Market Newsdesk

LOS ANGELES, March 31, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP (“GPM”) reminds investors of the upcoming May 7, 2021 deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the class action filed on behalf of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired XL Fleet Corp. (“XL Fleet” or the “Company”) (NYSE: XL) securities between October 2, 2020 and March 2, 2021, inclusive (the “Class Period”).

If you suffered a loss on your XL Fleet investments or would like to inquire about potentially pursuing claims to recover your loss under the federal securities laws, you can submit your contact information at https://www.glancylaw.com/cases/xl-fleet-corp/. You can also contact Charles H. Linehan, of GPM at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, or via email at [email protected] to learn more about your rights.

On March 3, 2021, Muddy Waters Research published a report entitled “XL Fleet Corp. (NYSE: XL): More SPAC Trash,” alleging, among other things, that salespeople “were pressured to inflate their sales pipelines materially in order to mislead XL’s board and investors” and that “customer reorder rates are in reality quite low” due to “poor performance and regulatory issues.” Citing interviews with former employees, the report alleged that “at least 18 of 33 customers XL featured were inactive.” Muddy Waters also claimed that XL has “weak technology” and that “XL’s announcement of future class 7-8 upfits seems highly promotional” because the task is “too technologically complex for XL engineers to deliver on the promised timeline.”

On this news, the Company’s stock price fell $2.09, or 13%, to close at $13.86 per share on March 3, 2021, on unusually heavy trading volume. The share price continued to decline by $2.69, or 19.4%, over two consecutive trading sessions to close at $11.17 per share on March 5, 2021, on unusually heavy trading volume.

The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that XL Fleet’s salespeople were pressured to inflate their sales pipelines to boost the Company’s reported sales and backlog; (2) that at least 18 of the 33 customers that XL featured were inactive and had not placed an order since 2019; (3) that XL’s technology had been materially overstated and offered only 5% to 10% of fleet savings; (4) that XL lacks the supply chain and engineers to roll out new products on the announced timelines; and (5) that, as a result of the foregoing, Defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

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If you purchased or otherwise acquired XL Fleet securities during the Class Period, you may move the Court no later than May 7, 2021 to request appointment as lead plaintiff in this putative class action lawsuit. To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to the pending class action lawsuit, please contact Charles Linehan, Esquire, of GPM, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

Contacts

Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP, Los Angeles
Charles Linehan, 310-201-9150 or 888-773-9224
[email protected]
www.glancylaw.com

Los Angeles, March 31, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mount Saint Mary’s University (MSMU), Los Angeles, today released its 10^th annual Report on the Status of Women and Girls in California. This year’s report, The Impact of COVID-19: Amplifying Inequities, is the most comprehensive study in California on the impact of the pandemic on women and girls in the state.

 “We knew we had to produce a comprehensive, timely report that examined the pandemic and how it has disproportionately affected women and girls,” said Ann McElaney-Johnson, President of MSMU. “The pandemic has underscored that gender, race, ethnicity and socio-economic status continue to determine women and girls’ health, wellness, safety, access to education, and economic security.”

The report was developed by the Center for the Advancement of Women at MSMU. Its findings were announced today during a virtual event that gathered leaders from various industries to discuss the report, how women are faring in the wake of COVID-19, and how we can our communities can recover without jeopardizing the gains women have towards gender parity in the last decade.

At the event, Los Angeles County Supervisors Kathryn Barger, Sheila Kuehl and Holly J. Mitchell discussed leading Los Angeles out of the pandemic, the historic nature of an all-female LA County Board of Supervisors, and what women’s leadership means for the most powerful local government body in the country.

“I think we have a deep sensibility to the unique needs of our constituents. We, in our ordinary life experience, understand the dynamics that our constituents experience every day and we govern from that space,” said Supervisor Mitchell. “There is too much work to do. There is more work to be done than any of us hope to accomplish individually so we understand collectively we’re stronger. So, we just get it done. And I think that’s what makes an elected body of all women unique, and quite frankly beneficial to our shared constituents.”

To access the 2021 Report on the Status of Women and Girls in California: https://www.msmu.edu/center-for-the-advancement-of-women/events/status-of-women-and-girls/read-the-latest-report/

Watch The Report event: https://www.facebook.com/MountSaintMarysU/videos/2882776225338414

ABOUT MOUNT SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY

Mount Saint Mary’s is the only women’s university in Los Angeles and one of the most diverse in the nation. The University is known nationally for its research on gender equality, its innovative health and science programs, and its commitment to community service.

As a leading liberal arts institution, Mount Saint Mary’s provides year-round, flexible, and online programs at the undergraduate and graduate level. Weekend, evening, and graduate programs are offered to both women and men. Mount alums are engaged, active global citizens who use their knowledge and skills to better themselves, their communities and the world.

msmu.edu

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN

The Center for the Advancement of Women at Mount Saint Mary’s University is a hub for gender equity research, advocacy and leadership development. Its vision is to find solutions to persistent gender inequities and work with partners to eradicate those inequities in our lifetime. That goal includes eliminating obstacles that women face in the workplace, in their communities, in the media and beyond to make a positive difference in the lives of women and girls in California and our nation. The Center also creates public programming, research guides and training opportunities to engage more partners in its work.

Center for the Advancement of Women

 

Debbie Ream
Mount Saint Mary's University
[email protected]

LONDON, March 31, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Horizonte Minerals Plc, (AIM: HZM, TSX: HZM) (‘Horizonte’ or ‘the Company’) the nickel company focused on Brazil, reports that it has filed on SEDAR: (i) an amended technical report for its Araguaia project entitled “Amended NI 43-101 Technical Report Feasibility Study for the Araguaia Nickel Project, Federative Republic of Brazil, Project Number AU9867” (the “Araguaia Report”), (ii) an amended technical report for its Vermelho project entitled “Amended NI43-101 Technical Report – Vermelho Project, Pará State, Brazil” (the “Vermelho Report”), and (iii) an amended technical report for its Serra do Tapa project entitled “Amended NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Serra do Tapa Project, Pará State, Brazil” (the “Serra Do Tapa Report” and, collectively with the Araguaia Report and the Vermelho Report, the “Technical Reports”). The purpose of amendments to the Technical Reports is to provide corrective disclosure as a result of a review by staff of the Ontario Securities Commission of the preliminary short form prospectus of the Company dated and filed on March 15, 2021.

The Araguaia Report was amended to remove disclosure relating to the Stage 2 expansion under Section 1.18.2 – “Opportunities – Increased plant capacity” as well as to remove the economic analysis based on the long term forecasted Nickel price of US$26,450/t under Section 22.1 – “Economic Analysis – Project economic headline results”.

The Vermelho Report was amended to remove disclosure about the cash flow estimates combining feed from both the Vermelho project and the Serra do Tapa project under Section 1.18.2 – “Opportunities – Opportunity to develop the Project as a ferronickel project”.

The Serra Do Tapa Report was amended to remove the addition of inferred mineral resources with measured mineral resources and indicated mineral resources in Table 14.6.

The conclusions and recommendations in the Technical Reports remain the same and unchanged from their original publication dates and, in the Company’s view, none of the changes made in the Technical Reports are material to the assets or operations of the Company.

For further information, visit

www.horizonteminerals.com

or contact:

Horizonte Minerals plc	[email protected]
Jeremy Martin (CEO)	+44 (0) 203 356 2901
Anna Legge (Corporate Communications)
Peel Hunt (NOMAD & Joint Broker)	+44 (0)20 7418 8900
Ross Allister
David McKeown
BMO (Joint Broker)	+44 (0) 20 7236 1010
Thomas Rider
Pascal Lussier Duquette
Andrew Cameron

About Horizonte Minerals:

Horizonte Minerals plc is an AIM and TSX-listed nickel development company focused in Brazil. The Company is developing the Araguaia project, as the next major ferronickel mine in Brazil, and the Vermelho nickel-cobalt project, with the aim of being able to supply nickel and cobalt to the EV battery market. Both projects are 100% owned.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained in this press release constitutes “forward-looking information” under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the potential of the Company’s current or future property mineral projects; the success of exploration and mining activities; cost and timing of future exploration, production and development; the estimation of mineral resources and reserves and the ability of the Company to achieve its goals in respect of growing its mineral resources; and the realization of mineral resource and reserve estimates. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved”. Forward-looking information is based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to risks related to: exploration and mining risks, competition from competitors with greater capital; the Company’s lack of experience with respect to development-stage mining operations; fluctuations in metal prices; uninsured risks; environmental and other regulatory requirements; exploration, mining and other licences; the Company’s future payment obligations; potential disputes with respect to the Company’s title to, and the area of, its mining concessions; the Company’s dependence on its ability to obtain sufficient financing in the future; the Company’s dependence on its relationships with third parties; the Company’s joint ventures; the potential of currency fluctuations and political or economic instability in countries in which the Company operates; currency exchange fluctuations; the Company’s ability to manage its growth effectively; the trading market for the ordinary shares of the Company; uncertainty with respect to the Company’s plans to continue to develop its operations and new projects; the Company’s dependence on key personnel; possible conflicts of interest of directors and officers of the Company, the inability of the Company to complete the Placing on the terms as described herein, and various risks associated with the legal and regulatory framework within which the Company operates. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required to do so by applicable law or regulation.

NEW YORK, March 31, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm, reminds investors that class actions have been commenced on behalf of stockholders of Plug Power, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG), XL Fleet Corp. (NYSE: XL), Bellus Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLU), and Neptune Wellness Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: NEPT). Stockholders have until the deadlines below to petition the court to serve as lead plaintiff. Additional information about each case can be found at the link provided.

Plug Power, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG)

Class Period: November 9, 2020 to March 1, 2021

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 7, 2021

On March 2, 2021, before the market opened, Plug filed a Notification of Late Filing with the SEC stating that it could not timely file its annual report for the period ended December 31, 2020 because the Company was completing a “review and assessment of the treatment of certain costs with regards to classification between Research and Development versus Costs of Goods Sold, the recoverability of right of use assets associated with certain leases, and certain internal controls over these and other areas.” The Company stated that “[i]t is possible that one or more of these items may result in charges or adjustments to current and/or prior period financial statements.”

On this news, the Company’s stock price fell $3.68, or 7%, to close at $48.78 per share on March 2, 2021. The share price continued to decline by $9.48, or 19.4%, over three consecutive trading sessions to close at $39.30 per share on March 5, 202.

The complaint, filed on March 8, 2021, alleges that throughout the Class Period defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that the Company would be unable to timely file its 2020 annual report due to delays related to the review of classification of certain costs and the recoverability of the right to use assets with certain leases; (2) that the Company was reasonably likely to report material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting; and (3) that, as a result of the foregoing, defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

For more information on the Plug Power class action go to: https://bespc.com/cases/PLUG

XL Fleet Corp. (NYSE: XL)

Class Period: September 2, 2020 to March 2, 2021

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 7, 2021

On March 3, 2021, Muddy Waters Research published a report entitled “XL Fleet Corp. (NYSE: XL): More SPAC Trash,” alleging, among other things, that salespeople “were pressured to inflate their sales pipelines materially in order to mislead XL’s board and investors” and that “customer reorder rates are in reality quite low” due to “poor performance and regulatory issues.” Citing interviews with former employees, the report alleged that “at least 18 of 33 customers XL featured were inactive.” Muddy Waters also claimed that XL has “weak technology” and that “XL’s announcement of future class 7-8 upfits seems highly promotional” because the task is “too technologically complex for XL engineers to deliver on the promised timeline.”

On this news, the Company’s stock price fell $2.09, or 13%, to close at $13.86 per share on March 3, 2021. The share price continued to decline by $2.69, or 19.4%, over two consecutive trading sessions to close at $11.17 per share on March 5, 2021.

The complaint, filed on March 8, 2021, alleges that throughout the Class Period defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that XL Fleet’s salespeople were pressured to inflate their sales pipelines to boost the Company’s reported sales and backlog; (2) that at least 18 of the 33 customers that XL featured were inactive and had not placed an order since 2019; (3) that XL’s technology had been materially overstated and offered only 5% to 10% of fleet savings; (4) that XL lacks the supply chain and engineers to roll out new products on the announced timelines; and (5) that, as a result of the foregoing, defendants’ positive statements about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

For more information on the XL Fleet class action go to: https://bespc.com/cases/XL

Bellus Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLU)

Class Period: September 5, 2019 to July 5, 2020

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 17, 2021

Bellus is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company whose lead product is BLU-5937, which is being developed for the treatment of chronic cough (one that lasts over eight weeks) and other afferent hypersensitization-related disorders.

Before markets opened on July 6, 2020, defendants revealed the truth about BLU5937’s efficacy. They announced that the drug had failed a Phase 2 study of chronic cough patients for whom other treatments had not worked. Specifically, BLU-5937 was not significantly better than a placebo at reducing the frequency at which patients coughed. The Phase 2 trial showed a “clinically meaningful and highly statistically significant” effect only on a subset of patients who had high cough counts (around 32 per day), so the Company was planning a Phase 2b trial focused on those patients.

On this news, indicating that Bellus had fallen even further behind Merck in developing an FDA-approved treatment for refractory chronic cough, the Company’s stock price plummeted over 75% to close at $2.97 on July 8, 2020.

The complaint, filed on March 16, 2021, alleges that defendants’ scheme: (i) deceived the investing public regarding Bellus’s business, operations, drug products, drug product development, competition, and present and future business prospects; (ii) facilitated the Company’s September 2019 public offering (“Offering”); (iii) created artificial demand for the Bellus common shares sold in the Offering; (iv) enabled the Company to receive approximately $70 million in net proceeds from the sale of Bellus common stock in the Offering; and (v) caused Plaintiff and the Class to purchase Bellus publicly traded common stock at artificially inflated prices.

For more information on the Bellus Health class action go to: https://bespc.com/cases/BLU

Neptune Wellness Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: NEPT)

Class Period: July 24, 2019 to February 16, 2021

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 17, 2021

On May 9, 2019, Neptune announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire the assets of SugarLeaf Labs, LLC and Forest Remedies LLC (collectively, “SugarLeaf”), a registered North Carolina-based commercial hemp company providing extraction services and formulated products (the “SugarLeaf Acquisition”). On July 24, 2019, Neptune announced the closing of the SugarLeaf Acquisition.

On February 15, 2021, Neptune announced disappointing financial results for the third quarter of the Company’s fiscal year 2021, missing analyst expectations. Among other results, Neptune reported third quarter revenues of CA$3.32 million and a net loss of CA$73.8 million, down 63.81% and over 1,000% year-over-year, respectively. Neptune attributed the net loss, in part, to a CA$35.6 million impairment of goodwill and a CA$2.1 million impairment of “property, plant and equipment and right-of-use assets related to the acquisition of SugarLeaf in July 2019,” as well as accelerated amortization of CA$13.95 million “also related to the SugarLeaf acquisition.” Additionally, the Company disclosed that its “[g]ross margin declined to a loss of 268.3%,” which included a non-cash CA$7.39 million “write-down of inventory and deposits to reflect their net realizable value.”

On this news, Neptune’s stock price fell $0.86 per share, or 30.71%, to close at $1.94 per share on February 16, 2021.

Then, on February 17, 2021, prior to the start of the day’s trading session, Neptune issued a press release announcing the termination of an at-the-market offering conducted by the Company, selling 9,570,735 of its common shares and raising approximately $18.6 million in gross proceeds. Just minutes later, Neptune issued a second press release announcing that the Company was conducting a $55 million registered direct offering.

On this news, Neptune’s stock price fell another $0.21 per share, or 10.82%, to close at $1.73 per share on February 17, 2021.

The complaint, filed on March 16, 2021, alleges that throughout the Class Period defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company’s business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the cost of Neptune’s integration of the assets and operations acquired in the SugarLeaf Acquisition would be larger than the Company had acknowledged, placing significant strain on the Company’s capital reserves; (ii) accordingly, it was reasonably foreseeable that the company would need to conduct additional stock offerings to raise more capital; and (iii) as a result, the Company’s public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

For more information on the Neptune Wellness class action case go to: https://bespc.com/cases/NEPT

About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.:

Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York, California, and South Carolina. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contact Information:

Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.
Brandon Walker, Esq.
Melissa Fortunato, Esq.
Marion Passmore, Esq.
(212) 355-4648
[email protected]
www.bespc.com