The PBR1000 December 2019 Breaking News Recap

The PBR1000: Christmas Gifts from Washington a Mixed Bag?

By Larry C. Paxton

The December 2019 breaking news items of interest for The PBR1000 follow with the most current date first.

***Tuesday, December 31

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for December 2019 ending 12/31/19:

DJIA ends December and 2019 at 28,538.44, -0.37% from last Friday, +1.74% MTD, +6.02% QTD, +22.34% YTD, -0.37% from record 28,645.26 set 12/27/19.

NASDAQ ends December and 2019 at 8,972.60, -0.38% from last Friday, +3.54% MTD, +12.17% QTD, +35.23% YTD, -0.55% from record 9,022.39 set 12/26/19.

SPX ends December and 2019 at 3,230.78, -0.29% from last Friday, +2.86% MTD, +8.53% QTD, +28.88% YTD, -0.29% from record 3,240.02 set 12/27/19.

The December 2019 News Summary: On the international news front, after over a year of negotiations, President Trump announced on the last day of the year that a US/China Phase 1 trade deal would be signed on 01/15/20. During the month the US Congress passed the US/Mexico/Canada trade agreement that will replace NAFTA. In the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his conservative party won the general election by a landslide and he has proclaimed the UK withdrawal from the EU, known as Brexit, on 01/31/20, trade deal or not. In Israel Benjamin Netanyahu won his Likud party nomination, the general election is scheduled for March, 2020, in the hopes that a coalition government can be formed. N Korea threatened a “Christmas Present” for the US, nothing happened, but N Korea continues to do some sword rattling. US economic news was mostly positive with modest/moderate growth forecast, and a much lower probability of a recession in 2020 by most economists. To help, Congress passed a $1.4 trillion spending bill that will go through September 2020. US politics was the big issue for the month as the US House held its hearings and then on political party lines voted to impeach President Trump. In some political wrangling apparently the needed documentation for the Senate to have a trial is being delayed, but the trial should take place in early 2020. As for the US stock exchanges, record highs fell throughout the month, a complete reversal from December 2018’s meltdown. The Stock Market Bear had no chance against a charged up The Stock Market Bull who easily took both the month and the year, one of the best ever.

The December 2019 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 10 months
The Stock Market Bear: 2 months
Mixed Results: 0 months

Uber(PBR272 $UBER), Postmates sue California in federal court over state gig-work law AB5. San Francisco Chronicle PR link.

Newell Brands(PBR343) completes sale of its $112 million in revenues in 2018 The United States Playing Card Company to Cartamundi Group, a leading manufacturer and distributor of playing cards and board games, terms not disclosed, marks the conclusion of the Accelerated Transformation Plan that Newell had initiated in 01/18. $NWL PR link.

Regis Corp(PBR998) takes back around 200 mall based Regis and Mastercuts brands salons in transfer from The Beautiful Group because of lease obligations, Regis remains committed to franchise business model. $RGS PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says the US 12/30/19 National Debt-Public is at $17.134 trillion, Intragovernmental $5.975 trillion, Total Debt $23.109 trillion, +0.1% from 11/27/19, +5.2% from 12/31/18. USTreasury PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says the US 12/31/19 10 Year Treasury Note Yield is 1.92%, 11/29/19 was at 1.78%, 10/31/19 1.69%, 12/31/18 2.69%. USTreasury PR link.

The Conference Board says the US Preliminary December 2019 Consumer Confidence Index is at 126.5, November 2019 was at 126.8, October 2019 126.1, December 2018 126.6. “While the economy hasn’t shown signs of further weakening, there is little to suggest that growth, and in particular consumer spending, will gain momentum in early 2020.” TCB PR link.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US October 2019 Home Price Index(Jan2000=100) is at 212.43, September 2019 was at 212.21, August 2019 212.02, October 2018 205.57. “October’s U.S. housing data continue to be reassuring … With October’s 3.3% increase in the national composite index, home prices are currently more than 15% above the pre-financial crisis peak reached July 2006. October’s results were broad-based…” Case-Shiller PR link.

The American Automobile Assn says the US 12/31/19 Average Price of Regular Gas Per Gallon is at $2.583, 11/29/19 was at $2.587, 10/31/19 $2.614, 12/31/18 $2.266. AAA PR link.

***Monday, December 30

ExxonMobil(PBR2) has secured more than 1.7 million acres for exploration offshore Egypt, will hold 100% interest, operations, including acquisition of seismic data, are scheduled to begin in 2020. $XOM PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR36)’s Janssen unit completes $750 million acquisition of all rights to the investigational compound bermekimab, an anti-IL-1alpha monoclonal antibody (mAb) in Phase 2 development for the treatment of atopic dermatitis and hidradenitis suppurativa, from XBiotech. $JNJ PR link.

Merck(PBR73) and AstraZeneca get US FDA approval for LYNPARZA for the maintenance treatment of adult patients with deleterious or suspected deleterious germline BRCA-mutated (gBRCAm) metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma whose disease has not progressed on at least 16 weeks of a first-line platinum-based chemotherapy regimen. $MRK PR link.

Tesla(PBR141) China tweets it “… will deliver the first China-made Model 3 at Gigafactory 3 plant in Shanghai TODAY. The 15 customers who are slated to get their Model 3s first are Tesla employees.” $TSLA PR link.

Performance Food(PBR158) completes $2.0 billion acquisition of Rosemont, IL based $6+ billion in annual net revenues second largest privately held US foodservice distributor Reinhart Foodservice from Reyes Holdings. $PFGC PR link.

Hasbro(PBR553) completes $4.0 billion cash acquisition of Canada based global independent studio that specialises in the development, acquisition, production, financing, distribution and sales of entertainment content, including popular pre-teen characters Peppa Pig and PJ Masks, Entertainment One Ltd(LSE: ETO). $HAS PR link.

Hologic(PBR677) completes $205 million cash sale of its 825 employees Cynosure medical aesthetics business to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. $HOLX PR link.

Verso Corp(PBR791) announces annual meeting set for 01/31/20, encourages vote in favor of sale of its Androscoggin mill, located in Jay, ME, and its Stevens Point mill, located in Stevens Point, WI, to Pixelle Specialty Solutions for $400 million, encourages vote for its slate of directors, explains why it thinks Atlas/BlueWolf nominees are not in the best interest of company. $VRSPR link.

CenturyLink(PBR128) non-executive Chairman Harvey Perry will retire effective 05/20, T. Michael Glenn will assume the position of Chairman, current Vice Chairman Bruce Hanks will continue to serve in that role. $CTL PR link.

Avis Budget(PBR330) appoints President/Americas Joe Ferraro as Interim CEO, effective 01/01/20, succeeds retiring President/CEO Larry De Shon, CFO Izzy Martins to serve as Interim President/Americas. $CAR PR link.

The MNI US December 2019 Chicago Business Barometer(<50=Declining) is at 48.9, November 2019 was at 46.3, October 2019 43.2, December 2018 63.8. MNI/ISM Chicago PR link.

***Friday, December 27

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 52 ending 12/27/19:

DJIA ends Week 52 at record 28,645.26, +0.67% from last Friday, +2.12% MTD, +6.42% QTD, +22.80% YTD, +0.00% from record 28,645.26 set 12/27/19.

NASDAQ ends Week 52 at 9,006.62, +0.91% from last Friday, +3.94% MTD, +12.59% QTD, +35.74% YTD, -0.17% from record 9,022.39 set 12/26/19.

SPX ends Week 52 at record 3,240.02, +0.58% from last Friday, +3.15% MTD, +8.84% QTD, +29.25% YTD, +0.00% from record 3,240.02 set 12/27/19.

The Week 52 of 2019 News Summary: The impeachment process for President Trump has apparently stalled as the US House has announced it will not forward its results to the US Senate until it knows what the trial rules will be and who will be testifying. The impeachment trial is still expected to be held in the first month or so of 2020. US/China trade negotiations continue in a seemingly positive direction with China announcing it will roll back tariffs on some key categories. N Korea said it had a “Christmas present” for the US, but nothing materialized. The UK Brexit appears to be on track for early 2020. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wins the Likud Party primary election by a landslide, gets backing of his opponent, the general election is scheduled for 03/02/20. US economic data continues to indicate growth with mostly positive outlooks by experts for 2020. Christmas retail sales showed better than expected growth, especially from e-commerce. With Christmas being celebrated mid-week with a shortened Christmas Eve day the US stock exchanges experienced lower volumes. With mostly good news The Stock Market Bear did not have much of a chance for the week. The Stock Market Bull donned his Santa hat, investors gladly accepted record closes throughout the week, and The Stock Market Bull easily took a 3-0 victory in Week 52.

The Week 52 of 2019 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 28 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 15 weeks
Mixed Results: 9 weeks

Owens-Illinois(PBR419) now a holding company, changes name to O-I Glass, Inc, keeps OI ticker symbol. $OI PR link.

Michaels Cos(PBR510) hires Ashley Buchanan as President/CEO Designate and Board member, effective 01/06/20, to succeed Mark Crosby as CEO on 04/01/20, Crosby to remain on the Board. $MIK PR link.

The US Energy Information Administration says the US Millions of Barrels of Crude Oil Stocks on 12/20/19 was at 441.4, 11/22/19 was at 452.0, 10/25/19 438.9, 12/31/18 441.4. USEIA PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/BEA says the US Preliminary 3Q19 Net International Investment Position-Assets is at $28.262 trillion, Liabilities $39.211 trillion, Deficit $10.949 trillion, +3.2% from 2Q19, +12.9% from 3Q18. USDOC PR link.

***Thursday, December 26

Amazon(PBR5) to open a new 1+ million sf fulfillment center in Deltona, FL, creating more than 500 new, full-time jobs. $AMZN PR link.

Tesla(PBR141) gets around $1.29 billion secured loan and a $320 million unsecured revolving loan through Chinese banks to pay off a $500 million loan and in support of its Gigafactory Shanghai. $TSLA PR link.

WESCO(PBR365) ups its bid for Anixter(PBR356) from $90/share to $93.50/share cash & stock, explains why its bid is superior to Clayton, Dubilier & Rice‘s $86/share plus a $2.50/share of contingent, capped upside. $WCC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US 12/21/19 4 Week Moving Average Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims were at 228,000, +3.8% from 11/23/19, +4.6% from 12/22/18; The 12/14/19 Total Insured Unemployment 4 Week Moving Average is at 1,703,500, +1.4% from 11/16/19, +1.7% from 11/17/18; Insured Unemployment Rate is at +1.2%. USDOL PR link.

FreddieMac(PBR40) says the US Average 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rate on 12/26/19 is 3.74% with 0.7 points/fees, on 11/27/19 it was at 3.68%, 10/31/19 3.78%, 12/27/18 4.55%. “While the outlook for the housing market is bright, worsening housing affordability is no longer a coastal phenomenon and is spreading to many interior markets and it is a threat to the continued recovery in housing and the economy.” $FMCC PR link.

MasterCard(PBR207) says 2019 US holiday retail sales increased 3.4 percent (ex auto) with online sales growing 18.8 percent compared to 2018. $MA PR link.

***Wednesday, December 25

***Christmas Day
***US Stock Exchanges Closed.
***Have a Merry and Blessed Christmas Day!

***Tuesday, December 24

Mylan(PBR273 $MYL) and Micro Labs get US FDA approval for two applications for the first generics of Eliquis (apixaban) tablets to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. FDA PR link.

WESCO(PBR365) confirms it is seeking to acquire Anixter(PBR356), recently made an offer valued at $90 per Anixter share. $WCC PR link.

KKR(PBR831) to acquire OverDrive, provider of the largest catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and other digital media for libraries and schools, from Rakuten USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Rakuten, terms not disclosed. $KKR PR link.

Uber(PBR272) co-founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick will resign from the Board , effective 12/31/19, to focus on his new business and philanthropic endeavors. $UBER PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says the US 5th District December 2019 Manufacturing Index(Annualized) is at -5%, November 2019 was at -1%, October 2019 +8%, December 2018 -3%. “Manufacturers … reported weakness in local business conditions and capacity utilization, but they were optimistic that conditions would improve in the coming months.” RichmondFed PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond says the US 5th District December 2019 Service Sector Revenue Index(Annualized) is at +17%, November 2019 was at +15%, October 2019 +24%, December 2018 +10%. “Firms … saw improving local business conditions and increased spending, … were optimistic that conditions would continue to improve in the next six months.” RichmondFed PR link.

***Monday, December 23

PG&E(PBR182) creditors offer to pay $13.5 billion cash upfront to fire victims, follows deal from PG&E management that was approved 12/17/19 by a US bankruptcy judge would pay victims $5.4 billion in cash, with the rest of the compensation coming as deferred payments and stock in the utility after it emerges from bankruptcy reorganization. $PCG PR link.

Allergan(PBR197) gets US FDA approval for UBRELVY™ (ubrogepant) for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults. $AGN PR link.

Biogen(PBR233) authorizes an up to $5.0 billion share repurchase program, no expiration date, is in addition to the $5.0 billion share repurchase program authorized 03/25/19. $BIIB PR link.

Advance Auto Parts(PBR317) has acquired the DieHard brand from Transform Holdco for $200 million cash. $AAP PR link.

Genworth Financial(PBR339) sale to China Oceanwide for $5.43/share, $2.7 billion cash close extended from 12/31/19 to 03/31/20, the 13th waiver, to get additional US, China, Canada and other regulatory approvals, includes deal termination option for either party. $GNW PR link.

Campbell Soup(PBR340) completes $2.2 billion sale of its Australia brand Arnott’s, $885 million in the latest 12 months and approximately 3,800 employees, and certain of Campbell’s International operations to KKR(PBR832). $CPB PR link.

Anixter(PBR356) amends and restates acquisition by private investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, increased to $86.00/share and a $2.50 contingent value right, around $4 billion, to be completed in early 02/20. $AXE PR link.

KKR(PBR831) enters Seattle, WA, real estate market with two transactions totaling over $1.2 billion located in the greater Seattle region, including the 915,000 sf Class A office complex Summit located in downtown Bellevue and the 43 story 516,000 sf office condominium F5 Tower in downtown Seattle. $KKR PR link.

Cincinnati Bell(PBR972) to be acquired by Brookfield Infrastructure (NYSE: BIP; TSX: BIP.UN) for $10.50/share cash, around $2.6 billion, includes debt, to close by end of 2020. $CBB PR link.

Boeing(PBR28) CEO/Board member Dennis A. Muilenburg resigns, Chairman David L. Calhoun to become President/CEO on 01/13/20, Board member Lawrence W. Kellner will become non-executive Chairman, CFO Greg Smith will serve as interim CEO during the brief transition period. $BA PR link.

CDW(PBR191) director David W. Nelms will become non-executive Chairman, effective 01/01/20, succeeds retiring Executive Chairman Thomas E. Richards. $CDW PR link.

State Street(PBR252) appoints CEO Ronald P. (Ron) O’Hanley to also be Chairman, effective 01/01/20, following Chairman Jay Hooley’s planned retirement. $STT PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD says the US Preliminary November 2019 New Family Homes Sold Annual Rate is at 719,000, +1.3% from October 2019, +16.9% from November 2018; Median Price was at $330,800, +4.5% from October 2019, +7.2% from November 2018; Months Supply is at 5.4. USDOC PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says the US Preliminary November 2019 National Activity Index is at +0.56, October 2019 was at -0.76, September 2019 -0.54, November 2018 +0.25. ChiFed PR link.

***Friday, December 20

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 51 ending 12/20/19:

DJIA ends Week 51 at record 28,455.09, +1.14% from last Friday, +1.44% MTD, +5.71% QTD, +21.98% YTD, +0.00% from record 28,455.09 set 12/20/19.

NASDAQ ends Week 51 at record 8,924.96, +2.18% from last Friday, +2.99% MTD, +11.57% QTD, +34.51% YTD, +0.00% from record 8,924.96 set 12/20/19.

SPX ends Week 51 at record 3,221.22, +1.65% from last Friday, +2.55% MTD, +8.21% QTD, +28.50% YTD, +0.00% from record 3,221.22 set 12/20/19.

The Week 51 of 2019 News Summary: The biggest news item of the week was US politics with the US House of Representatives Democrat party majority voting to impeach President Trump on 2 counts. The next stop will be a trial in early 2020 in the US Senate, the outcome most likely to be an acquittal by the Republican majority. On the other hand, President Trump achieved a major victory with passage of the US/Mexico/Canada(USMCA) trade agreement in the US House by a wide non-partisan majority. Also, it appears the US/China trade negotiations have resulted in a Phase 1 agreement, details to be released in early 2020. The UK is poised to complete Brexit in the next month after the recent major general elections victory of the conservative party. The US Congress has also passed a government spending bill for $1.4 trillion for the fiscal year ending 09/30/20. Overall, the US economy continues to move forward at a modest/moderate rate, with business and consumer surveys indicating a positive mood and expectations for the next 6 months. The US stock exchanges seemed unfazed by the impeachment result but grabbed onto the economic news instead. All stock exchanges reached new records every day except Wednesday when the NASDAQ was the only record breaker, but was the best week of the year with 13 out of 15 sessions hitting new records. The Stock Market Bull ends Week 51 by standing proudly on the pasture hill overlooking a relaxed and peaceful herd with a resounding 3-0 victory and with The Stock Market Bear nowhere in sight.

The Week 51 of 2019 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 27 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 15 weeks
Mixed Results: 9 weeks

Johnson & Johnson(PBR36) acquires TARIS Biomedical, a privately-owned biotechnology company specializing in the development of a novel drug delivery technology for the treatment of bladder diseases including cancer, terms not disclosed. $JNJ PR link.

Merck(PBR72) gets US FDA approval for ERVEBO® (Ebola Zaire Vaccine, Live) for the prevention of disease caused by Zaire ebolavirus in individuals 18 years of age and older. $MRK PR link.

ViacomCBS(PBR241) to acquire a 49% stake in MIRAMAX from beIN MEDIA GROUP who will retain the other 51% stake, for $150 million cash upfront plus an annual investment of $45 million/year for 5 years, total investment $375 million, to close in 1Q20. $VIAC PR link.

MGM Resorts(PBR257) completes $825 million sale of its 2,300 employees Circus Circus Las Vegas to an affiliate of Treasure Island owner Phil Ruffin. $MGM PR link.

Anixter(PBR355) to hold a special meeting of its stockholders on 02/04/20 to vote on $81.00/share, around $3.8 billion in cash, acquisition by private investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. $AXE PR link.

Spirit AeroSystems(PBR402) says Boeing(PBR28) has directed the company to stop all 737 MAX deliveries to Boeing effective 01/01/20, due to Boeing’s announced temporary suspension of 737 MAX production, represents 50%+ of revenues, evaluating all potential actions. $SPR PR link.

IAC(PBR588) to acquire Care.com (NYSE: CRCM), the world’s largest online marketplace for finding and managing family care with 374,000 paying families as of 3Q19, for $15.00/share cash, around $500 million of enterprise value, to close in 1Q20. $IAC PR link.

TransDigm(PBR627) completes its around $920 million sale of its France based global supplier of highly-engineered interconnect solutions for harsh environments serving customers primarily in aerospace, defense and space end markets $363 million in revenues for year ending 06/30/19 Souriau-Sunbank Connection Technologies unit to Eaton Corp(PBR138), was part of Esterline Technologies acquisition completed in 03/19. $TDG PR link.

Ferrellgas(PBR945) to voluntarily delist its common units from the NYSE, believes the delisting from the NYSE will be a temporary event, expects delisting to occur around 01/09/20, to apply to have its common units quoted on the OTCQB tier of the OTC Markets. $FGP PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/BEA says the US 3Q19 3rd Estimate Gross Domestic Product Annual Rate remains at 2.1%, $21.543 trillion, +1.0% from 2Q19, +3.8% from 3Q18. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/BEA says the US Preliminary November 2019 Personal Income Annual Rate is at $18.911 trillion, +0.5% from October 2019, +4.9% from November 2018, Personal Savings is at $1.315 trillion, a 7.9% rate, Effective Tax Rate is at 11.7%. USDOC PR link.

The U of Michigan Final December 2019 Consumer Survey Index is at 99.3, November 2019 was at 96.8, October 2019 95.5, December 2018 98.3. UMichigan PR link.

***Thursday, December 19

US Steel(PBR219) to indefinitely idle a significant portion of its Great Lakes Works operation near Detroit, MI, to begin idling the iron and steelmaking facilities on or around 04/01/20, and the Hot Strip Mill rolling facility before the end of 2020, will affect up to 1,545 employees. In separate press release announces cut in dividend and termination of share repurchase program. $X PR link.

Live Nation(PBR283) gets preliminary settlement agreement with the US Dept of Justice for its TicketMaster unit violations, to extend non-compete with venues using other ticketing agents for an additional 5 1/2 years past original 10 years specified. $LYV PR link.

Owens-Illinois(PBR418) completes sale of its 25% partnership interest in Tata Chemicals (Soda Ash) Partners Holdings to Valley Holdings, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Chemicals Limited, for $195 million cash, first transaction of $400-500 million divestiture plan. $OI PR link.

Avon Products(PBR489) $3.7 billion acquisition by Brazil based Natura &Co (B3: NATU3) gets all needed regulatory approvals, to close on 01/03/20, Natura & Co to begin trading as NYSE: NTCO on 01/06/20. $AVP PR link.

Ascena Retail(PBR494) does 1:20 reverse stock split to regain compliance with NASDAQ listing requirements. $ASNA PR link.

IAC(PBR588)’s Match Group(NASDAQ: MTCH) to be spunoff as a separate independent public company, to close in 2Q20. $IAC PR link.

PolyOne(PBR656) to acquire certain color and additive masterbatch businesses from Clariant for $1.45 billion, includes 3,600 employees in 29 countries and doing $1.15 billion in revenues over past 12 months. $POL PR link.

Cedar Fair(PBR976) appoints Dan Hanrahan as its independent board Chairman, effective 01/01/20, succeeds Executive Chairman Matthew A. Ouimet who will remain on the Board. $FUN PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/BEA says the US Preliminary 3Q19 Total Exports of Goods & Services was at $944.4 billion, Imports $1,068.5 billion, for a Deficit of $124.1 billion, -0.9% from 2Q19, -1.3% from 3Q18. USDOC PR link.

The US Reserve Bank of Philadelphia says the 3rd District December 2019 Manufacturing General Activity Indicator is at +0.3, November 2019 was at +10.4, October 2019 +5.6, December 2018 +9.1. “The survey’s future indexes indicate that respondents continue to expect growth over the next six months.” PhillyFed PR link.

The Natl Assn of Realtors says the US November 2019 Existing Home Sales Annual Rate is at 5,350,000, -1.7% from October 2019, +2.7% from November 2018; Median Price is at $271,300, +0.1% from October 2019, +5.4% from November 2018; Total Housing Inventory is at 1,640,000, a 3.7 months supply. “Sales will be choppy when inventory levels are low, but the economy is otherwise performing very well with more than 2 million job gains in the past year …” NAR PR link.

The Conference Board says the US Preliminary November 2019 Leading Economic Index(2016=100) is at 111.6, October 2019 was also at 111.6, September 2019 111.8, November 2018 111.4. “… the Index suggests that economic growth is likely to stabilize around 2 percent in 2020.” TCB PR link.

***Wednesday, December 18

Chevron(PBR11) to acquire Australia based Puma Energy Holdings for around $292 million, includes network of company-owned and retailer-owned service stations in Australia, a commercial and industrial fuels business, owned or leased seaboard import terminals and fuel distribution depots, to close in mid 2020. $CVX PR link.

Alphabet(PBR17)’s Google is joining Amazon(PBR5), Apple(PBR3) and others to create Connected Home over IP, a new independent working group managed by the Zigbee Alliance with the goal to bring together market-tested technologies to develop a new, open smart home connectivity standard based on Internet Protocol (IP). $GOOG PR link.

MetLife(PBR45) to pay $10 million to the US Securities and Exchange Commission for violating the books and records and internal accounting controls provisions of the federal securities laws relating to two errors in its accounting for reserves associated with its annuities businesses. $MET PR link.

Facebook(PBR57 $FB) has acquired Spanish cloud gaming company PlayGiga for about €70 million ($78 million) as it looks to expand into the gaming market. SiliconANGLE PR link.

Cigna(PBR64) to sell its group life and disability insurance business to New York Life for $6.3 billion cash, to close in 3Q20, Cigna increases share repurchase program from $1.0 billion to $4.0 billion. $CI PR link.

Uber(PBR272 $UBER) to set up a $4.4 million fund to resolve US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sexual harassment and retaliation charges filed since 01/01/14, EEOC commends Uber for working cooperatively on harassment prevention and accountability. EEOC PR link.

Voya Financial(PBR345) to divest substantially all of the company’s Individual Life and other legacy non-retirement annuities businesses to Resolution Life Group Holdings for around $1.7 billion, to close by 09/30/20. $VOYA PR link.

Superior Energy(PBR875) does 10:1 reverse stock split to be in compliance with NYSE listing standards, will list on NYSE starting 12/26/19 with previous symbol SPN, currently on OTC as SPNV. $SPNV PR link.

Superior Energy(PBR875) to divest its US service rig, coiled tubing, wireline, pressure control, flowback, fluid management and accommodations service lines and combine them with Forbes Energy Services Ltd(OTCQX: FLSS)‘s complementary service lines to create a new, publicly traded consolidation platform for US completion, production and water solutions, to close in 1Q20. $SPNV PR link.

Healthpeak Properties(PBR915) expanding with expansion of its life science, senior housing and medical office businesses. $PEAK PR link.

FMC(PBR542) President/COO Mark Douglas to become President/CEO on 06/01/20, to succeed Pierre Brondeau who will become Executive Chairman. $FMC PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US 3Q19 Average Hourly Wages & Salaries for All Workers was at $25.43, Benefits $11.60, Total $37.03, +1.2% from 2Q19, +1.1% from 3Q18. USDOL PR link.

***Tuesday, December 17

Ford(PBR12) will invest $750 million and add 2,700 new direct jobs in the next 3 years at Ford’s manufacturing facility in Wayne, MI, to build the new Ford Bronco, an all-new Ford Ranger and a new modification center to support autonomous vehicles and other vehicles, also will invest about $700 million and add 300 new direct jobs at its Dearborn, MI, manufacturing site to support production of the all-new Ford F-150, F-150 hybrid and the all-electric F-150, including battery assembly. $F PR link.

Southwest Airlines(PBR137) is proactively removing Boeing(PBR28)’s 737 MAX from its flight schedule, originally was set through 03/06/20, now set through 04/13/20. $LUV PR link.

Estee Lauder(PBR210) completes acquisition of the shares that it does not already beneficially own in Have & Be Co. Ltd., the Seoul-based, global skin care company behind Dr. Jart+ and men’s grooming brand Do The Right Thing, has an enterprise value of around $1.7 billion. $EL PR link.

Arconic(PBR226) files preliminary Registration Form 10 with SEC to separate its Arconic Rolled Products Corporation into a separate public company to be named Arconic Corporation, existing company will be renamed Howmet Aerospace Inc upon separation, to close in 2Q20. $ARNC PR link.

Devon Energy(PBR287) to sell its assets in the Barnett Shale to Banpu Kalnin Ventures for $770 million, to close in 2Q20, authorizes a new $1 billion share-repurchase program, bringing the total repurchase authorization to $6 billion, expires 12/31/20. $DVN PR link.

Leidos(PBR300) to acquire privately-owned Huntsville, AL based applied research and national security solutions company Dynetics for $1.65 billion cash, to close in 1Q20. $LDOS PR link.

Weyerhaeuser(PBR391) to sell its 630,000 acres of timberland in Montana to a private timberland investment company for $145 million cash, does not include 3 manufacturing facilities. $WY PR link.

First Solar(PBR860) completes sale of 3 projects in Arizona, Nevada, and California, with a total nameplate design of 278 megawatts (MW)AC, to partnership of EDP Renewables and ConnectGen, First Solar Energy Services to be operator, terms not disclosed. $FSLR PR link.

Regis Corp(PBR998) enters agreement for the sale and conversion of an additional 133 company-owned salons located in the state of Pennsylvania and surrounding areas to the Alline Salon Group. $RGS PR link.

Bed Bath & Beyond(PBR251) announces extensive restructure of its leadership team, including the departure of six senior members, has commenced a search to fill the positions of Chief Merchandising Officer, Chief Digital Officer, General Counsel, as well as a newly combined Chief Marketing and Brand Officer position. $BBBY PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US Preliminary October 2019 Job Openings-Private are at 6,523,000, Government 744,000, Total 7,267,000, +3.3% from September 2019, -4.3% from October 2018. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/HUD says the US Preliminary November 2019 Total New Residential Building Permits Issued Annual Rate is at 1,482,000, October 2019 was at 1,461,000, September 2019 1,391,000, November 2018 1,334,000. USDOC PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says the US Preliminary November 2019 Industrial Production % of Capacity is at 77.3%, October 2019 was at 76.6%, September 2019 77.4%, November 2018 79.6%. USFed PR link.

***Monday, December 16

Boeing(PBR28) suspends 737 MAX production starting in 01/20 due to certification moving into 2020, no layoffs or furlough expected at this time. $BA PR link.

Intel(PBR43) has acquired Habana Labs, an Israel-based developer of programmable deep learning accelerators for the data center for approximately $2 billion. $INTC PR link.

Humana(PBR56) to acquire privately held national hospice pharmacy and benefit management services provider to 97,000 patients per day Enclara Healthcare from Consonance Capital Partners and Enclara management, to close in 1H20, terms not disclosed. $HUM PR link.

Cisco(PBR62) acquires Australia based low-latency networking, layer 1 switching, timing and time synchronization technologies, and low-latency FPGA expertise developer Exablaze, terms not disclosed. $CSCO PR link.

Tyson(PBR75 $TSN) gets approval from US and Chinese authorities to export American poultry to China from all 36 of its US processing plants, expects to begin taking orders early next year. NYTimes PR link.

Coca-Cola(PBR95) in 3 hours of launch sells out 1,000 Coca-Cola Insiders Club subscription program for $10/mo or $50/6 mo prepaid, to taste some of 20-plus new drinks launching in early 2020. $KO PR link.

Kinder Morgan(PBR222) completes $2.5 billion cash/stock sale of its US portion of the Cochin Pipeline to Pembina Pipeline Corporation (TSX: PPL; NYSE: PBA). $KMI PR link.

Newmont Goldcorp(PBR401) to sell its 50% stake in Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) to Australia’s Northern Star Resources Limited (ASX: NST) for $800 million cash, to close in early 01/20. $NEM PR link.

Noble Energy(PBR527) to voluntarily transfer its stock exchange listing from the NYSE to the Nasdaq Global Select Market effective 12/27/19 after market close, will retain ticker NBL. $NBL PR link.

Intl Flavors & Fragrances(PBR607) to merge with DuPont(PBR35)’s Nutrition & Biosciences business, deal values the combined company at $45.4 billion on an enterprise value basis, DuPont to own 55.4% IFF 44.6% of company, DuPont to receive one-time $7.3 billion cash payment upon completion, scheduled to close be end of 1Q21. $IFF PR link.

TRI Pointe(PBR691) adds $50 million to its $100 million share repurchase program, balance available is now $77.2 million. $TPH PR link.

Charles River Labs(PBR856) to acquire human-derived cellular products for the cell therapy market producer HemaCare(OTCMKTS: HEMA) for $25.70/share, approximately $380 million cash, to close in early 1Q20. $CRL PR link.

Ferro Corp(PBR950) to sell its $510 million in revenues for 12 months ending 09/30/19 Tile Coatings Business to Pigments Spain, a company of the Esmalglass-Itaca-Fritta group, a portfolio company of Lone Star Funds, for $460 million in cash, with an additional $32 million in cash based on the performance of the business pre-closing. $FOE PR link.

WW(PBR960) and Oprah Winfrey extend partnership to 05/25. $WW PR link.

Dana(PBR364) President/CEO James K. Kamsickas elected to additional role of Chairman; Keith E. Wandell, who has served on Dana’s board since 07/08 and as non-executive chairman since 09/16, will continue as lead independent director. $DAN PR link.

TravelCenters(PBR460) hires Jonathan Pertchik as CEO/Managing Director, effective immediately, succeeds Andrew J. Rebholz, who will continue to advise the company through 06/30/20. $TA PR link.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York says the Empire State December 2019 Manufacturing General Business Conditions Index is at 3.5, November 2019 was at 2.9, October 4.0, December 2018 11.5. “Optimism about the six-month outlook picked up, and capital spending plans were notably stronger.” NYFed PR link.

The Natl Assn of Home Builders/Wells Fargo US Preliminary December 2019 Housing Market Composite Index is at 76, November 2019 was at 71, October 2019 71, December 2018 56. “Highest reading since June of 1999… Builders are continuing to see the housing rebound that began in the spring, supported by a low supply of existing homes, low mortgage rates and a strong labor market… are still underbuilding due to supply-side constraints like labor and land availability. Higher development costs are hurting affordability and dampening more robust construction growth.” NAHB/WF PR link.

***Friday, December 13

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 50 ending 12/13/19:

DJIA ends Week 50 at  28,135.38, +0.43% from last Friday, +0.30% MTD, +4.53% QTD, +20.61% YTD, -0.10% from record 28,164.00 set 11/27/19.

NASDAQ ends Week 50 at record 8,734.88, +0.91% from last Friday, +0.80% MTD, +9.20% QTD, +31.64% YTD, +0.00% from record 8,734.88 set 12/13/19.

SPX ends Week 50 at record 3,168.80, +0.73% from last Friday, +0.89% MTD, +6.45% QTD, +26.41% YTD, +0.00% from record 3,168.80 set 12/13/19.

The Week 50 of 2019 News Summary: After a year it appears there is an agreement for a US/China Phase 1 trade deal, specifics not provided, tariffs scheduled to start 12/15/19 by the US have been cancelled. There also appears to be agreement on all sides for the new US, Mexico, Canada(USMCA) treaty which will replace NAFTA. Boris Johnson’s conservative party wins a big landslide vote in the UK and Johnson says Brexit will be completed by the end of next month. The Federal Open Market Committee met, kept the federal short term interest rate at 1.50-1.75%, says the US economy is growing at a modest rate, which appears to be the case with various economic indices released during the week. On the US political news front the US House Judiciary Committee held hearings on the impeachment of President Trump, then approved a 2 count impeachment. The vote will now go to the full House next week. In the first two days of Week 50 The Stock Market Bear seemed to be in control. But as the US/China news came out The Stock Market Bull made his appearance, took over the field, and won all 3 US stock exchanges in convincing style with records two days in a row for the NASDAQ and SPX(S&P500) to end Week 50.

The Week 50 of 2019 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 26 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 15 weeks
Mixed Results: 9 weeks

AT&T(PBR9) enters into a $4 billion accelerated share repurchase agreement, to retire about 100 million shares in 1Q20. $T PR link.

Molina Healthcare(PBR163) authorizes up to $500 million share repurchase program through 12/31/21. $MOH PR link.

Chesapeake Energy(PBR299) receives written notice from the New York Stock Exchange of its noncompliance that requires listed companies to maintain an average closing share price of at least $1.00 over a consecutive 30 trading-day period, CHK outlines plans to regain compliance, has 6 months. $CHK PR link.

Boston Scientific(PBR310) gets US FDA clearance of the EXALT™ Model D Single-Use Duodenoscope for use in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures, the first and only FDA cleared single-use (disposable) duodenoscope on the market. $BSX PR link.

McDermott Intl(PBR432) receives written notice from the New York Stock Exchange of its noncompliance that requires listed companies to maintain an average closing share price of at least $1.00 over a consecutive 30 trading-day period, MDR outlines plans to regain compliance, has 6 months. $MDR PR link.

Cerner(PBR506) adds $1.5 billion to its share repurchase program, balance available is now $1.7 billion. $CERN PR link.

Affiliated Managers Group(PBR834 $AMG), TripAdvisors(PBR949 $TRIP) and Macerich(NYSE: $MAC) being moved from the S&P 500 to S&P Midcap 400, being replaced on S&P 500 by Live Nation(PBR283 $LYV), Zebra Technologies(PBR593 $ZBRA) and Steris(PBR769 $STE). $SPX PR link.

Nucor(PBR114) Lead Director John H. Walker to become Non-Executive Chairman on 01/01/20. $NUE PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US Preliminary November 2019 Import Prices are +0.2%, Export Prices are also +0.2%, Last 12 Months Import Prices are -1.3%, Export Prices also -1.3%. USDOL PR link.

***Thursday, December 12

Chevron(PBR11) sanctions the Anchor project in the US Gulf of Mexico, initial development investment is around $5.7 billion, first deepwater high-pressure development to achieve a final investment decision. $CVX PR link.

Pepsi(PBR48) announces Pepsi Café, to debut in the US in 04/20, that blends coffee with Pepsi cola. $PEP PR link.

Facebook(PBR57 $FB) will pay $130 million to establish an independent board charged with reviewing how the company moderates its content. MarketWatch PR link.

American Airlines(PBR67) says in consultation with the US FAA and Boeing(PBR28) it anticipates resumption of scheduled commercial service on American’s fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on 04/07/20. $AAL PR link.

Delta(PBR68) Private Jets, a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta, to combine with Wheels Up, to create one of the world’s largest owned and managed fleets of private aircraft, to close in early 2020, terms not disclosed. $DAL PR link.

3M(PBR92) to sell substantially all of its $380 million in annual revenues drug delivery business to an Altaris Capital Partners affiliate for around $650 million and a 17% noncontrolling interest in the new company. $MMM PR link.

Southwest Airlines(PBR137) gets portion of projected financial damages related to the grounding of the airline’s Boeing(PBR28) 737 MAX aircraft, will add $125 million to the 2019 employee profitsharing program. $LUV PR link.

PG&E(PBR179) files amended Plan of Reorganization with the Bankruptcy Court in its Chapter 11 cases, reflects PG&E’s settlements with all major groups of wildfire claimants, keeps PG&E on track to achieve regulatory approval and Bankruptcy Court confirmation in advance of the 06/30/20, statutory deadline for participation in the state’s new wildfire fund. $PCG PR link.

eBay(PBR285) announces new Android/iOS app eBay Motors for buying and selling cars. $EBAY PR link.

Constellation Brands(PBR335) and E. & J. Gallo Winery have agreed to revise their original transaction to divest a portion of Constellation’s wine and spirits portfolio to address US FTC competitive concerns, transaction price adjusted from $1.7 billion to $1.1 billion. $STZ PR link.

Genworth Financial(PBR351) completes $1.8 billion net cash sale of its majority interest in Genworth MI Canada, the largest private sector residential mortgage insurer in Canada, to Brookfield Business Partners L.P. (NYSE: BBU) (TSX: BBU.UN), should increase the likelihood of subsequently completing the acquisition of Genworth by China Oceanwide Holdings Group by 12/31/19. $GNW PR link.

Asbury Automotive(PBR419) to acquire certain assets of Park Place Dealerships, includes 17 new vehicle franchises, 15 of which are located in the Dallas/Fort Worth market: 3 Mercedes-Benz, 2 Lexus, 2 Jaguar, 2 Land Rover, 1 Porsche, 1 Volvo, 1 Bentley, 1 Rolls Royce, 1 McLaren, 1 Maserati, 1 Karma, and 1 Sprinter. Included in the 17 franchises is a Jaguar/Land Rover open point in Austin, TX that is expected to open late 1Q20, for $1 billion cash, excluding vehicle inventory, to add $2 billion in annual revenues, to close by 03/31/20. $ABG PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US Preliminary November 2019 Producer Price Index-Final Demand is +0.0%, October 2019 was at +0.4%, September 2019 -0.3%, November 2018 -0.1%, Last 12 Months is at +1.1%. USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says the US Preliminary 3Q19 Networth of Households & Non-Profits is at $113.832 trillion, +0.5% from 2Q19, +3.4% from 3Q18. USFed PR link.

***Wednesday, December 11

Amazon(PBR5 $AMZN) gets five days by the UK Competition and Markets Authority to address competition concerns of investment in Deliveroo restaurant delivery service. MarketWatch PR link.

AT&T(PBR9) has entered into a $4 billion accelerated share repurchase agreement to retire about 100 million shares in 1Q20, has set a 2020 target of an additional 4% in cost reductions, or about $1.5 billion, driven primarily by lower labor-related costs and corporate overhead. $T PR link.

Kroger(PBR21) and Walgreens Boots Alliance(PBR16 $WBA) forms new group purchasing organization called Retail Procurement Alliance, aimed at delivering purchasing efficiencies, lower costs and combined resources to help drive further innovation. $KR PR link.

Tesla(PBR141 $TSLA) 2019 Model 3 gets electric vehicle top rating from Edmunds. Edmunds PR link.

Dominion Energy(PBR236) and Vanguard Renewables to form a $200+ million, nationwide strategic partnership to convert methane from US dairy farms into clean, renewable natural gas to heat homes, power businesses and fuel vehicles. $D PR link.

Ryder(PBR354) authorizes new 1.5 million share repurchase program, to mitigate the dilutive impact of shares issued under the company’s employee stock plans, currently has 53.3 million common shares outstanding, to expire 12/11/21. $R PR link.

Olin Corp(PBR414) to permanently shut down a chlor alkali plant with a capacity of 230,000 tons and its Vinylidene Chloride (VDC) production facility, both in Freeport, TX, to be completed by end of 2020. $OLN PR link.

Fortive(PBR444) appoints of Mark D. Morelli as President/CEO and David H. Naemura as CFO of NewCo, a global industrial company that Fortive will form as part of its planned separation into two independent, publicly traded companies, to be effective in 1Q20. $FTV PR link.

Continental Resources(PBR543) Founder/CEO Harold Hamm to become Executive Chairman, William Berry has been appointed CEO and President Jack Stark will assume the additional role of COO, all effective 01/01/20. $CLR PR link.

The US Dept of Treasury says the US November 2019 Federal Government Receipts were at $225.2 billion, Outlays $434.0 billion, Deficit $208.8 billion, Receipts YTD(2 months) are at $470.7 billion, Outlays YTD $814.0 billion, Deficit YTD is at $343.3 billion, Deficit YTD 2018 was at $305.4 billion. USTreasury PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US Preliminary November 2019 Current Average Earnings/Hour is at $28.29, Average Hours Worked/Week is at 34.4, Current Weekly Earnings is at $973.18, +0.3% from October 2019, +3.1% from November 2018. USDOL PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US November 2019 Consumer Price Index-All Items is +0.3%, October 2019 was at +0.4%, September 2019 +0.0%, November 2018 +0.0%, Last 12 Months(Unadjusted) is at +2.1%. USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Open Market Committee finishes its meeting and issues a statement saying, “Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in October indicates that the labor market remains strong and that economic activity has been rising at a moderate rate.” The FOMC votes to keep federal funds short term interest rates at 1.50%-1.75%. FOMC PR link.

***Tuesday, December 10

PBRMarketTools welcomes TransUnion, a leading US consumer credit reporting agency, to The PBR1000! Find out more at the $TRU Summary Profile.

ExxonMobil(PBR2) gets welcome verdict from the Supreme Court of the State of New York from lawsuit by the New York Attorney General regarding Exxon’s handling of information on its climate change research, release includes hotlink to full ruling. $XOM PR link.

Chevron(PBR11) estimates it will take non-cash, after tax impairment charges of $10 billion to $11 billion in its 4Q19 results, more than half related to the Appalachia shale project. $CVX PR link.

Chevron(PBR11) announces a 2020 organic capital and exploratory spending program of $20 billion. $CVX PR link.

Wells Fargo(PBR29) announces $0 trades on the WellsTrade® self-directed trading platform for stocks and exchange traded funds. $WFC PR link.

Tech Data(PBR84) $130/share around $5.4 billion acquisition by Apollo Global Mgmt(PBR995) set to be completed in 1H20, “Go-Shop” period has expired. $TECD PR link.

Cummins(PBR123) authorizes new up to $2 billion share repurchase program upon completion of its 2018 $2 billion share repurchase program. $CMI PR link.

Jacobs Engineering(PBR205) updating its ticker symbol from JEC to J, celebrates 30th anniversary on the NYSE on 12/15/19. $J PR link.

Conduent(PBR503) to move common stock trading from NYSE to NASDAQ effective 12/23/19, will continue to use ticker CNDT. $CNDT PR link.

LandStar(PBR550) increases its stock purchase program from 1,150,932 shares available to 3,000,000 shares. $LSTR PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US 3Q19 1st Revision Labor Productivity Output/Hr-All Persons is at -0.2%, the Preliminary Estimate was at -0.3%, 2Q19 was at +2.8%, 1Q19 +3.6%, 3Q18 +0.8%. USDOL PR link.

CoreLogic says the US September 2019 Housing Mortgage Loans 30 Or More Days Delinquent are at 3.8%, August 2019 was at 3.7%, July 2019 3.8%, September 2018 4.0%. CoreLogic PR link.

***Monday, December 9

UnitedHealth(PBR6)’s Optum unit to acquire specialty pharmacy and infusion services provider Diplomat Pharmacy(PBR495) for $4.00/share cash, around $288 million. $UNH PR link.

Johnson & Johnson(PBR36)’s Janssen unit to acquire to acquire all rights to the investigational compound bermekimab, an anti-IL-1alpha monoclonal antibody (mAb) in Phase 2 development for the treatment of atopic dermatitis and hidradenitis suppurativa, from XBiotech for $750 million. $JNJ PR link.

Merck(PBR72) to acquire biopharmaceutical company focused on kinase inhibitor discovery and development for the treatment of patients with cancer and other diseases ArQule(Nasdaq: ARQL) for $20 per share cash, total equity value of around $2.7 billion, to close in 1Q20. $MRK PR link.

Marriott Intl(PBR149) completes $199 million acquisition of the Elegant Hotels Group, owns and operates seven hotels with 588 rooms and a beachfront restaurant on the island of Barbados. $MAR PR link.

Group 1 Automotive(PBR263) acquires the only Lexus franchises in New Mexico, in Alburqurque and Santa Fe, are expected to generate approximately $90 million in annualized revenues. $GPI PR link.

Xerox(PBR309) releases a presentation for HP Inc(PBR55) shareholders, says $22/share bid is really worth $31/share. $XRX PR link.

Ryman Hospitality(PBR980) to acquire Block 21, a mixed-use entertainment, lodging, office and retail complex located in the heart of downtown Austin, TX, from Stratus Properties(NASDAQ: STRS) for $275 million, includes the assumption of approximately $141 million of existing mortgage debt. $RHP PR link.

Owens Corning(PBR411) Executive Chairman Mike Thaman to retire after 27 years with the company, President/CEO Brian Chambers elected to be Chairman, both effective after annual meeting in 04/20. $OC PR link.

FannieMae(PBR22) says the US November 2019 Home Purchase Sentiment Index is at 91.5, October 2019 was at 88.8, September 2019 91.5, November 2018 86.2. “Looking ahead, we continue to expect a steady but modest pace of growth in home purchase activity.” $FNMA PR link.

***Friday, December 6

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 49 ending 112/06/19:

DJIA ends Week 49 at  28,015.06, -0.13% from last Friday, +3.58% MTD, +4.08% QTD, +20.09% YTD, -0.53% from record 28,164.00 set 11/27/19.

NASDAQ ends Week 49 at 8,656.53, -0.10% from last Friday, +4.39% MTD, +8.22% QTD, +30.46% YTD, -0.56% from record 8,665.47 set 11/27/19.

SPX ends Week 49 at 3,145.91, +0.16% from last Friday, +3.57% MTD, +5.68% QTD, +25.49% YTD, -0.24% from record 3,153.63 set 11/27/19.

The Week 49 of 2019 News Summary: At the beginning of the week President Trump indicated a US/China trade deal might not happen until after the 2020 elections, but by the end of the week the word was that a deal is “close.” The US House does not look like it will be able to act on the USMCA, a replacement for NAFTA, by the end of the year. On the US economy front the week started with lower numbers than hoped for for the manufacturing sector, but at the end of the week the jobs report was much more positive than expected. As for US politics, early Democrat Party front runner Kamala Harris suspended her presidential 2020 campaign for lack of funding and the US House has started the draft of the paperwork to formalize a vote for an impeachment trial of President Trump. The Stock Market Bear responded with some big time down numbers at the beginning of the week, but The Stock Market Bull responded with a huge comeback at the end of the week because of the jobs data. Bottomline, Week 49 ends mixed with The Stock Market Bear as the leader with a 2-1 edge by slim margins from all 3 major US stock indices.

The Week 49 of 2019 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 25 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 15 weeks
Mixed Results: 9 weeks

The PBR1000 Analyst Recommendations as of 12/05/19:

Buy: 108 companies
Overweight: 559
Hold: 290
Underweight: 33
Sell: 5
No Recommendation: 5

Total: 1,000

Total Analyst Recommendations: 14,881

Click here to find out more about The PBR1000! 

Amgen(PBR124) gets US FDA approval for AVSOLA™ (infliximab-axxq) for all approved indications of the reference product, Remicade® (infliximab): for the treatment of moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA), moderate-to-severe Crohn’s Disease in the adult and pediatric population, moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis in the adult and pediatric population, chronic severe plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. $AMGN PR link.

United Natural Foods(PBR143) to sell 13 of its 43 Shoppers Food & Pharmacy stores to three separate grocery operators, to close by end of 02/20, to close 4 other locations where leases will be up, part of transformation to become a food wholesaler only. $UNFI PR link.

PG&E(PBR179) gets agreement on final major settlement for $13.5 billion from the 2017 Northern California Wildfires and 2018 Camp Fire, on path to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy prior to 06/30/20 deadline. $PCG PR link.

Post Holdings(PBR459) approves new $400 million share repurchase program, previous $400 million authorization is cancelled, had used $252 million. $POST PR link.

Alexion Pharmaceutical(PBR601) says after discussions with Elliott Management affiliate it has decided not to sell company, is focused on delivering long-term shareholder value by advancing its mission of developing and delivering transformative medicines for people with rare diseases. $ALXN PR link.

Marvell Technology(PBR755) completes $1.76 billion cash sale of its 550 employees $300 million in revenues in FY2019 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology portfolios and related assets to NXP. $MRVL PR link.

SL Green Realty(PBR984) increases it share repurchase program by $500 million, authorization is now for $3 billion. $SLG PR link.

The US Dept of Labor says the US November 2019 Employed is at 158,593,000, +83,000 from October 2019, +1,790,000 from November 2018, Unemployed is at 5,811,000, -43,000 from October 2019, -207,000 from November 2018, Unemployment Rate is at 3.5%, was 3.7% in November 2018. USDOL PR link.

The US Federal Reserve says the US Preliminary October 2019 Consumer Credit Outstanding-Revolving is at $1.089 trillion, Non-Revolving $3.077 trillion, Total $4.165 trillion, +0.5% from September 2019, +3.9% YTD(10 months), +4.9% from October 2018. USFed PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says the US Preliminary October 2019 Wholesale Sales-Durables were at $237.6 billion, Non-Durables $256.7 billion, Total $494.3 billion, -0.7% from September 2019, +1.4% from October 2018. USDOC PR link.

The U of Michigan US Preliminary December 2019 Consumer Sentiment Index is at 99.2, November 2019 was at 96.8, October 2019 95.5, December 2018 98.3. “While the implications of the economic expectations of Democrats and Republicans are clearly exaggerated, the Independents, who represent the largest group and are less susceptible to maintaining partisan views, hold very favorable expectations, indicating the continuation of the expansion based on consumer spending.” UMichigan PR link.

***Thursday, December 5

The PBR1000 November 2019 Top 5 By Market Capitalization)(Rank, Company, PBR1000 Ranking by Revenues, Stock Symbol, 11/29/19 Market Capitalization):

1. Apple(PBR3, $AAPL), $1,190 billion
2. Microsoft(PBR19, $MSFT), $1,162 billion
3. AlphabetPBR17, $GOOG), $905 billion
4. Amazon(PBR5, $AMZN), $902 billion
5. Facebook(PBR57, $FB, $576 billion

The PBR1000 Range: $1,190 billion to $0.01 billion
The PBR1000 Total Market Capitalization: $29,662 billion
Average: $29.7 billion
Median: $8.33 billion

Click here to find out more about The PBR1000! 

General Motors(PBR14) and S Korea based LG Chem to mass-produce battery cells for future battery-electric vehicles, will invest up to a total of $2.3 billion through a new, equally owned joint venture company, will establish a battery cell assembly plant on a greenfield manufacturing site in the Lordstown, OH area, will create 1,100+ new jobs. $GM PR link.

MetLife(PBR45) to acquire pet health insurance administrator PetFirst Healthcare, currently administers insurance coverage on more than 40,000 pets, to close in 1Q20, terms not disclosed. $MET PR link.

Energy Transfer(PBR59) completes $17/share cash and stock, around $5 billion, includes debt, acquisition of midstream oil and gas transportation provider SemGroup(PBR813). $ET PR link.

Dollar General(PBR111) in 3Q report says it plans for 1,000 new store openings, 1,500 mature store remodels, and 80 store relocations in next fiscal year. $DG PR link.

Huntsman(PBR327) to acquire $230 million in annual revenues Icynene-Lapolla, a leading N American manufacturer and distributor of spray polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation systems for residential and commercial applications, from FFL Partners, for $350 million cash, to close in 1H20. $HUN PR link.

Univar(PBR342) to sell its pest control management Environmental Sciences business to AEA Investors for $195 million, to close by early 2020. $UNVR PR link.

Caesars Entertainment(PBR357) completes $516.3 million sales of its Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino to Imperial Companies, Caesars will continue to operate the property under a $45 million lease/year for at least 2 years. $CZR PR link.

Analog Devices(PBR463) files lawsuit against Xilinx(PBR722) for infringements off several key ADI patents. $ADI PR link.

Pyxus(PBR927) indirect wholly owned subsidiary Figr Brands has entered Ontario, Canada’s legal cannabis market, has plans to produce 43,000 kilograms of cannabis products annually. $PYX PR link.

TripAdvisor(PBR949) acquires SinglePlatform from Endurance International Group, helps restaurants to easily publish and manage their menus and other key information such as their business name, opening hours and contact information on main search and discovery sites like Google and Facebook, terms not disclosed. $TRIP PR link.

United Airlines(PBR74) CEO Oscar Munoz to transition to Executive Chairman, President J. Scott Kirby to become CEO, to be effective 05/20/20. $UAL PR link.

Tractor Supply(PBR376) hires Hal Lawton as President/CEO, effective 01/13/20, succeeds retiring CEO Greg Sandfort. $TSCO PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says the US Preliminary October 2019 Exports-Goods were at $136.1 billion, Services $71.1 billion, Total Exports $207.2 billion, Total Exports YTD(10 months) is at $2.087 trillion, Imports-Goods were at $204.1 billion, Services $50.2 billion, Total Imports $254.3 billion, Total Imports YTD is at $2.607 trillion, Total Deficit $47.1 billion, Total Deficit YTD is at $520.1 billion, Total Deficit YTD 2018 was at $513.9 billion. USDOC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce says the US Preliminary October 2019 Manufacturers Sales-Durable Goods was at $248.4 billion, Non-Durable Goods $248.6 billion, Total Sales $497.0 billion, Sales YTD(10 months) are at $4.974 trillion, Sales YTD 2018 was at $4.992 trillion. USDOC PR link.

***Wednesday, December 4

The PBR1000 Spotlight for this week is Equinix, a leading global data centers services operator. Equinix Spotlight link.

Marriott Intl(PBR149) is projecting to open more than 30 luxury properties in 2020. $MAR PR link.

Viacom(PBR242) and CBS(PBR213) complete merger, now ViacomCBS Inc, begins trading on 12/05/19 as NASDAQ: VIACA and VIAC. $VIACA PR link.

Chesapeake Energy(PBR300) gets a secured first lien last out 4.5-year term loan facility of up to $1.5 billion from one or more commercial banks, to be used primarily for Brazos Valley Longhorn investments. $CHK PR link.

Prologis(PBR769) expands its development venture in China and increases its development capacity to more than $3.5 billion, announces formation of its new $1.7 billion open-ended Prologis China Core Logistics Fund. $PLD PR link.

Verisk Analytics(PBR832) to acquire privately held Iselin, NJ-based software developer for the life insurance and annuity industry FAST for $193.5 million. $VRSK PR link.

Expedia(PBR276) CEO/Board member Mark Okerstrom and CFO Alan Pickerill resign their positions effective immediately, Chairman Barry Diller and Vice Chairman Peter Kern to oversee executive leadership team while Board determines the long-term leadership, Chief Strategy Officer Eric Hart to serve as Acting CFO; Board adds up to 20 million shares to repurchase program, balance available is around 29 million shares. $EXPE PR link.

ADP(PBR221) says the US November 2019 Private Sector Change In Employment was +67,000, October 2019 was +121,000, September 2019 +124,000, November 2018 +136,000. $ADP PR link.

The Institute for Supply Management says the US November 2019 Non-Manufacturing Index(>50% economy growing) is at 53.9%, October 2019 was at 54.7%, September 2019 52.6%, November 2018 60.4%. “The respondents hope for a resolution on tariffs and continue to be hampered by constraints in labor resources.” ISM PR link.

The IHS Markit US November 2019 Composite PMI Output Index is at 52.0, October 2019 was at 50.9, September 51.0, November 2018 54.7. “Business confidence remained subdued in November, with manufacturers and service providers noting less upbeat output expectations for the year ahead.” IHS Markit PR link.

***Tuesday, December 3

AMD(PBR442) at +281% is at the top of November’s Snapshot 13, The PBR1000 Top 5 Stock Performers Since 12/29/17(23 months). Check out the Summary, click here!

Haliburton(PBR122 $HAL) closes its El Reno, OK, camp operations, 808 employees layed off. Houston Business Journal PR link.

Constellation Brands(PBR336) to sell its Ballast Point brand and a number of its associated production facilities and brewpubs, excluding Constellation’s Craft & Specialty operations in Daleville, VA, to Chicagoland-based Kings & Convicts Brewing Co, to close by 02/29/20, terms not disclosed. $STZ PR link.

Rush Enterprises(PBR494) authorizes up to $100 million share repurchase program, replaces current $150 million which had around $26.4 million remaining. $RUSHA PR link.

Cleveland-Cliffs(PBR843) to acquire producer of flat-rolled carbon, stainless and electrical steel products AK Steel(PBR424) for $3.36/share all stock deal valued at $1.1 billion, to close in 1H20. $CLF PR link.

Alphabet(PBR17) Co-founders CEO Larry Page and President Sergey Brin step down from their roles, remain on the Board, Google CEO Sundar Pichai adds role of CEO of Alphabet, effective immediately. $GOOG PR link.

Frontier Communications(PBR345) President/CEO/Board member Daniel McCarthy steps down after 29 years with the company, Board hires Bernie Han as new President/CEO, effective immediately. $FTR PR link.

AMC Entertainment(PBR498) re-appoints Lincoln Zhang as a director, elects him as Non-Executive Chairman, had previously served in the role from 08/12 to 03/18, succeeds Zeng Maojun (John Zeng) who remains on the Board. $AMC PR link.

TrueCar/ALG says the US November 2019 New Auto Sales were at 1,399,639, +4.9% from October 2019, +0.9% from November 2018; Average Incentive Outlay was at $3,759, Average Transaction Price $35,623. TrueCar PR link.

The PurdueU/CME Group November 2019 Ag Economy Barometer is at 153, October 2019 was at 136, September 2019 121, November 2018 134. “Agricultural producers’ sentiment became markedly more optimistic about current economic conditions in agriculture and that, along with a small increase in optimism about the future, led to the barometer rising substantially from October to November.” PurdueU PR link.

***Monday, December 2

The PBR25 Top Stock Buys By Analyst Recommendations As Of 11/29/19 Summary:

– Average Recommendation: 4.72/5.00
– Avg Recommendations Range: 4.61-4.96/5.00
– Avg Number of Recommendations: 29+
– Avg Number of Buy Recommendations: 24+
– Range of Buy Recommendations: 15 to 43
– NYSE: 17 companies, NASDAQ: 8
– Avg Return since 12/31/14(59 mos): +164.2%
– DJIA Return since 12/31/14: +57.4%
– NASDAQ Return since 12/31/14: +83.0%
– S&P500 Return since 12/31/14: +52.6%

To find out more about The PBR25 click here!

Amazon(PBR5) announces new Quantum computing service (Amazon Braket) along with AWS Center for Quantum Computing and Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab. $AMZN PR link.

Kroger(PBR21)’s Kroger Delivery Kitchen Powered by ClusterTruck is launching in Carmel, IN – where Kroger and ClusterTruck are jointly opening a fourth kitchen – and Indianapolis, IN, and Columbus, OH, as well as King Soopers Delivery Kitchen Powered by ClusterTruck for Denver customers, nearly every order is in the hands of the customer within 7 minutes of the meal’s preparation, average time between placing an order and a customer receiving their food is less than 30 minutes. $KR PR link.

Intel(PBR43) completes $1 billion sale to Apple(PBR3) of majority of its smartphone modem business, includes approximately 2,200 employees along with intellectual property, equipment and leases. $INTC PR link.

PepsiCo(PBR48) to acquire 750 employees global, diversified, better-for-you snack company BFY Brands, the maker of PopCorners snacks, will report into PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America division, terms not disclosed. $PEP PR link.

Freeport-McMoRan(PBR166) completes $150 million sale of its cobalt refinery in Kokkola, Finland and related cobalt cathode precursor business to Umicore. $FCX PR link.

Baxter(PBR280) to acquire $100 million in annual revenues provider of adhesion prevention products, hemostats and sealants Seprafilm Adhesion Barrier and related assets from Sanofi for $350 million cash, to close by end of 1Q20. $BAX PR link.

Newmont Goldcorp(PBR402) authorizes up to $1 billion share repurchase program over next 12 months, replaces previous up to $100 million plan. $NEM PR link.

Newmont Goldcorp(PBR402) to sell its 19.9% equity stake and its convertible bond in Continental Gold to Zijin Mining Group for $260 million, to close in 1Q20. $NEM PR link.

McDermott Intl(PBR433) granted access to $350 million Tranche B of the $1.7 billion superpriority senior secured credit facility, has entered into a forbearance agreement with holders of 35%+ of McDermott’s 10.625% senior notes due 2024, continues to pursue strategic alternatives process for it Lummus Technology unit. $MDR PR link.

Pitney Bowes(PBR660) completes $700 million cash sale of its Software Solutions business to Syncsort. $PBI PR link.

SS&C Tech(PBR672) completes acquisition of more than 200 clients, 350 employees, and offices in 25 countries, risk analytics provider Algorithmics, terms not disclosed. $SSNC PR link.

The US Dept of Commerce/Census says the US Preliminary October 2019 Annual Rate All Construction-Residential is at $514.5 billion, Non-Residential $776.5 billion, Total $1.291 trillion, -0.8% from September 2019, +1.1% from October 2018. USDOC PR link.

The US Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago says the 7th District Preliminary October 2019 Midwest Economy Index is at -0.41, September was at -0.45, August -0.36, October 2018 +0.08. ChiFed PR link.

The Institute for Supply Management says the US November 2019 Manufacturing PMI Index(<50% is Contracting) is at 48.1%, October 2019 was at 48.3%, September 2019 47.8%, November 2018 59.3%. “Overall, sentiment this month is neutral regarding near-term growth…” ISM PR link.

IHS Markit says the US November 2019 Manufacturing PMI Index is at 52.6, October 2019 was at 51.3, September 2019 51.1, November 2018 55.3. “November data indicated a faster rate of improvement in operating conditions across the U.S. manufacturing sector… Business confidence remained historically muted, however, as global economic
uncertainty continued to weigh on expectations.” IHS Markit PR link.

Adobe Systems(PBR332)’ Analytics unit Adobe Holiday Shopping Trends-Predictions 2019 report expects $9.4 billion in sales on CyberMonday. $ADBE PR link.

***Friday, November 29

The PBRMarketTools US Stock Exchanges Recap for Week 48 and the month of November 2019 ending 11/29/19:

DJIA ends Week 48 and November at  28,051.41, +0.63% from last Friday, +3.72% MTD, +4.22% QTD, +20.25% YTD, -0.40% from record 28,164.00 set 11/27/19.

NASDAQ ends Week 48 and November at 8,665.47, +1.71% from last Friday, +4.50% MTD, +8.33% QTD, +30.60% YTD, -0.46% from record 8,665.47 set 11/27/19.

SPX ends Week 48 and November at 3,140.98, +0.99% from last Friday, +3.40% MTD, +5.52% QTD, +25.30% YTD, -0.40% from record 3,153.63 set 11/27/19.

The Week 48 of 2019 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 25 weeks
The Stock Market Bear: 15 weeks
Mixed Results: 8 weeks

The Month 11 of 2019 tally YTD is:
The Stock Market Bull: 9 months
The Stock Market Bear: 2 months
Mixed Results: 0 months

Check out the BLOG page for the previous RECAPS and SNAPSHOTS posts.

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PBRMarketTools.com provides news, data, and analysis on 1,000 of the largest publicly held companies with primary operations in the US. The data and analysis is included in The PBR1000 Monthly Snapshots, an MS-Excel workbook with 15 snapshot worksheets, 28 rankings, and over 200 fields of data and information on each company. Click here to find out more! 

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