January 2018: A Good Start to the Year for The PBR1000

Here are The PBR1000 corporate and economic related breaking news items of interest with hotlinks to the sources for January 2018, starting with the last active business day.

***Wednesday, January 31:

The year started out with threats of a US federal government shutdown, an earthquake in Alaska, President Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, a rally in the tech and healthcare sector stocks, ending the first month of the year with a big time win for the Stock Market Bull.

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Month Ending January, 01/31/18:
DJIA ends January at 26,149.39, -1.76% from last Friday, +5.79% MTD/QTD/YTD, -1.76% from record 26,616.71 set 01/26/18.
NASDAQ ends January at 7,411.48, -1.26% from last Friday, +7.36% MTD/QTD/YTD, -1.26% from record 7,505.77 set 01/26/18.
SPX ends January at 2,823.81, -1.71% from last Friday, +5.62% MTD/QTD/YTD, -1.71% from record 2,872.87 set 01/26/18.

21st Century Fox(PBR91) Fox Sports unit gets 5 year rights deal starting with 2018 season with Natl Football League to broadcast Thursday Night Football Presented by Bud Light. $FOX PR link.

eBay(PBR163) signs agreement for Adyen to become its primary payments processing partner globally, longtime partner PayPal(PBR252 $PYPL will continue to be a payments option at checkout for eBay buyers under new intermediate platform until 07/23. $EBAY PR link.

Cummins(PBR438) acquires UK based Johnson Matthey’s developer of high-voltage automotive grade battery systems for electric and hybrid vehicles subsidiary, terms not disclosed. $CMI PR link.

Bon-Ton Stores(PBR707) provides list of the 42 locations that will be closed as part of its store rationalization program. $BONT PR link.

On Assignment(PBR918) to acquire cyber security, cloud, DevOps, IT modernization and advanced science and engineering solutions to government enterprises provider $586 million revenues in 2017 ECS Federal from Roy Kapani, the company’s majority owner and founder, and Lindsay Goldberg, a private investment firm, for $775 million cash, to close 04/02/18. $ASGN PR link.

The Federal Open Market Committee releases statement from 01/30-31/18 meeting, says labor market has continued to strengthen and that economic activity has been rising at a solid rate, anticipates inflation rate to achieve 2% target in the medium term, expects to continue gradual increases on federal funds interest rate. FOMC PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US National Public Debt on 01/30/18 was $14.802 trillion, Intragovernmental Holdings $5.691 trillion, Total US Debt $20.493 trillion. USTreasury PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US 4Q17 All Civilian Workers Employment Cost Index(2005=100) is at 131.4, 3Q17 was 130.6, 2Q17 129.7, 4Q16 128.0. USDOL PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says 7th District Preliminary December Midwest Economic Index is at +0.43, November was +0.17, the December Relative Midwest Economic Index is at +0.02, November was -0.20. ChiFed PR link.

ADP(PBR235) says US Preliminary January Total Change In Employment was +234,000, +58,000 from Small Businesses, +91,000 from Midsized Businesses, +85,000 from Large Businesses. +22,000 from the Goods Producing Sector, +212,000 from Service-Providing Sector. $ADP PR link.

The MNI January Chicago Business Barometer is at 65.7, December was 67.8, November 63.9, January 2017 50.3. ISM/MNI PR link.

The American Automobile Assn says US Average Price for a Regular Gallon of Gas on 01/31/18 was at $2.591, +4.6% from 12/29/17, +13.9% from 01/31/17. AAA PR link.

***Tuesday, January 30:

Amazon(PBR29), Berkshire Hathaway(PBR4)and JPMorgan Chase(PBR21) to form a company to address healthcare for their US employees, aims to improve employee satisfaction and reduce costs. $BRKB PR link.

Alphabet(PBR44 $GOOG)’s Waymo unit to purchase thousands of Fiat Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans for its self-driving service, to start in Phoenix and spread to other US cities in 2018. FCA PR link.

Pfizer(PBR56) to make $5 billion in capital investments in US over 5 years, to contribute $500 million to US pension funds in 2018, allocates around $100 million for a special, one-time bonus to be paid to all non-executive colleagues in 1Q18. $PFE PR link.

McDonald’s(PBR101) to invest $2.4 billion in existing locations, to open 1,000 new restaurants worldwide in 2018. $MCD PR link.

Chesapeake Energy(PBR131) lays off 13% of workforce, around 400, primarily from its Oklahoma City campus. $CHK PR link.

Facebook(PBR228) implements new ad policy forbidding certain financial products and services like binary options, initial coin offerings, and cryptocurrency. $FB PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) led consortium to acquire 55% stake of Thomson Reuters(TSX/NYSE: TRI) Financial & Risk business, based on total business valuation of $20 billion. $BX PR link.

Varian Medical(PBR678) to acquire Australianbased interventional oncology radiation therapies provider Sirtex Medical Limited (ASX: SRX) for $1.28 billion. $VAR PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US 4Q17 Total Housing Units at 136,912,000, 87.8% occupied, 3Q17 was 87.1%, 4Q16 87.3%, 4Q17 Home Ownership Rate at 64.2%, 3Q1763.9%, 4Q16 63.7%. USDOC PR link.

The Conference Board says the US Preliminary January Consumer Confidence Index(1985=100) is at 125.4, December was 123.1, January 2017 111.6. TCB PR link.

***Monday, January 29:

United Continental(PBR77) gets naming rights to Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, to be called United Airlines Memorial Coliseumbeginning in 08/19, in 16 year agreement with the U of Southern California, will support $270 million project to restore and preserve the Coliseum and upgrade its facilities. $UAL PR link.

Dollar General(PBR151) accepting applications from suppliers/vendors for Innovation and Supplier Diversity Summit in 04/18, categories of interest include Beauty, Personal Care and Over-the-Counter/Wellness, General Merchandise/All Non-Food, Grocery. $DG PR link.

Group 1 Automotive(PBR276) acquires Audi El Paso and Subaru El Paso auto dealerships, to generate $65 million revenues/year. $GPI PR link.

WestRock(PBR278) to acquire Kapstone(PBR826), a N American producer/distributor of containerboard, corrugated products and specialty papers, including liner and medium containerboard, kraft papers and saturating kraft, for $35/share, $4.9 billion, includes $1.36 billion debt, to close by 09/30/18. $WRK PR link.

Dr Pepper Snapple(PBR406) and Keurig Green Mountain to merge, DPS shareholders to receive $103.75/share special cash dividend and retain 13% of the combined company, creates $11 billion/yr company. $DPS PR link.

Noble Energy(PBR471) to divest 7.5% working interest in the Tamar field, offshore Israel, to Tamar Petroleum Ltd. (TASE: TMRP) for $560 million cash and 38.5 million shares in TMRP, total around $800 million. $NBL PR link.

NASDAQ(PBR618) to sell its Corporate Solutions’ Public Relations Solutions and Digital Media Services units to West Corporation for $335 million in 2Q18. $NDAQ PR link.

JPMorgan Chase(PBR21) appoints Daniel Pinto and Gordon Smith as Co-Presidents/Co-CEOs. $JPM PR link.

Revlon(PBR900) President/CEO Fabian Garcia steps down to pursue other opportunities, Board member Paul Meister appointed Executive Vice Chairman, will oversee day-to-day operations of the company on an interim basis. $REV PR link.

Superior Energy(PBR522) elects Westervelt “Westy” T. Ballard, Jr, to CFO, effective 03/01/18, succeeds retiring after 22 years with company Robert Taylor. $SPN PR link.

Moody’s(PBR636) EVP/CFO Linda Huber to leave after 12 years with company upon appointment of successor, search starts. $MCO PR link.

Celgene(PBR347) Executive Chairman Bob Hugin to retire after 19 years of service, effective 02/05/18, CEO Mark Alles appointed to the additional role of Chairman. $CELG PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/BEA says US Preliminary December Total Personal Income Annual Rate is at $16.687 trillion, +0.4% from November, +4.1% from December 2016, December Personal Savings Rate at 2.4%, November was 2.5%, December 2016 3.2%, December Effective Tax Rate at 12.6%. USDOC PR link.

***Friday, January 26:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 01/26/18:
DJIA ends at record 26,616.71, +2.09% from last Friday, +7.68% MTD/QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 26,616.71 set 01/26/18.
NASDAQ ends at record 7,505.77, +2.31% from last Friday, +8.73% MTD/QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 7,505.77 set 01/26/18.
SPX ends at record 2,872.87, +2.23% from last Friday, +7.45% MTD/QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 2,872.87 set 01/26/18.

Walmart(PBR1 $WMT) cuts as many as 500 corporate positions in its Bentonville, AR, headquarters, will promote more than 360 associates into positions “with higher responsibility.” MarketWatch PR link.

Lowe’s(PBR50) adds $5 billion to share repurchase program, balance is $7.1 billion, no expiration date. $LOW PR link.

FedEx(PBR65) to increase employee compensation by $200 million, voluntarily contribute $1.5 billion to FedEx pension plan, and invest $1.5 billion over 7 years to expand Indianapolis hub, follows recently enacted US Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. $FDX PR link.

Delta(PBR72) pleased with US International Trade Commission‘s ruling rejecting Boeing(PBR27)‘s anticompetitive attempt against Bombardier‘s 110-seat CS100 aircraft when Boeing offers no viable alternative. $DALC PR link.

AbbVie(PBR135) to invest around $2.5 billion in capital projects in US over next 5 years, to make one-time contribution in 2018 of around $350 million to select charitable organizations, to accelerate pension funding by $750 million, as well as enhance non-executive employee compensation, cites result of US Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. $ABBV PR link.

Starbucks(PBR178) 2017 revenues were $22.4 billion, +5% from 2016, opened 2,250+ net new stores, 2018 focus to be on China and US. $SBUX PR link.

Electronic Arts(PBR527), Walt Disney(PBR57)’s ESPN, Disney XD and the NFL announce first long-term, multi-event competitive gaming network agreement, includes The Madden NFL Ultimate League. $EA PR link.

Meredith Corp(PBR994) extends tender offer for TimeInc(PBR661) shares to 01/30/18, 65%+ of shares tendered so far, expects to close on 01/31/18. $MDT PR link.

Caterpillar(PBR54) VP of Global Supply Network Division Frank Crespo to retire effective 02/01/18, functions to be consolidated into existing divisions. $CAT PR link.

TSYS(PBR790) EVP and President/International Issuer Solutions Kelley Knutson now SVP and and President of prepaid debit cards provider Netspend. $TSS PR link.

Modine Manufacturing(PBR985) hires Sylvia A. Stein, JD, to the role of VP/General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. $MOD PR link.

Jack in the Box(PBR987) Brand President Frances Allen to resign effective 02/09/18; hires Marcus Tom to be VP/COO effective 02/12/18. $JACK PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says US Advanced 4Q17 Estimate of Gross Domestic Product Annual Rate is at +2.6%, $19.739 trillion, +1.2% from 3Q17, +4.4% from 4Q16. USDOC PR link.

***Thursday, January 25:

Walmart(PBR1) and Japan based online retailer Rakuten enter strategic alliance, Rakuten to offer online grocery delivery service in Japan in 3Q18, Walmart to sell eBooks, audiobooks, and Rakuten Kobo eReaders in US stores & online later in 2018. $WMT PR link.

Kroger(PBR20)’s Simple Truth® brand reaches $2 billion in annual sales and continues to grow, largest natural and organic brand in the US. $KR PR link.

Home Depot(PBR32) to provide a new one-time cash bonus for US hourly associates of up to $1,000, made possible by the new tax reform bill. $HD PR link.

Qualcomm(PBR106) and leading Chinese manufacturers announce “5G Pioneer”initiative, availability of commercial 5G premium tier devices expected in 2019. $QCOM PR link.

PG&E(PBR172) to begin developing recently state approved four pilot projects aimed at helping fleet and residential customers simplify electric vehicle (EV) charging in California. $PCG PR link.

Lennar(PBR340) 2017 10-K Legal Proceedings states US Dept of Justice has issued subpoena to mortgage subsidiary regarding the adequacy of certain underwriting and quality control processes related to FHA loans originated and sold in prior years. $LEN PR link.

Newell Brands(PBR434) accelerates strategic plan, to focus on 9 consumer divisions totaling $11 billion in sales, exploring strategic options for other units, includes a 50% reduction in the company’s global factory and warehouse footprint, a 50% reduction in its customer base and consolidation of 80% of global sales on two ERP platforms by end of 2019. $NWL PR link.

Alaska Air(PBR454) to provide $1,000 one time bonuses to 25,000 US employees on 02/29/18, cites new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act legislation. $ALK PR link.

SunPower(PBR680) sells 110 megawatt(DC) El Pelicano Solar Plant in Chile, provides power for Santiago underground railway, to Actis, gets long term maintenance and operations contract, terms not disclosed. $SPWR PR link.

Tetra Tech(PBR781) acquires Newport Beach, CA, based aerospace data analytics, environmental and acoustic consulting, and 3-dimensional airspace visualization for federal and commercial aviation customers provider BridgeNet International, terms not disclosed. $TTEK PR link.

Fitbit(PBR870 $FIT) CEO wants to move from tracking steps to tracking blood sugar. MarketWatch PR link.

Convergys(PBR703) CEO Andrea Ayers, after 30 years with the company, to depart upon appointment of successor, search starts. $CVG PR link.

Equinix(PBR793) CEO Steve Smith resigns after exercising poor judgment with respect to an employee matter, Executive Chairman and former CEO Peter Van Camp appointed interim CEO, search starts. $EQIX PR link.

Aetna(PBR49) EVP/Consumer Health and Services Gary Loveman, PhD, will be leaving, date to be determined. $AET PR link.

Markel(PBR470) hires Saurabh Madaan as Managing Director, Investments. $MKL PR link.

Cinemark(PBR739) EVP/CFO Sean Gamble adds COO role, hires Wanda Gierhart as EVP/Chief Marketing Officer. $CNK PR link.

Newell Brands(PBR434) announces Ian G.H. Ashken, Domenico De Sole and Martin E. Franklin have resigned from the Board, effective immediately. $NWL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US 01/20/18 Weekly Initial Unemployment Claims were at 233,000, the 4 Week Average is 240,000, +1.0% from December, -2.2% from January 2017. The 4 Week Moving Average Total Insured Employment on 01/13/18 was 1,920,000, +0.0% from December, -8.2% from January 2017, Insured Unemployment Rate is at 1.4%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD says US Preliminary December New Family Home Sales Annual Rate was 625,000, -9.3% from November, +14.1% from December 2016; December Median Price was $335,400, +0.1% from November, +2.6% from December 2016; New Homes Available were at 295,000, +3.9% from November, +15.2% from December 2016; Months Supply is 5.7, November was 4.9, December 2016 5.6. USDOC PR link.

The US Energy Information Administrationsays US Crude Oil Reserve Stocks on 01/19/18 were at 411.6 Millions of Barrels, -4.7% from 12/22/17, -15.7% from 01/20/17. USEIA PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) says the US Average 30 Year Fixed Mortgate Rate on 01/25/18 is 4.15% with 0.5 points/fees, 12/28/17 was 3.99%, 11/30/17 3.90%, 01/26/17 4.19%. $FMCC PR link.

The Conference Board says the US December Leading Economic Index(2016=100) is at 107.0, November was 106.4, October 105.9. Expects US economic growth to continue through 1H18. TCB PR link.

***Wednesday, January 24:

Apple(PBR5) to release iOS11.3 in the spring, includes a Business Chat option in Messages app, have a one view Health Records option in the Health app. $AAPL PR link.

Comcast(PBR42) 4Q17 report shows at year end it had 25,869,000 high speed internet customers, gained 1,168,000 in 2017, had 29,347,000 total customer relationships between video, internet, voice, and security & automation services; Total 2017 revenues were $52.5 billion, +4.9% from 2016. $CMCSA PR link.

Qualcomm(PBR106) to appeal $1.23 billion fine by European Commission relating to an expired agreement between Qualcomm and Apple(PBR5), which was in effect from 2011 through 2016, for the pricing of modem chips. $QCOM PR link.

Starbucks(PBR178) to launch new ‘Partner and Family Sick Time’ benefit, to do second wage increase for all US hourly/salaried partners, provide an additional Stock Grant with a 1-year vest, reiterates it will create 8,000+ new retail jobs, 500 manufacturing jobs in 2018. $SBUX PR link.

Discover Financial(PBR286) raises minimum pay rate to $15.25/hr for nearly all full-time US employees, to impact 7,000+, granted a $1,000 bonus to 15,000+ earlier in the month, result of the recent corporate tax reductions. $DFS PR link.

Campbell Soup(PBR326) to end manufacturing at Toronto plant, move its Canadian headquarters and commercial operations to a new location in the Greater Toronto Area. $CPB PR link.

Royal Caribbean(PBR329) employees, except corporate officers, to get 5% salary bonuses for achieving 3 year Double Double goal of doubling earnings per share and a double digit return on invested capital. $RCL PR link.

Boston Scientific(PBR356) invests $90 million and has option to acquire privately held IRIS Transcatheter Annuloplasty Ring System to treat severe mitral regurgitation developer Millipedefor $325 million plus $125 million for milestone achievements, must be exercised by end of 2019. $BSX PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) gets final US FDA approvaland launches an AB rated generic version of Epiduo® Gel for topical treatment of acne, $164 million marketplace over past 12 months. $PRGO PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) gets final US FDA approvalfor generic version of Estrace® Cream (estradiol vaginal cream, USP, 0.01%), $457 million marketplace over past 12 months. $PRGO PR link.

Ralph Lauren(PBR349) hires Alice Delahunt to newly created position of Chief Digital Officer, effective in 04/18; other supportive SVP positions announced. $RL PR link.

Ingredion(PBR415) promotes Larry Fernandes to SVP and Chief Commercial Officer effective 03/01/18. $INGR PR link.

JM Smucker(PBR437) Vice Chair and President/US Food and Beverage Steven Oakland to retire 06/29/18; Joseph Stanziano to be SVP/General Manager, Coffee, effective 02/01/18; Tina Floyd to be SVP/General Manager, Consumer Foods, effective 02/01/18; Amy Held to SVP/Strategy and M&A, effective 05/01/18. $SJM PR link.

CIT Group(PBR608) promotes Mike Jones to President/Business Capital unit effective immediately, and Jeff Lytle to President/Rail business effective 04/01/18. $CIT PR link.

Brown & Brown(PBR972) promotes Paul Rogers to SVP and Regional President of Employee Benefits. $BRO PR link.

Merck(PBR70) elects Inge Thulin, Chairman/President/CEO of 3M(PBR92), to the Board, effective 03/01/18. $MRK PR link.

Sanmina(PBR401) appoints William DeLaney, most recently CEO of Sysco(PBR61) to the Board. $SANM PR link.

Silgan(PBR576) elects William T. Donovan, former Chair of privately held manufacturer of wood flooring products for the truck trailer and container industries Rockland Industrial Holdings, to the Board. $SLGN PR link.

MGIC Investment(PBR993) elects Melissa Lora, President of YUM!(PBR217)’s Taco Bell International unit, to the Board. $MTG PR link.

The Natl Assn of Realtors says US Preliminary December Existing Home Sales Annual Rate was 5,570,000, -3.6% from November, +1.1% from December 2016; December Median Sales Price was $246,800, -0.5% from November, +5.8% from December 2016. NAR PR link.

***Tuesday, January 23:

CVS Health(PBR11) adds 22 medication disposal units that will be installed inside CVS Pharmacy locations in S Carolina, now has 750 locations across US. $CVS PR link.

Valero Energy(PBR13) approves incremental $2.5 billion share repurchase authorization, balance is now $3.7 billion. $VLO PR link.

Verizon(PBR15) says 2017 revenues were at $87.5 billion, -1.9% from 2016, net increase of 1.2 million retail postpaid connections in 4Q17, ended 2017 with 116.3 million total retail connections. $VZ PR link.

JPMorgan Chase(PBR21) increasing wages between $15 to $18/hour for 22,000 employees, opening up to 400 new Chase branches in new cities and states, hiring 4,000 in new US markets and for home lending, increasing small business lending by $4 billion nationwide, home loans by 25% to $50 billion, expanding philanthropic investments by 40% to $1.75 billion in $20 billion over 5 years investment, cites recent changes to the US corporate tax system and a more constructive regulatory and business environment. $JPM PR link.

Walt Disney(PBR57) announces 125,000+ US non-executive employees will receive a one-time $1,000 cash bonus, will also make an initial investment of $50 million in a new and ongoing education program specifically designed to cover tuition costs for hourly employees, result of recently enacted US tax reform plan. $DIS PR link.

T-Mobile(PBR95) completes acquisition of TV technology innovator Layer3 TV to create T-Mobile’s new TV service in 2018, terms not disclosed. $TMUS PR link.

Kimberly-Clark(PBR141) in 4Q17 report says it will reduce its workforce by 5,000-5,500 (12-13%) as part of 2018 global restructuring program. $KMB PR link.

UNUM(PBR261) to enter Poland market with acquisition of group and individual risk protection provider Pramerica Życie from a Prudential Financial(PBR55) subsidiary, terms not disclosed. $UNUM PR link.

Quest Diagnostics(PBR353) to acquire Santa Ana, CA, based national provider of home-based health risk assessments and related services Mobile Medical Examination Service (MedXM), terms not disclosed. $DGX PR link.

Brown-Forman(PBR563) to do 4:1 stock spliton 02/28/18. $BFB PR link.

Clean Harbors(PBR629) to acquire Veolia N America’s $210 million/2017 60 locations US Industrial Cleaning Services Division for $120 million cash, to close 1Q18. $CLH PR link.

Intl Flavors & Fragrances(PBR666) breaks ground for new 32 acre site manufacturing facility in Sri City, India, to be its largest facility in Greater Asia, to be in production by end of 2019. $IFF PR link.

Ventas(PBR671) transitions management of 76 private pay seniors housing communities with 6,000 seniors to newly formed Eclipse Senior Living with Ventas having a 34% stake. $VTR PR link.

GoDaddy(PBR905) to acquire 10,000 customers Austin, TX, based “do-it-for-me” social networks services provider Main Street Hub for $125 million cash plus $50 million performance bonuses. $GDDY PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR937) completes acquisition of leading supplier of hole-card readers for blackjack provider Tech Art, terms not disclosed. $SGMS PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) announces new 10-year incentive plan for CEO/Founder Elon Musk, only compensation is 100% at-risk performance awards, paid as stock options in 12 tranches based on achieving market capitalization goals starting at $100 billion to $650 billion. $TSLA PR link.

AMD(PBR445) hires Mike Rayfield as SVP/General Manager of AMD Radeon Technologies Group(RTG) and David Wang as SVP/Engineering for RTG. $AMD PR link.

Twitter(PBR735) COO Anthony Noto leaving by 03/01/18 to accept CEO role in another company. $TWTR PR link.

Kemper(PBR847) hires Duane Sanders as President of Property & Casualty Division. $KMPR PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says Fifth District January Manufacturing Index(Annualized) is at 14%, December was 20%, November 30%, January 2017 12%. RichmondFed PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says Fifth District January Service Sector Revenue Index(Annualized) is at 20%, December was 25%, November 30%, January 2017 21%. RichmondFed PR link.

The US Senate confirms Jerome Powell as next Federal Reserve Chairman by a vote of 84-13, 3 not voting. Senate PR link.

***Monday, January 22:

***US Congress passes legislation to extend Federal Government spending through 02/08/18.

Apple(PBR5) joins Malala Fund, first Laureate partner, with the initial goal of extending secondary education opportunities to 100,000+ girls in India and Latin America. $AAPL PR link.

AIG(PBR46) to acquire reinsurance, primary insurance, and asset management services provider Validus(NYSE: VR) for $68.00/share, $5.56 billion cash. $AIG PR link.

Whirlpool(PBR138) Chairman Jeff Fettig praises Trump Administration‘s decision to uphold long-standing trade rules by establishing a tariff of up to the legal maximum of 50 percent on imports of large residential washing machines, will result in new manufacturing jobs in Ohio, Kentucky, S Carolina and Tennessee. $WHR PR link.

Baxter(PBR176) gets US FDA approval of frozen, premixed, ready-to-use formulation cardiovascular medication Bivalirudin. $BAX PR link.

Aramark(PBR184) completes $1 billion acquisition of uniform and linen rental and supply company AmeriPride. $ARMK PR link.

FirstEnergy(PBR195) to get $2.5 billion equity investment from Elliott Management and others. $FE PR link.

Celgene(PBR347) to acquire cellular immunotherapy developer Juno Therapeutics(NASDAQ: JUNO) for $87/share, around $9 billion cash, to close 1Q18. $CELG PR link.

Netflix(PBR447) adds 8.33 million subscribers in 4Q17, has 117.58 million total, had 93.80 million at end of 4Q16, 2017 revenues of $3.286 billion, +32.6% from 2016. $NFLX PR link.

Brinker Intl(PBR697) in partnership with Pearson is offering no cost Foundational, GED and associate degrees to Chili’s and Maggiano’s employees. $EAT PR link.

Equinix(PBR793) international data centers to make AT&T(PBR12) Switched Ethernet ServiceSM with Network on Demand available to businesses through expanded relationship. $EQIX PR link.

Priceline(PBR319) hires David Goulden as EVP/CFO effective 03/01/18, succeeds retiring Daniel J. Finnegan. $PCLN PR link.

Darden Restaurants(PBR398) promotes Dave George to the newly created position of EVP/COO; Dan Kiernan succeeds George as President/Olive Garden. $DRI PR link.

Ingredion(PBR415) promotes Tony Delio to SVP/Corporate Strategy & Chief Innovation Officer effective 03/01/18, succeeds departing Martin Sonntag. $INGR PR link.

Clorox(PBR442) EVP/CFO Steve Robb to retire on 03/31/18, Kevin Jacobsen to be promoted to SVP/CFO effective 04/01/18. $CLX PR link.

Adobe Systems(PBR557) EVP/CFO Mark Garrett and EVP/General Counsel Mike Dillon to retire upon appointment of successors. $ADBE PR link.

Netflix(PBR447) appoints Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of Eutelsat, to the Board. $NFLX PR link.

Alaska Air(PBR454) appoints retired Boeing(PBR27) executive Ray Conner to the Board. $ALK PR link.

Abercrombie & Fitch(PBR595) Executive Chairman Arthur Martinez to retire effective 02/03/18, Lead Independent Director Terry Burman to become Non-Executive Chairman at that time. $ANF PR link.

Brinker Intl(PBR697) elects James Katzman, retired partner of Goldman Sachs(PBR76), to the Board. $EAT PR link.

Alexion Pharmaceutical(PBR840) appoints Deborah Dunsire, MD, former President/CEO of Millennium Pharmaceuticals, to the Board. $ALXN PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says Preliminary December National Activity Indexis at +0.27, November was +0.11, October+0.87, December 2016 +0.47. ChiFed PR link.

The Office of the US Trade Representativeissues statement on President Trump approving relief for manufacturers of washing machines and solar cells through up to 50% tariffs on imports. USTR PR link.

FannieMae(PBR17) January 2018 Economic and Housing Outlook forecasts 2.7% GDP in 2018, unemployment rate to drop to 3.7% in 2H19, Federal Reserve policy decisions are key factor. $FNMA PR link.

***Friday, January 19:

***US Senate unable to pass spending bill, federal government partially shuts down for the first time since 2013. Starts Saturday, January 20.

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 01/19/18:
DJIA ends at 26,071.72, +1.04% from last Friday, +5.47% MTD/QTD/YTD, -0.17% from record 26,115.65 set 01/17/18.
NASDAQ ends at record 7,336.38, +1.04% from last Friday, +6.27% MTD/QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 7,336.38 set 01/19/18.
SPX ends at record 2,810.30, +0.86% from last Friday, +5.11% MTD/QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 2,810.30 set 01/19/18.

Amazon(PBR29) raises monthly Prime membership from $10.99 to $12.99, annual membership still $99, student, low income options still available. $AMZN PR link.

Coca-Cola(PBR63) reshaping its approach to packaging, with a global goal to help collect and recycle the equivalent of 100% of its packaging by 2030. $KO PR link.

Schlumberger(PBR96) says in 4Q17 reportthat it will exit the marine and land seismic acquisition market, and turn WesternGecoproduct line into an asset-light business. $SLB PR link.

Lincoln Financial(PBR213) to acquire Liberty Life Assurance Company of Boston from Liberty Mutual Insurance Group for $3.3 billion, to close 2Q18. $LNC PR link.

SunTrust Banks(PBR307) Chief Information Officer Anil Cheriyan to retire effective 03/31/18, Scott Case to be promoted to CIO effective 02/05/18. $STI PR link.

Lowe’s(PBR50) appoints David H. Batchelder, co-founder of Relational Investors, and Lisa W. Wardell, CEO of Adtalem Global Education(PBR905), to its Board effective 03/22/18, to add nomination of Brian C. Rogers, chairman of T. Rowe Price(PBR570), for Board election at 2018 annual meeting. $LOW PR link.

Cabot Corp(PBR607) elects Dr. Cynthia Arnold, recently retired as Chief Technology Officer of The Valspar Corporation, to the Board; elects Sue H. Rataj as Non-Executive Chair, succeeds John F. O’Brien who remains on the Board; Roderick C.G. MacLeod, Board member since 1998, to retire from Board at annual meeting on 03/08/18. $CBT PR link.

The U of Michigan US Preliminary January Consumer Sentiment Index is at 94.4, December was 95.9, November 98.5, January 2017 98.5. UMich PR link.

***Thursday, January 18:

ExxonMobil(PBR2) to acquire 80% exploration and production rights for the Deepwater Cape Three Points block of 366,000 acres 57 miles from coast of Ghana. $XOM PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) announces the 20 cities in contention for its HQ2 headquarters which could employ as many as 50,000. $AMZN PR link.

American Express(PBR83) revenues up 10% over 2017, added 2.5 million cardholders in 4Q17, will have net loss because of recent Tax Act legislation. $AXP PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) and Cox Communicationsannounce new multi-year business agreement, settles some patent issues, allows Sprint to leverage Cox’s broadband infrastructure. $S PR link.

Carl Icahn of Icahn Enterprises(PBR147)sends open letter to Xerox(PBR144)shareholders regarding concerns of potential Xerox/Fujifilm transaction and ‘old guard’ board that needs to be changed. $XRX PR link.

CenturyLink(PBR160) brings broadband to 600,000 homes and businesses in rural America over the last 2 years in conjunction with FCC’s Connect America Fund (CAF) program to install 1.2 million over 6 years. $CTL PR link.

Bank of NY Mellon(PBR183 $BK) in 4Q17conference call says it will raise minimum wage to $15/hour effective 03/01/18, to affect 1,000 of its 52,700 employees, will invest in technology, cites tax reform as key driver. MarketWatch PR link.

Facebook(PBR228)’s WhatsApp unit introduces WhatsApp Business. $FB PR link.

VF Corp(PBR232) to open new 500,000 sf distribution center in 07/18 in Jonestown, PA, to hire for 175+ positions over 3 years. $VFC PR link.

Wyndham Worldwide(PBR464) to acquire La Quinta(PBR998) hotel franchise and hotel management businesses for $1.95 billion in cash, to close 2Q18, after spin-off of La Quinta’s real estate assets into CorePoint Lodging. $WYN PR link.

Regis Corp(PBR912) gets exclusive multi-year sponsorship between its Supercuts hair salons and Major League Baseball starting with 2018 Championship Season. $RGS PR link.

Texas Instruments(PBR220) President/CEO Rich Templeton to transition to Chairman role, EVP/COO Brian Crutcher to become President/CEO on 06/01/18. $TXN PR link.

La Quinta(PBR998) President/CEO Keith Cline to serve as President/CEO of 315 hotels with 40,000 rooms CorePoint Lodging upon completion of spinoff as a separate public company. $LQ PR link.

Blackstone(PBR352) Alternative Asset Management unit President/CEO Tom Hill to become its Chairman, John McCormick appointed as successor. $BX PR link.

Nike(PBR98 $NKE) promotes Dirk-Jan “DJ” van Hameren to Chief Marketing Officer, succeeds Greg Hoffman who has been named VP/Global Brand Creative and Marketing Innovation. MarketWatch PR link.

Ryder(PBR378) hires Rajeev Ravindran as Chief Information Officer, succeeds Mel Kirk who is now Chief Technology Officer of Ryder’s Fleet Management Solutions unit. $R PR link.

Albemarle(PBR792) EVP/Corporate Strategy & Investor Relations Matt Juneau to retire in 03/18, Eric W. Norris hired as successor. $ALB PR link.

AES Corp(PBR171) appoints Jeffrey Ubben, Founder/CEO of ValueAct Capital, to the Board. $AES PR link.

Facebook(PBR228) appoints Kenneth I. Chenault, who is retiring as Chairman/CEO of American Express effective 02/01/18, to the Board, effective 02/05/18. $FB PR link.

PPL Corp(PBR245) elects Phoebe A. Wood, former Brown-Forman(PBR563) VP/CFO and Vice Chairman, to the Board. $PPL PR link.

Agilent Technologies(PBR364) appoints Dow Wilson, CEO of Varian Medical(PBR678), to the Board, effective 03/20/18. $A PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD says US Preliminary December Building Permits Issued Annual Rate is at 1,302,000 units, -0.1% from November, +2.8% from December 2016. USDOC PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia January Manufacturing General Business Indicator Index is at 22.2, December was 27.9, November 24.3, January 2017 24.1. PhillyFed PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR41) January Outlookforecasts increased lending rates, increasing number of home sales, slower price growth, and lower value of originations through 2019. $FMCC PR link.

OPEC January Monthly Oil Market Reportsays Global GDP Rate to remain at 3.7% in 2018, US 2017 GDP estimated at 2.3%, to be 2.6% in 2018; 2017 Global Oil Demandaveraged 96.99 million barrels of oil/day(mb/d), expects to be 98.51 mb/d in 2018, OPEC nations generated 32.42 mb/d in 12/17. OPEC PR link.

***Wednesday, January 17:

Walmart(PBR1) is first national pharmacy chain to offer free opioid disposal solution at all pharmacy locations. $WMT PR link.

Apple(PBR5) to invest over $350 billion in US economy over next 5 years, to create 20,000 jobs. $AAPL PR link.

Verizon(PBR15) and Natl Basketball Assn(NBA) expand multi-platform content and technology partnership with multi-year video streaming service. $VZ PR link.

Intel(PBR51) provides progress report on actions and results pertaining to mitigating Spectre and Meltdown exploits. $INTC PR link.

Amgen(PBR135) gets US FDA approval for addition of overall survival data to KYPROLIS® (carfilzomib) label in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. $AMGN PR link.

Franklin Resources(PBR315) to acquire UKbased $10 billion in global and emerging markets equities investment management firm Edinburgh Partners, terms not disclosed. $BEN PR link.

Abercrombie & Fitch(PBR595) Abercrombie Kids unit launches ‘Everybody Collection,’ its first gender-neutral collection, first collection will feature 25 styles, including tops, bottoms and accessories, available in stores and online. $ANF PR link.

Dentsply Sirona(PBR694) hires Donald Casey, Jr, as CEO, effective 02/12/18, succeeds interim CEO Mark Thierer. $XRAY PR link.

Walmart(PBR1) EVP/COO Judith McKenna to become President/CEO of Walmart International, effective 02/01/18, succeeds retiring David Cheesewright. $WMT PR link.

Wells Fargo(PBR30) SEVP/Chief Risk Officer Mike Loughlin to retire after 36 years with WF, effective when successor appointed. $WFC PR link.

Polaris Industries(PBR531) hires Mike Donoughe as Chief Technical Officer, effective 01/22/18, succeeds Steve Kemp who is becoming VP/Technology, Electronics & Software. $PII PR link.

Genesco(PBR702) SVP/CFO Mimi Eckel Vaughn to become COO when CFO successor appointed. $GCO PR link.

HCA(PBR75) appoints Michael W. Michelson to the Board, was previously on the Board from 2006 to 2016. $HCA PR link.

Dentsply Sirona(PBR694) appoints Betsy D. Holden, formerly Co-CEO of Kraft Foods and CEO of Kraft Foods North America, and Leslie F. Varon, former CFO of Xerox(PBR144), and Don Casey, Jr, next Dentsply Sirona CEO, to the Board. $XRAY PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Board releases Beige Book, 11 of 12 districts report modest to moderate growth, outlook for 2018 remains optimistic for majority of contacts surveyed. USFed PR link.

The Federal Reserve Board says US Preliminary December Industrial Production Index(2012=100) was at 107.5, November was 106.5, October 106.6, December 2016 103.8, Total Over Last 12 Months +3.6%; US Preliminary December Manufacturing Capacity was at 77.9%, November was 77.2%, October 77.4%, December 2016 76.0%. USFed PR link.

The Natl Assn of Home Builders/Wells Fargo US Preliminary January Composite Housing Market Index is at 72, December was 74, November 69, January 2017 67. NAHB/WF PR link.

The ADP US 4Q17 Workforce Vitality Index(3Q13=100) is at 116.8, +4.0% from 4Q16. (Measures total wages paid to the US private sector workforce.) $ADP PR link.

***Tuesday, January 16:

GE(PBR9) to take $6.2 billion after-tax GAAP charge in 4Q17 as a result of comprehensive review and reserve testing for GE Capital’s run-off insurance portfolio, North American Life & Health (NALH). $GE PR link.

IBM(PBR25) and Maersk (MAERSKb.CO) to form joint venture applying blockchain to improve global trade and digitize supply chains. $IBM PR link.

Boeing(PBR27) and auto seats manufacturer Adient(NYSE:ADNT) form joint venture company Adient Aerospace to develop, manufacture and sell seating products to airlines and aircraft leasing companies. $BA PR link.

MetLife(PBR39) to merge General American Life Insurance Company subsidiary into its Metropolitan Tower Life Insurance Companysubsidiary in 1H18. $MET PR link.

Energy Transfer Equity(PBR52) Partners unit to sell compression business to USA Compression Partners(NYSE: USAC) for $1.8 billion, ETE to receive ownership interests in USAC general partner and 12.5 million shares of USAC. $ETE PR link.

Qualcomm(PBR106) sends letter to stockholders, explains how it is creating value, encourages rejection of Broadcom(NASDAQ: AVGO) acquisition bid at 03/06/18 annual stockholders meeting. $QCOM PR link.

Qualcomm(PBR106 $QCOM) gets response to its shareholders letter from Broadcom(NASDAQ: AVGO). $AVGO PR link.

Medtronic(PBR133) gets US FDA clearance for Riptide(TM) Aspiration System. $MDT PR link.

NextEra Energy(PBR173)’s Florida Light & Power unit to apply federal tax savings toward $1.3 billion cost of Hurricane Irma, will save 4.9 million consumers planned $250 surcharge. $NEE PR link.

Visteon(PBR351) authorizes new share repurchase program for $500 million, is in addition to current authorization which has $200 million balance available. $VC PR link.

TEGNA(PBR622) and Sony Pictures Television(NYSE: SNE) do exclusive multi-year distribution agreement, SPT to distribute all TEGNA owned first-run programming, SPT to also act as exclusive advertising sales representative for national barter and integrations. $TGNA PR link.

H&R Block(PBR669) enters exclusive partnership with Walmart(PBR1), is new, exclusive DIY desktop tax software provider through stores and online. $HRB PR link.

Bon-Ton Stores(PBR707) default on $14 million interest payment due 12/15/17, enters into forbearance agreement, due 01/26/18, may be extended to 02/04/18. $BONT PR link.

Vantiv(PBR754) completes $10 billion acquisition of London, UK, based WorldPay, merged company named WorldPay, class A common stock to start trading on NYSE with ticker symbol WP. $VNTV PR link.

Adtalem Education(PBR905)’s Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) unit reaches 60,000 international members. $ATGE PR link.

Blackhawk Network(PBR998) to be acquired by Silver Lake and P2 Capital Partners for $45.25/share, $3.5 billion cash, to close mid-2018. $HAWK PR link.

Kennametal(PBR706) promotes Peter Dragich to VP & President/Industrial unit, succeeds departing Chuck Byrnes; Ron Port promoted to VP and President/Infrastructure unit. $KMT PR link.

Jack in the Box(PBR987) hires Lance F. Tucker as EVP/CFO, effective 03/26/18, succeeds retiring Jerry P. Rebel. $JACK PR link.

Dollar Tree(PBR309) appoints Stephanie Stahl, former executive at Coach and Revlon(PBR900), to the Board. $DLTR PR link.

Triumph Group(PBR578) appoints retired USAF General Larry O. Spencer, currently President of the Air Force Association, and Daniel P. Garton, former President/CEO of American Airlines(PBR69)’ American Eagle subsidiary, to the Board, effective immediately and 02/19/18, respectively. $TGI PR link.

TEGNA(PBR622) elects Gina Bianchini, Silicon Valley entrepreneur with a deep expertise in social media and community building technology platforms, to the Board, effective 02/26/18. $TGNA PR link.

Charles River Labs(PBR900) appoints Jean-Paul Mangeolle, former President of AB SCIEX, to the Board. $CRL PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York says the Empire State January Manufacturing Survey General Business Conditions Index is at 17.7, December was 19.6, November 20.9, January 2017 6.7. NYFed PR link.

***Monday, January 15:

***Martin Luther King, Jr, Day.
***US Stock Markets Closed.

Avis Budget(PBR316) adopts one-year Stockholder Rights Plan to protect stockholders against “creeping control” by largest shareholder SRS Investment Management, cooperative agreement ends today, identifying new director candidates with specific skill sets to replace a number of retiring directors. $CAR PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires New Providence, NJ, based full-service employee benefits consultant and broker firm The Daniels Group, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

Manitowoc(PBR579) to relocate corporate headquarters from Manitowoc, WI, to Milwaukee, WI, will lease approximately 16,000 sf in One Park Place in the Park Plaza office park, expects transition to be completed by 1Q18 end. $MTW PR link.

***Friday, January 12:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 01/12/18:
DJIA ends at record 25,803.19, +2.01% from last Friday, +4.39% MTD/QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 25,803.19 set 01/12/18.
NASDAQ ends at record 7,261.06, +1.74% from last Friday, +5.18% MTD/QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 7,261.06 set 01/12/18.
SPX ends at record 2,786.24, +1.57% from last Friday, +4.21% MTD/QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 2,786.24 set 01/12/18.

Merck(PBR70) gets US FDA approval for LYNPARZA® (olaparib) in germline BRCA-mutated metastatic breast cancer. $MRK PR link.

Qualcomm(PBR106) extends cash tender offer to acquire Netherlands based NXP Semiconductors NV(NASDAQ: NXPI) for $110.00/share, $47 billion cash to 02/09/18, 1.7% of NXP common shares, have been validly tendered. $QCOM PR link.

AFLAC(PBR121) issues statement regarding allegations which it claims are false, including insider trading, fraudulent sales and financial manipulation. $AFL PR link.

Group 1 Automotive(PBR276) to give $500 cash bonus to non-management dealership employees and operational support staff across its 115 US dealerships, cites recently signed tax reform bill. $GPI PR link.

Live Nation(PBR366) acquires certain assets, including ticketing commerce platform, anti-scalping algorithm, API applications and patent portfolio, from London, England, based Complete Entertainment Resources Group(fka Songkick), agree to settle litigation issues. $LYV PR link.

Arthur J Gallagher(PBR515) acquires Houston, TX, based property/casualty broker focused exclusively on serving Texas water utilities AquaSurance, terms not disclosed. $AJG PR link.

HNI Corp(PBR841) SVP/Strategic Development Jerald K. Dittmer announce intent to retire, effective 02/16/18. $HNI PR link.

Walt Disney(PBR57 $DIS) board members Facebook(PBR228 $FB) COO Sheryl Sandberg and Twitter(PBR735 $TWTR) CEO Jack Dorsey not standing for re-election due to conflicts relating to matters before the board. MarketWatch PR link.

Berry Global(PBR488) Executive Chairman Jon Rich to retire from position and board; CEO Tom Salmon unanimously elected to add Chairman role, effective 02/01/18. $BERY PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary December Current Average Earnings/Hourwas $26.63, Average Work Week 34.5 hours, Average Weekly Earnings $918.74, +0.3% from November, +2.8% from December 2016. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US December Consumer Price Index was +0.1%, Novemberwas +0.4%, October +0.1%, December 2016+0.3%, Last 12 Months +2.1%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary December Manufacturers Saleswere $1.420 trillion, +1.2% from November, +7.9% from December 2016. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Advance December Total Retail and Food Services & Drinking Places Sales were $495.4 billion, +0.4% from November, +5.5% from December 2016. USDOC PR link.

***Thursday, January 11:

Walmart(PBR1) raising minimum wage to $11/hour, giving $1,000 one-time bonus to US employees with 20 years of service, expanded parental(6 weeks paid) and maternity(10 weeks paid) leave policy for fulltime hourly employees, $5,000 for adoption fees. $WMT PR link.

Walmart(PBR1 $WMT)’s Sam’s Club unit to close around 10% of its 660 stores over next few weeks, will eliminate around 10,000 jobs. MarketWatch PR link.

Tenet Healthcare(PBR161) completes transfer of its 2 Philadelphia hospitals to Paladin Healthcare for $170 million. $THC PR link.

Facebook(PBR228) CEO Mark Zuckerberg says major changes being made to improve people communications, users to see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media. $FB PR link.

Becton Dickinson(PBR318) gets US FDA notification of significant violations of the law as part of ongoing investigation into lead testing issues. $BDX PR link.

Boston Scientific(PBR356) gets US FDA approval for Spectra WaveWriter™ Spinal Cord Stimulator System, offers non-opioid treatment option with multiple therapies for people with chronic pain. $BSX PR link.

AMD(PBR445) provides update on recent and planned actions based on security issues related to Meltdown & Spectre uncovered on 01/03/18 by Google Project Zero. $AMD PR link.

Post Holdings(PBR486) to combine private brands business into a unit under direction of Jim Dwyer as its President/CEO to explore IPO, a placement of private equity, a sale of the businesses or a strategic combination; Post to complete $77.00/share, $1.5 billion cash acquisition of producer and distributor of refrigerated potato, pasta and vegetable-based side dishes, pork sausage, and a variety of refrigerated and frozen convenience food items Bob Evans Farms(NASDAQ: BOBE) on 01/12/18; upon close will separate Post into 2 business units, a refrigerated retail business unit lead by Bob Evan’s CEO Mike Townsley, and a foodservice business unit lead by Mark Westphal, who moves from CFO to President of Post’s Michael Foods Group. $POST PR link.

Endo Intl(PBR700) comments on US Attorney‘s office grand jury subpoena relating to products containing oxymorphone. $ENDP PR link.

DST Systems(PBR723) to be acquired by SS&C Technologies(Nasdaq: SSNC) for $84/share, $5.4 billion, includes debt, to close 3Q18. $DST PR link.

TSYS(PBR790) completes $1.05 billion cash acquisition of technology led acquiring services to more than 70,000 merchants and 100+ integrated partners in the US provider Cayanfrom Parthenon Capital Partners. $TSS PR link.

Eastman Kodak(PBR871 $KODK) directors disclose acquisitions prior to ‘blockchain’ rally. MarketWatch PR link.

Meredith Corp(PBR994) extends tender offer for TimeInc(PBR661) shares to 01/25/18, 58%+ of shared tendered so far. $MDP PR link.

IBM(PBR25) SVP/CFO Martin J. Schroeter takes on new role as SVP/Global Markets, SVP/Finance & Operations James Kavanaugh becomes SVP/CFO. $IBM PR link.

Freddie Mac(PBR41) names Jacqueline M. Welch as head of Human Resources, Diversity & Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer. $FMCC PR link.

Molina Healthcare(PBR284) COO Terry Bayer to retire after 13 years, role to be eliminated, responsibilities go to CEO. $MOH PR link.

Graphic Packaging(PBR553) promotes Mike Farrell to SVP/Supply Chain. $GPK PR link.

Diebold Nixdorf(PBR676) hires Mark Brewer as SVP/Managing Director-Global Retail. $DBD PR link.

Sabre Corp(PBR736) CFO Rick Simonson to retire by end of 2018, new CFO search starts. $SABR PR link.

Hologic(PBR767) elects Namal Nawana, former CEO of Alere, to the Board. $HOLX PR link.

New York Times(PBR971) appoints Rachel Glasser, CFO of Etsy, to the Board. $NYT PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says US December Federal Government Receipts were $325.8 billion, Outlays $349.0 billion, Deficit $23.2 billion, Fiscal YTD Deficit(3 months) is at $225.0 billion, 2017 Fiscal YTD Deficit(3 months) was $209.8 billion. USTreasury PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US December Producer Price Index Total Monthly Final Demand is -0.1%, November was +0.4%, October +0.4%, December 2016 +0.2%, Total Last 12 Months +2.6%. USDOL PR link.

***Wednesday, January 10:

Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) to turn over its cloud operations in China to state-owned local partner, Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry Co, on 02/28/18, to comply with Chinese law. MarketWatch PR link.

Coca-Cola(PBR63) relaunching Diet Coke with new look, adding 4 new flavors. $KO PR link.

Sears(PBR93) raises $100 million in new financing, is pursuing an additional $200 million from other counterparties, in discussions with certain lenders regarding additional transactions to improve the terms on potentially more than $1 billion of its non-first lien debt, doing cost reductions of $200 million on an annualized basis in 2018 unrelated to store closures. $SHLD PR link.

Medtronic(PBR133) gets US FDA approval of a new clinician programmer for use with the SynchroMed(TM)II Intrathecal Drug Delivery system, an implantable pump that provides targeted drug delivery for chronic pain and severe spasticity. $MDT PR link.

Whirlpool(PBR138) restructuring Embracocompressor business, to close Turin, Italy, facility, 500 positions impacted, assembly/manufacturing to be moved to other Embraco facilities. $WHR PR link.

Waste Management(PBR206) to pay $2,000 bonuses to every US employee not on a bonus or sales incentive plan, 34,000 estimated to be eligible, cites new corporate US tax structure as reason. $WM PR link.

Activision Blizzard(PBR549 $ATVI), ‘Call of Duty’ developer, shuts down sole US distribution center and warehouse, located in Fresno, CA, layoff of 50 people. MarketWatch PR link.

Brink’s(PBR613) to acquire Brazil based $80 million/year cash-in-transit, money processing and ATM services provider Rodoban for around $145 million cash, to close 2Q18. $BCO PR link.

Iron Mountain(PBR663) completes $1.315 billion plus $60 million performance incentive acquisition of 4 US operations of Phoenix, AZ, based IO Data Centers. $IRM PR link.

Apollo Global Mgmt(PBR906)’s Northwoods Energy unit to acquire SM Energy(PBR978)‘s core Powder River Basin assets of over 112,200 net acres in Wyoming for $500 million. $APO PR link.

Cerner(PBR628) hires Brent Shafer as Chairman/CEO, effective 02/01/18, succeeds Interim Chairman/CEO & Co-Founder Cliff Illig who will resume his Vice Chairman role. $CERN PR link.

Alaska Air(PBR454)’s Horizon Air unit names Gary Beck as President/CEO, Constance von Muehlen as its COO. $ALK PR link.

Berkshire Hathaway(PBR4) increases board size from 12 to 14, then elects Gregory E. Abel, Chairman/CEO of the Hathaway Energy Co unit and appointed Vice Chairman-Non-Insurance Business Operations, and Ajit Jain, EVP/National Indemnity Co unit and appointed Vice Chairman-Insurance Operations, to the Board. $BRKB PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary November Total Wholesale Saleswere at $611.0 billion, +1.5% from October, +9.9% from November 2016. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary December Import Prices were +0.1%, Last 12 Months +3.0%, December Export Prices-0.1%, Last 12 Months +2.6%. USDOL PR link.

***Tuesday, January 9:

T-Mobile(PBR95) announces first plan in US for narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), to be available for just $6 per year. $TMUS PR link.

Arrow Electronics(PBR120) completes acquisition of San Jose, CA, based 1,500 employees, large global IoT design services provider eInfochips, terms not disclosed. $ARW PR link.

Discovery Communications(PBR399) to relocate its global headquarters from Silver Spring, MD, to New York City in 2019; upon closing of acquisition of Scripps Network(PBR732), Discovery also will establish a National Operations Headquarters at Scripps’ current campus in Knoxville, TN. $DISCA PR link.

Sprouts(PBR688) to expand home delivery service from 8 to all its major markets in new partnership with Instacart, first phase is to select zip codes in Phoenix & Tucson, AZ. $SFM PR link.

Applied Industrial Technologies(PBR787) to acquire Columbus, OH, based 68 locations, 1,000 employees specialty process flow control products and services distributor FCX Performance for $768 million, to close within 30 days. $AIT PR link.

Par Pacific(PBR858) to acquire 33 Cenex® Zip Trip convenience stores in eastern Washington and northwestern Idaho from CHS Inc. for approximately $70 million plus inventory value, includes multi-year strategic fuel supply agreements. $PARR PR link.

Eastman Kodak(PBR871) and WENN Digital, in licensing partnership, launch blockchain KODAKOne image rights management platform and KODAKCoin, a photo-centric cryptocurrency for photographers and agencies to receive royalty payments through cryptocurrencies. $KODK PR link.

Wendy’s(PBR877) opens 500th international restaurant in late 12/17, located in Guatemala City, Guatemala. $WEN PR link.

Lands’ End(PBR976) selected as the new uniform supplier for 51,000 American Airlines(PBR69) Flight Service, Airport Customer Service and Premium Customer Services employees, 1.8 million apparel items. $LE PR link.

SM Energy(PBR978) to sell 112,200 acre leasehold in Wyoming’s Powder Blue Basin for $500 million cash, to close 1Q18. $SM PR link.

SYNNEX(PBR209) President/CEO Kevin Murai to retire and become Chairman, COO Dennis Polk to become President/CEO, Dwight Steffensen to become Lead Independent Director, all on 03/01/18. $SNX PR link.

AAR Corp(PBR883) Chairman/CEO David Storch to retire as CEO effective 05/31/18, President/COO John M. Holmes elected CEO effective 06/01/18. $AIR PR link.

Domino’s(PBR889) President/CEO Patrick Doyle to depart on 06/30/18, successor to be President/Domino’s International Richard Allison, President/Domino’s USA Russell Weiner to be COO(a newly created position) and President/Americas, both effective 07/01/18. $DPZ PR link.

Polaris Industries(PBR531) hires Lucy Clark Dougherty as SVP/General Counsel, compliance officer, corporate secretary, and president of the Polaris Foundation, effective 01/29/18. $PII PR link.

Brinker Intl(PBR697) promotes Wade Allen to SVP/Chief Digital Officer, will transition from retiring David Doyle, former Brinker chief information officer. $EAT PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary November Total Hires were at 5,110,000 for the Private Sector, 379,000 for the Government Sector, 5,489,000 Total, -1.9% from October, +5.3% from November 2016. USDOL PR link.

CoreLogic says US October Percent of House Payments 30 Or More Days Past Due was at 5.1%, September was 5.0%, August 4.6%, October 2016 5.2%. CoreLogic PR link.

The US December Purdue/CME Group Composite Ag Economy Barometer is at 126, November was 128, October 135, December 2016 132. Purdue/CME Group PR link.

***Monday, January 8:

Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) defends its record amid criticism over iPhones’ effect on kids. MarketWatch PR link.

GE(PBR9) Healthcare, Roche(SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) enter partnership to develop integrated digital diagnostics platform to improve oncology and critical care treatment. $GE PR link.

Target(PBR40) to introduce its Universal Thread brand in 02/18, an exclusive women’s lifestyle brand that’s grounded in denim and features tops, dresses, accessories and shoes, with prices ranging from $5 to $39.99. $TGT PR link.

Pfizer(PBR56 $PFE) abandons costly hunt for new Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s drugs, will result in layoffs of 300 in NE US. MarketWatchPR link.

Whirlpool(PBR138) becomes first appliance maker to activate Apple(PBR5) Watchfunctionality, to roll out in 20+ appliances in 2018. $WHR PR link.

Facebook(PBR228 $FB), Chinese smartphone maket Xiaomi team up for virtual-reality headset in China, new device is modeled after Facebook’s Oculus Go. MarketWatch PR link.

The Mosaic Co(PBR300) completes $1.15 billion cash and 34.2 million common shares of stock acquisition of Brazil based Vale Fertilizantes. $MOS PR link.

Mylan(PBR346) to complete $1 billion share repurchase program, Abbott Labs(PBR134)sells it 14.5% stake as planned. $MYL PR link.

Celgene(PBR347) to acquire Impact Biomedicines for upfront payment of $1.1 billion, additional $5.9 billion possible based on performance, adds Fedratinib to Its pipeline of therapies for hematologic malignancies. $CELG PR link.

NCR(PBR383) opens its new two tower 750,000 sf campus global headquarters campus in midtown Atlanta, to house 5,000 employees. $NCR PR link.

NVIDIA(PBR510) selected by Uber for the AI computing system in its fleet of self-driving vehicles. $NVDA PR link.

Fitbit(PBR870) community grows to over 25 million active users in 2017. $FIT PR link.

GoPro(PBR902) to reduce workforce from 1,254 to under 1,000, withdraw from drone market because of Europe/US hostile regulatory environment. $GPRO PR link.

Regis Corp(PBR912) to close around 600 nonperforming company owned SmartStylesalons on 01/08/18, to strategically grow remaining 2,000 SmartStyle salons with creative new offerings within Walmart(PBR1). $RGS PR link.

Allscripts(PBR944) to acquire private San Francisco, CA, based 30,000 ambulatory practices and 5 million patient visits a month cloud EHR provider Practice Fusion for $100 million cash. $MDRX PR link.

Perrigo(PBR565) hires Uwe Röhrhoff as President/CEO, effective 01/15/18, succeeds retiring John T. Hendrickson. $PRGO PR link.

Nordstrom(PBR214) Rack unit President Karen McKibbin to retire in 03/18, Chief Innovation Officer Geevy Thomas to be successor. $JWN PR link.

CSX(PBR226) hires Edmond Harris as EVP/Operations. $CSX PR link.

Ingredion(PBR415) to appoint Elizabeth Adefioye as SVP/Chief Human Resources Officer, effective 03/01/18. $INGR PR link.

Bloomin’ Brands(PBR536) hires Ramin Eivaz as SVP/Digital Marketing, Analytics & CRM, a newly created position. $BLMN PR link.

The Federal Reserve Board says US Preliminary November Total Consumer Credit Outstanding is at $3.827 trillion, +0.7% from October, +5.0% YTD, +5.3% from November 2016. USFed PR link.

Fannie Mae(PBR17) says US December Home Purchase Sentiment Index is at 85.8, November was 87.8, October 85.2, December 2016 80.7. $FNMA PR link.

***Friday, January 5:

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for the Week Ending 01/05/18:
DJIA ends at record 25,295.87, +2.33% from last Friday/MTD/QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 25,295.87 set 01/05/18.
NASDAQ ends at record 7,136.56, +3.38% from last Friday/MTD/QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 7,136.56 set 01/05/18.
SPX ends at record 2,743.15, +2.60% from last Friday/MTD/QTD/YTD, +0.00% from record 2,743.15 set 01/05/18.

ExxonMobil(PBR2) makes 6th oil discovery offshore Guyana since 2015, new play concept for the 6.6 million acre Stabroek Block, 3.2 billion oil-equivalent barrels before discovery, has 45% interest, Hess(PBR248) has 30% interest, Nexen Petroleum 25% interest. $XOM PR link.

Amgen(PBR135) gets US FDA approval for XGEVA® (denosumab) for prevention of skeletal-related events In patients with multiple myeloma. $AMGN PR link.

Facebook(PBR228) CEO/Founder Mark Zuckerberg posts on his FB page his annual challenge, 2018 is to fix Facebook, discusses centralization/decentralization issues. (Requires FB access). $FB PR link.

Owens & Minor(PBR292) expects to close $710 million in cash acquisition of $1 billion revenues/year surgical and infection prevention (“S&IP”) business of Halyard Health in 1Q18, former Halyard SVP/COO Chris Lowery joins as President/Global Products. $OMI PR link.

Constellation Brands(PBR377) authorizes up to $3 billion share repurchase plan, is in addition to current $1 billion plan. $STZ PR link.

Netflix(PBR447) to launch ‘My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman’on 01/12/18, monthly series, 1st guest is former US President Barack Obama. $NFLX PR link.

Itron(PBR896) completes $16.25/share(25% premium over 09/15/17 closing price), $830 million cash acquisition of Internet of Important Things™ connectivity platforms and solutions to utilities and cities provider, $311 million in sales/2016 with $1.2 billion backlog Silver Spring Networks(NYSE: SSNI). $ITRI PR link.

Scientific Games(PBR937) completes $631 million acquisition of NYX Gaming Group(TSXV: NYX). $SMGS PR link.

Veritiv(PBR311) Chairman/CEO Mary Laschinger gets new agreement extending her contract to 12/31/21 with 1 year renewal options. $VRTV PR link.

Diplomat Pharmacy(PBR515) appoints board director Jeff Park to Interim CEO, follows resignation of co-founder Phil Hagerman who will remain member of the board, become Chairman Emeritus, independent lead director Ben Wolin appointed Chairman, new CEO search starts. $DPLO PR link.

Pinnacle Foods(PBR751) hires Daniel Poland as EVP/Chief Supply Chain Officer, effective 01/22/18, succeeds retiring D. Michael Wittman. $PF PR link.

McDermott Intl(PBR825) hires Ian Prescott as VP/Asia, succeeds retiring Hugh Cuthbertson. $MDR PR link.

Red Robin(PBR963) hires Beverly Carmichael as EVP/Chief People, Culture and Resource Officer. $RRGB PR link.

Broadcom(NASDAQ: AVGO) files definitive proxy materials and sends letter to Qualcomm(PBR106 $QCOM) shareholders promoting its 11 director candidates for 03/06/18 annual stockholders meeting. $AVGO PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says US Preliminary December Total Employed was 154,021,000, +104,000 from November, +1,788,000 from December 2016; Total Unemployed at 6,576,000, Unemployment Rate at 4.1%. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says US Preliminary November Total Exports were $200.3 billion, Total Imports $250.8 billion, Total Deficit $50.5 billion; YTD Total Exports are $2.131 trillion, YTD Total Imports $2.645 trillion, YTD Total Deficit $513.5 billion, YTD Total Deficit November 2016 $460.2 billion. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary November Total Manufacturers New Orders were at $488.1 billion, +1.4% from October, +6.4% from November 2016. USDOC PR link.

The ISM US December Non-Manufacturing Index(>50% means economy growing) is at 55.9%, November was 57.4%, October 60.1%, December 2016 57.2%. ISM PR link.

***Thursday, January 4:

Apple(PBR5) acknowledges security issues related to “Spectre” and “Meltdown,” affects nearly all Apple computing devices, coming out with fixes. $AAPL PR link.

Intel(PBR51) says it expects to have software patches and firmware updates available for 90% of its and partner devices by end of next week to make them immune to recently discovered exploits “Spectre” and “Meltdown.” $INTC PR link.

Sears(PBR93) to close 64 Kmart stores and 39 Sears stores between early March and early April 2018 per strategic assessment. $SHLD PR link.

Macy’s(PBR97) says comparable sales on an owned basis increased 1.0% in November/December 2017 combined, to close 11 stores in early 2018, close 19 more as leases or operating covenants expire, to reach 100 closures announced in 08/16. $M PR link.

Carnival Corp(PBR184) to launch 4 new cruise ships across 4 brands in 2018, to add 18 new cruise ships to industry’s largest fleet between 2018 and 2022. $CCL PR link.

JCPenney(PBR234) delivers a 3.4% comp sales increase for the combined nine-week period ending 12/30/17; reaffirms full-year financial guidance. $JCP PR link.

JetBlue(PBR429) to distribute $1,000 bonuses to all 21,000 crew members in response to recent US tax reform legislation. $JBLU PR link.

Western Union(PBR441) Financial Servicessubsidiary resolves compliance violations from 2004-2012 with New York Dept of Financial Services, pays $60 million, commended for its significant compliance enhancements since 2012 and work with law enforcement agencies, says 20% of workforce dedicated to compliance functions. $WU PR link.

Williams-Sonoma(PBR508) launches Robinmattress collection, includes Robin Sleep System, features small, non-contact monitoring device designed to measure sleep in detail, including the quality and quantity of sleep, from a customer’s nightstand, starts at $629. $WSM PR link.

Xilinx(PBR809) President/CEO Moshe Gavrielov to retire from company and board, effective 01/28/18, COO Victor Peng elected to be President/CEO starting 01/29/18 per transition plan. $XLNX PR link.

Sprint(PBR86) hires telecom/cable industry executive Michel Combes as President/CFO, to be appointed to board at a later date, succeeds Tarek Robbiati who is leaving 01/31/18. $S PR link.

PNC Financial(PBR189) appoints Linda R. Medler, retired US Air Force Brigadier General and until 12/17 Chief Information Security Officer at Raytheon(PBR118)’s Missile Systems subsidiary, and Martin Pfinsgraff, former senior deputy comptroller for large bank supervision at the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, to the Board. $PNC PR link.

ADP(PBR235) says US Preliminary December National Employment Change was +250,000, +35.1% from revised November, +24.4% from December 2016; Goods Producing Sectorwere +28,000, Services Sector +222,000. $ADP PR link.

IHS Markit says US December Composite PMI Output Index was at 54.1, November was 54.5, October 55.2, December 2016 54.1. IHS Markit PR link.

***Wednesday, January 3:

McKesson(PBR6) completes $735 million acquisition of RxCrossroads, a provider of tailored services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturers, from CVS Health(PBR11 $CVS). $MCK PR link.

Verizon(PBR15) and A+E Networks expand partnership across Verizon’s family of media brands. $VZ PR link.

AmerisourceBergen(PBR16) completes $815 million cash acquisition of Springfield, IL, based largest, privately held US healthcare products wholesaler HD Smith. $ABC PR link.

Intel(PBR51) responds to security issues, not unique to its devices, is being mitigated by software updates with little impact to performance. $INTC PR link.

Abbott Labs(PBR134) gets US FDA approvalfor magnetic resonance (MR)-conditional labeling for the Quadra Assura MP™ Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Defibrillator (CRT-D) and Fortify Assura™ Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD). $ABT PR link.

Penske Automotive(PBR170) completes acquistion of UK based 4 locations 18,000 fixed price used car sales/year $300 million/year The Car People, terms not disclosed. $PAG PR link.

Allergan(PBR219) in cost cutting and restructuring effort to eliminate over 1,000 positions and around 400 open positions. $AGN PR link.

Dominion Resources(PBR229) andSCANA(PBR489) to merge in $7.9 billion all stock transaction, $14.6 billion with debt, SCANA to be a wholly owned subsidiary, upon closing SCANA’s South Carolina Electric & Gas Company subsidiary (SCE&G) electric customers to receive an average $1,000 payment within 90 days. $D PR link.

Casey’s General Stores(PBR342) responds to letter from activist investor JCP Investment Management and partners recommending strategic alternatives, including sale of company. $CASY PR link.

Noble Energy(PBR471) receives $305 million cash from CNX Resources(NYSE: CNX) in divestiture of its 50 percent interest in CONE Gathering. $NBL PR link.

Tesla(PBR651) releases 4Q17 and yearly production results, delivered 101,312 Model S and X vehicles in 2017, +33% over 2016, delivered 1,550 Model 3‘s in 4Q17, expects Model 3 production to be 2,500 per week by end of 1Q18, 5,000 per week by end of 2Q18. $TSLA PR link.

Wendy’s(PBR877) expands its “4 for $4”program to include 8 entrees with nuggets, fries and a drink. $WEN PR link.

AVX(PBR969) to acquire privately held 700 employees $90 million/2017 manufacturer of passive and active IMD antenna systemsEthertronics for $142 million cash and $8 million of net debt. $AVX PR link.

Weight Watchers(PBR988) ranked #1 again byUS News & World Report in several categories for diet plans. $WTW PR link.

Office Depot(PBR182) hires Joseph T. Lower as EVP/CFO, succeeds retiring Stephen Hare. $ODP PR link.

SunTrust Banks(PBR307) hires Ellen Fitzsimmons as EVP/General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, succeeds retiring Raymond Fortin. $STI PR link.

Bon-Ton Stores(PBR707) hires Michael Culhane as EVP/CFO, succeeds departing Nancy Walsh. $BONT PR link.

Pier 1 Imports(PBR916) hires Nancy A. Walsh as EVP/CFO, effective 01/25/18. $PIR PR link.

The Federal Reserve Open Market Committeereleases minutes from 12/12-13/17 meeting, says labor market conditions continued to strengthen through 11/17 and suggested that real gross domestic product (GDP) was rising at a solid pace in the 2H17.projects inflation rate to be close to 2% target in 2019 and on target in 2020. FOMC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says US Preliminary November Total Construction Spending Annual Rate is at $1.257 trillion, +0.8% from October, +11.5% from November 2016. USDOC PR link.

The ISM US December Manufacturing PMI Index(>50% means economy growing) is at 59.7%, November was 58.2%, October 58.7%, December 2016 54.5%. ISM PR link.

Automotive News reports that US December New Light Vehicle Sales were at 1,333,409, -5.6% from December 2016, Average Transaction Price was $36,133, +0.7% from November. Automotive News PR link.

***Tuesday, January 2:

Apple(PBR5 $AAPL) acquires Vancouver, BC, Canada, based iOS developer tools provider BuddyBuild, now part of Apple’s Xcode engineering group, to stay in Vancouver, to cease Android app development 03/01/18. BuddyBuild PR link.

Amazon(PBR29) reports it shipped over 5 billion items worldwide in 2017 to Prime members. $AMZN PR link.

American Airlines(PBR69) to distribute $1,000 bonus to each non-officer team member in 1Q18, total $130 million, cites new US tax reform legislation. $AAL PR link.

Arrow Electronics(PBR120) to acquire San Jose, CA, based 1,500 employees, large global IoT design services provider eInfochips, to close this month, terms not disclosed. $ARW PR link.

All Southwest Airlines(PBR153) employees to receive $1,000 bonus on 01/08/18, to contribute $5 million for charitable causes, increase fleet investment, result of tax reform legislation. $LUV PR link.

Nordstrom(PBR214) will hire 250 for its first stand-alone Men’s Store in Manhattan, NYC, to open in 04/18. $JWN PR link.

YUM!(PBR217)’s Pizza Hut unit offering 50% discount for online orders only through 01/08/18. $YUM PR link.

The Mosaic Co(PBR300) modifies acquisition of Brazil based Vale Fertilizantes to $1.15 billion cash and 34.2 million common shares of stock, to close around 01/08/18. $MOS PR link.

Graphic Packaging(PBR553) completes $1.8 billion acquisition of International Paper(PBR117)’s N America Consumer Packaging business, with 3,900 employees in 10 locations in US and UK, will retain 20.5% stake. $GPK PR link.

Vulcan Materials(PBR685) completes $900 million acquisition of Aggregates USA from SPO Partners, divests certain Aggregates USA operations in Tennessee and Virginia to Blue Water Industries for $290 million per agreement with US Dept of Justice. $VMC PR link.

HealthSouth(PBR800) completes corporate name change to Encompass Health Corporation, trading symbol changes from NYSE: HLS to NYSE: EHC. $EHC PR link.

Zions Bancorp(PBR813) to increase ongoing compensation for more than 40% of its employees as of 01/01/18, to provide nearly 80% of employees with $1,000 bonuses during 2018, intends to contribute $12 million to the Zions Bancorporation Foundation, result of US tax reform legislation. $ZION PR link.

Beacon Roofing(PBR818) completes $2.625 billion cash acquisition of East Rutherford, NJ, based 208 locations in 31 states exterior and interior building products distributor Allied Building Products Corp from Ireland based CRH plc(NYSE: CRH). $BECN PR link.

Apollo Global Mgmt(PBR906)’s West Corpunit acquires automated appointment reminder services and patient communication software provider PhoneTree, terms not disclosed. $APO PR link.

Rent A Center(PBR657) CEO Mark Speese resigns, remains member of the Board, current Board member & former President/COO Mitch Fadel appointed CEO effective immediately. $RCII PR link.

TeleFlex(PBR923) completes planned CEO transition, President/COO Liam Kelly now President/CEO, succeeds Benson Smith who retired on 12/31/17, and is now non-executive Chairman. $TFX PR link.

Royal Caribbean(PBR329) hires Laura B. Miller as SVP/Chief Human Relations Officer. $RCL PR link.

TransDigm(PBR810) EVP James Skulina appointed interim CFO, replaces Terrance Paradie who has resigned for personal reasons, and will aid in transition. $TDG PR link.

Alexion Pharmaceutical(PBR840) and major stakeholder Elliott Management agree to collaborate on identifying a new board member. $ALXN PR link.

IDEX(PBR861) appoints Mark Beck, President/CEO of global doors/windows manufacturer JELD-WEN, to the Board. $IEX PR link.

The IHS Markit US December Manufacturing PMI is at 55.1, November was 53.9, October54.6, December 2016 54.3. IHS Markit PR link.

***Monday, January 1:

***Happy and Prosperous New Year!
***US Stock Markets Closed.

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