Greenwich Biosciences to Present Analysis of Three Clinical Studies of Nabiximols for People with Multiple Sclerosis Related Spasticity at the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) Annual Assembly

– Results from analysis of three
P
hase 3 clinical studies showed statistically significant improvement in spasticity in people with multiple sclerosis

– Treatment with nabiximols seen in this analysis was
not associated with increased muscle weakness or a notable change in preferred walking speed

CARLSBAD, Calif., Nov. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Greenwich Biosciences, U.S. subsidiary of GW Pharmaceuticals plc (NASDAQ: GWPH, GW, the Company or the Group), a world leader in the science, development, and commercialization of cannabinoid prescription medicines, will present data from an analysis of three Phase 3 clinical trials of nabiximols in spasticity among persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) at the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) Virtual Annual Assembly. The research will be presented live during the November 14 Research Spotlight session on Neurological Rehabilitation. The analysis showed that the statistically significant improvement in spasticity observed with nabiximols in all three trials was not accompanied by an increase in muscle weakness or decrease in preferred walking speed.

“Between 60 and 90 percent of people with multiple sclerosis report experiencing spasticity; and muscle weakness can be a serious side effect with current anti-spasticity medications,” said Francois Bethoux, MD, Director of Rehabilitation Services, The Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and a consultant to GW Pharmaceuticals. “Muscle weakness in MS is more than feeling weak; it represents genuine difficulty in moving and can make even daily activities like walking and dressing challenging. We are encouraged that the data from these trials showed that nabiximols not only improved patient-reported spasticity but also did not appear to increase muscle weakness or negatively affect preferred walking speed.”

Data from three randomized, placebo-controlled trials of nabiximols (GWMS0106, GWSP0604, and SAVANT) conducted in Europe were analyzed to assess the relationship between measures of spasticity and muscle strength in lower extremities or walking speed. Spasticity was evaluated using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) in all three trials, muscle strength using Motricity Index (MI) in GWMS0106 and GWSP0604, and mobility using timed 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT) in GWSP0604 and SAVANT. All three trials enrolled persons with MS-related spasticity inadequately managed by current medications.

  • GWMS0106: Nabiximols significantly improved mean NRS spasticity score vs. placebo (-0.52 points; p=0.048), without significantly affecting the MI for legs (3.86, p=0.054).
  • GWSP0604: Nabiximols significantly improved mean NRS spasticity score from baseline vs. placebo (-0.84, p=0.0002), without significantly affecting the MI for legs (0.97, p=0.439) or the 10MWT results (-3.34, p=0.069).
  • SAVANT: Nabiximols significantly improved mean NRS spasticity vs. placebo (-1.9, p<0.0001), without significantly affecting the 10MWT results (-1.71, p=0.11).

The analysis included data from 184 participants in GWMS0106, 241 participants in GWSP0604, and 106 participants in SAVANT.

Nabiximols is approved by regulatory bodies in 28 countries outside the United States to treat MS spasticity. GW recently initiated the first global Phase 3 clinical trial studying nabiximols for MS spasticity that will engage patients and investigators in the United States. The first trial is one of five new pivotal studies planned for nabiximols in MS spasticity globally, with the remaining studies on track to commence later in 2020 or in 2021.

“These studies, which served as the basis for nabiximols regulatory approvals outside the U.S., provide important insights into the potential of nabiximols for people with MS-related spasticity,” said Justin Gover, GW’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are now recruiting participants for the first nabiximols Phase 3 clinical trial in the U.S. in pursuit of our goal of bringing to market the first FDA-approved medicine derived from the whole cannabis plant for the treatment of spasticity in MS.”

About Nabiximols

Nabiximols is in pivotal Phase 3 development in the United States for the treatment of MS spasticity. The U.S. commercial rights are owned by GW. In addition to MS spasticity, GW expects to develop nabiximols in Spinal Cord Injury spasticity.

Nabiximols is a complex botanical medicine formulated from extracts of the cannabis plant that contains the principal cannabinoids THC and CBD and also contains minor constituents, including other cannabinoid and non-cannabinoid plant components, such as terpenes, sterols, and triglycerides. The product is administered as an oral spray.

Nabiximols is known as Sativex® outside of the U.S. and is indicated in numerous countries as a treatment for symptom improvement in adult patients with moderate to severe spasticity due to multiple sclerosis (MS) who have not responded adequately to other anti-spasticity medication and who demonstrate clinically significant improvement in spasticity related symptoms during an initial trial of therapy.1 These approvals were based on multiple pivotal trials conducted in Europe.2 Nabiximols is currently not approved for any indication in the U.S.

About GW Pharmaceuticals plc and Greenwich Biosciences, Inc.

Founded in 1998, GW is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing novel therapeutics from its proprietary cannabinoid product platform in a broad range of disease areas. The Company’s lead product, EPIDIOLEX® (cannabidiol) oral solution, is commercialized in the U.S. by its U.S. subsidiary Greenwich Biosciences for the treatment of seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), Dravet syndrome, or tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) in patients one year of age and older. This product has received approval in the European Union under the tradename EPIDYOLEX® for the adjunctive treatment of seizures associated with LGS or Dravet syndrome in conjunction with clobazam in patients two years and older and is under EMA review for the treatment of TSC. The Company has a deep pipeline of additional cannabinoid product candidates, in particular nabiximols, for which the Company is advancing multiple late-stage clinical programs in order to seek FDA approval in the treatment of spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury. The Company has additional cannabinoid product candidates in clinical trials for autism and schizophrenia. For further information, please visit www.gwpharm.com, and clinicaltrials.gov for updated trial site information and locations.

Forward-looking statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements that reflect GW’s current expectations regarding future events, including statements regarding the timing of clinical trials, the timing of regulatory filings and approvals, the timing and outcomes of regulatory or intellectual property decisions, and the clinical benefits and commercial potential of nabiximols (marketed as Sativex® outside the US).Actual events could differ materially from those projected herein and depend on a number of factors, including (inter alia), the risks and uncertainties which can be found in GW’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. GW undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise.

U.S. Media Enquiries:

Sam Brown Inc. Healthcare Communications

 
Christy Curran

Mike Beyer

615 414 8668

312 961 2502


1 Sativex Oralmucosal Spray, SmPC, https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/602 
2 Markova et al, International Journal of Neuroscience 2019; Novotna et al, European Journal of Neurology 2011; Collin et al, European Journal of Neurology 2007

Amfil Technologies Inc. Announces Purchase Order for Another GRO3 Antimicrobial System

Toronto, Ontario, Nov. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via NewMediaWire — Amfil Technologies Inc. (OTC: FUNN) is pleased to announce a follow up sale from the GRO3 JV.  Virdi, LLC has purchased its third and largest GRO3 EcoPrO3 Antimicrobial system.  Virdi sells the proprietary Vessl closure, beverage manufacturing equipment, and other packaging materials primarily to beverage manufacturers in the cannabis industry. 

As announced last year when the initial two antimicrobial systems were purchased by Virdi, LLC., an LOI and an exclusive supply agreement was entered into which would provide for up to eight (8) additional EcoPrO3 Antimicrobial Systems to be purchased and supplied to Virdi, LLC.

The first two EcoPrO3-10SS Ozone Side Stream Systems were integrated into customers’ facilities for the purposes of providing an all-natural sanitization and anti-microbial solution throughout the production process. The EcoPrO3-10SS exclusively utilizes aqueous functionality compared to the EcoPrO3 GRO3 60 system which utilizes an aqueous and gaseous combination. The EcoPrO3-20SS processes all liquids in the formulations prior to their products being prepared and packaged for consumption. 

GRO3 is pleased to announce that the units were successfully installed and integrated into the production process and the results exceeded expectations. Furthermore, a follow up order has now been received from Virdi, LLC. for the largest unit to date and incorporates GRO3’s new proprietary ozone system manufactured completely in-house.  The EcoPrO3 system provides complete process water pre-filtration and antimicrobial treatment to ensure the final product meets and exceeds the highest food safety standards while maintaining quality, flavor, and potency.

“Amfil Technologies shares our same dedication to providing equipment to enable the manufacture of fresh, healthy and innovative beverage products,” said Aaron Harris, COO for Virdi. The VesslTM closure is a key piece of advanced technology in the most innovative beverages. The technology consists of a nitrogen-pressurized, patented bottle closure system that protects contents without the need of artificial preservatives. The VesslTM system pressurizes the mix inside, keeping the beverage shelf-stable until ready to consume. As a result, the liquid has high bioavailability, which leads to a faster high – usually within only 15 minutes.

“We are excited to be working yet again with Virdi and that the ECO-PRO3 systems are exceeding their stringent quality-assurance standards. The successful integration of the third unit at their facility provides further confirmation of the system’s efficacy in delivering natural antimicrobial treatment for use in the cannabis industry while exceeding the highest food standards. We look forward to a continued and expanded working relationship with Virdi and will continue our objective of delivering solutions which exceed the quality standards of their world-class facilities,” stated Roger Mortimer, CEO and President of Amfil Technologies Inc.


About Virdi, LLC

Virdi, LLC. is a privately-owned company based in Tempe, Arizona and is the exclusive supplier of the patented Vessl™ closure (www.vesslinc.com) for consumable liquid cannabis beverage applications in the US and Canada.  The Vessl™ closure is a dosing and dispensing device that allows the delivery of fresh ingredients without the need for artificial preservatives.  Virdi sells the patented VesslTM closures, trademarked packaging materials, proprietary formulas, beverage manufacturing equipment, packaging machines, and clean room infrastructure to distributors that produce and distribute trademarked and private or white label brands for cannabis and other beverage applications.


About Amfil Technologies

Amfil Technologies Inc. is the parent company to three wholly owned subsidiaries.

1). Snakes & Lagers Inc. holds the trade name and is the owner of Snakes & Lattes Inc. which currently operates 3 tabletop gaming bars and cafes located in Toronto, Ontario and 1 in Tempe, Arizona. The company is in the process of expanding throughout North America. Snakes & Lattes Inc. was the first board game bar and cafe in North America, is believed to be the largest in the world and has the largest circulating public library of board games in North America for customers to choose from. Snakes & Lattes Inc. currently has a 100+ member staff and recently acquired the exclusive distribution rights throughout Canada for some of the most popular board games in the world. The company also operates a lucrative fulfillment and distribution division and has recently entered into the board game publishing business through the acquisition of Morning which is expected to add significant revenues to the bottom line. For more information on Snakes & Lattes Inc. feel free to visit the website at www.snakesandlattes.com

2). The EcoPr03 GRO3 Antimicrobial System was jointly developed between Amfil Tech and A.C.T.S. Inc. which recently rebranded its technology under Advanced Ozone Integration as an extension of the existing ozone technology being utilized in the food and beverage industry and integrated by A.C.T.S. into companies such as Pepsi, Nestle, Sysco, Sun Pacific and many others. The system is a triple-function sanitization unit capable of naturally eliminating 99.9% of water and airborne pathogens and the typically problematic pests that wreak havoc for cultivators (like aphids, whiteflies and spider mites), as well as bacteria, fungus, microbes and mold on surfaces, all without chemicals. The unit can also constantly regulate a given facility’s water supply, oxygenating the water and maintaining a consistent PPM infusion of ozone that prevents the formation of algae, bacteria or mold (allowing for comprehensive water recycling), simultaneously removing the need to use pesticides and/or dangerous, often carcinogenic products to treat production problems, as is common throughout the industry today. This environmentally-friendly solution also eliminates odors, while slightly reducing the air temperature, lowering energy consumption by the HEPA filtration and HVAC systems and could potentially allow for a facilities process to be labeled certified organic in the U.S.A. when the crop is no longer considered illegal on the federal level, otherwise “Clean Green” or “Certified Kind” in the meantime. The EcoPr03 GRO3 Antimicrobial System recently passed product review by a registered USDA certifying agent for use in California as well as Pennsylvania and surrounding states. The subsidiary has developed a strategic partnership with Roto Gro, the creator of proprietary rotary hydroponic technology. More information on this product line can be found on the www.gro3systems.com website or on twitter @GRO3Systems.

3). Interloc-Kings Inc. is a hardscape construction company servicing the Greater Toronto Area. This subsidiary is an authorized Unilock installer. Unilock is North America’s premier manufacturer of concrete interlocking paving stones and segmental wall products. Interloc-Kings Inc. has an A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and a 10/10 rating on homestars.com. Specializing in stone and wood installations between $5,000 and $150,000 per project, Interloc-Kings Inc. has quickly become a top, high quality installation company of outdoor living areas in the GTA. More information on this subsidiary can be found at the website www.interloc-kings.com

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains statements that involve expectations, plans or intentions (such as those relating to future business or financial results, new features or services, or management strategies) and other factors discussed from time to time in the Company’s OTC Market or Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These statements are forward-looking and are subject to risks and uncertainties, so actual results may vary materially. You can identify these forward-looking statements by words such as “may,” “should,”, “will”, “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “confident,” “intend,” “plan” and other similar expressions. Our actual results, such as the Company’s ability to finance, complete and consolidate acquisition of IP, assets and operating companies, could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors not within the control of the company such as a result of various factors, including future economic, competitive, regulatory, and market conditions. The company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The company disclaims any obligation subsequently to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.

Contact:

Roger Mortimer

Amfil Technologies Inc.

Telephone: (647) 880-5887

Email: [email protected]

Or

Ben Castanie

Snakes & Lattes Inc.

Telephone: (416) 500 2911

Email: [email protected]

Ideal Power to Present at Fall 2020 Conferences

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ideal Power Inc. (Nasdaq: IPWR), pioneering the development and commercialization of highly efficient and broadly patented B-TRAN™ bi-directional power switches, today announced that it will virtually meet with investors at the following Fall 2020 investor conferences:

  • Tuesday, November 17, 2020 – The 11th Annual Craig-Hallum Alpha Select Conference
  • Wednesday, November 18, 2020 – The Benchmark Company 9th Annual Discovery One-on-One Conference

A copy of Ideal Power’s latest investor presentation is available on the company’s website. To schedule a one-on-one, please contact your Craig-Hallum or Benchmark representative.

About Ideal Power Inc.

Ideal Power (NASDAQ: IPWR) is pioneering the development of its broadly patented bi-directional power switches, creating highly efficient and ecofriendly energy control solutions for industrial, alternative energy, military and automotive applications. The Company is focused on its patented Bi-directional, Bi-polar Junction Transistor (B-TRAN™) semiconductor technology. B-TRAN™ is a unique double-sided bi-directional AC switch able to deliver substantial performance improvements over today’s conventional power semiconductors. Ideal Power believes B-TRAN™ modules will reduce conduction and switching losses, complexity of thermal management and operating cost in medium voltage AC power switching and control circuitry. For more information, visit www.IdealPower.com.

Ideal Power Investor Relations Contact: 
LHA Investor Relations
Carolyn Capaccio, CFA; Keith Fetter
T: 212-838-3777
[email protected]



Mojave announces start of Exploration Activities

Exploration has begun on Mojave’s 6000ha Sonora gold property

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MOJAVE GOLD CORP. (TSXV:MOJ) (OTCBB:MOJGF) (“Mojave” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the commencement of exploration activities on their wholly owned contiguous 6000ha Sonora Gold property in Benjamin Hill, Sonora, Mexico.

A budget of $250,000 USD was allocated for the first two phases of the exploration program. A team of four Mojave geologists began work in mid-October conducting a first pass geological reconnaissance of known prospects on the property. Their next step will be to perform geological traverses over the most prospective terrain to complete detailed structural and lithological mapping along with rock chip sampling. The plan also includes a visit to known historical underground workings to perform detailed mapping and chip sampling. Additionally, stream sediment samples will be collected over the entire concession to identify prospective areas for more detailed geological investigation. The first round of work will culminate with the selection of the most prospective locations for follow up with a more detailed investigation.

The second phase of field work will begin immediately following completion of the first phase of field work. The geological team will focus on the most prospective geological targets identified in the first phase of work with the goal of delineating targets for drill testing. Completion of the field work is expected to be achieved by late December 2020.

The company President and CEO, Greg Bronson stated:

“On behalf of Mojave’s board of directors, I am very pleased with the quick start our Mexican consultants have been able to achieve on setting up an exploration program and commencing field work on our Sonora Gold property. The company is looking forward to the successful continuation of the exploration program to help us advance our knowledge and understanding of the mineralization present on the property.”

The company’s mandate is to leverage our strategic Mexican land portfolio and highly skilled talent pool into a class leading natural resource company committed to adhering to international operational and environmental standards in mining. Our success will deliver excellent value to all stakeholders including our partner communities, our employees, and investors.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

Greg Bronson

President / CEO

Mojave Gold Corp.

For more information contact Greg Bronson, President

[email protected]

www.mojavegoldcorp.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain of the statements made and information contained herein may contain forward- looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, information concerning the Company’s intentions with respect to the development of its mineral properties. Forward-looking information is based on the views, opinions, intentions and estimates of management at the date the information is made, and is based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated or projected in the forward-looking information (including the actions of other parties who have agreed to do certain things and the approval of certain regulatory bodies). Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of the Company and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management’s estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws, or to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of the Company, its financial or operating results or its securities. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. We seek safe harbour.



New Study Finds Psychedelic Treatments More Effective than Typical Antidepressant Medications

NEW YORK, Nov. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via NetworkNewsAudio – Cybin Inc. (NEO: CYBN) announces the availability of a broadcast titled, “On the Trail of Better Therapeutics for Depression.”

To hear the AudioPressRelease, please visit: The NetworkNewsAudio News Podcast

To view the full editorial, please visit: https://nnw.fm/kdV3F

Earlier this month, an article in the journal JAMA Psychiatry reported the remarkable findings of a study featuring the hallucinogen psilocybin. During the study, 27 patients received two doses of psilocybin on different days and also received about 11 hours of psychotherapy; half the participants began treatment immediately while the other half began treatment eight weeks later. The research team observed that the treatment had an effect “more than four times greater” than the typical antidepressant medications… .

The JAMA report noted that additional research and study on all aspects psilocybin is warranted, and Cybin Inc. has already made significant strides. Earlier this year, Cybin entered into a feasibility agreement with IntelGenx Corp. for the development of an orally dissolving film for the delivery of pharmaceutical-grade psilocybin. This could become a groundbreaking advancement not just for the delivery psilocybin therapeutics but also for more effective treatments of mental disorders.

About Cybin
 
Inc.

Cybin is a mushroom life-science company advancing psychedelic and nutraceutical-based products. The company expects to launch psilocybin-based products in jurisdictions where the substance is not prohibited. Simultaneously, the company is structuring and supporting clinical studies across North America and other regions through strategic academic and institutional partnerships. For more information about the company, visit www.Cybin.com.

NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to CYBN are available in the company’s newsroom at http://nnw.fm/Cybin.

About NetworkNewsWire

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Avricore Health Closes $626,000 First Tranche of Financing

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AVRICORE HEALTH INC. (TSXV: AVCR) (the “Company” or “Avricore”) announces it has closed the first tranche of its non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of $626,000. The Company will issue 6,360,000 units at $0.10 per unit and will pay finders fees totaling $22,500 and issue 225,000 finders warrants. Insiders participated in the aggregate amount of $55,000 for 550,000 units. Placement proceeds will be used for general working capital purposes. 

“Despite a very challenging year, our company continues to march down the field in a positive way and we are really pleased to not only be able to raise capital, but also raise it at a premium,” said Avricore Health CEO, Hector Bremner. “While the decision horizon for some investors is further out than this first group, we are confident in the enthusiasm and momentum we have to close out the balance.”

Each Unit consists of one common share and one transferrable share purchase warrant. Each warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one additional common share for a period of 12 months from the closing date of the offering at a price of $0.15 per common share provided that if the closing price of the common shares of the Company on any stock exchange or quotation system on which the common shares are then listed or quoted is equal to or greater than $0.20 for a period of fifteen (15) consecutive trading days, the Company will have the right to accelerate the expiry of the warrants to a date that is not less than ten (10) business days from the date notice is given. The Company may pay finders fees of up to 5% cash and 5% finders warrants on a portion of the placement.

Closing of the Private Placement is subject to final acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. All securities issued in connection with the Private Placement will be subject to a four-month hold period from the closing date under applicable Canadian securities laws.
The Private Placement securities have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), or under any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, or delivered within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy such securities in the United States.

Contact:

Hector Bremner, CEO 604-773-8943
[email protected] 
www.avricorehealth.com 

About Avricore Health Inc.

Avricore Health Inc. is committed to becoming a health innovator and applying technologies at the forefront of science to core health issues at the community pharmacy level. The Company’s goal is to empower consumers, patients and pharmacists with innovative technology, products, services and information to monitor and optimize health. www.avricorehealth.com

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



XpresCheck™ Named State of Hawaii Trusted Testing Partner

NEW YORK, Nov. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — XpresSpa Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: XSPA) (“XpresSpa” or the “Company”), a health and wellness company, today announced that XpresCheck has been named a State of Hawaii Trusted Testing Partner.

All travelers ages five and over are required to take a Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (NAAT) from a certified Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA) lab in order to bypass the State of Hawaii’s 14-day mandatory quarantine. The State of Hawaii accepts test results only from Trusted Testing and Travel Partners and tests must be taken no more than 72 hours before flight departure time.

XpresCheck’s rapid molecular COVID-19 test and, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Test, which are currently offered at JFK International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and Boston Logan International Airport, satisfy these guidelines.

Doug Satzman, XpresSpa Group CEO, stated, “We are pleased to have been named a Trusted Testing Partner by the State of Hawaii as part of their efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. While current travelers to Hawaii originating from JFK, Newark, or Logan airports may test for COVID-19 at one of our Wellness Centers before connecting through another airport, it is our understanding that nonstop flights originating from the east coast may be resuming in the near future.”

About XpresSpa Group, Inc.

XpresSpa Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: XSPA) is a leading global health and wellness holding company. XpresSpa Group’s core asset, XpresSpa, is a leading airport retailer of spa services and related health and wellness products, with 50 locations in 25 airports globally. Through its XpresTest, Inc. subsidiary, the Company also provides COVID-19 screening and testing, rapid testing services for other communicable diseases that include influenza, mononucleosis and group A streptococcus, and flu vaccination services under its XpresCheck™ brand. Current XpresCheck Wellness Centers include JFK International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and Logan International Airport. To learn more about XpresSpa Group, visit: www.XpresSpaGroup.com. To learn more about XpresSpa, visit www.XpresSpa.com. To learn more about XpresCheck, visit www.XpresCheck.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These include statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “should,” “seeks,” “future,” “continue,” or the negative of such terms, or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements relating to expectations about future results or events are based upon information available to XpresSpa Group as of today’s date and are not guarantees of the future performance of the company, and actual results may vary materially from the results and expectations discussed. Additional information concerning these and other risks is contained in XpresSpa Group’s most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning XpresSpa Group, or other matters and attributable to XpresSpa Group or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements above. XpresSpa Group does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date hereof.

Investor Relations:

ICR
Raphael Gross
[email protected]
(203) 682-8253

Media

Julie Ferguson
[email protected]
(312) 385-0098



Gabelli Convertible and Income Securities Fund 8% Distribution Policy Reaffirmed and Declared Fourth Quarter Distribution of $0.12 Per Share

Gabelli Convertible and Income Securities Fund 8% Distribution Policy Reaffirmed and Declared Fourth Quarter Distribution of $0.12 Per Share

RYE, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
The Board of Directors of The Gabelli Convertible and Income Securities Fund Inc. (NYSE:GCV) (the “Fund”) declared a $0.12 per share cash distribution payable on December 18, 2020 to common stock shareholders of record on December 11, 2020. With this fourth quarter distribution, the total distributions from the Fund for 2020 would equate to $0.48 per share.

The Fund intends to pay a minimum annual distribution of 8% of the average net asset value of the Fund within a calendar year or an amount sufficient to satisfy the minimum distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code for regulated investment companies. Each quarter, the Board of Directors reviews the amount of any potential distribution from the income, realized capital gain, or capital available. The Fund’s distribution policy is subject to modification by the Board of Directors at any time, and there can be no guarantee that the policy will continue. The distribution rate should not be considered the dividend yield or total return on an investment in the Fund.

We note that 8% of the average net asset value of the Fund would be $0.42 based on the ending net asset values per share as of December 31, 2019, March 31, 2020, June 30, 2020, and September 30, 2020 of $5.68, $4.54, $5.39, and $5.75, respectively. In declaring a distribution of $0.12 per share, the Board of Directors has chosen to distribute $0.05 greater than that called for by the distribution policy. The net asset value per share fluctuates daily.

The Board of Directors will continue to monitor the Fund’s distribution level, taking into consideration the Fund’s net asset value and the current financial market environment.

All or part of the distribution may be treated as long-term capital gain or qualified dividend income (or a combination of both) for individuals, each subject to the maximum federal income tax rate, which is currently 20% in taxable accounts for individuals (or less depending on an individual’s tax bracket). In addition, certain U.S. shareholders who are individuals, estates or trusts and whose income exceeds certain thresholds will be required to pay a 3.8% Medicare surcharge on their “net investment income”, which includes dividends received from the Fund and capital gains from the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund.

If the Fund does not generate sufficient earnings (dividends and interest income, less expenses, and realized net capital gain) equal to or in excess of the aggregate distributions paid by the Fund in a given year, then the amount distributed in excess of the Fund’s earnings would be deemed a return of capital. Since this would be considered a return of a portion of a shareholder’s original investment, it is generally not taxable and would be treated as a reduction in the shareholder’s cost basis.

Long-term capital gains, qualified dividend income, investment company taxable income, and return of capital, if any, will be allocated on a pro-rata basis to all distributions to common shareholders for the year. Based on the accounting records of the Fund currently available, each of the distributions paid to common shareholders in 2020 would include approximately 10% from net investment income, 55% from net capital gains and 35% would be deemed a return of capital on a book basis. This information does not represent information for tax reporting purposes. The estimated components of each distribution are updated and provided to shareholders of record in a notice accompanying the distribution and are available on our website. The final determination of the sources of all distributions in 2020 will be made after year end and can vary from the quarterly estimates. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund’s investment performance from the amount of the current distribution. All individual shareholders with taxable accounts will receive written notification regarding the components and tax treatment for all 2020 distributions in early 2021 via Form 1099-DIV.

Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund before investing. More information regarding the Fund’s distribution policy and other information about the Fund is available by calling 800-GABELLI (800-422-3554) or visiting www.gabelli.com.

About Gabelli Convertible and Income Securities Fund

The Gabelli Convertible and Income Securities Fund Inc. is a diversified, closed-end management investment company with $149 million in total net assets whose primary investment objective is to seek a high level of total return on its assets through a combination of current income and capital appreciation. The Fund is managed by Gabelli Funds, LLC, a subsidiary of GAMCO Investors, Inc. (NYSE:GBL).

NYSE: GCV

CUSIP – 36240B109

Investor Relations:

Laurissa Martire

(914) 921-5399

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: United States North America New York

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Banking Other Professional Services Professional Services Finance

MEDIA:

Vasta Platform Limited Reports Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results

SÃO PAULO, Brazil, Nov. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vasta Platform Limited (NASDAQ: VSTA) – “Vasta” or the “Company,” announces today its financial and operating results for the third quarter of 2020 (3Q20) ended September 30, 2020. Financial results are expressed in Brazilian Reais and are presented in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

HIGHLIGHTS

  • With the completion of the 2020 sales cycle (4Q19 to 3Q20), Vasta reported a subscription revenue of R$692 million, which represents 18% increase in comparison to the subscription revenue for the 2019 sales cycle (R$584 million), or 21% higher than the ACV 2019 (R$572 million), and reinforces the resilience of our business by showing a solid result even during a period of strong socioeconomic instability caused by the pandemic.
  • The subscription revenue for the commercial year of 2020 was only 3% lower than the ACV 2020 of R$716 million, impacted by the lower volume of orders received by reason of the increase in dropout mainly from pre-K and kindergarten students in partner schools, which also reinforces the predictability of our subscription revenue.
  • For 2021, Vasta has already obtained, in terms of ACV, R$835 million, which represents an increase of 21% in relation to the subscription revenues of the 2020 sales cycle, ended now, in 3Q20. From this increase, to date, 80% relate to contracts of traditional learning systems and complementary solutions and 20% regarding to contracts of learning system PAR. However, it should be stressed that the sales campaign will last until late December/early January, which should ensure an even higher increase over the coming months.
  • The offer of a robust and engaging digital platform, as is the case with Plurall, was vital for the company to ensure the stability of its operation and growth for the following year. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Plurall has already reported more than 8 million accumulated live classes, with an average of 72 thousand classes transmitted live per day since August. Currently, Plurall accounts for nearly 50% of the entire educational web traffic of private Brazilian educational platforms, proving to be not only a tool with high engagement and satisfaction rates but also an extremely important tool for the schools.
  • As regards financial indicators, Vasta reported a net revenue of R$141.4 million in 3Q20 and R$654.1 million in 9M20, which represents a 4.1% and 4.3% increase, respectively. Even with a different seasonality in 2020, with a recognition of revenue more concentrated at the beginning of the sales cycle (4Q19 and 1Q20), the Company managed to have a solid performance this quarter.
  • Adjusted EBITDA of R$12.1 million was 39% higher than the one verified in 3Q19, due to revenue increase.
  • Year-to-date, Vasta’s adjusted EBITDA was R$138 million (19% above the previous year), with a 21.0% margin (2.7 p.p. expansion).
  • With the IPO resources, Vasta started to rely on net cash of R$1,025 million, an amount which will be important to accelerate the Company’s inorganic growth projects.

MESSAGE FROM MANAGEMENT

With the end of the 2020 sales cycle, Vasta managed to prove its resilience and the predictability of its subscription revenue by reporting an impact of only 3% in relation to the ACV 20 engaged before the effects of the pandemic on the educational sector and the world as a whole. This was only possible thanks to the strong relationship we have with our partners and the success of our digital platform, Plurall, which has become an essential and transforming foundation for schools to maintain their academic activities, fostering engagement and satisfaction among all stakeholders involved: students, teachers, academic coordinators, school owners, and family members. The development of this ecosystem benefits everyone, and we have seen that, as the months go by, the level of interaction within the platform has been higher and higher, resulting in more engaging classes and a more dynamic and efficient learning process. The pedagogical process itself has experienced a revolution throughout this year, and we managed to offer a system that allowed us not only to help the school in this transition from the analogic to the virtual environment but also enabled the development of new competencies that would not be possible without a fully integrated digital platform. In addition to offering all activities and content related to our learning systems, Plurall allows the sharing of additional content, videos, games, interactive exercises, in addition to the entire network of available online tutors and a series of indicators that allow the follow-up of the academic development of each student, each class and each school, as well as the comparison of this performance in an ecosystem including more than four thousand integrated schools.

All this has generated an ever-growing satisfaction of our partner schools, and what we see right now is one of the highest contract renewal rates ever reported in our history. But Plurall has not been working only as a retention and engagement platform but also as an important hub attracting new schools, and we noticed, during the sales campaign, that many students were helpless throughout this year and could not follow the academic activities planned at the beginning of the academic year.

The combination of a low churn and very healthy sales campaign considering the current circumstances ensures a solid growth prospect for next year. However, a third important variable of this equation must also be mentioned, which consists of the cross-sell opportunities we have in our platform. It should be borne in mind that, when we built the 2020 sales cycle, there were only two options of extracurricular activities, namely, the language solution (English Stars) and the social and emotional solution (O líder em mim [The leader in me]), against the total of six that we currently have. In addition to this, for the sales cycle of 2021, we launched Plurall Store, a Marketplace made to sell generally international third-party digital solutions, in a revenue share model exclusively for the Brazilian market. Fully digital solutions, financially affordable, and in line with the existing demand for this type of service in the Brazilian market. Therefore, there is no question that the complementary solutions will gain more and more relevance in the coming sales cycles, and this is why we are striving to aggregate and bring in even more options for our partners.

In summary, even with all difficulties faced throughout this difficult year, we managed to stand out in the educational market by positioning ourselves as a platform containing the best academic solutions and a digital interface that has made a difference in this virtual environment in which we are living. Therefore, we believe that the growth expected for next year reflects the aforementioned competitive advantages and could be even greater if it were not for the economic scenario currently experienced. In any event, this resilience shown even in a difficult environment makes us confident in the sustainability of our business and the potential that we can still capture over the coming years.

For 2021, we have already closed to date a total of contracts that accounts for an ACV of R$835 million, which represents a 21% increase in comparison with that which was reported in the 2020 sales cycle. However, it should be mentioned that the process will only end in late December/early January, and we are confident that it is possible to deliver an even more promising result.

Last, but not least, we have projects for expansion through acquisitions. With the resources raised in the IPO, Vasta is committed to allocating 50% of the total captured to accelerate its growth projects and increase the offer of solutions in its platform. This commitment was assumed with all our shareholders, and we are confident that it is possible to meet it even before we expected, as the acquisitions pipeline is hot, and important Core Education and Complementary Solutions targets are in the process of being closed.

In other words, the prospects with the current solutions portfolio are already very promising; the resources raised in the IPO will serve as a catalyst to further accelerate our growth and ensure a sustainable cross-sales rhythm in our ecosystem. This project is only starting, and its legacy will generate an extraordinary result for those who believed in our history from the start.

COVID-19 UPDATE

As discussed in more detail in our September 30, 2020 condensed consolidated financial statements, the Company set up a Crisis Committee and approved some measures composed by actions that first of all safeguarded the physical and mental health of its employees and then preserved operational and financial capacity to face this period. We highlight the main initiatives carried out by Company: (i) Preserve employees’ health and safety by implementing measures such as work from home policy, temporary closure of our distribution centers re-opening with reduced operations and the adoption of health and safety measures recommended by government authorities; (ii) Ensure educational content and services delivery through online platforms; (iii) Improve the financial health identifying required measures to ensure adequate liquidity and cash position; (iv) Implement short term restructuring measures required to improve financial health, seeking to preserve jobs and the organization long term plan, including but not limited to temporary reduction in wages and working hours; (v) Plan and execute organizational changes with mid-term impact for the post-COVID world, if required; (vi) Strategic Plan for opportunities generated by the crisis; (vii) Philanthropic actions that contributes to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on our Company segment; and (viii) Provide on-line campaigns to promote our products to potential new customers.

Related to sales and services provided to our customers, even though municipality and state-wide governments had taken some measures that could hard hit our business, for example school’s lockdown and social distancing, our customers kept their educational services through our virtual platforms. As a result, we have not had interruption in the sales and services levels contracted by our customers.

Despite of the continuity of educational services, the process of social lockdown is pervasive and it is increasing the level of uncertainties over our business cycle and logistics process, thus, it is likely that we will identify some impacts on revenue and profitability through the quarters forthcoming. This characteristic is based on macroeconomic forecasting which have indicated unfavorable social and economic indicators to Brazil in the 2020’s year-end and during the next year.

REVENUE RECOGNITION AND SEASONALITY

As we release our results for the third quarter of 2020, it is important to highlight the revenue recognition and seasonality of our business.

Our main deliveries of printed and digital materials to our customers occur in the last quarter of each year (typically in November and December), and in the first quarter of each subsequent year (typically in February and March), and revenue is recognized when the customers obtain control over the materials. In addition, the printed and digital materials we provide in the fourth quarter are used by our customers in the following school year and, therefore, our fourth quarter results reflect the growth in the number of our students from one school year to the next, leading to higher revenue in general in our fourth quarter compared with the preceding quarters in each year. Consequently, in aggregate, the seasonality of our revenues generally produces higher revenues in the first and fourth quarters of our fiscal year. In this sense, the numbers for the second quarter and third quarter are usually less relevant. In addition, we generally bill our customers during the first half of each school year (which starts in January), which generally results in a higher cash position in the first half of each year compared to the second half.

A significant part of our expenses is also seasonal. Due to the nature of our business cycle, we need significant working capital, typically in September or October of each year, in order to cover costs related to production and inventory accumulation, selling and marketing expenses, and delivery of our teaching materials at the end of each year in preparation for the beginning of each school year. As a result, these operating expenses are generally incurred between September and December of each year.

Purchases through our Livro Fácil e-commerce platform are also very intense during the back-to-school period, between November, when school enrollment takes place and families plan to anticipate the purchase of products and services, and February of the following year, when classes are about to start. Thus, e-commerce revenue is mainly concentrated in the first and fourth quarters of the year.

KEY BUSINESS METRICS

ACV Bookings: ACV Bookings is a non-accounting managerial metric and represents our partner schools’ commitment to pay for our solutions offerings. We believe it is a meaningful indicator of demand for our solutions. In particular, we believe ACV Bookings is a helpful metric because it is designed to show amounts that we expect to be recognized as revenue from subscription services for the 12-month period between October 1 of one fiscal year through September 30 of the following fiscal year. We define ACV Bookings as the revenue we would expect to recognize from a partner school in each school year, based on the number of students who have contracted our services, or “enrolled students,” that will access our content at such partner school in such school year. We calculate ACV Bookings by multiplying the number of enrolled students at each school with the average ticket per student per year; the related number of enrolled students and average ticket per student per year are each calculated in accordance with the terms of each contract with the related school. Although our contracts with our schools are typically for 4-year terms, we record one year of revenue under such contracts as ACV Bookings. ACV Bookings are calculated based on the sum of actual contracts signed during the sales period and assumes the historical rates of returned goods from customers for the preceding 24-month period. Since the actual rates of returned goods from sales during the period may be different from the historical average rates and the actual volume of merchandise ordered by our customers may be different from the contracted amount, the actual revenue recognized during each period of a sales cycle may be different from the ACV Bookings for the respective sales cycle. Our reported ACV Bookings are subject to risks associated with, among other things, economic conditions and the markets in which we operate, including risks that our contracts may be canceled or adjusted (including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic).

As mentioned above, Vasta has already captured, to date, a total of contracts that accounts for an ACV of R$835 million for 2021, which represents a 21% increase in comparison with that which was reported in the 2020 sales cycle. However, it should be mentioned that the sales campaign will last until late December/early January, which should ensure even higher growth for the end of the cycle.

OPERATING PERFORMANCE


Student Base – Subscription Models


Student Base
  3Q20   3Q19   Chg.%
Partner Schools (Core Content)   4,167   3,400   22.6 %
Partner Schools (Complementary Content)   636   417   52.5 %
Students (Core Content)   1,311,147   1,185,799   10.6 %
Students (Complementary Content)   213,058   133,583   59.5 %

During the academic year, schools only adjust their orders according to the effective number of students until no more than the second quarter, and therefore, there is no change in relation to the operating performance in the second half of the year. This situation could have been different by reason of the impact of the pandemic on the sector as a whole, but the effort to offer an efficient and engaging digital platform, added to the Company’s capacity to support all academic year activities remotely, ultimately reinforced the resilience of the business and strengthened even further the relationship with partner schools.

Since 2020 was a very abnormal year, we decided to maintain the number of students in Q3, as usually made, although there were drop-outs at our partners schools during the pandemic crises, as can be seen by the 3% reduction in revenues subscription vs. ACV 2020.


Net Revenue


Net Revenue – Values in R$ (‘000)
  3Q20   3Q19   Chg.%   9M20   9M19   Chg.%
Subscription   105,849   102,467   3.3 %   476,025   434,377   9.6 %
Core Content   105,481   102,374   3.0 %   442,379   411,807   7.4 %
Complementary Content   368   93   295.7 %   33,646   22,570   49.1 %
Non-subscription   35,566   33,345   6.7 %   178,041   192,458   -7.5 %
Total   141,415   135,811   4.1 %   654,066   626,835   4.3 %

The net revenue from subscription products, which includes all educational solutions with recurring revenue (basically, learning systems), represented 75% of the total revenue of the company this quarter and was 3.3% higher than in the same period last year. It should be taken into consideration that the relatively low increase is a consequence of the seasonality of the business, which reserves increased recognition of the revenue at the beginning of the sales cycle. For this reason, when analyzing the accrued performance for the year, revenue from subscription was 9.6% higher. Whereas in the analysis of the Annual Contract Value (ACV) of Vasta’s subscription services and products for the full 2020 sales cycle (between October 2019 and September 2020), the accumulated increase was 18.4%, which is a performance that reinforces not only the resilience of the business, particularly when considering the entire economic instability faced along the year, but also the commercial power of Vasta’s service platform.

    2019 Sales Cycle   2020 Sales Cycle    
                     
Vasta   4Q18-3Q19   % Net Rev.   4Q19-3Q20   % Net Rev.   Chg.%
Net Revenue   873,196     100.0 %   1,017,128     100.0 %   16.5 %
Subscription   584,582     66.9 %   691,924     68.0 %   18.4 %
Non-subscription 288.614     33.1 %   325,204     32.0 %   12.7 %
Adjusted EBITDA   196,086         276,259         40.9 %
Adj. EBITDA Margin 22.5 %       27.2 %      
4.7 p.p.
 
                         

FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE


Vasta – Values


in R$ (‘000)

 
3Q20   3Q19   Chg.%   2Q20   Chg.%   9M20   9M19   Chg.%
Gross revenue   209,001     161,460     29.4 %   138,204     51.2 %   790,408     721,625     9.5 %
Deductions from gross revenue   (67,586 )   (25,649 )   163.5 %   (17,971 )   276.1 %   (136,342 )   (94,790 )   43.8 %
Taxes   (1,191 )   (3,820 )   -68.8 %   (1,419 )   -16.1 %   (4,915 )   (7,947 )   -38.2 %
Returns   (61,077 )   (11,739 )   420.3 %   (10,440 )   485.0 %   (104,187 )   (49,261 )   111.5 %
Discounts   (5,318 )   (10,090 )   -47.3 %   (6,112 )   -13.0 %   (27,240 )   (37,582 )   -27.5 %
Net revenue   141,415     135,811     4.1 %   120,233     17.6 %   654,066     626,835     4.3 %
                                                 
Total Cost of goods sold and services   (62,230 )   (60,291 )   3.2 %   (48,422 )   28.5 %   (277,985 )   (298,348 )   -6.8 %
Cost of goods sold and services   (62,230 )   (60,291 )   3.2 %   (48,422 )   28.5 %   (277,985 )   (298,348 )   -6.8 %
                                                 
Gross profit   79,185     75,520     4.9 %   71,811     10.3 %   376,081     328,487     14.5 %
Gross profit margin   56,0 %   55,6 %   0.4p.p.     59,7 %   -3.7p.p.     57,5 %   52,4 %   5.1p.p.  
                                                 
General and administrative expenses   (79,334 )   (64,293 )   23.4 %   (72,167 )   9.9 %   (237,428 )   (194,461 )   22.1 %
                                                 
Impairment losses on trade receivables   (1,121 )   4,277     -126.2 %   (1,264 )   -11.3 %   (12,704 )   (3,721 )   241.4 %
                                                 
Commercial expenses   (35,841 )   (36,890 )   -2.8 %   (42,803 )   -16.3 %   (116,437 )   (99,553 )   17.0 %
                                                 
(Loss) Profit before financial income and taxes   (37,110 )   (21,386 )   73.5 %   (44,422 )   -16.5 %   9,513     30,751     -69.1 %
Operating margin   -26,2 %   -15,7 %   -10.5p.p.     -36,9 %   10.7p.p.     1,5 %   4,9 %   -3.5p.p.  
Corporate Expenses   (3,176 )   (19,583 )   -83.8 %   (9,917 )   -68.0 %   (25,388 )   (51,731 )   -50.9 %
(+) Depreciation and amortization   43,516     48,110     -9.5 %   43,468     0.1 %   129,134     131,365     -1.7 %
EBITDA   3,230     7,141     -54.8 %   (10,872 )   -129.7 %   113,259     110,385     2.6 %
EBITDA margin   2,3 %   5,3 %   -3.0p.p.     -9,0 %   11.3p.p.     17,3 %   17,6 %   -0.3p.p.  
(+) Impact COVID-19           n.a.         n.a.     5,642         n.a.  
(+) Non-recurring expenses   1,910         n.a.     8,300     -77.0 %   10,210         n.a.  
(+) Share-based compensation plan   6,930     404     1617.1 %   900     670.0 %   8,559     882     870.5 %
(+) Provision for risks of tax, civil and labor losses       1,111     -100.0 %       n.a.         4,055     -100.0 %
Adjusted EBITDA   12,070     8,655     39.5 %   (1,672 )   -821.9 %   137,670     115,322     19.4 %
Adjusted EBITDA margin   8,5 %   6,4 %   2.2p.p.     -1,4 %   9.9p.p.     21,0 %   18,4 %   2.7p.p.  

Vasta’s adjusted EBITDA was 39% higher than the one verified in 3Q19, by reason of the combination between revenue increase and lower expenses, which was partially compensated by the increase in general and administrative expenses. Year-to-date, Vasta’s adjusted EBITDA was R$138 million (19% above the previous year), with a margin of 21.0% (2.7 p.p. expansion), which strengthens the efficiency gains recorded in the period. The net loss for the accumulated nine months of the year was R$67.0 million, a better performance than the net loss of R$100.9 million recorded in the same period of 2019.


PDA and Accounts Receivable¹

Values in R$ (000)   3Q20   3Q19   Chg.%   2Q20   Chg.%
Gross Accounts Receivable   267,783     188,587     42.0 %   352,748     -24.1 %
PDA Balance   (26,929 )   (18,792 )   43.3 %   (30,715 )   -12.3 %
Coverage Ratio   10,1 %   10,0 %   0.9 %   8,7 %   15.5 %
Net Accounts Receivable   240,854     169,795     41.9 %   322,033     -25.2 %
Average Accounts Receivable Term (days)   85     65     20 days    115     -30 days 

* Excludes Credit Card balance. ¹ For comparison purposes, 3Q19 numbers considers the write-off of liabilities due over 360 days with the respective write-off of the PDA balance.

As a percentage of revenue, the provision for doubtful accounts (PDA) remained at a quite low level (0.8%) and closer to the historical levels for the segment, as the previous quarters were impacted by changes in the provisioning criterion made in 3Q19 to adapt to the volumes of historical losses and the additional provisioning made in the beginning of the year (1Q20) to cover any future losses due to the pandemic. Whereas net accounts receivable showed a 42% increase, leading to a 20-day increase in the average accounts receivable term. This longer average term is a result of the impact of the pandemic, primarily on non-subscription products and on the longer payment term granted to partner schools.

CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION

Vasta will discuss its third quarter 2020 results on November 13, 2020, via a conference call at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. To access the call (ID: 4729729), please dial: +1 (833) 519-1336 or (914) 800-3898. An audio replay of the call will be available through November 20, 2020 by dialing +1 (855) 859-2056 or (404) 537-3406 and entering access code 4729729. A live and archived webcast of the call will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at https://ir.vastaplatform.com.

ABOUT VASTA

Vasta is a leading, high-growth education company in Brazil powered by technology, providing end-to-end educational and digital solutions that cater to all needs of private schools operating in the K-12 educational segment, ultimately benefiting all of Vasta’s stakeholders, including students, parents, educators, administrators and private school owners. Vasta’s mission is to help private K-12 schools to be better and more profitable, supporting their digital transformation. Vasta believes it is uniquely positioned to help schools in Brazil undergo the process of digital transformation and bring their education skill-set to the 21st century. Vasta promotes the unified use of technology in K-12 education with enhanced data and actionable insight for educators, increased collaboration among support staff and improvements in production, efficiency and quality. For more information, please visit ir.vastaplatform.com.

CONTACT

Investor Relations
+55 11 3133 7311
[email protected]

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “expect,” “should,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate” and “potential,” among others. Forward-looking statements appear in a number of places in this press release and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our intent, belief or current expectations. Forward-looking statements are based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements due to of various factors, including (i) general economic, financial, political, demographic and business conditions in Brazil, as well as any other countries we may serve in the future and their impact on our business; (ii) fluctuations in interest, inflation and exchange rates in Brazil and any other countries we may serve in the future; (iii) our ability to implement our business strategy and expand our portfolio of products and services; (iv) our ability to adapt to technological changes in the educational sector; (v) the availability of government authorizations on terms and conditions and within periods acceptable to us; (vi) our ability to continue attracting and retaining new partner schools and students; (vii) our ability to maintain the academic quality of our programs; (viii) the availability of qualified personnel and the ability to retain such personnel; (ix) changes in the financial condition of the students enrolling in our programs in general and in the competitive conditions in the education industry; (x) our capitalization and level of indebtedness; (xi) the interests of our controlling shareholder; (xii) changes in government regulations applicable to the education industry in Brazil; (xiii) government interventions in education industry programs, that affect the economic or tax regime, the collection of tuition fees or the regulatory framework applicable to educational institutions; (xiv) cancellations of contracts within the solutions we characterize as subscription arrangements or limitations on our ability to increase the rates we charge for the services we characterize as subscription arrangements; (xv) our ability to compete and conduct our business in the future; (xvi) our ability to anticipate changes in the business, changes in regulation or the materialization of existing and potential new risks; (xvii) the success of operating initiatives, including advertising and promotional efforts and new product, service and concept development by us and our competitors; (xviii) changes in consumer demands and preferences and technological advances, and our ability to innovate to respond to such changes; (xix) changes in labor, distribution and other operating costs; our compliance with, and changes to, government laws, regulations and tax matters that currently apply to us; (xx) the effectiveness of our risk management policies and procedures, including our internal control over financial reporting; (xxi) health crises, including due to pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic and government measures taken in response thereto; (xxii) other factors that may affect our financial condition, liquidity and results of operations; and (xxiii) other risk factors discussed under “Risk Factors.” Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update them in light of new information or future developments or to release publicly any revisions to these statements in order to reflect later events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

This press release presents our EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Free Cash Flow and Adjusted Cash Conversion Ratio information for the convenience of investors. EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Free Cash Flow and Adjusted Cash Conversion Ratio are the key performance indicators used by us to measure financial operating performance. Our management believes that these Non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to investors and shareholders. We also use these measures internally to establish budgets and operational goals to manage and monitor our business, evaluate our underlying historical performance and business strategies and to report our results to the board of directors.

We calculate EBITDA as Net profit (loss) for the period / year plus income taxes and social contribution plus/minus net finance result plus depreciation and amortization. The EBITDA measure provides useful information to assess our operational performance.

We calculate Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA plus/minus: (a) share-based compensation expenses, mainly due to the grant of additional shares to Somos’ employees in connection with the change of control of Somos to Cogna (for further information refer to note 20 to the audited combined carve-out financial statements of Somos—Anglo); (b) provision for risks of tax, civil and labor losses regarding penalties, related to income tax positions taken by the Predecessor Somos—Anglo and the Successor (“Vasta”) in connection with a corporate reorganization carried out by the Predecessor Somos—Anglo (for further information refer to note 20 to the audited combined carve-out financial statements of Somos—Anglo); and (c) higher Impairment losses on trade receivables (to align with the current situation). We understand that such adjustments are relevant and should be considered when calculating our Adjusted EBITDA, which is a practical measure to assess our operational performance that allows us to compare it with other companies that operates in the same segment.

We calculate Free Cash Flow as the net cash flows from operating activities as presented in the statement of cash flows of our financial statements less cash flows required for: (i) acquisition of property, plant and equipment; (ii) addition to intangible assets; and (iii) acquisition of subsidiaries. We consider Free Cash Flow to be a liquidity measure, therefore, we adjust our Free Cash Flow metric with amounts that directly impacted the cash flows in the period in addition to the operating activities. The Free Cash Flow measure provides useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash generated by our operations, deducting for investments in property and equipment to maintain and grow our business.

We calculate Adjusted Cash Conversion Ratio as the cash flows from operating activities divided by Adjusted EBITDA for the relevant period.

We understand that, although EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Free Cash Flow and Adjusted Cash Conversion Ratio are used by investors and securities analysts in their evaluation of companies, these measures have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our results of operations as reported under IFRS. Additionally, our calculations of Adjusted EBITDA, Free Cash Flow and Adjusted Cash Conversion Ratio may be different from the calculation used by other companies, including our competitors in the education services industry, and therefore, our measures may not be comparable to those of other companies.

 
Vasta Platform Limited

Interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
 
  As of
September 30, 2020



  As of
December 31, 2019



   
  Successor (Vasta)


  R$ millions   R$ millions
       
Statement of Financial Position:      
Assets      
Current assets      
Cash and cash equivalents 317.9   43.3
Marketable Securities 707.1  
Trade receivables 247.3   388.8
Inventories 239.0   222.2
Taxes Recoverable and Income tax and social contribution recoverable 29.0   50.3
Prepayments 28.0   22.6
Other receivables 1.8   1.9
Related parties – other receivables 4.7   38.1
Total current assets 1,574.8   767.2
Non-current assets      
Judicial deposits and Escrow Accounts 171.9   172.9
Deferred income tax and social contribution 118.9   57.3
Property, plant and equipment 181.0   185.0
Intangible assets and goodwill 4,945.3   4,985.4
Total non-current assets 5,417.1   5,400.6
Total assets 6,991.9   6,167.8
Liabilities and parent’s net investment      
Current liabilities      
Bonds and financing 480.5   440.9
Lease liabilities 13.1   7.1
Suppliers 157.7   223.7
Suppliers related parties 130.5   207.2
Taxes payable 0.5   0.9
Income tax and social contribution payable 14.3   18.8
Salaries and social contributions 71.5   61.7
Contract liabilities and deferred income 21.2   49.3
Accounts payable for business combination 17.0   1.8
Other liabilities 5.1   3.9
Other liabilities – related parties 233.2   49.2
Loans from related parties 20.6   29.2
Total current liabilities 1,165.2   1,093.7
Non-current liabilities      
Bonds and financing 306.6   1.200.0
Lease liabilities 144.5   146.6
Accounts payable for business combination 26.6   9.2
Provision for risks of tax, civil and labor losses 610.6   609.0
Contract liabilities and deferred revenues 7.3   9.2
Total non-current liabilities 1,095.6   1,974.0
Total liabilities 2,260.8   3,067.7
Total parent’s net investment 4,731.1   3,100.1
Total liabilities and parent’s net investment 6,991.9   6,167.8

 
Vasta Platform Limited

Interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
 
  For Nine Months Ended September 30,
  2020   2019
   
  Successor (Vasta)
  R$ millions
Statement of Profit or Loss      
Net revenue from sales and services 654.1     626.8  
Net revenue from sales 634.9     608.5  
Net revenue from services 19.2     18.3  
Costs of goods sold and services (278.0 )   (298.3 )
Gross profit 376.1     328.5  
General and administrative expenses (394.9 )   (352.7 )
Other operating income, net 2.9     3.3  
Profit (loss) before finance result and taxes (15.9 )   (20.9 )
Finance income 14.6     2.8  
Finance costs (101.4 )   (133.8 )
Finance result (86.8 )   (131.0 )
Profit before income tax and social contribution (102.7 )   (151.9 )
Income tax and social contribution 34.8     51.0  
Net profit for the period (67.9 )   (100.9 )

  For the period from July 01 to September 30
  2020   2019
   
  Successor (Vasta)
  R$ millions
Statement of Profit or Loss      
Net revenue from sales and services 141.4     135.8  
Net revenue from sales 134.2     131.4  
Net revenue from services 7.2     4.4  
Costs of goods sold and services (62.2 )   (60.3 )
Gross profit 79.2     75.5  
General and administrative expenses (120.4 )   (119.7 )
Other operating income, net 0.9     3.3  
Profit (loss) before finance result and taxes (40.3 )   (40.9 )
Finance income 5.9     1.5  
Finance costs (24.9 )   (50.7 )
Finance result (19.0 )   (49.2 )
Profit before income tax and social contribution (59.3 )   (90.1 )
Income tax and social contribution 18.6     29.1  
Net profit for the period (40.7 )   (61.0 )

               
Vasta Platform Limited

Interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
               
  For Nine Months Ended
September 30,
          For the period from July
01 to September 30
  2020    2019            2020    2019 
               
               
  Content & EdTech
Platform
          Content & EdTech
Platform
  R$ millions           R$ millions
Statement of profit or loss:               Statement of profit or loss:      
Net revenue from sales and services 569.8     531.9           Net revenue from sales and services 136.2     122.7  
Cost of goods sold and services (202.7 )   (211.0 )         Cost of goods sold and services (60.6 )   (53.0 )
Gross profit 367.1     320.9           Gross profit 75.6     69.7  
General and administrative expenses (366.4 )   (333.8 )         General and administrative expenses (115.1 )   (114.7 )
Other operating income, net 2.9     3.3           Other operating income, net 0.9     3.3  
Profit before finance result and taxes 3.6     (9.6 )         Profit before finance result and taxes (38.6 )   (41.7 )
                       
                       
                       
  For Nine Months Ended
September 30,
          For the period from July
01 to September 30
  2020    2019            2020    2019 
               
               
  Digital Services Platform           Digital Services Platform
  R$ millions           R$ millions
Statement of profit or loss:               Statement of profit or loss:      
Net revenue from sales and services 84.4     94.8           Net revenue from sales and services 5.3     13.0  
Cost of goods sold and services (75.2 )   (87.3 )         Cost of goods sold and services (1.7 )   (7.3 )
Gross profit 9.2     7.5           Gross profit 3.6     5.7  
General and administrative expenses (28.6 )   (19.0 )         General and administrative expenses (5.4 )   (5.0 )
Other operating income, net               Other operating income, net (1.7 )    
Profit before finance result and taxes (19.4 )   (11.5 )         Profit before finance result and taxes (3.5 )   0.7  

 
Vasta Platform Limited

Interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
 
  For Nine Months Ended September 30,
  2020   2019
   
  Successor (Vasta)
  R$ millions
Net profit (loss) for the period (67.9 )   (100.9 )
(+) Income tax and social contribution (34.8 )   (51.0 )
(+/-) Finance result 86.8     131.0  
(+) Depreciation and amortization 129.2     131.4  
EBITDA 113.3     110.5  
(+) Share-based compensation plan 8.6     0.9  
(+) Provision for risks of tax, civil and labor losses     4.1  
(+) Impact COVID-19 5.6      
(+) Non-recurring expenses 10.2      
Adjusted EBITDA 137.7     115.4  

  For the period from July 01 to September 30
  2020   2019
   
  Successor (Vasta)
  R$ millions
Net profit (loss) for the period (40.7 )   (61.0 )
(+) Income tax and social contribution (18.6 )   (29.1 )
(+/-) Finance result 19.0     49.2  
(+) Depreciation and amortization 43.6     48.1  
EBITDA 3.3     7.2  
(+) Share-based compensation plan 6.9     0.4  
(+) Provision for risks of tax, civil and labor losses     1.1  
(+) Impact COVID-19      
(+) Non-recurring expenses 1.9      
Adjusted EBITDA 12.1     8.7  

 
Vasta Platform Limited

Interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
 
  For Nine Months Ended September 30,
  2020   2019
   
  Successor (Vasta)
  R$ millions
Net cash flows from (used in) operating activities 306.8     81.1  
(-) Acquisition of property, plant and equipment (3.7 )   (11.8 )
(-) Additions to intangible assets (32.2 )   (28.6 )
(-) Acquisition of subsidiary, net of cash acquired (8.7 )    
Free Cash Flow 262.2     40.7  

  For the period from July 01 to September 30
  2020   2019
   
  Successor (Vasta)
  R$ millions
Net cash flows from (used in) operating activities 115.1     101.3  
(-) Acquisition of property, plant and equipment (1.5 )   (6.0 )
(-) Additions to intangible assets (6.5 )   (19.0 )
(-) Acquisition of subsidiary, net of cash acquired 14.8      
Free Cash Flow 121.9     76.3  

 
Vasta Platform Limited

Interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
 
  For Nine Months Ended September 30,
  2020   2019
   
  Successor (Vasta)
  R$ millions
       
Adjusted EBITDA 137.7     115.4  
Free Cash Flow 262.2     40.7  
Adjusted Cash Conversion Ratio 190.4 %   35.3 %

  For the period from July 01 to September 30
  2020   2019
   
  Successor (Vasta)
  R$ millions
       
Adjusted EBITDA 12.1     8.7  
Free Cash Flow 121.9     76.3  
Adjusted Cash Conversion Ratio 1,005.6 %   879.5 %

 
Vasta Platform Limited

Interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
 
      For the nine months ended
September 30,
  Notes   2020   2019
           
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES          
Profit before income tax and social contribution     (102,696 )   (151,982 )
Adjustments for:          
Depreciation and amortization 9 and 10   129,059     131,365  
Impairment losses on trade receivables 7   12,704     3,721  
(Reversal) Provision for risks of tax, civil and labor losses 18   (4,966 )   3,005  
Interest on provision for risks of tax, civil and labor losses 18   13,406     25,092  
Reversal of provision for obsolete inventories 8   4,551     13,797  
Interest on bonds and financing 11   46,725     82,603  
Refund liability and right to returned goods     (25,118 )   (24,292 )
Imputed interest on suppliers     2,945     4,821  
Interest on accounts payable for business combination     1,394     103  
Share-based payment expense         404  
Interest on lease liabilities 13   11,337     12,134  
Interest on marketable securities     (2,018 )    
Disposals of rights of use assets and lease liabilities     (1,023 )    
Residual value of disposals of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets 9 and 10   1,931     2,336  
           
Changes in     88,230     103,107  
Trade receivables     133,798     146,242  
Inventories     (30,350 )   54  
Prepayments     (4,629 )   (2,432 )
Taxes recoverable     22,090     (7,632 )
Judicial deposits and escrow accounts     1,029     (9,375 )
Other receivables     2,828     (1,166 )
Suppliers     (79,323 )   (62,327 )
Salaries and social charges     9,484     (31,036 )
Tax payable     6,267     15,733  
Contract liabilities and deferred income     3,510     (3,262 )
Other receivables and liabilities from related parties     219,010      
Other payables     7,157     9,567  
Cash from (used in) operating activities     379,101     157,473  
Income tax and social contribution paid     (5,234 )   (14,683 )
Interest lease liabilities paid 13   (10,900 )   (8,532 )
Payment of interest on bonds and financing 11   (49,403 )   (53,144 )
Payment of provision for tax, civil and labor losses     (6,812 )    
Net cash from operating activities     306,752     81,114  
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES          
Acquisition of property, plant and equipment 9   (3,730 )   (11,808 )
Additions to intangible assets 10   (32,226 )   (28,594 )
Acquisition of subsidiary, net of cash acquired     (8,703 )    
Acquisition of investment in marketable securities     (705,097 )    
Net cash applied in investing activities     (749,756 )   (40,402 )
           
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES          
           
Issuance of bonds 11        
Loans from related parties paid 17   (75,846 )    
Loans from related parties addition 17   65,600      
Suppliers – related Parties          
Lease liabilities paid 13   (9,207 )   (13,815 )
Parent’s Net Investment     4,197     3,925  
Issuance of common shares
in initial public offering
1.2   1,836,317      
Expenses of offering 1.2   (174,683 )    
Repayments of bonds and financing 11   (852,136 )   (59,457 )
Others     (76,642 )   (43,056 )
Net cash from (applied in) financing activities     717,600     (112,403 )
           
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS     274,596     (71,691 )
           
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 6   43,287     102,231  
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year 6   317,883     30,540  
           
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS     274,596     (71,691 )

 
Vasta Platform Limited

Interim Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Position
 
Issuance/Series Issuance Date Maturity Applicable
Index
Interest Spread on
top of Applicable
Index
Outstanding balance as of
September 30, 2020
         
R$ in millions
5th / Series 1 March 15, 2018 May 15, 2021 CDI 1.15%p.a. 100,1
5th / Series 2 August 15, 2018 August 15, 2023 CDI 1.00%p.a. 102,1
6th / Series 2 August 15, 2017 August 15, 2022 CDI 1.70%p.a. 204,9
7th / Single March 15, 2018 September 9, 2021 CDI 1.15%p.a. 379,0
8th / Single October 25, 2017 October 25, 2020 CDI 1.00%p.a. 0,0
        Total R$786,1
           
           
           
Issuance/Series Issuance Date Maturity Applicable
Index
Interest Spread
on top of Applicable
Index
Outstanding balance as of
September 30, 2020
         
R$ in millions
Cogna Educação S.A. March 5, 2020 July 31, 2020 CDI 3.57% p.a. 20.6
Editora Ática S.A. February 13, 2020 July 31, 2020 CDI 3.57% p.a.
Somos Educação S.A. August 14, 2019 July 31, 2020 CDI 3.57% p.a.
        Total R$20.6



Gabelli Multimedia Trust10% Distribution Policy Reaffirmed andDeclared Fourth Quarter Distribution of $0.22 Per Share

Gabelli Multimedia Trust10% Distribution Policy Reaffirmed andDeclared Fourth Quarter Distribution of $0.22 Per Share

RYE, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
The Board of Directors of The Gabelli Multimedia Trust Inc. (NYSE:GGT) (the “Fund”) reaffirmed and satisfied its 10% distribution policy by declaring a $0.22 per share cash distribution payable on December 18, 2020 to common stock shareholders of record on December 11, 2020. With this fourth quarter distribution, the total distributions from the Fund for 2020 would equate to $0.88 per share.

The average net asset value of the Fund is based on the average net asset values as of the last day of the four preceding calendar quarters during the year. We note that 10% of the average net asset value of the Fund would be $0.64 based on the ending net asset values per share as of December 31, 2019, March 31, 2020, June 30, 2020, and September 30, 2020 of $7.93, $4.87, $6.14, and $6.65, respectively. In declaring a distribution of $0.22 per share, the Board of Directors has chosen to distribute $0.24 greater than that called for by the distribution policy. The net asset value per share fluctuates daily.

The Board of Directors will continue to monitor the Fund’s distribution level, taking into consideration the Fund’s net asset value and the current financial market environment.

The Fund intends to pay a minimum annual distribution of 10% of the average net asset value of the Fund within a calendar year or an amount sufficient to satisfy the minimum distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code for regulated investment companies. Each quarter, the Board of Directors reviews the amount of any potential distribution from the income, realized capital gain, or capital available. The Fund’s distribution policy is subject to modification by the Board of Directors at any time, and there can be no guarantee that the policy will continue. The distribution rate should not be considered the dividend yield or total return on an investment in the Fund.

All or part of the distribution may be treated as long-term capital gain or qualified dividend income (or a combination of both) for individuals, each subject to the maximum federal income tax rate for long term capital gains, which is currently 20% in taxable accounts for individuals (or less depending on an individual’s tax bracket). In addition, certain U.S. shareholders who are individuals, estates or trusts and whose income exceeds certain thresholds will be required to pay a 3.8% Medicare surcharge on their “net investment income”, which includes dividends received from the Fund and capital gains from the sale or other disposition of shares of the Fund.

If the Fund does not generate sufficient earnings (dividends and interest income, less expenses, and realized net capital gain) equal to or in excess of the aggregate distributions paid by the Fund in a given year, then the amount distributed in excess of the Fund’s earnings would be deemed a return of capital. Since this would be considered a return of a portion of a shareholder’s original investment, it is generally not taxable and would be treated as a reduction in the shareholder’s cost basis.

Long-term capital gains, qualified dividend income, investment company taxable income, and return of capital, if any, will be allocated on a pro-rata basis to all distributions to common shareholders for the year. Based on the accounting records of the Fund currently available, each of the distributions paid to common shareholders in 2020 would be deemed 100% from paid-in capital on a book basis. The source of the distributions will likely change due to investment activity through the end of the calendar year and this information does not represent what should be reported for tax purposes. The estimated components of each distribution are updated and provided to shareholders of record in a notice accompanying the distribution and are available on our website (www.gabelli.com). The final determination of the sources of all distributions in 2020 will be made after year end and can vary from the quarterly estimates. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund’s investment performance from the amount of the current distribution. All individual shareholders with taxable accounts will receive written notification regarding the components and tax treatment for all 2020 distributions in early 2021 via Form 1099-DIV.

Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of the Fund before investing. More information regarding the Fund’s distribution policy and other information about the Fund is available by calling 800-GABELLI (800-422-3554) or visiting www.gabelli.com.

About The Gabelli Multimedia Trust

The Gabelli Multimedia Trust Inc. is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company with $283 million in total net assets whose primary investment objective is long-term growth of capital. The Fund is managed by Gabelli Funds, LLC, a subsidiary of GAMCO Investors, Inc. (NYSE:GBL).

NYSE: GGT

CUSIP – 36239Q109

Investor Relations Contact:

Carter Austin

(914) 921-5475

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: United States North America New York

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Banking Other Professional Services Professional Services Finance

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