Morning Chatter

Welcome back, hope you had a good Labour Day Weekend.

Canada

St-Georges Eco-Mining Corp (CSE: SX) provided an update on its battery recycling operations in Ontario and has disclosed that it has arranged for a private placement offering for up to $1.25-million.        

Battery recycling plant EVSX is moving forward with the set-up of its operations while awaiting the environmental authorization it sought earlier this year. Most of the efforts are being put into the growth of its network to secure additional sources of batteries and to deploy additional units of battery preparation with potential new partners. Planned visits from prospective providers and buyers have begun. The company expects that employees from the battery circuit manufacturers will start arriving in Thorold in October. They will assist with the set-up and the initial operation of the 7,920-ton-per-year multichemistry capacity circuit. The company has been working on the required paperwork for the government to allow this collaboration to take place.

The company plans to hire operators from a temporary employment agency to provide workers to run the alkaline recycling circuit with the feedstock currently on hand. This should start after the final permitting process is completed. As feedstock grows, full-time employees will be embarked.

In light of the significant interest received from various groups with different business models, each compatible with faster capacity growth, the company has asked the manufacturer to temporarily hold shipment of the third manufactured circuit while it reviews potential partnerships or licensing agreements. This will allow more flexibility and enable the final delivery to be directed to a move-in-ready site with potential partners or licensees.

Representatives of the company's Italian partner are scheduled to also be on site in October. The current focus of this initiative is the potential for the transfer of technology and collaboration regarding entering the Italian and southern European used-battery market. The company also completed tests for another technology transfer and collaboration agreement with a battery recycler already in operation in a large South Asian market and expects to be able to report on this file later this fall. As part of its continuing analysis of its business model, EVSX is also reviewing proposals for partnerships to establish circuits in new markets based on the design and continuous improvements originating from the Thorold facility. Remote production control with sensor and management dashboard software would allow the company to provide expertise, remote problem solving, and engineering and metallurgy centralization. The partners would be able to monetize the initial metals separated while establishing profit-sharing agreements with the company for the mineral concentrate processing operations. This configuration would enable faster growth of the overall operations and is the model being suggested for all additional plants in the short term.

Interim financial statement

The company's interim financial statements for the first quarter of its financial year have been posted and can be viewed on SEDAR+.?

Private placement offering:

The company has arranged for a $1.25-million private placement offering in the form of units. Up to 12.5 million units priced at 10 cents are expected to be issued. Each unit will consist of one hard cash common share of the company and one hard cash warrant priced at 15 cents, which expires 24 months after issuance. Insiders' participation is expected to be significant. Finders’ fees and brokerage commissions may be paid on the proceeds of the offering. Management expects to close the financing in one or two tranches in September. All securities issued in connection with this financing will have a four-month hold escrow period.

Visionary Metals Corp. (TSXV: VIZ)?reports the results of its Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders held on August 31, 2023 (the "Meeting").

At the Meeting, shareholders fixed the number of directors at five and approved the appointment of John Kanderka, Wesley Adams, Darren Lindsay, Drew Clark, and David Miller as directors of the Company. Shareholders also approved the reappointment of DeVisser Gray LLP as the Company's auditors and provided the required annual approval for the Company's rolling 10% stock option plan that was initially adopted on May 2, 2022.

Please refer to the Company's information circular filed on its SEDAR profile on August 3, 2023 for further information with respect to the matters considered by shareholders at the Meeting.

For additional information regarding Visionary, please visit the Company's website at:?https://visionarymetalscorp.com. ?

BluMetric Environmental Inc. (TSXV: BLM)??a full-service environmental consulting and engineering cleantech firm, announced today that Vivian Karaiskos, the Company's Chief Financial Officer ("CFO"), will be departing on September 30, 2023, to pursue a new opportunity.

Ms. Karaiskos joined BluMetric as the CFO in January 2015. During her tenure with the Company, she led several complex financings and transactions and was instrumental in leading BluMetric to profitability.

"On behalf of the Board and the BluMetric family, we would like to thank Vivian for her years of service in leading the Company through immense periods of transition. Her hands on approach, dedication and strategic oversight assisted the Company to evolve and secure a significantly strengthened financial position since going public in 2012. We wish her all the best in her new endeavour and know that her future home will be lucky to have her," said Scott MacFabe, CEO of BluMetric.

The Company has commenced an executive search with Boyden for a new CFO who will provide a strong foundation for its next chapter of growth. Ms. Karaiskos will continue to contribute as an external consultant to ensure an orderly transition with the incoming CFO.

BluMetric announced today that it, in conjunction with Stantec, has been selected by Troilus Gold Corporation to lead and coordinate provincial and federal Environmental Impact Assessment ("EIA") studies for the Troilus Gold project.

Situated in the southeastern area of the Nord-du-Québec Administrative Region, this pivotal project represents a $4.9 million contract, with BluMetric's portion of this contract being $1.5 million. In addition to being responsible for comprehensive water, soil, and sediment studies and facilitating consultations with regulatory agencies and the Indigenous Cree communities, BluMetric will be the lead for the project.

The strategic arrangement between BluMetric and Stantec combines BluMetric's expertise in water with Stantec's expertise in permitting, which allows Troilus Gold to be supported throughout the EIA and permitting process.

"Being involved in the earlier stages of a mine's development has been a priority for BluMetric as we aim to offer solutions for each phase of the lifecycle. These environmental consulting and engineering capabilities cover the initial assessment to production-scale discharge for small-to-mid sized mines. In addition, our ability to work with a brand name Canadian firm speaks to our unique capabilities as a Company," said Scott MacFabe,?CEO of BluMetric.

"We are happy to collaborate with BluMetric on this crucial part of our project development and look forward to present the results to all our stakeholders," stated Jacqueline Leroux, Vice-President Operations, Environment and Permitting at Troilus Gold Corporation.

Earlier in August, the Company was selected along with Stantec for the proposed Duparquet Gold Project in the heart of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue greenstone belt in Duparquet, Québec. BluMetric will support Stantec's water-related disciplines as they conduct the environmental baseline work.

BluMetric continues to strengthen its local and national mining presence while highlighting its strong environmental expertise and relationships with Indigenous communities within Northern Québec. The Company has gained extensive experience in Québec providing services to mining client projects and sees the industry as an opportunity for growth in its environmental consulting services and water technologies.

Churchill Resources Inc. (TSXV: CRI)?announce that it has exercised two existing options to acquire a 100% interest in certain mineral properties with prospective potential nickel and located immediately adjacent to the Company’s licenses at Taylor Brook (the "Properties").?? The Company entered into two option agreements on August 30, 2020 (the “Option Agreements") with Terrence Russell and Darrin Hicks, respectively (collectively, the “Vendors”) to acquire a 100% interest in the Properties, subject to a 2.0% net smelter royalty (“the Russell and HicksNSRs”) on metals and minerals on the Properties in favour of the Vendors (the “Transaction”). The Company may buy back 1.0% of the NSR for $1.0 million and retains the first right to the remaining royalties.

Since entering into the Option Agreement, the Company has issued an aggregate of 358,772 common shares (“Common Shares”) and paid $72,500 to Russell, and an aggregate of 188,772 Common Shares and paid $72,500 to Hicks.

Paul Sobie, CEO of Churchill, stated, “We are very pleased to exercise these options in the key nickel-bearing Layden Gabbronorite area at Taylor Brook, as we now own 100% in all nine licenses that make up the project. Work to date continues to show the nickel potential at Layden, and we are looking forward to some deeper drilling in the near-term.”

The Common Shares issued pursuant?to the final tranche of Common Shares owning under the terms of the Option Agreements is subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance. ?

Collective Metals Inc.(CSE:?COMT?| OTC:?CLLMF?| FSE:?TO1) interprets the Whipsaw Property, west of, and immediately adjacent to, the south Princeton Project (“Project”) as being significant to further evaluation of the Project and its mineral potential. Work completed on the Whipsaw Property has, to date, identified copper, gold, silver, zinc and lead mineralization related to the Whipsaw porphyry stock, comprising primarily porphyry related copper-gold mineralization.

Christopher Huggins, Chief Executive Officer of Collective, commented, “There is strong support for additional opportunities for exploration and discovery in this area of our Project. There is potential for the mineralized halo from the Eocene Whipsaw porphyry to the west; and late Triassic porphyry alteration and mineralization on the eastern edge close to Copper Mountain to extend onto the Property. The MINFILE occurrences discussed here show the untapped potential of this Project for multiple, unique mineralization centres.”?Copper, molybdenum and gold mineralization occurs mainly in the Nicola Group rocks, associated with the contact of the Whipsaw Porphyry. Mineralized occurrences containing gold, silver, zinc, and lead in pyrite-bearing quartz veins and in wallrock adjacent to the veins have been identified in historical drill holes. These holes, drilled based on geophysics and geochemistry correlated with geology, have returned significant intervals of 0.2% to 0.3% Cu mineralization with some molybdenum.?Of the twelve separate and distinct MINFILE occurrences identified on the Whipsaw property, two, the Whipsaw (092HSE102) and Whipsaw – South Zone (092HSE265), are interpreted to document porphyry-style mineralization. MINFILE occurrences in the adjacent host Nicola Group rocks include hydrothermal vein hosted mineralization interpreted to represent a zoned mineralized halo surrounding the Whipsaw Stock, such as 41 Mile Creek (092HSE266). Still other MINFILE occurrences are interpreted to document mafic hosted, Besshi-style volcanogenic massive sulphide potential in host Nicola Group rocks, including T.G.S.?(092HSE206), Knight and Day (092HSE072), Marian (092HSE074), Metestoffer (092HSE097) and S and M (092HSE073). These MINFILE occurrence are interpreted to suggest similar mineral potential in the Southern half of the Project.

Halcones Precious Metals Corp. (TSXV: HPM)?entered into a services agreement (the “Agreement”) with Red Cloud Financial Services Inc. (“RCFS”) as part of the Company’s strategy to improve trading liquidity and increase general market awareness of the Company.

Pursuant to the Agreement, RCFS has agreed to provide certain promotional services to the Corporation in accordance with Policy 3.4 – Investor Relations, Promotional and Market-Making Activities of the TSX Venture Exchange. RCFS’ engagement is for an initial term of six months (the “Initial Term”). Following the Initial Term, the Agreement automatically renews on a month-to-month basis and may be terminated by either party upon one month’s written notice. For the Initial Term and any subsequent extension, if applicable, the Company shall pay RCFS a fee of $10,000 per month. RCFS provides promotional services on behalf of Halcones across Canada. Through RCFS' engagement, the Company hopes to promote awareness of the Company and its activities.

There are no performance factors contained in the Agreement and RCFS will not receive Halcones common shares or options as compensation. Further, RCFS and the Company are unrelated and unaffiliated entities and, at the time of the Agreement, neither RCFS nor any of its principals have an interest, directly or indirectly, in the securities of the Company.

Intellabridge Technology Corporation (CSE: KASH) (OTCQB: KASHF) (FSE: KASH)?(the "Company", "Intellabridge","Kash Corp." or "Karma Corporation"), a financial technology company in the business of sustainable development and philanthropy, is pleased to announce that its United States subsidiary, Kash Corp. has changed its name to Karma Corporation, effective as at August 29, 2023.

"We are the same organization, ownership, leadership, and team, but now we have a name in the US that more clearly identifies who we are and what we do - the business of impact finance, and to fulfill our mission to make financial transactions have a positive impact on the world," explains John Eagleton, Chair and CEO of Intellabridge Technology Corporation. "Our product, Karma (www.getkarmacard.com) is designed to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and charitable organizations to end homelessness, poverty, hunger, reduce inequalities, help refugees, improve health and education, while fighting climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests."

About Intellabridge Technology Corporation

Intellabridge Technology Corporation (CSE: KASH) (OTCQB: KASHF) (FSE: KASH) is a fintech company in the business of impact finance whose product, Karma, has a mission to make every transaction have a positive impact on the world through cashback solutions and automated customizable donations to charitable organizations based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Karma offers cashback donation debit cards, and a "Karmify" feature which allows customers to connect any debit or credit card to Karma, earn extra cashback and donate to charitable organizations.

For more information on Intellabridge, visit?www.intellabridge.com.

Kenorland Minerals Ltd.?(TSXV: KLD) (OTCQX: KLDCF) (FSE: 3WQ0)?announced, that, further to the investor rights agreement dated November 5, 2021 (the "IRA") between the Company and Sumitomo Metal Mining Canada Ltd. ("Sumitomo"), Sumitomo has issued to the Company its intent to exercise its 'top-up right' and retain its 10.1% interest in the Company.

An aggregate of 22,470 common shares will be issued at a price of $0.7368 per share for aggregate consideration of $16,555.90 in accordance with the IRA, subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. A copy of the IRA is available on the Company's SEDAR+ profile.

New Omnibus Share Incentive Plan

The Company announces that its board of directors has approved the replacement of its existing stock option plan and long-term incentive plan with a new omnibus share incentive plan (the "New Plan"). Shareholders will be asked to ratify and confirm adoption of the New Plan at the next annual general meeting to be held on September 22, 2023. The New Plan remains subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Details of the New Plan can be found in the Company's 2023 AGM information circular on its website at?www.kenorlandminerals.com/investors/#agm-materials?or on the Company's SEDAR+ profile.

MediPharm Labs Corp. (TSX: LABS) (OTCQB: MEDIF) (FSE: MLZ)?a pharmaceutical company specialized in precision-based cannabinoids, is pleased to announce it has completed the sale of vacant land for net proceeds of?$1.9 million dollars.?

On?August 30, 2023, MediPharm completed the sale of 291 Kimmett's Side Road,?Napanee, Ontario, for net proceeds of?$1.9 million. This land was previously used by VIVO Cannabis for outdoor cannabis growing. The land has not been utilized since 2021.

This sale of surplus land adds non-dilutive capital to the Company and is one of the many benefits of the successful VIVO transaction. Since closing the transaction, the Company has already executed approximately?$7 million?in annualized savings as it progresses towards a synergy target of?$7-9 million on an annual basis

Southstone Minerals Limited (TSXV: SML)?hires three contractors for Oena.?African Star Minerals Pty. Ltd. (ASM), Southstone Minerals Ltd.'s 43-per-cent-owned subsidiary, has entered into three contract mining and diamond recovery agreements with Zandfontein Delwery Pty. Ltd., Blourug Diamante Pty. Ltd. and Triangle Mining CC, collectively the contractors at the Oena diamond mine in South Africa. Each of the three Contractors will initially focus on mining a separate portion of the Oena Mining License, including the Sandberg, Oena and Blokwerf Sections, respectively (see Map 1). A single centrally located diamond recovery plant is being mobilized with Bourevestnik X-Ray Equipment ("BVX") that will be used for diamond recovery for the entire mine. Mining operations commenced in August 2023, as further detailed below, with first diamond sales scheduled for November 2023.

Since acquisition by the Company, Oena has produced 8,554 carats with an average stone size of 2.01 carats and average sales price of USD $1,626 per carat. Oena produces a significant number of Specials, diamonds greater than 10.8 carats, with over 40% of the Specials valued at >USD$5,000 per carat being produced from Sandberg.

Zandfontein will focus on mining at Sandburg Section and commenced mobilization of mining and screening equipment in June 2023. A 250 tonne per hour (tph) Bell mobile screen and supporting excavators, dumpers and loaders are now on site. Mining commenced in August and ongoing work includes screening and stockpiling feed for two sixteen-foot pan plants. Diamond production is scheduled to begin in October upon completion of the plant setup.

Blouroug will focus on the Oena Section with a similar scale operation. Mobilization of mining and screening equipment is ongoing, and updates will be provided during the quarter as to the production schedule.

Triangle will focus on the Blokwerf Section with mobilization and mining operations scheduled to commence in January 2024.?

Agreement Terms

The Contractors, at their own cost and expense, will provide and maintain all the Plant and Equipment as required to perform the Mining Services. The diamonds produced by the Contractors will be sold via a designated Tender Facility in South Africa and 80% of the gross income of net diamond sales, less commission, and eligible expenses, will be paid to the Contractors for the duration of the six-year Agreement. For any individual stones recovered with a gross selling price, less commission, of greater that ZAR 10,000,000 (approximately USD250,000), the Contractors will be paid 70% of the gross income. The Contractors all specialize in the processing of alluvial diamond deposits in South Africa and at Oena they will operate 24 hours a day, 6 days a week with 3 weeks on and 1 week off per month - scheduled to match the monthly tender sales.?

Sandberg Section Summary Since November 2018, Southstone has produced 2,690 carats (1,157 diamonds) averaging 2.33 carats per stone. Although the volumes mined at Sandberg comprise approximately 25% of the total volumes mined by Southstone at Oena (including Oena Proper, Sandberg and Blokwerf) since July 2015, Sandberg has produced 42% of the >10.8 carat Special diamonds valued at >USD$5,000/carat.

Trench Metals Corp. (TSXV: TMC) has entered into an agreement with Carter Lake Resource Corp. and the sole shareholder of CLR Corp. pursuant to which the company proposes to acquire all of the outstanding share capital of CLR Corp. CLR Corp. is the owner of the Carter Lake uranium project, situated in the prominent Athabasca basin of Saskatchewan, Canada.        

The Carter Lake uranium project spans over 691 hectares on the western flank of the Athabasca basin, strategically positioned within the Carter Lake corridor, a substantial structural feature that runs parallel to the renowned Patterson Lake corridor -- home to mineralization control points for NexGen’s Rook 1 deposit and Fission Uranium's PLS deposit. The acquisition is intended to align with the company's strategic growth plans, adding to its existing position within the Athabasca region.

The Carter Lake project shares borders with Denison Mines' Hook-Carter project to the east and Purepoint Uranium's Hook Lake project to the south, reinforcing its standing as a prime exploration asset.

The principal exploration focus at Carter Lake centres around approximately 4.7 kilometres of subsurface conductive anomalies, previously identified through MegaTEM and VTEM surveys conducted by ESO Uranium Corp. These anomalies are interpreted as a conductive horizon situated at or above the unconformity, potentially indicative of hydrothermal enrichment. Excitingly, recent assessments through radon gas emission surveys have confirmed the presence of uranium decay along the conductive trend.

Simon Cheng, president and chief executive officer of the company, expressed his enthusiasm about this acquisition, stating: "We are excited to add the Carter Lake uranium project into our portfolio of uranium projects within the Athabasca region. The project's strategic alignment, coupled with its accessible location, provides an excellent avenue for expanding our year-round exploration initiatives.”

Mr. Cheng further elaborated: "Trench Metals is committed to a comprehensive interpretation of past work executed on the property and will promptly design a near-term work program. We remain dedicated to keeping our valued investors well informed about our progress. As with all our endeavours, Trench Metals is resolute in conducting its work programs in an environmentally responsible manner, and we are eager to engage in collaborative partnerships with local indigenous communities."

World Markets

Euro STOXX 50 futures?were down 6 points at 4,275,?FTSE futures?lost 20.5 points to 7,443, and?German DAX futures?dropped 24 points at 15,806 by 0430 GMT.. Japanese stocks?retreated after reaching fresh highs, as the breaching of key levels spurred traders to lock in profits, while speculation about new share sales also weighed on sentiment. Brent crude?prices were little changed as data showing China's economy was still struggling with a post-pandemic recovery offset expectations of an extension in supply cuts by leading OPEC+ members Saudi Arabia and Russia.?

S&P 500 Index Mini Futures: 4,515.00; down 0.14%; 6.5 points DJIA Mini Futures: 34,828.00; down 0.15%; 54 points Nikkei: 32,918.70; down 0.06%; 20.48 points MSCI Asia, Ex-JP: 511.57; down 0.67%; 3.43 points EUR/USD: $1.0794; down 0.02%; 0.0002 point GBP/USD: $1.2627; up 0.03%; 0.0004 point USD/JPY: 146.68 yen; up 0.13%; 0.19 point Spot Gold: $1,938.22; up 0.00%; $0.02 U.S. Crude: $85.94; up 0.46%; $0.39 Brent Crude: $88.94; down 0.07%; $0.06 10-Yr U.S. Treasury Yield: 4.2113%; up 0.039 point 10-Yr Bund Yield: 2.5765%; flat

US

Futures are slightly lower as we get the shortened trading week underway.?Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average?were down 8 points, or less than 0.1%.?S&P 500 futures?slid 0.1%, while?Nasdaq 100 futures?fell 0.3%. Those moves come after a positive week on Wall Street that saw the Dow and the Nasdaq add 1.4% and about 3.3%, respectively, for their best weeks since July. The S&P 500, meanwhile, gained 2.5% for its best week since June. Last week, traders were watching new economic signs that indicated easing price pressures, including the latest U.S. nonfarm payrolls report, which showed the unemployment rate rose in August to 3.8%, its highest level in more than a year. But?September, which is historically the weakest month for equities, could be a challenging month.?

Airbnb Inc?&?Blackstone Inc: Shares of Blackstone and Airbnb rallied in extended trade on Friday after S&P Dow Jones Indices said the two companies would join the S&P 500 index. Blackstone was up 4.1%, while Airbnb jumped 5% after S&P Dow Jones Indices said the companies would replace Lincoln National and Newell Brands before the start of trading on Sept. 18. Lincoln National dipped 0.7% and Newell Brands was last unchanged. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd: The company's cloud division is weighing raising funds via a private round from Chinese state-owned enterprises ahead of the business' market debut in Hong Kong, Bloomberg News reported on Monday. The tech giant is working with advisers on a potential fundraise by its Cloud Intelligence unit that could mop up about $1.38-$2.75 billion, the report said, citing people with knowledge of the matter. Prospective investors include state-backed telecommunication companies, the report said, adding that deliberations are preliminary and details of the financing such as size and timing could change. Alphabet Inc?&?Meta Platforms: Malaysia said it is considering regulations that will make internet giants Alphabet's Google and Facebook parent Meta Platforms compensate news outlets for content sourced from them. Malaysia is in discussions with Google, Meta and other major online platforms over the regulatory framework, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said in a statement after meeting with officials from both companies. Additionally, Continental will integrate Alphabet's Google Cloud services into its vehicle cockpit system, the company said on Monday, enabling drivers to ask the vehicle for assistance such as context on nearby sights or information on the vehicle while driving. Amazon.com?Inc?&?Vodafone Group PLC: The company plans to work with Amazon's low Earth orbit satellite constellation Project Kuiper to extend the reach of its 4G and 5G telecoms networks in Europe and Africa. The British mobile operator said Project Kuiper's high-bandwidth, low-latency satellites would be used to connect mobile base stations in remote locations to its core networks, eliminating the need for fibre-based or fixed wireless links. Vodafone and Amazon said they would work to roll out Project Kuiper's high-speed broadband services to under-served communities around the world, and also offer services to businesses, such as back-up connections.

Chevron Corp: Chevron Australia and unions representing workers at two of the U.S. energy major's liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Australia began talks aimed at averting strikes scheduled for Thursday should the parties fail to reach a deal. A senior member of the Fair Work Commission (FWC), Australia's industrial umpire, is hosting talks in the Western Australia state capital of Perth every day this week, as first reported by Reuters on Friday. "The discussions are continuing. There are mediated negotiations going on, which I think is positive," Freeman Shaheen, head of global gas at Chevron told reporters at the Gastech conference in Singapore. Employees plan work stoppages of up to 11 hours in several time blocks and will stop performing certain tasks until at least Sept. 14. The union group has said the stoppages could cost Chevron "billions of dollars". Edison International: The U.S. government on Friday sued Southern California Edison, accusing the company unit of negligence that caused the 2020 Bobcat Fire, which burned close to 180 square miles (466 sq km) in one of the largest wildfires ever in Los Angeles County. SCE and Utility Tree Service, a contractor also named as a defendant, knew for "months" before the fire that the tree posed a danger but did nothing to address it, the complaint said. The government is seeking to recoup more than $121 million, representing property and natural resources damages and costs to fight the fire, and double or triple damages for harm to timber, trees and underwood. Ford Motor Co: The U.S. automaker will push back series production of its long-awaited SUV Explorer model at its Cologne site by around six months to wait for a new generation of Volkswagen battery technology to be available, its Germany chief said on Monday. The carmaker said in February it planned to cut one in nine jobs in Europe, including 2,300 jobs at its Cologne and Aachen sites in Germany, but committed to no compulsory redundancies at either site before the end of 2032. The U.S. carmaker sells two all-electric SUVs and an e-Transit van in Europe, but seven new models are in the pipeline by 2024, including two produced in Cologne and one in Romania. General Motors Co?&?Stellantis NV: Biden earlier in the day weighed in on the tensions between the United Auto Workers union and the Detroit Three automakers, telling reporters he thought it was unlikely the UAW would strike when its current contract expires on Sept. 15. That drew a response from union leadership, after the National Labor Relations board said on Friday it would investigate UAW claims that General Motors and Chrysler parent Stellantis were not bargaining in good faith, assertions that the automakers deny. "I appreciate the president's optimism and I also hope that the Big Three will come to their senses and start bargaining in good faith, but we are ready to do what is necessary come Sept. 15 if they don't," UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement.

Goldman Sachs Group AG: Singapore's central bank, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), said that it had issued a lifetime ban against Ng Chong Hwa, the former managing director of Goldman Sachs (Singapore) embroiled in the 1MDB scandal. "Mr Ng's severe misconduct has given MAS reason to believe that it would be contrary to public interest to allow him to carry on business as a representative," MAS said. Under the prohibition order effective from Tuesday, Ng is permanently banned from performing any regulated activity under the Securities and Futures Act (SFA), according to the MAS. JP Morgan Chase & Co: The bank said it had resolved an issue that had prevented its customers from using a majority of its automated teller machines (ATMs) on Sunday. We have resolved the issue that prevented customers from using our ATMs today. They could still use their debit cards on purchases and other bank ATMs," a Chase Bank spokesperson said. A message posted on the U.S. bank's website earlier said it was working to restore its ATMs and bring them back online, but it appeared later to have been removed. The outage affected a majority of Chase Bank's network of more than 16,000 ATMs. Novartis AG: The company confirmed ambitions by its generic-drugs unit Sandoz to boost profit margins over the medium term, as the business remains on track to become an independent company early next month. Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan initiated the Sandoz separation following mounting pricing pressures in the U.S. off-patent drug sector. In a supplement to the Sandoz listing prospectus, parent Novartis confirmed that Sandoz was on track to reach "mid-single digit" percentage sales growth for 2023 and beyond. Separately, the Swiss drugmaker on Friday said it had sued the U.S. government in an attempt to halt the Medicare drug-price negotiation program, which includes its top-selling heart-failure medicine Entresto. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.: The Brazilian state-run oil company said on Monday it has decided to halt some key asset sales after concluding a broad revision of divestment processes, which were launched during the country's previous administration. The divestment processes had been kicked off by Petrobras' previous management under former President Jair Bolsonaro, as the company sought to sell non-core assets to focus on deepwater oil exploration and reduce its debt. Petrobras said on Monday its new policy for the oil exploration and production segment is based on "maximizing portfolio value by focusing on profitable assets" as it justified the decision to call off the sales. Qualcomm Inc: The U.S. semiconductor company said it will supply chips to power in-car infotainment systems to luxury automakers Mercedes and BMW. But the company is also working with automakers to power various functions in vehicles, from infotainment systems to advanced driver assistance systems, and its automotive revenue grew 13% in its most recent quarter despite its smartphone outlook falling short of analyst estimates. The company expects to have $4 billion in revenue from the automotive sector by 2026, rising to $9 billion by the end of the decade, Chief Executive Cristiano Amon said in an interview on the sidelines of the Munich auto show. Southwest Airlines Inc: A Texas federal judge has doubled down on his requirement that lawyers at the airlines attend "religious liberty training," rejecting the company's claim that the unusual order was illegal as "a gripe." U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr in Dallas late Thursday denied Southwest's motion to stay his Aug. 8 order, which imposed sanctions on three in-house lawyers at the airline involved in a religious discrimination case brought by a former flight attendant. Carter sued Southwest in 2017, accusing the airline of firing her for objecting on religious grounds to her union's participation in a protest for which Planned Parenthood was a sponsor. Tesla Inc: Tesla Shanghai has sued a Chinese firm over tech secret infringement and unfair competition disputes, Shanghai Securities Journal reported. The lawsuit against Bingling Intelligent Technology, a chip designer and auto parts maker based in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, will be heard in the Shanghai intellectual property court on October 10, according to the report. Additionally, the U.S. automaker sold 84,159 China-made electric vehicles (EVs) in August, a 9.3% rise from a year earlier, data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) showed on Monday. ECONOMIC DATA (EDT) 1000?Employment trends for Aug: Prior 115.45 1000?Durables ex-defence, r mm?for Juyl: Prior -5.4% 1000?Durable goods, r mm?for July: Prior -5.2% 1000?Factory orders mm?for July: Expected -2.5%; Prior 2.3% 1000?Durables ex-transport?r mm for July: Prior 0.5% 1000?Nondefence capital ex-air?r mm for July: Prior 0.1% 1000?Factory ex-transport mm?for July: Prior 0.2%

Europe, Asia, India

China's services activity?expanded at the slowest pace in eight months in August, a private-sector survey showed, as weak demand continued to dog the world's second-largest economy and stimulus failed to meaningfully revive consumption. Country Garden?has made interest payments on two U.S. dollar bonds just as a grace period was due to end on Tuesday, a person close to the company said, in a relief for the embattled developer and crisis-hit Chinese property sector. Turkish President?Tayyip Erdogan?said after talks with Russia's?Vladimir Putin?on Monday that it would soon be possible to revive the grain deal that the United Nations says helped to ease a food crisis by getting Ukrainian grain to market. Hong Kong-listed skincare specialist?L'Occitane International?shares fell almost 30% on Tuesday after its chairman and controlling shareholder said he decided against a deal to take the company private, curbing speculation of a?European listing. Some Britons are set to be able to get?Wegovy?weight-loss injections after?Novo Nordisk?launched the drug in the UK on Monday, moving into its second major European market in just over a month despite struggling to meet soaring demand.

Albemarle Corp: Shares of Australia's Liontown Resources shot up 11.5% after the lithium developer's board backed on Monday a refreshed A$6.6-billion bid from Albemarle, the world's biggest producer of the battery material. The new cash offer of A$3 a share represents a premium of 14.5% to Liontown's last close of A$2.62 on Sept. 1 and is 20% higher than Albemarle's offer of A$2.50 a share made in late March that the target had rejected as too low. The offer was Albemarle's fourth, after it proposed A$2.20 a share on Oct. 20 last year and A$2.35 in March, before the rejected offer of A$2.50 was made public. Albemarle has been granted a limited period of exclusive due diligence as well as to enter into a mutually acceptable scheme implementation deed, Liontown said in a statement.

Barclays Plc: The British bank is exploring the sale of a stake in the unit that processes payments for UK merchants as the British bank seeks a partner to help grow the business, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The business could be valued at at least $2.5 billion, based on estimated earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of about 300 million pounds and similar deals, one of the people said. A spokesperson for Barclays said: "We don't comment on speculation. Our businesses continue to perform well and growing our global payments business is a priority for us." BHP Group?Ltd?&?Vale SA: The Australian mining giant said on Monday a Brazilian court had approved the reorganisation plan for its Samarco joint venture, clearing the path for the cash-strapped Brazilian miner to move ahead with a $3.7 billion debt restructuring. The debt reorganisation is intended to help Samarco, an iron ore miner that is 50% owned by BHP and 50% by Vale, meet funding obligations related to rectifying and providing compensation for the damage caused by a 2015 dam collapse that killed 19 people in Brazil's worst-ever environmental disaster.

BP PLC: CEO Bernard Looney says he will not further scale back his energy transition strategy after ceding some ground earlier this year, despite investors penalizing the group over its plan to break away from rivals in cutting oil and gas output. Earlier this year BP scaled down plans to cut hydrocarbon production by 2030, to 25% from 2019 levels from 40% previously. Investors have responded coolly to the transition plan. BP's shares have risen around 4% since Looney took office, against gains of around 20% and 29% for European counterparts Shell and TotalEnergies, and increases of 50% and 80% for U.S. rivals Chevron and Exxon Mobil. But Looney said he won't be slowing its shift away from hydrocarbons any further.

Eni SpA: The Italian oil refiner has agreed to sell its Nigerian onshore subsidiary to local company Oando, the two companies said on Monday, the latest international energy giant to divest onshore assets in the West African country. With the deal on its Nigerian unit Agip Oil Company Ltd (NAOC), Eni takes another step in its long-term strategy to reduce oil exposure in favour of natural gas following its disposal in June of oil activities in Congo Republic. The Italian group will keep its offshore activities in Nigeria. Furthermore, Eni and Saudi Acwa Power signed on Monday a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly develop a green hydrogen project in the Middle East and Africa at the Investment Forum between Italy and Saudi Arabia in Milan.

HSBC Holdings PLC: The bank said on Monday its insurance brokerage unit in China had secured a license to sell a range of investment fund products in the country, helping towards its long-term drive to expand there. The banking group reiterated its commitment to growth in China in its recent earnings report and aims to further penetrate its 28.8 trillion yuan fund market. Under the latest approval from Chinese regulators, HSBC Insurance Brokerage, which the bank established in September 2022, has been allowed to distribute investment funds to individuals and corporate clients, in addition to providing other wealth services such as family protection and retirement planning.

Novo Nordisk A/S: UK-based Simple Online Pharmacy has received stock of the company's newly launched weight-loss drug Wegovy, a company spokesperson said, one day after Novo launched the drug in Britain. Wegovy, shown to help patients reduce body weight by around 15% when used alongside exercise and lifestyle changes, is so far available in the United States, Norway, Denmark, Germany, and as of Monday, Britain. Novo said when announcing what it called a "limited and controlled" launch in Britain that Wegovy will be available on the NHS' weight management scheme and "privately through a registered healthcare professional". Some doctors and medical experts warned on Monday that people in Britain who can afford to pay out of their own pocket may get easier access to Wegovy than those seeking treatment in the country's state-run health service.

Rio Tinto Ltd: The company said it had appointed Jerome Pecresse as the new chief executive for its aluminium segment, as the mining giant aims to reduce its carbon emissions and achieve sustainable and low-carbon ways of producing aluminium. "Jerome brings a wealth of experience across renewable energy, mining, business development and strategy, ideal for shaping our industry leading aluminium business for a low carbon future," Rio Tinto Chief Executive Officer Jakob Stausholm said. Pecresse will replace Ivan Vella, who announced his departure in mid-June after more than two years at the helm.

Ryanair Holdings PLC: The airline flew 12% more passengers in August than in the same month last year, it said on Monday, its latest all-time traffic record in what is typically its busiest month. Europe's largest airline by passenger volume said it flew 18.9 million passengers in August, up from 16.9 million a year earlier and up from 14.9 million in August 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. It achieved its previous record, 18.7 million passengers, in July. The Irish airline has said it expects traffic in the financial year to March 2024 to grow by 9%, to around 183.5 million passengers. Shell PLC: The oil major and Trinidad and Tobago's National Gas Company (NGC) are close to agreeing to credit Venezuela's state-run oil firm for its $1 billion investment in a gas field the three want to jointly develop, four people close to the discussions said. If agreed, the move could help speed a long-stalled offshore development. The U.S. in January granted Venezuela's PDVSA, Shell and NGC a two-year authorization to revive the project, which could boost Trinidad and Tobago's gas processing and exports. Negotiations between the trio initially had progressed little over a U.S. demand that the proposed Dragon gas project exclude cash payments to Venezuela or its state companies. That remains a hurdle, though Trinidad has asked the Biden administration to reconsider. Furthermore, A Shell executive slammed what he called "deceitful actions" of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) developer Venture Global LNG, which he said were "damaging and dangerous to the industry."

UBS Group AG: The bank will absorb Credit Suisse's Securities Research service later this month, wrapping the business into its own research operations, the bank said in a letter seen by Reuters. "Credit Suisse will commence the process of terminating coverage on September 18, 2023," Credit Suisse's Research clients were told. Institutional customers are to be switched to UBS Global Research. Credit Suisse's Wealth Management clientele will not be affected by the transition as they have access to UBS IB Research, a UBS spokesperson said. Europe's carmakers have a fight on their hands to produce lower-cost electric vehicles and erase China's lead in developing cheaper, more consumer-friendly models, executives said at?Munich's IAA mobility show.

Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma said on Monday he is open to increasing his stake in the Indian fintech firm if there are sellers, weeks after he became the largest shareholder in the company by buying stake from Chinese firm Antfin.

Indian low-cost carrier SpiceJet on Monday said it allotted over 48 million shares to nine aircraft lessors to clear outstanding dues worth 2.31 billion rupees, as the troubled airline looks to return to full operations.

Volkswagen said on Monday it was in advanced talks with India's Mahindra & Mahindra on the use of key electric components of the German carmaker's open platform for electric vehicles (EVs), called MEB.

Jio Infocomm, the telecom wing of Reliance Industries, is in talks to raise up to $2 billion in offshore loans, with BNP Paribas acting as lead arranger, to fund the purchase of 5G network gear from Ericsson, the Economic Times reported on Monday.

India is monitoring steel imports after shipments from China touched a five-year high in the first four months of the fiscal year that began in April, the country's steel secretary told Reuters on Monday.

ECONOMIC DATA (GMT)

0630?Sweden PMI Services?for Aug: Prior 52.7

0715?Spain Services PMI for Aug: Expected 51.5; Prior 52.8

0745?Italy HCOB Services PMI?for Aug: Expected 50.5; Prior 51.5

0745?Italy HCOB Composite PMI?for Aug: Prior 48.9

0750?France S&P Global Services PMI?for Aug: Expected 46.7; Prior 46.7

0750?France HCOB Composite PMI?for Aug: Expected 46.6; Prior 46.6

0755?Germany HCOB Services PMI?for Aug: Expected 47.3; Prior 47.3

0755?Germany HCOB Composite Final PMI?for Aug: Expected 44.7; Prior 44.7

0800?Euro Zone HCOB Services Final PMI?for Aug: Expected 48.3; Prior 48.3

0800?Euro Zone S&P Global Composite Final PMI?for Aug: Expected 47.0; Prior 47.0

0830?United Kingdom S&P Global/CIPS Services PMI Final?for Aug: Expected 48.7; Prior 48.7

0830?United Kingdom Composite PMI Final for Aug: Expected 47.9; Prior 47.9

0830?United Kingdom Reserve Assets Total?for Aug: Prior $190,072.83 mln

0900?Euro Zone Producer Prices mm?for July: Expected -0.6%; Prior -0.4%

0900?Euro Zone Producer Prices yy?for July: Expected -7.6%; Prior -3.4%