Stockwinners Market Radar for December 18, 2024 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

21:44 EST PNC Financial lowers prime lending rate to 7.50% - PNC Bank, N.A. announced a decrease in its prime lending rate. The new rate of 7.50% is effective tomorrow, Dec. 19, 2024.

20:04 EST Cathie Wood's ARK Investment bought 358.6K shares of Personalis today

19:12 EST Mesoblast RYONCIL becomes first FDA-approved mesenchymal stromal cell therapy - The company states: "Mesoblast announced the FDA approved Ryoncil, remestemcel-L, as the first mesenchymal stromal cell, MSC, therapy in the United States. RYONCIL is the only MSC therapy approved in the U.S. for any indication, and the only approved therapy for steroid-refractory acute graft versus host disease in children 2 months and older, including adolescents and teenagers. Annually in the United States approximately 10,000 patients undergo an allogeneic bone marrow transplant, 1,500 of whom are children. Approximately 50% develop aGvHD - acute graft versus host disease - and almost half of those do not respond to steroids, the recognized first-line treatment. In a single-arm multi-center Phase 3 trial of children with SR-aGvHD, 89% of whom had high severity Grade C or Grade D disease, 70% achieved an overall response by Day 28 of treatment with RYONCIL, a measure that predicts survival in aGVHD. RYONCIL treatment was not discontinued or interrupted in any patient for any laboratory abnormality, and the full course was completed without interruption in more than 85% of patients."

18:22 EST ConocoPhillips director buys $1.02M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, ConocoPhillips disclosed that its director RA Walker bought 10.4K shares of common stock on December 17th in a total transaction size of $1.02M.

18:10 EST Liquidity Services CFO Celaya sells 16,540 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Liquidity Services CFO Jorge Celaya disclosed the sale of 16,540 common shares of the company on December 16 at a price of $34.10 per share.

17:58 EST BeiGene gets FDA orphan designation in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia treatment - BeiGene's BTK-targeting chimeric degradation activation compound designed to degrade wildtype BTK and multiple mutant forms received FDA orphan designation in treatment of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia, according to a post on the agency's site. Reference Link

17:49 EST Deutsche Bank decreases prime lending rate to 7.50% - Deutsche Bank's New York Branch, Deutsche Bank New York, and its affiliate Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas have decreased their prime lending from 7.75% to 7.50% effective December 19.

17:46 EST Nvidia director sells $131.3M in common stock - In a regulatory filing, Nvidia disclosed that its director Tench Coxe sold 1M shares of common stock on December 16th in a total transaction size of $131.3M.

17:33 EST U.S. Bancorp decreases prime lending rate to 7.50% from 7.75% - U.S. Bancorp has decreased its prime lending rate to 7.50% from 7.75%, effective tomorrow, December 19, at all U.S. Bank locations.

17:31 EST Novavax says Australia cancels delivery of some Covid-19 doses - In a regulatory filing, Novavax disclosed that, on December 12, the company entered into Amendment #5 to the Advanced Purchase Agreement, dated effective December 31, 2020, with the Commonwealth of Australia as Represented by the Department of Health and Aged Care, previously known as the Department of Health. Pursuant to the Amendment, the company acknowledged the cancellation by the Commonwealth of the delivery of certain doses of the company's COVID-19 Vaccine scheduled for delivery between the fourth quarter of 2023 and the fourth quarter of 2025 and the parties agreed to credit approximately $31M of the advanced payment paid by the Commonwealth to the company pursuant to the Advanced Purchase Agreement against outstanding invoices and invoices for the future delivery of approximately 3M doses of COVID-19 Vaccine without requiring additional cash payments. The parties also agreed to an updated delivery schedule providing for the potential delivery of COVID-19 Vaccine or future variant COVID-19 Vaccine through the end of 2029. The Amendment further provides for certain remedies for the Commonwealth, including return of unused credit, cancellation of doses or termination of the Agreement, in the event the Company misses or under delivers doses to the Commonwealth or the Company fails to receive regulatory approval of a variant COVID-19 vaccine. The Amendment also provides the Commonwealth with the right to cancel doses if the Company fails to timely notify the Commonwealth of changes to its commercialization plans.

17:23 EST Lockheed Martin awarded $196.1M Navy contract - Lockheed Martin was awarded a $196.1M cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide system design and development activities for common software builds and security and supportability builds in support of the management and maintenance of the Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System software product baseline and the required system and software documentation to support individual Foreign Military Sales customers capability requirements. Work is expected to be completed in January 2030. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competed. Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.

17:19 EST Micron sees conditions for margin expansion occurring after Q3 - Says FY25 fiscal second half will be stronger than first half. Says sees conditions for margin expansion occurring after Q3. Says it will take some time for NAND market conditions to improve. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

17:18 EST Citizens Financial lowers prime rate to 7.50% from 7.75% - Citizens Financial announced that Citizens Bank, N.A. has decreased its prime lending rate to 7.50% from 7.75%, effective Thursday, December 19, 2024.

17:07 EST Medical Properties Trust reaches settlement agreement with Viceroy Research - Medical Properties Trust announced that it has reached an agreement with Viceroy Research and its members to mutually settle and dismiss the defamation lawsuit originally filed in federal court on March 30, 2023. The parties have agreed to keep the terms of the settlement confidential.

17:03 EST Novonix announces participation in AAAMP petition - Novonix announced the company's participation in the American Active Anode Material Producers', or AAAMP, petition to the U.S. Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission, or ITC, to investigate whether China is exporting natural and synthetic graphite used to make lithium-ion battery anode material at unfair prices to the United States. The filing asserts China is harming the nascent domestic graphite industry by exporting artificially cheap battery-grade graphite into the U.S., denying North American producers a fair opportunity to enter the market. Experts at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, the law firm handling the case, estimate dumping margins as high as 920%. If the investigation proves conclusive, Commerce will assess the use of additional tariffs equal to the extent of unfair pricing by the Chinese. China currently has over 95% market share for battery grade graphite.

17:00 EST Huntington Bancshares cuts prime rate to 7.5% from 7.75% - Huntington Bancshares Incorporated announced that its prime rate is decreasing from 7.75% to 7.5%, effective December 19, 2024. Huntington's rate last changed on November 8, 2024, decreasing from 8 percent to 7.75 percent.

16:47 EST Wells Fargo decreases prime rate to 7.50% from 7.75% - Wells Fargo Bank is decreasing its prime rate to 7.50% from 7.75%, effective Dec. 19.

16:37 EST Alexandria Real Estate CEO Moglia sells 10,000 common shares - In a regulatory filing, Alexandria Real Estate Equities CEO Peter Moglia disclosed the sale of 10,000 common shares of the company on December 16 at a price of $102.26 per share.

16:34 EST Amwell COO Kurt Knight, chief commercial growth officer Kathy Weiler to depart - Amwell has announced CFO Mark Hirschhorn will take on an expanded role as COO, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Hirschhorn will now oversee the company's operational and growth strategies, including the clinical, sales and marketing teams, while continuing his responsibilities as CFO. Two executives will leave the company. chief commercial and growth officer Kathy Weiler, and COO Kurt Knight, will depart Amwell at the end of the year.

16:33 EST Micron extends selloff, shares down 13% to $90.15

16:32 EST 180 Degree Capital: Marlton Partners letter 'contains a number of inaccuracies' - 180 Degree Capital announced that it has received the press release issued, and the notice of nomination submitted, by Marlton Partners on December 17. "We believe that the press release issued by Marlton contains a number of inaccuracies and distortions, and we look forward to addressing the points noted in that press release in due time and, if and when appropriate, engaging with them," stated Kevin Rendino, Chairman of the Board and CEO of 180 Degree Capital. "In the meantime, we remain focused on strategies and opportunities that we believe can maximize value for all of our shareholders."

16:31 EST TRI Pointe announces $250M stock buyback program - Tri Pointe Homes "announced that its Board of Directors has approved a new stock repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of up to $250M of common stock through December 31, 2025, which succeeds the stock repurchase program that the Board of Directors authorized in December 2023. For the fourth quarter through December 17, 2024, under the 2024 Repurchase Program, the Company repurchased 1,202,913 shares of common stock at a weighted average price per share of $41.57 for an aggregate dollar amount of $50.0 million. For the full year through December 17, 2024, under the 2024 Repurchase Program, the Company repurchased 3,964,537 shares of common stock at a weighted average price per share of $36.97 for an aggregate dollar amount of $146.6 million."

16:26 EST Parsons awarded $20M USACE contract - Parsons announced that the company was awarded the LTC Hernan G. Pesquera Army Reserve Center Microgrid contract by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, or USACE, Louisville District. The $20M contract, including base plus options, to enhance energy resilience and sustainability for the Pesquera Army Reserve Center in Puerto Rico consists of a 610-day period of performance and is new work for the company. Under this contract, Parsons will deliver infrastructure protection capabilities for the Army Reserve Center in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, including installing security measures, generators, photovoltaic cells, a Battery Energy Storage System, microgrid controllers, and all necessary cabling.

16:24 EST Iridex publishes MicroPulse Transscleral Laser Therapy study - Iridex announced the publication of a peer-reviewed study in Ophthalmology Therapy. This study highlights the sustained safety and efficacy of MicroPulse Transscleral Laser Therapy in managing both primary and secondary glaucoma over five years. Conducted by Ronald de Crom and colleagues at the University Eye Clinic Maastricht, Netherlands, this research is the first to evaluate outcomes of MicroPulse TLT over such an extended period. The study assessed 165 pre- and post-cataract eyes treated between 2016 and 2019, with 112 eyes completing the five-year follow-up. Treatment was delivered using the Iridex Cyclo G6 Laser in its MicroPulse Mode and the original MicroPulse P3 Delivery Device. Results demonstrated that MicroPulse TLT achieved significant reductions in intraocular pressurer -32.5% on average-while also enabling a significant reduction in IOP-lowering medications with a low rate of complications across a broad range of glaucoma types and severities. Additionally, over the five-year follow-up period, only 38% of eyes required retreatment.

16:21 EST Steelcase says Q4 estimates include gross margin of 33.5% - Steelcase says Q4 estimates include the view of gross margin of approximately 33.5%,projected operating expenses of between $230M to $235M, which includes $4.3M of amortization of purchased intangible assets, projected interest expense, net of investment income and other income, net, of approximately $1M anda projected effective tax rate of approximately 27%."As work and work patterns continue to change, we remain focused on developing new solutions and evolving our capabilities to better serve our customers and dealers," said Sara Armbruster. "Our teams have successfully driven higher levels of profitability all year and we are pleased that our fiscal 2025 adjusted earnings per share are projected to finish above our target."

16:20 EST Micron sees FY25 capital expenditures $14B +/- $500M - Sees Q2 net capital expenditures $3B. Sees Q2 tax rate in mid-teens percent range. Sees FY26 tax rate in high-teens percentage range. The company said, "In closing, Micron will remain circumspect and flexible with all our spending, including operating expenses and capital investments. We are making disciplined investments in DRAM and are driving the ramp of HBM. In NAND, we are taking prompt and decisive actions to cut our capital spending and cut our wafer output to maintain supply discipline. We expect to deliver a substantial revenue record, significantly improved profitability and positive free cash flow in fiscal 2025."

16:16 EST Ameris Bancorp raises quarterly dividend 33.3% to 20c per share - The board of directors of Ameris Bancorp has declared a dividend of 20c per share of the company's common stock, which represents an increase of 5c, or 33.3%, per share compared with the previous quarterly dividend of 15c per share. The common stock dividend is payable on January 6, 2025, to shareholders of record as of December 31, 2024.

16:15 EST Micron expects DRAM bit shipments to decline sequentially - The company said, "We expect DRAM bit shipments to decline sequentially and expect a meaningful sequential decline in NAND bit shipments for reasons mentioned previously that are impacting near-term demand. We project our bit shipments to resume growth after fiscal Q2 and expect second-half fiscal year bit shipments to be stronger than the first half. We expect fiscal Q2 gross margins to be impacted by NAND industry conditions, partly offset by continued growth in HBM and data center DRAM. In addition to these factors, we expect NAND under loading to affect fiscal Q3 gross margins."

16:14 EST Micron says pace of technology transitions will need to slow - The company said, "The decline in 2024 and 2025 industry NAND demand growth outlook implies that supply actions will be necessary to achieve balance. As mentioned previously, since NAND technology transitions provide a significant increase in overall bit output, the pace of technology transitions will also need to slow in order to align supply to industry demand. Micron is decisively taking actions to align our NAND supply with industry demand trends. We have reduced NAND capital expenditures (capex) versus prior plan and have slowed the pace of technology node transitions. In addition, we are reducing NAND wafer starts by a mid-teens percentage versus prior levels. These actions will align our supply to current market demand."

16:11 EST Evolent Health appoints Von Nguyen as Chief Medical Officer - Evolent Health appointed Dr. Von Nguyen as Chief Medical Officer, effective January 1, 2025. Nguyen joined Evolent as Chief Clinical Officer in July 2024 after serving as clinical lead for population health at Google. Among other previous roles, he has been Chief Medical Officer at Blue Cross North Carolina, Deputy Associate Director of Policy and Strategy at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Senior Advisor at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Nguyen will succeed Dr. Andrew Hertler, who will move to a part-time role as senior advisor and CMO emeritus after more than a decade at Evolent. Hertler will focus on advancing innovation for Evolent's oncology management solution.

16:06 EST Savara initiates rolling submission of BLA to FDA for MOLBREEVI - Savara initiated a rolling submission of a Biologics License Application to the FDA for MOLBREEVI for the potential treatment of aPAP, a chronic and debilitating rare lung disease characterized by the abnormal build-up of surfactant in the alveoli of the lungs. MOLBREEVI was granted Fast Track and Breakthrough Therapy Designations in 2019 for the treatment of patients with aPAP. As a result, the Company is allowed to submit individual modules of the BLA as they are completed rather than waiting to submit the application once all modules are available. The Company will request a priority review of the BLA when the submission is completed. "Given the positive results of the pivotal, Phase 3 IMPALA-2 trial, we believe MOLBREEVI demonstrates a favorable benefit-risk profile and could fundamentally change the way aPAP is treated," said Matt Pauls, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Savara. "Initiation of the BLA is an important milestone in potentially addressing the unmet need in aPAP, for which there are no approved medicines in the U.S. and Europe. We look forward to working closely with the FDA throughout the review process and expect to complete the submission of the rolling BLA by the end of 1Q 2025."

16:02 EST Palantir extends Army Vantage partnership with $618.9M contract - Palantir Technologies announced that it has extended its long-standing partnership with the U.S. Army to deliver the Army Vantage capability in support of the "Army Data Platform" (ADP). The total value of this agreement is $400,746,583 for a period of up to four years, with a total available ceiling of $618,871,428. Since 2018, the Army has leveraged Palantir's software to transform how it uses data and artificial intelligence to more effectively perform essential missions and enable faster decision-making across the force, the company said. This new agreement will operationalize data across the entire Department of the Army. The program anticipates continued growth and improvement by providing further flexibility to support additional Army programs with data and AI capabilities, fostering deeper integration and interoperability across the Department through leading technology investment. "Palantir is proud to support the Army's commitment to more efficient, data-driven decisions through the successful expansion of the Vantage program," said Akash Jain, President, Palantir USG. "Our continuous addition of new AI capabilities enables the Army's own ability to develop applications and incorporate the benefits of effective data analysis across nearly every high-priority mission in the Army."

15:29 EST M&T Bank to decrease prime lending rate to 7.50% from 7.75% on December 19 - Effective December 19, M&T Bank will decrease its prime lending rate from 7.75% to 7.50%.

15:09 EST North American rail traffic up 1.5% for the week ending December 14 - The Association of American Railroads or AAR, reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 14. Due to the upcoming holidays, the Weekly Rail Traffic reports for the weeks ending December 21, and December 28, will be released on December 27 and January 3 respectively. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 526,166 carloads and intermodal units, up 4.8% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending December 14 were 228,400 carloads, down 2.4% compared with the same week in 2023, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 297,766 containers and trailers, up 11.1% compared to 2023. Six of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2023. They included farm products excl. grain, and food, up 599 carloads, to 17,143; nonmetallic minerals, up 596 carloads, to 29,740; and chemicals, up 374 carloads, to 32,862. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2023 included coal, down 3,899 carloads, to 61,291; metallic ores and metals, down 2,444 carloads, to 18,770; and motor vehicles and parts, down 785 carloads, to 16,00. North American rail volume for the week ending December 14 on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 334,768 carloads, down 4% compared with the same week last year, and 379,155 intermodal units, up 7% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 713,923 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.5%. North American rail volume for the first 50 weeks of 2024 was 33,629,011 carloads and intermodal units, up 2.2% compared with 2023. Publicly traded companies in the space include CN (CNI), CSX (CSX), Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CP), Norfolk Southern (NSC), Union Pacific (UNP), Wabtec (WAB),Trinity Industries (TRN),Greenbrier (GBX), FreightCar America (RAIL), and Rail Vision (RVSN), GATX (GATX). Reference Link

14:16 EST Fifth Third to decrease prime lending rate to 7.5% - Fifth Third Bank, National Association, announced it will decrease its prime lending rate to 7.50%, effective immediately.

13:02 EST Penn Entertainment launches Hollywood Casino app in Pennsylvania - PENN Entertainment announced the launch of its stand-alone Hollywood Casino app in Pennsylvania. Built on PENN's proprietary technology platform, Hollywood Casino offers more than 700 iCasino games, a variety of daily promotions, and exciting jackpots. Available on Android, iOS and desktop, customers in the Keystone State can access Hollywood Casino through either the ESPN BET app or through the new Hollywood Casino app using their same ESPN BET login credentials, allowing for a seamless experience across PENN's online betting and casino platforms. PENN plans to launch Hollywood Casino in additional jurisdictions in 2025, subject to regulatory approvals.

12:59 EST Volkswagen acquires 9.9% stake in lithium company Patriot for $48M - Patriot Battery Metals (PMETF) announced that it has entered into a subscription agreement with Volkswagen (VWAGY), providing for the issue and sale to Volkswagen of 15,557,500 Common Shares at a price of C$4.42 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately C$69M to be paid on closing in U.S. Dollars in the amount of $48M. The Subscription Price represents a 65% and 35% premium to the 30-day and 90-day volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange for the period ending December 17, 2024, the last trading day prior to the announcement of the Strategic Investment. Upon closing of the Strategic Investment, Volkswagen will own approximately 9.9% of Patriot's issued and outstanding Common Shares on a pro forma non-diluted basis and will be granted certain rights pursuant to an investor rights agreement to be entered into between Volkswagen and the company. The proceeds from the Strategic Investment will be used for exploration, development and completion of a feasibility study on the Shaakichiuwaanaan Project, as well as for general and working capital purposes. As part of the Strategic Investment, Patriot will enter into a binding offtake term sheet with Volkswagen's wholly owned and vertically integrated battery manufacturer, PowerCo, for Patriot to supply 100,000 tons of spodumene concentrate per year over a 10-year term. The Offtake is expected to supply PowerCo's cell production activities in Europe and North America, including its battery cell factory in St. Thomas, Canada.

12:03 EST Arthur J. Gallagher acquires DMc Insurance Partners - Arthur J. Gallagher announced the acquisition of Austin, Texas-based Howe Insurance Group, doing business as DMc Insurance Partners. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. DMc Insurance Partners is a personal lines-focused insurance agency serving individuals and small business owners in Austin.

12:01 EST Fitell Corp trading halted, volatility trading pause

12:00 EST Heico falls -9.8% - Heico is down -9.8%, or -$25.38 to $234.42.

12:00 EST D-Wave Quantum rises 12.7% - D-Wave Quantum is up 12.7%, or $1.07 to $9.47.

11:59 EST Quantum Corp trading resumes

11:46 EST U.S. video game spending fell 7% y/y in November, says Circana - Circana analyst Mat Piscatella said that projected November 2024 U.S. consumer spending on video game hardware, content and accessories fell 7% when compared to a year ago, to $5.8B. Year-to-date spending is flat to last year. The November spending decline was driven in part by the debut of Activision's (MSFT) "Call of Duty: Black Ops 6" in October this year, while "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III" launched during the November tracking month a year ago. Video game content spending dropped 9% versus a year ago, to $4.5B. Growth in mobile and non-mobile subscription content spending was offset by dips across other areas of content. Console content spending was the biggest contributor to the decline, falling 29% vs YA. Non-mobile video game subscription spending grew 8% when compared to a year ago. The release of "Call of Duty: Black Ops 6" as part of Xbox Game Pass was again the primary growth driver. "Black Ops 6" repeated as the month's best-selling video game, ranking as the #2 best-selling game of 2024 year-to-date - trailing only Electronic Arts' (EA) "EA Sports College Football 25," which became the best-selling sports video game in U.S. history in terms of dollar sales. On the hardware side, Sony's (SONY) PlayStation 5 was once again the best-selling hardware platform in both unit and dollar sales for the month, with Nintendo Switch (NTDOY) ranking 2nd across both measures. 2.4M units of new video game hardware sold in November 2024 across all platforms, 4% higher than the 2.3M units sold a year ago. For the 2024 year-to-date period ending November, hardware unit sales reached 9.4M units, down from the 11.8M units sold in the same period a year ago. Other top-selling games for the month of November in the U.S., according to Circana, were EA's "Madden NFL 25" and "EA Sports FC 25," Bandai Namco's (NCBDY) "Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero," Nintendo's "Super Mario Party Jamboree" and "Mario & Luigi: Brothership," Sega's (SGAMY) "Sonic X Shadow Generations," and Take-Two's (TTWO) "NBA 2K25." Reference Link

11:32 EST Supreme Court to hear challenge to TikTok ban - In an order issued Wednesday, the Supreme Court announced it will hold oral arguments on Jan. 10 on TikTok's bid to invalidate the law requiring them to divest from their Chinese parent company or face being banned in the U.S. TikTok filed an emergency application asking the high court to delay a Jan. 19 divest-or-ban deadline and the court opted to move the emergency appeal to its normal docket to immediately take up the case in full. Publicly traded companies in the social media space that compete with TikTok include Meta Platforms (META), Alphabet (GOOGL), Pinterest (PINS), Reddit (RDDT) and Snap (SNAP). Reference Link

11:08 EST Vireo to acquire four single state operators for $397M in all-stock transactions - Vireo Growth (VREOF) has executed definitive documentation with certain investors in connection with a $75M equity securities offering at $0.625 per Vireo subordinate voting share, with closing subject only to applicable CSE notice periods. Additionally, Vireo has signed three definitive documents and one binding Memorandum of Understanding to acquire four single-state operators for total consideration of approximately $397M in a series of all-stock transactions. The Merger Transactions, which will require certain shareholder and regulatory approvals, would expand Vireo's operating footprint to the states of Florida, Missouri, Nevada and Utah, with the combined total footprint spanning seven states, approximately 1,043,500 square feet of cultivation and manufacturing space across nine facilities, and 48 retail dispensaries. Vireo has signed definitive agreements to acquire Proper Brands in Missouri, Deep Roots Harvest in Nevada, and WholesomeCo Cannabis in Utah, while also signing a binding MOU to acquire The Flowery in Florida. In addition to expanding the Company's operating footprint with established, profitable operators in these four new state markets, the Merger Transactions also include the proprietary cannabis delivery and analytics platform "Arches" which would be licensed exclusively to Vireo's portfolio of operating companies over time as regulations allow. Vireo estimates proforma revenue and EBITDA of the combined company of approximately $394M and $94M, respectively, for calendar year 2024. Upon closing of the Merger Transactions, Vireo estimates the combined company will be well-positioned for further growth with a favorable balance sheet consisting of approximately $99M of cash and $78M of net debt with an EBITDA leverage ratio of approximately 0.8x, which Vireo believes is one of the best net leverage ratios among its peer group. The Company also announced that John Mazarakis, co-founder at Chicago Atlantic (REFI), has been appointed to the role of CEO and Co-Executive Chairman, effective immediately. Tyson Macdonald, former partner at TrueRise Capital, has been appointed to the role of CFO, effective immediately. Amber Shimpa will continue to serve as President of the Company and as CEO of Minnesota, Maryland, and New York. The Merger Transactions are expected to be effected by way of a series of all-stock transactions to acquire all of the assets, operations, intellectual property, partner relationships and/or licenses of each of the acquisition targets. Shares for each operator are expected to be fixed with multiples at closing adjusted based on Vireo share price changes, if any. Purchase prices will also be adjusted for net debt, cash reserves, net taxes and other liabilities. Each portfolio asset was carefully selected and presents attractive opportunities on a stand-alone basis and supported by growth and sustainable cash flow theses. Vireo expects that each transaction will be accretive to the broader portfolio. Each operator is incentivized to maximize profit and cash flow based on the deal structure that rewards performance on a stand-alone as well as on a consolidated basis, with earnout measurement dates as of December 31, 2026. After giving effect to the Merger Transactions and the equity securities offering, Vireo shareholders are expected to hold in aggregate approximately 21 percent of the issued and outstanding proforma Vireo shares, and the Merger Sellers are expected to hold in aggregate approximately 68 percent of the issued and outstanding proforma Vireo shares and investors in the equity securities offering are expected to hold in aggregate approximately 11 percent of the issued and outstanding proforma Vireo shares.

11:04 EST Sezzle Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:22 EST Southwestern Electric Power expands generation capacity with new power plants - Southwestern Electric Power announced the ongoing development of several new generation projects, pending regulatory approval. These initiatives are designed to enhance SWEPCO's diverse energy portfolio by adding natural gas facilities alongside new wind and solar farms, addressing the growing capacity demands of our customers in a cost-effective manner. The announcement announcement includes future development of a 450-Megawatt natural gas plant to be located at a previously retired plant site in Hallsville, Texas. New Proposed Natural Gas Projects: 450-MW Hallsville Natural Gas Plant: SWEPCO is initiating a transformative project at the site of the retired H.W. Pirkey Power Plant. This facility is expected to begin operations in 2027, pending regulatory approval from utility regulators in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, as detailed in filings submitted on Dec. 17. The Hallsville Natural Gas Plant will feature two General Electric combustion gas turbine generators and will utilize existing water intake structures and site infrastructure to minimize project costs. 1,053-MW Welsh Natural Gas Conversion Project: On Dec. 17, SWEPCO also submitted filings for a fuel conversion project at the Welsh Power Plant, located northwest of Cason, Texas. Pending regulatory approval, this initiative will convert the existing coal-fired boilers of Units 1 and 3 to burn natural gas, with Unit 1 conversion anticipated in 2028 and Unit 3 in 2027. Renewable Projects Under Construction 200-MW Diversion Wind Farm: Located in Baylor County, Texas and scheduled to begin operations in December 2024. 598-MW Wagon Wheel Wind Facility: This project, spanning Garfield, Kingfisher, Logan, Payne, and Noble counties in Oklahoma, is making steady progress, with officials estimating it to be operational in December 2025. 72.5-MW Rocking R Solar Facility: SWEPCO's first utility scale solar energy resource is nearing completion in Caddo Parish, Louisiana. SWEPCO will not own this facility and will instead purchase the output of the facility via a purchase power agreement. The solar farm will generate enough energy to power approximately 12,000 homes each year. In addition to these projects, SWEPCO has selected a short-term capacity agreement with a natural gas facility in Texas as part of a competitive bid process. The agreement will help serve as a bridge to more permanent resource additions.

10:13 EST Cansortium's FLUENT debuts cannabis brand KNACK - Cansortium announces the launch of its latest cannabis flower brand, KNACK. The company said, "Available at all Etain Health locations beginning December 18, KNACK brings a vibrant and high-quality cannabis experience to the Big Apple, offering a diverse selection of premium cannabis products across whole flower and pre-roll varieties...The brand's name itself, KNACK, suggests a natural skill or talent, hinting at the expertise and care that goes into cultivating cannabis. The new product line offers a variety of whole flower options, ranging from 3.5 grams to 28 grams, allowing consumers to choose the quantity that best suits their consumption habits. For those who prefer a convenient and discreet option, KNACK also provides 1 gram prerolls, perfect for on-the-go enjoyment." FLUENT plans to expand the KNACK brand into Florida in Q1 2025.

10:10 EST Community Bank of Louisiana selects Q2 to enhance digital banking - Q2 Holdings announced that Community Bank of Louisiana selected Q2 to advance its strategy to deliver a unified, robust digital banking experience. By partnering with Q2, Community Bank of Louisiana will utilize Q2's digital banking platform to improve the mobile experience and make digital banking more accessible, robust and convenient. The bank will serve their consumer and business customers through the use of Q2's Innovation Studio, Q2 Sentinel, ClickSWITCH, Positive Pay, Centrix and other Q2 products built to enhance the customer experience.

10:08 EST HomesToLife Ltd trading resumes

10:03 EST HomesToLife Ltd trading halted, volatility trading pause

10:00 EST Markforged falls -5.0% - Markforged is down -5.0%, or -19c to $3.56.

10:00 EST ABM falls -6.6% - ABM is down -6.6%, or -$3.61 to $51.30.

10:00 EST Oklo rises 16.5% - Oklo is up 16.5%, or $3.15 to $22.25.

09:58 EST Cango Inc - ADR trading resumes

09:54 EST DLocal up 5% after Reuters report on exploration of options

09:52 EST Cango Inc - ADR trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:51 EST Cango rises 10.1% - Cango is up 10.1%, or 70c to $7.61.

09:50 EST Creative Global Technology Holdings Ltd trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:49 EST Worthington rises 18.4% - Worthington is up 18.4%, or $7.02 to $45.22.

09:49 EST Heico falls -5.1% - Heico is down -5.1%, or -$13.26 to $246.54.

09:48 EST Toro Company falls -5.4% - Toro Company is down -5.4%, or -$4.61 to $80.70.

09:47 EST ABM falls -10.0% - ABM is down -10.0%, or -$5.47 to $49.44.

09:45 EST Apollomics Inc trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:39 EST CordovaCann provides year-end update on Star Buds retail operations - CordovaCann announces an update on its Star Buds Cannabis Co. retail operations in Canada. The company said, Star Buds Cannabis Co. stores produced strong results through the first two months of the quarter ending December 31, 2024 and are expected to sustain this growth through the final weeks of the year. The Company's 11 retail stores continue to gain market share and produce consistent gross margin. The stores continue to win over customers with a diversified and well-regarded assortment of products and a team dedicated to providing exceptional customer service." During the months of October and November, the Star Buds Cannabis Co. chain recorded monthly revenues of $1.3M and $1.2M, respectively. The average store in the network generated 9.2% year-over-year revenue growth in October and 10.1% year-over-year revenue growth in November. Gigher grossing stores in Ontario continue to grow at a faster pace, with average monthly revenues growing by 12.4% and 14.1% in October and November, respectively. The aggregate gross margin remained strong at 26.3% in October and 26.2% in November. Management currently expects similar revenue and gross margin trends in December.

09:37 EST Cineverse launches Matchpoint Real Visuals AI service - Cineverse announced the launch of Matchpoint Reel Visuals AI, a new revenue-driving artificial intelligence rights management service. The company said, "Reel Visuals AI empowers those who own libraries of feature films, television shows and podcasts to take advantage of growing demand from AI companies to acquire audio/video content to train artificial intelligence models at scale. Through a unique non-exclusive revenue-sharing offering, Cineverse will ensure that content creators and rights holders - from independent production companies and large global studios to AI training rights agents and content aggregators - are compensated for use of their video content in AI training while also eliminating the associated delivery costs that often make the opportunity to profit in this space unviable."

09:32 EST Prudential enters collaboration with Empathy for holistic bereavement support - Prudential Financial announced a new strategic relationship with Empathy, a bereavement support platform, that will provide beneficiaries with access to an enhanced suite of resources to help them cope with loss and navigate the challenges throughout the grieving journey. Recognizing the need for comprehensive care and support, Prudential Group Insurance is expanding its beneficiary support services with access to an extensive suite of bereavement tools to help navigate the many aspects of loss - from funeral arrangements and obituary writing to probate and estate settlement, and more. Beneficiaries will also have access to dedicated Care Managers for personalized assistance through each task, decision and challenge.

09:31 EST Performance Shipping secures time charter contract for M/T Blue Moon - Performance Shipping entered into a time charter contract with American Eagle Tankers for the 2011-built, 104,623 dwt Aframax tanker vessel, M/T Blue Moon. The gross charter rate will be $28,000 per day for a period of twenty-one months +/- 15 days at the option of the Charterer and is expected to commence at the beginning of January. This charter will generate approximately $17.4M of gross revenue for the minimum duration of the charter.

09:28 EST Lexaria Bioscience forms Scientific Advisory Board - Lexaria Bioscience announces the creation of its new Scientific Advisory Board to assist in guiding Lexaria's rapid drug delivery platform technology and strategic development plans within the pharmaceutical industry. The SAB will initially be comprised of four people and the Chairman of the SAB will be Lexaria's President and CEO, John Docherty. Mr. Docherty joined Lexaria in 2015, at the time of its earliest foundational work in the drug delivery technology arena and has led the Company's scientific and intellectual property development programs since that time. Michael Gibson was recently announced by Lexaria as its new Chief Medical Advisor and will also participate on the SAB. Karen Aust has, among other roles, served as a Director of Regulatory Strategy and is currently a Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs at G&L Healthcare Advisors. Phil Ainslie is a Professor, Research Chair and co-directs the Centre of Heart, Lung and Vascular Health at the University of British Columbia, Canada.

09:19 EST Kairous Acquisition announces additional contribution to trust account - Kairous Acquisition announced that Kairous Asia has deposited into the Company's trust account an aggregate of $50,000, in order to extend the period of time the Company has to complete a business combination for an additional one month period, from December 16, 2024 to January 16, 2025. The Company issued a promissory note to Sponsor with a principal amount equal to the amount deposited. The promissory note bears no interest and will be converted into the Company's ordinary shares at a price of $10.10 per share at the closing of a business combination by the Company. The purpose of the extension is to provide time for the Company to complete a business combination.

09:17 EST Roadzen expands AI-based claims contract with National Insurance Company - Roadzen announced that its existing client National Insurance Company has expanded the geographical scope for Roadzen's AI powered XClaim Product. NICL has a total of 34 Regional Offices, of which 10 joined Roadzen's AI-powered XClaim platform. Based upon strong performance, NICL has expanded its contract with Roadzen to include an additional 4 regional offices, effective January 1, 2025.

09:16 EST Barrick Gold seeks resolution in Mali through arbitration - Barrick Gold confirmed that its operating entities in Mali, namely Societe des Mines de Loulo SA and Societe des Mines de Gounkoto SA, have submitted a request for arbitration to the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, in accordance with the provisions of their respective Mining Conventions with the State of Mali, to address matters of disagreement regarding the Loulo-Gounkoto complex. The arbitration mechanism, provided for under the Somilo and Gounkoto Mining Conventions with the State, has previously proven to be an effective tool for reinforcing partnerships and finding mutually acceptable solutions through an independent and competent authority.

09:14 EST Nitches, Inc. announces 2025 growth strategy for InTheZone Labs - Nitches shared key updates regarding tecent strides made with its InTheZone Labs brand, the integration on Amazon, a new partnership with GovX, and continued expansion into 2025 as consumer demand for nutraceuticals and nootropics continues to accelerate. The company said, "InTheZone Labs has successfully launched two flagship products-InTheZone Focused Extreme and InTheZone Focused Youth-on Amazon, the world's largest e-commerce platform...InTheZone Labs is proud to announce its partnership with GovX, a leading platform providing exclusive discounts to military, police, fire, EMS, and other first responders. This initiative aligns perfectly with the brand's mission to deliver focus-enhancing solutions to those who give so much to their communities.30% Discount: Verified GovX members can now access InTheZone Labs products at an exclusive 30% discount through the GovX verification process. This partnership underscores our commitment to supporting the mental clarity, resilience, and well-being of veterans, first responders, and their families during this critical time of year...InTheZone Labs continues to build its presence on YouTube to educate consumers on the science, benefits, and success stories behind its products...As we approach the new year, InTheZone Labs is laying the groundwork for exponential growth. Website Redesign: A fully revamped corporate website is in progress, offering an improved customer experience and expanded access to products. Influencer Collaborations: We are actively working with notable public figures and influencers to expand our reach and visibility...We are only getting started. With growing sales channels like Amazon, meaningful partnerships like GovX, and a commitment to continuous innovation, Nitches Inc. and InTheZone Labs are poised to achieve significant milestones in 2025."

09:13 EST Vuzix signs agreement with Augmex - Vuzix announced that it has entered into an agreement with Augmex, a one-stop-shop solutions provider for increasing productivity with smart glasses. Vuzix has received and shipped against an initial six-figure order from Augmex, who will bundle their software with Vuzix products as a solution to its supply chain customers across Europe. Augmex solutions target the warehouse and logistics, installation and service, and healthcare and hospital market verticals. Their two main solutions offerings consist of: AUGPICK revolutionizes warehouse performance, enhancing efficiency through visual data and full hands-free operation; AUGASSIST, a remote support solution with smart glasses, complete with live annotations, artificial intelligence and augmented reality.

09:11 EST Via Renewables announces final results of tender offer - Via Renewables announced the final results of its tender offer to purchase up to 800,000 shares of its 8.75% Series A Fixed-to-Floating Rate Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, at a purchase price of $22.50 per share, in cash, less applicable withholding taxes and without interest. The offer expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on Tuesday, December 17, 2024. Based on the final count by Equiniti Trust Co., the depositary for the tender offer, approximately 187,103 shares of the Series A Preferred Stock were properly tendered and not properly withdrawn. The Company expects to accept for purchase all properly tendered shares of the Series A Preferred Stock at a purchase price of $22.50 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $4,209,817.50. The shares expected to be acquired represent approximately 5.2% of the Company's currently outstanding Series A Preferred Stock. The depositary will promptly issue payment for the shares properly tendered and accepted for purchase. It is currently expected that payment for all shares purchased will be made on or around December 18, 2024.

09:10 EST Globalstar in deal with Hawk Network for wireless spectrum facilitation - Globalstar announced a collaboration agreement with Hawk Networks. Hawk is transforming the way operators access wireless spectrum with a more efficient and flexible approach to utilizing Globalstar's versatile Band 53 spectrum. Globalstar's collaboration with Hawk Networks simplifies access to valuable licensed spectrum by bundling it with core network components and other essential infrastructure. This streamlined approach reduces extended wait times and eliminates the complexities of traditional procurement processes. Operators of all sizes can now efficiently access the spectrum and tools needed to build and expand their networks. "For the first time, operators can bypass the complexity of legacy methods and secure spectrum with ease," said Deborah Simpier, CEO of Hawk Networks. "This is not just another spectrum announcement-it is a pivotal shift that makes spectrum available when you need it and where you need it, accelerating both deployment and innovation in the telecom industry." This innovative process gives network operators a faster and simpler path to power increased connectivity. Increased connectivity will drive advancements in wireless technology and enable operators to meet the demands of the modern machine economy.

09:07 EST Trident Digital signs collaboration with Democratic Republic of Congo - Trident Digital Tech announced the signing of a collaboration agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo, represented by the President of the Republic via the National Intelligence Agency, to drive digital transformation in the DRC for effective, accountable, and transparent governance. Under this collaboration agreement, Trident will explore the development of a comprehensive electronic government system for the DRC, aimed at digitizing the Congolese government's administrative framework through the integration of cutting-edge technologies, including blockchain, to provide secure and efficient government services to citizens while protecting personal data.

09:07 EST Amazon announces Buy with Prime availability on Belkin.com - Amazon announced that Buy with Prime, a direct-to-customer offering, is now available on Belkin.com.

09:06 EST MetLife announces Nick Nadgauda joins as CIO, effective March 10 - MetLife announced that Nick Nadgauda will join the company as Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, effective March 10. Nadgauda will report to Bill Pappas, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Technology and Operations... Nick has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering Systems from the University of Michigan.

09:04 EST BioAge Labs announces multi-year collaboration with Novartis - BioAge Labs (BIOA) announced a multi-year research collaboration with Novartis (NVS). The collaboration aims to identify and validate multiple novel therapeutic drug targets by investigating the biological mechanisms that drive diseases related to aging and mediate the beneficial effects of physical exercise. "Our platform, built on extensive longitudinal human longevity data, has allowed us to identify promising therapeutic pathways with significant potential to improve health outcomes," said Kristen Fortney, CEO and co-founder of BioAge. "This collaboration with Novartis showcases the value of our platform and expands our capacity to discover and develop novel targets based on the insights from our data."

09:03 EST Great American Cookies, Marble Slab Creamery add five locations in Texas - FAT Brands announces the opening of five new Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery locations in Texas. Since 2014, the co-branded pairing has steadily grown to over 160 locations. The new locations to open in Texas in 2024 include Missouri City, New Caney, Lewisville, Sugarland and North Richland Hills.

09:03 EST Voxx to be acquired by Gentex for $7.50 per share in cash - Voxx International (VOXX) announced that Voxx and Gentex (GNTX) have entered into a definitive agreement and plan of merger for Gentex to acquire Voxx in an all-cash transaction. Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, Gentex will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Voxx common stock not already owned by Gentex for $7.50 per share, representing an aggregate enterprise value of approximately $196M. The proposed transaction, which was approved by Voxx's Board of Directors, acting on the unanimous recommendation of a transaction committee of the Board of Directors comprised entirely of directors unaffiliated with Gentex, is expected to close during the first quarter of calendar year 2025. The proposed transaction is subject to stockholder approval, receipt of anti-trust regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

09:02 EST SAIC awarded new $170.9M contract State of Texas' DIR - Science Applications International has been awarded a new contract from the State of Texas' Department of Information Resources, DIR, to provide robust cybersecurity services in protection of state agency networks. The contract has a projected value of $170.9 million. This award builds upon SAIC's growing partnership and support of state and local governments. In addition to the State of Texas, SAIC also delivers high-end IT and cybersecurity services to clients in the Commonwealth of Virginia, State of Colorado, and State of California.

08:56 EST Akari Therapeutics appoints Samir Patel as CEO - Akari Therapeutics (AKTX) announced the appointment of Samir Patel as CEO. Patel has served as interim CEO since May 2024. Additionally, the company announced it has appointed Abizer Gaslightwala to its Board of Directors. Michael Grissinger, a member of the Board of Directors, provided notice of his resignation on December 16, 2024. Patel currently serves as founder and principal of PranaBio Investments, a firm providing consulting, strategic advisory, and investment services for small cap biotechnology companies. He is also a consultant to GE Global Research. Gaslightwala currently serves as the SVP and Franchise Head for Oncology at Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ).

08:54 EST Frequency Electronics awarded contracts for quartz oscillators, synthesizers - Frequency Electronics has been awarded several significant contracts to supply specialized precision quartz oscillators, synthesizers, and receivers for aerospace programs. The total value of these contracts is approximately $11M, with deliveries scheduled through 2026. The quartz oscillators will play a key role in navigation and timing systems, contributing to the overall success of the missions by ensuring highly accurate performance under extreme conditions. Deliveries will commence in 2025, with the final shipments expected to be completed in 2026.

08:48 EST Eos Energy secures 400 MWh standalone storage order with IEP - Eos Energy Enterprises announced a 400 MWh standalone storage order with International Electric Power, IEP. This marks the second agreement and third project with IEP, a leading developer in the energy space deploying multiple technologies and builds on Eos' successful prior delivery of its battery systems to a Texas-based IEP project earlier this year.

08:44 EST Netgear, F5 up as WSJ says U.S. debates ban on Chinese-made router - Shares of Netgear (NTGR) and F5 Networks (FFIV) are higher in premarket trading after The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. authorities are investigating a Chinese company whose home-internet routers have been linked to cyberattacks poses a national-security risk and are considering banning the routers. Heather Somerville, Dustin Volz, and Aruna Viswanatha wrote that TP-Link has roughly 65% of the U.S. market for routers for home and small businesses, while also being the top choice on Amazon (AMZN) and power internet communications for federal government agencies. Investigators at the Commerce, Defense and Justice departments have opened probes into the company and authorities could ban a sale of the routers in the U.S. next year, people familiar with the matter told the Journal. In premarket trading, shares of Netgear are up 17%, while F5 shares are up about 7%.

08:43 EST Sarepta completes enrollment in the EMERGENE study of SRP-9003 - Sarepta Therapeutics announced that enrollment and dosing is complete in EMERGENE or Study SRP-9003-301 , a Phase 3 clinical trial of SRP-9003 or bidridistrogene xeboparvovec . SRP-9003 is an investigational gene therapy for the treatment of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy Type 2E/R4 or beta-sarcoglycanopathy. EMERGENE is a global study, and the primary endpoint is the biomarker expression of beta-sarcoglycan protein, the absence of which is the sole cause of LGMD2E/R4. "The completion of enrollment in the EMERGENE study marks a significant milestone to bring a potentially disease-modifying treatment to individuals living with LGMD2E, an ultra-rare form of LGMD with no treatments beyond symptom management. We are committed to securing approval of SRP-9003 as quickly as possible and are now closer to reaching that goal for patients and their families," said Louise Rodino-Klapac, Ph.D., executive vice president, chief scientific officer and head of research and development, Sarepta Therapeutics. "The design of EMERGENE is an important precedent that informs development plans for Sarepta's other LGMD pipeline programs, including our LGMD2D program which we just initiated and our LGMD2C program which we expect to initiate in the first quarter of 2025, and serves as a pathfinder for heterogenous neuromuscular gene therapies more broadly." Data from EMERGENE are expected in the first half of 2025. Assuming a positive pre-Biologics License Application BLA meeting and supportive data from EMERGENE, Sarepta anticipates submitting a BLA to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration seeking accelerated approval for SRP-9003 in 2025.

08:41 EST Rezolve AI announces $49M equity conversion - Rezolve Ai and its leading investors have entered into a series of transactions agreeing to the conversion of $49M of the outstanding convertible loan note into equity. The debt subject to conversion was issued pursuant to the secured convertible loan note instrument dated December 16, 2021, as amended and restated. The aggregate $49M equity conversion reinforces Rezolve Ai's financial strength and is expected to position the company to expand its AI-driven offerings, including Brain Commerce, Brain Checkout, and their proprietary foundation language model, brainpowa.

08:39 EST KULR Technology regains compliance with NYSE American - KULR Technology announced it has received official notice from the NYSE American confirming that the Company has regained compliance with all continued listing standards set forth in Part 10 of the NYSE American Company Guide.

08:37 EST American Battery awarded $144M grant contraft from DOE - American Battery Technology has received a contracted grant award for $144 million of federal investment by the U.S. Department of Energy, DOE, with these funds awarded to the American Battery Technology Compan, ABTC, and its subcontractor Argonne National Laboratory, to support the construction of a new lithium-ion battery recycling facility.

08:36 EST Alliance Entertainment acquires Handmade by Robots - Alliance Entertainment announces the acquisition of Handmade by Robots, a line of collectible vinyl figures. This acquisition bolsters Alliance Entertainment's growing collectibles division and reflects the company's ongoing commitment to offering unique and innovative licensed products to its retail partners and collectors worldwide.

08:33 EST SunCar Technology awarded bid to provide transportation services for SRCB - SunCar Technology Group announced that it has been awarded a bid to provide premium concierge transportation services for Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank's, or SRCB, clientele. This milestone extends the partnership between SunCar and SRCB, which has thrived since 2014. Over the past decade, SunCar has worked closely with SRCB to offer tailored services, including designated driver assistance, high-speed rail station transfers, and international airport transportation for credit card customers. The collaboration has also involved the development of SRCB's proprietary car owner service platform, solidifying SunCar's role as a trusted partner in delivering innovative and high-quality solutions. SunCar recently successfully secured the bid to manage SRCB's retail points-based travel benefits, encompassing concierge car services, designated driver assistance, and VIP lounge access. Under the renewed partnership, SunCar remains committed to delivering superior and professional travel services tailored to the needs of SRCB's valued clientele.

08:32 EST Alpha Tau announces presentation of new data at 2025 ASCO GI Symposium - Alpha Tau Medical announced that an abstract entitled "Interim analysis of feasibility, safety, and tumor control in two first-in-human trials of a novel alpha-emitting radionuclide for pancreatic adenocarcinoma," submitted by principal investigators involved in the Company's Israeli pancreatic cancer trial, has been accepted to the 2025 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, to be held January 23 - 25, 2025 in San Francisco, CA. The poster will be presented during "Poster Session B: Cancers of the Pancreas, Small Bowel, and Hepatobiliary Tract," on January 24, 2025 at 11:30am - 1:00pm PT. Alpha Tau will also host an R&D Update Day on Monday, January 27, 2025 at 11am ET, during which the Company will review the new data shared at the symposium and additional data from the Company's Canadian pancreatic cancer trial, including data on feasibility, safety, tumor response, and survival metrics. The Company will also review findings from other clinical trials, including the Company's trial exploring the use of Alpha DaRT in combination with pembrolizumab for the treatment of recurrent unresectable or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Clinicians involved in the various studies will participate in the R&D Update Day, and additional details will be shared ahead of the event.

08:32 EST Encompass Health announces plans to build 50-bed hospital in Bangor, Maine - Encompass Health announced preliminary plans to build a freestanding, 50-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital to be located at 1017 Union Street in Bangor, Maine. The hospital will serve patients recovering from debilitating illnesses and injuries, including strokes and other neurological disorders, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations and complex orthopedic conditions. In addition to 24-hour nursing care, the hospital will offer physical, occupational and speech therapies to restore functional ability and quality of life. Care will be provided by highly specialized nurses, therapists and physicians. The hospital, expected to open in 2027, will be part of Encompass Health's national network of rehabilitation hospitals and its second hospital in Maine.

08:30 EST Viking Therapeutics lower after Merck signs pact with Hansoh for GLP-1 drug - Shares of Viking Therapeutics (VKTX) are down $2.70, or 6%, to $44.00 in pre-market trading following Merck (MRK) and Chinese biopharmaceutical company Hansoh Pharma's announcement earlier that they have entered into an exclusive global license agreement for HS-10535, an investigational preclinical oral small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist. Under the agreement, Hansoh Pharma has granted Merck an exclusive global license to develop, manufacture and commercialize HS-10535. Hansoh Pharma may co-promote or solely commercialize HS-10535 in China subject to certain conditions. Merck will record a pre-tax charge of $112M, or 4c per share, to be included in GAAP and non-GAAP results in the Q4, the company noted. Viking Therapeutics' VK2735 is a dual agonist of the glucagon-like peptide 1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptors being studied to treat metabolic disorders, including obesity. Eli Lilly (LLY) and Novo Nordisk's (NVO) also currently market GLP-1 weight loss drugs.

08:26 EST Co-founders Francis, Hartfield offer to acquire WM Tech for $1.70/share in cash - On December 17, Weedmaps co-founders Douglas Francis and Justin Hartfield, each a Reporting Person, submitted a non-binding proposal to the board of directors of WM Technology to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock and Class V common stock of the Issuer not owned by the Reporting Persons and their affiliates at a purchase price equal to $1.70 per share in cash, it was said in a regulatory filing. This Proposal represents a substantial premium to relevant trading metrics, including a 39% premium to the closing price as of December 17, 2024, a 52% premium to the implied Enterprise Value as of December 17, 2024, and a 65% premium to the volume-weighted average price in the last year.

08:21 EST Skillsoft expands SAP partnership to drive skills-based workforce - Skillsoft, a leading platform for transformative learning solutions, today announced a new integration with the talent intelligence hub from SAP SuccessFactors, a centralized system for skills intelligence. With this integration, businesses using SAP SuccessFactors solutions and Skillsoft will gain deeper insights into their workforce's skills and be able to deliver personalized learning paths aligned with employees' role requirements and career aspirations, as well as the needs of the business...82% of employees recently surveyed by Skillsoft said their organization has started taking steps to transition to a skills-based model. However, a June 2024 Gartner(R) survey of 190 HR leaders revealed that 41% agree their workforce lacks required skills, 50% agree their organization does not effectively leverage skills, and 62% agree that uncertainty around future skills poses a significant risk. By matching skills between customers' taxonomies from the talent intelligence hub and Skillsoft's skill dictionary, the companies are linking employees' skills and roles with learning experiences throughout SAP SuccessFactors. As a result, organizations can better assess, index, and map the current skills of their employees against skills required for their jobs for more strategic workforce planning.

08:19 EST Ainos CEO looks to advance AI nose technology in 2025 - Ainos provided a letter to shareholders from its Chairman, President, and CEO Chun-Hsien Tsai, which read in part, "As 2024 draws to a close, I am honored to share Ainos, Inc.'s significant achievements this year. Guided by our commitment to innovation, excellence, and corporate responsibility, we continue to push the boundaries of technology, bringing real, meaningful change to healthcare, industry, and beyond. I firmly believe that every step we take at Ainos contributes to the betterment of humanity and the world...As we enter 2025, we are committed to accelerating growth and innovation with a clear focus on the following: 1. Advancing AI Nose Technology : Drive mass production and market deployment for smart healthcare, woman's health, senior care, and industrial applications. Over H1 2025, we will advance mass production for our senior care and smart manufacturing projects and commence a clinical study for our second-generation Flora. 2. Progressing VELDONA Clinical Trials : Submit Investigational New Drug applications to the U.S. FDA for Sjogren's syndrome and HIV-related oral warts by H2 2025 . 3. Strengthening Strategic Partnerships : Expand our collaboration with Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma and pursue new opportunities for AI Nose and VELDONA technologies worldwide. 4. Expanding Our IP Portfolio : Secure and develop additional intellectual property to strengthen our technological leadership and long-term value. Join Our Journey in Creating a Better Future Together At Ainos, we are not only focused on delivering business success but are deeply committed to improving human health, ensuring environmental sustainability, and enhancing quality of life globally. Moving forward, we will continue driving innovation, unlocking new market opportunities, and delivering tangible contributions to society."

08:17 EST Worksport announces launch of new investor rlations website - Worksport announced the launch of its new investor relations website. This enhanced platform provides shareholders, analysts, and prospective investors with up-to-date information on the Company's initiatives, growth milestones, and strategic direction. The site also features a video presentation titled "Worksport's Road to a $13B Target Market," offering new insights into how Worksport anticipates evolving into a leading clean-tech player through groundbreaking products like the SOLIS solar tonneau cover and the COR mobile power system.

08:14 EST Hologic enters agreement with CDC to develop ASRs - Hologic announced that it has entered into an agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, to develop analyte specific reagents, or ASRs, the "active ingredients" of laboratory-developed tests used to identify specific diseases or conditions that would aid in the detection of H5N1 bird flu. The contract will fund proof-of-concept development of ASRs primers and probes, in this case that could eventually be incorporated into laboratory-developed tests designed to detect H5N1. While Hologic does not currently intend to make these ASRs commercially available, the company may explore future commercialization should the need for rapid implementation of H5N1 testing arise.

08:12 EST Quantum announces support for 'NVIDIA GPUDirect Storage' capability - Quantum Corporation announced development of a new highly parallel file system client for the Quantum Myriad all-flash file system, designed to fully enable NVIDIA GPUDirect Storage capability while offering on-the-fly client node deployments with cross platform compatibility, including NVIDIA Grace Hopper with Grace ARM-based architectures. This new capability offers an innovative approach to building artificial intelligence AI /machine learning ML infrastructure intended to let customers add powerful new graphics processing unit GPU nodes to Myriad clusters as needed to respond quickly to evolving workflow and pipeline needs. Designed to maximize GPU utilization and performance, the client is optimized for GPU-intensive workloads such as AI/ML model training and inferencing, high-performance computing HPC visualization and modeling, and video rendering..."The growing demands of massive data analysis and AI/ML pipelines are driving the need for more agile, on-demand infrastructure solutions that are simple to implement and also ready for advanced technologies like NVIDIA GPUDirect Storage," said Guy Currier, CTO, Futurum Research. "Organizations are increasingly looking for scalable, high-performance systems that can adapt to evolving workflows without requiring extensive new deployments. Simplicity, ease of use, and future-proof adaptability are critical factors in addressing these needs effectively."

08:11 EST Medera's Novoheart, Curi Bio partner for human-based cardiac drug screening - Medera announced that its wholly owned preclinical subsidiary for disease modelling and drug discovery, Novoheart, has entered into a partnership with Curi Bio. This strategic collaboration integrates Novoheart's human Heart-in-a-Jar technology with Curi Bio's Pulse analytics platform, delivering an solution for accelerated, high-content, human-based cardiac drug development. The partnership reflects a shared focus on the rapidly emerging market of human-based preclinical models for drug development that has been stimulated by the recent passing of the FDA Modernization Act 2.0, which calls for the development of superior human-based alternatives to traditional animal testing. As the first step in their partnership, Curi Bio is adapting Pulse to process the unique pressure-volume data generated by Novoheart's Heart-in-a-Jar. This integration aims to enhance Novoheart's unparalleled platform by enabling smart, high-content assessment of cardiac pump function, significantly reducing the time and cost required for screening drug candidates. Together with the newly introduced multi-heart recording technology, the efficiency has been estimated to improve by as much as 100-fold. The integrated solution will initially be made available to select early access customers. On September 5, 2024, Medera and Keen Vision Acquisition Corporation announced they had entered into a definitive merger agreement.

08:10 EST Guardant Health announces collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim - Guardant Health announced a collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim to pursue the regulatory approval and commercialization of the Guardant360 CDx liquid biopsy as a companion diagnostic for zongertinib, an investigational covalent tyrosine kinase inhibitor that selectively inhibits HER2 while sparing epidermal growth factor receptor in non-small cell lung cancer. As part of the collaboration, the Guardant360 CDx blood test will provide genomic profiling of tumors to identify actionable biomarkers that allow targeted therapy selection and help identify NSCLC patients with HER2 mutations who may be eligible for treatment with Boehringer's investigational zongertinib after it is approved by health authorities.

08:08 EST Satixfy regains compliance with NYSE American listing standards - SatixFy Communications announced that it has regained compliance with the continued listing standards of the NYSE American. On December 16 SatixFy received written notice from the NYSE American confirming that the Company has resolved the continued listing deficiencies previously referenced in NYSE American's letter, dated November 30 and set forth in Sections 1003(a) of the NYSE American Company Guide . NYSE confirmed that the Company has demonstrated compliance with the continued listing standard for a period of two consecutive quarters as required under Section 1009(f) of the Company Guide. SatixFy remains committed to maintaining full compliance with NYSE American listing requirements and continues to focus on its operational and financial objectives.

08:07 EST Daxor expands ezBVA Lab service to two new hospital systems - Daxor Corporation announces expansion of its ezBVA Lab service to two new health systems. Daxor's ezBVA Lab provides cost-effective blood volume analysis, offering comprehensive sample processing with minimal initial investment. The service has broad reimbursement coverage across hospitals and ambulatory care settings. New wins include: A major Arizona-based multi-campus medical center has adopted our BVA technology for outpatient nephrology care with further departments to follow in 2025. A regional health network serving communities across Southwest Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, and North Dakota has agreed to implement BVA for heart failure outpatient management.

08:06 EST NV5 Global to acquire Global Fire Protection Group, terms not disclosed - NV5 has entered an agreement to acquire Global Fire Protection Group, a provider of fire safety engineering, inspection, and consulting services. Founded in 2014, Global FPG is licensed to deliver fire services in all 50 U.S. states and eight Canadian provinces, and it has completed projects in 39 countries. The acquisition was made with a combination of cash and stock and will be immediately accretive to NV5's earnings. The company said, "Global FPG specializes in fire protection services for attractive end markets, including data centers, healthcare, utilities, and industrial sectors. The Company is one of few fire life safety companies offering suppression, detection, and compartmentation disciplines in active and passive fire protection."

08:05 EST MetaVia reports results from Phase 2a clinical trial of DA-1241 - MetaVia announced positive top-line 16-week results from the two-part Phase 2a clinical trial in patients with presumed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH. Part 1 of this Phase 2a trial is exploring DA-1241, a novel G-Protein-Coupled Receptor 119, or GPR119, agonist compared to placebo, while Part 2 is investigating the efficacy of DA-1241 in combination with sitagliptin, a DPP-4 inhibitor. In this trial, DA-1241 demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in alanine transaminase, or ALT, levels at weeks 4 and 8, with a near statistically significant reduction at week 16. Statistically significant results were also achieved in multiple secondary endpoints including reductions in controlled attenuation parameter, or CAP, and hemoglobin A1C, or HbA1c. DA-1241 demonstrated similar trends in other liver enzymes including aminotransferase, or AST, and gamma-glutamyl transferase, or GGT. Results highlights include: DA-1241 100mg showed statistically significant reductions in ALT levels at weeks 4 and 8 and a near statistically significant reduction at week 16 compared to placebo; DA-1241 50mg showed a statistically significant improvement in the normalization of ALT levels compared to placebo, with an odds ratio of 10.500; DA-1241 100mg and DA-1241 100mg + Sitagliptin 100mg showed significant improvements in the CAP score compared to placebo; DA-1241 100mg + Sitagliptin 100mg showed a statistically significant reduction in the FAST score compared to placebo; and DA-1241 100mg and DA-1241 100mg + Sitagliptin 100mg showed significant reductions.

08:05 EST Praxis Precision announces U.S. FDA granted RPDD for relutrigine - Praxis Precision Medicines announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation, RPDD, for relutrigine in Dravet syndrome. In September, and updated at the recent 2024 American Epilepsy Society Annual Meeting, Praxis shared results for relutrigine in SCN2A and SCN8A patients in cohort 1 of the EMBOLD study that showed: Placebo-adjusted monthly motor seizure reduction of 46% during the double-blind period; Over 30% of patients achieved seizure freedom status while on relutrigine; Meaningful gains observed in alertness, communication and seizure severity; 77% reduction in median seizure rate seen for patients in the long-term extension. Based on the results of this study, Praxis has initiated and is enrolling patients in a second, registrational cohort for SCN2A and SCN8A patients, expecting topline results in the first half of 2026.

08:04 EST ViaSat selected by Defense Innovation Unit to support Replicator initiative - Viasat announced it was selected by the Defense Innovation Unit to deliver networking capability in support of the Replicator initiative by providing highly resilient command and control connectivity across unmanned systems. Replicator aims to deliver large masses of uncrewed, all-domain attritable autonomous systems for warfighter operations support and aligns with the overall U.S. Department of Defense effort to accelerate delivery of innovative capabilities to the warfighter at speed and scale. DIU announced vendor awards last month under two separate Commercial Solution Openings contracts for software services and support.

08:03 EST Algorhythm's SemiCab awarded pilot program with CPG producer - Algorhythm announced that its subsidiary, SemiCab, has been awarded a commercially scalable pilot program with the world's sixth-largest global consumer packaged goods, CPG, producer. The new freight business, launched as a proof-of-concept initiative in late October, will initially focus on the densely populated southwestern India commercial corridor.

08:02 EST Spyre Therapeutics to be added to Nasdaq Biotechnology Index at open on 12/23 - Spyre Therapeutics announced Spyre has been added to the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index effective prior to market open, Monday, December 23.

08:01 EST Scynexis initiates dosing in Phase 1 trial of SCY-247 - SCYNEXIS has completed the dosing of the first cohort of subjects in its Phase 1 trial of SCY-247, the Company's second-generation triterpenoid antifungal in development for the treatment of severe invasive fungal infections. The Phase 1 trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of single and multiple ascending doses of oral SCY-247 in approximately 100 healthy subjects. The primary endpoint is safety and tolerability, and the secondary endpoint is pharmacokinetics.

07:37 EST Accuray reports new data from multicenter analysis of SRS and FSRT - Accuray announced international retrospective multicenter analysis found that radiosurgery, or SRS, and fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, or FSRT, delivered with the CyberKnife System, can provide an effective and time-saving treatment option for brainstem metastases, or BSM. The nine institution study results, published in the International Journal of Cancer, "underscore the long-term benefits in local control and the robust safety profile despite the delicate location of the treated metastases." SRS and FSRT - also referred to as fractionated radiosurgery - are advanced forms of radiation therapy. SRS delivers a high dose of radiation in one session, while FSRT divides the total treatment dose into multiple, smaller doses given over several days. Both techniques provide medical care teams with the ability to deliver extremely precise, very targeted doses of radiotherapy, typically to small, specific areas within the body, usually in the brain. In the reported analysis, 136 patients who received treatment in one to five sessions were analyzed; 69.4 percent received radiotherapy in just one treatment dose.

07:36 EST Amesite announces NurseMagic contract wins high growth companies - Amesite has closed on contracts with franchise owners representing nationally recognized brands that operate hundreds of locations across the country. These initial contract wins represent a major milestone for NurseMagic, proving its value as a repeatable, scalable solution for franchise businesses. By addressing critical challenges in workforce performance and engagement, NurseMagic delivers immediate ROI without disrupting existing systems-making it the go-to choice for franchise owners operating in one of the fastest-growing segments of healthcare.

07:36 EST Silo Pharma initiates pharmacokinetic, tolerability study for SP-26 - Silo Pharma announced the initiation of a pharmacokinetic and tolerability study in partnership with its contract research organization, AmplifyBio. The study is designed to assess the pharmacokinetics of Silo's dissolvable ketamine-based injectable implant, SP-26, in a minipig model. SP-26 is being developed as a self-administered, non-opioid therapeutic aimed at treating chronic pain and fibromyalgia. The non-GLP study, set to span three weeks, will investigate the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of extended-release ketamine hydrochloride implants. Two distinct polymer formulations will be tested at varying dose levels.

07:34 EST Corvus Pharmaceuticals announce interim data from Phase 1 trial of soquelitinib - Corvus Pharmaceuticals announced interim data from the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating soquelitinib in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. The data demonstrated a favorable safety profile and efficacy profile, supporting the ongoing development of soquelitinib for atopic dermatitis and the potential of ITK inhibition as a novel mechanism of action for other immune diseases. Data from lowest dose level cohorts demonstrate a favorable safety and efficacy profile. "We are pleased with the early results of our soquelitinib Phase 1 atopic dermatitis clinical trial, which show an attractive potential product profile at the lowest dose we are studying," said Richard Miller, M.D., co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Corvus. "The data show consistent signs of efficacy, combined with a novel mechanism of action, a convenient oral route of administration and a favorable safety profile."

07:32 EST Lion Electric files for creditor protection under CCAA - The Lion Electric Company announced that the company and its subsidiaries have applied to the Superior Court of Quebec for an initial order to seek protection from their creditors under the companies' Creditors Arrangement Act. The company and its subsidiaries also intend to seek recognition of the CCAA proceedings in the United States under Chapter 15 of the Bankruptcy Code. In its application for an initial order, the company seeks the approval of a formal sale and investment solicitation process in order to provide interested parties with the opportunity to submit proposals with a view to enabling the company and its senior lenders to determine the highest and best available transaction for the company and its stakeholders. The initial order application seeks, among other things, a stay of proceedings in favor of the company and its subsidiaries, including a stay of creditor claims and exercise of contractual rights, and the authorization of an interim debtor-in-possession financing to be provided by the lenders under the company's senior revolving credit agreement in order to fund the SISP and the company's operations during the restructuring process. Approval is also being sought for the appointment of Deloitte Restructuring Inc. as monitor to oversee the CCAA proceedings and report to the Court. While under CCAA protection, management of the company will remain responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company under the oversight of the monitor. This announcement follows the press release issued by the company on December 17 announcing the expiry of the covenant relief period under the company's senior revolving credit agreement and maturity of the company's loan agreement with Finalta Capital and Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec. Trading in the common shares and other listed securities of the company on the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange has been halted. The TSX has also put the company under delisting review under its expedited review process. It is anticipated that trading in the company's listed securities will continue to be halted until completion of the review undertaken by the TSX and the NYSE regarding the suitability of the company for listing on the TSX and the NYSE.

07:26 EST Cognition Therapeutics announces results in Phase 2 study of CT1812 - Cognition Therapeutics announced topline results from the exploratory Phase 2 'SHIMMER' study demonstrating CT1812 produced strong therapeutic responses across behavioral, functional, cognitive, and movement measures in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies. Designed as a signal-finding study, the SHIMMER Phase 2 study enrolled 130 patients with mild-to-moderate DLB who were randomized to receive one of two oral doses of CT1812 or placebo daily for six months. Results indicate the study met its primary endpoint of safety and tolerability, with data showing that DLB patients treated with CT1812 for six months experienced improvement in behavioral, functional, cognitive and movement measures compared to placebo. Importantly, there was an 82% slowing in the total neuropsychiatric inventory with particularly strong reduction in anxiety, hallucinations, and delusions in the CT1812 treated arms. In addition, there was a marked reduction in caregiver distress, which suggests a positive impact on the day-to-day lives of those receiving the drug. Participants treated with CT1812 experienced a slowing of decline across all three cognitive measures compared to placebo, including fluctuations in attention which declined by 91%. Detailed data will be presented at the International Lewy Body Dementia Conference in January 2025. "These topline results exceeded our expectations and support the broad potential of CT1812 across neurodegenerative disorders," stated Anthony Caggiano, CMO and head of R&D. "Analysis of CT1812's activity in DLB will continue as additional data become available. We look forward to reporting these findings at future medical meetings and reviewing them with the FDA in an end-of-Phase 2 meeting."

07:17 EST Microchip adds MTCH2120 to portfolio of turnkey capacitive touch controllers - The company said, "With the launch of its 12-button MTCH2120 touch controller, Microchip Technology is providing designers with a straightforward pathway for implementing touch button capabilities on user interfaces. The low-power, water-tolerant turnkey touch device is integrated with Microchip's unified ecosystem, allowing for an easier design process and facilitating transitions between other turnkey solutions and MCU-based touch implementations. The MTCH2120 is the first of what will be a family of I2C-based touch controllers with a comprehensive design-in ecosystem. The MTCH2120 provides a robust touch experience independent of noise events and moisture, while offering high flexibility to adapt to individual product requirements. Low-power features allow buttons to be grouped, which reduces scan activity and lowers power while enabling the buttons to remain fully operational."

07:16 EST Origin Materials continues commercial qualification, debuts latest caps - Origin Materials announced the production of PET caps with new features as commercial qualification continues. The latest caps were produced at our partner's facility in Germany on Origin's CapFormer System, its proprietary system for manufacturing recyclable PET closures. The caps, made with recycled PET and designed for compatibility with the PCO 1881 standard, incorporate new features requested by customers following the successful factory acceptance test of the CapFormer System in September...Bissell added: "Having added knurls and made a few other product refinements, such as changes that help our caps integrate better into existing capping machines and bottling lines, we're now able to expand our customer qualification efforts. We've shipped the new caps for commercial qualification and our momentum with prospective customers remains strong and continues to build. In fact, today we're happy to announce a new signed customer term sheet, alongside our previously announced MOU for over $100 million in PET caps over an initial two-year term. We are working hard to complete these qualifications so that Origin can begin fulfilling the awaiting customer demand."

07:14 EST Cartesian Therapeutics announces employment inducement grants - Cartesian Therapeutics announced the granting of inducement awards to four new employees. On December 12, 2024, the Company issued to these employees options to purchase an aggregate of 25,602 shares of the Company's common stock with an exercise price of $20.12, the closing trading price of the Company's common stock on the Nasdaq Global Market on the date of grant. The options were granted pursuant to the Company's Amended and Restated 2018 Employment Inducement Incentive Award Plan and were approved by the Company's board of directors. The option vests as to 25% on December 12, 2025, and then in three equal annual installments thereafter such that the options will be fully vested on December 12, 2028. The options have a ten-year term.

07:13 EST BIT Mining receives noncompliance notification from NYSE - BIT Mining announced that it received a letter from the New York Stock Exchange notifying the company that it has regained compliance with the NYSE's quantitative continued listing standards. The company was notified by the NYSE that it was not in compliance with the NYSE's minimum market capitalization and shareholders' equity requirement of Section 802.01B of the NYSE Listed Company Manual because its average total market capitalization over a consecutive 30 trading-day period and last reported stockholders' equity were both below $50M

07:11 EST MannKind announces exchange of convertible notes for stock, cash - MannKind has entered into separate, privately negotiated exchange agreements with certain holders of its 2.50% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026. Under the terms of the exchange agreements, the Holders agreed to exchange an aggregate principal amount of approximately $193.7M of Notes held by them in exchange for an aggregate of 26,749,559 shares of the Company's common stock. In addition, pursuant to the exchange agreements, MannKind will make an aggregate cash payment of approximately $89.2M to the Holders for additional exchange consideration. The transaction is expected to close in two closings, with the first closing on or about December 20, 2024 and the second closing on or about December 23, 2024, in each case, subject to customary closing conditions. This repurchase decreases MannKind's total outstanding debt by 84%. In addition, there were 37.2M shares reserved for conversion of the approximately $193.7M principal amount of Notes, corresponding to a potential savings of approximately 10.4M shares of dilution. This transaction is expected to help the Company to focus on its strategic priorities of delivering continued growth of its commercial business and supporting the development of its pulmonary pipeline programs. Immediately following the exchange of the Notes contemplated by the exchange agreements, the aggregate principal amount of the Notes will be reduced from $230M to approximately $36.3M, and annual interest expense will be reduced by $4.9M to approximately $0.9M. Following the exchange of the Notes, MannKind's cash balance will be in excess of $180M with approximately 302.5M shares outstanding.

07:09 EST Icon appoints Barry Balfe as COO - Icon announced the appointment of Barry Balfe as COO. Balfe has held a number of leadership roles across both full service and functional solutions at Icon. Balfe will continue to report to Icon's CEO, Steve Cutler.

07:08 EST FactSet appoints Eilam to board of directors - FactSet (FDS) announced the appointment of Barak Eilam to its Board of Directors. He will also serve on FactSet's Compensation and Talent Committee. Eilam is serving as Chief Executive Officer of NICE (NICE), a leading enterprise software company specializing in analytics and AI solutions, through the end of calendar year 2024.

07:06 EST Cara Therapeutics, Tvardi Therapeutics enter definitive merger agreement - Cara Therapeutics and Tvardi Therapeutics announced that the companies have entered into a definitive merger agreement to combine in an all-stock transaction. Under the terms of the agreement, Tvardi will merge with a wholly owned subsidiary of Cara. Upon completion of the Merger, pre-Merger Cara Therapeutics stockholders are expected to own approximately 17.0% of the combined company and pre-Merger Tvardi Therapeutics investors are expected to own approximately 83.0% of the combined company, in each case, prior to adjustment from the issuance of the shares in the recently completed Tvardi financing and assuming Cara has net cash at closing of between $22.875M and $23.125M. The percentage of the combined company that pre-merger Cara stockholders and pre-merger Tvardi stockholders will own upon the closing of the merger is subject to further adjustment if Cara's net cash balance falls outside of the range. Upon completion of the Merger, the combined company is expected to operate under the name Tvardi Therapeutics. and trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol "TVRD". Tvardi has recently completed an approximately $28M private financing from a syndicate of new and existing institutional investors. With the cash from both companies at closing and the proceeds of this financing, the combined company is expected to have sufficient cash to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the second half of 2026, past the anticipated Phase 2 readouts in the second half of 2025. Concurrent with the entry into the merger agreement with Tvardi, Cara also entered into an asset purchase agreement with Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma, a company jointly owned by Fresenius Medical Care (FMS) and by the CSL Vifor business unit of the CSL Group. Pursuant to such asset purchase agreement, at the consummation of the transaction, Cara will sell to CSL Vifor and CSL Vifor will acquire from Cara certain assets and rights to the development, manufacture and commercialization of Korsuva/Kapruvia as well as certain associated liabilities for a purchase price of $900,000. Additionally, pursuant to the Asset Purchase Agreement, at the consummation of the Asset Disposition, Cara has agreed to pay CSL Vifor $3,000,000 to compensate CSL Vifor for the estimated incremental future expenses to be incurred by CSL Vifor as a result of the transfer of the assets to be acquired and the liabilities to be assumed by it in connection with the Asset Disposition. The Asset Disposition is subject to certain conditions to closing, including the consummation of the merger with Tvardi substantially contemporaneously with the Asset Disposition. Following the Merger, the combined company will be headquartered in Houston, Texas, and will be led by Tvardi's CEO, Imran Alibhai, Ph.D., and other members of the Tvardi management team. The combined company's board of directors will be comprised of six directors from Tvardi's Board of Directors and one director from Cara's Board of Directors. The transaction has been approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies and is expected to close in the first half of 2025, subject to certain closing conditions, including, among other things, approval by the stockholders of each company, the effectiveness of a registration statement to be filed with the SEC to register the shares of Tvardi common stock to be issued in connection with the Merger, Cara having a minimum amount of net cash as of the closing, and other customary closing conditions. In connection with the Merger, directors and officers of Cara and directors, officers and certain stockholders of Tvardi have executed support agreements, pursuant to which they have agreed to vote all their shares of capital stock in favor of the Merger.

07:05 EST Adicet Bio appoints Julie Maltzman, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer - Adicet Bio announced the appointment of Julie Maltzman, M.D. as Chief Medical Officer, effective January 13, 2025. Dr. Maltzman will lead the Adicet clinical development strategy to advance Adicet's robust autoimmune and oncology pipeline. "We are incredibly pleased to welcome Julie to the Adicet team. Her vast experience in successfully leading the clinical development of multiple products across therapeutic areas notably in solid tumors and autoimmune diseases, from early-stage research to global approvals and commercialization, will be a big asset for Adicet as we advance our novel pipeline of allogeneic gamma delta CAR T cell therapies for multiple autoimmune and oncology indications," said Chen Schor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Adicet Bio. "We're at an exciting point where we are seeing significant momentum in our clinical trial enrollment efforts, with an increasing number of sites activated and patients enrolling in both the ADI-001 and ADI-270 programs. This progress highlights the promising potential of our therapies. Julie's expertise will help position us well in our goal for continued success in the development and regulatory progress of these novel therapies for patients." Dr. Maltzman succeeds Dr. Francesco Galimi who has completed his tenure at Adicet this month. "We thank Dr. Galimi for his contributions and wish him all the best in his future endeavors," Schor added.

07:03 EST Firstlight urges Sotera Health to launch sales process for Nelson Labs - On December 3, Firstlight Management LP sent a letter to the Board of Directors of Sotera Health Company calling for a sale of its Nelson Labs subsidiary. The letter stated, in part, "Dear Members of the Board, As you know, Firstlight Management is a Utah-based investment firm founded by an alumnus of Tiger Management and Leonard Green & Partners. We are shareholders of Sotera Health and believe so strongly in the potential at the company that it is our only position. We believe SHC has an opportunity to create an enormous amount of shareholder value by selling Nelson Labs and we call on the Board to initiate a sales process. We would welcome a conversation with management if we need to be disabused of any misconceptions and, as always, we are happy to restrict ourselves in the stock and wall-cross if invited. Otherwise, we hope to see a public announcement for the launch of a strategic alternatives process for Nelson Labs."

07:02 EST Mixed Martial Arts Group announces successful acquisition of BJLink - Mixed Martial Arts announces the successful acquisition of BJJLink, the premier technology platform tailored to the needs of jiu jitsu academies, coaches, and practitioners worldwide. This acquisition marks a significant milestone in MMA's mission to unify and modernize the fragmented martial arts landscape, enabling the industry to capitalize on significant opportunities for growth and monetization. The acquisition of BJJLink includes a maximum consideration over 5 years based on revenue milestones of $3.6 million by year three, $6.3 million by year four, and $10 million by year five.

06:46 EST Merck and Hansoh Pharma sign exclusive global license agreement for HS-10535 - Merck and Hansoh Pharma, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company, announced that they have entered into an exclusive global license agreement for HS-10535, an investigational preclinical oral small molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist. Under the agreement, Hansoh Pharma has granted Merck an exclusive global license to develop, manufacture and commercialize HS-10535. Hansoh Pharma will receive an upfront payment of $112M and is eligible to receive up to $1.9B in milestone payments associated with the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of the candidate, as well as royalties on sales. Hansoh Pharma may co-promote or solely commercialize HS-10535 in China subject to certain conditions. Merck will record a pre-tax charge of $112M, or 4c per share, to be included in GAAP and non-GAAP results in the Q4.

06:31 EST Compass Pathways to be added to Nasdaq Biotechnology Index at open on 12/23 - Compass Pathways announced its common stock will be added to the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index effective prior to market open on Monday, December 23.

06:06 EST UniCredit raises stake in Commerzbank to 28% - UniCredit (UNCRY) announced that it has entered into new financial instruments relating to Commerzbank (CRZBY) shares, in line with its previously stated ambition to reach a 29.9% stake. UniCredit's overall position now totals circa 28%, of which 9.5% through a direct stake and circa 18.5% through derivative instruments. UniCredit also said it has submitted the necessary regulatory filings to acquire a stake in Commerzbank in excess of 10% up to 29.9%. The authorization process is now activated, and interactions with authorities ongoing, UniCredit added. "UniCredit's average entry price for the entire position is below current trading levels and fulfills the full financial metrics that we have committed to our shareholders to abide by." The position remains at this time solely an investment and does not have any impact on the public exchange offer with Banco BPM (BNCZF), it said. Reference Link

05:59 EST EU opens formal probe into TikTok on election risks under DSA - The European Commission has opened formal proceedings against TikTok for a suspected breach of the Digital Services Act in relation to TikTok's obligation to properly assess and mitigate systemic risks linked to election integrity, notably in the context of the recent Romanian presidential elections on 24 November. Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, said: "We must protect our democracies from any kind of foreign interference. Whenever we suspect such interference, especially during elections, we have to act swiftly and firmly. Following serious indications that foreign actors interfered in the Romanian presidential elections by using TikTok, we are now thoroughly investigating whether TikTok has violated the Digital Services Act by failing to tackle such risks. It should be crystal clear that in the EU, all online platforms, including TikTok, must be held accountable." The proceedings will focus on management of risks to elections or civic discourse, linked to the following areas: TikTok's recommender systems, notably the risks linked to the coordinated inauthentic manipulation or automated exploitation of the service. TikTok's policies on political advertisements and paid-for political content. The Commission will now carry out an in-depth investigation as a matter of priority. Publicly traded companies in the social media space that compete with TikTok include Meta Platforms (META), Alphabet (GOOGL), Pinterest (PINS), Reddit (RDDT) and Snap (SNAP). Reference Link

05:41 EST BW LPG takes delivery of vessel, issues shares to Avance Gas - BW LPG has taken delivery of vessel BW Monsoon on December 18. In total,11 of the 12 VLGCs are now delivered. BW LPG has issued 1,350,000 new BW LPG shares to Avance Gas as part-consideration for the above vessel. Following the issuance of the new shares, the total number of issued shares of BW LPG is 157,141,000, representing a total share capital in the amount of $582,934,798. The new shares have been legally and validly issued and are fully paid. Following the above issuance, Avance Gas holds 17,141,000 shares in BW LPG, representing approximately 10.91% shareholding.

05:22 EST Perfect Moment receives noncompliance notification from NYSE - Perfect Moment received a notification from the NYSE stating that the company is not in compliance with the minimum stockholders' equity requirements of Sections 1003(a)(ii) of the NYSE company guide requiring stockholders' equity of $4M or more if the company has reported losses from continuing operations and/or net losses in three of the four most recent fiscal years. As of September 30, the company had stockholders' equity of $2.7M and has had losses in its three most recent fiscal years ended March 31.

05:11 EST Himax, Seeed Studio announce collaboration at CES 2025 - Himax and Seeed Studio announced their collaboration at CES 2025 to showcase Seeed's SenseCAP Watcher, a groundbreaking real-time, ultralow power monitoring IoT device.