Groupon Delivers Record-Breaking Sales Over the Holiday Weekend

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN) (http://www.groupon.com) announced record-breaking holiday weekend sales* in North America, representing the most successful four days ever in the six-year history of its ecommerce marketplace. For the full Black Friday through Cyber Monday weekend, Groupon's North American sales were up more than 25 percent compared to last year. This year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday were the two biggest days in Groupon's North American history.

"We just had our best days ever as a company as more and more shoppers are coming to Groupon via our popular mobile app to score big savings on a wide selection of amazing gifts," said Groupon CEO Eric Lefkofsky. "With nearly double the number of deals compared to last year, we're making it easier and quicker than ever for our customers to find something for everyone on their holiday list."

Products from such categories as electronics, household items and jewelry were some of the top sellers in the Groupon marketplace over the four-day holiday weekend. Notable items included: an ASUS Google Nexus tablet with 1080p HD display, Chromecast and Roku streaming devices, NFL ugly sweaters, a bObsweep robotic vacuum cleaner and mop and 1.50 carat certified princess-cut or round diamond solitaire 14-karat gold rings.

Other popular selling offers in the Groupon marketplace included health and wellness and local experiences such as massages, movies, and holiday activities as well as stays in warm weather locales such as Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Groupon Coupons saw a high volume of promo code redemptions for top retailers and brands such as Best Buy, Macy's, Nike and Walmart. Snap by Groupon saw users take advantage of cashback offers on turkey, cranberries and other popular holiday delicacies.

*Customer purchases before Refunds and Order Discounts

Dehaier Medical Appoints Xiaoguang Shen to the Company's Board of Directors</p>

<p>BEIJING, Dec. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Dehaier Medical Systems Ltd. (DHRM) ("Dehaier Medical" or the "Company"), which develops, markets and sells medical devices and wearable sleep respiratory products in China and international markets, today announced that it has appointed Xiaoguang Shen to the Company's Board of Directors. Mr. Shen will replace Yunxiang ("Phil") Fan and will serve his term until the meeting of the shareholders of the Registrant in 2015. Dehaier Medical's Board will remain at five members, with three independent directors.</p>

<p>Mr. Yunxiang ("Phil") Fan tendered his resignation as a director from the Board of Directors of Dehaier Medical Systems Limited (the "Registrant"), effective November 24, 2015. Mr. Fan's resignation was not due to any disagreement with the Registrant.</p>

<p>Effective the same day, the Nominating Committee of the Registrant recommended, and the Board of Directors of the Registrant approved, the appointment of Mr. Xiaoguang Shen to the Registrant's Board of Directors.</p>

<p>Mr. Ping Chen, Chief Executive Officer of Dehaier Medical, stated, "We are very pleased to welcome Xiaoguang to the Board. His experience will prove valuable as we continue to move forward in our development."</p>

<p>"We would like to thank Phil for his service. He has been an effective and influential member of our Board. We wish him well in his future endeavors."</p>

<p>Mr. Xiaoguang Shen, 42, will serve as a Class II member of the Board of Directors, will serve on the Nominating Committee, the Audit Committee and the Compensation Committee and will serve as the Chairman of the Compensation Committee until the annual meeting of the shareholders of the Registrant in 2015, at which time the shareholders will vote on whether Mr. Shen will serve as a Class II member of the Board for another term. </p>

<p>Mr. Shen has served as the general manager of the investment department of CP Pharmaceutical Group since 2003. Prior to joining CP Pharmaceutical Group, Mr. Shen provided sales services in several pharmaceutical companies since 1997, including Wyeth Pharmaceutical from 1998 to 2000. Mr. Shen earned his bachelor's degrees from the department of Chinese medicine of Harbin University of Commerce in 1997 and his MBA degree from Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing, China in 2013.</p>

WPCS Awarded $1.9 Million of New Contracts in November

SUISUN, CA--(Marketwired - Dec 1, 2015) - WPCS International Incorporated (NASDAQ: WPCS), which specializes in contracting services for communications infrastructure, today announced that it secured nearly $1.9 million in new contracts in the month of November, 2015 as compared to $1.1 million during the same period last year.

According to Sebastian Giordano, Interim CEO of WPCS, "This is a testament to our Suisun Operations leadership. Just thirty days ago, we implemented an expansion of our Suisun management team, now under the supervision of Butch Roller and the day-to-day management of Rick Ruth. They responded, in what was clearly a transitional month, by generating a 72.7% increase in contracts signed as compared to November 2014."

This morning shares of iKang, one of China’s largest healthcare services providers, that trade via their ADS issues on the NASDAQ have jumped almost 18% on getting a “go private” offer from a group that includes its founder Ligang Zhang.

If you remember, the company had received a prior “go private” offer from the group back on August 31, 2015, at a price of $17.80 per ADS payable in cash.

This new LBO is now offering $22 per ADS also in an all-cash deal.

So, clearly the CEO, Ligang Zhang, and his consortium are seeing even more value where most of us here in the West have not been able to see similar value. Heck, investors here never even saw value at the $17.80/share original offer level.

In addition, Zhang and his group clearly see value far beyond the $22 per ADS which is why they have stepped in with a higher offer at this point in time.

They are probably going to delist off the Nasdaq and since the Chinese authorities have lifted the ban on IPO’s last week, more than likely will take the company public (again) either in China or Hong Kong at a far higher valuation than they have received on our shores.

There wasn’t a need to raise the offer given the fact that the shares have never even crossed the $17.80 per ADS price since that original offer was made. However, I think it has to do with the window for IPO’s having being opened by the authorities back in the Middle Kingdom which more than lent a sense of urgency to the deal.

I expect similar upwardly revised offers in the coming weeks and months for other Chinese companies that have received “go private” or LBO offers from their respective management groups.

Independent Research Describes ANAVEX 3-71 as Potent Cognitive Enhancer in Alzheimer’s Disease Models

NEW YORK, Nov. 30, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (“Anavex” or the “Company”) (AVXL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing drug candidates to treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD), other central nervous system (CNS) diseases, pain and various types of cancer, announced today the publication of further data for ANAVEX 3-71 (formerly AF710B) in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Neurodegenerative Diseases. The ANAVEX 3-71 data provides evidence for a positive, more upstream effect on reducing synaptic loss, amyloid and tau pathologies, and neuroinflammation, which is potentially beneficial for the treatment of Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases. ANAVEX 3-71 is part of the Company’s pipeline including ANAVEX 2-73 targeting sigma-1 and muscarinic receptors.

“Our preclinical findings for ANAVEX 3-71 demonstrate its significant potential to enhance neuroprotection and cognition via concomitant activation of sigma-1 receptor and M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M1R), which could be a therapeutic advantage in treating Alzheimer’s and other related protein-aggregation diseases,” said study author Abraham Fisher, PhD. “Specifically, the study results reveal that ANAVEX 3-71 effects a strong reversal of synaptic loss in hippocampal neurons. At very low doses, it mitigates cognitive deficits and normalizes major pathological hallmarks in Alzheimer’s disease models indicating that ANAVEX 3-71 exerts a comprehensive disease-modifying effect. This data adds to the strong foundation of preclinical evidence to support the potential use of ANAVEX 3-71 in Alzheimer's disease and a wide array of other central nervous system diseases.”

“In addition to ANAVEX 2-73, which is currently the subject of an ongoing PART B longitudinal extension of the Phase 2a study, it appears that ANAVEX 3-71 could be a highly effective treatment for Alzheimer’s when compared with competing drugs, including donepezil (Aricept®), the current standard of care,” said Christopher U. Missling, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Anavex. “Based on the growing body of positive preclinical data, we look forward to continuing to advance ANAVEX 3-71 towards a potential first human clinical trial.”

The results of the preclinical study demonstrate that ANAVEX 3-71:

Protects post-synaptic dendritic spines and reverses synaptic loss in hippocampal neurons, which are important for learning and memory and their loss may cause cognitive decline in AD. Results show that ANAVEX 3-71 efficiently rescues mushroom spines via potential activation of sigma-1 receptor/M1R.

Mitigates cognitive impairments and lessens Alzheimer’s-like pathology in the 3xTg-AD animal model. Notably ANAVEX 3-71 showed exceptional efficacy in restoring cognitive decline associated with AD and with lessening BACE1, GSK3beta activity, p25CDK5, neuroinflammation, soluble and insoluble Abeta40, Abeta42, accumulation of amyloid plaques and tau pathologies.

Reverses the cognitive decline induced by the M1R antagonist, trihexyphenidyl via activation of both sigma-1 receptor and M1R.

The paper, “AF710B, a Novel M1/ Sigma-1 Agonist with Therapeutic Efficacy in Animal Models of Alzheimer’s disease,” was published in Neurodegenerative Diseases. It was co-authored by A. Fisher, the inventor of ANAVEX 3-71, and I. Bezprozvanny, L. Wu, D. A. Ryskamp, N. Bar-Ner, N. Natan, R. Brandeis, H. Elkon, V. Nahum, E. Gershonov, F. M. LaFerla and R. Medeiros from the Israel Institute for Biological Research (Ness-Ziona, Israel), the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, TX), St. Petersburg State Polytechnical University (St. Petersburg, Russia) and the University of California (Irvine, CA), respectively.

Dr. Abraham Fisher is a member of the Anavex Scientific Advisory Board.

$ORMP Oramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Stock Soars On $50 Million License Deal

Shares of Oramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORMP) soared today upon news of a $50 million license agreement with China’s Hefei Tianhu (HTIT)i. The Israeli company’s deal provides for exclusive rights allowing Hefei to market their oral insulin drug, ORMD-0801 in Macau, Hong Kong, and China.

The deal includes initial payments of $3 million upon signing of the agreement, and another $8 million in payments coming soon thereafter. Further payments will be made upon completion of set milestones. It also includes an agreement for Hefei to pay 10% royalties of net sales to Oramed.

ORMP stock is up 35.10% or $2.72 after the positive news, hitting $10.47 per share. About 80,647 shares traded hands or 1.67% up from the average. ORMP has risen 7.94% since April 27, 2015 and is uptrending. It has outperformed by 8.83% the S&P500.

Out of 3 analysts covering Oramed Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ORMP), 3 rate it “Buy”, 0 “Sell”, while 0 “Hold”. This means 100% are positive. $24 is the highest target while $15 is the lowest. The $21 average target is 100.57% above today’s ($10.47) stock price. Oramed Pharmaceuticals was the topic in 4 analyst reports since August 14, 2015 according to StockzIntelligence Inc. FBR Capital initiated the stock on November 19 with “Outperform” rating. H.C. Wainwright initiated the shares of ORMP in a report on October 1 with “Buy” rating.

The institutional sentiment decreased to 0.63 in Q2 2015. Its down 0.17, from 0.8 in 2015Q1. The ratio turned negative, as 6 funds sold all Oramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. shares owned while 2 reduced positions. 3 funds bought stakes while 2 increased positions. They now own 333,703 shares or 38.38% less from 541,534 shares in 2015Q1.

Greylin Investment Mangement Inc holds 0.06% of its portfolio in Oramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for 45,100 shares. Sabby Management Llc owns 212,017 shares or 0.04% of their US portfolio. Moreover, Bank Of America Corp De has 0% invested in the company for 100 shares. The Illinois-based Citadel Advisors Llc has invested 0% in the stock. Finemark National Bank & Trust, a Florida-based fund reported 3,473 shares.

Oramed Pharmaceuticals Inc. is engaged in the field of oral delivery solutions for drugs and vaccines presently delivered via injection. The company has a market cap of $121.45 million. Oramed’s flagship product, an orally ingestible insulin capsule in phase II clinical trials, is focused on the treatment of diabetes. It currently has negative earnings. The Firm is developing orally ingestible protein oral delivery (POD) technology for the delivery of drugs presently administered by way of injection.

Automotive Dealerships Gain Momentum

AutoNation Announces Reported Retail New Vehicle Unit Sales of 28,247 in October 2015, Up 14% versus October 2014

Robert Moskow of Credit Suisse has upgraded the rating on the company from Neutral to

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Nov. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- AutoNation, Inc. (NYSE: AN), America's largest automotive retailer, today announced that it reported to automotive manufacturers, based on their respective sales transaction reporting standards, retail sales of 28,247 new vehicles in October 2015, an increase of 14% as compared to October 2014. October 2015 reported retail new vehicle unit sales for AutoNation's operating segments were as follows:

• 8,724 for Domestic, up 16% versus October 2014,
• 13,164 for Import, up 10% versus October 2014, and
• 6,359 for Premium Luxury, up 17% versus October 2014.

On a same-store basis, reported retail new vehicle unit sales in October 2015 increased 11% as compared to October 2014.

AutoNation expects to report November 2015 retail new vehicle unit sales on Wednesday, December 2, 2015.

The information provided in this news release is based on unaudited sales reports provided by our stores to the applicable automotive manufacturers. These reports are prepared based on the sales transaction reporting standards established by the applicable automotive manufacturers, which differ from revenue recognition and other requirements under generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). For example, the classification of certain transactions under the standards established by certain such manufacturers differs under GAAP. Transactions reported as retail sales include vehicles placed into certain manufacturer-approved demonstrator vehicle and service loaner programs, which vehicles may be sold by our stores to retail customers as new or used vehicles under GAAP in subsequent periods. Manufacturers sometimes provide marketing incentives to place vehicles into such programs during particular periods. In addition, the sales reports are based on the time periods set by the automotive manufacturers for reporting monthly sales, which generally differ from the calendar month and may be modified by particular manufacturers from time to time. As a result, our operating results calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, including our new vehicle unit sales, may differ materially from any results expressed or implied by the information provided in our monthly sales reports and summarized in this news release and future news releases. In addition, reported retail sales are subject to seasonal trends. Consequently, reported retail sales for a particular month are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for a full quarter or year. Please refer to our public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 and our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, for additional information regarding our business. Investors should not assume that our disclosure of the information in this news release means that we have determined that such information is material to the Company.

About AutoNation, Inc. AutoNation is transforming the automotive industry through bold leadership, technology and innovation. A commitment to delivering a peerless experience through customer-focused sales and service processes is what drives AutoNation's success. Currently owning and operating 307 new vehicle franchises from coast to coast, AutoNation is America's largest automotive retailer. In 2015, AutoNation committed $1,000,000 in support of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation through the Drive Pink Campaign. AutoNation sold its 10 millionth vehicle in 2015, the first automotive retailer to reach this milestone.

While AutoNation heads into the fourth quarter with solid momentum as sales continue to surge and as it adds stores, Sonic Automotive also posted an impressive third quarter, which sent its stock rising nearly 10% after it released results. Sonic Automotive's revenue checked in 6% higher during the third quarter, compared to last year, to $2.49 billion. There was definitely reason for investors to be excited about the quarter, as the company set many financial records.

Sonic's net income from continuing operations increased 12.7% to $27.1 million, which was a record third quarter. The dealership group set an all-time quarterly record for new retail sales of nearly 37,000 units, an all-time quarterly record of pre-owned retail sales of more than 30,000 units, and an all-time quarterly record of $360.3 million in total gross profit.

On top of Sonic's solid earnings during the quarter, it also announced that its board of directors approved a quarterly dividend of $0.0375 per share payable in cash for shareholders of record on Dec. 15, 2015. For the record, that's a sizable 50% increase in the dividend, which demonstrates management's confidence in its business going forward and its commitment to returning value to shareholders.

Looking forward, Sonic historically has a stronger second half of the year due to seasonality, and that's expected to propel the company to the higher end of its full-year earnings-per-share guidance of $1.85-$1.95, excluding costs for EchoPark (its used-vehicle business) and One Sonic-One Experience (its no-haggle-pricing, quick-purchase initiative).

If investors are interested in playing the automotive industry's surge in U.S. sales, these are definitely two of the largest and most well run dealership groups, and are worth looking into further.

Loxo Oncology TRK Inhibitor LOXO-101 Demonstrates Promising Clinical Activity and Safety in Phase 1 Trial

STAMFORD, Conn., Nov. 08, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Loxo Oncology, Inc. (LOXO), a biopharmaceutical company innovating the development of highly selective medicines for patients with genetically defined cancers, today announced new results from its Phase 1 open-label, dose-escalation trial of LOXO-101, a selective inhibitor of tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) signaling molecules, and the first preclinical data for its RET and FGFR programs. The data are being presented at the 2015 AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Boston.

Providing a LOXO-101 Phase 1 update, study investigators reported that, as of the October 20, 2015 data cutoff date, 30 patients with solid tumors refractory to standard therapy had been enrolled and treated, including six patients with cancers harboring TRK fusions. Three of the six patients with TRK fusion cancers had been on study sufficiently long for their first efficacy assessment, and all three had achieved an objective response at the first response assessment, as defined by standard RECIST criteria. All three of these patients remain in response and on study. The other three patients with TRK fusion cancers were recently enrolled and thus had not yet been evaluated for response as of the data cutoff date, though they all remain on study. In addition, LOXO-101 has been well tolerated, including the 100 mg twice-daily dose, which has been selected for Phase 2 study and has shown efficacy in TRK fusion patients. The majority of adverse events reported by investigators have been mild to moderate. A maximum tolerated dose (MTD) has not been defined, though near-term Phase 1 enrollment will focus on further characterizing the pharmacokinetics and safety of the 100 mg twice-daily dose dosing.

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SIS Pharma Called A 'Sleeper Awakening' At Piper Jaffray

The food retailer posted adjusted earnings of 21 cents per share, higher by 17% from 18 cents per share for the 2014 third quarter.

Revenue increased by 18% year over year to $903.07 million, up from $766.42 for the year ago period.

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Analysts had forecast for earnings of 19 cents per share on revenue of $896.47 million.

"Top-line sales increased through strong promotions and operational execution which drove increased customer traffic trends. Looking ahead, we continue to focus on product innovation, private label growth, great operational execution and 14% unit growth coast-to-coast," CEO Amin Maredia said in a statement.

Separately, TheStreet Ratings team rates SPROUTS FARMERS MARKET as a Sell with a ratings score of D. TheStreet Ratings Team has this to say about their recommendation:

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