Catch up on the weekend’s top five stories with this list compiled by The Fly: 1. Vaccine developers said they are working on a new shot to combat the South African strain of coronavirus after early data suggested AstraZeneca’s (AZN) product has limited efficacy against mild disease caused by the variant, Bloomberg’s Tim Ross reported. Sarah Gilbert, leading the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine program, said work was already under way to adapt the vaccine to deal specifically with the South African variant. The new shot is “very likely” to be available by autumn, she said. Meanwhile, Reuters’ Alexander Winning and Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo reported that South Africa will put on hold use of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 shot in its vaccination program, after data showed it gave minimal protection against mild-to-moderate infection caused by the country’s dominant coronavirus variant. Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said on Sunday that the government would await advice from scientists on how best to proceed, after a trial showed the AstraZeneca vaccine did not significantly reduce the risk of mild or moderate COVID-19 from the 501Y.V2 variant that caused a second wave of infections starting late last year, the authors noted. 2. Dialog Semiconductor (DLGNF), whose clients include Apple (AAPL), confirmed on Sunday it was in advanced talks with Renesas Electronics (RNECY) about a potential sale, valuing it at around $6B, according to Reuters. The discussions centered on a possible cash offer of EUR 67.50 per share in Dialog, the company said in a statement. 3. Hilton Worldwide (HLT) stands out among the chains for its ability to weather the pandemic and emerge in good shape-and that its shares should have more upside, Lawrence Strauss wrote in this week’s edition of Barron’s. With a relatively small number of owned hotels in its portfolio, Hilton runs a so-called asset-light portfolio and relies heavily on recurring, long-term franchise fee agreements. The company is a little less tethered to luxury brands, overseas locations, and big cities than its rivals-and favorably positioned to ride out a storm, the author contended. And its hotel development pipeline, though slowed by COVID-19, should fare well versus its peers, he added. 4. Hyundai Motor (HYMTF) and Kia said they are not in talks with Apple (AAPL) on developing autonomous vehicles, according to Reuters. In early January, Korea Economic Daily TV reported Apple and Hyundai were in discussions to develop self-driving electric vehicles by 2027 and develop batteries at U.S. factories operated by either Hyundai or its affiliate Kia Corp. 5. Casey’s General Stores (CASY), Anglo American Platinum (ANGPY), Impala Platinum (IMPUY) and Sibanye Stillwater (SBSW) saw positive mentions in this week’s edition of Barron’s.
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