Bitcoin's ETF Approval Rumor, Pfizer Slashes Annual Outlook, Activist Shareholder Shakes Up News Corp's Status Quo: Today's Top Stories

Bitcoin's ETF Approval Rumor, Pfizer Slashes Annual Outlook, Activist Shareholder Shakes Up News Corp's Status Quo: Today's Top Stories

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Bitcoin Spiked On False ETF Approval Rumor

  • Bitcoin (BTC/USD), the ace cryptocurrency, spiked on unverified reports of the approval of an iShares Bitcoin ETF.

  • BlackRock said the information is false, according to Fox Business journalist Eleanor Terrett.

  • The company's Bitcoin ETF application is still under review, BlackRock, which owns iShares, told Fox.

Albemarle Backs Out Of Acquisition Offer For Australia's Liontown Resources

  • Mining giant Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) said it will not pursue a binding agreement to purchase Liontown Resources Ltd (OTC: LINRF) and has withdrawn its non-binding offer to Liontown's Board of Directors.

  • The decision comes as Albemarle nears the end of its exclusive due diligence process.

  • Albemarle cited the growing complexities associated with the proposed transaction as a factor in its decision.

Pfizer Cuts Annual Revenue Guidance By $9B Amid COVID-19 Vaccine Sales Slump, BioNTech Warns €900M Write-Offs

  • Friday, Pfizer Inc (NYSE: PFE) slashed its full-year earnings and revenue guidance, citing decreasing demand for its COVID-19 products.

  • The company now expects 2023 sales of $58 billion-$61 billion, down from its previous guidance of $67 billion-$70 billion versus consensus of $66.0 billion.

  • BioNTech SE (NASDAQ: BNTX) flagged write-downs of up to €900 million, reflecting similar charges to Pfizer.

Drug Retailer Rite Aid Grappling With Lawsuits Files For Bankruptcy

  • Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE: RAD) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New Jersey and said it would begin restructuring to reduce its debt. Elixir Insurance is not included in the Chapter 11 process.

  • Rite Aid is evaluating its store portfolio, and in connection with the court-supervised process, the company will close additional underperforming stores.

  • Rite Aid also said lenders agreed to provide $3.45 billion in new funding to "provide sufficient liquidity" as it embarks on its restructuring plan.

AstraZeneca's Tagrisso-Chemo Combo Under FDA Priority Review For The Most Common Form Of Lung Cancer

  • AstraZeneca Plc's (NASDAQ: AZN) supplemental New Drug Application for Tagrisso (osimertinib) in combination with chemotherapy has been accepted and granted Priority Review in the U.S. for locally advanced or metastatic epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated (EGFRm) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

  • The Prescription Drug User Fee Act date, the FDA action date for their regulatory decision, is anticipated during the first quarter of 2024.