Market Newsdesk

Completion of Merger Expected to Take Place in Late July 2025

COLUMBUS, Ohio
, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Northwest Bancshares, Inc. (“Northwest”)  (Nasdaq: NWBI) today announced that it has received all regulatory and shareholder approvals required to complete the previously announced merger of Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc. (“Penns Woods”) (Nasdaq: PWOD) with and into Northwest and the merger of Penns Woods’ wholly-owned subsidiary banks, Jersey Shore State Bank and Luzerne Bank each with and into Northwest Bank, a Pennsylvania-chartered savings bank and wholly-owned subsidiary of Northwest, with Northwest Bank as the surviving bank. 

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has approved the merger of Jersey Shore State Bank and Luzerne Bank with and into Northwest Bank, and the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities has approved the merger of Penns Woods with and into Northwest and the merger of the subsidiary banks. In addition, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland has granted Northwest a waiver of its merger application requirements.

Penns Woods shareholders approved the company’s proposed merger with and into Northwest at a special shareholders’ meeting held on April 22, 2025. The completion of the merger is expected to take place in late July 2025.

About Northwest Bancshares, Inc.
Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Northwest Bancshares, Inc. is the bank holding company of Northwest Bank. Founded in 1896, Northwest Bank is a full-service financial institution offering a complete line of business and personal banking products, as well as employee benefits and wealth management services. Currently, Northwest operates 130 full-service financial centers and eleven free-standing drive-up facilities in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and Indiana. Northwest Bancshares, Inc.’s common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (“NWBI”). Additional information regarding Northwest Bancshares, Inc. and Northwest Bank can be accessed online at www.northwest.bank.

About Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc.
Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc. is the bank holding company for Jersey Shore State Bank and Luzerne Bank. The banks serve customers in North Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania through their retail banking, commercial banking, mortgage services, and financial services divisions. Penns Woods Bancorp, Inc. stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol PWOD. Previous press releases and additional information can be obtained from the company’s website at www.pwod.com.

Forward-Looking Statements – This release may contain forward-looking statements with respect to the proposed merger between Northwest and Penns Woods including, without limitation, statements with respect to the expected timing of and benefits of the proposed merger. Such statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those contained or implied by such statements for a variety of factors including, without limitation: (1) the merger may not close in the prospective timeframe, or at all; (2) the businesses of Northwest and Penns Woods may not be integrated successfully or such integration may take longer to accomplish than expected; (3) the expected cost savings and any revenue synergies from the proposed merger may not be fully realized within the expected timeframes; and (4) disruption from the proposed merger may make it more difficult to maintain relationships with clients, associates, or suppliers. Management has no obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date of this release, except as required by law.

Northwest Bancshares Contacts
Investor Contact: Michael Perry, Corporate Development & Strategy (814) 726-2140
Media Contact: Ian Bailey, External Communications (380) 400-2423

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SOURCE Northwest Bancshares, Inc.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.
, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — MetaVia Inc. (Nasdaq: MTVA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on transforming cardiometabolic diseases, today announced that an abstract highlighting data from its Phase 2a clinical trial of DA-1241, a novel G-Protein-Coupled Receptor 119 (GPR119) agonist, in patients with presumed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), has been accepted as a late-breaking poster presentation at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Congress 2025, taking place May 7-10, 2025 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

• Title: 
  DA-1241, a GPR119 Agonist, Demonstrates Hepatoprotective and Glucose-Regulating Effects in a 16-week Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial in Presumed Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) Patients
• Presenting Author: Rohit Loomba, MD, MHSc, Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, and Adjunct Professor in the Division of Epidemiology at University of California, San Diego.
• Abstract Number: LB2517
• Final Abstract ID:
  LBP-005
• Session: Late Breaker Posters
• Session Date:
  May 7-10, 2025
• Presentation Start:
  May 7, 2025, 8:30 am CET

A copy of the poster will be available on the Posters section of the MetaVia website after the presentation.

About DA-1241

DA-1241 is a novel G-Protein-Coupled Receptor 119 (GPR119) agonist with development optionality as a standalone and/or combination therapy for both MASH and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Agonism of GPR119 in the gut promotes the release of key gut peptides GLP-1, GIP, and PYY. These peptides play a further role in glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism and weight loss. DA-1241 has beneficial effects on glucose, lipid profile and liver inflammation, supported by potential efficacy demonstrated during in vivo preclinical studies. The therapeutic potential of DA-1241 has been demonstrated in multiple pre-clinical animal models of MASH and T2D where DA-1241 reduced hepatic steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and improved glucose control. Furthermore, in Phase 1a, 1b and 2a trials, DA-1241 was well tolerated in both healthy volunteers and those with T2DM. In a Phase 2a clinical study, DA-1241 demonstrated direct hepatic action in addition to its glucose lowering effects.

About MetaVia
MetaVia Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on transforming cardiometabolic diseases. The company is currently developing DA-1726 for the treatment of obesity and is developing DA-1241 for the treatment of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH). DA-1726 is a novel oxyntomodulin (OXM) analogue that functions as a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP1R) and glucagon receptor (GCGR) dual agonist. OXM is a naturally-occurring gut hormone that activates GLP1R and GCGR, thereby decreasing food intake while increasing energy expenditure, thus potentially resulting in superior body weight loss compared to selective GLP1R agonists. DA-1241 is a novel G-protein-coupled receptor 119 (GPR119) agonist that promotes the release of key gut peptides GLP-1, GIP, and PYY. In pre-clinical studies, DA-1241 demonstrated a positive effect on liver inflammation, lipid metabolism, weight loss, and glucose metabolism, reducing hepatic steatosis, hepatic inflammation, and liver fibrosis, while also improving glucose control. In a Phase 2a clinical study, DA-1241 demonstrated direct hepatic action in addition to its glucose lowering effects.

For more information, please visit www.metaviatx.com.

Contacts:

MetaVia

Marshall H. Woodworth
Chief Financial Officer
+1-857-299-1033
[email protected]

Rx Communications Group


Michael Miller

+1-917-633-6086
[email protected]

 

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SOURCE MetaVia Inc.

Veteran Operator to Lead Growth Initiatives Across Core Services

BARTLETT, Tenn.
, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SurgePays, Inc. (Nasdaq: SURG) (“SurgePays” or the “Company”), a leading technology and wireless telecommunications company, today announced the promotion of Derron Winfrey to the role of President, Sales and Operations.

Winfrey will oversee SurgePays’ expanding sales organization with a focus on scaling the Company’s core offerings: LinkUp Mobile prepaid wireless service, prepaid top-ups and financial services, federal Lifeline programs, and the Clearline marketing and customer engagement platform. He will also lead the operational buildout of the Company’s new sales center in El Salvador and drive enhancements to customer onboarding and experience by leveraging data intelligence across the organization. 

A fintech and wireless industry pioneer with over 25 years of experience, Winfrey joined SurgePays through its 2019 acquisition of ECS Prepaid, a company he founded. Since then, he has helped transform SurgePays’ go-to-market strategy, building out the prepaid business platform, scaling the ISO channel, and preparing the Company’s LinkUp Mobile MVNO for direct market launch with AT&T.

“Derron has been an intrapreneur on steroids for SurgePays,” said Brian Cox, Chairman and CEO of SurgePays. “He’s been instrumental in expanding our sales team, strengthening our ISO partnerships and positioning SurgePays for our next wave of growth. With him fully focused on sales and operations, we are raising the bar even higher for execution, scale and shareholder value creation.”

Winfrey’s leadership philosophy centers on investing in people and building high-performing teams.

“Simply put, I believe it’s critical to take care of the people who take care of the people. We expect a great deal from the SurgePays team, all of whom are highly motivated, results-oriented professionals built to win – and win now,” said Winfrey. “Indeed, it takes a special team to launch and expand market share with multiple product lines simultaneously. We have that exceptional team in place; watch them go as we hit the market running with our LinkUp Mobile direct MVNO, nationwide Lifeline service and top-up platform services – all supported by our Clearline POS services.” 

Prior to joining SurgePays, Winfrey was president of Electronic Check Services (ECS), a company offering merchants and ISO channel partners a full suite of check processing services. He also founded and served as president of ECS Prepaid, a business providing prepaid cellular phone reloads, bill payments, gift cards and loyalty programs. To power the processing of ECS Prepaid, Mr. Winfrey created the concept and helped launch Softgate Systems, a fintech product processing company, in 2007, where he served as president until 2009. During that time, Softgate grew in volume by nearly 110% by providing processing services for 12 other companies in addition to both ECS and ECS Prepaid. Softgate Systems was acquired in 2009 by In Person Payments (IPP).

In 2011, under Winfrey’s leadership, ECS Prepaid earned several honors, including ranking 69 in Inc. Magazine’s List of Fastest Growing Companies in North America and being named the Fastest Growing Company in Southwest Missouri by the Springfield Business Journal. He served for six years on the Petroleum Marketers Advisory Council, including two years as vice president and two years as president, for a four-state Midwest region creating market concepts for the Midwest convenience store industry. In 2012, Winfrey was named top entrepreneur business person in Springfield, Mo. by the Springfield Business Journal. He is a member of the Springfield Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2009 and has been honored in the publication’s list of 12 People You Should Know and Top 12 Businesspeople in Southwest Missouri.

Born in Oklahoma City, Okla., Winfrey earned his bachelor’s degree in communications at Wichita State University. He resides in Springfield with his wife, Paula. He enjoys cheering for the Kansas State University football team and spends quality time with his three children and six grandchildren.

For more information on SurgePays, please visit the Company’s investor relations website at ir.surgepays.com.

About SurgePays, Inc.

SurgePays, Inc. is a wireless and point-of-sale (POS) technology company. SurgePays operates a unique ecosystem that blends prepaid wireless, government-subsidized mobile plans, and a point-of-sale software platform used in thousands of community retail stores. SurgePays is a platform — built for stores in underserved communities, built to scale, and built for growth. Please visit www.SurgePays.com for more information.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes express or implied statements that are not historical facts and are considered forward-looking within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance and may contain projections of our future results of operations or of our financial information or state other forward-looking information. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” “attempting,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words.

Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements relate to future events or our future operational or financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements including but not limited to our ability to maintain a strong balance sheet and our ability to execute our business plan. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and will be affected by a variety of risks and factors that are beyond our control, including, without limitation, statements about our future financial performance, including our revenue, cash flows, costs of revenue and operating expenses; our anticipated growth; and our predictions about our industry. These include, but are not limited to, our ability to scale our prepaid wireless business, transition ACP subscribers to Lifeline, maintain our MVNE partnerships, and achieve financial targets. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date on which the statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update, and expressly disclaim the obligation to update, any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

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SOURCE SurgePays

SHENZHEN, China
, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Taoping Inc. (Nasdaq: TAOP, the “Company”), a provider of innovative smart cloud platform services and solutions, today reported a total contract revenue value of approximately RMB 72.5 million (approximately USD $9.9 million) for the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, representing 24.5% growth compared to the first quarter of fiscal year 2024, driven by continued strong demand for its products and solutions, which in many cases offer enhanced integration with popular AI components.

Mr. Jianghuai Lin, Chairman and CEO of Taoping, said: “Our unwavering focus and consistent efforts in expanding our AI-related product lines and applications continue to strengthen our competitive position in attractive growth markets. We believe these represent significant long-term opportunities as we prioritize developing new AI features that transform how companies interact with their customers, and analyze text, voice, and images.”

“Importantly, we are also benefiting from rising demand as more customers turn to domestic Chinese companies for their technology and solutions in light of  recent new tariffs and market volatility. We believe our long-standing customer relationships and partner ecosystem provide a strong foundation to drive growth and build shareholder value.”

Taoping’s enhanced AI-powered Smart Terminals offer a powerful combination of efficiency, customization, and engagement, making them a compelling choice for businesses looking to optimize their operations and enhance customer interactions. These terminals facilitate rapid interaction, data collection, analysis, and more, thereby enhancing the user experience through a seamless and interactive experience.

By leveraging advanced AI technology, Taoping enables customers to respond quickly to user inputs, personalize content, and offer intuitive interfaces. Taoping’s AI-powered Smart Terminals can collect and analyze data in real-time, providing valuable insights and enabling informed decision-making. Using Taoping’s AI-powered Smart Terminals is particularly beneficial for businesses looking to understand customer behavior and preferences.

For advertisers, Taoping’s AI-powered Smart Terminals can autonomously generate a wide range of advertising content, while enabling the creation of highly tailored promotional strategies. This approach reduces the time and resources required for content creation, ensures a consistent and high-quality output, and increases engagement and conversion rates.

About Taoping Inc.

Taoping Inc. (Nasdaq: TAOP) has a long history of successfully leveraging technology in the development of innovative solutions to help customers in both the private and public sectors to more effectively communicate and market to their desired targets. The Company has built a far-reaching city partner ecosystem and comprehensive portfolio of high-value, high-traffic areas for its products, which are aligned together with Taoping’s smart cloud platform, cloud services and solutions, new media and artificial intelligence. For more information about Taoping, please visit http://en.taop.com. You can also follow us on X.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, such as statements regarding our estimated future results of operations and financial position, our strategy and plans, and our objectives or goals, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We have attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including “anticipates,” “believes,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “should,” or “will” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Our actual results may differ materially or perhaps significantly from those discussed herein, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. There are a significant number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from statements made in this press release, including: our potential inability to achieve or sustain profitability or reasonably predict our future results, the effects of the global pandemic or other health crisis, the emergence of additional competing technologies, changes in domestic and foreign laws, regulations and taxes, uncertainties related to China’s legal system and economic, political and social events in China, the volatility of the securities markets; and other risks including, but not limited to, those that we discussed or referred to in the Company’s disclosure documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, including the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F as well as in our other reports filed or furnished from time to time with the SEC. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law.

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SOURCE Taoping Inc.