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BNTX

CVAC

EWG

CureVac N.V. announced that the German Federal Patent Court denied the validity of its patent EP 1 857 122 B1 after a nullity action by BioNTech SE. This decision does not impact other ongoing litigation in Germany involving seven other CureVac intellectual property rights. CureVac plans to appeal the decision at the German Federal Court of Justice. The company remains confident in its intellectual property portfolio and its contributions to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. The scheduled ruling on infringement of the patent by BioNTech's Comirnaty is likely to be postponed.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

December 19, 2023 | 2:39 pm

LTHM

Allkem shareholders have voted in favor of a merger with Livent Corporation. The proposed scheme of arrangement will see Arcadium Lithium acquire all shares in Allkem. The merger aims to create a vertically integrated business model to enhance operational flexibility and value capture across the lithium value chain. Livent stockholders will vote on the Transaction Agreement on December 19, 2023. If approved, Allkem will seek court approval on December 20, 2023, and if successful, the Scheme will become effective on December 21, 2023, leading to a suspension of Allkem shares from trading.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

December 19, 2023 | 2:30 pm

COIN

Senator Elizabeth Warren has sent letters to Coinbase, the Blockchain Association, and Coin Center, questioning their hiring of former defense and national security officials. Warren is concerned about the crypto industry's use of these officials to gain legitimacy while opposing regulations aimed at preventing crypto from being used for terror financing. The industry defends its actions, stating that hiring experts is for bolstering legal compliance and innovation, and not to undermine bipartisan efforts in Congress.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

December 19, 2023 | 2:14 pm

AMZN

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is planning a major reorganization of its sales team, led by Matt Garman, to address customer complaints and internal issues. The restructuring will consolidate teams to unify sales strategies and improve the assignment of technical staff to customers. This move comes as AWS faces increased competition from Microsoft and others, and aims to maintain its position as the leading cloud provider.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

December 19, 2023 | 2:11 pm

SB

Safe Bulkers, Inc. has agreed to acquire a new Japanese Kamsarmax class dry-bulk vessel with a capacity of 82,000 dwt, to be delivered in the first half of 2026. The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The vessel will comply with the Phase 3 Energy Efficiency Design Index for GHG emissions reduction and NOx-Tier III emissions standards. It is a sister vessel to others in Safe Bulkers' orderbook, featuring advanced energy efficiency for reduced fuel consumption.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

December 19, 2023 | 2:08 pm

ACN

MCD

McDonald's Corporation (MCD) and Accenture (ACN) are expanding their strategic partnership to accelerate technology adoption, including generative AI, to improve operations and experiences for customers and employees. The partnership aims to leverage scale for efficiency, automate innovation, and enhance digital skills among McDonald's global workforce with Accenture's learning programs.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

December 19, 2023 | 2:01 pm

VERU

Veru Inc. announced an investor call on January 4, 2024, to discuss recent financing and its strategy to prioritize the development of enobosarm, a treatment for obesity that prevents muscle loss and augments fat loss in combination with GLP-1 drugs. The company plans a Phase 2b trial for enobosarm and expects first clinical data in Q4 2024. The recent financing is expected to support the company beyond the clinical milestones of this trial.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

December 19, 2023 | 1:42 pm

ADM

F

GOOGL

HEI

LLY

TSLA

A new Solana-based meme coin has surged 2000% in less than a month. A US court approved a $2.7B settlement against Binance. Biden's approval rating drops amid inflation issues. Cathie Wood's Ark Invest shifts its crypto holdings. HEICO reports strong sales, and the Fear & Greed Index indicates 'Extreme Greed'. Tesla and Ford face potential impacts from EV tax credit changes. Google settles an antitrust case for $700M. Tesla shares rebound in premarket trading. Hyundai divests Russian facilities with a loss, and ADM acquires Revela Foods. Eli Lilly's shares may surge due to a new drug, according to Goldman Sachs.

Portfolio Pulse from Akanksha Bakshi

December 19, 2023 | 1:42 pm

UTI

Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE:UTI) has converted all its Series A Preferred Stock into Common Stock, effective December 18, 2023. This conversion increases the outstanding Common Stock by 19.3 million shares. Prior to the conversion, UTI bought back 33,300 shares of Series A Preferred Stock from Coliseum Capital Management, LLC, which were convertible into 1,000,000 shares of Common Stock. Additionally, Chris Shackelton of Coliseum has been appointed as a Class III director on UTI's board.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

December 19, 2023 | 1:38 pm

BCOV

Brightcove Inc. has expanded its executive team by creating a new COO position and appointing David Beck to the role. Additionally, Kathy Klingler has joined as CMO and Jim Norton as CRO, marking a significant build-out of the company's leadership.

Portfolio Pulse from Benzinga Newsdesk

December 19, 2023 | 1:37 pm