Market Newsdesk

QUEBEC CITY, Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (TSXV: HEO) – H₂O Innovation Inc. (“H₂O Innovation” or the “Corporation”) is proud to announce its business line Piedmont, a global leader in corrosion resistant equipment for desalination plants in the industrial and municipal markets, secured three large orders for fiber reinforced polyester (“FRP”) cartridge filter housings and duplex stainless couplings, totalling $3.3 M. The team also signed two new distribution agreements in new geographies.

Over the last few months, Piedmont has received several new contracts for the supply of FRP cartridge filter housings, cartridge filtration elements as well as flexible couplings of small to medium sizes. Today, the contracted scope is for three new large-scale seawater reverse osmosis (“RO”) desalination plants. Two of these desalination plants are in the Middle East and will each have a capacity of 159 MGD (600,000 m³/d). The third one is in Asia and will treat 36 MGD (135,000 m³/day) of seawater. Piedmont´s scope for this last project will include all three product lines (FRP cartridge filter housings, couplings and self-cleaning strainers), which reinforces its position as a multi-product supplier for desalination projects. “The strong brand recognition Piedmont is currently enjoying within the desalination industry has allowed us to introduce new products and increase the scope value within the same desalination project. More and more, we see that customers entrust Piedmont several of the supply packages as well as capturing synergies within sourcing and project management. With new products in the pipeline, we anticipate that our future contracted scope value within the same project will continue to increase”, stated Ties Venema, Commercial Director of Piedmont.

During that same period, Piedmont signed two new distributors to strengthen its global distribution network. “Israel and Algeria were two markets we did not have a local presence yet and had therefore difficulties to penetrate by identifying and seizing the available opportunities. I am excited to see the synergies that we are generating with our colleagues in Genesys, as Algeria marks the first geography where we share a distributor. Our expectations are particularly high for this country in regard to the aftermarket opportunities for several of our product lines”, added Mr. Venema.

About Piedmont

Piedmont is a global leader in corrosion resistant equipment for desalination plants and meets critical customer demand for a wide range of applications in the industrial and municipal markets. For more information, visit www.piedmontpacific.com.

About H

₂

O Innovation 
H₂O Innovation designs and provides state-of-the-art, custom-built and integrated water treatment solutions based on membrane filtration technology for municipal, industrial, energy and natural resources end-users. The Corporation’s activities rely on three pillars which are i) water technologies and services; ii) specialty products, including a complete line of specialty chemicals, consumables and specialized products for the water treatment industry; and iii) operation and maintenance services for water and wastewater treatment systems. For more information, visit www.h2oinnovation.com.

Prospective disclosures
This press release contains forward-looking information under applicable securities law. All information that addresses operations and activities that H₂O Innovation expects to occur in the future is forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements use such words as “believe”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “should” or “will” and other similar terms as well as those usually used in the future and the conditional. Forward-looking statements concern analysis and other information based on forecast future results and the estimate of amounts that cannot yet be determined and are based on the estimates and opinions of management on the date the statements are made. In this press release, such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Corporation’s ability to grow its business. Those forward-looking statements involve several risks and uncertainties. Those risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Corporation’s ability to generate profits with this announcement new contracts and to generate sales from its new distributors. Other risk factors are discussed in the Corporation’s Annual Information Form dated September 23, 2020 available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should the assumptions underlying those forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein. Unless required to do so pursuant to applicable securities legislation, H2O Innovation assumes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements contained in this press release or in other communications as a result of new information, future events, and other changes.

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

Source:

H₂O Innovation Inc.
www.h2oinnovation.com

Contact:

Marc Blanchet
+1 418-688-0170
[email protected]

PRINCETON, N.J., Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:IART) a leading global medical technology company, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire ACell, Inc. (“ACell”) for an upfront cash payment of $300 million at closing, subject to customary purchase price adjustments, and cash payments of up to an additional $100 million upon the achievement of certain revenue growth milestones. ACell is an innovative regenerative medicine company with a product portfolio based on a proprietary porcine urinary bladder matrix platform technology, MatriStem UBM™. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions, including regulatory approvals.

The acquisition of ACell is the next step in the expansion of Integra’s Orthopedics and Tissue Technologies (OTT) segment. Following the completion of the previously announced sale of Integra’s orthopedics business, which is expected to occur in early January, OTT will be referred to as the “Tissue Technologies” segment.

“ACell expands our regenerative capabilities and is complementary to Integra’s existing tissue technologies portfolio,” said Peter Arduini, president and CEO, Integra LifeSciences. “The porcine UBM technology is a strong strategic fit with our human amniotic tissue and bovine-derived engineered collagen and acellular dermal matrices. The acquisition also supports our long-term growth and profitability strategy with a financial profile similar to Integra’s tissue products.”

ACell’s MatriStem UBM technology is designed to enhance the body’s ability to restore natural tissue and minimize scarring. It allows for a wide range of characteristics to be incorporated into devices for specific challenges in wound repair, ranging from strong suturable sheet materials designed for abdominal wall surgery to fine granular materials that conform to complex wound surfaces. Products include MicroMatrix®, a particulate formulation, as well as Cytal® Wound Matrix and Gentrix® Surgical Matrix, both sheet formulations for the management of acute and chronic wounds and reinforcement of soft tissue in certain surgical applications.

In 2019, ACell generated revenues of $100.8 million, representing 13.0% growth over 2018. Integra expects the financial effects of this transaction to be accretive to revenue growth and adjusted gross margins.  The impact to adjusted EBITDA margin and adjusted EPS is expected to be neutral in year one and accretive in year two. The transaction is expected to exceed the Company’s cost of capital by year three.

Integra will host a conference call on Wednesday, December 16, 2020 at 9:00am ET to provide more information regarding the acquisition. The live call is accessible by dialing (800) 263-0877 and using the passcode 7837917. A simultaneous webcast of the call will be available on the Company’s website at www.integralife.com.

A webcast replay of the call can be accessed through the Investor Relations homepage on Integra’s website. A replay of the call will be available until December 26, 2020 by dialing (719) 457-0820 and using passcode 7837917.

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is acting as legal advisor to Integra.

Cooley LLP is serving as legal advisor and Guggenheim Partners is serving as financial advisor to ACell.

About Integra LifeSciences

Integra LifeSciences is a global leader in regenerative technologies, neurosurgical and extremity orthopedic solutions dedicated to limiting uncertainty for clinicians, so they can focus on providing the best patient care. Integra offers a comprehensive portfolio of high quality, leadership brands that include AmnioExcel®, Bactiseal®, Cadence®, Certas^®, Codman®, CUSA®, DuraGen®, DuraSeal®, ICP Express®, Integra®, MediHoney®, MicroFrance®, PriMatrix®, Salto Talaris®, SurgiMend®, TCC-EZ®, Titan™ and VersaTru®.  For the latest news and information about Integra and its products, please visit www.integralife.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about the Transaction and our current and future performance within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve risks and uncertainties, and reflect the Company’s judgment as of the date of this release.  Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those that include words such as “estimate,” “will,” “plan,” “should,” “expect,” “continue,” and “forecast”. Forward-looking statements also include, but are not limited to, statements concerning future financial performance, including projections for revenues. It is important to note that the Company’s goals and expectations are not predictions of actual performance. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from predicted or expected results. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risk factors and uncertainties identified under the heading “Risk Factors” included in Item 1A of Integra’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2020, June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2020, and information contained in subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Discussion of Adjusted Financial Measures

The Company believes that the presentation of organic revenues and the other non-GAAP measures, provide important supplemental information to management and investors regarding financial and business trends relating to the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. For further information regarding why Integra believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors, the specific manner in which management uses these measures, and some of the limitations associated with the use of these measures, please refer to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K regarding this news release filed today with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This Current Report on Form 8-K is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or on our website at www.integralife.com.

Investor Relations Contact

Michael Beaulieu
Director, Investor Relations
(609) 529-4812
[email protected]

Media Contact:

Laurene Isip
Senior Director, Global Corporate Communications
(609) 750-7984
[email protected]

 

BURLINGTON, Mass., Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cerence Inc. (NASDAQ: CRNC), AI for a world in motion, today announced that FCA has selected Cerence to provide conversational AI in the all-new electric Fiat 500, FCA’s first fully electric vehicle. The new Cerence-powered automotive assistant is central to the New 500 as the automaker puts the driver experience front and center.

Activated with a simple, “Hey Fiat,” the automotive assistant in the New 500 features Cerence’s cutting-edge conversational and interactive AI to deliver voice-powered access to key features like navigation, developed in partnership with TomTom; media and entertainment; phone and messaging; temperature controls; and access to Amazon Alexa^®. With natural language understanding from Cerence, the New 500 enables drivers to speak as they would to a friend – “I’m cold.” or “Find me a restaurant near my destination.” – rather than learning specific language to make queries or commands. Barge-in capabilities further enable the human-like experience as drivers can interrupt the assistant to clarify a request or make a selection. Advanced text-to-speech gives the New 500 assistant a natural way of communicating back with drivers and passengers to answer questions and complete requests.

The New 500 assistant also keeps passengers in mind, with voice recognition support for passengers and speech signal enhancement to identify who in the car is speaking. Drivers can also mute certain input zones if, for example, they need to take an important call with passengers in the car.

“The Fiat 500 is an iconic car that has always symbolized optimism and freedom,” said Sanjay Dhawan, CEO, Cerence. “The new electric Fiat 500 perfectly encapsulates Fiat’s heritage while also bringing it to the next generation, where drivers expect simple, natural interaction with their technology.”

To learn more about Cerence, visit www.cerence.com, and follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Cerence Inc.

Cerence (NASDAQ: CRNC) is the global industry leader in creating unique, moving experiences for the automotive world. As an innovation partner to the world’s leading automakers, it is helping transform how a car feels, responds and learns. Its track record is built on more than 20 years of knowledge and more than 325 million cars on the road today. Whether it’s connected cars, autonomous driving or e-vehicles, Cerence is mapping the road ahead. For more information, visit www.cerence.com.

Trademark reference: Cerence and the Cerence logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Cerence Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.

Contact Information

Kate Hickman
Cerence Inc.
Tel: 339-215-4583
Email: [email protected]

FALLS CHURCH, Va., Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PAE (NASDAQ: PAE, PAEWW), a global leader in delivering smart solutions to the U.S. government and its allies, was awarded a task order to provide COVID-19 testing services for winter and spring sports for all 14 universities of the Southeastern Conference. 

PAE, supported by Premier Medical Group, deployedteams to SEC campuses for COVID-19 testing and related logistics for the safety of its fall sports programs beginning September 2020. The task order builds on the PAE team’s support of SEC safety objectives.

“PAE is providing its expeditionary skillset to entities across the country for COVID-19 response efforts, including these testing services that have been vital to supporting SEC teams, coaches and staff throughout the fall season,” PAE President and CEO John Heller said. “With this award, we’re trusted to maintain these high standards at SEC schools for winter and spring sports through early June 2021.”

PAE’s experience in complex project management and operational logistics is key to meeting the SEC’s need for a COVID-19 test provider. PAE brings skills, knowledge and capabilities from a history of providing critical infectious disease outbreak response and care, extending from the Ebola crisis in 2014 to current COVID-19 support for the state of Georgia and the Navajo Nation.

About PAE
For 65 years, PAE has tackled the world’s toughest challenges to deliver agile and steadfast solutions to the U.S. government and its allies. With a global workforce of about 20,000 on all seven continents and in approximately 60 countries, PAE delivers a broad range of operational support services to meet the critical needs of our clients. Our headquarters is in Falls Church, Virginia. Find us online at pae.com, on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain a number of “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about PAE’s possible or assumed future results of operations, financial results, backlog, estimation of resources for contracts, strategy for and management of growth, needs for additional capital, risks related to contracting generally, including failures to properly manage projects and subcontractors, susceptibility to claims, litigation and other disputes, and risks related to public health crises. These forward-looking statements are based on PAE’s management’s current expectations, estimates, projections and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events.

These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside PAE’s management’s control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements included in this release speak only as of the date of this release. PAE does not undertake any obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release except as may be required by the federal securities laws.

For media inquiries regarding PAE, contact:

Terrence Nowlin
Senior Communications Manager
PAE
703-656-7423
[email protected]

For investor inquiries regarding PAE, contact:

Mark Zindler
Vice President Investor Relations
PAE
703-717-6017
[email protected]

TORONTO, Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ORYX Gaming, a Bragg Gaming Group company (TSXV: BRAG, OTC:BRGGF), today announced a new partnership with Greentube-owned brand StarGames. The deal will see the ORYX provide content for the online casino’s German market entry. 

StarGames will gain access to premium content from ORYX’s exclusive RGS partners. The deal also includes an extensive portfolio of third-party content, player engagement tools and data services available via the ORYX Hub. The player tools include free spins, tournaments and leaderboards, significantly boosting player engagement and retention.

StarGames is owned by Greentube Malta, part of the NOVOMATIC group and a leading provider of premium entertainment. The company has vast operating experience in the German market through its licensed operations in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. The operator is now preparing to apply for a nationwide licence in the country, anticipating new legislation coming into effect in July 2021.

“This deal is a significant step for us as we gear up to take on the German market when the online market fully opens next year,” said Matevz Mazij, Managing Director of ORYX Gaming. “StarGames has a long experience of operating in Germany, which will be an advantage to us as we establish and grow our business in the country.” 

“ORYX has a varied games offering from a growing number of suppliers whose content has already proven hugely popular with German players,” said Laszlo Pados, Brand Manager of StarGames. “We’re looking for exciting and innovative content providers to complement our portfolio of classic and new NOVO LINE™ slot games in order to launch our nationwide operation in Germany with top-quality content that fully complies with German regulations. ORYX can help us to achieve that goal.” 

ORYX is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and is compliant, certified or approved in 18 other major jurisdictions, including Schleswig-Holstein.

As well as its Schleswig-Holstein licence, StarGames is currently applying for license with the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA).

About ORYX Gaming
ORYX Gaming is a B2B gaming solution provider. Leveraging their industry-leading technology, ORYX offers a turnkey solution, including an omni-channel retail, online and mobile iGaming platform, marketing and operational services, as well as ORYX Hub, an advanced content aggregator, product integration and marketing platform for casino, sportsbook and lottery verticals.

Renowned for its rapid and seamless integration, ORYX Hub combines casino, slots, live dealer, lottery, virtual sports and instant win game content from top tier gaming content providers, along with proprietary content, and is fully compliant with major regulated jurisdictions, allowing operators to access over 10,000 world-class games through a single account. ORYX is a member of Bragg Gaming Group (TSXV: BRAG, OTC:BRGGF), a global next-generation gaming group.

About StarGames

StarGames is a leading provider of premium entertainment with years of experience in online gaming. Next to all the classic and new slot, video bingo and video poker games from NOVO LINE™ such as Book of Ra™ deluxe, Lucky Lady’s Charm™ or Sizzling Hot™, players will be able to also enjoy top content from famous game studios around the world. StarGames is currently licensed in Schleswig-Holstein, as well as applying to be licensed with the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA).

About Bragg Gaming Group
Bragg Gaming Group Inc. is a next generation gaming group with cutting-edge technology, leading brands and world-class management expertise, developing into a global gaming force. Formed by a team of gaming industry experts, Bragg’s main portfolio asset is ORYX Gaming, an innovative business-to-business gaming technology platform and casino content aggregator. Through this brand and targeted acquisitions, Bragg is focused on becoming a leader within the evolving global gaming industry. Learn more at https://www.bragg.games.

For Bragg Gaming Group, contact:

Yaniv Spielberg, CSO, Bragg Gaming Group Inc.
+1-647-800-2282
[email protected]

For media enquiries or interviews, please contact:

Lina Sennevall, Square in the Air
[email protected]

For US investor inquiries, please contact:

Laine Yonker, Edison Group
+1-646-653-7035
[email protected]

CHICAGO, Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A new report by TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) and Aite Group found that collections balances declined by more than $8 billion from the end of 2019 to the midpoint of 2020. Third-party collections activity, though, is expected to increase in 2021 as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic begin having a greater impact on the consumer credit market. The report, “A Year of Pivots, Challenges, and Opportunities: The Collections Industry in 2020,” explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the collections industry and what may be in store for 2021.

The pandemic has played a major role in disrupting the consumer credit landscape in 2020. From a collections standpoint, the industry has been particularly impacted by the decline in overall credit accounts as well as the first drop in household debt levels since 2014. Accommodation programs also have delayed some accounts that would have otherwise gone delinquent from defaulting. As a result, collections activity has been much more muted, evidenced by the substantial decline in overall balances.

“Consolidation in the collections industry has taken place for the better part of the last decade, and the COVID-19 pandemic helped accelerate that trend. Less credit activity, smaller balances and a large number of accounts in accommodation status certainly slowed collections activity, but the pandemic brought on a whole new set of challenges. Most notably, work-from-home mandates that many collectors were not equipped to handle,” said Glen Goldstein, executive vice president of diversified markets at TransUnion. “Collections is a major part of the consumer credit ecosystem, and our report highlights that we will see more normal conditions in 2021, which we believe will benefit the overall market.”

The report found that the number of firms that make up the third-party collections industry has steadily declined in recent years. In fact, between 2016 and 2020, the number of third-party collection firms is expected to shrink by 15% to 6,699 companies.

Even as fewer collections agencies now exist, their efficiencies are increasing. Profit margins are increasing for collectors as 68% say they have either received payments in full, settlements in full or made partial payment arrangements. This is an increase from 58% in 2019. Collectors say the tools they are using the most to secure payments include: manual skip tracing, collections management systems (CMS) and online portals.

More modernization may be in store for 2021

In addition to the evolving consumer credit market, new guidelines set by the CFPB will likely have the greatest impact on the collections industry in 2021. The request of the CFPB to have the industry modernize its practices will be of special importance. The report found that larger firms are most likely to embrace a varied and innovative toolset and utilize new forms of communication.

In 2020, over one in five collectors (22%) said they reached out to consumers via text – an example of a new form of communication within the industry. While this approach pales in comparison to traditional modes such as letter (93%), telephone (87%) and email (59%), the expectation is for texting to continue to rise.

The forms of communication cited most by collections executives when asked which they will consider adding in the next two years, included: Email (45%), Text/SMS message (45%) and Chatbot, Digital Assistant or other AI (22%).

However, efforts to modernize may be somewhat slow when considering only 11% of collections executives cited texting as the most effective way of communicating with consumers. Telephone manual dialing (44%), telephone auto dialers (31%) and letters (30%) were ranked as the best options.

“As the collections industry looks ahead to 2021, one of the few positives from 2020 is that modernization of collections practices may become the norm for more large and small agencies. Those collections agencies that make the effort to modernize will likely be the ones that can thrive in 2021,” concluded Goldstein.

About the report

Insights on the challenges, trends, and innovations occurring in the third-party collections industry are informed by a quantitative survey of third-party debt collection professionals conducted in Q3 2020. Survey results are representative of the market at a 95% confidence interval with a 7-point margin of error. Any differences noted between groups of survey respondents, such as breakouts by company size or types, are significant at a 90% confidence interval. This is the second annual survey of the third-party collections industry conducted by TransUnion and Aite Group.The full report is available here.

About Aite Group

Aite Group is a global research and advisory firm delivering comprehensive, actionable advice on business, technology, and regulatory issues and their impact on the financial services industry. With expertise in banking, payments, insurance, wealth management, and the capital markets, we guide financial institutions, technology providers, and consulting firms worldwide. We partner with our clients, revealing their blind spots and delivering insights to make their businesses smarter and stronger. Visit us on the web and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)

TransUnion is a global information and insights company that makes trust possible in the modern economy. We do this by providing a comprehensive picture of each person so they can be reliably and safely represented in the marketplace. As a result, businesses and consumers can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good.®

A leading presence in more than 30 countries across five continents, TransUnion provides solutions that help create economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for hundreds of millions of people.

http://www.transunion.com/business

Contact	Dave Blumberg
	TransUnion
E-mail	[email protected]
Telephone	312-972-6646

SAN MATEO, Calif., Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Farsight Security®, Inc., the leader in DNS Intelligence, today introduced the Farsight DNSDB Enrichment Playbook App for the ThreatConnect Platform. Threat hunters and other security professionals now can automatically enrich suspicious IP addresses, domain names, and other indicators of compromise (IoCs) to map malicious adversary infrastructure used in phishing, brand infringement and other types of cybercrime.

“ThreatConnect users have long enjoyed interactive access to Farsight data for threat investigation and indicator enrichment,” said Andy Pendergast, EVP of Product for ThreatConnect. “With this new app, users instantly have Farsight data available in Playbooks for analysis and decision-making as part of automation and orchestration.”

“Digital attacks often depend on the rapid use and disposal of domain names, IP addresses and other Internet infrastructure to evade detection. Defenders using DNSDB, our historical DNS Intelligence database, can automatically uncover the missing pieces of an investigation to help determine the intention — and target — of an online adversary,” said Farsight CEO Dr. Paul Vixie. “ThreatConnect is one of our charter partners and we are extremely happy to be delivering these new playbook capabilities to our joint customers, especially DNSDB 2.0’s time-fencing feature which makes it possible to focus an investigation on a select period of time.”

Farsight DNSDB, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, sets the industry standard for historical DNS Intelligence. Farsight DNSDB is used daily around the world by threat hunting and incident response teams for leading government agencies and Fortune 500 corporations. Combined with ThreatConnect’s intelligence-driven security operations platform, Farsight DNSDB automatically delivers high fidelity DNS Intelligence to enable security analysts and other professionals to measurably improve the detection of and response to today’s threats.

Using the Farsight DNSDB Enrichment Playbook App for ThreatConnect, users can:

• Gather IP Enrichment: Enable the retrieval of hostnames that resolve to IP addresses.
• Identify Hostname Relationships: Find all IPs that a hostname has been observed resolving to around the time of observation as well as other hostnames that have resolved to the same IP address as the target hostname. This is especially helpful for identifying related command-and-control infrastructure using common infrastructure.
• Drive Automated Pivoting: Use the Farsight DNSDB app as part of a custom Playbook to pivot from initial result sets, and identify new relationships and infrastructure likely to be weaponized.

About Farsight Security, Inc.

Farsight Security, Inc. is the world’s largest provider of historical and real-time passive DNS data. We enable security teams to qualify, enrich and correlate all sources of threat data and ultimately save time when it is most critical – during an attack or investigation. Our solutions provide enterprise, government and security industry personnel and platforms with unmatched global visibility, context and response. Farsight Security is headquartered in San Mateo, California, USA. Learn more about how we can empower your threat platform and security team with Farsight Security passive DNS solutions at https://www.farsightsecurity.com/ or follow us on Twitter: @FarsightSecInc.

About ThreatConnect, Inc.

ThreatConnect, Inc. provides cybersecurity software that reduces complexity for everyone, makes decision making easy by turning intelligence into action, and integrates processes and technologies to continually strengthen defenses and drive down risk. Designed by analysts but built for the entire team (security leadership, risk, security operations, threat intelligence, and incident response), ThreatConnect’s decision and operational support platform is the only solution available today with cyber risk quantification, intelligence, automation, analytics, and workflows in one. To learn more about our Cyber Risk Quantification, Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP) or Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) solutions, visit www.ThreatConnect.com.

Karen Burke
Director of Corporate Communications
Farsight Security, Inc.
[email protected] 

NEW YORK, Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE: APO) (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, “Apollo” or the “Firm”) has been named as one of America’s Most Responsible Companies by Newsweek and Statistic Inc. in recognition of its corporate performance in environmental, social and governance areas as well as corporate social responsibility.

Apollo, ranked 194th on Newsweek‘s 400–company list, was the only alternative asset manager recognized. In earning this distinction, Apollo was evaluated amongst the top 2,000 US-based companies by revenue for its ESG performance and the results of an independent survey on its CSR activities.

The recognition from Newsweek caps a year in which the Firm has made significant strides in its commitments to corporate citizenship and expanding its robust ESG program:

• Apollo became a founding signatory of the Institutional Limited Partners Association’s (ILPA) newly launched Diversity in Action initiative, a commitment to continue taking specific steps and to report on progress in furthering diversity, equity and inclusion at Apollo and across the private equity industry. Apollo is also signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), which set forth investment principles to ensure ESG considerations are integrated throughout the investment lifecycle.  
• The Firm released its 11^th annual ESG Report entitled, “Turning Challenges into Opportunities.” Previously only available to LPs, the in-depth report provides a comprehensive overview of Apollo’s ESG program and performance as well as its portfolio company engagement and reporting program, which includes more than 150 individual ESG metrics that capture both qualitative and quantitative data on portfolio company performance. Over the last 11 years, more than 125 companies have participated in Apollo’s ESG program, producing more than 430 reports containing 26,000+ data points.
• Launched in partnership with CareerBuilder, the Apollo Veterans Talent Network, a career portal dedicated to helping veterans find jobs at all levels across Apollo’s broader network, helped to place more than 3,000 talented veterans in positions across the portfolio this year.
• Apollo also made key hires in newly created roles designed to continue to strengthen culture, diversity & inclusion, retention and citizenship at the Firm. Jonathan Simon joined as Global Head of Leadership Development and Diversity; Arturo Poire joined as Head of Talent Development; and Lauren Coape-Arnold joined as Global Head of Citizenship.

“As an employer and investment manager, we believe Apollo can and should have a positive impact on society,” said Laurie Medley, Global Head of ESG and General Counsel, Private Equity at Apollo. “We are proud to be recognized as one of the nation’s most responsible companies and believe it’s a testament to our longstanding commitment to championing ESG, diversity and inclusion, and strong corporate citizenship. Equally important, we continue to increase the resources and time dedicated to these efforts to keep improving our performance. It’s a strategic imperative for Apollo and our funds’ investments, and enables us to be the most effective organization possible.”

Rob Esposito, ESG Counsel at Apollo, added, “In a year where many faced difficult and unprecedented circumstances, we’re proud of the steadfast progress made at Apollo and across the broader network, including all the important efforts to keep our people safe and give back to the communities where we live and work.”

About Apollo

Apollo is a leading global alternative investment manager with offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston, Bethesda, London, Frankfurt, Madrid, Luxembourg, Mumbai, Delhi, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo. Apollo had assets under management of approximately $433 billion as of September 30, 2020 in credit, private equity and real assets funds invested across a core group of nine industries where Apollo has considerable knowledge and resources. For more information about Apollo, please visit www.apollo.com.

Contact Information

For investors please contact:

Peter Mintzberg
Head of Investor Relations
Apollo Global Management, Inc.
(212) 822-0528
[email protected]

Ann Dai
Investor Relations Manager
Apollo Global Management, Inc.
(212) 822-0678
[email protected]

For media inquiries please contact:

Joanna Rose
Global Head of Corporate Communications
Apollo Global Management, Inc.
(212) 822-0491
[email protected]

BOSTON, Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Block & Leviton LLP (www.blockleviton.com), a national securities litigation firm, reminds investors that securities class actions have been filed against Interface, Inc. (NASDAQ: TILE), JOYY, Inc. (NASDAQ: YY), and K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN). Shareholders interested in serving as lead plaintiff have until the deadlines listed below to move the court. Further details about the cases are described below. There is no cost or obligation to you.

TILE Shareholders – Click Here: https://www.blockleviton.com/cases/tile

YY Shareholders – Click Here: https://www.blockleviton.com/cases/joyy

LRN Shareholders – Click Here: https://www.blockleviton.com/cases/k12

Interface


, Inc. (NASDAQ:


TILE


) – Lead Plaintiff Deadline of


January 11


, 202


1

On September 28, 2020, Interface announced the conclusion of the long-awaited investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission into Interface’s historical quarterly earnings per share calculations and rounding practices. Interface agreed to pay a $5 million fine to resolve the matter, and was ordered to cease-and-desist from violating the federal securities laws. According to the Wall Street Journal, the SEC had charged Interface for reporting earnings that did not comply with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for multiple quarters in 2015 and 2016. Interface allegedly made unsupported, manual accounting adjustments, often when internal forecasts indicated the Company would fall short of Wall Street estimates, the SEC found. Per the SEC, Interface would then report earnings that met or exceeded those consensus estimates. In addition to the Company’s $5 million fine, two of Interface’s former executives agreed to pay penalties of $45,000 and $70,000.

A lawsuit alleging violations of federal securities laws has been filed against Interface and certain of its officers and directors. The suit alleges that between March 2, 2018 and September 28, 2020, Interface misled investors by, among other things, reporting artificially inflated income and earnings per share in 2015 and 2016, failing to disclose and/or downplaying that Interface and certain of its employees were under investigation by the SEC, and having inadequate disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and is captioned Swanson v. Interface, Inc., et al., No. 20-cv-5518.

JOYY, Inc


.


(


NASDAQ: YY


) – Lead Plaintiff Deadline of


January 19


, 202


1

On November 18, 2020, analyst Muddy Waters announced that it would short JOYY, calling the Company “a multibillion-dollar fraud.” Muddy Waters wrote that “YY’s component businesses are a fraction of the size it reports, and that the company’s reported user metrics, revenues, and cash balances are predominantly fraudulent.” The market was stunned by this report, and as a result, shares of JOYY common stock fell over 26% in just a few hours.

A lawsuit alleging violations of federal securities laws has been filed against JOYY and certain of its officers and directors. The suit alleges a class period of April 28, 2016 and November 18, 2020. The lawsuit asserts that JOYY dramatically overstated its revenues from live streaming sources. It further alleges that at any given time, the majority of JOYY’s users were bots, which JOYY used to effect a roundtripping scheme that manufactured the false appearance of revenues. Moreover, the lawsuit asserts that JOYY’s acquisition of Bigo was largely contrived to benefit corporate insiders. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and is captioned Hershewe v. JOYY Inc., et al., No. 20-cv-10611 (C.D. Cal.).

K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN) – Lead Plaintiff


Deadline of January 19, 2021

K12, as a technology-based education company, appeared primed to benefit from the shift to online and virtual learning necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and embarked on a campaign to portray itself as capable and ready to take advantage of the shift to virtual instruction. In reality, K12 was neither ready nor capable. As this became clear to the market, the stock price plunged over 50% from its 2020 peak price of over $50.00 per share.

A lawsuit has been filed against K12 and certain of its executives in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, alleging a class period of April 27, 2020 to September 18, 2020. The lawsuit is captioned Lee v. K12 Inc., et al., No. 1:20-cv-01419 (E.D. Va.). The suit alleges that K12 issued false and misleading statements concerning, among other things, K12’s technological capabilities, infrastructure, and expertise to support the increased demand for virtual and blended education necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The suit further asserts that K12 lacked adequate cybersecurity protocols and protections to prevent the disabling of its computer systems, yet misrepresented its data security strength.

If you purchased or acquired shares of TILE, YY, or LRN and have questions about your legal rights or possess information relevant to these matters, please contact Block & Leviton attorneys at (617) 398-5600, via email at [email protected], or via the links provided above.

Block & Leviton LLP is a firm dedicated to representing investors and maintaining the integrity of the country’s financial markets. The firm represents many of the nation’s largest institutional investors as well as individual investors in securities litigation throughout the United States. The firm’s lawyers have recovered billions of dollars for its clients.

This notice may constitute attorney advertising.

CONTACT:
BLOCK & LEVITON LLP
260 Franklin St., Suite 1860
Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (617) 398-5600
Email: [email protected]
SOURCE: Block & Leviton LLP
www.blockleviton.com

COLDWATER, Mich., Dec. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Board of Directors of Southern Michigan Bancorp, Inc. (OTC Pink: SOMC) declared a quarterly dividend of $0.23 per share on the outstanding shares of the corporation’s stock. The dividend is payable on January 22, 2021 to shareholders of record January 8, 2021. The annualized cash dividend of $0.92 per share represents a 2.87% dividend yield based on the current market price of $32.05 per share.

Southern Michigan Bancorp, Inc. is a bank holding company and the parent company of Southern Michigan Bank & Trust. It operates 13 branches within Branch, Calhoun, Hillsdale, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph Counties, providing a broad range of consumer, business, and wealth management services throughout the region. For more information, please visit the Southern Michigan Bank & Trust website, www.smb-t.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on management’s beliefs, assumptions, current expectations, estimates and projections about the financial services industry, the economy, and Southern Michigan Bancorp, Inc. Although we currently expect to continue to pay a quarterly cash dividend, each future dividend will be considered and declared by the board of directors in its discretion. Whether the board of directors continues to declare dividends depends on a number of factors, including our future financial condition and profitability. Forward-looking statements are based upon current beliefs and expectations and involve substantial risks, uncertainties, and assumptions (“risk factors”), which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise our forward-looking statements to reflect developments that occur, or information obtained after the date of this report.

CONTACT: John H. Castle, CEO 
(517) 279-5500