Markets

Whirlpool Corporation (WHR) appointed Mary Ellen Adcock to its board of directors, effective immediately. Adcock, currently an executive at Kroger, brings extensive retail and marketing expertise. She will serve on the corporate governance and audit committees. CEO Marc Bitzer highlighted Adcock’s consumer behavior insights as invaluable for Whirlpool’s innovation and consumer experience enhancement efforts. Adcock’s background includes leadership roles at Kroger and an MBA, which will complement her real-world experience on the board.

The Bancorp, Inc. (TBBK) has successfully completed a $200 million offering of 7.375% Senior Notes due 2030, generating approximately $197 million in net proceeds. The Bancorp intends to use the funds to redeem existing senior notes, repurchase shares, and support general corporate purposes, including expansion of The Bancorp Bank, National Association. The notes, maturing on September 1, 2030, feature semi-annual interest payments and redemption options. Piper Sandler & Co. and Raymond James & Associates, Inc. managed the deal.

HCW Biologics (HCWB) reported mixed Q2 2025 results. A $5M equity raise helped shore up finances and debt was extinguished. However, revenue plummeted to $6,550, and the Wugen License Agreement was suspended. R&D spending decreased while G&A expenses increased. Despite reducing its net loss, the company expresses doubt about its ability to continue without additional funding. They are seeking new licensing deals and clinical trials are planned. HCWB regained Nasdaq compliance but remains under Panel Monitor.

An Indian student’s video complaint about the difficulty of maintaining a vegetarian diet in South Korea has ignited online debate. The student cited Korea’s meat-centric cuisine and prevalence of pastries. While some Korean vegetarians agreed, many Koreans expressed confusion. Despite a smaller percentage of vegetarians in Korea (around 3%) compared to India (31-42%), the sheer number of Indian vegetarians (over 500 million) highlights the cultural and religious influences driving vegetarianism in India.

Northwest Biotherapeutics (NWBO) announced the passing of Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Les Goldman. Goldman was a key contributor to NWBO, a biotech firm focused on personalized immune therapies for solid tumor cancers, particularly via its DCVax® platform. NWBO is advancing DCVax®-L for glioblastoma, with UK regulatory review underway. They are also developing DCVax®-Direct for inoperable solid tumors. His responsibilities are being assumed by existing management.

China’s NRTA is implementing new measures to enrich television content, including a “Content Revitalization Plan.” This plan aims to boost content creation through refined management policies, streamlined review processes, UHD programming prioritization, and encouragement of documentaries, animations, and micro-dramas. They’ll also promote international programs and strengthen copyright protection. This initiative follows the surge in popularity of micro-dramas, which reached 662 million viewers and a market value exceeding China’s total annual box office revenue.

Ameriprise Financial welcomed financial advisors Chris Theis and Michael Thomas, formerly with Commonwealth Financial Network, to its independent channel. Managing over $150 million in combined client assets, they cited Ameriprise’s personalized support, growth-focused resources, and integrated technology as key factors in their decisions. Theis valued the boutique-like environment combined with robust support, while Thomas sought practice management tools to manage growth. Their moves highlight Ameriprise’s success in attracting talent amidst industry consolidation.

Kuaishou live streaming mogul Xinba announced his retirement, citing severe health issues including a lung condition reportedly comparable to a 95-year-old. He will entrust company operations to his business partner. Xinba has a history of respiratory ailments made worse by the demands of live streaming. His retirement follows controversy surrounding his brand “Cotton Secret” sanitary napkins, which were found to contain high levels of thiourea, a Class 3 carcinogen, and linked to consumer health problems.

Gree Electric’s Marketing Director, Zhu Lei, has addressed claims by Xiaomi that they have surpassed Gree in online air conditioner sales in China. Zhu stated that publicly available data from AVC doesn’t support Xiaomi’s claims and that Gree maintained its online market leadership in July. While acknowledging competition, Gree maintains its focus on quality and service to earn customer trust, despite Xiaomi’s ambition to dominate the home appliance market. Xiaomi’s data suggests they are now second in online market share, challenging Gree’s long-held leadership.

Genius Group (GNS) will host a live call on August 26, 2025, to discuss legal updates, including a market manipulation lawsuit and RICO case. GNS seeks $750M+ in the RICO case and rescission of a 2024 agreement with LZGI, demanding the return of 7.4M shares and $6.6M. A Florida court ruled against LZGI directors. Any legal proceeds will be split 50/50 between shareholders and Bitcoin purchases.