Market Newsdesk

DEAR SHAREHOLDERS:

FRISCO, TX, April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via NewMediaWire — Verde Bio Holdings, Inc. (OTC: VBHI) To Our Valued Friends and Shareholders:

We hope that you and your families are safe and healthy during these times. We wanted to provide you an update about Verde Bio Holdings: 

Verde Bio Holdings is executing on its business strategy by acquiring revenue producing undervalued properties. “Guided by our strong management and deal flow network we have built a solid pipeline of deals and are accumulating a portfolio of revenue producing properties,” Scott Cox, CEO, states. “There are amazing acquisition opportunities available at present.

“Our Reg A+ Tier 2 Offering was initially qualified by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission on 01/19/2021. Our original goal, as detailed in our first filing, was to raise $14,500,000, which is what we believed to be an amount to get us to a self-sustainable critical mass. We have since reduced the total cap raise to $10,000,000, as we are experiencing better results with the higher oil and gas prices and our ability to acquire assets at less expensive prices. We will raise this amount under our current pricing structure or through an amended higher offering price and will then close the Reg A offering once the $10 million is raised. With our acquisitions to date and the other properties we have identified, we believe that we can reach at least $200,000 per month in revenue and approximately $25-$30 million in asset value. 

“To date, we have entered into ten different transactions. Highlights of these acquisitions are below and all acquisitions to date are detailed in news releases at www.otcmarkets.com/stock/VBHI/news

• Laramie County, Wyoming acquisition announced on 4/15. Operated by EOG, with eight wells currently producing and approximately $8,000 in expected monthly revenue to the Company.  
• Haynesville and Marcellus Shale acquisition announced on 4/8/2021. Operated by Vine Energy and Southwestern Energy with a combined 18 wells producing. Approximately $8,000 combined expected monthly revenue to the Company.
•  DJ Basin acquisition announced on 3/29/2021. Operated by Providence and Great Western, with seven wells producing and approximately $3,000 in expected monthly revenue to the Company.
• Haynesville Shale and Delaware Basin acquisition announced on 3/24/2021. Operated by Indigo and EOG with a combined 12 wells and approximately $3,000 in expected monthly revenue to the Company.

“The Company is continuing to source and acquire high-quality revenue producing assets that fit our strategy.

“With the success of the Reg A raise and the acquisition campaign, Verde has also begun to improve and clean up the Balance Sheet and to date we have eliminated more than $350,000 in convertible debt. It is our goal that we will be debt free before our 4/30 year end. We have also increased our assets and monthly revenue significantly.

“To increase shareholder and investor visibility,  we are currently in the process of updating and upgrading our corporate website and corporate presentation to better represent our new business. We expect these to be available to the public within a few weeks.” 

Also, as we announced on April 13, Verde acquired an asset management software platform and will utilize this system to manage the assets acquired for our portfolios and the revenue produced. This system will allow the Company to communicate much more clearly and efficiently with current and prospective shareholders.

Further, the Company is working toward an OTCQB uplisting in the next two Quarters. 

Scott Cox, CEO of Verde, states: “Over the past several months Verde has built a foundation to take advantage of the outstanding acquisition opportunities we have scouted and developed. Our work to date has identified multiple assets in our target areas and we are now moving towards increasing shareholder value by adding assets and cashflow. We look forward to updating you on our newest developments as they happen and value all of our shareholders.”

Sincerely,

Scott Cox, CEO

Verde Bio Holdings, Inc.

About Verde Bio Holdings, Inc.

Verde Bio Holdings, Inc. (OTC: VBHI), is a growing U.S. Energy Company based in Frisco, Texas, engaged in the acquisition of Mineral and Royalty interests in  lower risk, onshore oil and gas properties within the major oil and gas plays in the U.S. The Company’s dual-focused growth strategy relies primarily on leveraging management’s expertise to grow through the strategic acquisition of revenue producing royalty interest and strategic and opportunistic non-operated working interests.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:

Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical 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. These statements involve a high degree of risk and uncertainty, are predictions only and actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to differences include the uncertainty regarding viability and market acceptance of the Company’s products and services, the ability to complete software development plans in a timely manner, changes in relationships with third parties, product mix sold by the Company and other factors described in the Company’s most recent periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

Contact:
Paul Knopick E & E Communications 
[email protected]
940.262.3584

SAN DIEGO, April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Otonomy, Inc. (Nasdaq: OTIC), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of innovative therapeutics for neurotology, today announced the closing of its previously announced underwritten public offering of 8,298,890 shares of its common stock, which includes the underwriters’ full exercise of their option to purchase additional shares, and pre-funded warrants to purchase up to 7,111,110 shares of its common stock for total gross proceeds of approximately $34.7 million, before deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by Otonomy. All of the securities were sold by Otonomy.

Cowen and Piper Sandler acted as joint book-running managers for the offering.

A shelf registration statement (File No. 333-227269) was previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on September 10, 2018 and became effective on September 21, 2018. The final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering have been filed with the SEC and are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to the offering may also be obtained by contacting one of the following: Cowen and Company, LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY, 11717, Attn: Prospectus Department, by telephone at (833) 297-2926, or by email at [email protected]; or Piper Sandler & Co., 800 Nicollet Mall, J12S03, Minneapolis, MN 55402, Attn: Prospectus Department, by telephone at (800) 747-3924, or by email at [email protected].

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.

Contacts:

Media Inquiries
Spectrum Science
Chloé-Anne Ramsey
Vice President
408.865.3601
[email protected]

Investor Inquiries
Westwicke ICR
Robert H. Uhl
Managing Director
858.356.5932
[email protected]

WATERTOWN, Mass., April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kymera Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: KYMR), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing targeted protein degradation to deliver novel small molecule protein degrader medicines, today announced that the Boston Business Journal (BBJ) has named Kymera Therapeutics to its 2021 Best Places to Work, an exclusive ranking of the Massachusetts companies that have built outstanding work environments for their people.

“Kymera was founded with the mission to discover, develop, and commercialize transformative therapies while leading the evolution of a powerful new class of protein degrader medicines. Our goal is to become a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company with a pipeline of novel medicines targeting disease-causing proteins that were previously intractable. While this is an ambitious task, we have been building Kymera to make this goal a reality through our most important asset – our people – dedicated scientists, experienced drug hunters, and a team committed to changing lives through the advancement of our science,” said Nello Mainolfi, PhD, Co-Founder, President and CEO, Kymera Therapeutics. “We are honored to be acknowledged as one of BBJ’s Best Places to Work. We work hard to continue to foster a company culture of transparency, inclusion, communication, problem-solving, and innovation. In 2021 and beyond, we plan to continue to grow and strengthen our organizational capabilities in order to deliver on the potential of inventing and advancing a new class of protein degrader medicines for patients.”

The 80 companies honored in 2021 range in size and industry, with winners from the technology sector, retail industry, health care space, commercial real estate, and more. Businesses that met criteria for office location and size participated in employee-engagement surveys distributed by BBJ’s partner Quantum Workplace. Employees were asked to rate their work environment, work-life balance, job satisfaction, advancement opportunities, management, compensation, and benefits. Based on the results of those surveys, businesses were assigned a score out of 100 percent and ranked by Quantum.

About Kymera Therapeutics


Kymera Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing the field of targeted protein degradation, a transformative new approach to address previously intractable disease targets. Kymera’s Pegasus™ targeted protein degradation platform harnesses the body’s natural protein recycling machinery to degrade disease-causing proteins, with a focus on undrugged nodes in validated pathways currently inaccessible with conventional therapeutics. Kymera is accelerating drug discovery with an unmatched ability to target and degrade the most intractable of proteins, and advance new treatment options for patients. Kymera’s initial programs are IRAK4, IRAKIMiD, and STAT3, which each address high impact targets within the IL-1R/TLR or JAK/STAT pathways, providing the opportunity to treat a broad range of immune-inflammatory diseases, hematologic malignancies, and solid tumors. For more information, visit www.kymeratx.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements


This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, without limitation, implied and express statements regarding our goal to become a fully integrated biopharmaceutical company with a pipeline of novel medicines and plans to continue to foster our culture and plans to continue to grow and strengthen our organizational capabilities. The words “may,” “might,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “seek,” “predict,” “future,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “target” and similar words or expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, including, without limitation, risks associated with: the impact of COVID-19 on countries or regions in which we have operations or do business, as well as on the timing and anticipated results of our current preclinical studies and future clinical trials, strategy and future operations; the delay of any current preclinical studies or future clinical trials or the development of Kymera Therapeutics’ drug candidates; the risk that the results of current preclinical studies may not be predictive of future results in connection with future clinical trials; Kymera Therapeutics’ ability to successfully demonstrate the safety and efficacy of its drug candidates; the timing and outcome of the Company’s planned interactions with regulatory authorities, including the resolution of the current partial clinical hold for KT-474; and obtaining, maintaining and protecting its intellectual property. These and other risks and uncertainties are described in greater detail in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2020, filed on March 11, 2021, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in Kymera Therapeutics’ subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent Kymera Therapeutics’ views only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. Kymera Therapeutics explicitly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. No representations or warranties (expressed or implied) are made about the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements.

Investor Contact:

Paul Cox
VP, Investor Relations and Communications
[email protected]
917-754-0207

Media Contact:

Lissette L. Steele
Verge Scientific Communications for Kymera Therapeutics
[email protected]
202-930-4762

— Multiple antigen constructs, including the construct used in MRT5500, induced potent neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in preclinical studies in multiple species —

— Efficacy demonstrated in Syrian Golden Hamster challenge model under single and two-dose vaccination regimens of MRT5500 —

— MRT5500 developed under a collaboration agreement with Sanofi Pasteur; Phase 1/2 clinical trial underway with clinical data anticipated in the third quarter of 2021 —

LEXINGTON, Mass., April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Translate Bio (Nasdaq: TBIO), a clinical-stage messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics company, today announced the peer-reviewed publication of preclinical results of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, MRT5500, in the journal npj Vaccines. Preclinical evaluation of MRT5500 demonstrated a favorable immune response profile against SARS-CoV-2 and conferred protective efficacy against the disease in an infection challenge model. The full journal article is available here. MRT5500 is being developed under a collaboration agreement between Sanofi Pasteur and Translate Bio. The Phase 1/2 clinical trial of MRT5500 began in March 2021 and clinical data is anticipated in the third quarter of this year.

Frank DeRosa, PhD, chief technology officer at Translate Bio and an author of the publication said, “These preclinical results demonstrated the ability of MRT5500 to elicit a robust immune response and protection against COVID-19 in multiple species through a highly rigorous set of studies. This growing body of preclinical data for MRT5500, as well as the new variant mRNA constructs that we are testing, support the potential for our mRNA vaccine candidates to play a role in protecting people against COVID-19. We look forward to seeing the results from the ongoing first-in-human trial.”

The publication outlines the main findings of the preclinical studies as follows:

Intracellular trafficking of mRNA-encoded target antigens demonstrated mutation dependence within the spike glycoprotein.

• Various constructs were evaluated across a number of studies to select a lead candidate including evaluation of expression and intracellular trafficking in vitro, as well as immunogenicity in mice and non-human primates (NHPs). The data demonstrated intracellular trafficking is construct dependent with unique trafficking observed when the expressed antigen contains furin-cleavage site mutations. These mutations can help define immunogenic responses as determined in both mouse and non-human primate studies measuring neutralizing antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2.
• In mice, MRT5500 (0.2, 1, 5 and 10 µg) induced dose-dependent binding antibodies and neutralizing antibodies specific to the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) glycoprotein; neutralizing antibody titers were detected after one dose of MRT5500 in higher dose groups (5 µg, 10 µg), and were enhanced after a second dose at day 21.
• In NHPs, MRT5500 (15, 45 and 135 µg) induced antibodies reactive to recombinant S [protein] in nearly all NHPs; neutralizing antibody titers were detected after one dose of MRT5500 and were enhanced after a second dose at day 35. In NHPs, neutralizing antibody titers reached levels higher than those from human convalescent sera.

MRT5500 demonstrated protection against viral infection and disease progression.

• Syrian golden hamsters were immunized with MRT5500 (0.15, 1.5, 4.5 and 13.5 µg dose levels) with either a single immunization, or two administrations 21 days apart. MRT5500 demonstrated the ability to induce both humoral and cell-mediated antiviral responses and confer protection against a virus challenge in hamsters with all dose regimens, except the single 0.15 µg dose. Vaccination further resulted in protection from lung pathology and clearance of virus from the lungs as determined through viral subgenomic RNA measurements, thus supporting the further development of MRT5500 as a clinical candidate.

Data from MRT5500 indicated a low risk of vaccine-associated enhanced respiratory disease.

• Immunization with MRT5500 induced T_H1-biased responses in both mice and NHPs.

About Translate Bio

Translate Bio is a clinical-stage mRNA therapeutics company developing a new class of potentially transformative medicines to treat diseases caused by protein or gene dysfunction, or to prevent infectious diseases by generating protective immunity. Translate Bio is primarily focused on applying its technology to treat pulmonary diseases with a lead pulmonary candidate being evaluated as an inhaled treatment for cystic fibrosis (CF) in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial. Additional pulmonary diseases are being evaluated in discovery-stage research programs that utilize a proprietary lung delivery platform. Translate Bio also believes its technology may apply broadly to a wide range of diseases, including diseases that affect the liver. Additionally, the platform may be applied to various classes of treatments, such as therapeutic antibodies or protein degradation. Translate Bio is also pursuing the development of mRNA vaccines for infectious diseases under a collaboration with Sanofi Pasteur. For more information about the Company, please visit www.translate.bio or on Twitter at @TranslateBio.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those regarding: the plans to report interim results from the Phase 1/2 clinical trial of MRT5500 in the third quarter of 2021; the potential ability of MRT5500 to elicit a robust immune response; the potential for MRT5500 to be a promising COVID-19 vaccine candidate and play a role in protecting people against COVID-19; the expected benefits of Translate Bio’s collaboration with Sanofi; Translate Bio’s beliefs regarding the broad applicability of its technology; and Translate Bio’s plans, strategies and prospects for its business, including its lead development programs and continued development of mRNA vaccines for the treatment of infectious diseases. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forward,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “would” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Such statements are subject to numerous important factors, risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events or results to differ materially from current expectations and beliefs, including but not limited to: the current and potential future impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Translate Bio’s business, financial condition, operations and liquidity; Translate Bio’s ability to advance the development of its platform and programs, including without limitation its vaccine development program generally and MRT5500 specifically, under the timelines it projects, demonstrate the requisite safety and efficacy of its product candidates and replicate in clinical trials any positive findings from preclinical studies; the successful advancement of the collaboration agreement between Translate Bio and Sanofi; uncertainties relating to the discovery and development of vaccine candidates based on mRNA, and specifically as it relates to COVID-19; the content and timing of decisions made by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, other regulatory authorities and investigational review boards at clinical trial sites, including decisions as it relates to ongoing and planned clinical trials; Translate Bio’s ability to obtain, maintain and enforce necessary patent and other intellectual property protection; the availability of significant cash required to fund operations; competitive factors; general economic and market conditions and other important risk factors set forth under the caption “Risk Factors” in Translate Bio’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 1, 2021 and in any other subsequent filings made by Translate Bio. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and Translate Bio specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Investors	Media
Teri Dahlman	Maura Gavaghan
[email protected]	[email protected]
617-817-8655	617-233-1154

NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES

TORONTO, April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FAX Capital Corp. (TSX: FXC and FXC.WT) (the “Company”) today announced that it expects to report its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021 after market close on May 6, 2021.

The Company’s unaudited condensed interim financial statements, notes, and management’s discussion and analysis for the period will be available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR and on the Company’s website.

About FAX Capital Corp.

The Company is an investment holding company with a business objective to maximize its intrinsic value on a per share basis over the long-term by seeking to achieve superior investment performance commensurate with reasonable risk. The Company intends to invest in equity, debt and/or hybrid securities of high-quality businesses. The Company initially intends to invest in approximately 10 to 15 high-quality small cap public and private businesses located primarily in Canada and, to a lesser extent, the United States. www.faxcapitalcorp.com

For additional information please
contact:

Investor Relations

Tim Foran
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.faxcapitalcorp.com

Media Relations

Kieran Lawler
Telephone: (416) 303-0799
Email: [email protected]

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information or statements (“

FLS”

) are provided for the purpose of providing information about management’s current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Any such FLS may be identified by words such as “proposed”, “expects”, “intends”, “may”, “will”, and similar expressions. FLS contained or referred to in this press release includes, but is not limited to, the anticipated date of reporting the Company’s 2021 first quarter financial results; and the Company’s investment approach, objectives and strategy.

FLS is based on a number of factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such statements and information, but which may prove to be incorrect. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such FLS is reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on FLS because the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such FLS include, but are not limited to, the continued impact of coronavirus (COVID-19), as well as the identified risk factors included in the Company’s public disclosure, including the annual information form dated March 25, 2021, which is available on SEDAR at


www.sedar.com


and on the Company’s website at


www.faxcapitalcorp.com


. The FLS in this press release reflect the current expectations, assumptions, judgements and/or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company, and are subject to change without notice.

Any FLS speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any FLS, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. The FLS contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. For more information on the Company, please review the Company’s continuous disclosure filings that are available at


www.sedar.com


.

No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The Toronto Stock Exchange accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

 

Refreshed Board Has Taken Decisive Steps to Drive Long-Term Shareholder Value and Continues to Evaluate Strategic Options

Stockholders Urged to Vote “

FOR” ALL

 of Blucora’s Highly Qualified Directors on 
the 


BLUE



 

Proxy Card

DALLAS, April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blucora, Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: BCOR), a leading provider of technology-enabled, tax-focused financial solutions, today mailed a letter to stockholders concerning the Company’s upcoming 2021 annual meeting of stockholders, scheduled to be held on April 21, 2021. Blucora’s Board of Directors unanimously recommends that stockholders vote “FOR” ALL of Blucora’s highly qualified director candidates on the BLUE proxy card. 

The text of the letter is as follows: 

———

April 19, 2021

To our stockholders:

I am writing on behalf of the Blucora Board of Directors to encourage you to vote “FOR” ALL incumbent directors on the BLUE proxy card at the upcoming annual meeting of stockholders, to be held this Wednesday, April 21.

At this year’s meeting, Ancora Catalyst Institutional, LP (together with its affiliates, “Ancora”) and its CEO Fred DiSanto are seeking to replace nearly half of the independent directors on our Board by claiming our current directors and executive team are not producing results or evaluating alternatives to the current strategy and business configuration. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Board has been an agent of change and has taken decisive steps to drive long-term stockholder value.

Blucora is a technology-enabled provider of tax preparation software and tax-focused wealth management services. Through TaxAct and Avantax, we have two valuable, differentiated businesses with meaningful opportunities to drive profitable growth.

In January 2020, our Board took decisive action to ensure Blucora would execute well on its opportunities. The Board replaced both the CEO and CFO. Our new CEO upgraded and diversified the leadership team, the Board refreshed its own composition and Blucora refined its strategy and approach to executing its strategy.

Since then, Blucora has undergone significant positive change.

Within Blucora’s TaxAct business, we:

• Shifted from a marketing agency model to in-house marketing, building a 15+ person team to retain and build knowledge base and continuity over time;
• Sourced and implemented a new marketing technology stack;
• Lowered federal tax return pricing for the first time since at least 2016, embracing our value positioning and shifting from what was an unsustainable model;
• Hired a skilled partnership team, implementing a ten-fold increase in new partnerships heading into 2020 tax season compared to 2019; and
• Executed on the launch of the hybrid-assist tax preparation offering, enabling the business to enjoy higher revenue per customer and enabling it to more effectively serve new customers transitioning to the DIY segment of our market.

Within our wealth management business, Avantax, we:

• Hired a new product management team to drive a roadmap of critical technology enhancements;
• Executed on alignment of advisory pricing models, creating a unified pricing structure for all financial professionals across our business;
• Instituted a regional support model to enhance support by moving it closer to the financial professionals;
• Instituted a Top 100 Financial Professional support program, to engage more intensely with those financial professionals with more complex support requirements;
• Renegotiated and completed the HKFS acquisition at a lower purchase price, making it more accretive and allowing the Company to add the broad benefits of a captive tax-focused registered investment advisor to the business;
• Launched the Retirement Planning Service across all of Avantax, scaling up the offering acquired as part of HKFS;
• Hired a new marketing leader with a detailed plan for executing on team build-out focusing on supporting the acceleration of our financial professionals’ business growth;
• Acquired Guidevine, a technology solution to help match interested wealth management customers with our financial professionals, simplifying the path from lead generation to client conversion; and
• Added more than 200 new financial professionals in 2020 (excluding attrition), and continued our recruiting efforts in 2021, onboarding two new significant wealth managers just in the last month: Legacy Capital Advisors, LLC and Maestro Wealth Advisors, with $126 million and $133 million in client assets as of January 2021, respectively.

At the corporate level, where we have also undergone substantial change, we:

• Adjusted the leadership structure – most notably consolidating operations within the business units and combining software efforts under one leader, Curtis Campbell, and wealth management efforts under one leader, Todd Mackay;
• Rolled out a culture initiative to ensure one common sense of purpose;
• Elevated and more broadly deployed a program management function to support improved execution;
• Aligned evaluation and compensation approaches to goal achievement and demonstrating desired cultural attributes;
• Separated the CIO and CTO teams to bolster technology efforts;
• Increased investment in technology teams to more effectively meet the needs of financial professionals, customers and employees;
• Built a new procurement organization with new online tools to streamline purchasing decisions and approvals;
• Built an in-house information security team and, with Board oversight, developed a data security roadmap on which team has been executing; and 
• Committed to testing the highest value potential crossover benefits between our businesses, including having dedicated teams and investments focus on each.

These actions have made a meaningful difference.

In the six months ended on Friday, our stock has appreciated 64%, more than three times the appreciation in major market indexes. The results of these actions are also evident through key performance indicators and financial metrics in the business:

Blucora	TaxAct	Avantax
2020 corporate expenses at 3.5% of revenue is down from 3.8% in 2019 2020 engineering & technology expenses at 3.6% of revenue is down from 4.3% in 2019 63% of the executives who report to our CEO are either female or racially or ethnically diverse Employee engagement has improved by 10-15 percentage points compared to April 2020 across our 4 key cultural priorities: clarity, unity, customers and quality	Net Promoter Score (NPS) was up 19 points in 2020 compared to 2019 Retention rate was up 5 points and conversion rate was up 6 points in 2020 compared to 2019 New users were up in 2020, which is a critical element of being able to drive sustainable growth Total e-files across Pro and Consumer was up 1% in 2020 (first time since 2014) NPS, retention, conversion and e-files all continuing to improve in 2021	Financial professionals’ overall satisfaction with Avantax as a broker dealer increased by 25% in 2020 compared to 2019* Financial Professionals’ satisfaction with service and operations support increased by 27% in 2020 compared to 2019* Retained at least 96% of assets since Advisory assets reached a high point of 34% as of December 31, 2019 Among financial professionals who left in 2020, 94% generated less than $100,000 of annual revenue for Blucora

* Source: Company data

This Board has acted decisively, both refreshing itself and overseeing the Company, and is committed to continuing to evaluate the business configuration, potential improvements and other options to maximize value.

Since March of last year, Blucora’s diverse Board has added four new independent directors, who bring additional, highly relevant experience in tax, wealth management, strategy, business transformations, data analytics and consumer marketing. In addition to our active oversight of the Company’s strategy, Blucora’s refreshed Board continues to evaluate all strategic options available to the Company in close consultation with independent financial advisors. We remain open to any option that maximizes value.

Under the leadership of the current Board and management team, Blucora is gaining momentum and showing measurable improvement after refining the operating strategies of its two tax-focused businesses for sustainable, long-term growth.

We appreciate your ownership of Blucora stock and your attention to the issues in this important election.

We ask you to please vote “FOR”ALL of Blucora’s incumbent directors on the BLUE proxy card.

Very truly yours,

/s/

Georganne Proctor

CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Noteworthy Third-Party Views that Support Blucora’s Board of Directors and the Company’s Transformation Strategy

¹

• “[W]e ultimately find the Dissident platform is significantly weighed down by a hit-or-miss strategic plan and a slate of candidates who, for a variety of reasons, do not clearly offer what we consider to be a superior alternative to the status quo. As a result, … we do not believe there is sufficient cause to directly support the Ancora solicitation at this time.”

– Glass Lewis (a leading independent proxy advisory firm)

• “We believe the mix of assets here have been rationalized more cohesively than in the past and see the emergence of the online assisted income tax category as playing right into the hands of BCOR.”

– Jackson Ader, J.P. Morgan (sell-side analyst)

• “We think it may have gone unnoticed how quickly the team acted to replace, reorganize and strengthen the bench, and while we are always hesitant to discuss ‘culture’ improvements, the quality of the team seems to have filtered down the ranks.”

– Daniel Kurnos, Benchmark Co. (sell-side analyst)

• “We have spent a considerable amount of time with the current Avantax leadership team. They listen to us and are always interested in our feedback. Though change is never easy, we have all the confidence in the world that this group is the right group to lead us into the future.”

– John Lammers, MRK Financial Solutions (financial professional)

• “Avantax is defining the future of holistic financial planning. Their approach to tax-smart investment management puts them light years ahead of traditional advisors.”

– Stephen Moore, KCS Wealth Advisors (financial professional)

More information is available at VoteBlucora.com.

Any vote on Ancora’s proxy card risks the unintended consequence that four of our highly qualified current directors are replaced by Ancora’s nominees—

three of whom are inexperienced and one of whom has both significant tone-at-the-top issues, having made improper pay-to-play campaign contributions, and Clayton Act issues prohibiting him from lawfully serving on Blucora’s Board, according to a report by the Honorable William J. Baer, the only person ever to have led antitrust enforcement at both the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission.

Please Vote BLUE TODAY to Sustain the Important Progress Being Made at Blucora

If you are a stockholder and have questions, need assistance in voting your shares, or wish to change a prior vote, please contact:

 D.F. King & Co., Inc.
48 Wall Street, 22nd Floor
New York, New York 10005
Brokers and Banks Call Collect: (212) 269-5550
All Others Call Toll-Free: (866) 388-7535
Email: [email protected]

REMEMBER: Simply discard any white proxy card you may receive from Ancora. Blucora’s Board does not endorse any of Ancora’s nominees, and we urge you NOT to submit any vote using Ancora’s white proxy card, even as a protest vote.  Voting to “WITHHOLD” with respect to any of Ancora’s nominees on a white proxy card sent to you by Ancora is not the same as voting “FOR” the Board’s nominees on the BLUE proxy card because a vote to “WITHHOLD” with respect to any of Ancora’s nominees on its white proxy card will revoke any BLUE proxy you may have previously submitted.

Important Additional Information and Where to Find It

Blucora, Inc. (the “Company”) has filed a definitive proxy statement, an accompanying BLUE proxy card and other relevant documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the Company’s 2021 annual meeting of stockholders. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING DECISION, STOCKHOLDERS OF THE COMPANY ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT, INCLUDING ANY AMENDMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTS THERETO, AND ALL RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH OR FURNISHED TO THE SEC, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Investors and stockholders will be able to obtain a copy of the Company’s definitive proxy statement and other documents filed by the Company with the SEC free of charge from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, copies will be available at no charge by selecting “SEC Filings” under “Financial Information” in the “Investors” tab of the Company’s website at www.blucora.com.

About Blucora®

Blucora, Inc. (NASDAQ: BCOR) is on the forefront of financial technology, a provider of data and technology-driven solutions that empower people to improve their financial wellness. Blucora operates in two segments including (i) wealth management, through its Avantax Wealth Management brand, with a collective $83 billion in total client assets as of December 31, 2020, and (ii) tax preparation, through its TaxAct business, a market leader in tax preparation software with approximately 3 million consumer and more than 23,000 professional users in 2020. With integrated tax-focused software and wealth management, Blucora is uniquely positioned to assist our customers in achieving better long-term outcomes via holistic, tax-advantaged solutions. For more information on Blucora, visit www.blucora.com.

Contacts

Investors:
Geoffrey Weinberg / Rick Grubaugh
D.F. King & Co., Inc.
(866) 388-7535
[email protected]

Media:
Dan Gagnier / Jeffrey Mathews
Gagnier Communications
(646) 569-5897
[email protected]

______________________

¹ Permission to use these quotes was neither sought nor obtained. Such third-party statements should not be viewed as indicating the support of such third parties for the views expressed in this communication.

This news release constitutes a “designated news release” for the purposes of the Company’s prospectus supplement dated March 23, 2021 to its short form base shelf prospectus dated March 18, 2021.

TORONTO, April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Auxly Cannabis Group Inc. (TSX.V – XLY) (OTCQX: CBWTF) (“Auxly” or the “Company“), a leading consumer packaged goods company in the cannabis products market, is pleased to announce an agreement with its strategic partner, Imperial Brands PLC (“Imperial Brands”) to amend certain provisions of its previously issued $123 million debenture (the “Debenture”) and investor rights agreement (the “Investor Rights Agreement”) dated September 25, 2019 (collectively, the “Amendments”).  

Pursuant to the Amendments, Imperial Brands and Auxly have agreed to extend the maturity date of the Debenture by 24 months from September 25, 2022 to September 25, 2024.

The Amendments will also provide Imperial Brands with the right, on an annual basis, to convert any or all of the accrued and unpaid interest on the Debenture then outstanding into Common Shares (the “Interest Conversion Election”), at a conversion price equal to the five-day volume weighted average trading price of the Common Shares on the date that Interest Conversion Election is made. Auxly and Imperial Brands have also agreed that the interest rate under the Debenture, which currently accrues at a rate of 4% per annum and is payable annually, will remain unchanged but will be payable on maturity of the Debenture.

Lastly, the Amendments provide for the re-instatement of certain approval rights of Imperial Brands under the Investor Rights Agreement.

As a result of the Amendments, the Company will see a significant improvement to the near-term cash requirements of the business, enabling it to focus on executing on its business strategies that will position it for long-term growth to the benefit of its stakeholders.

“After the great progress we’ve made over our first year of commercial operations, including achieving the #1 position in the 2.0 market and breaking into the top 10 licensed producers by overall market share, this agreement to extend the debt maturity date for 24 months demonstrates the confidence Imperial Brands has in our strong growth and differentiated strategy,” said Hugo Alves, CEO of Auxly. “The extension and deferral of interest will improve our cash position, strengthen our balance sheet and remove potential overhang on the Company’s share price. I would like to thank our partners at Imperial Brands for their ongoing commitment to our Company and look forward to our continued relationship.”

Auxly remains Imperial Brands’ exclusive global partner for any future development, manufacture, commercialization, sale and distribution of cannabis products.

The Debentures are convertible into Common Shares at a price of $0.81 per share at any time prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding maturity.

The implementation of the Amendments is subject to the satisfaction of a number of conditions, including, among other things, the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, and minority shareholder approval of the Amendments in accordance with Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in SpecialTransactions (“MI 61-101”), as more particularly described below.

Related Party Transaction

Imperial Brands is considered a “related party” of the Company, and the Amendments constitute a “related party transaction”, as such terms are defined by MI 61-101. The Company is relying on an exemption from the formal valuation requirements of MI 61-101 available on the basis of the securities of the Company not being listed on specified markets prescribed by MI 61-101.

Pursuant to MI 61-101, the Amendments are subject to the approval by shareholders of the Company holding more than 50% Common Shares represented in person or by proxy at a duly constituted meeting of the shareholders of the Company, excluding the votes attaching to the Common Shares held by Imperial Brands and its associates and affiliates (the “Minority Shareholder Approval”). The Company intends to obtain the Minority Shareholder Approval at its upcoming annual and special meeting of shareholders (the “Company Meeting”). Further particulars of the Amendments will be specified in the management information circular that will be sent to shareholders in advance of the Company Meeting.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
“Hugo Alves” CEO

About Auxly Cannabis Group Inc. (TSX.V: XLY)

Auxly is a leading Canadian cannabis company dedicated to bringing innovative, effective, and high-quality cannabis products to the medical, wellness and adult-use markets. Auxly’s experienced team of industry first-movers and enterprising visionaries have secured a diversified supply of raw cannabis, strong clinical, scientific and operating capabilities and leading research and development infrastructure in order to create trusted products and brands in an expanding global market.

Learn more at www.auxly.com and stay up to date at Twitter: @AuxlyGroup; Instagram: @auxlygroup; Facebook: @auxlygroup; LinkedIn: company/auxlygroup/.

Investor Relations:

For investor enquiries please contact our Investor Relations Team: 
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1.833.695.2414

Media Enquiries (only): 

For media enquiries or to set up an interview please contact:

Email: [email protected] 

Notice Regarding Forward Looking Information:

This news release contains certain “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as “plan”, “continue”, “expect”, “project”, “intend”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “may”, “will”, “potential”, “proposed” and other similar words, or information that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” occur. This information is only a prediction. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking information throughout this news release. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to: obtaining the necessary regulatory approval and Minority Shareholder Approval for the Amendments and the timing of such approvals; the anticipated benefits of the Amendments; the Company’s execution of its product development and commercialization strategy; consumer preferences, political change, future legislative and regulatory developments involving cannabis and cannabis products; and competition and other risks affecting the Company in particular and the cannabis industry generally.

A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from a conclusion, forecast or projection contained in the forward-looking information in this release including, but not limited to, whether: the Company is able to obtain regulatory approval and Minority Shareholder Approval for the Amendments on the proposed terms and timeline; the expected benefits of the Amendments materialize in the manner expected, or at all; there is acceptance and demand for current and future Company products by consumers and provincial purchasers; and general economic, financial market, legislative, regulatory and political conditions in which the Company operates will remain the same. Additional risk factors are disclosed in the annual information form of the Company for the financial year ended December 31, 2019 dated May 13, 2020.

New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all of those factors or to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on the Company’s business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward-looking information in this release is based on information currently available and what management believes are reasonable assumptions. Forward-looking information speaks only to such assumptions as of the date of this release. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information contained in this release.

The forward-looking information contained in this release is expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements and is made as of the date of this release. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.