Stockwinners Market Radar for November 19, 2024 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:12 EST Cathie Wood's ARK Investment buys 223.5K shares of Intellia Therapeutics today

18:48 EST AeroVironment CEO: BlueHalo acquisition is a once in a generation opportunity - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Wahid Nawabi said there is so much demand for the AeroVironment's products globally that it will remain busy for the next decade. The company's drones are "compelling" from a financial standpoint and work extremely well on the battlefield, he noted.

18:36 EST Sunnova Energy director buys $389.7K in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Sunnova Energy disclosed that its director Akbar Mohamed bought 104.7K shares of common stock on November 15th as part of option exercise in a total transaction size of $389.7K. Shares of Sunnova are up 4% afterhours at $3.58.

18:32 EST Apple exec Kondo sells 4,130 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Apple principal accounting officer Chris Kondo disclosed the sale of 4,130 common shares of the company on November 18 at a price o $228.87 per share.

18:03 EST Cisco CEO sells $9.87M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Cisco disclosed that its CEO Charles Robbins sold 171.7K shares of common stock on November 15th in a total transaction size of $9.87M.

18:01 EST Cisco CFO sells $4.96M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Cisco disclosed that its CFO Richard Herren sold 86.4K shares of common stock on November 15th in a total transaction size of $4.96M.

17:20 EST Concentra to replace Myers Industries in S&P 600 at open on 11/27 - Select Medical Holdings (SEM) is distributing the 80% of shares of Concentra Group Holdings (CON) it owns to shareholders in a transaction expected to be completed on November 26. Myers Industries' (MYE) market capitalization is no longer representative of the small-cap market space.

17:18 EST Azenta to replace Envestnet in S&P 600 at open on 11/25 - Bain Capital is acquiring Envestnet in a deal expected to be completed soon, pending final closing conditions.

17:16 EST McCormick raises quarterly dividend to 45c from 42c per share - The board of directors of McCormick & Company declared an increase in the quarterly dividend from 42c to 45c per share on its common stocks, payable January 13, 2025 to shareholders of record December 30, 2024. This marks the company's 101st year of continuous dividend payments and the 39th consecutive year it has increased its quarterly dividend.

17:10 EST Workhorse Group awarded General Services Administration contract - Workhorse Group "announced that it has been added to the GSA Schedule by being awarded a General Services Administration, GSA, Government Fleet Contract through its dealer, Colonial Fleet Electrification. This milestone allows federal government agencies to streamline procurement of Workhorse's American-made electric commercial vehicles in the W56 platform, enhancing their access to reliable, efficient, transportation solutions from American companies. The GSA contract, GS-30F-RA005, is listed under Special Item Number (SIN) 493E, making Workhorse vehicles readily available for agencies with access to the GSAFleet.gov platform. This designation follows a comprehensive review of Workhorse's production capabilities, quality systems, testing and inspection processes, and the manufacturing standards at the Company's Union City, Indiana facility, known as the Workhorse Ranch."

17:06 EST Bally's stockholders approve merger agreement with Standard General - Bally's (BALY) announced that at its special meeting of stockholders held, its stockholders, including its unaffiliated stockholders, approved the adoption of its previously announced definitive merger agreement with The Queen Casino & Entertainment, a portfolio company majority-owned by the company's largest stockholder, Standard General. At the special meeting, the company stockholders also approved, on a non-binding advisory basis, the compensation that may or will become payable by Bally's to its named executive officers in connection with the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement. The merger agreement has been adopted by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the company's common stock as of the October 21 record date for the special meeting and the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the holders of the outstanding shares of the company's common stock as of such record date, excluding those held by Standard General, Sinclair Broadcast Group (SBGI), Noel Hayden and certain executive officers and a director of the company. Stockholders who validly elected to have their company shares remain issued and outstanding following the company merger as of 5:00 p.m. ET, will be assigned a new CUSIP number and their shares will continue to be traded on the NYSE under the new ticker symbol (BALY.T), prior to the effective time of the company merger. The company, subject to the prior approval by the special committee, reserves the right to open one or more new rolling share election periods prior to the company effective time. Closing of the transactions contemplated by the merger agreement is anticipated to occur in the first half of 2025 and remain subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

17:03 EST Qifu Technology approves repurchase of up to $450M of ADSs - On November 19, 2024, the company's board of directors approved a new share repurchase plan whereby the company is authorized to repurchase up to $450M worth of its ADSs or Class A ordinary shares over the next 12 months starting from January 1, 2025. The share repurchases may be effected from time to time on the open market at prevailing market prices, in privately negotiated transactions, in block trades and/or through other legally permissible means, depending on market conditions and will be implemented in accordance with applicable rules and regulations.

16:37 EST General Motors Ventures cuts stake in SES AI to 6.2% - General Motors Ventures (GM) disclosed a reduced stake of 6.2% in SES AI (SES), which represents over 19.72M shares. General Motors Ventures sold a total of 13.332M shares of SES AI at an average price of 20c.

16:33 EST Nano Labs regains compliance with Nasdaq minimum bid price requirement - Nano Labs announced that it received a notification letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market on November 18 , indicating that the Company has regained compliance with the minimum bid price requirement set forth in Rule 5450 a 1 of the Nasdaq Listing Rules. As previously announced, on May 23, he Nasdaq notified the Company of its non-compliance with the Nasdaq's minimum

16:32 EST Patrick Industries approves stock split of its common stock - Patrick Industries announced that on November 18 the Company's Board of Directors approved a three-for-two stock split of the Company's common stock, to be effected in the form of a stock dividend, payable as one additional share of common stock for every two shares of common stock held. Shareholders will receive cash in lieu of any fractional share of common stock that they otherwise would have been entitled to receive in connection with the split. The stock dividend is effective for shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 29 and will be payable on December 13. The Company's stock will begin trading on a post-split basis on December 16. The split will increase the number of outstanding shares of the Company's common stock from approximately 22.4M to 33.6M.

16:17 EST Sangamo up 11% at $2.17 on FDA clearing IND for ST-503

16:15 EST Assurant raises quarterly dividend 8c to 80c per share - Assurant announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend increase of 8c to 80c per share of common stock. The dividend will be payable on December 30, 2024 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 9, 2024. "Today represents another significant milestone for Assurant and our shareholders, as we increased our dividend for the 20th consecutive year since our initial public offering," said Assurant Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Keith Meier. "The 11 percent increase in our quarterly dividend underscores our strong capital position and confidence in Assurant's long-term cash generation, led by our unique and differentiated businesses across Global Lifestyle and Global Housing. As we look to the future, we remain focused on driving growth while delivering attractive returns to our shareholders, supported by our balanced capital management strategy," Meier added.

16:13 EST Dave announces Kevin Frisch appointed Chief Marketing Officer - Dave announced that Kevin Frisch has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer. In this role, Frisch will lead all facets of Dave's marketing strategy, including brand, content, product marketing, acquisition, cross-sell, retention, and overall go-to-market.Frisch brings a wealth of experience in delivering transformative marketing strategies that drive team empowerment and performance, enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty, and accelerate profitable growth. Most recently he served as Vice President of Marketing at Intuit, where he was accountable for $6B in revenue, overseeing a team of over 200 responsible for all of QuickBooks US Marketing, including multi-channel acquisition, lifecycle marketing, website, research, content, product marketing, and go-to-market strategies. Prior to Intuit, Frisch held senior leadership roles at Uber, Wag and GSN.

16:12 EST Oneok to sell interstate natural gas pipeline systems to DT Midstream for $1.2B - Oneok (OKE) announced that it has executed a definitive agreement with DT Midstream (DTM) under which Oneok will sell its three wholly owned interstate natural gas pipeline systems for a total cash consideration of $1.2B subject to customary adjustments. Based on Federal Energy Regulatory Commission filings, the purchase price represents 10.8 times previous 12 months EBITDA as of June 30. The transaction, unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both Oneok and DT Midstream, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024, and is subject to customary closing conditions, including Hart-Scott-Rodino Act clearance. Upon closing of this transaction, the net proceeds from the sale are expected to enhance Oneok's financial flexibility and its deleveraging trend toward its previously announced target of 3.5 times during 2026.

16:09 EST Keysight Technologies up 10% at $167.20 after Q4 earnings beat, guidance

16:05 EST Viking Therapeutics reports results from Phase 2b clinical trial of VK2809 - Viking Therapeutics announced that final results from the company's Phase 2b clinical trial of VK2809, the company's novel liver-selective thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist, in patients with biopsy-confirmed non-alcoholic steatohepatitis were highlighted in an oral late breaker presentation at the 75th Liver Meeting 2024, the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease, or AASLD. The presentation summarized the final 52-week data from the VOYAGE study, showing that VK2809 successfully achieved the trial's primary and secondary endpoints while demonstrating excellent tolerability and promising safety. Patients receiving VK2809 demonstrated statistically significant reductions in liver fat at Week 12, which was the primary endpoint in VOYAGE. Importantly, patients receiving VK2809 continued to demonstrate statistically significant reductions in liver fat content at Week 52, with the mean relative change from baseline ranging from 37% to 55%. On the secondary endpoint of NASH resolution with no worsening of fibrosis, VK2809-treated patients demonstrated NASH resolution ranging from 63% to 75%, compared with 29% for placebo. Across the combined VK2809 treatment groups, 69% achieved NASH resolution. Resolution of NASH was defined as a non-alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score of 0 or 1 for inflammation and 0 for ballooning. On the secondary endpoint evaluating improvement in fibrosis with no worsening of NASH, VK2809-treated patients demonstrated improvement in fibrosis ranging from 44% to 57%, compared with 34% for placebo. Across the combined VK2809 treatment groups, 51% achieved improvement in fibrosis with no worsening of NASH.

15:08 EST Biglari Capital issues statement regarding Cracker Barrel director nominees - Biglari Capital issued the following news release regarding Cracker Barrel: "As we quickly approach the 2024 Annual Meeting on Thursday, November 21st, Cracker Barrel continues to mislead investors. Stockholders do not need to read between the lines, they only need to read the Company's actual lines. "Sardar Biglari continues to misrepresent Cracker Barrel's capital spending plan. We are NOT spending $600 - $700 million on store remodels over the next three years as Mr. Biglari falsely claims. Our strategic plan contemplates spending $225 - $325 million in incremental capital (i.e., over and above our normal rates of capital spending). Store remodels are only a part of this incremental amount. Other investments include improvements to our technology and highly successful loyalty program in order to drive traffic."... The two directors presided over a near 70% destruction in Cracker Barrel's value. That is not a source of stability. Sardar Biglari has more institutional knowledge of Cracker Barrel and its operations than any other Director. Cracker Barrel stockholders have a clear choice before them: take a chance on the two incumbents who have overseen the destruction of almost 70% of the stock's value or elect the two people who are best suited to help execute a turnaround and deliver accountability and proper oversight. Vote the GOLD Card for Milena Alberti-Perez and Sardar Biglari."

14:51 EST Aligos Therapeutics down 8% after data presented at The Liver Meeting - Aligos Therapeutics shares are lower in afternoon trading after the company earlier announced "positive" data from one late-breaker oral and three poster presentations at the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease's, or AASLD, The Liver Meeting, being held November 15-19. The clinical poster presentation highlighted the continued potent antiviral activity of ALG-000184 for chronic hepatitis B virus infection in both HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative subjects, demonstrating the potential for the molecule to become first-line therapy for chronic suppression and the backbone for regimens aimed at functional cure, the company stated. Data from less than or equal to 84 weeks following an oral daily dose of 300 mg ALG-000184 monotherapy demonstrated sustained HBV DNA suppression in 7/7 HBeAg-positive CHB subjects. All HBeAg- subjects achieved sustained HBV DNA suppression by Week 24 and 11/11 subjects achieved sustained HBV DNA less than LLOQ at Week 48 with 10/11 subjects further achieving HBV DNA below the lower limit of detection. "Importantly, no subject demonstrated viral resistance to ALG-000184 monotherapy and suppression was maintained throughout the dosing period," the company stated.

14:25 EST Trump confirms Howard Lutnick selected to lead Commerce Department - In a statement posted to Truth Social, President-elect Donald Trump confirmed Howard Lutnick, Chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald will join the Trump Administration as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. "He will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative," the statement says. Reference Link

13:53 EST Microsoft says Windows 11 coming to Meta Quest 3, Quest 3S - At Microsoft Ignite 2024, Microsoft (MSFT) said that it is extending Windows 11 availability to mixed reality devices. Windows in mixed reality brings the full capabilities of Windows 11 to mixed reality headsets, starting with Meta Quest 3 (META) and Quest 3S. This will be available in public preview by the end of the year, Microsoft said. Reference Link

13:46 EST Air Products confirms receipt of Mantle Ridge director nomination notice - Air Products issued the following statement regarding the nomination of director candidates by Mantle Ridge for election to the Air Products board of directors at the company's 2025 annual meeting: "Air Products' Board of Directors has received Mantle Ridge's nomination notice and director nominees. The Board will present its formal recommendation regarding director nominees in the Company's proxy materials to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in due course. Air Products shareholders are not required to take any action at this time."

13:36 EST Dell expands AI Factory with solutions, services in collaboration with Microsoft - Dell Technologies (DELL) announces that it introduced "AI innovations that help Dell and Microsoft customers simplify AI adoption, speed deployment and power demanding workloads in multicloud environments. Data protection, cyber resiliency and security advancements help joint customers strengthen their cybersecurity posture." "Organizations modernizing their IT strategies to support emerging workloads, like AI, need solutions that help them innovate faster, control costs and protect data across multicloud environments. Our storage software, data protection and services advancements help customers in Microsoft environments accelerate their transformation efforts quickly and securely," said Arthur Lewis, president, Infrastructure Solutions Group, Dell Technologies. Dell-managed Dell APEX File Storage for Microsoft Azure will be available in public preview beginning in the first half of 2025, while accelerator services for Copilot+ PCs, services for Microsoft Copilot Studio, services for Microsoft Azure AI Studio and implementation services for Microsoft Azure AI Service are available now, Dell noted.

13:11 EST Teradata AI Unlimited in Microsoft Fabric now available for public preview - At Microsoft Ignite, Teradata (TDC) announced that Teradata AI Unlimited is now available for public preview through the Microsoft Fabric Workload Hub. "Microsoft Fabric Workload Hub allows customers to discover and add new ISV offered capabilities to their Fabric environment. AI Unlimited in Microsoft Fabric is a serverless compute engine that was designed to speed up Trusted AI innovations delivered at enterprise scale. It features Teradata's robust analytics functionality, ClearScape Analytics, which is now available to all customers, even to those who do not use Teradata VantageCloud," the company stated.

13:03 EST Kelly Services acquires Children's Therapy Center, terms not disclosed - Kelly has acquired Children's Therapy Center. Specializing in occupational, physical, and speech therapy for children from birth to eighteen, CTC operates from its headquarters in Eagan, MN, with an additional office in Apple Valley, MN. This acquisition will integrate CTC into Kelly Education's Pediatric Therapy Services portfolio. This provides opportunities for Minnesota school districts, including those who currently partner with Teachers On Call, to integrate PTS's related therapy services to meet the growing demand of student special education needs. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. CTC offers diverse interventions supported by continuous professional development for its therapists. Focused on delivering best-in-class service and ensuring the highest standards of care, CTC is committed to strong compliance, implementing robust processes to ensure adherence to federal, state, and local regulations.

13:01 EST Snowflake announces expanded partnership with Microsoft - Snowflake (SNOW) announced at Microsoft Ignite an expanded partnership with Microsoft (MSFT) to establish a new Snowflake Power Platform connector for Microsoft Power Platform, enabling bidirectional access between Dataverse, the enterprise data platform for agents, and Snowflake's AI Data Cloud. "The connector simplifies data interoperability between Microsoft Power Platform, Microsoft's low-code/no-code services suite, Dynamics 365, and the Snowflake AI Data Cloud, giving developers and business users the power to build and leverage custom enterprise AI applications using their enterprise data in Snowflake. With this latest integration, Snowflake and Microsoft will help customers simplify data collaboration, enhance enterprise insights, and harness the power of AI for their unique business needs," the company stated. Data access from Dataverse to Snowflake is expected in early 2025, the company noted.

12:49 EST Eli Lilly Canada 'disappointed' by CDA-AMC's Final Recommendation for Ebglyss - Eli Lilly Canada Inc. said it is disappointed and strongly disagrees with Canada's Drug Agency's Final Recommendation for Ebglyss, published on Friday, November 15, 2024. The CDA-AMC recommended that Ebglyss not be reimbursed by public drug plans, excluding Quebec, for the treatment of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older. "Lilly Canada stands behind Ebglyss as a first-line biological therapy for the treatment of atopic dermatitis and we remain committed to patients," the company said. "Access to Ebglyss for new and existing patients with moderate-to-severe AD via LillyPlus will not change as we tenaciously pursue options for private and public reimbursement in Canada. We have shared our concerns with the CDA-AMC leadership and believe that the CDA-AMC are applying differential standards to biologic therapies for the treatment of AD that are not founded upon their own requirements. Lilly Canada continues to explore all options to overcome this recommendation." "CDA-AMC's recommendation is inconsistent with all other HTA bodies that have reviewed Ebglyss, including L'Institut national d'excellence en sante et services sociaux (INESSS) in Quebec, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom, the Haute Autorite de sante (HAS) in France, and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) in Australia, which have all issued positive recommendations for Ebglyss in atopic dermatitis. Repeat misalignment with other domestic and international HTA agencies does not establish Canada as a predictable or competitive market for innovative medicines." said Kenneth Custer, General Manager Lilly Canada. "CDA-AMC's decision is not consistent with their own requirements and the evidence supporting the safe and efficacious use of Ebglyss but also seemingly ignored patient and physician input. Limiting therapeutic options not only restricts access to care, but it also raises many unintended consequences ranging from supply chain resilience to patient choice."

12:43 EST VinFast Auto starts delivery of VF 9 all-electric SUV in U.S. - VinFast Auto has officially commenced delivery of its flagship VF 9 all-electric, 7-passenger, 3-row SUV to U.S. customers, the company announced. "Beginning in November, the VF 9 will be available for delivery across VinFast's retail store network in California and through its dealerships, with prices starting at $69,800 for the Eco version and $73,800 for the Plus version. The first VF 9 customers received their vehicles during a customer event at VinFast's Los Angeles headquarters," the company stated.

12:33 EST Corteva sees $1B in net sales from growth platforms through 2027

12:23 EST Merck raises quarterly dividend to 81c from 77c per share - Merck declared a quarterly dividend of 81c per share of the company's common stock for Q1 of 2025. Payment will be made on January 8, 2025, to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 16. The prior quarter's dividend was 77c per share.

12:18 EST VW names former Rivian exec Kjell Gruner CEO of U.S. business - Volkswagen (VWAGY) named Kjell Gruner CEO of Volkswagen Group of America effective December 12. Gruner succeeds Pablo Di Si, who has stepped down from his position on his own request. Until Kjell Gruner takes office, Gerrit Spengler, CHRO of Volkswagen Group of America, will perform the function of interim CEO. Most recently, Gruner was Chief Commercial Officer and President, Business Growth at Rivian Automotive (RIVN). Gunnar Kilian, Group Board Member for Human Resources at Volkswagen AG: "Kjell Gruner is an absolute expert for the US market. He has over 25 years of experience in the automotive industry and extensive know-how in exploiting and expediting growth opportunities in North America. Volkswagen AG is indebted to his predecessor, Pablo Di Si. His outstanding commitment was of central importance in realigning our business in South America. He subsequently laid the foundation for the positive development of our North American strategy." Reference Link

12:01 EST Finance of America falls -14.3% - Finance of America is down -14.3%, or -$3.90 to $23.40.

12:00 EST Bakkt rises 12.4% - Bakkt is up 12.4%, or $3.67 to $33.38.

12:00 EST C3 AI rises 17.9% - C3 AI is up 17.9%, or $4.74 to $31.28.

11:51 EST Colgate-Palmolive slips after FDA posts warning letter sent to Tom's - In a letter dated November 5 that the FDA posted to its site today, the Food and Drug Administration noted that it inspected Colgate-Palmolive's drug manufacturing facility, Tom's of Maine, in Sanford, Maine, from May 7 to 22 and summarized the "significant violations of Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations for finished pharmaceuticals" that the agency found. In late morning trading following the posting of the warning letter, shares of Colgate-Palmolive are down $1.56, or nearly 2%, to $93.07. Reference Link

11:24 EST SILENCE THERAPEUTICS PLC SPONSORED ADR trading resumes

11:13 EST SILENCE THERAPEUTICS PLC SPONSORED ADR trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:37 EST Walmart sees some pressure on SG&A in 2025

10:33 EST CVS Health appoints Sreekanth Chaguturu as president, health care delivery - CVS Health announced that Dr. Sreekanth Chaguturu will be President, Health Care Delivery, in addition to his current role as Executive Vice President and CMO of CVS Health. Dr. Chaguturu replaces Mike Pykosz, who has decided to leave the company. Dr. Sree Chaguturu is executive vice president and chief medical officer of CVS Health where he leads the CVS Health medical affairs organization. He is focused on advancing the highest possible clinical quality standards, increasing access to care, improving patient outcomes and reducing overall health care costs across the CVS Health enterprise. Dr. Chaguturu previously served as chief medical officer of CVS Caremark, where he provided clinical oversight of the pharmacy benefits manager.

10:00 EST Lumen falls -6.3% - Lumen is down -6.3%, or -52c to $7.62.

10:00 EST SOS Limited falls -11.1% - SOS Limited is down -11.1%, or -$1.16 to $9.34.

10:00 EST Bakkt rises 13.0% - Bakkt is up 13.0%, or $3.87 to $33.58.

09:59 EST Lowe's expects 'roughly flat' gross margin for FY24 - Expects shrink to be "roughly flat" for FY24. Says "laser-focused" on managing expenses.

09:48 EST C3 AI rises 8.0% - C3 AI is up 8.0%, or $2.11 to $28.65.

09:48 EST Bakkt rises 15.8% - Bakkt is up 15.8%, or $4.70 to $34.41.

09:47 EST Finance of America falls -6.6% - Finance of America is down -6.6%, or -$1.80 to $25.50.

09:47 EST Viking Holdings falls -7.1% - Viking Holdings is down -7.1%, or -$3.22 to $42.17.

09:46 EST Xiao-I announces strategic cooperation with Deafopia - Xiao-I announced a strategic cooperation with Deafopia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting businesses within the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. This collaboration will enhance the market visibility and distribution of Xiao-I's newly developed AI hardwares, with Deafopia managing outreach and expanding distribution channels, particularly to deaf schools, government facilities, and broader community initiatives. As part of this cooperation, Deafopia will promote at its trade shows, community events, and through its digital platforms, including its website and social media channels. This partnership aims to significantly increase awareness and access to the products, improving the lives of individuals within the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities by offering cutting-edge technological solutions. These AI hardwares are specifically designed to assist individuals with hearing impairments, offering them enhanced accessibility and communication solutions in various settings. By partnering with Deafopia, Xiao-I will leverage the nonprofit's vast network and established events to reach key markets that will benefit most from this innovative product.

09:41 EST GDS Holdings (ADS) trading resumes

09:35 EST OLB Group rebrands subsidiary to Moola Cloud - The OLB Group announced the rebranding of its wholly owned subsidiary for the distribution of mobile services to MOOLA CLOUD, moolacloud.com with additional services and products. MOOLA CLOUD is proprietary solution for the unbanked and underbanked consumer sector serviced by bodegas and convenience stores nationally.

09:31 EST Performance Shipping urges shareholders to vote for company's board nominees - Performance Shipping has mailed proxy materials to shareholders in connection with its upcoming 2024 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, scheduled to be held on December 17, 2024. Shareholders of record as of the close of business on November 8, 2024, are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. The company said, "The Company also mailed a letter to shareholders highlighting the Company's growth strategy and the commitment of its highly-qualified Board of Directors to create value for all shareholders. Highlights from the letter include: The Company's foundation for continued growth and value creation built on its unique pure-play Aframax tanker fleet, its simplified and transparent ownership structure and its significant management expertise. Performance's execution of its focused strategy includes growing its fleet, leveraging strong relationships to secure commercial deployments at attractive rates, increasing sustainability and maintaining a strong financial position. The Company's highly qualified and actively engaged board, the majority of whom are independent, is committed to acting in the best interests of the Company and all shareholders. The Board's recommendation that shareholders reject George Economou's goal of taking over the Company. The Board of Directors unanimously recommends that shareholders vote on the WHITE proxy card "FOR" Performance Shipping's nominees and "AGAINST" the proposals made by Economou."

09:28 EST Lowe's sees FY24 adjusted operating margin 12.3%-12.4% vs. prior 12.4%-12.5% - Sees FY24: Net interest expense of approximately $1.3B (previously $1.4B); Adjusted effective income tax rate of approximately 24.5%.

09:21 EST Lowe's 'pleased' with Pro, online performance in Q3 - Says continues to see softness in DIY bigger-ticket projects. Expects pressure in bigger ticket flooring, kitchen and bath, and decor projects near term.

09:16 EST FibroBiologics files patent application for cell-based therapeutic - FibroBiologics announced the filing of a patent application covering methods for treatment of splenomegaly using a cell-based therapeutic approach. "This patent application highlights the potential of fibroblast-based therapies to address immune-related disorders, such as splenomegaly," said Pete O'Heeron, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of FibroBiologics. "Our technology leverages the unique capabilities of fibroblasts to target immune dysregulation, underscoring their promise in treating complex conditions linked to immune system dysfunction."

09:13 EST Invizyne selected for $2M project to enable enzyme production - Invizyne Technologies announced it was awarded a $2 million project to enable enzyme production for cell-free biomanufacturing of sustainable aviation fuel, SAF. The project is a cost share grant from the U.S. Department of Defense's BioMADE initiative, in partnership with the University of Georgia. It is one of 17 BioMADE projects announced on October 30, 2024, to drive the scale-up and commercialization of American biomanufactured products.

09:11 EST MediciNova provides update in letter to stockholders - MediciNova provides shareholders a corporate update in the following Letter to Stockholders from CEO Yuichi Iwaki, M.D., Ph.D.: "Since its founding, MediciNova has been clear in its mission to deliver new treatment options to the patients suffering with unmet medical needs... Our recently announced collaboration to supply our compound MN166 as part of an NIH-funded expanded access clinical trial is illustrative of this commitment, as it provides the Company with non-dilutive funding as we collaborate to continue to develop MN166 for ALS without incurring the expenses associated with an additional clinical trial. The six-month trial is being conducted with 17 institutions, all under the aegis of the lead institution and funded entirely by the NIH and without the added expenses of contract research organizations). Concurrently, we are conducting the COMBAT-ALS trial, our Company-sponsored Phase 2/3 trial of MN166 for ALS, which is a sponsored 12-month trial. We believe that the combination of the two trials allow us to more completely investigate MN166 in a significantly larger patient population, while maintaining a prudent hold on cash. Importantly, the NIH-funded trial is also very much in line with our corporate strategy, which is to choose a small number of trials on which to focus our resources and identify partners and other funding sources to ensure that additional programs are conducted, our pipeline is robust, and yet our cash reserves are minimally impacted. We have several additional programs that are being overseen by both U.S. government agencies and outside the U.S. that follow this model of partnering with prestigious institutions and government agencies to conduct and sponsor clinical trials. Our responsibilities are usually limited to providing study drug in most of these cases, along with administrative and trial design support... Our cash and cash equivalents position remains strong, with $42.3 million as of September 30, 2024... The global landscape is in a state of perpetual flux, encompassing the natural environment, economy, and technological advancements... We also understand that our story may be perceived as complex. I hope that laying out this approach has gone some distance to help clarify our story."

09:10 EST Lowe's says 'tightly managing' operating expenses - Says investments in Pro customer paying dividends. Says increasing online conversion and traffic. Says macro economic environment "remains challenging." Expects to see increase in larger ticket projects when interest rates decline. Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

09:09 EST Simpple completes trials, expects to commercialize A.I.E. in coming mont - SIMPPLE has developed, mobilized, and completed product trials on the Company's next-generation Autonomic intelligence Engine, or A.I.E. Branded as SIMPPLE A.I., it is the 'brain' behind SIMPPLE Software, the Company's flagship software platform, that enables a building or facility to make active decisions and deployments on its own to assign tasks to workers or robotic assets without human intervention. Specially selected and funded through a six-figure innovation grant by Singapore government agencies in 2022, SIMPPLE worked with two large real estate developers in Singapore to develop and deploy a workflow automation engine that leverages computer vision analytics and integration capabilities across different brands of robots, a building calculator to estimate the cost of facility maintenance and contracts, and a workforce calculator with optimization capabilities to better manage staff attendance and efficiency. These technologies were tested across three different commercial retail buildings and both the building owner and building service contractors collectively achieved greater accountability of operations, and measurably improved workforce and cost efficiency. SIMPPLE A.I. technology aims to revolutionize facility workflow through automation, allowing facility managers to focus on value-added tasks instead of mundane or repetitive task assignments. For instance, trash or spillage can be detected through existing CCTV cameras embedded with SIMPPLE's computer vision models. SIMPPLE A.I. correlates the gathered information and quickly decides which resource - be it a worker or robot - is located closer to the affected area and automatically deploys that resource to perform the needed cleaning, all without human invention. This ensures that the facility is kept clean and safe for occupants while minimizing the risk of accidents within the given space.

09:08 EST Fresenius Medical's Novalung ECMO System selected by Premier - Fresenius Medical's heart and lung group has been awarded a national group purchasing agreement for Mechanical Circulatory Support with Premier in the U.S. Since acquiring Xenios in 2016, Fresenius has been dedicated to advancing heart and lung therapy. The Novalung System for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation - ECMO -, was the first system FDA-cleared for long-term ECMO. The system pumps and oxygenates the blood of patients with acute respiratory failure or acute cardiopulmonary failure. Novalung offers a portable therapy solution designed to improve clinical outcomes and accommodate various clinical care settings. Premier is a healthcare improvement company, uniting an alliance of approximately 4,350 U.S. hospitals and 300,000 other providers to transform healthcare.

09:06 EST Delta to offer Shake Shack burgers to first class fliers - Delta Air Lines (DAL) said it is teaming up with Shake Shack (SHAK) to serve burgers on its flights. "Delta's first-of-its-kind partnership with Shake Shack will begin on flights out of Boston on Dec. 1, with plans for expansion to other U.S. markets throughout 2025. Customers sitting in First Class on routes over 900 miles will be able to pre-select a Shake Shack Cheeseburger as their meal option," the company said in a statement. Reference Link

09:05 EST LogicMark launches Freedom Alert Max device - LogicMark announced the launch of Freedom Alert Max, the latest advancement in the company's on-the-go product suite. The Freedom Alert Max offers over-the-air updates providing new features and improvements regularly, such as medication reminders and the fall detection algorithm. Freedom Alert Max offers geofencing for patients with dementia and Alzheimer's, cellular communication technology, fall detection, and the 988 Lifeline programmed into the device, adding to the company's feature-rich offerings. Combining the 24/7 reassurance of a monitored medical alert device with the convenience of a cell phone, Freedom Alert Max addresses the growing need for modern, mobile technology for seniors and their caregivers in a single device. The Freedom Alert Max is now available for a one-time activation fee of $54.99, a monthly unlimited cellular plan of $19.99, and a 24/7 U.S.-based monitoring fee of $34.99. New users can participate in a 90-day free trial for fall detection and geofencing during sign-up.

09:04 EST BAE Systems awarded U.S. Army contract for electronic warfare countermeasures - BAE Systems was awarded a follow-on contract from the U.S. Army to further develop its Multi-Class Soft Kill System countermeasures to protect ground combat vehicles against guided missiles and adjacent threats. BAE Systems' active protection systems provide next-generation layered defense capabilities for vehicles and maritime platforms, leveraging advanced electro-optic/infrared and radio-frequency spectrum technologies. The company's vehicle protection systems are developed and manufactured at its facility in Austin, Texas with R&D support from the company's FAST Labs organization in Merrimack, New Hampshire.

09:01 EST Blink Charging announces relationship with Tower Management Service - Blink Charging has announced its relationship with Tower Management Service. This collaboration is well underway and includes the completed installation of 53 state-of-the-art EV charging stations at 12 Tower locations throughout New Jersey.

08:58 EST Viking to present data from Phase 2b VOYAGE study in late breaker presentation - Viking Therapeutics announced that results from the company's Phase 2b clinical trial of VK2809, the company's novel liver-selective thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist, in patients with biopsy-confirmed non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH, also referred to as metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis, of MASH, will be highlighted in an oral late breaker presentation at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease, or AASLD, on Tuesday, November 19, at 11:00-11:10 a.m. Pacific Time.

08:55 EST HeartBeam announces positive data from two studies at AHA - HeartBeam announced the results from two studies evaluating HeartBeam's groundbreaking vector-based technology. The data add to the body of clinical evidence for the Company's key clinical indications, specifically arrhythmia and heart attack or myocardial infarction, detection, and showcase the technology's pivotal role in advancing patient care for these clinical indications. The studies were presented during the American Heart Association's annual Scientific Sessions in Chicago, November 16-18 . HeartBeam's vector-based technology captures the heart's electrical signals from three dimensions. The Company's first application of its groundbreaking technology is a cable-free, credit card-sized device that is designed to be capable of synthesizing a 12-lead electrocardiogram ECG . The small size makes it convenient for patients to always have the device with them, ready to record an ECG whenever they feel symptoms to minimize delays in care. The HeartBeam system is currently under review with the FDA. "The data presentations at AHA are a testament to HeartBeam's dedication to building a robust body of clinical evidence to support our groundbreaking technology as we strive to make it easier for patients and physicians to monitor cardiac symptoms and seek timely diagnosis outside of a healthcare facility," said Robert Eno, Chief Executive Officer, HeartBeam. "We thank our physician collaborators for their commitment to evaluating the value our technology can bring in different clinical situations and transform how cardiac conditions are managed in the future."

08:45 EST C3 AI jumps 5% to $27.75 following Microsoft alliance announcement

08:44 EST C3 AI, Microsoft announce strategic alliance for enterprise AI adoption - C3 AI (AI) and Microsoft (MSFT) announced a strategic alliance to accelerate the adoption of enterprise artificial intelligence on Microsoft Azure. "The agreement marks a significant milestone in C3 AI and Microsoft's existing partnership, further combining C3 AI's Enterprise AI-native application software, including C3 Generative AI, with Azure's robust and expansive ecosystem to the benefit of enterprises globally," the companies said in a statement. Under the new agreement, C3 AI and Microsoft will engage in a range of strategic initiatives, including technical integration, as C3 AI's full suite of Enterprise AI application software, including C3 Generative AI, will be available on the Microsoft Commercial Cloud Portal. "This agreement positions Microsoft as the preferred cloud provider for C3 AI offerings and establishes C3 AI as a preferred AI application software provider on Microsoft Azure," the companies add. Shares of C3 AI are up 4% to $27.61 in premarket trading following the announcement.

08:42 EST Earlyworks accelerates innovation to bolster foundation - Earlyworks is actively promoting measures to strengthen its corporate governance system and enhance shareholder value. In November 2024, Earlyworks reinforced its management framework by establishing new positions for a Chief Operating Officer, COO, and a Chief Development Officer, CDO, for the purpose of bolstering the foundation that supports growth. The company would like to present the future direction of its management strategy, considering the market environment in the blockchain industry and its business development policies. The blockchain industry, where Earlyworks operates its core business, has recently experienced several significant developments. These include the policies proposed by the President-elect Trump and, the quadrennial Bitcoin halving event, and the approval of Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs, all of which have had or are expected to have a positive impact on the blockchain industry. Since its establishment in 2018, Earlyworks has pursued its vision of "Blockchain As a Strategy," striving to create a future where blockchain serves as a foundational social infrastructure. While the concept of blockchain as infrastructure was initially challenging to grasp, practical applications have generally advanced across various fields. As blockchain continues to gain traction as a societal infrastructure, Earlyworks is proactively advancing its organizational development in preparation for business expansion.

08:41 EST Centerra Gold continues drilling at QCM property - Kestrel Gold provided an update on work completed by Centerra Gold on the QCM gold property located in the Manson-Germanson area of central British Columbia. Centerra is currently in the process of earning a 75% interest in QCM by making cash payments totaling $900,000 and completing $6,500,000 in exploration work, which must include a minimum of 13,500 metres of drilling, by May 7th, 2029. Centerra's reverse circulation drill program is well underway. A total of 6 holes and 813.97 metres have been completed to date with drilling ongoing. Completed holes are located in the 14 Vein area where RC drilling by Kestrel in 2022 returned up to 2.33 g/t Au over 44.19 metres. Results for the Centerra drill program will be released once analytical results have been received and interpreted. Centerra has also advised that they have submitted to the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation of British Columbia an application for a 5-year Multi-Year-Area-Based permit, which upon receipt will allow for property wide exploration and drilling. Pat Lynch, President and CEO of Kestrel, states: "We are pleased to see Centerra drilling at QCM. They are well funded and their geological team has significant experience with this type of target. Both the drilling and the permitting have potential to yield significant value to Kestrel shareholders, and we look forward to a successful completion of the program and the results that will follow."

08:38 EST Brandywine Realty announces closing of sale of One and Two Barton Skyway - Brandywine Realty Trust announced the closing of the sale of One and Two Barton Skyway, located at 1501 and 1601 South MoPac Expressway in Southwest Austin, to the City of Austin. The 386,000-square-foot facility, sold for $107.6 million, or $275 per square foot, will serve as a consolidated public safety headquarters. "This transaction is consistent with our capital recycling and portfolio management objectives. This sale both strengthens our balance sheet and positions us to seize high-quality, strategic investment opportunities," said Jerry Sweeney, President & CEO of Brandywine Realty Trust. "At the same time, we remain deeply committed to Austin, exemplified by our development of 405 Colorado and Uptown ATX, our 66-acre master-planned development that is a cornerstone of Austin's emerging second downtown."

08:37 EST Barnes & Noble Education continues expansion of First Day programs - Barnes & Noble Education announced the rapid and continued growth of its industry-leading First Day affordable access programs and new research data that highlight the positive impact the programs have on course material affordability and student outcomes. Barnes & Noble College, BNC, First Day Affordable Access Programs Seeing Rapid Growth : BNC's First Day Complete equitable access model was offered at 183 campus stores in the fall 2024 academic term, representing approximately 925,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, up from 800,000 in fall 2023; Eight net additional campus stores have committed to transitioning to First Day Complete for the spring 2025 academic term; BNC's First Day offered through 230 campus stores in the fall 2024 academic term; 2024 proprietary student research underscores the significant benefits of the First Day affordable access models on student outcomes; In the second quarter fiscal year 2025, First Day program revenues increased 18% YOY to $235 million

08:36 EST ExlService awarded contract to manage service desk operations for DCC - EXL has been awarded a contract to manage the service desk operations for the Data Communications Company, DCC. This role involves overseeing incidents related to smart meter infrastructure, and handling issues arising from smart meters or from consumers switching between suppliers. EXL will utilize data analytics and AI to identify patterns, predict potential problems, and optimize resolution processes.

08:35 EST Veradigm in srategic collaboration with EHR decision platform Insiteflow - Veradigm announced an enhanced strategic collaboration with Insiteflow, an electronic health record EHR decision workflow platform. This effort expands Veradigm Payer Insights VPI beyond the Veradigm EHR footprint into additional EHRs technologies. Together, Veradigm and Insiteflow are placing actionable insights on behalf of Payers at the point of care across multiple EHR platforms -including Veradigm EHR and Practice Fusion. VPI is now offered to additional EHR platforms, including Epic, to support further payer-provider collaboration designed to enhance patient care..."Collaborating with Veradigm aligns with our mission to reduce provider burden and enhance decision-making within EHR workflows," said Anthony Gerardi, CEO of Insiteflow. "Together, we can leverage the Veradigm Network to empower healthcare providers with the data-driven insights they need, driving better outcomes and improving patient care efficiency at scale."

08:33 EST SharpLink Gaming announces 2024 Annual General Meeting of Stockholders - SharpLink Gaming will host its Annual General Meeting of Stockholders (the "Meeting") on Monday, December 9, 2024 at 4:00 PM Central Time at SharpLink's corporate headquarters, located at 333 Washington Avenue North, Suite 104, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401, and thereafter as it may be adjourned or postponed from time to time. At the Meeting, stockholders will be asked to approve the following proposals and adopt the following resolutions in connection with the proposals: The reelection of Rob Phythian, Obie McKenzie, Robert Gutkowski and Leslie Bernhard as members of the Board of Directors for a term expiring at our 2025 Annual General Meeting of Stockholders and until their successors are elected and qualified; The approval of a reverse stock split of the Company's common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, by a ratio of up to and including 6:1, to be effective at the ratio and on a date to be determined by the Company's Board of Directors, and amendments to the Company's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to effect such reverse stock split; The ratification of the appointment of Cherry Bekaert, LLP, registered public accountants, as our Company's independent registered public accountants for the year ended December 31, 2024 and the authorization of our Board of Directors to fix such independent public accountants' compensation in accordance with the volume and nature of their services or to delegate such power to our Audit Committee; The approval of a non-binding advisory vote to approve the compensation paid to our named executive officers; and To transact any other business properly coming before the Meeting.

08:32 EST Genie Energy closes on solar generation project financing - Genie Energy has closed on a loan financing on a portfolio of operating solar generation assets. The $7.4 million fixed rate term loan secured through National Cooperative Bank provides project financing for a solar array portfolio rated for an aggregate 10MW. The arrays, which Genie purchased through its Sunlight Energy subsidiary during the past year, provide power to educational facilities in three Midwestern states through direct fixed-price solar power purchase agreements. At September 30, 2024, Genie Renewable's development pipeline of 96 MW comprised two utility-scale projects under construction and an additional 17 projects in various stages of pre-construction development.

08:31 EST Nature's Miracle announces 1-for-30 reverse stock split - Nature's Miracle announced that on November 21, effective at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time, it will effectuate a 1-for-30 reverse split of its common stock. The company's common stock will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis when the market opens on November 21, under its current trading symbol "NMHI". The new CUSIP number of the company's common stock following the reverse stock split will be 63903P 209. The reverse stock split is intended, among other things, primarily to increase the bid price of the company's common stock to enable the company to regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement of $1.00 per share for continued listing on The Nasdaq Global Market.

08:27 EST Walmart had a 'good' back-to-school, Halloween, executive says

08:25 EST SaverOne 2014 signs commercial agreement with multinational - SaverOne 2014 announced that following the press release issued on September 6, 2023, and following the successful completion of a pilot, a commercial agreement was signed with the Spanish subsidiary of a multinational company in the construction sector. Under the agreement, SaverOne will deploy up to 200 SaverOne systems out of the full fleet of 500 vehicles in Spain. The first 100 systems were shipped and will be installed by mid-December 2024.

08:24 EST Iridex comments on changing glaucoma reimbursement landscape - Iridex confirms that Local Coverage Determination) L37531, relating to Micro-Invasive Glaucoma Surgery, MIGS, was adopted as scheduled and will be effective for services performed on or after November 17, 2024. The Company has previously reported that it believes the reimbursement limitations created by the new LCD has potential to significantly increase physician interest in and use of Iridex's advanced laser-based treatments for glaucoma. The new LCD clarifies that treatments performed using Iridex's laser consoles and probes are not MIGS procedures, and thus, Iridex's Cyclo G6 product family is unaffected by the new reimbursement limitations

08:22 EST NextCure announces preclinical data on NC605 - NextCure announced the presentation of preclinical data demonstrating that treatment with NC605, a novel anti-Siglec-15 (S15) antibody, resulted in enhanced generation of quality bone with better mechanical properties, in an oral presentation at the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Federation Europe virtual Investigator Meeting on November 15th, 2024. These results demonstrate that NC605 is a highly effective treatment for Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease in a well-established model of disease. Key findings include: In the treated mice, 90% of male oim and 80% of female oim, had no fractures post-sacrifice, compared to 85% and 55% in the control groups, respectively. For the treated oim population, both sexes showed: Increased trabecular and cortical tissue mineral density. Increased cortical bone mineral density. Collectively, all changes resulted in overall enhanced bone quality with better mechanical properties. In contrast, only the treated male oim population showed: Increased trabecular bone volume fraction, including an increase in the number of trabeculae and a decreased separation between trabeculae. Increased cortical thickness. Collectively, the changes resulted in an increase of max load and stiffness, measures of mechanical bone strength.

08:22 EST PharmaTher says FDA grants post-complete letter clarification meeting - PharmaTher announced that the FDA granted a post-complete letter clarification meeting scheduled for December 2, 2024. As previously announced, the Company requested the Meeting in response to the FDA issuing a complete response letter, dated October 22, 2024, for the ketamine Abbreviated New Drug Application, which was assigned a Generic Drug User Fee Amendments of 2022 goal date of October 29, 2024. The Company has initiated activities to address the deficiencies cited in the CRL. The deficiencies cited in the CRL are classified as MINOR. The FDA requested new and updated information and clarifications related to drug substance, drug product, manufacturing, and microbiology. The FDA did not express concern about the stability of the ketamine submission batches, which achieved 18 months of stability without issue, and no new preclinical and clinical studies were requested. As noted by the FDA in the CRL, the resubmission to this CRL will be considered to represent a MINOR AMENDMENT, given that the deficiencies have been classified as MINOR. The Company will announce a proposed timeline for the resubmission to this CRL after the Meeting and continue to provide updates as they occur.

08:20 EST Alzamend Neuro announces full data set from nonclinical AL001 study - Alzamend Neuro announced that it has finished analyzing the final full data set from a nonclinical study comparing brain and plasma lithium exposures between AL001 and lithium carbonate in Alzheimer's transgenic mice. The study was conducted at the University of South Florida and the bioanalytical procedures for determination of lithium concentration in the brain and plasma samples were conducted under good laboratory practice standards by Sannova Analytical. The study involved administering AL001, a good manufacturing practices-quality active pharmaceutical ingredient to 5XFAD mice, a recognized model for Alzheimer's research, to compare its effects against lithium carbonate, an FDA approved and marketed API. Mice received either high or low doses scaled to humans of both AL001 and lithium carbonate over a 14-day period to observe pharmacokinetic steady-state drug conditions. On the 15th day, the mice were analyzed to assess how the treatments affected lithium concentrations in different brain regions and in their plasma. Both treatments had no negative impact on the mice's body weight or clinical signs during the treatment period. AL001 showed lower plasma lithium levels than lithium carbonate, reducing the risk of adverse systemic effects, suggesting an expansion for safety of lithium's therapeutic index. AL001 showed consistently higher lithium concentrations in brain tissues, particularly at lower doses, compared to lithium carbonate. The study found that different brain regions absorb and retain lithium differently. This means treatments can potentially be tailored to target specific brain areas, allowing for more precise treatment of various brain-related conditions when applied in human studies.

08:19 EST Dragonfly Energy announces 1-for-9 reverse stock split - Dragonfly Energy announced that it will effect a 1-for-9 reverse stock split of its outstanding common stock. This will be effective for trading purposes as of the commencement of trading on Friday, November 22, 2024. Dragonfly Energy's common stock will continue to trade on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol "DFLI" and under a new CUSIP number, 26145B 304.

08:18 EST Walmart CFO says rolled back prices on 6,000 items in Q3

08:18 EST Myriad announces Prequel Prenatal Screening can be performed at 8 weeks - Myriad Genetics announced that the Prequel Prenatal Screen is now available at eight weeks into pregnancy. Enabled by its AMPLIFY technology, Prequel is the first and only prenatal cell-free DNA, cfDNA, screen available at eight-weeks gestational age. "Previously, I would schedule my patients to come in at eight weeks for their first prenatal appointment; then, I would ask them to come back two weeks later to do a Prequel screen. Now that Prequel can be performed at eight weeks, patients have the opportunity to complete all baseline lab work during that initial care visit," said Dallas Reed, MD, FACMG, FACOG, obstetrician-gynecologist and medical geneticist who serves as the Principal Medical Advisor of Women's Health for Myriad Genetics. "As a result of this earlier timeframe, providers and their patients can obtain valuable genetic information earlier in the pregnancy, enabling them to make informed decisions based on that information sooner."

08:16 EST Corteva announces new $3B share repurchase program - Corteva announced that its board of directors authorized a new $3B share repurchase program. The authorization is immediately effective, does not expire, and gives management discretion in determining the conditions under which shares may be purchased. This newly authorized program is in addition to the company's existing $2B program announced in September 2022, which had approximately $750M remaining as of September 30.

08:16 EST Walmart: Prices remained steady in Q3 - Says behavior of U.S. consumers was largely consistent over the last 4-6 quarters.

08:15 EST Magna secured first award for DHD Duo system - Magna has secured its first award for a Dedicated Hybrid Drive, DHD, Duo system with a leading Chinese OEM. This recognition underscores Magna's commitment to innovation and sustainability, as well as the company's flexible approach to supplying power to wheels. Magna's DHD Duo system delivers a longitudinal front drive solution featuring an advanced dual e-motor and multi-speed design. The high-powered 800V system ensures an exceptionally smooth and comfortable experience across all driving conditions, positioning Magna at the forefront of hybrid technology innovation.

08:13 EST Walmart: U.S. consumers 'resilient'

08:13 EST LandBridge to acquire 46,000 largely contiguous surface acres for $245M - LandBridge announced it has entered into a purchase and sale agreement to acquire approximately 46,000 largely contiguous surface acres in the Southern Delaware Basin known as the Wolf Bone Ranch for total consideration of $245M in cash from a subsidiary of VTX Energy Partners, a Vitol investment, subject to customary purchase price adjustments and closing conditions. The land also supports produced water operations, with current volumes of approximately 300 MBbls/d serviced by infrastructure owned and operated by VTX Energy, as well as assets owned and managed by WaterBridge Operating, an affiliate of LandBridge and a leading water midstream platform. Pursuant to the agreement, VTX Energy has agreed to a minimum annual revenue commitment to LandBridge of $25M for the next five years. LandBridge expects to fund the purchase price of the acquisition with a portion of the net proceeds from the private placement and borrowings under its debt facilities.

08:11 EST Akari Therapeutics regains full Nasdaq comliance - Akari Therapeutics announces receipt of written notice from the Listing Qualifications Staff of The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC informing the Company that its deficiency under Listing Rule 5550(b) has been cured. The Company is now in full compliance with all Nasdaq continued listing requirements. Based on the foregoing, the previously scheduled Nasdaq hearing before the Hearings Panel on November 21, has been cancelled. The Company will continue to be traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market.

08:10 EST Vaxart reports inducement grants under Nasdaq listing rule - Vaxart announced that on November 15, 2024, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors granted inducement equity awards covering an aggregate of 91,500 shares of its common stock to two new non-executive employees to induce them to accept employment with Vaxart. The awards consisted of stock options to purchase an aggregate of 61,000 shares of Vaxart's common stock, which vest as to 1/4th of the total shares on the one-year anniversary of the grant date, and as to 1/48th of the total shares on each month thereafter, and have a per share exercise price equal to the closing price of Vaxart's common stock on the grant date; and restricted stock unit awards covering an aggregate of 30,500 shares of Vaxart's common stock, which vest as to 25% of the shares underlying the awards on the first, second, third and fourth anniversary of the grant date.

08:08 EST Walmart: Q3 operating income growth negatively impacted by port strikes, storms - Comments taken from Q3 earnings conference call.

08:08 EST Nice announces record membership for loyalty programs - Nice announced record membership for Club One, its exclusive, global customer loyalty program. In addition to surging membership, Club One recently surpassed 100,000 activities completed by members.

08:06 EST Grifols doses first patient in Phase 1 trial of GIGA-2339 - GigaGen announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety and tolerability of the first recombinant polyclonal drug candidate, GIGA-2339, for the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.

08:06 EST Hon Hai Technology Group partners with two Taiwanese hospitals on Big A+ program - Hon Hai Technology Group (HNHPF), in partnership with two Taiwanese hospitals, has been selected for the Taiwan government-backed "Big A+" program that will give the world's largest electronics manufacturing service provider access to one of the world's most powerful supercomputers to accelerate AI-applied innovations for medicine. Foxconn teams up with Taichung Veterans General Hospital and Cardinal Tien Hospital for the "Pioneers for Innovation Leadership on Technology Program", referred to as the Big A+ program, a Ministry of Economic Affairs initiative. The selection means Foxconn and its partner hospitals will be able to access the Nvidia (NVDA) Taipei-1 supercomputer and are the only candidates so far approved to use its accelerated computing power.

08:04 EST Provident Financial adds six to commercial lending team - Provident Bank announced the addition of six experienced lenders in the commercial banking space: Matthew Moresco, Matthew Skilton, Gerald Bresser, Michael Valenzano, Patrick Beaner, and Daniel Decker. These strategic hires come as part of the company's efforts to strengthen its presence and commitment to businesses throughout eastern Pennsylvania. Matthew Moresco, joining as Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking Team Leader, was most recently an SVP at Republic Bank and previously with Commerce Bank and TD Bank. Matthew Skilton, joining as Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking Team Leader, is a former SVP at Republic Bank where he led a team of commercial bankers in the City of Philadelphia and Metro Philadelphia markets. Gerald Bresser, joining as Vice President, C&I Relationship Manager, is an experienced Commercial Lender with more than two decades of expertise at Republic Bank, TD Bank and Commerce Bank. Michael Valenzano, joining as a Vice President, C&I Relationship Manager, is a former Assistant Vice President and Relationship Manager at Republic Bank. Patrick Beaner, joining as a Vice President, CRE Relationship Manager, is a seasoned commercial real estate lender formerly from Univest Bank & Trust Co. Daniel Decker, joining as a Vice President, CRE Relationship Manager, brings more than 35 years of industry experience to the team. Most recently, he was a Vice President and CRE relationship manager with Truist Bank.

08:03 EST United Airlines says bookings to European destinations up ~30% vs. 2019 - United reported bookings to European destinations are up nearly 30% compared to 2019 and up almost 10% versus last year, as more Americans opt to spend their holiday dollars on experiences. According to a recent Deloitte survey, consumer spending on holiday experiences is expected to rise 16% this year, while spending on physical gifts remain flat. United expects the 2024 holiday period to be its busiest yet, with around 25M passengers, up 6% from 2023.

07:58 EST Foresight says 3D perception tech to comply with Trump administration regulation - Foresight Autonomous Holdings announced that its stereoscopic 3D perception systems would likely comply with the strategic initiative of the impending Trump administration's recent publicly stated commitment to establish a federal framework for fully self-driving vehicles and make it a top priority for the Department of Transportation. The company said, "We believe that the Company's existing 3D perception systems, leveraging a unique combination of visible-light and thermal long-wave infrared stereoscopic cameras, offer superior detection capabilities, making it well-suited for integration as the primary sensor suite in autonomous vehicles. By developing advanced vision technologies that provide precise environmental mapping and object detection, Foresight aims to meet the emerging standards and capitalize on new opportunities created by the impending Trump administration's supportive approach to autonomous vehicle development. The current federal regulatory framework presents substantial challenges for companies aiming to deploy large-scale fleets of fully autonomous vehicles, particularly those without traditional control interfaces. This new initiative aims to address the existing regulatory hurdles while ensuring public safety and promoting innovation in the rapidly evolving autonomous vehicle sector. The impending Trump administration's expected proactive approach reflects a commitment to creating an environment that supports the advancement and integration of autonomous driving technology within the United States transportation sector."

07:35 EST Scorpius Holdings launches Scorpius Ventures - Scorpius announced the launch of Scorpius Ventures, a new business unit designed to support emerging biotech companies with a flexible American onshoring model. By combining service fees with an equity stake, Scorpius Ventures lowers financial barriers for its partners to onshore production of their biologics, creating a mutually beneficial pathway to accelerate biotech advancements. "At Scorpius, we're committed to enabling biotech innovation by aiming to reduce financial obstacles and creating true partnerships," said Jeff Wolf, CEO of Scorpius Holdings. "Through Scorpius Ventures, we're providing biotech companies the resources they need to advance critical therapies through a hybrid fee and equity model, thereby, fostering shared success while advancing our mission to strengthen U.S. biosecurity and manufacturing independence."

07:34 EST Thumzup to soon offer payments in Bitcoin - Thumzup Media announced it will soon offer payments in Bitcoin to its gig economy workforce through its recently launched Account Specialist Program, ASP. This move reflects Thumzup's commitment to innovative compensation solutions and its recognition of the growing demand for cryptocurrency payments among gig workers.

07:33 EST Meta's Instagram to let users 'reset' content recommendations - Meta's Instagram says it is testing a way for people to reset the content recommendations they see in Explore, Reels and Feed when they want a fresh start. This feature builds on tools it already offers that let people curate what they see in their recommendations. "We want to make sure everyone on Instagram - especially teens - has safe, positive, age-appropriate experiences and feels the time they're spending on Instagram is valuable. In addition to providing built-in protections from sensitive content with Teen Accounts, we want to give teens new ways to shape their Instagram experience, so it can continue to reflect their passions and interests as they evolve." Instagram said it recognizes that parents "are concerned that their teens might see mature or inappropriate content online, which is why we have stricter rules around the kinds of content teens can see on our apps. In addition to removing content completely when it breaks our rules, we take steps to help prevent teens from seeing content that may be sensitive or mature. We avoid recommending it, and in some cases we hide it from teens altogether, even if it's shared by someone they follow." Reference Link

07:32 EST CME Group to launch mortgage rate futures in January 2025 - CME Group announced it will expand its interest rate complex with the addition of Mortgage Rate futures in January 2025, pending regulatory review.

07:31 EST Soligenix forms European Medical Advisory Board - Soligenix announced the formation of a European Medical Advisory Board to provide additional medical/clinical strategic guidance to the company as it advances its confirmatory Phase 3 multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the safety and efficacy of HyBryte in the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma patients with early-stage disease. This confirmatory, 18-week study is expected to enroll approximately 80 patients in the United States and Europe, and is targeted to begin patient enrollment by the end of 2024 with top-line results anticipated in the second half of 2026.

07:20 EST Interactive Strength says Armah's B_FIT installs CLMBRs in three locations - Interactive Strength announced that, Armah Sports Group's B_FIT is installing CLMBRs across three of the brand's nine locations in Saudi Arabia.

07:17 EST EVgo expands partnership with Meijer for up to 480 new fast charging stalls - EVgo announced an expansion to its longstanding partnership with Meijer, a Midwest grocery retailer, to bring more public fast charging infrastructure to Meijer store locations throughout its six-state footprint. As part of this expanded relationship, EVgo plans to deploy up to 480 new public fast charging stalls at Meijer properties across Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. To date, EVgo has opened 24 public fast charging stalls at six Meijer stores in Michigan and Ohio, and as part of the expanded partnership, the Company expects to open up to 30 new stations at Meijer stores by the end of 2026, and 30 more stations by the end of 2027.

07:15 EST Blackstone to acquire majority stake in Jersey Mike's, terms undisclosed - Jersey Mike's Subs announced it has reached an agreement whereby private equity funds managed by Blackstone will acquire a majority ownership position in Jersey Mike's. Jersey Mike's founder and CEO Peter Cancro will maintain a significant equity stake and continue to lead the business. The partnership with Blackstone is intended to help enable Jersey Mike's to accelerate its expansion across and beyond the U.S. market, as well as its continued investment in technology and digital transformation. The transaction is expected to be completed in early 2025 subject to the satisfaction of certain closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals. Blackstone's private equity strategy for individual investors is also expected to invest as part of the transaction.

07:14 EST Aduro Clean Tech announces its engagement of Zeton - Aduro Clean Technologies announces its engagement of Zeton. Zeton and Aduro will design, build, and commission a pilot plant for Aduro's proprietary Hydrochemolytic Technology, marking a key milestone in Aduro's commercialization pathway for transforming waste plastics into valuable chemicals. Previously referred to as the "Next Generation Process," this 10 kg/hour HCT Pilot Plant represents Aduro's evolved focus on right-sized, modular, and scalable solutions. A key objective for 2024 has been the completion of the pilot plant design, which remains on schedule. Fabrication, delivery, installation, and commissioning are targeted for Q3 2025. Concurrently, site preparation, staff training, and materials sourcing are progressing to ensure alignment with the project timeline.

07:12 EST Chemomab highlights clincial activity of CM-101 at The Liver Meeting 2024 - Chemomab Therapeutics announced that data from its Phase 2 SPRING trial in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis was presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver DiseaseThe Liver Meeting 2024. In the oral, late-breaking presentation, "CM-101 improved fibrosis biomarkers in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis: The Phase 2 SPRING Study," Professor Christopher Bowlus, MD, FAASLD, a SPRING trial investigator and the Lena Valente Professor and Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the University of California Davis School of Medicine, discussed data from the double-blinded, placebo-controlled portion of the Phase 2 SPRING trial assessing CM-101 in patients with PSC. The Phase 2 SPRING study tested two doses of CM-101 administered to PSC patients every three weeks over 15 weeks. A total of 76 patients were treated in the trial. The study analysis included assessments of all patients who completed all doses and the week 15 visit, as well as a prespecified subgroup analysis of moderate/advanced patients with a higher risk of more rapidly progressing disease. CM-101 met the SPRING trial primary endpoint, demonstrating a favorable safety profile over the 15-week treatment period. Adverse events were generally mild/moderate and distributed similarly between the placebo and CM-101-treated dosing arms. Overall, dose-dependent responses were observed for multiple disease-related biomarker secondary endpoints. A consistent pattern of greater improvement on the secondary endpoints was observed in the study arm receiving the higher 20 mg/kg dose of CM-101 and in the subgroup of PSC patients with moderate/advanced disease. Secondary endpoint data included the following: Liver stiffness: Liver stiffness measured by FibroScan improved in all CM-101 treated patients compared to placebo and significantly improved in CM-101-treated patients with moderate/advanced disease. ELF scores: This composite score consistently improved over the treatment period in patients with moderate/advanced fibrosis treated with 20 mg/kg of CM-101 compared to patients receiving placebo. Patients receiving the higher dose of CM-101 with moderate/advanced disease also showed statistically significant reductions at week 15 in the fibrosis-related ELF components procollagen III N-terminal peptide and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1. PRO-C3: This serum biomarker of type III collagen synthesis was reduced in all CM-101-treated patients and showed greater reductions in patients with moderate- advanced disease. Liver biochemistries: A consistent pattern of decline was seen in CM-101 20 mg/kg treated-patients compared to placebo and a greater decline was seen in patients with moderate/advanced disease. Bilirubin: The dose-dependent improvement in total bilirubin levels seen in CM-101-treated patients provides evidence for the anti-cholestatic activity of CM-101. Pruritis: CM-101-treated patients experienced decreased pruritus scores across all timepoints compared to placebo. In conclusion, Dr. Bowlus noted that CM-101 was well tolerated and had a safety profile comparable to placebo, and it demonstrated dose-dependent anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic and anti-cholestatic effects in patients with PSC. PSC patients with moderate to advanced disease treated with CM-101 showed broad and consistent improvement in biomarkers associated with clinical outcomes. He concluded that these findings support further clinical development of CM-101 in patients with PSC. An open label extension portion of the Phase 2 SPRING trial, in which all eligible patients can receive CM-101 for an additional 33 weeks, is continuing, with results expected to be reported in the first quarter of 2025.

07:11 EST J-Long Group announces receipt of NASDAQ determination letter - J-Long Group announced receipt of a letter from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market. The Determination Letter indicated that, as previously notified by Nasdaq on May 13, 2024, the bid price of the Company's listed security had closed at less than $1 per share over the previous 30 consecutive business days and, as a result, did not comply with Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). In accordance with the Rule, the Company was provided 180 calendar days, or until November 11, 2024, to regain compliance with the Rule. The Staff determined that the Company's Ordinary Shares would be scheduled for delisting from The Nasdaq Global Market and would be suspended at the open of business on November 25, 2024. The Determination Letter further informed the Company that it had until 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on November 25, 2024, to appeal the Staff's Delisting Determination to a Hearings Panel. At this time, the Company is considering effecting a reverse stock split to regain compliance. The Company's Ordinary Shares will continue to trade on The Nasdaq Global Market following the submission of the hearing request until a final determination has been made by Nasdaq.

07:10 EST EchoStar subsidiary Hughes selected by U.S. Army to deploy 5G Open RAN - EchoStar's subsidiary Hughes Network was awarded a $6.5M contract to deploy a 5G Open Radio Access Network - RAN - prototype at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. The network will feature a RAN Intelligent Controller, which will allow the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to test RIC-based software applications for military networks. The 5G Open RAN prototype equipment will be installed on Fort Bliss to operate a temporary network for evaluation purposes, which will then transition to serve as part of the Hughes commercial network supporting both DoD and commercial customers in and around Fort Bliss.

07:09 EST Ocugen announces preliminary efficacy, safety data from Phase 1/2 OCU410 trial - Ocugen announced positive preliminary efficacy and safety data from the Phase 1 dose-escalation portion of the Phase 1/2 OCU410 ArMaDa clinical trial for geographic atrophy, GA, secondary to dry age-related macular degeneration, dAMD. Key findings include: no drug-related serious adverse events, reduced lesion growth, preservation of retinal tissue, and-most importantly-there was a positive effect on the functional visual measure of low luminance visual acuity, LLVA. The OCU410 Phase 1 trial is evaluating nine patients in three dose cohorts. The following data was observed for the three patients in the low dose cohort at six months: Considerably slower lesion growth from baseline in treated vs. untreated fellow eyes that followed the natural history of the disease. This result is favorable when compared to published data on pegcetacoplan injected every month or every other month over six months. OCU410 treatment showed increasing preservation of retinal tissue around the GA lesions of treated eyes over six months, which also compared favorably to published data on pegcetacoplan given monthly and every other month. 100% of the OCU410 treated eyes showed stabilization of visual function demonstrating treatment benefit as measured by LLVA.

07:07 EST Opera and Spotify partner for music streaming within Opera One browser - Opera (OPRA) and Spotify (SPOT) have partnered to make it easier for users to listen to music, podcasts, and audiobooks while browsing on their computers. Spotify becomes the default streaming service within the upgraded Music Player in Opera's flagship browser, Opera One. Opera users are also getting the chance to try out Spotify Premium for free for a limited time. Presently available just within Opera One, the promotion will be expanded to Opera for Android in early 2025. The new music player with Spotify as the default streaming service is located in the sidebar of the Opera One browser. The feature also caters to users who often join meetings or calls: the audio playing inside the browser automatically fades out, pauses for the duration of the call, and resumes thereafter.

07:03 EST Tiziana Life Sciences announces ALS trial grant awarded by ASL Association - Tiziana Life Sciences announced that its grant application to the ALS Association has been approved for funding. The grant is awarded as part of the Hoffman ALS Clinical Trial Awards Program and is titled "Modulation of ALS neuroinflammation by nasal anti-CD3 monoclonal Antibody". The Association's grant will fund a 20-patient clinical trial of two doses of Tiziana's novel and patented therapeutic candidate, intranasal foralumab, aimed at evaluating the safety and early-stage parameters of disease improvement in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

06:59 EST Valvoline to refranchise 38 Valvoline Instant Oil Change service center - Valvoline announced it intends to refranchise 38 existing Valvoline Instant Oil Change service centers to a new franchisee, Velocity Auto Care. The service centers are located in Austin, San Antonio, El Paso and west Texas. The new franchise partner, Velocity Auto Care, is a wholly owned portfolio company of Franchise Equity Partners which owns a portfolio of 10 different franchise companies operating quick-service restaurants, residential home services, auto dealerships, and more. In total, Franchise Equity Partners operates more than 750 storefronts across 33 states. This transaction will be the third refranchising initiative by Valvoline Inc. The company completed two transactions in fiscal year 2024, converting a total of 28 company stores to franchise in the growing markets of Las Vegas and Denver.

06:53 EST VinFast Auto begins Canadian deliveries of VF 9 all-electric SUV - VinFast Auto has officially commenced delivery of its flagship VF 9 all-electric, 7-passenger, 3-row dual motor all-wheel drive SUV to Canadian customers. The vehicle offers an EPA-estimated range of 518 kilometres for the Eco model and 462 kilometres for the Plus model.

06:47 EST Merck announces 'positive' results from Phase 3 MK-3475A-D77 trial - Merck announced positive topline results from the pivotal Phase 3 MK-3475A-D77 trial. The trial is evaluating the noninferiority of subcutaneous administration of pembrolizumab, Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, available for intravenous use as KEYTRUDA, together with berahyaluronidase alfa, a hyaluronidase variant developed and manufactured by Alteogen, administered with chemotherapy versus intravenous KEYTRUDA administered with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. The Phase 3 trial met its dual primary pharmacokinetic endpoints. Specifically, subcutaneous pembrolizumab administered every six weeks with chemotherapy demonstrated noninferiority of Area Under the Curve exposure of pembrolizumab during the first dosing cycle, and trough concentration of pembrolizumab measured at steady state, compared to IV KEYTRUDA administered every six weeks in combination with chemotherapy. Additionally, secondary endpoints of efficacy and safety were generally consistent for subcutaneous pembrolizumab administered with chemotherapy compared with IV KEYTRUDA administered with chemotherapy. These results, as well as those from ongoing analyses, will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting and shared with regulatory authorities worldwide.

06:35 EST AeroVironment to acquire BlueHalo in all-stock transaction with EV $4.1B - AeroVironment and BlueHalo announced the execution of a definitive agreement under which AV will acquire BlueHalo in an all-stock transaction with an enterprise value of approximately $4.1B, creating a more diversified global leader in all-domain defense technologies. The combined company will bring together complementary capabilities to offer a comprehensive portfolio of high-growth franchises, powered by cutting-edge technology and focused on addressing the most important priorities and needs of our nation and allies around the globe. BlueHalo estimates that it will achieve more than $900M in revenues for 2024, in addition to funded backlog of nearly $600M and a pipeline of multiple billion-dollar opportunities and programs of record. BlueHalo generated approximately $886M of revenue in 2023, compared to $759M and $660M in 2022 and 2021, respectively. The transaction, which has been unanimously approved by both companies' board of directors or managers, is expected to close in the first half of calendar 2025, subject to regulatory and AV shareholder approvals, as well as other customary closing conditions. Per the terms of the merger agreement, AV will issue approximately 18.5M shares of AV common stock to BlueHalo. Following the close of the transaction and based on AV's shares outstanding as of November 18, 2024, AV's shareholders will own approximately 60.5% of the combined company and BlueHalo's equity holders will own approximately 39.5%, subject to closing adjustments. Arlington Capital Partners, an investment firm that is the majority owner of BlueHalo, will retain a significant ownership stake in the combined company. "We expect substantially all of the BlueHalo holders to enter lock-up agreements with respect to their transaction consideration, with 40% releasing 12 months post close and the remaining 60% to be released in equal tranches 18 and 24 months after the close." Following the completion of the transaction, AV Chairman, President and CEO Wahid Nawabi will be Chairman, President and CEO of the combined company. Jonathan Moneymaker, CEO of BlueHalo, will serve as a strategic advisor to Nawabi and the combined company Management Team. Upon closing, the AV Board of Directors will be expanded to comprise 10 members. Arlington Capital Partners will have the right to appoint two directors to the Board, subject to minimum ownership thresholds. The combined company will be at headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, at AV's corporate headquarters.

06:34 EST Allete subsidiary has fully contracted Armenia Mountain Wind site - Allete's wholly owned subsidiary Allete Clean Energy has fully contracted the output of its Armenia Mountain Wind site for another seven years through agreements with two customers. Allete Clean Energy acquired the 100.5 MW Armenia Mountain Wind site near Troy, Pennsylvania, in 2015. Armenia Mountain consists of 67 General Electric turbines installed in 2009. The other energy customer for Armenia Mountain is Old Dominion Energy Cooperative, a generation and transmission cooperative based in Virginia that serves the needs of 11 member cooperatives in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.

06:29 EST Marriott expands branded residences portfolio in EMEA - Marriott announced growth in its branded residential portfolio in the Europe, Middle East & Africa, or EMEA, region, with 70 projects in the portfolio, including 43 projects in its signed pipeline and 27 open properties. In the past two years, the global hospitality leader has signed 26 agreements to bring branded residences to destinations in the region, more than double the amount from the preceding two years.

06:20 EST Zoomcar launches Zoomcar Subscription for long-term car sharing options - Zoomcar introduced Zoomcar Subscription, a new service designed to provide long-term car sharing options. Through this offering, Guests can now book self-drive cars for extended periods, starting with minimum seven days to more than 30 days, benefiting from progressively lower daily rates for longer durations. Zoomcar currently operates on an hourly pricing model, optimized for short-term bookings of less than seven days. After seeing a strong demand from guests, Zoomcar Subscription was launched to offer a daily pricing model with discounts for longer bookings. Zoomcar Subscription enables Guests to browse vehicles, view discounted rates, and book for longer periods with ease.

06:15 EST Vir Biotechnology announces results from SOLSTICE trial - Vir Biotechnology announced results from the SOLSTICE Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating tobevibart alone, or in combination with elebsiran, in people with chronic hepatitis delta, or CHD. The most-advanced investigational human monoclonal antibody and siRNA combination dosed monthly achieved 100% virologic response and rapid hepatitis delta virus, or HDV, RNA suppression. HDV RNA below the lower limit of quantification, target not detected, or TND, the best measure that the virus is cleared from the body, was achieved in 41% of participants at Week 24 rising to 64% of participants by Week 36. In a cohort that reached Week 60, 80% achieved HDV RNA TND. These data were presented in an oral session at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, or AASLD, The Liver Meeting, in San Diego, California. Based on these results, and following a recent meeting with the FDA, Vir Biotechnology plans to initiate the Phase 3 registrational ECLIPSE program in the first half of 2025 to further evaluate the combination of tobevibart and elebsiran for the treatment of CHD. Clinical trial participants were randomized to receive tobevibart 300 mg monotherapy every two weeks or a combination of tobevibart 300 mg and elebsiran 200 mg every four weeks. In addition, the participants from previous tobevibart or elebsiran monotherapy cohorts could rollover to receive the combination of tobevibart 300 mg and elebsiran 200 mg every four weeks. Rates of virologic suppression were evaluated at Week 24, and further assessed at Weeks 36, 48 and 60 in those participants that had reached each timepoint. Further monitoring will continue up to 192 weeks. 100% of participants across combination arms achieved an HDV RNA 2 log10 decrease or below limit of detection at Week 24, and this rate was sustained over time in all participants at Weeks 36 and those in the rollover cohort that reached Week 60. HDV RNA TND was achieved in 41% of participants across combination arms at Week 24 and this rose to 64% at Week 36. By week 60, this had risen further with 80% of participants in the rollover cohort having achieved no detectable viral RNA. Approximately 90% of participants receiving the combination achieved reductions in hepatitis B surface antigen values below less than10 IU/mL at Week 24, with sustained responses at later time points. This indicates suppression of the key biologic mechanisms that HDV requires for viral replication. Alanine aminotransferase decreased in most participants between Day 1 and Week 24 and normalized in 47% of participants in the combination de novo cohort and 56% in the rollover cohort by Week 24. These rates were sustained at Week 36. The protocol defined combined endpoint of HDV RNA decrease 2 log10 compared to baseline or HDV RNA below LOD and ALT normalization at Week 24 was observed in 47% of participants in the combination de novo arm. The more stringent composite endpoint of HDV RNA TND and ALT normalization was achieved in 19% of participants in the combination de novo arm at Week 24, which increased to 27% by Week 36. This trend was reflected in the combination rollover cohort in which 33% of participants achieved this endpoint at Week 24 and 40% at Week 60. Rates of HDV RNA suppression and ALT normalization were similar between non-cirrhotic and cirrhotic participants across combination arms. The safety profile of tobevibart and elebsiran is consistent with previous studies. Treatment-emergent adverse events were generally mild or moderate and transient across all treatment groups, with influenza-like illness being the most common event. No ALT flares were observed. There were no study-related discontinuations in the combination arms, and no treatment-related severe adverse events were reported. Following a meeting with the FDA, Vir Biotechnology finalized the design of the Phase 3 registrational clinical program, ECLIPSE, which evaluates the tobevibart and elebsiran combination in people living with CHD. This program, which will commence in the first half of 2025, will include three randomized, controlled trials designed to evaluate the combination therapy in comparison to deferred treatment or bulevirtide. All studies will enroll both cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic participants. ECLIPSE 1 and 2 are Phase 3 trials designed to provide the registrational efficacy and safety data needed for submission to global regulatory agencies. ECLIPSE 3 is a Phase 2b trial designed to provide important supportive data, particularly in Europe, to help establish appropriate pricing and reimbursement in key markets.

06:09 EST Rockwell Medical expands distribution in the Philippines - Rockwell Medical announced that the company entered into a distribution agreement with Nephro Group Dialysis Centers, the largest dialysis provider in the Philippines. Under the terms of the agreement, Rockwell Medical will be the exclusive supplier of all dry hemodialysis concentrates products, including its CitraPure Acid and RenalPure Bicarbonate, to Nephro Group.

06:06 EST Tower Semiconductor begins production of 1.6Tbps optical transceivers - Tower Semiconductor announced the start of volume production of 1.6 Tbps silicon photonic products for multiple lead customers based on its latest Silicon Photonics platform. Tower's latest platform includes innovations that have helped double data rates relative to its current 800 Gpbs high-volume products. These innovations have been developed in close collaboration with several Tier 1 customers that have designed breakthrough 1.6Tbps products on this enhanced platform and have now begun to order production quantities. The process supports data rates of 200Gbps per lane, of which eight are built in parallel to achieve the total 1.6Tbps transceiver throughput. This is in contrast to the 100Gbps per lane data rates of existing high-volume silicon photonic technology as used in today's high-volume 800Gbps products.

06:04 EST Piedmont Lithium, Sayona Mining to combine - Piedmont Lithium and Sayona Mining announced the signing of a definitive agreement to combine the two companies to create a lithium business, resulting in Sayona being the ultimate parent entity. The transaction will result in an approximate 50%-50% equity holding of shareholders of Piedmont and Sayona in MergeCo immediately following the closing of the transaction. Piedmont will be undertaking a proposed capital raise of $27M. Sayona is undertaking a capital raise of $27M. Upon closing of the transaction, Sayona will also undertake a conditional placement for A$69M in MergeCo to Resource Capital Fund VIII. The placement is subject to completion of the transaction and requisite Sayona shareholder approval and other conditions. The equity raisings, aggregating to approximately $99M, plan to ensure MergeCo is well positioned to accelerate growth within its portfolio. Completion of the transaction is subject to shareholder approval for both companies and is expected to close in the first half of CY2025. A proxy statement containing important information about the merger will be dispatched to Piedmont shareholders and filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission prior to a Piedmont shareholder meeting to seek approval of the transaction. An Extraordinary General Meeting of Sayona shareholders is expected to be held in the first half of calendar year 2025 to seek, amongst other things, approval of the transaction. The merger agreement and the transaction have been unanimously approved by the board of directors of Piedmont. The Piedmont board of directors unanimously recommend shareholders vote in favor of the transaction and intend to vote, or procure the voting of, any Piedmont shares held by them in favor of the transaction, in each case subject to a superior proposal. The transaction will be implemented by way of an agreement and plan of merger between Piedmont and Sayona. A newly formed subsidiary of Sayona will merge with Piedmont Lithium which will result in Sayona Mining Limited being the ultimate parent entity of the merged group and will continue to be domiciled in Australia, with an ASX primary listing and a Nasdaq secondary listing of American depository shares. Under the terms of the transaction, existing holders of Piedmont Lithium shares of common stock will receive Sayona ADSs corresponding to 527 Sayona ordinary shares for each Piedmont share of common stock held and existing holders of Piedmont Lithium CHESS Depository Interests, or CDIs, will receive 5.27 Sayona Mining Limited ASX listed ordinary shares for each Piedmont Lithium CDI held. The transaction will result in an approximate 50%-50% equity holding of shareholders of Sayona and Piedmont in MergeCo, prior to the conditional placement. Upon completion of the merger, Lucas Dow will become the CEO and managing director of MergeCo and Keith Phillips will become a strategic advisor to MergeCo for a transition period. The MergeCo board will initially consist of eight members, including four directors to be appointed by Piedmont who will be deemed as independent by the Piedmont board, and one of which will be chair of the MergeCo board and four directors to be appointed by Sayona, at least two of which will be deemed as independent by the Sayona board and one of which will be Lucas Dow, CEO of MergeCo. MergeCo will have a global presence with corporate headquarters in Brisbane, Australia, and offices in Belmont, North Carolina and Montreal, Quebec. Subject to shareholder approval of the transaction, MergeCo is intended to be renamed at, or shortly after, the transaction completion. The transaction has been unanimously approved by both the Piedmont and Sayona boards of directors. The transaction is expected to close during the first half of calendar year 2025. The merger agreement includes reciprocal exclusivity arrangements in favor of both parties, a matching right regime in favor of both parties and mutual termination fees in favor of both parties. The exclusivity arrangements are subject to customary exceptions that enable the directors of Piedmont and Sayona to comply with their respective fiduciary and/or statutory duties, including in respect of a superior proposal.

05:55 EST Roblox adds parental controls, other safety updates - Roblox on Monday introduced significant updates to the built-in protections for our youngest users and easy-to-use tools to give parents and caregivers more control and clarity. The company said it is adjusting its built-in limits around how children under age 13 can communicate. Parents can now access parental controls from their own devices rather than from their child's device and monitor their child's screen time, Roblox said in a statement. These changes were developed and implemented after multiple rounds of internal research, including interviews, usability studies, and international surveys with parents and kids, and consultation with experts from child safety and media literacy organizations. "While there is no 'perfect' when it comes to online safety, our overall approach is systematic and thoughtful. We regularly update our policies and systems to help keep children safe on Roblox-regardless of whether parents elect to use our parental controls. Our goal is to make Roblox the safest and most civil online platform possible because it is the right thing for children, their parents and caregivers, our investors, and our company." Reference Link

05:55 EST Astellas receives Complete Response Letter for Izervay, Apellis rallies - Astellas Pharma (ALPMY) announced the Food and Drug Administration issued a Complete Response Letter regarding the supplemental new drug application for Izervay for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration. The drug application sought to include positive two-year data in the U.S. Prescribing Information for Izervay based on results from the GATHER2 Phase 3 clinical trial, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of monthly and every other month dosing through year two. The FDA stated the agency cannot approve the application in its present form by the action date of November 19. "The FDA comments outlined in the CRL are unrelated to the safety and benefit/risk of the use of IZERVAY; rather, the comments focus on a statistical matter related to labelling language proposed by Astellas. Astellas is seeking further clarification from the FDA and looks forward to working with the agency to quickly address the agency's feedback," the company said in a statement. Shares of Apellis (APLS), whose Syfovre competes with Izervay, are up 3% to $26.99 in premarket trading.

05:52 EST UCB, Biogen present results from PHOENYCS GO study - UCB and Biogen presented detailed results from the Phase 3 PHOENYCS GO study evaluating dapirolizumab pegol, or DZP, a novel Fc-free anti-CD40L drug candidate, demonstrating significant clinical improvement in disease activity in people living with moderate-to-severe systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE. The results were shared during an oral, late-breaker presentation at ACR Convergence 2024, the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting, in Washington, DC. In the PHOENYCS GO study, dapirolizumab pegol was administered intravenously every four weeks. On the primary endpoint measuring improvement of moderate-to-severe disease activity as assessed by achievement of British Isles Lupus Assessment Group, or BILAG-based Composite Lupus Assessment, or BICLA, after 48 weeks, study participants receiving DZP plus SOC had a statistically significant 14.6% higher response rate than those receiving SOC alone. A higher BICLA response rate reflects a treatment response across all affected organs at baseline and is associated with meaningful clinical benefit. On the first secondary endpoint of BICLA response at Week 24, study participants receiving DZP plus SOC had a 7.9% higher response rate than those receiving SOC alone. However, the difference did not reach statistical significance. Given statistical significance was not achieved for the first key secondary endpoint in the hierarchical testing, analyses for all the subsequent secondary endpoints are descriptive and nominal p-values are included. Subsequent analyses of additional secondary endpoints showed clinical improvements in the DZP group, including SLE Responder Index-4 response, corticosteroid tapering, SLE Disease Activity Index-2K, achievement of Lupus Low Disease Activity State and prevention of severe BILAG flares: 17.1% more participants receiving DZP were able to reduce their corticosteroid dose from greater than 7.5 mg/day prednisone equivalent at baseline to 7.5 mg/day at Week 48. 18.8% higher SRI-4 response rate at Week 48 among study participants who received DZP plus SOC versus those who received SOC alone. A 1.8-fold greater decrease from baseline in SLEDAI-2K in study participants receiving DZP plus SOC compared to SOC alone at Week 48. A 20.9% greater proportion of participants in the DZP group achieved LLDAS at Week 48 compared to SOC alone. Participants receiving DZP plus SOC had 50% fewer severe BILAG flares through Week 48 compared to SOC alone. The safety profile of dapirolizumab pegol was generally favorable. The safety results were consistent with previous DZP studies and with that in study participants with SLE receiving an immunomodulator. In the PHOENYCS GO study, a higher proportion of patients receiving DZP plus SOC had treatment-emergent adverse events compared to SOC alone. The proportion of participants with serious TEAEs was 9.9% in those participants receiving DZP plus SOC compared to 14.8% in those receiving SOC alone. Opportunistic infections were reported in 2.8% of participants receiving DZP plus SOC compared to 0.9% of those receiving SOC alone. Discontinuation of treatment or study participation due to TEAEs occurred in 4.7% of participants receiving DZP plus SOC and 3.7% of participants receiving SOC alone.

05:42 EST Cytokinetics, Bayer enter collaboration and license pact for aficamten in Japan - Cytokinetics (CYTK) and Bayer (BAYRY) announced they have entered into a collaboration and license agreement for the exclusive development and commercialization of aficamten in Japan for the treatment of patients with obstructive and non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM, subject to certain reserved development rights of Cytokinetics. Aficamten is a next-in-class cardiac myosin inhibitor for the potential treatment of patients with HCM. Cytokinetics will receive an upfront payment of EUR 50M and is eligible to receive up to an additional EUR 90M upon the achievement of milestones through commercial launch, including EUR 20M which are near-term. Cytokinetics is also eligible to receive up to EUR 490M in commercial milestone payments upon the achievement by Bayer of certain sales milestones, and tiered royalties on net sales of aficamten in Japan. This collaboration leverages Cytokinetics' broad development program of aficamten and Bayer's regional capabilities and expertise in the development and commercialization of therapies to treat cardiovascular diseases of unmet need for the benefit of patients in Japan. Under the joint development plan, Bayer will conduct a Phase 3 clinical trial in Japanese patients with obstructive HCM and Cytokinetics will expand ACACIA-HCM, the ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial of aficamten in patients with non-obstructive HCM, into Japan to support the potential marketing authorization of aficamten in Japan and CEDAR-HCM, its ongoing study for a pediatric population of patients with obstructive HCM.

05:21 EST Amcor, Berry Global to combine in all-stock transaction - Amcor (AMCR) and Berry Global (BERY) announced they have entered into a definitive merger agreement, pursuant to which Amcor and Berry will combine in an all-stock transaction. Berry shareholders will receive a fixed exchange ratio of 7.25 Amcor shares for each Berry share held upon closing, resulting in Amcor and Berry shareholders owning approximately 63% and 37% of the combined company, respectively. The transaction has received unanimous approval of the boards of directors of both Amcor and Berry and values Berry's common stock at $73.59 per share. Over 35% adjusted cash EPS accretion and double-digit return on investment is expected. Enhanced long-term shareholder value creation through sustained higher expected earnings growth from 10%-15% to 13%-18% per annum. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both Amcor and Berry. Closing is targeted in the middle of calendar year 2025. The closing of the transaction is subject to shareholder approvals, regulatory approvals, and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. Peter Konieczny will serve as CEO, Graeme Liebelt will serve as chairman and Stephen Sterrett will serve as deputy chairman of the combined company. Amcor will maintain its primary listing on the NYSE and its secondary listing on the ASX. The combined entity will be named Amcor. Global head office will remain in Zurich, Switzerland. The combined company expects to maintain a significant presence in Evansville, Indiana. Upon completion of the transaction, Amcor's board of directors will expand to 11 directors, 4 of whom will be nominated by Berry.