of Columbia to resolve similar data security allegations. The FTC and the states worked in parallel on the investigation. The FTC does not have legal authority to obtain civil penalties in this case. "Marriott's poor security practices led to multiple breaches affecting hundreds of millions of customers," said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. "The FTC's action today, in coordination with our state partners, will ensure that Marriott improves its data security practices in hotels around the globe." Reference Link

12:00 EDT Metals Acquisition falls -7.5% - Metals Acquisition is down -7.5%, or -$1.00 to $12.25.

12:00 EDT Delek Logistics falls -12.1% - Delek Logistics is down -12.1%, or -$5.42 to $39.25.

12:00 EDT IDT Corp rises 20.7% - IDT Corp is up 20.7%, or $7.95 to $46.40.

11:03 EDT e.l.f. Cosmetics launches in Sephora Mexico - e.l.f. Cosmetics expands into Mexico this October, marking its first time in Sephora anywhere. From the early explorer to the trend-obsessed beauty enthusiast, e.l.f. Cosmetics creates premium beauty experiences at extraordinary prices for every eye, lip and face. Starting Wednesday, October 9, 2024, e.l.f. Cosmetics will be taking over Sephora Mexico in-store and online, democratizing access to holy grails at mic-drop prices. e.l.f.'s premium-quality products empower the community to express their truest (s)e.l.f. without compromise. e.l.f. offers products that are e.l.f. clean, vegan, double certified cruelty-free with Leaping Bunny and PETA, and Fair Trade Certified.

10:57 EDT Amazon Pharmacy plans to expand Same-Day Delivery of medications in 2025 - Amazon said Amazon Pharmacy plans to open pharmacies in 20 new cities across the U.S. in 2025, more than doubling the number of cities where customers can get Same-Day Delivery of their medications. Amazon is leveraging its vast logistics network and advanced automation technology to solve one of pharmacy's biggest pain points: the lack of convenient, affordable access to medications. The new pharmacies will be embedded in Amazon Same-Day Delivery sites, enabling faster delivery of medication directly to a customer's door. Amazon Pharmacy is a digital-first pharmacy offering a simple ordering experience, 24/7 access to a pharmacist. With the expansion into new cities, customers in Boston, Dallas, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, San Diego, and other metropolitan areas will soon enjoy fast, free delivery of their medications. Other cities will be announced in the coming months. Amazon Pharmacy customers already receive their medications in two days or less on average. By the end of 2025, nearly half of U.S. customers are expected to be eligible for Same-Day of their prescription medications. In most cases, that means a customer can order medication by 4 p.m. and receive it at home by 10 p.m.Reference Link

10:12 EDT Sobr Safe Inc trading resumes

10:00 EDT Whitestone REIT rises 6.7% - Whitestone REIT is up 6.7%, or 90c to $14.37.

10:00 EDT Arcadium Lithium rises 30.8% - Arcadium Lithium is up 30.8%, or $1.31 to $5.55.

10:00 EDT Delek Logistics falls -12.1% - Delek Logistics is down -12.1%, or -$5.41 to $39.27.

09:49 EDT Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust trading resumes

09:47 EDT X-trackers Harvest CSI 300 falls -8.0% - X-trackers Harvest CSI 300 is down -8.0%, or -$2.42 to $27.96.

09:47 EDT Unisys rises 5.2% - Unisys is up 5.2%, or 30c to $6.21.

09:47 EDT Arcadium Lithium rises 30.4% - Arcadium Lithium is up 30.4%, or $1.29 to $5.53.

09:44 EDT Nisun Internatnal Entpre Dev Grp Co Ltd trading resumes

09:41 EDT SKK Holdings Ltd trading resumes

09:39 EDT Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:33 EDT MCB Real Estate increases offer to buy Whitestone REIT to $15 per share in cash - MCB Real Estate sent a letter to the Board of Trustees of Whitestone REIT increasing the value of its proposal to acquire the company in an all-cash transaction. Under the terms of the revised proposal, Whitestone shareholders would receive $15.00 per share in cash, representing a 14.5% premium to Whitestone's share price as of June 3, 2024, the last trading day prior to the disclosure of MCB's previous proposal, a 11.4% premium to Whitestone's last trading share price, and a 61.8% premium to the Whitestone share price prior to the rumored Fortress proposal in October 2023. MCB's proposal is not subject to any financing contingency. "As the third largest Whitestone shareholder and largest actively managed shareholder, our interests are aligned with the company's other owners and we are committed to pursuing a transaction that maximizes value," said MCB Managing Partner and Co-Founder P. David Bramble. "Our efforts to engage in constructive discussions have been rebuffed to date, but we stand ready to complete due diligence and execute a definitive agreement expeditiously and are committed to seeing this through to completion. We ask our fellow shareholders to urge the Whitestone Board to uphold their fiduciary duties and engage with us in good faith without further delay." MCB previously disclosed a proposal to acquire Whitestone for $14.00 per share in cash on June 3, 2024. Since then, Whitestone stock has notably underperformed its Peers1 and is still trading at approximately the same value as when MCB submitted its previous proposal.

09:32 EDT MicroCloud Hologram Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:30 EDT Nisun International announces $15M share repurchase program - Nisun International announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program under which the company may purchase up to $15M of its outstanding Class A common shares over the next 12 months.

09:23 EDT VCI Global offers enterprise AI solutions with V-Gallant - VCI Global, through its subsidiary, V Gallant, is offering end-to-end AI computing solutions to enterprises by integrating next-generation AI servers equipped with NVIDIA H200 Tensor Core GPUs and AI software such as Large Language Models (LLMs) and automated machine learning platforms. Beyond seamless integration, enterprises can enhance operational efficiency by optimizing computing power distribution, improving data flow, and task automation. V-Gallant collaborates with leading server manufacturers and solution providers to empower organizations to fully leverage the latest advancements in generative AI, accelerating AI training and inference applications. By integrating AI computing solution with robust server infrastructure, V-Gallant supports its parent company, VC AI Limited, throughout the entire process-from deploying pre-trained models to conducting intensive LLM training and fine-tuning. Ultimately, these collaborations enable enterprises to enhance their capabilities, transforming innovative ideas into fully functional systems that allow businesses to tackle even the most demanding AI workloads across various use cases.

09:18 EDT Capricor announces initiation of rolling submission of BLA for deramiocel - Capricor Therapeutics announced today that it has initiated its rolling submission process with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, for a Biologics License Application, BLA, seeking full approval for deramiocel to treat all patients diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, DMD cardiomyopathy. "This announcement marks an important step in the U.S. regulatory process towards a potential Biologics License Application approval of deramiocel for the treatment of DMD," said Linda Marban, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Capricor. "An approval of deramiocel would allow us to expedite the delivery of this novel, first-in-class treatment to patients in need. We look forward to working with the FDA during this process." Capricor plans to complete its rolling BLA submission by the end of 2024.

09:17 EDT Zevra Therapeutics, NUCDF launch check ammonia campaign - The National Urea Cycle Disorders Foundation, NUCDF, and Zevra Therapeutics are teaming up to launch an awareness campaign during the month of October to improve the diagnosis of urea cycle disorders. Their goal is to highlight the critical importance of promptly checking blood ammonia levels and using proper testing techniques. The campaign's primary message is that a blood ammonia test, performed promptly and properly, can save lives. Downloadable campaign resources focus on Recognizing the signs of UCDs and promptly ordering a test and Following proper test procedures.

09:14 EDT PURE Bioscience announces SDC distribution agreement with Zee Company - PURE Bioscience has entered into a multi-year distribution agreement with Tennessee-based Zee Company to purchase and sell PURE's patented antimicrobial products. This agreement will allow PURE, the non-toxic Silver Dihydrogen Citrate SDC antimicrobial creator, to purchase and sell its SDC products to Zee Company and its clients under special terms and conditions. "PURE's SDC products are a perfect fit for Zee Company and the customers they service," PURE's Vice President of Sales Tim Steffensmeier said. "With our SDC technology, PURE provides new solutions to the food and beverage industry, and we are excited to partner with an industry leader as we share the path in bringing these new solutions to their customers throughout North America." Zee Company, a leader in the sanitation industry, is a member of the Vincit Group based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Zee Company, along with other member companies, produces and distributes products nationally and brings with it more than 50 years of expertise in chemical blending, laboratory services, food safety, and cleaning practices. "We are excited to add PURE and the SDC family of products to our network to meet the specialized needs of the food and beverage industry," Vincit Group's Vice President of Strategic Accounts Phillip Shelton said. "Together, we are committed to delivering exceptional value and setting new industry standards."

09:11 EDT Lexaria Bioscience begins dosing for GLP-1 human pilot study #3 - Lexaria Bioscience announced that dosing has begun, for human pilot study #3, investigating a DehydraTECH-processed version of the dual action GLP-1 + GIP Zepbound in an oral dose format. The Study is being conducted in up to 10 healthy volunteers. The initial seven day dosing phase of either an oral DehydraTECH-processed tirzepatide capsule or a single injected tirzepatide dose is scheduled to be completed on October 13th. After a multi-week washout period, the second seven day dosing phase will be administered in mid-November where subjects will receive the alternate treatment condition than what was received during the initial dosing phase. No serious adverse events have been observed thus far during this initial dosing phase. Tolerability, blood absorption levels and blood sugar control will all be evaluated in this Study. The DehydraTECH compositions for this Study were compound-formulated using commercially available Zepbound injectable formulation as the tirzepatide input material. In two previous human pilot studies, Lexaria has evidenced that processing of semaglutide with DehydraTECH and administered in an oral format, shows improvements in absorption rates and a reduction in both blood sugar and in adverse events, as compared to the Rybelsus tablet. The two drugs, semaglutide and tirzepatide are believed to comprise over 90% of all revenue generated in the GLP-1 sector today. In pilot Study #3, Lexaria is hopeful of evidencing meaningful absorption rates of tirzepatide in a swallowed oral format, which is not available in the market today since it is currently administered only by injection.

09:09 EDT Camber Energy adds new patent to wildfire mitigation technology portfolio - Camber Energy received a new patent within its portfolio of Broken Conductor Protection technologies, which are designed to assist utility companies with wildfire mitigation, public safety and grid resiliency initiatives. The new patent, entitled " End of Line Protection with Blocking", was issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on October 8, 2024 to the Company's majority-owned subsidiary, Viking Sentinel Technology, LLC, and is in addition to patents previously disclosed by the Company. Broken electrical conductors pose a public safety risk due to the possibility of human contact with the conductors and the potential for arcing to ignite wildfires. The Company's Broken Conductor Protection technology is designed to be an integral component within existing grid protection systems, improving resiliency and reliability, reducing the risk of fires and improving public safety.

09:06 EDT EnWave announces issuance of company-wide stock options - EnWave has granted employees and officers of the organization, company-wide, an aggregate of 3,110,000 incentive stock options. The grant of Options is subject to the terms of the Company's Stock Option Plan, exercisable at a price of $0.23. The Options are exercisable for a term of five years and will vest in one-third increments over eighteen months in accordance with the provisions set out in the Plan, or as otherwise required by the TSX Venture Index. The grant of the options is subject to approval by the TSXV. Additionally, 65,000 RSR's were awarded to the independent directors of the Company. The RSRs granted will vest three years from the date of the award. Equity incentive awards form part of the Company's annual independent director compensation program.

09:05 EDT NeuroSense to file for early commercialization of ALS treatment in Canada - NeuroSense Therapeutics announced it has initiated the regulatory process to seek early commercialization approval for PrimeC under Health Canada's Notice of Compliance with Conditions policy. This submission is based on the promising results from the company's Phase 2b ALS PARADIGM clinical trial, alongside supporting clinical and preclinical data. This decision aligns with the recommendations of Canadian regulatory experts and follows recent clinical findings, where PrimeC demonstrated a 36% reduction in disease progression and a 43% improvement in survival rates compared to placebo, underscoring its potential as a breakthrough therapy for ALS.

09:04 EDT Ibex enters partnership with Parloa - ibex announced a strategic partnership with Parloa, a leading provider of generative AI automation solutions. Per the agreement, ibex will leverage Parloa's AI Agent Management Platform as part of the ibex Wave iX solutions suite for clients in North America . "ibex is excited to partner with Parloa to leverage cutting-edge GenAI to transform the world of customer experience," said ibex CEO Bob Dechant. "This strategic partnership unites Parloa's industry-leading genAI automation for CX with ibex's ground-breaking Wave iX solutions suite, unmatched BPO expertise, and deep customer insights to deliver the most advanced AI and agent-assisted CX solutions, ever."

09:04 EDT Instacart, Roku expand advertising partnership - Instacart (CART) and Roku (ROKU) are making TV moments shoppable for high-intent customers. In an expanded partnership, the leading grocery technology company in North America and the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S. are providing the massive scale and valuable insights that consumer-packaged goods advertisers need to connect with relevant audiences. With interactive ad formats, enhanced targeting capabilities, and closed-loop measurement, these brands can now get more from their advertising efforts-and consumers are one step closer to effortless and personalized shopping experiences while watching TV in the comfort of their homes.

09:03 EDT Nokia expands partnership with Furukawa Electric LatAm - Nokia and Furukawa Electric LatAm today announced they have expanded their partnership to immediately bring high-performance solutions in data center automation to Brazil. Partners since 2022, the two companies will also continue to offer advanced passive optical network technologies to the Latin American business market.

09:02 EDT DuPont files complaint with U.S. International Trade Commission - DuPont announced it has filed a complaint with the United States International Trade Commission against Xiamen Dangsheng New Materials and affiliates and Jiangsu Qingyun New Materials and affiliates, among others, to block importation of products that infringe DuPont intellectual property related to its Tyvek brand and products. The ITC is an independent, non-partisan agency that investigates and makes determinations in proceedings involving imports claimed to injure a domestic industry or violate U.S. intellectual property rights. DuPont is asking the ITC to investigate its claims and issue a general exclusion order to bar the importation of any infringing materials into the United States. This would include all applications where the infringing material is imported as a stand-alone product or incorporated into a converted or finished good.

09:01 EDT Fat Brands' Fazioli's announces new franchise partnership with Valor - FAT Brands Inc. parent company of Fazoli's, and 17 other restaurant concepts, announces a new development agreement in partnership with franchisee Valor Acquisitions Group to bring five Fazoli's locations to Utah over the next five years, with the first unit expected to open in 2025 in Saratoga Springs. "Since acquiring Fazoli's in 2021, we have been committed to growing the brand strategically, in particular, fueling its return to areas with loyal followings such as Utah," said Taylor Wiederhorn, Chief Development Officer of FAT Brands. "We look forward to bringing back our beloved breadsticks to the state with our first opening in Saratoga Springs and future openings slated throughout Salt Lake and Utah Counties."

08:59 EDT ECD Automotive Design spotlights range of premium accessories - ECD Auto Design spotlighted an extensive range of premium accessories designed to elevate custom builds to new heights of luxury, functionality, and personalization. The company said, "At ECD Auto Design, we offer an incredible range of customization options, with over 2 million possible design combinations to ensure that each vehicle we build is truly one-of-a-kind. Whether it's selecting the perfect paint color, adding on adventure accessories, convenience or luxurious interior upgrades, we work closely with our clients to bring their vision to life. Our ever expanding line of custom accessories takes this personalization to the next level, with options like custom one-of-one paint coatings, premium sound systems, pet accessories, and advanced off-road gear. These details elevate both the luxury and performance of every vehicle, making each build as unique as its owner."

08:50 EDT LQR House announces marketing partnership with Big Spoon - LQR House announced a new marketing collaboration with Big Spoon, designed to raise awareness and drive sales of its non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages on LQR House's e-commerce platform, CWSpirits.com. Through this partnership, Big Spoon's RTD drinks-featuring Gin & Tonic, Margarita, and Whiskey Ginger-debuted on LQR House's platform. The launch will be supported by a dynamic marketing campaign utilizing email blasts, SMS outreach, banner ads, and creative influencer content. LQR House believes that Big Spoon's quirky, playful brand tone will align perfectly with the Company's engaging marketing efforts, driving both visibility and sales.

08:47 EDT Safety Shot rebrands as Sure Shot - Safety Shot announced a significant transformation with a complete brand overhaul and a new name: Sure Shot. The rebrand features a fresh new look, as well as a newly improved taste, that underscores the powerful impact of this game-changing product and marks the debut of 4-ounce bottles and on-the-go powder stick packs in the market. To coincide with the rebrand, Sure Shot will debut 4-ounce bottles and on-the-go powder stick packs - both portable, compact and convenient forms of its innovative formula - designed for easy on-the-go use, to ensure that customers can enjoy the benefits of Sure Shot's groundbreaking formula wherever they are. The 4-ounce bottles ($5.99) and powder stick packs (coming soon) will be available for purchase in convenience stores and liquor stores across the United States where Sure Shot is sold.

08:43 EDT ALT5 Sigma reports 151% y/y increase in September transaction volume - According to the company, ALT5's transaction volume exceeded $240M for the month of September 2024, which represents a year-over-year increase of approximately 151% from the $97M recorded in September 2023. ALT5's year-to-date transaction volume is approximately $1.5B, with Q3 at over $600B, representing a record quarter for transaction volume. Vay Tham, CRO of ALT5 Sigma Corporation, exclaimed, "The realignment of our sales and marketing resources has resulted in immediate benefits. $244M is an all-time record for ALT 5 Sigma. Our presence at global tradeshows, new customer onboardings and increased flows from existing customers combined to make September a record month and the third quarter a record quarter. Visibility into our pipeline continues to be robust such that we have added staff in the customer onboarding/compliance group. At the end of the day, these results and the momentum we have would not be possible without the strong focus and hard work from our team."

08:41 EDT 180 Life Sciences regains compliance with Nasdaq listing rule - 180 Life Sciences has received confirmation from Nasdaq that the Company has officially regained compliance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5550(b)(1), which requires a minimum stockholders' equity of $2,500,000. With this important achievement, the Company can now fully focus on developing its newly announced iGaming business, while also continuing to advance its legacy biotechnology programs. As announced on October 3, 2024, 180 will be shifting its strategic focus towards the rapidly growing global iGaming sector. This transition represents a new chapter for the Company as it seeks to capitalize on significant opportunities in the expanding digital gaming market.

08:40 EDT Navitas Semiconductor says GaNSafe family available in TOLT package - Navitas has announced that its high-power GaNSafe family is now available in a TOLT package. The GaNSafe family has been specifically created to serve demanding, high-power applications, such as AI data centers, solar/energy storage, and industrial markets. Navitas 4th generation integrates control, drive, sensing, and critical protection features that enable unprecedented reliability and robustness. GaNSafe is the world's safest GaN with short-circuit protection, 2kV ESD protection on all pins, elimination of negative gate drive, and programmable slew rate control. All these features are controlled with 4-pins, allowing the package to be treated like a discrete GaN FET, requiring no VCC pin. The TOLT packaging enhances thermal dissipation through the top side of the package, allowing heat to be dissipated directly to the heatsink. This enables the reduction of operating temperature and increases current capability, resulting in the highest level of system power density, efficiency, and reliability.

08:39 EDT NRSInsights reports September same-store sales increased 2.2% year-over-year - NRSInsights announced comparative same-store sales results for September 2024. As of September 30, 2024, the NRS retail network comprised approximately 32,700 active terminals nationwide, scanning purchases at approximately 28,400 independent retailers including bodegas, convenience stores, liquor stores, grocers, tobacco, and sundries sellers nationwide, predominantly serving urban consumers.Same-store sales increased 2.2% year-over-year. In the previous month, same-store sales had increased 5.1% year-over-year. Same-store sales decreased (1.3)% compared to the previous month. Same-store sales in August 2024 had increased 1.7% compared to the previous month. For the three months ended September 30, 2024, same-store sales increased 2.3% compared to the corresponding three months a year ago.

08:38 EDT iCoreConnect announces new endorsement agreemenet with DSDS - iCoreConnecl announced a new endorsement agreement with the Delaware State Dental Society, DSDS. This partnership marks another milestone in iCoreConnect's continued growth among state dental associations nationwide. Robert McDermott, CEO of iCoreConnect, commented, "DSDS, along with other state dental associations, plays a crucial role in advocacy, education, practice management, and public health initiatives. This endorsement highlights DSDS's commitment to advancing the dental profession and enhancing patient care in Delaware."

08:37 EDT Safety Shot announces complete brand overhaul, new name - Safety Shot announced a significant transformation with a complete brand overhaul and a new name: Sure Shot. The rebrand features a fresh new look, as well as a newly improved taste, that underscores the powerful impact of this game-changing product and marks the debut of 4-ounce bottles and on-the-go powder stick packs in the market.

08:35 EDT Entourage Health working with LPF to agree on amended debt terms - Entourage Health announced earlier it was in breach of certain financial covenants and other obligations under each of its Senior Credit Agreement and Subordinated Credit agreements with an affiliate of the LiUNA Pension Fund of Central and Eastern Canada. The Company is working collaboratively with LPF to agree on amended debt terms. As a positive step forward, the Company received a renewed forbearance letter dated October 8, 2024, waiving the Company's breaches until October 31, 2024, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions.

08:34 EDT Simpple announces new contracts, partnerships in Australia, New Zealand - SIMPPLE announced the closing of multiple contracts and strategic partnerships in Australia and New Zealand, ANZ, The contracts included agreements to provide:an end-to-end integrated cleaning services and compliance solution; a cleaning services and compliance solution; a cleaning services and compliance solution; and a cleaning services and compliance solution, at a major retail centre in Sydney, for another division of that same UK-headquartered company. Aggregate revenue from these four contracts is projected at approximately $2.35 million

08:33 EDT Kopin secures contract to develop nighttime augmented reality HUD technology - Kopin announced that it has secured a contract to further the development of its nighttime augmented reality HUD technology to support warfighters using night vision devices.

08:31 EDT ClearSign receives second burner order from Exotherm - ClearSign Technologies announces that it has received another burner order from Exotherm Corporation of Houston, Texas for installation in a heater in Missouri for use by a power generation company. This order is for a burner to be installed into a burner at a power generation facility. The burner will be installed in a process heater in Turney, MO for a customer in the power generation industry and is expected to be shipped in early 2025.

08:24 EDT American Resources' ReElement commences daily production of purified REEs - American Resources's ReElement is expanding to produce rare earth oxides on a daily basis for existing customer orders in addition to its daily production of lithium carbonate at its Noblesville Customer Qualification Plant. This expansion at its Noblesville Plant is occurring as the Company starts the build out phase of its large-scale Marion, IN Advanced Technology Center. ReElement will produce both light and heavy rare earth oxides for customer deliveries, in its Noblesville Plant, while it expands its footprint and capabilities in Marion, IN. Furthermore, ReElement recently integrated process automation and autonomous chromatographic column operations allowing the Company to increase capacity by approximately 3-times without additional labor cost.ReElement is working with customers and partners to either process both light and heavy rare earths from all feedstocks at its Marion Advanced Technology Center. ReElement is also working with producers and miners to collocate at their site to cost effectively and efficiently separate and purify concentrated materials without having to incur logistics costs, carbon footprint exposure or high environmental impact, while reducing CapEx and OpEx for projects. In April of 2024 ReElement announced it has expanded its exclusive use of the patents for ligand assisted displacement chromatography and knowhow for all feedstocks to include rare earth ores. These exclusive patents and technologies, developed at Purdue University, have been utilized by ReElement at its Noblesville, Indiana Commercial Qualification Facility to produce ultra-pure rare earth oxides and critical battery elements to the growing magnet and energy storage industries. ReElement has successfully developed its critical mineral platform technology providing a high performance and scalable solution for separating, purifying and refining rare earth and critical elements in an efficient, low cost and environmentally safe process outside of China.

08:20 EDT Ontrak teams with major Northeast regional plan to bridge HEDIS care gaps - Ontrak announced an expansion of its strategic partnership with its most recently signed customer, a large, regional health plan in the Northeast. The expanded engagement uses Ontrak Health's recently launched Ontrak Quality solution to focus on behavioral health metrics according to Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set or HEDIS . The goals are to enhance patient outcomes and help the health plan achieve national quality benchmarks. Ontrak Quality will broaden access to services for Commercial, Medicaid and HARP members not enrolled in the WholeHealth+ program, identified by the health plan as needing recommended behavioral healthcare services. The Ontrak Quality services are in addition to the WholeHealth+ solution recently launched with this customer. "We are delighted to deepen our engagement with this regional health plan to bridge critical care gaps in behavioral health and drive improved health outcomes," said Mary Lou Osborne, Chief Commercial Officer of Ontrak Health. "Our Ontrak Quality solution is designed to meet the specific needs of members who require immediate and effective behavioral healthcare. By leveraging our advanced AI capabilities and proven engagement techniques, we aim to provide timely interventions that will lead to improved health outcomes and set new quality benchmarks in the industry."

08:16 EDT SunOpta announces expansion of Dream Oatmilk Barista to additional 6,700 stores - SunOpta nnounces the expansion of Dream Oatmilk Barista, in January 2025, to an additional 6,700 stores across North America through a partnership with a large coffee chain. This expansion significantly increases the distribution of SunOpta Dream Oatmilk Barista in collaboration with its largest customer. The growth will substantially utilize the oat extraction capacity from SunOpta's Modesto, California investment announced in June 2024, and expand utilization of its manufacturing facility in Midlothian, Texas. We're incredibly proud to supply our customers with plant-based beverage options, including our Dream Oatmilk Barista," said Brian Kocher, CEO of SunOpta. "We understand that every single impression for a barista and a coffee lover is precious. We offer delicious plant-based alternatives while striving to create a perfect experience. At the same time, we are committed to a more sustainable future by working to reduce water, packaging and carbon emissions."

08:13 EDT BioAffinity awarded U.S.federal supply schedule contract for CyPath Lung - bioAffinity Technologies, announced that CyPath Lung, its noninvasive test to detect early-stage lung cancer, will be added to the U.S. Federal Supply Schedule, a procurement system that provides the Veterans Health Administration VHA and the Military Health System streamlined access to state-of-the-art healthcare products and services. The VHA, part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VA , serves 9.1M Veterans each year and is the largest integrated health care system in the country, providing care at 1,380 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,193 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity , VHA outpatient clinics Approximately 8,000 Veterans are diagnosed and treated for lung cancer annually, according to the VA.

08:10 EDT Polar Power completes installation of UNHCR Nigeria contract - Polar Power announces that its DC generator, solar PV inverters, batteries, and controls were seamlessly integrated and installed at a United Nations High Command for Refugees, UNHCR, facility in Nigeria. Assisting Polar Power on this project were Leonics, Biohenry, and the Greening and Sustainability Team at UNHCR. Arthur Sams, Polar Power's CEO, commented, "Polar Power has delivered one of the best solutions at around half the cost of other bidders proposing lesser systems. Besides the huge fuel savings from up to a 70% reduction in diesel, another advantage of Polar Power's online uninterruptable power supply (UPS) with the DC generator and solar PV array is the complete shielding of application loads from the grid's power fluctuations and interruptions. Lastly, the solar PV array is designed to operate efficiently with a small footprint, providing additional installation and operating benefits, especially in remote areas. These advantages from our microgrid solution collectively present huge operating cost savings and reliability improvement."

08:09 EDT Smith & Nephew enters co-marketing agreement with JointVue - Smith+Nephew has signed a co-marketing agreement with JointVue for its patented OrthoSonic3D Surgery Planning Technology, the only ultrasound device currently on the market to deliver 3D preoperative planning. JointVue's technology allows surgeons using Smith+Nephew's CORI Surgical System for robotic-assisted knee arthroplasty to create a personalized surgical plan, which may provide opportunities to improve patient satisfaction and operating room efficiency. Pre-operative surgical planning provides the surgeon with information about the patient's anatomy to help the surgeon determine the preferred implants before the surgery begins. This foresight helps to enable just-in-time delivery of implants and instruments, helping to conserve space and reduce both operating room time and sterilization costs. The combination of JointVue's OrthoSonic technology with Smith+Nephew's CORI Surgical System, known for its small footprint and scalability, offers an ideal solution for Ambulatory Surgery Centers where OR space is limited.

08:07 EDT Ardelyx announces publication of review article on IBS-C - Ardelyx announced the recent publication of a review article, titled "Review of the Patient Burden and Therapeutic Landscape of Irritable Bowel Syndrome With Constipation in the United States" in Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology, an international, peer reviewed, open access journal focusing on all aspects of gastroenterology research, as well as clinical results in human, animal and in vitro studies that shed light on disease processes and potential new therapies/ The article provides an overview of treatment options and disease management for irritable bowel syndrome with constipation from a U.S. perspective and discusses the importance of the relationship between patient and health care provider in diagnosis and treatment. It recommends a positive diagnostic strategy for IBS-C, based on clinical history, physical examination, and minimal laboratory tests.

08:06 EDT Asset Entities selected by Mathison to build community on Discord - Asset Entities announced that Scott Mathison, has selected Asset Entities to Design, Develop, and Manage his digital fitness community server on the Discord social community platform and has entered into a new client Agreement with the Company. Asset Entities Chief Executive Officer, Arshia Sarkhani, commented, "One of our many passions in this unique space is the future of fan engagement via Discord, and developing and helping communities grow. We are thrilled to be working with Scott Mathison. His passion to pursue his dream and never giving up, is the hallmark of a role model one can be immensely proud of. We look forward to working with Scott on his digital fitness community and to sharing that message on Discord and other social media."

08:05 EDT Daxor's BVA-100 diagnostic featured at MedAxiom CV Transforum Fall '24 - Daxor will be exhibiting at the MedAxiom Cardiovascular Transforum Fall'24 Conference being held at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, CO, October 17-19, 2024. The CV Transforum is the leading conference for cardiovascular organizational performance solutions, uniting cardiovascular thought-leaders from across the country to transform cardiovascular care together with leading industry innovators. "We look forward to engaging with industry leaders at this pivotal gathering, connecting with top cardiovascular innovators to demonstrate how our blood volume analysis technology directly tackles key challenges: hospital readmissions, mortality rates, and resource optimization. MedAxiom's reputation for introducing outcome-improving, cost-reducing solutions makes this the ideal platform to highlight our technology," said Michael Feldschuh, Daxor's CEO. BVA guided care has been shown in peer-reviewed studies to significantly improve multiple measures of patient outcomes, including reduction in 30-day mortality by 82%, 1-year mortality by 86%, 30-day readmissions by 56%, and also results in a 57% reduction in length of stay when performed upon admission. BVA technology provides clinicians with 98% accurate, actionable data to optimize treatment plans and individualize care, improving outcomes while reducing duration and cost.

08:04 EDT Honeywell, Qualcomm expand collaboration to develop AI solutions - Honeywell (HON) and Qualcomm Technologies (QCOM) announced an expanded collaboration to develop new artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled solutions for the energy sector. The design and development of these solutions with Qualcomm Technologies supports Honeywell's alignment of its portfolio to three compelling megatrends, including automation. Through the collaboration, Honeywell intends to incorporate Qualcomm Technologies' connectivity and AI capabilities into Its existing AI-powered applications, such as the Honeywell Field Process Knowledge System. By integrating these capabilities, Honeywell's Field PKS will better be able to help provide connectivity to remote corners of plant and manufacturing facilities and enable greater data capture and analytics at the edge. Qualcomm Technologies' portfolio of low power AI-enabled processors with native wireless connectivity, software, and computer vision combined with Honeywell's extensive portfolio of sensing technologies will enable the development of a family of industrial sensors used for monitoring process parameters, asset parameters or environmental conditions. These new capabilities will help deliver more information to field and service technicians, enabling faster delivery of answers that can result in time savings, greater accuracy, and interactive results.

07:56 EDT Syra Health provides details from three new healthcare workforce contracts - Syra Health announced more details about the award of three new healthcare workforce contracts: one in Florida, one in Kansas, and one in Delaware. In Florida, Syra Health has been awarded a contract to supply psychologists and school counselors to the St. John's County School District in St. Augustine. This effort underscores Syra's commitment to fostering mental health and well-being in educational settings. In Kansas, Syra Health has successfully secured a new contract to provide temporary nursing personnel across the state. This effort is crucial in addressing the ongoing challenges of healthcare workforce shortages and burnout. In Delaware, Syra Health will be providing licensed dieticians to ensure residents at the Delaware Veterans Home receive essential nutritional support, honoring their service and enhancing their health. The value of these contracts, currently under negotiation, will depend on the number of positions filled and the duration of their services.

07:41 EDT Prelude announces publication of abstracts on SMARCA Degrader Programs - Prelude Therapeutics announced the publication of three abstracts regarding its SMARCA Degrader Programs at the 36th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium taking place in Barcelona, Spain October 23-25, 2024. "We are delighted to have this opportunity to share additional information from our SMARCA degrader programs to the scientific and medical communities as we continue to progress both the clinical and preclinical development of these novel first-in-class approaches for patients with high unmet needs," stated Kris Vaddi, CEO. "In addition to the updates we will be providing from our Phase 1 trial of PRT3789, we are looking forward to presenting the first preclinical data from our precision degrader antibody conjugates program. These data demonstrate that a highly potent dual SMARCA2/4 degrader payload can be conjugated to an antibody to specifically target tumor cells and safely induce tumor regressions in preclinical models. This approach has potential to replace chemotherapy payloads on ADCs and expand the therapeutic opportunities well beyond SMARCA4 mutated cancers." PRT3789 is a potent and highly selective SMARCA2 degrader, in Phase 1 clinical development in biomarker selected SMARCA4 mutant patients. Enrollment remains on track, and the Company expects to conclude monotherapy dose escalation by year end 2024 and identify the biologically active dose to advance for future trials. In addition, enrollment of patients into back-fill cohorts enriched for NSCLC and SMARCA4 loss-of-function mutations and higher dose levels is ongoing. The objective is to assess clinical activity in a more homogeneous group of patients with high unmet need, at the biologically active dose, to support planned discussions with regulatory agencies.

07:37 EDT Bullfrog AI announces publication of data supporting potential of BF-114 - BullFrog AI Holdings announced the publication of new research in the peer-reviewed journal Cell Reports supporting the potential of BullFrog AI's drug candidate, BF-114, in treating a range of liver diseases, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The research was generated in a study led by Lopa Mishra, MD, professor of medicine, Merinoff Endowed Chair and co-director of the Institute for Bioelectronic Medicine at Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Dr. Mishra's research demonstrates that beta2-spectrin, a protein encoded by the SPTBN1 gene, mediates the effects of environmental factors that drive the progression of MASH. By reducing beta2-spectrin levels, BF-114 has been shown to halt the progression of MASLD and MASH in animal models, while also reducing liver damage. These findings strengthen and extend previously published data from Dr. Mishra's laboratory that support BullFrog AI's development of BF-114 for the treatment of obesity and liver diseases. BullFrog AI plans to leverage its proprietary AI-driven platform to analyze single-cell data from animal models and human patients. This analysis will provide additional mechanistic understanding of the effects of SPTBN1 silencing in obesity and liver disease. The insights gained are expected to inform the continued development of BF-114 and may potentially reveal additional therapeutic applications. BullFrog AI is also pleased to welcome Dr. Mishra to its Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Mishra will provide guidance as the Company advances its BF-114 program.

07:36 EDT Oragenics provided update to shareholders - Oragenics provided a corporate update reflecting on the company's progress throughout 2024, including key milestones in the development of ONP-002, its lead candidate for the treatment of concussions. The company's lead program, ONP-002, is a first-in-class neurosteroid being developed to treat moderate to severe concussions. Intranasal delivery provides numerous advantages over traditional systemic methods. Oragenics has made significant advancements in the development of ONP-002 during 2024, including: Strengthened Clinical Leadership; Phase II Clinical Trial Preparation; Successful Cardiotoxicity Test; FDA-Required Genotoxicity Studies; Partnership with Avance Clinical; Temperature Stability Achieved; Spray-Dry Manufacturing and Device Completion; Improved Drug Percentage in Final Formulationl Completion of FDA-Recognized Study for Concussion Drug, ONP-002: Intranasal casting studies are critical for FDA approval of pharmaceuticals delivered via the nasal passage. Looking Ahead: Key Milestones: Oragenics anticipates several key milestones in the coming months, including: Initiation of Phase II Clinical Trials: The company plans to begin Phase II trials later this year, initially in Australia, followed by U.S. trials. These trials will evaluate safety and efficacy - evaluating the effects of ONP-002 on concussion patient symptom reduction and functional recovery. In preparation for its upcoming Phase II clinical trials, Oragenics plans to submit the Australian Regulatory Submission Brochure during the fourth quarter of 2024. This submission is a critical component for the regulatory approval of the trial in Australia and outlines the clinical trial safety and efficacy protocols, informed consent protocols, and data collection methods.

07:35 EDT Bowman Consulting contracted by VDOT - Bowman Consulting has been contracted by Virginia Department of Transportation, or VDOT, to provide survey, right-of-way, or ROW, and utility relocation engineering for 13 separate projects throughout Virginia. The assignments include the I-64 Hampton Roads Express Lanes, a bundle of five intersection improvements in Albemarle County and seven bridge improvement projects in VDOT's Bristol and Salem districts. For the HREL assignment, Bowman has been entrusted with ROW and easement acquisition services to support the widening of I-64 and I-564 as well as utility coordination and relocation services. For the Albemarle Bundle #2 projects, Bowman will facilitate the smooth execution of ROW and survey activities for intersection enhancements, while also managing utility coordination and relocations for these intersection improvement projects. For the Bristol and Salem districts bridge improvement project bundle covering the replacement of four bridges in the Bristol District and three bridges in the Salem District, Bowman's role will include ROW and easement acquisition, as well as utility coordination and relocation services, all aimed at enhancing the structural integrity of the bridges and ensuring long-term safety and reliability for the traveling public.

07:32 EDT Equifax expands partnership with Google Cloud - Equifax (EFX) has expanded its partnership with Google Cloud (GOOG, GOOGL) to securely deliver anonymized, differentiated data assets on the Google Cloud Analytics Hub, a data exchange backed by the power of BigQuery, Google Cloud's unified data platform, designed to enable efficient and secure data sharing across organizations. Equifax is committed to meeting its customers where they operate, and availability of Equifax data via Analytics Hub will provide developers with real-time access to Equifax insights to help increase the speed of product innovation. The partnership will also enable business users and data analysts to securely access, share and query data within Google Cloud's infrastructure to inform decision making across the organization.

07:32 EDT Canopy USA completes acquisition of Wana - Canopy Growth confirmed that Canopy USA, has completed its acquisition of Wana, inclusive of Wana Wellness, The CIMA Group, and Mountain High Products. Canopy USA now owns 100% of the outstanding equity interests in Wana. Together with the completed acquisition of approximately 75% of the shares of Lemurian, as announced on June 4, Canopy USA is fulfilling its ambition of establishing a leading brand-focused cannabis company in the U.S. Wana and Jetty have identified areas of collaboration, including the establishment of a joint sales force in the New York market, focused on category dominance across the edible and vape segments.

07:13 EDT Alnylam submits vutrisiran sNDA to FDA - Alnylam announced the submission of its supplemental new drug application, or sNDA, to the FDA for vutrisiran, an investigational RNAi therapeutic in development for the treatment of ATTR amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy. Vutrisiran is the generic name for Amvuttra, which is currently approved by the FDA for the treatment of the polyneuropathy of hereditary ATTR amyloidosis in adults. As part of the submission, the company utilized a Priority Review Voucher, which obligates the FDA to an accelerated review timeline.

07:11 EDT Sonendo executes $14M plus APA to acquire Biolase assets - Sonendo announced that the company has entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement or APA with Biolase and certain of its subsidiaries or Sellers pursuant to which the company agreed to acquire substantially all of the assets of the Sellers and their subsidiaries for a total purchase price of $14M plus the assumption of certain operating liabilities and the settlement value of certain ongoing patent litigation between Sonendo's subsidiary PIPStek and certain of the Sellers...In January 2023, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, PIPStek LLC, filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Biolase in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware asserting infringement by Biolase of certain of PIPStek's patents covering the use of laser systems and radial firing tips." On October 1 in connection with the Sellers' Chapter 11 case, the Company filed a proof of claim with the Bankruptcy Court for a total of not less than $59,000,000 of current and ongoing damages associated with patent infringement by Biolase. "Sonendo has made significant investments in its proprietary technology and intellectual property position and we will continue to vigorously enforce our rights against any parties who might infringe them," Mr. Bergheim continued. .

07:10 EDT CareDx appoints Jing Huang as chief data and artificial intelligence officer - CareDx announced the appointment of Jing Huang in the newly created role of chief data and artificial intelligence, or AI, officer. Huang will lead key data science initiatives that are a part of the company's long-term strategic growth plan. CareDx intends to share its long-term growth strategy during an Investor Day on October 15. As chief data and AI officer, Huang will be responsible for advancing CareDx's efforts to integrate data science methods and AI into its customer facing products to enhance patient care, and its internal business operations to achieve improved efficiency and scalability.

07:08 EDT QuidelOrtho announces Jonathan Siegrist appointed as EVP of R&D and CTO - QuidelOrtho announces the appointment of Jonathan Siegrist, PhD, as its new Executive Vice President of Research and Development R&D and Chief Technology Officer CTO , effective as of October 7. Siegrist brings a wealth of industry expertise and leadership experience with over 15 years in molecular diagnostics, microfluidic platforms, and biomedical engineering. He most recently was the CTO and Head of Assay Research and Development at Cepheid. Prior to Cepheid, he co-founded a diagnostics manufacturing company. Reporting to Brian Blaser, President and Chief Executive Officer, Siegrist will spearhead QuidelOrtho's R&D strategy with a focus on menu expansion and advancing critical platforms. His leadership is expected to advance QuidelOrtho's industry-leading expertise in immunoassay and molecular testing and award-winning solutions in clinical labs and transfusion medicine. Werner Kroll, Senior Vice President, R&D, will support a smooth leadership transition and related activities until his retirement in March 2025.

07:07 EDT Olema Oncology to present multiple posters at EORTC-NCI-AACR - Olema Pharmaceuticals announced that it will be presenting multiple posters during the 36th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics taking place October 23-25, 2024, in Barcelona, Spain.

07:06 EDT Unicycive Therapeutics completes UNI-494 Phase 1 study - Unicycive Therapeutics announced the successful completion of the UNI-494 Phase 1 study in healthy volunteers. "We are pleased to announce the successful completion of the UNI-494 Phase 1 study that informs our next steps for advancement to a potential Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with acute kidney injury," said Shalabh Gupta, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Unicycive. "This is an important milestone for the clinical development of UNI-494 as it provides the necessary dosing and tolerability data to progress the program. We plan to request a meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before the end of the year to review these Phase 1 results and a potential Phase 2 study design. We would like to extend our gratitude to the trial investigator and participants who committed their time and effort to the study."

07:04 EDT Can-Fite BioPharma announces FDA granted ODD for Namodenoson - Can-Fite BioPharma announced the Company's oncology drug candidate, Namodenoson, has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, for the indication of pancreatic cancer, one of the most aggressive malignancies. The designation as an orphan drug will provide among others, potential for market exclusivity for seven years after approval and several and regulatory advantages

07:03 EDT Iridium announces collaboration with Nordic Semiconductor - Iridium announced its collaboration with Nordic Semiconductor for early integration of its Iridium NTN Direct service into Nordic's LTE-M/NB-IoT modules and chipsets. Nordic Semiconductor is a global leader in low power wireless connectivity solutions including cellular IoT, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, and Thread and is trusted by world leading brands across the consumer, industrial, and healthcare segments. Nordic's complete cellular IoT solutions are ideally suited for connected devices for global tracking, utility metering and industrial remote monitoring and control. Iridium NTN Direct is planned to be the world's first truly global NB-IoT service. The product of Iridium's Project Stardust initiative, Iridium is developing this capability in coordination with the 3rd Generation Partnership Project's recent decision to accept Iridium enabling enhancements in its next release. This would allow Iridium's satellite service to be accessible by any device with a 3GPP release 19 compliant chipset. Nordic plans to incorporate the Iridium NTN Direct service's truly global communication capability as part of its 3GPP release 19 NTN roadmap, taking advantage of the established reliability and experience of the Iridium network.

07:03 EDT Kymera Therapeutics announces FDA clearance of IND application for KT-621 - Kymera Therapeutics announced the clearance of its Investigational New Drug, IND, application from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, for KT-621, a potent, selective, oral degrader of STAT6. The Company expects to initiate dosing in a Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers in October 2024 and to report data from the Phase 1 study in the first half of 2025.

07:01 EDT Novavax's 2024-2025 Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine receives authorization in EU - Novavax announced that the European Commission granted Marketing Authorization for Novavax's updated 2024-2025 Nuvaxovid COVID-19 Vaccine, dispersion for injection, for use in individuals aged 12 and older for the prevention of COVID-19 in the European Union. This decision follows the positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency.

06:56 EDT Helen of Troy provides update on Project Pegasus savings - The company continues to have the following expectations regarding Project Pegasus savings: Targeted annualized pre-tax operating profit improvements of approximately $75 million to $85 million, which began in fiscal 2024 and are expected to be substantially achieved by the end of fiscal 2027. Estimated cadence of the recognition of the savings will be approximately 25% in fiscal 2024, which was achieved, approximately 35% in fiscal 2025, approximately 25% in fiscal 2026, and approximately 15% in fiscal 2027. Total profit improvements to be realized approximately 60% through reduced cost of goods sold and 40% through lower SG&A.

06:37 EDT Clearside reports results from ODYSSEY Phase 2b trial of CLS-AXClearside Biomedical - Clearside Biomedical announced that the ODYSSEY Phase 2b clinical trial of CLS-AX, or axitinib injectable suspension, for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration, or wet AMD, achieved both its primary and secondary outcomes. In participants who received CLS-AX delivered suprachoroidally, best corrected visual acuity, or BCVA, and ocular anatomy were stable up to 6 months compared to participants who received aflibercept. In addition, CLS-AX demonstrated a well-tolerated safety profile to Week 36 inclusive of mandatory re-dosing of CLS-AX at Week 24. "We are very excited to report positive topline data from our successful ODYSSEY Phase 2b trial," said George Lasezkay, President and CEO. "These encouraging results strongly support advancing our CLS-AX wet AMD program into Phase 3 development and provide further evidence of the potential benefits of delivering medicines to the back of the eye using our proprietary SCS Microinjector. We achieved our primary outcome of maintaining stable BCVA throughout the trial as measured by the mean change in BCVA from baseline to Week 36. CLS-AX consistently reduced the frequency of injections after the initial dose of CLS-AX with approximately 90% of CLS-AX participants not requiring any additional treatment up to 4 months, 81% not requiring any additional treatment up to 5 months, and 67% not requiring any additional treatment up to 6 months before mandatory re-dosing at Week 24. We believe this data supports our goal to potentially provide a safe, convenient wet AMD treatment option with the advantage of a flexible maintenance dosing regimen between 3 to 6 months. We look forward to continuing to analyze the results and share additional data analysis with the retina community at upcoming medical meetings." ODYSSEY was a randomized, double-masked, parallel-group, active-controlled, multicenter, 36-week, Phase 2b clinical trial in participants with wet AMD previously treated with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor standard of care therapy. A total of 60 participants were treated for 36 weeks and randomized to either CLS-AX or aflibercept with a 2:1 randomization schedule. CLS-AX was administered by suprachoroidal injection via Clearside's SCS Microinjector, and aflibercept was administered via intravitreal injection. Participants in the trial were determined to have active disease with a median duration of wet AMD diagnosis of 9.9 months.

06:32 EDT Celsion reports results from ODYSSEY Phase 2b clinical trial of CLS-AX - Clearside Biomedical announced that the ODYSSEY Phase 2b clinical trial of CLS-AX, or axitinib injectable suspension, for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration, or wet AMD, achieved both its primary and secondary outcomes. In participants who received CLS-AX delivered suprachoroidally, best corrected visual acuity, or BCVA, and ocular anatomy were stable up to 6 months compared to participants who received aflibercept. In addition, CLS-AX demonstrated a well-tolerated safety profile to Week 36 inclusive of mandatory re-dosing of CLS-AX at Week 24. "We are very excited to report positive topline data from our successful ODYSSEY Phase 2b trial," said George Lasezkay, President and CEO. "These encouraging results strongly support advancing our CLS-AX wet AMD program into Phase 3 development and provide further evidence of the potential benefits of delivering medicines to the back of the eye using our proprietary SCS Microinjector. We achieved our primary outcome of maintaining stable BCVA throughout the trial as measured by the mean change in BCVA from baseline to Week 36. CLS-AX consistently reduced the frequency of injections after the initial dose of CLS-AX with approximately 90% of CLS-AX participants not requiring any additional treatment up to 4 months, 81% not requiring any additional treatment up to 5 months, and 67% not requiring any additional treatment up to 6 months before mandatory re-dosing at Week 24. We believe this data supports our goal to potentially provide a safe, convenient wet AMD treatment option with the advantage of a flexible maintenance dosing regimen between 3 to 6 months. We look forward to continuing to analyze the results and share additional data analysis with the retina community at upcoming medical meetings." ODYSSEY was a randomized, double-masked, parallel-group, active-controlled, multicenter, 36-week, Phase 2b clinical trial in participants with wet AMD previously treated with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor standard of care therapy. A total of 60 participants were treated for 36 weeks and randomized to either CLS-AX or aflibercept with a 2:1 randomization schedule. CLS-AX was administered by suprachoroidal injection via Clearside's SCS Microinjector, and aflibercept was administered via intravitreal injection. Participants in the trial were determined to have active disease with a median duration of wet AMD diagnosis of 9.9 months.

06:31 EDT Infosys expands generative AI collaboration with Microsoft - Infosys (INFY) announced an expansion of its collaboration with Microsoft (MSFT) to help accelerate customer adoption of generative AI and Microsoft Azure, globally. The strategic collaboration is aimed at helping Infosys' and Microsoft's joint customers realize the value of their technology investments and secure transformative outcomes.

06:02 EDT Google: Splitting off Chrome, Android 'would break them'

06:01 EDT Google: DOJ's 'radical' proposals risk hurting consumers, businesses, developers - Lee-Anne Mulholland, Vice President, Regulatory Affairs at Google, said in a blog post on Wednesday: "The DOJ shared a broad outline of radical changes it may demand as part of its lawsuit over how we distribute Search. This is the start of a long process and we will respond in detail to the DOJ's ultimate proposals as we make our case in court next year. However, we are concerned the DOJ is already signaling requests that go far beyond the specific legal issues in this case. This case is about a set of search distribution contracts. Rather than focus on that, the government seems to be pursuing a sweeping agenda that will impact numerous industries and products, with significant unintended consequences for consumers, businesses, and American competitiveness. The DOJ's outline also comes at a time when competition in how people find information is blooming, with all sorts of new entrants emerging and new technologies like AI transforming the industry. Forcing Google to share your search queries, clicks, and results with competitors risks your privacy and security. It's widely recognized, including explicitly by the DOJ in its outline, that forcing the sharing of your searches with other companies could create major privacy and security risks. Hampering Google's AI tools risks holding back American innovation at a critical moment. Not only is AI a new industry, but it's hard to think of a technology more important for America's technological and economic leadership. Splitting off Chrome or Android would break them - and many other things. Changes to the online advertising market would make online ads less valuable for publishers and merchants, and less useful for consumers. Unreasonable restrictions on how Google promotes our search engine would create friction for consumers and harm businesses. We believe that today's blueprint goes well beyond the legal scope of the Court's decision about Search distribution contracts. Government overreach in a fast-moving industry may have negative unintended consequences for American innovation and America's consumers. We look forward to making our arguments in court." Reference Link

05:43 EDT Takeda, Astellas Pharma and Sumitomo Mitsui form early drug discovery JV - Ciconia Bioventures announced its establishment as a joint venture, or JV, company based on a master agreement signed on April 22 by Takeda Pharmaceutical (TAK), Astellas Pharma (ALPMY), and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMFG). Ciconia covers the entire process from early drug discovery research to establishment of biotech startups, with the aim of translating innovative technologies and drug discovery programs originating in Japan into clinical applications.

05:38 EDT Boeing withdraws offer to striking union - Stephanie Pope, CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in a statement: "Our leadership team has been doing all we can to find common ground with the union. We just concluded a third round of bargaining with a federal mediator, which included two days of negotiations this week. Our team bargained in good faith and made new and improved proposals to try to reach a compromise, including increases in take-home pay and retirement. Unfortunately, the union did not seriously consider our proposals. Instead, the union made non-negotiable demands far in excess of what can be accepted if we are to remain competitive as a business. Given that position, further negotiations do not make sense at this point and our offer has been withdrawn. This is a disappointing outcome and not one we wanted. We remain committed to finding a resolution and will work with the union when they are ready to bargain an agreement that recognizes our employees and preserves our company's future." Reference Link

05:33 EDT PureTech Health presents LYT-100 data at CHEST 2024 - PureTech Health presented two oral presentations and one poster supporting its clinical and patient engagement strategies related to LYT-100 for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, or IPF, at the CHEST 2024 Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. PureTech presented qualitative and quantitative research that highlights both the burden of IPF as well as gaps in disease management that exacerbate the quality of life for people with IPF. The 90-person survey found that the majority of participants experience a high burden of disease that interferes with their normal activities, including shortness of breath, fatigue and cough. In addition to the burden of the disease itself, comorbidities, side effects of antifibrotic treatment and the use of supplemental oxygen interfere with patients' quality of life, suggesting a need for improved interventions to manage symptoms. Beyond this, PureTech's research revealed commonalities and differences in the patient experience for those receiving care at interstitial lung disease, or ILD, centers versus community pulmonary practices. When asked about their top resources for IPF information, nearly all people in both care settings listed their pulmonologist as their primary source, and the majority in each were very satisfied with their communications about their IPF diagnosis. Antifibrotic treatment rates at ILD centers and CPPs were similar, but differences existed in perceived communication around antifibrotic treatment options. 76% of people receiving care in ILD centers reported that their pulmonologist had discussed both FDA-approved antifibrotics with them, while this was only true of 56% of those receiving care at CPPs. Across a series of quality-of-life parameters, patients at CPPs indicated a higher impact and severity of their disease than patients at ILD centers, reflecting an important discrepancy that merits further investigation. PureTech also presented a clinical abstract reviewing its plan to evaluate the primary outcome of the Phase 2b ELEVATE IPF clinical trial using a prespecified Bayesian approach. ELEVATE IPF is PureTech's randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-finding study designed to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability, safety and dosing regimen of LYT-100 in patients with IPF compared to placebo. The trial will also assess the relative efficacy of two doses of LYT-100. Participants have been randomized in a ratio of 1:1:1:1 to receive either 550 mg of LYT-100, 825 mg of LYT-100, pirfenidone or placebo three times a day for up to 26 weeks and have the option to enroll in an open-label extension. The primary endpoint is the rate of decline in Forced Vital Capacity for the combined LYT-100 arms versus placebo over the 26-week treatment period using a Bayesian linear mixed effects model including dynamic borrowing. This approach augments the placebo arm sample size with external placebo data from historical IPF trials. A Bayesian approach has the advantage of enhancing overall statistical power and improving decision-making while limiting the number of patients required to be treated with placebo in a fatal disease. This approach has been used previously in Phase 2 trials of novel IPF therapeutics. Topline results from the Phase 2b ELEVATE IPF trial are expected by the end of 2024. A streamlined development program for LYT-100 is planned using the same endpoints that have supported past IPF product approvals. Pending positive clinical outcomes and regulatory feedback, the program will advance into a Phase 3 clinical trial. PureTech believes the results of the Phase 2b trial, together with a successful Phase 3 trial, could serve as the basis for registration in the U.S. and other geographies.

05:22 EDT ASE Technology reports Q3 revenue $4.96B, consensus $5.15B - Reports Q3 ATM revenue $2.66B. Reports September revenue $1.74B. Reports September ATM revenue $913,000.

05:11 EDT The9 subsidiary signs joint venture agreement with ShaoXing TongZe Network - The9 announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Shanghai The9 Information Technology signed a joint venture agreement with ShaoXing TongZe Network Technology, an AI algorithms and big data marketing service provider in China. The9 will hold a 51% stake and TongZe will hold a 49% stake in the joint venture. The joint venture will become one of The9's consolidated subsidiaries to operate AI algorithms and big data marketing business, and is expected to provide marketing solution to The9's upcoming new MIR game: MIR M. Pursuant to the agreement, TongZe committed that it will utilize its AI algorithms and big data to reach more than 100M relevant pan-MIR tag users and more than 30M paid MIR users. It also committed to The9 that the joint venture will have an annual profit of more than RMB100M in 2025. All after-tax profits of the joint venture will be distributed as dividends every quarter according to the shareholding ratio of the joint venture partners. The9 will grant TongZe The9 restricted shares. The amount will be RMB 42.5M / U.S. dollar to RMB exchange rate on the date of issuance / NCTY share price on the date of issuance. The restricted shares will be issued within 10 working days after the joint venture is established. These restricted shares will be unlocked in stages according to the actual achievement of the joint venture's 2025 profit as committed by TongZe.

04:54 EDT Rio Tinto acquires Arcadium Lithium for $5.85 per share of $6.7B - Rio Tinto (RIO) and Arcadium Lithium (ALTM) announced a definitive agreement under which Rio Tinto will acquire Arcadium in an all-cash transaction for $5.85 per share. The transaction values Arcadium's diluted share capital at approximately $6.7B. The transaction has been unanimously approved by both the Rio Tinto and Arcadium Lithium baords. The transaction, which will be implemented by way of a Jersey scheme of arrangement, is expected to close in mid-2025. Rio Tinto BM Subsidiary Limited, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Rio Tinto, will acquire the Arcadium Lithium shares. Rio said, "The transaction offers compelling value driven by accelerating volume growth in a rising market contributing to significantly higher EBITDA and free cash flow in the outer years, before anticipated synergies. Acquiring Arcadium is consistent with Rio Tinto's disciplined approach to capital allocation and will unlock significant value for shareholders, underpinned by the financial strength that we will bring. Rio Tinto will maintain its strong balance sheet following the close of this transaction, in line with its Single A credit rating, as well as its long track record of shareholder returns. Rio Tinto expects Arcadium's projected growth capital expenditure to represent approximately 5% of Rio Tinto's group capital expenditure of up to $10 billion across 2025 and 2026."