Stockwinners Market Radar for April 26, 2021 - Earnings, Upgrades downgrades, option trades, Best Stock Advisory Service

20:02 EDT AeroCentury announces bankruptcy orders - AeroCentury announced orders entered in the chapter 11 bankruptcy case covering it and certain of its subsidiaries in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware as well as receipt of an audit opinion with going concern qualification. On April 22, 2021, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware entered an order authorizing and approving the funding of AeroCentury Corp.'s chapter 11 bankruptcy cases on a final basis. This final order authorizes AeroCentury's continued access to funding for its business operations and restructuring process, to the extent that such funding is available.

19:27 EDT Charles Schwab chairman sells 47.2K shares of common stock - In a regulatory filing, Charles Schwab disclosed that its Chairman Charles Schwab sold 47.2K shares of common stock on April 26th in a total transaction size of $3.21M.

18:40 EDT Regal Beloit increases dividend 10% to 33c - Regal Beloit declared a dividend of 33c per share. The dividend represents a 10% increase and is payable on July 16, to shareholders of record at the close of business on July 2. The company has paid a dividend every quarter since January 1961.

18:34 EDT Tractor Supply CEO: We focus on serving the rural lifestyle - In an interview on CNBC's Mad Money, Hal Lawton said Tractor Supply is seeing a revitalizing of the rural lifestyle, lead by millennials. The company has been gaining market share with core customers, but also with millennials. "We're a lifestyle retailer," he added. "Our customers have two acres or more."

18:15 EDT Tesla CFO says did invest $1.5B in Bitcoin in Q1 and then sold 10% of that stake - Says allows customers to make vehicle deposits and final vehicle purchases in Bitcoin. Says Bitcoin was used while "looking for a place to store cash that wasn't immediately being used" and preserve liquidity. Says access to cash is super important ahead of the launch of Austin and Berlin factories. Says use of Bitcoin has proven so far as good decision.

18:06 EDT Independent Bank raises dividend 6.7% to 32c - Independent Bank announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend in the amount of 32c per share of common stock. The dividend will be payable on May 20 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 6.

17:52 EDT Tesla CEO says demand is 'best ever seen' - Says we are mostly out of supply chain shortage problem. Says to have high volume Model S production in Q3. Says demand for Model S and X will be quite high. Says expect to produce S and X at a rate of 2,000 per week. Says there is a lot to be excited about in 2021 and 2022, company should have limited volume production from Texas and Berlin factories this year. Comments taken from Q1 earnings conference call.

17:22 EDT Lockheed Martin awarded $138M Air Force contract modification for PPR2 program - Lockheed Martin has been awarded a not-to-exceed $138M modification to a contract for the Peace Phoenix Rising 2, or PPR2, program. The contract modification is for the development and fielding of capabilities for the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System and AGM-88 High Speed Anti-radiation Missile; improvements in radar software maturity; an update to the Data Acquisition System; and Advanced Identification Friend or Foe for the Taiwan Retrofit Program F-16 Block 20 fleet. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas; and Taiwan, and is expected to be completed September 30, 2022. This modification involves 100% Foreign Military Sales, or FMS, and is the result of a sole-source acquisition. FMS funds in the amount of $67.62M are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is the contracting activity.

17:04 EDT JetBlue says its first Airbus A220-300 jet officially enters scheduled service - JetBlue (JBLU) announced its first Airbus (EADSY) A220-300 aircraft has officially entered scheduled service with the first revenue flight from Boston Logan International Airport to Tampa International Airport departing just before 5 o'clock this evening. The aircraft - which was assembled at Airbus's U.S. production facility in Mobile, Ala. - is scheduled to operate between the Northeast and Florida for the next several weeks. JetBlue's second A220 is on track for delivery in the coming days, with the third expected to arrive next month. "We selected the Airbus A220 nearly three years ago knowing its cost savings, superior performance and customer-friendly design would evolve our fleet for the long-term future," said Ursula Hurley, head of treasury and investor relations, JetBlue. "These factors, which initially led us to select the A220, are now more important than ever as we navigate the new travel environment with a steady hand and a long-term view on recovery. Today's introduction of our first A220 into scheduled service allows us to continue to execute our low cost business model and enables JetBlue to continue to offer low fares to more customers."

17:01 EDT Scholar Rock receives patent for methods for making inhibitors of myostatin - Scholar Rock announced that the U.S. Patent Office, or USPTO, issued U.S. Patent No. 10,981,981 with an expiry of May 2034. This patent broadly covers methods for making inhibitors of myostatin, or GDF8, activation based on Scholar Rock's proprietary platform approach of targeting the precursor forms of growth factors. The issued claims are directed to manufacturing methods for developing antibodies that bind selectively to pro/latent myostatin thereby inhibiting myostatin signaling.

16:55 EDT Reata Pharmaceuticals says FDA accepted filing for bardoxolone NDA - Reata Pharmaceuticals announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration accepted for filing the New Drug Application for bardoxolone methyl for the treatment of patients with chronic kidney disease caused by Alport syndrome. This NDA submission is based on the efficacy and safety data from the CARDINAL Phase 3 clinical trial. The FDA will review the application under a Standard Review timeline. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act date, the FDA action date for the application, is scheduled for February 25, 2022. The FDA also advised the company that it is currently planning to hold an Advisory Committee meeting to discuss the application. "We are pleased with the FDA's decision to accept for filing our NDA for bardoxolone and look forward to continuing to work with the Division during the review process," said Warren Huff, Reata's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Alport syndrome is one of the most rapidly progressive forms of CKD and a truly devastating disease to those patients and the families who are affected by it. If approved, bardoxolone may be the first therapy to slow the progression of kidney disease in patients with this serious and debilitating disease."

16:46 EDT PQ Group drops 7% to $15.51 after 12.5M share offering of common stock

16:42 EDT Krystal Biotech provides update on GEM-3 study of B-VEC for DEB - Krystal Biotech announced modifications to the Statistical Analysis Plan SAP in the ongoing Phase 3 study of B-VEC for the treatment of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa DEB based on feedback from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration . The GEM-3 trial is a randomized, double-blind, intra patient placebo-controlled multicenter study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of B-VEC for patients living with both recessive and dominant forms of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. The trial enrolled 31 subjects with DEB, aged 6 months or older at time of consent. Each subject will serve as their own control. To account for paired binary data in the study design and the within-pair correlation in the GEM-3 study, Krystal will use the McNemar test for primary efficacy analysis. The primary outcome measure is complete wound healing determined by the Investigator in B-VEC treated wounds versus placebo. In the updated SAP, a positive response is defined as: "As the GEM-3 trial remains double blinded until database lock occurs in the fourth quarter of 2021, we had the flexibility to adjust the planned SAP with no impact on trial conduct or progress," said Suma Krishnan, chief operating officer of Krystal Biotech. She added, "We believe that the updated SAP accounts for the within-wound-pair correlation and will better assess the potential benefit of B-VEC against placebo."With 90% power and a two-sided Type 1 error rate of 5%, and an assumed 20% drop out rate, 30 subjects (i.e., 30 wound pairs) were required for the GEM-3 study assuming a 50% difference in response rate between B-VEC and placebo treated wounds. Because the calculation assumes no correlation within subjects, the estimate is conservative. Any positive correlation will cause an increase in power. Retrospective analysis of Phase 2 study looking at complete wound healing at Week 8 and Week 10 or Week 10 and Week 12 resulted in 78.6% response rate for B-VEC treated wounds versus 0% response rate for placebo wound, with a pless than0.003 using the McNemar test.

16:40 EDT Churchill Downs launches TwinSpires app in Indiana, Pennsylvania and Colorado - Churchill Downs announced the introduction of its TwinSpires Sports mobile app in Indiana and TwinSpires Casino & Sports app in Pennsylvania. The app debut in both states accompanies the rebrand of CDI's sportsbook and iGaming desktop product as TwinSpires. The company also launched its online sports betting operations in Colorado with TwinSpires Sports mobile app and desktop product.

16:32 EDT BRP Group subsidiary to acquire Seniors' Insurance Services of Washington - BRP Group announced that BRP Medicare Insurance III, an indirect subsidiary of BRP Group operating as Guided Medicare Solutions, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire substantially all assets of Seniors' Insurance Services of Washington, a Freeland, Washington-based independent insurance agency that offers information, support and access to Medicare and other senior-related products for its clients. The partnership, BRP Group's nomenclature for a strategic acquisition, is expected to close April 30, subject to certain closing conditions. Seniors' Insurance Services generated annual revenues of approximately $900,000 and is located in the metro Seattle market. Following this partnership, Seniors' Insurance Services will be rebranded under the company's guided banner over a transition period.

16:30 EDT First Choice Bancorp trading resumes

16:27 EDT Applied Genetic announces departure of Chief Scientific Officer Mark Shearman - Applied Genetic Technologies announced that Mark Shearman, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, has resigned from the company to pursue another opportunity but will remain to facilitate a smooth transition through June 4, 2021."Dr. Shearman has had a successful tenure leading AGTC's product candidate selection process, pre-clinical and translational research and long-term research and development planning," said Sue Washer, President and CEO of AGTC. "We are grateful to Mark for his valuable contributions over the last six years that resulted in the completion of several critical milestones. Mark successfully led the advancement of our pipeline such that our focus now spans development stages from the Phase 2/3 clinical program in XLRP, Phase 1/2 clinical programs in ACHM to IND enabling studies for promising product candidates in CNS, Otology and Ophthalmology." "It has been a great privilege to work with AGTC's talented Research and Clinical Development team and contribute to the development of much-needed AAV gene therapies," said Dr. Shearman. "The company has progressed to an exciting stage with promising clinical data emerging and a strong pipeline in place. I wish AGTC continued success across its development activities."

16:23 EDT Neurocrine, Sentia Medical Sciences enter research collaboration - Sentia Medical Sciences announced that they have entered into a research collaboration with Neurocrine Biosciences aimed at discovering novel, long-acting corticotropin-releasing factor, or CRF, receptor antagonist peptide therapeutics. The collaboration will leverage Sentia's proprietary peptide-based platform and Neurocrine's drug development expertise in CRF biology to develop and commercialize medicines with the potential to treat a variety of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal, or HPA, axis modulated diseases. Under the terms of the agreement, Sentia will provide to Neurocrine an exclusive license to existing preclinical CRF receptor antagonist peptide compounds. Additionally, Sentia and Neurocrine will work together to discover novel peptide antagonists targeting CRF and advance them to development candidate stage, after which Neurocrine would be solely responsible for all further development, manufacturing, regulatory and commercial activities. As part of the collaboration, Sentia will receive an up-front payment and committed research funding from Neurocrine to support discovery efforts. Sentia is eligible to receive milestone and royalty payments based on products developed from this collaboration.

16:21 EDT OneMain acquires financial wellness firm Trim, terms not disclosed - OneMain Financial announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Trim, a customer-focused financial wellness fintech. The acquisition of Trim is subject to completion of standard closing conditions. "The acquisition of Trim allows OneMain to further expand the ways we help hardworking Americans improve their financial well-being by supporting them in gaining more control over their finances," said Doug Shulman, Chairman and CEO of OneMain. "It advances our vision of providing solutions that enable a better future for customers. Over the past year we have sharpened our focus on driving innovation for our customers, including doubling down on our commitment to financial wellness." Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

16:13 EDT Emerald Holding launches B2B e-commerce platform - Emerald Holding announced the introduction of the new Digital Market technology platform from the company's Elastic Suite division. Digital market creates a standardized, single-platform approach to B2B e-commerce by offering 365-day access to product sourcing and ordering across a broad range of brands. Herve Sedky, Emerald's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Our launch of Digital Market is a key step in our strategy to bring buyers and sellers together in a digital environment, year-round, and provide them with a platform where they can transact. This platform will greatly enhance the customer experience and value not only of our live shows but also year-round as we expand our digital offerings. We are excited to launch Digital Market to coincide with Outdoor Retailer and Surf Expo, which are set to stage this summer, so brands and retailers alike can experience the innovative and powerful benefits this platform delivers."

16:10 EDT Tesla backs view for 2021 growth in vehicle deliveries above 50% - Tesla said in its quarterly update: "We plan to grow our manufacturing capacity as quickly as possible. Over a multi-year horizon, we expect to achieve 50% average annual growth in vehicle deliveries. In some years we may grow faster, which we expect to be the case in 2021. The rate of growth will depend on our equipment capacity, operational efficiency and capacity and stability of the supply chain. We have sufficient liquidity to fund our product roadmap, long-term capacity expansion plans and other expenses. We expect our operating margin will continue to grow over time, continuing to reach industry-leading levels with capacity expansion and localization plans underway. We are currently building Model Y capacity at Gigafactory Berlin and Gigafactory Texas and remain on track to start production and deliveries from each location in 2021. Gigafactory Shanghai will continue to expand further over time. Tesla Semi deliveries will also begin in 2021."

16:08 EDT Tesla says first deliveries of new Model S should start 'very shortly' - Tesla said in its quarterly update: "First deliveries of the new Model S should start very shortly, Model Y production rate in Shanghai continues to improve quickly and two new factories Berlin and Texas are making progress. There is a lot to be excited about in 2021."

16:07 EDT ICF International awarded $46M contract by Government of Puerto Rico - The Government of Puerto Rico's Public Private Partnership Authority, or P3, recently awarded global consulting and digital services provider ICF a new $46M contract that includes elements of ICF's previous work to provide project formulation services to support long-term disaster recovery from hurricanes Irma and Maria and hazard mitigation efforts to protect against future disasters. The contract, which is administered by the Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency, or COR3, includes an initial four-month term through June 30, plus two additional one-year options to extend.

16:04 EDT Enterprise Financial to acquire First Choice Bancorp for $397.7M - Enterprise Financial (EFSC) and First Choice Bancorp (FCBP) announced that EFSC, EB&T, FCBP and First Choice have entered into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which EFSC will acquire, in an all-stock merger, FCBP. Under the terms of the merger agreement, FCBP will merge with and into EFSC, and First Choice will subsequently merge with and into EB&T in a transaction valued at approximately $397.7 million, or $33.40 per FCBP share, based on the closing price of EFSC's common stock on April 23, 2021. On a pro forma consolidated basis, the combined company would have approximately $12.7 billion in consolidated total assets as of March 31, 2021. The transaction is expected to be approximately 8% accretive to Enterprise's 2022 earnings per share after giving effect to estimated fully phased-in transaction synergies. Estimated tangible book value per share dilution to EFSC is expected to be earned back in less than three years under the crossover method including CECL "Day Two" accounting treatment. The acquisition is expected to generate an internal rate of return of approximately 21% for Enterprise.

16:01 EDT Compass acquires Glide Labs platform company - Compass has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Glide Labs, a real estate transaction management platform company. Used by more than 60,000 real estate professionals across California, Glide provides agents with critical transaction management tools such as offer and transaction management, digitization of key forms, eSignature and digital disclosures. Compass will continue to invest in Glide to increase its reach amongst agents and partners, within and outside of Compass, and plans to expand to states across the country. Compass anticipates that the acquisition will close in the coming days, subject to customary closing conditions.

15:58 EDT Roche treatment for histiocytic neoplasms granted FDA orphan designation - Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (RHHBY), was granted orphan designation for its sreatment for histiocytic neoplasms, according to a post to the FDA website. Reference Link

15:42 EDT Twitter to add COVID-19 vaccine info prompt to users' timelines - Twitter said that, this week, users will see a prompt in their timeline that links to sources about COVID-19 vaccine safety, efficacy, and news from "public health experts." "As COVID-19 vaccinations become more widely available, we want you to have access to the latest vaccine info in your country," the company said. Reference Link

14:20 EDT NY Governor announces capacity expansions for offices, gyms starting May 15 - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that, starting May 15, capacity in the state can increase as follows: office capacity can go from 50% to 75%; gyms outside New York City from 33% to 50%; and casinos and gaming facilities from 25% to 50%. Cuomo added that, on May 19, spectator capacity outdoors can increase from 20% to 33%. Reference Link

14:02 EDT Hanover Insurance announces Willard Lee appointed CIO - The Hanover Insurance Group announced Willard Lee has been appointed executive vice president, chief information and innovation officer, effective immediately. "In this role, Lee is responsible for advancing the company's information technology roadmap and delivering technology solutions that support the company's business operations, its agent partners and its customers," said Hanover. Lee, who joined The Hanover in 2003, succeeds Mark Berthiaume, executive vice president, chief information officer and chief technology innovation officer, who retired this month after seven years at The Hanover.

13:47 EDT TechnipFMC to sell part of stake in Technip Energies - TechnipFMC (FTI) announces the launch of the placement of 25M Technip Energies shares (THNPF), representing about 14% of Technip Energies' share capital, through a private placement by way of an accelerated bookbuild offering. Technip Energies has indicated it will purchase from TechnipFMC EUR 20M equivalent of shares at the price of the placement in a purchase separate from the placement, the company said. "Upon completion of the placement and the concurrent sale to Technip Energies, TechnipFMC would retain a direct stake of ca. 31% of Technip Energies' share capital. TechnipFMC has agreed to a 60-day lock-up for its remaining shares in Technip Energies, subject to waiver from the joint global coordinators and certain other customary exceptions, including transfer of shares to a subsidiary, granting and enforcement of security interests in connection with financing and derivative transactions and tender into any public tender offer for all or part of the shares. The placement is targeted at eligible institutional investors. There will be no public offering in any country. The final terms of the placement are expected to be announced on 27 April at the latest. Settlement for the placement is expected to take place on or around 30 April 2021," TechnipFMC stated.

12:30 EDT Entergy names David Ellis chief customer officer - Entergy Corporation announced that David Ellis has been appointed chief customer officer for the company. He will report to Rod West, Entergy's group president for utility operations, and will assume his new role effective May 9, 2021. "Whether we're powering a single-family home, small business, school, or large industrial complex, our customers expect us to understand their aspirations and the outcomes that matter to them," said West. "In this new role, David will help us partner with our customers at every touchpoint to enable us to meet their reliability, affordability and sustainability goals and to develop solutions that create sustainable value," continued West. "That's what customers expect from the premier utility. We are excited about David leading this important effort across all of our operating companies." Ellis has served as president and CEO of Entergy New Orleans, LLC, an electric and gas utility subsidiary of Entergy Corporation that serves 207,000 electric and 108,000 natural gas customers and has annual revenues of $634M, since 2018.

12:21 EDT Citizens Financial names Chris Weyrauch to lead Wealth Management business - Citizens Financial Group announced that Chris Weyrauch will join the bank as Head of Wealth Management, effective immediately. Weyrauch will report to Brendan Coughlin, Head of Consumer Banking, and will succeed Ryan Parker, who will be departing the company for family reasons. Weyrauch comes to Citizens after a 25-year career at TIAA where he built and led its direct-to-consumer business. Parker will stay on at Citizens through June, working with Weyrauch to help ensure a seamless transition.

12:03 EDT Canadian Pacific CEO calls CNI-Kansas City Southern proposal 'anti-competitive' - Canadian Pacific (CP) announced that it recently sent a letter to the President and Chief Executive Officer of Kansas City Southern (KSU) regarding the "anti-competitive impacts" of the proposed Canadian National transaction (CNI) with KCS. "I am writing to address some of the statements Canadian National has publicized over the past 24 hours concerning an issue that I expect will weigh heavily as your Board gives due consideration to CN's proposal," CP president and CEO Keith Creel said. "The misrepresentations made by CN's CEO have led us to, once again, respond with the undeniable facts. Either Mr. Ruest does not fully understand his proposed transaction or he doesn't want to reveal what he knows. Either way, the bond and trust CP has built with you, KCS as a whole, and the communities we collectively serve, is too important to ignore... CN suggests that the only issues the STB will view as relevant are (a) whether the trust agreement itself insulates KCS from control by CN and (b) whether KCS can be sold if the merger is disapproved. CN Notice of Intent at 7-8. CN suggests that on these issues there is no difference between its proposal and the voting trust proposal we have agreed upon. With respect, CN is missing two big parts of the regulatory picture. First, any public interest review will certainly consider the likelihood that, at the end of the regulatory review process, KCS would become part of the acquirer's system as planned. For all of the reasons covered above, along with many others (perhaps most importantly the destabilizing effect of CN's transaction on industry structure and the potential for downstream consolidation) the back-end regulatory risks associated with CN's proposal will cause the STB to be reluctant to allow KCS to go into trust at the front end. Second, the head-to-head competition that even CN acknowledges must be remedied makes the use of a voting trust uniquely inappropriate in a CN/KCS transaction. DOJ's comments on the CP/KCS voting trust proposal emphasized a specific source of harm to competition from the use of voting trusts that applies uniquely to CN's proposal (and not to CP's) - namely that the incentives of the railroads to compete will be dampened while one (KCS) is already in trust and the other (CN) already receives the benefit of that ownership through its ownership of shares. DOJ Comment at 3-4. In light of the extensive competition between KCS and CN - which you are more keenly aware of than I - DOJ and the STB will see this as a serious concern. And none of the competitive remedies that CN might ultimately devise can possibly eliminate this harm, because - as CN acknowledges - they would come at the end of the regulatory process, not when KCS is acquired and its shares go into trust. Pat, I understand that you and your Board must give the CN proposal all of the consideration that it deserves. But I submit that when you consider the regulatory issues CN's proposal raises - and our agreement does not - you will see that CN's proposal is an illusory one that should not distract KCS from the once-in-a lifetime partnership that our mutually agreed transaction represents."

12:01 EDT Xerox acquires Canada's Groupe CT, terms not disclosed - Xerox said it has acquired Groupe CT, an independent document management provider in Eastern Canada. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. "We're continuing to grow our presence in the North America small and midsize business (SMB) market," said Mike Feldman, president of Americas Operations and Global Document Services, Xerox. "With Groupe CT's document management services expertise and leadership combined with our portfolio of workplace solutions, we're well placed to serve SMBs focused on accelerating a digital transformation roadmap."

12:01 EDT Albertsons falls -6.8% - Albertsons is down -6.8%, or -$1.31 to $17.87.

12:00 EDT Danimer Scientific rises 16.8% - Danimer Scientific is up 16.8%, or $4.00 to $27.85.

12:00 EDT X Financial rises 21.8% - X Financial is up 21.8%, or 63c to $3.52.

11:25 EDT WKS Group investing in KODAK MAGNUS Q4800 Platesetter for imaging XLF plates - Kodak said in a statement that it has just received an order from German WKS Group to supply the KODAK MAGNUS Q4800 Platesetter. The WKS Group has ordered the MAGNUS Q4800 Platesetter for its site in Essen, where production takes place on heatset web offset presses in the class up to 80 pages. The MAGNUS Q4800 for the WKS Group will be equipped with an XPL Pallet Loading System for four plate formats as well as an in-line punch. Commissioning of the Kodak XLF CTP system in Essen is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2021.

11:09 EDT empowerDX, Uber to offer at-home Covid testing kits via on-demand delivery - Clinical Enterprise, Inc. d/b/a empowerDX, part of the Eurofins Clinical Diagnostics group of companies, announced that it is working with Uber to offer FDA-emergency use authorized, at-home COVID-19 testing kits to consumers via on-demand delivery. Consumers in more than two dozen U.S. cities, including Tampa, Houston, Phoenix, Denver, Seattle, Minneapolis, Fort Lauderdale and Austin can order the kit directly from the empowerDX website without a prescription, the companies said. empowerDX and Uber plan to expand test kit delivery to additional cities in the coming weeks.

10:44 EDT Unilever acquires lifestyle company Onnit, terms not disclosed - Unilever announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Onnit, a holistic wellness and lifestyle company, based in Austin, Texas. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Onnit will continue to be based in Austin, Texas, and led by CEO Jason Havey. Founder Aubrey Marcus will remain a Brand Ambassador.

10:10 EDT Sequential Brands sells Heelys brand to BBC International for $11M - Sequential Brands Group announced that it has closed on the sale of its Heelys brand to BBC International for $11M in cash proceeds. The majority of the net proceeds from the sale will be used to pay down debt.

10:06 EDT Cintas announces Thomas Frooman to retire, D. Denton to succeed Frooman - Cintas announced Thomas Frooman, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, will retire on July 31. D. Denton, the corporation's long-time lead outside counsel at Keating Muething & Klekamp, will replace Frooman as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary beginning August 1.

10:03 EDT Luminar announces partnership with Airbus subsidiary - Luminar Technologies (LAZR) announced a partnership with Airbus UpNext, an Airbus SE (EADSY) subsidiary "created to give future flight technologies a development fast-track by building, evaluating, maturing and validating new products and services that encompass radical technological breakthroughs." Luminar said: "The collaboration with Luminar will see teams of experts from both companies working closely to enhance sensing, perception, and system-level capabilities to ultimately enable safe, autonomous flight... The primary goal of the platform is to increase aircraft safety and ultimately enable autonomous operation with automatic obstacle detection. Luminar's technology is based on its high performance lidar sensors, which emit millions of pulses of laser light to accurately detect where objects are by scanning the environment in 3D."

10:00 EDT Zhihu falls -4.9% - Zhihu is down -4.9%, or -54c to $10.46.

10:00 EDT Fortuna Silver Mines falls -13.6% - Fortuna Silver Mines is down -13.6%, or -$1.05 to $6.66.

10:00 EDT GSX Techedu rises 14.2% - GSX Techedu is up 14.2%, or $3.84 to $30.91.

09:49 EDT Roku calls Google terms 'unfair' as YouTube TV talks break down - In am email to its YouTube users, Roku (ROKU) said that recent negotiations with Alphabet's (GOOG, GOOGL) Google to carry the app "have broken down because Roku cannot accept Google's unfair terms as we believe they could harm our users." The message added, "Google's unfair and anticompetitive requirements to manipulate your search results, impact the usage of your data and ultimately cost you more." Shares of Roku are down $3.86 to $353.01 in morning trading.

09:47 EDT Albertsons falls -4.2% - Albertsons is down -4.2%, or -81c to $18.38.

09:47 EDT Fortuna Silver Mines falls -13.4% - Fortuna Silver Mines is down -13.4%, or -$1.03 to $6.68.

09:47 EDT Casper Sleep rises 9.0% - Casper Sleep is up 9.0%, or 64c to $7.67.

09:45 EDT G1 Therapeutics announces publication of pooled results from COSELA program - G1 Therapeutics announced that the peer-reviewed journal of Clinical Lung Cancer has published the final pooled results from three clinical trials of COSELA in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. Compared with placebo, administering COSELA prior to chemotherapy resulted in significant decreases in most measures of multilineage chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression, with a reduction in the incidence of chemotherapy-related hematologic adverse events. The myeloprotective benefits of COSELA translated into a reduced need for supportive care interventions and hospitalizations due to CIM or sepsis, and improvements in health-related quality of life domains, including fatigue, physical well-being, and functional well-being, with no impact on the antitumor efficacy of the individual chemotherapy regimens in ES-SCLC. COSELA was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on February 12, 2021 to decrease the incidence of chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression in adult patients when administered prior to a platinum/etoposide-containing regimen or topotecan-containing regimen for ES-SCLC. The Clinical Lung Cancer publication is titled Effects of Trilaciclib on Chemotherapy-Induced Myelosuppression and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Patients with Extensive-Stage Small Cell Lung Cancer: Pooled Results from Three Phase 2 Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Studies. Data from three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies were pooled to evaluate the effects of COSELA administered prior to standard-of-care chemotherapy in patients with ES-SCLC. The primary endpoints were duration of severe neutropenia in cycle 1, and occurrence of severe neutropenia. Additional prespecified endpoints further assessed the effect of COSELA on myeloprotection, HRQoL, antitumor efficacy, and safety. Of 242 randomized patients, 123 received COSELA and 119 received placebo. Compared with placebo, administration of COSELA prior to chemotherapy resulted in significant decreases in most measures of multilineage CIM. For example, statistically significant improvements in the primary endpoints of duration of severe neutropenia in cycle 1 and occurrence of severe neutropenia were observed in the COSELA group versus the placebo group. Mean DSN in cycle 1 was 0 days with COSELA versus 4 days with placebo, and throughout the treatment period, 14 patients in the COSELA group had SN versus 63 patients in the placebo group. Most secondary myelosuppression endpoints, including the percentage of patients with G-CSF administration, grade 3/4 anemia, RBC transfusions on/after week 5 of study treatment, ESA administrations, and grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia also significantly favored COSELA over placebo. The reduction in hematologic toxicity translated into the reduced need for supportive care interventions and hospitalizations due to CIM or sepsis, and improvements in HRQoL domains related to the protected cell lineages, including physical and functional wellbeing, symptoms and impact of fatigue, and the symptoms and effects on physical and functional wellbeing due to anemia as reported in the patient reported outcome data. The authors concluded that administering COSELA prior to chemotherapy resulted in clinically meaningful reductions in CIM and its consequences, and improved patient HRQoL, with no impact on the antitumor efficacy of three individual chemotherapy regimens used in the first- or second-/third-line treatment of ES-SCLC.

09:40 EDT IM Cannabis Corporation trading resumes

09:36 EDT Sirius XM acquires Roman Mars' 99% Invisible podcast - SiriusXM announced that it has acquired 99% Invisible, the company owned by Roman Mars, the creator, host, and executive producer of the groundbreaking 99% Invisible podcast. The acquisition brings the acclaimed podcast host and his team to SiriusXM, where they will continue to operate 99% Invisible, the podcast What Trump Can Teach Us About Con Law, and develop new podcast projects. 99% Invisible will become part of Stitcher, the pioneering podcast company SiriusXM acquired last year as part of its goal to build the best home for podcast creators.

09:30 EDT IM Cannabis Corporation trading halted, volatility trading pause

09:28 EDT Scopus BioPharma submits IND to FDA for lead cancer drug candidate - Scopus BioPharma submitted an investigational new drug application, or IND, to the FDA for its immuno-oncology RNA therapy for the treatment of multiple cancers. The IND filing is a key milestone for the planned Phase 1 clinical trial for B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma to be initiated at City of Hope. Scopus' lead drug candidate encompasses both RNA therapy and immunotherapy by synthetically linking siRNA to an oligonucleotide TLR9 agonist, creating the potential for targeted gene silencing with simultaneous TLR stimulation and immune activation in the tumor microenvironment.

09:16 EDT Genius Brands reports over 2M views for 'Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten' - Following the Friday April 23rd premiere, exclusively on Kartoon Channel!, of the animated children's series, Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Genius Brands International, announced that the double-episode premiere delivered two million+ views opening weekend.

09:13 EDT MannKind reduces legacy debt by $49.5M, restructures remaining obligations - MannKind announced that on April 22, 2021 it and MidCap Financial Trust, as agent, entered into an amendment of the credit and security agreement dated August 6, 2019. In addition, MannKind and Mann Group, LLC entered into an amendment of the terms of the Mann Group convertible note and repaid in full outstanding amounts under the Mann Group non-convertible note on April 22, 2021. In connection with these transactions, MannKind reduced its outstanding amount of indebtedness, yet retained flexibility to borrow additional amounts under tranche 3 of the MidCap Credit Facility, which is available to borrow until June 30, 2022, subject to the satisfaction of certain milestone conditions associated with Tyvaso DPI. The MidCap Credit Facility was amended to modify several terms, including: increasing the funds available in tranche 3, if drawn by the Company, from $25.0 million to $60.0 million; revising the conditions to drawing tranche 3, including milestone conditions associated with Tyvaso DPI(TM); providing for an exit fee of $1.0 million in connection with the prepayment described below in lieu of the existing prepayment penalty and exit fees; removing the requirement to issue a warrant to purchase shares of MannKind's common stock upon the drawdown of tranche 3; decreasing the interest rate on the remaining outstanding debt; extending the interest-only period and maturity of term loans under the MidCap Credit Facility; reducing the minimum cash covenant from $30.0 million to $10.0 million, effective immediately, and eliminating such covenant in the event that Tyvaso DPI is approved by the FDA; eliminating the requirement to test compliance with the minimum Afrezza net revenue covenant so long as the Company has $90.0 million or more of unrestricted cash; permitting the Company to make certain acquisitions subject to certain conditions; and permitting the Company to make investments of up to an additional $9.0 million so long as the Company has $90.0 million or more of unrestricted cash following such investment. In connection with the amendment of the MidCap Credit Facility, MannKind prepaid $10.0 million in cash to reduce the principal balance under the MidCap Credit Facility from $50.0 million to $40.0 million. The Mann Group convertible note was amended to lower the interest rate to 2.5%, effective April 22, 2021, and to extend the maturity to December 2025. In addition, MannKind repaid the entire principal amount of $35.1 million outstanding, together with accrued and unpaid interest thereon, under the Mann Group non-convertible note and paid all accrued and unpaid interest outstanding under the Mann Group convertible note. MannKind also announced that it is evaluating the considerations underlying a potential sale-leaseback of its manufacturing facility in Connecticut, which is being negotiated under a previously announced letter of intent. The Company will update investors regarding its plans for the facility at a future date.

09:10 EDT Teladoc names Claus Jensen as chief innovation officer - Teladoc Health has named Claus Jensen as chief innovation officer to lead the research and development team. "We are excited to welcome Claus to the Teladoc Health team to lead our innovation efforts," said Jason Gorevic, Teladoc Health CEO. "With deep experience transforming hospital systems and health plans, Claus is the right leader at the right time to accelerate Teladoc Health's vision of connecting the healthcare experience from hospital to home." Jensen joins Teladoc Health from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), where he served as chief digital officer and head of technology.

09:09 EDT Verb Technology CEO says Q1 'off to an impressive start' - Verb Technology Company released a letter to shareholders from Chairman & CEO Rory Cutaia. The letter, read in part: "I wanted to take this opportunity to share my excitement with you as we drive toward the realization of our shared vision for your company - yes - your company - VERB is as much your company as it is ours. I'm referring to the vision that launched a multi-year journey culminating in the development of assets and the commercial release of products that we believe will produce both near-term and long-term value for you, our shareholders, whom we consider our co-owners, as well as for ourselves. Meaningful value. Indeed, virtually all of us here at VERB are shareholders, and as such, our interests are in complete alignment with yours...2020 SaaS Recurring Revenue - Up 82% over the prior year. The amount and rate of growth of SaaS recurring revenue are the most important measures of value for any software business. While we believe our 2020 rate of growth in our core business was impressive, especially in light of the challenges imposed by a global pandemic, we anticipate even greater growth this year. Total User Downloads - up more than 250% over the same period last year. Now more than 1.93M. We completed the accretive acquisition of SoloFire, a leading SaaS sales enablement platform for healthcare and life sciences sales. This acquisition provides us with immediate entry into the lucrative medical and life sciences sales market, which we believe is one of the largest and fastest growing markets for the sales enablement software industry. 2020 proforma revenue for that platform was $1M, though we were only able to recognize $130,000 in 2020 due to GAAP revenue recognition rules. However, we will be able recognize most of that revenue this year together with the anticipated and ongoing additional sales growth we expect to generate from that new vertical...Our Microsoft Outlook integration of VERB interactive video sales technology is now in public beta testing, with imminent commercial release. Our Microsoft Outlook VERB App add-in availability is anticipated through Microsoft's Commercial Marketplace and Co-Sell program with Microsoft's field sales reps. Assuming we can gain access to Microsoft's Co-Sell program, which based on our communications with Microsoft appears likely, this may be one of the most important revenue and value creators our Company may experience this year and beyond, among a strong field of very promising catalysts. Q1 2021 unaudited projected results indicate more than 30% SaaS recurring revenue growth over Q1 2020 and up more than 10% over Q4 2020. We launched verbTEAMS for small businesses and solo entrepreneurs, a new self-onboarding content management and customer relationship management platform with integrated verbLIVE livestream ecommerce capability and one-click synchronization to Salesforce. Healthy Balance Sheet - Last month we closed a registered direct offering for straight common shares - with no warrants - for gross proceeds of $15M to further enhance our balance sheet...Marketplace - How do you take livestream ecommerce technology and make it even more fun, engaging, social, entertaining, compelling, and lucrative? Create a 24/7 online destination where anyone can go to experience scores of simultaneous interactive livestream presentations hosted by retailers, consumer brands and influencers across numerous categories, where viewers/customers/fans and followers can go in and out of live events, converse with hosts and other shoppers in real time - browse, shop, chat and simply enjoy the experience of the next generation of livestream ecommerce. That's VERB MARKETPLACE - it's built and in active beta testing with numerous retailers. This will be a new revenue model for us as we will participate in the volume of sales generated through the platform. Attribution Technology - We are nearing completion of our Attribution Technology which we believe elevates the already exciting livestream ecommerce experience to greater heights. Think about the benefits of an affiliate marketing program on steroids. With our attribution feature, sales reps can invite their clients, customers, and prospects to watch a colleague's verbLIVE event knowing they will get credit for any purchases made by their clients, customers, or prospects at their colleague's verbLIVE event. Think about how this will drive conference attendance and revenue generation, among other revenue generating applications and opportunities. And think about how this technology will impact participation in VERB MARKETPLACE. This is our technology; we developed it and it further demonstrates our commitment to the leadership position in the new generation of SaaS sales enablement and ecommerce paradigm. $1M a year clients. This year we're seeing the average client and deal size increase dramatically, as we target and attract larger businesses for our products and services. We've now signed our first $1M-a-year revenue potential client, driven by our verbLIVE product and have several more in our sales pipeline. We're also adding many more salespeople as we have a clearly defined path to ROI per sales rep. In addition, we've recently added several product professionals, creating a deeper bench for our product teams, and revamped our entire development team and processes, moving to an agile environment which has not only resulted in a more efficient, effective, rapid, and higher quality development cycle, but also resulted in significant cost savings. These cost savings will help us execute our current plan to reduce our burn and drive aggressively toward cash flow positive status through a reduction in operating expenses quarter over quarter, coupled with higher topline revenue generation. I'm also happy to report that our shareholder base has expanded dramatically - almost three-fold - from individual retail investors, to a broad array of funds, family offices, and other institutional investors, which now comprise more than 12,500 shareholders."

09:07 EDT Hailiang Education Group acquires 100% equity interests in Feicheng Hailiang - Hailiang Education Group has acquired from its affiliate, Hailiang Education Investment Group, 100% equity interests in Feicheng Hailiang Education Investment, for a total consideration of RMB22.9M. Feicheng Education Investment has been the sole sponsor of Feicheng Hailiang Foreign Language School since 2018. The company and Feicheng Education Investment have completed relevant corporate and regulatory procedures on April 26. Located in Feicheng City, Shandong Province, China, Feicheng Foreign Language is a private non-profit school with a total capacity of up to 800 students.

09:06 EDT Bassett Furniture signs lease for facility in North Carolina - Bassett Furniture announced that it has signed a lease for a 123,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Newton, North Carolina. The company reported previously in its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended February 27, 2021, that lease negotiations with the landlord were ongoing. Production at the facility is expected to start in June 2021 and ramp up during the company's fiscal third quarter. Efforts have begun to hire an additional 80 employees to staff the facility.

09:06 EDT Bassett Furniture announces wholesale order financial information for March - Bassett Furniture announced today that wholesale orders for March 2021 increased 125% over March 2020 and 52% over March 2019. Shipments for March 2021 increased 59% over March 2020 and 21% over March 2019. Wholesale backlogs ended March 2021 9% higher than at the end of the company's first fiscal quarter ended February 27, 2021.

09:05 EDT CityCenter enters pact to sell two-acre parcel of land in Las Vegas for $80M - CityCenter Holdings, a venture between MGM Resorts and Infinity World Development Corp, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its two-acre site to 63SLVB, LLC, owned by locally-based long-time national retail developers Brett Torino of Torino Development and Paul and Dayssi Kanavos of Flag Luxury, for approximately $80M. Located in the heart of the iconic Las Vegas Strip, this undeveloped parcel of land sits within the CityCenter campus, adjacent to The Shops at Crystals on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon Avenue. Under the terms of the agreement, 63SL VB, LLC intends to develop a multi-level retail complex comprising specialty retail and casual and fine dining. Arquitectonica of Miami Beach has been engaged to create a design that is commensurate with the image, standards, and mixed-use nature of the CityCenter campus. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter.

09:05 EDT Luminar jumps 7% to $23.80 following reports of Airbus partnership

09:03 EDT Vital Farms appoints Bal as general counsel, corporate sectretary, head of ESG - Vital Farms (VITL) announced the appointment of Joanne Bal as General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Head of Environmental, Social and Governance, or ESG, effective April 26. In this newly created role, Bal will be responsible for legal strategy and compliance, as well as leading Vital Farms' ESG initiatives, which includes designing, implementing, and reporting on the company's ESG mission. Bal brings over 25 years of legal experience and most recently served as Vice President & Chief Counsel for Levi Strauss Americas (LEVI).

09:02 EDT IMAC to increase Back Space test market to ten stores - IMAC Holdings issued a corporate update in a Letter to Shareholders from CEO Jeff Ervin. The company said, "I am excited about the progress we made since completing our equity offering one month ago. While there hasn't been a singular event to trigger material disclosures, IMAC has been productive with each of our business lines and is pleased to provide interim updates on some of our growth initiatives. The Back Space, our new retail spine and neck care venture, now has a foundational platform for the business to grow into a national brand. Our technology infrastructure is complete and expandable to capitalize on future developments of our http://www.back.co/ digital presence. As for the physical store presence, we have faced minor slowdowns in the launch of the initial store. However, the buildout process is proving to be replicable and future buildouts are expected to take less than ten weeks from acquisition of premises to occupancy. We are increasing the Back Space test market to ten stores. Implementing the first store allowed us to gain comfort in our supply chain and resources needed to open for business. We are using current IMAC staff to launch the test market and appointed Christine Long as our interim manager of the Back Space launch. Ms. Long has in-depth experience to manage the test market having served in her prior role as regional manager for a large massage company. We created a discount program for our strategic partner. Their employees and customers will have access to the Back Space's inaugural location when it opens during a "soft" opening the first week of May. Next, IMAC's core business is experiencing fewer COVID-related disruptions related to patient cancellations and employee quarantines over the past month. Additionally, our recent Regeneration Center acquisitions are advancing our Florida presence. The Orlando clinic is fully integrated and now offers IMAC's complete line of regenerative rehabilitation therapies. We also expect to complete the full-service implementation of IMAC services in our recent Tampa acquisition before May 15, 2021. Florida remains an area of interest for continued expansion. Finally, IMAC's balance sheet is as strong as it has ever been. We retired $1.8 million of our highest-interest rate debt over the past 30 days. We continue to be excited about our recent progress and anticipate further updates during our first quarter earnings release on May 13. We thank you, our shareholders, for your continued support."

08:51 EDT Intuitive Surgical appoint Monica Reed to board of directors - Intuitive announced the appointment of Dr. Monica Reed, a former AdventHealth executive, to its board of directors effective April 22, 2021. "Dr. Reed brings decades of leadership insight, experience, and accomplishments in hospital and health system administration that will complement our existing board," said Intuitive CEO Gary Guthart. "We look forward to her contributions as we continue to improve how we serve our surgeon, hospital, and healthcare system customers in this rapidly evolving healthcare environment."

08:47 EDT Northeast Bancorp announces increased share repurchase program - Northeast Bank announced that its board of directors has approved an increase to its previously approved share repurchase program from 600,000 shares to 1,000,000 shares of common stock, or up to $25M, representing approximately 12.0% of the Bank's common stock outstanding. Repurchases under this program may be made in open market transactions. The timing and actual number of shares repurchased will depend on a variety of factors including price, corporate and regulatory requirements, market conditions, and other corporate liquidity requirements and priorities. The repurchase program does not obligate the Bank to purchase any particular number of shares. The repurchase program may be suspended or terminated at any time without prior notice, and it will expire July 21, 2021. In addition to the 1,000,000 shares discussed above, the Bank has an additional 46,902 shares available to repurchase under its previously announced share repurchase plan, which will expire on October 21, 2021.

08:45 EDT Bombardier appoints Eve Laurier as VP, communications, public affairs, marketing - Bombardier announced the appointment of Eve Laurier as Vice President, Communications, Public Affairs and Marketing. Eve will report directly to Bombardier President and CEO Eric Martel and will lead the company's community engagement, employee and customer outreach, and steward the brand journey internally and externally, around the world. She most recently served as a General Manager at Edelman.

08:44 EDT NovaGold issues 2020 integrated annual report - NOVAGOLD RESOURCES has published its 2020 Integrated Annual Report and Sustainability Summary. This year's annual report features two comprehensive messages to shareholders and NOVAGOLD's hallmark Questions and Answers section. Dr. Thomas S. Kaplan's Chairman's Letter, entitled "Modern Monetary Theology for a World in Flux", summarizes for fellow shareholders his thoughts on the current state of the gold industry and the emergence of cryptocurrencies; elaborates on his history with the Company as well as its strategy; speaks about NOVAGOLD's strong alliances with Barrick Gold Corporation and our Native Corporation partners in Alaska; highlights the unique attributes of the Donlin Gold project; and presents the importance of the Company's singular focus on sustainability and ESG as we bring Donlin Gold up the value chain. In NOVAGOLD's President and CEO Message to Shareholders, Greg Lang summarizes the remarkable outcome of the highly successful 2020 Donlin Gold drill program. Despite being overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, with zero COVID-19 cases or Lost-Time Incidents on site, the largest program of its kind in 12 years was completed on time and yielded outstanding results, with higher grade-thickness than had been predicted by previous modelling. Mr. Lang reinforces the Company's ESG principles and its strong time-tested relationships with the project's Native Corporation partners, Calista Corporation and The Kuskokwim Corporation, with whom NOVAGOLD and Donlin Gold are working to bring long-lasting benefits for future generations of residents in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region. In addition, he reviews the Company's excellent financial position and outlines its 2021 goals and budget.

08:43 EDT RBB Bancorp announces 500K share repurchase program, 13c per share dividend - RBB Bancorp announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.13 per share. The dividend is payable on May 14, 2021 to common shareholders of record as of May 7, 2021. The Bank also announced that its Board of Directors has adopted a stock repurchase program. Under the repurchase program, the Company may repurchase up to 500 thousand shares of its common stock, or approximately 2.56% of its outstanding shares. "Our Board of Directors' decision to increase the dividend and authorize a new share repurchase program demonstrates our confidence in the future prospects of the Bank and provides additional flexibility to create value for our shareholders," said Mr. Alan Thian, Chairman, President and CEO of RBB Bancorp.

08:42 EDT Pacific Biosciences launches HiFi Sequencing and Software v10.1 release - Pacific Biosciences of California announced the availability of HiFi Sequencing and Software v10.1 Release on the Sequel II and Sequel IIe Systems. The new release increases the number of HiFi reads at or above 99.9% accuracy for whole genome sequencing-based applications. This combined release further improves the quality of HiFi Sequencing while providing an efficient and scalable workflow for sequencing hundreds to thousands of whole human genomes per year on Sequel II and IIe Systems.

08:40 EDT Chefs' Warehouse acquires Foley Fish - The Chefs' Warehouse announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of M.F. Foley. "We are thrilled to welcome Foley Fish into the Chefs' Warehouse family of companies," said Christopher Pappas, chairman and CEO of The Chefs' Warehouse. "Foley's uncompromising dedication to quality aligns perfectly with our focus of supplying the world's best ingredients to North America's top chefs and will become a centerpiece of our strategy to grow the seafood category nationally."

08:38 EDT Safe-T's ZoneZero solution receives U.S. GSA registration approval - Safe-T Group announced that its ZoneZero solution, developed by its wholly owned subsidiary, Safe-T Data A.R Ltd., has received U.S. General Services Administration registration approval under the Federal Government's Multiple Award Schedule for Industrial Products and Services. The approval was given through the company's lead distributor in North America, Philemon Security USA, and its channel partners. Through GSA's MAS, federal government agencies can now buy Safe-T's Zero Trust Network Access solutions and gain secure access for their departments, agencies, and third-party businesses.

08:38 EDT CACI awarded $447M contract by National Security Agency - CACI International announced that it has been awarded a five-year single award contract, with a ceiling value of $447 million, by the National Security Agency NSA to provide process and mission technology in support of the signals intelligence and cybersecurity missions that provide our nation's policymakers and military with actionable intelligence to secure and defend vital networks. John Mengucci, CACI President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "This award continues CACI's decade long relationship supporting the NSA's cryptology, signals intelligence, and network operations missions. CACI remains steadfastly committed to supporting our customer in executing their critical missions to keep our nation and its citizens safe."

08:37 EDT Canadian Pacific comments on Canadian National's trustee naming request - Canadian Pacific (CP) issued a statement about Canadian National's (CNI) request to name David Starling as intended trustee in its unsolicited bid of Kansas City Southern (KSU): "David Starling has advised us of CN's request, and we have no objection. As we have said previously, Mr. Starling is a fine choice as a trustee - that is why we appointed him to this role in the CP-KCS transaction. As a former President and CEO of KCS, he knows the business well and is independent of CP. (...) No matter who the trustee is of the CN proposal, it does nothing to address or overcome the problems with CN's proposed use of a voting trust. (...) (a) CN and KCS compete head-to-head today, and as the Department of Justice has made clear CN buying and owning all of KCS' stock will - trust or no trust, Mr. Starling or no Mr. Starling - change the competitive incentives of both CN and KCS while the trust is pending. Both will have an incentive to pull their competitive punches against the other. (b) the regulatory complexity of a CN transaction - under the 2001 new rules and all that entails - means a successful outcome of the regulatory process is far less likely, and the STB will not want KCS to be conveyed to CN (even in trust) if there is a real possibility - as there is - of insoluble regulatory problems that result in KCS having to come back out of trust and be disposed of. (c) And these issues do not even consider the prospect that CN's acquiring KCS and putting it into trust will itself stimulate further railroad consolidation that shippers and others do not desire, and that the STB's regulatory processes are designed to discourage (...)".

08:36 EDT SAIC acquires Koverse, terms undisclosed - Science Applications International announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Koverse, a software company that provides a data management platform enabling artificial intelligence and machine learning on complex, sensitive data. Koverse's unique mission expertise and secure platform are already used in the most demanding environments, and SAIC will bring this offering at scale to security-conscious customers across government. "This transaction will drive faster innovation and enable organizations to transform how they use complex and sensitive data," said Jon Matsuo, president and CEO of Koverse. "Joining forces with SAIC creates a direct channel to include Koverse as the underlying data platform in large, important pieces of the emerging defense and national intelligence community

08:35 EDT Global Partners increases quarterly cash distribution to 57.5c per share - Global Partners announced that the board of directors of its general partner, has increased its quarterly cash distribution by 25c per unit to 57.5c per unit on all of its outstanding common units for the period from January 1 to March 31. The distribution will be paid May 14 to unitholders of record as of the close of business on May 10.

08:34 EDT Mercer Park Brand announces June 2 meeting to approve qualifying transaction - Mercer Park Brand Acquisition, a Special Purpose Acquisition Company which has entered into a definitive agreement to merge with GH Group announced that it expects to hold a shareholder meeting on June 2, 2021 to approve the Glass House Group Transaction. It is anticipated that the Glass House Group Transaction will close shortly thereafter, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all closing conditions. In order to facilitate the closing of the Glass House Group Transaction, on May 5, 2021 there will be a shareholder meeting to vote in support of a brief extension of the May 13, 2021 deadline of the Company's permitted timeline. Votes by proxy must be received by 10 a.m. on May 3, 2021. Following the extension, investors will have an additional opportunity to redeem their shares for cash before the closing of the Glass House Group Transaction by depositing their shares for redemption before the close of business on June 2, 2021. The Company encourages shareholders to vote in favor of the extension and to remain fully invested through the closing of the Glass House Group Transaction.

08:33 EDT Dare Bioscience announces presentation of DARE-BVFREE phase 3 trial results - Dare Bioscience announced that data from the DARE-BVFREE Phase 3 study of DARE-BV1, a thermosetting vaginal gel for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis, will be presented at the 2021 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Annual Clinical and Scientific Meeting. The meeting will be conducted virtually from April 30 - May 2. The poster presentation will highlight the results from the DARE-BVFREE Phase 3 randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating Dare's product candidate DARE-BV1 in women diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis. DARE-BVFREE randomized 307 women diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis at 32 centers across the United States in a 2:1 ratio to receive a single vaginal dose of DARE-BV1 or a single vaginal dose of placebo gel to be applied intravaginally within one day of randomization. Patients were evaluated during three clinic visits: Day 1, Day 7-14. and Day 21-30. The study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating that as a primary therapeutic intervention a single vaginal dose of DARE-BV1 was statistically superior to placebo at Day 21-30 in the modified intent-to-treat population. Additionally, DARE-BV1 demonstrated clinical cure rates of 77% at Day 21-30 and 81% at Day 7-14 in the per protocol population, compared to 43% and 30% for placebo cream, respectively. DARE-BV1 was well-tolerated in the study, and there were no early discontinuations due to adverse events. In DARE-BVFREE, clinical cure was defined as resolution of the specific clinical signs that comprise the Amsel criteria; specifically, resolution of abnormal vaginal discharge associated with bacterial vaginosis, clue cells less than 20% of total epithelial cells on microscopy, and a negative 10% KOH "whiff" test. DARE-BV1 demonstrated clinical cure rates of 70% at Day 21-30 and 76% at Day 7-14 in the mITT population, compared to 36% and 24% for placebo cream, respectively, and rates of 77% at Day 21-30 and 81% at Day 7-14 in the per protocol population, compared to 43% and 30% for placebo cream, respectively. Consistent with the 2019 FDA guidance document, the mITT study population excludes subjects from the intent-to-treat population who subsequently demonstrated a positive test result for other concomitant vaginal or cervical infections at baseline, or who have a baseline Nugent score of less than 7. The per protocol population means subjects from the mITT population who have no major protocol violations that impact the primary or secondary endpoints or who received any other bacterial vaginosis therapy for any reason.

08:32 EDT Crispr Therapeutics, Vertex granted PRIME designation for CTX001 - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (VRTX) and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) announced the European Medicines Agency has granted Priority Medicines designation to CTX001, an investigational, autologous, ex vivo CRISPR/Cas9 gene-edited therapy for the treatment of transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia. CTX001 was previously granted PRIME designation for the treatment of sickle cell disease in 2020. PRIME designation was granted based on clinical data from CRISPR and Vertex's ongoing Phase 1/2 trial of CTX001 in patients with TDT. Based on progress in this program to date, CTX001 has been granted Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy, Fast Track, Orphan Drug and Rare Pediatric Disease designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for both TDT and SCD. CTX001 has also been granted Orphan Drug Designation from EMA for both TDT and SCD. CTX001 is being investigated in two ongoing clinical trials as a potential one-time therapy for patients suffering from TDT and severe SCD.

08:30 EDT Triumph Business Capital appoints Amber Roy as COO - Triumph Business Capital, a member of the Triumph Bancorp, announced the appointment of Amber Roy as chief operating officer. Roy will report to its chief executive officer, Geoff Brenner. As COO, Roy will be responsible for Triumph Business Capital's day-to-day operations, "ensuring the company delivers quality services while being cost effective and maintaining a positive profit margin," the company said. Roy joins Triumph Business Capital from Caliber Home Loans.

08:30 EDT Proofpoint trading resumes

08:28 EDT electroCore announces John Hopkins University study of nVNS - electroCore announced that Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is starting an investigator-initiated trial of non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation, or nVNS, using the company's proprietary gammaCore device to treat symptomatic exacerbation of nausea in patients with gastroparesis and related disorders. "We appreciate Dr. Pasricha and his team selecting gammaCore for their study," said Eric Liebler, Senior Vice President of Neurology at electroCore, Inc. "gammaCore is the first non-invasive, handheld medical device proven to activate the vagus nerve by providing a patented mild electrical stimulation through the skin, and offers a potential alternative to GES that could eliminate significant risks of injury or illness associated with implantation."

08:26 EDT BioCardia signs $500,000 deal with Japanese biotechnology company - BioCardia announced that it has entered into an agreement with a leading Japanese biotechnology company related to BioCardia Helix catheter biotherapeutic delivery product candidates. Under the terms of the agreement, BioCardia will receive $500,000, a portion of which is creditable for biotherapeutic delivery products and support services. The agreement has a one-year term with an option to negotiate for a non-exclusive world-wide license to BioCardia Helix catheter biotherapeutic delivery product candidates for certain cell types for cardiac indications.

08:23 EDT W.R. Grace to be acquired for $70 per share in cash

08:23 EDT W.R. Grace to suspend payment of dividend going forward

08:22 EDT GCM Grosvenor expands in Canada, Ballard and Griffith join the firm - GCM Grosvenor (GCMG) announced that Brad Ballard and Lisa Griffith are joining the firm to grow GCM Grosvenor's Canadian client base. Ballard and Griffith will be located in Toronto and be dedicated to serving the Canadian market. Ballard has 18 years of experience as an advisor and most recently served as head of Canada at Partners Group (PGPHF). Griffith has 14 years of experience serving Canadian investors and, prior to joining GCM Grosvenor, most recently served as a Director at BlackRock (BLK) focused on institutional clients.

08:21 EDT Extraction Oil & Gas reports Q1 average net sales volumes 71.6 MBoe/d - Extraction Oil & Gas provided preliminary financial and operational results for the first quarter of 2021. First Quarter 2021 Highlights: Achieved average net sales volumes of 71.6 MBoe/d, including 26.0 MBbl/d of crude oil and 18.3 MBbl/d of natural gas liquids, for the three months ended March 31, 2021; Realized prices of approximately $54.61/Bbl for crude oil, $8.47/Mcf for natural gas and $24.13/Bbl for NGLs for the three months ended March 31, 2021; Incurred approximately $31 million in capital expenditures during the quarter drilling 11 gross wells with an average lateral length of 2.2 miles and completing 15 gross wells with an average lateral length of 2.1 miles; Exited the quarter with $94 million of borrowings under the Company's $500 million credit facility and $38 million in cash as of March 31, 2021; Extraction expects to exit the second quarter of 2021 with net debt of $100-125 million after making a $94 million ad valorem tax payment in April 2021.

08:17 EDT Camping World acquires campground booking engine Nomad Reservations - Camping World Holdings announced the acquisition of the campground booking engine, Nomad Reservations. This technology platform enhances the company's data ecosystem by providing multiple unique data points regarding the customer's upcoming journey. These data points allow customized, relevant marketing communications while consumers are engaging in the lifestyle before, during and after their trip. This acquisition further expands the company's commitment to supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology in the RV and outdoor marketplace.

08:16 EDT Paya Holdings announces acquisition of Paragon Payment Solutions - Paya Holdings announced the acquisition of Paragon Payments Solutions. "We are excited to welcome the Paragon team into Paya, which further expands Paya's strong position within the non-profit and healthcare verticals," said Jeff Hack, CEO of Paya. "Through the addition of a high-quality, growing roster of software partners in key verticals, we are able to leverage Paya's scale and expertise to further accelerate growth while delivering accretive financial returns to our shareholders. This marks Paya's fourth acquisition and follows our blueprint of executing strategic M&A of integrated payment providers in attractive end markets, serving as a powerful complement to our organic growth strategy," Hack added. Paya expects to discuss the acquisition in further detail on its Q1 2021 earnings conference call in May.

08:15 EDT Mersana Therapeutics appoints Carvajal as senior VP, chief legal officer - Mersana Therapeutics (MRSN) announced the appointment of Alejandra Carvajal as Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. Carvajal was most recently the Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel & Secretary at Momenta Pharmaceuticals, where she led the company's legal operations through both business restructuring and the acquisition by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) for $6.5B. "With our UPLIFT strategy now underway for UpRi and our growing pipeline of product candidates derived from our innovative ADC platforms, we are thrilled to have Alejandra join the team at this time of immense growth," said Anna Protopapas, president and CEO of Mersana Therapeutics. "Alejandra's twenty-year legal leadership experience, demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally and sound business judgement will be an invaluable asset to our organization."

08:14 EDT WPD Telecoms deploys regional network with Infinera XTM series - Infinera announced that WPD Telecoms selected Infinera's XTM Series metro optical platform for its high-capacity network, enabling delivery of next-generation high-speed services to its customers across South West England.

08:12 EDT ADMA Biologics opens ADMA BioCenters Plasma Collection Facility in S.C. - ADMA Biologics announced commencement of operations and initiation of donor plasma collections at its newest ADMA BioCenters plasma collection facility located in Goose Creek, South Carolina. Pursuant to updated United States Food and Drug Administration guidance to obtain approval for plasma collection centers, sponsors are now required to collect plasma donations for 3 months prior to submitting a Biologics License Application filing. Accordingly, ADMA expects to file its BLA for the Goose Creek, S.C. plasma collection facility in approximately 3 months from center opening and anticipates a standard 12-month BLA review period by the FDA. In the meantime, ADMA is permitted to collect plasma donations at this site, and once FDA approved, it can utilize the plasma collected for further use in the manufacturing of life saving therapies. This new, state-of-the-art plasma collection center features automated registration, high-tech collection equipment designed to shorten the donation process, free Wi-Fi wireless network in the donor collection area, individual flat-screen TVs with cable at each donor station, and highly trained and certified staff who put donor comfort and safety first. At full capacity, the plasma center expects to maintain a staff of up to 50 highly trained healthcare workers.

08:11 EDT W R Grace and Co trading resumes

08:10 EDT Patterson Veterinary in pact to acquire Miller Vet Holdings, terms undisclosed - Patterson Veterinary Supply announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets of Miller Vet Holding a multiregional veterinary distributor. Upon closing, the acquisition is expected to grow Patterson Animal Health's presence in the companion animal market, drive increased operating leverage and attractive synergies, and allow Patterson to provide exceptional customer service to Miller Vet's customers. Miller Vet is a privately held company founded in 1920 with headquarters in West Point, Nebraska, and four distribution facilities located in the South, Southeast and East Coast. The acquired business will be integrated into Patterson Veterinary's existing facilities and operations. In connection with the transaction, a large number of Miller Vet sales representatives are expected to join the Patterson team. According to Kevin Pohlman, president of Patterson Animal Health, "For more than 100 years Miller Vet has built a reputation as a distributor that cares about veterinarians and their practices. Patterson shares this philosophy and the proposed acquisition of Miller Vet aligns with Patterson Animal Health's strategic direction and plans. In addition to building upon our strong momentum in the companion animal market, this acquisition illustrates Patterson's focus on making strategic investments to drive profitable growth and shareholder value." Miller Vet Holdings President and CEO Dr. David Gnad stated, "We are excited about the upcoming acquisition, as we have long admired Patterson Vet and how they provide services to the companion animal market. With Patterson Vet's acquisition of Miller Vet, our customers will benefit from Patterson's scale, broad product portfolio and exceptional value-added services." "In addition to strengthening our competitive position in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast markets, the acquisition is expected to expand our core sales reach and create synergies with our strategic vendors. We welcome our new colleagues to the Patterson team and look forward to continued success together," said George Henriques, president of Patterson Veterinary Supply. Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed. Patterson expects to close the transaction during its first fiscal quarter of FY2022.

08:09 EDT Scienjoy jumps 28% to $12.40 after launching NFTs on its streaming platforms

08:07 EDT Univar and Novozymes expanding U.S. and Canada partnership into ingredients - Univar and Novozymes announced a new agreement to expand the partnership into the U.S. and Canadian food ingredients markets. The new food ingredients agreement takes effect May 1, one month after the companies announced an agreement expanding the partnership into the U.S. and Canadian beverage production, homecare, and industrial cleaning markets.

08:07 EDT Ooma backs previously issued Q1 guidance , and FY22 view - The Company is reconfirming its previously issued guidance for the first quarter of fiscal 2022 as well as for the full 2022 fiscal year. The Company plans to report results for the first quarter of fiscal 2022, ending April 30, on May 27.

08:05 EDT Accenture, SAP to extend partnership - Accenture (ACN) and SAP (SAP) are expanding their decades-long partnership to help companies embed sustainability across the full spectrum of their business operations - from strategy to execution - to unlock new value throughout their enterprises and in their value and supply chains. Combining SAP technology with Accenture's Sustainability Services and broad industry knowledge, the partners are expanding their alliance to jointly create new solutions that can empower companies to accelerate their progress on fully de-carbonizing their supply chains and capture their share of the projected $4.5T economic growth that the circular economy could bring.

08:04 EDT Axalta Coating partners with Chery Jetour in ecological vehicle project - Axalta has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Jetour, a Chery Holding's brand, to partner on its Intelligent and Healthy Ecological Vehicle Project. The agreement was signed at Jetour's booth at Auto Shanghai 2021. The partnership will entail multidimensional strategic cooperation to establish technical standards for intelligent and eco-friendly vehicles, upgrading manufacturing technology, and developing sustainable mobility. Axalta will share resources and leverage technology to assist Jetour in building a vehicle ecosystem to boost sustainable development in China's automotive industry.

08:02 EDT Medtronic partners with Surgical Theater for augmented reality platform - Medtronic and Surgical Theater announced a partnership to interface Surgical Theater's SyncAR augmented reality ) technology with Medtronic's StealthStation S8 surgical navigation system. This collaboration will enable neurosurgeons to use AR technology in real-time to enhance visualization during complex cranial procedures. Using fighter-jet simulation technology, the SyncAR platform allows surgeons to visualize structures in the brain, test virtual surgical tools and plan surgeries before entering the operating room.

08:00 EDT Unisys names Maureen Sweeny as Chief Revenue Officer - Unisys has appointed Maureen Sweeny as Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer. Most recently, Sweeny served as executive vice president and chief development officer for private food-service and hospitality company Delaware North. Prior to Delaware North, she was chief commercial officer for gaming company Aristocrat Technologies. Previously, she held a number of key positions at IBM Corp.

07:56 EDT Allison get California ARB for H 40/50 EP system paired with Cummins engines - Allison Transmission (ALSN) and Cummins (CMI) announced they have received annual certification from the California Air Resources Board. ARB for model year 2021 Allison Hybrid 40/50 Electric Propulsion, H 40/50 EP system paired with the Cummins B6.7 and L9 diesel-electric hybrid engines. Originally issued by the ARB in 2014, the dual Executive Order, EO, is required to be reviewed for renewed eligibility on a model year basis. The Allison electric hybrid propulsion system and Cummins engine pairing is used in both straight and articulated transit buses as well as coaches. In full operation since 2003, the Allison H 40/50 EP has been proven to reduce emissions, ensure quieter operation and improve fuel economy up to 25% over similar diesel buses. It provides fast acceleration for an overall smoother ride. Additionally, the H 40/50 EP's regenerative braking system converts the vehicle's kinetic energy to stored electric energy when decelerating or stopping. This capability can significantly extend the brake change interval by as much as 350%, reducing maintenance costs. The Cummins B6.7 and L9 diesel-electric hybrid engines feature proven technology designed and developed in-house that is optimized to deliver the efficiency, durability and performance on which transit bus customers depend. The B6.7 diesel-electric hybrid engine is rated at 280 hp 209kW while the L9 diesel-electric hybrid engine is rated at 330 hp 246kW for the transit bus market.

07:55 EDT Proofpoint trading halted, news pending

07:46 EDT ZIM Integrated announces establishment of ZIMARK - ZIM Integrated Shipping announced today the establishment of ZIMARK, a technology-based company formed in collaboration with the Israeli startup Sodyo Ltd., to provide next generation scanning solutions for the logistics and supply chain sectors. In addition to the joint venture with Sodyo in the establishment of ZIMARK, ZIM will also make a direct equity investment in Sodyo. ZIMARK will provide its customers innovative scanning solutions using Sodyo's groundbreaking patented technology for connecting offline content to the online world.

07:42 EDT Marathon Gold reports Berry drill results - Marathon Gold Corporation is pleased to report results from the latest batch of exploration drill holes completed at the Valentine Gold Project, central Newfoundland. These latest results represent fire assay data from fifteen drill holes located within the 1.5 kilometre long Berry Deposit, for which the Company recently released the first mineral resource estimate. The Berry mineral resource estimate includes holes drilled to the end of November 2020, and excludes the results published. Highlights include: VL-21-984 intersected 2.71 g/t Au over 122 metres including 19.14 g/t Au over 2 metres and 17.43 g/t Au over 2 metres and 16.57 g/t Au over 2 metres; VL-21-987 intersected 1.69 g/t Au over 156 metres including 34.35 g/t Au over 1 metre; VL-21-981 intersected 1.70 g/t Au over 87 metres including 10.36 g/t Au over 5 metres, and 1.66 g/t Au over 13 metres, and 1.08 g/t Au over 15 metres; VL-21-988 intersected 2.15 g/t Au over 45 metres including 19.99 g/t Au over 1 metre, and 1.45 g/t Au over 11 metres; VL-21-977 intersected 1.14 g/t Au over 55 metres including 10.05 g/t Au over 1 metre, and 1.99 g/t Au over 16 metres; and VL-21-980 intersected 26.95 g/t Au over 2 metres. Gold mineralization at the Valentine Gold Project is contained predominantly within shallowly southwest dipping, en-echelon stacked Quartz-Tourmaline-Pyrite-Gold veins. At the Leprechaun and Marathon Deposits, as well as at the new Berry Deposit, these QTP-Au veins form densely stacked and northwest plunging "Main Zone" envelopes within intrusive host rocks on the hanging wall side of the Valentine Lake Shear Zone. The extent of mineralization appears related to the size and frequency of sheared mafic dykes which extend northeast-southwest within the hanging wall, parallel to the shear zone. Exploration drilling is generally undertaken in two orientations: down steeply towards the northwest at a high angle to the individual veins and down-plunge of the Main Zone stacking, or obliquely towards the southeast at a low angle of incidence to the individual veins and across the strike of Main Zone mineralization. The results are derived from eleven drillholes located between sections 13670E and 13850E at the western end of the Berry Deposit and four drillholes in the Frozen Ear Pond Road area between sections 14510E and 14780E. Nine of the fifteen holes were oriented to the southeast from the hanging wall toward the footwall contact. The remaining six holes were oriented steeply down to the northwest testing for Main Zone type stacked QTP-Au mineralization close to the Valentine Lake Shear Zone. All fifteen drill holes returned "significant" drill intercepts of greater than 0.7 g/t Au, and each drill hole returned additional intercepts with gold grades above the 0.3 g/t Au cut-off used in the April 2021 Mineral Resource Estimate for the Berry Deposit. Five of the drill holes are located within a 50-metre long area of the Valentine Lake Shear Zone centered around section 13700E. This is the same area where drill holes VL-20-823 and 824 returned intercepts of 3.33 g/t Au over 120 metres and 3.37 g/t Au over 36 metres, respectively. The latest drilling further confirms a strong concentration of mineralization with good continuity in this central area of the deposit.

07:40 EDT Delek US' director nominees receive recommendation from ISS, Glass Lewis - Delek US announced in a letter to shareholders that leading independent proxy advisory firms Institutional Shareholder Services, or ISS, and Glass Lewis, both recommend that Delek shareholders vote "for" all of the company's director nominees on the white proxy card in connection with the company's 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, scheduled to take place on May 6. The company's nominees are: Uzi Yemin, William Finnerty, Richard Marcogliese, Gary Sullivan, Jr., Vicky Sutil, Laurie Tolson, David Wiessman and Shlomo Zohar.

07:39 EDT Costamare announce acquisition of the York Capital majority interest in 5 TEUs - Costamare announced the acquisition of York Capital's 60% equity interest, on average, in five 11,000 TEU containerships, four of which were built in 2017 and one of which was built in 2016. The acquisition brings the company's ownership interest in these five vessels to 100%. The five vessels were initially contracted as new buildings in 2013 and 2015 under the joint venture with York Capital. The vessels currently operate under long-term charters, with four of them expiring in 2031 and the fifth one in 2025. The acquisition has been funded with cash at hand and commercial bank debt provided by leading European and U.S. financial institutions with tenors of up to 10 years. Gregory Zikos, CFO of the company, said: "We are pleased with the conclusion of the transaction with York Capital, which underscores our excellent relationship. The deal provides a successful exit path in this investment for our partner. At the same time, the joint venture continues to own another five vessels and our relationship is ongoing. The vessels acquired provide us with incremental contracted revenues of approximately $335M and have a TEU-weighted average time charter duration of 8.9 years."

07:36 EDT Apple announces $430B commitment in U.S. investments over five years - Apple announced an acceleration of its U.S. investments, with plans to make new contributions of more than $430B and add 20,000 new jobs across the country over the next five years. Over the past three years, Apple's contributions in the U.S. have outpaced the company's original five-year goal of $350B set in 2018. Apple is now raising its level of commitment by 20% over the next five years. This includes tens of billions of dollars for next-generation silicon development and 5G innovation across nine U.S. states. Apple supports more than 2.7M jobs across the country through direct employment, spending with U.S. suppliers and manufacturers, and developer jobs in the iOS app economy. As part of its investments and expansion, Apple plans to invest over $1B in North Carolina and will begin construction on a new campus and engineering hub in the Research Triangle area. The investment will create at least 3,000 new jobs in machine learning, artificial intelligence, software engineering, and other fields. Apple will also establish a $100M fund to support schools and community initiatives in the greater Raleigh-Durham area and across the state, and will be contributing over $110M in infrastructure spending to the 80 North Carolina counties with the greatest need. When up and running, Apple's investments are expected to generate over $1.5B in economic benefits annually for North Carolina. Apple is on track to meet its 2018 goal of creating 20,000 new jobs in the U.S. by 2023. With the new commitment, Apple is setting a target of creating 20,000 additional jobs in states across the country over the next five years. Apple has also surpassed its 2018 hiring commitments in Miami, New York, Pittsburgh, and Portland, Oregon. Apple's $430B U.S. investments include working with more than 9,000 suppliers and companies large and small in all 50 states, supporting American job creation across dozens of sectors, including silicon engineering, 5G, and manufacturing.

07:35 EDT Accuray appoints Jean-Philippe Pignol as Chief Medical & Technology Officer - Accuray appointed Jean-Philippe Pignol as its chief medical & technology officer. In this new role, Pignol will lead the company's scientific and clinical research activities, develop strategic collaborations with global key opinion leaders, evaluate new technologies and serve as the executive representative with industry partners. Pignol has served as professor and department head of the department of radiation oncology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. Previously, Pignol spent four years as professor and chair of the department of radiation oncology at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam.

07:33 EDT Lennox raises FY21 free cash flow view to $375M from $325M - For FY21: The effective tax rate is still expected to be approximately 21% on an adjusted basis for the full year. Capital expenditures are still planned to be approximately $135M. Corporate expense is now expected to be approximately $95M compared to prior guidance of $90M.

07:33 EDT Apple to accelerate U.S. investments, commits to spend $430B over five years

07:33 EDT Lincoln Electric's HPG president David Nangle to retire - Lincoln Electric Holdings announced that David Nangle, Executive Vice President, President, The Harris Products Group will retire effective October 1, 2021 and will be succeeded by Gregory Doria. As part of the transition, Doria has been promoted to Senior Vice President, COO, The Harris Products Group. He formerly served as Vice President, Marketing, Lincoln Electric.

07:29 EDT Enthusiast Gaming announces partnership with ExitLag - Enthusiast Gaming announces it has signed a partnership deal with ExitLag, which will be using Enthusiast Gaming's "extensive reach into the video gaming and esports market as the Latin American software developer seeks to make an impactful debut in the US with its proprietary technology to improve routing connections for gamers." Enthusiast added: "The partnership will utilize the full range of Enthusiast Gaming's flywheel including: media, the creation of a custom series with influencers, gamer endorsement, and custom social content. The partnership will also include an official Luminosity Gaming sponsorship placing ExitLag's logo on the team jersey, player and team advocacy, as well as significant product placement and endorsement during competitive play."

07:28 EDT Scienjoy launches Non-Fungible Tokens on its live streaming platforms - Scienjoy Holding announced it has officially launched Non-Fungible Tokens on its live streaming platforms, making it one of the first live streaming platforms in mainland China to adopt the technology. This new initiative lets broadcasters mint their own NFTs on Scienjoy's platform, and lets users bid to purchase NFT mementos from their favorite broadcasters by using points earned from the new loyalty and rewards system. These custom souvenirs will include various popular accessories, skins, and other virtual objects that users and broadcasters will be able to wear and display in the Scienjoy virtual livestreaming worlds. NFTs will be minted as unique prizes for live streaming game competitions as a way to reward users, increase excitement and drive user engagement.

07:26 EDT Gilat Satellite awarded $3M to provide broadband connectivity in Latin America - Gilat Satellite announced that a Tier-1 Telco in Latin America awarded Gilat over $3M to provide broadband connectivity over satellite to support bridging the digital divide. The project includes thousands of VSATs to be deployed in remote schools to further children's education in Latin America and is expected to expand further. "This award signifies another step in Gilat's achievements in Latin America," said Michal Aharonov, Senior Vice President Global Broadband Networks at Gilat. "We are excited with the opportunity to support our partners with our leading technology and to share a common vision of bridging the digital divide, by delivering broadband connectivity worldwide to those who need it most."

07:24 EDT Balchem releases 2020 sustainability report - Balchem released its 2020 Sustainability Report. This report "demonstrates the company's continuing promise to provide our employees, customers, shareholders and the communities within which we operate with information on Balchem's sustainability initiatives," the company said. "I am pleased with the progress Balchem has made over the last year to advance our sustainability efforts. Our recent commitment to the United Nations Global Compact principles is another step in our continuous improvement journey relative to our corporate social responsibilities and achievement of our higher purpose of making the world a healthier place." said Ted Harris, chairman and CEO. "We remain focused on our two main objectives: providing innovative solutions for the health and nutritional needs of the world and operating with excellence as strong stewards of our people, communities, and shareholders."

07:22 EDT INV Metals advances Loma Larga project, submits EIS - INV Metals is pleased to announce the successful submission of the Environmental Impact Study related to the Loma Larga gold-silver-copper project and to provide an update to its ongoing efforts on Loma Larga, the Company's 100% owned underground development project located in Ecuador. The submission of the EIS is the first major milestone in the well defined permitting process for large scale mining projects within Ecuador. The process provides for the timely technical review and comment by the MEW, followed by timely responses to comments by the Company. Subsequent to the completion of the technical review of the EIS by the MEW, INV Metals will commence the citizen participation and consultation phase. INV Metals will continue to work towards our goal of the development of Loma Larga and will provide further updates on key milestones to support a positive production decision by the Board of Directors as they are achieved. As previously stated, INV Metals continues to hold discussions with a variety of financial institutions and partners. Concurrently with the permitting process, the Company will actively pursue a number of possible capital financing scenarios for Loma Larga including debt, equity, and a stream or royalty, with the objective of securing the capital requirements for construction prior to the receipt of the Environmental Licence. The Company is also preparing the EIS related to the proposed 69 kV powerline, which is expected to be completed within the next few months. The registration of the Environmental Regularization process for the 69 kV powerline is complete and the various reports requiring approval before EIS submission are under review by the MEW. Loma Larga is not near any lakes or rivers. Water discharged from the Loma Larga Project will be treated and no water will be discharged within the Canton of Cuenca. Treated water will meet stringent Ecuadorian standards and the Company expects the treated water to be of better quality than the water currently found downstream of the discharge point. The underground mine will produce concentrates which do not use cyanide for processing and ~55% of the tailings will be placed underground using the paste backfill method. The remaining tailings will be filtered and placed on a lined and geotechnically stable tailings facility which is designed with berms surrounding the enclosure. The Company continues to work with the MPRO regarding the application for the Investment Protection Agreement relating to Loma Larga. The Company submitted the IPA application in November 2020. The terms of the IPA provide various stability and protective measures for historical and future investments in Loma Larga, in addition to providing fiscal incentives for the Project. According to the prescribed process of the IPA, it is expected that it will take approximately six months from the submission of the IPA application to execution of the IPA.

07:18 EDT Kornit Digital announces new MAX technology - Kornit Digital announced the release of its new MAX technology, "breaking new ground in on-demand production to deliver the highest retail-quality results and versatility via previously unattainable print applications," the company said. "A key feature of Kornit's MAX technology is XDi, which delivers 3D capabilities for new, high-density graphic decoration that can simulate embroidery and vinyl heat transfer in a single, waste-free process," the company added. The first iteration of MAX technology is now commercially available in the Kornit Atlas MAX. The Atlas MAX is delivered with the new XDi technology built in, for 3D printing capabilities. An upgrade to the installed base of Kornit Atlas systems will be available during the first quarter of 2022. Kornit also debuted the ActiveLoad Automation technology, a new robotic system to "ease the burden of manual and labor-intensive media handling in the textile decoration industry... The new patent-pending ActiveLoad Automation technology ensures continuous production and consistency, while decreasing human error and fatigue, regardless of employee experience and training, for ultimate results and best operational efficiency," the company said.

07:16 EDT Cyclerion Therapeutics appoints Errol De Souza to board of directors - Cyclerion Therapeutics announced the appointment of Errol De Souza, Ph.D., to its board of directors. Dr. De Souza is currently the executive chairman of Bionomics Limited and a member of the board of directors of Royalty Pharma and Catalyst Biosciences.

07:15 EDT Denbury appoints Nikulas Wood as SVP, head of Denbury Carbon Solutions - In order to further advance the Company's strategic vision and direction for its Carbon Capture, Use and Storage business, Denbury announced the appointment of Nikulas Wood as Senior Vice President. Mr. Wood will head the Denbury Carbon Solutions team and report directly to Denbury CEO Chris Kendall. The Company operates more than 1,000 miles of CO2 pipelines in the Gulf Coast and Rocky Mountain regions. The 24-inch Green Pipeline, a 320-mile CO2 pipeline which runs from Donaldsonville, Louisiana to Houston, Texas, is located in the heart of the Gulf Coast industrial corridor and is currently capable of moving more than 16 million metric tons of CO2 per year. The Company has identified the following strategic priorities for Denbury Carbon Solutions to accelerate the expansion of its CCUS business: Generate new cash flow streams through agreements with existing and new-build industrial emitters for transportation and storage of captured CO2; Add significant permanent CO2 storage capacity through development of a geographically diverse portfolio of subsurface storage sites, providing scale, reliability, and flexibility; Seek to replace the use of naturally sourced CO2 in the Company's EOR operations with captured industrial-sourced CO2, thereby increasing the Company's proportion of low carbon intensity blue oil production; Evaluate and prepare for a capital-efficient expansion of up to 2-3X the Company's existing infrastructure capacity to meet anticipated rapidly growing CCUS demand; and Pursue strategic partnerships along the entire CCUS value chain.

07:13 EDT Microbix Biosystems, SpeeDx form exclusive collaboration - Microbix Biosystems and SpeeDx are pleased to announce the formation of a collaboration under which Microbix will be exclusive developer of Quality Assessment Products to facilitate the registration and commercialization of SpeeDx diagnostic assays. The companies said, "The collaboration will begin with support of SpeeDx's diagnostic tests for infection with antimicrobial-resistant strains of Mycoplasma genitalium, a widespread sexually-transmitted infection and a test market expected to exceed $1B globally by 2027. AMR MGEN is known to have multiple mutations that render certain antibiotics ineffective against it. Accurate diagnosis of such drug-resistant infections requires control materials sensitive to these mutations - in order to confirm the test performance. However, producing AMR MGEN controls in commercially-relevant quantities has posed technical hurdles that have been solved using proprietary Microbix technology. This is enabling Microbix to produce the QAPs required by SpeeDx to complete development and registration of its AMR MGEN assays. This same Microbix technology can be used to safely produce a range of QAPs to support tests for other AMR and XDR organisms."

07:11 EDT Baudax Bio announces publication of Phase IIIb data on ANJESO - Baudax Bio announced the online publication of data highlighting the safety and efficacy of preoperative ANJESO injection in patients undergoing unilateral total knee arthroplasty when used within a multimodal analgesic regimen, in the peer-reviewed medical journal Pain Medicine. ANJESO is indicated for the management of moderate to severe pain, alone or in combination with other non-NSAID analgesics. During the 1st 24 hours, ANJESO patients used approximately 32% less opioids and reported approximately 22% greater pain reduction relative to placebo treated patients. ANJESO-treated patients had a significantly lower Summed Pain Intensity score on the first postsurgical day and throughout their inpatient course. Additionally, ANJESO-treated patients had significantly lower opioid consumption during the first postsurgical day, with a 31.7% reduction compared to placebo. Significant reductions in opioid use were observed on subsequent days and throughout treatment. ANJESO-treated patients had a significantly longer time to first opioid rescue after surgery compared to placebo treated patients. ANJESO-treated subjects had lower incidences of all cause hospital readmissions, fewer patients admitted to skilled nursing facilities upon discharge, and fewer emergency room visits, and doctor calls related to pain during the follow-up period. With respect to safety, adverse events, or AEs, were primarily mild or moderate in intensity and not related to study treatment, with a higher incidence of AEs reported in the placebo group. Additionally, the incidence of serious AEs was higher in the placebo group. All serious AEs in the ANJESO group were assessed by the primary investigators to be not related to study treatment. No subject discontinued due to an AE. The overall rate of AEs of special interest were lower in the ANJESO-treated group at 9.7% than the placebo group at 21.6%. Rates of individual events in the ANJESO group occurred at similar or lower rates compared to the placebo group. Laboratory and surgical wound healing assessments were similar between treatment groups. Mean total opioid use from hour 0-24, 0-48, and 0-72 hours was significantly lower among meloxicam IV compared to placebo and from hour 0 through hospital discharge. Time to the first oral opioid rescue medication was longer for the ANJESO group than placebo and a similar trend was observed for mean time to first use of IV or oral opioid analgesia. While there was no significant association between opioid consumption and total hospital charges, every unit increase in opioid consumption was associated with a 0.5% increase in LOS in days. The proportion of subjects with more than 1 opioid related adverse drug effects were significantly higher for placebo than ANJESO. Six ANJESO-treated patients had more than 1 AESI in comparison to 12 placebo subjects. Serious AEs were observed among 3 ANJESO-treated patients and 9 placebo subjects. The Overall Benefit of Analgesia Scores, or OBAS, were also assessed. The OBAS score was significantly lower for meloxicam IV compared with placebo-treated subjects on the first postoperative day.

07:10 EDT Southern Company's Georgia Power: Vogtle Unit 3 begins hot functional testing - Georgia Power announced that hot functional testing has begun for Vogtle Unit 3. Hot functional testing marks the last series of major tests underway for the new nuclear unit ahead of initial fuel load. The testing represents a significant step towards operations and providing customers with a reliable, carbon-free energy source for the next 60 to 80 years. Hot functional testing is conducted to verify the successful operation of reactor components and systems together and confirm the reactor is ready for fuel load. As part of the testing, the site team will begin running Unit 3 plant systems without nuclear fuel and advance through the testing process towards reaching normal operating pressure and temperature. Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company.

07:09 EDT Vale sees FY21 iron ore production 315-335 Mt

07:08 EDT Comasco selects Cellocator by PowerFleet IoT solution - Cellocator by PowerFleet provided Comasco with an IoT solution for real-time tracing and inventory management of their rented crane parts. Comasco decided to modernize its crane business with IoT technology to gain better visibility, utilization, and security over the equipment.

07:07 EDT Seneca Biopharma approved for merger with Leading Biosciences - Seneca Biopharma disclosed on April 23, the passing of the final proposal required for approval of the proposed merger between Seneca and Leading Biosciences. The Merger is expected to close on or about April 27, and the new combined company, Palisades Bio, is expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on or about April 28 under the ticker "PALI". Seneca and LBS will announce the final exchange ratio prior to the common stock commencing trading on or about Wednesday, April 28.

07:05 EDT Stabilis Solutions announces approval for listing on Nasdaq - Stabilis Solutions announced that the company's common stock has been approved for listing on Nasdaq. Trading on Nasdaq is expected to begin at the opening of trading on April 29, under the company's existing ticker symbol (SLNG).

07:05 EDT Neoleukin Therapeutics receives clearance to proceed with NL-201 Phase 1 trial - Neoleukin Therapeutics announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has removed the clinical hold related to its Investigational New Drug Application to begin a Phase 1 clinical program of its immunotherapeutic candidate, NL-201. Neoleukin previously announced on January 8, 2021 that it received a clinical hold letter from the FDA requesting development of a new assay that more precisely measures the amount of protein being administered and demonstration of accurate delivery of the intended dose of NL-201. The Phase 1 study will evaluate monotherapy, intravenous treatment with NL-201 in up to 120 patients with advanced, relapsed or refractory solid tumors. The trial will assess safety, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, pharmacodynamics, and antitumor activity. When the recommended dose and schedule are determined, indication-specific expansion cohorts will be enrolled to estimate safety and antitumor activity. The trial is planned to be conducted in North America and Australia. Recruitment activities have recently begun in Australia. Additional sites in North America are expected to begin recruitment over the next several months.

07:04 EDT Sanofi to help manufacture Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine - Sanofi (SNY) has entered into an agreement with Moderna (MRNA), under which Sanofi will help manufacture Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, supporting the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine supply needs. Sanofi will leverage its established infrastructure and manufacturing expertise at its site in Ridgefield, NJ, to perform fill and finish of up to 200 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, starting in September 2021. Sanofi continues to be actively involved in discussions with governments and organizations to identify additional areas of pandemic response where the company can make a meaningful impact.

07:03 EDT TG Therapeutics, Samsung Biologics expand collaboration for ublituximab - Samsung Biologics and TG Therapeutics announced an expansion of a large-scale contract manufacturing deal for the supply of TG Therapeutics' ublituximab, an investigational anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. TG Therapeutics has completed a rolling submission of a Biologics License Application to the Food and Drug Administration requesting approval of ublituximab, in combination with UKONIQ, TG Therapeutics' oral once-daily inhibitor of PI3K-delta and CK1-epsilon, as a treatment for patients with CLL, based primarily on the results from the UNITY-CLL Phase 3 trial. Ublituximab was also the subject of two Phase 3 trials in patients with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis and a BLA is currently being prepared for this indication.

07:03 EDT Moderna enters deal with Sanofi for COVID-19 vaccine fill/ finish manufacturing - Moderna (MRNA) announced that it has entered into an agreement with Sanofi (SNY) for fill/finish sterile manufacturing services and supply packaging for up to 200M doses of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine in the U.S. beginning in September. Sanofi will leverage its established manufacturing infrastructure at its site in Ridgefield, New Jersey.

07:01 EDT Brooks Automation to acquire Precise Automation for $70M in cash - Brooks Automation announced that it has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Precise Automation, a developer of collaborative robots and automation subsytems headquartered in Fremont, CA. The total cash purchase price for the acquisiton will be approximately $70M, subject to working capital and other adjustments. The transaction is expected to close by the end of April upon satisfaction of customary closing conditions.

06:50 EDT Merck signs three new virtual power purchase agreements - Merck is accelerating by 15 years its previous 2040 goal to source 100% renewable energy for its purchased electricity. Merck signed three new virtual power purchase agreements for utility-scale energy projects based in Texas and Spain. These projects will address approximately 35% of Merck's Scope 2 emissions by collectively adding 145 megawatts of solar and wind energy to the grid. Merck previously signed a U.S. wind VPPA in 2018, which has added 60 MW of new renewable energy capacity, while providing Merck with the associated renewable energy credits. To achieve the 30% reduction in Scope 3 emissions by 2030, Merck will continue to engage with its suppliers to reduce their emissions, promote opportunities for suppliers to source renewable energy, and use existing procurement and supply chain processes to drive additional strategies to decrease emissions.

06:48 EDT Eaton to acquire 50% stake in Jiangsu YiNeng Electric's busway business - Eaton announced it has signed an agreement to acquire a 50% stake in Jiangsu YiNeng Electric's busway business, which manufactures and markets busway products in China and had sales of $60M in 2020. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, is expected to close in the third quarter. After the transaction closes, the company will do business as Eaton Busway Jiangsu. Jiangsu YiNeng Electric is a Chinese electrical equipment manufacturer. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Jiangsu, China, the company serves the data center, infrastructure, commercial building, telecommunications, and industrial segments.

06:38 EDT MDJM Ltd signs marketing, sales agency agreement with Tianjin Infrastructure - MDJM Ltd announced that it signed a marketing planning and sales agency agreement with Tianjin Infrastructure, a state-owned enterprise specializing in financing, investment, construction and operation of urban infrastructure. Pursuant to the agreement, the company will provide nationwide marketing and sales services to Tianjin Infrastructure's Zhangguizhuang residential construction program in Dongli District, Tianjin. The program is located near a major transportation route close to subway stations, a high-speed rail line, and an airport. It is positioned as a low-density boutique affordable luxury residential with a total of 652 units available for sales. MDJH will work closely with Tianjin Infrastructure for housing market analysis, competition assessment, marketing and promotion, and sales staff training. The company will assist Tianjin Infrastructure in establishing a sales management system, managing sales sites and customer information, implementing sales transactions and collections, and following up after sales.

06:34 EDT Vistra Energy provides Winter Storm Uri financial impact - The company said, "Since its initial announcement regarding the estimated financial impact of Uri on Feb. 26, 2021, Vistra has received additional customer load information, which drove a negative variance to its previous estimate of $(900) million to $(1,300) million. Vistra also had a line of sight to relatively high probability self-help initiatives that, until mid-April, kept the net estimate of the 2021 Adjusted EBITDA impact at the high end of this previous range, with knowledge that ERCOT's 55-day resettlement statements would be forthcoming. These self-help initiatives include the monetization of certain commercial positions, generation savings from lower O&M project work, retail savings and forecasted performance, and IT and SG&A savings, which are expected to total ~$500 million in the balance of the year. In mid-April, Vistra received the 55-day resettlement statements from ERCOT, which drove an estimated negative variance of more than $200 million. Vistra now estimates the net financial impact of Uri on its 2021 Ongoing Operations Adjusted EBITDA1 and Ongoing Operations Adjusted FCFbG1 is ~$(1,600) million. This estimate includes the expected benefit of the self-help initiatives, but assumes no recovery from potential successful outcomes of various legal and regulatory challenges related to Uri. Vistra estimates the entire 2021 Adjusted EBITDA impact from the storm was less than the negative impact from gas deliverability issues and the incredibly high costs to procure gas. Vistra's firm gas contracts that were not honored by third parties led to the company procuring replacement gas at incredibly high costs, while the lack of physical gas and insufficient pressures on the pipelines impacted the company's ability to generate power at full capacity. As a result of these challenges, Vistra had to procure power in the ERCOT market at prices at or near the price cap to meet its supply obligations. Absent these issues with gas deliverability and increased gas costs, Vistra estimates that the 2021 Adjusted EBITDA impact of Uri would have been a slight positive."

06:22 EDT Total declares force majeure on Mozambique LNG project - Total said in a statement: "Considering the evolution of the security situation in the north of the Cabo Delgado province in Mozambique, Total confirms the withdrawal of all Mozambique LNG project personnel from the Afungi site. This situation leads Total, as operator of Mozambique LNG project, to declare force majeure.Total expresses its solidarity with the government and people of Mozambique and wishes that the actions carried out by the government of Mozambique and its regional and international partners will enable the restoration of security and stability in Cabo Delgado province in a sustained manner. Total E&P Mozambique Area 1 Limitada, a wholly owned subsidiary of Total SE, operates Mozambique LNG with a 26.5% participating interest alongside ENH Rovuma Area Um, S.A. (15%), Mitsui E&P Mozambique Area1 Limited (20%), ONGC Videsh Rovuma Limited (10%), Beas Rovuma Energy Mozambique Limited (10%), BPRL Ventures Mozambique B.V. (10%), and PTTEP Mozambique Area 1 Limited (8.5%)." Reference Link

06:19 EDT AstraZeneca's Tagrisso recommended in E.U. for treatment of EGFR lung cancer - The company states: "AstraZeneca's Tagrisso has been recommended for marketing authorisation in the European Union for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients with early-stage epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated non-small cell lung cancer after complete tumour resection with curative intent. If approved, Tagrisso will be indicated for EGFRm patients whose tumours have exon 19 deletions or exon 21 mutations. The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency based its positive opinion on results from the ADAURA Phase III trial. In the trial, Tagrisso demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in disease-free survival in the primary analysis population of patients with Stage II and IIIA EGFRm NSCLC, and in the overall trial population of patients with Stage IB-IIIA disease. These results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine. While up to 30% of all patients with NSCLC may be diagnosed early enough to have surgery with curative intent, recurrence is still common in early-stage disease. Historically, nearly half of patients diagnosed in Stage IB, and over three quarters of patients diagnosed in Stage IIIA, have experienced recurrence within five years."

06:11 EDT AstraZeneca's Selumetinib recommended for approval in E.U. to treat NF1 - AstraZeneca (AZN) and MSD's (MRK) selumetinib has been recommended for conditional marketing authorisation in the European Union for the treatment of symptomatic, inoperable plexiform neurofibromas in paediatric patients with neurofibromatosis type 1, or NF1, aged three years and above. The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency based its positive opinion on results from the National Cancer Institute Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program -sponsored SPRINT Stratum 1 Phase II trial. Results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine.8 Safety and efficacy data from the SPRINT trial with longer follow up will be provided to the CHMP as a condition of the recommendation for approval. The trial showed selumetinib demonstrated an objective response rate of 66% (33 of 50 patients, confirmed partial response) in paediatric patients with NF1 PN when treated with selumetinib as twice-daily oral monotherapy.1 ORR is defined as the percentage of patients with confirmed complete or partial response of at least 20% reduction in tumour volume.

06:05 EDT KBR awarded $48.5M Air Force recompete for optoelectronic technology research - KBR won a $48.5M recompete to support optoelectronic technology research for the U.S Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate's Optoelectronic Technology Branch, or RYDH. KBR will perform analyses of military and commercial developmental devices with emphasis on emerging electronic, plasmonic, electro-optic, and photonic technology. These devices will include lasers, waveguides, detectors, and focal plane array. KBR will also perform analyses on materials, such as semiconductors, nonlinear crystals, and laser gain media; and more broadly, applications of the subject devices and materials. Applications for this research exist for nearly every airborne platform, including the F-35 Lightning II, spacecraft such as Wideband Global SATCOM and Global Positioning System satellites, as well as ground based and modular sensing packages. KBR will perform this work over a five-year period in Dayton, Ohio. The Air Force's 774th Enterprise Sourcing Squadron awarded the cost-plus, fixed fee task order under the Department of Defense Information Analysis Center's Multiple Award Contract.

06:04 EDT Reviva Pharmaceuticals: Phase 2 trial of RP5063 met primary endpoint - Reviva Pharmaceuticals announced the full details of its Phase 2 clinical trial for its lead drug candidate, RP5063 (brilaroxazine) for Acute Schizophrenia. In its randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter Phase 2 trial to assess the safety and efficacy of brilaroxazine in 234 subjects with acute exacerbation of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, brilaroxazine met its primary endpoint, which was reduction in total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale at the end of the treatment from baseline versus placebo. The drug candidate also met all safety endpoints including clinical, labs, body weight, prolactin, lipids, fasting glucose, and EKG. The PANSS total score was reduced by 20 points, a statistically significant treatment difference from the placebo. Brilaroxazine also mitigated positive symptoms and negative symptoms, and improved social functioning and cognition. Importantly, the FDA has agreed to consider a potential 'Superior Safety' label claim, if there is a positive outcome on a relevant endpoint in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical study in schizophrenia.

06:02 EDT Axsome Therapeutics says FDA accepts NDA for AXS-05 - Axsome Therapeutics announced that the U.S.FDA has accepted for filing the company's New Drug Application for AXS-05 for the treatment of major depressive disorder, and has granted the application Priority Review. AXS-05 is a novel, oral, investigational NMDA receptor antagonist with multimodal activity. The FDA has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act target action date for the AXS-05 NDA of August 22.

05:38 EDT Qualtrics chosen by Stanford Health Care to update patient experience program - Qualtrics announced that it has been chosen by Stanford Health Care to transform the health system's entire patient experience program. Qualtrics will provide the operating system, feedback and analytics tools to support Stanford Health Care's goals to build a patient experience program and consolidate its existing listening programs, Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, or HCAHPS, surveys, and assessments onto a single platform. Qualtrics is an approved vendor for HCAHPS, a 29-question survey instrument and data collection methodology used to measure patient experience and determine reimbursement dollars. In addition to HCAHPS, Qualtrics will help Stanford Health Care to leverage live touchpoints and insights as part of its program, re-imagining traditional patient experience methods with the goals of quickly closing the loop with patients and building a culture of action across its entire health system. Stanford Health Care is the first academic medical center to use Qualtrics for the health system's entire patient experience program, including HCAHPS.

05:34 EDT Philips takes EUR 250M provision for issue in sleep, respiratory care component - The company said, "In line with our plans, we signed an agreement to sell the Domestic Appliances business, which concludes our major divestments. We are pleased that we have found a good home for this business and we look forward to a successful partnership with the new owner, Hillhouse Capital. We are also pleased to have completed the acquisition of BioTelemetry and Capsule Technologies, which will further drive our transformation into a solutions company, and in particular further strengthen our position to improve patient care across care settings for multiple diseases and medical conditions. Regretfully, we have identified a quality issue in a component that is used in certain sleep and respiratory care products, and are initiating all precautionary actions to address this issue, for which we have taken a EUR 250 million provision."

05:21 EDT Air Lease announces long-term lease placement with Volaris for four A320neos - Air Lease (AL) announced long-term lease placements for four new Airbus A320neo aircraft with Volaris (VLRS). Two of the aircraft are from ALC's order book with Airbus and two are from sale-leasebacks acquired from a third party by one of our management vehicles. The four new A320neos are set to deliver during the remainder of Q2.

05:16 EDT Volvo to acquire 60% of Designwerk Technologies - Volvo has signed definitive agreements to acquire 60% of Designwerk Technologies, an engineering company in Switzerland, that develops and sells electromobility products and engineering services within electromobility eco-systems. By investing in Designwerk Technologies, the Volvo Group said it will complement its current capabilities when it comes to niche products and solutions. Designwerk Technologies offer customized electric trucks under the brand Futuricum, mobile rapid chargers and high voltage battery systems. Designwerk Technologies will continue to operate as a standalone company. Completion of the transaction is expected to occur in the coming weeks. The transaction has no significant impact on the Volvo Group's earnings or financial position.